Decemberists wall mural!

Somebody painted a giant mural of The Decemberists' newest album cover just a couple blocks away from our gym! I couldn't resist taking some photos with it after one of our workouts :] The day we took these pictures was extra special because we saw them in concert just a few hours later! Needless to say, they ROCKED IT. It was magical seeing them perform in their hometown - which is now our hometown! God, I love LOVE Portland :]

you are my sunshine

My mama & I got matching tattoos! I never thought I'd see the day :] I got my first two tattoos behind my parents' backs when I was 18 because they always seemed against it. A couple years ago, however, my mom seemed interested in getting one. So we began figuring out & designing a concept, picked an artist whose style we loved, & set a date for when my mom would be in town. What better place than Portland for my mom to get her first tattoo? ;]

The original sketch & the stencil placed on my shoulder cap.

I got this little heart tattoo as well. It's the letter B (for Burton!) when tilted ;] I'm such a sap!

It's been almost 9 years since my last tattoo, but I'm happy to have another on my canvas. I'm sure these new ones won't be my last, either ;] This was such a wonderful experience I got to share with my mom & I'll be sharing more photos from her visit soon. But for now, I'm happy to cross another goal for 2014 off my list! Happy Monday, folks!

inked

 I just LOVE watercolor tattoos!

 

I got my two tattoos when I was 18 & honestly, I didn't put a whole lot of thought into them. So since my mom & I started talking a while back about getting tattoos together, I've kind of fallen in love with them again! I'm meeting with the super-talented Ashton Allen on Monday, to discuss the tattoo my mom & I will get when she visits in October! Eeeek, so exciting!! I'm hoping Ashton will become my go-to girl for the couple other tattoo ideas I have in mind for the future ;] You can see other tattoo ideas that have been going through my brain on my Pinterest board. There are just so many pretty tattoo possibilities that it can be quite overwhelming!

hitrecord, episode #1

If you haven't heard of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's project HitRecord yet, you should check out the first episode. I love the creativity & collaboration behind each project. Watching strangers work together to make something beautiful is, well, beautiful! I can't wait for more episodes to come out!

PS; if you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy Soul Pancake's feel-good videos :]

Wildwood, Part II

 

I know I recently discussed the book "Wildwood", but I just had to revisit it again. I AM ADDICTED. I knew I would enjoy the series, but I just flew through the second book "Under Wildwood" & I am hooked! I think I'd even say I loved it more than the first & now I'm stuck here twiddling my thumbs until the third book comes out on February 4th. Gah! I didn't expect to fly through the first two so quickly, but I guess the Wildwood Chronicles are just. that. GOOD.

I haven't been this immersed in a book since I discovered Jonathan Safran Foer & Nicole Krauss's lovely writing. I've been searching websites to find out if there are going to be any more books in the series after the next one is released. I've been looking for any information, really, & then I found out that IT'S GOING TO BE MADE INTO A MOVIE! A stop-motion movie, to be exact, in the hands of Laika Animation Studio, creators of "Coraline". I couldn't find much information about the movie & its release date though. I guess it will just be another "Wildwood" thing for me to eagerly anticipate :]

Wildwood

I've been a huge fan of the band The Decemberists for over a decade now. The lead singer, Colin Meloy, writes the most beautiful lyrics and storylines into their music. I'm also in awe of Carson Ellis, his wife, who creates all of the band's merchandise and album artwork. So I was psyched when I first heard that my favorite husband/wife duo teamed up to create a book series! I first heard about it a couple years ago, but didn't get around to actually picking it up until a week ago. I'M LOVING IT. It's so imaginative and adventurous & Colin & Carson do such a fantastic job of inventing this fictional forest realm just outside of Portland. There are currently three books total in the series & I can't wait to get my hands on the others. So if you're looking for a good read, here it is :]

PS; Check out this awesome review of the book with many more illustrations!

