Showing posts with label Color. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Color. Show all posts

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Garden Girl

As you probably know by now, I'm infatuated with blissful blooms and pastels. I've got an entire pin board devoted to florals and other botanical delights! Even though this fall is dominated by crimson, navy, and the classic black, I always love an ethereal element. The sunrise yesterday with these colors was pure beauty. These floaty pinks, sky blues, and peaches are drawing me in. I love adding an earthy taupe to keep it grounded!

What colors have you been inspired by lately?

Images via 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Thursday, September 13, 2012

{Splurge or Save}...Berry Striped

One of my favorite items in my closet is the button down blouse. A tried and true staple for me, it instantly adds a sense of polish, and yet still cool. I find it to be one of the most versatile articles of clothing. Since I'm such a fan of color and pattern, this blouse grabbed my attention immediately! You could wear it with anything. Bonus: it has navy, the it color for fall.  Old Navy also has a great shirt that's similar. I think I like it more with the relaxed rolled sleeves and double pockets. 

P.S. Old Navy has a current promotion! Get 20% off through the 16th using the code ONBIG20.


Thursday, August 16, 2012

{Make It}...Fresh Start


I had this ragged aqua blue frame from my early high school years (yikes!) that was buried deep in memorabilia and dust under the bed. In it's first life, it house a lovely collage of the band U2. Yeah. I was that obsessed. Recently, I've found it liberating throw old junk from my haunting past, or refurbish it. Let's face it. You can't hide from everything. Why not take something that you'd rather ignore and turn it into something pretty rad that you don't mind if other people notice? Attention is good. Glam is good. Change is good! From barf blue to feisty fuchsia, this change for the frame is pretty damn fab. Our lives should be too.

You will need:

a wooden frame
rubbing alcohol
cotton balls/rounds
craft paint
detail paint brushes
clear lacquer/glaze

No matter what kind of surface you're working with, use rubbing alcohol to clean the frame. Since mine had old paint, I use the alcohol to not only clean the wood or any residue/dust, but also to remove excess, uneven coats of paint.

 With your craft paint and medium flat brush, add thin layers of paint. Allow each coat to dry so it is smooth to the touch. Don't worry about getting in the grooves. As you can see above, the first and even second coat may not get into those tiny details.

With your detail brush, after the last coat has dried (I painted probably three or four coats for maximum coverage and impact), fill in any touch ups. Let your frame cure completely over night.

The next day, with a medium/large flat brush add a generous coat of lacquer. Let it dry to the touch and add a second coat for high gloss shine! Again, be patient. You should let the frame dry with the glaze for another day before putting in your photo/art and glass! 

And doesn't it look fab?


Monday, August 6, 2012

{Weekend Update}...Chalk It Up to Summer

 A fantastic event illustrated our weekend in Eau Claire. A local downtown park hosted the fourth ChalkFest, an annual festival-meets-competition for local artists. Each participant is allotted a section of the twisty, woven sidewalks in gorgeous Wilson Park. The viewing starts in the late morning around eleven and last all day, into the summer evening. Although rainy in the morning, it cleared up and proved to be a beautiful evening for strolling down to the park to enjoy art, music, and summer lovin'. The winning piece for adults was the amazing lion (pictured below) and the youth competition winner (top photo) is a family member! Holla! I'm so proud to live in a community that celebrates creativity in so many ways!

These great creations made me think back to childhood when my masterpiece was dusty, and I, covered in chalk dust, was so sad when it was washed away by midnight rains. But there was nothing better than creating something just as new and special the very next day.

I hope your summer was a fantastically summery one, filled with color, sunshine, and maybe some chalk!






Wednesday, June 27, 2012

{Splurge or Save}...Color Block Blouse

As you probably know by now, I'm one of color blacking's biggest fans. I love taking big chunks of bright hues and throwing them together. Wow, for a minute there, it sounded like I was cooking. Anyway, one of my staples in my closet is a casual blouse. If you throw it on with jeans, you look instantly put together. On the plus side, I find button downs to be really comfortable. It may surprise you, but they seriously never go out of style. 

