Gallery No. Eight

Gathering for the Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Good things take time, and the best things usually take way longer than you could have possibly anticipated. When I shared my plans for this gallery wall back in June, I imagined it taking two weeks to get everything gathered and on the walls. In actuality though? It's August and nowhere near 'done'.

I'm working with Minted to help finish this wall, and I truly do love their marketplace for art. I love that it has a mix of photography, illustration, painting, typography, abstract, and even a unicorn or two ;)

Find Your Happy Place

Botanical No. 1

The best gallery walls have a mix that look like they've been carefully curated over a period of time. While my first gallery wall took almost 3 years, Minted's mix of art definitely helps speed that process up.

Remember, The Meadow, Wake II

Lookin' Good, Quiet Places, Nice Work

I've been planning & tweaking the layout, and the final pieces are starting to come together, but it's probably going to be September before this project is finished. And you know what? I'm okay with that. Because to truly love the end result, you have to love the process it takes to get there.

And just as an aside, I was really impressed with Minted's framing options. I chose white wood (on the 'work hard & be nice print') whitewashed french farmhouse & whitewashed herringbone, and they all look way better in person than they do online.

So that's all I have for this gallery wall update :) To see more of the process, you can check out my Instagram or past blog posts.

xo

Artwork & frames were sent by Minted, but the gallery wall struggles are all my own ;)

Nailed It: Canada Day

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 10:00:00 +0000

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Had to schedule this post before I left this week to make sure I could celebrate with all my fellow Canucks today :) If you've got any fun celebrations or firework shows to attend tonight, this mani would be perfect!

I used Julep Karissa (red), Julep Brigitte (white), Julep Hartleigh (chunky glitter on thumb) and China Glaze Fairy Dust on the thumb & two white nails (under the maple leafs) to add some holographic glitter. I let everything dry, and then freehanded the maple leafs with acrylic paint, which is a little more forgiving in the clean-up area when painted over dry nail polish. Topped with a clear top coat, the acrylic paint lasted as long as the rest of my mani (almost a full week!) so I will definitely be using that trick again ;)

Hope everyone celebrating this week has an awesome time!

xo

Weekend Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Sat, 27 Jun 2015 12:00:00 +0000

@brittdouglas_

I always keep bookmarks or tabs open for posts or things I want to share here, and since it's been a while, the list is a little long today haha but isn't that what weekend reading is for? ;) Here's to crossing things off our to-do lists and having a beautiful weekend!

Think you're good with colours? Try this mildly addicting game that will test that fact.

Just a wee bit obsessed with these repurposed vintage plates from Melissa of The Sweet Escape.

Something you may not know about me? I'm a huge fan of the Fast & Furious franchise - no really! There is a bit of a back story there, but needless to say, I saw & loved the latest instalment - and I wasn't the only one.

Is your to-do list full of should-do's? Then this essay on the crossroads of should & must is for you.

23 photos that sum up trying to get your life together. #accurate

We live in a beautiful world.

I'm already a big believer in the power of quiet, but I loved Grace's post on listening to what really matters.

Thoughts on being selfish on Instagram - some really good thoughts on what we share & the reality behind it.

Creative business owner? Here's some tools to help you work better.

In case you missed it, Anna's blog got a makeover & looks so stinkin' good! I seriously get to work with some of the best people.

"This quiet revolution is unavoidable, really, because we humans have a strange and predictable relationship with innovation." - Kevan Kaiser on being in the internet, but not of it

Ever wondered what your pet does when you leave the house? I'm pretty sure Winnie sleeps all day, but oh man, I got a good laugh at this trailer for 'The Secret Life of Pets".

Can reading make you happier?

Social media does have it's uses, and getting hired may be one of them.

Feeling stuck? Here's some thoughts on hitting the reset button and turning June into January.

The only lemon loaf recipe you'll ever need. Promise ;)

xo

The Never Ending Gallery Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 20:19:00 +0000

As I've been working to finish off my gallery wall, it hasn't been feeling quite 'right'. It needed something and I just couldn't place my finger on what it was.

I've shared my original gallery wall on here several times (most recently here & here) and I'm still totally in love with it. So stumbling with this 'expansion', if you will, left me feeling a bit unsure.

I've worked with minted a few times, so when they reached out to help me with my art problem, I realized this was the perfect chance to get out of my rut. You can see a bit of my plan above (to scale! With door, sconce, light switch & baseboards haha) and I love the idea of creating the wall around one or two 'big' pieces. That beauty front & centre is over 30"x30" and will be the perfect focal point. Everything else is a mix of prints I already own, prints I'm planning to buy (I really could do a whole wall of gorgeous photos from Paris by Anna :) and a few from minted too. I love the mix of old, new, and personal touches, with a dash of quirky thrown in!

You know I'll be posting on Instagram the second I get everything hung up, but until then, you can explore all my gallery wall shenanigans on Instagram with the hashtags #gallerywallfordays & #neverendinggallerywall

Ps, if you love that 'Done is Better Than Perfect' print I own, make sure you enter to win one for yourself! The giveaway ends tonight!

xo

Disclaimer: minted is providing me with the art to complete this project, but all thoughts, opinions & ambitious gallery wall ideas are my own ;)

Artist Feature: Kelsey of Pinegate Road (+ Giveaway!)

