Blues Clues

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library: archives of fashion

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jane pope collection

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Did you know that blue is one of my MOST FAVORITE colors in the whole world??!!!!!    It's the darndest thing because it is the color I am most attracted too, my whole life and I hardly have any of it in my house or in my closet???  

Little R said I can't like blue because he does, I insist we can like the same colors, he says, Nuh-Uh.  

He wins, I lose.

Again.

I mean, What does this mean?  I'm decorating against my will and wearing all the wrong colors????  Shouldn't you surround yourself with colors that you love and make you happy?!!! Well, things are changing around here.  Slowly but surely I am working my love of whites and blues into my house.... you'll see!

Crossed Legs

I've got a thing for crossed legs.  Table legs, that is....

All these images reminded me of my table I bought last winter and had stored in our garage.

Until....

We opened Novel.  

I knew I would find a place for it:)

Oh and go check out the giveaway that Sheridan French is doing over at the Southern Eclectic all week

from her Spring 2011 Collection.  

What would you choose if you win???

I would choose the Georgina: Hot Lips!!!!

UPS-ET

Let me start by saying I am UPSET with UPS!!!!  First of all can we talk about shipping rates???!!!!  What in the world.  I just took a painting (this one I'm about to talk about) to the local UPS store and it cost me $59.00 shipping and $35 packaging-SERIOUSLY??!!!!  Apparently they said it was this much due to the size of the package!!!  Ok, ok so a few eye rolls later, I handed my card over and and said good bye to my work of art.

Well fast forward a few days and I got the nicest email from my very sweet and patient customer in NYC.  She went on and on about how much she adored the painting and how great it would look in her baby boy's nursery (due this week!!!) And then as I read a little further she tells me she didn't want to even mention it, but when she opened the package to look at the canvas,  this is what she found-look above!!!!!  

Ahhhhh!!!!!  

Could not believe it!!!!!  Are you serious???  Especially after all the moola forked over for packaging!!!!

Well, I would say, to make a long story short, but I can't.  This story goes on.  So my dear customer in NYC, 39 1/2 weeks pregnant, tells me she is going to go to the local art store and try and figure out a solution.  I can't tell you how bad I felt that here she was doing all this work and my hands were tied being here in SC.  I offered to start again, but it would require her to have mail more fabric, yada, yada, yada!!!!  Afterall, baby is due any day!!!  After a few options, she ends up buying a new canvas, painting it green, cutting out the elephant silhouette from the first canvas, and gluing it to the newly painted canvas herself!!!!! 

 See the below pics.  I have to say she did a remarkable job!!!  Looks just like it did when it shipped out from SC!!!!  Hadley, I am so sorry for the gigantic snafu but glad you managed to figure out a solution!   I wish you the best of luck with your new baby boy and I can't wait to order some cookies from you when you are back to work!!!  

Check out her business, Hadley's Cookies, here. 

 Isn't she talented!!!  I bet they taste as good as they look!!!!

How adorable is this nursery!!! Love the blue fabric she used as the dust ruffle!!!

Pinterest

Happy hump day!  I thought we could all use some pretty pics to start our day:)

A few of my favorites from my style board on Pinterest

1.2.3.4.5.6.

Tuesday Food Day

I'm cheating today.  I went over to this great little food blog, With Style and Grace and snagged her chickpea recipe.  It looked too good not to share.  

Do you ever eat the same thing over and over and over until one day you just switch it up?  Well, that's what happened to chickpeas and me.  I loved them so much I would eat them everyday in salads, hummus, soups, you name it.  And being a semi vegetarian ( Big R likes to get scientific and call me a pescatarian) chickpeas are a great source of protein!  Then one day, I decided I was tired of them.  Just like that gone from my diet.  

Until now.  

They're back:)

Chickpea Salad via With Style and Grace

Ingredients

• 14 oz can garbanzo (chickpeas) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 english cucumber, diced or quartered
• 3 scallions, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice – about 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt + pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl combine garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, and bell pepper. To make the dressing, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Drizzle dressing over bean and vegetable mix. Season with salt and pepper. If you can, let this marinate for about 6-8 hours before serving. Trust me, it’s much better after it sits. When your ready to enjoy, top with basil & feta cheese – if you like.

Eat alone, with pasta, over a salad or mixed with chicken (in your pasta)

Recent Happenings

Blue Chickadee Customized Totes

Pink Elephant Canvases

(Out of complete laziness, I took down some pictures to hang these for the picture.  Clearly they are not spaced correctly or even level-OOPS! But you get the idea)

Last night we inadvertently had a corn eating contest between the boys. 

