Mai Autumn

magnolia

i could hardly even wait to share the results of my painting yesterday afternoon! i am in love with this little flower..

magnolia

the original is available over in my etsy shop. i'm waiting on a sample pack of different types of hahnemuhle paper (i currently use the torchon kind for my watercolor prints) so i can test out how this little guy would be best represented in print form. because the background is a watercolor wash and the flower is acrylic paint, i need something that will be able to capture both of the lovely textures this combo provided me. with the sample pack, i'm also getting some canvas papers to test out! i'm excited to make some more acrylic paintings and perhaps make some mini canvas prints! 

i have more paintings in this style working themselves out in my sketchbook, so maybe you'll be seeing more soon! woohoo! :)

colors and colors

after a very lovely day with my boyfriend yesterday, it's time to get back to work! i've blocked out a little time to create today, so now i'm hoping i don't fret it away with my indecision (like usual!) here's what's inspiring me right now:

 

wonderment by wyanne

dazzling tote by dazzlinglanna

peek III by nancy tobin

 

as you can see, there are paintings and a tote, which means, i can't decide if i want to paint or sew something! agh! i'm hoping after i get my email answering and such out of the way, i can settle into what i want to do! crossing my fingers i don't get in my own way today :)

home is wherever i'm with you

hello lovely readers! today is my sweetie's birthday, so i'll be out and about trying to make it the best :) he actually took the day off for once, so i'm very excited that it's sunny (and at least a little bit warmer). 

the above print from spread the love, features lyrics from one of my new favorite songs by edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros, "home". it is so corny and adorable, but it always makes me think of how lucky i am to have someone special in my life :)

*que the awwwws* lol

hope you all have a smashing tuesday!!

popovers!

 

i always love baking on the weekends, and this sunday, i took on popovers! they are unbelievably easy to make, as long as you watch your oven - they burn very quickly if left in there too long! the recipe i used was in my baking with julia cookbook. (i love this book - it has everything!) if you have eggs, milk, butter, flour and a blender of some sort (i use a stick blender), you're good to go!

the first batch was a little bit different than the second, but each batch was equally tasty. 

batch #1:

batch #2:

weird, right? well, at least they 'popped' over, and that's the important part! :)

ah, nothing like sunday pastries to brighten up your weekend ritual!

hope your week is starting out great!

happy friday!

after a very long (and blustery) week, all i can think about is a big mug of chai tea with the cardamom marshmallows i just got from whimsy and spice! 

i am gonna take a little siesta right now, but tonight, i am excited to attend my friend lauren rosenthal's first solo show over at the monmouth museum! i mentioned her amazing artwork over on my previous blog some time ago. if lauren is reading this - congrats!! this is awesome!!

hope you all are having a super friday out there and i also hope you enjoy this weekend ahead! 

prints of the above photo are available over in the shop.

 

if i were a grown up

as i was getting ready for day 2 of my no-pj work day, i got to thinking - when i used to have a job, i wished i had all the time in the world to look fabulous! but, i never had nearly enough time with commuting and the long hours (besides that at one of the jobs i've had, i would get quite dirty). why haven't i been getting myself ready since i started my business? because it would take too much time? oh yea, a whole 45 minutes. wow. i'm sure i could be way productive in that amount of time. right!

having come to this mini revelation (which, if you've been reading for a while now, i seem to come to one of those about every other day haha) i realized, it could be fun to dream up some outfits for my new habit :) so here goes:

 

anthro

pauper and pixie

victoria's secret

ruche

modcloth

free people

raggedy threads

 spool no.72

 

 

so, now that i am a grown up, i figure i can dress how i want! silly me for thinking i'm not supposed to, just because the only 'person' who sees me is my cat, on most days :)

forming new habits

it may not be january 1st or anything, but i've felt that i was getting into some pretty awful habits in my entrepreneurial life, so i am changing some things.

most of the things i feel need to change are simple things (like making sure to eat breakfast and lunch, or actually getting out of my pjs to start my work day!) but they seem necessary before this new season gets here. surprisingly, it becomes really easy to get used to neglecting yourself once no one tells you what to do any more. there's no one to tell you to take a day off or reward you when you accomplish something big. it's just me. i'm my own HR and i need to reprimand myself for treating my employees so poorly (aka me). 

all this action started because i stumbled upon a site called miss persimmon. the site is on a little break, but all the great resources are still available to help any business lady become more productive and healthier. i hope all these new habits stick, because i'm feeling much more myself already.

i'll leave you on my favorite point from the resources - 'Remember - work clothes are for working, pajamas are for sleeping!' hehe i love that! :)

prints of this photo in the shop

 

mm um also...

somebody better get me off of pinterest before i spend my life's savings (yea.. right.. like i have life savings) 

;)

where did this day go?

i'll tell you where - it went to me playing catch up after being sick for the past three days! ugh! i think i caught a little case of food poisoning (let's not get into what led me to my near death experience these past few days!) i'm all better now and have been a busy bee figuring out what needs to get done. doesn't it feel like you've lost months of time whenever you're forced to stay in bed for days? (well maybe to a workaholic like me it does!)

to get myself back in the swing of things, i figured i'd keep on willing spring to get here faster (it's now supposed to snow tomorrow or something... so.. no thank you!) hopefully this little dandelion will work it's magic.. :)

original and prints available in the shop

spring!

happy friday, dear readers! i am headed out to lunch with my mom on this beautiful sunny day and i wanted to share my springy outfit! i just got this cute new top at h&m (finally using those holiday gift cards - i know, why do i wait so long?!) and it is totally putting a spring in my step! pun intended! :)

top: h&m

shoes: ruche

scarf: gap

jeans: levis

(and you can't see them, but...) earrings: love erica (adorable buttons!!)

hope you all have a fabulous weekend!! hooray for spring! :) :)