Redmond Arts Festival

Limewall participated in the Redmond Arts Festival last weekend (July 7-9) at Redmond Town Center. Great weather, the festival itself and Redmond Derby Days brought in a fabulous crowd of people, and it was wonderful connecting with the art enthusiasts. These three days just flew by talking art, getting to know some beautiful minds and their crafts, looking at happy, carefree weekend faces, listening to live music, and getting lost in the vibrant colors of children's chalk art. It was fascinating as always to hear what stories Limewall art pieces told my visitors and I am beyond happy to see my work finding homes locally and internationally.

As much as I love interacting one on one with my customers in the festivals, I also ardently look forward to meeting other artists and learning their stories. In the very short time I got to take a tour around, I met some pretty amazing people. Across from me was Monica Arche who does stunning abstract painting. Her work exudes this raw energy that seems to explode on canvas and leaves room for diverse interpretations.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dorothy Paun, Asssociate Professor at University of Washington. She made the most exquisite paper bowls out of simply paper and water. She has a fun shop in Amazon Handmade named Dr Dot's.

I was drawn to wood artist Bill Hodge's booth seeing all the amazing textures he created on reclaimed plywood. You can either hang the pieces or leave them standing. The designs were brilliant; I don't think I have come across anything like his art form or technique before.

Artist Twyla Dill's jewelry was like a breath of fresh air. What I found unique about her designs was her use of crochet. Her vibrant collection looked beautifully clean and modern.

Last but not the least, I found artist/musician Wolff Bowden's paintings absolutely captivating. His work is a whimsical combination of colors, textures and imagery. There is a mystical quality to his work that is bold and at the same time simple in its portrayal of the beauty around us.

All in all, it was a fantastic experience and I hope to be a part of a few more shows this year! :) Let me know if you have any show suggestions for me:D

xo

Farzana

VIDA

Hello!

While blogging has been taking a bit of a backseat, some fun things are happening around here that I wanted to share. I was recently approached by VIDA, a fashion e-commerce company that connects artists all over the world with producers, to collaborate as an artist and create my collection of apparel and accessories. With every product sold, VIDA strives to provide the gift of literacy to the makers they partner with. The notion of being a part of a global creative scene together with the opportunity to make a difference got me all excited:) So I jumped on board!

I've always been fascinated and inspired by the boundless beauty of nature. My growing collection is about showcasing the ever-changing canvas around us and making it part of who we are. Do visit http://www.shopvida.com/collections/limewall and let me know what you think.

Have a fabulous week! <3

-Farzana

P.S- I'm also working on my new collection here. Will keep you posted! :)

Holiday Market

Limewall participated over the weekend at the Snohomish Holiday Market. It was a wonderful event hosted by GroWashington, a non-profit organization that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs in Washington. This was my first time taking part in a show like this and what a great experience I must say.  Held at the Thomas Family Farm barn, the venue had gorgeous high ceilings, beautiful drapes hanging, and chandeliers for lighting. Around 60 local shops participated in the event. It was amazing to see so much creativity under one roof. Some of my favorite booths were Writers Cooperative PN, PNW Cupcakes, BeeZerts, Whipped Upp and Polli's Pretties. Look them up! While cheerful Christmas songs played in the background, it was just really nice to connect with art and home décor enthusiasts who stopped by at our booth. Always intriguing to hear what stories Limewall pieces tell to individual viewers. A big thank you to everyone who came to visit us at the market! So grateful for all your support. Here are some snaps from the colorful, festive event.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!! :D
-Farzana
 

A week in Prague

I know it's been a long time! Sorry I've been MIA here. Between running Limewall and running after a toddler, life is on a constant sprint. There, that makes a good resolution for next year- keep posting here and stay connected :)

