interior inspirations: stick pose

Today we had a snow day in New York so I got to wake up and start my day with the lovely Adriene.  I really do love waking up early and doing my yoga before going to work, but lately I can't seem to get in bed early enough to not wake up late and be in a complete rush in the morning! Today was definitely a healthy balance of work and yoga.   Everyday should be like that.

Day 12 and lucky day 13 were all about realigning the spine and building endurance.  We sat in stick pose for a second so of course my brain went right to my new stick decor!  Sounds weird.. but it looks great!  I've got branches on the brain!  I love when my yoga practice can relate back to my art and design work.  Keeps me inspired.   

inspiring sundays

Today I found some inspiration on Franklin Street in Greenpoint.  Sadah and I had the most adorable brunch and then walked around.  We hit up People of 2morrow, Home of the Brave, a few other cute home decor shops.  The store designs were all just as beautiful as the product.  Makes me excited for the day that I have a whole house to design instead of just one room. 

I also got closer to finishing my frame wall.  Very excited about that.  I think I need maybe three more and my collection will be complete!

So the shopping therapy was taken care and now we take care of the mind and body...

Lately I've been doing two videos a night.  That's just how I function... I'm in my zone and I want to keep going.  Day 10 was nice and is why I love these videos so much.  They are challenging but they also allow you to relax and not feel like you have to have this crazy difficult work out everyday.  It's nice.  I also just think she's hysterical.  

I hope some of you have tried these videos or at the very least they have inspired you to get out and move around in your own way.  One of my best friends, who was also a yoga instructor, would always encourage me to just simply move around a little.  It doesn't take much to release stress and make your body feel good.   

I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

day 8 for the mind + day 9 for the body

Today I was SO tired so the yogi pushups in Day 9 were a little bit of a struggle.  That and the fact that I really need to work on my upper body strength.  Also.. I lost my crow again.  Yesterday and today have not been the most inspiring days but I'm moving forward with positive thoughts and appreciation for my efforts.   Also my clothes don't feel as tight as they have been lately, so that is definitely a plus!  Enjoy Day 8 + 9.  I'm going to paint some jungle leaves and go to bed! 

day 7 was a challenge

Tonight was day 7 of 30 days of yoga and I was not on my game.  Even though it is very common in yoga to not feel your best ALL the time, and that you should be happy where you are.. I still felt very defeated.  Thank God my love Tere came over and we totally owned the dinner and wine game.  Homemade tabbouleh and lemon garlic chicken.  We rocked it.  Yum!

day 5 + 6 + i found my crow

And by crow I mean my crow pose in yoga and not my original raven painting.  Trying to be a little witty here combining my yoga practice with my painting practice. And yes that's my Treasure Troll top knot and belly button.  Anyways, I am SO excited because, like I said, I found my crow again and I held it for a whole 10 seconds!  It's the small victories on this feel good inside and out new years resolution challenge.  Tonight I completed days 5 and 6 of the 30 days of yoga and I feel great!  I will of course leave the videos for you to follow along as well.  But first!  I want to share my very special surprise from today... it felt a little like Christmas..

My dear friend Kat finished my wall tapestry!  This is her first woven tapestry and I absolutely love it.  I have big plans for this guy.  One of which is that he will hang from a branch from my home town on the wall next to my bed.  When he is finally complete I will of course show him off! For now he's just hanging out on some antlers.  So excited!!

I hope you are getting inspired either through these little yoga videos or through learning about new and beautiful ways to make your home feel cozy!  Part of feeling good in the mind and body is feeling good in your space!  Maybe that will be my mantra.  Keep my mind, body and space clean and feeling good.

With that being said, I'm going to light some sage and cook a little dinner!

Namaste. (prayer hands emoji)

day 3 + 4 of cleaning out the nonsense

Today was all about relaxation.  It was a rainy Sunday morning so I decided to go for two videos! Woooaahh.  I know crazy.  Two whole 30 min videos. 

It got me in the mood to cook some healthy eats and then paint some cats. Meow!

the crafternoon

I must say, the crafternoon was a success! We had such a great time, everyone made a little something, and no one burned the place down (though we had a few close calls).  And I got to keep a few creations like my new ombre phases of the moon friendship bracelet by Liz Wong, and a woven snuggly tapestry (still in the works) by Miss Kat Dawe.  My painter's pallet cheese plate was definitely the star of the show.  I must point out that I did arrange the cheese and treats by color.  So please take note! 

Everyone did such a great job.  The projects were as follows:

• Kat: woven tapestry
• Miranda: experimented with watercolors
• Lauren: friendship bracelets 
• Liz: friendship bracelets and a manicure
• Emily: pom pom banner
• Me: handmade valentine's day cards and had a little too much champagne

This was the first formal crafternoon and it certainly won't be the last! 

