Wednesday, February 29, 2012

art | Cityscape

"Cityscape" is not for sale at this time.

I'm about halfway done with this piece and I'm already really happy with it. I wanted something virtually abstract, dark, foreboding, but still haunting and beautiful. I think in a lot of peoples' minds, that's how they view big cities.

I'll post this piece in the {art for sale} tab once it has been completed.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

my heart is in new york



Although I love to travel, nothing compares to New York. The culture, the fashion, and the fast pace environment is what the city is known for, but what makes it so special for me is the quiet beautiful places you discover if you take the time to search for them. A waterfall tumbling down a side of a building, rooftop balconies, and amazing art around every corner is what puts New York City deep in the middle of my heart.

This week, I'm looking through old photographs, books I have bought and art I have hung all inspired by my favorite place is the world.

Friday, February 24, 2012

friday favorite | Teeny bottles of perfume


I love the teeny bottles of perfume that I keep in my purse. Nothing refreshes you and makes you feel like a girl again after a long day at work than a couple of squirts of your favorite perfume. Miss Dior Cherie is what I'm loving these days.

Happy friday!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

blog of the week | Square Meal


Sometimes simple, but always decedent - {Square Meal} is my favorite food blog. The imagery is not only mouth-watering, but so creative. Alicia, who also runs "Fox on the Run" {another one of my favorites}, illustrates that her passion is food but in a way that is beautiful and artistic. I come here when I'm looking for a good recipe, a beautiful illustration, or an idea for my lunch the next day.

Enjoy and eat up!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

art | Kaleidoscope

("Kaleidoscope" is for sale! Please leave a comment or email me at mollydaudlin@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing this piece. Detailed information will be available soon.)

I love mixing patterns and finding new and different ways to create them.

This piece was inspired by a trip to Home Depot (let's be honest, I was there to get some Elmer's Glue). However, I wandered over to the paint samples section and stood there for quite some time. I started picking out colors that I liked, then I started putting together color combinations that I liked. Pretty soon, I was sure I was going to get arrested for stealing so many paint sample cards, but lucky for me - they're free!

I came home and started working with a color palette that I liked, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

inspiration | 23


A pile of old {Nylon magazines} reside on my bookshelf in plain sight. I pass by them several times a day, but still I find it a treat and great source of inspiration when I spread them out on my floor and take them apart, page-by-page. Current issues of Nylon magazine continue to be one of my favorite publications, but this particular one is from April, 2008. Please forgive me if this post is long, but I just couldn't narrow down my favorites.










Monday, February 20, 2012

whirlwind


This past week has been a whirlwind. I finished up a couple projects that I can't wait to share with you and I had a week long migraine that just wouldn't go away. Staying on task when things get in your way can be difficult, but the results are usually much more rewarding.

This week I'm sharing with you the bits and pieces of upcoming projects and the inspiration that I have found (by not scouring the internet). Sometimes getting offline, diving into old books, magazines, or photo albums is the best way to give yourself a break.

Friday, February 17, 2012

friday favorite | Archie Grand for J.Crew notebooks


{Archie Grand for J.Crew notebooks} are on my favorites list this week, because I never knew how much I needed one until I got one.

The best ideas seem to come to me at the most inopportune times - after seeing a movie, driving in my car, or on my lunch break when all I brought with me is a book, my phone and my wallet. These little guys are here to help! Write down songs you heard and loved, phone numbers, dates, names of authors, names of people, wishlists after a shopping trip...

The possibilities are endless!

Enjoy your weekend :)

P.S. The bright colors and fun quotes on the outside make them that much harder to resist!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

blog of the week | NYFW



New York fashion week happens twice a year, and it seems like for those two weeks all I am doing is looping through a list of my favorite blogs to find their coverage. This week, instead of just suggesting one blog - I'm sending you to the places I have been clicking around to see what has been happening in the streets and down the runway.

{Cupcakes and Cashmere} was interviewed for the Wall Street Journal about fashion week (she links to it on her most recent post) and has had a backstage pass to see the makeup and hair trends thanks to her recent partnership with Estee Lauder.


{The Glamourai} got a backstage look at Joseph Altuzarra, and has been documenting the incredible outfits she has worn while watching the shows. The first outfit (the black cat sweater) ended up on numerous other blogs reporting on fashion week, so I'm thinking maybe she should be in NYFW instead of the just covering it.

I was so excited when I found out that Whitney Eve was showing at Lincoln Center, that I went home immediately and started looking up ways to get tickets to the show and how much a flight & hotel room would cost. Unfortunately, everything was way out of my budget. Thankfully, {Whitney Port} gave a full recap on her site. I'm always intrigued about the outfits she puts together for herself, let alone what she comes up with when she makes a collection.

Other favs:
{Where Did U Get That}
{The Sartorialist}
{Nina Garcia} <-- but of course!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

art | Lucky Girl


This is a sketch I was doing while watching "Midnight in Paris". I thought it was appropriate to share. I chose to use green and yellow pastels because sketchbooks can start to look a little boring without a pop of color.

I love fashion from the 1920's. The drop waists and those cute headbands worn around the forehead - to die for! So that definitely inspired this sketch. It still has a ways to go before I get it where I want it, but it's a pretty good start.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

inspiration | 22


I wish I could post entire movies here. If I could, I would share with you the beauty, romance and magic that is "Midnight in Paris". It's completely inspired me this week and I have a new crush on Owen Wilson. The era of 1920's Paris sparked so many new and different ideas in the worlds of art, literature and fashion and this week, I'm researching more.

