New West Elm

Have you seen the latest West Elm catalog? It's endlessly inspiring. 

The iconic parsons desk has been updated with a hand wrapped antiqued metal, new mid-century pieces are spot on and their answer to Beni Ourain rugs isn't half bad.

What's more is their clever partnership with 20 x 200 and inclusion of beloved bloggers featuring with their own we products - genius!



Not to mention, countless pages feature etsy art.

 The whole thing is a treasure trove and they have a blog: Front & Main - love!

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wine tips

'tis the season of cheers aplenty, so thanks to joanna for a little how-to (with cute illustrations to boot)



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Being Followed By...

Angie!



Angie is a fellow-Albanian and an avid supporter of stewart & james. Her home has been featured on the blog before - more than once as her s&j collection is ever-changing, as is her life. She and her family (yes, even her small children) lead a selfless, God-fearing life - which is executed in part by their commitment to an organization close to my heart, Young Life. They are inspiring (by 'they' I mean the Elliotts but YL is too!). And you aren't going to want to miss what they have coming next, so be sure to check-out her very own blog (after you learn more about her here, of course!)

Found!
I can't quite remember. I think I was invited to a show and fell in love there.


Favorite s&j Reads:
I love just about everything!

Give Me More!
nothing?! ;)

Daily Blog Lovin':
Darby-s blog, of course- flythroughourwindow, Andrea Young's blog- babeofmyheart, some of our good friends who now live in Peru- goodfellowfamily

Why {read} Blog{s}?
It's a great way to stay up-to-date on friends that live far away, but I also love seeing all of the creative things other people are doing. I also love the encouragement I find through so many people's blogs. It reminds me that we all go through similar situations and that others understand.


and about your blog...


What is your blog about?
My family, my kids, life

Where is your blog?
http://elliottsadventures.blogspot.com/

How old is your blog?
About 3 years

Why {do you} blog?
To keep a scrapbook for my kids and to update family and friends we don't see often
 
 
 
Thanks for following Angie - and - as always - thank you so much for your continued support of our business!





xx

Being Followed By...

Callie!

I met Callie in my early foggy college days.  I am sure it was one of those rush parties.  She is (was? or are we for life?) a sorority sister.  While the parties I don't remember that well (I am still not sure what happened or didn't happen or was supposed to happen or not that first night, are you as confused as me yet?) but i will always remember the amazing group of girls I met that day and I absolutely LOVE running back into them and being reunited whether in real life or online.  I re-found callie when I came across her blog and was able to catch up on her adorable fun life!  She just recently (as in less than 2 weeks ago) had her second child (Rinne - how cute is that name?!) to accompany her equally adorable 1st child - Rush.   Check out her cute stationery business - Calliespondence! and well, here is she is to tell you about it :)



Found!
kristen was one of my sorority sisters at the u. of georgia! she always had great style and i LOVE what y'all have done with s&j in using reclaimed products and giving them a new life. i'm big on recycling and reusing so that really gets to me!



Favorite s&j Reads:

hmm...i kind of like it all?? i love seeing how your clients incorporate s&j into their homes in your "how cute is..." series and also what's going on in your own lives and projects. OH and the recipes and party features are great too!



Give Me More:

can't think of anything?

Daily Blog Lovin':

let's see, i love elements of style (elementsofstyleblog.com), urban grace (i think y'all have a tie to them? so fun! -- blog.urbangrace.com), fly through our window (flythroughourwindow.com), dixie delights (dixiedelights.blogspot.com) and of COURSE s&j :) several more, too, that are listed at the bottom of my blog - there are so many wonderful blogs and bloggers out there!!

Why Blog?

i love getting ideas from creative folks out there...and also hearing relatable stories / advice that i can use in my own life. wow that was deep. no really, i rely on other bloggers to tell me what's in fashion, what i can make in the kitchen for dinner tonight, how i can make my house look fabulous, what i can do with my crazy 2 year old little boy...AND make me laugh. it's a tall order, but somehow i am always fulfilled!








and about your blog...

What is your blog about?

my blog focuses primarily on stationery, but i really enjoy doing features about the parties (and weddings!) my clients throw for which the invitation sets the stage, home decor (we just moved and have been slowly trying to get the house up to speed - and will definitely be needing some s&j on these walls), things i run across that are fabulous in fashion and elsewhere, the occasional recipe and also goings-on around atlanta, where i live.



Where is your blog?

www.calliespondence.blogspot.com

(website is www.calliespondence.com)

How old is your blog

coming up on a year next week!

and that week has since passed, so happy birthday to calliespondence!

Why {do you} blog?

originally i started blogging to have an interface with my clients...i thought the website was very one-sided and i much prefer a dialogue as to a monologue! i've found it's a fantastic way to show new ideas and products to my clients, and have them get to know the gal behind the scenes - and for me to get to know them as well, which i love. i have so enjoyed being a part of the blogging community; it's the MOST fun!



Thanks for following us, Callie! And keep up the adorable work!

p.s. I love that Callie "remembers" me having great style - her college years were obviously a little "foggy" too because all i wore were second hand clothes and looked like a thrown away hippie..

this post was written by Kristen

Being Followed By...

Lindsay!

Welcome (back!) to what is sure to become an actual series this time around! 


I think I met Lindsay in college (true or false, Lindsay?!) ... regardless, I remember these three first impressions (can you make three 'first' impressions? i'm going to go with yes - actually, these three elements made up a singular first impression. how about that?) about her:

• Before I met Lindsay, it had never before occurred to me that Lindsey could be spelled with an 'a'  - how clever!
• She likened her last name to Fritos (I still can't get over that - even though it's not been her last name for years!
• Her fun-loving personality and big smile were infectious - and I'm sure they still are - I just don't ever see her in the real world anymore :(

Lindsay is a mother and an artist and her blog, Paint Me a Picture, not only showcases her crafty nature and adorable artwork but also gives readers a peek at her charmed life accented by two darling boys! And she has a little series of her own going on right now - be sure to check out ♥ I heart art ♥ on her site.


And here she is:

Found!
I joined Etsy back in May of 2009. I was searching around for handmade goods and found S&J's Etsy shop which led me to their blog only to discover I knew Arre in person I just didn't know she was part of S&J. 

It's a small world after all.

Favorite s&j Reads:

I think my favorite things would be Kristen's posts on what I like to call mama-drama. She never gives the impression life is all unicorns and rainbows, though I am sure there are lots of the two around her house with three girls. My other favorite would have to be their travel posts filled with site seeing shots and food pictures.

Give Me More:
I just love the "how cute is" posts. It's fun to see where S&J products end up so keep those coming!

Daily Blog Lovin':
Plum Tree Studio, From the Natos, and Eclectic Whatnot, oh and Life Made Lovely (each are linked)

why {do you read} blog{s}? 

To keep up with friends lives (IRL friends and real life ones), for inspiration, for encouragement, for amazing finds, for creative ideas. 

***

what is your blog about? Paint Me a Picture is about tales of my own mama-drama, inspiration, art I adore, art I create, handmade goodness I come across, and the occasional DIY project complete with horrible directions and too many pictures.

where is your blog?  

http://paint-me-a-picture.blogspot.com/

how old is your blog? 

I think I started blogging back in 2005 and had a person blog that maybe one other person read. In 2009 I started Paint Me a Picture to help share the art I created online, kind of like using my blog as a free website. I started connecting with other bloggers and my blog evolved into what it is today.

why {do you} blog? 

I blog to share inspiration and funny stories, to give a glimpse inside my life and my "studio". I grew up keeping a journal and did so until a few years ago. Now having a blog allows me to journal and share it with others.

Thanks for following Lindsay! We not only appreciate your interest in s t e w a r t  &  j a m e s  but also your dedication to communities like etsy and the blogosphere. Keep it up! 

***


(I meant to start this last week but the whole week-starting-with-a-holiday-thing really threw me for a loop! It will be a Monday feature, so if you don't already frequent stewart & james, be sure to check back weekly to meet new peeps)

xx

this post was written by arre. i don't know how i logged on as stewart & james...

cuteness

in case {Oh}Joy{!} is not cute enough, are you going to be able to stand the mini her that's on the way?! check out the doll's already growing shoe collection for a teaser.

ohhh joy!!!

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Let's Try This Again

Remember a  l o n g  time ago when we were super pumped about our new followers and wanted to feature all of your lovely people on our blog as a token of our appreciation... and then we only featured one of you?

Well, it's google's fault. Sort of. I represent the low-tech end of this gig and unfortunately ran into a series of technical difficulties that were not realized until recently (otherwise known as entirely too late to just pick back up without a concilatory/explanatory post such as this) and in the meantime I gave up.
I am so sorry I dropped the ball this didn't work out the first time. I was really excited about it.

And am again now because we are trying again! We will be emailing each of you whose email address we can locate. If you do not have an accessible email address and would still like to participate, please email us at hello@stewartandjames.com (subject: follower feature) and we will get with you on featuring YOU!

