Inspirational Workspaces

My living room has served as my art studio for the past year as I have been building my business. It has become a beast with a life of its own! Time to tame it.

As I prepare to set up a professional and creative workspace in my basement, I am beginning to look at other workspaces for inspiration. Kind of like creating a piece of art.... the best designs always start with extensive research and observation.

I love all of the shelving in this space. Since I will have a small area to work with,
I will need to get creative and use the space as functionally as possible.

This table is SO COOL! I love all of the hidden storage. Now... where to find something
like this that will work with my budget?

I am not the most organized person, so having these sorts of bins and storage spaces
is really important. I think this can work well in a small space like mine.

Something tells me I will not be able to get all of this custom shelving in my basement.
The area is so neat, clean and airy though- which I will strive for in my new studio.

The New Arrival! (And New Decor!)

Well, my world has changed in many ways as of late! I am very excited to announce that Scott and I are expecting a Baby Girl on July 2nd, 2011! We are both really thrilled. I can't deny that I am absolutely itching to start plans to decorate the nursery, but superstitions are getting the best of me. In Jewish tradition, you are not supposed to bring anything into your home for the baby until she is born. Of course, many people don't fastidiously stick to those beliefs these days, but I still do not feel comfortable going full throttle into the planning process just yet.

So I am waiting.

I certainly have done some preliminary browsing on Etsy though. Okay, maybe a little more than preliminary. But you've got to have a plan, right? If you have not seen the nursery decor on Etsy, I HIGHLY recommend you check it out. I would love to support my fellow Etsyians when I start purchasing decor for my baby's nursery. As I have learned through my own shop, there is a thriving community of people on Etsy who make beautiful handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces for baby!!!

Our designated nursery is painted in a very soft eggshell blue with white wainscotting. When I found out we were having a girl, I wasn't sure about the blue walls at first, as we all know blue traditionally says "BOY!" However, the more I thought, the more I decided I didn't want to go completely traditional. The blue walls are going to stay. I have been obsessed with the idea of painting a mural in the room of a huge white tree with lots of beautiful organic lines. In the tree I'm imagining some lovebirds in different shades of lavender.

The rest of the decor in the room I am picturing to be very serene and soft, in hues of lavender and white. I want the room to be a haven of peace for our little one. I searched "lavender nursery decor" on Etsy and marked some of these items as favorites. Check out these fabulous and beautiful pieces- maybe they will inspire you too!!

Linen Bird Pillow
Lavender Shimmer Butterfly Mobile
Lavender Roses Artwork
3D Wall Butterflies
Numbers Lavender Art Print
Purple Hydrangea Pillow

"I am __ months old today!"

Notice how this trend has become popular lately? Facebook seems to be overloaded with pictures of babies posing by a sign that says "I am __ months old today!" I think it's a cute idea, so that you can look back chronologically at how your baby has grown each month.

As Gypsy Lane Designs has been growing month by month, I have tried to nurture the business and mold it into something special. My custom work has been thriving, but as it is utterly time consuming, I want to offer more "ready made" items. As I started brainstorming baby-related ideas,  I couldn't help but think about this new popular trend. Most people print out these signs using some sort of word processing program.

Wouldn't these signs look better with a little color and flair? Better yet, wouldn't it be cute if they were interactive, and you can change the number (with something like velcro) on the sign as your baby grows older? Maybe these prints could even be displayed in the nursery so they serve a pretty decor purpose as well.

And there I go brainstorming. Of all my "ready made" item ideas, this one is my favorite so far. Since I'm swamped as always, I don't know how soon I'll bring this idea into fruition. But it is on my "to-do" list. I love coming up with new ideas.... to be honest, I have millions of them... the problem is having time to execute!

Caprese Paninis

Happy New Year! It's always so anti-climactic after the holidays end. It was such a fantastic week filled with time for painting, family, friends, and of course, food. We had our neighbors over one night during the holiday break for a last minute dinner. Since I didn't have much time to prepare, I just decided to make something that is on my "regular" menu that I knew were infallible, my CAPRESE PANINIS (along with salad, grilled vegetables and cheddar potatoes). They have become a routine dinner for Scott and I, and I almost forgot how phenomenally and simply delicious they are. Our guests seemed to love them. As I am fairly new at cooking successfully, it is still thrilling when people love my cooking. These are so easy to make, yet so amazing! A few special ingredients like freshly baked bread or basil make such a quick and simple sandwich a treat. I just love these things so much, I wanted to share!

Ingredients
Fresh Mozzarella
Tomatoes
Bread- (I found "Portuguese Rolls" at the market that work perfectly, but you can substitute a lot of other kinds of breads, like Italian or Ciabatta bread)
Olive Oil
Fresh Basil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Cooking Instructions

• Cut bread and brush outside of bread with olive oil 
• Stuff bread with a few slices of mozzarella, tomatoes and 2-3 basil leaves
• Brush with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Sprinkle on just a little salt and pepper to taste
• If you have a panini press, could sandwich on each side on medium heat for 4-6 minutes. I use the Calphalon Panini Press and it's pretty awesome. It's very easy to clean.
• If you do not have a panini press, you can cook on a large nonstick skillet, and top with another heavy skillet. 
• You can get creative with your panini and make some additions like grilled chicken or peppers. I do think the beauty of these paninis is the short list of ingredients so each flavor really shines!!

