My Bedroom Studio: A Metallic Story :    This concept story encapsulates the essence of autumn and it's renewing, refreshing and qualities of warmth. The fall is  a season where I feel I can think clearly  and find the most inspiration. Therefore, the warm  metallic and copper themed story is invited into a world of everyday objects  and products we encounter in our day to day.  

Over the last few weeks I have been getting really inspired by all of the awesome patterns and stories being made by various Instagram users and amazing designers ( Tess Guinery, for example) using flowers and everyday items. I really love this concept and I cant wait to play with the idea a little more and explore new angles and concepts to build upon.On Sunday a few friends and I decided to put our pattern making skills to the test with a little afternoon pattern project of our own. We decided to use some flowers that we snatched from the Farmer's Market early Saturday morning. We had a blast styling all of the colorful blooms and making backdrops simply for the fun of it. 

I also had the chance to experiment with film for the first time during the creation of these little guys. I am currently still trying to blindly navigate my way through Adobe Premiere Software ( because everyone learns the in's and out's of new software through Google and watching tutorials, right? ) But, just maybe a little film about this experience and other blog projects will launch soon...eep!

It's almost been 4 months since my plane from Arkansas touched down into Philadelphia with my stomach in complete knots of excitement.

Early in the summer upon my arrival I picked up a baby succulent plant in a little terra cotta pot and placed it next to my night stand as, essentially, the only item of decor in my empty sub-letted Philly space. That plant would be the first thing I saw every morning upon waking up and I would sprinkle some water on it every few weeks when it was looking a little shriveled (just trying to be a good plant owner and stuff). But, by the end of my time in Philly the succulent that once was a little blossom the size of a quarter was bursting out the sides of the pot and tilting to one side as though it was longing to be re-planted into something with a little more space. It had grown so much and I didn't even realize it. It got me thinking about about my time on the East Coast and my internship with Anthropologie; how I felt I probably had a lot in common with my succulent and had grown in ways that had been subtle and gradual, but all together created a new edition of myself that is ready to be re-planted.

Although you never realize how much you change throughout the course of any experience it is inevitable that you will grow in ways that you may not even realize until you step back into your ordinary life with new lenses on. I didn't do much writing throughout the summer because i wanted to immerse myself fully in the moment. However, now that my summer as an Anthropologie Home Office intern has come to a close (sad face), I feel like I am finally beginning to process all that happened!

1. People, People, everywhere! This summer I was definitely due for a dip into a fresh pool of new faces that were going to reshape my world in the best of ways. My experience at URBN was undoubtedly the perfect pool to swim through. I lived in a house with 5 other interns who all had different backgrounds, personalities, relationships, hobbies, and accents (ha!). It's so rewarding to hang with a diverse group of people and connect in the fact that you are all there for the same reason; to grow and to be inspired! Not only was there a wide range of personalities in our home, but in the office and all around the city, too! There something special about everyone being a transplant; it makes you need and lookout for each other more.

2. The Work World. Perhaps my experience is unique since URBN is an exceptionally creative and nurturing environment. However, I never expected to walk into a big internship with only a handful of experience and feel so...comfortable!  It seems like it was always ingrained into us in school that if we don't approach life rigidly we are doomed for the cardboard box life. This summer I learned that although having an education is a wonderful gift, your opportunities in the real world are often weighed more upon mentorship, drive, and passion! It's good to get an essay done and complete all of your to-do lists promptly, but it's even more important to find that raw passion that drives your purpose and develops organically! I was surrounded by great mentors during my internship experience with Anthro who believed in my passion to be involved creatively and were supportive leaders in the process. That is what I found is really bringing people forward. No anxiety necessary! Be yourself, be curious, and (most of the time) the rest will follow suit. I was lucky to have been surrounded by all of the creative opportunity and uplifting people at Home Office. 

3. Choosing Creativity. Part of an internship is learning about what it is you are good at and enjoy doing. Through my experiences working with product merchandising and e-commerce I realized that as much as I loved learning about how to run a company online, i really missed the element of being able to create, too. My mentors acknowledged this and encouraged me to do a creative intern project and connect with some of the more creative areas of the business in the execution of the idea. This summer I learned that creativity will always have to be a part of my life and path. It's my fuel. I loved that my mentors and the internship program were so supportive of this and that they genuinely wanted the interns to learn about whatever was making their heart beat. 