If you feel like splurging, this color block blouse by Equipment is fabulous. I love the persimmon color and the daring mix of navy and black. However, when the budget is tight, you want to save a few (or a lot) of pennies. I find this Ellison tunic color block blouse to be just as chic. I especially love the breezy feel of the tunic with it's loose shape, rolled sleeves, henley style neckline. 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

{On the Same Wavelength}...Contrasting Colors

Something I've always been attracted to is contrasting colors. I am so fascinated by the way colors cooperate. The color wheel is so much fun to play with. The the experimenting available is endless! A never fail standby is the classic blue and orange combo. (Green and red can look pretty christmasy, and purple and yellow looks like your a MN Vikings football fan.) Blue & orange can be worn any season and adds dimension to your wardrobe or table setting! Next time you throw a dinner party, throw out the standard black dress and china. Go crazy! Use these plates and entertain in this dress. I promise you'll be a colorful knockout!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

{Splurge or Save}...Neon Sandals

Neon has been everywhere this season. I've talked about it a ton, because I'm obsessed! I can't get enough of it. It's fun, bold and simple. I asked for your thoughts on vacation kicks, and neon sandals might now be in the running. I adore these rad flats by Loeffler Randall. Nude, black and fluorescent make them versatile. Dress them up or down, you'll be bright & fantastic. If you don't feel like spending the big bucks, check out these amazing sandals by Aldo. They still have an ankle strap so they don't slip off. Instead of black and tan, the white makes them look clean & fresh! Either way, you'll be on trend and comfortable in these neon sandals! My new favorite summer item!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

{On the Same Wavelength}... Geometric Pink + Gray

Who says your outfit can't match your handbag? Now I'm all for mixing and matching! But... Sometimes, we all need some good ol' fashion coordination in our lives.  What I love about this look is that it has the same great papaya pink with beige and slate in a bold geometric design in both the dress and tote. However, they are so different and complementary because the dress is a pretty busy whimsical pattern of circles and the tote is very minimalistic with a single bright stripe for accenting. The tailoring of the dress makes it appropriate for work, brunch or a graduation party. The tote is roomy enough to hold all your transitional essentials like flats and lipstick. Whatever your schedule dictates, this summery geometric ensemble is perfect. 


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Experiment with Vince Camuto

All the jewelry from Vince Camuto is sleek, elegant and unique. What's great is the diversity of al the pieces. But they still look great together no matter what. Try a tortoise shell cuff with a neon yellow color block ring. How about an orange cuff, a purple cuff and them natural earrings? So great and versatile!

Bracelets: Red / Orange / Orchid / Lime + Khaki / Tortoise

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

{Splurge or Save}...Rosy Cheeks

One of my beauty favorites is blush. First of all, I just really love the color of blush and beige. So it makes sense that I love a beautiful rosy cheek on smooth porcelain skin. Blush makes you look like you just came in from the cold after ice skating, or got slightly burned just on your cheeks after a day in the garden. It's girly and natural looking. NARS blush is fantastic. They have great colors. This color has been voted as best blush! However, I'm young and totally skint. (Isn't that fun?! It's a good ol' british word for broke. It makes me feel less poor. :) I really love e.l.f for a beautiful, poppy blush. It's cheap and you can find it in every drugstore on the street corner! Splurge on NARS for when you're feeling decadent. Save on e.l.f when you're late for a date and you swing by CVS for mints. Only 3 buckaroos and you can keep it in your purse! Also, have you ever tried a blush color stick? This one is only a dollar! I might try it out.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Color Blocking I've Been Loving

I'm a big time fan of pretty pinks and lovely blushes. They're so ethereal and feminine. I feel so dainty when I wear typical "girl" colors. Color blocking has been everywhere. I sometimes like the look of a fairly chromatic color blocking look. For example, wearing mostly pinks, blushes, creams. Then, I add a bold, perhaps neon for this season, color. Can teal be neon? Who knows, who cares? This is one of my favorite color combinations paired in a really perfect way. 

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Tom Binns

I am in love with these amazing necklaces by Tom Binns. Beautiful, eye catching design! All of these would certainly be the perfect accessory. They could pump up any outfit. Who says bold jewelry has limited use? Tom Binns proves that you can have elegant, edgy, unique jewelry for every occasion. Love it!



