May each day of 2009 be filled with LOVE, LAUGHTER & the SURPRISES that make life beautiful… here are a couple of calendar options to keep track of your adventures!!
2009 Yee-Haw County Fair and a Singing Chicken Handprinted Letterpress Poster Calendar
Available from Yee-Haw Industries on Etsy. $25
2009 Field Notes Calendar
Available from the Curiosity Shoppe. $12
Cowgirls of the Old West 2009 Calendar. $12.95
I once had a local reporter call to ask me for a Kansas City house that was full of COLOR. Without hesitation I gave her the phone number of one of my favorite friends and clients, Anna.
Like most colorful souls, Anna has no idea how spot-on her style and taste really is… I always love my trips to her house so that she can share all of her new treasures with me. There is always some little vintage knick-knack ~ an old pair of spurs, a Mexican rug, or a quirky new pair of earrings. It is my JOY to style these treasures and contribute to Anna’s COLORFUL Family Home.
All of these pictures are from a couple of weeks ago when we had our annual Holiday Decorating session…
When you walk into Anna’s home the first thing you see is the “wall of crosses” in their amber-colored hallway. I love it so much that I have made my own “wall of crosses” in our basement. This is a wonderful collection… I can add to it whenever we go on a vacation, or to commemorate a big event, and it also offers up an extra dose of FAITH which we all need.
A couple of years ago Anna and her Hubby added this family room to the back of their home. The stone fireplace adds some funky, rustic personality to the space. And, of course, the turquoise wall color is yet another testament to Anna’s willingness to play with a bright palette. The chair is one she ordered from Cactus Creek, and the canvas poster is Double D Ranchwear, from Ann’s Turquoise.
This is a heavy iron frame that Anna found at a sale and supplied with a mirror. For Christmas decor we added a vintage lariat bedecked with red bells.
In the family room there are glass doors that lead to the sun room. The vintage rug above the doors was a find in an Arizona market. For the Holidays Anna displays the terra cotta ornaments that her sister made for Christmas one year. What a great craft idea for next year’s gifts!!
The leather bench is from Will Wyatt’s Cowboy Couture. The bell-shaped rawhide lamp shade, and the iron lamp, are also from Cactus Creek.
Moving on to the formal dining room ~ turned music room. It is here that Anna’s son practices guitar and also where they made space for a grand piano {a family piece that her parents restored 45 years ago}. The unconventional coral walls add energy to the space, while the vintage rugs and textiles carry on the eclectic vibe that makes Anna’s house so much fun.
The wall hanging is a vintage saddle bag textile that Anna found in Arizona. The angel was purchased at the fabulous KC retailer, Curious Sofa.
The dining area {painted the same striking amber color as the entryway} boasts paintings of Anna’s kiddos. The talented artist is Anna’s friend Mike Savage. On the table is a rustic collection of Mother Nature’s finest, including the massive California pine cones purchased from Vintiques {Anna’s favorite new shop located in Kansas City’s River Market}.
Also in the dining area is a Chinese Sideboard featuring a collection of tin Mexican candelabras from the antique malls & flea markets that Anna frequents.
In the center of these is a “Mini Shrine”. This is one of my favorite pieces in Anna’s house ~ on the back it says “Tin - Santurio de Chimayo 1922 Holy Dirt Room” ~ the artist simply signed it “G”. The tin came from the roof they had to replace on the Holy Dirt Room. {The Holy Dirt Room is located in the back of the chapel, the Dirt floor is said to deliver miraculous cures ~ Read more about Santurio de Chimayo HERE.}
On the wall hangs two Reverse Glass Paintings, one found at an estate sale, the other at a Santa Fe Flea Market.
On the coffee table in the front room is a collection of red & green, plus elements inspired by nature, that was arranged for the Holiday Season. The iron cross is Jan Barboglio, and the red drum is from an antique store in Atlanta. The perfect composition…
Thanks Anna!! xoxo, Fancy
** Click HERE to see all of our OPEN HOUSES **
{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com
BLOG delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!
Before we pack up all of the HOLIDAY DECOR, I have a couple of OPEN HOUSE installments today…
This FABULOUS front porch is from our first OPEN HOUSE, Lane & Nancy’s Log Home. Nancy sent me this pic last week…
“I finally finished the container pots on the front porch and we hung the swags from the lanterns. The pots are real juniper and pine and winterberry branches.”
It’s simple, festive, and PERFECT for their Rustic Log Home…
to see the rest of their OPEN HOUSE, click HERE. Thanks, Nancy!!
