Introducing: 'Cook's Coloring Book' by Rachel Lewis

Super exciting news from me folks - I've spent most of last year writing and illustrating a cookbook!

For the young cook or the beginning homemaker, this recipe collection will foster confidence while building a repertoire of tasty main dishes and treats made from scratch. User-friendly, non-intimidating illustrations plus written directions guide the cook through the recipes step by step. For extra fun or to identify dishes mastered, the cook (or cook’s assistant) can color the pages to make this a personal favorite cookbook. Execute a perfect Mexican Omelette, stir together a One-Pot Sausage Casserole, toss a Rainbow Coleslaw, stir-fry a pan of Sweet and Savory Kale, bake a batch of Cranberry and Cinnamon Cookies, or whip up a delicious Banofee Pie. Here is a great collection of fresh recipes for learning to cook at home. 

It was an amazing project to work on - almost 800 individual illustrations in total! Writing and testing the recipes was really fun, and then once I had each dish nailed I worked on the black and white line drawings, to create 60 fully illustrated recipes ready to colour in!

The release date in the US is February 1st 2015, so you can pre-order Cook’s Coloring Book direct from Gibbs Smith here.

It’s also available in the UK as well! The release date over here is March 26 2015 - pre-order Cook’s Coloring Book from Amazon here.
 
Don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram and on Twitter for more updates and on #cookscoloringbook. I also update my portfolio of work at rachelsayshello.com

What home means

Illustration by Lizzy Stewart 

When we started to do up our home we realised we had lots of decisions to make in regards to the materials we would use. Would we paint or wallpaper? Carpet or wooden floors? In the end we chose carpet for the top of our home and wooden for the downstairs. I actually really regret carpeting the top now and wish we had just paid for wood everywhere! I much prefer it especially as you can just pop a cosy rug on the ground if you fancy a change.

To be honest though when you've decide on either the decision making doesn't stop there! There are so many different prices and ranges and colours to choose from when it comes to wood that it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. We also found that it was hard to imagine the type of wood in our home. I love that the Luxury Flooring and Furnishing company send you as many samples as you like to test out in your own home.

in assosiation with Luxury Flooring and Furnishing

IKEA

In love with this IKEA range! Arn't the illustrations so simple and wonderful?
via here

The Vacation

The Animals Vacation - illustrated by Shel and Jan Haber

Another set of amazing vintage illustrations today, this time with a vacation theme! Don't you just love everything about that illustration by Shel and Jan Haber, totally makes sense for a penguin, rabbit, bear, monkey and panda to be holidaying together doesn't it? That travel bag too! 

The Happy Lion's Vacation - illustrated by Roger Duvoisin

The happy lion decided to travel by hot air balloon it seems, I would love to have a copy of this book, I wonder what happened that made them land in the sea? 

Traveling can be pretty pricey so maybe it seems the best mode of transport. On the subject of costs of holidays this guide from Deal Checker provides some useful tips on how to save those pennies when planning a trip, whether you are traveling in the UK or abroad. What's great about this guide is it's been put together by a number of blogging experts in the field of travel. I'll always go to a blog for a insight into a place before a travel brochure so I love that they have included so many 'real experiences' well worth a read. 

quote via here

Vacation is a must don't you agree? 

Written in association with Dealchecker

Stranger

nastya-kusakina-by-egor-vasilyev

Happy Sunday! I just love this illustration! 

5 Beauty Tips to Look the Part for a Night Out

illustration by Emma Kisstina

Many beauty tips that apply to a night out also apply to the rest of the time. Looking after your skin will stand you in good stead twenty-four hours a day, as will getting plenty of exercise. These five tips will really help you to look good for those occasions when you get to spend time out with your friends or partner and you just want to relax and know you look good.

Start at the top!

One of the first things someone may notice about you is your hair. It can be seen before somebody is close enough to see your face and can make a lasting impression, so it's important that it's well looked-after. However, when you want to enjoy yourself, you shouldn't choose a style that is awkward to maintain and it's probably not a good time to experiment. Choosing a style you've had before, which you know will suit you and will be relatively low maintenance, will give you confidence and help you to relax.

Dare to bare!

There's nothing more attractive than healthy-looking tanned skin, but that's impossible to achieve in our climate. You can fake it, though. You can use St. Tropez’s fake tan to give you a sun-kissed glow, without the inconvenience or risks of sunbathing or sunbed use and will show off your clothes and make-up to their best advantage.

illustration by Emma Kisstina

Put your best face forward!

