Wednesday 29 April 2015

Things that made me happy in April...

It's time for a little round up of April happenings and goings on.
A lot of time this month has been spent browsing holiday brochures trying to decide where to go for our sunny, summer break, hmmm decisions decisions...
Other things have included some new yummy recipes (obviously right?), the discovery of some lovely new homeware and interior shops and some fab new listens on spotify, 
including the 'Chef' soundtrack. 
If you want to get in the mood for summer, this is the album to do it. 
Definitely check out the track by Hot 8 Brass Band with a cover of Marvin Gayes' Sexual Healing, amazing!
The film was great too.


Enjoying...
browsing holiday brochures and trying to decide where to fly off to this summer

Reading...
The Lemon Grove by Helen Walsh

Listened to...
Rae Morris - Cody Chestnutt - Swingrowers - Brandon Flowers - Brooke Fraser

Feasted on...
this spiced chorizo with beans
this prosciutto wrapped cheesy chicken with wild mushroom sauce
these jersey royal, smoked cheddar and spring onion cakes
this parmesan and spinach orzo
lots of nutrition bowls
these green eggs with ham
this warm chorizo and chickpea salad
this hawaiian one pan pasta

Discovered...
this gorgeous online home/ decorative accessories shop
the Craig Charles Funk & Soul show (bit late to the party but love this!)

Loving...
the look of these, mmmm

Buying...
these baskets
this throw
these Cable and Cotton lights

Wanting...
Lots of these West Elm cushions
A Hannah Cole canvas
Everything in the House Doctor SS15 collection!
a lovely succulent garden

Sharing...
new artwork by Hannah Cole from Whistlefish Galleries
New designs by Kitty McCall on instagram

Learning...
how to propagate succulents

Crushing on...
these colours

Watching...
Fast & Furious 6
House of Cards (ooooooh season 2...)
Maleficent
Chef (amazing)
Ride Along

Following...
this instagram account

Inspired by...
the artwork of Babeth Lafon

Admiring...
this beautiful cabinet full of glorious eye candy..the colours!
the beautiful artwork of inaluxe

Looking forward to...
warmer weather and breaking out the flowing skirts and dresses, woooo!
this book being released

Dreaming...
of this place, oh my...

Favourite things that happened...
An absolutely gorgeous bank holiday weekend
Long forest walks with the boys
Some surprisingly beautiful weather here in the UK, especially for the month of April

So, that was a round up of my month,
how was yours?

(the above image is copyright of louise / loveprintstudio blog)

x x x
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Monday 27 April 2015

Etsy shop find...a chat with Cori Dantini

It's time for another instalment of some etsy shop loveliness, 
and this time I've been chatting with Cori Dantini.
Cori creates lovely whimsical art and sells the prints in her etsy shop.
Subject matter includes beautiful, elegant birds, characterful intriguing girls and most recently, lions, giraffes and zebras in her nursery art.
Lets have a little looksie shall we, and get to know Cori...


1. Can you tell us a bit about you and your background... 

My story is not a traditional story... and it is a bit long.
I grew up knowing that I wanted to make art.  It was simply the only thing I was really good at...  so when I went to college, I studied art, fine art to be exact.  
I focused on oil painting with a minor in printmaking from WSU (Washington State University), in my hometown of Pullman WA.    
I thought I would grow up to be a waitress/bartender. 
I imagined that I would paint all day and serve food all night, but commercial art sort of crept into my life.  
I didn't seek it out, and I didn’t truly understand it, but one day I woke up and realized I had become an illustrator.
It began when a liquor rep came into the bar where I was working in Seattle.  
He said he heard I was an artist, and asked if I would be willing to hand paint some signs for him. 
I jumped at the chance to make money doing what I loved to do, paint!  
So it began...  an illustration here, a series of illustrations there, a bathroom door, a chalkboard menu, a painted floor...  and before I knew it, I realized that I had unintentionally become an illustrator and that I didn't mind it. 
In fact, I liked the challenge of it.  
Eventually I found myself in Denver with my soon-to-be husband, and I couldn’t find a job. 
One day while cruising the want ads my husband found a job listing for a "clip art designer". 
I called up the company, went in for a meeting, and they sent me home with a big packet that asked me to draw a bottle of wine in "this" style, and a car in "that" style.  
It was a huge undertaking, but when I brought in my pile of drawings they hired me on the spot. 
Then they asked me if I owned a computer. The answer was no...  
My father kindly bought me a computer (I am forever thankful for this) and I began the process of learning all about vector based artwork.  When I began I was creating about 20 images a week, but by the end of 2 years I was designing 40 per day 
(that is a lot of drawing!). 
And then poof!, the business died off, which encouraged me to try my hand at greeting cards, and I am still designing them today.  
After the clip art cycle was over, I started putting up online portfolios, which lead to some exciting work with a local art director by the name of Gale Venosdel.  
He pushed me in ways that I had never been pushed and he really made me grow as an artist / illustrator.  I love him for that, and I still to this day look forward to projects with him (as they are always challenging and produce the best work)!   
When my husband finished his PhD in neuroscience, we left Denver and came to an empty rental property "with great studio space" that was owned by my parents.  And that great studio space and a chance encounter with a lady at a tiny craft show in Uniontown, Wa led me to open my etsy shop... which then led to sales, which led to interviews, which led to a faith in myself that people actually liked my artwork, which led to craft shows...  and then art fairs where I had a chance encounter with my licensing agent Sheila Meehan. Now she and I are on a ride together, and who knows where we’re going!  
Hopefully to some really fun places that hold some exciting career challenges.

