My Look, Her Look, Mom's Look

Isn't this navy and white tunic the perfect transition piece?! It makes me instantly think of the beach but can easily be worn before summer trips with shorts or white jeans for the spring. With classic navy stripes I think you can easily keep it classic and simple or add a little spunk with some bright colors and patterns, it pretty much goes with anything. Take a look at what I paired it with for mom, MK and myself… 

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I really played up the casual vibe of the tunic for my look. Paired with simple leather sandals and the perfect leather tote (that I may pull the trigger on soon) the look stays casual without feeling too beachy. I had to add a little color with a fun stack of bracelets and my go to accessory, a scarf.

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MK's look is a little dressier but equally wearable through the spring and summer. I love the mix of colors here with the peachy necklace and kiwi shorts to brighten the outfit. The best part about this look to me is it's ability to transition from day to night. The gold accessories and sandals could just as easily be worn to the park and on a dinner date.

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Mom's look is a classic and a somewhat more sophisticated take on the tunic. It's a little less playful than the others but sometimes you need to look a little more put together. This look is perfect for a casual work event as well. I may be strange but I don't care to wear shorts to a conservative work event.

 

I talked about how great espadrilles are for transitioning seasons here and here but tunics are another great option. They're lightweight enough to wear with jeans in the spring but easy to throw on over a swimsuit or shorts all summer long. I have my eye on this one too! Do you guys have any go to transition pieces?

 

- Heath

Community Supported Art Pick Up Two

I mentioned that this past Saturday we attended pick up round two for Charlotte's Arts and Science Council CSA.  We have a few more pics below if you're interested.

 

 

The event was held at the Charlotte Museum of History.  The Hezekiah Alexander House is located on the property just behind the museum, and it really was a cool location for an event.  The house was built in 1774 with a really old barn just next door.  All of the food and drinks for the afternoon were set up in the barn, and a fun bluegrass band was set up just outside.

 

 

Birdsong Brewery provided the drinks for the event, and I can say I highly recommend their jalapeno pale ale!!  For snacks we had little fried green tomatoes on biscuits, fried chicken drumsticks and banana pudding.  Heath said it was the best banana pudding that she had ever tasted, and I'm just now realizing that somehow (amazingly) I forgot to try it.

 

 



We picked up our art "share" and opened our goodies.  The featured artists this month included oil painter Mark Stephenson, ceramist Terry Shipley and a glass artist.  (We got an IOU from the glass artist because she was having studio electrical problems!!)  We got a great fun vase from the ceramist, and my favorite was a tiny oil from Mark Stephenson.  He painted the pieces on old reclaimed barn wood from North Carolina farms, and painted scenes from North Carolina farmlands.  It's the perfect tiny size.  Overall, a fun afternoon for wanna be art collectors like us! :)

 

~Mary Keller

 

p.s. pictures from CSA pick up one here.

Around Here

 

Hi guys, we had a really good weekend, and hope you all did too!  It absolutely flew by.  Friday night Heath and Andy started the weekend at Food Truck Friday in SouthEnd.  They said that the number of food trucks and the crowd has doubled since the last time they went, and they meant that in a good way.  They loved it and highly recommend.  Saturday, J.D. and I went to the Queens Cup with a few of his clients.  We had so much fun.  Perfect weather, and an absolutely beautiful racetrack.  After the race, we met up with Heath and Andy for the second art pick up for the Arts and Science Council's Art CSA.  It was a really nice event with food, music, drinks and of course art.  My mom was sweet enough to come up for the night to watch Virginia while we were going to the race and art CSA.  Heath and Andy came back over for Saturday night dinner and recreated the most delicious Italian meal from their honeymoon in Italy.  Oh my gosh it was so good.  Bistecca alla Fiorentina steak, white beans and caprese salad.  So good, and they made it look easy.  My mom and I just sat and enjoyed wine while the rest of them worked away.  It was a really nice evening.  Lots of fun this weekend but I'm looking forward to the week ahead.  Hope everyone has a good one!

~Mary Keller

p.s. Virginia learned to sit on her own this weekend.  Sweet girl is really growing up!

