Butternut Squash. How I love thee. I was inspired by this recipe and I’ve only made it about 3 times in the last 3 weeks. It’s that good. Homemade apple sauce stirred in at the end has got to be the cherry on top, however the smell of fresh thyme and vegetables boiling on the stove, leaving the whole house smelling of YUM is a close second.
Sometimes, you need fresh air so you grab your sister and go for a drive out into the beautiful country. When you turn down a random road to watch the sunset and an affectionate orange cat RUNS to greet you, it kind of feels like we’re on the right path, always.
I loved doodling these little guys!
XO.
Katie
Today marks the Autumnal Equinox, when day & night are equal due to the powerful sun shining directly on the equator, and we experience transition from yang to yin.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not always excited for the long, warm days of summer to come to a close, but just as a tree loses its leaves with out resistance, we must also be fluid with the changes. Nature gets ready for a small sleep and so shall we. There is comfort in knowing that both dark and light, both yin and yang, are totally necessary.
So go outside and embrace the perfect balance of the warm, extroverted yang and the cool, introverted yin. Get excited for apple and pumpkin errythang, giving thanks, big cozy blankets, and a little extra time to do you. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
drawing: pen & ink.
I’m loving these warm, breezy days of early Fall.
Early one morning this weekend I brewed my favorite Roobois Chai tea, scented heavily with warm spices and loveliness, got out my pencils, pens and watercolors, Lorde’s Pure Heroine album, and hung out on my portch for a few hours.
I sketched and watercolored these vintage- inspired daisies, then edited them in Photoshop. It was the most relaxing day.
Lettering with chalk just got so much easier….
By using a tracing method like the following, you can eliminate the guesswork while you have chalk in hand.
1. Start with your hand drawn or printed out design
2. Cover the back of the paper heavily with chalk (not pictured)
3. Place the paper on the chalkboard and trace with a ballpoint pen.
4. Using the guidelines you created on the board, go over design with chalk.
When your best friend is a cool cat lady and getting married, a DIY is in order.
One quick trip to Joann’s for stretchy lace and embellishments and i was ready to get my craft on. Love how this came out and I think she does too.
Xo.
I am SO excited for my best friend who is getting married in just a few weeks. It’s such a special time!
Her bachelorette party is fast approaching so I created these invitations that coincided with our vintage- meets- modern theme for the party.
I used InDesign for the main invitation and hand- lettered the envelopes for the cherry on top. In this technical- age we live in, a hand- made aspect seems more memorable. I enjoyed making them.
More wedding- related DIYs to come as my BFF’s wedding draws nearer!
XO.
No one in the world needs an elephant tusk but an elephant.
Free Elephant
pens & colored pencils
Ways we can Honor Elephants:
1. Don’t buy any type of ivory, even if its an antique. As long as ivory has value, poachers will continue to kill elephants.
2. Support a worldwide ivory sales ban.
2. Spread the word about the elephant crisis. Populations are decreasing at an alarming rate.
Facts on these Beautiful, Intelligent, Endangered Species:
1. They pass the mirror test. Like human toddlers, dolphins, great apes, and magpies, they can recognize themselves.
2. They are the largest land animals on the planet and they have the longest pregnancy of 22 months.
3. An african elephant can “hear” very deep- pitched sounds with its feet. Vibrations from the ground travel up its front feet, shoulder bones, and into its middle ear.
4. Elephants protect themselves against sunburn. They pile sand on their backs as well as the backs of their young. They will also cast a shadow of protection over their young.
5. Female elephants live together in groups of about 15 and are led by a matriarch. Male elephants leave these groups around the age of 12-15 and join all- male groups.
6. Its true that small critters turn off elephants, despite their gigantic size.
****For more information: Elephants DC Blog and Smithsonian.com
****Take action in the DC area on October 4th: International March for Elephants
I had the pleasure of designing wedding invitations for my long- time friend, Hannah. Hannah was so genuinely excited about her big day and marrying her best friend.
She wore a vintage dress and flower crown. I was inspired by Hannah’s style and personality and out came this wild & free, young & alive style of lettering. Please enjoy!
katieai 