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Updated: Jan 4, 2024

Well everybody, it's officially 2024 (I'm still wondering where the last four years went!). We've made it through the hustle and bustle of the holidays and now we're back to creating more books. In case you missed it, we've just launched our very first coloring book! And yes, we're very excited.


So, in the spirit of a proper book launch, we're sharing a conversation with Lucy Hatter. Lucy is the illustrator behind our first coloring book, The Secret World of Frog. If you haven't gotten to see it yet, check out our "Coloring Books" tab in the "More" section, or view it on Amazon.




A Little Chat with Lucy Hatter


Hi Lucy! Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and what you do?


Lucy: Absolutely! I'm twenty-three and I'm an illustrator, primarily working with digital art tools and mixed media. Everything I make is hand-drawn by me and I never use A.I., unlike a lot of other coloring books creators out there now. I've created children's books in the past, but I just released my first coloring book so I'm excited to see where that goes.


Tell me about your favorite medium, you mentioned digital and mixed media?


Lucy: That's a hard thing to choose! Nowadays I'm focusing on digital and mixed media, but when I'm creating art for myself it's not always my go-to. I would say the most natural medium for me is pen and ink, sometimes with spots of color from paint or pencil too. Pen and ink is something I naturally gravitate towards and it's something that has been a constant in my work throughout my life.


Branching off of that, who are your biggest artistic influences?


Lucy: Oof.. I have so many. I really love anything character driven, for example Ernest H. Shepard's illustrations for the book, The Wind in the Willows. John Tenniel, the illustrator for the original Alice in Wonderland is another one.


What motivates you to create?


Lucy: Well, that's something I've had to get better at. When you're a full-time artist, you don't always feel motivated to create. I think I'm in the process of learning how to reconnect with my creativity, especially when I'm feeling burnt-out or stressed. I'm usually motivated by music or memories, and lots of times even something as simple as a walk through the park, just something to get myself out of my own head and immersed in something new.


What was the inspiration behind The Secret World of Frog?


Lucy: I'm originally from New England so I grew up being surrounded by the ocean and forests and lots of wildlife. I think I'm very lucky to have had those experiences with the natural world because they really gave roots to my inspiration when it comes to art.


My house was down the street from this pond and I used to love looking for frogs there. So, when I was coming up with concepts for the initial project, I knew I wanted to incorporate a frog. It honestly just snowballed from there, and I started pulling other memories from my childhood. Some of the big influences of the book are the stories and illustrations of Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel.


What are some of your favorite pages from the book?


Lucy: I really love the strawberry frog, which is also the cover of the book. Every detail took so much care and time to make, and I think that illustration marked one of the first times in my life where I've successfully been able to recreate the exact image I had in my mind. I also love the drawing of Frog in a sweater with a mug of hot cocoa. It's so wholesome!


What was the process of making this book like?


Lucy: The process began with what was essentially a brain dump of ideas. The Nosh Publishing team and I really came together to come up with an idea board for this book. Everybody kind of throws their ideas down on the table and we discuss them and eventually make a mood board for concepts, character styles, coloring page ideas. We wanted something that looked new but still felt nostalgic somehow, and I think we nailed it. We knew we all loved the idea of a frog as our main character, and I think we all wanted to uncover what this frog's world would be like. From there I story-boarded scenes for the book and then after five and a half months of hard work and hand cramps, it was done!


Now that your first coloring book is finished, what's next?


Lucy: The process of creating this coloring book was something I really enjoyed, so I think right now I'm focused on pursuing another Frog coloring book that will be the sequel to the one I just finished.


Do you have any advice for fellow color-ers out there who are enjoying your book?


Lucy: My advice would be that there's no right or wrong way to color! For me, coloring is about being present with myself, and making time to step away from the demanding parts of life. It should be relaxing. Also try mixing mediums! Maybe try gel pens with pencil to create contrast. It can be a fun challenge to shake things up that way. And to anyone coloring in one of my books- thank you for supporting my work!


Where can people find out more about you, or stay up to date on your next release?


Lucy: Anyone interested in keeping in touch about books, or to learn more about me, can follow my author page on Amazon. You'll get notifications for pre-orders, see my book recommendations, and lots more. I haven't made any social media accounts yet, but stay tuned!