Happy Friday

Happy Friday guys! A few things that caught my eye this week, if you're interested…

I've always loved a kitchen, it's my favorite room in the house, and this kitchen round up from Amber Interiors is gorgeous. It's so interesting how different one room can be from rustic to crisp and clean the options are endless. I saved the imagine above because I just love the cozy feel of that space.

I'm dying to try these Captain Crunch Chocolate Chip cookies I saw on Oh Joy. Don't they sound so fun?! They remind me of these I tried a while back and they were delicious.

A few tips, tricks and spring cocktails via Camille Styles. Plus NO VA Kitchen & Bar makes for a gorgeous back drop for a cocktail tutorial.

I so want to use this map mural in a kids room. I think its the perfect light hearted wall covering for a curious kid! I'd love an adult version in my room too.

Did you guys read about Rack it up via A Piece of Toast? The concept sounds so smart, exactly what I need to watch the sales for me. They notify you once a product you choose has changed prices so you can sit back and relax while they do the hunting for you.

Charlotte folks, Andy and I tried Stagioni last week for his birthday and we were impressed enough to set a date to go back for pizza and prosecco for our anniversary on Monday. You should check it out!

Hoping the rain clears up so we can walk up to Food Truck Fridays. We're celebrating our 2nd anniversary on Monday so we may kick start some celebrations this weekend. We also have our second CSA pick up on Saturday and I'm so anxious to see what we get. What are your plans for this weekend?

- Heath

Images via Amber Interios, Camille Styles, Oh Joy and Oh Happy Day

Virginia's Baptism

I mentioned that last weekend we celebrated Virginia's Baptism.  It was a really sweet little celebration, and I've shared some pictures below if you're interested....

 

 

 

 

Our church has a Baptism service for babies on the Saturday afternoon before Easter.  We decided to have a little luncheon before the service to make it easier for out-of-town guests to get back on the road after the service.  It was a rainy and chilly day, but it was so nice seeing family.  We had a really simple little lunch.  Our menu couldn't have been easier - probably because I pawned the cooking off on all of my guests.  My parents brought ham sandwiches, good family friends brought deviled eggs, and Heath and Andy made chicken salad.  My grandparents brought our favorite caramel cake - it's not a celebration in our family without it!  All J.D. and I did was heat up quiche, set up the bar, and add a veggie tray and a fresh fruit bowl. 

After the luncheon, we all battled the rain and headed to the church.  My poor parents were responsible for dressing Virginia in her huge gown, getting her loaded in the car and getting her to the church in the rain.  (Bless them!!)  J.D., Heath, Andy and I had to go early for rehearsal.  The service was a sweet Easter Baptism that focused on 9 beautiful babies.  Some were crying, some were fussy, some were babbling, but it didn't matter because everyone there had a baby.  It was really small and nice.

Virginia wore a really special gown that was actually my great great great grandmother's gown.  When I was born, my grandmother had it made into a Christening gown, and my cousins and I have all worn it.  It's over 100 years old and even though it's huge (and slightly more dingy these days) it's really beautiful.

Last thing, I wasn't sure what to do for a centerpiece.  It was primarily family coming to lunch and I didn't want to fuss over any details of the day.  My mom and her friend suggested I just take a pot to a nursery and have them plant a flower that I could then reuse in the yard.  I'm so glad I went this direction.  I picked out a hydrangeas, the nursery didn't charge me anything other than the cost of the plant, and they created the centerpiece.  In a few weeks, I'll take it out of the pot, plant it in the yard, and think of Virginia's baptism every time I see it.

~Mary Keller

p.s.  Heath was on camera duty but her battery was dead!  Most of these are iphone pics; so, our pictures are pretty bad!

Pillow Talk

 

I never really think about William Sonoma for anything other than kitchen stuff, but I got an email the other day with pillows from William Sonoma Home and it caught my attention.  I'm loving their pillow selection right now.  All of these seem to be really up to date (greek key, trellis patterns, ikat, geometrics, etc.) but they aren't so on trend that they'll date themselves quickly.  They all seem to be really well detailed with beautiful materials too.  That Greek Key pillow is needlepoint!  And I'm really loving that embroidered pillow!

