Carolina Art Soiree!

If you're a local Charlotte gal who loves great art,

 you'll want to mark your calendar

for the second annual

CAROLINA ART SOIREE

started by my dear friend Hannah Blanton.

You may remember this her amazing story here.

I feel so honored to be asked back as one of the participating artists.
This year it's bigger and better than before
and the best part is you can purchase fabulous art to benefit a wonderful cause!

You'll have to read all the artist's spotlights...

here's the one on me 

and I am so humbled to be among this group of talent.

Are you planning on attending?
Hope to see you there May 5th!
Have a glorious weekend!
xoxo,
Caroline

knock knock!

Here's a little project my sister created with door knobs from my all time favorite store...

ANTHROPOLOGIE

She wanted to have something unique above their outdoor fireplace
so she found an old shutter and purchased these colorful knobs.

Then she drilled holes and slipped them through, fastening them tightly on the back side of the shutter.

And she chose to simply lean this up against her mantle outside.
Clever, creative, colorful, and a great conversation piece.

And if you think her porch is pretty...

this is her view to the left!
Winyah Bay

and the view from her kitchen sink...

I could handle a sink full with this view!

and don't even get me started on her closet. 

Sarah Grace did cartwheels (several in a row) in there without touching a wall!

My little fashionista was in heaven!

Clever way to hang necklaces too..easy to see and try on!

Miss you sweet sis!

Thanks for letting me share your cool project!

xoxo,

Caroline

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 P.S. Orange report! 

Many thanks to all of you for your continued prayers for my friend's daughter Sloan. 

Last Friday was her 14th birthday and the entire middle school 

including students, teachers and staff wore orange!

 Walker climbed up on the painted rock for a photo op just before school started.

And if you didn't see the touching news clip it's here.

Sweet Sloan starts her second round of chemo on Friday...please pray.

fabric friends

My sweet friend Lillian is helping with a little Surtex preparation.

You may remember Surtex from HERE or HERE.

This is big show each year in NYC where artists/designers showcase their designs. 

Manufacturers from all over the globe come in search of licensing art for their products.

It's such fun but tons of work and there is much to do to get ready but it always comes together.

Can't wait to see my talented friend and roomie Sharyn Sowell.

In the meantime, my sweet friend Lillian has been helping me with some of the prep. 

We are meeting weekly in her fun studio and the creative juices are overflowing!

We are working on some secret projects I can't share just yet (so sorry!)

but maybe just before Surtex I'll share a peek.

Let's just say that Lillian is extremely talented with sewing 

and we have a few fun projects planned for my new fabric collection...

(how cute is her pin cushion?)

***we're praying the sample yardage is here in time!

Here's a peek into her fun sewing studio...looooooove it!

I think her husband's uncle created this art...

it's truly an amazing piece

and sits just above her spools of colorful threads.

*Lillian's inspiration board below...

she is oozing with creativity and so you can imagine we get along pretty well!

We squeal in excitement over fabric scraps, torn edges, and pops of color...

things that most may find boring.

and she's a dangerous combination of fabulous with this thing...

Lillian sewed this flower onto fabric pieces then had her upholsterer recover her grandmother's chair...

Stunning result and notice the golden strips on the side of the arms, which are the sun's rays.

Lillian, you are such fun!

I also had the pleasure recently of meeting with Pattie Bethune. 

Evidently, she's one of Charlotte's top quilters.

My sweet friend and blog reader Julia Glen told me about Pattie because they are both part of the Charlotte Quilter's Guild....the sweet ones who made the quilt for Sloan here. 

(And I know Julia thanks to my wonderful neighbor Kay)

So I was invited to chat with Pattie in her enormous home quilting studio.

As you can tell, she's extremely organized and has made so many quilts over the years 

she can't even recall the total number. 

She's given many away to friends, family and loved ones

and as we discussed, a quilt can be special for so many different occasions 

and enjoyed by a variety of ages.

Just look at her quilt with Texas blue bonnets!

She was so helpful in brainstorming with me about a possible quilt pattern 

for my new fabric collection.

The Robert Kaufman folks were interested to know my suggestions 

but I have never made a quilt so I consulted some experts!

Thank you Pattie for your time and advice and for being so enthusiastic about my designs!

And thanks to everyone who came HERE

to the Lesley Evers show Monday night and Tuesday. 

We had a blast and had a steady flow of sweet visitors and shoppers.

Boy did you love the collages!!!! all but two are sold but know there will be more 

and you can certainly visit Cotswold Marketplace and FABO to see the current inventory.

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo

Caroline

last day!

It may not feel like SPRING outside but it certainly does in here!

Hope to see you for the last day

Tuesday 9am-2pm

xoxo,

Caroline

reminder & peek

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Unfortunately the cold returned and our quick taste of spring vanished 

but we hope it's back soon and will stay for a while!

Reminder....and hope to see you Monday night or Tuesday during the day!

It's going to be fun, delicious and well, we're just forcing spring to hurry up and get here!

You're going to love all the new Lesley Evers' spring line

*my favorite new skirt!!!!

and a peek a boo for you of a few collages available for purchase...