So talking about Prague or as they call it- the city of a hundred spires, we made a quick plan to visit this summer right after my bambino turned one.  We were initially thinking about covering a number of cities in Central and Eastern Europe. But eventually settled on just Prague as this charming, historical city had so much to offer even one week seemed too short of a time. And secondly minimizing flights with a teething baby felt like the logical thing to do if our vacation was to maintain its "relaxing" status quo :)

We stayed in the heart of old town and I am so glad we chose that location as a lot of the attractions we wanted to check out were walking distance. Nothing like the Old Town Square to soak in the rich history, architecture, culture and vibe of this absolutely stunning city which remained unscathed during WWII. Our one week of trying to experience the bustling city like a Praguer magically took us back in time and at the same time fascinated us with its modern splendor. Horse drawn carriage ride and vintage car tour are great ways to explore the city and to add on to your imagination :) Some of my favorite things to see were- Astronomical Clock (oldest operating), Old Town Hall Tower (stunning view of the square and surroundings from up top), Tyn Church (looks spectacular from every angle day or night), St Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Prague Jewish Town (resting place of mythical creature Golem!), Statue of Kafka and Český Krumlov Castle. With Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture, Prague simply put is a feast for your eyes. No trips are complete without mention of the food, right? Prague boasts a vibrant, soulful local cuisine. Worth mentioning here is their beef goulash which is rich and packed with flavors. For the chicken lovers, breaded chicken or chicken cutlet is a popular choice on their menus. The bakeries and cafes have a warm inviting atmosphere and serve a variety of pretty amazing savory and sweet options. If you are a fresh fruit juice junkie like me, you are in the right city for it. You will get it almost everywhere. Here are some captures highlighting the trip. All the food talk kind of got me hungry…Čau!

-Farzana

Zane

On May 10th 2015 (Mother's Day!) around 8:10 a.m. my little angel Zane came to this world. After months of debate over names, Shaker and I instantly fell for this name. It means God's gracious gift in Hebrew and beauty in Arabic. I had thought about the moment when I first see him countless times during my pregnancy. Nothing prepared me for the surreal feeling when they put a wiggling slippery baby on my chest. It has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride since then with surprise element at every twist and turn; from sleepless nights, hating diaper change, missing warmth of the cozy womb, to loving diaper change, first smile, cooing and gurgling at the animals in the crib mobile! For those wondering where I disappeared last couple of months, now you know! Here are some shots from Zane's newborn shoot captured by the very talented Brigette Schaffarzick and some from his recent 3 month shoot by us . Happy Tuesday!

- Farzana

Winter in Vegas

I have been meaning to put together this photo blog for a while now. It kept taking a back seat while other work items needed to be ticked off. Whew, it has been a busy month for sure!

Wanting to escape the wet winter season in Seattle for a few days, we made an impromptu decision to join some friends visiting Vegas during the holidays in December. Temperatures hovering around mid 50s, the days were beautifully bright and sunny and the chilly nights lived up to Vegas' reputation of being glammed up in colorful lights. Hotel interiors were wonderfully decorated for the season; all that festivity bound to set the visitors in the complete holiday mood, even to hum a carol or two! Interestingly, sin city was quite packed at the time and was not as quiet as we were expecting it to be.

Here are some snaps we took of things we found fascinating during our short stay. From cityscape, to food, to entertainment, to decorations, the city did not disappoint. The pictures below were taken to capture some of that essence. Enjoy! :)

- Farzana

Guest Room: Holiday Ready

Holidays are here and a big part of this festive season is entertaining overnight guests. My husband and I moved to our new house earlier this year; we recently got around to finally setting up the guest bedroom. When I think guest room, the words that instantly come to my mind are welcoming, comfort, getaway, simplicity, relaxing and cheerful. With those words buzzing in my head, here are some things I did with the room-

1. Color Palette: This is the first thing I decided upon before proceeding with purchasing accents and other items for the room. My wall colors are white and I like that they add brightness to the room; a much needed thing around this time of the year here in the Pacific Northwest. For adding the seasonal warmth I played around with colors like bronze, beige, brown and cream for furniture and hardware. If you are starting with a blank slate and are fixated on a furniture item that you absolutely love, you can always work your color palette off that. I believe there is no hard and fast rule as long as you feel there is a nice flow and a sense of cohesiveness.

