I’m a big fan of peeping in windows as I drive down streets to see how people live. What colors are the walls? What things do they surround themselves with?  Does it look like a happy place to live? You can tell a lot about a person by the respect they show for their living space.

It seems like everyone has that corner of a room or home, or yard that they just hate to walk by but get use to. I really think that exposing yourself to clutter and unhappy places in your house hinders creativity and well being. It’s just bad feng shui and “You don’t have to take it”!

People often say they want color in their life but are afraid to paint the walls, or buy large furniture in COLOR.  Why not  color your life happy?  I recently moved into a bigger creative space and designed myself a pretty cool pad. So I’m writing this to help you figure out how to decorate your happy place, starting with color!

Enter my coveted issue of Home and Garden April 2000.

How to use COLOR!! I got this issue when I was still in college, and I loved to look at the ideas and use of color in spaces and dream about how I would design my space, post dorm life.

I love this color story, very modern, clean, lively and crisp.

I have always insisted on having the coolest pad I can no matter where I live, or what my budget is. I want to love my space and feel at home in the warmest way.

How about a warm inviting elegant and sophisticated arrangement?

I Love the color red, and I have always been inspired by Ms. DianaVreeland’s “Red Room” It’s so “Moulin Rouge“!

Or how about a playful use of color?

Have you ever stopped to consider green?

Or get really crazy and go with pattern AND bold color!

Soft neutrals don’t HAVE to be boring…

So, think about what colors make you happy, go to Home Depot pick all your favorite colors no matter how dark, bold, or  acid and pretend you could do ANYTHING you want with them.  Once you’ve got a few color pallets laid out, come back here for the second part where I show you how I arrived at a happy place with my wicked cool newish art studio/living space.

There is nothing I hate more than being bored. Holiday traveling always means an excruciating amount of waiting in line, in terminals, in planes, utterly uninspired, to say the least. I’d way rather be painting in my studio, listening to Florence and the Machine. But you know, there is a way not to have to stare at the blank faces of dazed travelers and white walls of sanitarium terminals.

It’s true! it just takes a smidge amount of forethought and some key supply purchases. Check my set up on the tiny plane I took over the hills and through the woods to Grandma’s house…

I got my Florence and Snow Patrol fix with my beloved ipod, (for instant MOOD  just add Cherry Anger play list). The compact watercolor set by Windsor and Newton. My small lil cup o water disguised as a Noxzema 3.0 travel jar, and the best and largest brushes I can afford. Personally, I mostly paint with my Squirrel mop brush and a 12, 10, and 8 round as well as a 1″ flat. A rigger is good detail fun and tons of  paper towels by Viva fo sho.

See, since terminals rarely offer inspirational brain food I tend to keep boxes of swipes and tear sheets under my bed and stuffed in my sketchbook. A fist full of random images accompany me on most trips. I pull a lot from fashion magazines and photos I take around the city. It’s up to you to build your reference library. “Build it and they will come”… ideas I mean. What’s important is to keep the flow.

A very wise professor at SCAD once said “If you’re bored, you’re boring”. So true Cap’n, so true.

Check out this hot bustier and peplum skirt from the 2012 Garrott collection. It’s called “I a Dior You” and it’s a classic. Now available for wholesale and retail contact garrott@garrottdesigns.com for details.

I’d like to take a moment to feature one of the most influential, creative geniuses I know. Mr. Bob Pendarvis, is a friend and former professor of mine from the sequential department at the Savannah College of Art and Design. In fact, Bob founded the department and is the reason for the season. So I’d like to tell you about his Kickstarter project .

A GIRL CALLED ANA TEACHES KITTENS HOW TO DRAW, is meant to provide inspiration for the next generation of young sequential artists and storytellers. It is the first in a series of books aimed especially at young girls, but hopefully entertaining for readers of all ages, girls or boys. Each 8.5″ x 11″, hardcover, full color book has over 200 pages and tells the story of how ANA helps kittens realize that communicating with art is simpler than they’d suspected, yet much more complicated than they’d ever imagined.

And since I’m a bit of a girly girl, and love Bob’s idea, I urge you to support him by going to the Kickstarter page and donating even a 1/4 of your penny jar to this project. His goal to be able to produce a high quality, full color hardcover book and send copies to potential publishers and school libraries. The long term, ultimate goal would be to develop the ANA books into an animated tv series.

