Lesley Myrick Art + Design

Life Lately: Disneyland!

2012-05-25T08:50:00.001-07:00

This week: Hiking to the Hollywood sign; and spending two days at DISNEYLAND! We found zebra print mouse ears (eek!), hung out by the pool, explored Sleeping Beauty's castle, consumed far too much coffee (when there are free refills, this girl's gonna drink!), went on roller coasters over and over and over, found the secret door, spun the teacups so quickly that we got dizzy, and enjoyed an amazing light show when the sun went down.

Are you on Instagram too? Let's be friends! I'm @lesleymyrick.

Happy Friday!

Lovely Web Links: May 24, 2012

2012-05-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

+ This advice to young designers is wonderful. A great read for anyone in a creative field - young or not-so young.

+ I love this colorful outfit! Also, Gwen Stafani's style rocks my socks.

+ Oh, funny cats. You kill me.

+ I want these metallic shoes.

+ Arrested Development fans - enjoy all the chicken dance sequences in one place. (I got Nate hooked on this show...we're currently watching through the entire series on Netflix!)

What links are you loving this week?

Happy Thursday!

Beauty Matters

2012-05-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

[Artwork by Kelly Rae Roberts via Pinterest]

Hello friends! I'm back from my adventures in Disneyland. Can't wait to share photos with you on Friday! As I slowly adjust back to reality (wait, reality isn't riding rollercoasters all day?)I thought I'd leave you with this lovely collage from Kelly Rae.

It's true, by the way. Beauty does matter.

Happy Tuesday!

Life Lately: May 18, 2012

2012-05-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

This week: hanging out with Nate's family on a cold beach in Malibu; enjoying a visit from Lisa; preparing for a week of AWESOME with Beth (she and her hubby arrive tomorrow, YAY!); figuring out this gorgeous song on piano and realllly wishing I had a piano of my own to play more; and making some minor aesthetic tweaks to my blog layout (there are five - see if you can spot them!).

Apparently I didn't photograph much of my week - I will do my darndest to be more camera-happy next week. (And even if I don't, I know Beth sure will!) We'll be hiking to the Hollywood sign, spending a couple of days in Disneyland, going to a Dodger's game, and checking out the famed Santa Monica pier.

Have a lovely weekend!

Lovely Web Links: May 17, 2012

2012-05-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

+ The best grey paint colors, according to Ryan Gosling. (Who wouldn't want his input when painting a room? This guide would've been super helpful about a year ago, when Nate and I tried to paint our bedroom grey and ended up with lavender. Ugh.)

+ Elsie shares great (and creative!) tips for getting organized.

+ I love Lisa Congdon's 365 Days of Hand Lettering project. This one is particularly lovely.

+ How to turn your blog into a brand. Great advice from Bri!

+ Rubber stamp crazy!

+ Graphic design resources (I love that they're not afraid to spill their secrets!) from a couple of the most talented ladies in the biz.

How is your week? Come across anything interestawesome? (That was supposed to be a combination of interesting and awesome. It did not work, and is neither interesting or awesome.)

Happy Thursday!

Listen to Your Heart...

2012-05-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

[Photo by andifitz via Gabriela Fernandez]

Sometimes listening to your heart does take you all the way to California. And let me tell you, it's a pretty rad adventure! Especially when the people you love make the cross-country trek to spend time with you. Sorry for the radio silence on the blog this week, folks - between Nate's family coming to LA for a few days, a visit from our wonderful friend Lisa Francis, and preparing for my bestie Beth and her husband Scott to come visit us this Saturday for a whole 8 days (eek!) life has been pretty busy. Awesome busy, but busy.

Looking forward to sharing photos of our adventures (we're going to Disneyland!) and more art with you soon.

Happy Wednesday! xo

Life Lately: May 11, 2012

2012-05-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

This week: Getting cozy at my desk for a big freelance project; making Red Wine Chocolate sauce; enjoying the world's biggest bag of coffee; rocking some cute (thrifted!) faux snakeskin footwear; and checking out a photo spread in this month's BHG by Burnham Design that I helped shoot (and by "helped", I mean I fetched lunch and returned products to stores. All part of the glamorous life of a freelance designer!).

