#20: Guest Room Artwork

It's only taken us a year to get these up. But I love them. On the left, a hand-stitched textile Emily brought me from Panama. Centered, a vintage typeset drawer I bought at Barrett's Antique Mall last Winter. On the right, my most favorite photo I took in Thailand. All said and done....$35! Now I just need little trinkets to help fill the drawer. Donations accepted.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating. 

#42: Alchemy NFK

There is so much happening in the Arts District right now. Alchemy NFK is coming right along and is scheduled to open in September. They are asking for volunteers to come out and help do anything from painting to sweeping, so see what their needs are here. The home of Fairview Place and Glass Gardens has been rumored to be part of The Beauty Parlor's expansion, as a coffee shop (I noticed it got new windows in the second level)! The Zedd's building is set to be torn down any day, with hopes to relocate The Plot there. The Texaco Building has been purchased by The Hurrah Players for their new set- and prop-building location. A skate ramp is being added on Wilson Avenue and according to Norfolk Live, Magazine Lane Properties, LLC has purchased three properties on Magazine Street.

I took myself on a date this morning to the Arts District. With my Yorgo's coffee and camera in hand I spent about an hour and a half, walking around taking pictures. A lot of people just see buildings that haven't changed much. But if you take a closer look, there is change happening in every form - from entire buildings to rust on a lock. From lightbulbs to blooming flowers, it's all taking shape.

So, the big question is, how well do you know the Arts District? Can you easily identify the pictures below? Most of them are probably pretty easy, but go ahead, test your knowledge of the District.

top (1), left (2), right (3)

left top (4), left bottom (5), right top (6), bottom (7)

top (8), bottom left (9), bottom right (10)

top left (11), top right (12), bottom (13)

top left (14), top right (15), middle (16), bottom left (17), bottom right (18)

top (19), bottom (20)

top left (21), top right (22), bottom (23)

left top (24), left bottom (25), right (26)

left (27), right top (28), right bottom (29)

30 :)

Go ahead, take a minute to record your answers. We'll have a word from our sponsors...

#14: Take Myself on a Date, #42: Alchemy NFK, and #52: Photo Story, are off the list!
I'm participating in my third annual 92 Days of Summer challenge. Read about the project here.

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Alright here are the answers!

1) the garage

2) acclaimed events

3) 734 granby st. (next to zed's)

4) oj wholesale

5) new skate ramp

6) texaco building (with the moon!)

7 the beauty parlour by q

8) 112 wilson lane (the old horse stables?)

9) 142 west olney (next to the virginia ballet)

10) bob's gun shop

11) back of studio co-lab

12) norfolk printing company

13) virginia furniture company

14) studio co-lab

15) 801 granby, residences

16) top of zedd's (from wilson ave.)

17) parking lot behind the texaco building

18) parking lot next to alchemy nfk

19) the garage

20) alchemy nfk

21) 763 granby st.

22) virginia furniture company

23) exotic home

24) texaco building

25) stark and legum

26) daevid's floral

27) wilson avenue

28) hayne photography

29) zedd's (olney side)

30) 765 granby street or glass gardens/fairview place

Talley up your score and see where you rank!

0-6: Vacant Retail

Have you been to Norfolk before? Heard of the Arts District? Appears not, but if the dilapidated buildings down here have potential, then so do you! Come out and spend a few hours perusing the neighborhood, you'll be happy you did.

7-13: Starving Artist

We understand, life is hard for you. But you owe it to the Arts District, after all, walking is FREE! Better hit the streets and get a little more familiar with a place that is being created for you!

14-20: Better Blocker

You helped build some pallet furniture, you even told all your friends about 'this art thing happening in Norfolk.' Good job! Now, go to the next level and write your city council, contact Alchemy NFK to volunteer, or get a group of your friends to donate to The Norfolk Arts District today!

21-29: Alchemist

You are a forerunner of transforming dust and dirt into murals and skate ramps. Your attempt to convert medieval city laws into a universal zoning permit elixir is almost complete. Keep up the good work!

All 30: Mayor of Arts Districtville

Really? All 30? You deserve free rent for a year, a coffee shop named after you, and a bicycle lane with your face on it. Norfolkians should aspire to be just like you, an Arts District Rockstar!

Monday Musebles

This weekend was one of the best I've had in a long, long time. It was a well-rounded, well-rested, well-spent two-day break that I would wish for every weekend. Friday night we volunteered for Downtown Norfolk's First Fridays, by pouring beer. We had drinks with friends afterward and I accidentally stumbled upon some out-of-town friends celebrating their wedding eve (best accident ever!). Saturday I spent the morning finishing up our new buffet and hutch (pictures to come soon), meeting the lovely Lisa of Norfolk Fair Trade and the talented Robyn of Earth Studios. Saturday night we celebrated AltDaily's 5-Year Anniversary at 80/20 Burger Bar and Sunday we made our way to the Food Trucks Fostering Change event at the Hermitage Museum & Gardens.

