How did you feel about last night’s award show artwork fashion & the women who wore it? Did it inspire you this morning when you woke up to have a great International Women’s Day? I have to admit, after seeing the rainbow of colors on the red carpet yesterday, I did have a bit more fun with my own ensemble this morning, ha!
Something else I’ve enjoyed today is selecting, strong feminine-inspired artwork to share with you all on this very special women’s day…
This year, my husband and I have been enjoying more of the Winter Olympic games than ever before. I don’t know why we’re so into the games this year, but each evening this past weekend was spent enjoying the opening ceremonies, men’s luge competition, women’s mogul skiing and freestyle short program pairs figure skating {my favorite!}.
The real excitement came Saturday night as we were watching some dare devil-esq women compete in mogul skiing, along with a few friends who were over for dinner and a couple rounds of cards. Initally, we just had the TV on in the background, but soon we were all enthralled with the mogul - was it going to the Canadians or the US team?!? Finally, Hannah Kearney performed an amazing (not to mention extremely exciting) run, turning perfectly and those tricks…whoa! We just knew she had to take home the gold. Sure enough, once the final scores were posted it was confirmed. She brought home the first Olympic gold of the 2010 games! Hannah’s story is touching & her hard work and dedication are evident, a great example of a fantastic US Olympic competitor!
To celebrate Hannah’s big win and just to have a little fun, I thought you might enjoy this mogul image from our collection at Artaissance:
I am a fan of Valentine’s Day. Yes, I know many of you may think that it’s an unnecessary holiday developed by the greeting card companies. But I, for one, enjoy any excuse to have any type of celebration! Especially if there are gifts involved…even if it may not be much - just a simple, sweet & possibly sentimental card that could brighten someone’s day.
You’ve probably all received art in the form of a Valentine’s Day gift before - think not? What about that cute scrapbook your girlfriend/fiancee/wife made a few years back?
After reminiscing about those perfect handmade Valentines we all gave and received as kids, I thought about how fabulous it would be to give love, in the form of fine art, as a Valentine’s Day gift! It would be so very thoughtful and meaningful to you-know-who and would always be remembered, once perched in a place of significance in your home… Here are a few images I know I’d love to be mine on Valentine’s Day:
Thanks for joining me on my journey through my Valentine’s Day gift wishes. Truth be told… the Hubs and I will most likely share a warm and relaxing {yes, please!} evening at home with a home-cooked meal & possibly a decadent dessert whipped up by yours truly - Peanut Butter-Chocolate Pie anyone?!?
We’re thrilled to share a third installment of guest posts by our favorite cold weather friend, Tracey Smith. You can read her first guest post here and the second here. As you may know, Tracey is lucky enough to reside in the great snowy state of Colorado, which is where she finds inspiration for today’s post. Enjoy her take on Breckenridge’s temporary treasures:
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to see ice or snow sculptures, you probably already know how amazing they are! Of course, as with any form of art, there are varying degrees of success. The snowman in my backyard, cute and sweet, but the snow sculptures I saw this past weekend in Breckenridge were nothing short of spectacular. The 2oth Annual International Snow Sculpture Championships hosted teams from all over the world and tons of talent!
The pride these snow-sculpting teams must have is definitely reflected in their work. I wonder though, if it is difficult to create something so fantastic and know that it is only temporary, to be melted into simply water, come the next warm day. My guess is that the artists who work in temporary mediums, such as this, just truly love the process of creating these works of art, the artwork themselves and the love and excitement in sharing it with others.
Hopefully these photos will give you a glimpse into the show and a look at these wonderful treasures:
People’s Choice - “The Last Iceberg” - Team Alaska, USA
We hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into the International Snow Sculpture Championships, we sure did! And another big thank you to Tracey for sharing a bit of her winter wonderland with us!
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.
![[del.icio.us]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Furl]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/furl.png)
![[Mixx]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/mixx.png)
![[Reddit]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/reddit.png)
![[Squidoo]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/squidoo.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://blog.artthatfits.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
Arlynn
