Oscars 2016

Did you watch? 

It's a night I look forward to every year. I'm always on the edge of my seat to see who's wearing what.   The cute couple moments on the carpet, the awkward acceptance speeches, the instant updates on instagram - it's a night that makes me stay attune to all social channels, a night where DVR serves us no purpose because the show inevitably goes two hours longer than expected. 

Major Red Carpet Highlights:

Seeing Leo & Kate pose together. My Titanic-loving heart completely exploded. Best Ensemble Cast? Jacob Tremblay & Co. How adorable is he and how perfect is his family? I'm rooting for a Tremblay reality show. 

Who Wore What:

I was a bit surprised by Alicia Vikander's bold, bubble-hemmed yellow dress. She looked youthful and like a true princess in custom Louis Vuitton, though it wouldn't have been my first choice (I couldn't agree more with the major Disney vibes from this post). I actually preferred her sleek black sequined dress for the afterparties... work that Oscar, girl. 

Though she's often in the background, I was smitten with Eddie Redmayne's precious pregnant wife's black number with gold details. 

On the mom-to-be note, I can't get enough of Chrissy Teigen's pregnancy style. She's making the bump the best new accessory. She looked ravishing in a red lace Marchesa gown and a perfectly messy braid (see a better angle of the hair here). 

I've had a longtime girl crush on Margot Robbie that dates back to when Pan Am was on the air. It was a short-lived show, but she caught my attention then and I've been tuned in to what she's doing ever since. She stunned in black last year, but it was a breath-taking gold sequined dress by Tom Ford that stole the show this year. 

And then there were the girls in green, Saoirse Ronan and Rachel McAdams. Both looked stunning in this deep jewel tone with perfect hair to complete the look (also, thanks to @shawnjohnson for this post).

Best Dressed:

Yes, JLaw looked stunning in her black lace Dior (I love that it was so different from everything she's worn this season), and Olivia Munn was sleek and stunning in Stella McCartney, BUT it comes down to two. Two that made my jaw drop. Two that I literally said, "oh wow" to when I saw the photos. Sleek, simple, effortless and completely flawless in every way. 

Charlize Theron returns to the red carpet in red Dior, slaying it every step of the way. Red done right. 

Lady Gaga stuns in a pant suit (is that what we're calling it?) by Brandon Maxwell. I mean... the head-to-toe look is perfection.

Top Trends:

The hair: if it wasn't a braid (like Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Wilde, Anne Hathaway at the Vanity Fair after party) then it was loose and unkempt (Margot Robbie - seriously, how stunning is she? Naomi Watts, Alicia Vikander, Saoirse Ronan all worked the look). Others went sleek and straight with a fresh blowout like JLaw and Reese Witherspoon, or a really tight bun (Rooney Mara, Charlize Theron, Rachel McAdams all sported this one).

The dresses: at the afterparties, plunging necklines and a high split seemed to be the trend of the night (Taylor Swift, Rachel McAdams dress #2, Jessica Alba. And SEQUINS. A plethora of sequins as seen on many of the lovely ladies listed above (even Chrisy Teigen opted for a black sequined dress to end the night).

We'll end with this because Justin & Jessica are everything. And this...

Who were your best dressed? What were your favorite moments?

This is Joy

I'm ending with the single nominated movie I have seen, and it was a good one. Ok, correction, the movie itself isn't nominated for Best Picture, but JLaw is a safe bet for the Best Actress category for her role as Joy Mangano in Joy.


Here's what I know:

It's based on the true story of Joy Mangano, a self-made millionaire and entrepreneur. Have you heard of the Miracle Mop? Yea, she made that. She designed it, created it, sold it, etc. Her story is truly incredible making the movie truly weird in a good way. It's one of those quirky movies that makes you laugh when you feel like you should be crying - you get the gist. I thought it was inspiring and would highly recommend it. In the end, nothing comes easy and hard work pays off.

AND, you know those skinny little black velvet hangers that are everything? She made those, too. Huggable Hangers will change your life if you're not already a user. They can (fortunately and unfortunately) double your closet space because they're so slim. The best part is your clothes don't slip off - the velvet holds everything in place.

Watch the movie trailer here  || Shop all of Joy's products here

shirt: J.Crew  |  skirt: J.Crew  |  shoes: J.Crew

Be sure to follow along Sunday for live illustrating from yours truly! 

This is The Martian

A comedy? A drama? Sci-fi? Nobody seems to know... this is The Martian.


Here's what I know:

Not much, honestly. I know Matt Damon is in it. He gets stranded on Mars, and the big mystery is "will he make it home?" Not having seen it, I'm not sure if he makes it home or not. Adding this one to my must-watch list.

Watch the movie trailer here

What I do know is this girl is like, this martian helmut is going to mess up my hair...

coat: Moncler  |  boots: Stuart Weitzman

This is Brooklyn

Again, I haven't seen this one either. However, this is Brooklyn.


Here's what I know:

It's about a young girl that immigrates to Brooklyn, NY. My guess is that she falls in love with an American, and the rest is history! It's one of those Sundance movies, so I'm adding it to my list thought those usually aren't my cup of tea. I'll report back when I've seen it.

Watch the movie trailer here.

This is The Big Short

Ok, so this is one I actually haven't seen but definitely want to. Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling in the same movie? Count me in... this is The Big Short.


Here's what I know:

It's about money, finance, the housing crash, etc. etc. It's actually one I want to see, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Watch the movie trailer here.

On another note, this is actually a custom illustration I did for an accounting client. I think it turned out so cute - crunching numbers never looked so comfortably chic.

This is The Revenant

Guess what this week is?