Another OPEN HOUSE is on its way this afternoon…
** Click HERE to see all of our OPEN HOUSES **
{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com
BLOG delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!
Welcome back everyone!! Well, the big week is over, one more week of New Year’s fun and then it’s back to the routine of life. I have to be honest, I am kind of looking forward to the routine that typically sets in during January & February… the opportunity to get your home back to “normal” after the Holiday decor comes down, and also {God willing} get our bodies back to normal. I cannot believe how much food our family has consumed over the past two weeks!! And really, three little boys don’t eat that much, it’s been the Hubby and ME eating like it’s our last chance before winter hibernation.
It has gotten so bad that I’m resorting to the pajamas if we are at home. I cannot bear to wear my jeans around the house, I have {at least} a couple of weeks of no-carb dieting before I’m back into those babies…
All of this leads to today’s post… Western * Cowboy *
Cowgirl Pajamas
This weekend I was really appreciating my lounge wear and wishing for more, this led me to Sleepyheads.com. Their Frankie & Johnny Campfire Robe was a part of our Gifts for Her List, and I am now in love with this online company!! Yes, I will probably order some new pjs, but these also make great gifts!! January birthdays, new moms, and all of the other gals {& guys} who have it all, they can all use a new pair of PJs!! Check out these diddies, all of them serving up that YEE-HAW vibe we LOVE…
Sundance Blue Thermal Lounge wear
I could wear this night & day, FOREVER, and always be happy… $90
Prancing Horses Matching Mommy & Me Lounge Set
This is the perfect gift for a NEW MOM,
OR shop ahead for Mother’s Day… too cute!!
Bear County Sleepshirt
For those of you who have an affinity for BEARS ~ I know there are some cabin gals that can’t get enough, and these are darling!! $28.95
Cowgirl’s Blue Flannel PJ Shirt
Perfect for your next slumber party… $76
Cicciabella Rodeo Sweetheart Turquoise Trail Slipper Boots
… and the coordinating slippers, of course!! $44.95
Deep In The Heart Of Texas Sleepshirt
Last but not least… BOYS ~ LISTEN UP!! If you want to find a way to get your cowgirl down to her skivvies, then PURCHASE THESE NOW. Sooo cute ~ so hip ~ and perfect for the gal who LOVES to Cowgirl Up!! $49.95
{There is also a Thermal Lounge Set that ROCKS!!}
** Click HERE for more LINKS to
Western * Rustic Merchandise you’ll LOVE **
Another DIVINE collection from the trip to VEGAS…
A modern Texas legend, Rocketbuster Boots is a one-of-a-kind business offering one-of-a-kind boots. Having spent years coveting these boots ~ and hours dreaming of my own design that I will one day commission ~ I cannot think of a better way to wish you a
Christmas full of BLESSINGS.
It is time to wrap up the stories from my COWBOY Christmas trip to VEGAS. There are so many people that I have yet to share with you, I’ll be writing about other sources that I met in Vegas often over the next few months so STAY TUNED. Better yet…
Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE and have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!
Andy Sanchez was another artist that I had the absolute HONOR to meet while visiting Vegas for the Cowboy Christmas Shopping event. An award-winning wood worker, Andy’s humble spirit, passion and joy shines through his eyes and makes his stories about each piece of furniture an absolute joy to take in…
Most pieces start with a juniper tree that is often over 1000 years old. For years Andy has received most of his wood from a couple that lives near his studio in New Mexico. The husband-wife team has a license to pick the dead juniper from a local National Forest, then with just an ax & ropes, they gather only the dead standing trees.
After the wood has been selected then Andy, with his son Aaron at his side in the studio, {his wife and other children also lend a hand with the family business} begins to picture the finished product and its utilitarian purpose ~ coffee table, dining table, rocker, hutch, or bed… Once the project is defined the creative process begins to take over.
In the images {ABOVE & BELOW} you will see turquoise, alabaster, sterling silver and marble accents. Each of these has been hand picked, then sliced to fit perfectly into the knot holes and secret compartments that are a natural part of the wood. According to Andy, the goal is to “make everything like they did it on purpose”. The beauty of rustic furniture is that it doesn’t cover up God’s work ~ He makes all things perfect and rustic furniture amplifies the scars and birthmarks that God gives to trees. Andy echoes this perfectly when he tells me that his job is to “orchestrate what God has already done to awe the spirit of man.” It is this ethereal perspective that makes the Sanchez’s furniture so special.
