Handmade Holidays

The show is installed!!!  There is something for everyone.  What a great turn out of artist and art.  It took awhile to figure out how and where to put it all and make each piece shine.  I think we did a good job.  The reception is this Friday, December 2nd at 6:00 pm.  Elon Shomaker will be back doing his DJ thing. We would love to have you come and help us kick off the holiday season this Friday.  We are sure to have a wonderful handmade gift for someone on your list!  Remember to support your economy locally and give cheer globally.  

Thanksgiving Weekend

It started with a trip out to the antique barns.  They happened to be closed but all was not lost.  We saw these old abandoned houses on the way so we stopped to take a peak.  They were old juvenile correctional houses from the 20's.  The houses were so beautiful in all their decay and probably hold stories we couldn't even imagine.  It was a dark beauty juxtaposed with such a great fall day.  The guys went in to explore while cutie and I stayed outside on our own adventure.  There were old pianos and furniture just left to rot inside.  Windows were busted out with lace curtains flowing in the wind.  We want to go back out and explore some more.   

Our small Thanksgiving Feast was a welcomed treat with all we have going on right now.  Don't get me wrong we do love the house filled with people and tons of noise on most Holidays so this was a different experience to actually fit everyone at one table.  The highlight of the feast was the cheese stuffed pumpkin.  The link to the recipe is here : Cheese stuffed pumpkin recipe.  I have dreamed about this since last Thursday! The company was great and the food delicious.  

We went uptown to the Thanksgiving Parade.  We love the parades Charlotte holds.  It is a really fun experience.  It was the perfect day and a perfect way to get the festivities started.

We found this years perfect Christmas tree.  The smell and lights have set the mood in the house.  I can't believe it is almost here.

And the big project I am in the middle of now.  The clean slate before we started the new installation.  We are getting ready for the big reception this Friday night.  I will post the after pictures later tonight. It is the biggest show I have curated with so many different artists and mediums.  It truly is a Handmade Holiday!  You can do all your shopping in one spot.  The reception should be a great time this Friday.  

Sushi Workshop and Thanksgiving Printables

We had a wonderful time last Saturday at the space with the Charlotte Eat up Club.  They took the intimidation factor out of making Sushi. Thanks to Chris.  Everyone made their own rolls and as the night went on the confidence brought some beautifully executed sushi.  The concept of the eat up club is so logical it's ingenious.  To share a quote from the site: "It's about time Charlotte started a place for good people to share good food!  Let the connections, inspirations, friendships and fullness commence!" It was nice to mingle with new faces and enjoy a great meal under the disco ball.  

Keihly suggested we have one at the space after a Saturday Yoga class.  We were honored to have it there and to now be a part of it.  To see the great photos Keihly took of the night click the link here: Sushi Photos.  If you are interested in joining just let us know and we will pass along the information. 

I printed these pages and cut out each question one year. I placed them on the Thanksgiving table near each plate.  They brought out some really interesting conversations.  If you want to give it a try this year print them out and see what dialog you can create...

3 Things for the Weekend...

We were able to go to the opening night of the 2011 Charlotte Auto Show on Wednesday. (Thank You Vinoo & Ally) The new cars were interesting but I have to say my favorite was the pristine antique car section with cars on loan from the local auto club.  Everything about those cars is rich in detail and beauty.  The aesthetics of them are just so attractive.  It is always so mesmerizing to stare at the perfect compliment of function and beauty.  I would love to attach one of these hood ornaments on my car now.  It is going on throughout the weekend at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Another great time this weekend is the Universoul Circus.  I stumbled across it last year while at my favorite thrift store on Freedom Drive.  They come once a year and set up in the Old Freedom Mart parking lot.  I know people abhor the circus because of the animals.  This circus is about 15% animals and the rest pure human athleticism and talent.  It is a super fun event filled with an emphasis on community and great spirit.   The ring master and his sidekick carry the show.  There is NEVER a dull moment.  Performers approach you throughout the show.  The playlist is so fun everyone under the Big Top can't help but dance in between acts.  The tickets are super cheap and you will never question if you received enough entertainment for the price.  The message they put out along with the performance is a must see if you have the time!

Of course Last but not least!  The closing reception for Jessica Moss will be tonight here at Studio K.  If you are around and would like to get a chance to view this wonderful show please come in.  We will be open with beverages and a snack while you peruse and talk with the artist from 6:00-9:00 tonight.  I really enjoyed working with Jessica and having her pieces fill the space for the past few weeks.

A Night of Murder Mystery and CLUE

The above is a picture of our first family photo shoot.  I will have to do a full post of our shoots over the years sometime soon.  The first year we did this we came up with the idea to do the cover of the board game CLUE.  Erik Saxon from WSOC TV had done a video shoot of me painting one day at my studio and it lead to him being the perfect candidate to shoot the photos and we could not have been happier.  He got into all the themes and really made the day so much fun.  

Which leads me to the below pictures...

We have always wanted to do a murder mystery dinner.  Probably where we schemed up the idea for the CLUE picture. When we saw the Groupon for one in our area we had to get it.  We all relived our CLUE moment and got dressed up for a night on the town.  It really was such a fun experience.  

Chanee from {me}longings made this amazing video 

from the opening reception last Friday.  

You can check out her the full post here: {me}longings

Hey Ladies...

I thought I would do a feature on the woman's room here at 2024.  The structure we were starting with was much like the mens room, falling apart.  It was fun to put it back together with our touch.  In the mens room we designed the room around the antler chandelier.  In the ladies room we wanted to design it around the wallpaper.  We found this vintage digitally remastered butterfly print.  We placed a portion of it on the main wall and underneath the carrera marble countertop.  We accented it by painting the wall a purple color we pulled from the wings which helped it pop off the wall.  Another little touch I love was painting the stalls a bright pink that incapsulate you when the door closes.  We added in the perfect wired light that is oversized just enough to add another geometric pattern to the space.  The large porcelain floor tiles are a faux white suede that give a subtle texture to the light feel of the floor.  We also added our little vintage accents that inspire the space.  The beautiful velvet portrait painting (yes I said velvet painting and beautiful together) is a perfect overlay on the wallpaper.  I love the art deco ash tray that houses the soap and the lipstick caddy that adorns the back of the toilet.   

Before

After