yesterday's camera

{yesterday, i got to hang out with my lovely friend, kelli trontel, who happens to be a suuuuper talented photographer...  so i was inspired to sketch a quick camera. oh and she took the photo of me below with her iphone... amazing!!}

p.s. it's supposed to snow here this week!!! eeeeeek!!! i'm so unbelievably thrilled at the prospect. :)

lion face

{or aslan :)}

gandalf the grey

{so i have to be honest, today was kind of busy so i didn't have time to sketch... so i pulled one from the archives. i sketched this several years ago and i've come across it a couple times as i've been trying to find a blank page in my sketchbook, so i thought i would share it... cheers lotr fans!}

oh, and happy monday! :)

i'm addicted

{to project runway!! i sketched this garment stand as i was watching part one of the season finale. can't wait for the next episode!!}

see you monday :)

sparrow

well, since i sketched a pirate ship, then a cannon, i have to admit that i had captain jack sparrow on my mind... ergo, the sparrow sketch. :)

have a great weekend!

cannon in pen

so this might be my last "p" related sketch {since that makes 7 total!} - a "penned" cannon. :)

a pirate ship study

i've always loved pirate ships and i'm not really sure why i chose to sketch these up - maybe it was the fact that i thought the husband said "black pearl" today... or that i've apparently had the letter "p" on my mind lately - whatever the reason, i just felt like sketching them tonight...

savvy? :)

my iphone

{i read an article about steve jobs today... sad yet inspiring. he has contributed to so many of our lives in more ways than one... so i decided to sketch one of those contributions. thanks steve.}

the pawn

{the one and only move that husband played on the chessboard today at lunch. ha}

husband came home today!

{a sketch of his plane}

layer upon layer: a painting story

i've recently been into painting with watercolor... which is funny because when i first started playing with it years ago, i made up my mind i didn't like it, i felt like i couldn't control it enough - like i could with pencils or acrylic paint. but lately i've really been taken by it. i love the color gradient and how free it all feels (ironic, right?). this is my first real, serious stab at it so i thought i would share it {and the process} with y'all.

first we have the tools.

{your basic watercolor set and my three favorite brushes of all time. i literally use them for everything! it must be a comfort thing...}

next, the bare bones.

{most of the time, i will loosely sketch out what i'm going to paint, just the bare minimum - a skeleton if you will - just to get a basic idea of where it's going to go and then start with the layering! i always start with the sky and work my way up to the front.}

then, fleshing it out.

{this is where it really starts to get fun... it actually starts to look like a painting! i just get the basic coloring and shading on there, slowly covering the blank space.}

and lastly, the final layer.

{this is my favorite part! this is where i get to go in and add lots and lots of detail shading. i could probably let myself indulge in this step for hours, but at some point i just have to tell myself to stop...
and voila! it's done!}

hope you enjoyed my short story and i really hope that it inspired you to do something that you love doing! :)

waaaaall-e.

our fresh life group leader sent out an email today with a few 'ice-breaker' questions and the first was: "what's your favorite pixar movie?" which made me think of my fave - wall-e. which then also led me to think about how much the husband and i looove that movie... he even bought me a mini wall-e that i used to keep on my desk at work!
and since i'm missing my sweet husband right now (he's traveling/working) i thought i would draw up this little guy that reminds me of him. it warms my heart just looking at the cute little robot... i think i'll watch it tonight. :)
maybe you'll join me?
goodnight!

a sketch a day...

once i say it, i have to actually do it. ok. here goes. sooooo....
i've decided i'm going to sketch something every day for a year. and post it here. everyday.
(can you hear me taking in a deep breath and slowly exhaling?)
i've just been thinking... why not? i'm in a such a unique, foreign place in my life right now that i just have to document it (other than just journaling about it). i'm not promising masterpieces people - at all - i'm simply saying i'll sketch something that stood out to me or something that i was thinking about on that specific day. i just keep thinking about how awesome it will be at the end of the year, seeing my small yet beautiful life in sketches.
just one thing a day. i think i can do it.

so, to get things started, i obviously sketched my portland mug (purchased on this trip). the last two days have been spent doing taxes in various places, and this little guy has been my buddy - faithfully holding my tea.

happy saturday!

late night snack...

aka a dessert that won't make you feel bad for eating dessert... which i've been having a lot of lately. yikes. anyways, this easy dessert will leave you feeling like you've satisfied your sweet tooth and, as a bonus, will still allow you to fit into those jeans reserved for your skinny days (don't we all have those? ha).

ingredients:
 - grapefruit
 - brown sugar
 - cinnamon

cut the grapefruit like you would if you were going to eat it plain (half then cut into it to make perfect bite-size pieces).
sprinkle the top with brown sugar and cinnamon (the amount for these is totally up to you - i chose to use about half a teaspoon of cinnamon and about half a tablespoon of brown sugar).
set in a baking dish, then broil for about 5 minutes or until it looks a little caramelized on top.
transfer to individual dishes and enjoy immediately!

bon appetit! :)

monday pick-me-up: dcfc's new music video!

let me count the ways...

i love anthropologie, and after watching their newest video on color + print, i love them even more. super short & super inspiring. enjoy!

the whole picture

you may or may not know that i'm currently working on a children's book {more like pre-teen book} that's all about one's relationship with Jesus. everything that happens in the story is symbolic of our choice to follow him and the struggles and victories we encounter as we do so. the more i write, the more i see and hear God speaking to me... which is funny because as i was telling mike rozell, of potters field ministry, about the book he said: "Through the story, God will have to speak to you first, then He will use it to speak to others."
and it's true. i feel like if this book were only meant to draw me closer to Jesus then it was time well spent and i'd be happy. of course, i do pray that he would use it to help and encourage others to know that he loves them.... but if he chooses not to for some reason, i'm totally fine.
with all that said, writing this thing hasn't been easy the entire time. yesterday, i came to a major block... i'll spare the details but i decided to take a break, go to church, and pray. when i woke up this morning, i still didn't hear which direction to take...so i started journaling this morning.
i told God that it was really hard to keep writing this book when i can't see the full picture, or the full complete story in my mind. i stopped right there like on one of those cartoons where the lightbulb appears above the character's head:
{ faith! }
it was as if God interrupted my thoughts and asked me right then, "do you ever get to see the full picture of your life... or know the whole 'story' in its entirety?"
nope. i don't know what's going to happen next year, or next month, or even tomorrow... but i have faith that God is taking care of it - He has a plan and i don't have to worry about that, all i have to do is walk, day by day.
i don't need to know the entire story right now, all i need to do is be obedient in writing and he'll reveal what he wants, when he wants... it's his thing anyways. :)
so too in our lives - we don't need to see the whole picture, all we have to do is trust and follow the One who does see the whole picture and continue to walk even if we can't see right in front of us.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1

"But without faith its impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Hebews 11:6

friday finds : type city!

ok, for all you nerds out there, this one's for you. { yes, i include myself in that category } i just found this awesome typeface gallery with awesome music. seriously if you have about 5-7 minutes to kill, take a tour, it's fun... don't judge. ;)

challenge + inspiration

design*sponge is one of the first places i look for inspiration {and it never fails!} but today i was both inspired and challenged by their feature on dana tanamachi. her interview spoke volumes to me today and for some reason just had to share it here in case you missed it. :)

monday pick-me-up: happy august!

"it's august first everybody!" i announce with excitement.
nic pauses then asks, "what does that mean?"
"it's the start of a new month!" i answer happily.

here's to the start of a new month everyone! cheers! :)
p.s. i'm waist-deep in writing a book so the above narration is second nature at this point.

oh... and here are just a couple images that pop up when you search the word "august"...