anthro in atlanta

people often ask "how do you get your ideas? what do you do for inspiration?" every artist, designer or co-creator needs to be able to unplug and find places that stir up new visions. one of the places that sparks my best ideation is the globally famous "anthropologie." it's a mall kind of store- usually one cavernous room full of french kitchenware, items for the home, candles, toiletries and totally unique (and pricey) women's clothing. i seldom actually make a purchase at anthro but my mind is crazy full of new ideas every time i peel myself out of the store. the thing i like best about the store displays is that it's mud n spit in nature. most of the decor materials are natural resources you can find or purchase for pennies - all boldly combined into fun and striking displays.

today's catch featured waves of cardboard squares screwed into the entryway walls,
a wall of eclectic clocks - some old and some even fake - jumbled over a very yummy wall of classy old cupboards, a mobile created from hangers covered w/ printed paper - all nicely arranged. a candle set inside a glass container potted down into popcorn, lentils or rubberbands is such a lovely occasional feature in the store. a twine trellis stretched across a simple wood frame fastened to the back of an old table gives an inspiring backdrop, encouraging tomatoe plants to stretch and grow. slices of birch logs lined up into a trunk shape then sport 1" disks of the same type tree as leaves. mounted on floral wallpaper the faux birch tree gives me a peaceful, happy feeling :)

i've got ideas to take back to tipp city and try out, both in my home and at ginghamsburg church. gotta love mud n spit design.

summer style

following the birth of amari life picked up speed. i find myself needing to get back to blogging and sharing more pictures, ideas and what's going on in general...summer style.

african tent event
ginghamsburg is currently hosting 12 african pastors to help them learn everything we know about effective communication. our ginghamsburg host families and these pastors gathered for dinner in our summer event tent last sunday evening. we used plants, small metal fence pieces and a casual grilled meal to help the pastors feel right at home.











avenue paint project
during the last month the makeover team servants have joined the movement to paint the avenue classrooms. i chose a new color scheme that is working well - all colors from lowe's: blue ironwork, salmon shade, olive 4 and vintage grey. with large walls and limited design budget we used paint to frame out windows and paint accents where possible. we're almost done with all the classrooms and when finances get freed up we'll do the large gym area using the same basic color scheme.













atlanta design fun
we are now in atlanta, ga. visiting our kids and helping our son benj design and furnish the now-being-built office space for his design company (eyespeak.com)
the space has an open loft kind of feel - warm wood ceiling, exposed lighting and ductwork - with a stained cement floor and some brick accent walls. benj loves wall climbing and is going to feature an authentic climbing wall in the entryway. his clients are attracted to the young, talented staff and we feel the climbing wall will create a distinctive environment that well-describes the staff within.