Also: It's day 3 in 30 days of yoga!  I'll post the video in a separate post.

getting ready for a crafternoon

Today I will be hosting my first gathering in my new home.  It's a girls only crafternoon and cocktails.  

The tables have been set and there will be lots of photos to come! Above is just a little peek into the colorful and creative day.  So excited! There will be lots of champagne. Lots!

Also!  Tonight was day 2 of my 30 Day Yoga with Adriene and I'm loving it.  

a happy mind: day 1

The theme of this past month, as I headed into the new year, was a happy mind.  A happy mind for me means finding time for myself to clear my head of all the stresses of my everyday.  It helps me and allows me to be more productive, more creative, and most importantly a pleasant person.  Yoga gets me there every time.

Since I can't afford to take classes at a yoga studio right now I have been doing yoga in my own little studio apartment!  Tonight I came across Yoga With Adriene and her 30 Days of Yoga.  I figured I would try it out and I wanted to share what I'm currently practicing with you! She is adorable and I love her teaching style, but what really caught my eye was the quality of her videos and the background decor.  It's nothing crazy or fabulous, it's just relatable, simple, clean, and aesthetically pleasing (which is hard to find in "homemade" yoga videos).  As a creative person I appreciate that. 

If you would like to join me on my 30 Days of Yoga journey please do! I do have to warn you though, my 30 days may be scattered (I take days off here and there).  

My new years resolution is to feel good all over and so why not start at the top!  A happy mind is a healthy mind.  

pet portraits: for the plant owners

There's a gift, an illustration, and a pet for everyone!  Every Christmas for the past 2 years my assistant and I have exchanged some epic gifts (his gifts were more epic than mine).  This Christmas I decided to make it super personal.  Plants, art, and tattoos are a few of his favorite things, so I decided to hand paint his most recent tattoos on a wall hanging pot for a new cactus pet!  A friend then gave me the witty idea to paint a "pet portrait" of the little guy.  

A big thank you to Baked in Brooklyn for making my personalized gifting dreams come true!

interior inspirations: woven tapestries

I am currently obsessing over these wall tapestries that these talented weavers are creating!! They are SO cool.  They are the epitome of handmade perfection.  The pieces shown above are by Warped Threads and Anne Djupvik Andersen.  Absolutely beautiful. 

Lucky enough I have a friend who makes magic with fabric and yarn. We will be doing a little trade for trade!  Loving this project.  We will be documenting the process of the piece on a crafternoon hopefully in the near future!  I LOVE the mauve, camel and cream color story.  Eek! I'm so psyched.

To shop Warped Threads go to etsy.com/au/shop/WarpedThreadss. Follow Anne's weaving blog at weavemeaway.blogg.no. You can follow both of them on Instagram at @warpedthreads + @ada_interiors.

photos 1-7: warped threads, photos 8-10: weave me away

interior inspirations: frame collage

Before finding my new space I knew I wanted to have an entrance wall with vintage frames that cover it from floor to ceiling.  In my mind it was simple, graphic with a feeling of home.  After finding my new space and starting my beautiful display wall I was perusing through Instagram and I discovered @twinkleandtoast.  They had also created a frame wall for a wedding which I thought was absolutely stunning!  I loved the addition of the cream flowers and gold leaves.  I would love to add these accents after my collection is complete.  Also.. funny enough, the lady behind twinkle and toast.. is named Taryn.  

Visit twinkleandtoast.com to see some beautiful photos of their work.

interior inspirations: the perfect corner

For a few years I've dreamt of having a space where I can sit and drink my tea and sketch by a window... possibly in a beautiful chair.  I also pictured this happening as snow is falling outside the window and I'm wearing a cozy sweater.  Yes.. I know I'm crazy.  But!  I finally have my little nook.  And I love it so much. My space is still being pieced together but it's definitely getting there.   

throwback thursday: paper dolls

It's strange when you identify with certain words so much that when you see them it's as if you're reading your name.  I perk up every time I read the words "paper doll." My name was taken from a 1980's soap opera called Paper Dolls, my first blog was The Life of a Paper Doll, and my personal Instagram still remains @paperdoll_ta.  

Yesterday I received an email from my favorite local kitchenware store, Fishs Eddy, with the subject title "Paper Dolls Box #2 [small size]" and I got SO excited.  For those of you who are not familiar with Fishs Eddy it is a kitchenware company run by Syracuse alum (woo!) in the Flatiron district of NYC.  Their store's interior is a little piece of upstate NY countryside heaven.  You can find everything from archival plates, to quirky dinnerware, to classic table settings.  It's such a great shop.  My DG sorority sister and best friend introduced me to it when I first moved to the big city.  

