Fauxology: Studying the Visual Magic of Faux Finishing and Interior Design (brought to you by Garay Artisans)

It’s my B-Day today…and the hubster has requested that I actually not work today.  (…bummer…)  The good thing is, I get to spend the day with him so it all works out in the end. :) 

I’ve been getting early calls already.  Every year, my brother & sister & the rest of the family duke it out to be the first one to call anyone on their birthday — you’re greeted with “Happy Birthday!” and then quickly “Am I the first?”.  Then you get either screams of joy or passionate vows to win the next one.  Ahhhh, families.

Wish I could hand out the cupcake above on my blog but since I can’t, I’ll leave you with this new article on the HGTV site: 10 Steps to a Well-Designed Room. 

…writing a blog post isn’t technically working, right?…

I’m pleased to announce that every month, we are going to be holding a different contest to win a free Benjamin Moore Faux Finishing DIY Workshop.  Here’s how to win our April 2008 Contest:

This month our blog’s name and site changed to Fauxology, easily accessable by going to www.fauxology.com.  The person who recommends our new Fauxology blog and link to the most amount of people via e-mail will win the class!  Please remember to cc: Regina@GarayArtisans.com so I can keep track of the amount of persons you have referred.  At the end of the month, I will announce the winner!  (Hey - try clicking the Fauxology link — you’ll come right back to this page.  It’ll be our version of Groundhog Day!) 

Samples of the finishes taught in the workshops — three per class — will now be available for viewing at the class location, Benjamin Moore’s Ocoee, FL store, and you can also take a peek at our workshop details.  I’ve also worked out a couple of cool things with Ben Moore: there will be a nice product give-away during the classes and students will receive a discount on all products purchased for their home use.  There will also be refreshments and a little food to nosh on during class.  It’s going to be a fun, creative time — I’m so excited! 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Garay Artisans or just e-mail me directly.  I wish you all good luck and look forward to meeting the winner!   

Please note: If you have already signed up for a Benjamin Moore class and you win, you will be reimbursed the course fee.  Additionally, if you would prefer to take the Cabinetry Workshop instead of a Benjamin Moore Workshop, you will receive a credit of $99 towards your chosen Cabinet Workshop.  There is no cash value to this contest outside of the workshops.

We went a bit differently this month with our book selection: a biography. Our recommendation for April is Florence Broadhurst - Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives by Helen O’Neill. The life history concerns the incomparable Australian Florence Broadhurst (1899-1977), a female pioneer in the wallcoverings arena. Even though you may not know her name necessarily, she helped further the artistry of the hand-crafted fabric and wallpaper business as we know it today.  Her design library has a collection of 530 hand-drawn patterns whose diversity gives credit to her creativity.  Some of her popular designs are still fresh today.

Here’s where it gets truly interesting: Ms. Broadhurst’s imagination wasn’t limited to her work — it seeped its way into her personal life.  As she was going through her life’s journeys, she invented a new name, new history and a whole new look for herself as she made her way through different career fields (and continents).  Yes, really!!!! It seems as if she approached each new personality like any Oscar-caliber actress would. Her life came to a tragic end, but still her spirit lives on…as well as many questions.  Did she truly create all those designs? If she didn’t, who did and why haven’t they said anything?  Was she a con-woman or a vastly prolific artist…or both?  Why was her life — as well as her death — surrounded with so much secrecy? Who was Florence Broadhurst really?

I’m not sure her same feats of duplicity could be accomplished in today’s information-ready tech world.  However, I was fascinated by the things she was able to accomplish and those she was able to motivate.  Her life — which has already inspired a movie – reads like any well-lived life: various careers, setbacks and triumphs, love lost and faith regained, hitting an important artistic stride and helping an entire industry reach a new level.  At the point in the book where she was murdered (and possibly by serial killer John Glover), it was truly a sad moment to behold in an an otherwise extraordinary life.  Or extraordinary made-up life, I leave that for you to decide yourself!  The book’s cover is beautiful and it is a great resource for designers and design fans.  I hope you find the time to read and enjoy it!  Here she is working and some of her designs:

Something super cool happened!  Our little Fauxology blog has been accepted by Delightful Blogs.  Delightful Blogs is a great site to find tasty blogs in a variety of subjects — from Activism to Work + Career.  Their tag line says it all: Cutting through the Blog Smog.  Fauxology is currently located under the Design/Decor/Style category. We’ll soon be adding one of these guys to our page:

Please check out their site — there are many blog gems to found there.  I’m honored just to be nestled within their community!

Well, what a whirlwind it has been since the last post! I’m so sorry if you have not been able to access our blog — we have had server issues (again) but now they seem to be (I seriously, seriously hope) finally fixed.  Sorta frustrating when I can’t even access my own blog to write an entry!  Aargh…and a few other…choice…words…   But enough whining and on to some happier stuff: an awesome product I found in the midst of my cold, blog-deprived life. (I had to get another whine in.  And yes, I’d like some cheese with that!)

Here’s the deets: There I am working in a bee-yoot of a house. (It’s affectionately called The Castle by the locals.)  I’m really excited because the couple that owns it is Hispanic (like me) and I can launch into Spanish/Spanglish when I’m trying to get a certain idea across and they totally get it. They are truly the most wonderful, down to earth and fun family — LOVE that. So, we were trying to find something cool and different for one of the kid’s rooms and in my search, along comes Blik.  Blik is a collection of wall surface graphics that attach to your wall (or floor, whichever) quickly and easily to create decorative patterns.  The products come in many colors and each packet of designs is affordably priced.  You can have spheres, elliptical shapes or even just zen-like bamboo. Maybe a totally fun accent wall complete with chandelier or make a nursery a wee gallery. Their designs are totally cool and in no way, shape or form tacky.  In fact, they are so elegant and hip they’ve been covered extensively by the press and the designs are in hotels, retail shops and beautiful homes. Here are a few pics:

I think two of my faves are the Octopus and Summer Wind. But then again, I do love Tim Burton and Hayao Miyazaki. I hope this opens up a world of other possibilities for you!