Little Picasso

Last week, my daughter attended the "Awesome Acrylics" art camp at Cheekwood, an art museum and botanical garden in Nashville. I didn't have too many expectations, other than possibly to get some art out of the deal. I think I got some keepers.


This is her Chihuly-inspired floral piece.

Dale Chihuly has a dual exhibit going on now at both Cheekwood and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville. We need to go check it out very soon. 

Dale Chihuly's blown glass art

Her next masterpiece . . .

This one Meg appropriately named "The Robot" for obvious reasons. I love the eyelashes.

And, my personal favorite . . . 

this fun and funky portrait. I especially love the saturated colors.

Almost immediately, it reminded me of this funny lady:

Isn't the resemblance uncanny? We're naming the portrait Rosanna. After I told my daughter who I thought the painting looked like (and she gave me a well-deserved blank look), I googled photos of Rosanna Rosanna Danna. My daughter and her friend both agreed with my assessment.

Don't you just love kid's art?

Sources: Exotic Excess, Pics Digger

Family & Friends

I am seriously the worst blogger in the world. It has been 12 days since my last post. But in my defense, I had family (my in-laws, then my sister and her family) visiting for nine of those days. The rest have been a blur of running children from camps, swim team practice, play dates, etc. Throw in a Vacation Bible School meeting and my husband's upcoming birthday tomorrow, and I'm spent. 

My mother-in-law brought the kids this book. It's a wonderful book and rings so true. Get it if you don't already have it.

I also got the chance to visit with several friends over the last few days which is such a treat. Without family and friends, I don't know what I would do. That's why, when I actually got a chance to catch up on some blogs I had been missing while my family was visiting, I was shocked to find out a fellow blogger died last weekend in a car accident. It makes you realize how much you can take your family and friends for granted. A definite reality check.

Marija Stephens -  loving wife, mother, daughter, talented interior designer, former lawyer and author of the blog Holding Court (which I followed religiously) - was suddenly gone. As so many other bloggers have written about Marija, I did not know her personally, only through her wonderful blog and her astute and helpful comments. Please pray for her family. You can read her husband's loving tribute here.


Speaking of friends, one who I haven't seen in a while but got to visit with this week is Kristen. Kristen's been busy with an endeavor of her own. While she is an interior designer with her own business, another passion of hers is art. So, she painted up a storm and set up her own Etsy store recently.

My favorite are her dresses but they're all wonderful. You must check out her Etsy store. Her beautiful paintings would be a welcome addition to any home.

I have a Kristen original in my guest room that she gave me several months ago. I love the vivid colors.

I promise I will try and be better about posting more regularly, and updates on my table and chairs are on the way. But I am so grateful for my family and friends and the time I spent with them over the last 12 days. I hope you've had some great visits this summer as well.

Windswept

Sorry for the lame post title, but seriously, it is so windy here I almost got knocked over earlier and am currently watching a huge cedar tree bend and sway a little too much toward my screened-in porch. So, what should I post about on this blustery day? Art, of course. (Sorry no good segues into that). The truth of the matter is a very talented artist named Liza Hathaway Matthews got in touch with me this morning to share her art, and I immediately wanted to share it with you. Just take a look . . .

 "java"

24x24

oil, acrylic and charcoal 

$625 

(currently out on approval)

 "fiesta"

24 x 36

oil, acrylic and charcoal

$850

 "quince"

24 x 30
oil, acrylic and charcoal
$750

"mexico"

24 x 24
oil, acrylic and charcoal
$625

Aren't the colors beautiful? I want to do a moodboard just around one of her paintings. Liza has a BFA in painting AND interior design from the Maryland Institute, College of Art and lives in Baltimore with her husband and three children. You can find more of Liza's paintings at Oriet's Fine Art, and she also does commissioned pieces. Just contact her at brent.matthews@comcast.net to inquire. 

Thanks to Liza for sharing her beautiful pieces. Hope you enjoyed the beautiful art to kick off your weekend!

Vinyl Decals are Hip Again

When I first happened upon the blogging scene 6-ish years ago vinyl decals were all the rage. I mean, everyone seemed to have a quote, a big tree, birds etc on their walls. I jumped on the bandwagon in 2010 when I designed Jett's Nursery and we loved our airplane decals. I think the concept of vinyl decals is amazing. They go on easily but come off like a dream when you are done with them. I feel like the idea of decals has always been a good one but the designs started getting a little tired. So imagine my excitement to find that companies are making vinyl decals hip again! 

Urban Walls recently contacted me about trying some decals out for my home. They have such an amazing selection to choose from! 

image via Daffodil Design 

You may have seen polka dot pattern floating around on the blogosphere. These are amazing in gold. 

The seeing stars are my personal favorite and they are what I used to decorate the walls of Jett's Closet. 

image via Simply Grove

Triangles are all the rage right now. I love how just a few of these on a wall make a space feel instantly cool. 

image via Bovee Bird

These plus signs are really graphic which I love for a more modern space. 

The anchors decal is perfect for a beach house, pool house or kid's space! 

How fun would it be to pull out this large heart for Valentine's Day! 

What do you think? Are you feeling the love for decals again? 

Follow Urban Walls on Facebook and visit their site to see all of their great products! 

DIY Scroll Style Picture Frames

Today we have a fun art tutorial from my contributor, Brittany! She is constantly coming up with great projects on her blog, brittanyMakes. I LOVE her latest DIY project as a new take on hanging posters and prints. 