~Mary Keller

p.s. why are all pillows so pricey?!  They're so small for such a big price!

All images via William Sonoma Home

Spring's IT Item: Sneakers

Have you guys noticed how popular sneakers have gotten? They’re everywhere, I love it! As much as I love to dress up I’ve always appreciated comfortable clothing. I love to walk, so most of my favorite shoes are conducive for a few miles at a minimum. There is nothing better to me than getting lost on a long walk in a new city. The best part about all of these sneakers - they can easily be worn with both casual jeans and a t-shirt or a spring dress or skirt. I already own a few pairs but also have my eye on these. I think sneakers are definitely Spring’s IT item.

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So espadrilles aren’t technically sneakers but they’re so close I’m throwing them in. I got these last fall and have been wearing them like crazy. They seem to go with everything and the darker color never appears worn. It’s a miracle/secret that I love because I tend to wear my shoes until they’re falling apart. The light weight fabrics keeps your tootsies cool too during warmer months, key in the South when temperatures get high pretty early.

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Lace up sneakers are the standard but the standard isn’t boring anymore, there are lots of options. I have a friend who wears these and I love them, I think she always looks so cool. But sometimes I have to face the fact that I’m just not cool enough to pull some things off(true story Andy told me this recently), and I think these are one of those things. So I may try these instead.

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Don’t you feel like slip on sneakers used to be reserved for skaters wearing Vans? That’s the first thing I thought when I started seeing these everywhere but they’re not just for skaters anymore… there are playful, feminine and old school options too.  Slip ons for everyone!

Are you guys wearing sneakers for Spring?

- Heath

PS do you ever associate certain colors or articles of clothing with certain people? I do! I always think of my mom when I wear red and I will forever think of my best friend Dinah when I see these little slip on Sperrys. We’ve been friends forever and I cannot think of a time that she didn’t own at least one pair. Love those little associations!

top image via A Piece of Toast

Around Here

Sorry guys, our scenes from this weekend are pretty much all Virginia!  The weekend really did center around her though, which we of course never mind.  We celebrated her Baptism on Saturday (we'll share better pics later) and of course celebrated Easter on Sunday.  It was a really nice weekend.  The weather didn't cooperate on Saturday, but Sunday it was the absolute perfect lazy holiday.  Virginia dug right into her Easter basket and loved every minute of it.  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and holiday as well.  Other than Easter/Baptism festivities, I did manage to squeeze in some book club reading during an extra long nap.  I'm loving Fault In Our Stars.  Highly recommend, especially before the movie comes out!  Hope you all have a wonderful week!

~Mary Keller

Happy Good Friday

Happy Good Friday everyone!  I'm so excited the weekend is here!  Before we get into weekend plans, here are a few things that caught our attention this week...

Charlotte folks, we recently discovered a new to us florist in town Nectar.  Their work is beautiful but what I'm really excited about is that they offer floral classes at a somewhat reasonable price point.  One of my resolutions was to take a floral class.  Anyone local want to join me?!

Okay, who wants to find a pot of money and go to Istanbul with me?!!  I've seen so many gorgeous pictures of this city and I'm obsessed.  I'm bookmarking Perpetually Chic's Istanbul City guide for the lucky day in my life that I make it there.  (Positive thinking!)

Anyone who may be trying to decorate or spruce up rooms in their home may want to check out the new website décorBase.  Their concept is really cool.  They've created an easy tool to help you create boards and design rooms visually, and then they offer quite a few resources to shop from as well.

Loving the sound of this new book The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits that we saw on Claire's Instagram feed.  Seems so old fashioned and I love that kind of stuff.

Okay, I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend!  Virginia's getting baptized on Saturday so it will be a special weekend.  Virginia's grandparents and great grandparents are coming in town.  (Although we're really sad because we may have a few people sick and unable to join us.)  We're having everyone for a lunch reception on Saturday and the Christening is Saturday evening.  We'll be sure to take lots of pictures of our sweet girl!  Hope you all have a wonderful Easter and enjoy your weekend too!

