Tuesday, March 30, 2010

365 Collections

I can't remember the first collection I had, because I've loved collecting since before I can remember.  Sometimes I love items because they have a story (like my vintage blue enamel French street signs), sometimes because each item is beautiful (sea urchins), sometimes it's just to have a lot of things of a particular color (mercury glass candlesticks, eggs).  I like to have multiples of anything I really like--maybe I'm just a hoarder, maybe I'm greedy!  But I do love how everyday items can become elevated to the status of artwork when massed in a group (stacked beach rocks, light bulbs in a bell jar, cookbooks arranged by color on a kitchen shelf).  And I love a group of true artwork, though it doesn't have to be fancy (my favorite paintings are four watercolors I bought from a tiny old lady on a bridge over-looking Notre Dame in Paris).

But artist Lisa Congdon...she's done me one better.  She is spending the year collecting collections!  Every day she is documenting a collection on her blog A Collection a Day, 2010.  It's lovely.  It's full of the everyday-objects type of collections, and may make you think about some of your own things a little differently.  She occasionally sketches or paints a collection, and her artwork is simply fantastic.  I'm adding it to the collection of blogs in my reader.



All images by Lisa Congdon, from A Collection a Day, 2010.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Fresh Farm | Farm Fresh

Herban Feast (yummy, amazing, fresh, seasonal, artistic) just opened a gorgeous new 21-acre farm venue...The Farm at Willie Green's.  It comes complete with beautiful vistas; really amazing food by head chef Dalis Chea; ponds, streams, native trees, working farm fields; a custom Raj tent; and a BOX OF SEASONAL PRODUCE FOR EVERY GUEST! 

More info here and here.  And note that HF is running an introductory special of 15% off bookings before April 15th. 

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Nothing says love like an old rubber boot!

I'm feeling like a woman of very few words today, after spending way too long staring at the screen both last night and this morning.  So, the low down is that I love this wedding that was held in an antique/salvage store in Chicago, Olivia Leigh very generously shared photos, and the centerpieces are darling--found objects from around the shop. Enjoy!  I'm off to work on purchasing GaGa tickets.


Monday, March 22, 2010

I spy...

beautiful bedding (named the Fiore Collection!).  What is it about spring that makes me want to remodel the bed?  Available from Garnet Hill, and it's even a reasonable price. 

(This may just be a  response to a weekend at Great Wolf Lodge, sleeping in the exact opposite of this.  Of all the sacrifices we make for our children, GWL may be the ultimate.  Its heavenly to be home.)


Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Time to pony up and BUY!

I just got an email from J.Crew that all dresses are on sale for three days.  20% off.  Stop waivering and just commit to a bridesmaid dress already.  The girls will love you if it's from J.Crew.

Art-O-Matic

 Brilliant recycling of old cigarette machines!  Art-O-Mat originated in Winston-Salem, NC (where else?) as a performance art piece intent on repackaging art to make it part of our daily lives.  Anyone can be an art collector with art-0-mat...put in $5 dollars, and out pops an original painting/drawing/photo book/collage the size of a cigarette pack.  Over 400 artists now contribute art to the 82 machines placed in various locations around the U.S.

I love the variety of funky old machines they've used:

And a little sample of some of the work...
If you are in Seattle, there is one at Venue in Ballard. 

Monday, March 8, 2010

Lush Spring

So inspired by this luscious wedding featured on Style Me Pretty last week.  Beautiful florals by Blush Floral Designs in Conneticut, photos by Creative Image Collections.  Many more images on SMP.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Inspiration for Shannon

A whole lot of turquoise and red today for a colorful bride...images from all over (bad blogger!).  Style Me Pretty, Snippet & Ink, MSL, Fiore Blossoms.  My handsome bro is hiding in here...

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Oh Suzani!

Killer new Suzani fabric collection from Calico Corners...and on sale for 15% off until March 27.  Maybe they'll send me 10 yards of each for writing this.  A girl can only hope.

Fool-proof

Loving this sweet little set of vintage looking milk bottles in a galvanized caddy from Pottery Barn.  It offers guaranteed arranging success--just put a few simple blooms in each, and don't get too fancy by mixing a lot of variety.  I'd even leave a few empty.  This might be my summer go-to gift.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

March 3 list

1. Several weeks ago I mentioned I had been using a different the method  to cook bacon. (I also read recently that top scents to lure a man are bacon and lavender.  As in, men would like you to actually smell like bacon and lavender, not just that they like the smell OF bacon and lavender.  Eau de baconder?)  I digress.  How to cook the bacon...
  • Spread bacon in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.
  • Sprinkle with brown sugar and black pepper.
  • Place in 325 degree oven for 12-15 minutes (just watch it; you'll know when its at the crispy stage that you like)
  • Enjoy the yummiest bacon and easiest bacon-cleanup ever.





2. Happy Birthday to this guy.  He's cute, he's 34, he loves thick bacon.  I like mine thin and crispy, and yet somehow...love conquers all.  (The first gift I ever gave him was a Fossil watch I'd had engraved on the back with "Happy Birthday 03-03-93".  What young lovebirds we were!)









3. The Alexander Calder exhibit will be at the Seattle Art Museum until early April.  I think the boys are ready for their first trip to SAM.  What little boy wouldn't love a room filled with giant mobiles?





4.  While looking online this morning to find out how long #3 would be on exhibit, I ended up on a blog by Passionflower Design in that roundabout way that blogland works.   I feel like I found treasure!  I'm thinking a trip to Eugene is in order to visit a place that appears to be magically full of ephemera.






5.  Realized this morning that Fiore fresco has 99 Google Reader subscribers.  I predict the triple digits are in my future.  Thanks everyone for reading!  I'm shocked but honored that there are people out there that tune in to my sporadic drivel-filled writing filled with too many punctuation marks.







6.  Pea gravel patios.  They're all I've been thinking about.  Progress is slow but steady on my own.