New England, Dawn Lombardi Style

Welcome to Farmington, Connecticut.  This is my home.  A quintessential New England town with tree lined streets.  The historic main street is bordered with white picket fences and colonial white houses.  It's home to Miss Porter's School and the Stanley Whitman House. 

It's also home to reknowned American Impressionist artist, Dawn Nolan Lombardi.   Dawn is originally from Northampton, MA and now resides in Farmington with her family.  Her work is featured in both private and public galleries around the country and, impressively, adorns the White House and Smithsonian Museum walls. 

Imagine my delight when I was able to score two original works by Dawn at our recent elementary school fundraising event.  I am beyond thrilled.   This oil painting represents the New England quaintness of Farmington's Main Street. 

The details are exquisite (hard to convey here). 

I love the pop of color that the second painting brings to my sunroom. 

The colors are vibrant and brilliant. 

For Connecticut locals, I hear that Dawn's work will be displayed in the Farmington Starbucks in the very near future.  Keep your eyes out, it's worth the iced latte to view these babies close up and in person. 

Another example of Dawn's work:

I encourage you to read more about Dawn here.  Dawn is also available for commissioned paintings.

PS--Did you hear that butterflies are coming our way?  Check out some of Vivid Hue's other posts here: 

Butterfly Mania

Free Issue of Domino Quick Fix

Shop and buy any item on One King's Lane during the week of April 30-May 4th

and get a FREE issue of Domino Quick Fixes!  How great is that!?

Monday, Wednesday and Friday sales will inspire products directly from the pages of Domino magazine.  Be sure to check it out!  (And score your free copy of Quick Fixes along the way...a win win situation)!

  

  

Butterfly Mania 2012, Prepare!

Ever start to notice a trend in decor and once you begin to really pay attention, you notice it everywhere?  First it was foo dogs...(Oh they're so last week.  Ha).  Next, my prediction is...butterflies.  I may be crazy and I'm no expert, but I'm beginning to see them crop up more and more at the couture level.  That means by summer they'll be in Target (OK...maybe not that quickly but give it within the next year).  

Here is what's in store...

Using butterflies on wallpaper and throw pillows provides an airy yet bold means of expression.  See, for example, this fresh and crisp Madame Buttterfly Collection from Designer's Guild. 

Butterflies are beautiful and delicate creatures.  Many of the emerging accessories convey these characteristics.  I'm loving the "Birds and Butterflies" Wallpaper from Schumacher.  The vibrant colors of the butterflies flutter around the white background. And check out those Manolo Blahnik butterfly slingbacks! 

And lastly, let's not over estimate these winged bugs' ability to dispay brilliant hues of gorgeous color.  Love the Butterfly orange rug from The Rug Company (also available in fushia)! 

(courtesy of smsread.com)

Wesley-Hall Bobbin Chairs

And of course, Lulu DK never disappoints with her Matouk collection availabe at Horchow. 

Lulu DK Matouk Bedding at Horchow

Keep your eyes peeled for more flurries a flutter this spring.  There's guaranteed to be a butterfly invasion coming our way!

Domino Quick Fixes, Welcome

Welcome back, old friend.  Please come around more often! 

Domino Quick Fixes--have you picked your copy up from news stands? 

I Heart Freudenhaus

I heart Freudenhaus.  Quite Literally.

Check out the heart-shaped Freudenhaus frames that I won!

That's an oxymoron if I've ever seen one.  Me?  Win anything?  But yes, I was selected to own these babys by a local Connecticut eye health center named Sight... 

Not only does Sight use the latest and greatest technology for eye care, they also happen to offer the hippest and best collection of modern frames in Central Connecticut.   In fact, they were just named BEST EYEWEAR STORE in Connecticut by CT.com (and no, I don't work for them! I just recognize good quality when I see it).   Read more about Sight here and here

These are only a few of the cool brands they carry...

