Have a Great Weekend Everyone!

Pin It

My weekend will be filled with family, some that I've never met, some that I haven't seen in years! Off to a family reunion in a moment. 

Enjoy the spring air and the baby-blooms of this hydrangea arrangement that I did up for my neighbors whom are continually so generous to us and love to spoil my husband and I. Great neighbors are such a wonderful thing to have and I'm so happy to live in a place where we all just adore each other and that our relationships are more than just a quick 'hello'  :) 

xoxo,

Andrea

Share

From Drab to Fab!

Pin It Well, not completely done yet, but I tackled this chair over the weekend and I have one more to do. These will reside in my husband's new office and serve as the reception area chairs. Upholstery is NOT for the faint of heart!!!!!!!! I went from thinking "Oh, yeah, I've got this. Going to take me two hours" to "Two hours have gone by and I haven't even started stapling the seat yet" to "Why did I EVER think that I could do this" to "Never again, that's what upholsterers are for!" Perhaps trying my hand at a chair with curves as my 1st foray into upholstering wasn't a great idea? I dunno. But I thought this was WAY hard!

I'm fairly happy with the results (sans a few bloopers) but I'm glad I got it out of my system  ;)

The chair before. I picked up a pair of these queen anne repros (a crude interpretation, I must say, but they were $45 a piece, and I saw prettypretty underneath the thick layer of 1990 tapestry)

I got busy sanding and applying a grisaille finish. It came out a little darker than I anticipated, but I really love it nonetheless. I used some simple ticking fabric that I had on hand, hunted down some twill-tape (which is INCREDIBLY hard to find, I must add....that surprised me b/c its so simple and such a staple, I figured it'd be everywhere, but no, of course not and definitely not in the width I needed) I ruined more nailheads than actually used! Blah! If anyone has a tip on how to set them in straight on the 1st shot, I'm all ears ;)

Here it is in progress! I still have to do the elbow pads, which I'm debating if I want to do them in a camel toned velvet vs. the ticking. We'll see :)

Notice that sexy fireplace surround! Whew! No, I mean, eww! 

I should be finished with the whole office soon, and I will definitely do up a whole post on how I manipulated a meager budget {and I mean meager y'all} to something that looks nicely high(er)-end! I'm excited to have it all come together.

xoxo,

Andrea

Share

They Don't Make Em' Like This Anymore

Pin It Four years ago today, my husband and I decided to go against the grain, buck tradition and elope. While not a decision that is for everyone, it was a decision that for us, made all the sense in the world. It resonated with our personalities which are fairly private, we are no frills folk and we tend not to make a big deal out of most things like holidays, birthdays etc. We'd rather celebrate just us two, quietly, privately and without all the pomp and circumstance. All of those things are great, of course, but not necessarily for us, so we went ahead, booked our flight, filed for a marriage certificate and had an absolutely incredible day filled with laughter, tears, smiles, bloopers and enough Veuve Clicquot to make a french woman fat ;)

I've been in love with San Francisco since I was a child, and when I found the website to San Francisco City Hall, I knew at that second it's where I wanted to be wed. Everything about it screamed elegance and history, so I immediately beckoned for Mr. Hotpiece to come into the room and check out my findings. He fell in love, I was in love and we knew that's where we were going to exchange our vows.

The most common response we received was "City Hall?" said with a wide eyed stare and look of disappointment "WHY would they want to get married at City Hall......???"

What few were realizing is that this isn't any ordinary City Hall where we would go in our Sunday best, a faux-floral bouquet and call it a day. This is a grand building drenched in marble, granite, bronze and gilt with the most marvelous and awe inspiring craftsmanship this side of The Louvre.

Completed in 1915 by the revered architect, Arthur Brown (SF City Hall, Coit Tower, SF War Memorial Opera House), the current City Hall replaces a former which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1906. Since Beaux-Arts (one of my personal faves b/c of the classical proportion and ornamentation) was de rigeur at the time, Mr. Brown set out to create a masterpiece of only the finest materials around. It is said that he commanded full control of the project, having a say in everything right down to the signage. (My kind of guy!)

Look at the massive scale of the building!! Impressive, isn't it?

Photo Courtesy of Thomas Hawk Photography

Fortunately for us, we were able to be married in the coveted rotunda, straight up from the stairs, beyond the 1st set of columns. There were no guarantees that we would have been able to have that space, and in the case where we wouldn't, we would have been relegated to the paltry staircase to be married in tandem with several other couples who didn't 'make the cut.' But alas, luck was on our side and we said our I do's as privately as we could up there in the intimate rotunda.

