For all the men and women who have dedicated theirs lives and given so much to our county...THANK YOU!!! 
Behind The Scene...Watercolor Repeats
I'm working on some new art today and thought I'd share a little "behind the scenes" images. I think I'm going to use these repeats as the background to another watercolor painting and layer them in Photoshop. We shall see how it evolves!
Playing Around...Concept Elevations...
When I put together a room I like to draw quick elevations for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's fun, but mainly I draw it out so I remember my discussions with my client and how they want their space to look. This is a little playroom my friend, Teri and I, are working on together. Just posting it because I think it's interesting to see how other designers work through the process of putting a room together, of course there are many more details to this room...paint schedule, furniture & accessory schedules, etc...etc... I'm sure even this will evolve and change. We'll know for sure in August when we do the installation!
Pepper Tree Cottage - Established With Love 2008
Fewwww...where to begin? It's been a whirlwind around here! Between Mother's Day and Graduation and design projects left and right, it certainly feels like the candle has been burning at both ends for a while now! I have to say, I love it that way though. I'm not one who knows how to rest and relax. So why not add something new to the mix of projects? For Mother's Day I wanted to give my mom something special and personalized so I came up with the idea to paint her home. We built Pepper Tree Cottage for my parents five years ago. We call it that because during construction the Pepper Tree we thought was destroyed, but low and behold, as soon as the dust settled, it started to grow...and grow...and grow. I painted the name above the front door and that was that. Now their garden blooms with lucious roses and lavender. The wild bunnies, hummingbirds, and quail making it their home as well. I enjoyed this project so much, that I thought it would be fun to offer the same thing to you! Just contact me if you would like your own personalized house painting and note cards!
New Art In My Shop - Meet My Ballet Dancer!
Ok, so it went from being busy, to, I can't even catch my breath busy!!! I'm so grateful for all the fun, creative design projects I've been working on and I truly Love everything that I'm doing. Aside from my Interior Design clients, I've also been designing 12 children's rooms for a new development. Of course, I love designing children's rooms and every project seems to inspire me to create new art. This is the latest of those inspirations. I painted this watercolor print for my Ballet Themed girls room. I'll be so excited to share the pictures of all these rooms in June but until then, you can purchase my latest print in my shop. Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are all creating something beautiful this weekend!
Dancing Around With My Art....
I've been a little MIA lately due to some incredibly fun design projects I've been working on as well as a few fun events happening in May that I'm preparing for...shhhh....details soon! Still, with everything going on, I love to steal away to my studio and paint...it's my stress reliever, if you will. One of the rooms I'm working on is a Ballerina Room. I've danced and taught dance my entire life it seems and I love to create imagery around that theme...I've posted a few pics on my Instagram too...I'm playing around with a nw technique...sketch...watercolor...ink...photoshop in color...I'm kind of liking the way they feel. I'd love to know what colors would you like to see? I'll have these prints up in my shop shortly.
Monday's Mood Board - Introducing "Bows & Ballet!"
This week I'll be putting the finishing touches on our New 2013 Catalog and today I'm introducing a new collection; Bows & Ballet! Many of you may not know this about me but I've been a dancer my entire life. During my early twenties I actually danced professionally and loved every minute of it. I've taught dance for over 25 years but sadly, I haven't been dancing at all this year. I was doing a little cleaning up and came across my old dance shoes and leg warmers and the inspiration hit. That couple with everything striped trending right now, it's the strangest things that can inspire me sometimes.
My new little petite pillow is 12" x 12" and I just love how it's such a sweet little accent to any room. I also love the graphic feel of the art pieces grouped together with these laser cut monogrammed letters from Rosenberry Rooms. So clever! This stunning resting bench is from Layla Grace. I would love to have it in my home! Of course, I think every young ladies room should have a manikin. In my daughter's room we have "LoLa". She is fabulous at keeping track of jewelry, belts, and scarves. I used to have her in my boutique but now she has a lovely home with my girls. Happy Monday All! Let's all have an amazing week!
1 "Bow" 8" x 10" Art Print from my Shop 2 Laser Cut Wood Scalloped Monogrammed Letters from Rosenberry Rooms 3 "Ballet" 8" x 10" or 11" x 14" Art Print from my Shop 4 Petite "Bow" Pillow from my Shop 5 Black & White Striped Pillow from Piccola Casa 6 Palais Resting Bench from Layla Grayce
Our Macaroon Tea Towels Are Now On Sale! Get Them While You Can!
