Day 54: EMPIRE STATE

Inspiration: My friend interns at LinkedIn in the Empire State Building so he let me visit their office and he was able to get a VIP pass to the top. We got to go for free and cut all the lines! 

It was such a tourist-y thing to do, but I am so glad I was able to do it. Despite having a small fear of heights, I absolutely love the surreal views of the New York sky and I think this one is my favorite.

Purse: This crossbody purse incorporates the blue of the sky with the gold accents inspired by the color of the Empire State Building. 

The silver lines on the black fabric mimic the skyscrapers climbing in the sky.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 53: ETSY HQ

 Inspiration: I went to the Etsy office in Brooklyn for a Music Hackathon. We saw the hackers present their work from the day and there was some pretty awesome stuff! One guy made a program that turns anything you type on your computer into music.

 It was truly amazing be in the office of Etsy because I feel like Etsy has transformed my business from an idea to reality. A little over a year ago I spontaneously launched my Etsy shop and because of it, I have been able to sells hundreds of purses, attract over 65,000 hits, and gain unparalleled publicity. It served as a crucial stepping stone in my business plan and allowed me to gain the funds and the experience to launch my website. My company would not be where it is today if it weren't for Etsy so I owe them a huge thank you!

 Purse: The blue triangular chevron is inspired from the iconic banner which I recognized from the  Etsy website. This purse is ready to be shipped with its inspirational message! You can personalize or pick your message here. 

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 52: RED BOTTLES

 Inspiration: These cute red bottles that my friend Kenz pointed out to me at one of my favorite restaurants, Vapiano.

Purse: This mini studded crossbody with red crown accents. I like the contrast of the soft patchwork and the shiny harsh studs. 

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 51: SKYLINE

Inspiration: The view from atop a rooftop next to Penn Station.

 Purse: Wristlet pouch with blue chevron and turquoise and gold accent.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 50: CHALK

Inspiration: A wonderfully colorful chalk drawing in Washington Square Park. I loved the vibrant colors and the abstract image which the artist 

Purse: Foldable wallet wristlet with laminated finish. The fabric is the "Fan Favorite" and it pulls a lot of the colors from the chalk. 

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 49: LOUIS VUITTON

Inspiration: An absolutely show-stopping window display on 5th ave. A golden dinosaur carrying a Louis Vuitton bag.

 Purse: I pulled the yellow from the gold dinosaur and the bright pink from the dress of the mannequin. The outside of this purse is also laminated so it is extra-water resistant and has a durable feel to it!

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 48: NYC SUNSET

Inspiration: The sunset over 6th ave right by central park. I love the reflection of the sky in the building on the left. 

 Purse: I absolutely am obsessed with this tribal fabric. I pulled the deep orange from the sunset and the sky blue to make this wristlet wallet.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 46 + 47: DRESS

Inspiration: After a huge downpour, I saw the shimmering reflection of the Manhattan sky reflected on the tiles of Washington Square park.

DAY 46: The crime scene of patterns that I deciphered to make my first garment. I have surprisingly never used to make anything, so it was quite the challenge! I have also never made anything larger than a tote bag. I thought it would be a lot harder than it actually was. Sewing the darts was the only part that was pretty tricky!

 DAY 47: The finished dress. I was thrilled with how it turned out and wore it to work today!

Day 45: MADISON SQUARE

UPDATE:

I cannot believe it is already Day 45 and I only have 10 days left! This summer is flying by and I have absolutely loved doing this blog. Each day as I step out my door, I am always searching for something beautiful. It has opened my eyes to see so many things I never would have noticed. I hope that this blog can encourage you to do the same! 

Inspiration: Play ground in Madison Square Park. 

Purse: I pulled the turquoise of the top of the playground and the deep brown from the foundation. I have always loved the combo of turquoise and brown so I was excited to spot it in the park!

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http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 44: PINK LEMONADE

Inspiration: I spotted these eye-catching handbags in a store in Soho called Pleats Please. These beauties were mesmerizing because they combine my love of geometry and neon prints- a dangerous combo. Fun fact: When I go handbag shopping, I inspect every little inch of the purse down to the seams.