The new-new series should be up and running in a few weeks (if not sooner, hurry and respond if you want to participate to speed the process along!) - just in time for fall (can't believe fall is so near!)

Thanks for your patience with us - on all accounts. We appreciate you oh-so-much!

xx

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"Good things DO come in small packages." -Nick Olsen

In case you have not yet picked up the latest House Beautiful, do so.

There's lots of loveliness - as always - but among it this time, is a darling feature of a teeny, tiny Brooklyn apartment decorated by the ever-fabulous Nick Olsen.

(oh! and it happens to belong to my friend Rebecca (who is - just while we're talking about her! - a yoga instructor . picture taker . sanity seeker. (her words). She's pretty fascinating (check out a few of her photographs and yoga poses to see what I mean!)

Behold this sneak peek:

That gorgeous art above the sofa is a photograph by Rebecca - see, amazing!

And this video, which is just fun (I always feel like a much truer translation of a space is dictated in a video - ah, to live in the 21st century)




Now go get the magazine! (please)


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jump on over

to just me, my soldier, & our four little chicks to check out the s&j giveaway she is having today! 

 

At a time when we are remembering those that have sacrificed for this country, we should also remember the families and the sacrifices Stephanie and her four (yes 4!) girls are making. A very good friend of ours (Mandy) directed us to Stephanie’s blog (and her to ours).  Mandy’s husband is also away right now and I can’t imagine the strength and courage it takes for these women day after day but they do it and they do it gracefully.  Stephanie has 4 precious little girls (2 of which are twins!) and Mandy has 1 little boy Ernie (you’ve heard of him!) and one on the way.  Mandy will be giving birth to her little one a couple of months without her sweet husband.  Please say a prayer for her!  And don’t forget to go visit Stephanie’s cute blog and enter to win the frame above!

Have a wonderful week!

s&j on lilies and sparrows!

spotted! s&j on lilies and sparrows!

MC and her adorable friend Macy (who we met at our ATL show!) are whipping up a bebe nursery and included us on their inspiration board!

pop over to check it out. here's a hint:



thanks precious girls! xx

kelly wearstler :: my vibe my life

my long-time love affair with all things kelly wearstler has never been a secret, so you can imagine my enthusiam over her new blog!

i can't wait to see what she puts out there. (i'm already enamored with her facebook page - of course!)

so far it's only one post big but it's a beautiful one.

It's a Small (art) World

Remember last year when Steve Penley was here (in Albany)? That was cool. So cool.
Well, the other day on facebook (yes, facebook), I saw a picture of him and dove in the rabbit hole followed the attached link. Low and behold, I was led to my neighbor's sister-in-law's blog - she photographed him (and has some amazing pieces of his in her home (see below))!



 He's on her blog and she's on his

Then while I'm strolling through the rest of Shelli's blog, which you should do, by the way - she is great! - I stumble upon a gorgeous home - the link says it belongs to a shop owner and I think I recoconize some art. I shoot a quick email over to the shop, Gramercy Home. The featured owner responds and is from the area (this area)!


Gramercy!

(And I was right about the artist. And they introduced me to another great one - score!)

So - do you have this? - I started on facebook, linked to Penley's site, realized he has a blog, connected to Shelli's blog, discovered Gramercy, (cyber-)met Jenny and learned about new artists - oh yeh, and found another new blog - whew!

I just l♥ve when the great big internet makes the world that much smaller.



photo credit: Shelli Allen Photography, Penley's blog and Gramercy's blog

sheet to wedding dress...

so, i know Joanna already posted about this but I have been saving it for once my Rebecca Wood interview went up so i'm putting it out there anyway (this was inspiration to really stop hoarding posts ;) ). in the event there is someone out there who reads stewart & james who does not already read a cup of jo (and i realize the unlikeliness of this since i am pretty sure she has the biggest blog there is) then it will still be news to them. it did make me feel pretty cool (because i'm a dork like that) to have the same post idea as sweet Joanna though...

in case it wouldn't be cool enough just to work with r.wood studios, how much coolER would it be to collaborate with your wildly innovative contemporaries on your wedding dress?! read how one girl did exactly that here











post by arre

(she's) leaving on a jet plane

high flying - by aflow on Polyvore.com

thinking of and saying a prayer for Courtney and JJ as they venture off to a foreign land. xx


post by arre

i need to know...

if i am (accidentally, of course) stealing bandwidth or doing any other blog-specific offensive things PLEASE tell me. (this end of) blogging is still so new to me and i really have no idea what i am doing anyway. this is a request for information - either that or a disclaimer ;)

post by arre (but for us both)

coathanger confessions

check out another new blog!