Great Innovators

I am of the belief that people die in threes. My husband says it isn't so, so we agree to disagree. I know I'm right, because we just recently lost a trio of great innovators; Maurice Sendak Vidal Sassoon & Carroll Shelby.

Maurice Sendak was a children's author & illustrator. His stories were offbeat and imaginative, and his illustrations were caricature-like. He was best known for Where the Wild Things Are, which was the story of a boy who was sent to his room without dinner. His imagination 'runs wild', and comes back to reality when his dinner appears in his room. I remember reading this book to my kids, and like most parents, it took me a while to warm up to it, but once I did, I realized the innovation of Mr. Sendak.

Vidal Sassoon was an English hairstylist. He understood that women didn't want to 'fuss' with their hair - just wash & wear it. He came to popularity in the 60's & 70's, when everyone wanted straight hair, which mine was anything but! However, in the 80's he developed a line of hair products that I thought were wonderful!! They made my hair soft and manageable, but the best thing was the almond scent!! He changed hair salons to a hip, stylish, fun place to be, with innovative styling.

Carroll Shelby was a car pioneer. His name is probably the least recognizable; he was the genius behind the Ford Mustang. The Shelby engines put America on the map in the world of racing, beating many Italian made machines which were dominating at that time. He was a pilot instructor in the Army during WW2, had experimented with a couple of businesses, when he became a race car driver in the 50's. This lead to a sports car business, which lead to Shelby & Ford developing the Mustang line of cars. I remember when the Mustang first appeared, I thought it was the coolest car ever! He also worked on the Dodge Charger & Viper cars as well. His Shelby Cobra CSX2000 was named Motor Trend magazine's most significant car of the last 50 years. And that was just his automobile world; he also developed a food business & built a Heart Transplant Fund for kids in need of transplants. He truly exemplified the innovative American spirit.

~Pat~

Spring Cleaning Family Photos

Spring is here, which means its time for a little spring cleaning! As a photographer I have more prints and negatives than I sometimes know what to do with. This past week I went through my archives; organizing everything in print and neg boxes. I stumbled across some photographs I printed while in a pro black and white darkroom class at Columbia College of Chicago. One of our assignments was to find and print old negatives from long ago. Since my great grandfather was an avid photographer, I had some wonderful negatives from the late 1800's to choose from.


So in the midst of organizing, I found a print of my great uncle. The photograph is of him as a baby sitting at a typewriter. The contrast of his light outfit and soft skin with the dark background and industrial typewriter, spoke of the time with beautiful composition. It didn't hurt that I printed it perfectly! As in all art and photography, we have to pick and choose what will be framed to display and what will be kept hidden in a box to discover at a later date. This piece is definitely worth some beautiful framing and a spot on the wall!

~Evy

It Doesn't Take Much

Monday is one of my 2 days off, and I, like many of you, spend much of it running around completing errands. One of those errands involved a return, to which I had the receipt. At the return counter I told the employee that I needed to return what I had, he whisked it out of my hands, practically tore open the bag, didn’t ask me why I was returning it, for that matter, he didn’t say anything at all. He did what he needed to do in the computer, shoved the paperwork toward me; told me to sign it, and handed me my money – half of which fell on the counter, without a word from him. Grrrrrrrrrr.

So I continue on with my errands, but first, I need to stop for a cup of coffee. Ahh, Starbucks right there – great. I pull up to the drive thru, order a ‘tall, black, coffee of the day’ and tell her that’s all, to which she replies, ‘sounds awesome, that will be $1.77; see you at the window’ – well, that brought a smile to my face! I don’t care if they are trained to answer that way – it brought a smile to my face! I say “it doesn’t take much –awesome marketing!!”

~Pat~

New Season New Style

I have to say that I am really excited about the new batch of frame moldings that have come out this year! They are unique pieces that fit interesting niches in design, and I thought this week would be a good time to show them off!

