NEW KEEP CALM PRINTS & SPECIAL PRICE!


Limey


Cloud


Bermuda Pink


Delray Aqua


Mackinac Lilac

Due to the sustained popularity and relevance of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" slogan, I have tweaked and revived my own design and am introducing some brand new colors (as well as ready-framed prints for $58-contact me here to order). Great to keep in mind for gift-giving and the upcoming holiday season.
 I AM OFFERING AN INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL JUST THIS WEEK OF 15% off the regular price of all Keep Calm prints with this code at checkout: KEEP15
Also, a new version below for all those of you who still value mom's advice AND an elephant version I designed a couple of years ago to benefit a charity that helps girls in India (these are available in all of the regular Keep Calm colors above). Check them all out here.


"Call Mom" version in Julia's Butter


Indian Elephant version in pink


Indian Elephant version in indigo

ESPRESS YOURSELF.......







Welcome to a new week! I cannot believe it's already the last week of July....
I hope that you had a nice weekend. Things on my end have been very busy, to say the least. 
Today I am adding a brand-new quote print to my store - in 4 different color combos. 

*It's also available framed - just purchase a frame a' la carte here with your print and it will arrive framed and ready-to-hang!

KELLY MARKET


I'd like to thank Atlantan Kelly Ottinger and her cool site Kelly Market for including my "Do Not Trifle With Me" poster in her gift guide for foodies. Being a foodie myself, it was fun being included. What little time I spend watching TV, is usually on the Food Network and eating is one of my greatest joys in life. I would love living abroad in different cities, painting nothing but the unique culinary offerings of each place.
This time of year I look forward to roasted chestnuts, brie, home-made shortbread, roasted turkey (mostly for the golden skin) and butternut squash, heavy on the butter! What delicacies do you enjoy this time of year?

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE!

I hope that some sun and warmth are coming your way!
In celebration of the people who brighten up our lives, here's my latest quote print in a buttery shade of yellow. It's perfect for cheering up someone you love and letting them know how special they are to you (even if that someone is yourself!!)
Available here AT HALF THE REGULAR PRICE FOR TODAY ONLY!

DOMESTIC BLISS CAN BE YOURS!


Believe it or not, it's actually cold here in Florida, although I have nothing to complain about, knowing that 3/4 of you have it much colder than I do! I have even been forced to wear closed-toe shoes this week. I know - unheard of for me. I have been staying in and cooking up a few new things in the studio.

This print is my first new release of 2010.  This quote print features a rich geranium pink background with white text. Perfect to add a punch of color to your walls anytime, BUT it also makes a great Valentine's Day gift as well (hmmm, wishlist, anyone?) You can find it in my shop. Stay warm and have a great day!

CYBER MONDAY AT ANNECHOVIE

I hope that everyone had a great weekend! I had a wonderful time celebrating Thanksgiving with family and loved ones. After a little break, I am all revved up and ready for the start of the Holiday Season!!

I am offering a special today on all of my quote prints - including the new "Keep Calm and Carry On" prints. All quote prints are 40% off the regular price - marked down from $25 to $15 a piece. The offer ends tonight at midnight EST, so don't let the opportunity pass you by! These make great gifts, so why don't you click this link and check out the selection for yourself?

MONDAY SWEET TOOTH



(Click image to see detail)
Here's the latest new addition to my Etsy shop. This is the first in a new series of quote posters I have created that pair my dessert paintings with a quote. Combines two of my favorite things - painting and language! This features a painting I did a couple of years ago of a Laduree - Paris St. Honore pastry and the quote "You Make My Life Incredibly Sweet". Look for more to come soon and get this one right now here.

CAN I QUOTE YOU?















Nothing like a colorful and positive message to brighten your space! Whether it's a hallway, powder room, office, bedroom or anywhere! Here are a few new quote posters in addition to a couple of my most popular. They are all 11x14 inches (actual image is 8.25 x 10.75 - white margin for framing). They are printed with primo inks on high quality, heavyweight paper and available with or without mat and frame. Available now on my Etsy site. Custom designs/quotes are also available - just contact me here for more information.

THE LITTLE THINGS.......

Here are just a few random snapshots of a few little things in my studio that help keep things cheery for me. For most people, a lavender stapler would not float their boat, but it just makes me smile! It was marked down because few people like the colors I do, which makes me think of the adage,"one man's trash is another man's treasure"! (One of those instances when NOT being mainstream can be to your benefit!) I could be hired for focus groups to predict what the general public would NOT buy, because I usually like the opposite of what big-box retailers sell in volume.


