Tea Towels and Aprons from JiltyDrawings

I miss living in London every day, so these playful and fun tea towels and aprons from Jilty Drawings would definitely make me feel like I was back in the UK!

They're based on popular British cakes and "biscuits" (that's cookies, if you're American), as well as English nursery rhymes. Have you ever heard, "Oranges and lemons ring the bells of St. Clemen's"? The end of the rhyme is a bit, well, gruesome to say the least but the other stanzas charmingly describe the different sounds of the church bells around London.

See more from Jilty Drawings' Etsy shop here!

The Highwayman Annual by Jacob Stead

Jacob Stead created this whimsical book about highwayman, Elizabethan England's famous fearless thieves who roamed the roads and set upon coaches and travelers.

The limited edition book is filled with his witty, colorful illustrations as well as masks and paper dolls that you can cut out and play with.

Though this annual would make a great gift for an imaginative young boy, I plan on getting one to use as an out-of-the-ordinary and unpretentious coffee table book.

Read more details about Jacob's book here!

Kate's Wedding Bouquet

Inspired by loveliness of the Royal Wedding as well as by the ever-graceful Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, I sketched the individual blooms from her bouquet. Then I inked them over in black, and added color with pencils.

Clockwise from the top right, the flowers pictured are dianthus (also called Sweet William), myrtle, ivy, hyacinth, and lily-of-the-valley.

What's inspired you to sketch lately?

Anne Smith Illustrated Maps

These illustrated maps by Anne Smith are so colorful and fun! They include just the right amount of information about the points of interest, without including extra details that would distract from her wonderful drawings.

Albert Moulton Foweraker

I discovered the watercolor artist Albert Moulton Foweraker just this week, and had to share! He was a prolific Impressionist-style painter, recreating many scenes from England, Spain, France, and North Africa.

Foweraker was especially famous for his use of blue, displayed best in his moonlight works (such as the first and last scenes above). You can see more of his paintings here!

What do you think of his work?

An Irish Wolfhound and the Sea

Did you know that BBC News has a wonderful archive of old photos you can browse through? This shot of an Irish wolfhound at a misty Herne Bay in August of 1934 is one of my favorites so far.

I've always wanted a wolfhound, I just don't have the space yet for a such a giant. I love the way they look, with their long thin bodies, loping stride, and wiry coats. Despite their enormous size, they're very gentle and sweet, and make a great family dog!

By the way, I hope you all have a great weekend! It's supposed to be quite hot here, but I'm hoping to find some time to garden in the cooler evenings.

What do you all have planned?