Halloween theme has been chosen!!!!!

17. May 2010 by Parker.

Yep. That’s right! It’s that time of year again when my wheels start a spinnin’ and themes begin popping in and out of my brain until I narrow it down, close my eyes, and pick one that gives me options. So this year’s theme is…..

(drum roll please)

……Wicked Fairytales! Everything from Grimm’s Riding Hood to Aesop’s Goose with the Golden Egg to Carroll’s Wonderland and more! No nursery rhyme or Andersen tale will be safe! The house will be transformed, decor will be over the top, and costumes will be a “treat” to make!

Here’s a quick look at some of my inspiration pieces….

I love the composition of this drawing and hope to pull off some of the silhouette from it.

What a great rendition of Little Red Riding Hood! This one gives me such an awesome sense of girl power and the eternal fight to the death. I just wish there was some way to bring it to life at the party.

Now this last one is not so much the wicked end of the theme as it is just a cool idea for a picture to be taken out in the yard when in costume and reading something like Grimm’s fairytales. I’m just going to have to figure out how to wire black roses with lights for the same effect?

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Thomasville comes to Savannah!

4. April 2010 by Parker.

 Finally there is another option for consumers to purchase custom pieces in Savannah. The Thomasville showroom on Abercorn opened on April 1st and has a myriad of fabric and leather options to cater to your homes personality. Here are some of my favorite pieces available in the summer catalog:

This trestle dining table from the Wanderlust collection is by far my favorite piece from their dining collections. The leather arm chairs also add the perfect balance of contemporary and traditional, all the while still feeling youthful.

For a sleeker, mature look, try the Hemingway leather sleigh bed with gun metal detailing on the sides. This bed by far, would make a huge impact in any room.

I’m totally in love with this collection from Thomasville. It’s called Studio 455 and has all the appeal of old Hollywood, the jazzy 20’s, and yet still modern enough to put in any new build today. The slight curves are feminine with beautiful gold accent hardware and the solid hardwood is still manly enough for most husbands to still enjoy the collection.

Stop by a Thomasville store to see them in person as they are all gorgeous pieces!

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Victorian Dog Art

18. March 2010 by Parker.

I’ve found my next project which I am truly excited about and yet me husband may be a bit apprehensive. I’ve always loved the Victorian traced profile pics. You know the ones, we all did them in elementary school at one or or another. So while I was perusing a gazillion web sites on the internet, I had to stop and rejoice when I saw these:

I just love the idea of including the family pet in a collection or simply doing just a collection based on the family pets. (I have 6 dogs and 5 cats so I thought they would make an interesting canvas study). Basically, you will want to take an existing side profile shot of your dog, print it out on paper, cut out the image and then trace it onto black or white paper, depending upon how you want the final product to look. Or, you can spend more money and print them on canvas like the ones in the picture. I think I am just going to find some creative and inexpensive frames and let the artwork do the talking for me!

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The Most Magnificent Play House

10. March 2010 by Parker.

I have never seen anything else quite like it. Christie Morris has managed to take a basic child’s play house and turn it into a fantasyland that even I, as an adult, want to play within. Here are some pics of the cottage she built for her grandchildren:

Make note of the wall mural of trees and light and sky that help create this mystical realm within her home.

Sweet fairy windows within the playhouse allow the children to spy on the fairies at play!

The dutch door has copper vines, a bunny nob, and even a door bell that sounds like a bird chirping!

A child safe flicker flame fireplace adds the perfect amount of charm and ambience to the interior…

while the bunny hutch made of sticks becomes the resting place of three adorable bunnies by the names of:

Aspara Gus who sleeps in a vegetbale bed each night, and

Ara Besque sleeps in her ballerina inspired room.

 The children even get this awesome hand carved bed with French legs for nap time. If you want to see more detailed pics of Christie’s work, check out her website at: www.ChristieMorris.com Playhouses start as low as $3,000.00 for her whimsical creations!

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Research always leads me to some interesting finds.

25. February 2010 by Parker.

My mother resides in Florida. Land of palm trees, blue waters, resorts, and the pink flamingo yard art. So while researching some new ideas for Halloween this year, I stumbled across these hilariously cool Halloween flamingos that I am more then tempted to purchase for my mother. Not only because they make me smile but they are completely affordable at $15.95 for 2 on Amazon.

