Ok, you caught me - I’m a Saints fan. And not a newcomer/fair weather one either, no siree. As a New Orleans native, born and bred on Cajun cuisine, I’ve cheered along the Saints. Although, I must admit I’m a bigger fan of college football (LSU… woo hoo!) than professional, this has certainly been an exciting time for the Big Easy & its football fans! I just thought I would share {or re-share in some cases} some of my favorite imagery, indicative of the Saints:
We’re very excited to share another guest post from the ever so effervescent, Meg Lange, who recently wrote about her love of all things owl-inspired. This time, our friend Meg comes clean about her sewing talents, or lack thereof… Read on:
I’ll be up front about something - I can hardly sew a button. I have no skills when it comes to the art of sewing, quilting or cross-stitching. But - my mom has a talent for it. She’s gifted! In fact, she used to sew whole outfits for my sister and me; including an infamous blue velvet Christmas cape and muff set, circa 1991.
These days, she mostly sticks to quilting. She gives them away as gifts, along with all of the blood, sweat and tears that go into these laborious beauties. Every baby that is born into our family receives a quilt. It’s fun to pick out the fabrics for each baby and attempt to capture the essence of that little unknown person.
We have a new baby boy coming joining the family this May. The baby’s working name is currently “Egg-Boy,” which was determined by his four year old brother. It’s time to pick some new fabrics and I am really pushing for some Amy Butler designs. I learned about Amy when we added her artwork to our Artaissance gallery.
Amy has a line called Midwest Modern 2 - I was drawn to this collection because my family lives in the Midwest. This grouping is called “Ohio Sky.” Wouldn’t this make a fantastic baby quilt!?
And… how perfect would this artwork look in “Egg-Boy’s” baby room, right over the crib?!? It’s called “Georgia Grass” by Amy Butler. I’ve somehow managed to merge my two worlds - Illinois and Georgia - into a perfect blend of baby bliss!
I am so inspired that I might just have to take some sewing classes. Or at least, learn how to sew that button!
Many thanks to our reoccurring guest blogger, Meg Lange - we can’t wait to see what your first baby quilt looks like! Readers - keep an eye out for Meg’s next Art That Fits blog post, “Bright Lights, Big City, Small Apartment.” It’s sure to be exciting!
I’m thrilled to share another post by Art That Fits guest blogger, Tracey Smith. In her, “Prolific With Pink” post she shares what inspired her new-found appreciation for a pink color palette, and it’s something only a mother’s love would understand… Enjoy:
Although we are several weeks away from Valentine’s Day, I thought it might be a good time to begin thinking about a color that will soon be in our midst - PINK! Having some thoughts in advance might provide enhancement for some appreciation and openness to loving this lovely hue.
I must say, I have never been a huge fan of pink and honestly, I didn’t give it much thought. That is, until my daughter brought it to my attention. She is a huge fan of all things pink. She begins her day with a pink vitamin, followed by pink cereal or pink sprinkles on her pancakes; she then brushes her teeth, with a pink toothbrush and pink toothpaste. The day would of course not begin, as it should, without pink tights, a pink dress and pink shoes. Then and only then does she begin her daily routine of creating art - beading, painting, coloring… you name it. And without a doubt, every single piece of art she creates has an overarching color theme. You guessed it - pink!
Ar first, I encouraged her to look to other colors, but I realized that I was stifling her creativity and expression of what she loves. So, with that, I tried to open my mind and really take in this color generally absent from my home decor, clothing, nail polish collection, etc. and embrace what pink is really all about. I must say, it worked! I really do think I could learn to love pink and can only imagine all of the treasures I’ve overlooked throughout the years. Fortunately, I believe I can catch up quickly, as the prolific artist in my home, my daughter, surrounds me with all of these pink paintings, necklaces, pink cut-outs and her pure love of pink.
Thank you to my daughter, and thank you to the artists who remind us of the artful joy of pink!
And thank you, Ms Tracey Smith for sharing your daughter’s talents on our Art That Fits blog - we’re sure this Valentine’s Day will be a perfectly pink one!
Keep an eye out for Tracey’s next Art That Fits guest blog post - all about the amazing art of sculpting ice & snow…
You may recall the recent “Tea at Two” event hosted by the infamous Eddie Ross & Artaissance’s parent company, Larson-Juhl. What you may not have known was that Larson-Juhl & Artaissance also partnered with Eddie to host a very memorable “blogger dinner” a few evenings before the tea/art and framing workshop. That dinner was such a fun time, and so many new and exciting friendships were formed, that I just had to share a little from that wonderful evening with you all…
Here are all of the Larson-Juhl, Artaissance, and Eddie Ross team members along with our amazing dinner guests:
Whoa - recalling all of those dinner attendees brought that lovely evening back to mind and reminded me of what a fantastic dining group we had the pleasure of hosting!
