gathering spriggs

Getting to Know...Rachel Follett of Lovely Clusters

 

Welcome to my new series: "Getting To Know You" , a mini interview format where guests share 5 of their favorite things. The first to start the series is Rachel Follett, blogger extraordinaire and brainchild of Lovely Clusters. Lovely Clusters Shop is a new online market place filled with fabulous artists and designers. She also wrote a little interview and home tour of yours truly that I would love for you to see!

So... without further ado, here's Rachel's favorite things.

1. Painting from College: For one of my art classes in college we had to replicate a famous work of art and I chose Nana from Edouard Manet. The painting reminds me of my beginning years in art school and the things I had to do to get there. I spent one full day painting it and when I mixed the colors I felt like I was painting as if I was Manet himself. It was a great experience to say the least. 

2. My Bedroom: I love the dark green walls because I sleep so well in it and maybe too much at times but I mainly wanted to share the artwork that was custom made for me. My friend is a painter and for our wedding present she painted these three banana close ups. She worked with my paint swatch and fabrics. It was a ton of fun to work with her on this. www.anitatheartist.com

3. My Black Leather Bag: It was like every other bag until I put this small vintage owl pin on it and now its my new favorite thing! 

4. Cluster Necklace: My neighbor makes the most gorgeous jewelry and I babysat her 2 year old son one time and this necklace was part of my payment. I love that I can dress it up or down and it goes with almost anything. This is also my new favorite thing. :)

5. My Sketchbook: My husband Ryan picked this out for me at Barnes and Noble last year for Christmas and I actually had seen it and loved it beforehand so it was pretty crazy that he knew that I would like it. I love that he knows my taste. I don't know many men who pay attention the those details. I feel pretty lucky. 

Thank you Heather for having me today and letting me share some of my favorite things. This was a ton of fun!

Antiques and Taxes

On Friday my good friend Eve and her daughter Hannah took me to her home town of Bell Buckle, TN, Victorian Railroad Village. It is a lovely spot on the map with rolling green hills and a small town square peppered with antique stores. Despite the sudden return to winter after many verdant, sun-drenched days, we ate lunch at the local meat and three and sauntered off to shop for antiques. I came home with this lovely little sewing basket,

a great piece of vintage fabric, a scrolly gilded mirror, and The Peach Tree Family Cookbook by Cynthia Collins Pedregon of my hometown-Fredericksburg, TX! What a surprising find!
Eve brought home a handthrown Japanese tea pot and a fascinating piece of coral.

Hopefully these items will be inspiration for future art pieces!
So after coming home, arms loaded with treasures, it was time to finally come face to face with taxes. What better way to spend the last few days of winter, bundled up with herbal teas, sweaters, new treasures and the last remnants of 2007 tucked inside tax forms.