Tuesday, March 29, 2011

(just ah) s w i n g i n '

I'll think I'll set this alarm...

and curl up on this swing in the southern sun.
{1, 2}

Alternate Engagement Ring

Holy, holy sandcastles to snowflakes Batman. It's cold outside; made worse by the fact I'm being reintroduced to the winter weather after returning from seven days of 85 degree beach weather. What happened Mother Nature? I thought you promised Mr. Groundhog an early spring. Do I need to continue my rant or do you get it? Okay, 'nuff said.

As I mentioned, I have just returned home from vacation: a week on Treasure Island off the coast of Tampa. It was gorgeous and I was delighted to pull out my sundresses and flip-flops {rubbin' it in}. This was our first vacation as an engaged couple and I decided to leave my ring at home. The FH spent too much money and put too much thought into the ring selection for me to lose it to the gulf's sandy bottom. We left on Friday evening and by Sunday I felt strange and naked without a ring. Call me a weirdo but I have great satisfaction in flashing my ring when a dim-witted, beach bimbo flirts with my man. {'cuse my unlady-like language} So I moseyed on over to a nearby beach boutique and picked up an inexpensive, sterling ring. It's about as tacky and gaudy as can be but it worked for it's purpose.

Now that I'm back home, and wearing my pretty ring again, I've found a few acceptable rings in wide range of prices to consider for your next vacation or honeymoon. Since I plan on wearing one of these babies for every vacation I take, I don't mind to spend a good amount of money but I also don't want to spend too much in case I lose it. Kinda defeats the point. But "a lot" of money is different for everyone. Anyway, these are some of my favorites.
Rings

{1, 2, 3, 4} 

1 + 1 + 1

Wooden Sign

Lady

Buttons
{1, 2, 3

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Sighhh...

Oh blogging how I've missed you. Watch for more posts soon; until then enjoy some pretty pictures from my vacation.

Palm Poolside SunsetFromiPhone Breakfast
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

3THINGS

Garden

I want to receive this invite to a lovely event where these lemon delights will be served and I can wear charming hair pins.

{ 1, 2, 3}
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Project progress - Issue II

Let me start off by apologizing for my lack of quality pictures. These were taken with my trusty iPhone and they will just have to do for now.

We are now three months into the mega project construction {phase II anyway} and things are cooking.  It seems like communication is flowing well and work is actually happening.  The top floor will start to be drywalled this week and, I admit I will miss being able to slide through the studs to get around. This place is decent size so walking from one end of the floor to the other will not be quite as easy with walls in the way. But drywall means painting soon, which means flooring, which means furniture, which means mega project complete, which means my goal is met. And ultimately that is what matters; well and a happy client but I mean... come on... : )

I just can't get over some of this gorgeous ductwork. It's so artistic and curvaceous.
Stacks of materials ready to go.
Framing on the second floor.

I'm such of fan of the blue baby flags all over the west parking lot. These are marking the 80 drillings for our geothermal wells, second largest quantity in the state. Amazingly the first largest is in our city as well. Go little town!

Monday, March 7, 2011

.tickled.


{1,2}

REPETITIONREPETITION

Q.U.I.C.K.C.H.A.N.G.E -5 easy ways to update your bedroom

Spring is around the corner. Yes, I said it. It really is happening! Thinking of doing some spring-cleaning? Sometimes the best thing you can do for your house is let some fresh air in and let it breath. While doing your spring-cleaning, add these five items to your list in your bedroom and you'll feel like you have a new oasis.


rue.


1. Hang a DIY art piece above your bed. This could be a great quilt, a painted canvas, or a reproduction poster you found at Hobby Lobby. Go for a drastic change and you will feel like you have a new room. Even painting a canvas one solid color will add geometry and color to the room.


bhg.
2. Paint your nightstands. Use a glossy finish for a sleek look or a bright color if you are feeling bold.


elle.
3. Pick up new pillows. Add textured and patterned pillows to your existing ones {or toss the existing ones} and it will make your bedding look new.



4. Throw a blanket at the bottom of the bed. Go for something light in color and weight for spring and summer.


pier1.
5. Add a new rug. I'm the type of person who doesn't mind a rug on carpet, so either way, pick up something that is soft and fuzzy that your toes can sink into when you get out of bed. That is a great way to start the day.


pier1.
What are you doing around your home to freshen up for spring? Leave it in the comments below!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Friday

May your weekend be filled with fabulous fun.

{image}

color, color, pattern

{image}

lets talk ART

Let me be frank. Prior to Art History 101 in college, I couldn't tell you a darn thing about art. I knew of some famous pieces and I knew of some famous painters but I couldn't tell you who did what or when they did it. And to be even more honest? I can't really do that now. But I did pick up a few things that I wanted to share when it comes to the basics. It's good for casual conversation while at an event where you don't know many people or you don't have much to say.

Okay, first off, you should probably know the difference between a portrait, landscape, or still life. A portrait is... duh, a portrait, a person. A landscape shows a place -whether that's a field, a skyline, or a building. A still life portrays a thing. It's not typically difficult to determine what the piece is, so call it what it is instead of "a picture".

Let's take it to the next step, which I call the "ism": Realism, Impressionism, Expressionism, and Abstract Expressionism. Realism is the easiest to spot because it looks the most realistic {tough one, huh?}. You will see great detail and an image that looks like a photograph.


Impressionism is a bit more complex; look for unusual angles, emphasized lighting and brush strokes.


Geometric shapes, blurry strokes, or radical distortion? You are looking at Expressionism, which I think is comparable to avant-garde in the fashion world. Expressionism is supposed to allude to poetry and evoke moods.


An image that looks like your dog could have painted it with his tail is Abstract Expressionism. It looks like doodles or swatches of paint or specks... I think you get the drift.


Now, if you want to really sound like you know what you're talking about; mention the negative space in the piece, what isn't shown. The negative space in a piece can sometimes be more beautiful than anything else because it adds balance.

Less.
More.

Lastly, I want to tell you about form and line. The difference between the two: line is the shaping of an object and form is shading and texture. Together they give movement or the lack of movement. This one is easy to remember, just think of a coloring book. A coloring book typically gives you the line and you give it the form {whether it's both shading and texture depends on your coloring style}.



Next time you are at your wacky roommates art opening, an event for work, or a fundraiser, don't be afraid to get into a conversation about art. Like anything, the more you talk it, the more you know about it. When it comes down to it, just be honest, whether you love it, hate it, or don't understand it. At least you are thinking about it. And don't be afraid to share your limited knowledge; there's a good chance the other person doesn't know much either.

{image sources 1&2 shutterstock; 3 wiki; 4 wiki; 5&6 layers; 7&8 familystyle}

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

red fetish

images like these make me wanna go red



engaged.etsy.fest.

today i want...



chair. photo.

Project Progress - Meet our Artists. Brian Gordy

I have been lucky enough to work with Brian on a number of framing projects but for the first time, he is commissioning a large watercolor for us for the mega project. With his wife and son, they own a framing company, Gordy Fine Art & Framing, that doubles as an art gallery where local artists have their pieces on display. Brian specializes in watercolors that are vibrant and full of life. In his turtle series, the colors move across the page like they are glimmering in the sun. In case you can't tell, I'm a major fan of his work.






Find more of Brian's work at his website or the framing shop's website.