A Work of Art

Art comes in many forms. It might be a painting , a piece of music, a poem, or anything that, upon experiencing it, can make your heart skip a beat.
Right now (I mean this literally, because I have an exam tomorrow), I am studying some of the greats: Bernini, Caravaggio, Picasso, Manet...the list goes on .
The genius of artists such as these makes me so aware of the capabilities of man: how a single person can make his or her mark on a world in dire need of color and inspiration.

You might want to be sitting down to see this. Here we go...








Gianlorenzo Bernini

" The [Taking] of Proserpina" Italian Baroque
Bernini is known as one of the greatest masters in sculpture of all time. In looking at this piece, it is beyond belief that this was once one solid block of marble. Take a look at that detail and tell me you are not in awe..


Caravaggio

" The Crucifiction of St. Peter" Italian Baroque
This is one of those times I wish I had ruby slippers. "There is no place like Rome, there is no place like Rome" The scale and detail of Caravaggio's work could stop even the least interested in their tracks (you know the ones: dragging their feet behind their wives in an art museum searching for a nonexistant beer kiosk) Yes, it would even get those.



John Everett Millais

" Ophelia" English, Realism
Millais became obsessed with every detail of this tragic story, even having a friend lie in a heated bathtub full of water for hours at a stretch to capture the art of floating. How many times can I sigh deeply? Looking at this painting, I think it's one for the record books...



Pablo Picasso


"The Three Musicians" Spanish, Cubism
It is sometimes difficult without having studied Picasso to fully appreciate his artistic genius. To better give you an idea of the talent of this one man, He painted the work on the left at 14 years old. The evolution of his work epitomized modernism in his enduring quest to find new ways of representing the world around him. Fun fact: Picasso completed nearly 10,000 works in his lifetime. Speechless? mmmhhhmmm.


Art is everywhere, just open your eyes.
Be inspired.

Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.
-Pablo Picasso

A Little Bit of Perspective

We want to believe the world is understandable.
That life is fair.
That things make sense.
We want to believe that if we're careful enough, work hard enough, try hard enough, we and those we love will be safe from anything bad.
It's one of the biggest questions humans wrestle with-why things sometimes aren't fair.
But even though we don't always have a neat answer to why things happen, we do have each other...
and we have our faith.
Just a simple kind of faith that somehow, someday, suffering will end, good will be rewarded, love will endure, pain will be forgotten, light will scatter darkness, and our spirits will go on.

Poem By Catherine Slater

Dear Fall..

I don't know about ya'll, but after a Summer of feeling like I was locked in a tanning bed for 3 months, I'm ready for cooler weather. I don't know if there is anything worse than feeling like your whole body is in a convection oven when you step outside.
Too hot to go anywhere, too hot to enjoy the weather, to hot to utter a word.

In order to get us through these last few weeks of what Hell most likely feels like, I have compiled some of the joys of Fall for us to grasp onto... Because I, as well as most of Texas, have reached the end of my rope with this whole Summer thing. OVER AND OUT.


Let in the Fresh Air


Finally being able to let fresh air in to the house is good for the soul. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.... ahhhhh.



Curl up with the Essentials


The essentials of Fall: a blanket, hot tea, and a good book. Snuggle up inside or out. If you are a fellow tea lover, click here to stock up with the most glorious selection of you've ever tasted.



Have Happy Holidays


Trick or Treat?!! Fall sparkles with great holidays. I might just go pull out one of my many costumes in anticipation and wear it in protest of the hot weather. If you see Little Red Riding Hood at your local grocery, don't be alarmed-at least I didn't decide on Zena Warrior Princess.



Entertaining


Its time to bring out the linen and china... There is no better time to entertain than the holiday season. I can't wait to raise a glass to the celebration of the end of Summer and the beginning of sanity.


Dear Fall,
Please save us all from this misery. We are all melting...Slowly.
Yours loyally,
Kate and all the victims of the heat index

A Fairly Tale in Tennessee

Important Memo: this blog's subject content contains material that could lead you to be dissatisfied with your current location. Proceed with Caution.

On my parents' 30th wedding anniversary 3 years ago, they traveled to a fairy- tale land far, far away. Tucked deep in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Mom and Pops ventured to a place called Blackberry Farm, and their world was forever changed by this charming place. With the endless gardens, outdoor activities, cooking classes, and farm animals, Blackberry Farm is a self sustaining wonderland that would be worthy of gracing the pages of a story book.

So try on your glass slippers and take a look..







Maybe happily ever after isn't so far away after all.

For more information on BF, click here.