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Hanging or framing a piece of art or photo can be tricky, especially if the item you're wishing to display is of a random size or shape.  There's nothing I like less than having to custom frame something - it's just so expensive! 

I like thinking of creative ways to display art and prevent ever having to deal with the process of custom framing. If I do need a frame, I usually turn to Ikea, but in some cases Ikea's selection of frames just doesn't quite measure up.

I bought some fun wrapping paper from PaperSource the other day that I wanted to display in our living room, in particular, a gorgeous sheet of marbled paper and a vintage map of Italy.  I came up with this incredibly easy method to hang them using 4 ingredients: brass bolts, 1" wood trim, paint, and twine.  

Here are the three easy steps to create this exact frame:

1. Using a can of spray primer, prime your pieces of trim.  I used 1" beveled trim from which you can easily find in the trim/crown moulding section of your hardware store

2. Paint the trim in our color of choice. I made two frames, one in a glossy black and the other in a soft gold.  

3. Assemble using brass bolts and a power drill. I found it best to first drill a pilot hole into each piece of trim, screw in the first bolt on one end, then tuck the art print between the two pieces of trim, and then, screw the trim shut on the opposite end with the other bolt.  Repeat this for the opposite end of the art print.

Lastly, attach some twine, ribbon, or cord to the back ends of the bolts, and hang!

The possibilities are endless with this framing techique.  You can give your frame a vintage feel by distressing the paint and using hemp cord or burlap ribbon.  Or, if you want a more chic look, choose a bright glossy paint and some velvet ribbon.  

Learn about all of my great contributors on my Meet The Team Page. 

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Hi! I'm Brittany from the blog brittanyMakes, where I journal my adventures in DIY projects ranging from everyday home decor to handmade jewelry, from tips in photography to stories of bulldogs, and everything else in-between.   I am a fierce accountant by day and a zealous DIYer by night.  I spend my time balancing my love for home decor and design with the everyday responsibilities of my corporate day job.  My main mission is to inspire my readers to do what they love, take risks, and above all, to exercise their creative muscles!

Custom House Portraits by Michelle

Buying a home can be a huge step in life. It can make you feel somehow grounded and extremely hopeful at the same time. Grounded in a sense of permanence and hopeful for a fresh start and, if you're like me, a brand new design to life with a fresh palette and a clean canvas.

It takes time to decorate a home just the way you want it and to track down artwork that fits your style and budget. There's something so special about buying art that's personal and seeing it every day in your home. Personalized art also makes for an exceptional one-of-a-kind gift for someone you love. That's why I wanted to share with you the artwork of watercolor painter Michelle Schneider. Her colorful and whimsical style is both creative and eye-catching and makes for a beautiful addition to any room in your home.

I had her paint an 8x10" house portrait as a gift for my friend. I can't wait to give it to her! Michelle made this video to show the process of the portrait.

Some people are seriously so talented!

Here is how my friend's house turned out!

I have spent many hours in my friend's front yard, on her front steps and in her home so this painting is special to me too. It captures the happy feeling that I have every time I enter her home. 

Michelle doesn't just create pieces she loves she creates art that is special to people and tells a story. If you want to see what I mean you have to read this precious story. 

Michelle created these bird paintings as part of her twelve bird challenge which you an read more about here. 

You can purchase your own house portrait or browse her large collection of artwork (both prints and originals) available in her shop. Mother's Day is right around the corner so be sure to get your order in soon to make sure you have it in time! You can also follow her blog or on Instagram to see more sneak peeks into her studio.

Unconventional Art Ideas

I love looking for unique art ideas for my clients and my own home. It's so fun to take unexpected objects, put them on the wall and make art out of them! Here are some art ideas I've been pinning lately. 

I love how Amy framed Shel Silverstein poems in her Nursery. 

 This painted burlap art is such a great way to bring a natural element into any space. 

An ordinary bandana can become something special when grouped together and framed in a collection.   Use picture hanging hardware to get this look.  

How cool is this idea to frame a vintage swimsuit from BHG. 

This larger than life cross-stitch art is created with paint! 

Blow up a picture of any item with this easy tutorial. 

All you need for this lip art is lipstick and paper! 

Photo taken by Ryann Colleen Photography

You can frame a scarf like Krista Salmon did. 

Write your favorite quote on two pieces of canvas like Chelsea did. 

image via 

You could frame some of your favorite shopping bags. 

Amanda created a large photo mural on her blog. 

To see more art ideas and sources check out my art Pinterest board. 

Easter Egg Art Printable

Thank you all so much for your wonderful supportive comments to my blog post yesterday! I have the best readers! And I don't want you all to get too worried. I will still be doing design work just less of it! A lot less. I am so happy to be introducing my first contributor to my blog! Diana is sharing the cutest Easter Printable with us today! 

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During the holidays, it's especially fun to decorate your living space.  Easter is just around the corner and as fun as the glitter and cheesy decor is, I do like to decorate with tasteful designs because that represents me and it looks nice in my home.  I designed this colorful Easter print with my favorite patterns in the shape of eggs.  You can still have hints of Easter decor, but with a taste of style.  

Click to download

Print is sized at 8x10 and is best printed on a thick card stock paper.

Diana is a graphic designer running her own shop called Livy Love Designs.  She loves using fresh color schemes and bright patterns.  She enjoys drawing, sewing, and learning new recipes.  She is married and has two little kids who she attributes where most of her inspiration comes from.  Aside from her shop, she has recently started working with Modern Yardage and is a fabric designer for them, which has been a dream of hers ever since she started graphic design.  You can follow along with her blog at Livy Love.