Good Afternoon, my Penny Darlings!
So excited to get a chance to talk to you all today!
Preston is loving his new job, I am so PUMPED for family vacation, being a full time blogger has been definitely different than I thought it would be, for sure. Preston closed his show, which was hilariously awesome, last weekend! We are both in a show opening on July 9th (*gulp*) and I am not off book! (Sorry Director Caitlin!)
Being a full time blogger is not always glamorous. I get up with Preston when he gets ready for work. I take a shower while he’s getting ready in the morning, get dressed, drag the coffee table (which is a lift top! lifesaver. everyone should have one!) over to the couch and whip out my laptop. I answer e-mails, write posts, crop and select pictures, add links, research new companies and things to try, etc. I do this four days a week. On the fifth day I go out and do photoshoots. I do what most people call ‘batch’ photos. Maybe I’ll do a whole post about a day in the life of a blogger. It’s not super exciting, but I always used to wonder about bloggers that I followed.
But I had a plan and a back up plan for today’s post. They both fell through. One due to weather issues. I wanted to shoot this adorable skirt from Society Plus – but the day I had to shoot that – it THUNDERSTORM tornado-ed. We lost power. So using the internet, charging my camera, shooting outside, all became impossible. So I pushed that back a bit.
So let’s talk about what I ACTUALLY AM doing today.
ARTIST CORNER!
So over the past few months – I’ve had a few gorgeous women (and Jeremy!) do some INCREDIBLE illustrations of me on their personal or art Instagram pages. And I just am so overwhelmed. I lovelovelove any and all art. I am a hard core theatre person, not an awful sculptor, a playwright, a poet – so I have SO MUCH damn respect for visual artists.
And today, I realized I have SEVEN AMAZING illustrations that these amazing artists have created of me. And that is just so mind-blowingly cool that I decided I needed to share IMMEDIATELY.
And…this is the weird cool thing that I have always admired about artists: Style. Like, these are all pictures of me….and they are SO distinct and different. It’s totally amazing to see what different techniques and unique styles are infused in their work.
This morning I was stressing about my plan and my back up plan falling through and Bethany posted that adorable rainbow pic and the inspiration struck me! I wanted to show off all of their amazing talent!
Soap Box Side Note: Always support your content creators! If you love their style – please check out all of their sites! So cute!
Side Side Note: I am making up all of these titles. None of these artists made up these titles. I was just feeling goofy and named them all.
*All of these images and links are shared with the artists’ permission!
Rosy Cheeks & Pink Sheep – @Shelby.Bergen
This was the very first illustration of me that was made! It’s SO FREAKING CUTE! Shelby Bergen (an amazing illustrator!) did this. I feel like she totally captured my quirky fashion sense (and one of my favorite outfits!). Shelby’s the MOST adorable.
Be sure to check out Shelby’s Instagram here!
Check out her website for commissions/examples of her work here! Check out her Etsy shop here.
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Another example of Shelby’s work that I absolutely adore! This totally reminds me of a Pixar short. Like, the ones that play before the movie? Do you know which ones I mean? This totally tells a story.
Mermaid’s Tale
@ArtOfCloudy
So, I never knew that all I ever wanted in life was to be a mermaid…until I met Claudia!
No idea. For real. This is all I ever wanted. Actually, literally, going to be a mermaid now. BYEEEEE!
Just kidding! But this adorable piece was done by Art of Cloudy (or Claudia Paz!) who is a self described graphic designer by day and doodler by night! And she drew me as part of Mer-May! How cute, though? A chubby blonde mermaid? It’s basically a siren call!
You can check out her Society6 link here! You can find her Etsy shop here!
Check out her Instagram feed here!
Les Mis Sailor
@Minnesootanice
So this is NOT Les Mis related – but the half red tone/half white tone with the blue and white stripes reminded me on the French Flag…and therefore the poster for the musical Les Miserable. That’s usually what I think when I see this picture!
And this is totally a drastic difference. I love the more minimalist vibe but it has amazing detail. Absolutely obsessed.
And Jessica is totally what her username suggests – she is minnesootaNICE.
Check out Jessica’s Etsy store here!
Check out her Instagram page here!
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Daisy Girl
@JPANART
So my dear internet friend, Jenny, who is literally the sweetest person of all time – did this amazing illustration of me in my daisy dress! I think this is so DARN whimsical.