Watch this movie. You'll love it.

Monday, February 13, 2012

city of love


So Detroit is not exactly Paris, but it does seem more romantic than usual these days.

Maybe it's because Valentine's Day this week, or maybe it's because I'm on my 4th viewing of "Midnight in Paris", but I just seem to be noticing the beauty in the things that surround me.

In our downtown area, sometimes it's really hard to ignore the destruction, wasted space, and dismal environment. However, what makes Detroit so great is that even on the darkest of corners, there are always things to notice and appreciate. Whether it be the colorful graffiti on an overpass, or a building that is undergoing renovation, or a skating rink in the middle of a round-about, our city has some remarkable treasures.

You just have to put on some rose-colored glasses and search for it.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

friday favorite | The xx


The band, "The xx", might look intimidating by it's ominous logo, however their music is quiet the opposite.

For the last two weeks, The xx has been playing nonstop throughout my workday. Their first self titled album is one of those rare occasions where you never have to skip a song. Each one is beautiful and haunting, yet quietly energetic.

The last time I listened to their music was this morning, at 1:30 am, while I was busy finishing up a couple paintings. I was tired and overspent, but this music kept me focused and awake.

Give it a listen and let me know how you like it :) Have a great weekend!

blog of the week | Design*Sponge


This week, I bring you a gem. {Design*Sponge} is on my list of favorites for numerous reasons:

1. The Before-and-After interior design makeovers makes me look at my own decorating choices in a new and different way.
2. The voice of Grace Bonney is so down to earth. She makes you look and feel like you know just as much about this stuff as she does.
3. The book, like I mentioned yesterday, is a "design bible" according to Jonathon Adler. It has become B.F.F. with the floor beside my bed because I read it until the moment I fall asleep and end up dropping it.
4. The trickets, accessories, and odds-&-ends she finds are truly lust-worthy!
5. The D.I.Y. projects makes me long for a rainy Saturday. I could pick one of my favorite projects (like {this} or {this}), get all the supplies needed, and spend the day trying to make it look as perfect and as cute as it does on the site.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

art | Marmalade


This piece is inspired by this book I picked up a couple of weeks ago, {Design*Sponge at Home} by Grace Bonney.

The book mostly features interior design ideas and D.I.Y. projects, but I couldn't help but notice all of the fun and colorful art hanging on the walls of these stunning homes. The rooms would be very minimal, and then there would be a huge canvas covered with a hot pink print or a modern graphic. It would add a punch to the room and it really said something about it's inhabitants.

Monday, February 6, 2012

unseasonably warm


If you live in the midwest or east coast, you are already aware of the bizarre weather. It's the beginning of February and there is no snow on the ground, no salt on the sidewalks and the sun is shining in a virtually cloudless sky. This year, I prepared for winter - I got a new down jacket, thick socks and stuffed a bunch of hoodies into my closet shelves. I'm not complaing, but I haven't had to use hardly any of these things!


Although I enjoy this weather, I haven't really had a whole lot of time to enjoy it. I've been buried in projects, ideas, and work that I (regretfully) have had no time to enjoy it.


The upside of all of this though is that I have been working on a new website, very exciting business ventures, and a lot of paintings that need to be done. Thankfully, I have been overflowing with inspiration, and I can't wait to share it with you this week!

Friday, February 3, 2012

friday favorite | Green Smoothie


Over the past month or so, I've replaced my normal breakfast of granola bar & coffee, with {this recipe} for a green smoothie. I've always been a fan of smoothies {like the one seen here} as a healthy alternative to a meal or a snack, and the green smoothie is currently my favorite.

I know that it sounds interesting - mixing spinach with frozen fruit - but I can honestly say that you don't taste the spinach. It tastes like a delicious, sweet smoothie. The effects of drinking this smoothie are great. I've noticed a change in my energy level and even my skin (it looks brighter and healthier). Give it a try :)!

Have a great weekend :)

Thursday, February 2, 2012

art | Eggs


So I was just finishing the painting of these eggs last night when I spilled water all over it. I looked at it for a minute, and thought to myself, "Maybe... this... could... work?!". Then I came to my senses that I would have to wait for it to dry and redo the piece.

I wanted to share my sketch with you so that you have an idea the direction I was kind of headed. It was (and is going to be) a very graphic modern piece, using the color palette that was in my inspiration post on Tuesday.

What a bummer. But I hope you enjoy!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

blog of the week | Topshop Tumblr


I'm bringing you the blog-of-the-week a little early. I have to finish the artwork for this week but I didn't want to leave you hanging.

Therefore, I wanted to give you a healthy dose of some excellent street style via the {Topshop Tumblr}. You've probably heard of Topshop, but just in case you haven't I suggest visiting the {retail site}. There you will find a very wide variety of contemporary fashion at a very reasonable price (much like an H&M, Forever21, or Zara). What I love about Topshop is the clear European style mixed with wearable, everyday type pieces.

Their tumblr site showcases a wonderful display of how the items can be worn through actual street-style photographs. As much as I love to flip through Vogue, Elle, etc., nothing beats street style for seeing how items can be put together in a new and interesting way. I find this site inspirational and I love browsing through the Topshop site for items that you just can't find anywhere else.