Snapshots

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to share a few snapshots of my wonderful trip to Tennessee. So many great memories: driving around, hanging out with geese, tornadoes (!), Franklin, antique shopping, A Christmas Story, gingerbread houses, Mt. Zion, King's Corner, dominoes, oh my! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and I look forward to a wonderful new year. There is change in the wind, and I'm excited to see what 2014 has in store for me!

What do you hope for in the new year?

Today's Inspiration - Tennessee

Hello friends!

I do apologize for the lack of updates recently. It has been a combination of laziness and being sick...a deadly combination indeed, at least for a blog.

I wanted to post about my inspiration a lot sooner than this, but I had to wait--and for good reason. My best friend, the lovely Kristyna's, parents live in Tennessee, and as usual around the holiday times she goes out east and visits them. This year is different.

I have been blessed with a job that allows me to save and take the trip back south with her. I am terribly excited, considering her parents are basically my second set of parents. They have watched me grow up just like their own daughter, and mine and Kristyna's similar upbringing has always made me feel right at home (after all, there is something to be said about being raised by a strong, Southern woman). The thing is, we were keeping it a secret! Originally, we weren't going to tell either of her parents that I was going to go with Kristyna to Tennessee, but her dad found out (sneaky thing). However, the surprise was still there for her mom, and I could not express how anxious it all made me. Anxious in a good way, that is. I could not say a word about it on Facebook, or post images of my countdown clock on Instagram. I had to keep mum on it, and trust me...it is an incredibly difficult thing to keep quiet on something you are looking forward to so intensely.

However, the time is here! As of when I'm currently writing this, I will leave tomorrow. However, I won't post this until I have actually arrived so the surprise is not ruined.

So how does this lead me to my inspiration as of late? Easy! When I am excited about something, it has this tendency to consume most aspects of my life. I have been drawn to photos of misty woods and old, abandoned cabins. I have been listening to the Nashville Indie Spotlight 2014 album on Spotify. I have been daydreaming about curling up in the cold weather, watching lethargic rainclouds crawl through the sky. I have been in Tennessee for awhile now...at least in my imagination. My body just needs to catch up.

I leave you with a few photos taken in Tennessee that best encompass the general atmosphere of my daydreams. I encourage you to sift through various websites, such as Tumblr and Pinterest, for some more lovely photographs of the beautiful state. Meanwhile, give your ears some loving while listening to a wonderful album.

credit

credit

credit

credit

What state would you want to visit? Let me know below!

Today's Inspiration - Rosemaling

God dag everyone! (That's "Good day" in Norwegian)

I had mentioned in my previous post about how my recent viewing of Frozen led to some new inspiration. I want to go in depth in the traditional Norwegian art called rosemaling. 

1 : 2 : 3 : 4

A little background for you: Rosemaling is Norwegian for "rose painting" or "decorative painting," and the art-form is just that--traditional decorative paintings featuring roses and other flowers, as well as large "comma scrolls" and other types of filigree. There are various types of rosemaling, all named after the region of Norway from which it originated.

Probably my favorite variation is the Os rosemaling style. The following is a description of the Os style:

Typically backgrounds are white or red. Designs include geometric shapes such as cubes and squares, and architectural motifs such as churches or fine houses. Flowers, both symmetrical and asymmetrical are grouped on stems. Heavy line detail on leaves. Transparent, bright colors,and saw-toothed borders are used.

I love the bright colors and geometric shapes used for Os rosemaling, but in all honesty, it's hard to find examples of rosemaling that I don't like!

But how does this relate to Frozen? Well, other than the fact that the film takes place in a fictional kingdom in Norway, the traditional rosemaling form can be seen throughout the film! If you have yet to see it (and I really suggest you do!), watch how the snow and ice moves, especially when coming from Elsa.

I hope you've learned a little about rosemaling and the beauty of the traditional art. Do a quick search on the internet, and you'll find some gorgeous examples, even within a record-breaking Disney film! I'll leave you with two of my favorite concept art pieces from Frozen.

 If you have seen the latest Disney film, what did you think?