Art Journals with Anne from Merging Threads

Happy Sunday, guys! I teamed up with Anne from Merging Threads to share an inside peek of our art journals. Anne is so creative and all her posts are so well organized! It kinda blows my mind how she manages to make every post so cute and interesting. Not to mention her Instagram feed is incredible. Yeah, I'm a little jealous. 

We both enjoy adding cute quotes, doodles and fun pictures in our journals! I saw one of her post of a journal page on Instagram and immediately wanted to do this collaboration. 

Don't forget to check out Anne's post here. She shares here journal and gives you some great tips on starting your own art journal! Also, today is her sixteenth birthday so go give her some love on Instagram or her blog! 

Alright, let's get into it. I hope you enjoy!

One of my favorite things to do is to add a journal entry after reading a book I really enjoyed. I'll write down quotes as I read and then add some sort of visual after I finish.

I like drawing flowers. (Fun Fact: All my succulents are named after book characters. This is Charlie in honor of Perks of Being a Wallflower.)

I like drawing flowers a lot.

Okay, I probably like drawing flowers a little too much.

I'm a proclaimed dog person and allergic to cats, but they're still fun to draw every now and then. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

This is a little ironic considering, if I can help it, I always sleep right through the morning. It's a morale issue. I'm working on it.

I snagged this picture of JFK from one of my Pinterest boards. I wouldn't have minded sailing with him.

Audrey, what an absolute QUEEN.

I just got my first set of watercolors. I'm diggin them big time. Oh and look more flowers.

You might remember this little doodle from my 4th of July post.

I made a mistake on the numbers. Don't look too closely, let's pretend it didn't happen. Okay, thanks.

You thought Houston actually might not be in one of my blog posts. Nope here he is, I wouldn't leave him out.

How to Create Your Own Social Media Icons in Any Color

When I was designing my blog I remember it was extremely difficult to find a set of social media icons I liked that blended well with my theme. There were some great blogs that offer free icons but they often didn't have the sites or specific color I was looking for. I was a little bummed because I didn't have editing software like Photoshop to make my own or the money to buy a custom set on Etsy. However, after using PicMonkey for a while, I realized I could actually create my own customized icons. I'm going to share how to do that. Don't you worry, it's actually super easy and completely free.

1. Click on a link below to open the white PNG (portable network graphic) for the social media icon you would like to create. If you're not a big fan of the icons I have listed, you can google "white (insert social media of your choice) PNG icon".

White social media icon PNGs:

Pinterest // Instagram // YouTube // Facebook // Twitter // Snapchat // Spotify // Google Plus // Bloglovin // Tumblr // Vine // RSS Feed // E-Mail // Etsy

2. Right click the PNG and save it to your desktop. I like to save all mine into a file to keep them better organized but you do whatever floats your boat.

3. Open the online editor PicMonkey and then select design.

4. Click on custom and enter the dimensions 500 for the width and height.

5. Once in the editor click on overlay (the butterfly icon). Then find the geometric section and select whatever shape you want. Express yourself. Live free. 

6. Now, change the color of your shape to match your website. You can choose a preset color or some thing more specif using a hex color code ( i.e. ff6698).

7. At the top of the overlay section, find the button reading "Your own". By clicking the button you'll be able to upload the PNG icon you saved earlier. 

8. Resize the icon and move it around till your happy with the finished product. 

9. Once your happy with everything click "Save" at the top left hand corner. Rename your file and save to your computer. Congrats, you did it! 

If you need any help at all, leave a comment and I'll get back to you! Also if you'd like to see more design tutorials, let me know and give suggestions!

Independence Day Weekend

S A T U R D A Y  ,  J U L Y   2 N D

See post on Instagram.

I've neglected doing anything in my art journal for too long so I decided to do an entry every day. So far, so good!

Forever21: Dress (similar)

The majority of the afternoon was spent with my mom's side of the family. We played board games, ate too many brownies and drank blue holiday themed Kool-aid.

S U N D A Y  ,  J U L Y   3 R D

By coincidence my older sister and I wore white and blue dresses so naturally, we made my younger sister wear red. Go USA. 

We were actually slightly late for church, so we had to walk in front of everyone in our patriotic church outfits which was a little embarrassing. 

We attempted to take some cute pictures with our pup and you can see how well that went. He was not in the American spirit to say the least. 

We ate lunch at McAlister's and as always I got the Sweet Chipotle Chicken. You should give it a shot. It's good stuff. 

M O N D A Y  ,  J U L Y   4 T H

See my 4th of July post over on the Instagram.

We spent the holiday with my Dad's family visiting and eating sandwiches. It rained on and off all day but it was still a fun day of family and food.

My shorts are from Forever 21, but I mean they're pretty basic so you can find some blue jean shorts just about any place. 

Forever21: Shorts (similar) 

Gap: Top (similar here or maybe this one)

Good old high-tops, well worn and well loved.

I had a cupcake. It was a good cupcake. I enjoyed the cupcake. Freedom tastes sweet.

I know with the upcoming election and different economic and social issues, it can feel like our country is headed in the wrong direction but America still has an unimaginable amount of good going on for it. I am beyond blessed to be a part of a country where change, growth, freedom, liberty, individuality and love are ideals that are strongly established and celebrated. I'm so thankful for the courageous individuals who built our nation from the ground up and for those who continue fighting to insure the right of freedom.

Thanks for reading! How did you spend your long weekend of freedom? Let me know in the comments!

I Like This Stuff: July Playlist

I should probably put a little more thought into the songs I throw on my monthly playlists because they never end up cohesive. I just add whatever I've listened to most or recently discovered songs. As a result, Vampire Weekend ends up hanging out with Adele and the Eagles.

We all have those songs we'd be a little embarrassed if people found out we had on our phone but we love them nonetheless. Honestly, Hair and You're Such A fall into that category, but I do love them, so here they are on my July playlist. They're catchy, okay. 

But, hey don't judge me too quick. I like some "cool trendy" stuff too. I've been loving The 1975's Somebody Else and She's American. I can absolutely jam to Twenty One Pilot's Ride.

You know me, I had to throw in some of my old favorites like Telephone Line by Electric Light Orchestra and Heartache Tonight by the Eagles.

Well, that's a wrap. I'll see you again next month with 20 more tunes.

If you just can't wait, you can check out more of my favorite music over here.

Let me know in the comments:

What's your top song from July? 

What's a song you love even though it's embarrassing?