Floral Print Excitement

I'm not much of a girly girl but I am sucker for a floral print. Most of my favorite clothes have some kind of floral or abstract pattern. Unfortunately for me flowers are hard to draw, I have tried for years to come up with shapes and details that don't look to cartoony only to come up with unsatisfying results. But now I've finally made progress worth celebrating!
As some of you know when drawing a pattern you start with a focal point and then add in smaller bits to fill around to create a repeat. This is a focal point I'm finally happy with.

Here is the repeat print with different flowers, bees and humming birds added in.

What's funny about this whole process is I used a different drawing app for this project. Procreate is a favorite for painterly effects and I often use it in abstract pieces but not usually when I'm making a repeat pattern that's where Adobe Illustrator's pattern making tool shines- but there's a first time for everything!

I'm really excited to experiment further and make better patterns to list in my society6 shop and maybe get some fabric printed - the possibilities are endless with a floral print!
What's your favorite go to print to wear and have in your everyday? I don't know about you but florals always make me happy! :)

Home Decor Roundup

Hello again, it's been a crazy year and I've missed blogging so I'm getting back into the swing of things with this home decor roundup. I don't know about you but whenever Target starts putting out the college dorm stuff I get pretty excited! They usually have great prints in everyday items that add a little pop of color into your day. I've been wanting to update some things around the house- so here's what's on my wishlist.

 

A. Striped Chair from Anthropologie

This one is definitely wishlist material- the pattern is really fun :)

B. Pineapple Lamp from Target

Target is killing it with the home decor cuteness, their Pillowfort line is cute for kids and on trend for adults with a sense of humor.

C. Throw Pillow from Society6

If you don't know already I love a good abstract pop of color. This pillow is actually one of my designs,  I'm hoping to paint more this summer.

D. Kitty Planter from Pony People

I love Pony People's adorable cat products and these adorable cat head planters are forever on my wishlist because they sell out so fast

E. Modern Loveseat from Wayfair

Such a pretty color and a great price too

F. End Table with Shelves from Target

I do love the Threshold line - it always has a modern feel and looks more expensive than it is.

G. "Hello" Wall Hook from Urban Outfitters 

I love having phrases around and this functional wall hook is awesome.

H. Iridescent Trash Can from Urban Outfitters 

This cute trash can makes the everyday a little more vibrant.

What home decor items are on your list?

I'm plan to work on more art related posted very soon. Hope you are having an awesome summer!

blog anniversary

February marks my blog anniversary, four years I can't believe it! I've made a lot of progress on some of my projects others not so much but I'm excited for where this year will take me and what I can get accomplished :)

I started this blog to share my progress on my creative endeavors and my thoughts on fashion and baking so here's what I'm excited about now

I'm trying to move out of my comfort zone I really like girly dresses in theory but in reality don't like my legs too much, my solution tunic with leggings perfect for winter or whatever were having this season ;) I really like this printed one I got on sale  at old navy. I love happy bold prints :)

Im trying to take the time to celebrate the seasons I got into Valentine's day by designing cute little valentines with corny messages

And I drew my dogs in cartoon version and made a strawberry cake with sprinkle designs - hello cookie cutter as a stencil hack :)

Oscar season is upon us and while I'm behind on my must see movie list I was so happy I got the chance to see Brooklyn the costumes are a dream and Saoirse Ronan gorgeous in the clothes of the era and gives an amazing performance! It inspires me to do a retro drawing project :)

Girl Scout Cookie season has snuck up on me. I'm trying not to bust into my thin mints just yet, I love them from the freezer nothing like frozen minty chocolate-y goodness and this week in particular I think thin mints really do make everything better :) Here's the link 

That's what's new with me. I hope to write better content this year, more DIY posts and fashion round ups and fun recaps of new projects!

