Name the Characters Challenge

Hey everyone!

As I first mentioned here, I have been working with my friend Val, creating drawings and text of a girl and her french bulldog. In order for us to move forward with our ideas, we need to give them names. I'd love your help, ideas, and thoughts on what those names should be!

For the girl do you like Cheri, Ellese, Mimi, or something else?.  For the pup Louis, Jacques, Piere, or another idea?

What do you think is the best name?

Illustrations by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

Paris Night

 

Every Friday, as a reminder of our honeymoon and the wonderful long dinners we had in Paris , we have "Paris Night". We usually make dinner at home, share a bottle of wine, watch a movie, and just enjoy being together. We won't necessarily have a Parisian meal, although sometimes we do, but the whole point of the night is that we are together.

Tonight we will be making Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana, found on Gina's Skinny Recipes blog. I make meals from this blog all the time, and so far every one has been amazing! I'm very excited to try this new recipe.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!
xo

A Picture A Day

Happy Friday everyone! I hope your weekend plans are filled with beautiful sunny weather, fun spring activities, and time with friends!

Illustrations by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

Currently Reading: A Cup of Friendship

 

I'm currently reading A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez. It is a perfect mix of real life issues facing women in Afghanistan but it also has a lighter side, showing the value of friendship, people who love and care for you, and in the case of this story, will do anything for you, even if it means risking their own safety and security.  So far, I'm loving this book. Has anyone else read this? Or Kabul Beauty School? What did you think of it?

A Picture A Day: Week One

Over the course of the week these are the images I have worked on. They have led to fun ideas for where to take them in the future and have become a lovely distraction for me. Now on to week two!

Illustrations by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

Water for Elephants article in Vogue

Whenever a really wonderful book is made into a movie, I'm always excited to watch it. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen was an amazing story and the movie was just released. I have not seen it, but I have heard the movie is great.

This month's Vogue features an article Reese Witherspoon A Day at the Circus. Based on this article and the still images from the movie, I think, in addition to an amazing story, the costumes are going to be incredible.

Images from Vogue.com Reese Witherspoon A Day at the Circus

Has anyone seen the movie yet? What did you think?

Images from imdb.com stills from Water for Elephants

A Picture A Day

Illustration by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

Fashion from the 1920's and 30's

I'm not sure if it has to do with movies I've seen lately, or from reading The Paris Wife, but I've been dreaming of beautiful dresses from the Jazz era and the early 1930's. They make me think of glamorous parties with lots of champagne, pinned curls, and silky jeweled tones. If it was socially acceptable, I think I would dress like this all the time.


What's your favorite fashion era?

Photo from Atonement

Photo from Water for Elephants

Louis Vuitton fall preview

Louis Vuitton fall preview

Photo from InStyle.com

A Picture A Day: Five

My cousin, Kelli, first mentioned here, is planning to host a tasting party to help select flavors for the Klicious Cupcakes Bakery. Over the weekend I was sketching and trying out some new Prismacolor markers (which I'm in love with) and thinking of ideas for the invitation design.

Here are a few examples of the sketches.

Illustration by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

When I got back I took the ideas and created designs similar to the girl and puppy illustrations I've shown. 

Illustration by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

Enjoy these sketches for now. I'll show you the final invitation design once complete!

A Picture A Day: Four

Happy Monday everyone, and it's a beautiful one too!

Here's a sweet little image, dreaming of warm sunny days!

Illustration by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

A Picture A Day: Three and Happy Easter!

It's finally Friday! We are off to the mountains for a nice weekend away, complete with shopping, relaxing with the family, and a few Easter gatherings. I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Happy Easter!

Illustration by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

Happy Easter Detail

Illustration by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

Fashion Obssesion: J.Crew

I have a slight J.Crew obsession, and by slight I actually mean HUGE. I just can't help myself.

This seasons new arrivals will only make the problem worse. So many flirty dresses, delicate lacy details, glamourous evening wear, and the perfect wedges for warm sunny days ahead. *sigh*

Photos from J.Crew.com

Yummy Desserts by Klicious Cupcakes

Hello there Sweets!

One of my favorite things in the world is definitely cupcakes. Truth be told I love all desserts, but there is just something so wonderfully fun and perfect about a cupcake. If you agree with me, and let's be honest who doesn't love a cupcake, you need to check out Klicious Cupcakes Bakery.

Klicious Cupcakes has a very exciting menu that quite literally makes you want to spend the afternoon nibbling on yummy treats and enjoy every delectable bite! You can check out their blog here or view the website, and spectacular menu, here! Take a look, and if you're as tempted as I am, order a couple dozen deliciously sweet treats and enjoy!.

