Doodle time

I don't really watch movies that much any more, but I do enjoy seeing the dress choices at the Oscars so I halfway watched on Sunday while doodling.

Illustration Friday - Swarm

Swarms of birds and fish freak me out a bit... Sailboats on the other hand...

Illustration Friday - Layer

If you have not yet had a smore this winter, I highly suggest you consider making a run to the store to purchase the goods to build these magical layers of goodness. There is not much better when it comes to simple, sweet comfort food.

Illustration Friday - Reverse

I work on a Mac at work and also in my free time at home. I am so used to "undoing" or reversing my steps on the computer with my command Z shortcut (or apple Z depending on your keyboard), that sometimes when I am drawing and erase something that I wish I wouldn't have, I immediately think COMMAND Z! Of course this does not work in the non-digital world. Anyway, when I saw the theme "Reverse" for Illustration Friday, all things that help "undo" came to mind.


Still have a couple of spots for my "Pay it Forward".

Pay it Forward

Last weekend, I happened to encounter the blog of the incredibly talented Penelope Neal (go check out her blog, it will make you smile) where she had a great post about paying it forward.

Here is the concept: “Pay it forward” is the idea that random acts of kindness are given without expecting anything in return. It’s passing on a kindness hoping that your recipients will do the same, and forming a never-ending chain of goodwill, that’s what this is about. But it isn’t only kindness, it is also a means to connect and share instead of just keeping it to ourselves.

Here is how it works: You’ll have to comment on this post and the first three people who comment will receive a handmade gift from me within the next few months. But those three people will also have to post the idea on their blog and commit to creating something for the first three people who comment and so on and so forth.

SO, the first three people to comment here will get something handmade by me, but you have to do this on your blog as well. I’ll be reading your blog to make sure that you have posted about your "Pay it Forward!"

Winter weather - Bundle up!

So, I haven't submitted a design to Smashing Magazine's monthly wallpaper since October. I decided to submit one for February and was inspired by our impending inclement weather. We are expecting up to 12 inches of snow tomorrow! Stay warm this month and go check out my submission and all of the other February wallpapers (with and without calendars) at Smashing Magazine. (Note: The image below is low res so if you want to apply it to your desktop, you will need to visit the SM website. The 320 x 480 resolution is for iphones)

My husband made the rack out of wood from an old table from my mom's former cottage, and he made the "hooks" from branches that he found in our backyard.

Illustration Friday - Surrender

I love the mountains and being outdoors. In high-school I went on a 30 day alpine mountaineering course with Outward Bound - one of the best experiences of my life. I learned to respect nature and that sometimes, you have to surrender to its volatility. 

Snapshots of Spain - 2

One thing I loved about Spain is that each apartment building was unique. This illustration is of the first city we stayed in (Durango) - a street on my walk to the downtown area.

There were picturesque views between the buildings on the side streets.

I walked to the local grocery store. It was so crazy seeing eggs not in the refrigerated section. I suppose they are just that fresh... 

Contents of my purse (inspired by Anthropologie)

I love Anthropologie. I know - who doesn't, right? I love their creativity and innovative use of objects in their window displays. The propping choices, composition and lighting in their catalogs makes me feel like I should be paying a subscription. I was inspired by the catalog I received most recently where they showcase purses with the contents emptied (below is a scan of one of the pages).

So I thought it would be fun to empty the contents of my $20 purse. I try not to carry a lot - there is my iphone, my favorite sunglasses, my wallet, and my favorite lip balm (Kiehl's). Then there's my key chain (yes I only have one key) which contains a silver pine cone from my sis and an orange carabiner  - for those days when I find myself in need of belaying down a mountain. And of course, my daily vitamin: a Dove chocolate (dark chocolate is good for you, right : ). 

Illustration Friday - Dusty

My husband recently purchased his dream car - a 1970 full-sized jeep truck (he asked that I say "full-sized"). He takes it out on the dirt roads in the country to get firewood for our fire-pit in the backyard. He creates quite a dust storm : )

Illustration Friday - Chicken 3

Poor chicken - excluded from the age old children's game "Duck, Duck, Goose!"? I got your back Mr. Chicken.

Clocks with color

Here are the clocks that I illustrated with pen/paper and then applied color in photoshop. In the next couple of months I plan to convert these to vector art, revise the color and make into a pattern. 6:00 AM will come all too soon...

Illustration Friday - Deja vu

I illustrated this before I left for Chicago (for work). I didn't finish applying the color, but I wanted to get it posted for Illustration Friday before the new theme came out. I'll finish this when I get home this weekend.


When I think of deja vu, the first thought that comes to mind is every morning when my alarm goes off at 6 AM for work. It feels very deja vu - "didn't I just do this?".

Snapshots of Spain

My husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to travel to Spain (specifically the Basque region) last July. It was our first time to Europe and we were captivated by the beauty and history of the country.


I am just now going through photos of Spain - trying to decide which to enlarge and frame to hang in our home. I decided that I will start drawing some of the memories that we made and sharing them on my blog.

This illustration is of the hotel we stayed in the first night in Durango, Spain. I illustrated it in ink, painted various portions with watercolor, and then finished the color digitally.

This was one of the views outside our hotel.

The details in Spain's walkways make our sidewalks seem so boring...

Illustration Friday - Resolution

I set goals for myself every six months or so, but if I would have to come up with a "resolution", I would say that I want to live every day intentionally and always strive to be a better me.