                                                    

     Photo Courtesy of Harold Davis Photography

Doesn't this blow your mind? I always like to think I could take my creativity to this level, but most of the time, I am just awe-struck by the sheer magnitude of talent and brains of the designers that are capable of this level of skill. Not to mention the brilliant artisans that are so committed to their craft and complete works of beauty as such. This is not easy, folks!

A few little snaps of us on the day of. What a day. I mean, we truly had a blast, and I can, without hesitation, say that this was the best day of my life. I married way up! 

**Also: There aren't many pictures of SF City hall on the interwebz so, you'll have to deal with my vulgar display of self-indulgent pictures ;)

Incredible and massive sheaths of sandstone comprise the interior, as well as impressive detailed marble floors, most of which the marble and granite were sourced in US of A. That is almost unimaginable nowadays. 

At every turn the lighting details were breathtaking. Even these simple sconces and pendants were in cast bronze and reeded glass....they looked so timeless and sophisticated. 

These 'lamp posts" were dotted the whole 1st story of the building...absolutely gorgeous. Possibly 

10-11ft tall and made of gilt bronze or bronze d'ore, whichever tickles your fancy. They were truly breathtaking.

Just to give you an idea of scale, do you see us next to the urn? Phenomenal!

If you are ever in San Francisco, City Hall is a must see on your list. I highly recommend it, and I literally cannot wait to visit the fair city again, perhaps for our 5 year anniversary next year?? Maybe so! 

Share

A Chance Meeting and Creative Inspiration For The Day

Pin It Today is a gorgeous day! Crisp, sunny, cool, and believe me we need it b/c our weather has been nasty lately. This pretty day got my creativity riled up and while looking for lighting inspiration for a project I am working on, my ADD kicked in and I couldn't help but pull together a room based on my mood. The *real* work can wait, I suppose ;)

I've been wanting to introduce everyone to Erin Chance Fenstermaker, a truly gifted up and coming artist in Lafayette. She's absolutely adorable, demure, and playful. Her artwork certainly exudes her vibrant persona, yet at the same time her pieces have a quiet contemplative quality to them, which I love.  

Comfortable working within abstract and figurative, she does a wonderful job parlaying her point of view in a way that I feel many can appreciate and admire. The color composition she chooses is what really does it for me; not afraid of color one bit, she uses chroma in an approach that rouses a harmonious interplay between many strong hues, and the final product is just breathtaking! 

Starting with this modern interpretation of a buillotte chandelier, I quickly layered a room that would make me happy to be in it, knowing all the while that I wanted to incorporate a painting of Erin's. I feel that her pieces work well within traditional, contemporary, eclectic, anything. My personal taste is more classically-eclectic if that makes sense. I wouldn't call it funky, per se, more streamlined and tailored with the unxepected thrown in for good measure. In fact, this is what I'd love for my living room to look like! Trust fund? Anyone? Bueller? 

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Erin's website! She's a doll! 


**My ADD is really bad today. I realized I should have added more paintings from her website to illustrate how talented she is! Forgive me if you came, saw, left and now I added more! 

Aren't these colors incredible?

I want this one! 

Would you ever know that this is a marsh scene? I love that about her work!

Share

I'm feeling this lately

Pin It Not the guys in drag. The Michelle Shocked song. I love her anthem about embracing growing older. Most of us (myself included) cringe at the thought of aging, but here, she approaches maturation as something to be revered, to be cherished and basked in. And you know what? That's exactly how I'm going to change my tune about it all.

And a very, very special shout out to my grandmother, Margaret, who turned 85 on Friday! She's so incredible that two years ago, she decided she wanted to change her life, so she sold her house and moved cross country to 'retire' to Florida with my mom. At age 83, she took up painting and is creating beautiful watercolors and acrylics which she sends to my sister and I every chance she gets.  Can we say inspiration? Indeed!   She taught me how to sew, how to cook, and has made countless handwritten cookbooks for me. She's just so wonderful and I am so fortunate to have her in my life! Love you MawMaw!!!!

Share

A Joni Inspired Post

Pin It

I just read a new post on Cote de Texas, a wonderful blog written by a very dear friend, Joni Webb. If you have never heard of this blog (hard to imagine because it might just be the most widely read design blog on the planet), check out the link and visit her!! She's a JEWEL of a person and a very talented writer not to mention an incredibly gifted designer.

