Happy Weekend!

What are your plans for the three days of MAGIC ahead? We'll be spending the weekend in San Diego for the wedding of our good friends Jared and Christa (seriously, aren't they the cutest?) and hopefully there will also be some pumpkin spice pancakes at some point. I'm counting down the minutes until work is done for the week...

Happy Friday, and have a wonderful loooong weekend! xo

 

Lovely Web Links: August 30, 2012

+ Ana of Blog Milk (one of my new faves) shares how to successfully brand your blog. 

+ How to make product collages in Photoshop.

+ The most lovely gourmet picnic (with recipes!).

+ The floor plan of Carrie Bradshaw's apartment. Both the Sex & the City fan and design geek in me love this.

+ On friendship.

+ And finally - everyone's favorite font, in song form!

Happy Thursday! Are you ready for the long weekend?

Under Construction

Guys, something big is coming around here...I'm in the middle of a total re-design of the blog, and I am so excited to unveil it! I bought a gorgeous, simple template (more on that soon) and I'm challenging myself to do most of the coding myself too add unique features and functionality (huge thanks to Katrina of Pugly Pixel for her fabulous Pugly Pixel TV - I've learned so much!).

Stay tuned next week for the makeover...

In other news, I just re-discovered We Heart It and found photos I'd completely forgotten I bookmarked years ago. If you'll excuse me I have to go get lost on the internet for the next little while.

Happy Tuesday!
 

It's New Portfolio Day!

This past weekend was all about getting 'er done - and I'm happy to announce that I've just launched a brand new web portfolio! Finally, all my collage art, graphic design, and interior design work is in one simple, organized place. (That's a big ol' checkmark off of my to-do list!)

I'd be thrilled if you visited my new portfolio (it's also linked in the navbar at the top). And if you like what you see, let's chat about a custom project.

Happy Monday!
 

Lovely Web Links: August 23, 2012

+ Gorgeous, totally badass photography by Sara Lando.

+ Pretty much the coolest wedding invite ever.

+ Need a new desktop wallpaper?

+ High-speed photography of bubbles bursting. Pretty.

+ Weird chairs that look half-animal? Yes please!

+ Do you need to hire a designer? This handy flowchart will help.

Happy Thursday!

Look Around You, Feel It All

[Image via Pinterest, original source unknown]

"Being tender and open is beautiful. As a woman, I feel continually shhh'ed. Too sensitive. Too mushy. Too wishy washy. Blah blah. Don't let someone steal your tenderness. Don't allow the coldness and fear of others to tarnish your perfectly vulnerable beating heart. Nothing is more powerful than allowing yourself to be truly affected by things. Whether it's a song, a stranger, a mountain, a rain drop, a tea kettle, an article, a sentence, a footstep, feel it all - look around you. All of this is for you. Take it and have gratitude. Give it and feel love. "- Zooey Deschanel

Happy Friday. xo
 

Lovely Web Links: August 16, 2012

+ A home office with serious style - the residential headquarters of La Petite Magazine.

+ Finally, a plant I can't kill! 

+ This DIY ombre wall tutorial has gone cuh-razy on Pinterest for good reason. It's gorgeous!

+ Bri's secret ingredients to blogging.

+ Incredible Barbie recreations of famous artworks.

+ If you find great looking recipes and DIY ideas on Pinterest but aren't sure if they'll really work (homemade eye makeup remover, I'm talking to you!), the Pintester has tried them all. Some with great results, and some hilariously horrific. 

Happy Thursday!
 

Pinterest, My Muse

Pinterest is pretty much a mecca of ideas and inspiration for all things design, DIY, and craft. But lately, Pinterest has been my muse for all things style-related! I find myself pinning more hairstyles and fashion ideas than interior design inspiration. But with photos like these, how could I not?

[Images via Style Inspiration on Pinterest]

In other news, I suddenly have the urge to buy a bunch of pretty new clothes and bleach my hair platinum blond.

