The first piece comes off the container. We can hardly stand it, we’re so excited.

The container is always a really big deal for us.  We get to fly to France and hit antique fairs and markets, ooohing and aaahing the whole time, negotiating politely and of course finishing the morning with a glass of bubbly.  Honestly, it’s the best perk of having the store and we thank our lucky stars everytime we find ourselves chatting with a nice vendor in the freezing cold at 7 a.m. in some exhibition hall or a field in the middle of nowhere.

Of course, we’re like kids in a candy store – and who wouldn’t be tempted with treats like these:

The ideal outdoor table – already beautifully weathered and patina-ed to perfection.

And, here it is in the store, proudly displaying our Laduree collection:

Safely arrived and on the floor….

We absolutely couldn’t resist these darling little Italianate chairs.

…or crunchy gold candlesticks.

And see how wonderful they are in their new home:

Perched daintily on a faux-bois table.

Ann found these funny little plaster manniquins from the 1930s. She was smitten, so she picked out three that we think have quite a resemblance to some of us here at the store:

Do these look like Huffingtons?

What about this one?

We think she’s very sporty with her French Legionnaire’s hat.

The fun of the fairs is that you see everything: from gorgeous 18th century fruitwood buffets to pristine and shimmering Louis VXI mirrors and even the odd relic from Napoleon’s days:

These got away…and we’ll never stop missing them. Camp chairs that date from one of Napoleon’s campaigns.

But we stumbled on these, which we are delighted with.  The only problem is they missed the deadline for this container so it will be a while before they arrive at their new Atlanta home.

Even though they missed the boat, we can’t wait to have these…

We have a soft spot for fine old pieces that gleam with a patina that only age and use can give.  Feast your eyes on these:

This 18th century walnut buffet is just about perfect.

And then there’s this beauty: an 18th century French oak buffet. We just died when we saw this…

Et voila:

Here’s the lovely buffet paired with a Louis XVI mirror, our favorite modern wing chair and two gorgeous grisaille canvases we just got.

A dainty little Parisian Louis table with sexy legs finds a new home:

From the streets of Paris to the streets of Atlanta…

Two little Louis tables are perfect for an HHH vignette.

We’re often get asked what exactly it is that we’re looking for and that’s a hard question to answer.  Anything crusty, crunchy, patina-ed, whimsical, practical and just plain different will catch our eye.  And if there’s a good story, even better.

Gorgeous peeling containers that got snapped up one second before we arrived…

Love these!

And these…especially with their little iron baskets.

Crunchy and crusty always gets our attention.

These clocks made the cut for the container and are now at the store. We think they’re perfect for family room, porch or media room. And, they’ve got a good story: they’re from a church in France near the Swiss border.

We also have a slight table fetish going right now.   We like them rough and rustic, elegant and refined, painted and gilded – and we had lots of them on the container:

This is a 19th century console used for washing.

We just had to have this tres elegant glass and gold three-piece coffee table. It’s new but we are crazy about it.

And how were we supposed to leave this faux bois piece behind? We couldn’t!

We’re all about pairing the old with the new, the crusty with the sleek and the humble with the high-falutin’.  It’s always the mix that makes life so interesting.

We love a collected look.  This is a perfect use of a crunchy old bureau paired with a simple lamp and an interesting painting. From My Country French Home.

A splendid fruitwood buffet and a glowering portrait. This is so European looking. From House and Home blog.

We also gave our walls a thought and fell in love with a gorgeous set of framed wildflower botanicals that date to the early 19th century:

Funnily enough, one of our very favorite blogs, Things That Inspire, just did a post on framed sets and botanicals  so we guess we’re not the only ones drawn to the elegant and organic personality of these.  We loved this image from the blog:

A glorious set of botanicals from Things That Inspire.

And, at the end of long day, there’s always the wonderful reward:

This adorable monsieur was pouring bubbly at 11:30 a.m. so we actually didn’t have to wait all day.

This topped everything off:

The most delectable dessert was the perfect end to the day.

And…not to worry.  We’re already planning the next shopping expedition…

Ta ta.