Joni has just discovered Art for Kids, a maker of gorgeous children's furnishings for the discriminating tot. Up until a few months ago, I wrote a column in a local magazine and our focus in one particular month was babiesbabiesbabies! So I took this theme and ran with it, setting out to design a dream room. I had a BLAST and without a client or budget, I was able to create something that was purely indulgent, quintessentially girly and completely from my point of view. Now, all I need to do is have a babygirl to truly live out this fantasy room. (Calm down, Joni, Momzie & Mary.....we're still holding out and have enough with the dog and two cats so don't get any ideas just yet ;)

Starting with the Cherubini crib from AFK as my main inspiration, I was able to pull together a room that our babygirl could grow with over the years. I feel strongly that investment pieces will carry you through a lifetime and I built the room around select pieces that were 1. timeless and 2. didn't scream babybabybaby. This way, the room can evolve over the years without multiple major overhauls-- only with a few minor adjustments as needed, which is most cost effective in the long run. Plus, when babygirl grows up and gets a home of her own, these great furnishings can easily be worked in to her new digs.

Enjoy the eye-candy, and HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!!!!!!

xoxo,

Andrea

Share

If This Doesn't Move You, Then Honey, You Ain't Got No Soul

Pin It

Oh, my. Louisiana is in a FRENZY right now. Mardi Gras always gets us a little more excited than Christmas, but the SAINTS GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL PLUS MARDI GRAS???? Now that, my friends, is something so special, so long-awaited, so integral to our spirit and culture, I can't even describe it to you if your are not from here.

It's as if all of our worries have melted away, our pride is up front and center and we want to show the world and everyone in it just how much we love our state, our team, our culture.  I mean, it's so serious that Monday is an unofficial holiday; schools are closing and some businesses have granted employees a day off. Not to mention that people are changing their Facebook names to things like Andrea Whodat Veron; updating their statuses from single to "Married to Jeremy Shockey" and creating fictitious Facebook pages to validate this pretend marriage.  Serious, y'all!

I'm not a big football fan, but you can bet your rusty doubloon that I am watching this game. With players being donned monikers like Breesus Christ and all of the days of the week changed to: Mondat, Tuesdat, Wednesdat, Thursdat, Fridat, Saturdat and Sundat, could you resist??


Enjoy this lil' diddy by the GREAT Professor Longhair, a man that has channeled the whole spirit of Louisiana into his songs. If you want to come to Louisiana, but haven't made it here yet, then listen to this and know what your experience will feel like. Put Louisiana on your list of "MUST DO before I die". Trust me!

Happy Mardi Gras and GEAUX SAINTS!!!!!!!!

Andrea





I had to add this today (I forgot about it) ------ I hear that our Msgr. Derouen of St. Johns Cathedral wore all white vestments with a Saints jersey on top for 11 o'clock mass! WHO DAT! Lawday! 

Isn't this sign just the cats pajamas???

Share

Aintcha Mamma's Stencils: Floorcloths as Functional Art

Pin It Years ago, my father told me about a canvas flooring technique that he remembered from historic homes that he had the pleasure of restoring many moons ago. We went back and forth discussing how this was prepared; if it was practical and so forth because a canvas floor, in my opinion must be the most difficult surface to keep up and I thought to my self "That sounds pretty bonehead, who would put a canvas floor in their house?"

As I went to on to research what it was that he was talking about, I realized he was telling me about floorcloths (also known as oylcloths) that blanketed a large area of a room, serving as a regular rug would, but in other cases as a complete surfacing material with no other flooring in addition to them. Funtional, beautiful and incredibly sturdy, floorcloths have fascinated me since I first discovered them.  I used to have a small contemporary one in my former house, but decided to part with it when we moved, so it now resides in the home of a great friend who really loves it.

Floorcloths are comprised of industrial grade canvas, oil paint used in the designs, multiple layers of polyurethane, and finally a finishing wax.  Most popular in Colonial Williamsburg homes, they have been a mainstay in period interiors for hundreds of years.

