Valentine's Day and To & From Gift Guide

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so if you have any last minute shopping, hop over to the To and From Gift Guide. These gift guides have quickly become a favorite of mine, I love all the different contributors and the sections that allow me to look for the person I am buying a gift for. I also enjoy finding new stores, especially smaller retailers I wouldn't have otherwise found. 

Of course when we were asked to contribute to the Valentine's Day gift guide we couldn't resist! Check us out on page 112 to 115 in the couples section. Other couples featured are Brian and Elizabeth from Brooklyn Supper and Michael Kiser and Hillary Schuster. It's such an honor to be in great company. The food/drink section is legit, with great suggestions for the foodies you love.

Wondering what's up with the turtle above? William proposed to me in Central Park and there was a little turtle who kept popping his head up out of the water beside our table. When I'm out antiquing I always keep my eyes open for little turtles. I fell in love with this little vintage turtle pin cushion (not to mention it's pink).

Portland: Beam and Anchor

So, more than a few month ago Susan found an amazing piece of art on the internet by the artist April Coppini. The piece first popped up on Pinterest, and then down the rabbit hole Susan went in search of a place that actually sold it. After weaving from site to site, she finally ended up on the Facebook page for the store Beam and Anchor in Portland, Oregon.

First, let me tell you we have never bought a major piece of art on the internet without seeing it in real life, but we were just so drawn to it. I called Beam and Anchor and asked if they could ship it to us, they said yes and then bingo, we were in business. They probably thought we were crazy, but they were so nice about it. A few days later it arrived, and it was stunning. Now it lives above the sofa and we get to enjoy it everyday.

Now fast forward a few months. Altitude Design Summit in Salt Lake City was about to happen and we figured if we were going to make the long trip out towards the west coast, what other little adventure could we take. We were considering the Redwoods of California, Seattle and Portland. We had never been to any of these places, so it was toss up. So as we are strolling around the house thinking of where to go, the art piece from Portland was screaming at us. "That's it, let's go to Portland!"

First stop in Portland was Beam and Anchor, and let me tell you they didn't disappoint. The large open space was just screaming our personal style. In fact, we own a few of the pieces they had there. But that didn't stop us from picking up a blanket for me a clutch for Susan and a fews other odds and ends. The store is a great collaboration of people and well curated items. Not to mention some of the designers and makers are on the floor above.

So if you headed over the the west coast, stop by and say hi to Beam and Anchor and tell them the Brinson's sent you!

More of our Portland finds to come this month, so keep an eye out.

Color: Oregon Winter Whites

We are taking some time off and blogging from a short vacation in Oregon. We admired the heavy fog and frost in the morning since it has been so cold. We'll have some amazing images to share of our trip when we return in a few weeks (we can't wait to share them). 

The Year Ahead

Can you believe it's 2013 already? I remember getting married to Will in 2003, and chatting about our future anniversaries and 2013 was one of them. This year we will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, and we happened to get married the day after we started dating 10 years earlier. Time really does fly.

2012 was a big year for us. In life, there are those epic years where you see tremendous growth personally and professionally. 2012 was just that year for us. A little over 3 years ago we started the project of renovating our loft and this blog. We had visual ideas and wanted to share our point of view. What many of you might not know is we went through a rough time directly after we moved into our loft space. Through a lot of planning from a branding and strategic point of view, it has all come full circle and paid off in 2012. I'm a compulsive list maker and can be a big thinker when making those lists of things I want to accomplish. I am excited to say we completed many of those things in 2012. It was a transformative year for William and his career. 

Looking forward to 2013 we are planning on making some big moves. We are in the process of looking for a weekend home outside of NYC. We have been looking in the Hudson Valley but haven't found the right one just yet. This is a big transformation for us since we are hardened city slickers who have lived in NYC for over 10 years. With the house comes a car and for some reason the thought of buying a car gives me a panic attack. Cars in NYC are SO much work (we looked at them over the holiday and were completely confused). Because Will does live/work he pretty much never leaves the loft. Having a weekend house will provide so much relaxation and balance that creatives struggle to find. 

We've looked at a few houses but they have either been in the wrong location, or they have been too 'finished' and sterile in a style we don't like. I almost want a real junker so we can fix it up. We looked at one house and in true city slicker fashion, I got a bug stuck in my eye and messed up a perfectly good pair of shoes because I forget that grass is wet in the morning. I need a good long term project, and I know this would be longgg term. My favorite thing to say is, 'Just gut it!' I feel in love with southern Victorian architecture while in college at SCAD. We will keep looking for the perfect house up north and I will continue to pin some very unspecific ideas on Pinterest. 

We already have some exciting projects in process for 2013 and will also be making some changes to the blog. We'll chat more about that later. We'll be traveling to Salt Lake City for Alt Summit later this month and teaching a portfolio class, and rolling in a little stop over in Portland. If you have any suggestions of stuff to do or places to eat let us know. 

Happy New year to all. Any big plans for this year?

Winter Colors

Winters on the East Coast this year have seemed so out of character. You never know if its going to warm or cold, snow or a heatwave. This December in Virginia, proved to be full of color. Usually it's dried up browns and grays, but this year the leaves were still bursting with fall colors. I love the oil slick purples and fire like reds that just litter the ground. 

I think eventually all of our seasons will shift one season ahead. Who knows, maybe it will be pool time in December next year!