With a willingness to allow God’s work to radiate, Andy and Aaron Sanchez build each piece of furniture and in doing so the rest of the story begins to unfold. The tables BELOW were two of the pieces that Sanchez brought to Cowboy Christmas in Vegas. Click on the thumbnails ~ these tables can do the storytelling better than I can…
Finally there is the question of care. These tables are so exquisite, the craftsmanship perfection, according to Andy many people are afraid that they can’t put a glass down on the table or it may be ruined. This, however is NOT the case. The Sanchez’s spend hours sanding, waxing and oiling the finish on the tables. This is an integral part of their process because it is what carries on their craftsmanship for a lifetime. Once they have finished the furniture all that is left to it’s owner is cleaning the surface with Liquid Gold
I believe with all of my heart that a hundred years from now the Sanchez furniture will be a prized possession of families, and also recognized as an enormous contribution to the Rustic * Western furniture market in the 21st Century. These tables are beautiful, functional, and an investment that will be a part of your family for generations to come. Andy and Cheryl, thank you for your time.
** Click HERE to see more of the VEGAS VENDORS
from Cowboy Christmas **
** Read more about Andy & Aaron Sanchez HERE **
{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!
This morning I posted a story about the MURAL MOSAIC horse, Le Cadeau Du Cheval. Now on to another horse that I came across in Vegas ~ this is an altogether different equine subject, but equally commanding…
Based in Southern California, Cynthia Andersen uses her Fine Arts background, including a 12 year stint at painting billboards, as the foundation of her creative expedition. The result of these creative efforts, a paleolithic horse that is applied to pottery, dishware, tiles and now furniture, have brought Cynthia to the place that she feels she has always been headed.
Despite health issues, Cynthia has spent the last 5 years developing her own raised glaze pottery technique which has been compared to raku, but is really a personal process that has taken a great deal self-teaching, and LOTS of trial & error. Cynthia’s lead-free glazes are both microwave and dishwasher safe. This unique originality, along with their versatility, makes her pottery ideal for a collection.
Cynthia’s horse {which surprisingly has no name} is her own copy-righted design. She teases that she has drawn him so much that she can do it with her eyes closed. She has always had a passion for horses and all they represent ~ beauty, power and wealth. The paleolithic horse that inspires Cynthia also represents all that the horse has meant to man, even when we lived in caves the horse was our transportation, our ability to work, and our partner in crime.
From Cynthia’s marketing materials comes a further explanation of the reliance our ancestors had on horses: “The absolute priority of early man was food, survival for what he knew as his entire world, his people. So important was this dangerous hunt that he prepared emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Even then man was aware of greater powers than the mere physical world. Drawing evoked the spirits of the beast into his realm where he could master the power of the wild, insuring his success.” ~ Artist, Cynthia Andersen
Cynthia has taken her horse to all mediums. From furniture to dinnerware, tiles & bathroom sinks. All of these can be created. In fact any custom work is accepted and the result is always exceptional. Each piece is made by hand and no two pieces are ever the same. The bathrooms and sinks are my favorite, wouldn’t it be wonderful to design an entire bathroom on this creative energy?? And the hand made knobs are also a delightful way to add just a pinch of color in a space!!
In addition to her original palette of turquoise and brown, new colors are being explored. Red was the featured color at this, Cynthia’s fourth year at the Vegas Cowboy Christmas Show, look out next year for HOT PINK!! I can’t wait… In the meantime you can purchase Cynthia’s pottery online at Crème de la Crème, or at the gallery near her hometown, the Tehachapi Valley Arts Association. OR email her business partner, Donna HERE.
Staye tuned, also, for Cynthia’s website which will show her line in more detail. I’ll post it just as soon as I have the info!! Thank you to Cynthia and Donna!!
** Click HERE to see more of the VEGAS VENDORS
from Cowboy Christmas **
** Click HERE to see our growing list of
RUSTIC * WESTERN * VINTAGE Artists**
{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!
It has been a bit hectic rounding up all of the brilliant people I met in Vegas… I do have a few more for you this week before we head out for the holidays. Enjoy!!
When visiting COWBOY Christmas in Las Vegas I was so pleased to run across the space laid out for the Le Cadeau Du Cheval - The Horse Gift. This is a magnificent compilation of 238 paintings of horses ~ when all of these paintings are put together they create a masterpiece work with a running horse as the celebrated subject.
