This Bold + Colorful Illustrator Got Her Start In Children’s Books

Theresa Gonzalez
Oct 18, 2022
Sarah Ziegler Bounty paper towels

We recently partnered with Bounty to support emerging artists and designers in a national design competition. The ask? Design a graphic for a new Brit + Co and Bounty paper towel collection themed A Clean Fresh Start, which launches this month. In this creator spotlight series, we are featuring the winners of that competition to learn more about their inspirations, their design process, and their winning Bounty design. Read on to meet…

Sarah Ziegler, @sarahziegler, Minneapolis, MN

What are your design inspirations? I get lots of inspiration from fellow creatives. I am very lucky to have so many talented and creative people in my life — I am always inspired by and learn from them. I am also inspired by goofy, younger me, always learning and creating. That quirky, playfulness still comes across in my work and I’m glad she is still a part of me.

Tell us about your design process: The first thing I do when starting a new design is explore different color palettes. Bold color is such a huge part of my work and I like to let that dictate the direction a piece will go. I then use my favorite tool, my sketchbook, to try out different layouts and designs. Once I land on a sketch I’m happy with, I use my tablet to digitize it. I got my first Wacom tablet a few years ago and it totally changed the game for my illustrations. My tablet, and now iPad, make it so easy to create and share my artwork. Instagram and Dribble are my favorite platforms to share and gain inspiration from.

How did you get into illustration? I have been drawing ever since I was a little kid in my first art class. I was mainly a fine artist growing up, which was a really good foundation for when I went to college for graphic design. I began focusing more on my illustrations when I started working on children’s books for I See Me! I got to start working with so many talented illustrators and it really pushed me to start creating more of my own illustrations.

What are three IG accounts you love?

@womenoftype - Features beautiful lettering by women & non-binary creatives

@peopleiveloved - Browse when you’re feeling confused and alone

@asahinagata - Very fun vintage/retro design and illustration

How do you know when a piece of art, including your Bounty Paper Towel design, is “finished”? I really try not to overthink this. I definitely believe that done is better than perfect when it comes to my art. In general, I’ll feel a piece is finished when everything I do to it makes it look worse. If I feel the piece is communicating what I want it to, I don’t really worry if it’s “perfectly finished” or not.

What will it be like for you to see your design on a Bounty Paper Towel at your local store? Seeing my designs on Bounty paper towels will be such a big accomplishment. My work has never been showcased on a scale like this, so I could not be more excited for these to hit the shelf!

Be sure to look out for Sarah’s winning design wherever Bounty Paper Towels are sold!

How To Build A Local Community When You’re A Digital Creator

Verizon
verizon

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward. Here, we meet Rita Suzanne, a marketing strategist for health and wellness businesses who learned to network, connect with other entrepreneurs, and build her business online and IRL.

What's an unexpected business challenge that you've had to face and how did you overcome it?

The hardest thing for me was my sister passed away and I ended up taking custody of my nieces. I ended up being a single mom of four kids. This is the thing that transitioned my whole entire life. I stopped doing web design and started my podcast Mom Owned and Operated. I wanted to reconnect with other moms and figure out how they were able to run their businesses and raise a family and take care of themselves because I wasn't able to do all three at the same time. Through that journey, I realized that I really needed to connect with other people and how important it was for my business. It helped me to create that community that I was yearning for that I didn't realize that I needed.

What's a recent small win for your business?

For me, the win was just pivoting back to something that I actually wanted to do. Also, I’ve started to say no to things that I no longer want to do.

Who is a woman in business that you look up to and why?

I have always admired and looked up to Amy Porterfield [author of Two Weeks Notice]. I listened to her all the time when I was starting out. I think that she's amazing and I love her stuff. She just seems like a very genuine person.

Is there a resource that has made an impact on you as an entrepreneur?

I listen to a lot of audio books. One of my favorites that has been huge for me is You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. I was told when I first started my business, by a friend who was a business coach, that I have a mindset problem. Ten years ago, I had no idea even what “mindset” was. Sincero’s book helped me to see what she meant by “mindset” and helped me adjust that mindset and fix some of the things that I didn't realize were broken.

How has the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program helped propel your business forward?

There are a lot of things that I have loved about it. There are local networking and training opportunities, and that has been great, and the online training is very valuable. It's a great resource. I find that marketing needs a three-tiered approach, meaning you need to network it locally, socially, and then also have a very comprehensive online approach to your marketing. One of the Verizon Small Business trainings that I took was all about taking advantage of your local resources. I found that to be extremely valuable because often people think they need to just focus on social media. I don't think that people focus enough on their local community.

