Blog has moved!

I have been doing a bit of updating of the old Laura Fair website.  Hop on over to see what is new.  This blog will be closed as of today, as I have integrated the journal into the new website.  All the blog entries, including the past, are now on www.laurafair.com/blog so make sure you change your bookmarks!  Thank you all for following me on my journey, for cheering me on, and liking the Laura Fair products.  I would not be able to do this without your support, my family and friends!  See you all over there... ciao!

Spring into Summer

I think I may have gone a little overboard on the pillows?  Then again...in my world, we all could use at least one more pillow.  Especially me after the last month or so of specialness.

We cruised right through Spring and my favorite month of May.  It was a wonderful time full of flowers, celebrations, family fun including a visit from my father and Suzanne, a quick trip to the Piedmont, many many visitors, and glasses of wine.  My highlight...an epic day where I saw snow on the Alps, had a cappuccino amongst the Piedmont vines, the Ligurian Riviera coastline welcomed with sea breezes and fried calamari, and the rolling hills of Tuscany brought me back home.  Next time, (and there will be a next time, I hope soon) I will choose to linger a little more.  After all...it is Summer now, right?

Celebrating 10 (2)

To continue the celebration of 10, I thought that I would write a bit about the place I have chosen to live.  Just as I gave you 10 things about me, here are my 10 favorite things that you will only find in Tuscany.

1      A trip two hours in any direction delivers landscapes that make you feel like you have traveled to another country.

2      Eyes are opened as you wander the streets of Florence in the evening with all the shops aglow.

3      Those silvery olive trees essentially speak while they are swaying in the wind.

4      Layers upon layers of history are reflected in intricate stone and brick work all placed by someone’s hand.

5      Autumn arrives with the smell of wood smoke wafting from every chimney and field.

6      That perfect golden light at dusk can make you feel like you are bathing in rose gold.

7      An explosion of wildflowers brings year round eye candy with poppies, sunflowers, rock roses, fruit trees, even the little margherite that dot my front lawn make me smile.

8      Drives through the countryside fill you up and last all day…sometimes not even stopping or leaving the car.

9      Lazy long lingering lunches in small seemingly isolated trattorie with course after course and a bottle of red Vino Nobile.

10    Never needing a watch, as there will always be a church bell to guide your day.      

Celebrating 10

I have officially hit the dieci mark...10 years for Laura Fair and for Italy.  Really hard to believe.  I have been thinking about this all morning on this strange, slightly foggy Sunday.  I thought I might start a little 10 things series.  At the risk of giving you too much information, apropos to start with 10 things about me, right?

1   I cannot live without the sun…I believe a sunny day can solve all the world’s problems.

2   A dermatologist here in Italy told me I was probably not meant to live here with my skin...she then told me I wear too much sunscreen.

3   I embraced walking only because the landscape calls me to be outside, but have happily found so many other benefits.

4   I waste entirely too much time looking out my window…I am simply captivated by the view.

5   I see patterns and color schemes everywhere...the urge to design never quits.

6   In the winter I spend my days building and stoking fires and my summer is spent with shutters closed in the dark (that is, if I am not swimming in the pool).

7   I do sometimes dream in Italian…and I find I am pretty well versed.

8   Ciccia Maria will always be my first but, she now shares me with the cat, Gatto Matto Leo, and five other dogs Georgia, Giulia, G Dino, Birba, and Anya.

9   I was emphatic about not spending my life with an Italian, funny how our minds can change…now I have Dino and cannot imagine a life without him.

10  I love how balancing my feet on two continents can make me feel grounded at the same time.

10 years

10 years, dieci, a decade.  You all know the tag line, in 2005 I packed up everything I owned, including little Ciccia Maria (who is now 11 1/2 I might add), and set out for the adventure of a lifetime, I moved to Italy.  Wow…what an adventure it has been to say the least in my little house on the hill.  I have lived life in a new language, culture, landscape, time zone…the list goes on and on.

Apparently the symbol of the tenth anniversary is tin or aluminum and I have to say that the pliability of both is the perfect metaphor for not only my life here in Italy, but my Laura Fair designs as well.  As with all things in life, we must be flexible, able to bend without being broken.  Anyone who knows me will say that one of my favorite words is compromise…isn’t that just a synonym of pliability?