The Tea Towel has quite the background. In the early nineteenth century the Tea Towel was used in England for the proper service of tea. The Victorian Ladies would often personalize their Tea Towels with embroidery and use them during Tea Time to cover food, take care of any spills, and later to polish silver or clean their delicate china. Although the dish towel of today certainly handles most of our everyday clean up, I still have a passion for the Tea Towel. I've collected many over the years and I use them for everything from lining a service tray to wrapping them around a bottle of wine as a hostess gift. So this year I was inspired to create my own. My Macaroon Calendar Tea Towel has had some lovely press lately and I appreciate all the lovely comments from those of you who have purchased one or two or three! But it's February already and I want you all to enjoy them even more so I AM HAVING A SALE!!! They are now 40% Off and available here!
Inspired by Tea and the beautiful Audrey Hepburn...today's mix on my Monday Mood Board!
Mid Week Mood Board - Love Is In The Air!
It's that time of the year...Love is in the air! Our ELovePhants are here to make you smile! New to our Little Sister Site, Piccola Casa, our ELovePhant Print which can be personalized with your initials. We had a great time putting together this Mid Week Mood Board with adorable Elephant goodies from some of our favorite sites...Zinc Door, Rosenberry Rooms, Anthropologie, Jonathan Adler, and ETSY! Hope you are all having a fun time gathering treats for the ones you Love!
1 Personalized ELovePhant Print from Piccola Casa ETSY 2 Felted Elephant from Scratchcraft ETSY 3 Josephine Bla Bla Elephant from Rosenberry Rooms 4 Je T'aime Banner from Michiemay Paperie ETSY 5 Spire White Chair from Zinc Door 6 ELovePhant, Chevron, & Chaz Pillows from Piccola casa ETSY 7 Elephant Hook from Anthropologie 8 Utopia Elephant Lamp from Jonathan Adler
Mid Week Mood Board - Spot On Design!
There are a couple of things trending right now in design and I've fallen hard for them. First of all, I'm madly in love with all things spotted. Oddly enough, it wasn't the easiest accessory to find so when I came across this fabulous spotted cowhide rug over at Society Social I was beyond thrilled. In fact, let me just tell you, this is a fabulous site for designers and those who love design. The founder/designer Roxy Owens has really put together an incredible team with some serious design inspiration on her sites.
And while we are trending. Let's talk about Hollywood Regency for a bit shall we? It has always been my first love in design. Many of my textiles are influenced by the old Hollywood black and white movies I watched over and over as a kid. I remember being 7 years old and being mesmerized by the fashion and even the architectural details in these movies. Many of the borders on my pillows, like my Cherry Pillow here, are reflective of that time period. When I saw this crib over at Jack & Jill Boutique, I knew I just had to create a room around it. (More to come about this adorable website and the incredible designer behind it, Sherri Blum) This crib is gorgeous! Who says a nursery can't be sophisticated?
Leave it to designer extraordinaire, Abbe Fenimore from Shop Ten 25, to have the hottest selections in lighting on her site. She finds the most unique and distinctive items like this amazing Tassel Pendant!
And any room wouldn't be complete without just a touch of animal print. That's my "Good To Know" designer tip of the day by the way. Where else to find it but at Layla Grayce of course. Their Sophia Lounge Chair with zebra upholstery, adds just the right amount of chic to the room.
Last of all, let's talk about Walls. Another hot trend is Greek Key. I came across this super ETSY shop that makes a Greek Key Vinyl Border. You can't get any easier than that to dress up a room! Don't be afraid to go bold with color too. A few years ago I designed a restaurant in San Luis Obispo called Palazzo Giuseppe. The owners of the building thought I was crazy as I was painting all the molding and doors in a high gloss black and the ceilings, yes all of them, in a metallic silver, but when the last chandelier was hung and crystal placed on the table, they all said, Wow! The restaurant is still going strong and I highly recommend everything on the menu!
Here's one more "Good To Know" designer tip; whenever you are painting anything metallic (like the big gold heart on my Mood Board) it's best to rent a cup sprayer. Mask off your heart and spray the paint on. Otherwise you will have roller or brush marks. Of course you want to make sure that the room is well ventilated, windows open, etc. and you wear a mask too.
