Blog It Forward: What inspires me?

Finally, the long-awaited day has arrived! I'm so excited that it is finally my turn to participate in the Blog It Forward Mash-Up. Welcome to those of you who hopped over from Making It Lovely--who posted yesterday--or from one of my fellow 3/12/2010 posters: Beauty Designed, Once Upon a Chai Tea Latte, Coeur de La, Red Bird Style, Every Little Wonder, Sparker!, JetKat Design, The Penny Has Dropped, and Whitney English.

I originally had this great idea to show you pictures of things that had inspired me to make something or do something specific, and the end results of those projects, kind of an "Inspiration: Start to Finish" kind of thing. But I haven't finished any of the projects! Woe is me!

So instead, I will do as those before me have done. Here are a few things that inspire me (in no particular order):

COLOR

{I don't know where I got this! If you do, let me know!}


{from lovely little handmades}


{from the August 2009 issue of Teen Vogue}


{collage courtesy of Smitten--the blog; click here to see individual photo credits}

BOOKS

notably absent--either because I don't own a copy or because my copy is loaned out:
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (I read it when I was in junior high and will love it forever)
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (worlds better than Atlas Shrugged)
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (one of the few books I've read more than once)
Crime And Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

FAMILY
I don't often put pictures of family up here because I like to keep things private. But they inspire me in countless ways. If you're reading this Family, I love you!





{this was supposed to be our Christmas card picture}

FOOD

{mississippi mud cake}


{red velvet cupcakes}


{lemon yogurt cake}


{cinnamon buns}


{caprese salad; the only one of these recipes I didn't make, but it was so lovely I had to include it}


{lemon blueberry cheesecake with cornmeal crumble crust}


{double dark chocolate cherry cookies}


{pina colada cake}


{honey beescotti}


{candied orange peel}


{sticky buns}


{chocolate cupcakes}


{tamales}
{all photos are my own unless otherwise noted}

Thanks again for stopping by, and please visit Megan Charland's amazing art blog tomorrow to see what inspires her. Goooooooooo Megan!

**And if you want to know what any of the recipes are for those foods, just click on the name!**