Photo by Stephanie Ulrich Photography. Please do not copy or use with out crediting Stephanie Ulrich and linking back to Sweet Musings.

Photo by Stephanie Ulrich Photography. Please do not copy or use with out crediting Stephanie Ulrich and linking back to Sweet Musings.

The Paris Wife

I finished The Paris Wife, originally mentioned Here.

It is officially one of my favorite books. I'm almost sad that it is over. It was such a bittersweet story. It also made me want to read more about Ernest Hemingway's life. Each of the characters lives, many of whom are famous writers and artists, are complicated and sad, and yet, you can't help but enjoy the story and the characters in spite of the sadness and strangeness in their lives.

Have you read The Paris Wife? What did you think about it?

A Picture A Day: Day 2

Hello there sweets! Something happy for me; My friend Val, previously mentioned here, and I are working on a line of silly illustrations with adorable text. Talk of greeting cards, notecards, calendars, and much more is in the works. I will be creating the imagery and Val is going to create the text. The illustrations to start will focus on the same girl and puppy previously seen here. They will be going through many Parisian adventures together, and many more illustrations will follow, I am sure.

For now, enjoy this one!

After a hard day there’s nothing like curling up in your favorite chair and taking a nap!  

So how was your day?!

Illustration by Michelle B, text By Val C.

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

Val Gets Fit, Blog Praise

A friend of mine, Val, has created a blog Val Gets Fit. This blog will be, an inspiration for everyone. She is bright spirited and has a million wonderful insights to share.

She describes her blog as:

"... more or less of me, a full account of my successes and failures as I journey to make changes in my life.  Val Gets Fit is just not about becoming physically fit, which is a main goal, but also its about me really digging deep to find what the next path in my journey will be, and what I need to do to get there.  One of my favorite passages tells us…'not to compare ourselves to others for always there will be a greater or lesser person than ourselves.'  Well we all know how hard that is, because we look around and wonder why does another persons life “look” so much better than our own, forgetting that what we see is only the surface and we really don’t know the story behind the picture we see."

I'm so excited to follow her journey, and I think no matter your shape or size you will be inspired by her. 

Check out Val's blog Here!

Parisian Puppy

Last week I created the sketch of the girl on the bike with the french bulldog shown here. The sketch was created with adobe illustrator and is a fun line drawing I started. I think the two characters, the girl and the dog, have a lot of possibilities. I'm trying to decide what I want them to look like, what I want them to do, and of course what their names should be. I also want to explore the style in which they are created. Is the line drawing with blocks of color best or does a painting serve the characters better?

What do you think about the sketches below? Do you like the style of the illustration in the first post better? Do you have any name ideas for the characters?

Illustration by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

A Picture a Day

My goal, though I’m sure it will become a challenge, is to create something every day, or at least work on something creative every day. A logo, painting, website, drawing, sketch, anything art related. I want to try new things. Explore different mediums. Practice.

Illustration by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.

Rue des Bernardins

I have become completely obsessed with all things Parisian. Last month, after getting married, we went on a honeymoon to Paris. I loved the city, the sites, the architecture, the people, the fashion, and the culture. Two hour long dinners with a bottle of wine and delicious food, a crepe a day, and all the macaroons I could eat are just a few things I miss.

When we got back, I started reading The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. This book is about Ernest Hemingway’s first marriage and is absolutely amazing. The characters are interesting and complex and they draw you into their bittersweet life. And since the book is set, for the most part, in Paris, every time I open the book I feel like I am being transported back to the city and sitting in the cafes with each of the characters.

 

I am excited to see where this new inspiration and these new obsessions take me.  

Hello There!

Sweet Musings will be a source of all things that inspire. A journal of all the things that convince me that I should follow my love of art and design as well as push me toward becoming a better artist and designer. It will be a site to explore new ideas, thoughts, mediums, and I hope they can inspire you the way they inspire me.  

I graduated college a few years ago feeling very burnt out and not sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I majored in illustration, but also loved web design and graphic design. I found a job in marketing, which for the most part I do enjoy, but does not enable me to work on illustration or design as much as I would like. The long hours at work, my family, friends, dog, and planning a wedding, left me with very little time to work on my own projects.

Now that my wedding is over and planning is done, and I’m beginning to find a better balance between my work and home life, I find that creative ideas keep coming to me and it’s a wonderful feeling after a break that lasted way to long. 

Illustration by Michelle B. 

Please do not copy or use without linking back to Sweet Musings.