FYI
Last week, I let you all in on my plan to increasingly buy more healthy foods from our local farmers market, and I did make good on my promise when I went back to the market this past weekend. My awesome friend and farmer Deb from Merciful Hearts Farm had emailed me and chatted with me all week about a recipe to help introduce me to cabbage. I was so nervous and let her know right off the bat that cabbage scared me....and then she said "how do you feel about beets?"......and I literally made a face as I read the word "beets" because oh my dear beets are scary!Somehow Deb, with all her wit and charm, had me walking away from the market with a head of cabbage and the most beautiful beets you have ever seen. I was armed with recipes and instructions on how to cook everything {how awesome is that?!}. Overall, the fresh roasted beets were not bad......they were actually sweet and tasted nothing like I had imagined they would... but I think I enjoyed photographing them more than I really enjoyed eating them......and cabbage just may be on my "can't do" list still.I am confident however that with the help of my friends and so many delicious fruits and veggies available at the market that I will definitely continue to be adventurous and try new things...I ate {and photographed} everything you see in these pictures....AND.....it was not half bad! {Also, I may have just created a new paint color frenzy for myself due to all of the amazing colors in these fruits and veggies!}xo,Barb
Introductions
As I was telling you on Friday....I am so thrilled to be working on several really fun custom jobs for sweet clients over the next several weeks, and this chest of drawers is the first off the "assembly line"! This chest of drawers is as solid as they come and a real beauty with its bowed front drawers and carved detail. I love painting pieces like this!The Storm family is expecting their first little one, and his name is Sam. I wish I could show you the fantastic nursery that little Sam will grow up in...it is so clean, modern and very well done. I am stoked that a little piece of Knack will get to be a part of such a happy place!Congrats to the Storms! I can't wait to meet Sam! xo,Barb
Etcetera
Well.....better late than never right?! This week has been so crazy...so. crazy. ....but very good. I don't think I can take on any more custom work until the end of the summer due to the influx of pieces that came in this week! Thank you to each and every one of you who have entrusted me with your treasures!I also purchased 7 new pieces for myself, and am so excited to begin working on them as well! The photos in this post are of a custom piece that I am working on right now....and she is a beautiful and fancy gal who just was in the wrong place at the wrong time until her current owners rescued her and decided to bring her to me. I am super pumped {like quadruple fist pump action!} to get her finished!I have a special little piece to introduce to you all on Monday {even though it is a holiday} that I just completed for a baby named Sam. Sam's mommy and daddy are super great...and I am thrilled that I get to be a part of this happy time!Have a wonderful long weekend, and I want to personally say thank you to all who have served and are serving this country...... for the sacrifices you make, for the courage and the bravery you display.......I am free because of you. Thank you just does not seem enough.xo,Barb
Found Goodness
I know this does not look like much to you all, but these tiny sprigs of life and growth bursting from the ground made me the happiest "gardener" in the world! Most of the peony plants in our area have come and gone this season.....and my peony plant did not make an appearance. {sad face} When I checked on the plant location, there were no sprigs coming up .....and on top of that when I parted the leaves and mulch a bit.... there were ants everywhere! I thought for sure my plant had been taken over by the ants, and that all of the years of waiting for that first bloom were all in vain......and I needed to start all over again. I was so sad.BUT.......last night, as we were returning from our walk with little roo {our naughty puppy!} I happened to notice that these beautiful green sprigs were popping out of the ground! I could not believe it........and I can't wait to see how many blooms I get this year! I am ready to bury my face in the sweet smelling blooms.Found goodness indeed.xo,Barb
FYI
{photos via thinkspace gallery}
I absolutely love bright colorful paintings on old buildings, and have been collecting photos just like this in the hopes that some day the buildings in the arts district where Knack lives will look like this! The colors in this painting installation are so wonderful.....I just can't even stand it!xo,Barb
Backwards, or forward....a tale to tell
I know all of you who come here on Mondays, come to see a furniture makeover, and I know that some of you will go away unfulfilled today in the furniture arena....but I hope to fill you up in a different way today, and then give you your furniture fix on Friday! I am working on two really beautiful pieces of furniture as we speak, but neither of said pieces was ready for a photo shoot........yet!Today I want to share a little from my heart: Besides being a creative business owner, writer, furniture designer, and photo taking lover....I am most importantly a mom to two very busy teenagers, a little puppy named roo, wife to the very energetic and wonderful JB, and a friend to some really special people who have poured into my life. My family is making the transition into our Summer schedule, which for me means slowing down, less days at the studio, and longer days to enjoy a more relaxed schedule ......at least for the next couple of months! My daughter has already been out of school for a week and a half now and my son will be out next week.....so our life is in full swing transition mode as we prepare for a fun Summer ahead. This is one of my favorite parts about being a creative business owner....I set my own schedule, and I plan and prepare all year for the "slow down" in the summer so that I still have enough work and income coming in to keep the business thriving, while at the same time giving myself a little thrive time too! It is the best feeling......and as we head into this fresh new Summer season, I have some goals for myself and for my family .You may have wondered what the above veggie pictures were all about? Well, our local farmers market is in full swing, and this past Saturday I got up early and went with a friend of mine. We grabbed a coffee and strolled the booths of fresh goods. It was my first time at the market this year and so I was scoping out all of the different booths, and figuring out what I wanted to purchase . There are some new booths this year including a fresh pasta booth that had a line a mile long...and the piles of pasta were so beautiful and stunning! {I will see if I can get a picture of them next time since I will be purchasing some!} I hope to hit the market every weekend to buy fresh veggies, eggs, fruits, and specialty items like this amazing goat cheese, herb, and fig spread I spied and tasted on my way out! {yum!} I absolutely loved getting to chat it up with the local farmers and ask them questions about their goodies! I want to encourage and foster a lifestyle of healthy eating into our home starting this summer, and cut down on all of the processed junk food that gets consumed on a weekly basis. I would love to replace swiss cake rolls and zebra cakes with fresh strawberries and peaches...yadda yadda.....so on and so forth! We are taking baby steps, and hoping to make some changes in the activity area as well.....I for one miss my marathon running days, and the amazing shape I was in when I was running those marathons. The constant busyness and the growth of a business have all been wonderful things, but I have not been good to my body and it is time to get back to a routine of health. I want to be a healthy example to my family and to others around me....an example in making time to exercise, intentional eating, and lots of smelling the roses.Be intentional. This is my goal.xo,Barb
Etcetera
Anymore, I only make custom cake plates exclusively for Pink Olive stores located in East Village and Brooklyn. This latest batch is my favorite batch yet....steamboats, a cabin in the woods, 4th of July stars, retro star bursts, and grains of wheat. I have one more batch to make and add to these, and then they will be on their way to NYC! It has been fun to work on this plate collection this week, and I had two commission pieces come in this week that are going to be beauties! Can't wait to reveal the furniture makeovers!Have a great weekend you all!xo,Barb