 2. What books/ magazines are currently on your coffee table?

My coffee table is absolutely COVERED in Legos, but my bedside table has stacks of books on it! 
I just finished reading 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie (which I totally recommend), and now I’m reading a book called 'Refuge' by Terry Tempest Williams. 
And next will be 'Elsewhere' by Richard Russo.  
This would also be a natural place to talk about the fact that I am ALWAYS listening to an audio book in the studio...  and if I am working hard I can go through as many as 2 or 3 books a week in there... it helps me get back into the studio day after day, as I can hardly wait to find out what happens next (in the book AND in my work)!


 3. Who is your design hero and what inspires you?

I must confess, I really don't have a design hero.  
I learned early on that paying too much attention to what other people were doing/making affected what I made, so I try to keep my nose down and stay as true to my authentic "making" as possible.  

4. Tell us about a typical day for you...

I pull myself out of bed at 7 a.m. to a very typical morning routine focused on getting my son Henry out the door for school.  
When he’s fed and his backpack has been zipped shut, I leash up our (very old) dog Lucy, and she and I walk with Henry to school. 
Then we walk back home so I can get to work.
On any given day I am typically in the studio from 8:30 - 3:00 working on anything from printing and shipping etsy orders to designing fabric, and creating new paintings or illustrations.    
I try very hard to finish working before Henry gets home from school so that I can do my favorite and best thing, which is to be his momma (I really do love it).  
Then it's all about homework and the evening meal as a family.  
Evenings are a bit free form, but we are all tucked into bed fairly early with our books, getting ready to face a new tomorrow.
I'd like to be able to write in this section that I practice yoga and take dance classes, perhaps that I carve out time to meditate and spend time with friends. 
But truthfully a typical day is very much about "getting it all done" and trying to fit happiness into the cracks of the day.
Did I mention that my husband Liam works from home as well?  
He is a nice little part of my day too, and we often meet at the coffee pot or share lunch.

5. Can you give us an insight into your creative process?  

When I have a new job in front of me, the very first thing I tend to do is thoroughly clean my work space. 
The studio is often totally out of control after I am finished with a project, and this act of tidying seems to help me get excited for the next challenge.  
As I clean I handle all the bits and bobs and it sort of fills up my creative well, and by the time it is cleaned up I am ready to begin.

 6. Complete the following sentence...

'My happy place is......... on a pebble beach looking through all the tiny rocks in search of a perfectly round rock with Liam and Henry nearby. 
It makes me smile to think on it.


 7. What art do you have on your wall?   

Ooh I love my art! 
If you were to look around my home you would see work by Amanda Blake, Jenny Mendes, Stepanka, Diane Sudyka, Ouida Toucshon, Calef Brown, and Michael Corney. 
I have a soft spot in my heart for old carved wooden "things", like old touristy totem poles, hand carved wooden bowls and angels (all found thrifting). 
And lately I have fallen in love with Scandinavian folk art, and have been lucky enough to find a large Dala horse and a funky Swedish doll. 


 8. What's your guilty pleasure?  

Thrifting. 
It takes time, and I don't have a lot of "free time".  
Basically, I feel like I am playing hooky when I do it!


 9. Do you read any blogs? 
If so, what are your top three?

I'm a huge Pinterest fan, but that isn't a blog. 
BUT it takes me to all kinds of places (some of which are blogs)!!!  
I seem to end up on interior design blogs the most, but that could be because I am obsessed with kitchen design right now. 
We’re planning a remodel and hopefully that will be happening this summer.   


 10. What’s your favourite item for sale in your etsy shop, 
and whats the most popular item with buyers?

I think my most favorite piece is a personal piece called ‘We are at the curve that never ends’ (see below). 
It was created in honor of a great little story that once upon a time happened to me. 
I was at the park (up on the top of a little hill) in tall, tall grass.  
I was lying there, sun on my face, birds chirping, clouds floating by.  
The grass was tall (maybe a foot deep) and the hill… the hill had a little path that went all the way around it.  
So I am all blissed out and laying there minding my own business when this little person starts in on a sing-songy tidbit. “Look mom” he says, “we are at the curve that never ends, we are at the curve that never ends, we are at the curve that never ends”. 
It went on and on. 
Around he went on the curvy bend (ALL the way around) saying it over and over, rhythmically.  
Repeat, repeat, ‘we are at the curve that never ends’.  
And aren’t we all?  
We truly are always at the curve that never ends. 
It was such a perfect little piece of truth (out of the mouth of babes).
The most popular item for years were the owls (hands down), but now I am noticing that people buy a fairly even representation of everything.


A big thanks to Cori for such a wonderful interview!

