Inspiration Nation: Printed Peaks

As I continue to think about Printed Peaks and its future I think to a fall collection. Fall reminds me of beautiful colors exploding on the mountain sides of Vermont. I have been inspired by a few items in particular that I felt necessary to share with you. 

If you've already flipped through the J.Crew July magazine you probably stumbled upon Jenna's Picks and the idea of pairing more classic looks while adding a slight edge. The looks include the classic bandana pattern, sailor stripes, denim and black fringed booties. And anything looks effortlessly cooler with spikes, of course. Eddie Borgo is now selling with J.Crew and I really love his cone spiked jewelry. A little out of my league price wise but drool worthy nonetheless. 

..find..here..

While looking through Etsy I stumbled upon the most lovely bow lo bolo tie. I really love the bolo look and lets just say that it has really inspired me for my next collection. What do you think of bolo ties? 

..find..here..

I've been wearing my yellow lace crop top a lot and I absolutely adore the color and the shapes of the lace. It's not totally typical. I would love to try to paint through some beautiful lace on wood. I also picked a fern while at a local lake and thought I could make a nice pattern by using it as a stamp on my wooden pieces.

These colors really make me think of a fall wooden horizon along with the pop of the cool blue grey adds a bit of edge. Warm and cool colors together beautifully. 

These are some aspects that have been inspiring me most lately and I'm hoping that I will be able to carry out most of my ideas with a fall collection. I would love to sell all the items within my first collection before starting my fall collection and am offering 15% off and free domestic shipping!

Thanks for stopping by and listening to my ramblings of inspiration! I appreciate that many of you continue to stop in day after day or even week after week! You make me so happy! 

-Lo

What Inspires You?: The Citybird's Nest

Hi All! Today we have the lovely CB of The Citybird's Nest. I'm so lucky to have this talented lady guest blogging here. She creates adorable art that you just want to hang in every room and the cutest jewelry that you could easily adorn yourself with every single day. I cannot wait to buy one of her necklaces that has been in my Etsy favorites for some time! Oh, and she is also a super cool biker chick...not the Harley kind but the road bike of your dreams kind! Here is CB with what inspires her:

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 wearing one of my owldorable necklaces

hi everyone! i'm cb from the citybirds nest and a big thanks to lo for having me here in her sweet corner of the blogsphere! i hope she has a great adventure with her friends while camping, one of summers best and greatest activities!

as an artist so many things inspire me. i find it in the smallest things, in the people that i meet, thrifting, blogs & magazines i read, the city i live in and adventures the mister and i go on.

color is a huge part of my life. the world is not black and white, it is a full spectrum of vivid color and color combination just bursting right in front of us. i love trying out new color combination's and expressing them through my work. life without color is a life not truly explored.

recently the mister and i went bike camping to the redwood forest of california and the bright clover greens, the yellow of the rolling hills and the light blue of the sky were truly outstanding. that color combination mixed with the textures of the smooth creek rocks and the weathered wood stirred in me something that i had been thinking about for some time. it sparked all types of fun creations that i am just waiting to develop. 

one of the greatest thing about being an artist is the constant stream of inspiration that surrounds us on a daily basis.

-- 

cristie
the citybirds nest blog / shop

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What an inspirational post! I liked when talking about color CB said, "life without color is not truly explored". This is so incredibly true. We are really drawn to color on a regular day to day basis and sometimes our moods even respond to color. I hope that all of you check out her amazing shop (and blog of course!) Here are two items from her shop that I am in love with, just thought I would share with you:

Thanks so much for stopping in! I hope you enjoyed this week of inspiration! Talk to you soon about my little adventure! :)

-Lo

What Inspires You? Oh Renee Design

Hi all! I am really loving this week of inspiration...these ladies have been creating some really inspiring inspiration! haha. Renée of ohrenée design blog is oh so sweet to guest blog today about her inspiration! Renée is just about the sweetest most warm hearted person. She loves to promote her blogger friends and brings beautiful images to life through her photography, whether it be via iphone or professional DSLR. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy all the images on her blog and I look forward to seeing these images day to day. Thank you Renée for such an amazing post about what inspires you! 
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Hello hello lovely friends of Lo and Little Somethings! My name is Renée. If you haven't stopped by to say hi before, I blog/ramble over at ohrenée design and I also run my own photography business and online shop! 