What are your plans this weekend? Nate's family is in town so we're packing up and heading to the beach tomorrow! I'm excited to spend a little time in the sunshine.

Happy weekend!

PS. Are you on Instagram? Come find me! I'm lesleymyrick. xo

Lovely Web Links: May 10, 2012

2012-05-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

+ A real-life Instagram camera. If this ever goes beyond a prototope, I WANT.

+ Puglypixel has a great tutorial on how to create a static website with Blogger.

+ New to blogging? Here's how to start your blog with a bang. (Psst...my husband just started a blog! Take a peek at nathanmyrick.com.)

+ What to do when morals and creativity clash? Remember, the world doesn't need more stuff - it needs your stuff.

+ The new May issue of Lonny Magazine is out today! Woohoo!

Happy Thursday!

6 Reasons Why Comparison Can Wreck Your Business

2012-05-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

[Quote via Pinterest; original source unknown]

Good morning! I'm thrilled to present a special guest post from Create Hype - a fantastic resource for women entrepreneurs. In once of their recent emails they presented a list titled 5 Reasons Why Comparison Can Wreck Your Business - and it struck such a chord with me that I wanted to share it with you here. The team at Create Hype was kind enough to even add a sixth reason, just for you!

*****

It's natural to compare your work to others but does it really do you any good? We argue that it does the opposite for 6 reasons.

1. You don't know what's going on behind the scenes. Nobody is going to blog about their product flopping, how they're struggling to pay their rent, and why they are contemplating closing their business. All you will see is the successes, the good news, and the pictures of their family.

2. Everyone has different goals. We all set individual end points and goals so there's no point comparing where you are now to where someone else is because you don't know where they're going.

3. It won't help you get out of a funk. In fact, it will likely push you further into one if you're currently struggling with seeing your successes and feeling like you are moving onward and upward with your business.

4. Most business owners need to double their prices. Don't assume that just because every jewelry maker you know is selling their necklaces for $20 that you can't sell yours for $200.

5. Everyone has a unique market. Copying someone's product or marketing techniques will get you nowhere because your market will not be the same.

6. There’s a fine line between inspiration and copying. While you may intend to be inspired by someone’s work, you run the risk of eventually being inspired ‘too much’. This can quickly lead to copying and that generally leads to legal battles, nights of tears, and your fans wondering why you’ve suddenly changed your brand and your vision.

This is not to say there is not a time and place for comparison. Certainly when doing market research, you need to look at what others around you are doing. But remember that everyone is different and you can't declare a business 'successful' or 'better than mine' just by reading their blog and looking at their site. There is always a story going on behind the scenes.

Action: Take a week and unsubscribe, unfollow, or ignore all of the people you view as your competitors/similar business owners. Instead, spend that time focusing on your own work. You may be surprised by how much freer you feel. You may also find yourself overflowing with new 'crazy' ideas.

*****

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Do you compare yourself to other bloggers, artists, entrepreneurs, etc.? How do you overcome the temptation of comparison? Have you found comparison to be a positive or negative thing for your business?

Happy Wednesday!

Creative Inspiration: Mary Ann Moss

2012-05-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

Boy, it's been a while since the last Creative Inspiration post! Do you ever go through phases where you're super inspired, and then the desire tapers off? I have definitely been in an art slump, if you will. Being busy with interior design blogging and social media for work, as well as freelance graphic design projects on the side hasn't left me much space for dreaming about art. But friends, let me just say...June will be ART MONTH! I'll be home by myself for much of the month (Nate is heading back to Minnesota to volunteer with CTI) and I'm looking forward to sprawling out on the living room floor and finishing these canvases, among other things.

Until then, I'm trying to re-kindle my desire to make art. And these gorgeous travel journals by LA artist Mary Ann Moss are kinda doing the trick. Photos + handwriting + travel ephemera = awesome.

[Journals by Mary Ann Moss via Mae Chevrette]

Happy Tuesday!

A Room Design Inspired by Matisse

2012-05-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

This week on Style Illuminated, I had some fun designing a room based on a famous artwork by Henri Matisse. Check out the post here to see the original artwork, and how it inspired this living room design. (I love that design inspiration can come from anywhere!)

