Update on Spotlight on Photographers

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Hi, Everyone! Just a little heads-up that the SPOTLIGHT ON PHOTOGRAPHERS, which was going to begin this coming Monday, February 1st, is being postponed until the following Monday, February 8th. This Spotlight looks like it's going to be the best yet with a variety of styles being represented and a GIVEAWAY being offered each day of the week. I'll be here blogging as usual next week, but just need a little more time to organize this special event. Thanks for understanding...it will be well worth the wait. :)

New Book ~ Downtown Chic

Well, it's Friday already...this week just went by in a blurr for me. How about YOU? Was it a good one, a challenging one, an interesting one? I hope your weekend's even better and that you're able to relax, have fun, and get refreshed before the new week.

One of the fun parts about being a blogger is the opportunities that arise because of it. A few weeks ago I received a beautiful book in the mail (free of charge) to review and post about on Simply Hue. The book is called Downtown Chic, and as you can see in the photos above, it's filled with gorgeous COLORFUL images and tips on such topics as:

~ Buying the ultimate fixer-upper
~ Creating a plan before you renovate
~ Decorating with flea market and boutique finds
~ Ideas for how to use vintage artifacts to bring character to your home
~ Creating kids' rooms that appeal to kids' and adults

The authors, Robert and Courtney Novogratz, write from their own personal experience, having successfully and creatively renovated several homes themselves. This book is inspiring and even humorous at times, offering real-world "from the trenches" advice on how to create stylish and family friendly homes. To see more of the couples innovative projects you can visit their website, Sixx Design.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!!! xo

A Creative Idea ~ Polaroid Collages

I featured a few of these Polaroid Collages by Sicoactiva a few months ago but I loved them so much I thought I'd show you a few more! :) Wouldn't this be a fun idea for a weekend project? You could use Polaroid photos that you have stashed away or even make prints of your favorite digital images and arrange them in a collection. I think they would also look great in a frame! You could do a collage of flowers, old family photos, your kids', events you've attended (wedding phots), etc., etc. If you have any other ideas, just chime right in! I'm needing a little creative nudge lately. I'm really enjoying photgraphy but I'm seeing the need to do some more "hands-on" creative projects, too. :)

Online Shopping with Vintage Amethyst

Good morning! How's your week going so far? I'm excited because the sun is actually shining here in Seattle today! I've been a hermit this week, staying inside nursing a sore left arm, so it will be refreshing to get outside and take some photos a little later this afternoon. Any big plans for your day?

If you love old chippy objects as much as I do, you're going to get hooked on the online vintage boutique, Vintage Amethyst, I discoverd via Gathering Spriggs.

This online boutique was founded in 2003 in the UK and the original concept was to provide shoppers with a selection of pretty vintage items and handcrafted jewelery, which is where the name Vintage Amethyst originated, being shopowner Alison Britton-Paterson's , favorite stone. Over the last few years the boutique has evolved & inspiration for Vintage Amethyst today draws upon achieving a "relaxed yet intrinsically pretty home that is filled with unique & beautiful items".

Have fun browsing!!!

Mixed Media Artist, Dolan Geiman

Dolan Geiman is a mixed media artist from the Chicago area. His original works of art include paintings, collages, BOX PRINT® reproductions on wood, and art gifts. His work is contemporary with a touch of nostalgia and if you're a birdlover, like me, you'll appreciate that many of his pieces include them. When I look at Dolan's work it's pretty clear that blue is a favorite color. Soft cool tones add to the calming and restful feeling in his artwork.

People like Dolan Geiman inspire me to be creative and to not put my talents on the back burner. What about you? Have you put your creativity aside? What is one thing you can do this weekend to inspire your creativity. I'd love to hear about it! As a stay at home Mom for several years, I spent alot of time caring for the needs of my family. It's only been in the past year that I've picked up my paintbrushes and found a new passion for photography. I hope you learn faster than I did, to continue to hone your talents and make time for your "craft" as often as possible. Start small and go from there!

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!!! xo

Lovely Clusters Online Gallery

Good morning! Many of you probably know that I am a curator for the online gallery, Lovely Clusters. If you haven't seen what we're about yet, maybe you would like to pay a visit to our site. :) Rachel, the sites creator, chooses from the shops we contact and posts the most gorgeous "color clusters". If you have a shop and you're interested in having your items displayed in the gallery, feel free to contact me at matissecolor@gmail.com And, if you're feeling creative and want to put together your own collage of colorful items (to be posted in the gallery) here's a link to get you started. Have fun!!!

