Hello my dear ones! I decided that today is the day to finally tackle a post that’s been a long time coming – I would like to introduce you to 14 creative ladies I had the honor of meeting over a special lunch in Boston during the Decorate book tour. Some I’m sure you will be familiar with while others may be new to you. I put together a little “tour” of these Boston-area gals’ creative work, I hope you enjoy it!
First up is an artist I admire very much. Honestly, I was a little star-struck to see her in person! Can you guess who it is? ;)
1. Why, none other than Sarah Ahearn Bellemare, that’s who! I could literally hang anything this lady creates in my home and love it beyond measure. And she was so very kind and warm hearted in person. And she has the most adorable, cherub-like baby girl. And her book is making me want to pick up some paints myself, you should definitely pick up a copy if you have any creative inclinations at all!
2. Erin is a fellow blogger, and I am so glad I found my way to her space, Graceful Whimsy. I especially love her fun design boards – interested in the one shown above? Check out the sources here. I still want that For Like Ever poster, all these years after seeing it in Domino!
3. Rochelle Greayer is a talented landscape designer who blogs at Studio G, and I learned at lunch that she has an exciting new project in the works: Leaf Magazine, a fresh new e-mag focusing on outdoor style. Look for the first (free!) issue this Fall.
4. Illustrator Ellen Crimi-Trent is a designer with tons of fun licensed designs under her belt, along with a range of prints for sale in her Etsy shop. I think those owls would be so cute in Bixby’s room!
5. Laura authors the blog Journey Chic, and is dedicated to sharing fashion and decor finds that won’t break the bank – something I think we can all get behind! I loved the Boston art roundup she recently featured, shown above.
6. Julieann of CreateGirl and Jace Interiors organized the lunch – thank you, Julieann! Based in Boston, Julieann runs her interior design company in a very approachable way, focusing on working with what her clients already own, which I find very refreshing.
7. I carpooled to the event with sweet Diana of D. S. Brennan Photography – she also happens to be an extremely talented photographer with a background in environmental science. I love, love, love all of the photos in her birds series. And her new large format prints. And the botanicals. Oh, just go check out the whole shop, you won’t regret it. :)
8. Lovely Amisha is working a day job and designing jewelry by night. She blogs at Gorgeous and Fun Things, and plans on opening up an Etsy shop soon, so keep an eye out for that.
9. Cindy of Pretty Neat Designs is a lawyer by day and crafter in her spare time. She creates beautiful stitched Moleskine notebooks and super cute handmade shoe and laundry bags. And I’m getting kind of addicted to her blog. Her hubby is an artist, and I am planning to visit them in their Somerville studio during the next open studios.
10. Lindsay of Everything LEB shares some great DIY project tutorials on her site (check out her nailhead message board), and I love this recent mood board she created for Fall, shown above…yay for Fall, my favorite season!
11. Desha of The Desha Show, came the longest distance by far – all the way from Vermont – and then locked her keys in her car once she got to Boston, poor thing! Desha runs a blog and produces her own online TV show, where she interviews local artists and other creative types in her area. Fascinating!
12. Dana Garczewski of The Patterned Peacock creates art prints on canvas as well as a range of fabric designs. I would love to hang the print with the butterfly (seen above) in my own house.
13. Kathy Weller of Weller Wishes Illustration & Design creates art for licensing, children’s illustrations, and original art and crafts. Kathy also authors a lovely blog, where you can get a behind-the-scenes peek into her process and inspiration.
14. Last but most certainly not least is Monica of Monica Lee Studios! I had a great time chatting with Monica while we were waiting in line to get our books signed – she has one of those infectiously positive personalities, do you know what I mean? Monica creates fun, fresh illustrations with a touch of whimsy, and her work has graced a number of books.
So, that wraps it up. Above you can see some of our group at lunch – that’s me at the end! I loved getting a chance to meet these ladies, and I look forward to getting together at more events and meetups like this in the future – building connections in our community is so important. Plus, it just feels good to move some of your “online” friends into the real world!
On a sad note, before I sign off for the day, I wanted to share that my husband’s Grandma, Martha Rasmussen, passed away this weekend. She lived a rich and full life that included many years living overseas with her husband, as well as time in northern California and finally settling in Virginia. She was so loved, and I feel lucky to have met her. She is dearly missed.
I just wanted to take this chance to thank each and every one of you who take the time to read this blog – I appreciate it so much, and it makes me feel good to know that we are part of a larger community that has the potential to offer lots of support and inspiration all around. Have a great start to your week, friends! xoxo Laura
(images: linked to sources above; photos of the lunch event taken by Amisha Thakkar-Kashyap of Gorgeous and Fun Things)
Interested? 
