Sunshine + Happy Snow Day to Me + Sneak Peek

 

Ever since January started, it seems like it's been nothing but clouds, rain and dreariness. So how ironic that on the morning of a glorious two-hour delay due to snow and bad weather, I wake up to the brightest sunshine (probably ever) in my apartment. 

The snow day sunshine even made my paperwhites start blooming! I was a little worried yesterday because they were droopy, probably because I forgot to water them (this is why succulents, air plants, and/or cacti are typically the best type of plant for me)... but they appear to be cured now. 

I also stayed up late designing and playing with letters for a new art piece... It's still in the developmental phases, but here are two clues:
1.) It's about fire.
2.) If you're a Tar Heel, this art will pull at your heartstrings.

Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, more photos here. Happy Friday!

[All photos and content above by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]

PS: This made me laugh. Photo from Facebook.

Truth. :)

MONIQUE GOES [and gets a manicure].

After a long, tiring day of thrifting, Monique gets a manicure.

#MoniqueGoes #vwlove #beepbeep

[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]

Ann Howell Goes Shopping: Part 2

One of the perks of living in a small rural town is the abundance of thrift and antique shops, especially ones that are often "under the radar" and less-frequented. This usually means more unique treasures, and I've scored some pretty amazing finds (you can read more about my previous shopping trips here!)

So, faced with a rainy, dreary weekend, I went thrifting. Here's what I purchased:

An awesome old wooden pepsi crate. I love the faded paint and block letters...



I'm thinking this will hold all my various jars of paint brushes, pencils, ink pens, markers, etc. (and maybe keep them from getting knocked over so often).



A Quality American Snuff jar!!!!!!!! I loved the solid, heavy feel of the glass jar, and the fact that it had a lid. Still debating what to store in this... ideas?



LOTS of solid wood frames in various shapes and sizes (this was actually the goal of this thrifting trip -- to find frames for some exciting new art pieces! Stay tuned for shop updates later this week:) I found some neat square-shape frames, and I'm excited to see how they fit in to my art, since I typically work with rectangular bases and frames.

Here's what I saw, but DIDN'T buy:



A stunning chandelier. Sigh... one day...



Painted vintage Italian boxes.



Sparkly sequined party purse.


Framed hairy dog with blue bows portrait. That thing was like $229!!!!!!!!!!

I'm curious -- what's your take on thrifting? Does the prospect of sifting through old things of varying quality and states of disrepair seem time-consuming and daunting, or is this the one and only way to shop for treasures?

As always, more photos on Tumblr and Instagram, if you're curious. :)

[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]

THURSDAY NIGHT: Who! What! When! Where! Why? [+ a new site]

WHO: me and my little bird friends

WHAT/WHEN: soup with cheddar rosemary scones for dinner

WHERE: this table

WHY: so I can show you this site! 

I've been playing around with a Tumblr as a way to share more photos with people, and I LOVE IT. You can see my Tumblr here, if you catch a craving for some imagine-spiration in between regular blog posts! 

[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]

The Creative Process: LET IT SHINE

"Let It Shine" is now on Etsy! Visit my shop here, if you'd like, and take a peek at more photos below... :)

[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]

New Post Series: MONIQUE GOES.

This weekend, as I was browsing through the hundreds of photographs I've taken over the past year, I started chuckling to myself at how somehow, subconsciously, my VW beetle bug convertible, Monique, frequently crept into the background (or limelight) of a whole bunch of pictures.

For example, here she is visiting the Highway 61 Blues Museum in Leland, Mississippi...

...eating some Delta Donuts...

and living in the yard of a single-wide trailer with no driveway (seriously).

Periodically, when she has an adventure that's worth telling about (such as going to the dry cleaner's or staring down a Chevy truck), Monique will appear on this blog, spreading her rebellious, daring, adorable nature. 

Here's to naming cars, taking road trips, driving where you're not supposed to, and finding a chuckle in everyday normalcy. :) 

 

#vwlove #beepbeep #Moniquegoes

[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013.]

The Creative Process: LET IT SHINE [sneak peek!]

Photo 1: yellow painted wooden frame.

Photo 2: sketchbook.

Photo 3: watercolors on vintage book pages + glitter.

Stay tuned for more photos later this week, as well as a new addition to the Imagined Shop!

Also, happy Monday. :)

[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]