And Bob doesn’t stop there, he advocates women in sequential art by putting together SUGAR NINJAS! Which also touches the giddy little art girl with fat crayons, in me.  So please help out a genius who’s moving the girly art world forward.

P.S. you also get prizes with every level of donation so check out the plethora of artistic SCAD talent you could get your hands on.

The first look from the new Garrott collection is a hot little number called “Dominique Deco”. It’s bamboo viscose jersey with leather accents make this an easy breezy little rocking thing to wear just about anywhere. Check out the whole collection at garrottdesigns.com The store will be up soon, until then email us with order inquiry at garrott@garrottdesigns.com

Now available for whole sale and individual order. Inquire at garrott@garrottdesigns.com

It’s Halloween Garrott style! Failing to ever actually HAVE a Halloween costume at the ready, I managed to pull from my closet of Garrott couture.

My posts have been sparse for the last 2 months, and I am  so very sorry about that. You see, I was completely absorbed in the studio with the Garrott 2012 collection and multiple freelance projects.

Claudia Kiss, my muse and model at the hands of the brilliant photographer, Damian at SCIsquared ,made this season’s collection a truly “Garrott” conceptual vision for spring 2012. I want to thank them, it was a great shoot and a pleasure to work with you. I also cannot WAIT to show all ya’all the whole look. Seriously, it’s amazing and I am not just saying that cuz I designed it

Here is a little tease shot, for your pretty eyeballs!

More soon, stay tuned lovelies!

Yes, it’s true, nothing gets me more excited then Tuesday or Thursday night drawing sessions. Seriously, it has all my favorite things; wine, music, artsy people, and most importantly, costumed and/or nude people. If there were only so many “Drawing Clubs” as there are “Gentleman’s Clubs” I’d be all outta cash.

Here is a little “peep show” for you (look but don’t touch).

I’m no make-up heathen, in fact I don’t really know how to put it on. My mid-western mother never really showed me. Much to her credit though, she was freaking gorgeous anyway and didn’t really need it. I’d like to think the same of myself but honestly, I never attempted it because I don’t want to write a check my face can’t cash in the morning.

My “make-up” routine consists of Benefit Lip Stain and mascara. I hate the gooey feel of red lipstick though I LOVE, love, love, the vampy retro look with a smokey eye.

If I looked like that I’d probably die, but anyway, recently, some cat-eye notion has been creeping into the back of my mind. Leading to a committed purchase because of this Lucky magazine page.

And the recent death of miss authentilicious Amy Winehouse. Cuz she “is whut she is yo”! That said, what runs deep is true, so I HAD to try it!

Even my “girl crush” Angelina Jolie does it, so I guess it’s “a yes for me” Miss Osborne .

So I gotz my hands on some Revlon Liquid Liner only to make a damn mess of myself. Reminds me of the time my grandmother caught me in the closet with her make-up. Presumably, I said to her before she could scream “Don’t say nutzen”. There is a photo of me smeared with lipstick to prove it! No wonder I have resisted all these years, eh?

So anyway, girlfriends, if yall wanna come over here and teach me how to be a girl I’m all ears, lips, and eyes. Seriously, I need HELP!

So, it would seem Nickki at Wild as a Mink but Sweet as Soda Pop has been sleeping on the job. 30 looks in 30 weeks has tuckered out this poor fashionista. Wake up girl, it’s only look # 18! But you know, sleepy time style has it’s place too. I mean Bananas can’t go having all the sleepy time fun can they?

No sir! So Lil’ Miss Nickki has gone and thrown herself a little slumber party and who did she invite? Garrott Designs topped the list with 2 styles of sleepy time fabulosity. Check it yo!

Some times you’re just too tired and you need a comfy, cozy reliable old friend. The right t-shirt and soft pants are just the thing.

Well rested, it’s time for coffee with…

The Garrott “Without My Muse” tee!

Get yours here for only $20 you can stuff the shipping under your mattress for a rainy day!

Now that she’s feeling rested and spunky, Nickki’s got a sexy look for ya too. Who says a Tee shirt can’t be kitten in the bed room?

Pair that simple, comfy, arty tee with a sexy pair of animal print shorty shorts, a silky wrap and you’re back in “business”.

So weather your too damn tired to give a corn, or just checking in early for fun, get your Garrott on!

Show us your sleepy style, be it comfy, cool, sweet or sexy  and we’ll post it on our blogs. Sweet dreams ladies!