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 12:01:00 +0000

Good morning!

Six months ago, Kelsey opened her shop and I was instantly smitten. Beautiful calligraphy, unique quality, gorgeous materials - I mean, how could anyone not be? You may even have seen evidence of my love on Instagram - here, here & here - so clearly it's for real ;)

I was so excited when Kelsey agreed to an interview. Her work is gorgeous and the story behind Pinegate Road is beautiful - I know you'll love it!

What inspired you to open your shop?
I've always dreamed of creating my own products. Working with my hands has always come naturally and is something that I love doing. As I started going down the rabbit hole of working on Pinegate Road, there were several mantras that I came back to time and time again that helped me along my personal creative journey. Taking my love for hand-lettering, my need for a hand-made project, and the thought of creating products inspired me to create these prints.

Where did the name 'Pinegate Road' come from?
I really need to get on adding this to my about page ;) Pinegate Road is the road where I had my first 'home.' Growing up, I moved around a lot. By the time I was 9, I had lived in 5 states and 6 cities. Around this same time, my mom found out she had cancer. It was a huge shock to my parents, and this had them evaluate where they were at in life and what dreams they wanted to live out. My mom always wanted to raise her kids back in her hometown on Lake Erie, and my dad had always wanted to run his own business. My parents, my brother, and I moved up to Pennsylvania where my mom successfully beat cancer, and my dad started a thriving business. Pinegate Road is where our start as a family came to be, and my Pinegate Road is where I started coming to be as a designer. Pinegate Road hold such sentiment to me, and I love that it's a symbol of new beginnings and following life-long dreams.

'Be Brazen'

What drew you to your chosen mediums of lettering & stamping for your prints?
I wanted to create something that was unique and that had a hand-made element to it. Both my day job and Pinegate Road have me working very digitally, and reconnecting with physical processes was something that was important to me when starting this side project. At the same time, I needed something that was easy enough to duplicate. I studied block printing a bit in undergrad, and knew that a mix of stamping and block printing would give me a unique result that I could replicate for prints.

'Make A Mess'

Is there a cool back-story behind one of your prints?
I didn't expect these to turn in to a shop! Last summer I was asked to come to the Weapons of Mass Creation fest here in Cleveland as a featured artist. As part of the arrangement, I was to submit three posters to their gallery show to be on display. I could have used old work, but I treated this as a new project and went to work brainstorming. Creative process is always on my mind, so creating helpful ways to work through process in the form of mantras was what I became drawn to. On three of the prints, you'll see that they have 'the ticket project' written on them. My idea here was that these would each serve as a person 'golden ticket' to going for your dreams. I'm not sure how much I love that this is on there now, but hey, it's the creative process and I can always adjust later!

'Done is Better Than Perfect'

What is your favourite item in your store?
'done is better than perfect' for sure. I love the way it fits on the page for a print, and it is something I constantly have to remind myself.

What's next for you and/or your shop? Where do you see your shop heading?
For now, I'm taking a little break. I'll still be selling the prints that I have, but I'm focusing on bigger business plans and goals for Pinegate Road as a whole. I'm hoping to fit a month-long free span from side work this summer to brainstorm next steps. One thing I have been thinking about is selling downloads of black and white large format prints that you could then get printed yourself through a drafting printer on the cheap. I love working large scale, and this would be a feasible way for me to provide that to the world without having to manage the shipping. We will see :)

'The First Step'

Any tips for aspiring calligraphers and/or print shop owners?
Practice, practice, practice, and don't be afraid of not being perfect right off the bat! I feel so many people are paralyzed by things not being 'good enough' or perfect enough that they never start. Start with baby steps, and don't be afraid of the journey. You have no idea where you'll end up, and that's part of the fun!

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So lovely right? And AMEN to just starting and learning and figuring it out as you go - story of my life ;)

I mean, I knew Kelsey was awesome since we've become 'instagram friends', but this interview was one of my favourites. Thankyou so much Kelsey!!

GIVEAWAY time!! Kelsey has offered one of you the chance to win any print in her shop! Enter through the Rafflecopter widget below. (or click here if it doesn't show up)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out Kelsey's blog, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for more gorgeous peeks into her work & life (she has the cutest puppy!)

Herb Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Tue, 26 May 2015 13:33:00 +0000

Over the past three summers, I have grown a little herb garden. What started as a lone mint plant back in 2012 has ended up growing into a whole little collection!

This year there's chive, sweet basil, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, mint & parsley. The mint & parsley have their own bigger container since they can grow a bit wild ;)

Gloves are a must when dealing with nails like these haha

Isn't this blue container just the sweetest? I picked it up in HomeSense a few weeks ago, knowing my annual herb garden would be starting again soon. Love the blue with the gorgeous green of the herbs!

The gloves & the little trowel both came from the Home Depot. I have to admit I love the measurements on the trowel, and that the gloves have velcro around the wrists to keep the dirt out. Good tools make the job so much easier!