Choose make-up carefully. Consider what clothes you'll be wearing so you don't use clashing colours. Also, bear in mind where you'll be going; if you'll be indoors in a dimmer light, you will need something a little bolder than if you'll be outside in the evening light. Either accentuate your eyes or your mouth, but not both; you don't want to look as though you dropped in on your way to your job at the circus. Try to avoid make-up that will need constant touching up as it's a nuisance for you and can waste a lot of time.

Show off your assets!

Picking an outfit for a night out can be tricky, but a couple of simple rules should help. Be clear about what you're likely to be doing - there's no sense in wearing a tight skirt and super-high heels if you'll be walking a lot - and get an honest opinion from a friend. It's difficult to judge what your best physical attributes are, but a friend or a sister can help you work that out and then you can make informed choices. If you have a great waist, pinch it in with a belt; if your legs are amazing, show them off in a mini and if your bust is your best asset, don't be afraid to wear a revealing neckline.

Add the finishing touches

You don't want to ruin your beautiful look with horrible nails, but if your job ruins them or if they're bitten down to the quick, consider getting some false ones for the evening. If you have them professionally applied, they can last for weeks, which is long enough to get out of the habit of biting them. Even if you don't want to go to that expense, there are many home nail kits that will last for a few days and will put the icing on the cake.

The most important thing to try for when you're going out is a look that will give you confidence. If you're happy that you've made your best effort, you'll be able to let your hair down and have a well-deserved fabulous evening.

This is a sponsored post 

Behind the lines

I love this 'behind the lines' project by illustrator Alessandra Olanow, I've followed the series for a while and as well as loving the illustrations I always discover new products along the way too!

When it comes to make up I pretty much stick with what I know, liquid eyeliner, bit of mascara and blush and done. However lately I've been getting into watching some beauty Youtuve videos and learning quite a lot, I even bought myself an eyebrow pencil! It's funny how bigger brows are having a comeback, when I was a teenager is was all about them being as thin as possible!

The other thing I've been investing time in is a good moisturiser and cleanser, I was told once (by my mum I think!) that cold water is the best toner so no need to spend a huge amount of money on that. I also got my eyebrows threaded for the first time the other day (ouch!) I was really surprised how much it hurts so I'm also looking into laser hair removal for those caterpillars ;) a friend has laser treatment for her legs and says she wished she had done it years ago, would you try it?

I found some of these articles on hair removal here quite interesting actually as well as some great tips on Manuka honey for acne treatment (that stuff works wonders for so much!). I've also recently started oil pulling and I'm really impressed with how clean it is making my mouth feel.

What are your beauty tips?

in association with sk:n

Floral

I recently discovered Sister Arrow. I'm in love! 

Caffe Cagliari

Illustration by Helen Leslie 

If there is one thing I love, love, love it's coffee. Oh my gosh there is not one day that goes by when I don't have one. As a parent there are not many times I get to indulge and so coffee is my go-to treat and pick-me-up.

My favourite time of day to drink coffee is just after the nursery drop off, I might sit in a cafe and people watch whilst sipping slowly or grab a takeaway latte from my local cafe on the way back to work-from-home.

I've spoken with my boyfriend for a good while how a coffee machine would most certainly save us a great deal of money, gone would be my cafe priced indulgences and instead I could enjoy the same quality treat in the comfort of our own home, maybe drunk with the paper on a Sunday morning? (Oh wait no that's a luxury pre-motherhood surely?).

Caffe Cagliari are an Italian family run company that have been making good coffee for over 100 years.   You can learn all about their history and coffee making methods on their site but what I found great to know was that their capsules were Nespresso compatible. This means I have even more reason to convince the boyfriend of our need for a good home coffee machine!

What's your favourite types of coffee?

You can also find Caffe Cagliari on Twitter and Facebook

in association with Caffe Cagliari 

Happy Bank holiday

I just love this illustration by Furry Little Peach. I hope you all had fantastic bank holiday weekends! 

Homes with personality and window's with faces

Illustration by Jasper Gold

I adore the colour constrasts between the blue and yellows. Something so refreshing about those graphic lines too. Doesn't it look like a face too?

illustration by Roger Duvoisin

Aren't these illustration of houses wonderful? I think one of the first thing I ever drew as a child was a lovely two up two down. There is something quite comforting in illustrating buildings. 

