let’s make art!

holy bejeezus i am needing this.

when i was little, i would have TREASURED this little guided art book. these days, nothing has changed. i’m seriously considering grabbing one of these. how wonderful would this be to bust out during a 10 minute break during the middle of a crazy hectic work day? 

brillant concept and execution, marian deuchars! Let’s Make Great Art can be bought via laurence king publishing.

what’s your favorite? i can’t decide.

though i do LOVE putting birds on things. i could see myself drawing that lil fellow all over my notebook and planner.

dreamy nostalgia.

 

this print reminds me of childhood trips to the local creamery for superman ice-cream. with sprinkles, of course.

how’s that for some sunday nostalgia?

 

toy stories.

london-based artist Aled Lewis is the clever schemer behind these toy one-liners.

the below images are from Lewis’ “Toy Stories” series.

this last one is my favorite. the boy always calls me his ‘clever girl’.

…i’m wondering if the raptor has something to do with it

espresso education.

this espresso guide is educational, digestible (no pun intended), and beautiful at the same time.

time to try some of these bad boys out!

i believe i’ll start by concocting the cafe con leche.

fall forward, with style.

fall forward? i think i shall.

this colorful interpretation of the New York Times’ icon by their own T Magazine, is wonderfully seasonal. each issue’s cover is thoughtfully curated by artists and designers; this month’s cover is owed to landscape designer judy kameon and photographer erik otsea.

a wonderful showcase of seasonal texture, nature, and autumnal hues.

judge a book by the cover?

i most certainly do when it comes to design and typography.

these minimalist covers of classic children’s books by chicago graphic designer Christian Jackson are to die for. i love the dark hues and grim approach to the depiction of childhood whimsical stories. so many classic fairytales have a dark side, jackson’s attention to this in the tone of the cover is unique and compelling.

hollywood sweethearts.

it’s no secret that i’m in love with everything about joanne woodward.

her style, grace, and classic elegance are genuine and unaffected. in addition to her iconic femininity, she’s light-hearted and carefree. can i be like that when i grow up?

the cherry on top — her seriously adorable relationship with leading man paul newman. couple for the win.

this trombone picture makes me melt.

Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that’s a real treat…

–Joanne Woodward

this quote and these photos made me weak in the knees.

cheer up, tuesday.

tuesdays can be a drag.

here’s something to brighten up my least favorite of weekdays.

the boy recently pointed me to clark goolsby’s extremely fun & textual mixed media pieces. these are so precise and intricate that they almost look digital. don’t be fooled, it’s all done by hand. incredible!

goolsby paints the picture of a universe full of 24 hour dance parties, bright-colored everything, and rainbows.

i’d go there.

foliagesque.

the weather outside has been FAR from delightful over the past few days. rain & grey skies interspersed with a few glorious moments of light warm sunshine. fall is here, folks!

and if you’re a chicagoan, chances are you’re heavy on the rain and grey skies part of the season. but with the volatile fall weather comes COLOR, wonderful bright foliage transitions happening all over. i dare say, i have trouble frowning when all this season scenery (say that three times!) is happening right in front of me.

these paintings by Allyson Reynolds remind me of my favorite of summertime sightings, butterflies. how fitting that the subject is actually moths, and the colors resemble the autumnal hues happening all over our parks.

cheery AND autumnal.

monkey see.

it’s a gloomy, rainy, cold monday here in chicago.

on weekends i’m ALL FOR this type of weather, cozying up with a cup of tea, fuzzy blanket and kindle. but, seriously, a monday morning is NOT the time for the monsoon we experienced this morning. my morning commute started with a wind whipping trek downing irving park and ended with a soaking wet office arrival. not winning at all.

when i’m feeling less than my usual happy-camper self at home, the boy cheers me up by puppeteering our chimp stuffed animals. yup, that’s right. they’ve got songs and stories and they MAKE my day. i’d even go as far to bet that they’d make yours as well.

so, how about some whimsical monkey prints to cheer us up on this bleak monday?

a little weird? yes. adorable? you bet.

i obviously want these. so precious.