What are your favourite herbs to plant & use? Tarragon is new to me this year and apparently it produces edible flowers?! You know I picked it up for that alone haha

xo

Past herb gardens: 2012, 2013, 2014

Nailed It: Galaxy

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Fri, 15 May 2015 17:47:00 +0000

Galaxy nails were something (like marbled nails!) that I've always been intrigued with, but never tried before. I had an event last weekend that necessitated something special with my nails, so I decided to finally bust out a sponge and try this out.

I used Marc Jacobs New Wave as a base (any good navy would work), and then let it dry a little before sponging on the other colours. I had an old craft sponge (similar to the smallest one in this set) that I used to lightly layer the 'galaxy' colours. Julep Margit & Paulette both have a shimmer than I thought would work well and add dimension, while Butter London Diamond Geezer & Tart With a Heart added some foil & holographic glitter (like little twinkling stars ;). Chanel Taboo has a 'galaxy' feel all on it's own so I knew it would be great to add in, and finally Essie's Rock at the Top for just a few golden sparkles. What I love about this though is you can use what you already have! Blue, purple, silver, gold - anything in that combo would work well for this. Isn't that the best kind of nail art? ;)

xo

ps, I've teamed up with some awesome ladies to host a GIVEAWAY on Instagram! There's a print from me, a $200 Anthropologie gift card, and a whole bunch more stuff for you to win! You can find all the details & how to enter right here :)

Liquid Liner Love

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 16:02:00 +0000

It's no secret that I love a good cat-eye liner. And over the years, I've used lots of different products to achieve the look. Between gifts from friends & Sephora bonuses, I've amassed quite a few and thought I would share my favourites, why I love them, and which ones I think can be skipped.

L'Oréal Paris Lineur Intense Felt Tip - 5/5

I've gone through about 3 tubes of this stuff. It's super black, the felt-tip is great, it lasts all day, and the price point is fantastic. This is the one I reach for when I need a quick, no fuss liner. It glides so beautifully and will always be a staple for me.

Revlon Colorstay™ Liquid Eye Pen - 2/5

I'll call this a 'marker' style tip to differentiate it from the felt tips. (The tip is 'drier', and more like a marker than a true liquid liner.) It worked well, but I found it faded to a more grey shade that I didn't like.

Julep Fluid Eye Glider - 4/5

This has more a 'marker' style tip as well, but it's much smaller and the colour is a deep black. It also lasts all day - even my coconut oil makeup remover sometimes has difficulty with it. I love this one for it's precision; it might take a bit longer to apply because it doesn't 'glide' well - 'stamping' works better with this one - but I know it won't budge at all.

Benefit They're Real! Push-up Eyeliner - 4/5

Unlike any other liner I've tried, Benefit created a gel liner with a built in application system. I do like it, but you have to have enough product on the tip for it to apply well, but not too much or else it clumps and falls off. It takes a bit of practice, but the results are worth it.

Lancôme Artliner - 3/5

Truthfully? This is practically identical to the Lineur Intense from L'Oréal; they are sister companies after all. The gold on the packaging is lovely of course, but I found the colour of this one wasn't quite as black as I would have liked.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - 5/5

This & the Stila one below were from the Sephora liner favourites kit released around Christmas. (Great kit by the way!) I'd been wanting to try this out after hearing a lot of hype about the 'brush' tip and I'm so pleased to say I was not disappointed! The colour, the tip (it really is a little brush), the ease - SO good. Probably my all-time favourite on this list.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner - 4/5

If you're looking for a liner that will not budge one millimetre, then this is for you. I have it in the dark brown shade, which is a nice change some days from the black. The colour is great, the marker tip works really well and there's no fading or patchiness as the day goes on. You definitely will need a great make-up remover to get this off (even coconut oil struggles with it) but that's a small price for a liner that doesn't give up.

Is there a favourite out there that I've missed? A classic I need to try? Let me know :)

Artist Feature: Melissa of Sweet Water Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Spring is finally blooming here and I am so excited! There's buds on the trees, flowers are starting to bloom & the cold days of winter seem to finally be over. Today's artist feature is full of florals & whimsical design - a perfect compliment to this time of year :)

Melissa reached out to me about her shop, Sweet Water Decor, and I knew it was a perfect fit the moment I opened her shop. It is full of my favourite fonts, happy prints & cheeky mugs. She was even sweet enough to offer a discount that you can find at the bottom of the post, so read on!

What inspired you to open your shop?
I got engaged in September and was going through all of my stuff and actually decided to open my shop to sell my acrylic paintings. From there I started adding art prints, save the dates, wedding invitations, mugs + stamps! Searching for my own save-the-dates on Etsy, I started looking around and thought, I could definitely design these myself! I took photoshop classes in high school and have a natural talent for art. When I was younger I wanted to be a designer. I combined that with my merchandising background - being a buyer for a major retailer, and voila! My shop was born. I imagine brides like me shopping at my shop. The girls that love a little bit of glamour mixed with shabby chic with a modern twist. I love getting inspiration and use my fashion background to come up with some of my ideas for the shop. I just opened my second Etsy stop - Stamps Lux - where I sell stamps exclusively.

Mr & Mrs Mugs

What is the process of creation like?
I first get inspiration, either while walking in my beautiful small town, Starbucks coffee in hand... to washing dishes...ideas come to me. I even have these little notebooks that I carry with me or are by my bedside that I jot design ideas as I get them before I go to bed. From my idea I create it in photoshop and bring it to live. I love it when I see my own designs on paper or on my mugs instead of just in a picture. We print all of our mugs, and it's so exciting to see a final product!

