it’s saturday again…
and i am enjoying a slow, grey day, a healthy dose of beautifully candid music from my swedish lover jens lekman, and soaking up inspiration from the art i’ve been collecting on my tumblr this week…
photo credits :: one. two. three. four. five. six. seven. eight. nine. ten. eleven. twelve.
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how’s your weekend so far, darlings?
xo Alison
tasting :: delightfully comforting chicken and gnocchi soup + sinfully delicious baileys creamer in my coffee
feeling :: physical relief in my belly and limbs
hearing :: the lyrics to regina spektor’s on the radio rotating their way through my head over and over again
smelling :: fresh air during this momentarily tolerable weather
seeing :: psychology terms in dark green + neon pink lettering on the back of countless note cards
and, for good measure, my sixth sense, capturing ::
by the way…
my mother had a hematologist-oncology appointment today and it went really well. while the effects of the disease are still increasing in a real + rapid way, it looks like she will not need to start chemotherapy this fall like the doctors discussed earlier this month.
*big sigh of relief*
it is still extremely likely that treatment will be needed within a year, but a year isn’t right now, and we’re very happy.
thank you all so much for your continued support + i hope you all have a marvelous weekend!
xo Alison
*five sense friday is via the spectacular abby
today i am in love with
:: the perfectly sunny + breezy 76 degree weather
:: a william powell marathon on TCM
:: sending letters through the actual mail
:: being inspired by my latest creative crush, the spectacularly talented
leah duncan
who was lovely enough to answer a few questions about her beautiful work…
Alison ::
what’s your “dust jacket bio”— tell me about yourself!
Leah ::
I am a twenty-something illustrator, textile, and stationery designer. I’m a native of South Carolina, born in your typical small southern town. I got a bachelor of science in commercial printing in college simply because I love the way printing smells. : ) After college I worked as a graphic designer and then moved on to work for a screen-printing company. My husband and I packed up and moved to Austin two years ago which is when I ventured out on my own and into the art world. I draw, create textiles, and sew from my home studio. I love cilantro, vintage yellow, cowboy boots, and have a southern accent.
Alison ::
what’s your “creative biography”—what first drew you to illustration & textiles?
Leah ::
I was certainly born with a creative mind. I was always good with color and space. I’ve never been able to stop myself from daydreaming. However, prior to working in screen-printing I hated drawing. Since it’s such an illustration-based industry I had to teach myself. My art director told me to draw for 20 minutes a day and I did. It started out bad, it stayed bad for a while. Eventually it got better. As for textiles, working in screen-printing naturally peaked my interest in them as well.
Alison ::
how much of your artwork is planned vs. spontaneous?
Leah ::
It’s mostly spontaneous. It’s probably 99% spontaneous. I feel strongly that my creative process is best approached as a journey rather than a blueprint.
Alison ::
how do you infuse other mediums of art into your everyday life?
Leah ::
I love experimenting with different mediums. I love the idea of my work being on useable goods and have always felt that artwork can bring meaning to objects and visa versa. Now that I’ve continued my exploration of my work into textiles I’ve been dreaming of throwing pots. All forms of art and design are intertwined in some way or another and I feel like my work will always be better for it, and for exploring art in different forms, whether it be in my everyday life or in my own work.
Alison ::
what’s been inspiring you lately?
Leah ::
Lately I’ve been very inspired by animal relationships and humanizing them in my drawings. I’ve been exploring nature more often and the tension between the natural and the manmade. Other than these specific topics, I’m inspired by everything around me. Color, space, relationships, nature, trips to the grocery store, a walk in the park, dinner with friends – they all play a role in my inspiration.
this is where you can find leah duncan’s
website // shop // blog // twitter
thank you very much leah!
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hope you are all having a splendid thursday!
xo Alison
it’s official…
i’m done with summer.
the awful humidity. the lack of hockey. my general lugubriousness. yeah, there’s the simplicity of flip.flops, the deliciousness of fresh fruit, and the whimsy of fireflies, but i’ve had my fill. i’m a bit tired of wretched allergies, and ready for apple spice lattes. i’d totally be okay with trading in sunblock for sweaters. my summer course has been eating up my time + draining any available brain space, so needless to say i’m ready for both autumn and a good dose of midweek felicity, in the form of…
these photos
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these words + music
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these things
:: receiving the sugar doll award from marta at my simple life, and a blog of substance award from heather at a measure of…. thanks so very much, ladies!
:: finding relief from the insane amount of studying + work i’m having to do for my summer class with help from m&ms, the shins, con queso dip, and copious amounts of henry’s blend coffee
:: sid + mario christening the ice at our new stadium [is it october yet? i'm DYING here!!]
:: sitting in a coffee shop writing a letter to my awesome new pen pal
:: my new favorite late night snack~
step one) toast strawberry pop tarts
step two) stick semi-sweet chocolate chips into the surface of the pop tarts, pointy side down, while still hot
step three) enjoy the melted chocolate + delicious strawberry goodness!
:: baggu’s new super rad celestial backpacks [via a cup of jo]
:: rediscovering michelle featherstone’s song stay, and falling in love with it all over again
:: winning this incredibly gorgeous print from the soho’s lovely giveaway
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this loveliness
one. mussel shell necklace // twigs and heather
two. ship in a bottle tee // flytrap
three. micro tile, lily // element clay studio
four. sailor tote bag // bayanhippo
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so…would you like it if summer was over already? or would you like it if summer went on and on?
xo Alison
the second half of my weekend…
…included tolerable weather for the first time weeks, sno-caps + twizzlers while seeing inception [again], the cleverness + whimsy of andrew bird on heavy rotation, mango margaritas, and a spontaneous stroll through an incredibly beautiful cemetery.
here are my photos from sunday…
how was your day, my dears?
xo Alison
