Pretty Ingrid Has a New Home!

Hooray!

For the past several months I have been designing the new website for Pretty Ingrid. My boy has been working really hard writing the code for the site (from scratch!), bringing to life my vision for Pretty Ingrid's new home.

We finally launched the site last Thursday, and I'm so thrilled with the result! There are still some unfinished details here and there, but I'm just too excited not to share :)

 

From the site you can now access my shop, blog, gallery, Facebook page, Pinterest boards and Flickr account. I do want to mention that this blog will soon have a new home at Pretty Ingrid. Right now you can access A Random Walk from Pretty Ingrid, but soon I will be making the switch to a new blog that has a more seamless look with the new site. Stay tuned!

So, here is Pretty Ingrid's new home! Please, have a look around; I would love to hear what you think.

P.S. A HUGE thank you to my boy for working so hard to create a creative space where I can share my work with others. This would not be possible without your endless support! xoxo

New Work and Making Plans

This past weekend I was quite the busy bee. I finished a new piece (above), which I will have in the shop this evening. I might list a few versions of this print; the oval one, above, and a few different sizes of the original rectangular piece. I can really envision this light, feminine painting hanging above a makeup table or dresser. That was really my inspiration for the image.

The boy and I also spent a lot of time on a larger project that, *fingers crossed*, I will be able to share with you by the end of the week. I'm REALLY excited about how the whole thing is coming together..

On Sunday we sat down to do a bit of planning for this weekend's trip to Boston. It's so funny; we have been together for more than seven years and we have only ever taken day trips! We thought we would start small with a weekend getaway to the city. We are staying at the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, which looks like such a fun place. 

A. surprised me by setting up a hair appointment at Shag, a salon I have wanted to go to for years. I'm going to let them work their magic - no restrictions :) I have an appointment with a cutter who specializes in short hair, so I couldn't be more excited!

We also plan to stroll around Harvard Square, do a bit of shopping and eat some fantastic food. If  you are familiar with the Boston area and have suggestions for great places to eat, shop, etc. please share!

I hope your week is getting off to a wonderful start :)

Twenty-Five

Today marks the beginning of my twenty-fifth year. It's pouring outside, but that's OK. I had a giant piece of birthday cake for breakfast*, so I'm feeling full and happy this morning :)

If this rain doesn't freeze into a sheet of ice by tonight, the boy and I are going to celebrate with a nice dinner out and perhaps a trip to the book store.

Twenty-five definitely feels like a milestone. I'm in my mid-twenties now - crazy! There are some big changes coming for me this year that I'm really excited about, so I'm welcoming this birthday with open arms :)

P.S. This hand painted doily is a new card design that I hope to have up in the shop within the next few days. Hope you like it! 

*Thank you, hun, for making me a cake! xoxo

Saturday Style File: Week Nine

Happy Saturday!

I hope you are enjoying the weekend so far :) My favorite outfit of Week Nine was Wednesday's look. I received the Mango dress I ordered on Tuesday evening, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to wait until Spring to wear it. The dress has a modest length, and plenty of wiggle room through the bottom half which I love. I'm not a fan of dresses that are tight around my legs and hips; it's not the best look for me.

On another note, this week Pretty Ingrid was featured on a blog for the first time! Danielle of The Merriweather Council included one of my pieces in her Weekly Favorites feature. Check it out here :) I am a really big fan of Danielle's work, so this is a big deal for me. Thank you so much, Danielle!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend :)

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!

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..

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!

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 :)

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! 

Saturday Style File: Week Four

Happy Saturday!

This is Week Four of Saturday Style File. I'm finding that I really look forward to sitting down and doing these little sketches on the weekend. It's a great way to keep the creative juices flowing, without stressing too much about how "perfect" the final product is. I limit myself to an hour with my sketchbook, so it's a fun little challenge. By the end of the exercise, I have so many ideas for other projects! This is an hour well-spent each weekend, for sure.