What I love about Fishs Eddy is the story behind it because.. if you can guess.. I can relate to it so well!  The owners were wandering through the small towns that make up upstate New York and stumbled into Fishs Eddy.  This little town is where they discovered a barn filled with dishes and bowls and platters!  And they got to take home all of it!   When they brought everything back to their apartment in NYC the seedling of Fishs Eddy started to sprout!

While attending Syracuse University you found yourself doing a lot of wandering through backroads and small towns.  My friends and I would make a point to find cool little undiscovered (to us) streets and antique stores to run around and get lost in.  This company reminds me of that moment in my life.

Fishs Eddy has been collaborating with illustrators and artists for years. This particular project, Paper Doll Box #2 [small size], is something that designer Todd Oldham brought to the table. The funny thing about this scenario is that Todd didn't actually draw these dolls, he discovered them at a flea market in Ft. Worth Texas! You can read his story any more on the Fishs Eddy blog! These girls and boys are now printed on a tray, a glass and a pillow which make up the collection. Go to fishseddy.com to shop it!

All photos are from fishseddy.com

gift giving: lovewild design

A few months ago I met Sierra of Lovewild Design at the Artists & Fleas in Brooklyn. Her shop just jumped out at me. She really created her own little world down to every last detail. Everything from her products to the dress she was wearing to the milkmaid braid in her hair, she fully embodied her brand. It's people like Sierra who inspire me the most when trying to build my own brand.

That day I purchased a gift for a friend and a gift for myself. The tea vial gift set got the butterflies flapping in my stomach. Had to have them! They're almost too pretty to use, but as you can see from our Instagram I've cracked into them a few times!

Almost all of her products are made of sustainable materials. My favorite items are her plantables, the confetti or letterpress coins that can be planted and turned into wild flowers! Every piece has so much thought put into it. Please check out their website lovewilddesign.com. With the holidays right around the corner these are perfect stocking stuffers or hostess gifts!

occulter

As an artist you need visual stimulation and inspiration to keep the juices flowing. My girl Liz Wong, who has an extremely sharp eye, just introduced me to this site occulter.org that absolutely made my jaw drop. It's so inspiring how perfectly curated their site is. These pieces make me salivate. That crab ring was born in my dreams.

All photos are from occulter.org.

the scorpion, the eagle + the phoenix

Happy Birthday Month Scorpios!  

I am surrounded by Scorpios.  My mom, dad, best childhood friend, assistant, etc. are all Scorpios.  This sign is an interesting one because it has three symbols.  Most immediately think of the scorpion.  The scorpion is their dark, earth-bound side that is protective and ready to strike whenever they feel threatened.  The second symbol is the eagle, also ready to strike at any moment however can fly and is free and aware of its surroundings.   Lastly is the Phoenix.  The mythical creature that encompasses rebirth, resurrection and transformation.  When Scorpios fall to their lowest point is when they can fully transform themselves.  This sign is certainly a powerful one. Never underestimate the power of Scorpio.  They will cut you. 

Kidding! (sort of)

Happy Birthday to my best girl and my best assistant!!  

This Scorpio illustration can be purchased on Society6! We have mugs and iPhone cases available as well! View it, share it, shop it.

pet portraits: duke weiner

This little guy is the most loving pug I've ever met.  While babysitting him one time I noticed he kept hopping up on the back of my couch, perched up like a cat.  Any chance he got he would crawl up on my lap and put his little chin on my knee.  When his dad came home from his travels I told him all about his quirky little behaviors and his response was "Haha! Ya, he was raised with a cat."  I couldn't control my laughter when I heard that.  Duke is definitely a special little guy. He's been by my best gay's side for 8 years.  I was so excited when his partner asked me to do this piece for him.  And yes.... that's a Gucci paisley print in the background.  

Below is my process of building up this little piggy.  The first layer of paint and shadows always look a bit scary.  If you are interested in getting your own pet portrait feel free to email me at thecrabandthemoon@gmail.com!

pet portraits: stella monstarr

I watched this little kitty grow from the tiniest kitten who woke me up by snapping the hair elastics on my wrist to the most spoiled pampered cat I know.  Here is the completed illustration of the one and only Stella MonStarr.  Stella lives in Sea Bright, NJ where she sun baths by day and curls up in a bean bag by night.  

the crab + the moon is now doing custom pet portraits!  Please email us for pricing!

farm + floral

Sunday was such a beautiful day.  The lovely thunderstorm the night before really cooled things off in this sweltering city. The past few weeks have been so crazy with travel and fashion week, a trip out of the city and into farm country was just what I needed to clear my head.  Even if it was just for tea and a scone!  

Great food, beautiful grounds and wild flowers that made my stomach drop.  Stone Barn Farm felt like a little slice of heaven.  I can't wait to go back in the fall for apple picking!