New West Elm String Art

I love finding a steal! There's such a thrill involved. Last week I was at West Elm scouring the clearance section leisurely browsing their beautiful store and came across my newest steal...string art.

Geo Stitch Wall Art

This Geo Stitch retails for $129. At that price there's no way I would have purchased 3 of these babies, but look at how many are happily hanging in our entry...

Would you believe me if I told you I paid less for all 3 than the original price of one?! At $39.99 each, paired with my designer discount the grand total came out to $116. (Sorry for the massive glare, but you get the point.) 

I checked online to see if the priced matched but sadly it doesn't. It's still a good deal though at $54.99.

It's not a huge change up from what was hanging there originally (see below), but I was tired of framed scrap paper and felt the original glossy frames didn't quite fit into the vibe I am going for. Plus, the scale of the new art is much better.

I wish I could show you a panoramic shot and let you see how fun the geometric strings look with our entry wall. They're the perfect compliment! You'll just have to use your imagination...

So tell me, when you find a steal do you find yourself telling everyone who comments on it exactly how much you paid? My husband will never understand why women do this!

Art by Lisa Golightly

I can't thank you enough if you're one of the sweet friends that left a kind message on Friday's post. We feel our hurts heal a little each day. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, stories and words of empathy. It really means a lot to me.

On a lighter note, I love finding new artists. Have you seen the beautiful work of artist, Lisa Golightly? I ran across the piece below on One Kings Lane and it mysteriously kept showing up in my facebook feed. (Side note, I think it's super creepy how you look at something once then suddenly it shows up everywhere.)

The Boy with the Orange Bow Tie by kikiandpolly

I guess the advertising gimmick totally worked because I purchased a print of the precious, faceless boy. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but there's something that draws me in when I look at it. "That" is what I mean when I tell clients that art is personal and you have to pick the pieces that "speak" to you.

In the Depths by kikiandpolly

I think it's the simplicity that I love. And, her shading is amazing.

Hazy Beach by kikipolly

This piece is coming to live in our house too!

All Together by kikiandpolly

mini photobooth print by kikiandpolly

Lisa's Etsy shop is Kiki and Polly. Do yourself a favor and take a second to check out her other works of art!

New Art...A treasure

I have another treasure to add to my art collection. It may just be my favorite piece thus far! I mentioned back in March that I was hoping my dad would draw a picture taken at Reed's baptism. Over the summer, he did just that. This piece is priceless on so many levels.

He drew it while we were living with them, waiting to move into our house. It was special being able to walk in and see his progress. Did anyone notice that he's drawing it upside down? He says that helps him with perspective and shading. Interesting, right? And you thought I loaded the picture wrong!...nope, that's really how it's oriented.

There's something so incredibly beautiful about watching someone use their God-given talent. 

This photo was not staged, their dachshund, Charlie Brown, claims my dad's lap as his spot of choice 99% of the time. Spoiled rotten*cough*cough.

{Actual photo}

I took this shot because I wanted to capture the raw emotion oozing out of Reed as John was praying over him. I love seeing John's hands on his shoulders, his wedding ring and even his camo waders. These things are all symbols that connect John to Reed as his earthly father. Then the words of his prayer and the baptism that followed were committing Reed to God as his Heavenly Father. See? There's so much going on in this picture!

{My dad's pencil drawing}

A closeup so you can appreciate the amount of detail. Those tiny tears melt my heart.

I shared my dad's story almost 2 years ago when I first started blogging. If you haven't had a chance to read it, please do. He suffered from a virus that attacked his brain and left him with a considerate amount of brain damage 7 years ago come October. His ability to draw is a gift that God used to aid in his recovery and one that miraculously improved post brain injury. Click here to read more.

Don't buy it unless you love it

Happy 2013, friends! I wonder how many times I'll write 2012 before it really hits me that we've moved into a new year? Sometimes I find myself having total mom brain and completely forgetting what year it is all together. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does that! Maybe it's my early onset Alzheimer's setting in. (I'll save that confession for a Transparent Tuesday post. ha!)

Moving on...

Last week I shared a tight shot of my client's mantle but intentionally left out the art. I knew they were on the fence about the art so I was holding off for the full reveal. Well, it turns out they've decided to return the piece but I realized there's a very important lesson to be learned and passed on here.

Big design tip...Don't buy large art unless you LOVE, LOVE it.

My client and I went accessory shopping together and I shared with her that this piece would look great in her living room. It had all the colors we were planning to incorporate and the size was right on. Our choices in this size were very limited so she went ahead and purchased it.

There were definitely elements of the piece they liked, like the texture.

But, after living with it for a few weeks and seeing it styled, they've ultimately decided that they settled and don't love it. I'm so glad they've reached this decision before it's too late to return the piece. Art this size is expensive and you should never waste your money on something you don't love. Never settle!

While on a recent vacation, they ran across a local artist that they were really drawn to, Heather Brown.

Here's a sample of her work:

{Barrel View by Heather Brown}

{available here}

They connected with her art because it evokes memories and meaning. Perfect! That's exactly what will make their house a home, finding pieces that are special to them. 

They're a family with artistic talents so the they're going to tackle a DIY project and make their own masterpiece for above the mantle. They'll use Heather Brown's art as inspiration then create something that's truly unique to their family. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

My kiddos are out of school for the remainder of this week so we're off to Houston to check out NASA today. Expect spotty posting until next week, friends.