4. The World is Your Oyster and I'm Not Just Being Cheesy.  This summer was my first time to ever move to a large city by myself and I couldn't have been more ready to settle in and explore. Philadelphia, the birth place of our country, is so rich with American history and landmarks. Philly is also a short ride away from New York City. All my life I would always fantasize about being the girl who reads in central park, walks through museums, and makes eye contact with a cute guy on the subway. Unfortunately, the only eye contact I made on the subway was with a few odd balls of the city, but it was fun to have authentic cultural experiences and soak in the richness of New York's creative scene. Living up east, there is always something to see, a new restaurant to try, or an exhibit to go check out. If simply living on the East Coast is an inspirational breathe of fresh air,I can't imagine everything else the world has to offer. This summer has made we want to keep exploring and embrace that there are no boundaries. Where to next?

5. Investing in The People Who Stick By Your Side. With so many amazing interns being in the same city at the same time, you can only imagine how many plans are made on the weekends. With my sometimes introverted tendencies this was incredibly overwhelming at times, especially because I also have the tendency to want to be a good friend to all and say "yes" to everything; you end up letting people down somewhere down the line when this becomes a habit. After about a month in Philly I started learning that you can't focus on all the opportunities you miss out on with great people, you have to distribute your time and energy into the people who are investing their time and love into you, also! Jumping in on all of the action is always fun, but but for me, having that handful of go-to people I was able to grow a firm relationship with and be pushed by was really special and important!

6. Expressing Gratitude. It is easy to get so immersed in the steps you are taking forward that you sometimes forget to stop and think about how lucky you are to be around the people you are with or how fortunate you are to be you and have all that you have. This summer I was challenged to to exercise a muscle of gratitude in both my friendships and in life. The second you start zooming out on life and looking at how fortunate we are, that's when it starts to get really inspiring. 

So much love to all of my fellow interns, mentors, recruiters, and friends for taking on this summer with me! xox.

Today is the beginning of a new adventure. Back in January I accepted an summer internship position with Anthropologie. It's a little bit surreal for me because I have been dreaming about reaching this opportunity or years. When I was in high school I would always find myself stumbling into Anthropologie when I felt I was due for some inspiration and the optimistic environment never ceased to fuel my soul. I am so excited to be embarking on a journey that I have wholeheartedly worked towards and cannot wait to dive in head first to this new chapter. Here's to new friends, new adventures, and traveling a little further down the path to who we will all become!

“There’s only one thing in life, and that’s the continual renewal of inspiration.” - Dianna Vreeland

The Contemporary art world is so exciting right now. I am loving all of the  surrealism, the risks being taken, the rich use of color, and the authenticity of the artist community. Today I'm giving you a list of some of my personal "art crushes". Some of these crushes have been developing over many years, others are fairly new. Regardless, these artists are wonderful and should definitely be on your radar....

Brit is an Atlanta based abstract artist. Obsessed now? See more HERE.

Timothy Goodman is a designer, illustrator & art director based in New York City. See his incredibly interesting projects HERE (40 Days of Dating)....and HERE (Memories of A Girl I Never Knew)

Gray Malin, based in Los Angeles, is reinventing beach art prints. Malin explore the most stunning fine art photography of gorgeous beaches and vistas from around the world. See his work and brand HERE.

Lulie Wallace is a fine artist based in Charleston, South Carolina. View more of her work and gorgeous blooms HERE.

Jessica Walsh is a multi disciplinary art director & designer based in New York. Jessica co-wrote THIS BOOK ( 40 Days of Dating) with Timothy Goodman. See her other works HERE.

Kindah Khalidy is a painter and textile designer working in California. View more of her pretty work HERE.

While I was at my grandparent's house recently my mom and I took on the daunting task of sifting through the old boxes tucked away and stacked in the garage. My grandparents, raised during The Depression,  have always been the types of folks who like to keep and collect everything. Some may refer to them as hoarders, but I've always found that label derogatory due to having always enjoyed the hunt of finding a unique trinket to keep while at their house. I've always felt like archaeologists while digging through their archives; chipping away at the past and looking for clues and gathering inspiration from generations before my time. Much of the objects that are stored away in boxes are often invaluable moth ridden items that need clearing out or a one-way ticket to the garbage. However, with some patience,you will sometimes find a diamond in the rough.

