Here are some of the people, places and things that inspire and make me happy:
Artists
Teesha Moore I came across Teesha years and years ago, when I had a deep obession with everything Seattle/Pacific Northwest. Do your teeth ever hurt from looking at someone's amazing work? Mine do, every single stinkin' time I look at Teesha's blog. One of these years I WILL go to Artfest, damnit!
Thereza Rowe/Tiny Red Design
I've been following Thereza's blog for close to a year now. If I am having a bad day - this is an instant shot of sunshine right in the veins. Her tiny neighborhood books (all sold now) are my all time fave, but I love her sneaky little foxes too.
Kelly Rae Roberts
I can't remember where/how I stumbled upon Kelly and her beautiful work, but I've been reading her blog for awhile now, and just love her style - from the girls she paints, the the house she renovated and the way she paints her life through her blog. Go check her out and see if you like her too!
Scrapbooking/Story Tellers
I started following Ali when I picked up the scrapbooking bug years (6ish, maybe) ago. She has great style, and I love how she captures everyday, simple moments. I have also loved watching her children grow up through the blog.
Elaine tells stories about her family, her girls and the ups and downs of her beautiful California life. I don't know her in real life, but wouldn't pass up the chance to drink a beer with her one day. Oh, one more thing - she has chickens! How cool is that?!
Photographers
Karen lives in the NW, and while I have a not-so-secret love for that part of the world, I heart Karen for her work and not for her location. She takes great pictures. She takes a lot of photos of her family and tells great stories through the eye of her lens and on her blog. I also think she's a pretty cool mom.
I was introduced to Erin's blog (and work) through Karen Russell. It seems that they are admirers of one another, which is really cool because now that I know of both women, I can see what they appreciate in the other. Erin lives just one state over from me, in beautiful Alabama, and her family and photos are beautiful.
Food
Can you say obsession? I love this blog. I've made so many of the recipes, and all of them are delicious. Seriously. Her pizza dough recipe alone is worth a few minutes on her site. It's now our family's go to. My niece paid it the highest honor just a few weeks ago. We had pizza for dinner and then she went to a party at a friend's night, where they had some pizza from a popular chain pizza joint. She came home and said that pizza was just gross compared to the homemade stuff. I agree. There's lots more to Annie than just pizza though, so go see for yourself.
Design Inspiration
Design Sponge
I hit this site a couple of times a week. It's not just about decor - there's a good mix of other things (artists, food, books) thrown in for fun.
Natty Michelle
I hit this site a couple of times a week. It's not just about decor - there's a good mix of other things (artists, food, books) thrown in for fun.
Natty Michelle
I debated where to put this link, but ultimately I left it under design, even though it should really be more about style. Natalie (Natty) is an ex-coworker of mine, and I think she has an amazing eye for beautiful things. She gathers beautiful imagery from around the web, but no matter where in the world the photo might have come from, there's always a hint of classic, southern charm in her finds. She also paints!