 Purse: This bright patchwork wristlet. I pulled the neon colors and geometric patterns from the purses above. After I finished making it, it made me think of pink lemonade!

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 43: WASHINGTON SQUARE

Inspiration: The other day the air conditioning in my building was broken so I retreated to our dining hall. I found a study lounge on the 10th floor and perched myself in front of this insane view of Washington Square Park for the day.

 Purse: Patchwork wristlet that pulls the greens from the trees, gray chevron from the patterned tiles in the park, and speckled brown from the windows of the sky scrapers.

Day 42: MATISSE

Inspiration: Landscape at Collioure by Henri Matisse at MOMA.

Purse: Foldable Wristlet with vivid floral print accents.

 http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 41: RECORD PURSE

Inspiration: My roommate Abi found like 30 records lying on the street next to the trash so she grabbed and we had a field day going through them. Naturally I wanted to make a purse out of one!

 Purse: A see-through record tote.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 40: TALIA

Inspiration: Today I am dedicating this blog post and purse to Talia Castellano, a beautiful, strong, and brave 13 year old girl who had cancer and passed away this morning after 6 years of fighting. After following Talia's story for months, I was unbelievably inspired by her strength and could not believe that she is now in heaven. All my thoughts and love go out to her family and friends.

 Purse: Talia had a YouTube channel for makeup tutorials and loved wearing bright colored eye-shadow. Through using these bright colors, I tried to convey how full of life and strength she was. Rest in Peace Talia.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 39: YELLOW

Inspiration: The tiles in our bathroom with the reflection of our the window. We have a surprisingly gorgeous view from our bathroom window! 

 Purse: A yellow patterned wristlet clutch.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 38: SUBWAY STEP

 Inspiration: Steps that lead to the subway. 

Purse: Vegan leather criss cross clutch that represents the patterns of the steps.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 37: THE WAFFLE SHOP

Inspiration: I am at Penn State for the weekend for Arts Fest. Of course, like any true Penn Stater, I had to go to The Waffle Shop! I went at 8:30 am so that we could avoid waiting in line for an hour. Their strawberry waffles are my absolute favorite waffles in this world. So delicious!

 Purse: Red and White chevron wallet that is just as sweet as this delicious waffle!

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 36: POLLINATION

Inspiration: This bumble bee pollinating a gorgeous patch of flowers in the park. The vibrant coral and lavender colors are stunning.  

Purse: This patch work kindle case. I used my two favorite fabrics, so needless to say I love this one! 

 http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 35: A NEW YORK RAINBOW

Inspiration: This is the view from my room next to Washington Square Park. It had down-poured and then this gorgeous rainbow appeared across the skyline! It was absolutely breathtaking.

Purse: I tried patch-working to make this bright rainbow wristlet clutch!

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 34: LUCKY PENNY

Inspiration: This lucky penny I found today! It was in fact my lucky day because I found out I won a contest for Empowering Women and it includes mentorship from 5 amazing women in San Francisco Bay Area and London so they are paying to fly me out to California and London in the upcoming months!! I am beyond ecstatic!! More updates to come!

Purse: This quirky penny purse! I am going to try experimenting with unusual objects from now on, I like how I can make something so ordinary into a piece of art. 

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 33: POPSICLES

Inspiration: A whole store full of popsicles called PopBar. They even had gelato in the form of popsicles!Purse: Bright neon pouch that is just as delicious as these popsicles! 

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 32: VAPIANO

Inspiration: This glass blown sculpture hanging from the ceiling from an Italian restaurant called Vapiano. I love how the light reflected and glistened off each strip of glass.

 Purse: The deep red wristlet pouch has polka dots accents which represent the shimmering light from the reflection of the light in the glass. 

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 31: MONDRIAN

Inspiration: Piet Mondrian's Composition in Oval with Color Planes 1 at MOMA. I was excited to see Mondrian using pastels and lighter colors rather than his usual primary bold colors.

Purse: I pulled the bright blues from the paintings to make the accent on this crossbody pop. I chose black and white chevron to represent the bold black lines of Mondrian's painting. 

 http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html