Annnnnd I am so so so honored to be guest posting for Miss Lo as she is off on vacation!

  Trying not to be jealous over here, how abouts you? :) 

Lo very sweetly asked if I would talk about what inspires me. 

And my first thought was....oh crap. Ummm. Food? Haha. I love to eat. 

I guess inspiration is one of those silly things that we sometimes aren't even aware of. I carry a little journal around with me to scribble thoughts and drawing ideas when they come to me but it took me a little while to actually figure out what those moments were caused by. What it is exactly that I'm doing when I'm inspired...ya know? 

Inspiration. That's a pretty big word. 

SO. I broke it down to the few things that consistently move me to be creative and think in new directions. It doesn't mean that twenty three gazillion other things don't inspire me on a daily basis, but these things are what do so repeatedly. 

1. Magazines

And by magazines, I don't mean the actual articles (although sometimes they do too). Mostly I mean the photography, print, colors, models, room designs, etc. And what do I do with this inspiration? I hang it on my wall. 

I also have a giant binder of outfit ideas from various clothing magazines too. But that's a post for another day:) 

2. Anthropologie

I know I know. It's expensive. And I honestly only own a handful of things from there. BUT, every time I walk into that store I'm inspired. The colors, displays, patterning. It's the kind of visual stimulation that really speaks to me. And that goes for their catalogs too. They often end up on the inspiration wall. 

3. Vintage Patterning

Any type of retro vintage patterning really slays me. I swoon like some girls do in a jewelry store. I'm quietly stockpiling my vintage wardrobe as I find more and more fun pieces when thrifting and on Etsy. But I also am a sucker for vintage patterned sheets, pillow cases and tablecloths. They all make me want jump in giddy circles when I find them. 

And then their colors, patterns and florals make their way into my home decor, styling and art. I often find myself most attracted to prints and colors that reflect these vintage looks. Which is why I like to surround myself with these things....make sense?! :) 

Gahhhh. I for real just typed in "vintage fabric" on Pinterest and this is what I got. Oh I want!!! 

4. A Day with my Camera

Sometimes, when I'm feeling a little less than inspired or motivated to be creative....I take a walk with my camera. For some reason, behind that little square viewfinder, I find my inspiration again. Even if I'm only taking photos of cracks in the pavement. And if a walk with my camera isn't in the cards, I peruse some of my favorite creative photography online. I guess I'm a photographer at heart! 

All of this helps to inspire my photography and a few of the items I sell in my shop, Little Sparrow Somethings. I am a bit of an eclectic artist and am still working on making this space what I want it to be. I have a new line of illustrated prints ready for the fall and am compiling a collection of my still life photography for sale as well. It all just takes time. But you can be sure that you'll see bits of these inspirations throughout my work! 

Two important things I learned while writing this post. 

I am visually inspired more often than through any other way. And I like colors. Go figure:) 

Finding your style of creativity isn't always easy, especially with the overwhelming group of amazing artists out here in blogland! But, if you stick with what you are good at and realize what consistently inspires and encourages you to create I really feel like you'll be more true to yourself as an artist. At least in my humble little opinion. :) 

Thanks again Lo for letting me ramble on and on over here!!! You are the sweetest!!

loves, renée

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I just think Renée is great, don't you!? I love Renée's ideas about finding your own style of creativity. I agree in her thinking that it is really important to stick to what you are good at and to enhance upon that with what inspires you. Sounds like a delicious cocktail for creative genius! I would love to share with you lovelies my favorites from Little Sparrow Somethings here:

Thanks so so much for stopping in, I hope that you visit her blog, shop and photography!