Lets start with Larson Juhl. Their most innovative frame release this year is definitely Chambord. Inspired by a beautiful French chateau, it is both rustic and sophisticated. Beeswax finished oak with a beautiful grain and water gilding give a natural feel with a modern polish. Take a look at it on Magnolias on Longwood by Jack Simmerling. It is refined, but in a very subtle way. Perfect if you want to add a wood to your decor without making it clash with your contemporary decor.

Next up? Bella frames! Bella does a lot of lovely playful things, but I particularly love their new Figaro line that comes in a variety of colors and finishes. Sleek, that's the word I would use to describe it. The ultramarine finish on this is a great way to bring the ombre gradient into your home in a subtle way. I put it around Jack Simmerling's Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier with light and medium blue suede mats, and a silver fillet to repeat the lovely silver lip on the frame. Gorgeous!


Finally, for those of you who don't think that you can put punchy trendy color into your homes because they're just too bright, here is this years Pantone color of the year, Tangerine Tango. It's slightly muted in a few pops of color on Jack Simmerling's The Movie Place. I highlighted it subtly in the matting, and balanced it with a new offering from Nurre Caxton's Palladio collection.

I am just as pleased as can be with the lovely new selections that have come in! Be sure to stop by to see all of them, as well as the work of Jack Simmerling!


~Kat~

Sit and Relax!

I just returned from vacation. My husband and I spent the week with friends in Hilton Head, SC. I had never been there before, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

What a pleasant surprise! As we drove to our 'home' destination for the week, the first thing I noticed is Spanish moss in all the trees. Unusual for this area, but common there. As we drove closer, we were surrounded by beautiful lush foliage - tall, short, flowering - it was breathtaking! The area is a protected Wildlife Preserve, so we saw birds that you don't see everyday. A couple of our friends even spotted an alligator!

And, of course, being a tourist area, there was plenty of shopping, not that I'm opposed to that. But the one thing that impressed me the most was how well the area does seating. Yes, you read right. Seating! Hammocks in an outdoor shopping mall parking area, pergolas at the beach and numerous rockers in another shopping district. Along the river was a carefully designed park with cafes facing the river, a fairly large eating area and a bank of porch swings next to the river. I can imagine that the breeze off the river would push the swings. My personal favorite was the 4 Adirondack chairs by the harbor. It was as if Kodak placed them there for a photo opp. And, of course, we took advantage of it!

~Pat~

Color Changes Everything

The other day, I stopped by Target to pick up a few things, and I noticed this giant installation hanging from their ceiling. It's hard to read in my terrible cell phone picture, but it's a long wave of different color swatches with the motto, "Color Changes Everything," emblazoned across the front of it.

I had to stop for a minute and take a picture because that is so true! Just think about all the information you get from color in a day. What season is it? You can tell from the colors outside. What should I do while I'm driving? The color of lights and signs prompts me. All kinds of non-verbal information is relayed through color to us every minute of every day.

In the same way that color tells us things about the world around us, it also tells us things based on it's use in design. Using bold color in places that lack color tells your eye what to focus on. Using neutral color, or matching color can help things blend in to their surroundings. It's a good thing to remember when planning what art and framing you are going to use in a room. Just look at how color is used in this Danish apartment - both blending, and bold, they direct your eye in very specific ways.

Without a doubt, color changes everything.



~Kat~

Framing Letters and Double Sided Art

Lets say you have a special letter from a friend or loved one, or maybe you have a piece of art you discovered has a hidden drawing on the back! You may be torn in deciding to frame it or which side to face front. In a situation like this you can have the best of both worlds. It can be framed with glass on both sides so at anytime you wish to be a little nostalgic, you can go to this favorite framed piece, turn it around and enjoy its other side.

My sister and I write back and forth often. The letters I get from her always come with drawings on both sides of the letter. She tells me to hold them to the light, so I can see how her drawing on one side mixes in color and line into a cohesive thought with the drawing on the front. I love receiving these. Many times she includes a photograph of a special place or tree too. I want to enjoy these everyday although its hard as a letter folded in an envelope. So here is an example of how I will be getting these out of their envelope and onto the wall to enjoy all the time!

~Evy