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The Design Inspirationalist

~ Inspiring Ideas | Spectacular Creations

The Design Inspirationalist

Tag Archives: new york

Inspiration Photo Friday: Falling in Love

06 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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autumn, cherry trees, earth, fall, falling in love, grass, harvest, heaven, home sweet home, long island, love, mother earth, nature, new york, overgrowth, pear trees, seasons, spring, summer, trees, weather

I have been in love with nature since I can remember. Always wanting to be surrounded by grass and trees and getting inspired by the beautiful varieties and colors of plants and flowers, Mother Nature will forever have my heart.

The spring and summer seasons are nice but fall is my favorite. It’s full of rustic hues and woodsy tones and sets up the stage for the Earth to shed its skin. Baring it all for us to see. How romantic is that? And through the whole process, we can experience the most beautiful weather filled with crisp air, refreshing winds, and just enough warmth from the sun. And although the trees will eventually let go of their leaves and flowers no longer bloom, the idea of harvest sets in. It’s time for a whole new world of color, flavor, and adventure.

I took this photo in our yard yesterday. Every now and then I take a walk to the very back and look around. From the cherry and pear trees to the overgrowth on the fence, there is just so much to love. The funny thing, we didn’t create any of it. All this beauty was here when we got here and has been part of the property for many years and I wouldn’t change a thing. Now we can experience history and the future in this little piece of heaven we call home.

I believe falling in love with people is not healthy because you should be uplifted when love is in your heart. But when it comes to the glorious Mother Nature, I fall in love more and more everyday. There is just something about the Earth that makes you want to fall into it and breathe it in. To climb a tree and be within its branches, to lay in the grass and feel it between your toes, to explore a woodsy trail and feel at peace when the forest consumes you….there is nothing in the world that can bring this much pleasure. And to experience this everyday in my own backyard, is the best gift of all.

Inspiration Photo Friday: Falling in Love

Color in Films: The Avengers

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Color in Films, Color Inspiration

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action, battle, black widow, captain america, color palette, comics, explosive, films, hawkeye, hulk, iron man, Loki, marvel, movies, new york, new york city, SHIELD, the avengers, thor

The Avengers is an action packed film starring the best of the best from the Marvel world. With the Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, its awesome to see all on one screen together kicking ass and saving the planet. Each of the characters are interesting in their own right so to have them work together was surely a treat.

It starts by Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D, contacting each character to help out with the problem at hand, which is to stabilize the Tesseract and figure out what to do with Loki, Thor’s evil twin who has now entered Earth through a wormhole the Tesseract mistakenly opened. Eventually, Loki gets captured but does find a way to escape, so the adventure continues.

The wormhole ends up being a huge problem because what lies in Asgard on the other side, is able to come through to Earth. So, the Avengers get to work to battle it out and close the wormhole for good, all within the confines of New York City. It’s a majestic and  explosive ending for sure.

The color palette is what we know of the characters and their outfits along with city neutrals and nature inspired hues. The five elements are surely explored in the film. Expect to see bold and bright colors that are weighted down by earthy grays and browns. A nice even playing field for pigment to shine.

Color in Films- The Avengers

Inspiration Photo Friday: Finding a Way

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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advice, bellmore, earth, life, meroke preserve, motivation, nature, new york, outdoors, path, patience, positivity, strength, success, trees, woods

There have been plenty of times in my life when I thought things couldn’t get any worse. Just like most people. Staying positive and being strong has helped me move past these road blocks as well as having patience. Sometimes you just have to stop and breathe to see the bigger picture. Know that everything happens for a reason.

This photo was taken a few years in Bellmore, NY at the Meroke Preserve.  I have always loved pathways, whether they be a bridge, a road, or just a simple trail, they remain one of my favorite things to photograph. Its become such a connection to my life, the will to keep moving forward.

You may not see a clear path in this shot, but I do. The trees are silently guarding it and the sun is delicately lighting the way. Nature always shows you where to go. Sometimes you have to look a little deeper and really think about the best way to move forward in life. Don’t let anything or anyone get you down. Be positive, stay motivated, and kick ass. Hopefully, just like me, you will always find a way to succeed.

Inspiration Photo Friday: Finding a Way - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena

A Day at the Fair

20 Monday May 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in News, Shop Gray Star Design

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animals, art, charity, crafts, design, fair, farm, garden of eve organic farm, long island, music, new york, riverhead, the forgotten friends of long island, vendor

This past Saturday I was a vendor at The Forgotten Friends of Long Island Spring Fair held at the Garden of Eve Organic Farm in Riverhead, NY. It was a beautiful day for sure. The sun was shining, there was a cool breeze, and the farm was filled with happy animals and lots of plants. My husband and I were there a little before 9 am to set up my table and tent, and then the event started an hour later. For my first event, I have to say I enjoyed it a lot.

There were many vendors there, both artists and food crafters, as well as live music acts. I met some people and passed along my card which is always a good thing. Although I didn’t expect to sell a lot of items, I did make some money. My intent was to support a great cause and get my work out there to more local people. I feel that was very successful.

It also made me smile that some of my family made it out to say hello and take a look around. Big thanks to my cousin Diana, aunt Deb, Grandmother, and in laws for visiting my first fair! It was really cool to have them all there. I feel I am now more prepared for the next event I am part of, as I thought of lots of ideas of how to present my items and attract more people to my table. It’s all about the presentation. And even though I felt my table was super cute, it will be much improved next time around.

Here are some photos I took of the day. Enjoy.

A Day at the Fair - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena A Day at the Fair - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena A Day at the Fair - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena A Day at the Fair - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena

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