~Mary Keller

Images: Nectar .  Perpetually Chic .  decorBase .  Amazon

Gray Malin's California Home

Did everyone see Gray Malin's home featured on One King's Lane?  I'm sure many of you have seen his work floating around the internet and blog world.  He's really blown up and I'm loving seeing how his brand keeps evolving.  He just shared some really beautiful before and after pictures of the living room and backyard renovation of his amazing California bungalow.  He teamed up with One King's Lane to offer all of the products seen in his design.  You can see more and shop the products here...

Also, just because it's fun to think about, if you were to pick any of his photographs, which would you pick?  I think I'd go with either Bondi Swimmers or maybe Miami Pink Umbrellas.  If budget's didn't exist, I would love a huge photograph like this in Virginia's room.

And, just because it's really fun to think about, if you got to visit any of these locations, which would you pick?  I'm going with Positano!  It's hard to believe places this beautiful exist.  Every one of these photographs are like a dream.

~Mary Keller

Images by Nicole LaMotte/One Kings Lane via Gray Malin

Ready for Spring

I could not be more ready for Spring!  I thought we were there but now the weather is annoyingly chilly again.  This winter was good to us.  We did lots of things on our list - we skied, mastered lasagna, watched a million episodes of Downton Abbey, celebrated our anniversary in Charleston, took Virginia to meet her cousins, and actually did make plans for our backyard.  Not everything got done (never got around to homemade smores!), but that's okay. 

I don't have much on my list for Spring.  I want to enjoy Virginia's Christening this weekend with family, have a little spring party sometime, and then I'm going to Chicago for work (and a little play) in a few weeks.  Other than that, I just want to spend time outside with J.D. and Virginia, drink wine and eat yummy food.  Heath has some fun things in mind.  Enjoying a new restaurant, going to the new Knights Stadium for a game, and making a point to picnic in the park.  We have 4 parks within a mile of our houses and never seem to take full advantage.

What's everyone else up to this Spring?  Anything fun?  We'd love to hear!
~Mary Keller

Spring Spreads | Arugula and Edamame & White Bean

Last weekend Andy and I tried a few new recipes we had flagged. Some worked and some didn't but I wanted to share those that did work because they were super easy and perfect for an impromptu porch party as we proceeded to do…

Arugula and Edamame Spread 

adapted from Gourmet Magazine

1 cup of shelled fresh or frozen edamame

1 1/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups packed baby arugula

3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon grates lemon zest

Cook edamame according to instructions. 

Pulse ingredients in a food processor until desired consistency. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy! 

White Bean Spread

1 can white/cannellini/northern beans

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

water

Start with 1 tablespoon of olive and pulse ingredients in a food processor. 

Depending on the moisture in your beans you may need up to 2 tablespoons. 

Add oil and/or water to achieve desired consistency. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Drizzle top with olive oil when serving. 

I know this one seems absurdly easy but it really is just that simple. 

Enjoy!

We cut and grilled a baguette to serve with these dips but any form of bread or crackers will work. We ate a similar white bean dip with bread all over Italy last year on our honeymoon. After realizing how easy this one it's a new staple! 

It was the first nice day in a while in Charlotte so after Andy and I whipped these up we knew we needed to get outside and take advantage. Bonus points for getting to squeeze Virginia's sweet cheeks while snacking with her parents! 

We also attempted to make homemade ricotta cheese after reading how easy it was in the latest Bon Appetit. Ours didn't set quite like we would have liked but the flavor was great so we're going to try again. Stay tuned… 

- Heath

Around Here

Happy Monday everyone!  It was a relaxing, quick weekend!  Heath and Andy snuck away to the beach (Litchfield beach) to celebrate Andy's birthday.  They grabbed oysters, had dinner at the Pit, and enjoyed a birthday dinner at Frank's Outback.  Their pictures of the beach have me really craving a beach weekend.  Looks so peaceful. 