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Rita Suzanne.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces

audio booksdigital ready programentrepreneursmindsetonline businesspodcastunexpected challengesverizon sponsorshipwomen in businesssocial mediaworkmoneymarketingcareersponsoredentrepreneur

A Shirtless Chad Michael Murray In 'The Merry Gentlemen' Trailer Is All We Need For Christmas

Channing Tatum may have to hang up his sexy dancing skills because it looks like Chad Michael Murray is the new reigning champ in his new film, The Merry Gentlemen. You can tell it's going to be a Christmas movie, but we're not talking about Home Alone or Jingle All the Way here. This spicy film feels more like Magic Mike going on a sexy and romantic journey through a small town — which sounds like something we'd watch more than once.

We love watching Chad Michael Murray in Sullivan's Crossing, but we're excited we get to see him prance around our screens without a shirt in the new trailer for The Merry Gentlemen, TBH. Here's everything we know about the upcoming film and what we can expect to see!

What's 'The Merry Gentlemen' about?

Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix

Written by Marla Sokoloff, The Merry Gentlemen is set to follow one former dancer's (Ashley played by Britt Robertson) journey to making sure the Rhythm Room — a "performing arts venue" — doesn't go defunct. It's owned by her parents, so she has personal ties to this small-town source of entertainment, coming up with the bright idea to surprise the community with an "all-male Christmas-theme revue."

Who's starring in 'The Merry Gentlemen'?

Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix

According to Netflix, The Merry Gentlemenwill feature a host of other faces! We'll see the following:

  • Chad Michael Murray as Luke
  • Britt Robertson as Ashley
  • Michael Gross as Stan
  • Marla Sokoloff as Marie
  • Maxwell Caulfield as Danny
  • Beth Broderick as Lily
  • Marc Anthony Samuel as Roger
  • Hector Rivera, Jr. as Ricky
  • Colt Prattes as Troy

When can we watch 'The Merry Gentlemen' on Netflix?

Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix

We'll be able to see Chad Michael Murray and more sexy shirtless men give us a show on November 20. We're not sure what it is, but there's nothing like watching Christmas movies right before Thanksgiving to get us in the winter spirit.

What have Chad Michael Murray and Britt Robertson said about starring in 'The Merry Gentlemen?'

Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix

We didn't think it was possible, but Chad Michael Murray was a little nervous about playing Luke. "I'd never danced professionally or trained by any means," he said (via PEOPLE). Though he has a thing for "going out and dancing," he's never done anything "to this level."

As to why he chose this role, Chad seems to enjoy a challenge. "When I see something and it scares the crap out of me, something in me says, 'Alright, well let's see what we can do.'" He has two thoughts — "'I'm going to fall flat on my face or have a lot of fun doing.'" If you ask us, that's the right spirit to have for a fun Christmas movie.

Britt Robertson was immediately drawn to the script and her role as Ashley. "When I read the script, I was like, ‘This is my kind of Christmas movie,'" she said (via Netflix). She also teased why she can't get enough of the cowboy appeal in the movie. "...I'm Southern...the hats, the boots. There's so much you can work with."

Watch The Full Trailer For 'The Merry Gentlemen'

www.youtube.com

- YouTube

We're slightly ashamed to say how many times we've watched this funny and sexy trailer for The Merry Gentlemen. We've always thought Chad Michael Murray was everything a dream boyfriend should be, but now we have proof he's raising the bar!

In the meantime, follow us on Facebook to make sure you don't miss updates about this sexy Christmas movie!

This post has been updated.

chad michael murraychristmas moviesentertainmentnetflixnetflix moviemovies

We Tested This Viral Lip Gloss On Four Different Skin Tones – Here Are The Results!

City Beauty
beauty products

We love a good beauty hack, from time-saving tips to discovering new beauty finds that make us feel confident and glowy for the season.

The B+C edit team recently swapped out our summer lip routine for City Beauty’s new plumping gloss, City Lips Sparkling Cider, and City Lips Night Oil, a smooth exfoliator that hydrates your lips while you sleep. I’m literally obsessed with it! They’re both Leaping Bunny-certified (AKA cruelty-free), and made without irritants or harsh chemicals. Plus, they plump more and more over time.

