living with :: Floy
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 Floy is sort of like your best friend. He's special, you know that, but you can be yourself around him. He's fun and always makes you smile, but you know you have nothing to prove to him. It's just that certain ease of pleasure that he brings to any space that we wanted to show off today.Paired with comfortable favorites, Floy comes to life. A silk scarf with a cloud scene, the perfect hat. A print with brilliant gems and a shiny round vase for wildflowers. Finish it off with - what else? - a beautiful blanket (Floy is, after all, a blanket chest). Floy testifies that comfy can be cool.
words :: choices
Sometimes choices are easy, sometimes choices are hard. Sometimes people try to make choices for us, sometimes we feel like we have no choice at all......but in the end we always have a choice, and we choose .......something.
knack book two :: teaser
It is always hard for me when I am working on a book because I am so energized and excited about all of the projects being created but I can't show a whole lot of the process due to the secrecy of the book! It is hard to describe how incredibly busy I am while working on this giant project. I have 15 total projects for the new book, writing, and a photo shoot every other week from now until November 1, which is the final delivery deadline.For this book there is a lot of location shooting in homes, so there is plenty of logistical planning that has to be done as well as a huge props list to make sure we have everything that we need on hand for styling each and every shoot. I am so thankful for the team that I have working with me on this book.....Jessica, Julie, Paige and Angie are amazing and everyone works so hard every single shoot . It is fantastic to be working with such a creative and passionate team, and the pictures that are being captured for this project are truly special. I am very, very excited about the look and feel of this book and the story of home that it will tell. I cannot wait to be able to share it ALL!So, even though I wish I could show more furniture during this time, I am excited {and I hope you are as well!} about the work being done. Creating a book always challenges me to push myself physically and creatively...and I love being in that place.As you read this, a photo shoot is already underway and will go on for most of the day..... until we start to lose light!Enjoy this sneak peek!
behind the scenes :: preparations and visitors
1// working on our display for Indie Craft Parade this year (don't forget -- Sept. 12-14 in Greenville, SC!)2// paint and frog tape make our job FUN3// glass and candle cubes brightening up our shop4// Man pillow (or Abe as we call him) making our bed "Viviette" look super sexy5// curb appeal6// longtime blog follower Paula and her family popped into the shop this week... all the way from London! It was such a treat.
problems = opportunity
viaWhile I was away at the beach last week I did a lot of reading. One of the books I read was called Thinkertoys and there were many brain exercises and creative thinking techniques......{ I recommend it!} ......but the overall perspective was turning problems into opportunities by changing your perspective, adding or taking away elements, and challenging the norm. I wrote a few pages of notes, and already referred to them again today....but one of my favorite quotes from the book was this : "Problems are nothing more than opportunity dressed in work clothes".You hear me? Turn those problems into solutions by rejecting passive thinking and use active thinking to generate and organize new ideas!
wall art :: geometrics
Well folks....Angie and I have decided that painting and creating wall art panels is a lot of fun! I saved these two square panels from a previous shelf project a couple of years ago. I knew that I wanted to use them as panels for wall art...but the idea for what I wanted to put on them did not come to fruition until a couple of weeks ago when discussing our monthly FrogTape® project! Angie and I looked over several inspiration pictures and decided on our own design. We had so much fun creating these that we decided to do more in the very near future!We chose a geometric design for this first installation but as you well know...the possibilities are endless as far as what designs you can create. These panels are simple squares cut from a 4x8 pine sheet of plywood, and we used paints and stains that we had around the studio....so the cost was very minimal. The full tutorial will be up on the FrogTape® blog later on today so if you would like to see the full process check it out!These beauties are available for sale, so if you fancy them let us know!
living with :: Coralia
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5There is no one like Coralia. Her classic, straight-forward form lends itself well to fiercely fresh modern colors and styling. This armoire is all at once fanciful and refined. Since she is such a singular stunner, we knew we had to pair her with pieces that walk that same line of time-honored and brand-new.Enter this dress, with smart tailoring but a sassy color. And the bag - a tapestry tote with leather details, but in colors and shapes that wow. Hang a portrait with a sense of humor nearby and stow a blanket with heaps of class and personality. Coralia will feel right at home.
quotage :: much to be done
image via PinterestI was just having a conversation with one of my children last night, and it was an amazing conversation. A conversation about life, about that fact that we all lose focus sometimes, get off track, make mistakes, suffer consequences, experience triumph, gain clarity, and find the courage to do hard things.This quote reminds me that we are never done. We are always growing, and changing...and that is a good thing. Mistakes are going to happen, life is going to get messy.....but if we continue to desire to grow we will always reach toward light and wherever the light is, is where we should want to be.