Jardin du Luxembourg

My feet may be seriously injured, and I think my Achilles heel is bruised. I'm not sure how I'm going to get to class and work tomorrow! Let's just hope my feet heel tonight. I have never walked so much in my entire life, and it doesn't help that the majority of my shoes are new and require "breaking in." I'm hoping that my feet will transform into one, rock-hard callous that can withstand absolutely anything and that will be immune to any sort of pain. Here's to hoping!

On a very sunny, warm day, I hopped over to the Luxembourg garden, a very large green space complete with manicured lawns, overflowing lines of flowers, am impressive Baroque-style fountain, and shady areas with lots of benches. It reminded me of many Impressionist paintings of Parisians at leisure. Sunday Afternoon at the Grande Jatte and Luncheon on the Grass came to mind. I didn't spend as much time here as I'd like, but I have 4 months to return.

I'll be sad when winter comes and all the beautiful flowers go away!

{Palace of Luxembourg}







{Shadier Section of the Park} {Baroque-Style Fountain}

I also took a stroll through some side-streets and went to see St. Sulpice, a church near the gardens. I wasn't looking forward to seeing this church, as it is classical in style - which doesn't excite me as much as the Gothic style. However, the sheer size alone is enough to make the most disinterested person marvel a little.

The streets I love the most in Paris are those that are narrow. They're the most charming, with cafe tables and food vendors squeezed onto the tiny sidewalk. This street, directly behind the Luxembourg palace, had a doll shop! Or maybe it was a museum. It was closed so I couldn't go in, but it looked delightfully creepy and quirky.



{A Picturesque little cafe - couldn't resist taking a photo} {Interior of St. Sulpice}

Beach Camping

This week I went camping in Central California. It was a bit chilly, but so refreshing, relaxing, and fun. I went with five of my best friends (minus a few that I missed terribly). Sometimes the most delicious food comes from cooking over a fire pit in the crisp beach air. You also come up with so many hilarious inside jokes on trips like these. I love my friends so much!

We trekked through Montana de Oro state park. The trail took us along the top of sea cliffs, and then to a beach full of angled rocks to climb and tide pools in which to observe anemones and sea snails. The beach itself was covered in smooth pebbles rather than sand, and my friend Monica and I had fun finding colorful or striped ones, or little shells. It was a beautiful trip. If you're going to be in the area, I would recommend it.
By the way, I took all these with my fujifilm instax, then cropped and edited them digitally. The convey the atmosphere of the surroundings so well. The yellow flowers were blooming, and the hills were covered by a light layer of fog. Even though it's summertime, I was happy to have such cool weather. It was refreshing.

Thank You Cards

I caught the painting bug recently, and decided to express this new surge in creativity by painting some cards. At first, staring at the blank surfaces, I felt lost and didn't know what to draw. But then I just started drawing, free of self-judgement, and I'm happy with how they turned out!

I was inspired by Katie Daisy's amazing artwork, go admire her work here!

I'm not finished with the one on the right. I bought these blank cards and envelopes at Joann.

Perhaps I should start selling hand-painted cards in my Etsy shop? It did take me a while to paint these though, so I'm not sure if selling these would be worth the time required, and I'm not sure how much people would be willing to pay for these cards.

DIY: Paint Swatch Art

Don't you love all those paint swatch DIY projects you see on Pinterest? Well, I've decided to make one of my own! Introducing Darla Dear's paint swatch art. It's super easy, and there are a million variations in color, composition, size, and shape, that no one will ever be identical.


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First off, I dug out my old paint swatches from an art class I took a while back. I painted these swatches using gouache paint, a highly pigmented watercolor, but if you don't have paint, or don't have the energy to paint your own (it takes a while), you most certainly can use the paint swatches you get from hardware and home improvement stores if you like.

Next, I cut each of my paint squares into irregularly-shaped ovals, which remind me of smooth pebbles in a river.


I then played around with composition until I found something I liked. I had to cut down my paper size to match the amount of color swatches I had. You don't want too much negative space, unless that's what you're going for.


Once I found an arrangement I liked, I glued each piece down, starting from the bottom and working my way up, so that each piece layered on top of one another like scales. I like art that has dimension.

I thought it looked a bit empty just with the color swatches, so I drew in some lines.


And, that's it! Have fun with this, and if you do any sort of art project, add a link to your blog post about it in the comments! I'd love to see your creativity! Happy DIYing! (as a side note, check out my nail! I painted them all fancy)



This is my first diy tutorial, and I'm afraid I may have accidentally left an important step out. If you have any questions, please comment!

(arrow in top image from hello vanny)

I Love You, Pink Peony Photography

It is time *drumroll* for the start of a wonderful tradition, a tradition that will live in the hearts of all, a tradition that will occur once every month, a tradition called: the "I love you,[insert name of artist]" series, where I choose an artist I swoon, drool, and otherwise ogle over, and feature some of their work!

To start off this grand and momentous tradition, I have chosen someone very special, and I must confess that I love you, Pink Peony Photography. You've described your images best in your shop, "fun and sweet." Your images are full of pastels, cute things, flowers, and more cute things. Your photographs are light, bright, and happy, without looking washed-out or over-processed. Bravo, Pink Peony Photography, for earning a spot on my favorites list.

Sunny Sunshine

In honor of the overcast day I enjoyed yesterday, I have made a playlist to encourage sunny days. Call it a modern-day rain dance, without the dancing.




I've also gathered some of my favorite items on Etsy that feature sunny yellows in their palettes. I feel happier just looking at it!

Rancho Los Alamitos

If you have an afternoon, no plans, and you happen to be in Long Beach, I have a secret to tell you: There is an old ranch, with gardens, on the top of a hill, in a gated community, right next to the university, with free admission. That's right, something free! With free parking! Just drive up to the gate (Palo Verde & E State University Drive), talk to a really polite and helpful gate attendant, and drive on up to Rancho Los Alamitos, where a couple hours of quaint gardens and Ranch-house-touring awaits! To be honest, I don't know what's inside the Ranch House. When I visited I was in a more outdoorsy mood. Here are some of the things I saw:


Trees with giant roots. Who doesn't love trees with giant roots?