J.D., Virginia and I just hung around the house and enjoyed the Masters.  We pretty much lived on John Dalys, Palmetto Cheese and burgers all weekend.  Other than that, we didn't do much other than a few long walks to offset the burgers.  We did a lot of Virginia entertaining this weekend too.  Apparently she doesn't find the Masters as entertaining as we do.  She was highly amused by giving Heath open mouth wet kisses over and over again when she and Andy stopped by on their way back into town!

Hope everyone has a good week!  It's going to be a busy one.  I'm traveling for work and preparing for Virginia's Christening this weekend.  We have lots of family coming in town!  .

~Mary Keller

Happy Friday

Happy Friday guys! Hope everyone had a nice week. Ours was short, Andy and I are the beach this weekend celebrating his 30th birthday. He's not much for big celebrations but we're pretty excited to relax and enjoy a weekend away together! Do you guys have any big plans?

Here a few things that caught my eye this week…

I LOVE champagne so when I came across this little Champagne Basics guide I bookmarked it immediately and added this champagne stopper to my Amazon wish list!

I've been reading A Blog About Love for years now but I've been especially hooked on their latest adventure, they picked up everything and moved to Ecuador. Isn't that awesome?! I've always wanted to live abroad so these posts have been really pulling me in.

I love brownies as much as the next person but honestly I would prefer a blondie any day. These Gingerbread blondies sound amazing with the perfect balance of white chocolate, spicy and sweetness. Can't wait to try them.

I came across Geoflora's easy shop this week and was instantly smitten with so many of their beautiful pieces. The best part, it's all handmade here in Charlotte, North Carolina!

Also we're planning to relax and watch the masters all weekend, who are you pulling for?

- Heath

images top to bottoms; Cupcakes and Cashmere, A Blog About Love, Aspiring Kennedy

Masters Ingredients

Is everyone else as obsessed with the Masters as we are?  I seriously think it's one of my favorite weekends of the year.  What's not to love?  I love watching golf, I love the food I associate with the Masters (pimento cheese!!), I love that warm weather and Spring are in the air, and I love an excuse to chill out an watch tv pretty much all day.

Some years we've had Masters parties, other year's we've attended Master's parties, but this year we're just going to hang out and enjoy it here at home.  I picked up a handful of ingredients at the grocery store to make up the perfect easy Master's weekend at home.  So here's my list:  Pimento Cheese is a MUST!  My favorite store bought is Palmetto Cheese, originally from Pawley's Island.  We love the version with jalapenos and it's available at just about any grocery store.  For drinks, I grabbed lemonade and sweet tea vodka of course.  Mix the two together for the perfect spiked Arnold Palmer (or John Daly as some call it.)  JD will go along with a sweet tea vodka for a drink or two, but really bourbon is a Masters staples for him.  I grabbed cheese straws, a nutty trail mix, crackers to go along with the pimento cheese, and a few cookies for us to graze on all day.  Add a few fresh flower blooms from the yard, and we're set!  We can't wait.  Who are you guys pulling for?  and did you hear Tiger's not playing this year?

p.s. If you are having a Masters party, here's the menu we came up with last year.

~Mary Keller

Dirty Hair

Do you guys wash your hair everyday? I'm sure you can tell by the title of this post I don't. It kind of grosses Andy out but my hair is so much healthier as a result. Over the years I've developed a little routine that I thought I'd share in hopes you guys will share yours too. I'm always looking for new tips and tricks!

Day one - I let me hair air dry 99% of the time so it doesn't look as pretty as the straight hair above but it dries fairly straight and with the help of a little argan oil to ease the freeze it does the trick. If you're a daily blow dryer this is a good tutorial. 

Day two - I usually introduce a hot tool to add a little wave or curl. If my hair has been in a pony tail for a workout it's easier to add wave and hide it than re-straighten it also holds a curl better a little dirty. I usually don't require dry shampoo on day two but if you do, this and this are my favorites.

Day three - At this point dry shampoo is a must, spray/shake into your roots and use your fingers to work it in. The key here is to only dust the roots, the rest of your hair will get too dry if you spread throughout. If you're having a good day by all means keep it down but I usually opt for a braid or a bun. 