2. Furniture & Proportions: My guest room is modest in size, so I did not want it to look crowded with large sized furniture or too many items. The bed is queen sized and has a Victorian style dark bronze metal frame with clean lines. I paired it with creamish side tables in wood on both sides. On one of the corners next to the window I placed an accent chair with vintage French fabric in beige. It came with a cute little ottoman just perfect for my limited space!

3. Window Treatment: I love layering up windows. It gives your window depth, adds texture, allows for controlling light and in general makes it look more interesting without overpowering your room décor. For this room, I used neutral roller shade underneath grommet curtain panels.

4. Wall Art: Here comes my favorite part of home décor. Surprise, surprise! For me, a room feels incomplete without wall arts. It's as if it does not have a voice, or character, or mood. I chose the Parisian shot -Walkers and Observers from my Passenger collection for my focal art here. Going for simplicity, I did not want a collection of art pieces to accentuate the wall. I wanted the art piece here to transport my guests someplace, if only momentarily.

5. Other accents: Accents are great ways to bring in pops of colors in the room. I chose cheery shades of green for the lamps and armchair pillow; they tied in neatly with the drapes. Little items of holiday décor will also add tons of fun colors, if you are in the mood to extend the festivity to your guest room as well. I put in some magazines and bestsellers in a wicker basket to keep my guests engaged when they retire to the room. I may add in some late night munchies or sweet treats to the basket when my visitors are here.

Guest room all set, I am eagerly looking forward to seeing some long missed friendly faces, the inevitable long chats by the fire reminiscing good old times, little food indulgence, and the laughter that follows. How are you updating your guest space this season? Please share your ideas! Hope you all have wonderful holidays and a fantastic New Year! :))

Friendship, Food & Art

On Saturday, last weekend, my husband and I hosted a small party to celebrate the launching of Limewall. Framed pieces from the Passenger collection were exhibited; there were bites to transport our senses to different corners of the world and a beautiful buzz in the air from the joy of connecting with friends! What really stood out for me in the event was how all of us from at least 10 nationalities spoke the same language of our love for art, richness of mother nature, and flavorful variance in cookery from different parts of the globe.

Swiss psychologist Carl Jung said, "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." As the wonderful evening rolled on, I stood ruminating on how each of these incredibly talented individuals I call 'friend', has inspired me, motivated me, and enriched me as a person. Here's to friendship, food, and art!

- Farzana

Gallery Wall: Tell your story

A gallery wall is a great way to add character to your space or to set the mood you have in mind for it. I recently completed my dining space gallery wall. I used a bold graphic pattern in black and white for wallpaper and wanted to stick to the same color palette for the art work as well. The frames are all in white to contrast with the base black of the wallpaper. I chose clean contemporary styled frames to make them pop against the backdrop of the loud pattern. Given a solid colored wall I would have played around with a combination of classic, distressed and modern frames to bring in some texture. The photographs are from our Passenger collection narrating stories from different corners of the world. The idea here is to instigate conversation, get different perspectives/interpretations for the captures from our friends and family. To make a personal statement with your gallery wall you can mix and match fine art photography, calligraphy, paintings, sketches, drawings, mirrors, etc. and let the collection document who you are as a person from your interests, travels and experiences in life. There is no formula really for a perfect layout. You can try out a couple of setups on the floor and get a feel of what works best for the vision you have for your space. I started with a focal point in the middle of the wall at my eye level and expanded from there both ways. I intend to move around pieces and change layout in the future as my gallery grows. Hence I used velcro picture hangers upon suggestion by my friend Mustafa.

I had tons of fun working on this project and can't wait to start on my next gallery wall! :)

What are some of your thoughts and ideas for creating a gallery wall?

-Farzana