While there are quite a few individuals that produce the pieces nowadays, most of the designs are quite country in feel and may have roosters or some other bucolic icon stamped within the design.  Those types of floorcloths don't really interest me, but when I had the delight of discovering Gracewood Design, based out of San Francisco years ago, my heart leapt a happy leap. While Gracewood does replicate a few traditional designs, it's how they have reinterpreted the craft that truly piques my interest. They have taken an age old technique and modernized the vision for their business while keeping the process as true to the original method. To me, they are hands down, the best resource for floorcloths on the market today.

Chains of connected squares make for a very interesting geometric pattern. As modernist as this is, I would pair it within a more traditional atmosphere, say, a room with lots of wonderful Imari dishes or even some flow-blue pieces could work beautifully with this design.

I love the honeycombed diamond pattern that they chose here. I would happily use this one in my sunroom as an alternative to the traditional checkered pattern that one would typically find in a glassed-in porch. 

This floorcloth reminds me of the encaustic tiles that you see in grand homes like the Biltmore. Sort of Neo-gothic slash Victorian (which Victorian was really a {gasp}, bastardization of Gothic with a few flowers thrown in, agree?) Probably not, but that's my take on the matter ;)

I love this colorway as well. Very sophisticated.

I love the interpretation of a rattan chairback here. I also applaud the use of primary colors within this design, they pulled this off very well. 

Here is a more traditional styled floorcloth, but again, Gracewood has the panache to pull off a  traditional look while breathing a modern sensibilty into the design.

I would love to pair either one of these floorcloths with a lucite dining table and gold chivari chairs upholstered in a luxurious mohair fabric for the seats. Sassafrass! 

Gracewood does a fabulous job on traditional designs. This particular floorcloth reminds me of a beautiful french needlepoint rug. Isn't it gorgeous?

This colorway may be my favorite for this pattern. I love that soft butter yellow paired with the muted marigold and graphite. Truly gorgeous!

I LOVE this one!. This would be so beautiful in a living room with a camel colored tailored slipcover sofa wouldn't it? 

I love this design. It feels crisp to me. Sunny and perfect for a kitchen. 

I really love this  piece.  It has such a neat pop-art quality to it. Perfect for a grown up with playful tendencies or a child in his or her playroom. I just love it!

As much as I love the restrained color palette with white walls and vibrant doses of color here and there, I'm always a sucker for complementary color schemes. This reminds me of our old house. The green had a little more yellow in it, but the reds were as scarlett as the letter. I loved it! 

I hope you enjoyed learning about floorcloths, and be sure to visit Gracewood's website. They also create beautiful concrete detailing. Look at how gorgeous this is! I have wanted to do this to my front porch for years since I 1st saw Gracewood do it! So fine! Right now, I'll have to settle for that gorgeous green astroturf that's on there now. What a blunder in taste! Wow. I say it 'makes me feel like I need a monocle and cane just to enter the front door!' Ha! 

Edit: Ms.Gwen of Gracewood Designs and I exchanged a few emails and she explained to me that GW Designs started out in San Francisco, but is now based in Portland. I apologize for the misinformation as I had discovered their site long ago when they were still based in SF! Either way, they are producing fabulous work no matter the locale! Keep it up Gracewood! 

Share

Lafayette, LA : A City Like None Other. Part I

Pin It

Today was a gorgeous bluebird day with mild temperatures. This timely weather afforded me the luxury to 1. Wear a sleeveless dress and gauzy scarf 2. Hop on my bike and cruise around downtown Lafayette. I live in a neighborhood adjacent to downtown, just about 5 minutes walking distance from where all the action happens. I couldn't have it any other way!

___________________

I wanted to share a little bit about my wonderful little city which has a little bit of a New Orleans feel and a little Austin feel to it, yet it's nowhere near as large as either. We have a population nearing 220,000 according to the last census and it may be more in the 2010 census! I think that when I was a child, there **may** have been 100,000 so we have definitely exploded in the last 15-20 years. It's a great place to reside or visit and has recently been rated in the top 100 places to live! Not mention that Louisiana won the happiest state, which does not surprise me. We love to have fun and life is a party down here!

                                                                 ____________________

The building above is our Natural History Museum. The building was actually the 1st department store in Lafayette, called Heymann's. I never shopped there, as it had closed down before I was born or shortly after I was born.

____________________

Up until maybe 12-15 years ago, our downtown area had undergone a tremendous downturn. What once was a bustling nucleus of industry trickled to a halt as expansion of the city went geographically south. Buildings were vacant, businesses were fleeing from the area, crime was rampant and and these wonderful old buildings just sat there, sad and lifeless.

