Black and White Photo Party

I am happy to join Tracy at her blog Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures for a black and white photo party.   I love playing around with the photo editing software to get more looks out of my photos.  I have found out there is a lot I can learn about my photography in the black and white editing process.

Texture will often show up really well in black and white.

Italian Mardi Gras masks from Epcot, Walt Disney World.

 Pattern and form can be dramatic in black and white.

Color can be distracting.  I have trouble telling how well the lighting is working here.  In black and white you can check your lighting, the color isn't grabbing your eye and distracting you.

 This is even a better example of how distracting color can be. 

Here, you can really see how well this castle is lit.  This is value.

Here is another example of texture.

Here different lighting is nice in black and white.

 

Lighting again is highlighted here in black and white.

In this photo there is bokeh, light, and line all working together for a different composition.

I can really learn a lot by trying black and white in the editing.  I don't always use the photo that way, but it highlights some of the basic elements of art and design: line, shape, value, space, and texture.  

Thank you Tracy for these photography parties!  I continue to learn more and more about visual arts through the camera lens.  Go and visit Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures

for more photography and more parties to come. 

Audubon Inspired

As a child I visited the John James Audubon State Park.  John James Audubon was a French American naturalist and painter that set out to capture birds in his paintings unlike they had never been captured before.  I remember visiting the state park and being very enchanted by his very lifelike images and the beauty of the naturalist displays at the park.  

I am always attracted still to the magic of nature and the beauty of it's images captured by an artist.  The book I used here is Garden Birds of the World illustrated by Maurice Pledger.  

Egg identification plates printed from The Graphic's Fairy and Vintage Printable.

A copy of  John James Audubon's Bird's of America, sold at Sotheby's in London  (Dec. 2010) for $11.5 million.  You can view it here online.

Motif's of birds, nests, and eggs are such a beautiful and cheerful images for spring.

I will join:

Motif Monday at Tablescape Times Three

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses

Please join these lovely blogs.

DC Design House Bare Bones Tour!

If you're free tomorrow, I'd love to see you at the DC Design House Bare Bones Day!  You can view the "before" of the empty house and view designers design boards for their spaces & talk to them about their plans.  I'll be there bright & early in my updtairs bedroom at 10.  (10 is bright & early for this mama who lives way out in the 'burbs ;) 

Tickets are $20 each and proceeds go to Children's Hospital. 

We're flying out to LA for the Design Blogger's Conference tomorrow late-afternoon so I'll be staying at the Showhouse until a little after 1 or so before heading to the airport. 

Here is a little peek at a photo of the grisaille "sketch" done by John Matthew Moore for my design board:

{I want to be there}

Outside of the house in DC, there are boxwood gardens so we thought this painting of English gardens would be fitting for the room.  This little painting is based on a photo Matthew took on one of his trips.   I cannot wait to see it enlarged!! 

{John Matthew Moore in his gallery}

Want another peek of his gallery?  (I thought you would so I took lots of pics!)  The Gallery in McLean is not completely finished but is still gorgeous:

{Recognize those robin's eggs paintings?}

{Some of the beautiful frames available... art in and of themselves}

{Loove these chairs... Matthew reupholstered them in a levendar-gray velvet with jute trim.}

{the desk}

{gorgeousness}

{I love these little sheep paintings hung in the window}

{The pedestal table displays some of lighting designer Rick Singleton's repurposed lighting projects}

{check out this antique beauty... I love the nailholes left over from its lifetime of different identities}

{And one last parting pic of the Gallery}

For information on Matthew, Rick and their work, go here.   http://johnmatthewmoore.com/

I met Matthew & Rick this past September when our good mutual friends, Eddie & Jaithan were visiting.  We went to the best little burger place around in McLean & had a great time.  I was literally blown away by their work & couldn't wait to use pieces of theirs for clients.  When the DC Design House came around, I immediately thought of Matthew & Rick & how amazing pieces done by them would be.  I was thrilled when they were on board to contribute to the bedroom!  They have both had pieces featured in past Design Houses and I kid you not, I got so excited I chills when I saw the gallery the first time with Eddie & Jaithan.  It just oozes with creativity and makes you need a piece for your own home. 

Throughout the next coming month or two, I'll be sharing photos & info on all of the people and companies who are contributing to my room in the DC Design House.  They're such a creative talented group & they've all been so generous.  The Children's Hospital Showhouse definitely takes a village and I can't wait for you to "meet" everyone! 

The Design House Bare Bones Tour tomorrow will be a lot of fun, so please come if you can!! 

For the address & info for tomorrow, go here.:  dcdesignhouse.com

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Home Sweet Home #3

I am wanting to thank you for all the kind comments about my Union Jack.  See how I made it thriftily here.  I had much the same reaction when I saw Miss Mustard Seed's Union Jack dresser.  

