I love sketchbooks.

My Art House Co-op sketchbook finally came in the mail yesterday! A blank sketchbook can be a little bit intimidating to start (especially when you know yours is going to go on tour around the world), but I'm super excited to dive in! To discover more details about this AWESOME project, go here. To view participating sketchbooks digitally archived in the Brooklyn Art Library, go here. Here's a picture of what came in my envelope from Art-House Co-op ;)

As I start filling up the pages, I will try my best to document my entries and share them with you before I mail it back. The theme I chose was "The First Ever...". Let's see what I come up with. I've been wanting to do this for a while, so I'm extremely giddy, at the moment, to get things started! Let the sketches begin.

Scarves from We Are Owls

These two below are, some of my faves, from their latest Fall/Winter Collection.

{all images source}

I absolutely LOVE scarf weather! I'm so glad we still have tons of it left. Don't these scarves have the coolest designs? There's plenty more eye candy where these came from. Check them out here at the We Are Owls website. You can most likely purchase them near your hometown, too. To see if they retail in your local area, click here. These concepts make me want to make one of my own! But then again, what am I NOT inspired by?...

My favorite Anti-Color Palette

Lately, I've been loving all things black and white. This combo never gets old. You can't go wrong with it! Must be the contrast and yin/yang balance. Plus it goes with EVERYTHING.

A.  Chevron Design using white, gold and black nail polish (via sugarcoatednails.tumblr.com/)

B.  Black and White Chevron Necklace using upcycled furniture fabric (via thewhirlwind.esty.com) 

C.  Don't Waste Your Youth Growing Up Outfit (via Willabelle on Lookbook.nu)

D.  D.I.Y. Hand-Painted Mug using Pebeo Porcelaine 150 outliner (via the Whit & Whistle blog 

E.  Hand-Printed "Beetlejuice" Necklace (via thiefandbandit.etsy.com)

Finally! A new album just released from one of my favorite artists, Florence and the Machine. Her musicality hasn't really changed much from her first album. Which I am TOTALLY fine with. Click here to preview and buy on iTunes. I recommend the deluxe version because there are more songs on it. Again, this will definitely be on my birth playlist. So ethereal.

Happy Halloweenie!

I love prepping for Halloween. Especially the pumpkin carving and costume making! My hubby was sweet enough to get me a pumpkin to carve! He even found a "weirdly shaped" pumpkin because he "knew that's what kind I like." Haha! Thanks hubs! I couldn't decide whether to paint or carve it, so...I did both. Ellie pointed to it and said...."Oooo scaaawie punkin"!

I also enjoy the decorating, baking, crafting and goody bag making, during this time of year. But since we have been so busy prepping for the twins arrival, it's been a nut house around here and I didn't have any time! I didn't get to dress up this year :(... but at least I got to make Ellie's costume with the help of my mother!!! She was the squid from her favorite book (of course), "I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean".

 

It was her first trick-or-treating experience! My husband and my mother-in-law took her around the block in the wagon! She LOVED it. Waving and saying "Happy Halloween" to everyone :) As soon as they came back, she didn't want to go inside...so she helped my mom give out the last of our candies.

 

Hope your Halloween was great! I know we had a blast! Til next year... by then I'll have to think of three little costumes to make! Hooray! I'll leave you with this image a "stuffed dummy" spooking the kiddos from our porch! Or wait...is that my dad!? Ooooo...