Back to the outfit; I wore this yesterday for a casual Friday in the office and a dinner date with the boy that evening. You probably see a pattern forming with my clothing choices for the lower half of my body. If I choose to wear pants, they are ALWAYS cuffed and paired with a pair of tall boots. This is the only really practical choice with several feet of snow outside, and lots of slush. I hate to wear clunky boots, making it necessary to pack an extra pair of shoes and change when I arrive at the office. So, I find cuffed pants with cute boots is a really practical option during the winter months.

Favorite outfit this week:
- The black turtle neck is from H&M. It's a cold weather staple, for sure. Perfect for layering.
- The little jacket is part of a suit by Willi Smith. Suits don't really excite me, but I liked this short sleeve style. I purchased only the top from TJ Maxx.
- The jeans are from Gap.
- The scarf was thrifted, and a gift from my mother. I have received so many compliments on this piece! I thought the brightness of the scarf would liven up the neutral colors of the outfit.
- The suede zip boots are old, and extremely comfortable. Unfortunately, I don't remember where I got them.

Have a wonderful weekend!

This week A's brother contacted us to ask if I would like to donate a few of my prints for a silent auction being held at his law school. The event is to raise funds to support law students who need a little extra financial help. 

As a former graduate student myself, I know how tough it can be to make ends meet while going to school full time. I'm a big supporter of higher education, so I am excited to help in my own small way! 

I was so flattered he thought of me and my artwork. The event will be a great way to reach a new audience, while at the same time supporting a great cause.

These are the five prints I decided to contribute for the event. Let's hope the attendees enjoy handmade! 

Dreams Past and Present

As a child, one of my favorite games to play was "boutique". I would carefully display all the toys and knickknacks in my bedroom, as if it were a retail space. My parents bought me a sweet little adding machine, complete with the receipt tape, so that I could to ring up the goods my "customers" purchased. I could play this game for hours; it never seemed to get old.

As an adult, I'm still really excited by the thought of owning my own boutique. It's a romantic idea to me, so full of creativity and possibility. I hope that someday this childhood dream of mine will take shape, in one manner or another. In the meantime, it's fun to fantasize about!

This latest little painting of mine is directly inspired by my hope to one day own a retail space. On Saturdays, after yoga my boy and I sometimes share breakfast at a cafe in the downtown area near where we live. Across the street is a beautiful, yet neglected, old building with sweet little awnings on all of the windows. The space is currently vacant. I can see so much potential in that little building. This is the vision I have for the space, as seen through my mind's eye..

Saturday Style File: Week Three

Happy Saturday!

I was lucky enough to have an extra day off this weekend, because yet another blizzard rolled through the Northeast on Friday. Since I didn't get out of my pajamas yesterday, I had one less day to choose my outfit from this week :) 

I wore this somewhat casual, monochromatic outfit to work on Wednesday. It was lucky I was comfortable, because the work day itself was dreadfully stressful! 

Favorite outfit this week:

- The blue bird print blouse is from H&M. I am completely in love with the sweet print, and it makes a great layering piece over turtlenecks. 

- The blue turtleneck is also from H&M.

- Blue skinny jeans are from Gap.

- Black boots are by BareTraps.

What are you up to this weekend? The boy and I are planning to get Chinese food at our favorite local spot, browse the bookstore and catch a film (most likely The Fighter). 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend :)

Saturday Style File: Week Two

I hope you are enjoying your (long) weekend so far :)

This week's featured outfit is actually what I wore to work on Monday. Dresses with turtle necks, opaque tights and tall boots have sort of become my unofficial uniform this season. It's a really great way to get more use out of warmer-weather dresses that would otherwise sit in my closet during the winter months.

I felt really put-together and professional, yet still fresh and fun; that's my ultimate goal when I dress for work :)

Favorite outfit this week:

- The gray jersey dress is from TJ Maxx. I always have great luck finding deals on simple dresses there. 

- The turtle neck is a plain dark gray style from Target. It's a favorite of mine for winter layering.

- The stretchy belt I found at Kohl's. It's perfect for giving shape to flowy dresses. I used it to cinch this dress for a wedding, and I LOVED the look.