We all agreed the color looked great on our respective skin tones and the plumping factor didn’t sting like other plumping glosses. “I seriously can't believe it doesn't tingle when you apply it!,” said Jasmine, our staff editor. Read on for our full review of the City Lips Sparkling Cider plumping gloss and City Lips Night Oil, plus other City Beauty products!

Mallory Levy, Editorial Social Lead

The Cider lipgloss is great to have on hand in your car or on your desk for those last-minute touch-ups before your next Zoom call. “I love the soft sparkle. It’s not too flashy for work or casual outfits,” says Mallory. “It’s a great daytime shade to wear on no or light makeup days so I don’t look dead on Zoom calls.” LOL. It looks great layered on top of a base shade too. “I wore it on my anniversary and my husband loved it, “ says Mallory, who celebrated her first wedding anniversary. “He never notices my makeup!” She also found it less sticky than other lipglosses, which is a bonus when you have long hair on windy days.

Jasmine Williams, Staff Writer

Jasmine, who tends to avoid color on her lips, loves the color for fall. “I usually rely on clear lip oils whenever I wear makeup, but I can't get over how much Sparkling Cider reminds me of a golden sunset.” SAME. “Considering it's a plumping lip gloss, I'm shocked at how moisturizing it is. I only needed one coat to get the job done, but the smooth application made me add a few more.”

We all agreed there was no tingling effect, which was awesome. “It's not super sticky like some lip glosses tend to be,” adds Jasmine. “I can see myself reaching for Sparkling Cider no matter which fall outfit I choose to wear.”

Meredith Holser, Affiliate Writer

“I love the plumping component,” says Meredith. “I can definitely tell it’s working when I put it on, but it’s not overly distracting or painful. Plus, I notice a difference in the volume of my lips after applying!”

The color is also an ideal match for Meredith’s skin tone and lip color, though a bit more shimmery than the lip products she typically uses. I personally love the shimmer and it’s not too overwhelming. Meredith also really liked the City Lip Lip Oil. “The scent is very unique, almost floral,” she says. “The oil is definitely thicker than other lip oils I’ve tried, which is nice for the long-wear since you’re meant to apply it at night and let it soak in.”

Theresa Gonzalez, Branded Editor

As someone with naturally thin lips, I love the lip oil too and agree it feels weightier than other oils, which is part of its appeal. The gloss color is super pretty over my neutral base, especially for a fall look.

As the only (tired) mom on the edit team, I appreciated the Lid Lifting Treatment and was surprised how quickly I noticed a lift! I applied it at night and in the morning with a small dab on my lids, and I felt that I looked visibly more awake! It nourishes your skin too to soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It makes a great primer for eye makeup too.

Want to try it yourself? Upgrade your lip routine this fall with City Beauty’s new City Lips Sparkling Cider plumping lipgloss, and City Lips Night Oil!

Photos by B+C Edit team

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.


beauty productseye makeup primerfine lines treatmentlip care routinelip color optionslip glosslip gloss reviewlip makeup trendsplumping lip glossskin tone matchlip oil nourishmentself carewellnesssponsorednsfwbeauty

OMG Jennifer Lawrence & Her Adorable Baby Bump Just Made Their First Red Carpet Appearance

Jennifer Lawrence announced she's pregnant, and we couldn't be happier for her! Though she and her husband, Cooke Maroney, aren't known for being in the public eye too much, it seems like this is one piece of news they don't mind sharing! Sorry, but we haven't been this excited about baby news since Suki Waterhouse and Robert Pattinson became parents — excuse us while we celebrate!

Here's everything we know about baby number 2 so far.

Has Jennifer Lawrence debuted her baby bump yet?

Anna Webber/Getty Images for AFI

YES! Jennifer Lawrence's baby bump was the star of the Zurawski v Texas premiere (via PEOPLE). She wore a structured white dress with a black belt around her waist that accentuated her cute baby bump and appeared to be glowing.

According to Deadline, she's one of the executive producers of Zurawski v Texas, a documentary that sheds light on the "restrictive abortion laws" that put women's lives in danger in Texas. Alongside producers Hilary and Chelsea Clinton, Jennifer's involvement in the documentary as a pregnant woman makes a pivotal statement during a time where mothers' mortalities aren't always considered during their pregnancies.

When did Jennifer Lawrence announce her second pregnancy?

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI

Leave it to Vogue to get the exclusive scoop about Jennifer being pregnant again! According to the publication, an official "representative for the actor confirmed" the news yesterday, October 20. So exciting!