 Image: Miss Mustard Seed

What stirs our fascination with all things British?  I will admit I am officially Smitten by Britain.   That link is to a great blog all about the British, from their landscape artist to their funny words of the week.   The media often puts Britain in the spotlight and right now you can watch The King's Speech,  follow the news of the royal wedding, or shop the new Cath Kidston website.  Beware the Cath Kidston's site could be addictive!  I had been admiring her look from across the pond by way of her UK website.  So, here they are again invading our soil with just as much electricity as The Beatles.  It will be a big year for British fashion in the home.  

As luck would have it, if you have a popular product the copycats aren't far behind.  I stumbled upon this lovely little set of dishes in TJ Maxx this weekend.  They look suspiciously like something from the Cath Kidston line.  These dishes are by 222 Fifth pattern New Country.

The book pictured here is from my collection.  It is The New Kitchen Garden by Anna Pavord, English garden writer, editor, and television personality.

The other book, Images of Britain was published by the British Automobile Association, also from my collection.

So, pour yourself a spot of tea and sit back and enjoy the show.  When it comes to fashion, all the world is a stage and Britain is front and center.

Thank You!!! To everyone who is coming and joining me for Home Sweet Home Friday.  I have really enjoyed visiting you!  

I will link this to these great blogs go and visit them:

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Feathered Nest Friday at My French Country Cottage
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

My Favorite Things at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie

Guidelines for Home Sweet Home Party:

Please link up your intended post and not just your blog.  Link up something from your home or your garden that you would like to share. (vignettes, food, makeovers, projects, vintage, photography, flowers, etc.) 

Please put a link or my button IN your post so others can find it and join in. The button is on my sidebar.   If you are new here I hope you will become a follower.  No Etsy link ups or direct advertising, please.  Try to mingle and visit other participants.  Thanks.:)

Now let's see your beautiful homes!

Apartment Therapy Design Evening in DC

If you're in the DC area, come out to this month's Apartment Therapy Design Evening on March 16th.  I'll be speaking about design, my new fabric & furniture lines, the showhouse and other random things and would love to meet you!!  (Like I mentioned, public speaking makes me a little nervous so friendly faces would be a huge plus :)  It's a great chance to get to meet other bloggers & design-obsessed people and it should be a lot of fun.  So come out if you can!!

To see details and RSVP, go here

The location listed is tentative so be sure to check back prior to the event... they are trying to get a larger space. 

Fingers crossed! eeeeek

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Newest Textile Design- Magnolia

I wanted to share another little peek of my new textile line...  This design is called Magnolia and my friend (and super-talented artist), Kat Wright, painted it for me.  It will be available in several colorways and here's a quick look at two of them, both on linen.

Here's the blue colorway:

{"Magnolia" in blue by Lauren Liess Textiles}

And here's the True/Green:

{"Magnolia" in true by Lauren Liess Textiles}

I had to use my camera phone & the pics really don't do them justice, especially the True.

I love magnolias and look out at my neighbor's massive magnoilia tree fairly often, wishing it were in my yard.  For this pattern, I wanted an overscaled pretty-yet-wild feel.  It's a floral but its leaves are just as prominent as its blooms which I think makes it a little less sweet.

I can't wait to start using these in projects ----   eeeek!!

I'm still working on finalizing pricing but hope to have them up and for sale in my online store by mid-April.

ps- I looooved your ideas about outdoor fabrics so am looking into it!

ppss-- I'm headed to LA this weekend to the Design Blogger's Conference and we're taking Christian to Disneyland!!  Let me know if you've signed up for the Conference!

Also, The DC Design House Bare Bones Tour is this Saturday from 10-4.  I'll be there so stop by if you can!  Click here for details. 

Finally, I'm joining up with Apartment Therapy on Wednesday, March 16th for a Designer Night in DC.  They're still finalizing the location so as soon as I know you'll let you know.  I definitely get a little nervous about public speaking so fingers crossed.

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

High Tea

Today I am joining Laura at Decor to Adore for High Tea.   I believe the theme is "Fit for a Queen," because we are celebrating the royal wedding between Prince William & Kate Middleton.  So, in keeping with that, I created a Union Jack table covering to set my tea on.  You can click on the link to see how I made it.

Tea cups, plates, sugar, creamer, and dessert bowls are Johnson Brothers Coaching Scenes.

Tea pot is Johnson Brother's Blue Denmark. 

The strawberries are Olga's recipe of Olga's Home and Garden Blog, click here for recipe. The strawberries were a hit at my house.  They were filled with cream cheese and whip cream piped into the strawberries.

The savory sandwiches are pimento cheese homemade from a Paula Deen recipe.  Probably not very English but, the teens eat them better than cucumber tea sandwiches.  The scones were a recipe from Lynn at Happier Than a Pig in Mud, click here for recipe.

That is a really good scone recipe.  The dough is easy to work and has the perfect texture.

It has been cloudy all day long and then for a brief moment the sun shines so brightly on this table.  May this mean a bright and happy future to Prince William and Kate!

Thank you for joining me for this fun party.

I will also link to this week's tea parties:

 Tea Time Tuesday at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites

Tuesday Tea for Two at The Plumed Pen

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday  at The Silken Purse

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday at Breath of Fresh Air

Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

Tablescape Thursday  at Between Naps on the Porch

Go and visit these lovely ladies.