 

Chihuly's recycled chandelier

I love being an art teacher :] I know I probably don't discuss it enough, but sometimes I take a step back & realize how lucky I am to introduce cool artists and fun materials like clay & paint to children. And bonus, I get paid to do it! Anyway, I had to post a picture of one of my favorite projects from this school year. My third graders learned about Dale Chihuly, a glass sculptor artist, & then made their own Chihuly-esque chandelier using recycled plastic bottles & cardboard. I hung it in my room & it's gotten countless Ooohs & Ahhhs from the other grade levels. Proud teacher moment, right there :] Not only are they learning about cool artists who are still alive & working, but they're also learning that you can make art from just about anything!

amazing art!

This artist, Bernard Pras, makes incredible assemblages. Here he turned a whole room into a portrait!

I'm in awe & had to share :]

Ingrid Michaelson concert!

I love, love Ingrid Michaelson & it was magical to finally see her perform! It was certainly within my top 3 concerts of my entire life :] Monday night, Burton & I went on a double date with our about-to-be-married friends John & Brittany. The boys suggested getting a bottle of wine so we could sit in a booth in the VIP section. I've never done anything like that before, but it was SUCH a brilliant idea! Not only did we have an incredible view, but it felt cozy & intimate & being about to sit (HUGE perk) felt so nice after teaching on my feet all day.

Ingrid played a pleasant mix of her new & older songs & she definitely played every song I wanted to hear. Not only that, but she was really, REALLY funny. She spoke quite a bit in between songs & had us laughing our butts off each time. She even spotted a bag of Cheetos in the crowd & demanded they be passed up to her! Whatta personality ;] If she ever comes near your town, do yourself a favor & go see Ingrid!

my 300th post!

WHAT a milestone! Considering how much has changed since I started this blog & how much I've poured into it, 300 posts actually doesn't seem like enough! But this is just the beginning, because I know I'll be blogging until the day I die ;] Even though I sometimes wonder how many people even read this thing, I know that it doesn't really matter. This documentation of my life has taken place of the visual journals I used to create & is as equally important to me. Just as I enjoy rereading my journals, I'll enjoy rereading my blog posts (maybe even with my future kiddos!) in future years :]

stuff no one told me

 

 

  

 

Alex Noriega is a cartoonist with a quirky blog & this awesome series called "Stuff No One Told Me". I just love his adorable illustrations paired with words of wisdom! These are a few of my favorites, but you can check out many more here :]

found!

Pretty sure we found our wedding photographer :]

people as paintings

Alexa Meade is an artist who paints on people instead of canvases. GENIUS! Her artwork is beautiful & impressive. Not to mention, turning yourself into a painting would be AN AWESOME idea for a Halloween costume. Just sayin' ;]

can't blow bubbles down there!

Isn't this fake swimming pool FASCINATING?
In this hot Florida weather, it is such a tease :]

terry border's bent objects

lovelovelove!

poster art

One of my favorite artists is Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, the father of poster art. Born in the 1864, he was the first artist to put words on an artwork for advertisement purposes. Needless to say, I've always been a fan of gorgeous posters & these concert posters by Methane Studios are indeed a work of art :] So lovely!

intimate lighting

How incredible are these lamps by Ladislava Repková?? I'm in love.

shoes & a birthday

November 12th-14th, I'll be working at The Festival of the Masters in Downtown Disney. It's an annual festival, which celebrates art. Myself & a handful of artists will be there to paint any purchased TOMS shoes! These were just some of my sample designs :] So if you'll be in the Orlando area, you should come & get some beautified shoes!!

It was my sweetheart's 23rd birthday last week. Crazy to think that this is his fourth birthday I've celebrated with him :] He recently built himself a custom computer, so our families gave him checks contributing to his computer fund, in place of gifts. I even made him a computer plushie, which had a little pocket to hold all of the checks :] Have a happy Friday, everyone!

beautiful new print :]

"When the elephant is young & relatively weak, it is tied to an immovable stick. So later, no matter how large and strong he becomes, he continues to believe that he cannot free himself. Many intelligent people are like circus elephants. They never question their self-imposed limitations."


Thanks, Fee! & I'm sure it will make a great addition to a nursery someday ;]

artwork from ACA

I never got around to posting some of the finished sculptures from the 10-day class in New Smyrna. These are just a few personal favorites by my fellow classmates :]

I'm definitely lucky to spend that time around such talented artists. There are plenty more pictures to check out on my flickr :] Have a wonderful Wednesday!