City that never sleeps

I wasn't sure what to expect, weather wise, upon arriving in New York. Aside from a few random rain showers we couldn't have asked for better days to be walking around the city that never sleeps... and walk we did. There was not a half hour left unexplored. From Broadway to Off-Broadway, Hells Kitchen to Central Park.


I thought it would be fun to create fun vintage inspired photo boards to post some pics of the trip. Below, some famous NYC landmarks. More boards to come!

New York, New York!

Finally getting back to normal life after a whirlwind past couple of weeks! Between an amazing stay-cation with special visitors to a fabulous long weekend in New York with my two best ladies, it was a jam packed! I am surprisingly rested and refreshed! Lots of posts to come that will include pics of the trip and lots of updates on projects I am working on.

Love this ink drawing by Erin Burke

The Veiled Virgin

It's incredible what can be found in your own backyard. The Veiled Virgin is one of those things. It is a piece by a renowned Italian Sculptor, Giovanni Strazza. Carved entirely out of one piece of marble, it is truly breathtaking. You don't have to be an art lover to be completely taken with the craftsmanship and engrossed with trying to figure out how was able make the veil appear to be translucent. Strazza's work can be found in the Vatican Museums and the Archbishop's palace. Photographs do not do the piece justice but I have included a few. The piece is located at the Presentation Convent here in St. John's.

Shoe Clips

I am in love with these shoe clips. Such a great way to give your flats, heels, wedges [any shoe really] a beautiful makeover. 

Little Man

I spotted this little man well over a year ago walking by the office I worked at in Toronto. Initial sketch was done on paper then I recently scanned it and played with illustrator painting tools to finish him. I have been trying to get back into sketching regularly. Nothing beats a fresh pencil and blank page but I am also really loving the colour and effects of illustrator.

Anatomy of a Gummy Bear

I love these prints by Jason Freeny. 

Let there be light

It was this lamp in the June/July issue of Lonny mag that provided me with inspiration for my most recent d.i.y project.

I spotted this gold lamp base at a local thrift store. For $1.99 I couldn't pass it up.

I thought it would make for a much brighter finish if I did some coats of white and I am quite happy I did. I ended up doing about 3 coats of the white.

I used a whole can of Glossy Sunshine Yellow and spotted this bright patterned shade from Homesense and I couldn't be happier with the result!

Moving Fun

Moving.... so exciting, so exhausting. Thank goodness the last box is now in the new place. I was hitting that point where I was willing to give away everything we own just so I wouldn't have to move it.

Madi Diaz... Here I Go Again

I recently discovered Nashville singer/songwriter Madi Diaz. She has a great voice and  I love her cover of Whitesnake's, Here I Go Again. Enjoy!

(Radio from Anthropologie)

Kangaroos

Finally starting to scan some of my sketches. This study of kangaroos was done in Australia. 

Here in Newfoundland it is very common to see a moose [or two] running through yards or just wandering downtown. This seemed odd at first but then so did seeing kangaroos everywhere Down Unda'.

D.I.Y Workspace

The challenge.... decorate your workspace for $50.00. The result... I now want to spray paint everything!

I've never been a big Value Village shopper (much more of a Guys Frenchy's kind of gal) but with a small budget and big ideas off I went.

First stop, the frame/art section. First and foremost, you MUST look beyond the "artwork" that is in the frames and look at the frames themselves. I was drawn to thicker frames with nice depth and textures.

Then it was off to the lighting section. I have always loved those bright coloured table lamps you see in home magazines so when I saw the shape of a little green/black one in the corner I grabbed it.

The glassware section of Value Village is like a little treasure chest. I wanted a vase that wouldn't overwhelm my soon to be desk light so I picked up a medium sized one with a simple curve.

Then it was off to Home Depot to find some bright spray paint! The colour selection was really impressive but I settled on Green Apple, Aqua Blue and white.

A couple of coats on every item and I couldn't be happier with the results!

Shades of June

 Is it really June 8th? So much to do before the end of the month!

Love of Hang Tags

 
























Those who know me know of my love for eye-catching hang tags. It only made sense to start doing my own. It has been a really fun creating themed sets. Here is a sneak peak of my Under Water tags.

So pretty! So Crafty!

I am in love with the styling of this Jewelry. Found in Anthropolgie's March Catalog. I can't stop looking at them - such a clever idea that has been executed perfectly! 

Still Lost

 The series finale of Lost aired last night and I am still... well... Lost. 

Despite how confused I still am I love these posters by Ty Mattson of Mattson Creative.

Creature Comforts

Creature Comforts was originally a 1989 British animated short film about how animals feel about living in a zoo, featuring British voices "spoken" by animals. It was created by Nick Park [Wallace and Gromit] and Aardman Animations. The hilarious critters have been the inspiration for TV commercials, a disability awareness campaign, and an entire TV series.  

If you find yourself with a bit of time on your hands or maybe you're just in need of a laugh, I highly recommend heading over to You Tube and watching some. 

and the painting...

Not quite done yet [a lot of detailing to be added still] but I am really happy with how it is turning out. 

Gerbera

I took these shots a couple of weeks ago and I'm glad I held off on posting them for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is Mother's Day and these Gerbera Daisies in particular remind me of my mom with their zest and vibrant colours and secondly they inspired a new painting. 


Happy Mother's Day Mumsie! xoxo

May?

Where is the time going?

Beautiful Bangles

I've found the perfect spring/summer accessory! [other than earrings from Hello Love]

New Banner

I had a lot of fun creating a banner for Half Sweet Vanilla this morning. So much fun that I am going to challenge myself to create a new one every month. Such a great way to experiment with type and illustration techniques. Looking forward to May!

fog and rain

I love this illustration by Jay Fletcher and thought it that it perfectly reflects the weather we've been having for the past few days. 

Cozy Cuppa Tea

I especially love the addition of the felt tags. I'm thinking  some "half sweet vanilla" cozies might have to be made. Inspired by Knit Storm via Etsy

I tried my hand at knitting before the holidays. I really loved it but never really managed to get further then making dish clothes of various lengths. I think I've now discovered another use for those longer, skinnier dishcloths. Mug cozies! 

Flat Rock

It was a beautiful day for a hike to Flat Rock. Yes, that very distant, very flat rock in the top photo. 

Happy Easter!

April already? Happy Easter!