perfect fall day

...it's the kind of crisp Fall day I want to cuddle up in the big arm chair at my gal pal Kathy's house...flip through a magazine, and drink tea and visit with her...

I love her family room. It has all the ingredients of handmade and vintage that I adore, and just enough whimsy to make it really her own.

I think I might grab one of her yummy soft blankets and really tuck in...

don't you love how she has them in the little metal doll bed...I do! 

As a matter of fact, I am thinking my cats would be in there in a New York minute if they saw this set up! 

(Cats are so smart, they never miss an opportunity to nap!)

But a nap is a pleasant fiction in my world! 

Just too much going in here to slow down...

But I need a break, so I am off to Kathy's once again for tea...

she always seems to be able to talk me through my big plans and provide the best of insights and suggestions....what are friends for after all...

We are hard at work here getting ready for the next event...we'll be heading to Atlanta next week for the annual Country Living Fair....

Stay tuned for more on that...and sure hope to see you in Atlanta soon! You can see the events page of the site for details....

xxoo Jen

the last bits of summer...

Summer always seems like it's red to me...

a big red sun that burns away 

to rusty fall leaves and golden shadows...

Red, wonderful red.

Apples and barns and skies before storms.

It's cheery red toenails peeking from sandals and lips all dressed up. 

It's every pair of shoes I've ever loved.

Ahhh, yummy red, brave red, intense red...

It's pink's bossy big sister and I love her for it!

And I am sad to see that color go... 

The last bits from the local farm stands are the last of my summer reds...

cherry tomatoes and berries...

and they'll soon be gone from the farm stands all together.

Here they are gathered in my fave berry bowls...

 

Red seems to taste as good as it looks....

xxoo Jen

brown paper packages tied up with string...

....brown paper packages tied up with string...

these are a few of my favorite things.

You have no idea how that went over and over in my head when we were in Salzburg in August. 

And here I am now wrapping some little gifts and I think I have decided, it really is the little things after all...like fragments of an old song, or a wisp of a sweet memory, that are the best...

The best, like a perfectly wrapped little gift. Simple in brown paper and butcher's twine...

 ...little sprigs of the last of the lavender tucked inside.
(My paper and twine come from my pal Jo Packham's Create-ologie site)

 

And while I know everyone calls it "butcher's twine" these days...

I remember the fancy bakery on Hillside Avenue and watching the shop girls wrap and wrap those white paper boxes in this red and white twine from a ginormous role....and while I can't go back in time and get those black and white cookies, but I sure can think of them as I finish this project....

xxoo Jen

My Fair Ladies...Coumbus Country Living Fair and all good things Ohio and More....

The Art Girls' RoadShow has just rolled back from Ohio.... 

We had another wonderful event with the Country Living and Stella Show folks in Columbus, and while I really need to unpack...I had to share these images....

 The Before....

 The After...

 A big part us  being there is our "Earth Angels LIVE!" demo tent where you can meet and chat with the artists as they work and share their techniques and style tips...Shannon announced the who's who and when...

(....a thanks to Jo Packham -- she sent us this uber cool standing chalkboard to herald our daily schedule...it was an all around shout out for the daily demos...a great goodie from Create-ologie....we missed you this year Jo!!!)

Laurie Meseroll was amazing talking about mixed media techniques...she also was a special guest on the Main Stage of the Fair....

Sue Parker did an awesome job demoing holiday paperies and sewn crafts...go Skippy Doodle Sue!!

Here's Nancy Wiley and her art dolls....

Nancy signed her books all weekend long!

And here are the FAIR LADIES...

I love and respect all these women...they worked hard and they not only made the event possible...they made it a success...say hello to them all! 

Shannon and Sue...

 Cheryl...yes we see you!!!

Allie...

...and Sophie...

Letty and Val...

And here are some fun shots of just some of the 22 tables and pieces of furniture lade with art and handmade goods...

 

 

...I mean really, look at these gals, they work hard but they keep it FUN!

 After all, this is ART we're talking about!

 A big thanks to all for making this event possible...

the artists: Sue, Nancy, Letty, Val, Cheryl and Laurie...

the helpers: Allie, Sophie and Shannon...

and all our good friends: Bob, Harold, and Julie without whom this simply would not be possible...

  I am already looking forward to next year! And our next EVENTS too!

xxoo Jen

so excited for Jo...Create-ologie has launched!

Congrats to my wonderfully talented and ever inspiring friend, Jo Packham on the launch of "Create-ologie" her new web-based shopping destination for wonderful crafting and studio organizational items...

Please take a peek here....at what Jo's been up to and to see what she's sharing to stay tidy, organized and motivated in the creative process.

Here's what Jo is sharing about her new venture:

"As an artist, organization was not a strength of mine until recently. As with all things worthwhile in life, it took me some time to learn how to get (and stay) organized. Organization is a matter of owning up to your real-life habits and expectations — your system has to work with you, not against! Having a gorgeous design strategy to go with it certainly never hurts either.

One thing that helped me clear the clutter in my studio was recognizing what was working and what could be improved. Big, open boxes equal a big pile of mess; however, if I organized the contents of those boxes into smaller containers, I could quickly and easily retrieve what I needed, whether it was ink, stamps or ribbon.

I am also far more likely to stay organized if I like the containers I am using, like this adorable tin with glass jars inside. I love the art nouveau look, and the jars are so useful! Just take what you need and put it back when you’re done — how simple is that?"

Congrats Jo!

xxoo Jen