We've certainly been scheming here in the studio! Color scheming, that is. We have received shipment after shipment of market goodies for the past two weeks. Not everything has arrived yet, but I couldn't resist sharing a few vignettes at this stage after Mayme whirled through and placed the new treasures with a wave of her wand...

 scheme in blue, {accented with some amazing faux banana leaves. trompe l'oeil in real time, friends!}

scheme in green, {with envy, if you must}

scheme in plum and aqua-ducks

scheme in rainbow, {see what I did there, LOVE...}

See something you love?

Give us a call (864.467.1930) and stop by the showroom. Not in Greenville? Some of this may be coming to the online shop, but not all of it, so please, either call or email info@maymebakerstudio.com for specific inquiries.

We would love to hear from you, even if we don't have the joy of seeing your face.

Does handwriting matter?

It’s slow, not as transmittable, and there is no delete button. Though I will resist launching into a protracted defense of handwriting, I can't help but reference a Wall Street Journal article that I read recently. "Virginia Berninger, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says handwriting differs from typing because it requires executing sequential strokes to form a letter, whereas keyboarding involves selecting a whole letter by touching a key. She says pictures of the brain have illustrated that sequential finger movements activated massive regions involved in thinking, language and working memory—the system for temporarily storing and managing information.” (You can read the entire article here.) But there you have it in a nut shell: handwriting exercises our brains and helps us think. I’m a firm believer in a hand-written list or brainstorming diagram for that very reason! But writing is not only for practical things; it can be decorative, too. We’ve had two fun lettering projects at the studio this past week...

Since our studio is open by appointment, the door is not always unlocked... so we jumped on the bandwagon and got a mailbox. Clearly it couldn't stay blank and plain. I used white acrylic paint, a small brush, and a slow and careful hand, because no stroke could be erased. I may go back and add more of the scrolls from my sketch another day when I am feeling brave.

Here's the final-for-now in context, a little sentry by our door.

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If you thought that chalkboard-painted surfaces were only for children's playrooms, think again. Look at what a fun touch the chalkboard shade adds to this sophisticated Regina Andrew lamp!

Close-up of the sketch: sweet Marleigh is in for a treat! (Also, I did break the chalk in half.)

While sitting at my desk yesterday morning, I was struck by these simple words: "we can evolve." On the wall just beyond hang several prints of butterflies, optimally positioned as if to validate the mobile's bold statement. Like the butterfly, often the only way for us to truly keep living is to move on to something new, to expand, to reevaluate what is possible, to evolve.

We have several personal examples of our own evolution here at Mayme Baker Studio. Our biggest news is, of course, our new web shop, which enables you to browse from anywhere, any time! Another exciting development is the addition of two new employees. Debi Horton joined the team as Mayme's right hand lady... the organizational genius who makes sure all of the amazing ideas actually happen. The other is me, Tessa Pinner, content manager for the new web shop and the friendly voice you will see and hear in many email newsletters, facebook updates, and blog posts. I'm thrilled at the chance to start giving you some inside eye candy from the beauty and talent that is Mayme Baker Studio! I'll dish a more complete scoop on Debi and me later, but for now, here's a picture of us looking our darndest, just for you. 

Tessa, left; Debi, right

While evolution is necessary and often wonderful, it is not without its own challenges. There is something lovely about walking into a tangible space with delightful treasures, all presented beautifully and in context. All of your senses are engaged, and maybe you are happily surprised by that special something in that obscure shelf of the corner case. You didn't expect to walk out with it, but it just spoke to you. We know that while our online shop is superbly convenient and has a much larger selection than we can hold in our studio and booth, sometimes you crave that special tangible interaction. SO! This is my reminder to you that while our studio is not open continuously, we welcome your call and subsequent drop-in! Additionally, our booth space at Antiques on Augusta (6 South Lewis Plaza) is alive and well. I popped up there a few days ago to snap some photos of the prettiness. 

Hopefully these shots will tempt you to visit if you've never been or to revisit if you are a regular. We promise, we'll be placing new items there, too!

One of these fun trays displays inspiration from Audrey Hepburn on the topic of evolution: "Nothing is impossible. The word itself says 'I'm possible'!"