Save the Date

greetings from the future: I scheduled this post not thinking about when it would go up. Though it feels weird to leave it here, I'd rather celebrate things I love and artists doing cool things in a small way. I'll also be donating $10 for every calendar sold to the Southern Poverty Law Center!

Greetings blog! I have some fun news for you - I've got two illustrations in Studio on Fire's 2017 desktop calendar!! This was a super fun project for me, and also a big honor. Ever since college I've followed and really admired Studio on Fire's work. Now I get to be a part of this great annual project, along with quite a few other talented illustrators and designers. SO COOL SO COOL!

I'm going to be selling these calendars in a little "pop up shop" I opened just for this great product. Did someone say Christmas present???? GUYS IT'S PERFECT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST.

(pssst... want free shipping? Just enter code HELLOBLOG when you check out!)

Here are some more photos, including both my illustrations and examples of the different accent colors on the stand (you can pick between silver and black).

here's the silver accent

and here's the shiny black accent!

unlisted #9

Another set of items occupying my mind grapes. Previous versions: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

picnic at hanging rock | I knew I would like this movie before I even saw it. The poster! The trailer! YOU GUYS. It's on Hulu, watch it immmmmmediately if you are in the market for a moody, mysterious film full of gorgeous imagery. Inspiration for days.

sweetgreen | Let's be real: this is a salad restaurant. LOL OMG, LIKE LA LIFE, RIGHT? But seriously: this place is in walking distance from work, you can order online ahead of time, and they make a darn tootin' delicious salad. True, it's kinda spendy, but sometimes you just wanna drop too much money on food you know you can make at home.

casually gorgeous | I have never been an expert makeup applier. My guilty pleasure as of late is watching VERY COMPLICATED, VERY INVOLVED makeup tutorials on youtube. We're talking contouring, multiple eyeshadows, fake eyelashes, the whole shebang... things that I would neeeeever actually do on myself. They're weirdly soothing. Casually Gorgeous is an instagram account that focuses on simple, effective makeup tips that I feel like I really would do. It's a perfect combo!

geometric drink rocks | Surprise surprise. I like a geometric rock thing. These ones go in your whiskey or whatever - I guess I would even put them in water, because they are geometric rock things.

cleaning furball | Imagine a Roomba, but cuter? This is that thing.

Theodore Kittelsen | I don't know how I'd never heard of this Norwegian painter/illustrator before, but now I have and I'm smitten. He had an eye for the spooky and ominous, but also made some really sweet and beautiful images. And those color palettes! GUHHH. Here are some more examples of his work, because I can't help it:

via wikipedia

wants vs. needs

photo on the right by Bryan, who is pretty much the best.

Etsy and I had a little falling out for a couple of years - they didn't do anything wrong of course, but the feeling of endless amazing goods mixed amongst some (let's be honest) not so amazing goods got overwhelming. Last year though I received an Etsy gift card from my brother and sister-in-law, and thus we were reacquainted. 

...and now I am ALL IN. Every so often I'll log in and click that little heart button like a madwoman. My favorites page has grown quite a bit as a result, but since I'm currently (always) in saving $$$ mode and can't buy everything I will just post them here. It's like virtual window shopping!

p.s. Actual purchases featured above! Wedding band from Lichen & Lychee and the bowl in which we keep our shinies from Revision Design.