Ashleigh Suite - Printable Wedding Invitations

Your work features some gorgeous typefaces, do you have any favourites currently?
I use a lot of Carolyna Pro - it's perfect for weddings! But I've fallen in love with Jacques & Gilles and even used them for my own invitations! Emily Lime creates such beautiful fonts - I'm pretty sure she's my best friend I never met.

Strong Beautiful Brave Mug
also available as a print!

Is there a cool back-story behind one of your prints or other products?
My strong, brave, beautiful, courageous mug and print is one of my absolute favorites. It came to me while washing dishes honestly! I pictured in my mind the woman my mom raised me to be - strong, brave, beautiful & courageous. I added an arrow as well to top it off! Each word has a different font, really bringing out what I hope to inspire other women to be. It was so great to hear from one of my customers, she bought this mug for herself and one for her friend. She wanted to thank me as she was going through fertility treatments and her friend was going through cancer. I hope to touch all of my customers and it really makes me know that God has put me where he wants me - designing & making beautiful works to share with & inspire others.

Hello Sunshine Print

What is your favourite item in your store?
I have so many, but if I had to pick...
My favorite mug is our Mr. & Mrs. mugs. My favorite print is my Hello Sunshine print.

Be Still & Know Print

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Melissa was sweet enough to offer you all 20% off her mugs with the code 'MUG20'. She has some seriously cute mugs - I was tempted by more than a few haha

You can find Sweet Water Decor on Facebook & Instagram.

Weekend Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 21:00:00 +0000

From Instagram this week...

It's officially the first day of spring!!! Oh to know that winter is coming to an end; it happens every year I know, but every year feels new when you've been buried by snow for far too long. I can't wait to see little buds on the trees, smell fresh cut grass, plant my herb garden & delight in those long summer days. Until then, some reading to keep us distracted while the snow melts :)

"What if we saw attention in the same way that we saw air or water, as a valuable resource that we hold in common? Perhaps, if we could envision an “attentional commons,” then we could figure out how to protect it." - The Cost of Paying Attention

"But where is the line between just the right amount of beauty and inspiration and what we deem as too much or too showy? ... what is “too” much? And who decides what’s “normal”? Here’s what I think: There is no normal and there is no perfect." - Negativity Online

"In art, this is very important. Art is where associations are made. Art is where we form the narratives of our identity." - Lighten Up

"After working through my utter shame over being a totally judgmental zit up in my head, I ran headlong into relationship with them and kept coming back, week after week." - What to Do When Women Seem Scary

"Because no one is providing me with a list of priorities, a number of hours, or a pay rate, I have to embark on that road of trial and error." - Resources for Freelancers

"...time is power. As trite as it sounds, but the way we live our days, what we do at 10 am, at 3 pm, how the evening flows, like habits, it really is the way we live our lives." - The Way We Live Our Days

Nailed It: Lucky Clover

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 23:33:00 +0000

I shared a little sneak peek of these on Instagram last week, and while my clovers looked a little more floral, I still loved the colour combo of these festive nails :)

I used Julep Briana & Kam, Sally Hansen Green with Envy, & Essie Rock at the Top. I also used the Julep Plie Wand & dotting tool to help with the dots!

For the clovers, I created 4 sets of 2 dots around an imaginary 'square' shape on my nails, and then put a little more polish in the middle of the dots to join them together. Hopefully the photo below will help illustrate a bit better!

And my not so clover-like clovers ;) haha

Hope you had a lucky day!

xo

Buying & Curating Art

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 13:43:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I posted the 'story' of my gallery wall. This wall has grown quite a bit since it started, and my philosophy is to always buy art that I love. If something doesn't 'speak' to me, it doesn't make the cut - otherwise I'd have enough art to fill this wall 10 times over ;)

I also love supporting creatives & small businesses, so that's where pretty much all of my art has come from. These shops are full of SO much talent - too much talent to keep hidden - so I'm sharing where all my art has come from over the years. Some pieces are no longer available, but maybe you'll find something you love even more!

hover over the photo to see the corresponding numbers

1. '31 Rue Chanel' - Leigh Viner

2. my own photo

Keys - Michael's

3. 'Be Brave' - Charm & Gumption

4. 'Dans Mon Reve de Paris' - Eye Poetry Photography

5. my own photo

6. 'The Royal Mile' - artquirk

7. 'Twilight Blue' - Leigh Viner

8. 'Weeping Cherry' - Sunny Lee Studio

9. Balzac's Coffee

10. my own painting

11. my own painting

12. 'Silence & Noise' - Leigh Viner

13. 'Paolo Roversi Series 1' - Leigh Viner

14. 'Rivoli' - Leigh Viner

15. 'I left my heart in Paris' - Eye Poetry Photography

Metal 'B' - Anthropologie

16. photo from an old calendar

17. my own photo

Mirror - vintage

18. my own painting

19. letter from a friend

20. 'Three Keys' - Renee Ann

21. 'It's All Messy' - Top Knot Weddings

22. 'God is Good' - SS Print Shop

23. my own photo

24. 'Paris Street Shop 1' - Minted

Most of these stores have really reasonable prices, but if you just don't have much to invest in art yet, I would suggest looking for a bulk discount (like BOGO) or waiting for a sale. Most shops will also offer some sort of first time purchase discount or a code when you sign up for their newsletter.

