happy.

I love how my sweet dog looks so content in this picture. A perfect picture for a day like today.

As soon as I finish typing up this week's paper (I'm about 40% finished and my ability to concentrate is quickly dwindling...), I'm packing my new purple plaid suitcase and getting ready to leave for a weekend trip to Seattle. I'll be participating in a workshop with one of my favorite artists, Sabrina Ward Harrison.

So excited.

new york city weekend

I just returned from spending a long weekend in New York City with my husband. There is so much to see in this city! Our dear friends from college let us stay with them at their sweet little place in Brooklyn. They were amazing hosts, suggesting perfect itineraries and sending us on our way with a Not For Tourists guidebook, which ended up being an amazing resource. The guidebook helped us navigate the subway system, successfully explore different neighborhoods, and made it easy for us to find our way back to their place each night.

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.




Ate cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. ♥




Rented a rowboat in Central Park.




Viewed the city from the top of Rockefeller Center.

create a life of beauty & joy

Earlier this year, I had this realization that I was neglecting the thing I love the most: Art. It was such a huge part of my life when I was doing art shows. Art was my life. Then I started working on my master's degree, and it completely got pushed down on my priority list. There are few things in this world that make me more happy than creating something new. This past year, paint and paper have been replaced by pixels. Although I'm taking some great classes as I work on my degree in web development, computer-based design just doesn't replace the part of me that loves getting out my supplies and browsing through my paper stash and making big art messes.

Over the past month, I've started focusing on on small projects. At this point in my life, I can't manage 4 hours of my Sunday spent making things but do have are small pockets of time. This past month, I started writing in my journal again, and I've dusted off my camera. I'm traveling to Seattle in April to take part in a weekend art retreat. This is something I've always wanted to do, so to say I'm excited is a huge understatement!

I'm so glad to be welcoming art back into my life.

wine + design

Just recently, a small group of women and I started gathering for a monthly art night. We've held art night just a few times, experimenting with a different medium every month. This month, we worked with stencils- painting t-shirts, baby onesies, tote bags, fabric swatches, and even a pair of blue jeans!

We usually create while partaking in snacks, listening to inspiring music, and sharing a bottle of wine. We're all busy with school, work, and keeping up with life in general, but have discussed how absolutely refreshing it is to get together for art night.