This year is not just the anniversary of my move, but also of Laura Fair.  What would be the perfect way to celebrate 10 years of business designing and licensing?  How about we are now at Target.com.  Yes, you heard me, Target my friends!  What an absolutely excellent way to savor the anniversary and all the hard work up until now.  They will be carrying 4 different Laura Fair Pillow Collections from Rizzy Home. 

Be sure to visit www.target.com and search for “laura fair” to check out the pillows and let me know what you think!

With 10 in mind, I am currently working on a look back over the last decade of life and business and will be updating here more often with my thoughts.  Stay tuned...Ciao!

Gennaio 2015

As tradition here in Italy, most homes have a nativity scene and ours is no exception.  We have been patiently waiting for the arrival of the Magi on the 6th.  Then again, silently not wanting their appearance as it signifies the holidays are officially over in Italy.  Well, the wise men traveled to adore Jesus and the holidays are done as of today.   

However, my tree is still standing...not ready to let that go!

Gennaio January, the month of beginnings and resolutions and debuts and promises.  Every year for me, January has meant a trip to the United States...most importantly to the Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market at Americasmart.  For the first time in 15 years (gasp), I will not be scaling the escalators or walking the floors between 4 massive buildings.  Instead, I will be quietly working away here in Tuscany in the studio.  Now, this does not mean that Laura Fair product will not be represented throughout the market...don't get me wrong!  

Golden Rabbit is showing my Laura Fair Chirps and our continuously popular Damask patterns in Red, Blue, and Green.

Rizzy Home continues to showcase my Laura Fair indoor pillow collections with almost 40 designs in which to choose, NEW rugs, and my quilt and bedding collections.  (More on these designs to come...we have some BIG news to deliver in the next couple of weeks!)

And last but certainly not least, Evergreen Garden is featuring both the Spiral Bouquet Garden Collection and the best selling Woodcut Collection in their showroom.

If you happen to be visiting the market, please stop by and see these wonderful showrooms.  If you do, be sure to find me on Facebook and let me know your thoughts as well.

Buon Anno...Happy New Year...and Happy Gennaio!

Buon Anno

As the snow falls here...I wish you a wonderful 2015!

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you the happiest of holidays this season!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Even though I always miss the USA at this time of year...

we still know how to celebrate in Tuscany!

Instagram

After messing with my new phone for too long and spending way too much time with the camera options, somehow Laura Fair is now on Instagram!

http://instagram.com/laurafairdesigner

 Not making any promises what I post will be all that entertaining...but I have linked it up to Facebook...so this way, you won't miss a thing ;)

Chickies-Baby Chirp

This weekend we will be sipping some bubbly and celebrating the launch of my new Laura Fair Baby Chirp Collection for Golden Rabbit enamelware in Atlanta at Americasmart.  If you are there...come and join us on Saturday, July 12th from 4-6 pm in Building 2 #835A.  We all know some little ones who rule the roost and these were made with lots of love just for them.

I am the King around here for our boys

and I am the Queen around here for our girls.

 The best part...they even come in a cute box set complete with a plate, bowl with lid, and these tiny mugs.  How perfect is that?

High Point Debut

I spent a little time in the US over the month of April.  It was a whirlwind of a trip filled with travel, family, friends from near and far, all with a little business thrown in to wrap things up nicely.  We celebrated my Daddy in NYC, cruised around the Hudson Valley, lounged at a NJ lake, were enchanted by azaleas in Alabama, and had our fill of ham and cheese on rye (not to mention a lovely golf course) in Augusta.  Oh...and the business...that was the High Point Market.  Somehow with all the travel I had been doing, I managed to get up to North Carolina as well...and was so happy that I did, as five new Laura Fair decorative pillow collections made their debut at the Rizzy Home showroom in Showplace.  True to my Laura Fair style...these collections offer on trend colors and patterns diverse enough to fit into any decor.

The Washed Neutrals Collection features Ikat motifs and muted greys, blues and yellows.

 Blossom Collection boasts bright florals anchored with crisp white and navy.

The Peacock and Fig Collection, a perfect mix of classic and contemporary with grey-blue, celery, and emerald green.

You already saw the Constantinople Collection here with its blue-greens and bright red.

And the Mirror Mirror Collection highlighted with bright orchid, chartreuse, and grey.

