MORE NEW PRINTS!!

So glad it's Friday! Here are a few more new prints available in my shop today!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

BOOK SWIM

Recently I discovered a great new service for booklovers - it's like NetFlix for people who love to read. No trips to the library are necessary! Book Swim allows you to make your selections online and will send them right to you with a post-paid return envelope. This allows you to drop the books you've finished into the mail with no hassle and Book Swim sends your next selection right out! You keep track of everything online....no sweat, just lots of reading material delivered right to your door with free shipping! I was primarily inerested in design and cookbooks, but they offer a wide variety of reading material, including paperbacks. Check out the different programs available here.

SHOP UPDATE!

I hope that you had a nice weekend! My weekend consisted of some sun and pool time, a maternally-crafted blueberry pie (with Michigan blueberries, the world's best!), a Neopolitan wood oven "Bianca" pizza, my ongoing battle with a formidable hoard of white-footed ants (that had invaded my little cottage and were after my Bob's peppermint candy), going to church and working.

I'd like to introduce a couple of new additions to my etsy shop today, the first being my "Chinoiserie Chair on Color Steroids" (above)

AND

Elkins Lilac Silhouette Collage

 and my Orange Silhouette Collage on Aqua is now available in a larger size - 11x14.

All are available right HERE 

Look for more new prints coming soon!

GIVE-AWAY CONTEST!!

I love upholstered headboards, and even more so if they have the bonus practicality of being slipcovered, like this cheery option above.

You can enter a $75 give-away from the CSN network of 250+ online stores featuring a hugely diverse line of a million products including home decor, furniture, pet items, toys, and clothing. You could put it towards a headboard like this, or a myriad of other choices from their vast family of sites.

To enter, just visit here then leave a comment on this post letting us know which headboards are your favorites.  Contest runs for a week until July 30th, when a winner will be chosen. Be sure to leave your email address so that you can be contacted if you're chosen as the winner!
**This contest is valid only for United States and Canadian residents because of shipping costs. 

Have a SUPER weekend all of you wonderful readers!

ELKINS ALFRESCO

My eye caught this beauty, an "outdoorsy" version of the classic Frances Elkins loop chair available here. 

PHILLIPE BALAYN

I recently discovered French papier-mache artist Phillipe Balayn while browsing through an issue of Cote Sud. I was completely charmed by his work! The level of detail involved is amazing and the whimsical and quirky nature of his work left me wanting to discover more. Now I need to find out if he has any anchovy pieces! Check out his site here.

A SOAK OR A SIT?

Upcycling takes a colorful spin when Ruff House Art turns old cast iron bath tubs into lounge-able art.

Check out this clever creation here.

Have an amazing weekend, everyone!

2 GIVE-AWAYS!!

Enter now to win my Orange Chair Silhouette on Aqua print on canvas at BonBon Rose Girls here

And check out The Loaded Trunk blog - owner Roni Jaco is giving away a gorgeous Balinese umbrella.

Have a great day!

HB STILL DELIVERS

I guess that I started reading House Beautiful when I was maybe......10?

I have to say I was loving this month's issue, especially the chic California beach cottage designed by Krista Ewart for her sister and family. That surfboard with the crisp green geometric pattern by Halsea is really grabbing me!

Love the pink fridge

and this summery breakfast table spread. It all just feels "happy" to me. Did you spot the "Keep Calm" mug? Mine are available here.

(all photos House Beautiful) 

SCULPTURE TO BURN

I like candles, but there are so many out there in ghastly colors and too-heavy scents, that sometimes they get a bad rap. I am thinking of a particular store commonly found in US shopping malls.....I literally have to hold my breath when passing by! The "fragrances" are bad enough on their own, but you get about 40 of them mingling in competition in one store and a person could literally die of affixiation or nausea...or both.  Having said all that, I recently spotted these two pieces of what I call "good wax" and loved their classic sculptural quality. The candle above is lit from behind on an angle, so that the melting wax pours through the eyes, perhaps a bit melancholy....but still kind of cool, I think.

Marie Antoinette is immortalized here in wax effigy - perfect for the Francophile and a nice touch, even if her eyes don't "cry". Plus, she's a good bit less expensive than the first lady. Which would you choose?

ARTIST'S PORTRAIT * MARISKA MEIJERS

Former corporate woman-turned-artist and entrepeneur, lovely Mariska Meijers has been lighting up the blog and design world lately with her colorful and bold paintings and designs. I was captivated by the brilliance and cheery spirit her work exudes. She has graciously agreed to be featured here in my "Artist's Portraits" series.

Where were you born?

Vlaardingen, a small town near Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Best childhood memory?

One of the best was when I was sitting behind the stage watching my mother perform in Maria Stuarda with Dame Joan Sutherland and getting a standing ovation. It gave me goose bumps and I was so proud of her and I still am!

What would you take if your house was burning down?

My children, Annemarth and Mauk of course. As to the content of my house the choice would be difficult as there are so many that I love. My house is my moodboard, my inspiration, filled with objects, art and furniture that I have gathered over the years.

Your favorite book?

There are plenty but Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is the first one that comes to mind. Not only is it a great book with which I can wholehearthedtly identify, Gilbert is also an excellent motivational speaker. "I get up every single day and I do my very best with what I am and what I have.." Elizabeth Gilbert

Favorite travel destination?

I am a city girl at heart so put me in almost any big city and I have a ball, but if I really would have to make a choice today I would fly to Sydney!

If you could have only 1 last meal, what would you want on the menu?

A Steak Tartare and a glass of red on Ile St Louis in Paris

Do you prefer hot weather or cold?

Hot definitely. I lived both in Singapore and Stockholm and if I had a choice I would rush back to Singapore immediately! The only moment I can appreciate the cold is when sliding down the slopes.

Favorite shop?

You can never ask a girl just to mention one :). H&M, Hermes, Muiji, Liberty, Shanghai Tang, Didier Ludot.........

Favorite artists?

There are many but just to pick a few. Matisse is my absolute hero. I try to see as much of his work "live". Diego Giacometti (Alberto's brother) for his wonderful decorative objects and furniture. Sam Francis, his work is so energetic. 

Pet peeve?

Ironing, cleaning in general actually. I was definitely not born to do that!

What is, to you, the best thing about being an artist?

I used to be a corporate girl, as an artist I feel that I am in charge of my own destiny, chasing my own dreams not that of others. I love the challenge to create something new out of nothing, it makes me feel alive.

Be sure to check out her wonderful website here. Thank you, Mariska!
P.S. I am crazy over your pink desk lamp!

GRACIOUS LIVING IN TEXAS

Here's another recent Home Portrait commission. This home is in Texas, where a lot of my readers and clients live. I lived in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for a while when I was in junior high school and have fond memories of my time there - it's where I first tasted "fajitas" and experienced distinctive Texas hospitality. Texans are friendly and exuberant - always a good thing!

If you're interested in having your own home painted or giving the gift of a home portrait, contact me here.

LULU AND NAT

At the risk of sounding like a gushing tween, I must admit that I am, as they say, "crushing on" this design duo's work. Check it out here. Fresh and light and perfect. Oh, and I promise I will never say "crushing on" again - it made me feel a little nauseous.  I wish you all a great weekend, and Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans!!