What's not to love?

Oh dear, oh dear. In a hunt to find some color inspiration this morning, I may have found a possible addiction to another...yet another...Danish shop. This is bad. I'm officially addicted now. Have been for years...and no hope of recovering.

House Doctor: Home decor...nothing in the children's department that I can see yet...but I am loving their color and style: the perfect mix of bright colors against white or casual naturals. My favorite. Old meets new, neutral meets fresh and virbrant. Red meets pink. Yummy.

It's funny...since art and illustration is a natural extension of myself and what interests me, it's no wonder that design of all kinds inspires what I'm thinking about. I can be thinking about book illustration and get completely inspired by the color of a suitcase. Or the feel of a quilt. Or the color in an umbrella. It all meshes together into one big pot called, "eye candy." And today, it's no surprise: a little shop in Denmark.

Enjoy!

Bumps on a quarter.

Fabric. I love it. I love designing it. I knew I would, but I didn't realize how much! It's like illustrating a book, only without words and there aren't any borders on the page. And instead of following a narrative storyline, I'm focusing on a feeling with color and design. So...ok. I guess they are totally different. But it's been so refreshing to learn the ropes. It's addicting! I just can't stop!

This design sketch didn't end up working with my spring line, but it makes me so happy. I called it "special treasures." I was thinking about when I was small, and all the things I'd pick up off the floor that somehow made me so happy to find. Little things. Little things big people forgot about, didn't need, or didn't see. But I did. And they became my special things. A fallen feather, pieces of jewlery, bobby pins (I had an obsession with those when I was 4) and safety pins. All these things had such remarkable textures and colors when you look at them up close. I remember being particularly in love with the little bumps on the side of quarters and dimes. Did you know that Pennies and nickles don't have bumpy sides? Have you ever noticed?  To my 5 year old fingers, clicking the bumpy side of a dime with fingernail made such a wonderful sound. My mom could tell you stories.

So, this is a little ditty I came up with. Maybe I'll have a chance to use it soon...but for now, it makes me happy to just reflect on the way my mind captured the world when I was 2 feet tall, and closer to the ground then big people. Reminds me to notice those little things. Like bumps on a quarter. Which really, doesn't that just brings a smile to your face thinking about it?

P.S. don't forget: 2011 Calendars are 50% off in the shop!

2011 Caldecott

It's official! The 2011 Caldecott Winner is announced!

I get so excited about this. Since I've completed my own offering to the world of children's books, I KNOW how much goes into these books. I've always been a sucker for a good picture book, and so it's no wonder that my heart literally skipped a beat when the winner was announced! I got this book when it first hit the shelves. It spoke to me immediately. I just love it! So here it is:

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Oh I am so thrilled!

For a few reasons:

First, I absolutely love her style. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Second, it's about old people and animals. I love old people. And I love animals. Especially elephants.

Third. Because it's about old people and animals, it's rather sentimental.

Fourth, this is her first (yes...gasp now) picture book she's illustrated!

'

Synopsis from School Library Journal:

Amos McGee, an elderly man who works at the zoo, finds time each day for five special friends. With empathy and understanding he gives the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl the attention they need. One morning, Amos wakes up with a bad cold and stays home in bed. His friends wait patiently and then leave the zoo to visit him. Their trip mirrors his daily bus ride to the zoo and spans three nearly wordless spreads. Amos, sitting up in bed, clasps his hands in delight when his friends arrive. The elephant plays chess with him, and the tortoise plays hide-and-seek. The penguin keeps Amos's feet warm, while the rhinoceros offers a handkerchief when Amos sneezes. They all share a pot of tea. Then the owl, knowing that Amos is afraid of the dark, reads a bedtime story as the other animals listen. They all sleep in Amos's room the rest of the night.

{images from 36 pages}

I just love this book. It's so sweet, and the illustrations so quiet and tender. My children love it too, and laugh so tenderly at the funny illustrations.

So...go out and grab it before it's medaled, or wait a month and you'll get it with a big gold sticker!

Once again, so inspired. It's such an amazing achievement...and for her first book...I just still can't get over it.

Happy week everyone!!

2011 Calendars 50% off!

Hello! 2011 is well on it's way, and I'm putting all the calendars on sale starting today! They have been $24, and now they are marked down  50% to $12. These calendars turned out so well...and make a perfect collection of some of my favorite prints from the shop! You can get them here. Enjoy!

Will I see you at Alt Design Summit?

I'm hiding up there, can you see me?

News just in: I'm speaking at ALT DESIGN SUMMIT this  month! I spoke last year, and it was an amazing experience. The first year that all design-blogging people had a chance to meet together, take classes, visit and learn from one another!

