A Poem For My Great Great Grandmother

Red Tomatoes in a Blue-rimmed White Basin

Gravel driveway
Two lane highway
Over the levee
Bridge across the Mississippi
Country roads
Into the cotton cove
Up the wood plank steps
Through the dilapidated doors
Ancient dress patterns on the walls
Red tomatoes in a blue-rimmed white basin
Love in its most simple, natural form

We miss you Mama

2009 Color of the Year: Mimosa

Just in case you were wondering, Pantone has announced the color of the year for  2009. And the winner is... Mimosa! It's a beautifully bold shade of yellow. I have some ideas of how I'll bring Mimosa into my designs this year. How do you feel about Pantone's color choice?

Artist of The Week: Diego Rivera

The Flower Vendor

So we took a break in December, but now we're back with the newest artist of the week, Diego Rivera. I've always been drawn to his work because of its unique style and depictions of the Mexican countryside. You can easily spot a Diego Rivera painting by his use of simplistic forms and vivid color. Rivera was a controversial figure and known communist. He was also married to another one of my favorite artists Frida Kahlo.

2009 is mine!

The new year is here, and I'm planning to enter it with a new sense of hopefulness and positivity. It's really easy sometimes to fall into feeling sorry for yourself and your circumstances. This year I plan to make a concerted effort to put a positive spin on everything -- yes, everything -- even the parts of my life I don't really adore at the moment. A few years ago Tim McGraw came out with a song inspired by his ailing father called "Live Life Like You're Dying." And, that's exactly what I plan to do this year. I want to bask in every second of life. Take new risks. Get out of my comfort zone.

What are your goals or resolutions for the new year?

Lessons from a Peony

As I walked into my apartment the other day, I was greeted by some of the most breathtaking flowers I'd ever seen in my life. The luscious fuschia color brought about an energy inside me that was so peaceful, positive and hopeful. I love flowers, but I have NEVER had a reaction like this.

There are always those days when you just need a little pick-me-up as a reminder that everything is not all wrong with the world. I suggest that the next time you fall into one of these slumps that you go to your local flower shop and pick up some pretty peonies. Flowers often remind me of life and how delicate and precious it is. Many times we don't take care of ourselves as we should - physcially and mentally. But, only when we nourish ourselves can we blossom into the full beauties that lie hidden within. I learned that from a peony.

Artist of the Week: Kandinsky

Color Study: Squares with Concentric Rings


Like Goya, last week's artist of the week, Wassily Kandinsky went through various artistic styles throughout his career. Squares with Concentric Rings is a display of his exploration of color theory. Here are a few more pieces:

Munich-Schwabing with the Church of St. Ursula (1908)

Composition VII (1913) -- My Fav!!!

Composition X (1939)

Luxury Luggage I Love

I aspire to be a globetrotter, studying the cultures of the world -- an anthropologist of sorts. And when I finally make it, I want to travel with luggage like this:





http://www.globe-trotterltd.com/

Beautifully handcrafted, Globe Trotter luggage is the epitome of travel luxury.

The Man Bag - Evolved

Not all man bags are created equal. The styles below are a cut above the rest.

The Duffle:

The Messenger:

The Satchel: