Once upon a time, a little curly-headed blonde five-year-old girl watched her Mother chop, bake, frost and stuff for a week in preparation for a Thanksgiving family feast for thirteen. Thanksgiving arrived and the family sat down to the heavily laden table, said the Blessing, and passed splendid, aromatic dishes around the table with much laughing and chatter. The little girl’s three-year-old brother demanded Cheerios, much to the Mother’s exasperation. Then, the little girl’s head drooped and landed right in her plate. She was in trouble. She was walked to the living room couch with a stern warning from her Mother to behave. She slept and felt very, very bad. The next day the little girl̵…
It seems like I have been working in my new workspace at Unfolded Studio forever. It’s neutral, inspiring and just pretty. If you can call a former warehouse all of those things! On Tuesday this week, during our Google Hometalk hangout, I showed viewers around, and decided you might enjoy a peek too. Barb Skivington, our Director of Education and Customer Support, and I have been designing and repurposing her former studio to house Annie Sloan Unfolded’s training facility for new stockists, and our new offices. We have very different styles, and we each wanted to design space that reflects our own taste. Barb’s, by the way, is so classy and grand. I love it! Mine, well, it’s not classy b…
Let’s have fun together chatting about Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan! It’s totally addictive for all of us at Annie Sloan Unfolded, not to mention Kelly at Eclectically Vintage, Melody at My Passion for Decor and Nancy at Artsy Chicks Rule! See some of our favorite projects, find out where to purchase Chalk Paint®, and get great tips! Join me and three of our blogger friends who love sharing their Chalk Paint® projects. Here is the link to RSVP and view at 2pm EST! See you there. (P.S. the giveaway is worth over $350!) https://plus.google.com/events/ck83g25u2or9ltr37bm1gdh4fp0
By day, I am the Marketing Director for Annie Sloan Unfolded. Occasionally, in my free time, I create and teach art-on-glass techniques, mostly at faux finishing studios. I got hooked on glass years ago after stumbling upon some practically free tempered pieces. During random moments I just started playing with ideas and discovered how fun it can be to experiment. The sky’s the limit! I use all sorts of mixed media including spray paint, leaf, foil, stencils, ephemera, old stamps, objects from nature and anything else I find intriguing. I have sold my pieces on Etsy and at an International High Point Furniture Market showroom. I am still working on my master bedroom and bath mini-redesign, loosely based o…
Last week, fresh from my two-week adventure in Marrakech, I posted about the tranquil, soothing colors of Morocco. So. Now I am ready to paint, paint, paint. Geared up to work on a few fun and inexpensive updates in our master bedroom and tiny bath. I am inspired to step completely out of my color comfort zone and choose blues mixed with our existing soft greens. Eekkk! Even typing the color blue gives me chills. Its cool, even cold. I love warm and cozy! But I am committed. Here are my two inspiration photos from Peacock Pavilions, where we worked on stencil projects by day, and then were pampered with the most luscious of Moroccan dinner experiences by night. I want to combine soft blue accents of the tile pa…
Spring, my favorite time of the year, technically began on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 and ends on Tuesday, June 19, 2013 (I still have 29 days!). The weather in New Orleans is delightful – a little climatological respite before our hot, humid, Summer. When my perennials start to bloom I am always inspired and invigorated. It’s the time of year when I optimistically believe I will finish all the creative projects I have in mind: the garden, re-paint all the garden furniture (with Chalk Paint®, of course), refine my culinary skills with our seasonal bounty, hang the outdoor curtains on the veranda, do yoga in the garden and finish writing that book I haven’t yet started. So many ideas, so much i…
Welcome back! In last week’s post, I shared some bright, cheerful, energizing spice colors of Morocco. This week I’ve selected new photos that I found to be soft, quiet, reflective, peaceful, tranquil. Perhaps that’s the state of mind I brought home from two weeks of traveling in and around Marrakech. I want to show you how Chalk Paint® decorative paint colors can be discovered in nature. And in home decor. In northern Africa. On a spectacular traditional door. Do you see the Florence Chalk Paint® color just radiating with depth and texture? Here are two young brothers making the long, steep and winding trek up into the Atlas Mountains. Quietly they rode, all nestled tightly together. Holding …
In a previous post I hinted about a special trip. I’m back. From Marrakech, Morocco. Land of Berber tribes, exotic belly dancers, and jaw-dropping, award-winning interior design. My favorite palette of spicy and energizing color abounds in this gentle ancient land. For this post, while my brain attempts to leap back across the big pond, back to the real world, I’d like to share a few of my favorite memory snippets… …on our first day in Marrakech, a get-over-our-jet-lag visit to a traditional pharmacy yielded a plethora of lotions, potions, herbal remedies and beauty solutions. The visual feast for the eyes and soul was heavenly. And it woke us up after many flights from hither and yon. L…
Yes, I am confessing right now. You may know me, dear reader, or not. But yes, I am a bag lady. Leather bags, fabric bags, artsy bags, tote bags, computer bags, I love them all! How many do I possess? You’re kidding, right? Like I would divulge THAT. But, nevertheless, I will share with you what I have been up to (at my desk, at work, mind you). I have combined my passion for all things bag-like with my advanced-beginner sewing skills. Years ago, when I was fresh out of college, and a young illustrator, my boss asked me to sew – bags, of all things – when I got caught up. They were mostly simple, and made to hold our printed materials for teachers. I never knew… …that deja vu would…
I’m baaaaccckkk! You may remember on January 24, before the Giant Hacking of the Unfolded Blog, I posted about painting old hardcover books with Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan. Well. You would think I created SOMETHING NEW. Oh. I sort of did. Maybe not… there’s no new idea in the blogosphere. I’m just humoring myself. Anyway, readers loved the idea. They wanted more! Fortunately, after I finished the first set of books using Old English-looking stencils, I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted shelves full, just like I’m seeing all over the blogs and Pinterest. My obsession was not quelled after seeing these two spectacular photos on the Bright.Bazaar.com blog delivere…