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On the great search for the perfect bar stools…

18. January 2010 by Parker.

We’ve been renovating the house we live in, not because we wanted to but because we have to. The home is over 40 years old and was abandoned for 2 years before we moved in so it need tons of TLC. After removing a wall between what was originally the formal dining and family room, we installed a bar area for people to socialize in the now billiard room. The problem I’m having is finding the right countertop and the perfect bar stools for the space. So far I have stumbled across these awesome cap top stools which are unfortunately only available commercially. Even with my credentials to purchase them, I could never meet the minimum order of 750 stools. DAMN! It would be cool to pick our favorite drinks and turn them into mismatched stools. Perhaps I’ll have to dig around on some DIY pages and see if anyone has ever attempted to make them.

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Rodney White

26. November 2009 by Parker.

It used to be that you couldn’t find a single piece of Rodney White’s artwork anywhere except his gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. This was exceptionally frustrating for me before moving to Georgia because his works were turnign up everywhere on TV. Every other show had a piece on the back wall of a coffee shop or inside someone’s living room and yet they were nowhere to be found in stores. Then, places like Ballard Designs started carrying them for anywhere from $200 to $400 a pop, which is fine when I’m searching for commercial prpoerties or homeowners willing to make the investment. Not so good for clients on a budget.

 Then, it happened. Kirklands started carrying Rodney’s pieces for affordable prices. Large, framed canvases for closer to $100 and I couldn’t be happier. So if you’ve seen his retro inspired work and want one, go to Kirklands. Just know that places like Target have caught on and are selling some but the quality isn’t nearly as good as the stretched canvas framed.

 

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Twisted Circus 2009

23. October 2009 by Parker.

Well, it has come and gone yet again… our annual Halloween party was a blast! Here are some of the details to this year’s party:

 

Invitation was drawn by a local Savannah artist known as Grimcinder on Deviant Art:

 

 

Beer & Wine Labels were designed by Florida artist, Mike Maihack with Cowshell Graphics. He did an awesome job of incorporating the circus theme with a retro appeal that I was looking for:

 

         

 

Guests were greeted at the front door by old school circus music, a rat eating a clown nose, and a ‘You Must Be This Tall To Enter’ sign:

 

 

Once inside, the kitchen was converted into a Concession stand with the use of basic white sheets:

 

 

 All the curtains andpillows in the house were changed out to circus themed stripes, clowns, stars, et cetera.

 

Once guests ventured outside, they were greeted with a directional sign instructing them of events:

 

 

Unfortunately the weather was a bit chilly for our fortune teller and very few fortunes were told, however the tent served as a warm place to hang out nonetheless:

 

 

Every year we show movies based on the theme in a makeshift outdoor theater. This year the theater was a striped big top tent showing Stephen King’s IT and a sad, old movie entitled ‘Dead Clowns’:

 

 

As always, throw blankets are supplied for warmth late at night.

 

Next step, the gypsy camp by the fire pit. We set up 5 tents complete with airbeds, bedding, pillows, lanterns, and more. Outside, there were laundry lines of circus attire, old chairs, musical instruments, and lights. This was by far my favorite place to hang out all night:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, on the way out the door, guests were welcome to grab a bottle of wine  to remember the event:

 

 

Oh, and I almost forgot. Here’s a pic of me and my husband dressed as a bloody marionette and evil ringmaster:

 

 

And now it is over, the house is back to normal, and here’s looking forward to next year’s Pirate conversion!

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Amazing Decorating Options

9. August 2009 by Parker.

There are so many innovative companies out there that now offer the general public access to cool products…

Pixelblocks.com allows you to build an image pixel by pixel onto translucent blocks that interlock. Imagine a 3D stained window with your own image overlaid.  It’s a new form of puzzle, a centerpiece of art, and abit of your imagination for around $150!

PhotoWow.com turns your photos into trendy designs on canvas. Everything from Warhol inspired blocks to retro comics to scrapbooking canvasas are available.

WonderfulGraffiti .com is my number one source of decorating. With options ranging from quotes to canvas to 3D designs, WG allows you to showcase any style imaginable.  They also allow you as much or as little control as you want.

 

 

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Identity Mugs

28. July 2009 by Parker.

Whether you are a tea drinker or avid coffee lover, these mugs simply make me smile every time I see them.

What do you need today? Creativitea? Simplicitea? Prosperotea? These mugs not only offer up some form of inspiration but they also provide you with the definition on the inside rim; just in case you needed a little extra help that day!

Etsy now has so many creative people using it that I can spend an entire day just jumping from one person’s store to the next and simply get lost in the labarynth that is Etsy.com. Here are a set of hand painted vintage mugs by Trixie Delicious that really make me wonder who would I give these to?

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