You can follow Cori here...

x x x
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Friday 24 April 2015

Colour crush...

Well, there goes another week folks, they're flying by aren't they!
So, as it's a happy Friday kinda day, heres a colour crush post...


1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

(clockwise from top left)

x x x

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Wednesday 22 April 2015

Nutrition bowls...

I've been pinning a lot of these yummy looking nutrition bowls lately.
Essentially a fancy a salad I suppose, but the idea of them having all this super duper good for you nourishment all in one bowl, love it!

The basic idea is that you start with a green base; lettuce, spinach, kale, etc... and then fill the bowl with a mixture of veggies; cucumber, broccoli, carrots, beetroot, cabbage...
fruit; blueberries, apple, mango...
protein; eggs, fish, chickpeas...
healthy fats; avocado, nuts... 
complex carbohydrates; brown rice, sweet potato...
and then some sort of dressing like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and some seeds or nuts, maybe a bit of cheeky feta, etc...mmm...
So you're getting all those healthy food groups required in one sitting,
talk about a balanced meal right?

These bowls literally take minutes to prepare and are really filling so keep you feeling full for longer, right the way through the afternoon and that 3pm chocolate habit.
There's just something far more appealing about a fancy pants 'nutrition bowl' than a plain old boring salad surely.
Here are a few recipes I've stumbled across recently that I'll be sure to try...












 Roasted nourish bowl with lemon tahini dressing from A couple cooks




Californian chicken, veggie, avocado and rice bowls from Half Baked Harvest


 Kale salad bowls from I will not eat oysters


Super vegan bowl with parsley cashew pesto from Scaling back

The bowls I've been having recently consist of spinach and rocket as a base, sweet potato, grated carrot, tomatoes, cucumber, boiled egg, ham, beetroot and feta cheese finished off with a sprinkling of chia seeds and sesame seeds and a drizzle of light french vinaigrette dressing, yummy.
There are so many variations to try, enjoy experimenting!

And here are some useful tips and tricks for building your nutrition bowl found on www.movenourishbelieve.com
and here on www.nutritionstripped.com

x x x
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Monday 20 April 2015

House Doctor...

One of my all time super faves for housey bits and bobs has got to be the beautiful scandinavic brand, House Doctor.
I had a look at their recent catalogue and there are soooo many gorgeous things!
Want
Them
All
Thank goodness there are UK stockists right?
I recently bought some of their graphic baskets and a lovely little set of three vases but there are so many more things going on the wish list... pin pin pin!

Take a look at the Spring/Summer 15 brochure here 
And here are a few of my favourite pages from it...











 (all above images from www.housedoctor.dk)

x x x








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Friday 17 April 2015

Instagram...

A few little snippets from the first months of 2015 over on instagram.
Lots of new reads, gorgeous flowers, cable and cotton lights were finally purchased after agonising over colour choice, happy painting days and a succulent obsession begins
You can follow me here...


x x x

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Wednesday 15 April 2015

Succulents succulents everywhere...

I've had a little obsession building for a while now, and it's all about succulents.
They've been popping up around blog land and pinterest in beautifully styled images for some time now, so the idea of having a lovely little display of these gorgeous little succulents has been in the back of my mind.
I've only read a little about them but they seem incredibly easy to look after and need minimal care and attention, only requiring a tiny amount of water every month or so. 
As long as they have plenty of sun to soak up, they're happy little things. 
There are so many varieties of succulents in beautiful colours...no wonder they appeal to the less green fingered among us (the boy has the green fingers in our household)
Here are a few I'm loving...




















 And here are some articles you may find helpful for caring, growing and general maintenance of your succulent garden;

The obsession continues...

x x x

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Monday 13 April 2015

Colour crush...

I thought I'd start the week off with a colour crush post.
A nice bright, fun, colourful selection of images, yum.
Have a good week!


1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

(clockwise from top left)

x x x 

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Friday 10 April 2015

Something for the weekend...four ways with eggs

Having had our fill of the chocolate egg variety last weekend, why not fill your lazy Sunday with one of these yummy egg recipes this weekend?
Eggs in a spud, who knew?
And I'm loving the look of that asparagus eggy toast, mmm
Give one a go, enjoy!


Bacon and scrambled egg grilled cheese sandwich here
Cottage cheese eggs and pesto veggie scramble here
Scrambled egg and roasted asparagus toasts here 
Eggy spuds here

x x x

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Wednesday 8 April 2015

This & That...

This beautiful selection of tester paints
That beautiful selection of coloured telephones


x x x

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Monday 6 April 2015

Beautiful Bath...

We recently had a little drive to Bath, and beautiful it is too.
It's been a while since we were last there so it was nice to go back and have a day out meandering around the the little side streets, looking up in awe at the stunning architecture of the Cathedral and having a browse in a few shops.
It was such a lovely day, glorious blue sky and pretty warm for March too.
We took the fluffy one and he enjoyed exploring around outside the Abbey 
and meeting other fluffy ones.
The Cathedral is so beautiful, covered head to toe with ornate details. 
I couldn't resist taking a few pics...







 (all above images are copyright of louise/ loveprintstudio blog)

x x x
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