Gaudy Me's website makeover

One of my favorite clients, Gaudy Me, a/k/a Dressin' Gaudy, requested a website "facelift."  They were looking for a bolder statement, one that reflected young and contemporary abandon; a "throw away all the rules" type of logo and image.  I contemplated the project and, with the help of an amazing designer/sister-friend, came up with this new look.  Thank you, Nancy, founder and creative brainchild behind the amazing Crow About Studios.  Your letter fonts and vivid turquoise harlequin fabric for the background were simply amazing  icing on the cake!

Below are depictions of the before and after.  What do you think??

 Before

 After

The Brave Girls Club

I absolutely LOVE grinding fresh coffee beans for that perfect cup of coffee.  Next I plop down with that perfect cup of coffee, Dakota in lap, and pay a visit to my favorite blogger sites.  Heaven, I assure you...

             (Dakota)

 I stumbled upon The Brave Girls Club this week.  I am a magpie for beautiful imagery and content, so I joined the site last week.  This morning I logged on to see what these gals are about.  THIS was the first thing that I saw there.   I'M HOOKED!

Adorning the fanciful soul...

(Photo credit:  Jill Elliot)

Meet the beautiful and talented Jill Elliot.  Jill is the owner of the Haberdashery Boutique in Fredericksburg, Texas.  Our meeting was serendipitous.  A gentleman had unknowingly taken Jill's seat at a fashion show, leaving Jill and her beautiful -- and beautifully bedecked!-- little girl stranded along the back row of chairs, where my husband and I were standing.  (I did not know about the seat mix-up until days later!  Jill was gracious and unflappable over the whole situation.)  Certainly I consider it a blessing and my own good fortune to have struck up a friendship with this lovely and talented lady.

Every item in the Haberdashery boutique fits nicely into the overall scheme of  the Haberdashery experience.  The boutique is stocked with evocatively creative and grin-provoking treasures that span the globe  (i.e., my beautiful new belt from Uruguay ! ), in addition to darling items that Jill has made by hand.  Not one item feels out of place here.  For good reason:  Jill's formal background is Interior Design.  She is  "creatively logical" and has very effectively managed to evoke a vague and seductive aura of... (How do the French say?) ... Je Ne Sais Quoi.  The illusion, almost, as if  one has stumbled into the personal apartment of Audrey Hepburn, circa 1961 -- Think Holly Golightly!  

The Haberdashery is absolutely tantalizing and should be added to every woman's "Must Do" list while visiting beautiful and historic Fredericksburg, Texas.      ~ Joie de Vivre, Darcy

(Of note... Jill made this intoxicating mask for the Mardi Gras celebration held in Fredericksburg.)

I am am obviously still buzzing from my "Imaginarium High"... still smiling at the fresh memory of my first Magnolia Pearl experience.  If you are a FaceBook subscriber, you can see more here at the Magnolia Pearl Facebook Page

(photos credits:  Magnolia Pearl/Amy Bowland and  countless other breathtakingly talented photographers who worked so artistically and diligently in effort to capture the almost un-capturable!  Great work, angels...)

 

THIS is how I will dress when I have lovely grandchildren.  

I want them to remember me always and with a smile.

 

Lovely Magnolia Pearl sirens...

 

Shabbylicious!!

Magnolia Pearl

Saturday February 18th in Fredericksburg, Texas was the artfully whimsical Fashion Imaginarium Show.  The spring line for Magnolia Pearl was debuted in an artfully whimsical and absolutely intoxicating runway extravaganza.  The event was creatively inspiring and an absolute feast for the eyes.  The lovely venue was at Carol Hicks Bolton's fabulous new warehouse at 301 S. Lincoln Street, ("Laboratoire de Design.")  This amazing event was captured by the lovely Jo Packham of "Where Women Create" magazine and will be featured in the November issue.

A fabulous wall at Carol Hicks-Bolton's lovely new warehouse

 More items offered by  Carol Hicks-Bolton

Intriguing  tablescape collage

Finally, we meet!  

Kimberly Potts-Smacking Darcy & Robin Gray - Magnolia Pearl

The Smacking Darcy Pinterest Account

Pinterest is fabulous!  So many beautiful and inspiring ideas...

 

Tree Puppet

 This sweet Tree Puppet grows in Jefferson, Texas

(credits to go Constance Mueller of Rochambeau

I am constantly thrilled and inspired by my friend, the beautiful and talented Mrs. Constance Mueller of Historical Jefferson, Texas.  Jefferson is an exquisite bed & breakfast town located in East Texas.  I was raised not far from Jefferson, so I have a special attachment to anything Jefferson.  

For anyone considering a beautiful long weekend or vacation in the Piney Woods of East Texas, Jefferson is { scrumptious! }