 Can you tell who was the winner?

Baby G's corn stickers fell out....

Corn cob on the floor at this point:(

Happier times

(out of 14 pictures, this is the best we could do-pathetic but the way it goes when you have little people involved:)  Can you see Big R's hand squeezing the chunky monkey's thigh-hoping for a smile)

Pawleys Island, SC

Memorial Day Weekend

skinny laminx

I'm taking a break from food blogging and moving on to more important things like browsing pinterest.  I came across this etsy shop and ooh, I love, don't you?
 The name of the shop is Skinny Laminx and every item is designed and made in Cape Town, South Africa.
 Very M.C. Escher like isn't it?



Love this little dress.  Also comes in the below colorway.

Thinking pillows would be cool made with these tea towels.

young, house, love

I was just notified by a friend that her house in Charlotte, NC was "crashed" by the folks over at young, house, love to show a few pictures of before and after.  

Here is Kristen with her family.

This is the after (above-obviously)  Wow what a great improvement!!!!

And here is what things looked like before.

And this is baby Davis' room.  Don't you love this fun fabric! It's by Alexander Henry called Teeny Tiny Zoo in the color Pool. 

Well, one reason for posting about this house in particular has to do with this nursery.  A friend of mine here in Charleston gave them a series of 3 paintings for their baby boy Davis' room.  It was such a fun series to paint since she sent me a swatch of her fabric.  See below for the final product...

I love the way the room turned out!!!!  

And how adorable are these picture frames where she used the extra fabric as the matte?!!!  

If you are not familiar yet, go check out young, house, love and see what they have been up too. 

  For me, it's kind of like driving through a neighborhood at night, all lights are on and you try peeking inside to see what the inside of the house looks like or what the people are doing.  

Is that creepy?  

Maybe so, but I know there are some of you out there who do the same thing!!!  So, to me, before and afters are like getting to snoop around all those houses you pass by but can't go in:)  

Happy reading and thank you Kristen for displaying my artwork in your house and to Jon and Sherry over at young, house, love for mentioning me!  

Novel. Opening Night

First of all, a huge thank you to all who came to our showroom opening last night at Novel.  We could not be happier to now a have space to show our work!!!!  The turnout was tremendous and we hope for all who came and those who couldn't to please come by anytime you are in the area!!!  We will be available by appointment or by chance.  For those of you new to Novel., it is a showroom housing Library's seasonal and on trend vintage clothing and accessories,  Balboa and the Jane Pope Collection's one of a kind design and newly created vintage pieces, as well as blue chickadee's hand painted collection of tote bags, baby bloomers and boxers, as well as larger painted canvases.  Again, we are located at 341 King Street Suite B, above Cynthia Rowley and below Bella Bridesmaid.  I thought I would share a few photos of Novel. pre event.  Tell me what you think....

A sneak peek inside Novel.

(get ready.  there are 26 photos below-too hard to pick and choose)

The three ladies of the evening

Lauren with Library, Way Way with Blue Chickadee and Jane with Balboa and Jane Pope Collection.

Our adorable helpers wearing Novel. aprons by blue chickadee.

Thank you girls, we could not have done it without your help!!!!

Jane Pope Collection

more Jane Pope Collection...

vintage handbag Library

Balboa collection of earrings and necklaces

up close look at more Balboa necklaces

overview of our table with my strawberry champy in the lower left corner-oops

mix of Library with JPC

"Vintage table" of belts and accessories

a view of the neutral pallet

Yellow circle painting by Blue Chickadee really pops when you enter the showroom.

Here's "Manny"  looking as fine as ever in her Library duds

Another shot of the Library Collection

Remember this table from Eclectic Finds??  Well here is the before for you all to see..

Cane Bentwood Side table

Well, who coined the phrase "everything looks better white"?  It's true...we took it to another level this week getting ready for our event.   I may decide to paint her again, but for now, she's white.  

blue chickadee totes

blue chickadee bloomers and onesies

3 part elephant silhouettes (SOLD)

3 little pigs ($15 each or $40 for 3)  and 3 part pink elephants ($20 each or $50 for 3)

hand painted onesies and boxers

children's hand painted aprons

($15)

hand painted burlap pillows

($65 pillow cover/ $77 w/ insert)

white crab-SOLD

Large navy heron tote-$19

series of 5 gray number mobile circles-$50-SOLD

"Sheridan's Neon Pink Lips"

$180

Sheridan, if you are reading, this idea came from you for your little girl's room!  Neon Pink nonetheless!!!  

Thank you to all who supported and continue to support us!!!!

XOXO, The Novel. Girls