MURAL MOSAIC, the company behind the mural, is the brain child of Lewis Lavoie and Phil Alain who created the organization in an effort to take current artists, celebrate their unique styles, then propel them to international exposure by combining their talents into one definable work. Lavoie first created a MOSAIC when he, himself, painted hundreds of individual paintings to make up the face of Michelangelo’s DAVID. Several years later Lavoie’s mosaic concept, along with 70 artists from Phil Alains’ Night of Artist group, painted live in a 24 hour marathon to create the HERITAGE FIDDLER. The successful event led MURAL MOSAIC to be officially formed. Since then several more Mosaics have been assembled, each with a different subject matter, and with methods other than the 24 hour nail-biting marathon.
The Le Cadeau Du Cheval - The Horse Gift started as the simple idea of a horse. With the horse’s international appeal to a broad range of devotees, as well as the historical significance, strength and power that makes horses so special, this was a subject that could easily touch hearts.Lavoie and Alain then set about contacting artists who, although they had diverse backgrounds, all had a passion for horses. The chosen artists were then sent a master image for their individual panel. These panels, designed by Lavoie, contained color guidelines and simple shapes.
Click on Read More below to read the rest of the story!!
** Click HERE to see more of the VEGAS VENDORS
from Cowboy Christmas **
** Click HERE to see our growing list of
RUSTIC * WESTERN * VINTAGE Artists**
{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!
Designing landscapes for the Western * Rustic home can prove challenging to those of us who live north of Zone 8. The classic succulents used in arid climates don’t have a chance here in the Mid West and Northern regions. A workable solution for myself and my Western * Rustic Decorating clients is native grasses, stonework and simple flowers. Another solution, whether you live in Zone 10 ~ or Zone 1, is Desert Steel… their sculptures will add a whole new dimension to the quest for Western * Rustic landscaping.
It seems strange to be talking about landscaping as I sit here staring at our snow covered front yard, but perhaps this vendor from my trip to Vegas will remind us of warmer days to come ~ in just a few months we’ll be in the yard again, mowing grass and planting flowers.
That said, Desert Steel’s sculptures definitely aren’t limited to the outdoors, you can see what a statement this one makes in the interior image BELOW.
I plan to travel to Desert Steel’s manufacturing facility after the first of the year to learn more about their history, and the process of these sculptures. In the meantime, as you begin making your spring budget, consider exploring Desert Steel and all they have to offer. Just one or two of their pieces will add soaring drama and a distinctive vibe to your landscape. Stay tuned for more from these folks in the next few months!! In the meantime you can see the quality and detail of the sculptures in person at any of these upcoming events:
** Click HERE to see more of the VEGAS VENDORS
from Cowboy Christmas **
** Click HERE to see our growing list of LINKS to
Rustic * Western * Vintage OUTDOORS **
{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!
One of the talented merchants that I met last week in Vegas included Joel West, owner of Four Winds West, an enterprise dedicated to making hand-made leather bags, accessories, and belts using ancient traditions, and superior craftsmanship.
Every year Joel West travels to Morocco {a country on the Northwest tip of Africa, and just south of Spain} for the business of creating leather goods for the American Western market. It was a wonderful history lesson to learn from Joel the rich history of the Moroccan influence on the American West.
The Four Winds website offers this concise narration of our connections to Moroccan history… “Through the arts and culture of the American West runs a deep Moorish influence. Along with the horse, the conquistadors brought a legacy from seven centuries of Moorish Spain. The techniques and motifs used in their finely worked tack, weapons and saddle blankets are the roots of cowboy gear as well as much Native American jewelry and weaving. Four Winds brings this history full circle. At our workshops in the ancient Moorish city of Marrakech, Morocco, master craftsmen still pursue that tradition of excellence in leather and metal, reflecting a heritage share with us in the American West.”
For over 25 years Joel, and wife, Sindie, have been creating these exquisite handbags and accessories. Joel designs each bag himself. He also picks each piece of turquoise, choosing only the best stones. From the workshops in Morocco come all of the buckles, conchos and metal work. Each piece of metal is handcrafted and must pass the highest standards in order to make it onto a bag. With the finest, full grain cowhides each bag and accessory is put together.
Once the bags have been assembled, Joel finishes each piece and inspects it for quality. No sewing or machine work is used to construct the leather work, it is all hand crafted. The beauty and art of these superior techniques shines through earning Four Winds West a place in King Ranch catalog and also in the Arizona Highways Catalog. Joel’s passion for his craft is evident in each piece. Love it… Thank you, Joel.
** Click HERE to see more of the VEGAS VENDORS
from Cowboy Christmas **
{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!
©2008 Cactus Creek Trading Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use/Privacy.