GEOMETRY tote & Terrestre 05 necklace from depeapa

petit cafe set | Hitonari Works & ceramic spoons | aveshamichael

 Mountain Blossom furoshiki | The Link Collective & Sniffy Soap sample | vice and velvet 

Arc Earrings | Tiny Armour & Hammered Brass Cuff | Rock Salt Vintage

pizza tank | xenotees & bye zine | Sarah McNeil 

body of work

table (which I'm actually currently using as a desk)

So, a long time ago (2009, woaaahh) I made this post. My tastes have changed a little since then (that rug! I'm cringing), and now that I'm back to working from home I figured it was time to do a little update. It hasn't even been a year since I went freelance, so I'm still working on what sort of furniture I need.. but that doesn't mean a girl can't dream!

wall mounted shelves / chair /  rug

• Things I'd like ideally:  a new chair that rolls, a rug to keep my tootsies happy, a wall mounted shelf for tchotchkes and the like, a flat file for paper and art, multiple filing cabinets for supplies

• Things I have room and the money for: a latte

Our apartment is small, so I don't have a ton of room for studio space. That's really okay since I do most all of my work from my desk. But it would be nice to have more room for storage, and the money for a fancy new chair! Gisèle d’Ailly van Waterschoot van der Gracht's (how's that for a name?) home is ideally what I'd love for my studio space to look like: classic, full of life but not cluttered.

table lamp / ceramic ghost / planter

I also wouldn't mind adding some new decorations to my workspace. Obviously I can never get enough plants, and maybe I could start a collection of Ahroj's Ghosts project. They are just so darling!

What does your ideal desk space look like?

greener pastures

I just want you to know that, according to the weather channel, it is 29° but feels more like 17°. They also have a slideshow of 25 Dogs in the Snow to Melt Your Heart, but that's neither here nor there. 29° is warm, folks, compared to the last couple of frigid days. All I can do is stare longingly out the window at the clear blue sky and obsessively look at swimsuits online. Major cabin fever, dudes. Major cabin fever. It's no wonder then that I've been finding myself attracted to bright colors big bold shapes (and floral imagery, as always). 

The card above from Mister Boddington (featuring one of my fonts!) really has me thinking about greens. Emerald, after all, is the color of the year! I also focused on simple and bright when the lovely Lisa invited me to participate in her blog, The Scribble Project. Normally I work digitally, but colored pencil felt like the right option for such a fun assignment. Check out the rest of my scribble page, and the whole site! It's chock full of really great artists coming up with creative answers to Lisa's questions.

And, because I couldn't help it, here's my dream shopping spree outfit to incorporate my winter neutrals with some bright colors in hopes for an early spring...

sweater / bracelet / necklace (out of stock from swaychic) / shoes / clutch / skirt

present & past

So I had a holiday photo post planned, but then I got my photos back from the lab and they were pretty much all a bust - my fault, admittedly. Too many low light situations and a stubborn finger on the "no flash" button, my friends. New Years resolution: better photos!

Instead we're going to talk about PRESENTS. I know, incredibly self indulgent. But hey, it was Christmas AND my birthday in December.... so... I'll do what I want!

The J. Crew sweatpants and flannel robe (above) have both been on heavy rotation, along with coffee in my mug from Leif. My amazing mother tracked down a few of these mugs when they were OUT OF STOCK, by the way. She is truly a wizard of presents. But seriously, also, the sweat pants are amazing. I'm becoming a person who is considering wearing her sweatpants out in public. Don't worry, concerned friends, I haven't actually done it yet.

Some smaller items, in photo form...

a) new film camera from my darling aunt, uncle & cousins - can't wait to see if the film turns out!  

b) most amazing chunky cowl (via Anytime Scarf) from the boy's parents, I've been wearing it nonstop.

c) ceramic soy sauce buddy from my brother and his lady.

d) new Pikamo wallet from my parents (thanks for the recommendation, motherland!)

e) new preciouses from WORLD OF ROCKS ahhhhh seriously, if you're ever in Ypsilanti Michigan PLEASE go to this store. The ladies there are amazing and it is a wonderland of gemz.

What are your most favorite new additions, if you're a december holiday present person?

