* Deal of the Week! *

Fate has brought me together with a pair of shoes.

I was in Target (of course) browsing the clearance section in the shoes department when this shiny red pair of heels caught my eye. They were the only one of their kind. Could it be? YES. A size 8. They fit great, and were extremely comfortable.

Now, on to the big question...how much? Is that right? $5.47? No way. It must be a mistake – ONLY 6 DOLLARS!!!!

I love a good deal, but an unexpected ridiculous deal like this must be celebrated! Take a look at these lovelies...

hell yes.

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* Outfitted *

I bought a silky black tunic for $8 at Khols last week and was trying to figure out how best to wear it. It wasn't quite long enough to wear as a dress by itself, and a little too long to wear as an untucked shirt.

I started layering skirts under and over it for different looks, and it turned out to be a very versatile piece. Here are just a few of the ways I remixed the tunic from fancy to casual.

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* Sunday Sketch to Final Product *

This is the sketch and final product of my online portfolio website mariatorti.com. I went through a few ideas of how it would look, but I knew I wanted to base it around the four colors I used in my identity and business cards for mtdesigns.

I kept it all pretty simple, so I could upload it quickly, and designed this blog to go with the same theme. I would like to re-design it all eventually, but probably not until next year.

* Sketch *

* Final Product *

(You can visit my website here.)

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* Fruident *

I don't know many people who can say they love their dentist, and I'm not sure I can say it either. However, my dentist is making it easy for me to like him a lot. Exhibit A being this adorable vintage postcard he used as my appointment reminder.

My past dentists would usually send a generic postcard with an illustrated tooth exclaiming that it's time I get my teeth cleaned. (Personally, I find anthropomorphic teeth frightening.)

I am thoroughly impressed with my new dentist's approach, and even though the illustration itself is slightly creepy, I appreciate the intent behind the gesture. Kudos to Dr. Temple for using graphic design for the greater good.

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* Inspired: Invitation Book Design *

I found the video below in a wonderful post on Style Me Pretty. Sara Giessen is a designer/stylist who handmade these unique destination wedding invitations in a bound book.

I included the a few images and the adorable video that went along with it. You can read more on the post here.

(images and video from Style Me Pretty)

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* Outfitted *

This outfit was inspired by the Emma's style post I did Collar Me Gleeful. It is not something she would wear all together, but the neckline of the shirt is similar to something she would wear. I also think she had this exact cardigan in one of the episodes. I dressed it down with jeans.

Shirt, jeans, necklace, watch, bracelet all from Target (big surprise!) and all under $25 each. $10 cardigan on sale at The Limited. $30 shoes on clearance at Famous Footwear. I love a good deal almost as much as the clothes themselves.

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* Sunday Sketch to Final Product *

This sketch and design I created for my writer friend's blog Twenty Somethings. Her blog is a raw and honest look at the messiness of life through writing. I played with a couple ideas, but ended up going with a background of a messy desk with tea and lots of crumpled paper. I shot all the images myself to make this design more personal and unique for my friend.

* Sketch *

* Final Product *

(You can visit her blog here.)

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* Collar Me Gleeful *

I have become a recent fan of Glee (a little behind the times, I know). There are a lot of things that keep me coming back to the show, primarily being hot for teacher Will Schuester.

However, I was watching season 1 episode 3 and what caught my attention was the intricate collar of Emma's blue sweater. I started paying more attention to her outfits and have fallen in love. She always has this sophisticated and conservative yet quirky style. I can't get over the the different collar treatments she has. My favorite is the owl sweater clip. Why have my eyes not been open to this before? So cute!

Here are some screenshots from different Emma outfits.

(All images from google images and this blog dedicated to all Emma's styles)

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* Outfitted *

One of the recurring trends in the fall collections is over-the-knee socks. I wanted to see if I could design an outfit using the trend without looking like a little girl. First off, the biggest problem is keeping the socks up where they belong (this is why they invented pantyhose and garter belts!).

