Artfully April

Homegrown Style - Taken at the end of March; we are amazed daily at the progress of the fruit transforming from flowers on our fruit trees. Currently the figs, peaches and apples are making the brave evolution. Other than fig trees which were put in the first year making them 3 years old; the other fruit trees are on their second year. Knowing that it can take up to 5 years for a tree to become established enought to start seeing fruit; we are delighted to see the progress.

For those of you who love to upcycle; you may be interested to know that the skirt and top I'm wearing were redesigned from an antique tablecloth that I had on hand. It was too precious to toss or donate so I designed around the stained areas to create this year's Easter outfit.

FREE THINKERS - I'm fortunate that my parents are both creative in their own ways and like many others I see their sparks of creativity in me. My father is excellent with color and mechanically inclined as well; my mom has always enjoyed creating with her hands, sewing and cooking. We enjoyed a visit recently to the newly unveiled Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts and took in the perspectives of Impressionists, Cubism, Modernism in a variety of art forms from paintings to sculpture to photography.

The ground floor of the museum hosts several classrooms dedicated to the creative arts from woodworking to ceramics.

A simple project is creating a gallery wall at home. Our home has three gallery walls one in my office, our kitchen and guest bath. A gallery wall can be another way to tell a story about your life.

Wood working is a craft found in both of our families. My own brother by profession has created beautiful furniture pieces for family, friends and clients over the years and I have been amazed at the talent he has and how he's honed his craft over the years. Starting out inspired by Eric Sloane a woodworker in the 1800's he worked from scratch - from choosing the tree in the forest to the final work of furniture art. Here's the wood shop set up at the Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock Arkansas.

At home Mike can often be found tinkering around in the garage but on rare occasions he tries on a new creative activity; most recently I enlisted his help with welding some metal gates for the new cutting garden. The plan is to see it covered in morning glories this Summer but we'll see what Mother Nature allows.

Back to Nature with Family Tree Portraits - Seeing an image in a Jane Campion movie gave me the idea to utilize trees in family portraits while my parents were recently in town. The perfect symbol of creation and a firm rooted foundation. Time spent at several State Parks and the National Forest gave us plenty of opportunities.

Timeless is the way I describe a visit to Moss Mountain especially when you are touring P. Allen Smith's private residence which is a potpourri of elegant antiques mixed into a highly functional and comfortable space. A must see for anyone visiting Arkansas and if a menagerie of farm animals brings a smile to your face all the more reason to book a tour. I've been quite fortunate to experience this enchanting environment in both Spring and Summer and its tough to choose one season over the other. The fragrant blooming bulbs and flowering trees of Springtime meet their equals in the full color bursting blossoms and an abundant vegetable garden of mid Summer.

Family Time Like many families that are spread out across the country or the pond for that matter can find themselves making time in the off season so they can be on duty during the holidays. We find this to be true these days so whether its relaxing with a game of cards, a good movie, strolling through an art museum, sharing a home cooked meal, or taking a hike through nature; we make the best of the time together.

Bambini - The Children's Clothing Collection These images provided the inspiration for a new creative project I am working on. If you know me you know I studied fashion design in college and more recently I am using my sewing and seamstress skills to use altering garments in my local community. Because I have an appreciation for up cycling fabrics its been fun to envision clothing for kids with a touch of the euro style we see on children in Italy. There's an innocence to the silhouettes and refined comfort to the quality fabrics with an impeccable attention to decorative details.

Upcycling clothing starts with me. Here's a closer look at the lace tablecloth turned into this year's Easter outfit. Prom and wedding season is here and with it here are some of the dresses I've had fun working on- details like repairing lace, adding hook and eyes, refitting horsehair, adjusting shoulder seams and straps, hemming, reworking appliqué, adding a deep V into the back of a dress, changing necklines and more! Each project poses a unique challenge but I enjoy bringing the desired aesthetic to fruition.

Making Lotion Soaps

As the warm weather arrives hydration is on my mind. Watering the seedlings in the garden, drinking water after a bike ride, and moisturizing my skin which is bound to see more sunshine from here on out. A copper mold makes an oversized bar of olive oil soap and coconut olive soap.

Healthy Options Salads made with fresh lettuce from the garden have kicked in to season. Most days we enjoy a fresh squeezed juice made from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Recently I froze smoothies and juice in ice cube trays that made organically sweetened popsicles and ice cubes that added a splash of color and flavor to water naturally.

Mom's Day is coming up- shop antiques, homemade and handcrafted gifts to support local artists or to spark your own creativity. You will find out gift selection at The Front Porch Market in Benton Arkansas.