Sisterly Love

Here is a sketch I did for the sisters of Sigma Kappa for their recruitment t-shirts!

I don't understand the Parisians

Did anyone recognize that song lyric from "Gigi"? Probably not... anyway, I did these for a client hoping to capture the style of paris and its beautiful women!

Fro-yo and Fedoras... a report on San Francisco living

Good morning! its been a whirlwind of a month for me. From New York to San Francisco, I've seen it all. I just got back from a wonderful trip out west last night and am feeling like I had one too many frozen yogurts, way too many glasses of wine, am sun burnt and exhausted and am not entirely sure what time it is. But it was all worth it to get to live the life of a easy breezy west coaster for a few days.

Really... before this trip I had this stereotype in my head that San Franciscians (and all Californians) were vegan pilates instructors. Not true. They're eating frozen yogurt topped with whole brownies. Huge quantities of it. The east coast still has a very conservative, old school method of dolling out fro-yo. Small, medium or large are our only options as far as I can tell. But out west, they've become much more liberal about their portion sizes. They give you what would probably be considered an extra large cup by east coast standards and let you crank out your own yogurt - as much as you could possibly want and then weigh the cup to decide your fee. It was positively empowering.

But as this is not a blog about fro-y0 (although I probably should think about starting one), I will return to the main issue. The heart of San Francisco style seems to me to be the fedora. I mean yes, fedoras are everywhere right now but no one is owning it quite as legitimately as the San Franites. I must have tried on 60 fedoras over the course of the last five days but none looked quite right. I really looked more like kid rock than a cool hipster no matter what shape or size I tried. I guess you just have to live there to really understand how this lid works. I definitely have not mastered wearing it, so for now I'm working on drawing it.

Man Chic

Hello. I have just returned from New York and am going through the standard 48 hour withdrawal from the insanity of how much beauty and unpleasant dirtiness are coexisting together in such a confined space. I always have such mixed feelings about returning to DC after visiting NYC. I am at first awash with relief to see the soft colors of the monuments against the much larger bluer sky and the grass and trees and virginia license plates but then I catch a glimpse of the serious men and women of Washington for whom personal style and fashion sense is so very secondary and start to miss New York. One of my favorite things about New York women is their ability to dress like men but still look so fabulous and feminine. (Something that I, as a Washington frump, have not yet conquered).


This sketch was inspired by a photograph on my current favorite blog written by garance dore. I don't know if it was taken in NYC or some other chic city, but it reminded me of all the women I saw over the weekend that I wished I could emulate (but know better than to try to as I would definitely look like Woody Allen in this outfit)

Custom Stationery for Stylist Safina Khimani

This is a custom illustration I just finished for a Toronto-based Style Coach, Safina Khimani. Safina plans to use this illustration on her thank you stationery to follow up with her clients.

Spring Shopping Ambush

Hello! I hope everyone enjoyed the summery weekend as much as I did! This sketch reminds me of all the wonderful light weight clothes we are finally unearthing now that the temperature is on the rise. And also for some reason it reminds me how much I need to buy a see-through floral printed blouse immediately. But... sadly I must bide my time this week and not buy anything as I am still recovering from an epic shopping trip which blindsided me on Friday afternoon. I really had no idea it was coming, it completely surprise attacked me and all of the sudden I was walking out of Bloomingdale with "large brown bags" (none of which containing a floral tunic).

But all is not lost, the Friday afternoon ambush did introduce me to my new love interest - the clutch by Rebecca Minkoff. Apparently this bag has been around for a while as it is listed under the "classics" on Rebecca's website, but to me it was so new and miraculous that I almost passed out when I tried it on. Best part - it comes with a detachable seatbelt. (long chain that can be worn across your chest). I wore my new seatbelt purse so much this past weekend that I have a neck bruise from the chain. That is dedication. Please stay tuned for a loving portrait of my new clutch to be posted in the next few days.