We’ve often thought the macaron reward totally justifies an Air France ticket – the pastel-hued delicate little orbs of delicious pastry sandwiched around a creamy, sweet filling are that darn addictive and delicious.

Utterly beautiful and delicious too…les macarons de Laduree…

No Paris trip is ever complete without a stop at our favorite Laduree shop (the one in the 6^th on rue Bonaparte) and an ecstatic exit clutching the trademark pistachio green and gold bag.

We could spend hours at the Laduree counter in Paris if it weren’t for the long line of French madames waiting behind us…

And boy, are we popular when we get back to the U.S. (even if macarons arrived slightly smooshed and a little worse for wear.)  We adamantly swear by the company’s elegant presentation, their gorgeous packaging and the very Frenchiness of them.

Our very favorite Laduree location in the Sixth Arrondisement.

Only in Paris..the chic-est food truck ever.

Flashback to January 2013 and we’re at Maison et Objet, the gigantic show in Paris we like to do twice a year.  We stop at a booth, our eyes taken by an unusual array of clever folding trays.  A nice little conversation ensues and then we happen to notice a glimpse of the unmistakable green and gold, this time in a very smart looking box.

“Bonjour.  What’s that?” we inquire.

“Oh, it’s Laduree…” answers the lovely vendor.

“Bien sur, we recognize the gorgeous packaging but it’s not the macarons. Is it a candle?” we guess.

“Mais oui…” answers our new best friend who goes on to explain that Laduree has a lovely line of candles and home fragrances as well as a beauty line that she herself sells in her home furnishings shop in a fancy suburb of Paris.  We begin to swoon just a little, already imagining how perfect Laduree would be at Huff Harrington Home.

We were already picturing ourselves selling Laduree at Huff Harrington Home.  …

Well, you can probably imagine where this conversation went. By the time we moved on, our new best friend had promised to put us in touch with Laduree.   But, she cautioned: don’t get your hopes up. Only a selected few retailers are approved to carry the famed Laduree line.  And, the macarons themselves only go to dedicated bakeries (now very slowly opening here in the U.S.)  However, there is a slight, very slight, chance you might be approved for the home and beauty line…

With fingers and toes crossed that the sun, stars and planets would align, we waited with bated breath for a phone call from Laduree.

And it came!  This time, the thought of macarons did  justify an Air France plane ticket and Ann was able to schedule a meeting with them.  And, in the most lovely and serendipitous way, we got the oui, oui, oui from Laduree.

We were thrilled to get the “Oui!” from Laduree…

Fast forward again to April and a delivery from France: boxes filled to the brim with the most gorgeous and elegant merchandise we’ve feasted our eyes on.

We are so proud and feel so privileged to be one of very few U.S. retailers of Laduree’s beauty, home and fragrance line: silky smooth and luxurious body creams and lotions, heavenly bath salts; room fragrances and candles.  We’re having so much fun displaying them at Huff Harrington Home and we’re delighted to announce that they’re flying off the shelves.

But we’re not surprised. And please excuse us if we sound a little like an adoring parent. We just can’t help it.  The products are simply beautiful, elegant and so Laduree…and now, here are some of the beauties now available at Huff Harrington Home:

Part of the collection: cheeky and adorable limited editions candles named after Paris, London and New York.  Here’s Paris. $68.

The Laduree Paeva candle.  $64.

The Laduree New York candle. $68.

The unforgettable Laduree orange blossom candle. $64.

The line also include creams, lotions, perfume and room sprays:

Mimosa Room spray a la Laduree. $75.  We crazy about the atomizer.

Laduree does lotion: Heavenly body cream. $78.

Ohhh la la…body powder and an irresistible pink puff. We want one…$68.

For the sweetest-smelling bath: Violet bath salts. $48.

So, just in time for Mother’s Day (or just about any special occasion you can think of), may we suggest the most perfect little gift? The recipient will thank you profusely for your excellent taste and your refined sense of French style.  And, while you’re at it, why not indulge yourself with a little soupcon of ohhh la Laduree?

Ta ta…

Franke in France – toujours happy!