I received these blue lace over-the-knee trouser socks when I was probably 12, from my late auntie Louise. They are really thin, and fall down almost immediately without help. I decided to use a plain pair of cream over-the-knee socks to act as a base. The cream socks are tighter to the leg, so they stay up easier. You can't even tell that there are two socks. ta-da!

The rest of the outfit I wanted to keep plain. The belt adds a little interest and gives some shape to the waist. I felt pretty comfortable in it, and only had to hike up my socks a couple of times. I approve of this trend. However, it could very easily go very wrong.

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* Home Mash-ups *

Anyone that knows me, knows I love Target. It was a love that began several years ago when I realized the convenience and quality of the shopping experience there. Target and I have our issues, including their ever-increasing pricing as their clothing choices get hipper. But, I still love it there.

Online window shopping at target.com is a great pastime for me when I get sad about living in a house that does not belong to me. I fantasize about having tons of money and buying all the pretty home goods I could ever want. I already know my future home will be totally awesome! In the meantime, I put together some mash-ups of possible bedroom ideas. As you can see, I love green and brown (I will do another post about that later). Enjoy!

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(all images originally from target.com)

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* Sunday Sketch to Final Product *

Before I start any project, I always sketch my ideas out in my many sketchbooks. I wanted to create a weekly post every Sunday with a new example of my sketch to final product.

This week is of a T-shirt I designed a few years back for my friends' band Tuesday Night Squabble. Because there are so many different musicians that perform with Tuesday Night Squabble, I wanted to capture them all in a group shot. I wanted to turn each musician into a cartoon to make it more unique than just a group photo.

* Sketch *

* Final Artwork *

* T-shirt Mockup *

* Final Product *

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* Typestaches *

I have never really been into the weird mustache trend that has popped up in the hipster world, but I have to say this poster of "typestaches" is pretty great.

(image from here)

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* DIY hat rack makeover *

I went to this fabulous antique barn last weekend and picked up this old hat rack for $6. It was a little shaky, and covered in dirt. So, I decided to take it home and fix it up and paint it a nice fresh color.

I bought a little paint tester (I am so happy they have these now) in a pretty light green called "sultana". I barely used 1/8 of the bottle to apply 2 coats. I'm really happy with how it came out. The color is much brighter in real life.

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* Applecrest Farm *

There is an ongoing festival at Applecrest Farm for Labor Day weekend. It is the most beautiful, sprawling farm in Hampton Falls, NH. Hurricane Earl left us with a gorgeous day today, so we decided to make the most of it.

First off, there was a petting zoo. Which, in and of itself, is probably the most entertaining thing in the world. If not for the hilarious farm animals who are slobbering hands for grain and grass, then for the adorable kids who are at once mesmerized by and scared to death of the animals.

My favorite part was watching a baby goat practically knock its momma down as it forcefully tried to get some milk.

And, also this young boy who got cornered in by all the sheep.

They also had some bluegrass music and tons of fresh food. I ate half a burger and half a sausage sandwich. The best of both worlds.

Could not have asked for a better day.

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* Color Combinations *

As I mentioned below, I wanted to try some other color combinations that work well with the teal I love. These are what I came up with. It's fun to keep thinking of more colors that go. You can use these color combinations when choosing colors for print, clothes, accessories, or even home decorating.

When I'm deciding on what colors to use in any of my projects, I usually do a test like this until I find a good palette to work with. It's not surprising that the accent colors go well together too. It'd be interesting to choose 4 or 5 of the colors to create an even larger palette for a more complex project.

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* Design by Inspiration: Colors *

I LOVE this color teal, and wanted to do a project with it. I'll definitely use it more elsewhere, but for now, I just used it in a fictional logo.

(images from style.com)

The yellow accent was the first thing that came to mind, but it would be interesting to use it with a different color accent. I will try a post of different color combinations with the teal.

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