If you've never purchased on Etsy before, use this link to get $5 off your first purchase. I love & recommend all the shops listed above, but if you're in need of more inspiration: Pinegate Road, ohmydeer, The Paris Print Shop, Emily McDowell, & all the shops I've interviewed are great places to start your art search.

Minted is currently running a spring promo for 15% off sitewide (including all their artwork!) until the 16th. If you need some ideas: there's a few other Paris street scenes that are so sweet; I have this guy hanging on my other wall (see him here); waiting to find a frame for this one and this one too. And I always love a good floral! This watercolour one, this painted one, and this one of lily of the valley are all on my favourites list.

What are your favourite places to buy art? I'm always on the lookout for gorgeous new pieces to add :)

xo

Winter Skincare Essentials

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 17:09:00 +0000

This winter has done terribly dry things to my normally oily skin. I posted a few months ago about some of my favourites, but I've added a few new things to my routine to help battle this winter dryness.

clockwise from top left

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, FAB Facial Radiance Pads, Burts Bees LipBalm in Mango & Pomegranate, Glysomed Hand Cream, Caudalie Divine Oil, EOS Lipbalm in Sweet Mint, Nutiva Coconut Oil, Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream, Tarte Maracuja Oil, Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask, FAB Ultra Repair Cream, Fresh Rose Hydrating Gel Cream

This is everything from day to night, from my hands to my face. Fresh & Caudalie have pretty much taken over my skincare; my skin loves them & just feels better when I use them. I bought a 3 piece kit from First Aid Beauty, and while the cleanser was not for me, the moisturizer & radiance pads are both really great. Some people get weirded out by putting oil on their face, but I swear since I started using coconut oil to remove my makeup that my skin looks better. I've even used it as a moisturizer when nothing else is working!

What are your favourites for keeping your skin happy in the winter? Any hidden gems I need to know about?

xo

Favourite Calligraphy Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 15:36:00 +0000

I have loved lettering & calligraphy for a long time, so a few weeks ago I decided to give it a try! I did some research, bought some tools, and have been practicing ever since :) For those of you wanting to try calligraphy too, I gathered all my favourite resources to help you get started!

The Year of Lettering
Kelly's tumblr is full of gorgeous inspiration, but she shares all her secrets too! I found her resources invaluable when I was looking to buy my own.

Molly Jacques Modern Calligraphy Course on Skillshare*
(If you sign up with the link above, we both get a free month!)
From how to hold the calligraphy pen, to forming letters, to supplies you'll need & worksheets to help, Molly Jacques shares it all! And it was so handy to visually SEE someone doing everything, rather than just a photo.

Besotted Blog - Nib Identification System
I think I purchased almost all of the nibs mentioned in that post, simply because I didn't know where else to start! Tristan also shared a few of her favourite supplies here.

Quaintrelle's Intro to Calligraphy Workshop
If you're in the Toronto area, Ashley has held two calligraphy workshops already with Post Calligraphy & The Paper Place, and with all the interest there's bound to be more!

Scarlet & Gold - Free Webinar
I haven't taken their webinar yet (coming soon!) but their Insta is always full of inspiration :)

Your favourite calligraphers
I'm not suggesting copying these calligraphy greats, but many of them have kits to purchase with all their favourites, or teach classes you can attend! I love the behind-the-scenes sneak peeks many of them share :)
Molly Jacques Illustration
Laura Hooper Calligraphy (I love her Insta videos!)
Saffron Avenue
Type & Title
Post Calligraphy
Green Tie Studio
Blue Eye Brown Eye

Or your favourite calligraphy fonts*
There are so many styles of calligraphy, and sometimes visualizing them through a font can help you find your favourite style & narrow down your practice.

Where to buy
And all this help is no use if you can't purchase anything :) I bought all my supplies (minus the paper) from Paper & Ink Arts. Their prices are good, shipping was quick & there's just so much fun stuff to look at! You might even have a local arts store that sells calligraphy so be sure to check those out too.

If you're diving into the art of calligraphy too, let me know your favourite resources! I love this community because we can all learn together & support creative endeavours.

xo

* denotes an affiliate link. I may make a small commission, but there is no additional cost to you!

Weekend Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Happy weekend! Hope you had a lovely week :) We're due to get more snow today (oh Canada...) so I'm planning on a quiet, snowed in morning, reading by the fire. Here's some posts I loved this week in case you find yourself with some time to read...

+ On why the world needs more people like Atticus Finch

+ On finding & keeping that spark of creativity

+ On why branding matters

+ On the art of waiting for the right one

+ On when to hire a designer

+ On the impossible. (and ps, her shoppe? full of beautiful prints like the one above)

xo

Coming soon...

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 15:45:00 +0000

coming soon...

