yay for greenville....

...David and Rachel put together this awesome city guide of our sweet Greenville! Woot woot! Thanks guys for the Knack love , and for a super great tour of G'ville!! I'm so proud!

xo

I have plans for these...

....while searching for goods to include in a special holiday gift guide for Design Sponge, {I will let you know when it is up!}, I found these fantastic plastic animals that are hand painted by the sweetest girl in Italy! I could not use them in the gift guide because they were not recycled...which was my theme....BUT I will be using a collection of them to style some shots for the book!

...they are right up my alley: quirky, colorful, and full of personality! Check them out in the good machinery etsy shop.

Hope today is peachy...yeah, I'm going with peachy because it is frigid here today! Peachiness is needed all around!

xo

meet the knack ornamentals...

...I was hit with a wave of fresh inspiration for my knack ornaments this year, and am really excited about the finished product! I cut and bent metal bed spring parts until they were right where I wanted them...and then I finished them off with a little gray paint and brown powder glitter for a distressed effect.{of course!}

There are a couple different options for these ornamentals:

1.  without a button magnet

2. with a button magnet- {red flower button is my personal button} buttons will vary

3.  ribbon tied around the middle as pictured in the second photo. I have one in turquoise, and one in chocolate brown

I have a limited number of these due to their recycled nature....15 to be exact, so if you would like one visit the etsy shop! Edit: They are going fast...11 have already found homes! Only four left!! Thanks so much guys!

How many of you have all of your Christmas shopping done already?! I am not done yet, but have gotten several names checked off my list...fa la la la la! Now to start on the wrapping! I have a plan for my wrappings this year...I hope it all goes down like I see it in my head!...

Hope your Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing...and that you all have a fantastic Monday!

xo

Happy Thanksgiving!

...these photos by traci french are so perfect I can't stand it, and I felt like they were the perfect way to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

I hope it is a great day of spending time with loved ones and dwelling on all of the many blessings that we enjoy each and every day!

..love to all...
..see you monday...

xo

from australia with love...

....I love the blog world for so many reasons, it would take forever to list them all....so I will focus on just a couple things today like friendship and generosity. I have had the privilege of "meeting" so many of you, and emailing on a weekly basis. I enjoy getting to know each and everyone of you that emails and cherish true connections and relationships.

...one such girl that I have gotten to know over the past few months is marie nicole. although she is all the way over in Australia, it has not stopped us from several long email chats and finding that we have several things in common! It has been fun to get to know this sweet lady, and discover her beautiful business. talk about someone who knows how to create AND photograph her work....wowsa! she's got skillz....be sure to stop by her etsy shop....

.... you can imagine my sheer joy when I got to the studio and found this little beauty waiting for me in the mailbox? yeah....I totally did the happy dance...

thank you again, miss marie nicole....it is super fly!

xo

etsy love...

...of the front page kind!... woo hoo! elspeth is a superstar!...

..thank you so much to elizabeth williams for putting this treasury together....and what gorgeous jewelry you have my dear!...

xo

meet aizel...

...she is so fantastically sweet, and has made a serious comeback from two broken legs.... and the dirtiest drawers you have ever seen in your life! this one seriously almost makes me cry...she was so, so scarred and ugly....and now...well...she's just the best thing that ever happened, with a whole new lease on life!

....she is in the etsy shop now....waiting to complete your home...and add some frabjous goodness!

**today's thankful thought:  I am thankful for my husband and his constant support , encouragement , laughter, love, and all around just being the best thing that ever walked into my life....**

xo

** I linked up with cassie here :

my 2011 calendar...

....was lovingly illustrated and designed by my sweet friend dee from our little love nest. I have been anxiously awaiting it's arrival...lingering over every sneak peek....and then ordering one for myself just yesterday!

I love the encouraging and positive quotes at the top of each month, and I really love that this years calendar is about adventure......because there are some big adventures on the horizon for knack, and I am putting on my seat belt! 

I hope that this week is a special week of Thanksgiving for you all...this is simply my favorite holiday of the year....we are all so blessed and have much to be thankful for! I am thankful today for friends....true friends, that invest in my life and challenge me to grow....nurturers. What are you thankful for this week?

xo

you might want to get in on this...