So there you have it, my little routine. Any good tips I should try? 

- Heath

PS tons of good braid, bun and ponytail tutorials for day 3 here!

straight via A Piece of Toast; wavy via Gal meets Glam; side braid via A Cup of Jo; ponytail via 9 to 5 Chic; top knot via Cup of Jo; braid wrap via Cupcakes and Cashmere; banded chignon via Camille Styles

Meet Virginia

You guys, my little Virginia turned 6 months old over the weekend.  I can hardly believe it.  I'm so thankful that she's healthy and happy and growing, and I know it's so cliché, but I just cannot wrap my head around how quickly she's growing.  I love this little girl so much.  Life with 6 month old Virginia is as close to perfect as my life has ever been.  I'm busier than I've ever been in my life, and it's so strange that in an odd way I am also the least stressed than I've ever been.  I know these days with her as a baby are fleeting.  I'm fully aware and try to be fully "present" every minute I get with her. 

Virginia is a happy girl.  She's a mamma's girl but just recently has fallin in love with her Daddy.  She'll be fussy and unhappy and if he so much as looks at her she smiles and melts.  She forgets about whatever was bothering her because it's much more fun to laugh at Daddy.  Virginia isn't a bubbly child.  She stares and analyzes - I can see her brain working away, already worrying about who knows what.  She takes after me.  She doesn't give away that smile to strangers easily, but that is just fine with me as long as she keeps flashing her sweet smile at me.  And she's just barely beginning to laugh, and that giggle, it's too much for me to handle!

Her school (I call daycare school to make me feel better!) teachers tell me they have nick named her The Princess.  Oh my!  They tell us that she knows what she wants, and she knows exactly when she wants it.  She's strong willed and impatient.  Sounds a lot like someone I know, and it isn't her daddy.  I love this about her.  And J.D. says he loves this about me, but I don't know if he can handle two opinioned girls!

Next weekend all of her grandparents and great grandparents will be coming in town for her Christening on Easter weekend.  It's going to be a special weekend, and we can't wait to celebrate with everyone.  I'm so thankful for this girl.  She's surely changed our life.

~Mary Keller

p.s. These photos were taken when she was 4.5 months old.  She's even bigger now!

Images by Shannon Wilfong Photography

Around Here

Happy Monday guys! This weekend was a good one. One of those where you accomplish a good bit but still manage to relax. MK and JD had friends in town on Friday, they had drinks and dinner at Good Food, one of our favorites. They grabbed brunch on Saturday before their friends left and then we joined them for an impromptu porch party to taste some recipes Andy and I were testing. They had a relaxing Saturday night that included homemade pizza and Homeland. Sunday they stocked up on some spring items for Virginia's wardrobe (don't you love the white with blue embroidery!) and picked up a few new planters from Anthropologie too.

Ours had a little less going on but was still wonderful. We made shrimps tacos and dined al fresco on Friday night. On Saturday we ran around town and checked off all sorts of errands then made it home in time to test a few recipes we had on our list. We had snacks on the Costa's porch before heading home for a quiet Saturday evening.  Sunday Andy smoked some pork, his favorite, and I made chocolate chip cookies, my favorite! It was a really good weekend.

Hope you guys had a nice weekend too.

- Heath

Happy Friday

 Happy Friday everyone!  Really excited about this weekend.  First of all, I have to mention that Virginia is 6 months old today.  It's so hard for me to believe that!  J.D. and I have some of our best friends from college and law school (they married each other, how convenient right?!)  coming to Charlotte this weekend and we're so excited.  They've never been to Charlotte or met Virginia so tonight should be a lot of fun.  Before we head out for the weekend, here are a few things that caught our attention this week.

 

 

I've been following along on The Fresh Exchange's trip to Spain this week on Instagram and their blog.  It's the perfect little read to daydream at the end of a long day....

Charlotte friends, it looks like Capitol is having some fun events coming up, including this one Floral Tutorial by Fox Fodder Farms.  I don't have many details yet, but it sounds like a lot of fun.  (You can call their store for details!)

