style | Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

{Coat} {Shoes} {Hat} {Denim}

The simple elegance of Carolyn Bessette is always stuck somewhere in the back of my mind. Her essence was rich, but her iconic style was so clean and streamline. This fall (or until further notice), I'm taking note of some of the casual outfits she put together.

inspiration | pinks and purples

Here are a couple of shots I took over the weekend. I've noticed pinks and purples popping up a lot in terms of the things I like and the images I'm inspired by.

{Cookies from my local bakery, Delight in Grosse Pointe Woods}

{A pattern I found on Instagram}

{Fantastic shoes I spotted while grabbing coffee}

a working lunch

Sometimes I take my lunch break just decompress. I don't run errands, I don't get food - I just sit at a bookstore or coffee shop and read or sketch while listening to my ipod. Yesterday turned out to be a productive lunchtime, when I finished the preliminary sketches for my next painting.

What do you think?

inspiration | Matchbook Magazine Tumblr

Whenever I need to find cool, vintage-inspired images, my first stop is always {Matchbook Magazine's Tumblr Page}.

Not only do they have images taken directly from their magazine (which focuses mainly on interior design and fashion), they also have a plethora of magazine scans, and old pictures that seem to inspire what they put in their magazine.

Think "Kate Spade" mixed with "Domino Magazine" - it's a total happy place for me. 

(All images credit to Matchbook Magazine Tumblr Page)

words to live by

"The big thing I've discovered, the big secret, is that it's all about how happy you are. It's the ultimate thing. People forget your flaws and imperfections if they see you're happy." - Sienna Miller

{image source}

places to go | Baltimore & Philadelphia

As I mentioned in the previous post, I spent the past weekend in Baltimore and Philly. Although it was a quick trip I got to eat pizza and drink wine with my best friend, Emily, and visit my cousin Patrick and explore the city of Philadelphia.

How awesome are these doors I found while walking around Philadelphia? Man, that place has some character!

My cousin lives right in the middle of downtown Philadelphia. He hosted a party on his rooftop patio. I met a bunch of great people and discovered that I really enjoy Amaretto on the rocks!

Did some sightseeing, and definitely was inspired by the mix of modern and traditional (and historical!) architecture.

Anytime I visit a big city (outside of Detroit), I always love to be more adventurous with food. We went to Tria in Philadelphia and it was so great!

weekend getaway

{Fountain at Detroit Metro Airport}

I'm on the east coast this weekend visiting my cousin and my best friend. My best friend lives in Baltimore and my cousin lives in Philadelphia. Both are cities I've never been to so I'll be taking a ton of pictures and reporting back on Monday.

Have a great weekend, you guys!

{At the airport with my Katniss braid. I've been reading too much of "The Hunger Games"}

art | "C"

"C" is for Colorado, and for Carrie, and for Chase.

Carrie Chase (who lives in Colorado with her husband, Patrick) asked me to create a piece for their living room. She loved the letters featured on my Etsy shop, but obviously wanted something more personalized.

She told me the color scheme of her living room and sent me pictures of the pillows that live on their couch. The purples, yellows and greens created a really nice composition! I think it turned out pretty great and I hope that she and Patrick like their new edition!

lineage

The amount of times a day I mention top-knots and pastels is starting to get out of hand. So although that's what initially attracted me to these images, I made myself pick out other things that I liked about them besides the obvious.

Then I saw it: LINES! These photographs have some great lines, great proportions, great shading to define the lines. I love sucking each and every bit of inspiration out of everything - it keeps me thinking outside of the box and it keeps life interesting.

Now I must go practice my lines.

image source: {1}| {2}

anxiety and fashion

As much as I don't want to believe that the above quote is true, it totally is. If anyone could see me get ready before going out, they would think I had multiple personalities.

Typical night: Scarf with jean shorts and a blouse for a baseball game! Shapeless royal blue dress with four necklaces for a baseball game! Detroit Tigers t-shirt and striped skirt for a baseball game!

