On the Seashore

(Marimekko Pixie dress, Seascape print from Sadly Harmless)

Happy Monday!

I'm really wanting this sweet Marimekko dress. I can't get enough of scalloped edges and Peter Pan collars these days. This particular design has a nautical feel, without being too literal; the perfect dress for summer. 

Isn't this adorable sea-inspired print so fun? The boat, the sharks, the "wavy" beard - I love it all. I want this print for my bathroom, immediately.

Saturday Style File: Week Eight

Happy Saturday!

I think lots of people struggle with the month of February; Winter seems never ending and spirits are generally a bit low. Have you noticed this?

Last week I mentioned that I've been in a bit of a rut, style-wise. For someone who loves clothes, I have a pretty small wardrobe. There are only so many things in my closet that are appropriate for bitter cold and many feet of snow on the ground (we just got another six inches or so yesterday)! I've been relying on a few pieces pretty heavily, just waiting for the weather to warm up enough to begin incorporating some of my more Spring-like items into the mix.

So, this week I will spare you the details of most of my outfit (blue turtleneck, skinny jeans, black ankle booties, blah blah..) and focus on the new piece in my closet - the Spring blouse I purchased from Express! The blouse is fairly sheer and lightweight, with a vibrant floral pattern. I wanted to inject some color into my look this week, so I decided to pair the blouse with my warmer Winter items.

I'm dying to get some bright cropped skinnies to pair with the blouse, along with my favorite pair of yellow flats. I will say, thought, that pairing the cheerful blouse with my Winter staples really did lift my mood on Monday :)

How has your weekend been so far? I'm off to run errands this afternoon, but I think I'll be able to talk A. into having Chinese tonight at the quiet little restaurant we love :)

For those of you who liked this, the card is now listed in the shop!

Neutral Ground

(Satomi Kawakita yellow gold ring, Fabric & Handle tote, Coclico Outro bootie)

I absolutely love color. If given the choice between a cheerful bright and a more subdued hue, I'll choose cheerful 99% of the time. That said, I still appreciate the role neutral tones play in grounding an outfit. Black, gray and brown tones mix effortlessly with the more "exuberant" pieces a girl's closet.  I'm sure I could find a way to work these cheerful, neutral pieces into my otherwise colorful wardrobe!

New Work: Hello, Cupcake

The inspiration for this fun little design is most likely a combination of several things:

- My upcoming 25th birthday in March (!)

- My extreme love for cupcakes (!!)

- My affinity for all things bright and cheerful

- My love for confetti, especially dotty confetti

If I can get my act together this week, I hope to have some cards with this design (size A2) up in the shop!

I'm thinking a batch of cupcakes might be on the agenda tonight..

Mango Brights

I discovered Mango today via the always inspiring You Are My Fave. I can't get enough of the line's bright Spring dresses. I especially love the more modest hemlines and longer sleeves; Perfect for work, but definitely cute enough for play. I'm a fan of comfortable looks that I won't fuss with all day, so a couple of these sweet little dresses would be perfect!

Losing The Fear..

Isn't this thought sort of profound? I can think of many instances where the fear of being "wrong" has complicated my creative choices. "Is it OK to pair this blouse and skirt? Would it be wrong to mix these two prints, even though I love them both and think they work together? Does my newest creative project reflect my true artistic voice, or am I trying to be something I'm not?"

I think that the most inspiring creatives are so interesting and dynamic because they are willing to take chances. The fear of being wrong isn't on their radar, or at least it doesn't prevent them from pushing the envelop anyway. The freshest ideas originate from those who dare to create without question or judgement.

I know I'm inspired to be a bit braver. What about you?

Saturday Style File: Week Seven (On Sunday)

Happy Sunday :)

So, I slipped a bit for week seven of Saturday Style File. It's Sunday evening, but better late than never, right?

The highlight of this week's outfit is my new haircut! I decided that I'm going to rock a blunt bang again for a bit. That is, until I get bored and cut it again ;)

This week's look is more of the same from previous weeks. My standard winter uniform applies here (black turtleneck, skirt, warm opaque tights and boots). However, I did mix it up a bit with a summer top I love and some metallic booties.

Favorite outfit this week:

- Black turtleneck from H&M.

- Black skirt from Old Navy, many seasons ago.

- Blue summer blouse from Gap, five-ish years ago.

- Belt from Kohl's.

- Booties from Born.

Tonight A and I had a homemade pizza topped with sun dried tomatoes and basil. What a fantastic combination! If you haven't tried this, I would highly recommend it. 

Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

Making Sunshine

This is the "happy corner" in my office at work. It's amazing what some greenery and blooms can do for your mood while in the office. A. got me some lovely orchids for Valentine's Day, and I decided to bring in a few of the flowers in to the office to brighten up my desk. He ordered them so that only a few of the buds had bloomed when I received them; I get so sad when flowers die! I can look forward to this prettiness for weeks to come!

I need all of the cheeriness I can get this week. I am dealing with some serious post-cold sinus issues, which is really bringing me down :(

How are you this week?

Mixing Patterns and Catching Up

Everything about this look is so, so right. The mixing of patterns makes this chic monochromatic look so much more interesting, don't you think? The hair, the glasses, the glittery flecks - I'm a bit obsessed :)

Tonight I grabbed dinner with an old friend from High School who was in town for work. Wonderful conversation and great food with really fun gal; A very nice Tuesday evening, indeed..

