collection: inspiration

for the past little while i have been completely in love with blacks and whites with a hint of color. and the color of my choice has been yellow and orange. my bedroom has gray and white all over it with some yellow splashes while my living room is black, white and brown with orange.

i found all of these pictures on tumblr and decided that i had to make a collection of things that i find beautiful and things that inspire me.


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On The Road...

Everyone has been so encouraging of the mobile business we're working so diligently on and while it's far from an original endeavor already, we're just as thrilled to be stepping in the right direction of our dreams. This post is scheduled to go up Friday morning while we are on a mini-roadtrip! Mike and I have been given the opportunity to look at several different campers today so we're hopping in the car, driving a few hours north and poking around for a bit! Woohoo! We originally had one picked out and were going to go ahead with renovations, but a few more presented themselves (through the same family) so we want to make sure to pick the *one* and chart out the interior with them in person. I thought I'd share some of the cutest mobile businesses around since y'all linked to me to sooo many! I'll be the first to say that each and every one of them has inspired us in some way. Mostly just to get our business up and going, but I'll explain that more in each paragraph!

Up first is Punky of Haberdash Vintage!

Haberdash Vintage: Punky (Amy) was among the first (or the first, I think!) to have a mobile vintage shop and since I remember being friends with her back in the MySpace/StyleMob days, I was eagerly following along. Something about it just seemed so surreal and fun, but totally unreachable for me. I loved following her blog and seeing her get involved with Swap while doing her clothing swaps, etc. Her blog isn't just an inspiration for her business, but also just her totally (what seems to be) a jam-packed schedule full of events. Her shiny lil 'dash is very different from everyone else's pastel paint jobs and I just love that! I love how she utilized the inside of her door as a chalkboard and I love the grated mesh type stuff that she hangs her shoe heels on! The Haberdash is the original folks! Take a good look at this sweet lil' beauty! (She inspired us to pick up an astroturf rug to go our front! I can't wait to get it all set up!)

Wanderlust Mobile Shop: This is the one I just can't get enough of! Oh my stars! I have Vanessa and Dan's blog pulled up in a permanent tab on my computer. I just can't help it. I think it's the combined fact that 1.) They are SO adorable, 2.) They make me hopeful for what me and Mike might be like and 3.) Vanessa has been such a doll emailing back and forth with me giving me helpful tips to make the shop a success! The pastel mint and yellow, her pretty pretty hair and dresses, and the just "homey" feel of their little Cardinal makes me swoon! I wish I could travel to Portland right now and just hang out with them! They are the cutest ever! I die. Like, I want to be BFF with them SO.BAD. (And we're totally taking a cue from their little outdoor sign! How sweet is that?!)

Mimsy's Trailer Trash Tattoo: While this is not a mobile retail shop, it is a mobile tattoo shop! How fun! I love the styling of the outside and I am head over heels in love with her tattooing style. A few people linked me to her in the comments of my original post and I remembered having seen some pictures on Tumblr a while back. It wasn't until then that I took the time to investigate but I'm so glad I did! I feel like it's such an awesome business plan! Just wish it wasn't so far away! The look of her caravan is probably my absolute favorite!

Trish Hunter Finds: Another long throw from Nashville is Trish Hunter Finds from Australia! I can honestly say that the clean and sleek modern interior, without a doubt, has inspired me for our shop. She and her dad renovated the interior together! I am in love with the custom built-ins that they installs and how bright everything is! Shopping in there would be such a treat! (She totally inspired me to try and find a cute little mini picket fence! I don't know if we will or not, but how cute would that be?!)

 

Oh So Lovely Vintage: I'm not sure how I didn't know about them sooner considering how small the internet makes the world but holy moly cute! About 45 of y'all linked me this way in the original post and I about keeled over and died. The fact that I want peach (small) scallops in the paint job on our camper kind of terrified me once I opened their page (because we all know someone just wants to shout "You're a copycat!" to any/everyone at any chance they get), but honestly I don't think I could ever pull off a shop so darling! I had a mini freak out and wanted to scrap the whole idea but decided to just roll with the cute! The girls are the cutest (I love that it's a BFF team, since the 'bean part of honeybean is in reference to a certain special someone [wink wink] and that kind of partnership is so inspiring) and the interior is insane! They seem to have the best hand-picked collection that I've seen so far and just skimming through their blog has been a delight. (I think) they are a kind-of-still up-and-coming mobile shop so to see how freakin' adorable they are already totally inspires me to push forward (and to utilize space any and everywhere... like the pegboard door! Holy smart!) 

