inspiration monday

i can't think of a more perfect way to end a wonderful pottery barn journal adventure than by adding this final sketch of a fabulous little garden bistro!

a quaint little bistro tucked away in a secret alcove somewhere (maybe even your back porch!).....with aromatic lemon trees growing out of ornamental clay pots, placed next to stylish chairs that are adorned with orange-stripey cushions to sit on.   and it's all so inspiring, why not indulge in a special little drinkie (you know, the kind that comes in a special little wine-shaped bottle?!).

 many of you have commented that you'd like to see this journal from cover-to-cover, so i made this video......you can watch it here in larger format, if you like!

thank you, pottery barn, for the many wonderful hours of enjoyment and inspiration you've given me in creating this special journal!  and thanks to all of you bloggy sweeties for inspiring me to create the video!!  xox

{journal page created using koi watercolors, micron pens, graphite pencils, 
uniball signo white gel pen}

vintage lockers

there are only two blank pages left in my pottery barn journal, 

and i'm chomping at the bit to get them filled!!  

today, i couldn't resist adding a set of vintage lockers to my wish list......

they have that special creamy white, time-worn, weathered look that can only be accomplished with years of exposure to sun and sea air (or maybe a few days with very experienced faux painter!),  and there's all kinds of room inside to store secret stuff.

but what i really went crazy for are these stenciled numbers......i just love simple little details like that, and these chunky numbers make me want to label everything in my house! 

 but for now, i'm off to sink myself into my catalogs and choose something pottery-barn-special to add to my last blank journal page !!  woo hoo!!

{materials:  koi watercolor, derwent inktense pencils, micron pens, 

graphite pencils, uniball signo white gel pen}

inspiration monday

when i created my pottery barn journal,  i used this tutorial by teesha moore (she has a great method for taking a large sheet of watercolor paper and transforming it into a 16-page journal!).  as a part of her design, there are little flaps that measure about 2.25" on the inside front and back covers.  and every time i pulled out my journal to fill another page with pottery barn goodness,  i wondered to myself what in the world i was going to put on those skinny little pages.  and now that i only have two blank pages left in my journal (woo hoo!), i was getting a little nervous about the "skinny little pages" thing, because i still didn't have any ideas.  but, thankfully, inspiration gave me a hand this past weekend.....

and i realized that these skinny little pages were the perfect spot to include an explanation for why i created the journal in the first place......

a place to give inspiration the spotlight!

and while the front-cover-flap was purely about my inspiration, i added some other

details to the back-cover-flap......

because if i don't have it written down, 

there's no way i'll ever remember what materials i used!! 

and since inspiration was giving me a hand, i decided to go ahead and put a little something on the back cover of my journal, too

 (this was another space i had no idea what to do with!).  

even though this is meant to be the back of my pottery barn house, i think it kind of looks like it should be the front of the house.  but then i decided that many times when we find a place we really love, we usually head towards the back door........because that's where we feel comfortable enough to go ahead and hang our heart on the door!


{supplies:  koi watercolors, derwent inktense pencils, micron pens,
graphite pencil}


p.s.  the doors to the letterLAB open today! 
time to have some cursive fun!!   woo hoo!!

embroidered pillows

i took some time to do a little window shopping in my favorite PB catalogs, and when i spied these pillows, i immediately knew they would be the next entry in my pottery barn journal.  i've always had a real soft spot for satin-stitching and french knots......and i don't think a girl could ever have too many embroidered pillows!  they're the perfect thing to surround yourself with as you're lounging on the couch......with your feet up on the coffee table......while you're watching your favorite movie......and eating a chocolate bar.....or two...... :)))

i hope you have a relaxing surrounded-by-embroidered-pillows kind of weekend!!



{journal page created using koi watercolor, derwent watercolor pencils,
waterbrush, micron pens, pencil}