My Imaginary Home Tour (start here)

We live in a city, in a small, beautiful condo.  It gets great light, especially in the afternoon.  We are on a tree-lined residential street, a couple short blocks from the local grocery store, parks, river, and "the square" where there is always something fun going on.  Before kiddos I took the train to my down-town job, we ate at fancy restaurants, we always said we wanted to go to the museum.  Now with 2 kids we do go to more museums, but no more fancy restaurants, and I rarely go down town.  And once your two-year-old starts being able to reference Starbucks, wants to swim in the pool and worries her actions are "too loud for the neighbors," well, the rural-raised child in me says it's time to move!  And move we will...eventually.  We have dreams of heading East, a part of the country I haven't lived in for 13 years, and I'm ready to head back. 

And when we get there, I have an imaginary house in mind, or at least, ideas of what I hope our house will look like (someday!)  So join me on my imaginary home tour - who knows, perhaps someday you will see it come to fruition!! 

From this...

To this?

Stay creative,
A

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behind the scenes: New Pieces!

After a busy weekend full of tissues (I was sick) and painting, I've added several new pieces to the shop.  I'm particularly smitten with the yellow zig zags - part of a new, fun and whimsical line I'm working on.

Stay creative!
A

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Beautifully Industrial

source

Sometimes the most beautiful things are also the most functional.  I think Charles and Ray Eames got it right when they focused on making furniture that went beyond the functional to the beautiful, without being overly ornate.  The beauty wasn't in filigrees or other intricacies, the beauty of their work is within the body of the piece on a whole - so the beauty isn't in a hand-turned chair rail, but rather in the curves and overall shape of the chair.  They brought beauty to the masses.  In our modern-day lives there is always the pull between the ugly-but-practical and beautiful-but-impractical.  I'd like to argue, however, that we can still find beauty in well-made, practical pieces.  Sometimes that means seeking out smaller shops, sometimes it means searching for vintage wares that have stood the test of time, and sometimes it's sitting quietly on a shelf at a big box store - you just have to keep your eyes open!

This nomadic pack is amazing - waxed canvas, a hammock and a detachable lap-top bag - it brings a whole new feeling to "roughing it" and I'd really like for it to find a way to my home!

A nice example of simple, industrial beauty.  Aged wood crates up-cycled with poppy bright casters.  If you are handy you could easily make these at home.  Or you could buy them here.

I love the sparkling white porcelain and chrome, the petite size, and the idea of 

having a water fountain (bubbler!) in my own home.

 We had these knobs on all the doors on the second floor of the old, Victorian farmhouse I grew up in.

This amazingly designed wood stove truly captures the idea of beauty within function 

(though I'm not sure how practical it would be unless created on a much larger size.)

Rustic plank dining tables just ooze character and charm, beauty and function.

Someday I hope to have a vintage dress form of my own - oh the places we could go 

(and dresses we could make!)

Want to see some other beautifully industrial collections?  Look here and over here.

Stay creative,
A

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Happy Earth Day!!!

In honor of Earth Day, here are 10 easy things you can do and changes you can make!

1.  Plant a tree (or two or three...)

2.  Join a community garden

3.  Recycle (duh.)

4.  Bring along your own shopping bags

5.  Buy vintage or thrifted

6.  Support Eco-conscious businesses

7.  Adopt a street or block to keep it clean

8.  Carry your own mug or water bottle

9.  Walk, car share, take public transportation (you get the idea!)

10. Eat local and sustainable when you can


Stay Creative,
A

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behind the scenes: In Progress

The waiting was killing me!  First, I ran out of canvases (thought I had more, apparently not!), then my new canvases were back-ordered, and when they finally arrived I was on my way out to New Hampshire for a visit with my family.  But now I'm back and in need of some shop replenishment!  I'm working on several paintings right now, which is what I like to do since each is painted in several stages and I have to wait for the paint to dry before starting on the next layer. 

Though I also use acrylic paint in tubes, these little pots of color are easier to transport.  

This is a little sneak peek at letter Q!

Paintbrushes at the ready - aren't they lovely?

Preparing canvases - still unsure what a couple of these are going to become, but that's half the fun.

Purple water!

Working on finishing the back of the canvases - I like it, do you?

Make sure to check out the shop next week to see the finished projects!

Stay creative,

A

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DIY Sewing for Kiddos Round-up!

So I've shared the fabric that makes me want to sew, sew, sew for my children.  Now here are some sewing tutorials that can make the desire a reality!  The dress tutorial is based off a Boden dress - one that E already owns and loves, especially the deep pockets.  I see many versions of this dress in our future!!

dress tutorial

Shirts are easy for little bodies to get on and off all by themselves and an oh-so fun way to dress up everyday leggings.
And the pockets, oh the pockets! 

skirt tutorial

If you have a toddler then you probably have read this book.  If you need to get a gift for a toddler, this would be perfect!
If you like children's book, then you really have to look up this pigeon and his antics!!

Pigeon tutorial based on books by Mo Willems

We love to go on nature walks, even in our urban environment.  I usually end up holding the bag -
but this one is long enough to slip over E's head messenger-bag-style and again, it's got a lot of pockets!

nature bag tutorial

My chunky baby turned into a string bean and her pants don't always like staying up.
These little belts are a practical way to use fun bits of left over fabrics!

belt tutorial

Who can't use an extra pair of shorts??  I plan on making some for both E & C as they are a summer staple.
And perhaps I'll make myself a pair too!

shorts tutorial

Kids clothes often have obnoxious appliques - cutesie for girls, aggressive for boys - drives me nuts.  Let kids be kids!  With this tutorial, obnoxious appliques are no more!!  Now you can create new and fabulous appliques on blank shirts (or maybe even to cover up the obnoxious ones).

applique tutorial

So what are you going to make?  Personally, I'm going to make them all!  If you do stitch something up, leave a comment with a link - I'd love to check it out!!

Stay creative,
A

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Honey and Cream

love this color combo

It started with a color-blocked shirt.  The cream and yellow colors were unexpected, different, and I was afraid it would wash me out...but I couldn't resist the siren song of this muted, yet fun color combination!

the inspiration

But I was right - as a woman with olive-skin, yellow just makes me look like I have jaundice, not quite the image I'm going for.  Still, I'm determined to get this combo into my home this summer.

in the living room

in the kid's room

in the kitchen

In fact, I think gold and cream can read as a new neutral palette - perfect for someone who wants more color in their life, but doesn't want to give up on beige. 

a softer, brighter neutral palette

Stay creative,
A


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