I LOVE plants and flowers. I have a special affinity for miniature ficus trees and found this unique trellis-style ficus at IKEA at an amazing price!

My small-ish inspiration board with a few favorite photos, postcards, etc.

This quote poster is one I created to remember to be thankful, even on the days when things aren't going right. Along with it is a piece of coral brought back from the Florida Keys. I know people say coral is "so passe' ", but I have always loved it and always will. To me, it's underwater sculpture by God. There's also a carved wooden box I gold-leafed and a tole container I painted in stripes.

Me, at work in my studio!

I know some people love to collect things or to own expensive art or antiques. Now, that's not exactly an option for me, but I do enjoy being surrounded by a few objects that make me smile. I couldn't care less about something's provenance or name - I look for color, shape, design or sentimental value. Sometimes it's the colorful stapler I found on clearance for $5 or a photo of a vacation long ago that still brings back great memories. It's just the small things that somehow contribute to making your domain an expression of who you are. But things are only things, and oftentimes it's the least expensive object that may hold the most "cheer-power".

I was thinking about it, the same goes for my actions. I never know when a kind word, opening the door for a mom with a stroller or letting someone in my traffic lane may be just the little pick-me-up that someone needs in their life. We all have these opportunities that come to us every day - I know I am often just too preoccupied with what I am doing or caught up in my own interests to recognize them. Now, I am no Pollyanna. I won't even claim to be. I know the world is not full of goodness - I've lived long enough not to subscribe to that fairytale. I have encountered my share of caustic, small people who relish taking any opportunity to be mean. Who live to get ahead at any cost, to vent their frustration, anger and hurt on innocent people. Purely because those people have the misfortune to be in their path. My first inclination is to want to see these people harshly reprimanded or punished and NOW!! But before I get on my soapbox and try to instruct others on how to become better people, I need to think - what about me? What about my attitude toward these "mean" people? Wouldn't I be just like them if I wish them harm or heartbreak?
Sadly, these people are the losers. Somewhere along the line, they experienced life's inevitable pain and disappointments, got hardened and bitter, and allowed themselves to become "carriers" of evil. In "acting out" they are only compounding their own misery. When they lay their head on the pillow at night, they cannot escape who they really are. You can lie to other people, but you can't really lie to yourself, or it will end up destroying you. When I see this cruelty, this venom, the sheer hideousness of it just motivates me to be the exact opposite and not give place to any of the same in my life. To re-examine my own behavior and seek ways I can show kindness and bring a bit of cheer or hope to those people I encounter each day. Even the bad apples and sour grapes. To go the "extra-mile" with people who just really annoy me. The micro-managers, the nags, the liars.....it's like getting a shot in the arm. I don't know about you, but I want to be one of those people whom others are actually glad to see or hear from. Not a drain, not a source of dread, not someone who just transfers the angst from the wrong done to me to someone else. Even if it's just in the little things I do.......
We do have power - for good or evil, to add another link in the chain of hatred and abuse or to let it stop with us.....

I want to thank those in my life (including many of you who leave me comments and send me emails) who always have something encouraging to say. A smile, a kind word, a hug or kiss, an "atta girl" that lifts me up when I am feeling less than terrific. You know who you are!! Love you!

BUY 1 GET 1 FREE SALE!!





A few of the prints available now in my store. Lots more to choose from!

From now through April 30th, I am featuring a special buy one, get one free sale on all items in my ETSY store. For example, if you buy 1 print, you get 1 free. Buy 1 box of notecards, get one free. The only stipulation is that the free item claimed must be of the same type and of equal or lesser value. Just go to my Etsy store, make a purchase and then, in the notes to seller section, type in the item desired as your free gift. I will include the item you have specified in the shipment. It's a great time to stock up on some gifts. This special offer is only good until April 30th, so check out my Etsy store now!

HAPPINESS IS.......


My latest quote poster reads " Happiness is not having all you want, It is wanting all you've got! This is the third in a series of brightly hued quote prints I have designed. This one features Tiffany blue background with crisp white lettering. I'm also featuring a new version of my "Better to be Kind..." print with periwinkle text on a crisp white background. Great Spring colors! These are larger than my usual prints at 11x16 and are printed with archival, high quality ink on archival paper. They are both available on my Etsy site.

ANOTHER NEW QUOTE PRINT


CLICK HERE TO BUY!
This is the second in a series of brightly hued quote prints I have designed. This one features a vibrant green background with white lettering reading "It is better to be kind than right". This is a favorite adage my 90 year old grandfather taught me! This is larger than my usual prints at 11x16 and is printed with archival, high quality ink on archival paper. It's available on my Etsy site.