O S C A R   W E E K

One of my favorite parts of the Academy Awards is when they briefly describe a nominated film followed by a clip of it. It's always so awkward, but they always end with "this is....(insert movie title here)" 

So, in honor of Sunday's awards, let me help you break down the movies you might have missed. Let's start with The Revenant.


Here's what I know:

Leo is in it and he's a shoo-in for Best Actor (finally, he'll win his very first Oscar). There's a scene where he fights a bear, a scene where he eats a live fish, it looks like he's on a horse at one point and they go off a massive cliff. I don't know. The whole thing looks above my head, but the cinematography is on point. Truth time, though, I haven't actually seen it. I was saving this one for Netflix.

Watch the movie trailer here.

Here's my take on it. A chic jumpsuit with a grizzly bear hat....

jumpsuit: ASOS  |  hat: Amazon

Draper James

When Reese Witherspoon announced her first brick & mortar store in (my and) her hometown of Nashville, this town turned upside down in excitement. Draper James is southern to its core with playful patterns, bright punches of color, simple silhouettes - and that's just the clothes. The store itself is truly a sight to see. I would move in at the drop of a hat. It's beautiful, light & airy but also homey. If you're ever in the area, you must stop by for a visit (take a photo tour of the store here). They just opened a Sprinkles next-door, so grab a cupcake on your way out! 

I am majorly crushing on this print that Draper James posted it on instagram. It's a sign that spring is near! It's available in a romper, a blouse, and a skirt. Dare I say it, I think the romper is such a great (and somewhat unexpected) choice for a summer wedding. 

romper: Draper James  |  earrings: Draper James

[ shop all Draper James here ] 

Brittany Fuson x Monkee's

I recently had the privilege of working with the Monkee's team to develop images to commemorate their 20th anniversary. Twenty years in the retail business is quite the feat, especially in this day and age. Congrats to the Monkee's franchise!

It was a pleasure of working with them on these illustrations. They even created a book to celebrate the occasion and guess who the cover girl is? 

And now the illustrations... we created the artwork in layers giving them the flexibility to add or remove the store-front background. 

Yael

Fashion Week is here (or has been here for a few days) and it's flying by. I haven't even had a chance to pour over the images from the latest collections to pick out my favorite emerging trends. Stay tuned... hopefully I'll find time over the next week to see what's going to be huge for Fall 2016. 

In the meantime, I teamed up with blogger Yael Steren to showcase her first look of NYFW. 

[ prints available here ]

Swiftly

If Taylor Swift didn't kill it last night at the Grammy's.....

I mean....

A crop top and basically no pants? Somehow, she made it work and made it look easy. 

[ prints available here ]

Happy Valentine's Day

xoxo

dress: RED Valentino  |  shoes: Via Spiga

Custom Cookbook Cover

Talk about a true vintage piece, this illustration is from several years ago. It was for a friend who was throwing together her favorite recipes as a gift for her family & friends. I was happy to receive one of their custom cookbooks, and now it serves as a resource and a commemorative piece. 

Lotus

Feels like a good day for some quiet time and a little yoga...

Don't forget to take advantage of the PRINT SALE - 

only a couple days left to get them at half price. 

Katie LaFrance

A custom illustration for a young tennis pro, Katie LaFrance. 

That hair though... 

Toral

I could not love this illustration more! It was a last minute decision to include the dog, their King Leo, and he totally makes the illustration if you ask me. 

Book Club: February

I go through phases where I'll read ten books in a row and then won't pick up another one for months. I think it's good for the brain, and there are so many books I want to read. So, I'm enlisting you to hold me accountable by starting a book club. Yay! Who's with me?

I'm starting with a book I've had on my nightstand for about 6 months, Z. I'll admit that while I'm usually a quick reader, I started this one in January and still haven't gotten very far (taxes have gotten in the way). Join me as we read it over the next month! My goal is to finish by the end of February before picking up another book.

Comment below with suggestions on what I should read next. I'd love your feedback! Also, here's what else is on my nightstand - great reads for the month of February...

Go Red for Women

It's National Wear Red Day, so throw on a pop of red to show your support for this amazing cause. Learn more about Go Red for Women here.

I saw this dress on one of my favorite boutique owners turned bloggers, @briconley. The dress is available at her store, @no14boutique but I've linked similar red options below. 

similar dress: Boutique Moschino  |  shoes: Ivanka Trump

Shop some of my favorite little red dresses below:

Sweet Red

February 1st - 14th mark the 14 days where I'm in love with the color combo of red & pink. I'm not a fan of it any other time of year, but for some reason it's perfect right now. Not to mention, how perfect is this Monique Lhuillier color blocked dress? D I E

dress: Monique Lhuillier via Rent the Runway


In other news, I need your help! It's time for the new collection, and I'm trying to pick which one of these should be the new brunette pregnant lady having a girl. What are your thoughts? Comment below with your favorite. I can't decide if the balloons make it look like birthday, and the flowers kind of take away from the bump. Help me decide!

Giambattista Valli Couture Spring '16

With NYFW just around the corner, it's time to kick off the most fashionable month with a preview of the Couture shows. Giambattista Valli is always drool-worthy... floral details, flowy silhouettes, and feminine embellishments - it's going to be a girly spring! 

see the look here

look 1  |  look 2  |  look 3

[ see the full collection here ]

2015 Planner Reject

You might recognize the background of this illustration as it was included in the 2015 Planner. However, the girl was replaced by a much more fashionable version making her the perfect pick for February. 

[ shop the 2016 planner here - limited quantities available ]

February

The first day of the month always feels like a fresh start....

Happy February! 

similar dress here and here