Are you on Pinterest? Leave a link to your Pinterest profile in the comments and let's be friends. xo

Happy Tuesday!
 

Indie Biz: Starting is the Hardest Part

 

[Photo by lesleymyrick on Instagram]

Don't you find that starting is the hardest part of a creative project? I find that once I get going I thoroughly enjoy the process and the end result is both beautiful and satisfying...but getting over the mental block and intimidation of starting with a blank canvas can practically paralyze me with fear! There are just so many options I feel overwhelmed and inadequate to create something worthy.

I delayed starting this collage for a couple of weeks (it's a 6x6 commission on board for a good friend) because I was struggling with the fact that I wanted it to be perfect - but I didn't know where to start, and therefore didn't know how to achieve that high standard that I hold myself and my art to. I also haven't done a new piece in months, and I find the longer I'm away from art, the harder it is to jump back in.

Here's the irony of it all - this piece came together so fast and so effortlessly that it was almost laughable. I couldn't believe I had agonized over it for so long, only for it to totally flow out of me once I had (finally!) started it. It's not making art that's usually the challenge - starting is the hardest part. 

How do you deal with creative block, and the intimidation of starting a new project from scratch? 

Happy Monday!
 

Splendid Summer

Even though the fashion and decor worlds are moving on to autumn already (which, honestly, irks me!) I'm still loving the fact that it is a splendid SUMMER! Joy Cho recently held a contest on her blog, and entering was simple - create a board on Pinterest celebrating summer. Happy to oblige, Joy. 

  [Images via Splendid Summer on Pinterest]

Happy Friday!
 

Lovely Web Links: August 9, 2012

+ Katie Armour nails how I feel about my short hair with this quote. 

+ Fashion + Decor. Perfect mashups of clothing and interiors. I could waste a lot of time browsing this site...

+ The top 10 best celebrity homes. I love Em Henderson's roundup because these aren't crazy-huge unattainable spaces...they're just interiors with great style. (Okay, they're perhaps a little larger than my 600 sq. ft. apartment.) 

+ DIY recycled leather and wood shelf. Nate and I are going to need one of these beauties.

+ I love Mimi + Meg's GSD (Get Sh*t Done) series.  This quote from one of the interviews particularly struck me with its sass.

+ Wise words on balancing work and motherhood from Becka. 

Happy Thursday!

Creative Inspiration: Kelly Rae Roberts

It's no secret that one of my biggest creative inspirations is Kelly Rae Roberts (she's been the subject of a previous Creative Inspiration post, and also in a roundup of my fave bloggers). I've followed her work and blog for years, and not only do I love and admire her style and passion, but also the way she's skillfully leveraged her collage art into several successful product lines. Last week at the Las Vegas Market I was thrilled to see her home decor line with Creative Co-Op, and was so impressed to see how two-dimensional artwork could transition into tangible three-dimensional decor products like wall art, furniture, and accessories. High five, Kelly Rae. 

[Photos by Lesley Myrick]

Happy Tuesday!
 

Lovely Web Links: August 2, 2012

+ Beautiful black and white interiors. Swoon.

+ More interior design love - a handy guide to mixing patterns in your home. 

+ A really cool Pantone iPhone app.

+ My lovely friend Sarah of The Curated House shares a thoughtful post about her design motto which she calls "Beautiful Process, Beautiful Product".

+ For all you mamas and mamas-to-be, creative maven Joy Cho talks about the work/life/family juggle.

+ 15 ways 20-somethings ruin their twenties.

+ Create more, why dontcha?? A beautiful hand-lettered illustration. 

+ And finally, have you watched Buttermilk the goat "play" with her friends? The first 10 seconds are the best. (Nate and I watched it over and over and over last night and just about died laughing, and then bounced around pretending to be Buttermilk. I'm surprised one of us didn't get hurt!)

What are you loving this week?

Happy Thursday!