In the corner of the dusty garage I stumbled upon a large grey chest enclosed with a lock. Remembering the small set of keys that I had found in the drawer of a vanity gathering dust in the opposite garage corner, I was able to unhinge the lock and peer inside the mystery box. What I found was a box full of memorabilia from my grandfather's time in the Korean War. There were honorary pins, newspaper articles, old hats, and boxes full to the brim of old letters. Being the snoop that I am a decided to investigate and read the cursive hand written notes. I found that most of them were from my grandmother. My grandparents were married only a few months before my grandpa was drafted into the war, so most of the letters between them were rather grand accounts of their experiences, love and longing to reunite. It was neat being able to view the early stages of my grandparents relationship. all of my life they have simply lived as aged comfortable companions and I never knew or imagined the passion that they once shared for one another. For a span of years the letters were the only thing connecting them and there would be weeks without contact. But, the letter that would reach them was always a highly personal, intimate, and authentic reminder of the value they placed on their their relationship.

This got me thinking about modern day romance. Is romance fading as the years go by? Modern technology, being only one of many contributors to this thought, has given the world vast advantages. but is the age of instant gratification stomping out the passion that comes from longing, waiting and persevering? The days of letter writing, especially during the unstable years of the war, provided couples and friends with a way of initiating their care for one another. There was effort poured into the time taken to hand write a note and mail it overseas. There was investment in what was said. Once a letter was received they would archive it in a box to look back on (or for their granddaughter to find decades later). This is something I cant help but feel our generation is missing out on. We send thoughtless text messages to our friends and loved ones,we take words for granted, we are frivolous in our words, and we often delete texts and forget all that was said. We have nothing to archive and we put little effort into grounding our efforts to care for each other. Technology will only continue to expand, but how can we better let romance and intention survive?
I am unsure of the solution. However, I hope my grand daughter gets to stumble upon a box full of tangible history and stories. Call me old fashioned, but I hope this art is not dead for good. That we decide to sometimes put pen to paper and that the words we write are more than our superficial thoughts, but words that we hope to look back on. 

let's write more love letters. 

It was so great being able to spend some time in California with family this past week. Although I took an abundance of photos, here are a few snapshot from the week. The highlights: getting to surprise my Grandma the first night we flew in ( she had no idea my mom and I were coming to visit) and experiencing her priceless reaction. Taking a long walk along  the beach and getting to spend some one-on-one time with my mama. Shopping the produce at The Farmer's Market in Los Angeles. Lastly, taking in the beauty from all of the plants around every corner.I have been traveling to see family In CA my whole life, but every time I go back I am always re-amazed at all of the colors, friendly easy-going people, and absolutely perfect weather. 

Spring Break is here! Hooray! I am packing my bags and getting ready to take a short trip to California. But, while I was packing I decided to procrastinate my drive home a little bit more and do a little photo run through of my "travel must haves".  Granted, I am going to be authentic with you and say that there was way more crap in my bag than simply the above listed items. But, let me still share with you the key items....

1. Reading material. I love some good reading material, but not just any old mag, I love hunting down new interesting and interesting art and design publications overflowing with inspiration. For this trip I chose The Great Discontent, which is a fairly new publication that explore the hearts and minds of creatives who made it in the industry. The articles touch on both the frustrations and motivations various artful souls have experienced throughout their careers. Swoon.

2. Gum. My ears allows pop on the plane. Gum helps. Also, It's always good to travel with fresh breathe.

3. Pen & Paper.  I don't know...maybe i'll want to write poetry or something...

4. Burt's Bees.  Having chapped lips is terrible, having chapped lips thousands of miles above land? Even more awful. I         try to avoid being in this situation. Plus, Burt's Bees always smells great and feels so soothing on the lips. 

5. My Ipod. I love being able to listen to some tunes while looking out the window. It enhances the drama of it all.

6. Sweater. Because we all know planes can get really cold, so in order to avoid cuddling up with the stranger sitting next     to me, I usually try and bring a sweater in my carry-on.

Bon-Voyage!

Today I have been in the spirit of home inspiration (see latest post here), so I figured it's only fair if I give you something for your home, too! Click the link below if you would like to download and print my latest illustration print. 
Happy Friday.

Okay, obviously I am a girl....so, I embrace Pinterest from time to time. I daydream about my "ideal" this, that and the other. Why? Because it's SO FUN. And daydreaming is free.

These are some inspirations about my dream home; where unlimited budgets exist, where anything is possible, where I have a home studio, and where my home is coziest in the city. I've always had an appreciation for warm color pallets and tapestry rugs. I would want my dream home to encompass an atmosphere that is inviting, urban, and artful. Let's talk about the work space for  a minute - it would be a dream to have a studio in my home. I always feel at my most creative when I am in the comfort of my home, so it would be a wondrous room to have. Let's talk about the liquor cart- I have oddly always wanted one of these. The only thing better than drinking whiskey is peering at it's pretty bottle/packaging. 

What does your dream home look like?