Thank you for chatting with us!


Lucy: Thank you!







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Updated: Sep 28, 2021

Every year on January first, like millions around the world, I set out to create lofty goals for myself to become *that* person, finally get my sh*t together, and to create the life of my dreams. Then six months go by and my workout routine is running into the ground, my healthy eating habits have packed their bags, and I'm not waking up at five A.M. every morning to drink lemon water and read self help books anymore.


But you know what? That's A-OK. I've made peace with the fact that my goals sometimes change direction and I need to re-evaluate. Maybe I find out that I don't enjoy running and that my problem wasn't that I hated exercise but that I just needed to find a type of exercise I liked and that would be sustainable for my lifestyle.


Here's what I've learned: the real power of goal-setting isn't in having to accomplish goals the way you thought you would, but rather in the atmosphere you intentionally created around the kind of life you want to live.


Making life intentional and setting the tone for the changes you want to make-- that's the golden ticket to leveling up. We're always hearing about higher frequencies and the Law of Attraction that somehow magically erases all of your student debt and buys you a winning lottery ticket or makes the cup of coffee you're craving appear right in front of you. The trick isn't just wishing you had all that, but living as if you already have it. You gotta walk the talk and believe you're deserving of it.


This is where atmosphere comes in-- It's about creating a cozy, hospitable environment for the next-best version of yourself. You have to feel like the person you want to be so that you can begin to embody those things.


Just like spring cleaning, you're setting up your home-- yourself-- for success. You're setting an intention for the way you want to live and the kind of person you want to be. It's like telling the world, "I'm ready for this, watch me". Switching up your atmosphere can be as simple as lighting a scented candle, saying 10 things your grateful for, decorating your home, getting organized, putting on music that makes you feel good, making a plan for the changes you want to make, you name it.

Atmosphere is about making yourself feel like you can do anything, so that you have the energy to do anything, so that you will be able to do anything.


Creating atmosphere can also mean putting intention into just a moment. I do this every morning before starting work on my laptop, it goes like this: I commit to waking up at the same time every day, make myself a latte, light my favorite candle, look over my goals for the day, and finally sit down to start work. My routine makes me feel organized, focused, energized, and ready to tackle the day.


When you lay out your life with intention, doing things that future and present you will both thank you for, and building a life you're proud of-- even if you have to change your direction or goals, you'll always have a home to come back to.


- xx pia




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Our visual guide to plating beautiful food (and drinks), Garnish, will be released in just a few short weeks, and we couldn't be more excited about it. Since it's the first book we've created as an independent publishing company, it's a big deal for us!

To celebrate, we wanted to share with you one of our favorite recipes from the book: a show-stopping caramelized pink basil mojito garnished with lime slices and a basil leaf.


This drink is EVERYTHING. Bright & warm flavors from caramelized grapefruit juice, zesty lime, and toasty agave make this the perfect summer cocktail for any occasion!



 

PINK GRAPEFRUIT & BASIL MOJITO

 


MAKES: 1 GLASS | TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES



INGREDIENTS


2 basil leaves

1 lime wedge

3 lime slices ¼ inch thick

1 shot of rum or vodka

1 tbsp blue agave

1 large ruby red grapefruit

Granulated sugar

Sparkling water

3 Ice cubes



DIRECTIONS


Preheat your oven to the broil setting. Slice the grapefruit in half and place on a foil-lined baking sheet face up. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and broil in the oven for 5 minutes or until the fruit begins to bubble and caramelize, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.


Cover a small plate with a layer of granulated sugar and use a lime wedge to wet the rim of the glass. Dip the rim onto the plate to coat with sugar and set aside.


Once your grapefruit has cooled, you can start juicing. Using a citrus reamer, juice the grapefruit and strain the pulp and seeds out with a mesh strainer. You should have about ¾ cup of juice. Measure out 1 tbsp of agave and muddle with the lime wedge used to wet the rim and one basil leaf. Add mixture to the juice and stir.


Add the shot of vodka or rum along with the lime slices and fill the rest of the glass with sparkling water. Use the last basil leaf as a garnish on top of the drink.


Enjoy!

 


Like what you see?


Stay tuned for our book release updates

and check out our other blog posts!


Thanks for stopping by :)







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