1 Original Heart Painting From Piccola Casa 2 Spotted Cowhide Rug From Society Social 3 Sophia Lounge Chair From Layla Grayce 4 Ivory Tassel Pendant From Shop Ten 25 5 Greek Key Border From ETSY 6 Beverly Crib from Jack and Jill Boutique 7 Black and White Stripe & Cherry Pillows from Piccola Casa
The Perfect Little Pouch!
We're announcing some fun New Product into our Shop today! We had so much fun with our Lipstick Pouch that we've added two New Pouches to orgainize and protect your Sparkly Jewels and your Glam Shades! All three bags are created from my original watercolor paintings, lined with white satin, & have a hidden zipper closure. They are 5" x 8" and the perfect size to toss in your bag!
Happy Valentine's Day!
I love pink and gold together! Add in some glitter and I'm a happy gal. I decided, just for fun, to offer this original watercolor painting until Valentine's Day! You can order on my ETSY Shop PiccolaCasa! More fun to come this week!!!
Mid Week Mood Board - Everything Is Possible!
On this week's Mid Week Mood Board we'd like to introduce you to our little Flying Piggy! I hope you will agree that 2013 is the year of making things happen and our Flying Piggy represents just that!I love the quote by Audrey Hepburn; "Nothing is Impossible. The word itself says, I'm Possible!" So make this year be the year to achieve whatever goals you set for yourself. I know I'm going for some big dreams this year and I hope you will too! You can find my Piggy Pillows and Print in my ETSY Shop, Picciola Casa. The goregeous glider and lamp are from Rosenberry Rooms. You know I love this table by Bungalow 5 also from Rosenberry Rooms and isn't this sweet little piggy bank so adorable? Available at RigbyandMac.
1 Chaz Pillow In Turquoise from Piccola Casa 2 Piggy Pillows from Piccola Casa 3 Uma White Glass Lamp from Rosenberry Rooms 4 Anna Swivel Glider from Rosenberry Rooms 5 Flying Piggy 11" x 14" Believe Print from Piccola Casa 6 Jacqui Tea Table by Bungalow 5 from Rosenberry Rooms 7 Piggy Bank from RigbyandMac
Happy New Years!
Happy New Year Everyone! As the year winds down we like to stay home on New Years Eve and celebrate with close friends and family. I came across this clever idea via Pinterest. This idea comes from Fabianna of Ciao! Newport Beach. I loved her dining setting for New Years, especially how she photocopied clocks and placed them under clear plates. Such a simple and cute idea. You can check out all her other lovely ideas for New Years here. May you all have a safe holiday and let's all have a Fantastic 2013! Cheers!
An Overdue Thank You!
Oh my goodness...it's the Friday before Christmas and I'm quite tardy on giving thanks to some wonderful blogging friends!
I just have to stop and take the time to thank a few fellow bloggers who were sooooooooooooo very kind to feature my product on their sites this month! First of all a huge Thank You to my talented friend Brett, over at IAmTheLab for including our Macaroon Calendar in his 2013 Calendar Picks. This guy is so wonderful! He dedicates so much time to supporting the handmade community and his blog is gorgeous! I do hope you check it out and get inspired. I also want to thank Interior Decorator, Abby Manchesky, of ADelightfulDesign, for including us in her Gift Guide For The Creative Home. She too, has a blog loaded with inspiration and ideas!
Last of all, a gigantic thank you to my sweet friend, Abbe Fenimore, of StudioTen25. Abbe does the greatest collections of home decor products in her Weekend Windows. In honor of Pantone announcing Emeral Green as the color of 2013, she posted this lovely collection including our Purse Print. I just love how she puts everything together! You can view all her picks here.
As the year is coming to an end, I can't help but feel so incredibly blessed to have the support from these lovely bloggers as well as all my family and friends. There is much to be grateful for this Holiday Season. I hope that you all have a very happy holiday as well!!!!
Washingtonian's Ultimate Etsy Gift Guide!!!!
So it's been really crazy busy here. I have several Interior Design projects in the works, my daughters are in full-swing soccer season, and, oh yes, it's the Holidays! I haven't had a chance to hardly catch up on my "heart" projects, which are my two shopping sites MariRobeson & PiccolaCasa. In fact, I've hardly mentioned my new little Esty shop but for some reason, it's having a good soft opening. Thank you Lord! Today I realized that our 2013 Macaroon Tea Towel was Featured on Washingtonian.com's website in their ULTIMATE ETSY SHOPPING GUIDE!!!!!! Eeeek! Happy Dance! I'm beyond flattered and really appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!! (Plus, what a Lovely website loaded with great content!) You can check out the feature and all the amazing Etsy artists here! Happy Holidays!