Dreaming of Europe

I love Europe. I officially caught the travel bug when I studied in Florence over the summer of 2002. Since that incredible experience, I have had an immense thirst to see more of Europe and I definitely have not seen as much as I have wanted. Don't get me wrong; I have seen a lot, and I feel lucky to have traveled as much as I have. But when you have been bitten by the travel bug, it's never enough.

Last year before I turned 29, I told Scott that all I wanted for my 30th birthday was to make a trip to Europe. I wasn't sure at the time if we could really make it happen, but I was determined. Scott has traveled abroad to Israel, but not to Europe. Not only am I thirsting to go back, but I do really want to share the experience with my husband. We have made several small trips around the US together and we are the same kind of traveler: active, curious and on-the-go. I believe that once Scott and I go to Europe together, he will understand my obsession and hopefully share the same passion as I do. I also want to make this trip while we don't have the responsbility of children.

We have been slowly but surely been saving some money, and Gypsy Lane Designs has helped put some more change in the pot. I definitely did not start a business just to go to Europe, but as my profits grew, I saw the dream of Europe become more tangible. I am giddy at the thought that this trip will really happen. Ideally we want to go this summer, (I turn 30, Scott turns 31 and we will be celebrating our 2nd anniversary) but it seems to be the most expensive time of year to travel in Europe. We may go in April over my spring break. Then there is the exciting question.... where will we travel? I love the trip planning process... there is so much anticipation, excitement, possibility while mapping out travel plans.

• My first choice is to make a return to the beautiful country I love: Italy. You can't beat the culture, the history, the food, the art, the romance. While studying there, I was able to see Florence, Rome, Venice, CinqueTerra, Siena and San Giminano. I never made it to the Almalfi Coast, and it's on my list of places I'm dying to see.
• Originally when I was gushing about my dreams of celebrating my 30th birthday abroad, I declared that I wanted to go to Italy and Greece. Every time I see pictures of the beautiful Greek Islands, the bright white buildings and the pristine blue water, I just melt a little bit. I don't think we will be able to make more than a 2 week trip, so I believe that seeing both Italy and Greece in 14 days or less will unfortunately be too much. I do vow to one day make it to Greece.
• Italy seems to be more pricey than some other Western European countries. Another option is to possibly see London, Paris and Amsterdam. I have been to London 2x before, but Scott has never been; it's an affordable hub to fly into and we can easily get around from there.
• There's so much more I want to see! Prague, Turkey, Monaco, Africa, Thailand........

I am constantly dreaming.........

A Post about Needing to Post

Hi All! I have been seriously neglecting my poor little blog. I really do love writing in here and I hate that my last post was almost a month ago! I am still quite overwhelmed with life but wanted to let you all know I am still alive. I am making it a goal to post more frequently. Just to catch you up, here is what is currently on my plate:

• My custom artwork is really thriving! Every week I have had at least 3 projects to work on.
• I just started creating handpainted picture frames and mirrors. I have so many ideas, I wish my hand worked as quickly as my brain.
• I currently have 3 regular private art students. I am just loving it. After a hectic day at school where I dont get much one-on-one time with students, this is heaven. I am working with a 7th grader, 4th grader and 2nd grader. They are like little sponges and want to learn so much! The only downside is that one of my appointments is 1 hour away near Lancaster and I often hit traffic on the dreaded 76.
• I am feeling kind of worn out by school already. I can't believe it's only November.
• I am finally going to Scarlet Fiorella next week with a load of framed Alphabet Art. I am also bringing a sign to advertise my info which will hang by the mural.
• Debating whether I should look into a holiday craft fair/Hanukah Bazaar. This would be my first, as the Lehigh Avenue Arts Fest was a bust. (It was more flea market-y than craft fair). Not sure if I have enough ready-made stuff to sell, and as much as I want more business, dont want to overwhelm myself.
• Trying to carve out time for hubby, family, friends. I love to be on the go, but I am just beyond tired these days. When I get free time, I want to sleep! Still working on the time management............ 

New Ideas

I am constantly thinking about my Etsy shop. So it's inevitable that I have lots of ideas swirling around in my head at any given time. While browsing around Etsy, I was inspired by a fantastic shop, Fancy Prints. I am pretty obsessed with her "Thumb Print Tree". I wish I had known about this before I got married, because I would have totally wanted one of these Thumb Print Trees for my wedding. Oh well. Moving on!

I have begun working on Personalized Name Blocks for children and have found that I love painting on this new surface. It breaks up the redundancy of working on paper. Immediately as I began working on the Name Blocks other ideas began to take root in my mind. One of those ideas is a set of Family Tree Blocks. I am in the process of trying out this idea- the blocks below are not yet completed.

I love love love trees. I love the organic lines, the movement, the beautiful simplicity. I couldn't wait to paint the tree, but I found that after painting the tree on the blocks, I hit a roadblock of questions.

• Will I include just first names of family members? Full names? What about other info, like maiden names, birthdate, birthplace, etc?
• If I include all of this information, how will I make the text look neat? Could I really handpaint it or will I have to look into some other methods?
• Are these more suitable for children or adults?
• Can they be used as toy for children? If so, how can I make them safe?
• Wouldn't it be cool if they can be displayed in other ways? For instance, I could decoupage a photo of each family member on the back of their block. So the tree could be displayed as pictured, or as a set of photo blocks of family members. 
• Would people really want to buy these?

I would love any feedback or thoughts as I am tackling all of these questions. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!