Inslee is a personal friend and also one of my favorite artists! I was lucky enough to attend her first ever watercolor class this week. It was such a great time and I even learned some great tips for drawing figures. Now, I definitely won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon. I’ll leave actual artwork to the professionals.
Inslee’s adorable assistant Ophelia. I have to say, Ophelia is much tinier in person. She’s so sweet and just bopped around all night saying hello to everyone.
Inslee and Ophelia hard at work!
The class was two hours and flew by. I went in feeling very nervous and intimidating, but walked away feeling a little bit more confident. Inslee taught us how the process she follows. Watching her work was worth the whole class though. It was amazing! She stood at the class walking us through each step.
We started with these little figures based on the way the model was positioned. Honestly this was the most eye-opening part of the process. It wasn’t until Inslee broke it down that I could really “see” the movement and body position. Who knew!!!
So once we penciled the figures, we penned the lines we wanted to keep. Then we erased the pencil and started the watercoloring. As you can see, I struggled here. Ha!
My interpretation above and Inslee’s masterpiece below. (Not kidding, it took her like four minutes tops to whip up the watercolored part.)
Yes, I’m an iPad adult now ✌🏻 I have been feeling all over the place with how I stay organized. In a dream world, I’d have a good ole fashioned paper planner, but I need something digital that I can access wherever I am and set alarms and reminders and appointments in my digital calendar. Kicking the new year off with a fresh iPad in the hopes that it helps?? Kind of felt like back to school shopping with fresh school supplies (but more expensive lol)… here’s to an organized twenty twenty five!! 🥂
PS I am trying out @goodmondayspaper on @goodnotes.app and went with an 11” iPad Air!
Not my best year of outfits- but here are some of my favorites! 2024 was all about feeling comfortable in my skin. I was eight and nine months pregnant in January and February- and then freshly postpartum. I wore four different jean sizes (five if you include maternity!), had to start the process of rebuilding my shoe collection (my feet grew 😭), and I’ve been breastfeeding this whole time so lots of buttons. I tried to lean into more colors and elevated everyday styles. I embraced my body no matter where I was on the scale and stayed true to myself the whole time, while still experimenting and trying new things!
Some highlights: @tuckernuck Callahan dress @jcrew denim skorts (and staples, as always) @alice_walk cashmere wraps and gauzy linen shirt @varley leggings and pullovers @favorite.daughter hoodie (my emotional support sweatshirt at the moment) @annmashburn cap toe Mary Janes @cuyana small pouch + @llbean boat and totes @oldnavy barn coat embroidered by @bobinettedesigns @agolde, @levis, and @mother denim @onequince cashmere fisherman cardigan @shopdoen Leanne dress @kiltecollection chic cashmere sets @warbyparker eyeglasses + @celine sunglasses
Our year can undoubtedly be measured in love 🫶🏻. While 2024 wasn’t without its challenges, it was also overflowing with moments of joy and gratitude. Welcoming Rory into our family in February was the absolute highlight—nothing quite compares to the magic of those first newborn days.
This year was also filled with adventures to some of our favorite places and plenty of meaningful time with friends and family. Rory has grown from a snuggly, snoring newborn into a lively ten-month-old who loves to eat and play with his big brother. And Jack? He’s gone from my baby to a full-fledged kid—a social butterfly with a love for all things sports (and the skills to match).
For me, this year was a whirlwind—a beautiful mix of the magic and monotony of motherhood: pregnancy, delivery, breastfeeding, and endless caretaking. But amidst the chaos, I found space to nurture myself and pursue what lights me up. I embraced new hobbies (hello, sourdough baking!) and deepened my love for old ones (Rory’s needlepoint stocking is finally complete, and I read 50 books!). I prioritized my well-being with new workouts (@sotomethod has been a game-changer!), dialed in my beauty routines, and even got my colors done.
I also stepped outside my comfort zone, making my first investment in a company beyond my own and hitting a few stretch goals that felt out of reach just a year ago.
Here’s to a year of love, growth, and resilience—and to the excitement of all that 2025 has in store! 💫
This and yap 🤍 Don’t forget to create holiday magic for yourself too! I can’t tell you how nice it was to do some gingerbread decorating without having to follow a three year old’s vision (or fight the sugar battle)! It’s fun to do it with kids, too, but sometimes you just need coffee, baked goods, and little bit of kid-free catch up time with your mom friends! Thank you for hosting @blueskyehouse!!
I wrote down a list of things I wanted to do for fun in 2024. I crossed off exactly zero of them (having a baby will do that to ya) and my only hope of accomplishing one would be to host a cookie exchange! I wanted to SO bad but I was also feeling exhausted after a long year (losing a dog, having a baby, running a business, etc.) and I didn’t know if I had hosting a party in me. I sent out the invitations and told myself I’d figure it out. There was no going back! It was SO FUN though and I will be doing this again. I feel like so much of the holidays as a mom is spent making the magic for kids. It’s Santa meet and greets, Christmas shopping, holiday pageants…. And then seeing Santa again (and again and again). THIS party was for us! 🥂
Hope you had a great time in your class. Put some effort and you can soon become an artist.
apartments at Nungambakkam
How fun! Love how yours turned out!
Emily
laughliveandshop.blogspot.com
I love Inslee, so fun that you got to attend a class!
xo, Syd
anchoredinthesouth.com
I bought her 2015 calendar and love it!
This looks like such a fun event to attend, I love all of Inslee's work!
xoxo,
Katie
chicincarolina.blogspot.com
How fun! You did great!!
Her Heartland Soul
herheartlandsoul.com
Amazing!! You're a wonderful artist!
Emma | Seeking the South