BIG CHANGES + NEW LOGO

Blue Chickadee has flown the coup and I'm moving forward to pursue my passion in abstract art!  It's funny how life comes full circle sometimes.  I earned a BA in Fine Arts in college with a focus in Painting, and in particular, abstract works.  I decided to take a break from it after college (never do it, that break lasted 11 years) and returned to abstract work in 2011.  This truly is where my passion lies so I am thrilled to be launching in this direction...again, finally!!!!

And in case you didn't get the memo..... 

NEW LOGO!!!

Woohoo!!  Doing back flips over here to finally have this complete!!  

Landing page is up for now!!!

So lets celebrate all this goodness by coming to Novel. for the official launch of

 www.waywayallen.com 

 Thursday, November 14  

5-7

(show will be up through the end of November if you cannot make it that night)

This is a little peek into my dad's studio...

I am so excited to share this night with my dad!!!  He has always been an inspiration to me and has continually enjoyed painting and drawing for fun his whole life!   I thought it would be so special to have this show together.  It's been 13 years since our last show (way too long) so maybe this will mark the beginning of what is sure to become a family tradition!!

Paris

So the hubs and I are finally taking a little trip across the pond on Friday and I want some feedback!  This was my Christmas 2012 present combined with 35th birthday combined with anniversary present yada yada yada.  We are going to Paris first (never been) and ending our trip in London (never been).  We have some really, really great recs from friends and family but I wanted to put it out there and see if any of you have anything to add?  Any old hole in the wall type places we must see or off the beaten path shops?  I will be sure to follow up with a run down of "best of" from our trip when we return.  I am so looking forward to feeling inspired and taking in all that both cities have to offer!!!

via

Now what the hell to pack????  Pretty sure we're arriving on the coattails of Fashion Week Paris...feeling like everything in my closet looks like 1999.  Anything black should be safe, right?  Some inspiring pics to get me in the mood for packing...

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Love the coat...and the bag!

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This coat is beyond awesome in my book!

unknown source

via Pinterest

Love this for a night out!!

Textile Collaboration

Eeek I can't believe I have let another month lapse without a post!!!  So sorry to those of you who try to check back periodically!  I have a lot of exciting things in the works including new branding, website and a second textile collaboration with my dear friend/coworker Lauren Lail!  I am hoping to have my new website/blog up and running by November so I will keep you posted!  

Back to textile collaboration.  We shared this news today on our Novel. blog but I thought it was too good not to share again!  So here's the sneak peak at the horse print I drew/painted for Lauren's vintage inspired FALL line Library by Lauren Lail.  She is just amazing!!!!  I can't wait for you to see her entire fall collection!

I can't tell you how excited we are to see this come together!!!  It's going to be amazing!  I will be sure to post once her Fall line arrives!!!

And just as a reminder, her Spring/Summer line is currently on SALE 20% off so head over here and buy, buy, buy before it's all gone!!!! Enter SUMMERSALE20!!!!

And just in case you have forgotten...here is our first collaboration.  A painting I did that Lauren had made into a skirt! 

 

Happy Monday!!!

Ashley Warnock Photography

I had to share a few photos from our session with Ashley Warnock from early this summer.  Ashley is such a dear friend and talented doesn't begin to scratch the surface when talking about her.  AMAZING is what I like to call her.  Let me just show you a few pics from our shoot.  I love how she captures our little life.  Candid, real moments on a Saturday in May....

These two.

I love this because I know what G is saying...."Bruhder...are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  That's become his new phrase.  No idea where he came up with that one, but I love it!!

  She is not only a talented photographer but also an incredible organizer.  This is a whole separate business where she will take all of your pictures and organize them into one album.  You can do yearly albums or lump several years together for one album.  I gave her 6,000 (literally) photos from our life in 2012 and she combed through, edited and brought them together into one beautiful book.  Amazing!!!!  You need to get on her list, because I know she has one a mile long and get a session and an album made. I mean, well worth it people!!!  I would never have taken the time to go through that many photos but she will and loves it!!!  

Here are a few pics from our album....look how thick it is!!!!

These above pictures are all ones I took but Ashley doctored them up a little lot!  Go here to get her contact info.

Exterior Paint

So, I am helping a friend decide on what colors to paint the exterior of her house.  It is so hard to decide and such a large and lasting decision.  Curb appeal is everything, right?  I know we had the hardest time last year deciding on what colors to paint our brick house.  One thing that helped me was going by the Farrow & Ball paint chart because not only do they have a beautiful selection of timeless colors but it is also a rather small grouping. I get so overwhelmed by the other paint companies and all of the color variations!

We ended up picking Farrow & Ball "Pointing" and "Downpipe" for the trim, shutters and porch and we could not be happier!!!  I love the risk we took going with such a dark color on the trim/shutters!  It was so worth it and I really have my brother to thank for that.  He helped us with the entire design of our renovation so I trusted him when it came to what he thought would look best!!! 

I did go through a lot of paint combinations that could have worked and that would be good choices if we had decided to not be so bold.  

F&B

Lamp Room Gray

We used this in our foyer and I love this gray so much.  It looks here like it has a green tint but it really doesn't at all.  It is the perfect shade.  We considered this for the body of our house and cut it by 50% with white.  It really was a pretty color and could have worked as the body color had we not gone with "Pointing."  

F&B

Cornforth White

We used this in our master bedroom and it is a great shade of tan/gray a neutral that goes with everything.  This could work as the body color of the house? 