P.S. Thought I'd be around more to blog this week. Somehow the week just got away with me. Hope yours is going well. xo

SPOTLIGHT ON PHOTOGRAPHERS FINALISTS!

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Happy Monday! It's time to announce the SPOTLIGHT ON PHOTOGRAPHERS finalists!!! It was no easy task narrowing down the photographers to feature for this spotlight. There was so much talent and my goal was to choose just 15 entries. If your name isn't listed below, it definitely wasn't anything personal. Each and every one of you are so gifted and I hope to feature your work in the future.

O.k., let's get to those names (if no name was given, I've typed in the name of your shop)!

And the winners are:

~ Kendall Micayla
~ Susannah T.
~ Georgianna Lane
~ Shannon Blue
~ Cassia Beck
~ Nathalie from Flowing Moments
~ Elizabeth Whitaker
~ Angie Muldowny
~ Olive Tree
~ Kellie from Lime Lane
~ Jennifer Jones
~ Sara Norris
~ Shanon Gass
~ Sara from A Very Story
~ Ashley Russel

CONGRATULATIONS, EVERYONE!!! I look forward to featuring your work beginnning on February 1st. If you're interested in offering a print of one of your photos for a GIVEAWAY during the week, please send me an email at matissecolor@gmail.com

Have a great new week! :)

Welcome to Tara's Home

It's Friday! Anything fun planned for your weekend? We're still trying to decide on some things to do. Usually our plans include my husband chaufering me everywhere to take photos. I'm hoping that tomorrow I can go to a local Ballet Workshop and a vintage wedding store called Something Blue. If I do (and the photos turn out) I'll post them here next week. :)

Tara is a new friend of mine via blogging, and when I saw her home photos recently on her blog, I wanted to share them with you. Tara is definitley not afraid of color and I really admire that. With so many people painting their interiors white these days, it's refreshing to see a home with such VIBRANT COLOR. I also love the way Tara creates beautiful vignettes using feminine objects. She has a real talent for decorating!

If you have a chance to visit Tara's blog, you'll notice that she's very "real" and authentic. She's really challenged me to be more open here on Simply Hue. She shares from her heart and encourages her readers to do the same. If you're looking for a place where you can be yourself and talk about the challenges in your life, Tara's blog is the place to visit.

Have a wonderful weekend, Friends!

RaNdOm ArT fOr ThE eVeRyDay

Good morning! Hope your week's going well. Mine's been a little different with my husband home all week. My routine's a little off kilter but it's still good to have him home.

This morning I received a sweet message from a female photographer on Etsy. She has a beautiful photography shop called Random Art For the Everyday. After I read her kind message I visited her photo shop and was in complete awe. It was one of those times where I had a difficult time not comparing my work and feeling inadequate. I don't know about you, but when you have a passion (mine is photography) it's easy to compare and come up lacking in your own mind. This is something I'm really working on because it definitely doesn't bring about anything good. What about you? Ever struggle with comparing yourself to others? I think we all do at times.

Anyways, above are examples of her GORGEOUS and CREATIVE photographs. Her shop is so fun and I love her idea about taking a photo with every letter of the alphabet. Take a look here!

Blog Love!

O.k., I've done it....two blog posts so far this week! lol.

Hey, have you heard about this new blog? Indie Icing is an inspiring blog with a focus on handcrafted finds and craft tutorials. I love their motto, too: "We've got your creative side covered -- just like icing on a pretty little cupcake." Above are just a few of the aritists and shops they've featured recently.

Another wonderful thing about this site? It's orchestrated by a group of really sweet ladies. If you have a chance, stop by and leave a comment for them. :)

Have a great Tuesday, friends! xoxo

Call to Photographers!!!

Beautiful photo by Susannah T

Well, it's that time again! The first week of February will be our first 2010 SPOTLIGHT ON PHOTOGRAPHERS! If you're interested in submitting your work, here's what you need to do:

1. Send a link to your shop, blog, and/or website to matissecolor@gmail.com. No need to attach photos to your email. I'll look them up using the links you send. :)

2. I'll be choosing 15 photographers and 3-4 photos from each to feature every day during the first week of February.

3. The deadline to submit your work is this Friday, January 15th.

4. I'll post the names of the featured photographers here on Simply Hue this coming coming Monday, January 18th! Please stop by to see if your name is on the list. I get quite a few submissions, so don't be hurt if your name isn't listed. I wish I could choose everyone, but it makes for a full week featuring even 3 a day.

I look forward to hearing from you and looking through all of your beautiful photos!!!

