Feature Friday!

Balsam

What do you make?

~bath and body products, felt flower brooches

What is your favorite thing/piece you have made?

~This one was pretty cool for a soap.

~This brooch hit the front page a few times and is featured in the gift guides =)

Location: Indianapolis

What are your favorite materials to use?

~olive and avocado oils...for brooches, lovely merino wool felt blends in unique color combinations.

What is your favorite color?

~dusty aqua

One thing you must have in your purse at all times?

~my lip balm!

What is your favorite accessory?

~toe rings lol

Favorite flower?

~poppies

One place you dream of visiting?

~Scotland/Ireland - the birthplace of my family

If you had $200 to spend where would it go?

~ essential oils for soaping

What inspires you?

~poems and paintings mostly, after which some of my soaps are named.

If you could talk to any artist, living or dead, who would it be?

~Monet...the way he could capture the soul of a painting in such an abstract way was just remarkable.

Bathrooms

I love the large bath in the first picture. It seems very luxurious. I love the idea of the shower in the second picture. I don't know if I would ever actually put it in my bathroom, but I love the idea of it.

These two bathrooms have beautiful bathtubs and have such a relaxed feel to them. I especially love the green in the first picture.

Again, a beautiful bathtub. My dream home will have a very large and beautiful bathtub for ample soaking.

All pictures found at Elle Decor.

White

I found this picture over at Absolutely Beautiful Things and I love everything about it. I love the clean crisp white everywhere. I love the beautiful and unique chandelier. The thing I love the most is the collection of green glass on the shelf. I should preface this by saying that I just love collections in general, but I especially love this collection. It adds to the room giving it a little splash of color to make it chic. I have been looking at a lot of design blogs lately and I have noticed a lot of white rooms/houses. I look at them and the look simple and beautiful. I look at my white walls and they have not achieved that same classy simplicity. Any suggestions?

Another beautiful white room with a collection. I found this one at Cote de Texas.

Talented

My little sister is a very talented photographer. I absolutely LOVE this new picture she put up on her blog. I am going to have to ask her if that is the sun or the moon. Whatever it is it looks amazing.

Feature Friday... a day late

MOLLY STUFF

What do you make?
-I make hand-cut and finished silver jewelry, based on my own sketches.



What is your favorite thing/piece you have made?
-My personal favorite is called "The Dancer". It features my favorite sketching subject... dancers!

What are your favorite materials to use?

-Definitely silver sheet right now. I'm also learning more about silver wire... like making chains from scratch... it's so much fun!



What is your favorite color?
-That's ever-changing but right now it's kind of a watermelon pink.



One thing you must have with you at all times?
-Burt's Bees shimmer chapstick!



What is your favorite accessory?
-My cool black sunglasses.



Favorite flower?
-Gardenias.



One place you dream of visiting?
-I would love to visit Greece... you know... the beautiful seas and islands... with a little ancient architecture thrown in!



If you had $200 to spend where would it go?
-I'd want to get a beagle! I want a dog so badly!



What inspires you?
-Dancers, fashion illustration, history. Sometimes a material will inspire me but sometimes just starting to sketch will get the wheels turning! I may get 10 ideas out of 100 sketches but it's worth it.



If you could talk to any artist, living or dead, who would it be?
-Coco Chanel. She was so chic and maybe a little eccentric(crazy)... very cool!

Memorial Day BBQ a la Food Network and Grandma

Now I have not ever tried any of these recipes with the exception of the last one, which is amazing especially if you love rhubarb like I do. They all come from Food Network and look delicious, again with the exception of the last recipe which comes from my family cookbook. I can't wait to try these on Monday. Bon Appetit!
To start:
Garlic-Mustard Grilled Beef Skewers
Entree:
Basil Grilled Chicken
Salad:
It's a Wonderful Waldorf (personally I would leave out the raisins, but that's just because I hate raisins)
To drink:
Blackberry Lemonade- I definitely plan on trying this recipe come Monday, is sounds amazing.
To Finish:
Grandma's Rhubarb Pie- now I think this is a Memorial Day MUST! It is a rare Memorial Day that I don't have this pie, it is my favorite, especially when my Grandma makes it.

Grandma's Rhubarb Pie

2 cups Rhubarb cut up
1 egg
1 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons flour
lemon juice

Mix egg, sugar and flour together. Add rhubarb. Put in pie shell, sprinkle with a little lemon juice, add top crust. Bake until golden brown and rhubarb bubbles. *Note- there is no temperature or time given in the recipe so if you are experimental, like me, try 350 for 30-45 minutes. If you like more exact directions try this Strawberry Rhubarb Pie recipe from Food Network.

Summer pitchers

I found this fun pitcher on Etsy. I love the classic look of it.

I love this lemonade jar from Sur La Table.

This fun pitcher would be perfect for summer, it is certainly more unique than your average pitcher.



I couldn't get a picture of this pitcher to show up, but it is a favorite of mine, I think I have convinced my Husband that it could be practical.

Knobs

My cabinets are in desperate need of some updated knobs. I am loving these glass knobs from Restoration Hardware.

Feature Friday

V Silcox Designs

1-What do you make?

-I specialize in functional artwork, hand painted glass & T-shirt image design.

2-What is your favorite thing/piece you have made?