-Lo

What Inspires You?: Royal Milk Tea

Hi All! Another great guest post today coming from the lovely Lyndall over at Royal Milk Tea! She is so super amazing, sweet, and talented (check out those sketches!). I totally love the post she put together for us and I hope that you all walk away with a bit more inspiration, I know I have! Thanks so much to Lyndall for visiting with us today, it is a great honor! :) Enjoy and go check out her great blog! -Lo
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Hi everyone! I'm Lyndall and I blog over at Royal Milk Tea.



I am constantly finding and collecting inspiration from everywhere in my life, so I am really happy to be sharing some of my main sources of inspiration with you ♥



Books, magazines, and lovely films
I love to read, and I always feel inspired after reading an amazing book. My favourite stories have engaging characters, a setting that is somewhere between the real world and a fantasy, a journey, a love story, and (very importantly) a beautiful cover. I also love curling up with a big cup of tea and browsing my favourite magazines.

As a librarian, I'm so lucky because I can see all the new books as they arrive in, and I can order things that I want to read! Our periodicals officer shares a similar taste in magazines to me, so our library has subscriptions to some of my favourite titles like Frankie, Peppermint, Real Living and Australian Country Style.




I used to work in a video store, so I love watching movies and going to the cinema. Watching a really beautiful, engaging film always makes me want to run off and create a something wonderful. I find Sopia Coppola's movies especially inspiring, and my favourites are The Virgin Suicides, and Marie Antoinette. They're so dreamy with such a perfect combination of lovely music and soft light. I don't think I will ever get tired of watching them.



Getting back to nature
I live in the inner-city now, but I grew up on a small rural property about an hour away from Adelaide. I love the city, but I think there will always be a part of me that feels most at home in the countryside. I love the trees, the fresh air, and the way the sky is so clear at night. One of my favourite things to do is get in our little car and go for a drive to the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden for a little picnic. Leaving the city and having a change of scenery is so relaxing, and I'm always full of new ideas once I get back home.



Keeping a Journal
I've started carring around a notebook with me everywhere, so that when I have an idea, I can write it down! I write goal lists, blogging ideas, and sketch little pictures: either just for fun, or to make into bigger, more finished artworks at a later time. Most of the drawings I share in my Sketchbook Love posts come from my pocket journal.

I've found the more goal lists and plans that I write, the more productive I am. Having a list of blogging ideas is great for times when I'm having writer's block. And it's so satisfying to check off things from a to-do list! To be honest, I wasn't much of a note-taker or journal keeper before, but growing on me ♥

And finally...
One of my biggest sources of inspiration is other bloggers! I feel like the blogging world at the moment is filled with so many amazingly motivated and talented individuals. I love how there is such a culture of support and encouragement- everyone is sharing ideas and inspiring one another to live their dreams, be positive about life, and create wonderful things!

What Inspires You?: A Lost Feather

Hi amazing bloggers! Today, I have the lovely Sarah from A Lost Feather! If you didn't happen to know, Sarah created my beautiful Etsy banner and business cards for my recently launched Etsy shop. She is such a creative soul and I am so happy she is here to tell us about what inspires her.
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Hello! I'm Sarah from A Lost Feather- a blog about art, travel and adventures. Lo asked me to keep you all company while she's away on an amazing vacation.. I'm so happy to be here!

Lo asked me to write about what inspires me. This is a topic I'm constantly asking myself since I'm an artist and I need to stay inspired. An uninspired artist is like a race car driver without a drivers license! Artist or not, we all need a bit of inspiration in our lives. Here are the places I search for mine..

1. The Great Outdoors. My boyfriend and I took this photo of ourselves in Yosemite National Park. Unfortunately, I can't go there all the time since it's on the other end of the country, but when I do get the chance to travel I try to take in as much beautiful imagery as possible. In places like Yosemite the inspiration is almost palpable.

Majestic scenes like this often inspire me to paint. In this particular case my painting (below) came before the photo..