...to enter to win...visit here....I already have some on their way to me so I won't take the chance away from one of you....but I'm so tempted! :)

this week at knack...and a winner!

I wore my wonderful gift from my very special friend...JL....with wingo designs. Isn't it the cutest little piece of furniture you have ever laid eyes on?

my steal of a deal from the jcrew clearance store....ruffles are the best...:)

...a new find....:)...loving having a trader joe's

...part of the food from a fantastic dinner party with a group of new and old  friends!...these camera phone shots do not do it justice....it was delish!

...this was the dish I was in charge of making....roasted peppers and leeks....needless to say...I was tutored...since I don't even eat peppers....but I enjoyed my cooking lesson! thanks "R"....you know I love you to pieces girl!

....it was a great week at knack.....and in life...I'm so thankful for family, friends, and pumpkin bread!...

...oh....and the winner of the fantastic mosaic pendant is :....drumroll please.......

....congrats miss crafty farmer!! you are the winner! please send your info my way so that I can pass it on to miss laura!

have a FANTASMIC weekend friends!

xo

before and after basics: putting the snap in your crackle

...we're cracklin' up over on design sponge today!....

xo

new...

... This is one of the pieces that I am working on for Knack this week. I found a new color, and I am using it as a base on this particular piece. It is a frabjous slate blue/gray that seriously  looks like a turquoise/black in person... so rich and deep and beautiful.... I can't wait to do more of it!...

...Also, I received an email from a potential client in California yesterday and these words: " I just don't see how my house can survive without some of your "knackage", it just makes so much sense to me."....literally brought tears to my eyes....

...Hope you all have a spectacular Thursday!

xo

new jersey knackage....

a pair of these lovely gals....

+ one very swanky desk

+ the best vernon you ever laid eyes on...

= the most fantastic "B" family home

....I wish you all could have seen this house before demolition and remodeling started.....it is amazing what the "B" family has done to this place, and I am thrilled that there are four pieces of knack that live in such a wonderful aesthetic!

I am so happy about that yellow front door...the gray exterior with the yellow door?...practically perfect in every way....and I think that vernon is equal perfection in the entryway! Vernon is one of those pieces that grabbed a hold of my heart and never let go....love him...

xo

mosaic pendant giveaway....

....a few weeks ago, I paid a visit to 10 central avenue studios where miss laura aiken creates, and she introduced me to these new miniature works of mosaic art that were fresh and new! I am super excited for her as she launches this new line of goodies!

...lucky for you all, laura aiken has offered one of her fantastic mosaic pendants as a giveaway today! be sure to visit her blog, and etsy shop to see more of her very detailed and colorful work!

....don't forget to leave a comment here {make sure I have a way to contact you!}, and I will announce the winner on Friday! This is perfect timing for  jump starting your christmas shopping! winkity wink!

...good luck friends!....

xo

meet lavina...

...y'all this piece is seriously one of my favorites! I know I say that about a lot of them, but this one just had me at hello. I bought her at an estate sale....the kind where everyone is running around with sold stickers like mad people....and she was the first thing inside the door.....and everyone looked past her.....except for me....and I couldn't get that sticker on her fast enough!  

I love every bit of her beautiful detail and really struggled with not keeping this one for myself......I have my moments every now and then, and this was a long moment! As it turns out, someone else loved her the same way I did, because she was in the shop less than 24 hrs before she found a home! It makes all of the hard work so worth it to know how much she will be loved.....and imagining how great she'll look in her new space....

....hope you all had an awesome weekend and are ready to tackle a new week!

xo

this week at knack....

1. hespah, lucasta, and ruby all found homes

2. i stayed in my pj's until 4:00 on tuesday...and loved every minute of it!

3. i ordered a special art tool that I have been searching for....finally! fun new projects ahead!

4. 25.00 starbucks gift card showed up in my mail box from miss"D" in new york...you are seriously awesome for being so thoughtful!

5. tomorrow we head to virginia for the weekend....and my jcrew catalog return store is calling me .....loudly

...have the best weekend you guys! I am so thankful for each and everyone of you who has stopped by this week to leave encouragement and happiness for me! you all are gemmie gems!

xo

before and after basics: sanding 101

....today on design sponge I am using some pretty abrasive language! {wink!} Check out my post on sanding....