Untitled Mural in Des Moines

what i wore:
Thrifted vintage striped dress (buy similar here)
Emma t-strap flats in black c/o B.A.I.T. Footwear (buy here)
Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon (buy similar here)
double amethyst necklace from Inanimate Objects (buy similar here)
amethyst triangle ring from Moorea Seal (buy here)

I stumbled across this mural in a photo on instagram, and set out to find it with my friend Alex today. It is located near Mars Cafe in the Drake neighborhood (exact location here). This mural was created by Jordan Weber, a local artist whose work is rooted in social activism that is portrayed through the use of recognizable cartoon characters (read a great article about him on Gestalt Creatives here). Not only is his work aesthetically interesting, but it also opens up discussion.

Once again, I am so excited about the emerging public art lately in Des Moines (1, 2). Although, I read here that the mural is only temporary, I'm happy that it exists right now and I got the chance to experience it. I can't believe I didn't even know about it until recently when it was done  in 2011. Isn't that strange? Anyways. I hope to keep up more with public art, and hope to take more photos with everything I can! It's an exciting adventure.

So onto the outfit. I simply adore this vintage striped purple and gray puff sleeved dress. I picked it up thrifting one day and knew right away it would be a perfect light, airy dress for summer. I love the thin stripes and light gray. I've got to say, this lip butter is amazing. I like how it fades evenly and acts like a lip stain. It's perfect.

This day, I taught Alex how to sew a zipper pouch, we went to Drake Diner for dinner, I got the amazing veggie rarebit burger, crinkle-cut fries, and a strawberry milkshake of course. Then, we headed over to the Drake Neighborhood's Farmer's Market where I picked up some delicious cherries. After that we searched for the mural, found it, and spent a while there taking photos. Then we walked to Mars Cafe where I got some iced coffee, and headed to Creative Coldsnow to wrap up our day to look at art supplies where I bought a couple moleskin journals which I will attempt to use daily or at least weekly.

Other sources to check out:
Des Moines Greater Public Art Foundation
Street Art DM Blog
Jordan Weber blog
Gestalt Creatives

Thoughts about this mural? I would love to hear them.

Hokuri Nail Tutorial

My friend, Lauren who is a video artist wanted to create a diy for her film reel, so I got the opportunity to collaborate with her. The concept was her idea, and I just did the hand and nail modeling. She did the editing, typography, and everything. She's talented isn't she!?

Anyways, this Hokuri nail tutorial is very simple and easy to follow! You can choose whatever colors you want to use and as many as you want of course. We used pastels and it created a really beautiful watercolor feel that's perfect for spring and summer, but I would love to try it with metallics or darker colors sometime.

Will you try this tutorial?

Style your pretty nails with a lovely pastel dress!

Reunited, With Bees

what i wore:
thrifted blue dress with pleated skirt (buy similar here)
tan faux leather jacket with eyelet detail from Target (buy here)
purple suede heels in Eggplant a Kiss c/o Chromatic Gallerie (buy here)
lipstick in Girl About Town from MAC Cosmetics (buy here)

With a name like that, why wouldn't this be one of my favorite murals in Des Moines? I've been really enjoying all of the colorful murals popping up around downtown Des Moines (like this one) and would love to see this trend continue. I discovered this mural driving one day, and finally had the chance to come back to it and snap some photos.

Reunited, With Bees is a mural by local artist Frank Hansen. I think it's fantastic. With a touch of whimsy and an edge in a naive style, it makes for great public art. Here is a good article written about the artist by Art Beacon.

Before coming to this mural, David and I had just gone to see Jersey Boys with his family at the Civic Center. I don't know much about musicals, so I didn't really know much about this one going it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm glad that we get the opportunity to see productions such as this one.

The weather has been reminiscent of fall as of lately, and I really enjoy it. I even got the change to wear a faux leather jacket, even though as the day went on, it got a little too hot, but that's ok. I love the this blue jewel toned dress. It's so basic and easy to wear!

What are your favorite murals in your area!? I'd like to see/hear about it/them.

Patterns

I've always been a big fan of patterns, and I have been practicing by making my own with some of my drawings. The first one is a controlled but chaotic bee pattern. I wanted to add some contrasting colors and create visual balance and movement. I might have it printed on fabric for a scarf. I think the colors turned out beautifully. The second one was created from a drawing of my cat, Louie! I love all over cat patterns and it was inspired by the illustrator, Harriet Gray.

If you are interested in either of these patterns, you can find prints, cell phone cases, and other things on my Society 6.

Thoughts?

Arnold's space

Arnold likes to lay next to me as I work in this chair I thrifted a while ago. I've decorated with a cat pillow, and a colorful blanket. It's just a cozy spot for him to sit so he can keep me company. Anyways, as many of you may know, I love taking photos of my cats (a little too much maybe?) and any chance I get to show him off on my blog, I'll do it! Hope you enjoy these photos.

Do you create spaces for your pets or is that just bizarre!? I might just be a crazy cat lady in the making.