Illustration Friday...Refresh!

What better way to refresh in this Texas summer heat than with a glass of ice cold Lemonade? Especially when it's in a mason jar :) Might have to enjoy this yummy beverage after work today! 

Just colorized this doodle recently and it works for the Illustration Friday topic this week "Refresh" pretty well, so I thought I'd share it.

If you haven't heard of the Illustration Friday site, you should definitely check it out for some beautiful design and artwork. Each Friday a new topic is given for everyone to illustrate and share their works.  I find it very inspiring and fun :)

Have a Happy Weekend lovely friends!

xoxo

Color Love: Red

Over on Instagram there is a lot of color love going on. We are all posting our favourite pics in a certain color theme. It's really fun to do and look at, so I thought I would start sharing it with you guys! The theme this time is Red of course :) If you are on Instagram my username is @ellolovey.

I'd enjoy seeing your color love pics too, so share your username and join in if you wish!

Top Left to Bottom Right

- Some lovely vintage books I found antique shopping

- A gorgeous VW Van I spotted in Denton, TX

- Red Velvet cupcake- care of Bonnie Ruth's :)

- My grandpa's address book from the army

P.S. Just wanted to let you know I'll be rounding out my Doodle-A-Day Challenge 

this weekend, so look out for a giveaway early next week!

xoxo, Rhi

Strawberry Picking

Now that summer is officially here I'm seeing fresh berries in all the local markets and dreaming up yummy recipes I can create. I've always wanted to go on a strawberry picking date with my camera (ha!) and come home and make some jam or strawberry shortcake. Well I haven't done that yet so I thought i would go picking for strawberries a different way. So here are some strawberries I've sighted around the net...

Aren't these silk-screened strawberry napkins and dish towels beautiful? I'm quite smitten with them! These lovely handmade home goods are from Tina Produce on Etsy.

I love her attention to detail with the re-purposed berry packaging too!

This has me thinking of tea time in the English countryside. Am I right? Such a soft and lovely berry-filled photo by Andrea McClain of McClain Creations on Etsy.

Dinner plate perfect for summer by Parisian artist Nathalie Lete for Anthropologie.

I think said homemade strawberry shortcake would look scrumptious on this beauty :)

What a sweet hand-knit strawberry brooch from Sweet Bauer Knits on Etsy :)

So cute...I can't get over it! I would love to pair this with a fun summer dress.

Get your teapot ready for summer with this charming strawberry knit tea cozy Farm Fresh Baby Hats on Etsy. Oh so pretty!

I'll leave you with a doodle I just drew the other day in honor of summer. I think I'll do some cards and a print with these and put them in my shop. What do you think?

I hope you enjoyed all my picks :) If you have the chance, go on a berry picking adventure for me! Ha!

XOXO,  Rhi

A Little Birdy Told Me...

I've been wanting to add my "Little Birdy Told Me" print as cards to my shop for a while! I can check that off my list now :) Yay.  I have so many more items I'd like to add, which I will eventually, but my list of projects is a little long right now. Whew! I'm trying my best at juggling it all, but I'm no circus clown :)

These sweet little cards are great because you can send them for almost any occasion...birthdays, anniversaries, accomplishments, baby announcements and more. You can order a single card or in a set. Great to have on hand to celebrate those special moments :)

Hope you enjoy them!

XOXO, Rhianna

Here and There: My Life in Photos

It was a busy weekend my friends!

Photos 1 & 2- Fun finds at Anthropologie

3- Cute memo pads from Paper & Cloth at the Sample House

4- Got some much needed new supplies for doodling

5- Getting orders ready to ship Yay!

6- At my girl's night Color Party (I was Peach)

7 & 8 - Father's Day at Watters Creek Car Show

(I want that Model T!! Such a beauty :)

9- Cooked up Martha's recipe for homemade corn chowder

with zucchini and orzo with much success!

I have to say my weekend was a bit all over the place, but it was such a blast too! Sometimes you just have to soak it all in and not let it slip by.

What did you do to celebrate Father's Day weekend?

Happy Father's Day Weekend!

card I made for my Dad

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! I hope you have a FANTASHTIC day :) Pun intended.

The rest of you, have a wonderful day spending time with Dad!

One thing I always try to do for my family and friends is make my own cards for special occasions.

They always appreciate the handmade touch much more! It doesn't have to be fancy...remember it's the thought that counts :)

Happy Weekend friends!

XOXO, Rhi

My Etsy-versary!

