art | Collar Pattern

Sometimes, you wait days for something to inspire you. And then some other times, you're watching Sex and The City with a pencil in your hand, and Miranda Hobbs is wearing some obnoxious collar on her shirt, so you decide to make a pattern out of it.

new site | mood board

Designing your own website is overwhelming to say the least. Figuring out your style, what you WANT to be vs. who you actually are, what kind of people you want to attract, all while leaving room for growth is a daunting task.

This blog has been a great way to see the reoccurring themes that I come back to again and again. It takes some time to see how to apply it to a singular, cohesive vision (especially when my tastes range from this to this). It has to send the correct message out to the world of who I am and what I do.

It's a lot of pressure, ok!?

So how do you get there?




Well with any creative project, I think it first begins with self-acceptance. As hokey as that sounds, there are many times I try to change my style, my design aesthetic, what I like and what I feel to try to fit in the mold of what is expected or what is generally "liked" by the most amount of people. But at the end of the day, you are you and you can't help what you like and who you are. Recognize that. Accept that. Move on.

The second is either starting a blog, or a Tumblr, or a Pinterest account, anywhere you can quickly and instinctively start editing what you like and what you don't. The "why" you like something comes later. If you haven't gotten on one of these platforms, I suggest you do! Immediately! Once you see a collection of your images or ideas over the course of a few months, it doesn't take long to start seeing patterns - color palettes, tones, moods, etc. that you are drawn to over and over again. Take all these patterns, mush them together as best you can, and start incorporating them into what you're creating. You'll see what works and what doesn't pretty quickly. It's a real eye-opener and really fun.



The last step I would say would be start living to your true potential. All those big ideas? All that time wishing you were one of your idols? Dude! Just start doing it. Start BEING that person you want to be. Like for me, I always wished I was the person that had time to eat breakfast, drink tea, and do a crossword puzzle by myself on a weekday morning. So one Tuesday, I got up early, made myself breakfast, drank tea, and attempted a crossword puzzle. It felt good! It felt authentic! It makes the content I produce and the life I'm living feel inherently aspirational, yet also attainable. Because I aspired, and then I attained! (On a Tuesday, no less.)

So, I'm still in the early stages of designing. As you can see it's a long process, especially when you're taking on the task of doing it alone. I don't mind the challenge, but if YOU have any words of advice, please leave a comment! I could use all the help I can get!

inspiration | charlotte audrey owen-meehan

Sure! Her tumblr's name is a mouthful, but {Charlotte Audrey Owen-Meehan}'s blog deserves to be memorized. It's a delight for the eyes and it's a perfect place to spend your free-time this spring.

All of the images are simple items placed on pastel backgrounds transform from silly objects to sophisticated works of art. I wish I could pin the {archive view} and just be done with it because I'm obsessed with every. single. post.

pattern | THREE

Valentine's Day is the one day of the year that {my favorite color combination} is perfectly acceptable.

This pattern was created to celebrate that fact. And according to my high-school notebooks (that I finally cleaned out of my closet), I've always been pretty partial to hearts as well.

{Image credit: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Interior Inspiration

For as much as I love {Pinterest} and constantly look to it as a source of inspiration for fashion and art, I feel like it's kind of lacking in the interiors department. The interiors that appear on my daily feed are either too "Homes & Garden", lacking originality or too over-the-top (seen here).

 As I begin searching for inspiration for my own apartment (or home), I rely solely on {The Selby}. These are REAL places designed by creative people. Their interiors usually result in a perfect mix of crazy and comfortable, livable and inspired.

Taking notes on what I love about each space has become a daily pastime:

{Image Credit: The Selby}

a fascinating life

It's hard for me to find the time to go out a do NEW and EXCITING things. It's always so much easier just to go to the bar 10 minutes away from my house, hang out with the same group of people, wear the same clothes, draw the same things, because it doesn't take much energy to be repetitive.

But when I open my mind to new ideas, different kinds of people, and interesting places, I notice that my energy changes - I'm excited and intrigued and interested in everything again.

inspiration | Triangles

This fall has been all about the polka dot. You can't throw a stone without a hitting a polka dot. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but today I just feel like I'm over polka dots, and I'm on to TRIANGLES. (<--- dork.)

image source: 1|2

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)

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.

inspiration | 21

{Graphics} on the right | {Florence Broadhurst} on the left