Thoughts are Stars

Inspired by the quote from John Green, I painted this piece of art several weeks ago on a day when I was feeling particularly scatter-brained. Lately I have been feeling inspired by starry nights and the moon.

There's just this overwhelming urge I get sometimes to paint an image I get in my head. Does anyone else get that?

I am extremely strong-willed. once an Idea gets into my head, theres only a very small chance of stopping me. For example, although I've never {successfully} sewn an article of clothing, around Easter, I got this idea into my head that I needed to sew myself a new dress. So I went all out. Not only did I sew my vintage-styled dress, but I also designed it. In fact, I was finally able to apply the calculus class I took to real life! But that's for another day. . . .

Whats inspiring you these days?

<3 Danielle

Lyric Art

Have you seen this floating around Pinterest? Well it just so happens that it was created by yours truly last year. If you look on the far right towards the bottom, you'll notice my signature hidden within the floral crowd. 

The quote is from a Mumford and Sons song, and I think it is really an important snippet of wisdom to keep in mind as I invest time in my passions. 

Please do not make prints without permission.

<3 Danielle

How to Maximize Your Wardrobe

Hey there!
Today I am going to show you all how to make the most out of your wardrobe. The key is to have a variety of both tops and bottoms, in divergent styles and colors (this trick works best when each shirt matches each pair of pants).

See above? There may only be 12 articles of clothing shown, but there's 36 potential outfits. For example:
a/g,  a/h,  a/i....  b/g,  b/h, b/i... and so on and so forth.

But, the important thing to see is that say, you only have three pairs of pants. By eliminating only three articles, you cut your outfit potential in half (it's 18 now)!

So, if you do the math, if someone has 20 shirts and 20 pairs of pants (or skirts!), they have 400 potential outfits! That means they could wear a different outfit each day of the year, and well into the next year as well!

Although this is great, and I totally understand owning a ton of clothes (guilty!), remember there are people in the world who don't even have any clothes to wear. If you have extra clothes you don't wear often, clothes that don't fit you, or clothes you don't need, consider donating them to a charity that can distribute them to those in need. You'd be surprise at how a simple shirt or pair of pants can change someone's life!

~ Danielle

Stylish: Colorful Pants and Shorts

Lately I've been digging colorful shorts and capris and jeans. Such as these in beach glass

These also are quite fine in gray cobblestone and egret. Yeah, I do a lot of {window} shopping at Kohls.....

I think these Levis are adorable in geranium red!

So there you have it, a glimpse of my wishlist that will probably never come true... oh well; life will go on!

What styles are you into?

~~{~@  Danielle

Inspiration: Disney Mania

It took me 8 solid hours to complete this drawing. I've always been a huge Disney fan, but qho isn't, right? My biggest inspriation is the thing I love, so this pencil sketch came to be one Saturday afternoon.

What do you love, and how does it inspire your life?

~~{~@  Danielle

Inspiration: Sunsets

As a freelance artist, it is crucial to be continually inspired. Without inspiration, there is less creativity, and thus my output is lower quality.
One thing that always inspires me is sunsets. I love how they can display so many vibrant colors all at once, almost like a giant rainbow!

I painted this a while ago. I am sort of mortified by it now, but still love the colors.

What inspires you?
~~{~@ Danielle

Blog Spotlight: A Beautiful Mess

I've been following A Beautiful Mess for almost a year now, and I have to say I am still thoroughly impressed with the work that the ABM team does. Everyday they crank out multiple posts involving DIYs, recipes, blogging/small business advice, photography tips, decorating ideas, and so on. As a (beginner) blogger, I know it isn't easy to write daily posts, so I can't even imagine more than one post a day. And what they publish is quality stuff accompanied by gorgeous photos, it's not like they just churn out a bunch of junk.

In fact, A Beautiful Mess is what inapired me to start this blog. Their work inspires me daily and has majorly helped me to think outside the box. Check out their website at the link above and comment below on your favorite post!
 ~~{~@ Danielle