©caroline simas

©caroline simas

©caroline simas

©caroline simas

©caroline simas

©caroline simas

Hope you can swing by!

xoxo,

Caroline

Orange you glad it's Friday?

Orange you glad it's Friday?

And ORANGE it is for Sloan's 14th birthday. 

This community is going to be covered in orange Friday in honor of sweet Sloan

and her fight against this nasty leukemia. 

The middle schoolers have painted the big rock orange in front of the school...

students and teachers are wearing orange all over themselves;

folks are even wearing orange in their various workplaces in honor of Sloan!

Our girls are wearing this to school...

our boys are wearing orange Friday and I will too.
There has been such an outpouring of love from this community to this sweet family
that a local news crew came to their home and filmed a segment on Sloan's story yesterday
and it will air Friday at 5:30pm on channel 9. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support during her journey.

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If you are a Charlotte reader, 

mark your calendar 

for this coming Monday night and Tuesday!

Hi friends....It's finally SPRING! 

This season Lesley Evers is better than ever with stylish dresses, skirts and tunics!

Please join me Monday night, March 28th  6:00-9:00pm 

for a girlfriend night here at my home...wine, delicious appetizers and fellowship 

while we have fun trying on all the pretties! 

Or you can swing by 

Tuesday, March 29th anytime from 9:00am-2:00pm!

Drew will have Stella & Dot jewelry to compliment the clothing

and I will have some of my licensed products available for ordering...

even the new Mother Bits and Teacher Bits which haven't even hit the stores yet!

Click here to learn more!

Think Teacher Gifts and Mother's Day!

Also will have some original art and collages for purchase and/or ordering.

Drew and I would love to see you...

Mark your calendar and leave the dishes Monday night and head on over!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 xoxo,

Caroline

in love with spring & tulips...

Last night it was so beautiful 

we even did our reading homework outside 

and the kids did a few cartwheels in the yard in pajamas (love that!)

while I watered plants and snapped a few photos of my neighbor's amazing tulips.

These are some of the prettiest tulips I have ever seen.

These gorgeous beauties really amaze and inspire me.

I marvel at God's creativity when I study them.

How about you?

*even notice the tiny grasshopper at the base of this first tulip!

it reminds me of when I play with watercolor 

and how the paints bleed together so beautifully....

©caroline simas

and this color combination of pinks and oranges...

along with this from House Beautiful 

inspired this new painting....

tangerine rose 20x20X1.5 

©caroline simas

Really not much more to say than wow!

The earth is the LORD's, 

and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it; 

for he founded it upon the seas 

and established it upon the waters.

Psalm 24:1-2
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P.S. Wherever you are, please wear ORANGE tomorrow (Friday, March 25th in honor of Sloan!)
Friday is her 14th birthday and ORANGE  is the ribbon color for fighting leukemia.

xoxo,

Caroline

not tiny news...& go green in the classroom!

If you haven't heard about the 

not tiny news...

Yesterday Tiny Prints announced they are merging with Shutterfly. 

You can read more about that 

here

and 

here

As designers for Tiny Prints, we have been assured that this is great news 

and things will remain the same 

only it will just be bigger and even better than before.

I continue to be thrilled to be among the list of talented artists and designers for this company 

and it will be neat to see it develop and expand.

Thank you for your continued support 

here and with all of the other manufacturers I am working with.

****************************************************************************

Speaking of...

my kid's school contacted me recently

and decided to create a custom spin  

on my Love the Earth tumbler I designed for Tervis.

They worked with Tervis and had the school mascot placed

on one side of the 16 oz. tumbler and my Love the Earth on the other side.

The school store is selling them and families can order. 

The school is encouraging the kids and teachers 

to use them for water in the classroom instead of

numerous plastic water bottles.

Your school could even do the same!

I am a farmer and bet you are too.

It occurred to me recently that my husband and I are farmers.

No, we do not live on a farm... we don't even have a garden. 

For heaven's sake, I can hardly keep the few plants I have alive, but...

We ARE farmers.

We are planting seeds in our children.

Lots of them.

Every day.

seeds of faith,

seeds of forgiveness,

seeds of hope.

We're planting fruit seeds too.

Fruit of the spirit seeds:

love 

joy

peace 

patience

kindness

goodness

gentleness

faithfulness

and self-control.

We're planting seeds of making good decisions,

seeds of choosing friends wisely,

seeds of kindness,

seeds of compassion,

seeds of respect,

seeds of responsibility.

We seem to have so many seeds to choose from.

Which ones do we plant?

How many of them at a time?

Which seeds need to be planted when so we reap the best harvest?

Being a farmer is TOUGH!

Many times I feel overwhelmed and unappreciated as a farmer.

How about you?

Sometimes I feel like I do not water my seeds enough.

Then we have a drought. I hate droughts.

Sometimes I feel like I "over water" my seeds, 

almost drowning them with nagging and reminding.

I hate it when I saturate my seeds and they do too.
How about you?
Are you a farmer? I bet you are.
Would LOVE to hear your farming stories.
xoxo,
Caroline
P.S. This new mixed media goodie is at Cotswold Marketplace!

TASTE & SEE 16X16X1.5 ON LINEN 

©Caroline Simas