GETTING HITCHED

With all the hype about the royal wedding the past several months, I can't get weddings off my mind.  I even painted a wedding party painting several weeks ago to get it out of my system.  I love weddings.  I love to see what the bride chose as her perfect dress or what her poor bridesmaid friends have to wear.  I love to see what new trends brides are following these days...especially since its been a long time since my own wedding.  I'll definitely be tuning in to watch the royal wedding tomorrow like all of the young girls who have dreams of being like Kate as she walks down the aisle.  I can't wait to see if she let the Queen influence her taste or if she has a mind of her own when it comes to the dress she will be wearing.  Maybe it will be like one of these...

WIDE OPEN SPACES

I’m sure everyone out there has had to deal with decorating one giant blank wall. It takes a lot of creativity...or a large piece of furniture...to fill the void.  Sometimes one large painting just doesn't do the trick.  I had the same problem with the wall going up my staircase.  I ended up covering my problem wall with 3 ginormous (this is really a word…added to the dictionary in 2007…I love how someone can decide to add new words to the dictionary anytime they feel the need) distressed picture frames and a quote board.  The wall going up my staircase drove me crazy for a few years.  Now it has that much needed pop of color.  I’m working on some new frames to fill up a large wall in my playroom…stay tuned for that.

(my lack of photography skills at this angle don’t do it justice, but you get the idea) 

I think these would look great going up a staircase or on a large living room wall…if you like what you see you can order these or have them made in the colors/designs of your choice

I love the ideas in the photos below

the prints below are pretty fabulous!

Head Over Heels

I'm a sucker for trends.

Fashion trends.

Decorating trends.

Chevron stripes.

On the floor. On the wall.

Enough said...see for yourself!

love the burst of color in these two rooms 

a girl's dream room



a big commitment

If you're afraid to commit to chevron tile floors or wall to wall carpet, add chevron stripes to your room with distressed frames...mix and match colors...check out the Hootenanny color and design samples

WORDS ALONE...

I've been meaning to get this quote on my blog all day...just a quote to remember as we run around like crazy people.

HOOTENANNY FEATURED ON ETSY

Hootenanny has been featured on Etsy in treasury lists by other buyers/sellers...check out some of the groupings...I see some other items I might have to purchase from other artists...

MANIC MONDAY

I was filtering through some of the blogs I follow when I ran across this...it was too cool not to share...

(The following photos and segment taken from http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2011/04/invisible-man.html.)

Chinese photographer Liu Bolin is meticulously covered in paint so that he disappears into his surroundings. Apparently, it can take up to 10 hours to prepare for a single shot. Aren't his photographs mind-blowing?! You can barely see him!



Have you ever seen such a thing?



Ok, maybe he has a little too much time on his hands...



My favorite

Where do people come up with these ideas???

I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it...Shakespeare

Happy Monday...what an unproductive weekend I had...I guess we all need those every once in a while, but when Monday rolls around my to-do list scares me!

I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it...Shakespeare

My inspiration to paint comes from my surroundings...usually common things that have caught my eye around my house or around town.  I suppose that's why I continue to paint downtown Auburn, Alabama.  I cannot even describe how this place has won my heart over...well, I guess I'll try...here's my go at a list of some of the many things I love about this cute little place...

college town, Auburn University, adorable, southeastern conference, college football, style inspiration, historic landmarks, the Bible belt, the people, friends, small town, hop-skip-and-a-jump away from Atlanta, art, melting pot of people, college basketball, college baseball, young families, National Champions, energy in the air, southern charm...



Toomer's Corner, Auburn, AL



IN LIVING COLOR

Spring is in the air and for some reason I always have more pep in my step this time of year.  If I could freeze my favorite season and experience it all year long it would be days like today and yesterday...temperatures no higher than 65 degrees and sunny.  I don't know how I survived my entire childhood in South Florida.  Love the place but not the heat. 

The colors outside pop this time of year...dreary winter is being covered up by fresh flowers and green grass!!  Color can change my mood in the same way that a song can.  I guess that's why I decided to refer to the names of my color samples/choices for my line of distressed picture frames after some of my favorite songs.  I wanted to do something different than "lime green" for bright green and "red rose" for  bright red.  I love reading the names of OPI nail polish colors when I'm at the nail salon getting a pedicure.  Names like Lincoln Park After Dark, My Private Jet, and You Don't Know Jacques are some of my personal favorites.  Take a peak at some of my color samples and names...see if you recognize any of them. 

 

the color of this frame is 'american girl'
photo provided by Tracy Young Photography



"GRAY'S" ANATOMY

For the past year or two the color gray has made a comeback.  I have always loved gray in fashion, but never on my walls.  Until now.  The first time I had a "heart beating out of my chest moment" over gray was at Scotts Antique Market in Atlanta, Georgia two years ago.  I love Scott's...it is always inspirational...I could go off in another direction talking about how much I love Scott's but I won't...today anyway.  I get over there for ideas every chance I get.  Everywhere I turned was something gray...pillows, armoires, desks, mirrors, lamps...gray was everywhere.  I referred to it as French Gray.  I came home wanting to change every room in my house to beige and gray.  I didn,t because my husband's heart rate goes sky high everytime I come home with new makeover ideas.  I even found a blogger obsessed with gray.  Check out her blog at http://www.aperfectgray.com/.  I found several colors I may use for my future bedroom makeover from this blog.  I also love these cabinets...

photo from www.aperfectgray.com/

If you haven't already figured it out...I'm.Obsessed.With.Gray!!!  Thus the inspiration for the frames I just painted below.  They look great on a wall alone or in a grouping.

 

Hootenanny frames in 3 different styles and sizes

Colors used in these 3 frames:

   



WHAT IS HOOTENANNY

Hootenanny is my new business adventure that I will be launching on the web in a few weeks. "All things creative" encompasses the variety of items I will be offering on my site.  I have handmade distressed picture frames in many sizes.  The small frames make great gifts and the large frames make a great statement in any room.  I also have a variety of art.  I have been painting for over 15 years and my style has changed continuously over the years.  I paint custom canvases, verse/quote boards, door decor, and birth announcements.  All of these items will be available for sale once the website is up and running so stay tuned.  

I put alot of thought into naming my business.  Those of you who know me well, know I have talked about store names for years.  I had a long list of names and with the help of my family narrowed it down.  I have always loved the word "hootenanny"...it has a fun ring to it.  Once I looked up the definition of the word I knew the name would be perfect for my business...chock full of hoot!

I love creating happy and unique things, so much so that I have decided to do it full time...my art style could be described as funky with a vintage flair.  My creations are primarily inspired by my love for the South, fashion design, interior design, antiques, nature, and the handmade craft.  All pieces are handcrafted and one-of-a-kind.  Check out my Etsy shop link located in the column on the right or if you would like to discuss placing an order/pricing before the website is finished you can reach me at jennifer@hootenannyauburn.com  

life moves pretty fast...if you don't stop & look around once in a while, you could miss it...ferris beuller

MARCH MADNESS

I've been up to my eyeballs in paint samples this week but I think I have finally narrowed it down.  Check out some of the colors available for my distressed picture frames...I love them all!

One of the many new frame styles I've been working on...this style frame is "Geez Louise"

the style below is "smitten"

I'm head over heels in love with this vibrant room...I have alot of teal and avocado in my home...I gravitate towards this combination...I could paint so many distressed frames to fit this room!