I’m one of the lucky ones who got to visit Nancy while she was painting in Paris.  Not that it took a lot of arm twisting.

We had received a couple of emails from her, with a few snippets of her life in Paris.  Photos of her painting shirt hanging to dry on the window.  Glimpses of the Eiffel tower that dominated the view from her garret.  Pictures of paintings hanging on stairs to dry.  Labels from wine bottles enjoyed the night before.  Paintings of elegant Parisiennes, strolling the streets.  And most of all, fresh flowers, everywhere.

Flowers on her table

Flowers in the window

And flowers on her easel

We always like to visit our artists’ studios (especially the ones in France!) and we always like to see what inspires them in their surroundings.   And it’s especially important when an artist is preparing for an exhibit as Nancy has been for her upcoming show, Franke, Foltz & Friends – which opens this Thursday, at Huff Harrington Fine Art.   So visiting her in France was a pretty easy argument to make, given the prep work needed for a show  (and the fact that Nancy’s month long sojourn in Paris overlapped with the best antiques market in France!).

Nancy and Michael were lucky to be staying in what we Huffingtons call our favorite hood, just steps away from the famous Rue Cler, which is dotted with fabulous flower markets and loaded with charming little restaurants and purveyors of fine foods and chocolates.  So we knew that there was no shortage of inspiration, in both the floral and food categories.  But we really had to laugh when Nancy published an adorable blog about her love of butter, and how butter was infusing everything she did and thought about, including her painting style!  Doesn’t every discussion in France eventually turn to food?

The food, the wine bottles, the flowers, the view, the paintings stacked up on the floor (especially the one wedged between the stairs, which I was just dying to see in person),  combined with Nancy’s effervescent personality (and her adorable hubby’s too) were too much to resist … and  I couldn’t have been happier to come up with a slew of excuses to justify a visit.

Paintings drying everywhere in Nancy’s studio

Of course, seeing Nancy in Paris is kind of like seeing Pavarotti at La Scala.  She just belongs and thrives there!  Surrounded by museums filled to the brim with favorite artists, and every site on every street corner oozing with inspiration, not to mention the daily interactions and politesses with all the local merchants in her almost fluent French and the long three hour dinners in divine restaurants and the six mile walks every day  –  what’s not to love, especially for an artist?  It was a double treat for me to be there, since I got to see Paris through her ever-enthusiastic, well curated lens.

Rue de Rivoli, through Nancy’s lens

Le Pont Alexandre, that caught our eye drying on the stairs

Champ de Mars

And then of course, as the work started to pour in, some of it still dripping with paint and oozing with butter, we were all jumping up and down with excitement.  Nancy has a magical touch, which has gotten lighter and looser over the years, but still manages to evoke  the warmth and essence and emotion of every subject she paints.  Combine that with her warmly diffused palette, her perfectly balanced compositions captured in just the right light, and her experienced editing skill  which enables her to pull away from the painting at just the right moment, leaving you to complete the details in your head so that the  interpretation is that much more personal … And there you have it: The je ne sais quoi Nancy Franke magic, that has us all enthralled.

I think for Nancy, the Paris experience was the perfect icing on the cake, adding to her explosion of senses (not to mention food metaphors!).  And those of us who get to see the work she has prepared for her upcoming show will get to share in the experience, almost as she did.  Bravo, Mme!  Franke in France was a sweet success and we can’t wait for your show to open on Thursday … and to embrace the fruits of your labor.  With butter!

Ta ta,

HH

Nancy signed off  on one of her emails with this picture … the perfect embodiment of Franke in France!

Doug. His eyes are always twinkling.

Doug’s one of those multi-faceted people who we’re pretty sure fires on both sides of his brain.  He’s got a very demanding professional life but his passion is painting — and he pretty much nails it.  We’re always begging him for more work (and politely nagging!) but when he shows up at the gallery with canvases in hand, our jaws usually drop.

