For this ‘local artist spotlight’, I’m once again using the term ‘local’ quite loosely. Katie & I have been friends since college and although many state lines now separate us, she will always be one of my nearest and dearest friends.  

I’m thrilled to be able to promote her new business venture as an independant wine consultant as well as her new hobby – repurposing wine bottles into one-of-a-kind lamps!

Check out her website to order gifts, custimized bottles of wine, and join the wine club where you’ll receive remarkable wines at an incredible value delivered right to your door each month!

Katie Owrey
DivineVino
www.divinevino.com

Wine lamps can be purchased directly thru Katie by calling 404-661-1976 or emailing divinevino@gmail.com

I got into wine by being a major consumer for many years! I have tasted wine all across different appellations including Greece, Turkey, Spain, Italy, France, and the US (CA, TX, NY, TN, GA), etc. The art of winemaking and the ability for wine to transform and take shape on your palette is what makes wine consumption so much fun! It is often considered the only beverage in the world that can spark intelligent and intriguing conversation…not just from consumption (wink), but rather, where the wine is from, what foods should be paired with the wine, how was the wine made, etc.

I recycle wine bottles to handcraft the wine lamps and create a unique accessory for the home. By drilling into the wine bottle and then adding lights and colored marbles, the reflection of light creates an appealing sparkle all in the name of wine! “Lumiere de Vie” or Light of Life…that which wine provides! Great for yourself or for a gift!

I am fortunate to have some creative and helpful friends. Last week, several of my girls came over and helped me with some wedding projects. I may have been a bit aggressive with all of the DIY projects that I committed to for this wedding, but when I have a project stuck in my head; it’s really hard to let it go, so I was lucky that I was able to enlist the help of my girls. And, all I had to do was provide wine and pizza. Score!

With the help of my very best friend, Amy, and her little man, Jace, I’ve been collecting baby food jars for several months now. Making them into lanterns couldn’t be easier. Simply wrap the lip of the jar with thin wire of different lengths (so they can hang from different parts of the tree) and drop a tea-light candle in each one. Done. It’s a fantastic way to recycle and add some sparkle to your backyard, deck, party, or in my case,  wedding reception!

A girl simply cannot have enough accessories….and a lightweight summer tote is invaluable. Rather than pumping more money into the forces of mass consumption, the Crafty Chicks made our own…out of pillow cases!

Using only a few basic tools and with stitching help from the dynamic duo of Project K, we repurposed old pillow cases and gave them a new home – over the shoulder! 

Kathianne, making it look easy

Emily & Kim, working together

Amendi’s precarious pin cushion…her knee!

Bee, pinning away!

stitching sisters…Karen and Kathy of Project K

Kristen’s finished bag!

Laura’s finished bag!

Chicks with their bags

One of the things I like so much about the world of blogging is the ability to connect with like-minded people, learn about their interests and talents, and in the process learn more about your own. I recently discovered a new blog that I am quickly falling in love with. 

www.meditationsonlifeandstyle.blogspot.com

Life + Style: Meditations of Life and Style is the dream child of Dayka Robinson, a designer and talented ‘re-purposer’ who has just taken the plunge of going back to school for interior design. Best wishes to her in this endeavor!

Check out her blog and be sure to feast upon her “Before and After” page. The way she transforms old, lifeless pieces of furniture into beautiful and functional works of art is pretty incredible. She has an Etsy store if you find something you want to add to your own collection of home furnishings. http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagestyledhome

She’s also celebrating her 100^th blog follower and has a giveaway for her readers – a custom-made address stamp from Lettergirl!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lettergirl

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I win. How cute would one of these stamps be for the soon-to-be Toledos? We’ll have lots of ‘thank yous’ to send, for sure! 

custom stamp from Lettergirl

custom stamp from Lettergirl

I hope you enjoy discovering Life + Style as much as I have. Happy reading!

Eric & I took a trip to Lake Rabun this weekend for a day full of wedding to-dos. With both sets of parents in tow, we had an indulgent lunch at the Dillard House, followed up with a wedding cake tasting, and then headed to the venue to do some serious plotting and planning. The first time we saw the King of Rabun Estate, it was a cold and drizzly January day, but we fell in love with the landscape nonetheless. Seeing it over the weekend, in all of spring’s splendor, was an exciting (and reassuring) experience. The landscape was green and lush and just about the most beautiful thing I could have hoped for. We are now even more thrilled to celebrate our union there. I thought I’d share a few sneak peek photos…we’re saving the “great reveal” for October!