Just in case you missed it on Instagram last night :)

Julep in Review: 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 15:00:00 +0000

You've heard me talk about Julep boxes quite a bit on this blog, but I usually don't go back afterwards to update you on my thoughts after I've used a product for a while. Thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so, especially since I've found so many great products from Julep! (though in full disclosure, there have definitely been a few duds too!)

February - The Dramatic Collection

original post

Eye Sheen ('Pale Nude') - I saw a lot of comments about the formula of this; how people were expecting a more solid cream shadow & thought this liquid one was odd. I love the formula of this though because it 'sets'. So my oily lids aren't a total grease-slick halfway through the day like they would be if I used a regular cream shadow. A total keeper for me.

Ink Gel Eyeliner ('Black') - I liked this a lot. My first experience with gel liner & while it would never replace liquid for me, I did like it. However, I looked at my jar a few weeks ago & saw something similar to this photo here. Don't think I'll be using this again...

Angled Brush - Nice bristles, good weight to the handle, great brush.

Polish ('Love') - I don't think I've worn this since, but it's so pretty! I thought it was a great bonus item for Valentine's day & the gold cap was extra special.

March - The Riviera Collection

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Polishes ('Lilou', 'Monaco', 'Lizanne', 'Margaret', 'Princess Grace') - All the cool blues & greens? Love, will wear a lot. The yellow & orange? Not as much - they're just not my colours. In fact, I wore Lilou to see if I could wear a yellow & several people commented that it was not their favourite colour on me.

Lip Gloss (in 'Awestruck') - I still reach for this almost every day. In fact, I bought a backup in November because I love this gloss so much!

April - The Vivid Collection

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Blush ('Peach Bellini') - Love. Use this almost every day. Packaging is great, colour is gorgeous, love!

Bronzer ('Light Golden Bronze') - Julep's customer service was great & sent me out a new bronzer asap when my original one was smashed in the mail. The colour runs a little warm for me, but I'm super pale so most bronzers do. I do like it & use it quite a bit, just with a light hand haha

Polishes (Jet & Brigitte) Classics! I didn't have a black or white (shocking I know...) so these have both been used multiple times, usually for nail art but also for full manis. Great shades!

May - Fresh Twist Collection

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Polishes ('Jeanne', 'Paulette', 'Kam', 'Jules') - Gorgeous spring shades! I love how they all work together & I will wear all of these again & again.

Plie Wand - Truth time. I don't use the Plie Wand. I was excited to try it out & see, and it's not a case of dislike or anything, but I already have a routine for painting my nails & I found the Plie Wand a bit awkward. I still want to work with it & I'm planning to pick up the creativity kit because I think it will be GREAT for painting thin lines or dotting, but for my everyday manis? Not something I use. However, I think if you struggle with painting your nails & want something to help steady your hand, this would be perfect.

August - The Wanderlust Collection

Gel Eye Glider ('Blackest Black') - A great black eyeliner! Glides on smoothly, stays put. I do prefer self-sharpening or twist up liners, but this one is still really nice.

Polishes ('Neha' & 'Tazeen') - I wore both of these at my best friend's wedding in August :) Tazeen on my hands (our dresses were hunter green so it was perfect) and Neha on my (hidden) toes. Gorgeous colours & I can't wait for summer again to paint my toes! haha I also used Tazeen for this holiday mani.

November - The Friendsgiving Collection

Mascara ('Go Big') - A nice, black mascara. I wouldn't repurchase, but it creates nice, natural looking volume and doesn't go too 'spidery' or clumpy for me.

Polishes ('Shari', 'Devon', 'Malala') - Shari ended up surprising me & became my new favourite neutral polish. Devon is lovely too with it's microshimmer, but Shari stole this box for me. Malala was a bonus item that came with my favourite 'Awestruck' gloss (it was cheaper to buy the add on than to buy the gloss separately) and I'll admit I haven't worn it yet. Warm pinks don't usually work for me, but I'll have to give it a try soon.

December - The Countdown Collection

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Orbital Eyeshadow ('Supernova') - Beautiful shadow! I like applying this wet to get the full impact of the purple/pink colour shift, but it works dry as well for a more toned down look.

Polishes ('Sienna', 'Ilga', 'Paula', 'Nell') - Loved all the shades! Sienna is a gorgeous gold foil & Ilga is that perfect vampy red that doesn't look black. Paula is just my kind of colour :) And while Nell wasn't a perfect match for Butter London's Tart with a Heart, it's still a gorgeous sparkly polish!

Nail Stickers - I wore them for this mani, and they lasted a few days before I had to apply a bit more topcoat to keep them laying flat. I was able to use one sticker for 2 nails which means they'll last longer, since you don't get a ton of stickers in the pack.

Blank Canvas Lip Primer - I haven't been able to bring myself to use this much, the chemical smell is just a bit off-putting. Maybe that will wear off with time though? I'll give it another few shots before I give up, but I'm glad I didn't pay for this (was a bonus item in my box).

Overall, I was really pleased with almost everything I received in my Julep boxes last year! I use the beauty products a lot, and their polish is consistently good. I already picked up January's box (review coming soon!) and February's box has another bonus this year so it might just need to be picked up too haha

Have you tried Julep? I know you can buy a few polishes in Sephora, but the pricing through the boxes is a way better deal. If you join the Julep Maven program, you get future discounts on products, free shipping & of course, first pick of their new products!