Happy Thanksgiving! Mid Week Mood Board!
It's just not Thanksgiving without Sparkling Cider and as I start to set my table for Thanksgiving, I'm thinking of all the yummy table settings that I wish I had. Take note hubby, these are on my Christmas wish list!
I hope you all have a very wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I have many things to be grateful for. Our year was full of ups and downs. We lost some great people this past year and will miss them deeply. So I don't take the holiday lightly. Everyday I give thanks. I feel very blessed to be surrounded by family and friends and wish you all the same.
1 Mini Chinoise Vase from Zinc Door 2 Chevron Navy Napkins from Zinc Door 3 Les Dessert Beaded Round Pedestal from Layla Grayce 4 Gold Banded Champagne Flutes from Williams Sonoma 5 Gorgeous Chinoiserie Ice Bucket from Layla Grayce 6 Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider from Costco
An Old Fashioned But Thoughtful Gift
Call me old fashioned but I still love to send and receive a hand written note. I believe it's very important to show the people you love that you appreciate them and a hand written note is a simple and thoughtful way to do that. As the holidays approach, a set of note cards makes the perfect hostess gift too! You can find these here. Have a lovely weekend everyone! It's raining here so I'm headed to my studio to paint!
Monday's Mood Board - It's A Panda Party! -and- Introudcing Our New Junior Collection Now on ETSY - Piccola Casa!!!
Oh My! I can’t believe it’s the middle of October already!!! It has been so busy at our studio these days, I have to remind myself to take time to go for walks and breathe deeply! I finally had the opportunity to put together a new Monday Mood Board and this time I’m keeping it really colorful and really fun! We just joined the ranks of all the other talented artists over at ETSY and this weekend we opened the doors to our new Junior Shop, Piccola Casa. Piccola Casa means Little House in Italian and since I grew up in a large Italian family, the name just seemed fitting.
Let me introduce you to one of our new designs, Panda Party! Over in our new shop you can find my Panda Party pillow and art print as well as lots of coordinating items. I have many more items to add to Piccola Casa so I hope you will check back often.
Now on to our Monday Mood Board!! Check out this amazing Regency Youth Bed I found over at LaylaGrayce. It comes in many colors and I am loving how fresh and new this design is. Of course you know I’m a fan of anything from Bungalow 5 and this perfect, modern Piedmont Side Table is available on their sister site, ZINC Door. Have you had a chance to look at the lighting collection over at Shop Ten 25? She has so many great selections over there it’s hard to pick one. Do you not love, love, love this Pagoda Lamp?!?!
When I’m painting these little watercolors, I let my mind wonder. I don’t really know why I painted circles on the ground but it seemed like a fun idea and kid’s rooms should be fun! Wall Decals are so popular these days, like these from Pottery Barn Teen….walls, ground, where ever!
So let the Panda Party begin!!! Please check out Piccola Casa and send me your ideas or suggestions. I’d love to hear from you!
1 Black & White Striped Pillow from Piccola Casa 2 Panda Party Pillow from Piccola Casa 3 Panda Party 11' x 17" Art Print From Piccola Casa 4 Bungalow 5 Piedmont Side Table from ZINC Door 5 Bubble Dot Decals from PBTeen 6 Regency Youth Bed from LaylaGrayce 7 Orange Pagoda Lamp from ShopTen25
Time For A Glam Give Away!
Time for a Give Away! A couple weeks ago I announced that I was thrilled to have my product in one of the classiest and most colorful shops on the net, ShopTen25. The shop is an extension of talented Dallas Designer, Abbe Fenimore. I really adore her aesthetic and design style. She has an eye for picking out great product (a –hem) and I know you will enjoy browsing and shopping in her shop!
But back to the Give Away!!! You must go check out another incredibly talented decorator and design blogger, Emily A. Clark. You can read her blog here and see all her terrific DIY projects and gorgeous décor inspiration. ShopTen25 is a sponsor of her beautiful blog so this is where you’ll need to go to enter. Make sure you also head over to her Facebook page and Like it because that’s where she’ll be announcing the winner on Wednesday! Since you’ll be on Facebook anyway, make sure you Like ShopTen25’s page and my page too!
Have a terrific weekend everyone!!!