Happy Love Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

A. and I celebrated the holiday over the weekend, so tonight was very low key. It was a busy, hectic day for us both so we ended up scrapping our plans to make dinner and just ordered pizza in. Being the sweetie he is, my boy did surprise me with some beautiful orchids and a single orange rose when I came home this afternoon :)

Later this week I just might have to try making these amazing looking cupcakes . I can't resist the wonderfully light texture of angel food cake, and who wouldn't enjoy eating a sweet little cupcake topped in the prettiest pink icing?

If you are attached, I hope you had a wonderful day sharing the love with your significant other. If you are single, today is the perfect opportunity to pamper yourself, because you are fabulous and you deserve it!

Saturday Style File: Week Six

Happy Saturday!

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend so far. A and I went out for a lovely early Valentine's day dinner last night, which was wonderful. We hit a small local restaurant for some chicken picatta, haddock, cheese cake (for me) and Guinness (for him). Tonight we are celebrating a friend's birthday at an Italian restaurant we really enjoy, so I'm looking forward to that..

The outfit I chose for this week's installment of Saturday Style File is what I wore on Friday. The dress is one of the quirkier items in my closet, and I absolutely love it! I purchased the piece a couple of years ago from a local boutique, Bella Luna. I really like this particular store because the owner only carries one of each item in a few different sizes; you are sure to get a unique piece that few others will have. 

Because the dress is quite short, I paired with with skinny jeans and boots. Since I wear the same pants and boots almost every day in the winter, I chose not to include them this time :) I also wore a black turtleneck for added warmth. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

New Work: Punchy Florals

I thought I would take a second to share a new piece I finished up last night. I've been working a bit with gouache, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm finding that my painting style is pretty distinct from my illustration work, and it's been fun to mix it up a bit.

I'm hoping to list this in the shop today, probably as a 6x6 or 8x8 inch print. I think my Spring fever is evident in a pretty big way :)

Loving - Emmadime Knitted

Excuse me, but could Emma and her knit accessories be any more adorable? I didn't think so. I'm seriously wanting the bow scarf (and her blouse)! The sweet mustard headband makes me wish I had long hair, just for a day, so I could wear it. Lovely images, and adorable branding. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Mixing it Up

Lately I've been on the hunt for wardrobe items that will mix up my look a bit. I tend to gravitate towards cute, colorful and feminine items. I'm not very adventurous when it comes to juxtaposing styles in a fun, interesting way. 

My recent boot purchase got me thinking; A pretty simple way to play with different styles is to mix a few smaller items in with my favorite looks. Shoes and accessories are a great way to play with different aesthetics, without fully committing to a new overall "look". 

I really love this season's bright trousers from Zara, and these tough brown boots from Free People are catching my eye. Mixing a bit of salty with sweet, the tailored pants could be tucked into the slouchy boots; The perfect look for the wet Spring days ahead, no?

Saturday Style File: Week Five

Happy Saturday :)

This is week five of my little Saturday Style feature! The look I chose to sketch this week is the outfit I wore on Monday. The look was centered around a thrifted pair of ankle boots I scored for $8 on a Sunday trip with friends to Bar Harbor last weekend. 

The boots remind me a bit of the Frye Engineer Boot, without the hefty price tag. Their look is a little bit tougher than my usual taste, but when I put them on I instantly loved them. I am going to try them with a dress next week, I think.

Favorite outfit this week:

- The blue turtleneck is from H&M.

- The military-style short sweater is from Target. I love the stretchy, incredibly warm material this piece is made of. 

- The skinny jeans are from Gap.

- The ankle boots are thrifted.

See you back here on  Monday! 

Girl Crush: Bri Emery of Design Love Fest

I recently read a feature on Bri Emery over at design sponge, and immediately developed a serious girl crush. She is an amazing creative mind, with such a fun, lighthearted style. The art director of Rue Magazine, the blogger behind Design Love Fest, and a graphic design freelancer, she is one busy gal. She really is a perfect example of someone who has found great success pursuing her creative passion - love it!

It's impossible not to feel a bit more cheerful and upbeat after taking a look at her work. I will admit, after learning more about her story I started researching programs in graphic design :)  

I thought I would share some of the cheerful imagery from Bri's website on this Friday evening. Enjoy the weekend!

Pretty Little Pinwheels from Stone & Honey

.................................................................penny                   ......................                              chiquita

I'm swooning over the graphic simplicity of these pinwheel designs from Stone & Honey. Geometric shapes are really popular right now, and I just love their interpretation of the trend. I think the mixing of the yellow and white gold tones would look amazing against bare skin. Be still, my heart!  

What Dreams are Made of

The lovely Nina had a sweet post yesterday about daydreaming. Like her, I am a big believer in the power of daydreams; they are the stuff of a life we wish for ourselves. I think it's important to pay close attention to the thoughts that creep in while going through the motions of the every day. We can learn so much about ourselves through our daydreams; perhaps even discover hopes that we haven't yet acknowledged.

Like Nina, I think we each have the ability to create the life we want. The first step is listening to that inner voice. Allow yourself to daydream a bit.

Sometimes a daydream is all you have, when life gets in the way. Taxes, bills, work, errands and my sick boy are priorities this week. Busy as I may be with the everyday, I'm still daydreaming about travel, painting, the beach, romantic dinners and warm cookies.

Perhaps a warm batch of cookies will become a reality tonight. The romantic dinner will have to wait until the boy is feeling better :)

What are you dreaming about today? If the big snow storm is coming your way, stay safe!