Of course, the photos don’t end there… we’re not bloggers for nothing & we will not be seen without our cameras
Here’s a great shot of Eddie, Steve, Lynn & Jaithan:
A pre-dinner photo of Eddie wooing some of our guests…
A great group - Steve, Mary Kay, Jennifer of The Peak of Chic, Jaithan & Eddie:
Eddie & Steve, who have been working together since Eddie’s “House Beautiful” days…
Eddie, Patti, Steve & Jaithan chatting before we all sat down for dinner:
Lynn, along with the glamorous Tami, doing what she does best: talking.
Eddie with Haute Travel’s blogger Marian:
Jaithan & Eddie enjoying the company of Rhoda & Tami:
I even got a quick shot with Eddie…
Finally it was time to sit down & share a meal together. We opted to meet at Atlanta’s JCT Kitchen for some fabulous Southern fare with a flare - and they did not let us down! I for one, can attest to their amazing shrimp & grits Here’s our family style table before we took our places:
And after we took our places for dinner… We did a bit of a switcharoo after the entrees, since we all wanted to mix and mingle with each other.
Eddie ended up next to Jennifer of Fiddle Dee Dee for dessert & she was a blast to visit with!
Here’s designer Kerry Howard, aka “Big Daddy” of Top Design, and Steve:
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet a new found favorite author of mine, a lady with a lot of Southern spice, Mary Kay Andrews! As you can see, I didn’t keep my admiration a secret - I asked her to autograph a number of books, including the one I’m currently engrossed in - “Deep Dish” - and she graciously agreed…
All in all, I’d have to proclaim our first ever “Blogger Dinner” hosted by Larson-Juhl & Eddie Ross an overwhelming success; I can’t wait to do it again!
Thanks to all of our guests for joining the group and participating in what’s sure to be an unforgettable evening, happy blogging!
Stay tuned for our full recap of the Larson-Juhl/Eddie Ross “Tea at Two: An Art & Framing Workshop” event and some of the fun leading up to it…
To continue the guest blogger excitement here on the Art That Fits blog, I’d love to introduce you to a fabulous Team Member and fun friend of mine, Meg Lange:
Meg works with us as Product Coordinator and creative-thinker extraordinaire - she’s got one great imagination! One thing I appreciate about Meg is her love of all things owl. In her post below, Meg describes her love of this bird of night and how it became a part of her home & life…
Have you noticed that owls have come home to roost in the latest home decor and fashion trends? They’re everywhere! As a lover of owls, I am delighted. I began collecting these sweet little birds a couple of years ago, thanks to my Grandma, who has collected owls for many years and helped me start my own collection of owl paraphernalia. Here’s a photo of Grandma, with her favorite “toddy” - a Cosmopolitan:
Grandma began my collection with a couple of small crystal owls as well as this kitschy owl made of shells and topped off with a pair of googly eyes - what’s not to love?! It makes me laugh and think of her. However… I really have my eye on a fantastic white ceramic owl cookie jar of hers
My own collection has flourished with the latest owl craze. Here are a couple of my favorite owl items:
This necklace from Forever 21 cost me about $3 - such a steal! It’s the perfect eclectic touch to jazz up an otherwise dull outfit.
These salt and pepper shakers, from tag, debuted in my kitchen this fall. I intended to transition to a different pair of shakers for the winter season, but I just don’t have the heart to put them away.
This pretty pair of owls have a clean, modern shape and are made of ivory marble. They’re the perfect little accent on a bookshelf or side table - I’m always getting compliments on them!
Uber popular celebrity blogger, interior designer & lifestyle guru, Eddie Ross will be in Atlanta this weekend & has teamed up with Artaissance & Larson-Juhl to present Tea at Two: An Art & Framing Workshop.
Taking place at Larson-Juhl’s home base, Eddie will wow guests with a fun, informative presentation that takes the guesswork out of groupings, shadowboxes and all things framed! Finally, one lucky winner will have the opportunity to get an item of their choosing framed for free by Larson-Juhl!
Here’s an image of Steve McKenzie, President and CEO of Larson-Juhl flea-marketing last year and a beautiful shadowbox they created using the treasures they found:
Space is limited, but if you’re in the Atlanta area this Saturday, please join us for the traditional tea fare, a bit of chilled Sauvignon Blanc and of course… the fabulous Eddie Ross! The cost is $10, but free to all bloggers, simply e-mail jaithan@eddieross.com for details.
I was first introduced to Brian Patrick Flynn, lead on-air designer for TBS’ “Movie & A Makeover” and maverick behind the brand new {and totally awesome!} magazine-style Decor Demon blog, when doing a rare hand-delivery to the TBS’ studios for a project we were working on with popular home decor guru, Elizabeth Mayhew. I was immediately taken with his high energy and love for everything Jonathan Adler. He took one look at the framed pieces selected for the Movie & A Makeover segment with Elizabeth and expressed such interest in the Artaissance program - I think it was love at first sight!