I know I say it every time I post new collections, but I really do get such satisfaction seeing my designs come to life.  These above will hopefully be hitting stores very soon!

Flashback to Turkish Delight

Where did the time go?  I sat down this morning to go through the past few months in pictures.  Being visual, it seems to be the only way I can remember life these days.  I stumbled across some very colorful snapshots of my time in Istanbul this past February.  An eyeopening escape from my little vita Italiana in the country.  Despite not having the best weather, the city was beautifully alive and exotic.  What inspiration was found there...not to mention the level of history and spirituality that literally hangs in the air.

 A once in a lifetime trip and I must thank my friend Kimberly for sharing the time with me. Coincidentally before I set foot in Turkey, I designed a new collection of Laura Fair pillows for Rizzy Home entitled Constantinople.  

These recently debuted at the High Point Market this past April.  Oh...did I tell you I was there?  More to come on that...

Neoprene

I love this new product from Cypress Home...Neoprene!  (Yes, finally I have a koozie, among other things, with my Laura Fair designs!)  Just look at this bright blue display Evergreen put together for the showroom this January at The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market^®.  We are right on trend with our blue and white I might add!

The entire collection features Wine Bottle Totes, a Lunch Bag, koozies, an eyeglass case, a wallet...the list goes on and on with essentials.  As I think about this mix of product while torrential rain pours outside, my mind wanders to a warm, stunningly clear day, not a cloud in the clear blue sky, a picnic by the lake with a cold crisp glass of vino bianco...

a girl can dream, right?

Buon Anno 2014

Felice Anno Nuovo!  Buon Anno a tutti!  Auguri!  Happy New Year!  

Despite the gray skies here in Tuscany, we have been celebrating and celebrating, lots of food and friends and laughs.  I hope that you all had wonderful holidays full of fun as well.  The great thing about being here in Italy...our holidays don't end until after Epiphany, January 6th when La Befana comes to stuff even more presents in our stockings.  So here's to continuing to raise a glass....cin cin e salute (cheers and to your health)...wishing you all a happy and prosperous new year!

Buon Natale

Here's to warm fires, good friends, the perfect tree, stockings, and of course lots of cheer.  

Wishing you a very very Merry Christmas - Buon Natale!

Coasters

You probably caught a little glimpse of the Laura Fair coasters I used for our intimate Thanksgiving lunch.  I should really say that it was not just lunch...but an all day grazing, that seems to be the norm for everyone, right?

Introducing the Casablanca Collection by Laura Fair for Cypress Home including bright graphic drink coasters, underplates, placemats, wine bottle coasters, and even car coasters! 

These cute, durable, and functional little gems even made the front display window at the Evergreen showroom.  Seeing new product hit the stores is so rewarding, it really makes it all worthwhile.

Novembre

The view has been incredible this past month of November...but then again, he delivers a little something to us every year...including some

 spectacular light shows

intimate holidays with a mix of new (check out those Laura Fair coasters!)

and old (Bionda-Bruna Montalla plates)

 spooky mixes of light, smoke and fog spread over the valley

 an abundant bounty from nature...porcini and electric green olive oil

golden relaxing dusks, although they came a little early for me,

at least they left a lasting impression.

Ottobre

This Ottobre, October, has been an unusual one filled with humid Indian summer days and long red-tinged dusks.  Nature is a little behind this year.  The crocus are still hanging on, the bees are still busy, and the spiders are in overdrive building web after web.  Instead of normally being obsessed with olive picking, the Tuscans have porcini fever.  Not just for the delicious and highly coveted funghi, but all types of mushrooms.  It is a real malattia, sickness, around here...you cannot leave the house without hearing about who has trudged through the woods and found what and where.  However, you mustn't listen too hard, they are all telling white lies...a true hunter would never reveal where he found his stash.  We just 'fell back' and the days are now ending very abruptly with nightfall by 5:00 pm urging us to linger in front of the fire.  Just a taste of what we will get as winter comes closer.  Click on the above photo to see the entire collage of my October days.

Finding Pattern

As I mentioned here and here, it really is the simplest of things that bring the most joy.  Stepping out of the door the other morning, this beautiful work of art struck me.  

I can just imagine the time, effort and thought that went into such a creation...

pattern and inspiration bloom in every corner.