Right Here in Baton Rouge

Who would believe that this is Baton Rouge 2008! If only for a day - or a part of a day - we had our winter wonderland.

Last Thursday we all woke to find our city blanketed in a white, snowy cover. Of course we all ran out with our cameras to capture the sight before it melted. I can well remember the many mornings in Salt Lake City when I would awaken to the sounds of "snow quiet". It is amazing how quiet it becomes when snow covers the streets. You can almost hear the flakes as they swirl by the window. I don't miss the rest of the snow routine - salt in the trunk, shovels at the ready, scarves and gloves hanging by the fire to dry before we put them back on again, and the ever present ice scraper on the seat in the front of the car just in case you got blasted again while at work.

No, today was special - none of the usual snow duties, just the chance to enjoy and dance around a bit in celebration!

What did you do Friday night?

Every Fall around this time the Baton Rouge Mid City Merchants hold their wonderful White Light Night celebration. Merchants up and down Government Street open their doors from 6pm until 10pm (or until the wine gives out and there is no more room to fit another person in the store) to showcase local artists and the new holiday gift selections that have just arrived. We were happy to have one of our favorite local artists here with us again this year. Kyle Rainey has a distinctive style that has become his trademark near and far. Some of his works are shown above. It is an unusual way to display such works - propped up on shelves, standing against display cases, and sitting on easels all around the space. This year we were fortunate to be able to have some of Kyle's works on display in the studio/workshop next door where Jon McArthur and his crew manufacture chimney mantlepieces, trumeau mirrors, and kitchen island hoods. The juxtaposition of vibrant, mixed media canvas with the gold leaf and classic lines of Jon's works was a sight to see. The contrast brought out the best of both!

Tomorrow we will post some photos of Jon's works - they are absolutely fabulous and will make everyone want to add at least one of his pieces to their homes.

Where We Are Now

It has been a long while since we moved everything from the Crescent City to Baton Rouge. We closed those doors at the end of 2006 and then worked as fast as we could to get it all up the river and into the new place. And then we just enjoyed seeing it all again and remembering why we had put it into the mix in the first place. Every single thing that we unpacked and placed on display was there for a reason - because it made us happy to just look at it! And when we moved things around and put together new combinations of old favorites we knew again the magic of "personality" and "character". It is always a gift when we see that the things we have loved for so long can mesh and fit in with the new things that are catching our fancy. Our lives and our homes are the canvas upon which we paint our mark. These pictures form the gallery that exhibit all the quirky luxuries that make our everydays special.