Monday Morning Inspiration

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Good morning! Hope your Monday doesn't feel like a typical Monday. I've already been out and about taking my husband to his dental surgery, mailing things at the post office, and running a couple more errands. Today will be a short post but I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you before I tackle my long "to do" list today.

So, with the new year here, do you have any goals? Here are a few of mine. Concerning "Simply Hue" I want to 1. Write more from my heart 2. Support other bloggers by commenting on their posts 3. Feature even more talented artists, photographers and designers in 2010, and 4. Blog more consisitantly. Somehow I've gotten out of the habit over the last couple of months and I need to get myself in gear again. ;)

As for personal goals, here are my three main ones: 1. Take "excellent" care of my health. That means making my physical, emotional, and spiritual needs top priority. I even want to pick up some hand weights this year, which isn't my favorite form of exercise. I love aerobic type exercise, but it takes great effort for me to lift weights 2. Nurture friendships/relationships that are important to me 3. Don't sweat the small stuff (or as an elderly lady I met at the dentist's office said to me this morning "Don't sweat the small stuff OR the big stuff!")

O.k. YOUR turn! What are a couple of YOUR goals for the new year?

Happy Friday!!!

New in my shop!

It can't be Friday already! If you've had a long week, you're probably glad that Friday came quickly. I was homebound most days because my husband totaled his car on Monday (no injuries, thankfully) so he needed my car to drive to work. Tomorrow I plan on being gone ALL day long!

How are you? How was your week? Any exciting plans this weekend? Whatever you do I hope you get some YOU time. See you here on Monday! xo

I've Been Tagged!

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O.k., it looks like I've been "tagged"! My task is to tell you 10 things about myself. This is a little out of my comfort zone but that's o.k. You're a great group of people and I'm sure you won't be too hard on me. ;)

1. When I was I was in pre-school I remember going door to door in my neighborhood with a little red wagon full of tiny frogs. I sold them for 5 cents a piece! I was a small business owner even then. ;)

2. I moved 12 times growing up and went to nine different schools. My Dad wasn't in the service, we just had a bit of "gypsy" in us.

3. When I was in elementary and junior high school, I was a bit of a trouble maker. I loved to talk in class, get into water fights in the halls, sing loud on the bus, etc.....every teacher's and bus drivers nightmare.

4. I'm married to my best friend and have three older kids. They're 22, 20, and 17. I got married when I was 12. Just kidding.

5. I've had some troubling neurological symptoms over the last 8 years. Doctors think it's MS (Multiple Sclerosis) but we're just waiting for more evidence on my MRI.

6. I love ART and CHILDREN and have taught art classes in the past. I teach about famous artists and then we create projects based on that famous artists style.

7. One of my favorite things to do is to take country drives. Even before I had a camera, I just loved taking a drive with my windows rolled down and the country music turned up...yes, I like country music. lol.

8. I love coffee, cheese, and chocolate!

9. I hate hotel sheets and I'm nervous about extreme heights.

10. I love everybody and make friends easily....hope that's not bragging.

Have a great day, friends, and thanks for listening to me ramble. xo

Pastel Petals

One thing I love about assisting Rachel Follett in curating for her online gallery, Lovely Clusters, is that I get to spend waaaayyyyy too much time browsing Etsy to find sellers for the site. One seller I discovered a few days ago is "Pastel Petals". Their work is so delicate, whimsical, and romantic. The designer of this beautiful jewelry is from Singapore. Here's what she says about herself and her shop:

"I'm just a simple woman, who loves making beautiful things since young. Glad that I found Etsy, a little space to share my handmade creations.

My other loves:

*Dogs, my heart always melt when I see a puppy. My first dog was a Bichon Frise, still have many vivid memories and will always remember her fondly.

*Travel, my favourite destinations so far, Venice and Japan.

*Nature, from simple things like a cool rainy day, to the grandeur of the Grand Canyon. My wish is to be able to see Aurora Borealis one day.

*Music, all kinds, mostly soft rock, ballads, pops, retro, new age etc.

*Dance

If you have a free moment and want to get absorbed in beauty, check out her Etsy Shop!

Just A Girl Thing

Good morning! Are you getting back into the swing of things today? My husband was home for two weeks during the holidays and went back to work this morning and I'm all set to get going on this blog again. ;) Hope your Christmas and New Year's were happy and memorable.

The photos above are from a series I'm working on (and selling) in my Etsy Shop. It's been so much fun planning these out! My daughter (somewhat reluctantly) models for the photos. By the way, I'm going to be lowering my shop prices later today so they'll be more affordable. ;)

Thanks so much for dropping by.....I'm looking forward to posting some cool things this week and, as always, I love reading your comments. Have a great new week!