When my husband spotted these heart shaped rims he stated, "Those are clearly just for fun!  You're not actually going to wear them out, are you?" 

Well what does he know?  This is coming from a man who owns stock in eye glass wear.  He has frames in every shade to match every outfit.  And yes.  I plan to wear them out. 

Check out who else wears Freudenhaus...

Sean Puffy Combs
(Photo Courtesy: ContactsandSpecs.com)

Tom Cruise
(Photo Courtesy: ContactsandSpecs.com)

And if you find  yourself in West Hartford Center, Connecticut, stop into Sight and peruse their selection.  You won't be disappointed.  Tell them Vivid Hue sent ya! 

"The Shops" at Target

Ready for the latest design sensation to hit Target?  Prepare for "The Shops" at Target, debuting May 5th. 

This is a new design platform that is being launched by Target.  Initially, it will include merchandise that has been collaborated with five prestigious boutiques across the United States.  The design team from Target continually had people asking them if they'd visited specific specialty shops and this sparked the novel idea. 

The first flight of The Shops at Target features collections from five different U.S. specialty stores: San Francisco’s The Candy Store, the Cos Bar of Aspen, Boston’s Polka Dog Bakery, Privet House of Warren, Conn., and The Webster of Miami.




The collections will remain online and in stores for 6 weeks (yeah right, we know better.  Remember Missoni for Target?  It sold out within hours).  There will be nearly 400 fantastic items from these shops and the shops will rotate with others as time goes on. 


Here are some of the exciting items that will be featured to start:

Privet House of Connecticut Collection

The Privet House in Connecticut

The Candy Store Collection

The Webster House Collection

The cos bar Collection

More Privet House Collection

Cos Bar Collection

Deco Dress from The Webster

Polka Dog Collection

Polka Dog Collection

Get ready for May 5th.  As history dictates, the early bird gets the loot!  Gear your computers up and get your running shoes ready.  The Shops at Target are guaranteed to be a "must have."  If you happen to miss out this time around, don't fret, additional boutiques will be featured soon!

Temp Style-Removeable Wallpaper

wallcandyarts apple blue/green

I was a military brat growing up.  I was used to living in temporary houses and, therefore, we couldn't permanently alter the state of the walls.  I learned a few nifty tricks from my mom on how to decorate creatively to work around this challenge. 

In fact, my first townhouse after college, I literally used laundry starch to hang a bed sheet as wallpaper on our kitchen wall.  It was a bold navy and white gingham print and once the fabric was securely starched in place, it stayed there for three years.  When we got ready to move out, I literally stripped the sheet right off the wall and the paint remained undamaged underneath. 

wallcandyarts sorbet stripe

Now that I'm "all grown up" I own my house and can wallpaper my walls.  Only I haven't pulled that trigger yet because, well, it seems so permanent.  Imagine my delight when I recently discovered wallcandyarts...temporary wallpaper that can easily be removed and applied to another location in the house. 

wallcandyarts apple pink/green

wallcandyarts stripe blue creme

wallcandyarts striped mango/cranberry

 Some of the wallcandyarts prints look destined for a kid's room.  But I can also see them in a kitchen, a laundry room, a mudroom, a bathroom...even an office. 

wallcandyarts popsicles

Each print is available in a half kit ($148) or a full kit ($256). 

Half kit includes 2 rolls of wallpaper (totaling 5.22 yards in length) and full kit includes 4 rolls of wallpaper (totaling 10.44 yards in length). Each roll is 26" wide by 94" long. Squeegee hand tool included.


For a more grown up temporary print, I discovered Tempaper. 
Sold as 1 double roll of 20.5 in. x 11 yds. = 56.37 sq. ft for an average of $98 each.  Check out these great prints:

Tempaper

Tempaper Etta Powder and Copper

Tempaper Edie Lemon Ash

Tempaper Marrakech Honey Jade

Tempaper Tots Skotti Blush