Hill Vintage: More absolute cuteness! Erica of Hill Vintage left a comment linking me over to their Facebook page and offered up loads of advice via email if I wanted and I think anyone willing to share their tried-and-true business successes (and failures) with a total rookie like myself is AMAZING! I haven't taken her up on her offer just yet (Erica - I totally have the email half written! But I know I'll have a million questions after this trip today! Eeeep!) but I always find myself flipping through their Facebook pictures. I love love love the kind of "found" feeling of their business cards with stickers on them. I've always thought approaches like that were super freakin' cool and the fact that it totally goes with their recycled clothing is such a great business idea! (And the melted record bowls?! SWOOON-CITY Y'ALL!) Their little trailer warming party has totally inspired me to maybe try and plan one of our own before too long!

These are just a few of the ones y'all linked me to in my original post and the ones I've found the most inspiration from. I'll never try to take credit for the idea because obviously it has been a long-standing one, but I can't wait to use our original design + the inspirations of all these fantastic businesses to build the perfect little 'bean. Gotta give credit where credit is due, y'all, and these are the cream of the crop!

Do you know of any other amazing mobile businesses that deserve some time in the spotlight?! Feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me an email!

Hopefully we'll come home today with some good news! xo

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Sunday Spotlight - Illustrator: Erin Wengrovius

I'm kind of really excited to share this week's spotlight as it's showcasing one very talented lady that I've had the pleasure of working with at BUST Magazine. I was first in contact with Erin about two-and-one-half years ago as I was inquiring about an internship in the art department of BUST. It was my favorite magazine ever and I found Erin to be such a doll when we were exchanging emails for the first few months. In May 2009 I headed to NYC on my solo adventure of working under Erin and the other fabulous women at the magazine. I was even more elated when I was invited back in 2010 to do my second stint with the girls. Erin's design style has always inspired me and it was so cool to be able to work so closely with her; this past year especially. Not only is she an incredible designer and illustrator, but she is also such a sweet gal! She's a definite rockstar so when I received a packet of her adorable animal prints in the mail I knew I wanted to showcase her for all of you! Hopefully you'll love the following interview and love her work even more! Enjoy! xo

Hi Erin! We're so excited to have you on Little Chief Honeybee! Just to introduce you to everyone, how about you tell us some interesting tidbits about yourself!

♥ Hey Kaelah! Well, I’m a designer slash illustrator living in Brooklyn, NY (www.erinwengrovius.com). I‘m the Senior Designer at BUST Magazine, which is a woman’s pop-culture magazine. It’s a super fun, girlie environment, I get to meet and work with really rad people (like Kaelah Bee!). I also started my own business last year called Grovius where I sell paintings and prints; you can see them at www.grovius.etsy.com.

 

How long have you been into the whole illustration thing? Did it start by drawing doodles as a child or did you find your passion later in life?

♥ I was drawing ever since I can remember. It is really one of the few things I am good at so I invest a lot of my time working on it. I’ve always been a bit of a sales woman too. When I was a kid I would make little clay animals and sell them at my lemonade stands for a dollar each, I even employed the neighborhood kids to work for me. I guess it’s in my blood. Being able to make a living off my illustrations has always been my dream. It is a slow process but I am getting there. I basically want to be the next Jonathan Adler.

 

You pretty much draw the cutest little animals ever. You also choose a very eclectic mix of species... What is that all about?

♥ I have always loved animals, I remember studying animal atlases and learning all the different kinds of species. Their shapes and patterns fascinate me. The reason you see such an eclectic mix is because I pick animals that have the most interesting shapes and personality. Some animals have silhouettes that are especially unique; those are the animals I get really excited about, like the baboon or the kiwi. Another factor is all my designs are based on the square. If I can draw an animal to fit nicely in a square I will illustrate it. I am still trying to figure out how to fit a narwhale in a square.

 

Do you dabble in any other media of art such as canvas painting, woodworking or anything else equally as awesome?

♥ Yes, I experiment with everything. My favorite medium in acrylic paint which I love painting on wood panels. The fun thing about wood panels is you can use wood stains. It creates this great texture which kind of looks like animal fur so it is perfect for my designs. I also do a lot of digital art, I can’t say enough nice things about Photoshop and Illustrator they have made my life so much easier. Another medium I am exploring at the moment is embroidery. I am working on creating designs for pillows and tea towels.