It's hard to believe I listed my first item in my Etsy shop 1 year ago this Saturday! I've loved every minute of it and I'm ready for more! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting my passion this past year! Let's celebrate together! Take 20% off any purchase in my shop through the end of the weekend :) Use code MYETSYBDAY at checkout.

10 things I've learned about owning a Small Handmade Business:

1. It takes a lot of work!

2. If you love the work, it doesn't feel like work :)

3. Be patient...hard work pays off!

4. Network, network, network!

5. Don't undervalue what you make.

6. Promote yourself!

7. Find local shows that fit your brand.

8. Find Inspiration Everyday

9. Continue to hone your craft.

10. Don't be afraid to leap into a new adventure.

Now, let's eat cupcakes!

Moonrise Kingdom Illustration Round-Up

I saw Moonrise Kingdom on Saturday with my hubby and I adored it! It's strikingly unconventional and such a visual treat. I fell in love with the quirky cast, Sam being my favorite. Sam is a walking "Khaki Scout" guide book...the kind of person you'd want to have alongside you on a camping trip :) After a series of pen-pal letters to each other, Sam and Suzy decide to run away together into the wilderness. Luckily Suzy has Sam to show her the ropes, but catastrophe and adventure follow as a storm is headed their way... I won't give away too much, so I'll stop there! You will fall in love.

So, here is some Moonrise eye candy created by some very talented illustrators just to give you a taste:

 James Gilleard

Adrian Tomine

 Alizee Lafon

Ben Whitesell

  

Laura Perm Jardin

Yvette Earl

As soon as I got home Saturday evening I started creating an Etsy Treasury based on the movie and had so much fun searching for pieces that reminded me of it. Here's what I came up with...

 My Treasury

If you've seen the movie, I'd love to hear your take on it! If you haven't seen it, I think you'll enjoy this offbeat little gem :)

Make it! Bleach Painted Tee

I found this genius bleach painted shirt diy on A Beautiful Mess a couple months ago done by Jill of Lune and I knew I had to try it! I found the time and the nerve to bleach my shirt yesterday morning. Ha! It was so cool to watch the bleach react like magic to the shirt revealing my hand-lettered quote. I was so giddy to see the result, but very bummed that I had to wash it before I could wear it. :) I think it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. I think the sketching out my quote beforehand helped a lot! I now have my very own personalized tee that is truly unique! Thanks Jill for sharing your tutorial!

Take a look at the process...

 

sketching it out...practice makes perfect

 

making the chalk outline

 

the first strokes of bleach

 

done and ready to wash

modeling my fabulous new t-shirt :)

For the tutorial hop on over to the post HERE!

You should put this on your to-do list if you have time! It would be perfect for a personalized gift for a friend or even for Dad for Father's Day...next Sunday! Hmm...

So many things I could do with this project :)

Weekend Plans

I've been dying for Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom to come to theaters, and it's finally out! So if everything goes right, I will get to see it this weekend! It looks so creative and quirky. Look at those woodland creature costumes...so crafty! I saw the trailer a while back while seeing the Hunger Games, and it looked like my kind of movie, very artsy! The imagery looks amazing. The story is  about a romantic adventure between two young misfits at camp, Wes Anderson style. With roles by Bill Murray and Ed Norton, this movie looks to be funny, charming and a feast for the eyes. I hope to give a review of it next week along with some illustrations of the movie I've already found browsing around on the net!

So, what do you guys have planned for the weekend? Any big adventures?

XO, Rhianna

Lovely Phone Wallpaper

 Hello friends! I want to share with you a little goldmine of goodies! If you are getting married soon or just butt crazy in love -- you need to check out  The Wedding Chicks. This site is full of creative ideas as well as many Free Printables. It's worth the visit! One thing I wish I had seen before I got married last month were these free phone wallpaper downloads! You can customize them with you and your sweet's initials within seconds. I was pretty amazed at this! :) They are gorgeous too! I'm going to download mine right now...

Jubilee Doodles

OK, so I had a little fun yesterday coming up with my own Jubilee doodles! Like I said...just feeling that whole charming appeal of the celebration. It's so grand! 

Did anyone happen to see the festivities on tv or even in person? Would be so magical to see it I would think!

Cheers my dears!

Diamond Jubilee Illustrations

 To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee I though I would share some of my favorite Jubilee illustrations, and they just happen to be drawn by British illustrators :) I find them very fun and whimsical. I hope you enjoy them! Well I'm feeling very festive and wish I could go back to London just for the celebration! Happy Jubilee to my friends in England!

Sophie Foster

Kate Wilson

Harriet Seed of Harry Draws Pictures

 Emma Reynolds