I asked Brian if he would consider guest blogging for a day, and he immediately agreed. Then came the tough part… selecting a topic. There’s so much for Brian to share with us - his knack for working with quirky color palettes that turn out amazingly fabulous, or his love of all things mid-century modern. But, in the end, we landed on talking a bit about his appreciation of great art & framing - after all, he’s a Larson-Juhl fan too!
So, without further ado, I give you THE Brian Patrick Flynn & all of his glorious expertise:
My work is all about the 1960’s, juxtaposed styles, graphic detail & unexpected color pairings. Art is a major factor in pulling all of these elements together. regardless of the particular medium, everything looks better in a frame.
One thing I recognize is that color trends come and go, but one combination that will ALWAYS remain classic is Black & White. This goes not only for upholstery and art, but also for framing. This Hepplewhite Settee piece, from Art That Fit’s Biltmore Collection was perfectly finished with the black & white frame combination. Check out Larson-Juhl’s Gallery One custom frame collection for more clean-lined frames in pure Black & White finishes.
At the Atlanta Humane Society I created a photo op area for owners of newly adopted pets. I wanted it to feel fun, but also warm and somewhat formal - the idea of formal mixed with fun and playful seemed like an unexpected pairing - it worked out quite well! We added a vinyl wall covering with a silk damask look, a newly upholstered Victorian sofa and modern graphic art, “Dogs III” by Soraya Chemaly, from Artaissance. Although people went bananas over the art, what made it truly unique and fresh was the wide, double-stacked, ornate custom framing from Larson-Juhl’s Sophia collection that completed it.
A comment I get a lot is “your spaces are equally masculine AND feminine.” I think that the colors I select are the reason for those compliments. This office lounge is the perfect example. It belongs to the president of a hauling company, a female, who wanted the lounge of her office to feel chic and professional, but just “a tiny bit girly.” Notice the palette of gray, brown and taupe, made girly with just a few accessories. Some splashes of pink let you know that a female dwells here. The feminine lines of the Biltmore furniture artwork were ideal - without being too literal - especially with the clean, strong black frame. If and when she leaves the company, all of those girly elements of the room can go with her, while the office itself will remain gender neutral.
A BIG thank you to Brian Patrick Flynn for that unique look into his design aesthetic and appreciation of fabulous art & framing! Don’t forget to check out his new & amazing blog, Decor Demon soon!
I’d like to introduce a fabulous friend and colleague of the Artaissance team, Ms. Tracey Smith:
Tracey is such a fun person, who lives life to the fullest! I knew she’d be up to the challenge of sharing one of her favorite things about her current home state of Colorado. Read below & learn why Tracey loves all things cold in America’s favorite winter playground…
Whether you enjoy cold, snowy weather or not, the beauty of this season is undeniable - look at these gorgeous mountains:
Personally, I’m a huge fan of all things snowy, mountainous and icicle-ish. Crazy to love the cold? Maybe. But for me it’s more than the temperature, it’s the view. There’s something so serene about an almost artful layer of fluffy white snow over the trees, fences and meadow views. Even if only for a brief second, snow means peace.
Of course, there’s the shoveling, the scraping, the driving and the bundling. However, I like to focus on the brief second rather than the three hours. Or, in other words, living up in the mountains, I like to see my cup of hot cocoa as half full.
Here are some other beautiful winter landscapes - hope you enjoy them!
Whether you love it or hate it, the painting “A Friend in Need”, by Cassius Coolidge is known around the globe. This is his most recognizable work, but many other of his works can be seen at www.dogsplayingpoker.org.
Mr. Coolidge was born in 1844 and lived until 1934, just shy of his 90th birthday. Although he was and is best known for this series of paintings, he was also a businessman, having owned a bank, newspaper and drug stores at various times in his career.
For the record, I am not a fan of this art. However, I do admire when artists take risks and do their own thing. These paintings must have been quite unusual about 100 years ago when most artists took a much more serious approach.
Today, I would like to recognize all of those brave men & women who who lost their lives or were injured in the attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Okay… so I’m a day late
68 years ago + 1 day, Hawaii suffered a surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Army, specifically targeting Pearl Harbor in hopes of minimizing, or preventing American influence in the pacific. However, these historic events eventually led to the rise of World War II. Visit this site to learn more about the history of Pearl Harbor and how this tragic event is remembered today.
Here are some iconic images from Google’s LIFE magazine collection. As I reflect on these pictures today, near the anniversary of that tragic event, I think of two family members, my cousins Dylan & Jimmy, who currently serve in the Navy and are actually stationed at Pearl Harbor. I am thankful for the sacrifices that they, and the other members of our armed forces make for us each day…
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Arlynn