You can get your first box free (& skip boxes whenever you like!) if you sign up through this link (which is an affiliate link, but there's no extra cost for you & we both get free polish - win-win ;).

Winter Reading List

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 22:43:00 +0000

Along with the cold weather always comes this deep desire to curl up in front of the fire with a good book :) Here's what I've been reading lately & what's on my to-be-read list...

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust - Alan Bradley
I adore the Flavia de Luce series & the newest release is just as good - maybe slightly better simply because it's set in Canada! If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend it!

A God in Ruins - Kate Atkinson
I read & loved 'Life After Life', and when I saw this on the pre-order list I was intrigued simply because it was by the same author. Turns out it's a companion novel to 'Life After Life' which just has me even more interested...

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
This one was recommended to me, and after reading the description I had to put it on my list. "Just what goes on in the houses you pass by every day?" I'm thinking I might have to pick this one up tomorrow to devour all weekend :)

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
A novel that weaves a story so beautiful, it has to be recommended! I read this over the holidays and so enjoyed it.

What are you reading? Any books you're looking forward to this year?

xo

The Story of a Gallery Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 19:56:00 +0000

I love a good gallery wall (if you follow me on Instagram you already know that!) and I have to admit I'm pretty proud of mine. But it's not something that happened overnight. It has been collected & curated over 3 years and it's still not quite finished - there's a good chance it never will be 'done' - but I've learned a lot along the way.

I shared this thought a few months ago with a photo of my wall & it's still true now:

Wherever you are, remember that all good things take time. This gallery (which, lets be honest, is so not important compared to many things) took over 3 years. And there were many moments of not-so-pretty (and more than a few extra holes in the wall) to get it to this point. Things take time - nothing in life happens overnight. So keep asking and seeking and working, you'll get there soon.

All the photos I could find of my gallery over the past 3 years - along with my thoughts on collecting & curating your own gallery - after the jump.

The two prints that started it all. I bought these prints from Leigh Viner during a
holiday sale after admiring them for years. Here's another shot from mid-2012 - link.

Hopefully you can see the evolution in the photos above, but it grew pretty slowly. At one point, I decided I was not happy with the arrangement, so everything came down and I planned it out with paper. I mixed up the frames, the type of art, and the colours to try & achieve a more 'balanced' look.

Below are some daylight shots (and so you can see the blue I used to have!) and the reason you usually don't see my desk - haha! Thankfully I have more storage under my desk now so it doesn't get that bad, but oh man.

You have no idea how happy I was to finally paint over that blue! I purposely made sure I liked the frame arrangement before I painted so I could fill in all the holes I'd made over the years. The soft grey has made the biggest difference, and I could not be happier with how it turned out!

Starting to look a little more familiar, non? Some of the photos were switched, and I finally finished the bottom half of the wall (that took far too long to decide what to do with!), but here's what it looks like now:

Full of things that I love, that inspire me, motivate me and make me smile. I love waking up to this view every morning! And that blank wall you can kind of see in the mirror? Not so blank anymore! #cantstopwontstop

So, after 3 years & many nails holes later, what are my gallery guidelines?

ONE // Pick art that you love, that speaks to you in some way. It will all come together.
TWO // Try different 'mediums': photography, illustration, paintings, originals, text, etc.
THREE // Let it grow organically. Start small, & build as you go.
FOUR // Paper templates are great, but eventually you just need to:
FIVE // Get out that hammer & do it! Guess what happens if you make too many holes? Nothing. Fill them in & try again (or just hang another frame overtop ;)

And one bonus tip: make it yours! Use your own photos, paint a little canvas, find something that can't be bought anywhere else. These are often the sweetest touches, & it also means that no one can recreate it :)

You can see some more shots of the wall on Instagram under the hashtag #gallerywallfordays & follow me @brittdouglas_ to see the updates I've been working on.

Where do you stand on gallery walls? If you've got one of your own, share a link in the comments or tag me on Instagram. I would love to see!

xo

Behind the 'Gram

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 17:43:00 +0000

I really do love Instagram, but sometimes it's styled ideal can be more than a little unrealistic. Thought I'd share some behind-the-scenes thoughts from a few photos I've posted in the last month :)

There are days the top of this desk can barely be seen, so it was in dire need of a clean-up. I'm happy to report it still resembles this photo, although there might be a few other beauty bottles added ;)

This shot taken from the car a few weeks ago is still one of my faves, even the dirty windows. This is real life after all ;)

While my desk is often this messy, it's only ever this 'styled' when the camera comes out :) Other wise I'm sure I'd be bleeding everywhere from those gold tacks. And my pen holder is usually kept upright haha

I get a bit bored with the usual nail photos, so I tried to style these a bit. Needless to say, this was a great idea in theory, but oh man the outtakes are awkward haha

On the few 'milder' days we've had (read: barely above freezing), getting outside for a walk has been a nice break from my desk. I took this same shot back in the fall - what a difference 12 weeks can make!