This year, I'll be speaking in a round table setting, on building online sales and licensing your designs.

What is Alt exactly? A place for all who love: design/social media/style/creative ideas all wrapped up in one. From the ALT site:

"We've created a place where design and lifestyle bloggers in all their forms— foodies, photographers, travelers, product placers, adventurers — come together, share ideas and connect with marketers. There will be discussions on how to grow your site, how to fund your site, how to keep your site above the fray."

The list of speakers is amazing. These people are real you guys...not just blogs we read every day! It's so fun to be with each other in person and glean from such amazingly creative people. You can read up on the speakers here.

You can read up on the amazing schedule here. There's be talk about:

Design & Style online

Photography for your site

The business of blogging

Marketing

Freelance

One of my favorite people will be instructing classes on Photoshop and Illustrator.

There's even a sewing class.

And not to mention really awesome food.

And really just have a chance to learn, be inspired and get ideas about how to grow those creative ideas inside that head of yours.

So...I hope I'll see you! Registration and info here.

Jan 19-22 Salt Lake City.

See you there!

Back with color.

{via Room Seven}

Hello!

Happy New Year! Merry Christmas!

It's been a good break. You? I hope you're as refreshed as I feel. It's been a bit busy over here, which I never like over the holidays: namely lots of deadlines which I hope to talk about soon! But it's been wonderful to have everyone home. I always hate to send kids back off to school!

I'm back blogging again! I've missed you all. It's good to be back.

So....I've had my hands and head full to the brim with fabric. Color. Design. Color. Design. It's invigorating. Different enough from illustration to have given me a proper dose of all things COLOR. It's been so refreshing to think of colors and how they work together to make you feel a certain way. So, since I can't post what I've come up with so far....I'll post some color inspiration that I am currently enlivened by:

{From Craft & Creativity's Flickr Page: Pip Studio Wallpaper}

Have I told you my infatuation with all things Dutch and Scandinavian? Maybe not. Since I was 16, I was a gonner with anything that had a connection to the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark...you name it. They are two technically different areas, but something about the way they celebrate color and how they push the limits against white (interesting for a territory dressed in snow so much of the year!)

So, it's no wonder that I have always loved Pip Design Studio and Room Seven: Two of my favorite places to get inspired. Both from the Netherlands.

Can you tell I like Red and Pink? Always have, always will.

It's interesting: I'm not always looking at style, but color and how it influences everything else. I always love looking at how the two elements of design work together.

I'll have to share with you more inspiration as I go. This is just a small part of what's getting my juices going lately!

Anyways, happy 2011 and can't wait to stop in more and say hi!

Ta-ta for now,

Sarah

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

I'm running out of pictures to post with my camera broken...but this one fits perfectly for today.

We are all just a bit silly over here: the children are wildly excited about Christmas, and I'm wildly trying to get ready for it!

But things are a bit more calm today. We are snowed in and trapped in a winter wonderland. I don't think it's going to stop snowing until wednesday. I don't even care that my car got stuck today trying to get to my house, and that I had to walk a quarter of a mile to get home...all with a baby in tow. It's the best feeling to walk into a cosy house when the rest of the world is perfectly wintery white!

Well, with Christmas here, I'm going to be blogging quite a bit less. I may pop in here and there, but nothing regular till the new year. But I'll have lots to post about when I get back!

Happy Christmas everyone!  I'm wishing you the best of Christmases....lots of time with your families....and lots of wonderful memories!

Love,

Sarah

**It's too late now to order before Christmas, but don't forget the 2011 Calendars we have in the shop still!

Lots of love.

This week has been awesome. Full. Busy. Crazy. Wonderful. Sentimental. Magical.

I'm realizing it's Wednesday and I've not even visited the blog to stop in and say hi! Well, I have a few good reasons.

First. The stomach flu. Have you had it yet? It started with the baby, and has been passing itself very generously up the line. Thank you, stomach flu. We've had enough, and you can go home now.

Second. Weddings. My husband's baby sister (well, not so baby at 25) is getting married this week! She's in for a gorgeous white, winter wedding. We're so happy for her and her husband-to-be is just as great. Our kids are big fans of them both, and as they live close to us, we have been so lucky to watch their friendship turn into this! Weddings are wonderful, aren't they?

Here are some engagement pics by Tara B. Photography. Aren't they a darling couple?

Third: On the wedding theme, Kenneth and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary this week too! In fact, on his sister's wedding day. I've been thinking so much about her wedding, that I've nearly forgotten the significance of our own 10 years!!! It's seriously amazing to have this:

turn to this:

and this:

I won't spend time gushing here, but I'm so lucky to be married to my very best, best friend. So, so lucky!