Eclectic Charleston has announced their latest artist spotlight, Cindy DeAntonio.  If anyone is in the market for modern art, they have some really fun, reasonable pieces. 

Loved Domain Home's 8 Inspiriting Way to Amp Up Your Curb Appeal.  Especially love their tip to install a really cool door knocker, but our front door is glass so we can't use one. 

A Cup of Jo did a fun little post this week recommending Dior's "Nail Glow" as the perfect nail polish this spring.  I think I want to check it out.  I try to paint my nails on Sunday afternoons.  I'm the absolute worst about taking care of my nails, but I always feel so much more put together when I actually polish my nails.  I usually stick to OPI's Bubble Bath, but I may give this a shot.  I like my nails to be neutral typically.  It's Heath that gets much more adventurous when it comes to nails, and hers are almost always polished! :)

Have a good weekend everyone!  Spring finally looks like it is here!

~Mary Keller

Images: The Fresh Exchange . Capitol . Eclectic Charleston . Domain Home . Alpha Smoot for Cup of Jo

Community Supported Art



Sisters with our loot

Last week MK mentioned we attended the Arts & Science Council of Charlotte's first Spring CSA (Community Supported Art) event and promised we'd give more details later. Well, I'm back today with details and some thoughts after our first event.

This CSA functions similarly to a standard CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in that the organization supports local artists (instead of farmers!). For Charlotte's first Art CSA, they issued 50 "shares."  They then chose 9 artists who each made 50 unique pieces, one for each "shareholder." There are three events each season to "unveil" the artwork.  Being new shareholders, we had no idea what to expect when we made our way to LaCa Projects last Thursday night for the first event but it was such a great experience.  Here's a little tidbit about the three artists whose work was unveiled last week.



Ceramics wrapped pretty!

Lauren Doran is a photographer inspired by Charlotte's local landscape. She feels that "plants inform our sense of place" and I couldn't agree more. Her "Garden of Shadows" series demonstrates the interplay between light and dark and reveals something special about the place we all call home.  We received a really cool small piece from Lauren Doran.  Out of all the pieces, it's probably the one I would have chosen for myself. 

Scott Partridge's work was very new to me, as is the entire world of digital printing. Scott's designs are digitally created, printed and mounted on cradled wood panels. Scott emphasized his friendly and playful designs can be enjoyed by both children and adults.  (MK already has plans to add this piece to Virginia's room!) 

Amy Sanders is a ceramics artist creating beautiful yet functional (microwave and dishwasher safe!) pieces. Our piece is about the size of a medium serving dish and is perfect for both display or use around the house.


Snapshot of my favorites from the gallery

So beyond the art, the event itself was fun too. It was held at LaCa Projects, a Latin American Contemporary Art gallery and had live music and beers from Birdsong Brewery too! Obviously we are going to like some pieces more than others but I'm happy it introduces us to pieces that may have been a little outside of our comfort zone and new galleries that would be otherwise intimidating (at least to me!). Overall I just love the concept of creating a lasting relationship between local artists and consumers. Find out more about ASC Charlotte CSA and others here if you're interested.  I just think this is such a cool idea, and a clever play on traditional CSAs.  What do you guys think?  Would you ever sign up for an Art CSA??  A few other cities beyond Charlotte have started this cool idea too.

- Heath

PS Sorry for the iPhone pics, and at the moment I have no pictures of our three pieces, more to come on that when they find a home in our home.

Welcome April

Welcome April!  So happy you're here.  It's been a good winter, but I'm so ready for warmer weather.  April's going to be a good month.  It includes Andy's birthday, Heath & Andy's anniversary, Virginia's Christening and Easter.  Looking forward to all of them.  Cheers to longer days, warmer weather and a fresh season ahead!  A few fun things we found to freshen and lighten things up...

~Mary Keller

Matte Mint Double Gourd Vase . Carriage House Candle . Patent Belt . Mint Geo Vase . Recipe Cards . Clare Vivier Bag . Jewelry Tray . Egg Tray . Blue and Silver Frame