When is Jennifer Lawrence's second baby due?

Kevin Mazur

Jennifer Lawrence hasn't announced her due date yet, so we can't be quite sure! However, if she's out of her first trimester, Jennifer could have her baby around April 2025!

What have Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney said about their family?

John Phillips/Getty Images for Sony Pictures

It seems Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney were open to the idea of having another baby as recently as this summer! An unknown source told Entertainment Tonight, "Jennifer and Cooke are doing very well and are super in love. They make each other laugh and have the best time parenting together. They would love to have another kid and expand their family."

When was Jennifer Lawrence's first baby born?

Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images for Sony Pictures

Jennifer and Cooke's firstborn son, Cy, was born February 2022, which means he's almost three years old!

The actress later explored her feeling about becoming a mom in another Vogueinterview. "It’s so scary to talk about motherhood. Only because it’s so different for everybody. If I say, It was amazing from the start, some people will think, 'It wasn’t amazing for me at first,' and feel bad. Fortunately I have so many girlfriends who were honest. Who were like, It’s scary," she said.

What has Jennifer Lawrence said about being a mom?

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

It seems like Jennifer found her stride because she's apparently embraced being a mom. She hasn't said anything recently, but she did speak with Entertainment Tonight last year during the promotion of No Hard Feelings about her parenting habits. "Of course, the urge to stop anything from ever hurting or negatively affecting your baby..." she said.

However, co-star Andrew Barth Feldman had nothing but positive words to share about Jennifer as a mom. "Jen is an amazing mother, for real. That was kind of one of the incredible things about doing this with you is seeing just how much of a priority being a mother is for you and how deeply you care about that over everything," he said.

We can't wait to see how Jennifer's second pregnancy develops and hope she's willing to give us a little sneak peek of how she's prepping to have two young kids!

Follow us on Facebook to stay tuned for updates!

celebritiescelebrity couplesentertainmentjennifer lawrencecelebrity news

Stephanie Hsu's 'Laid' Is The Spooky Rom-Com I Didn't Know I Needed

Reliving your dating history with your best friends and a glass of wine is, if you ask me, the definition of the ultimate girls' night. Trading dating horror stories usually ends with me laughing so hard I can't breathe. But in Stephanie Hsu's new romantic comedyLaid, going through her list of exes is anything but funny for one simple reason: they're all dying, and she needs to figure out why. Here's everything you need to know about the new show before it hits Peacock this December!

  • In Laid, Stephanie Hsu's Ruby learns all of her exes are dying.
  • She teams up with BFF AJ to get to the bottom of the mystery.
  • All eight episodes of the series will hit Peacock this December.

What is Laid about?

Laid Plot

"Would you wanna know if you were gonna die?" Stephanie Hsu asks at the beginning of the Laid trailer. When Ruby (Stephanie) finds out her exes are all dying in strange ways, she has to go back through her relationship timelines in order to embrace the future. According to the official Peacock site, this crazy rom-com answers the age-old question of "Is there something wrong with me?" with “Yes. There is. The problem is definitely you.”

“When we started to develop Laid, we were intrigued by the idea of bringing back the old-school, traditional romantic comedy (swelling music! kisses in the rain! Anne Hathaway or someone who is also appealing!), but because we were living in such a dark time (pandemic! industry strikes!), we felt it needed to have some kind of twist,” co-showrunners & executive producers Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna said in a joint statement. “Sure, it could be optimistic and heartwarming and make you believe in love again, but it should probably also have suspense, death, and blood."

I'm obsessed with the title of this show because of its double meaning, too. Not only does "laid" connect to all of Ruby's sexual encounters but it's also a nod to the fact her exes are being laid to rest. So clever!

Where can I watch Laid with Stephanie Hsu?

James Dittiger/Peacock

Laid Release Date

You can watch all eight 30-minute episodes of Laid on Peacock starting Thursday, December 19.

Who's in the show?

James Dittiger/Peacock

Laid Cast

The cast of Laid includes Stephanie Hsu, Zosia Mamet, Michael Angarano, Tommy Martinez, Andre Hyland, Olivia Holt, David Denman, Finneas O’Connell, Chloe Fineman, Ettore “Big E” Ewen, and John Early.

Where is Laid filmed?

James Dittiger/Peacock

According to theFilm & Television Industry Alliance's Production List, Laid was filmed in British Columbia, Canada.

What would you do if all your exes started meeting untimely ends?

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