 

Your style is also pretty refined and specific. Are there other illustrators or artists that you draw inspiration from for this kind of work?

♥ That is actually really nice to hear because I always thought my style was all over the place, there are so many styles I’m inspired by and I want to try them all. My earlier work was very realistic and labor intensive. But I learned over time the beauty of simplicity. I get my inspiration from all over the place. I think Charley Harper is a genius; he is a huge influence. I am a big fan of Orla Kiely’s patterns, Inuit art and Mid-Century modernism as well. Since I commission illustrators where I work I am constantly finding amazing illustrators, I am too shy to list them! It’s almost like telling everyone is school you have a crush on someone.

 

When you're not doodlin' up some darn cute doggies, what can you be found doing? How about a typical day in the life of Erin?

♥ I can’t be found doing much else. I am a total workaholic, as most illustrators I know are. When I am not working or drawing you can find me hanging out with my boyfriend, wandering around Brooklyn and eating! I also love movies and TV, which I watch while I illustrate. I don’t have an actual television set, I just watch everything on the Internet, currently I am obsessed with Peep Show, Trailer Park Boys and Freaks and Geeks. If you have not seen these shows I suggest you watch them right now!

 

Now for a more business-related question! If someone wanted to commission you for a portrait of their pooch or favorite animal, would this be something you'd be open to doing? Would you ever venture into the world of people portraits? I think a whole family photo could be pretty dang cute!

♥ Totally! I have created lots of custom paintings. I can paint anything; I’m not limited to animals. In fact, I love painting portraits. I had been considering doing a series of celebrities portraits on wood panels. I think portraits of James Franco would sell like hot cakes. Maybe I should get started on that. But if anyone out there needs a portrait of his or her aunt Edna, I’m your girl. Just give me an email at hello@erinwengrovius.com.

Any else you'd like to share with the little honeybees?

♥ Yes! If anyone has a cool idea for a project please send me an email, I love to collaborate. That is what’s so amazing about the blog world; it brings people together! 

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Thanks to Erin for taking part in this little interview for LCH! I hope you guys love her work and take a chance to check out the rest of her stuff! 

What is your favorite piece in Erin's shop?

You're kind of in love with the Sloth, right?! I know I am! (And peep the little bulldog on the wall up there! I die!)

Wedding Wednesday! [Our Wedding!]

I know you're all itching to have Wedding Wednesdays turn into a very "personal" feature (and so am I!) but Mike and I have taken it very very slow in making any real decisions. We obviously want to establish ourselves in our field and we definitely want to enjoy being engaged before rushing to the altar. We want it to be a fun experience for the both of us... not necessarily a stressful one (even though we know that will go without saying). As far as where our plans lie thus far, I'm still just finding pictures that inspire me and feel magical. From colors to decor, I've already tried a few DIYs and I'm secretly envious of those bride's that I've seen who just "get it right" on their big day! I know that no matter the outcome, I'll be marrying my best friend and I'll be surrounded by the people I care the most about in life, so that's fine by me!

Here are a few pictures that are definitely owning my inspiration board as of late! You'll probably be able to see where I'm going with this...

These gorgeous colors, and succulents in the bouquet!

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Burlap and gorgeous outdoor fields.

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Tea-length wedding dress and mismatched bridesmaids!

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DIY centerpieces

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Mix-and-match acquired plate settings

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DIY drink favors

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Swiss dot cake and large sugar flowers

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Vintage cake stands and a plethora of sweet choices

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My Dream Dress!

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My love for paper pom poms is evident

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DIY signs

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Mason jar drinks + margaritas

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Hopefully my vision for our wedding is a little bit clearer! Mike is usually pretty game with the whole idea as we have very similar styles, but he knows that I've been dreaming up this very day since I was a little girl. I'm kind of nervous to actually *make* any plans though! I'm sure this happens to most brides... right? haha! Anyway, that's my Wedding Wednesday for today! Hopefully that will satisfy some of your desires about making it more personal! I promise, once we actually start planning things, I'll probably flood the blog in inspiration, questions, experiences, etc! xo

Wedding Wednesday!

I went a little crazy on Pinterest last night and re-pinned so many pictures to my "i do" styleboard. I'm overrun with inspiration right now and I can't wait to turn these little dreams into a reality. So in keeping with the "OMG I just got engaged" theme, I'm going to share several photos from my styleboard that I'm swooning over. Don't worry, next week I'll be sharing a fabulous reader wedding submission! xo

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