back it up (2012 edition... part ii)

Here comes THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR!!!!!!

july // cabin time = the best time. just look at this breakfast! / started thinking positively with positive inking! / made a lot of popsicles

august // sketched my patootie off / partied with the dead at light grey /  katie visits and we begin our pin curl adventure... to be continued! /  putted our way to the top at lili putt /

september // my very first ten paces swap! / scone'd it up / finally became a responsible plant owner / started a new chapter of my life / seasonal playlist obsession begins / continued my birthday crown tradition for alex / spent the evening watching movies in on a tiny island with some dreamy boys

october // took the boy to visit the mitten for the first time, a success / my pin curl tutorial with katie is revealed... and then posted on the hairpin!! / the portfolio gets a long overdue makeover / a night at the museum with our buddies charlie & regan / gloomy doodles gloomy doodles gloomy doodles! / Grimes rocked my earbuds off / alli's annual halloween party, always a hit  

 

november // a visit from my awesome little brother / printed portfolio gets a makeover / pikaland feature puts a permanent smile on my face / pumpkinfest 2012 goes off like gangbusters / tritsgiving - so delicious, so fun

 

december // a spelling bee at the 331 /  first loaf of bread baked / a trip to the natural history museum with maria / couch-ridden with pneumonia / beat illness just in time to hop a plane and spend a glorious week in michigan for the holidays / went all out with my present wrapping / GEM PRESENTS 2012! bryan knows me too well

LAST POST OF 2012, BUDDIES! I've got a few things planned for January, including a real roundup of my Michigan trip and lots more art. Have a happy and safe New Year, internet!

back it up (2012 edition)

Woah, woah wait. Is it almost New Year's? When did THAT happen? Christmas is usually the holiday that sneaks up on me, but with a whole week spent in my family's company this year felt a lot more festive. So now I guess I have to figure out what I'm wearing... tomorrow? IS IT REALLY TOMORROW? Someone pinch me.

In the past few years I've done an annual round up, although usually more fashion related than anything. This year I kinda skimped on the wardrobe remixes, so let's just look back at 2012 as a whole, shall we? STEP INTO MY SPARKLY TIME MACHINE, BUDDIES!

january // new year's day food fest with all the bestest of friends / my first fashion blogger moment / mild winter weather / listened to buddies rock out / swapped clothes with the most fashionable ladies

  

february // started a new feature that I really need to start back up again! Spirited Away next, maybe? / printed my butt off with mr. ferenc for a good cause / parties with new neighbors / chili cook off competing and consuming

march // hair experiments / a  feature on Apartment Therapy (and consequential freakout of happiness) / guest posted over at Erin's adorbs blog / finished up the latest album cover for the talented Matt Jones



april // participated in the pokemon battle royale at light grey / roller skating (and creeper avoiding) with some fun ladies /  visits from my parents and my favorite katie / yearly friends brunch, a delicious gathering as always


may // california, california californiaaaa with the boyf's family.. and a mini katie reunion! / an epic "partyship"... complete with sailor hats! /  brainstorming with lisa leads to our (still working on it!) zine /  did I mention California?

june // the froyo obsession begins / meg hunt & light grey get my butt in gear at an illustrator's workshop / our very first CSA begins / beach trips and board games and dancing in the streets

Look out for the second half of this post! Coming tomorrow... OR IN 2013!!! (... depending on how lazy I am tomorrow)

post haste

I'm back! My holiday adventures were a blast - lots and lots of activities and festivities all around. While I gather up all the holiday photos, though, I thought I'd show you a fun project I completed recently!

After my feature on Pikaland, the super lovely Amy contacted me about working on a "Thank You" postcard that she could send out with purchases from the Pikaland shop. Obviously I said yes yes yes, and off we started.

Here's my original sketch (on the left) and the revised sketch after Amy's feedback (right). This was a pretty quick project so I provided a few concepts, but maybe not as detailed as I normally do. Luckily Amy had a great idea for my cat thumbnail, and we went with it! (p.s. thanks to my buddy Chance and his lovely meowzer Aoife for being my feline model!)

Unfortunately I didn't document my entire process... I've been meaning to do a process post, perhaps someday soon! Here, though, are the items I created outside of the computer! Lately I've been experimenting with graphite shapes and selective linework. Then I scan them and play around with them in photoshop!

Voila! The final product. I'm super happy with it - simple and cute with a little hand lettering thrown in for good measure! Now I highly recommend you go check out the Pikaland store! The holidays might almost be over, but that doesn't mean you can't buy yourself a present... like the AMAZING wall calendar! I have one hanging in my kitchen, it's full of amazing illustrations and a great bonus booklet of interviews. Buy, buy, buy~!

for a spell

- spell for a festive season - 

two sprigs mistletoe, tied with red string.

one red candle, flame glowing

one large raw citrine, to perpetuate joy

vial of honey, sweet and precious

salt pile in a wooden bowl, to fortify alchemy 

combine and ingest at midnight

(okay so maybe that's all made up, but I had a good time making it up! And yes, the salt pile is a Skyrim reference, nerd alert.  Also never eat mistletoe, that business is poisonous. Happy Holidays to all, and to all a fantastic day and a warm cozy night.)

wishing well

Was everyone and their mother sick last week? I know I was - and what I thought was a harmless cold one day turned out to be full blown pneumonia that lasted wayyyy too long. The worst part was my sense of taste was TOTALLY thrown off (this cheese tastes terrible!) and my appetite was gone. I ate a lot of soup (which lead me to never wanting soup again), and the rest of me subsisted on clementines, townhouse crackers, and antioxidant-laden green tea.

Let's just say I'm very glad to be well again... and just in time for the holidays! Tomorrow I'm off to Michigan for an entire week - blog posts, I've decided, will be optional... so don't expect too much!

In the meantime: I did another Ten Paces & Draw swap! This one was The Great Gatsby themed, which was great fun to sketch and illustrate. I loved my sketch from Allison Ranieri - the final isn't exactly what I wanted but unfortunately I had to finish it with a fever of 102. Next time!

party lines

Awwwww yiss, it's December. Time to be FESTIVE. Time to BAKE SOME COOKIES AND WRAP SOME PRESENTS. And, best of all, TIME TO GO TO SOME HOLIDAY PARTIES. I love me some holiday party fashion - there's no other time of the year when sparkles and gold and more sparkles are SO socially acceptable. To me, at least. 

So, let's imagine our dream holiday party outfits! This year I'm thinking it might be fun to add lime green (instead of pink or coral) into the mix. What say you? I whipped up two versions (cheapish and spendy) for your viewing pleasure...

CHEAP / dress / headband / clutch / hairpins / shoes / rings

SPENDY / earrings / top (can't find the one in the photo, which is Michael Kors, but there's a similar one here) / skirt / shoes / purse