For the first time, the Centerstone Giving Card has a Spring component as well.  So, take that card from Fall out of your wallet and save 20% this week from Mar3- Mar 13th.  If you don’t have a card, they are just $50 and support Centerstone services.  Click here to find out more and where to buy one.  Not one of our Nashville readers?  Well, I hope this post inspires you about all that Nashville has to offer as well as gets you out into your local shops this week!

Also, a real quick thank you. Thank you to all of the merchants we write about and all of the readers who read.  If there weren’t so many great people and places in Nashville, we wouldn’t have a blog.  If no one read, it wouldn’t be fun to write. This post was difficult as it was last minute and I ended up with a child throwing up at home (I’m calling this school year the year of sickness), and my husband traveling.  So, Elizabeth was going to snap some shots and then SHE ended up with a vomiting child as well!  But the shops all came together and sent me the pictures I needed.  As we watch our stats rise (we had almost 10,000 UNIQUE visitors to our blog last month (google stats) and we are edging ever closer to our 1000 subscriber goal.  Please continue to tell your friends what a fun break StyleBlueprint makes each day so we can reach our goal!  Thx- YOU are the best!)  We are looking forward to debuting our new site very soon and we hope you will like as much as we do!  Oh- comments on the blog make us feel loved! Thank you to all of our readers who comment!

Looking over the Spring Centerstone Giving Card merchant list, I gathered some wants to contemplate come Wednesday when I can get them 20% off:

Pottery from Digs:

Sally Legg is the artist behind these amazing bowls available at Digs. Add an orchid and you have perfection.

Lighting from Lumen And if you need advice about a lamp shade, this is the store from which to seek advice:

Tapered Mosaic Lamp $245, take 20% off

Monochrome Textured Lamp, $345, take 20% off

Kelly Joseph leather and pearl jewelry at Caldwell Collection.  For more information on what else you can get at 20% off at this gem of a store, click here:

An impressive collection is available at Caldwell Collection and these pearls are the perfect accent to casual wear yet perfectly graceful with a suit or business attire as well. I think they are ageless in their appeal.

These dishes from Hey Day in Franklin:

Don't these dishes scream Spring? You know pottery is my weakness and these from Good Earth have me drooling while envisioning Summer gatherings and planning menus. Price range: $15- $259

Same company as the previous picture, just a different colorway - both available at Hey Day in Franklin. And no way do these have a sticker that says Made in China. NO! If a sticker is present, it says Made in Mississippi! Does 20% have these calling your name?

Shoes from Stuart Wieztman in the Mall at Green Hills:

$395

$298

Perhaps I need one of these ouch-less, headache free headbands from Posh:

Deepa Gurnani headbands

I love Le Creuset and while I have a bunch of the enamel on cast iron, it may be time to try an enamel on stainless steel stockpot.  Available at the Le Creuset store at The Hill Center, Green Hills

Think ahead about a hat for Steeple Chase from Pastiche.  Not only do they have a store full of hats right now, but Pastiche is also having an Alice in Wonderland party this Saturday from 11-3 featuring well known Louisville hat designer Vicky Hoskinson.  Steeple Chase fun:  Get a sheath dress that is simple.  Then, go all out on a hat. Vicky also does “hat makeovers” so next year you won’t have to show up in the “same” hat!  Have fun with your hat and look to turn heads:

heads will turn; you will stand out; you will smile wide!

I love the Gretta Garbo meets Steeple Chase effect of this hat.

I’ll definitely go to The Beveled Edge to get all of my framing done that has been piling up.

I might even try to make it up to Ibiza Fine Gifts to check out this store.  I’ve heard good things and I know many of you like the Deruta Italian Pottery sold here:

Prices from $31- $112 before discount applied.

Oh, dang, this post was all about ME.  OK, so for the kids, I may pop into Snap as my kids have grown out of EVERYTHING.  Snap is having a BonPoint trunk show on March 8th and 9th and these clothes are ADORABLE.  Really- click on the link.  This is how I wish my kids dressed every day.  While the trunk show is not covered by the Giving Card, you can shop the trunk show and then grab all the other sure-to-be-loved clothes from the current stock of t-bags, ella moss, j brand and LA brand and get a cool 20% off!  Hunter boots for kids anyone?  They have great swimsuits and cover-ups for Spring Break as well.  My two girls go bananas over this store so 20% off is great.

and I’ll run by Popo as I love that store and my my middle daughter loves the headbands and my son can’t get enough of the Uglies (Easter basket Uglies sound good….)  Plus, I always find the coolest things here….

…..there are just so many places to visit.