What's new with you?

crafty projects and other stuff

Hi there, I'm going to try to write more than 1 post a month starting now, so let's see how that goes

here's what I'm excited about lately :)

I went to the Arlington Museum of Art and saw a Toulouse Lautrec and other post impressionist artists it was pretty interesting and I found some new favorites. The top one called is my favorite was just amazing in size was just so beautiful and relaxing to look at, the colors weren't vibrant but still really mesmerizing. I always feel a jolt of fresh creativity going to museums and being inspired by new and fun things, it makes me want to go home and work on my own projects :)

I also got to do a DIY project that I've been looking forward to for a while! I've been pretty interested in marbling for a while just never got around to doing it. I wanted to try it with nail polish so me and my friend tried it on mugs it turned out pretty cool, we decided that it would be better to use as a pen and pencil mug on a desk since the nail polish isn't dishwasher safe, etc. I really want to try a version with paint sometime soon or maybe Easter eggs!

As far as sewing projects go I've been wanting to make a tank dress from an already made tank top and whatever kind of cotton fabric you want, I first saw the idea here.
I found the most beautiful floral fabric, and a top I'm pretty happy with. Now I'm working up to making  a practice version 1st, so I don't mess up this beautiful fabric, it definitely gives me the fabric jitters >_<

 I've also been working on my stuffed animals, my little owl girl went to her new home so that was exciting! I'm working on more animals to list in my shop soon and thinking about new ideas too.

What have you been  up too lately?

Inspired by Mary Katrantzou

I've been meaning to post for a while, I've been distracted with doodling and instagram. I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the one lovely blogger questions, I really enjoy the blogger community and the bloggers I nominated, thanks for your interesting and inspiring posts.  :)

I have admired Mary Katrantzou for a while now, she is known for her awesome use of patterns, she uses prints as a sort of optical illusion to accentuate the curves of the body. I love to see how every season she builds on the last and always takes it to a new level.

A look from her 2014 resort collection

I love the large scale jewels and different colors as a pattern (Spring 2014)

 I absolutely fell head over heels when she took her patterns to a new place with letters and lace in her Resort 2015 collection

I was kinda wondering how long it would take the trendy stores to hop on her pattern and print trend. When I saw this awesome skirt in a large scale jewel print very similar to hers at H&M, I thought  it was awesome but where would I wear it? It would be good for holiday parties but it's pretty flashy. I'm still on the fence about it.

Then I heard about her collaboration with Adidas!!!! This is the most excited I've been about a designer collaboration in years. I live in sneakers and love fun patterns so it doesn't get much better than this for me.  Mary's Adidas collection comes out mid November.

photos from style.com

I'm pretty sure the sportswear trend is here to stay for a while. Who are you inspired by lately? What designer collaborations are you excited about?

Cats with Glasses

I talked about how much I love t-shirts and critters prints in my past posts, so it's no surprise some of my favorite t-shirts have critter prints on them. I found this cute pink one at JCP the other day, then I started seeing cats with glasses everywhere so here are some of my favorites :)

1. JCP Arizona Juniors
2. Teal Tank from Etsy
3. Nan Lawson on Society6
4. Target Purse for Girls tiny but its so cute!
5. Socks from Modcloth
6. Cat Loafer from Delias

What fashion trends are you excited about lately?

Steal vs Splurge

I love a cute top, especially one with an all over print or some fun little embellishment around the neckline, etc, it's the easiest and quickest way to update my wardrobe.  I'm always on the look out for my next favorite top :)

 

Target always has cute stuff, I found the cute top on the left in the juniors section, I love their fun prints.

        This one features cute little birds with geometric details. At $9.00 this top is a steal!


Then there's always the awesome top that you fall in love with as soon as you see it. That was definitely the case with this next find from Anthropologie.

I loved the bright floral print on the side as soon as I saw it, but originally priced at $58.00 I knew I would have to wait for it to go on sale, for that price I could buy 5 adorable shirts from Target! But the Anthro top had other details that made it special....

A cute back opening with bow detail.

I waited and waited and it finally went on sale! The reviews said it ran big so I went down a size, and it's still a little big but it's really cute! It comes in other colors are bright and fun too.

So what is your fashion staple and what are you willing to splurge on? Where's your favorite place to buy cute stuff at  a price that's a steal?

