Friday, February 1, 2013

My Ecuador Sista…

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Last week 10,000+  photographers flocked to Atlanta for one of our annual conventions.  Even though my schedule only allowed me to spend one afternoon there, it was fantastic and so much fun catching up with old friends and making new ones right in my own backyard.

 The highlight of the week was running into one of my uber fabulous Ecuador roommates better known as my SISTA.  The fact that we call each other SISTA is really quite ironic.  You see the fact is that we couldn’t be more opposite…

she is from Brooklyn and I am from the boonies, she is brunette and I am blonde (well, with a little help),

she is most comfortable wearing all things BLACK and I am most comfortable wearing any and every color of the rainbow,

she speaks fluent Spanish and I speak fluent SOUTHERN,

she travels on public transportation daily and I haven’t been on a subway in years,

my neighbors are farm animals and her neighbors are WELL very nearby…and the list goes on and on,

but for some reason we were drawn to each other in Ecuador and have stayed close every since.  Rachel is easy to love and has the sweetest heart you will ever want to know.  She saved me in Ecuador because I DID NOT speak the language although I desperately wanted to communicate with the children.  Yes, she saved me and gave me a voice.

 Anyway, when she mentioned that she was staying an extra day in Atlanta (and that day happened to be her birthday) and she would LOVE to visit the farm, I automatically went into panic mode.  What in the world would she think of my small corner of the world and would the slow pace of this place that we call home bore her to tears?!?!?!?  To my relief, our time together was amazing and I even talked her into a quick photo session totally focused on her…after all, it was her BIRTHDAY.

 I cherish sweet friendships and always enjoy the time that we get to spend together.  To know and appreciate your differences and what those differences can bring to each other’s lives is a gift.  Our next visit will be in New York and let it be known that this counterfeit farm-girl is up for the challenge.

 How gorgeous is my SISTA?

ENJOY!!!

LOVE her in color here…

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Rachel Elkind - February 12, 2013 - 3:33 pm

OMG….what can I say…sista…this is such a wonderful memory of you and your world and now my world. Thank you for making my black…pure and white…. xxoo

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

David Boyd, Jr. – Southern Impressionism

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So, I’ve certainly been a little lax at keeping up with my blog since long before the holidays.  Things have been just a little busy around here and to be quite frank, I just wanted to take the time to soak up every single minute of it.

 There are so many images, so many memories and so very many stories to share and I promise to start updates on all of it very soon!  BUT FIRST – I have been wanting to share something very special with you guys.

 When we first moved to the farm, I kept hearing about this amazing – and I want to emphasize AH-MAZING – artist David Boyd, Jr., who creates the most beautiful paintings that you have ever laid your eyes on.  Being an artist myself and trying to come up with some way or another to work a piece of his art onto the limited wall space in this little farmhouse, I suddenly had an idea to commission him to capture Chandler’s 21st year in a painting.

David is so very talented and I had no idea at the time, but he is a Southern Impressionist and not necessarily a portrait artist.  After much soul searching and his unlimited willingness to meet me at my vision, I finally convinced both of us that my son was Southern and he was free to take this piece of art to any amount of impressionism that he wanted as long as at the end of the day he felt proud to sign his name to the piece.  Personally, we couldn’t be more pleased with the finished piece and will treasure it for many years to come.

Please take an afternoon and treat yourself to a walk through some of David’s beautiful work by visiting his website.  You will be in total awe at his gift and his vision.  His talent is enormous and he has certainly found a beautiful way to put it to use.  Here’s a little sneak peek of the image that we used for inspiration, David working his magic,  and of course, the final piece.

ENJOY!!!

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Everything New is Old Again – Spring 2013 Issue of Flea Market Decor

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Even though I knew that it wasn’t due out until February and it is only January 29th, I have been anxiously scouring the magazine isle at Barnes & Nobles every single day for a month.  It is secretly one of my favorite leisure time splurges and I can honestly admit that magazines are my thing, but this month, I was on the hunt for something special.  It was so exciting, and I almost fell out on the floor when I finally spotted the spring issue of Flea Market Décor right in front of me on the shelf.  After nervously flipping through the first few pages and really getting stuck on page 22 (LOVE their style), I FINALLY stumbled upon page 76…yes; right there in print on page 76 was our little farmhouse.

 The article is very well written and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with my very talented and dear friend, Debbie Basnett, of Vintage Scout Interiors, again.  It’s always inspiring to work with people that are doing exactly what they are gifted to do in life and without her this whole project would have never ever been possible.  In addition, let me just say to the previous owners of this little house that we call home…thank you for the stories that you left inside these walls.  Thank you for taking the time to share them with us.  Your stories are what give this home a history and are exactly what attracted me to it from the very beginning.  Oh how I wish these walls could talk, but I have completely enjoyed spending time with each of you and hearing the tales of laughter and tears that happened in your lives during your time living in this 100-year-old farmhouse.

If  you stumble upon a copy of this magazine, there are some really wonderful articles and images of inspiration on each and every page.  Please be sure to check out the shopping guide…we have found so many treasures and have enjoyed working with the many wonderful shop owners in our local area.  If you are looking to treat yourself to an afternoon of treasure hunting, please add their shops to your list of favorites.

 Photography is undoubtedly my favorite part of life, but I think I may have a designer’s soul, so I’m glad that Debbie let me pretend to have a small role in this FABULOUS project.

 ENJOY!!!

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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Well Hello There 2013!

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We are only 1 week in, but the things that are going on around here are PRETTY EXCITING!

When Debbie Bassnett, dear friend and partner at Vintage Scout Interiors, and I began brainstorming last year about sprucing up my little farmhouse, she mentioned that one of her personal goals was to get some of her work published in a magazine.  As always, my mind started racing with the possibilities, but even I couldn’t have imagined how quickly this girl meets her goals.

We spent some sleepless night, some major time goggling DIY how tos, and tons and tons of giggles, but we DID IT!  We are featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Well Styled Homes Bedrooms & Baths.

For more design inspiration and to see Debbie’s blog post, please CLICK here.

Congratulations, Debbie and a special thank you to Dana, partner at Vintage Scout, and your fantastic clients that let us spend hours and hours of time photographing and styling their homes.  I, for one, had an absolute blast.

ENJOY!!!

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