His big and sweeping paintings are all about sky, sea and the space in between the two. They’re inspired by Doug’s childhood in Miami and the time he spent on the gorgeous water between South Florida and the Bahamas.  He’s got a special spot in his heart for the Abaco Islands – that string of out-islands in the middle of a turquoise sea.  Anyone who knows that part of the world can spot the cuts, passages and narrows that he loves to paint and we have fun confirming their hunch that yes, that’s near Pete’s Pub or Scotland Key.

It’s all about the water, sky and that space in between. “Cooler Than Planned” 40 x 40.

And this water lover also adores the contrast that Maine offers. As a painter, Doug’s intrigued with those Northern beaches and that sky that changes every five minutes.

We love having an excuse to visit Doug in his studio, so we wasted no time setting up a meeting a couple weeks ago to discuss paintings for the show…and have a glass or two of the yummy red that Doug keeps on hand.  While we were there, we got into a little impromptu Q & A:

Doug’s always got a little of this going in the studio…

AH & MH (looking around at Doug’s chock-a-block studio located in an old warehouse space): Tell us about this place – and where else you like to paint. 

DF: I’ve got this primary studio here in Atlanta, and I also keep a smaller space in Blue Mountain Beach in Northwest Florida… but I’m lucky enough to paint regularly from a particular dock in Abaco; a good friend’s home on South Georgia’s Hird Island, and a stunningly beautiful cliff on the Central Maine coast.  The Atlanta studio seems to be shrinking!  It has great light, a lot of different areas for me to keep multiple paintings going at once, a nice work-island on an old oriental rug on the cold concrete… but… it’s filled (and getting more filled!) with tons of stuff that connect me to what I love in this world…  photos, magazine pages, half finished sketches…

Inspiration everywhere in Doug’s studio.

AH & MH: Your paintings are pretty complex and we know you spend a lot of time thinking about composition.  Tell us more about the painting process.  How does a painting come to be?

DH: Some start with a live view, some with an emotion and some with a poem that drives an emotion.  They usually spend a long, long time in my head before they move to studies, sketches in pencil, watercolor or even pixels before they hit canvas (although not always.)  Composition is king and I try to paint more of the way a place made me feel than the way it looks.  Early on, I’m telling the paint what to do – I’ll push it around to make space or effect.  At some point,  the paint begins bringing its own energy to the effort and starts telling me what to do. If I recognize when that magic moment hits – when the paint itself takes over – that’s when things start to get good.

We love where Doug takes us in “Doublecheck” 48 x 36.

AH & MH:  And how has your work evolved over the years?

DF: I’m getting better at recognizing that moment when the paint takes over.   And I’m painting bigger than ever.  I’m loving painting big.

(AH & MH: we love it when you paint big, too!)

Big sky, big water…”Altering Course” 48 x 36.

AH & MH: Let’s talk a little bit about those things in life that inspire you to put paint on canvas and create these magical and powerful masterpieces…

DF:  I like authenticity.  I’m inspired when anyone or anything is real, true and honest… and willing to put that out there at every turn.  I’m inspired by my wife, my dog and anyone who meets the “real, true and honest” bar.  And, I’m inspired by many, many artists, including a lot of kids I know.  They tend to care more about the act of painting than they do the painting itself.  I admire that.

Doug’s tools of the trade.

AH & MH:  you know we love asking about favorites, so here come a couple: favorite subject matter?

DF: yeah, you girls with your “favorite” thing… I do paint other subjects, but very few views give me the rush, the sense of self and the settling that I find on the coast.  I’m a landscape painter.   And most of my landscapes are waterscapes or skyscapes, because I love the way water and sky make me feel. I also tend like storms because they make the calm calmer.  I like the cold because it makes the warm warmer and the dark because of the light it brings.  Those combinations give me peace and stimulation all at once.  Being out there – on the edge of land and water and sky, or the storm and the calm – makes me feel very small and very large all at the same time.  I love being caught in the middle.

Doug’s studio is filled to the brim with cool stuff, like this set of bleached skulls.

AH & MH: wow.  Next favorite: music to paint by?

DF: this week it’s classic jazz, liquid soul, reggae, late 60′s rock, Tchaikovsky, and Mark Knopfler.

AH & MH: here’s another one.  Favorite vacation spot?

