How will we live without ....

... Hobby Lobby? I've never been there but if you're progressive and crafty what are you going to do? Here's some made in USA ideas. You can sketch, doodle, scrapbook and paint on one of these:

http://www.ecosystemlife.com/

The blogger takes no responsibility for health care options available to the staff.

For my next kitchen.

If you watch the DIY network you know the design principle of: pick three objects you love then find tones, color and materials that compliment them. When I remodeled my condo I had a selection of handmade Mexican tiles I'd found at a local import store. http://www.ttazteca.com/ 

Each tile was the perfect design to bring the outside in. The owner travels south each year to visit craftspeople in Mexico. He even looked for themes I wanted like kitchen implements, more of the sun and moon imagery, squash and melon image tiles etc.

So just match them, right? It took forever to find Travertine tile to match the size, texture and tone. By the time I found some I was beyond caring about their country of origin. I was just happy to find tile that complimented them.

But had I known about this I may have bought direct from them. 

http://www.trikeenan.com/index.php

Oh well, next kitchen. That's how we learn. 

Framing my art.

On my most recent trip back home to Sonoma county we got to stay with Candy and Paul on their farm. We feel Paul's Produce is one of the best organic farms in Sonoma county. His wife, Candy is an amazing artist whose water color paintings capture the feeling of the valley I love.

Her paintings are astounding. I've watched her art grow over the years from when I first saw her work on display when she worked at another local organic grower till now. You can see and purchase her art here http://candieded.wordpress.com/

One of the things that impressed me is the framing. She seems to find and use repurposed frames that go with the art. Some paintings were in window frames, other frames had the weathered look of a twice loved frame. Each one seemed made for and complimented the art.

So I thought to myself; self? You have a lot of drawings and art. It's time to get it on walls. Framing is hugely expensive. So I've got errands to run tomorrow that will take be by consignment and thrift stores. Stay tuned and we'll see if something there strikes me as perfect for some work.

Clean, calm and serene.

That's our motto around here. You can't see our home so I can get away with that at least till I learn how to post pictures to the blog. We like to envision the bath as a mini day spa; lotions and soaps attractively out for use, the laundry basket eeks, where did all that come from!? But anyway we try.

One of my earliest posts was about Swan Haven soap. Just in time for Mother's day they are having a sale. Her soaps are practically art, they both smell and look wonderful. Create a gift basket for Mom and the Moms in your life;

http://madeinusareviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/cleaning-up-my-list-of-good-things-to.html