a weekend of inspiration

I have been working long hours these past few weeks so I decided to take Friday off to attend the Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio. It fell on the same weekend as the Springfield Antique Show so I decided to attend both shows, hitting Columbus first and Springfield on Saturday. It was a very inspirational weekend!

It was difficult to see everything at the Country Living Fair because of the crowds but I did manage to take a few photos and purchase a few things. 

There were a lot of things made out of repurposed materials. 

The letterforms above were covered with old maps. LOVE the intricate folding within the books in the background.

Homemade aprons blowing in the wind...

 

 Handcrafted birdhouses...

 My favorite booth was Cash and Cari. It was filled with all sorts of colorful, repurposed objects. LOVE the color of the sofa but it's a little bit too intricate for my studio!

What do you think of this sofa made out of a bathtub?

Or the lamp shapes covered with velvet and a chair recovered with fabric scraps?

 The Springfield Antique Show and Flea Market (above and below photos) has everything you can imagine. If you are a collector or love antiques, this is the show for you. 

  It can be a bit overwhelming because there is so much to see—furniture from every decade...

painted furniture and accessories [love the aqua color!]...

 colorful fiestaware...

rusty signs and cabinets...

old quilts...

artwork made from old tinware [I bought one of these!]...

animal rugs...

 vintage jewelry... and the list goes on and on. 

I wasn't in the market for anything special but came home with a few little treasures for my home and studio [I need to take some pics!] 

What are your favorite things to collect? Please share!

Country inspirations

Almost every day is an adventure when you live in the country—you never know what you might encounter. While driving to a meeting one morning, I decided to take the back roads. Out of nowhere, a flock of geese started crossing the road, taking their time while I came to a halt and waited patiently for them to get across the street. They were in no hurry and didn't realize they were making me late for my meeting—try to explain that to a client!

Country living is not for everyone. We do not have a grocery store or even a Starbucks and we have to travel a bit for shopping, restaurants and entertainment. But we have farms where you can purchase fresh produce, eggs, honey and maple syrup; the sounds of nature—birds, crickets, frogs and other creatures; clear night skies where you can view millions of stars and occasionally spot a shooting one; and wonderful color palettes found in the most unusual places. I can't imagine living in the city, even though city life is tempting at times with it's lack of  yard work and having everything close by! But I know I would miss the quiet serenity of the country because in this rushed world of ours, I think we all need a bit of country living from time to time. 

Below are bits and pieces of country inspirations for both city and country folks to enjoy. 

Red apples in an orchard—a complementary color combination.

I spotted this family of ducks in the apple orchard. I love their markings.

An old barn with its rustic appeal. 

Honey bees in a hollow tree—I was afraid to get too close!

Cornstalks add a dash of color to a country road.