Happy Friday!

Life Lately: May 4, 2012

2012-05-04T10:02:00.002-07:00

This week: Leading worship at Mosaic with the hubby and awesome friends; obsessively painting my nails (I even experimented with this cool chevron design that's gotten popular on Pinterest!); and eating my very first dinner at an LA food truck. The spicy shrimp tacos and coconut pork tacos from Komodo were ridiculously awesome! Pretty sure I dreamed about them last night...

Follow me on Instagram for more adventures - I'm lesleymyrick. I'd love to follow you too! xo

And of course...May the 4th be with you. (Ha! It's Star Wars day!)

Happy Friday!

All I Want to Be...

2012-05-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

[Art by Clifton Burt via lesleymyrick on Pinterest]

What do you want to be?

Happy Wednesday!

8 Tips on Styling a Bookshelf

2012-04-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

On Style Illuminated, I've put together a little design guide with tips on how to style a bookshelf. If you're looking to add a little pizazz and personality to your book collection (college students and bibliophiles, listen up!) you can check out the post here.

Happy Monday!

12 Goals for 2012: Follow a Bible Reading Plan

2012-04-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

[Illustration by ParadaCreations on Etsy]

Goal number 12 for 2012 is to follow a bible reading plan. I am THE WORST when it comes to reading my bible regularly. (And it's full of such great stuff that really has changed and influenced my life!)

Enter Youversion - an awesome bible app for the iPhone with a huge assortment of free daily reading plans. I now get short and sweet daily readings sent to my phone each night (yes, I need this to be totally idiot-proof to work for me!) and it's easy to track my progress and be aware if I'm getting behind. I started with several short reading plans - two and three weeks - and now I've just started a year-long daily reading plan. Wish me luck!

(Want to see what other weird and wonderful goals are on my list for the year? Check out the complete list of 12 goals for 2012.)

Happy Friday!

Lovely Web Links: April 26, 2012

2012-04-26T10:17:00.001-07:00

[Awesome branding by Bri of Design Love Fest]

Short and sweet this week...here are a few web links that I'm currently a little obsessed with.

+ Seriously, how amazing is Ingrid Michaelson? Her cover of Rihanna's We Found Love is phenomenal.

+ Henri, the melodramatic French cat.

+ And just for fun...Pictureless Pins. Ha.

Happy Thursday!

You Look Fabulous.

2012-04-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

[Image via Funny Kittehs on Pinterest; original source unknown]

Hey you! Yes, you! You look fabulous.

Happy Tuesday!

Life Lately: April 20, 2012

2012-04-20T09:21:00.001-07:00

This week: rockin' out on the Rhodes (my first time leading worship at Mosaic!); tacking up some inspiration in my office; stepping out in faith and applying to do something that kinda scares me (more on that soon!); making plans to finish a few paintings; and looking forward to catching up on some much-needed sleep tomorrow.

Are you on Instagram too? Let's be friends! I'm lesleymyrick on Instagram. xo

Happy Friday!

Tips for Using Pinterest to Organize Decorating Projects

2012-04-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

On Style Illuminated this week, I've shared my favorite tips for using Pinterest to organize decorating projects. If you love Pinterest but you're not a decorista, these ideas are just as helpful if you're organizing content for blog posts, planning a party, or just keeping track of some of your favorite things around the web. Check out the post here. xo

Happy Thursday!

Lovely Web Links: April 19, 2012

2012-04-19T09:29:00.001-07:00

+ I adore this Instagram photo by Holly Becker.

+ For you indie business owners: Kyla Roma shares what she's learned at tax time from her first year as a biz owner.

+ The best catalogs for design inspiration (and links to subscribe to them for free!).

+ 10 iPhone photo challenges presents some creative ideas for taking more interesting pics with your phone.

+ Just for fun: 35 unexplainable photos of cats and 63 reasons why boybands were better in the '90s.

Happy Thursday!

