15

today is my fifteen year wedding anniversary.
funny how when you first get married, you struggle to understand how your relationship will deepen and evolve as you work together to overcome obstacles and differences. marriage is an amazing journey that takes w-o-r-k and nourishment, and lots of sacrifice. it can be the most aggravating and yet incredibly rewarding experience many of us will ever undertake.

when i was a little girl, i dreamed of marrying a smart, funny, patient, kind man that would be an amazing father. my husband is all that and more...SO much more. he makes me laugh every single day, is an incurable optimist, the life of the party, the family "safety freak" and has been called the "worlds best t-ball coach" by the parents of the team he has coached the last two years. i am proud to claim him as my own.

every year, we get away together on or near our anniversary. sometimes, it is a fabulous muti-night getaway, and other times, it has been a quick one night stay somewhere close to home. as our 15 year anniversary approached, we discussed the possibility of going to italy, but soon realized that the timing wasn't quite right.  instead, we have decided to go to hawaii.

neither of us has ever been, and it is somewhere we have wanted to visit for years. we will be going in mid september (got a great deal on plane tickets), and i am SO looking forward to it!

here are a few other the places we have been on past anniversary celebrations:

year 2:
southern california.
(stayed with my brother. not very romantic. but free.)

year 5:
charleston, sc
(hampton inn historic district)

year 7:
riveria maya, mexico
(royal hideaway)

year 9:
kennebunkport, maine
(yahtsman lodge)

year 10:
the florida keys (key west, isla morada, little torch key)
(the gardens hotel, casa morada, little palm island)

year 11:
sea island, geogia.
(the cloister)

year 14:
mc call, idaho
(shore lodge)

happy anniversary, sweetie.
i look forward to many, many more adventures with you.

summer festivals + affordable art

my husband and i took our kids swimming on saturday, and couldn't help but notice a summer festival taking place in the park adjacent to the pool. we decided to walk over and check it out, and i am so glad we did!

(made from scratch lemon-limeade. YUM.)

and can you guess what THIS is??

it is a "tornado fry", which we just  HAD to try!

they take a potato, skewer it, spiral slice it, fan it out, and then fry it. after they give it to you, you get to shake on a seasoning of your choice. it's fun to eat and totally delicious....and, like most "carnie food", will literally make your thighs fatter and your arteries clog AS you walk around the festival/carnival/fair.

thank goodness these festivals only come once a year, right?

 of course, in addition to the typical snow cone, funnel cake and kettle corn booths, there were also dozens of vendors selling pottery, photographs, clothing, jewelry and art.

these little coin purses were made in africa from paper beads.

i really love how delicate these necklaces are...and adore the colors.

 i managed to snag some new necklaces, but my big find of the night was a team of local artists, 

donald prys and jodi steen. (a father/daughter talent duo.)

jodis' work is bold and graphic, and i love the colors and horizontal elements.

jodi.

 

donald's  work is more geared towards landscapes, and i love the soft tones and slightly abstract feel of his work. i really love how he painted the sides of his smaller, unframed pieces black...it gives them a more modern/transitional feel. 

he even had a few pieces that were quite large...about 18" x 40+" that would look amazing over a long console.

i am a big believer in filling the walls of your home with items that are meaningful to YOU...

art and other media that "speaks" to you,...family photos and mementos...artwork by your children...

anything---as long as you really LOVE it.

does the task seem daunting? 

start slow...

try checking out the local summer festivals around you to find original art. most of the artists at these booths are either local or regional, and you can often find some amazing and beautiful pieces

at a fraction of the cost you would find similar art in a gallery or even online. plus, you get the added

bonus of actually meeting the artist!

after seeing jodi's and donald's work, i KNEW i couldn't leave the festival without a piece or two.

when i saw these small, square pieces that jodi had available, for only $32 each, 

i knew i had hit the jackpot....

i had a VERY hard time deciding. (just ask my kids...it took forever!)

i ended up with these TWO pieces:

i loved this one because of the textures, and it reminded me of the beach...

i love the soft grey/green tones in this piece, with the thin band of mustard yellow and soft blue "sky".

each piece is oil paint on paper, and is signed. my images don't capture the subtle sheen of each piece. you can see each brushstroke, which i find absolutely beautiful.

i also purchased these two necklaces. the first one is made from cream colored opaque glass beads, and the second is a combination of silver, turquoise and pearls.

love that the clasp on the beaded necklace is hand carved wood!

don't be afraid to check out some summer festivals. 

you just might find something you can't live without.

to see more of donalds work, click here.

to see more of jodi's work, click here.

breaking up the brown: a media room design plan

my client and her husband just bought their first home, and needed help with a media/family room in the basement. they had already purchased a large brown sectional, and painted the walls a soft dark brown, but needed help to add some color and personality to the space. i used their existing red table and large image of a london street scene as inspiration to come up with this design plan:

we will be adding clean lined white shelving, a graphic rug, a simple side chair, a pair of red leather ottomans, and lots of pillows with pattern and texture to break up all that brown.

here is a pictures of the space now:

 since this is a local client, i am looking forward to going back and taking photos to share when we are all finished up.

interested in working  together to create a more beautiful and functional space? contact me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com for more information.

nailhead trim

one thing that i never tire of seeing:

nailhead trim. i think it adds definition and character to anything it graces.

 i first saw this ikea hack at little green notebook, and thought it was brilliant.

 i love the way this nailhead trim sits on the edge of the fabric, and love the contrast it provides with the dark wood.

 this piece is so interesting. this would be easy to duplicate on a simple dresser.
(via)

 i would have never thought to add it to a kitchen, but it looks really fun and unique here!

(via)

this floating console has drawers outlined in nailhead trim. this entire vignette has me drooling.

it's spectacular. (young house love)

emily just posted these photos on her blog...she dressed up plain closet doors with nailhead trim.

genius!

olive leaf stencils at joss + main

today, joss and main is featuring olive leaf stencils. they have a small selection available at good prices.

i just picked up this one:

it's called "nautical chain pattern"

i have NO idea what i will do with this stencil, but i have had my eye on it for a while,

and i know that i will use it for something...eventually.

if you miss out, you can always purchase the stencils directly from olive leaf website here.

here are a few others i really like:

 "geometric pattern"

 "ikat no2"

"noelle"

house update: trim details

my clients house is coming along nicely. oh, how i LOVE building houses!

my husband was in the residential construction industry for a decade, and in addition to the many custom homes we built for our clients, we also built two personal homes and remodeled another three. i LOVE all phases of new construction, but my favorite is when the trim carpenters show up. i love seeing sketches like this...

and this...

turn in to this:

and this:

and this:

here is a peek at the mud room built-ins. they are the prettiest shade of grey/blue:

the house is coming together so well. i am looking forward to sharing the final pictures!