Check out his website here!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Font Frenzy

I love fonts! Who doesn't? I'll admit, I'm getting a little sick of Times New Roman... So many papers in MLA format! But let's just enjoy the prettiness we have right here. 

Oh! And by the way...check out this font shop!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Color Me Happy

As you may know, this past weekend I did a little shopping with Abby and Alex, who was visiting. I was overjoyed by how many bright, beautiful colors filled the stores. I just had to pick up these little flowers (similar style here) for your hair. I'm in-between hair cuts right now, so as my bangs and loose ends grow out, they are the perfect glorified bobby pins. I also found these amazing necklaces at Gap. They have even more in some great colors (I may have to get them) but I stuck with the pinky peach & orange colors I've been loving recently. Of course, all my accessories were so bright I needed some sunglasses! To top it off, I picked up a great water color stripe tee with rivet detailing on the pocket. I adore this aqua because it looks good on everybody! Seriously. Find a person who doesn't look good in an ocean cerulean. I've officially begun the spring-summer wardrobe overhaul.

 

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Black, White & Red All Over

How fantastic is this deck of cards wallpaper? I wouldn't call myself a gambler, but I am tempted to use this paper on a feature wall...It's bold both chromatically and graphically. I love that is has so many hearts hidden in it and the curves against the harsh points. Black and red sometimes have this connotation of being "bad" and hard core. This is probably because every villain in every story wears only black and red. I think we should change that. Create a wardrobe and home that is stunning with these killer colors and feel bad in a really good way. 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Controlled Color

I'm organized. I like everything to be in a special place. If my desk is ultra messy, I simply can not work, brainstorm or be the tiniest bit productive. I just stare at the heap of "stuff" and must organize it immediately. However, I'm not picky about this organization. I love color and a little chaos. Nothing beats it! Think how exciting it is walking into a store and every color shirt imaginable is there. When you go into a museum and you are suddenly hit with indescribable colors, some you've never seen. The great thing about both scenarios is they aren't necessarily "coordinated" or displayed rainbow style. 

I just love seeing walls of color. Heck, I like boxes of color. That's why I love closets, books, floral shops and anywhere color might be organized in a cool, unexpected, and sometimes unintentional way. When colors are lined up in a clean linear fashion, there is something so pleasing and satisfying about that. There is a mixture of control, chaos and lovely color! Here are some linear color displays I've seen recently. 



Friday, March 16, 2012

Little Love...DVF + Gap Kids

"Imagine a garden in black and white...how sad that would be. This collection is all about celebrating life and color." 
The queen of timeless fashion, Diane von Furstenberg, has teamed up with Gap Kids. Gap is one of my favorite clothing stores, especially for whimsical, fun, affordable children's clothing. Diane works with fabulously funky patterns and bold colors to create a children's line of which I'm totally envious! Looks like the little tykes I know will be getting lots of clothing love from me....I applaud Gap and the lovely DVF for this fantastic partnership. I hope to see more exciting collaboration in the future! Bravo and three cheers for super cute kids!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

{Recently Seen}...Rose Quartz

This feminine, ethereal color seems to be cropping up everywhere with the sunny weather & intermittent rainfalls. Needless to say, rose quartz is no longer just a stone these days, but rather a color trend that is dominating the spring fashion scene. Elegant & understated, this pinky hue can be worn as a neutral as well. With so many options, why wouldn't you add this fresh color to the garden of other pastels in your closet this spring? 


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Handy Bag

As you may know, I'm taking a small family vacation with my large family to Florida this summer! I'm so excited and can't wait to break out my bright neon bags. The only this is...I'm a terrible packer. Always have been, always will. So it's difficult bringing all the bags I want. However, I'm looking into getting some Baggu bags! They fold into super tiny pockets and take up zero room! They look ultra cool and chic. The Baggo bags come in great bold prints, electric hues and so many designs. Not to mention, they're really affordable. Backpacks, little pouches, totes, and more! Have you ever had a Baggu bag?

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Petal Pastels

It's March already! Wowza! I've been feeling so inspired by pretty bouquets lately. Here are some springy items that definitely make you feel like a blossoming flower.

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