- My favorite work is entitled "Teachupoo" (pronounced "cho-poo") after the largest wave in Tahiti.

3-What are your favorite materials to use?

- I love to play with enamels for painting and charcoal for sketching.

4-What is your favorite color?

- My favorite color is, always has, and will forever be the happiest color ever created........ periwinkle.

5-One thing you must have with you at all times?

-Lipstick in the purse is a must!

6-What is your favorite accessory?

- The favorite accessory has to be my Australian Agate wrapped pendant.

7-Favorite flower?

- The Casablanca Lily, for it's beauty and fragrance.

8- One place you dream of visiting?

-Tahiti, I want to see the wave that inspired me in person.

9- What inspires you?

-I am inspired by reflections of any kind, by music, and the desire to see what color I can mix up next

10- If you could talk to any artist, living or dead, who would it be?

-Vincent Van Gogh, or Diego Rivera, both for the same reason, their unbelievable understanding and application of color. For me, their works are the most beautiful.

Browsing

I am positive that St. Tropez and I would get along famously in these outfits! Boden has some great stuff right now, if only it fit the budget.

"I call it my magic wand because it makes stains disappear..."

Right now I would love a magic wand to make my stains disappear. I may have to go on a hunt at lunch and find myself some magic!

Feature Friday!

The Peach Tree

Location-Brooklyn

What do you make?
-I make wearable creations by piecing together stones and semi precious stones in a simple, elegantly fun manner.

What is your favorite thing/piece you have made?
-I had a lot of fun putting this piece together. It's so full of life and feeling of warmer days!

What are your favorite materials to use?
-Rocks, minerals, gems. I love finding new stones that I have never used before.


What is your favorite color?
-Probably yellow? I've never had a favorite I don't think!


One thing you must have in your purse at all times?
-A book.


What is your favorite accessory?
-I've been really into scarflettes this fall, winter and spring. I have a few from Kirstenlovesdinner ( http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5012450 ) that I just couldn't live without!


Favorite flower?
-Mini tulips in any color.


One place you dream of visiting?
-It's going to sound so cliche but I dream of going to France and touring the countryside in a little European car :)


If you had $200 to spend where would it go?
-$150 of it would go right here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11358547
And the other $50 would go towards a piece over at HeatherFuture's shop ( http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5559647 )


What inspires you?
-Everything! Brooklyn, the ocean, travel, the seasons.


If you could talk to any artist, living or dead, who would it be?
-I've recently been introduced to Mark Ryden so I'd have to say him right now. His images just suck me in. http://www.markryden.com/index.html


To see more from The Peach Tree check out their Etsy shop or blog (which has some awesome pictures up!)

Pots for Herbs

I like the look of this one, but it is not quite as budget friendly.

This planter is long enough to fit a large variety. I'm thinking basil, rosemary, parsley, cilantro maybe some oregano, chives...

The best part about these ones is that they are from one of my favorite stores, Ten Thousand Villages.

These are definitely the easiest on the wallet and with a little paint they could be pretty fun.

Also from Ten Thousand Villages, I love the blue and white.

These might be my favorite, I think they are classic.

Have you ever tried to find cute pots to grow herbs in? I have searched every website I can think of and have found a very small selection of affordable, non-cheesy herb planters. These are some of my favorites. You can find some other good herb planters here or here.

House Beautiful

I love the collection of pictures on the wall, they do it in a way that it looks interesting instead of cluttered. I want to be able to do something like this, but quite frankly I won't even try until I can show my Mom and rely on her artistic eye!

I love the table under the wisteria. I think I would feel like I was eating in the Secret Garden. I also loved this idea from Pottery Barn for outdoor dining.

I fell in love this month with House Beautiful. A co-worker received around 50 magazines in the mail from a friend and generously shared them. These pictures are from a seaside cottage (if 11 rooms can be called a cottage) in New York, previously owned by Gloria Vanderbilt. You can read the article and see all the other pictures here.

Feature Friday 10 One World

What do you make?

-I make organic cotton t-shirts and onesies

What is your favorite thing/piece you have made?

-My favorite, right now, is my one world organic cotton baby onesie.

What are your favorite materials to use?

-I only use organic t-shirts, some are embellished with upcycled denim.

What is your favorite color?

-It changes between green and blue, daily.

One thing you must have in your purse at all times?

-Hand sanitizer. I'm a germ freak!

What is your favorite accessory?

-My wedding ring, it is sooooo beautiful!

Favorite flower?

-The tulip.

One place you dream of visiting?

-Holland, to see those tulips!

If you had $200 to spend where would it go?

-Probably something for one of my three kids.

What inspires you?

-My husband and children!

If you could talk to any artist, living or dead, who would it be?

-All black and white photographers, I love that work

Location?

-Sedona

If I had a garden...

I have loved gardening and flowers for as long as I can remember. When I was younger my Mom let me plan out and take care of the side yard garden, which I lovingly named Rocky Ridge (If any of you ever read Laura Ingalls Wilders books you know where this name came from!) I was talking to my Mom last week and she told me that some of the flowers I planted over ten years ago were starting to bloom. So if I had a garden right now I would put some of these beautiful flowers in! I love the vibrant blue color of the poppies and hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers. I also love lots of white flowers in a garden, they make the garden look especially pretty during dusk!