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~!

unlisted #4

Another set of items occupying my mind grapes - from the edible to the legible! Previous versions: 1 / 2 / 3

the joy luck club by Amy Tan | A coworker lent me this book before I was done with my last job, and she was nice enough to let me keep it until I was done.... which didn't take too long, let me tell you. I don't know how I've never managed to pick up this classic book about mothers & daughters before, but I'm glad I finally did. Amy Tan does such an amazing job describing the many facets of family relationships, all in some gorgeous and haunting prose. "Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones. You must peel off your skin, and that of your mother, and her mother. Until there is nothing. No scar, no skin, no flesh."

homemade vegan peppermint patties from brunch at saks | Every year, right around this time, I start dreaming about making seasonal desserts of all varieties.. it might be a little early for peppermint, but I think I need to plan making these and packaging them up in some pretty paper and handing them out after the first big snowfall like some sort of magical candy princess.

jenilee marigomen | I can't quite remember now how I came across Jeniless Marigomen's website and blog, but I am hooked. She is an amazing photographer with an eye for all sorts of everyday moments, and her journal (read: blog) is full of all sorts of images of a beautiful looking life. Definitely worth a scroll through. Pro tip: Try clicking "Everything Collage" on the right side of the page.

felicity | I think I can actually hear Katie screaming "I TOLD YOU SOOOOO" all the way from California, she of the You Must Watch Felicity variety. I started watching this show last week and am pretty desperately hooked. I know, I know what you're thinking: "uhhh, didn't Felicity give up her whole life and move to New York so she could follow a boy she had a crush on? GIRL DON'T LET A MAN RUN YOUR LIFE" but guys. I'm here to tell you that this show is so much more than that. It's sweet and it has the Pink Power Ranger and the whole look of the show is dark and cozy. I mean, there is a real tumblr dedicated to the sweaters of felicity, AND my fave Lost/Star Trek/Super 8 fella J.J. Abrams created it. Give Felicity a chance, buddies.

between a rock lamp | SECRET: The Land of Nod has some preeetttyyy baller stuff. I had previously written it off as Kid's Stuff and thus Not Worth Looking At, but oh, was I wrong. This lamp base, for one, is amazing - like a gold geode of light and prettiness. And look at these awesome wire baskets! And this sweatery moose blanket! I want to go to there!!!

jayne mansfield/lauren bacall hair | Now that I have the short hairs all I think about is what I can do with them. Braided crowns aren't quite the same, so I've turned to curling. My hair does hold a curl much better now, and I've been experimenting with going further. This jayne mansfield tutorial taught me some new things about pin curls and BRUSHING the curls out! I know, I should have known about this, but guys. Brushing curls out has changed my life. I've given it a few tries now, with a little success yesterday for the tarot show. Someday I'll really get it to look like the girl in the video, though. SOMEDAYYYY.

What about you? Got anything taking up space in your brain right now?

in store

LEIF is the kind of store that I love. They don't have a giant stock of items, just a small selection of housewares and accessories with a fantastic eye for simple, well designed loveliness. If I could, I would buy one of everything. Don't you love it when you find a little treasure trove of items that fit your aesthetic to a t?

Here, a selection of my favorite items.

1/ batik coffee scoops 2/ clint box 3/ speckled boulder mug 4/ quartz cluster necklace 5/ spear towl

pot luck

empty vessel by william edmonds 

 I can't really remember what put the spark in me, but I'm super interested in taking a pottery or ceramics class right now. I started pinning ceramics onto my goods board about 10 months ago and with every new pin I realize more and more that I want to make these things, rather than buy them. It's been a long time since I worked with clay, so once I have time I'll find myself a nice ceramics class and get back in the swing of things. 

In the meantime I'll just look at all the pretty things other people are making... I'm really drawn to rustic items that still keep a little bit of whimsy to them.

 

berry bowl by clam lab 
   two bird plates by Makoto Kagoshima
 sawdust fired cup by City by the Sea
 CLOTH PAPER CLAY bowl by Pigeon Toe Ceramics 
 Have you seen that awesome illustrator and fellow MCAD grad Tuesday Bassen is making painted clay magnets? They adorable to the max!