And finally, my challenge for 2015 is to learn calligraphy! I bought some ink & nibs online, took a course from Molly Jacques on Skillshare, and have been practicing every day since. The topmost sheet in this photo was full of capital B's, and the bottom sheet has a nice splat from when my nib & I didn't quite agree ;)

ps, if you sign up through this link, we both get a free month on Skillshare. They have tons of classes - I have my eye on several more!

Any stories to go along with some of your Instagrams?

xo

Weekend Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 12:00:00 +0000

A little sneak peak I posted on Instagram...

Happy weekend!! Can't believe the first full week of January is over, but I'm excited about what the rest of 2015 has in store :) I'm planning on staying warm & checking off my to-do list this weekend, but I'll see you back here on Monday!

A post all creatives should read

Fun tip for branded short URLs

What you get when you choose gratitude

How distraction might be derailing your dreams

Stop worrying & just go for it

Wise words from Jane Austen

Why we fail at the finish line

Habits are about structure, not effort

Brain hacks to get your creative juices flowing

And if you didn't eat quite enough over the holidays ;), here's a recipe for "the only chococlate chip cookie you will ever need to know how to make for the rest of your life"

xo

Nailed It: White Out

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 14:13:00 +0000

I shared this mani on Instagram over the holidays, but I wanted to share it here for those that aren't following me there & love a good mani :) (ps, follow along so you don't miss next time!)

I do a lot of glitter gradients, I know. But it's because they're so simple & have such an impact! One thing I loved about this particular combo is that it's wearable year round for any celebration. It's such a classic, neutral nail that would pair with anything. I used Julep Brigitte, Essie Set in Stones, Essie Rock at the Top, Essie Beyond Cozy & my usual combo of Gelous & Sally Hansen Diamond Flash Topcoat.

What have you been wearing on your nails lately? I'm craving light & bright to beat the winter gloom :)

xo

New Year, New Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 16:53:00 +0000

You've probably all heard/seen the quote, "Insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting different results." or some version of it, and it is so applicable to our new year's goals. (I say 'our' because I am so guilty of this sometimes!)

But 2015? I've got some new tools & I'm changing up the usual to hopefully achieve some new goals :)

If you find yourself in the same boat as me - wanting to make goals & actually achieve them - but don't know where to start, I'm sharing all the tools I'm using this year to make things happen!

Powersheets

Whether you use these, or follow Lara's goal setting series on her blog (2015 is underway, but 2014 & 2013 are still up!), her system & process of goal setting will help you find & finesse goals that MATTER. No frills or fussiness here, just real, deep introspection that helps you develop good, true, solid, goals (and a plan to make them happen ;)

Glow eBook

I have been following Rachel & her blog for years (I think I found her old blog, Little Bits of Lovely, just after I started my blog!) and seeing all her incredibly inspiring work has been so cool! When she launched her eBook GLOW, I knew I had to pick it up. She packs so much punch with tons of resources, information & worksheets beside so many good, kind, supportive thoughts - definitely a must read if you want to kick in the pants to get your goals done :)

Read

I don't care what it is, but find something that speaks to you & dive in! Whether it's Make it Happen, Ordering Your Private World, Love Does, or anything that can help you figure out what matters & how to make it happen, do it!

Journal

How else are you going to write out your dreams & goals and keep track of them? I started journalling last year, and I admit I'm not a natural at it, but I love the idea of having a written record to look back on. Especially with goal setting!!

Words

Surround yourself with words that change. Whether you write them out, buy a print (or two!), a daily daybrightener, download an app, tape them to your mirror or your desk, surround yourself with good things. Write out your goals and keep them visible! Nothing will ever happen if you forget about them. I'm planning on writing all of mine out & keeping them behind my desk - nothing like accountability to make things happen :)

You can do this!! Prepare yourself, dream big, & then work ever harder :)

Happy 2015!

Nailed It: Gold Stripe

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 19:22:00 +0000

Holiday nails - round two!! You may have already seen a sneak peek on Instagram :)

After doing green & patterned last week, I knew I wanted something a little more 'sleek' this time round. And with the arrival of my December Julep Box, my colours were easily chosen :)

I love the way Ilga & Sienna look together, and the addition of the gold stripe sticker was perfect! So glad I picked those up from Julep. (They don't seem to have them online at the moment, but I'll post them the minute they do.)

My phone was lying nearby when I was taking these shots, and since it's gold I thought it might make a cute addition to the photos ;)

Are you in the Christmas mood yet? I have to admit, having the Christmas tree beside my desk is certainly helping me feel quite festive! Although my nails aren't hurting either :)

You can find more of my nail & beauty looks here.

xo

Loving

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Douglas) — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 16:05:00 +0000

Just a few things that have captured my love & attention lately...

Psalm 23

I know it's an incredibly popular passage, but when you slow down & really dig into the words? It's so beautiful. Thankyou to Grace for opening my eyes to it's meaning again.

Perfume & Pearls

Me & Balenciaga go way back - back to the days of living in downtown Toronto & falling in love with this chic scent. And double pearls? So fun!

Art

I mean, art always makes me happy :) But handprinted, imperfect, limited edition loveliness from Kelsey of Pinegate Road? Over the moon!

Gold

I promise I didn't plan to match my nails to my new Chapters mug on purpose, it was just a happy accident :) Both colours are from Julep's December box, and the gold monogram mugs are currently 50% off!