Styling The Sky Umbrella

2012-04-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Tibor Kalman's iconic Sky Umbrella (you know the one!). I've always loved this design (the clouds remind me of the works of one of my favorite painters, Rene Magritte), so I was psyched when the MoMA Design Store asked if I would show you how to style this fun umbrella in everyday life. For me, everyday life pretty much means bouncing around in some sort of black and white outfit with goofy looks on my face - and clearly, today is no exception. Since it actually rained (which almost never happens in LA!) I thought this would be the perfect time for a little pattern mixing and umbrella posing. Disclaimer: I'm no model. Just an awkward girl with an umbrella and a dream.

The MoMA Design Store, with locations in New York, Japan and online, supports The Museum of Modern Art’s mission of educating the public about modern art and good design. All proceeds provide financial support for MoMA programs and exhibitions. Enter on Facebook for your chance to win a Sky Umbrella prize package, and use the code SKY20 for 20% off all versions of the Sky umbrella in the MoMA Design Store until April 30th.

Happy Tuesday!

*Note: this is a sponsored post from the MoMA Design Store. I only accept sponsors who fit with the ethos and integrity of this blog, so be assured that they're really rad. Interested in a partnership? Let's chat!

10 Best Free Fonts!

2012-04-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

[Typewriter photograph by J2Studios; rainbow background textures by Lost + Taken]

If you are a lover of Comic Sans, this post probably isn't for you. But if you're looking for some rad free fonts for your blog design or graphic projects, I've rounded up 10 of the best free fonts that I use and love. Most are available at dafont.com (and if you haven't heard of dafont before, well...you're welcome!). Click each graphic to download the font.

Artistamp Medium: This is a fun font to use in digital collage projects, since it really lends the look of rubber alphabet stamps.

Error: Simple and graphic. I think this font would be great on the business card of a graphic designer.

FFF Tusj: The loose and sketchy look of this font is so fun!

Honey Script: This is a sweet script that's a little cleaner than handwriting, with a bit of a retro flair. I used this font on a wedding invitation design and loved the final look.

Impact Label: I love labelmakers. I also love labelamaker fonts. BOOM.

Le Bain au Milieu de la Fin de Apres-Midi Vers 17:49: Fun fact - loosely translated, the name of the font is "The bath in the middle of the end of the afternoon around 5:49pm". I don't get it. But I like it.

LesleyFont: This is one of my fave fonts because, well, it's my own handwriting! (Seriously, how fun is that?) The font file isn't online, but if you're interested in downloading it, email me and I'll send it to you.

Never Let Go: You may have noticed this lovely cursive in a lot of my blog graphics. I love its handwritten look and readability.

Pupcat: When uppercase and lowercase letters are the same height, I'm abnormally happy. Pupcat was also used on the wedding invitation, along with Honey Script.

Rough Typewriter: Typewritten fonts aren't going anywhere - and this one has just enough character and imperfections to make it interesting.

Creative peeps and font enthusiasts - what's your favorite font? (Or just for fun - what's your least favorite?) Do you have any fantastic resources to share in the comments?

Happy Wednesday!

Creative Inspiration: Jaime Beitler

2012-04-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

[Art by Jaime Beitler]

The lovely Mary Wangerin introduced me to the art of Jaime Beitler, and I'm smitten. I fully support any artist who is using their craft to encourage, inspire, and share God's love. High five, Jamie!

Happy Tuesday!

Free Wallpaper! On Being Unique...

2012-04-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

[Background image from Lost & Taken; design by Lesley Myrick]

I love this quote by designer Bunny Williams: "Everything in design is recycled...it's how we've put together what we've seen that makes us unique". Click the image above to giant-size it and download as a shiny new (and free!) desktop wallpaper.

(Like it? I'd love if you'd share on your favorite social media sites...click the links below! xo)

Happy Friday!

Lovely Web Links: April 5, 2012

2012-04-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

+ Advice from Design Love Fest on what to charge your clients. (Also, an oldie but a super goodie: The Dark Art of Pricing.)

+ A great read by author Donald Miller: Some Thoughts on Self-Promotion and Why Arrogant People Think It's Wrong.

+ An amazing studio tour of a creative collective in LA. I have never wanted to work in a space so badly as I do this one.

What's your favorite creative post you've come across this week?

Happy Thursday!