I change about 45 times. Well, that's an exaggeration but not that far from the truth. Sometimes before I get ready,  I need to remind myself of a few things that don't involve "anxiety":

1. Comfort is always key - Whether it be the weather, the fit, the height of heels, I'm not going to have any fun if I'm uncomfortable. 
2. Wear the stuff that you want to wear - What?! I like my hot pink beaded necklace with my white button down, jean shorts, and gladiator sandals. Though I'm sure it's a fashion crime, at the end of the day, I don't really care. (And neither should you!)
3. Be approps - Molly, don't wear your one-size-too-big jeans and a black tee to a birthday party. It's just inappropriate.

restin' up

{bedroom} | {illustration} 

How great does that bedroom look? A bed under a giant window a lifelong goal of mine. The fresh air, the breeze, even the cold chill in the winter always makes for the most restful sleep.

Anywhosies, I'm thinking about doing a painting inspired by one of my most favorite things: Sleep! Nighttime rituals as a kid, things I do before bed as an adult, bedroom colors, dreams are the immediate ideas that come to mind. I think I'll take a nap and think about it more. HAH!

Have a good weekend, you guys!

lake effect

Last night had the makings of being a very typical Wednesday. Drew and I were going to get a coffee, watch a movie, and just hang out inside. Instead, he had the idea of getting a six pack of Magic Hat #9 and feed the swans and ducks on the lake, across the street from his house. It turned out to be a beautiful night.

P.S. We also saw a freshwater sea otter, but it was too quick to snap a picture. Total bummer.

have courage

I'm a bit of a "Yes Man". At my 9-to-5 and otherwise, I always nod my head and agree to be involved in things that toss me out of my comfort zone. I take on super difficult projects with a fierce desire to conquer them. And do you know what? There's only been a couple of times when I have had regrets.

The lesson here being to constantly encourage yourself to say "YES!" without weighing the pros and cons, without thinking ahead. It will lead you on an exciting and adventurous path, I promise!

(Note: The quote is referring to "Finding Nemo", I'm not a creep.)

{image source}

money pit

I always feel super lame when I find a cool, comfortable t-shirt with some fake concert series, band or bar name. It feels so unauthentic and so cheesy. {Money Pit} is the opposite of cheesy and it's the epitome of authentic. A good friend of mine came up with the idea of the Money Pit that's inspired by the simple notion of a great neighborhood bar and high-quality, custom-designed tees.

Check out the Money Pit (here) and pick up a couple tees. My sisters and I have been living in our shirts all weekend.

place to go | Greengo Cafe

As I mentioned, I was feeling under the weather this week so in an effort to get out of the house - I headed to a super hippie-yet-delish cafe in Grosse Pointe Park, Greengo Cafe.

inspiration | the sea

I'm sorry for the lack of updates in the past two days. I came down with a horrific flu that allowed me to do nothing but lay on my couch and watch the rain come down outside my windows. When I tried picking up my laptop, a pen and paper or a paintbrush, my body told me to put it back down. The good news about this reprieve is that it's left me aching to share my new inspirations and thoughts with you.

The first of these inspirations is "The Sea". Maybe it's from all the rain that we've had or maybe it's because my longing to go swimming each and every day during this hot, muggy weather. Who knows! All I know is the water, the sea, the surf brings a sense of calm, fantasy, and thoughtfulness. A true inspiration, indeed!

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do what the parisians do

I was reading "Parisian Chic: A Style Guide" last night (which was a gift from my sister), and I found myself nodding my head a lot. I've always agreed with the way the Parisians live their lives, the way the dress, and the way they think. This book has already proven to be a great guide that supports all of these things.

For instance - the way they dress. The book suggests to never shop with the intention of buying an outfit - only purchase pieces that you love. The things that feel comfortable and that express your personality will find their way into your daily outfits - you don't need to plan much more than that.

JCrew Tee | Anthropologie Shorts | Anthropologie Clutch

See above for an example. I love each of these pieces though I would've never put them together in a single shopping trip. I wore this outfit this weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable, happy and put together I felt.