I had never been to The Hermitage but have heard and seen so many good things, so I was really looking forward to this free day. With rain in the forecast I had my doubts about spending a whole lot of time exploring, but the grey clouds cleared way and made for the perfect afternoon. The Hermitage was the home of William and Florence Sloane, who moved to Norfolk in 1893. He was the superintendent and part-owner of the Berkeley Knitting Mill and she designed the home and mothered their two children. She was an avid art collector, which eventually led to her founding what is now the Chrysler Museum of Art.

The home began as a simple five-room summer cottage, but in almost 30 years turned into a 42-room mansion. Mrs. Sloane always intended for her home to be a museum, and is it ever! There are more than 5,000 objects, which represents 30 countries and the collection spans 5,000 years of art history. Many pieces were of the Asian influence, which was particularly interesting to me.

See those painted toes? First time all Summer! #73 on the List.

Mike and I walked through the home in awe of every ornate detail and the age of some of the artifacts. We headed outside to where the food truck court, music and art tents were set up. He tried Malbon's BBQ for the first time and raved about it the rest of the day (this is good to know because they frequent Smartmouth Brewery, which is close to our house), and I had a Neptuna taco from Bros Fish Tacos - also delicious!

We ventured through the some of the land, which include a water tower, a gardener's cottage, a rose garden, a garden of mill stones, walking paths and scenic views of the Lafayette River. So, so pretty! I think I even heard a mutter of "we could get married here..." from my other half ;)

#15: Hermitage Museum & Gardens and #85: Photo Story are off the list!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Read about it here.

#46: Freebie

All my good photo wall research became super useful last night. We spent some time Monday night arranging the frames in different ways and ended up liking most of them. I'm not really sure we ever settled on just one, but we must have gotten bored and left the room.... making this our final design. Kudos to Mike and his patience for doing all the precise measuring and hammering. Kudos to my toe for not breaking when the drill dropped on it.

This whole wall only cost me $2. I had all the frames, except the diamond mirrors which were purchased at the thrift store for $1 each. The faces are charcoal drawings my sister brought back from Asia. The teal butterfly is hand-stitched by my Great Aunt Alice (in 1978) and the other two pieces are things I designed. 

First photo wall down! #46, you're off the list! I'm participating in my third 92 Days of Summer challenge. Read about the project here.

Color Therapy

This month's color therapy is more about the color and style of picture frames, rather than just one particular color. I've done Round 1 of photo editing all my travel photos from the years and I'm at 44. Somehow I need to get that down to a solid 15. Or less if I introduce mirrors and decor in the mix. These are the walls I'm totally digging so far.

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Nice and calm. The black and white is a little too plain for me, but it looks nice with all black and white photos.

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I hate when pictures touch, but this looks amazing. Although, everything looks amazing on a brick wall. Not sure I'd do all mirrors, but throwing in one or two is definitely happening.

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Nice photo wall for the craft room where pictures could constantly change - or even the kitchen with different recipes.

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Great looking stairwell, which we have...

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Like the idea of using art in the corner. That way we wouldn't have to clog it up with more furniture :)

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Mike would probably hate this. And I have to admit, it's a little eclectic for even my tastes, but it does look adorable here.

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This is one Mike would absolutely love. It's a fantastic way to display all those panoramic photos he's always picking out!

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The mix of wood, black, warehouse, and country is great in this.
Can you just move it to Norfolk for me?

Monday Musebles

It was a weird weekend. Mostly for reasons I can't, and don't want to, talk about just yet. Mike took a trip to Richmond for a friend's Bachelor Party and I remained productive the rest of the time. I bought flowers for Deb from Clark's Nursery in Ghent - which is a must-stop. They have definitely expanded since last year, carrying herbs and citrus trees (how badly I want a lime tree), plus all your other garden necessities, at reasonable prices. 

For the first time, I went to the Town Center Art & Wine Festival and was pleasantly surprised. They had about 20 vendors and maybe 8 wineries (I didn't get to them all), live music and outdoor seating in the Fountain Plaza. It's much smaller than the Town Point Wine Festival we usually go to in Norfolk, but here you could actually taste the wine, and you didn't have to pay just to get in the door!

Kelly made coffee flan for dessert on Sunday.
The consistency and coffee aftertaste was just right!
I think coconut should be next on the list.

Sunday morning I woke up at 7 a.m., started laundry, cleaned the house, ran to the grocery store and took out the trash all before 9! I realized this is the routine my mother (and most mothers) has been living for the past 40 years of her life. When I was taking a five-minute break at 10:15, I realized how lucky those of us with wonderful mothers really are...We spent the rest of the afternoon with Mike's momma, brother and sister-in-law - it was her first Mother's Day!! Thomas got her the nicest engraved bookmark, he told me he picked it out all by himself (the boy has good taste ;). 

Honestly, I'm ready for Thursday. I'm not sure I can deal with two more days like today...