DF:  Anywhere that smells salty.  Or the Amalfi region in Tuscany or Provence.

AH & MH: we agree on all counts with that one.  Okay, one more “favorite” question:   Favorite restaurant in Atlanta?

DF:  Changing all the time.  We’ve been to the Optimist a lot lately and we’re looking forward to trying The Iberian Pig in Decatur.

AH & MH: yum.  Last one.  Tell us something we’d never guess about you.

DF: I like leaving a little mystery.  Really… that’s it.

AH & MH: awwww, c’mon Doug.  If you’re ending it on that elegant note, you better pour us another glass of this delish red you’ve got sitting here…

Stay tuned for our next little blog about Franke, Foltz and Friends which will focus on Franke in France. Got that?

Our studio sneak peek at works in progress…

Ta Ta.

“Champ de Mars” oil on board by Nancy Franke

It was a freezing cold, drizzly Monday but that didn’t deter us.  Nancy Franke and I had one thing in mind, and that was the drippingly decadent sandwich au jambon that we knew was waiting for us at the Chatou Foire a  la Brocante et Jambon, my favorite antiques market in the world.  I had just flown in that morning and couldn’t wait to catch up with our dynamic, effervescent and energetic Nancy Franke, who was spending a month-long sejour in an adorable artist’s garret overlooking the roofs of Paris (and with a magical view of the Eiffel Tower),  getting inspired for her upcoming show at Huff Harrington Fine Art.

The artist, in her Parisian pied-a-terre

Over the past month, we had been getting titillating tidbits of Nancy’s life a la Parisienne.   There were images of the view from the apartment, of Nancy with easel in hand, of paintings drying on the floor, of favorite bottles of wine, of Nancy’s husband, Michael, whom we lovingly call “Monsieur,” and peppered throughout,  little jewels painted by Nancy that had us oophing and aahing with every email.  How convenient that her sojourn overlapped with my favorite shopping excursion in Paris!

The view from her window

At the Chatou fair, held twice a year on the outskirts of Paris, we were enchanted by every antique and objet, the funnier and most intriguing, the better, ever mindful of the upcoming container heading to Huff Harrington Home  later this month.  Of course, we can’t leak it all in advance but there were some finds we couldn’t resist:

Gorgeous sconces hanging on shutters

French Bistrot tables that we can’t live without

A Louis XVI chest that smiled longingly at me

A little Louis XV with the greatest looking legs

A beautiful painting by an artist we’ve been coveting

Don’t tell Meg but we thought there was an uncanny little resemblance here!

And a perfectly charming  gentleman we were just dying to kidnap

Not exactly a style icon … but happy as a clam

Nancy’s nickname at the gallery is “Sunshine” because of her naturally glowing aura – so we never let the gloomy, drizzly weather interfere with our fun.   And on this occasion in Chatou, after a fun day of dodging puddles and rain drops, the real sun shone on us for about five minutes for the piece de resistance: the most delicious ham sandwich in the world, loaded with veggies, dripping with taste, cut right of the bone and served with our favorite beverage, in little plastic cups.  It was heaven for a minute … and when it started raining again, it didn’t matter one bit.   I was with Nancy!

The “Piece de Resistance”

Ta ta,

HH

PS: Stay tuned for more about “Franke in France” as we unveil some of the little treasures Nancy has painted during her inspiring trip.

Did we really eat all that?

Linda Mohan

We have learned that when Linda speaks her mind about something, we need to listen! In this case, it was about rice pudding, and I will admit that I, for one, was a little skeptical up front. Linda kept talking about a fabulous restaurant in Paris, just steps from the apartment that we call our home away from home, and she went on and on about how the rice pudding was the best she’d ever tasted.