Maybe I love illustrations of houses as it gives them a personality? Like those inanimate objects that seemingly have faces. Or alternatively illustrations on houses like this cute window! I think giving homes personality is so important, wouldn't it be brilliant to be able to illustrate your front room window like this? I often think that being a visual merchandiser would be such a great job, giving shop window's a personality. Another great option is illustration on home items,  for illustrated blinds why not check out the VELUX range?

In associated with VELUX

Vintage children's books illustrations

Mary Blair: Illustrations for Golden Book via here

Tea & Crayons Heart :: Autumn

Hello loves. Are you all well? 
Being busy Crayons as we all are, the blog has suffered a little bit lately...
However, stay tuned because we are sure to show you what we have all been beavering away on very soon! For now, we have some autumn-inspired loveliness that we have been enjoying recently (all image sources linked below).

Sparklers

Bobble hats

Fireworks

Snoods

Hot chocolate

What are you guys loving now that the seasons are changing?

HEY THERE PUMPKIN PIE

Hello lovelies, just wanted to wish you all a happy October and hope you are enjoying this lovely autumn, getting cosied up with friendly books, hot chocolate and copious amounts of blankets & tea. 

HAPPY SEPTEMBER!

Happy September lovelies! Sorry this blog has been a bit left out lately, things are very busy at T&C HQ but there are lots of lovely things lined up for the Autumn! In the meantime, we're on twitter @teaandcrayons, tweet us your illustration/ design blogs to be put in the line up for some creative features on here. Also keep your eyes peeled for more lovely prints from us crayonettes that will soon be added to our lovely etsy shop http://etsy.com/shop/teaandcrayons

Have a lovely week darlings!

FRIDAY FIX: HANDWRITTEN NOTES

Hello lovelies, oh my goodness this is the last day of August! Which means pretty soon we will be all layered up in pretty wool scarves, cosying up in corners with our favourite books and hot chocolate(s) But it does seem that the summer is lingering for a while yet and so I wanted to share these milkshake pink darling notes with you all, there's just something about a handwritten message which I love. What are your favourite things about the end of summer, beginning of Autumn? x x

LIONHEART ISSUE 2: WARMTH

Happy Friday lovelies! We've been very busy here at Tea & Crayons headquarters, getting on with lots of lovely illustrations and cosying up from the rain (rain in July?!) I wanted to share with you what I've been up to, that is receiving a rather lovely package in the post, only to find it's the new issue of Lionheart, which I illustrated the cover for. Hooray! I've been in love with Lionheart from the start, so it was a complete honour to be asked by the lovely Hels to illustrate the cover  ♥ ♥ ♥


Lots of treats in the new Lionheart, including pieces from lovelies The Aviary, Shipshape Studio, crayonette and beautiful mama Fritha, super sweet illustrator Madi Barrett, the lovely Olivia from whatoliviadid, lovely illustrators Holly Exley and Daria Hlazatova, our very own wonderful Abby Wright as well as beautiful photography, amazing written articles and lovely illustrations ♥ A massive thank you and high five to the amazing Hels Martin, editor and creator of Lionheart ♥ You can also still get your lioness/ lion paws on the delectable issue one: bravery, which is just as beautiful and if you haven't already get your mitts on the new issue

Have a fab weekend lovelies, what are you all up to?

♥ ♥ ♥

T&C Inspired: Jessica Gowling

After all the excitement of uncontained, we've finally had a moment or two to catch up on the interweb, and welcome our creative friends to our blog! The lovely Jessica Gowling has shared some of her favourite work with us <3

Name: 

Jessica Gowling

Where are you from: 

Canada, the great white north

Tell us a little bit about your work: 

I am an avid animal lover, and my company name is "nature's my friend," (because we make art together). I am obsessed with textures: fur, scales, and similar repetitive natural patterns have always been some of my favorite things to draw. I suppose I would label my work as "animal portraiture" since I mostly focus on individual creatures; I view them as special beings with their own stories to tell.

Who, what and/or where inspires you: 

Wild animals, line, process, detail, nature, texture, time, voids, fleeting moments, drawing, touch, learning, memory, intimacy, nostalgia, narrative, chance, love, anatomy, letters, postage stamps, and Canadiana collectively motivate my practice.

What’s your favourite tea: 

Green tea is always a go-to but I am currently loving a loose leaf Mango Apricot tea as well.

Links:

BLOG: http://naturesmyfriend.wordpress.com

SHOP: http://www.etsy.com/shop/naturesmyfriend 

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/jessicagowling

I adore these postcard sets, not just because I am the fan of a creature, but how she's photographed them for her shop too. I want a nice rustic door to put some pretty things on

We love a wolf as well! 

x