Les Loupiots

 A friend of mine recently started a new blog, about being a Mom. She shares darling pics of her son Edgar, but also some other cute guest nursery tours, weekend ideas, recipes and fun links. I highly recommend giving it a look if you are a Mommy or Daddy too! I especially enjoyed the really touching text (birth story?) her husband wrote recently. It was extremely moving and made me weep like a baby. 

 I have worked with Sabrina before, on her save the dates, and it was true bliss to get to work with her again, this time on her blog's visual. 

Calendar : June Sketch

I don't know if you remember... But I've been sourcing all my colors for the 2013 calendar from some of my favorite instagrams. Each illustration's color palette is taken from a photo (in this case two photos, okay..) I took during that specific month, last year. 

Fresh & Cute

Fun new project going on, with a friend. 

Those are some of my favorite colors, ever. :) 

Summer Colors

Can it get warm again? Pretty please... 

This photo, and this line of knitwear. 

Hello May

Pattern Lush

I have a major crush on that new Diane Von Furstenberg collection for Gap Kids. 

The colors, the patterns... so inspiring !! 

True Colors

When all is still snowy, and most of the time slushy.. don't we just crave tulips and brighter colors!? Here's to the last stretch of winter!! 

Goodbye 2012

2012 has been really really awesome. One of my favorites for sure. 

I usually start with a picture to pick my colors for illustration, it helps me find the right ambiance. I thought I'd share this palette with you. I cannot share the image it's for yet, but will soon! 

xo

Busy Bee

Hey! I have a lot on my plate this week, and next week, so just a quick A-llo and no actual interesting  post content. (if you find anything I write of interest, that is -- If not, then why on earth are you still here, anyways? --  And I don't mean to come off that agressive... Ugh.)

I do find myself lucky that my work has picked up a bit since the end of september. I admit that the slow pace of summer was really good... But overall I'm happy for more work! :) 

Put final touches to the save the dates, got them printed and sent! They are just perfect (humble-me)... Can't wait to share! 

Had a really efficient weekend! And looking forward to a social one! Week's belly button! 

Getting super behind in laundry is just what I do lately... 

But!! Super happy I tried this DIY-skinny jeans into pencil skirt tutorial, last week. 

Mercredis* Wedding OCD : Flower Girls

* I am very aware that we are Thursday today... The whole thing with the day off on Monday... Seriously confusing me. Now if we can all get past it, I'd like to ramble about cute mini dresses.

 I have to admit, one of the highlights of this whole we're getting married thing, for me, is getting to have my two nieces as flower girls. I'd be lying if I said I don't look forward to playing dress up with them, fixing their hair, making DIY accessories for them to wear, and all.... The thing is, my whole childhood I dreamt of being a flower girl. (My parents being in the classical music field, I did bring flowers to soloist at the end of the concert, many many a times... But it is just not as cool not the same thing, really.) My aunt got married when I was 12 years old, and that is the only wedding I ever attended to! So... major excitement for me here.

 So... Guillaume's sister and I have been pinning and pinning cute tiny dresses... And last Sunday, we sat in front of the laptop with both girls, to ask them what they thought. This was seriously one of the cutest moment, just, ever. There was UNANIMITY over that frilly J.Crew dust pink number. And the girl's eyes were wide open and bright over the fanshmyness possibilities. They kept pointing at the bridal gowns and being like ... "Oh!.. maybe this one?" In terms of shoes one preferred the mary-jane with the flower, the other the sparkly ones (I'm on the sparkle wagon too)... I suggested we make the flowers ourselves and glue it on a grey sparkly shoe... GASP, shock of happiness.. that is possible!?!?

 It was seriously a lot of fun to get their input. I do want them to feel pretty in their little kit. That J.Crew dress is on sale, in this particular color, so we're heading to Burlington VT this weekend to go snatch them up. We're also going to try some things ourselves!! They do have cute suits, and the bridal line is not too $$. (Just so white....sigh, that is a subject for a whole other post...)

 I originally was pretty stoked about having them wear black thights with silver ballet flats, but it looked... too contrasty? To ballet-jazzy? I think nude - beige cotton tights will look girly and definitely more classy. I like that sparkly collar thing too.. I am thinking of DIYing it. Maybe not for both girls. How about those tassles? Looking good too, right!? I will also commission my friend Noemiah for some hipster baby headbands. Soooo looking forward to it actually! 

Septembre :: Work in Progress

March & April

Taxe-time... and rain, rain, rain. 

Mardis Manger : Betteraves dans le vinaigre.

 Oh! Look! I am actually blogging!! I have taken the resolution to try to post more... More drawings of course, but also, just more. More about myself and my everyday life. What inspires me, and moves me, and makes me want to be a better person. (I am aware that this is the purpose of most blogs out there, but I find myself always guilting over how I wish I'd post more here... So this is an attempt! Read on, or don't if you find that I bore you!!) I'll try to categorize things in weekly posts, and will *try* keep to it!

 A thing that brings me joy daily is cooking. Last week I made some pickled beets to have as a fresh summer condiment, and I thought I'd share my simple recipe here. 

 My mother in law gave me some of her homegrown beets. They are a sweet funky stripy kind I had never seen in the market before. I also used some of my homegrown sage. I love fresh sage with roasts, stews and squashes in the fall, but never think about using it in the summer. 

* Peeling beets is super duper easy once they are fully cooked. You can remove the skin with your fingers (once they have cooled off!!) I like beets al dente though, so I blanch them very quickly and therefore, have to peel them like potatoes. But it's so worth the crunch! 

 This is a recipe I also use for parsnip and other root veggies. But it's the best with beets!! I usually keep the cooking water for watercolour purposes, it gives a nice delicate shade of lilac. This time around, I kept it to try to dye some knits or fabric, we'll see if I have to courage to try it!