Refreshing Style

I love this outfit...it's so effortlessly cool. Really everything by Emerson Made is refreshing and inspiring, wouldn't you agree?



And I love the story behind this company. Emerson Made is a husband and wife team who traded New York City for a farm "with green pastures." Emerson began by selling her hand-made flowers to people on the streets of New York and grew from there. Their clothing line is new this year. Love it!

Grey, Greige, Charcoal, Smoke...

Whatever you want to call it, the color grey is a perfect neutral to decorate with. I love that it's cool but not cold.






Then why not add a punch of color with bright accessories to lighten things up?




*Images via mysparrowblog.com (a divine blog, design firm and shop in california); all fabrics by F. Schumacher; Ikat scarf (or throw on a sofa) by Robert Roller Rabbit; florals by Diane James

It's In the Bag!

I am in search of the "perfect" bag. One that can hold my wallet, make-up bag, phone, my favorite planner/organizer, snacks, wipes, a pad and pen...and stand up by itself, be comfortable on my shoulder, have organizational compartments...I'm not sure if it exists...but these are pretty close and I love a neutral leather.

And I'm so excited that Erin Condren's new Life Planners for 2011 are available. It's a 15 month calendar so it will take you from now until the end of 2011. It comes with so many fabulous features, I am a devotee!


I'm also a fan of clear cosmetic bags so that you can see exactly what you're looking for, quickly, before the light turns green.

And I would be a bit lost without my Hobo wallet that doubles as an evening clutch.

What's in your bag??

*Leather hobo bags from endless.com

Shaker Woods 2010

If you haven't already heard.......we are at the Shaker Woods Festival, Columbiana Ohio for 3 weekends in Aug. Our first weekend was face melting hot but amazingly successful due to the fabulous attendance , repeat fabulous customers and refreshing ice tea's in multiples from the Mason's booth. Thank you , Thank you, Thank you!
Our 3 layer new candle experiment sold out , the aromatherapy line is 3/4 gone and a huge chunk is gone out of our regular line. How cool is that!
Two weekends remain so if you haven't experienced the show and are looking for something to do, hop in the car for a road trip. Check out www.shakerwoods.com for travel information.
As an ending note, we will not have studio hours for the month of August due to the show and my work schedule. As soon as I can I will post the fall hours schedule.
Again, thank you for all the support, wonderful compliments and continued patronage.
While a big challenge this year to keep up, it makes it so worth while when I hear the loving comments about the candle line.
Keep Cool!

Scrabble Art

I love the idea of putting art on the walls but for me, it has to mean something. I took this photo recently and am going to blow it up and hang it in the hall with our family photos. I've also seen photo books made using Scrabble letters for children learning to read and this fun idea for a nursery, via Posh Tots.



And yet another option, from this Etsy seller. Fun, creative and personal, now that's art!

Asheville

Wow! What a city! We had a refreshing retreat to the mountains of North Carolina this past week. Asheville is truly the jewel of the south, in my opinion. It has so many activities, dining options and outdoor adventures to choose from, we could hardly fit everything in...there's something for everyone. And as the Chamber of Commerce t-shirts tout, the altitude definitely affects the attitude.

Here are some enticing reasons to visit this lovely mountain city:

Restaurants!!
My favorites are The Laughing Seed, The Corner Kitchen and 131 Main but there are hundreds more. The Laughing Seed on Wall Street is vegetarian and healthy and absolutely delicious. I could eat there daily! The Corner Kitchen, in Biltmore Village is a lively spot with a great brunch (The Obamas dined here while visiting) and FIG, right around the corner, is a splurge but divine! 131 Main is in Biltmore Park and is actually a chain but they have the best veggie burgers I've ever had. I've asked for their recipe but they're not budging. I did detect beets in them. YUM!! Also, newly opened Pack's Tavern, downtown, has a great atmosphere and the best salmon salad I've had in a while!



The Biltmore Estate:



No trip to Asheville is complete without a visit to the Biltmore House, America's largest privately owned home. At Antler Hill Village and Farm, you can visit the barnyard of animals and Janie got to hold a baby chick. The adjacent historic horse barn is where we held our wedding reception so it's a special place for me. The 8000 acres and estate itself are truly awe-inspiring and I was surprised that Janie was able to keep up but she was clearly entranced by the "castle" and its princess, Cornelia Vanderbilt.

Even though she's young, I wanted Janie to see one of my favorite things at Biltmore Estate, John Singer Sargent's portrait of Fredrick Law Olmsted. Founder of American Landscape Architecture, Olmsted designed the gardens and grounds of Biltmore in the French and English styles. A personal hero of mine, he was a champion of urban parks and preserving nature within cities. This portrait, large and powerful in person, depicts his obvious declining health.


"I have all my life been considering distant effects and sacrificing immediate success and applause to that of the future." Fredrick Law Olmsted

Sargent's portrait of Richard Morris Hunt hangs across from Olmsted's, both in the drawing room. Hunt, widely considered one of the fathers of American architecture, created the estate in the French Renaissance Style.



Outdoor Activities:
Oh, the list could go on and on...Trolley Rides, Splashville (Asheville's new outdoor water fountain for children to play and "splash" around in), hiking on the Blue Ridge Parkway, shopping, galleries and of course, MUSIC!

There are tons of great places to stay in Asheville but I'm very fortunate to have some very special people who live right there...my mom and dad. They were (as always) the perfect hosts for a very special and memorable visit to one of my favorite cities.

A great resource for the area is their Chamber of Commerce.

Hiatus

As summer comes to an end, I'm taking a little "blogger break." I can't wait for fall to begin and with it, some cool weather! I'll be back in two weeks with new project updates, design inspiration and fresh material. But before I go, here's Haskell Harris' house, of Garden & Gun. She posted it on her blog a while back but it continues to inspire me. Such timeless design! Bye for now.