i heart your art: jenny andrews-anderson

There are obviously a lot of really amazing things about blogs and blogging - the inspiration, the connections - but one of the coolest and, I think, least recognized is that it allows you to participate in a journey you otherwise wouldn't have. By following a creative's blog, you get the chance to watch them grow - to witness their progression, their toil, their visible improvement over time. You get to be privy not only to the result, but also to the process. It's inspiring and it's real. It's an awesome reminder that talent takes time and work, and that we all start somewhere.

I'm reminded of this when I look at the work of Jenny Andrews Anderson, the blogger and artist behind the hilarious MFAMB. I've read MFAMB for years, and I must admit that I can't actually remember when Jenny started using it to showcase her painting skills, but I can remember that for a while I wasn't really sold. If I'm totally honest, I just didn't see what others were seeing. I wanted to, but I didn't.

But with time, all that has changed. Whenever Jenny has released new work I've liked it more than her last. Her brush strokes have become more self-assured, more calculated, her choices more confident. I - along with every other fan of her blog - have gotten to see her genuine talent grow.

That's pretty special.

At this point I would happily (and very excitedly) pull out my wallet to bring some of Jenny's work into my own home. And I know that if I did, it would be made all the more special by the journey I've gotten to go on alongside this talented artist.

{all paintings via Jenny's pinterest}

It's a pretty great place this bloggy land of ours. 

P.S. the fact that she named one of her paintings "Mathletes"? I think you can just guess how I feel about that. 

fabric find: designer looks for the masses

Yesterday Christine of Bijou & Boheme posted a killer client reveal featuring some seriously gorgeous wing back chairs:

I pretty much just assumed the fabric was my beloved Les Touches until she listed her sources. Turns out that it's actually a Spoonflower find! Can you believe it?! I've always been really afraid of ordering from Spoonflower, expecting it to look cheap, but this may have convinced me otherwise.

The exact seller is Domesticate, and she has a GREAT selection of fabrics inspired by designer faves. Here are just a few I'm loving:

Now the only question is linen or canvas, because otherwise it looks like a no-brainer to me.

Have any of you ordered from Spoonflower before? I'd love to know what your experience was like!

welcomed by home

So I've actually been back from Belize for five days, but have been . . . well  . . . recovering. Unfortunately after posting about having found paradise, I got a MASSIVE ear infection and perforated eardrum due to a malfunctioning depth gauge on one of my dives. Suffice it to say, the rest of the vacation was not so hot.

Well, it was hot, but I wasn't out enjoying it.

Anyway, you win some you lose some. By the time the two weeks were over I was so happy to come back to my little apartment, dive into a bed piled high with pillows, and stream 4 eps of Mad Men in a row that it was borderline ridiculous. It really highlighted how important it is to make your space your little sanctuary - the place where you feel most at home and welcomed in the world.

And what welcomed me home right beside the bed? The beautiful little marble desk y'all convinced me to buy...

You guys are so damn smart. It's the perfect height (the lamp is actually lower than the headboard, it just doesn't look like it from this angle), the perfect depth, and the perfect length. It just fits so ridiculously well, and I know it's a piece I'll keep forever.  

I will say though, that even a half vacation is worth the trip. When else can you spend all day doing this:

Bad luck or not, I may be already planning my next escape . . .