F&B

Pointing

We did use this as our exterior paint color for our house and I love it so much!  It looks so yellow here but it does not at all on our house.  It's a great cream color that actually has zero yellow tint in it, I think.  

F&B

Pavilion Gray

We did not end up using this color anywhere but I do love it.  It could be a good trim color with any of the above, yes or no?  It may not be enough contrast though since I have not tried it out on the exterior of the house yet?

Here a few inspirational pictures

Southern Living

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Things That Inspire

I would love your input on good color combos too if you have them, please comment!!!  

Steals + Deals

Let me start by saying I NEVER score at TJ Maxx, ever.  I have to believe it's because I don't go often enough to find the good stuff.  I have friends, don't we all, who always have the BEST finds from there or Marshall's....ehh hmmm Natalie and Liza come to mind.  Well over the last month I have been frequenting more often than I should, it truly becomes an addiction.  Once you get one good deal you keep going back for more...

It all started with this guy....

I have never owned a nice pocket book really ever.  So this was still a splurge for me but at 50% off it was a deal not to be passed up!

And just this week I popped in and found another bag-I'm a collector of bags in case you didn't know-and found this guy.  

Have you ever heard of Olivia + Joy?  I feel like I have seen the brand at TJ's before.  It's not a super expensive line to begin with.  Most bags are under $100, so finding this one marked even less than half of that, at  $39.99, was exciting to me!  It's huge with a million pockets yet structured simply which I love!  I'm thinking it will be the perfect carry on for our trip this Fall!  Go check out their website...they have a lot of bags marked down!

And speaking of marked down, check out these guys....marked way down on the Badgley Mischka site.

Have you had any good finds lately?  I want to hear!

Little Sleep Style

I have been so slack about pulling together a "big boy" room for my littlest.  He is 3.25 years old now and it's time I get rid of the sweet stripes on his walls and the baby framed prints.  He is such a rough and tumble boy and his room right now looks like a nursery still.  Poor baby.  I'm hanging onto to the baby years since he is my last.  

  

I thought I would pull together a little board of what I'm imagining for it.  He loves the beach and has absolutely no fear around water-slightly terrifying but I also want to embrace that for him.  I'm always a fan of blue, white and grey so those are basically the colors I am starting with but will of course throw in some orange and green.  

1-loving these beach/surfer photographs blown up and framed in the big white square frame(unknown source-found on Pinterest)

2-How freaking amazing is this chest from IKEA? Don't need, but l.o.v.e!!!!

3-BM Horizon Grey

4-another amazing IKEA find

5-abstract piece by his momma-Way Way Allen

6-curtain panels turned bedskirt from......wait for it...IKEA

7-All time favorite sheets from Serena and Lily

8-CB2 standing light-perfecto

9-bedskirt from Anthropologie similar to the look we're going for with the curtain panels above.

His room is so tiny I only have room for a single.  I have a really cool headboard for it that I'm thinking of painting but want to wait until the room is painted to see what I think.  It has an asian flare to it with a washy green glaze over it.  I promise to post about it once we get a little further in the process!  So, what do you think?  Do you like the direction his room is headed?  

What time is it?

I have no idea.  My watch broke, I don't know, 3-4 months ago and I have yet to replace her.  Are you one of those people who wears watches or no?  I never realized how much I relied on it until it was gone.  I still look at a blank wrist several times a day only to dig around in my ginormous pocket book searching for my phone.  It's time.  Gotta get a new one, but which one???

 I thought I would do a little round up and here's what I've found....

Which is your favorite?  

1.2.3.

In the Studio

 It's been awhile since I updated you on what I have been working on in the studio.  This is a custom painting I did for my cousin to go above her mantle in her living room.  It measures 24"x48" and I have to say I love painting large...it's been a while!!!

up close detail of the painting

Below is a wooden panel painting I have been working on for what seems like forever...it's still a work in progress.....

I have had some fabric fun with these girls over the last two weeks.  Trying to hone in on the right fabrics for our living room chairs + pillows.  I'm loving the huge blue and white block print for our chairs.  I'm usually not so bold with pattern but I feel like these would be statement pieces in the room since it's what you are looking at straight away upon entering the house.  

Have you been following our Novel. blog???  You should be to keep up with the latest and greatest!!!!  Here's a peek at the ladies of Novel. out for drinks + dinner last week.  If you are local or plan to visit Charleston anytime soon, put Xiao Bao Biscuit on your list of restaurants!!!  The best "Asian Soul Food" in town!!!

Hannah, Lauren, Liza, Lucy, (Way Way snapping pics and missing sweet Jane)

TABLE: BEFORE + AFTER

If you are following me on Instagram (waywayallen), then you may have already seen this beauty, but in case you didn't I had to share again.  

Good, right?!!!  

Perfection for the R. Allen's!!!

Thanks to the help of these girls + Kistler Design, we finally have a perfect fit in our eating space.  

ARTWORK

clockwise:sally king benedict-nude/my dad's nude painting/ bottom three are way way allen originals

Annnnd yeah, lemme just show you what we've been working with for the last 6 months.   

Yes.  It was THAT bad.  Broken legs bound with jute twine.  We literally ate every meal on a sloped table top.  So to say we are ecstatic to have this new table is an understatement!  

*Pretty sure I can point the finger at Big R for the demise of this table...he never was a fan...

And back to the new table.  

The little things!!!