My Happy Art

 “I don't think artwork can ever be rated high enough. Actual artwork that you love, that speaks to you. You look at it and it makes you happy. That makes a room.”

-Alexa Hampton, Designer

The most favorite piece of art, in my home, has the ability to take me in, calm me, and make me happy.  It holds a personal memory for me as well.

I discovered the oil painting in an art gallery. It had become an ‘orphan’; the painting had made it’s way to the gallery from an estate, and then had languished, without a home, until I stumbled upon it.

The artist signed it ‘Fielder’; however, the artist’s name didn't offer any clues as to his notoriety, or even the location. I felt like it depicted the banks of the Seine river in Paris. I had no other clues to follow.

Forward a few years; my daughter and I were in Paris, and had just toured Notre Dame and the moving Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation*. The monument has a beautiful vantage point, begging for a romantic photo of the city. As I framed my photo with the lenses, I spied the cityscape that my painting captures! My daughter then took this picture, celebrating our discovery, marking a special connection for my (then) teen daughter and me.

Beyond this piece offering a sense of peace, the memory of discovering the point where monsieur  (or Mademoiselle) Fielder set up his or her easel, and painted an image that brings a personal dialog of my life to my home, in the United States.

Finding a piece of art that speaks to you is a treasure. When you are searching for art, look for an aspect that represents your life- your travels, family, passions. It need not be expensive, of famous provenance, or by a famous person. It needs to connect and be special to you. I promise it will return the favor for many years to come, enhancing your home and your story.

* Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation is a memorial to the 200,000 people deported from Vichy France to the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War.

On Beauty and Shelter

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
places to play in and pray in, where nature may
heal and give strength to body and soul.”

-John Muir-

 The common parts of life contain the elements of beauty that create the shelter we need for life.

When you read articles in shelter magazines you kind of expect to read about the newest, most trend setting items that you might need to create the perfect house. What is true, however, is that rooms that are deemed trendy seldom offer shelter, bread, solace, or nurture.

Trend watching has its place. Watching trends can tell us where interior design is going and what we might value as a society. However, a trendy sofa a home does not make.

Beauty can be the ingredient necessary to our daily lives. Home is where you find it. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you eat and sleep in anyone else’s idea of what is right. Home should nurture, cosset, protect, and reflect who you are as a person or as a family. How we individually see beauty is not necessarily the way others may see it.

Beauty can be found in the pride one feels when she cooks for her family. It can be seen in the love another feels as he keeps his yard clean and car safe. Beauty can be seen in a reflection and sparkle from a rain drop as equally as from a crystal vase.

When you search for that thing that might make your house into your home, consider that beauty isn’t in the amount spent on, or the approval or satisfaction of, owning the new thing. Beauty is the soulful ingredient that feeds, houses, and nurtures us daily.

 I challenge you; when you shop, be mindful of the ingredients of beauty you choose.
Will your purchases satisfy a craving for ‘the new’ or will they feed our basic need for true beauty.

 We need beauty to feed our souls. We need that beauty to buoy us. We need beauty to move us toward rest and solace, but mostly to move us toward home.

'Practical Glamour' Thanksgiving Entertaining

Check out the November issue of Oklahoma Magazine!-

You'll discover a Thanksgiving tablescape, that set up for their holiday issue.

You can also read my interview where I share some of my easy tips for making your holiday entertaining easier.

http://www.okmag.com/November-2011/Practical-Glamour/

Looking for a way to freshen up your home bar? Wine bottles are pretty, decanters of liquors are stately, but they can begin to look antiquated year after year...

Seltzer Bottles add a new and interesting change!

photo credit

You may remember seltzer bottles from slapstick comedy... such as on "I Love Lucy".

Seltzer bottles or soda syphons were popular in the 1920s and 1930s and used for cocktails in home bars. The soda water was delivered in these bottles by subscription, much like milk from the milk man.

These bottles are usually easy to find at flea markets and yard sales, ranging from $40 and up. The sea blues and pewter colors are calming and masculine - a simple upgrade for your home bar. Cheers!

Tulsa NPR Interview

Recently I was interviewed about the remodeling and renovations of Mid town Tulsa Mansions. Check out this short interview that aired on Tulsa's NPR!

What the Clients are saying:

Cheers!

"How do you turn a 4 room ugly beige blah apartment into a show piece - - call Jeffrey Evans.

I was needing to downsize from a 2200 square foot house to a 1000 a square foot apartment and Jeffrey Evans was referred to me.

He listened to my wants and needs- and designed an apartment that truly reflected my personality and style.

I gave him the keys and a budget on a Sunday afternoon and said "handle it". My place was ready the following Saturday evening and the "reveal" was way better than anything you see on HGTV. It literally left me speechless!!

Words can't describe how fabulous the place looked so check out the pictures. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words and I think the pictures speak for themselves.

a veryyyyyyyy satisfied client,

C. Cole "

Christmas Decoration Storage

Time to put those decorations away!

No one wants tired decorations next year. Keep them fresh and perky with these tips:

1. To Keep the lights or not. No, is my professional advice. Twinkle lights are only good for about 1000 hours- 1000 hours undisturbed. So, I suggest that you ditch the lights rather than storing them for next year.

If you decide to keep them, wrap them around a cardboard tube to keep them from tangling.

If you decide to keep lights on the artificial tree, remember that boxing up the tree may break bulbs. My experience is that two years is a pretty good lifetime for the lights on a tree. Plan on relighting the tree at least every two years.

2. Bows: When you can, untie them and roll them up in a spool. If they are fancy loopy bows, clip them on to a hanger with a clothes pin, and hang them in an un-crowded closet. Easiest? Lay them loosely in a box or storage tub- with nothing else in it. No crushing, or creasing- usually.

3. Ornaments: Glass ornaments are fragile. This from Mr. Obvious. Pack them back in their original boxes if you can. If not, wrap individually, and lay in horizontal layers between newspapers. Kinda like an ornament sandwich with newspaper bread.

4. Wrapping Paper; Assign a drawer or trunk to keep all your wrapping paper together. Bows, tags, tape and scissors all in one place make it easier all year for wrapping. If you put it away in storage, it will most likely be; a. forgotten, b. damaged, c. replaced because you forgot that you already bought it last year.

5. Garland, Wreaths and Greenery. This is the artificial type, of course. I vote for big storage tubs that FIT the items. Big is better. Those giant tubs really are great for long garland and such with out smashing the ‘evergreen’ needles for next year.

6. Holiday music; I love my Christmas CDs. But, I don’t want them hogging up space all year. Pull all the CDs together and put them away in the same drawer with the wrapping paper. Don’t store them with the decorations in the attic. Heat kills.

7. Artificial berries, fruit and such- made from plastics and vinyl, don’t respond well to attic or garage heat. They tend to blister and discolor. Avoid loosing your fruit by using the top shelves in cabinets that are underused. I keep a holiday arrangement in the vanity, under the hall bath sink.

8. Label, label, label. It sure helps next year when you are pulling boxes out of storage. I keep it simple- ‘Christmas/Hanukkah/Ramadan, Kwanzaa/Poker Party 2010’ and either a brief description (i.e.; ’Garland’), or ‘box 1 of 6’.

Happy Packing!