SUMMER EYE CANDY

SUMMER EYE CANDY by ANNECHOVIE on Polyvore.com

MYKONOS MONDAY

This is an oil painting of an alley in Mykonos, done by my father. I really like the tranquil quality with the deep blues of the water and sky. I would like to wish my dad all the best as he is recovering from some cancer surgery last week. Thank God, he came through it well, but it has been a tough time. Hopefully he will be back feeling 100% recuperated soon. This original oil on board (as well as prints) is available. Feel free to contact me here with any questions.

AT HOME IN HOUSTON

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A portrait of this beautiful new home in Houston was recently completed for my client and fellow blogger, Averill, of Ode et Amo, for her parents. What a thoughtful housewarming gift! I am available to do the same for you, or as a gift for someone special. Please don't hesitate to contact me for more information here.
Have a great weekend!

BLOGGER HUG

Thanks to Sanity Fair and Paris Breakfasts for the very kind mentions today! I so appreciate both of you. I am constantly encouraged and amazed by all of the rewards reaped from blogging and the talented and wonderful people I am blessed to meet.

CHIC SHADES

If you've been looking for a chic pair of shades to protect your eyes from the Summer sunshine, look no further! ideeli is having a sale today on Michael Kors sunglasses with savings up to 80%!

I love this pair with bamboo detailing. Check out these eye-popping deals now here.

MALLORCA, SPAIN

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Here's another painting by my father, recently completed from a vintage photo he had of this scene. In it is the hotel he lived at during his brief residence on the island of Mallorca as a teenager in the mid '60's with his parents and sisters. He lived there for only $2 a day - and that included a 5 course dinner. I would love to live in Spain for a while and have an opportunity to paint and soak up the wonderful culture there! Both a print and the original of this piece are available - interested persons can contact me here.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

I want to wish my Dad, the best man I know, a very Happy Father's Day! I love this photo because it shows my dad looking a little bit overwhelmed with us when my younger brother, Josh, came home from the hospital. My older brother looks proud and I look totally spaced out! It always makes me laugh when I see it. I am so thankful to have such a caring, encouraging and involved father, even if parenting has been a little scary at times.

Happy Father's Day to all dads out there!

RAINY DAY HEADGEAR

After a record dry Winter and Spring, we are now experiencing quite a healthy amount of rainfall (read afternoon monsoons) and some steamy temps here in South Florida. Not the ideal circumstances for good hair days! However, I think I may have found the perfect solution....or not. It occured to me that this design incorporates several popular trends now in decorating: "tented" ceilings, scallops, and a crown motif. The headaches a contraption like this could bring on just might not be worth it. Perhaps I should stick with a ponytail and save the bottle of Excedrin.

Have a wonderful weekend!

KENNETH JAY LANE @ IDEELI

Reknowned American jewelry designer Kenneth Jay Lane's designs are on sale today at ideeliI think the turquoise color paired with the gold is stunning for Summer~ prices start at only $12. Save up to 71% - check out the deals here!

HOUZZ.COM

Design/decor aficionados, please take a moment to check out houzz.com, It's a new site where you can create an ideabook of your favorite photos on houzz to share, and can also display them if you would like. Another resource and networking site for people who are crazy about design. Thanks to Robin for introducing me to it!

SAFFRON MARIGOLD OFFER

Saffron Marigold is a company that "stays committed to their goal of offering discerning customers a choice to own home furnishings that have a story to tell, that have been created by human hands, that are unique yet affordable, and that have imprinted upon its fibers generations of skill, culture, and tradition." This lovely new pattern above, "Morning Dew"is the first new design of 2009. The pattern consists of stately, regal diadem-like motifs in royal blue and teal with accents of orange, elegantly patterned across a pale yellow ground. They also offer many other beautiful patterns that are available in table linens, bed linens and accessories, all made with the fair-trade ethic. They are kindly offering Annechovie readers 1/2 off shipping on their first order with them placed anytime this month. All that is required is to mention this offer in the comments section during checkout. Head over there now to avail yourself of this great offer!

VIVRE SALE!

Just a couple of samples of the great offerings available on Vivre

VIVRE is having a HUGE summer sale from TODAY until Friday - both on Style and Living - 4 days only. They will have discounts of up to 60% off, and for Annechovie readers use promo code SUMEXTRA for an extra 15% off the sale on orders $350 and up.

GOING COASTAL

I hope that everyone had a nice weekend! It's getting quite toasty now that Summer is pretty much here, but when outdoors, I am keeping cool in the water. It's amazing how even just the sight of water can effectively make you feel cooler. Speaking of which, here is another Mediterranean piece by my dad, this one done with oil pastels. Both prints and the original are available. If you're interested you can contact me here.

FOR THE LOVE OF PEONIES

I have a thing for peonies, but here in Florida they are difficult to find and nearly impossible to grow. Sophie Dahy Designs can deliver an "everlasting" version here in a very country French style arrangement.....your thoughts? Have a beautiful weekend!

THE GLORIOUS GATOR

Ok, first off, I am a very bizarre mix - those of you who read this blog have probably figured that out by now. I am two parts prep mixed with one part bohemian. Having said that, my eyes always light up when I see a gator.....not just the kind that occasionally visit my backyard here in Florida, but the classic Lacoste symbol. It's a sign that great style and enduring quality are present. So, if you're a fan of Lacoste like I am, head over to ideeli because they are having a killer Lacoste sale today!

UPDATE!!!!!