- The locket is from Verabel. This fun piece dressed up the monochromatic outfit.

- Tall black boots are by BareTraps.  

This look was a warm, cozy and comfortable outfit to start the week!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend :)

Working in My "Studio"

These are a few quick snapshots of the scene on my coffee table tonight. Living in a small space (a one bedroom apartment), I don't have the luxury of a true workspace. All of my supplies are stored on a single bookshelf, and when the creative bug strikes, I work wherever is most convenient. Tonight, that spot was the on the coffee table..

I've become so used to working in random places (hunched on the floor, on the couch), I'm not sure I would know what to do with an actual studio, complete with a desk, decent lighting and proper storage! Then again, I'm sure I could adjust :) 

Another Snow Day and New Gift Tags

Happy Wednesday, Friends :)

I was really excited to get out of work at one this afternoon due to the big snow storm hitting the Northeast. I took the afternoon to relax with the boy, and to make these gift tags for the shop using a print I did some time ago. They measure 3x3 inches, with a cream colored string tie. I'm really pleased with how they turned out..

I will be listing sets of six tags in the shop very soon!

A Little Thing I'm Trying..

The beginning of the new year has a lot of the creative community talking about ways to incorporate more right-brained goodness into our everyday lives. The Storque article is just one of many places I have seen this conversation going on. 

Although I try to do something creative each day, I know that I could be doing a better job of it. I find myself making excuses; "I had a long day at work, I'm just too tired", or "I don't want to make a mess of the living room with all of my supplies". The fact of the matter is, though, that when I find the time to "make" something I'm a lot happier for it. Once I take that first step, grabbing a pencil and paper, pulling out my paints, I feel calmer and happier almost immediately.

In the spirit of living more creatively each day, I thought I would try a new little feature here on A Random Walk. Each Saturday I am going to share a little sketch of a favorite outfit of mine from the week. My hope is that through sharing a weekly "fashion" self portrait with you, I will sketch more consistently and be more adventurous with the clothes that are already in my closet. I can't have repeat outfits, after all!

So, I'm going to call this little feature "Saturday Style File". If you want to play along, or already have a similar feature on your blog, I would love to see!

Favorite outfit this week:

- Blue turtleneck by H&M

- Cream cardigan by H&M

- Jeans from Gap

- Suede zip boots are old. I'm not sure where I got them

- Chunky bauble ring from Pier 1

- Large pink felt broach was a gift from my mother

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Get Your Paint On? Oh Yes, Please

Painting is a very new medium for me, and I have been having a lot of fun experimenting with it. I will admit, though, that I have plenty to learn! I was really excited to discover that the very talented Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough are teaching a five week, online painting course for beginners and advanced artists alike. The class is called Get Your Paint On; I say, "Yes, please"! 

Lisa and Mati will cover materials selection, color, style and composition. You are able to work at your own pace, completing five pieces by the end of the course. A structured course like this just might be what I need to more regularly pull out my paints and play. The course also provides a peek into the creative processes of two artists I really admire, which I love!

(piece by Mati McDonough)

This year I hope to really challenge myself creatively. What a great start this course will be!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe that New Year's Eve is already here! I've been ill for the past two days, so I'm grateful to be feeling better in time to celebrate a bit with my boy.

We are planning to have brunch at a delicious local bagel shop, do a bit of shopping, make a nice dinner (glazed pork loin with apples, onions and potatoes), and ring in the New Year together. 

I'm so grateful for all of the wonderful experiences that 2010 has given me, and I'm ready to see what 2011 has in store!

I will be taking a few days off from blogging to spend time with family. We are taking a little trip to Boston for a wedding on New Year's Day, which I'm excited about. Since A and I chose to do Christmas together at home, this is my opportunity visit with extended family. 

Have a safe, happy New Year! Thank you again for visiting me here on my little blog. Your wonderful comments truly mean a lot to me :)

{Image is a new piece, Soft Silence, that I will be adding to the shop soon}