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.

Decorating With Flowers

Recently I filled a client's home with fresh flowers before their house guests arrived. It looked beautiful. So fresh and pretty like summer was everywhere. It reminded me to do this in our home, with or without special guests. It's such a simple way to brighten a space and right now roses and gardenias are in full bloom-bring them in!!




*Images via Canadian House & Home

The Perfect Lamps

Why are they always so hard to find? A great pair is a true treasure, at least in my world. Not only do they supply soft illumination but they can be statement pieces and really complete a room. I posted these Curry & Co. "Sunbeam" lamps a while back and here they are in action (sorry for the blurry phone picture). And below are a pair of Barbara Cosgrove lamps that I also love. Great looking and definitely a statement!

Good Advice and a Dirty Job

I found a great article recently by Jancee Dunn in Real Simple entitled, "The Ten Things My Father Was Right About." A great short read, if you have a moment. I love her humor and the way she writes but one piece of advice struck me as an important reminder...to thank the people who do your dirty work.

We have an excellent sanitation crew in our town. They arrive each week and take care of our trash and recycle and always leave things nice and tidy. So, I decided to tackle cleaning out our outdoor garage cans today. Not so pleasant...right up there with cleaning out the fish tank. But it makes a difference and hopefully makes their job easier.

I try to do it after they've come so the cans are empty. Then I pour a lot of strong disinfectant, like Lysol, inside and fill it with water from the hose then dump it in the street and let the sun dry them out. Not so bad...And I love how she reminds us to say hello and show our appreciation. Last Christmas I left a bag of goodies for our sanitation crew and Janie and I watched out of the window as they found them on an early December morning. They jumped back in their truck, high-fived and honked their horn. Made my day. It's so easy to stop people who work hard for us and just say thank you. I'm glad for that reminder.

Home Office Inspiration

Our home office can become a catch-all room if I don't stay on top of it so I love inspiring images and blogs like this one. They help keep me in order!

And See Jane Work is always full of great organizing items and ideas, love this site.

And they have a blog! Check out this post, an office organization check list.

*Images via Chez Larsson and See Jane Work