inspiration // disney details

Last week at this time, I was freshly back from Disney World, and I'm not gonna lie...it has been hard getting back to "real life". And perhaps the worst part about it is that I'm so busy trying to catch up and get back into a rhythm, that I haven't been able to start working on the ideas that came while traveling!

When I visit Disney World, I'm keenly aware of the details and special touches that they have around. They're the things that are easy to pass right by, especially when you're rushing to catch a parade or simply trying to get through a line. But they're the good stuff.

Often I see them and instantly have an idea for a new pattern, or sometimes I ponder on them for a while, then come upon some other fun little sign and it all comes together in my head. For example, the top photo is from the Germany pavilion. The shops in that area, combined with Snow White, and a pattern I already have, will all influence a new pattern set that I hope to start on soon.

So I try to capture photos of the details that inspire me.

Because these are more like taking notes with a camera, not all the pictures are pretty, but they serve a purpose. These are a few of the photos that will inspire my work in the days ahead.



This color palette always excites me. I must find a way to use it...



I wasn't close to the parade, but the shape of the pink leaves was worth looking at more...





Lines and textures that I want to play with and explore...



This was a bit of a family/crafter joke, and a detail I couldn't pass by...



I couldn't get a picture of what I wanted in this area, but this shot of the game board ceiling reminds me of the idea I had while standing in line...



Low light and a moving boat prevented me from getting a better photo, but come on...a calico goat? I love you Mary Blair for designing "it's a small world"...

Now the great challenge is to take all this inspiration and make it into something new, exciting, and all Mollie!

found: vintage photo book

Awww...Snap! I couldn't resist. This vintage photo book, labeled "Snaps!", was just calling out for some pop culture references. Snaps for me!

This is another one of those things that I found in with family stuff, and I snapped it up for myself. It kind of makes me think of the original Parent Trap movie, with it's slight camp feeling. Wood covers, leather ties...you can see where I get that thought, right?





The book comes to me empty, and I'm not sure if I like that or not. Finding a book like this that has been filled in with snaps from another time is like finding treasure, but I suppose having the option to fill it myself is pretty great too. And it wouldn't take long to fill it either, because it only has six pages. Six! Does that seem strange to anyone but me?

I do really like the construction of this, especially with the wood covers. It's a nice variation on the scrapbooks with posts, and I'm sure that you could add pages to this. But maybe the leather wouldn't like the untying process. Even opening and closing it too much will wear it out. Sigh. I'll still enjoy this as is...




A book for snaps is too good to not use as inspiration though, so I've been working on an eco-friendly book for holding your photos or other memories. Tutorial coming very soon!

inspiration: world market apron

I love when inspiration shows up in strange places where you have to sift through a lot in order to find it. But I also love it when it's just right there for you. This apron was just right there. My mom found this in the Alpine Workshop collection at World Market. There's not much of it left, if anything, but this last apron was at our local store.

(By the way, that's my sister posing...she really was barefoot in our rather chilly house. That's normal for her...including her slightly purple feet. Crazy girl.)



I love everything about it. I love it so much that I decided to take some inspiration from it. I chose some colors similar to what is in this, and combined with some folk art ornaments I recently spotted, I've started putting together some ideas that will all show up on the blog in 2013. The mittens on yesterday's post are the start of this (do you see the connections?)




Don't you just love the colors and patterns? The sweet birds and sprigs of greenery? The borders and black backgrounds? So good! And you can expect many good things to come around thanks to this apron! Patterns, color palettes, printables, and more. Yay!