Happy Weekend to you :)

Modcloth Critter Favorites

I love cute critter prints and when Modcloth made a special section dedicated to them, I knew I had to make a wishlist! :)

I hope to add these to my collection eventually :) Happy Weekend Everyone!
1. Fox Tote
2. Hedgehog Tee
3. Birdie Necklace
4. Cat Print Hoodie
5. Fox Print Tank

Funny Girl Fashion

In honor of Tuesday night comedies with a female lead, I thought I would do a fun fashion post.
Featuring Zooey Deschanel of New Girl and Mindy Kaling of The Mindy Project, both very funny and fashionable girls with unique styles and sense of humor.

Zooey is known for her love of vintage dressing, and her new capsule collection with Tommy Hilfiger, does a wonderful job of blending nautical flair, with a mod feel and a touch of vintage details.

see more sketches here

I think this dress is my favorite, it's kind of timeless and the two tone is on trend without overwhelming details.

see more here

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I love her girly details, like the printed peekaboo pleats!!!

And her cute little penny loafer mini bag

And on to Mindy, I like her eclectic, everyday career woman wardrobe mixed with affordable trendy pieces, and pieces you can only dream about...

love the kate spade bow skirt

 

polka dots and the comme des garcons heart sweater

 

 

bright colors in winter

 

 

the best shirt ever! and DIY here

 

Another example is this beautifully gorgeous white dress with blue flowers, so awesome and elegant in fact that Kate Middleton wore it in the same week!

 

I think they both look great :)

Who's style do you admire?

 Any fashion collections you are excited about lately?

links from here and here

Halloween Recap

So we decided to have a last minute Halloween party at work. I thought about making just a regular cake and decorating it with candy corn. It turned out kinda cute for a last minute idea.

 Most of my time was spent thinking about critter shoes and how I could interpret the idea into a Halloween costume idea.

 Inspiration wasn't too hard to find, this time of year I always get to thinking about one of my favorite movies: Nightmare Before Christmas!!! I can't believe this year is the 20th anniversary of the movie, it has brought me so much joy over the years. I love the music and the story..... that we should accept that everyone is different but that's what makes us special and we shouldn't try to be something else we should be ourselves. Anyway critter shoe inspiration + printable fabric = Jack and Sally shoes!

We're simply meant to be <3

So even though I have been a huge fan of this movie for a very long time, I've never drawn the characters because Tim Burton's style is so exaggerated and complex, I knew I wouldn't be able to come close to where I wanted to be. But since I have been drawing on a more consistent basis I'm happy to say I was up for the challenge. I kinda approached Sally a little differently I elongated her and interpreted her in my normal drawing style. I kinda want to complete the drawing and add the rest of the bodies, but that's another time. So I spent a few days drawing a few versions of the couple and then printed on the fabric paper!

I love when an idea becomes tangible

After I printed the shoe appliques I cut them out and then used double sided fusible bonding and iron on the shoes. It's pretty addicting, I would say buy some shoes you know are comfortable but are cheap enough that you won't be mad if they get ruined in a creative mishap :)
What trends have you been wanting to put your own spin on?

Creature Feature

So if you have been reading my blog at all, you probably know that I really love cute little creatures, and that they are often the subject of my creative adventures.
Well I have noticed lately that the cute critters are popping up everywhere in fashion.

Like this cute hedgehog top from yep, you guessed it Anthropologie

And I'm kinda in love with this western kitty shirt, and I'm not even a cat person..

Pullovers with a vintage feel over at Old Navy

I'm not totally on board with printed leggings, but Supayana's super cute prints make it pretty tempting.

And last but not least my favorite spin on adorable wearable creatures... Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs

Do you remember his collection from last year?  Well those cute little creatures have become the shoe versions above and he is taking the critter trend to the next level with a little more vivacious version this time around.

1 2  3

What do you think of his new collection, I like the pops of color but I think last year's collection is my favorite.

Those little heart shaped eyes are the cutest!

Have a wonderful weekend!