Carve out some time this week to save 20% on at these stores!  Remember to click here to see a list of all the stores

Liza:

I must admit I ♥ Valentines Day, but it also stresses me out.  I mean you have Halloween, and then Thanksgiving, with Christmas madness coming next.  Throw in remembering my mother-in-law’s Dec 26th b-day, my sister-in-law’s Jan 19th b-day, my oldest daughter’s Jan 30th b-day and then my youngest’s Feb 19th b-day…..oh, and I haven’t even touched the surface of bff’s with Jan and Feb b-days..and my sweet godson.  You see?  It’s hard enough with the b-day’s and then a cute little holiday?  And so it goes – Valentine’s Day is for me the holiday of perpetual good intentions with lousy execution.

The worst thing about Valentine’s Day is the the exposure to so many of those Pajam-o-gram commercials.  They make me wince.  I mean that guy patting the bed wearing the silk red boxers with the do not disturb sign…really? Does the sign come with the o-gram?  Oh- just writing o-gram made me see this commercial differently and now I hate it more.  Ewwwww.

So, let’s play make believe for a moment. Here are some things that I would put on my own list of lusts for this day of love:

These heart accessories for the kitchen, from Nest Interiors, simply make me happy: year round happy (and they are offering free chocolate and champagne Thursday, Friday and Saturday while you shop!)

Heart Measuring Spoons, Heart Tea Strainer, Coffee Spoons and Quotable Measuring Spoons by Beehive (all hand-crafted; lead free pewter and copper) Prices range from $26-67

How about using that tea strainer with some of the loose variety from Partner’s Tea Co. that I wrote about yesterday?

Online, I am DROOLING over these two items from Tory Burch (if you spend $300 or more online through Feb 15th, enter BDAY and get 25% off!:

Pyrite Heart Cuff, $295. I love this as hearts are usually "too sweet" for me. But this one is tough, original, and fun while the heart makes is just a teeny bit sweet.

Wild thing, you make my heart sing. Can we just pretend those are my feet? $325 by Tory Burch.

Judith Bright designs always makes my heart race. Her ENTIRE site is 15% off right now with the code: HEART Since she lives in Nashville, you can tell your guy to order it with the message “Can I pick this up?”  and my bet is that the answer is “of course”!

$113 but just $84.75 with that HEART code!

Lastly, I have had so much fun with my kids making valentines this week:

I’m feeling all craftsy – really – and I think I want to make some grown up Valentines all by myself, with no more glitter being added to my house, as it is now EVERYWHERE.  Realistically, I’m still recovering from the consignment sale.  But, you could go for me, make me one or send me some pictures (hint hint):

Make Your Own Valentines! Join us at Art & Invention Gallery (1106 Woodland Street, Nashville 37206, #226-2070) to create a Valentine’s masterpiece for the one(s) you love. Decorate a card or wooden heart, or invent your own Valentine’s sentiment from our table of goodies:

If you supply the time, we will supply the materials!

Cost: $ 6.00 per card, $7.00 – $10.00 per wooden heart

Walk-ins welcome:

Friday, February 12,  noon – 8pm, Saturday, February 13, noon – 6pm, Sunday, February 14, noon – 5pm Reservations a must for groups of 5 or more!

**There’s lots more I’d like to add, and I’ll gladly take anything from my 2009 list: Click here to see that list.**

For some serious Valentine’s Day sales, see one of our favorite local blog fashion sites Stella Shops.

Elizabeth weighs in:

Whew!  Liza, I’m exhausted after reading your list of “to-do’s” with so many to buy for during the early months of the year.  I have the same challenge, but mine occurs starting in September and ends in late October where EVERY member of my family, except moi, celebrates a birthday.  By the time my husband’s birthday rolls around on the 19th, we all suggest a nice pie– forget the candles.   Throw in an anniversary, some Halloween costumes, class parties and Thanksgiving. By the time Christmas rolls around, I always feel like I am a day late and a dollar short.  And, I am.

But, let’s face it, holidays for Moms are complete hassles, eh, I mean blissful fun. Yesterday, Liza said she was going to fore-go buying her kids’ valentines and let them make some at home (have you gone completely mad, Liza?) and I said, “Why the hurry? Valentine’s Day is on Sunday this year!”  Wrong, all wrong – while that may be true I was suddenly reminded of school parties.  I had forgotten.  Moms are ramping up for Valentines Day right NOW…or yesterday.  I have three kids.  How had I forgotten?

Don’t get me wrong.  I love Valentines gifts – especially when I am the recipient of beautiful things. Hopefully, if you like some of our ideas, they will find their way to your husbands or boyfriend’s email.  Next year, we may just add a Valentine’s gift registry so you are sure to get what you really want.