2. The World Around Me. Having a phone with a camera is a great tool for gathering inspiration. Two of these photos were snapped while I was just out walking my dog, Boo. I'm constantly on the lookout for little pieces of beauty that could potentially go unnoticed. I love how the light is falling onto little Boo and my sister's soft expression.

3. Maps. I could stare at maps all day. I plan imaginary road trips all the time and I love making art that involves a map. When you look at a map everything seems so small and easy to get to. I like thinking of the world that way.. so much to see.. it would be easier if things were nearby. On a little map, they are!

4. Love: Matthew + Sarah= Love ... =Necklace (hehe)

My relationships with Matthew, my family and my friends are definitely a wonderful source of inspiration. Their constant support and love is forever pushing me forward in my artistic endeavors.

Of course there's also the internet.. amazing blogs, pinterest, flickr. Ah. I so love this online community. Where do you search for inspiration?



blog. shop. drawings.

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Thank you so much to Sarah for such a beautifully written post on what inspires her. I hope that you will visit her amazing blog and shop. I love that as she spoke of "the great outdoors" inspiration took over and the painting came even before the photo, what a beautiful piece of art. Speaking of inspiration...I bought a print from Sarah even before I began working with her on my Etsy stuff. I loved this print and it spoke to me as inspiration for my Printed Peaks collections:

I also thought I would share with you two items from her shop that I would love to own one day:

Thank you so much for stopping in and visiting with Sarah! 

-Lo

What Inspires You?: Steffy's Pros and Cons

Hi all! I hope you had a fantastic weekend!! Since this week I am having some incredibly talented ladies guest post on my blog, I wanted to know what inspired them. I am so eager to introduce to you my first ever guest blogger! Give it up for the lovely Steffy of Steffy's Pros and Cons...as soon as I stumbled upon her blog I knew I was in love not only with her style but her adorable vintage shop, Tea & Tulips! I cannot wait to purchase something from there once I have the money to do so! She is so so sweet for guest posting! Thanks Steffy!
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Hello cuties, my name is Steffy and I run the blog Steffy's Pros and Cons and the online vintage shop Tea and Tulips. I am here today to share a bit about what inspires me! 

-What inspires you to blog?

i blog because i like to have my life recorded to look back upon, and also because i want to inspire people to take getting dressed a little bit less seriously! it should be fun!

-What inspires what items you choose for your shop?

i am really inspired firstly by other bloggers, but for the shop i mostly am inspired by certain color schemes pertaining to the season. right now it is summer so i have been selling lots of fun pastels/ brighter colors. my favorite season is the fall, coming up, and i plan to shift more toward earthy oranges and maroons. holidays and seasons are my number one inspirations!

-What inspires what you wear on a day to day basis? (maybe you're inspired by a specific era?)

on a day to day basis, i go by what mood i am in. i am always most drawn to 50's and 60's vintage, or even just anything... the music, the pictures, the household items. i LOVE the 60's, always have, always will. but when i am getting dressed in the morning i just wear what seems like it would feel comfortable and fit my mood!

-Do you gather inspiration from music, scenery, a specific place?...

yes, definitely. mostly music and the costumes in movies. 

-What inspired you to open a vintage shop?

my best friend sara mentioned that we should sell some of our vintage finds. i started to do it a little bit and realized i really loved it. i hope one day it will be my full time job and i can constantly be traveling and shopping thrift/vintage stores on the road, hemming, updating and fixing the clothes and photographing/listing for the shop. there's post offices all over the USA and sewing machines are extremely portable... the internet opens up so many new doors!

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Thanks so much to Steffy for sharing her inspirations with us! I love that she said, "the internet opens up so many new doors". I think that is so true and if there were no internet I would never meet my lovely guest bloggers like Steffy! I decided to take my most favorite items from Steffy's shop and share with you an outfit I would put together! Not quite as inspirational as Steffy's stylings but I tried! :)

Thanks for stopping in! If you have yet to check out Steffy's blog and shop, I suggest you do! And I am over at Oh Renee Design as Blogger of the Week! So incredibly honored! I can't believe it! :)

-Lo