And I asked Jenny if she would send me a copy of the picture to hang up and she messaged me back WHILE SHE WAS ON VACATION. So sweet. Honestly.
And this is like the total package of whimsical, cutesy, and playful! I’m obsessed.
Check out Jenny’s Instagram page here!
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And this is just a little fun fact about Jenny – I found her by totally stalking all of the My Favorite Murder Fan Art and started following her because I was such a big fan! So adorable, for real! So, to you, Jenny, if you didn’t know this – don’t be a lunatic, stay out of the forest, buy your own shit, stay sexy, and don’t get murdered. (Any murderinos?!)
Dapper Doll Day
@AsiaDraws
So, I found @AsiaDraws on Instagram when she did this amazing illustration of the Disney Princesses at Disney Dapper Days. It was GORGEOUS. Well, it still is gorgeous! So I ended up messaging her and she said she was going to do a collab with me!
Asia asked if I had a favorite Disney Princess and I asked if Alice counted because I have always considered myself an Alice at heart. So she did this amazing Disney Dapper Day, plus sized, Alice-Inspired, flapper illustration. LIKE, GIRL, LOOK AT THOSE HIPS THO!
And the best part is you can see all the Alice inspired stuff in the suits of cards accent around the bottom border and the waist band, the white Peter Pan collar, and the black&white&red beads. So Alice.
I feel like this totally captures my retro and flapper obsessed personality.
Check out her Etsy shop here! Check her out on Tumblr here!
Be sure to follow her on Instagram here!
And be sure to check out that Dapper Days Disney picture.
The print is available on Etsy.
Roy G. Biv in A Minor
@bethanyrobyn
Bethany posted a sketch in just pencil and said she was going to color it in to show off my SUPER colorful Instagram page! And she more than accomplished that! Bethany has an adorable Instagram with all of this playful and happy illustrations. That’s actually what made me start following her! Her whole vibe is playful! Like, I could totally see most of her illustrations being someday in a book! For real.
And not only that, but Bethany has a blog that I was just checking out today and I totally binge read, like, ALL of her posts. It was a total rabbit hole of fun posts. I love discovering new blogs!
Check out Bethany’s Etsy page here! Check out her blog page here!
Check out Bethany’s Instagram here!
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Sunnies & Sprinkles
@Patterson1288
Now, I might be biased about this one…because…I live with this artist! This is Preston’s & my roommate – Jeremy! He’s this amazingly talented artist. He does a TON of work about African American history and culture and lots of popular figures.
I legitimately watch this guy paint every single day and it’s quite an experience to watch art being created in front of your eyes. It’s truly astounding watching his creation process!
But this is such a happy, sunny, sprinkle, sunny picture and I think he totally captured the colors just right!
Check Jeremy’s art out on Instagram here!
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ArTBT
And this is just a bit of a blast to the past for “TBT”. This was the first piece of art ever drawn of me & Preston by my dear best friend (and still best friend!) – Joe!
You can follow him on Instagram @chewswacca (and P.S. – he’s adorable).
He drew this for me to give as a gift to Preston on our one year anniversary because I was so broke! He’s a great friend!
SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!
The next few weeks have some awesome stuff planned! I’m thinking about getting more into makeup and accessories and talking about ‘plus confidence’ and body confidence. Any thoughts? In the next few weeks I have some stuff coming up with Society+ and Gwynnie Bee and Salon on Fifth Ave. and possibly a YouTube collab and some 4th of July Looks and more unboxing and thrift hauls and some cosmetics and some BIG announcements! And an PJ slumber party post is coming up! So excited! The next month is going to FLY.
If you are at all interested in doing a collab or working with me – please feel free to check out my new Contact Me! page!
Do you want me to write a post about chub rub? I’d be happy to buy a few things and review them for everyone?
Do you want more Preston? I mean, I always want more Preston…but from everyone else?
Follow me on Instagram: @thepennydarling
If you want to follow my darling, Preston – you can click here!
I’d really love to do that Barbie post. If anyone can seriously sponsor it – let me know. I think that would just be the coolest and most fun to do.
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Comment for topics you would like to see me cover! Like to help my self esteem! What do you think so far? More fashion? More lifestyle? Do you like the mix?
Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.
Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!
How Very,
Abby❤
Penny Darling 
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