So, without further ado, here is my list:

StyleBlueprint has not written about Patricia Mathews’ jewelry before, but I am a huge fan of her work. Her line is sophisticated, lovely and reasonably priced.    A couple of years ago, I went to a home show she was having and found a ring which I did not buy.  It still haunts me as it was exquisite.  Here is one of my favorite pieces:

Liza loves those fabulous pink shoes, but I think if I wore them, people would whisper behind my back, “Cute shoes, but they are too young for her.” Here are my favorite shoes for Spring and they are from one of our favorite stores, JCrew:

$235 from J CREW. But, I just got this email and if you order online, and spend over $175, you can get 20% off with the code: SHHH - good through Saturday.

I popped in Fire Finch in Hillsboro Village to pick up a new pair of readers (something I am not too young for!). Their supply of readers was low, but their supply of absolutely darling wallets and clutches was great.  What a great gift for Valentines.  Look at this pretty and pink wallet.   Also, their new shipment of readers is coming in next week.  At $20 a pair, they are the best in town.   By the way, I do NOT want readers for Valentines Day as they fall in the category of unromantic gifts, right up there with small appliances and grocery store roses.

Love this clutch from Fire Finch at about $100

Finally, since everyone is bemoaning the economy and not spending too much cash these days, my last gift is expensive, really expensive.  But, I am absolutely, positively in love with Thomas Darnell’s roses.   The first time I saw his oil paintings at Caldwell Collection, I vowed that somehow, one day, I would own one of his fabulous works of art.

Take your breath away. This is a painting by Thomas Darnell

Darnell at work painting...you see why I want one, don't you? Fabulous.

Liza and I wish all you Valentine warriors and purveyors of Cupid’s dream, a heartfelt and wonderful Valentines Day.  Put your feet up and breathe a sigh of relief, “It’s over.”  Now, let’s get started on St. Patrick’s Day!

Ben Caldwell and his daughter

There are some artists who if I won the lottery, I’d buy enough of their work to consider it a collection. Let’s see, I would  buy 20 or so of Kem Alexander’s concrete shoes, 6 or 7 more of Hunt Slonem’s birds and, of course, a new painting from his Bayou collection and enough serving pieces and bowls from Ben Caldwell to dazzle and delight everyone at my next dinner party.  I already have 3-4 of his serving pieces– my first purchase being a  large hammered spoon which he said his Mom used all the time, so I bought it.

Ben Caldwell has been a resident artist at the Caldwell Collection (I know, Caldwell, Caldwell.  But, no relation.) forever and his work continues to evolve and amaze– in my opinion, the sign of a great artist. (See details at the end of this post for an upcoming event with Ben Caldwell at Caldwell Collection this week.)  For those of you that do not know his story, here’s a condensed version:  he is the prodigal son of some of Nashville’s most formidable art collectors, Dr. & Mrs. Ben Caldwell.  He was born in Nashville and actually went to University School of Nashville, a place where I also have a vested interest.  The Caldwell house was filled with lovely art and silver from all over the world and they adored local artists like William Edmonson, Red Grooms and so many more.

The perfect flower, Ben Caldwell

As in the case with many artists, he wasn’t in sync with the mainstream due to his dyslexia and decided to march to the beat of a different drummer. He found solace and comfort in art, graduated from college and began painting.  A detour, which I am sure served him well, was his decision to learn to build musical instruments.  Then, another magical thing happened to Ben: he found a mentor and teacher in Terry Talley, a renowned silver and coppersmith master from Bradyville, Tennessee.  Through his association with Terry, Ben learned one of life’s most valuable lessons: find fulfillment in your work and the rest will fall in place.  Bingo!  Don’t we all wish we had found a mentor like Terry when we were young and impressionable?  Ben has defined his career as an artist and now has a lovely family more precious than any collection.

serving set in copper and horn, Ben Caldwell

Ben’s process is complicated as he starts with a large sheet of copper and applies powdered enamel to create a design. The enamel is torch fired to the copper section by section at temperatures between 1500 deg. F and 1800 deg. F.  This allows the copper to oxidize and mix with the enamel and change color.  After the copper cools, it is then shaped with a hammer.  It is then re-enameled and shaped while still red-hot until the final shape and color are achieved.  The true bottom line is that his copper and silver pieces are exquisite, gorgeous and acquisitions you will never regret purchasing.

Another scoop, but for coffee, Ben Caldwell

The Caldwell Collection will have an open house so you can meet Ben Caldwell and see his work on December 11-12th from 10AM-5:30PM.  To see more about this event, and special guests, click here. The Caldwell Collection is located in at 2205 Bandywood Ave.

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