After looking at these, it just dawned on me that my sketchbook needs some loving too….

Check-out these interesting glimpses behind the brains of a few of the World’s great doodlers:

I’m adding this to my Amazon wishlist ~

Nothing beats living in L to the A. This weekend, I went to the Nisei Festival in the heart of Little Tokyo, amidst all the ruckus of downtown.

What were the highlights of this event, you ask? The music, food, traditional kimonos, folk dancing performances, cosplay, and JDM cars pretty much summed it up.

it’s not complete without the “outfit”….

beautiful craftsmanship

kimono

oldie but goodie…

traditional dancing

Thanks, Mo, for taking excellent pics as always!

Mr. Miyagi is an adorable Penkingese who is loved and nurtured by my friends Leica and Raul. I had the honor of painting his portrait for his mommy and daddy.

I ♥ projects like these.

My husband and I went on an awesome, all-inclusive 3-day cruise to Ensenada.

Sure, he and I took a few snaps here and there of the views, ocean, etc., but clearly I was more enamored by the technicality and craftsmanship involved in these handmade wonders.

Anything that’s hand-crafted/drawn/painted/sewn… always takes my breath away and puts a smile on my face ♥

Here are some trinkets I found along the way after a few margaritas….

Then at the cruise ship, these luscious strawberries were dangling right in front of us….

They were too cute to even devour.

& back at our cabin, there was this cute fellow welcoming us back from an exhausting day.

♥♥♥♥♥

I was delighted when Leica asked me to do two things:

1.) Be one of her bridesmaids; and

2.) Help design her wedding invitations.

We collaborated and came up with this ensemble featured on her project wedding profile.

Leica is very talented when it comes to making hand-made cards, so that alone made my job
VERY easy.

Her wedding colors were fuchsia & chartreuse, so with a little hint of black on the envelopes and cardstock, it gave it a touch of sophistication.
With her paper choices out of the way, I rendered her flower of choice – delicate peonies, followed by Leica & Raul’s L&R Monogram, &  map of directions, & RSVP Cards.

[Thanks to Leica for sharing the photos below:]

*L&R Monogram

*L&R Peonies Ensemble

*Map of Directions