Apparently, I have been operating under a severe delusion. A concerned individual from Lacoste USA in NY has just corrected me and informed me that the Lacoste logo is NOT an alligator, as I had thought all of my life, but is instead a CROCODILE!! Apparently there is a huge discrepancy and I should have examined the .75 inch emblem with a magnifying glass to detect the distinct difference! Let's chalk that up to another "blonde moment". I stand corrected...you learn something new everyday! Thank you, "Shopgirl"!

BROTHER AND SISTER

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Here's a recently finished gouache portrait of two little cuties. My client commissioned it as a gift for her husband upon graduation from grad school. What a thoughtful wife! If you are interested in having me capture your little darlings, don't hesitate to write me here for more information.

STEPHANIE LEVY

Munich-based Stephanie Levy has been on my Etsy favorites list for a while now. How cool is her work? I love the colorful combinations she puts together. This limited edition print, titled "Wallpaper 1" is available here. Etsy...so much fun, so little time......I could cover my walls from floor to ceiling.

AMALFI

"Amalfi from the Water" by Gray Harwell (click image to enlarge)

My Dad, my sister and me.

My dad has always had an artistic streak. However, for many years he hasn't really given any time to painting. Just recently, he has completed a series of small oils and I have encouraged him to keep at it. The level of detail, even in just his preliminary sketches, is amazing. His favorite subject matter right now is Mediterranean coastal scenes and I think he's got a lot of talent. He lived in Spain for a time years ago, and the Mediterranean region is a place that holds many fond memories for him. He is enjoying the creative and expressive outlet and it's fun to see what he comes up with.

Today, I am showing the first in his Mediterranean Series, "Amalfi from the Water". This is available for sale as a print on my Etsy site - if you're interested in the original, feel free to email me for more details. How about you? Did you used to paint or draw and haven't in a long time? Why not get back into it now - I think you'll be wondering why you haven't done it sooner!

TIME FOR A LITTLE R&R

Here's hoping you all can get a little moment in the sun this weekend. My brother-in-law took this photo on a recent cruise with my sister. It has not been tampered with. I may, at moments, strike this same pose over the weekend. Here's to being comfortable in your own skin, no matter what. Have a great weekend and see you here on Monday!

FRENCH ESSENCE

A special thanks to uber-talented writer, blogger and lifestyle maven Vicki Archer for posting my painting of her Provence home yesterday! I so appreciate her support. As I'm sure many of you know, she is an incredibly warm and gracious lady who has been a wonderful addition to the blogging community since the beginning of French Essence. Merci Beaucoup, Vicki!

MARY KAISER, LTD.

The Chinoiserie look is alive and well. Very hip trend these days, but a perennial traditional favorite as well. Check out these hip Foo Dogs in hot turquoise available on Mary Kaiser, Ltd., who also happens to a valued sponsor of this blog. She has some unique and beautiful finds, as well as a sale section, so don't miss checking it out!

SPOTTED IN CALIFORNIA!

It's always fun to see where an order I send out ends up! From Minnesota to Japan to Texas to Australia to California, it gives me endless satisfaction and joy to see my customers and clients enjoying their pieces. So, when my friend Stacy sent this Decor8 link to me, it made me smile. One of my favorite bloggers, Holly Becker, was featuring the lovely home of California designer and blogger Simone Howell and she had included two of my chair prints on her gallery wall. You have to check out Simone's home as well as her prolific body of work on her Gardenhouse site, blog and Etsy shop.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA AND YOUR IDEELI STYLE!

You can win this Oscar de la Renta couture dress AND the illustration on ideeli.com!

The ideeli blog wants to feature an Annechovie reader. They are asking you, my readers, to share your style - they want you to show them how you dress up or down your favorite ideeli finds on Twitter. Winners will be featured on the ideeli blog and will receive a $15 shopping credit good for 30 days on ideeli. They are not putting a limit on the number of winners. If they love it, they will post it! Please note, the post on ideeli will include a detailed interview with the winner!

To get started, you need to do the following:

1) Join ideeli on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ideeli

2) load your favorite style shot to Twitpic. Make sure you start your tweet with "@ ideeli" so they can find your pictures. Event ends, June 30th.

They will start posting their favorite images ASAP. If you have questions you can email them at blog@ideeli.com Please don't forget to mention in your Tweet that you heard about the promotion here on Annechovie!

Also, while we are on the subject of ideeli, I want to mention that they are also featuring an Oscar de la Renta, one of kind couture dress giveaway. Remember to enter! This dress has been designed by Oscar himself! Not only do you win the dress in your size BUT you win the gorgeous illustration of the dress signed by Oscar de la Renta as well! They will be accepting entries the entire month of June.

JOHN DERIAN AND EYE CANDY

Decorated Gateaux

I know John Derian has received major coverage in magazines and design blogs for quite a while now, but, hey, the guy is just insanely good at what he does. His work is, well, just very appealing. A little something for everyone. His images and shapes really run the gammut.

Living so close to the beach here in Florida, I can get away with using colors that that make me happy. Between that and being an artist, no one expects me to decorate "seriously" and I take full advantage of that license, believe me! If I feel like hanging images of cakes on the wall, then bully for me! I had fun putting together a fantasy shopping list of some of Derian's decoupage pieces that would work perfectly for me here by the beach.

A Piece of Cake

Stork

Letters

His leather Moroccan puffs are just plain fun, as well as being multi-functional - these 2 were my faves.

The Pressed Sea Weed collection is gorgeous - these are just a few of the many pieces available. The piece directly below is exactly like the pink sea fans I have collected at the beach near my house.

You can shop John's website or if in Manhattan, check out his boutique in person at East 2nd Street. I even noticed that Liberty of London is carrying his work now.