I am constantly in awe of the beauty that is there if you have your eyes open to it. Sometimes it will be the little things like digging for vintage treasures with dear friends, foraging in the woods, building the first fire of the season in the studio, and the beauty of paint-covered hands. Sometimes you will even find beauty on the internet. I found so many beautiful little treasures on the internet this past month and I wanted to …
Create Your Own French Picnic Baskets | Video + Ebook
Gathering others is one of the sweetest gifts. So, whether your heart is to bless your family, celebrate a friend’s birthday or incorporate more intention in your own workshops I hope our French Picnic Baskets become part of how you love on others. Download our FREE French Picnic Baskets Ebook HERE. Over the past 13 + years we have gathered others through live workshops here in the United States and abroad. Whether we have …
Eco-Friendly Christmas Wrapping
Wrapping up gifts for those that I love is half of the fun of giving. I love to wrap gifts in vintage French linens but you could also use yardage of any fabric you have on hand or use other vintage linens. Vintage napkins are very generous in size and will be large enough for most small to medium-sized gifts. I wanted to share my sources for the gift wrap materials I use throughout the year. 1. I …
The Front Porch | A Late Summer Cocktail
An unexpected gift of this season, spending more time at home, has been getting to meet more of our neighbors. One such new-to-us neighbor spent last summer farming in Europe, and whenever she feels a nostalgic pull back to that most significant of times in her life, St. Germaine liqueur takes her there in her memories. She introduced us to this floral liqueur in a refreshing drink she made for cocktail hour on our little front porch in downtown …
Shop Our Home | Favorites From Our Holiday Home Tour!
We loved sharing our home dressed up for Christmas and your feedback is always the sweetest. We always get so many questions about our home, how we decorate and how to create a home that looks modern but feels cozy at the same time. I think creating home is a gradual and beautiful process but I think there are some key elements that bring that cozy and modern feeling together. We have gathered some of our favorite things from …
Gift Giving Guide | 2018
Each year I love sharing some of the products that I am loving in my own life and I believe in supporting other small business owners and giving these products as gifts too! This is why it is so important to small business owners like me that when you love our products you share with your friends and family. You sharing is the best thing you can do to bless us. Here are some of the products and small business …
Simple French Tablescape | Seasons of Home Holiday Series
One of my favorite places to travel and get inspired is France. The art, museums, cafes, history, architecture, food and the linens…oh, how I love those handwoven French linens. Whenever I travel to France I try to bring home a piece of art, something to use in the kitchen and I try to find new or vintage linens. It is my way of bringing home the beauty of France in a way that my whole family can enjoy. It is …
An Artist In France | Art and Words from the Living Studio Along the Seine Artists
The Living Studio workshops were created because there was a void in the art workshop world. The Living Studio would be about exploring a new place and creating art everywhere we went. When we had scheduled classes they would be shorter to give you the techniques to get back to the museums, the cafes, the gardens and to have your sketchbook with you the whole time. I knew this style of workshop would not be for everyone but for …
France | Where Beauty Is The Function
Jet lag is still my sidekick as I try to settle back into day-to-day life after France. These extra days of adjusting are also good for my heart and mind as I process once again the beautiful opportunity of travel. As I download photos, unpack my suitcase, wash too many loads of laundry, unwrap French treasures, and put away art supplies I am given the gift of remembering, honoring and reflecting on this time away. I …
If Adventure, Creating and Travel Speak To You {I have something for you}
Sometimes we get to be wild explorers and travel far away, other times we can connect with other creatives not far from home and at other times we have the joy of hunkering down right where we live and creating among our day to day life. Each one of these are life giving and creative building travels. I love that my travels have allowed me to build beautiful new friendships, sketch among stained glass windows and old wooden pews, sip …
The Everyday Artist {some of our favorite supplies}
When I create I only want to be surrounded by my most trusted and favorite tools and only the tools that help me to express myself. Too many supplies can get in the way, distract and even help you procrastinate (like any of us need any help with that one). Each time we offer you a new supply it is because it is tried and true in my own studio. I wouldn’t offer you anything less. I wanted to share …
Last Days To Get $1000 off!
******The ship has offered us $1000 off until the end of April! If you have been on the fence about coming on The Living Studio Along the Seine I wanted to give you a reminder about the discount. The retreat is filling up and I want you to get this discount if you are wanting to join us (the price is already reflected on the prices below). The price will go up on May 1st!. If you have ANY questions …
The Living Studio Along the Seine River Cruise
Ever since I have been a little girl I have been a lover of history, architecture, art and I have ALWAYS known…I would travel. I am greatly driven by my desire to learn, explore and to discover more of this world. My family makes choices all of the time that will make it possible for us to travel more and to have less of other things. We want to collect adventures and memories and not just things. I have an …
Creativity Takes Courage {Cat Bude}
*** For those of you that are new to the blog I want to tell you a little bit about the free series. My creative network offers free videos, new online courses, live “chats” and now interviews with courageous lovelies from around the world. Over the past two years I have had the opportunity to interview some of my favorite creative women and business owners. You can see the talented list of interviewees over on my creative network under Creativity …
Just Dreaming About It Won’t Get You There
In the new year there can be long lists of dreams for the year and maybe even a yearly bucket list. What I have found to be true is that me just dreaming about something has never led to the actual doing and experiencing. If I want to learn something, go somewhere, spend time with someone… I have to make a PLAN OF ACTION. There have been more times than I can count that I had no idea how I …
Back from France {Giveaway Winners Announced}
This is my first day back home after being in France for the past two weeks. I feel like I am coming out of a France fog. It is really hard to believe what I just go to experience and that so many people that I love helped make it possible. My mom drove from Illinois to watch our children for the week my husband was with me and my sister helped with the business. I am currently starting to …
Did I Just Go To Europe?
Isn't this amazing? Heather Bullard could not have chosen a more beautiful location for her Parisian Soiree than The Mission Inn. The architectural detail was phenomenal. You truly felt like you were in Europe. There was a wedding going on in the chapel while we were there. After the ceremony the couple walked out of the chapel to a beautiful fountain in the courtyard. What a blessed couple to start their marriage in such a romantic location. I …