That is until what we know as Downtown Development Authority came in and with the help of some great city-planners, the city undertook a giant beautification project that painted our downtown as it is today. What was once desolate and barren is thriving and colorful with so many things to offer.

________________________

This building, with it's Romanesque Revival/Italianate architecture was one of the 1st banks in Lafayette. When downtown was redeveloped, it opened as a high-end restaurant, and unfortunately it may have been too ahead of the curve and ceased operation a few short years later. Being a college town, Lafayette is not short of bars, so it is now a pub and has been quite successful since the inception.

This building was one of the oldest, if not the oldest printing plants in Lafayette. Just recently {and we are all so excited about this} It has turned into a great little enclave of businesses. A new restaurant, named "The French Press" opened up weeks ago, and I hear it's fabulous. I plan to dine there very soon!

 

_______________________

Next door is "Phillipe's Wine Cellar", which has THE BEST authentic dried sausages and artisan cheeses that I have ever tasted.

________________________

And last but CERTAINLY not least, is "Recycled Cycles of Acadiana" a unique bicycle shop that specializes in vintage and antique bikes. They rent bikes for the day as well as will trade your bike for one of the in-stock bikes. Neat concept if you ask me!

The gentleman told me that this bike is c.1919! It was a beaut!

These bicycles are not for sale, they are part of Recycled Cycles permanent bike museum.

______________________

This building houses a longtime architectural firm, the MBSB group. Coming up, I knew it as the Lafayette Artist Alliance and spent many festival days there with my friends mother, a great artist that helped me to immerse myself into the creative world. Thanks Kathy!

Our Federal courthouse. It's in need of a bath, but still gorgeous. Note that cute bike!

This is a lovely Presbyterian church. Stunning Beaux-Arts architecture, refined classic façade. It sits on a small piece of land and literally jumps out at you from the street. So beautiful! I wish I could have gotten a better picture, but I was too busy thinking of what next!

_______________

Another Romanesque Revival building. This building houses CODOFIL, an organization committed to preserving our french heritage and promoting french speaking in Acadiana. {Sidenote--Acadiana is what we refer to as cajun country, it's a multi-parish geographic area that encompasses most of South Louisiana.

A small sampling of the beautiful homes right in the downtown area. This one is a law office, and has the most gorgeous, tall casement windowed sunroom along the side. Again, no pics! Sorry!

Looks like 5421 Mayberry Ave. doesn't it?

The home below was once the residence of famed artist, George Rodrigue, who became wildly popular with his "Blue Dog" series of paintings. If I remember correctly, his 1st wife now resides in the home. It's truly stunning in person!

Lafayette is home to University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which is located in close proximity to downtown. This is the A. Hays Town building, built by the famous Louisiana native and UL graduate of architecture, Mr. A. Hays Town. He used all reclaimed brick from another building on campus and employed many centuries old techniques within the interior.  In stark contrast sits the new University Art Museum nestled in the buildings posterior.

The Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum was realized by an endowment of the very generous Hilliard's who firmly believed that Lafayette deserved a state-of-the-art space to hold popular exhibits from near and far.

Lafayette is also home to great festivals, most of which are free. Magic fills the air and everyone is so happy that we can't stand it when our beloved festivals are near. Our springtime festival, Festival International de Louisiane is a such a wonderful addition to our city and we are able to host musicians from across the globe. In some cases, it will be the first time that the musicians have ever been to the United States. There is no other festival like this anywhere, and the organizers do such a great job year after year. The fact that we're going strong after 24 years is no small feat! The festival has also been quite a large part of the downtown revitalization, and has helped the success of downtown tremendously.

If you are interested in visiting the festival, I highly recommend it! The website is here.

Another great festival that Lafayette hosts is:  Festivals Acadiens et Créoles.   I cannot recall one year that I have not attended this great festival. Seriously, I can remember being there as far as my memory goes back........with my mom dancing with me as her two-step partner, listening to cajun/zydeco music, sweating our faces off but having a such a great time that we never wanted it to end.

And that concludes Part 1 of Lafayette, LA: A City Like None Other. Stay tuned, as I want to educate you all on why this area is such a special place! Truly! It's so enchanting and has such a rich history and culture, I could go on for days about it. Did I mention that this is my hometown? I figured that yoooouuu figured since you're so smart and all, but just in case, I wanted to put that out there!

xoxo,

Andrea

Share