Linda has great taste in many things, including restaurants and especially in Paris (where she has the uncanny ability to not only eat well but to spot celebrities in all of their disguises), so we probably should have paid more attention when she told us about l’Ami Jean. We are always on the lookout for fabulous restaurants, especially if they’re conveniently located in the 7th arrondissement, where we host our trips to Paris and Provence, and especially if they come highly recommended. And how ironic was it that after our last trip to gether to Paris, Linda and I were reading the holy French bible Paris Match on our Air France flight home, and read about at least one very favorite stylish French celebrity (last name rhymes with Gruni and only one of the many reasons my husband thinks the French are crazy for not reelecting Sarkosy!), who talked about loving L’Ami Jean. Yikes. That poke in the ribs from Linda really hurt!
Still, the first time I stepped in to L’Ami Jean, despite Linda’s recommendations, I was unimpressed, not only for their dismissive rejection of our attempts to make a reservation, but for the eclectic and funky décor, which I deemed unsuitable for our lovely ladies who lunch on our trips. That was all BTRP (before the life changing rice pudding event!).

L’Ami Jean, on the rue Malar, in the 7th arrondissement

On this buying trip to Paris, which unfortunately is happening without Linda (since she is way too busy running Huff Harrington Fine Art right now, following a recent, well-deserved promotion), I decided to try L’Ami Jean once and for all and see what all the rice pudding fuss was about. All I can say is that if I ever had any misgivings or prejudices against this restaurant, they were all easily dismissed within minutes:
False impression number one: They’re mean. These guys are actually so friendly and welcoming! We had a wonderful fun table (shared with a few others, including a cute group of franco-Americans and a delightful older gentleman who was bemused by our choices of food).

False impression 2: Depressing décor. Yes, the décor is a little funky and eclectic, but it’s also whimsical and full of humor, as are the waiters. By the way, I have NEVER turned down a bottle of wine before, especially iin a French restaurant, because it was “bouchonnee.” But this time, I hesitatingly thought our bottle of Beaumes de Venise (my favorite Cotes du Rhone) tasted a little off, and insecurely mentioned it to the waiter, who not only was kind enough to replace it without question but actually congratulated me on my discerning nose once he took his own little whiff and sip. Yeah! I know wine!

The eclectic decor at l’Ami Jean

So we had a few fabulous courses, including the best octopus salad I have ever tasted (served lukewarm, with, among other things, a vinaigrette peppered with pomegranate seeds – wow!), and delicious cod with, again, the best mashed potatoes imaginable, etc… etc… And then false impression number 3:
The rice pudding was simply to die for. Linda was right, once again.
The funny thing is that L’Ami Jean is known for their rice pudding, and our cute table of compatriots, who obviously didn’t have a Linda in their repertoire prodding them ahead of time, resisted the waiter’s recommendation and went for some bland looking chocolate thing instead. Hearing our orgasmic gasps over the rice pudding made them all regret their choices, but at that point, I’m sorry to say that we were not about to share!

The rice pudding, with all its accoutrements

You can look up the recipe (which has been published a few times) and you may be a little mystified as to how such a simple dish could be so delicious. Suffice it to say that l’Ami Jean has taken a page from a fine Southern Woman’s cookbook, and is not revealing the recipe in its entirety! So you’ll have to visit the restaurant yourself (or join us for one of our upcoming trips!) or just take our wonderful Linda’s word for it, if you want to discover the most understatedly delicious, mouth slurping, plate licking dessert, which – for you chocolate addicts out there, including myself – doesn’t have a speck of chocolate and is still the best darn dessert you’ll ever taste.

Cheers Madame!

And as for Linda, once again she has proven that she never steers us wrong. Cheers Linda, and felicitations on your wonderful new job which you are handling with your usual grace, style and aplomb.

Ta ta ..

It’s been a busy couple months chez Huff Harrington with plenty of work-related (and some not work-related) trips here, there and everywhere.  Paris has been on the agenda several times which is always a huge treat for us.  (Does that count as work?)  Plus, we’re starting to think about our fun little trips to Provence which will be here before we know it.

There’s always a little bit of pressure to look presentable when you’re traveling.  And if you’re traveling between seasons, it can be a real challenge (70 degrees and sunny in Provence, snowing in Paris…)  Here at the store, we’ve always got our eyes open for travel products that are functional, practical and good looking.

We’ve gotten to the point where the packing part is the least stressful part of the trip. We’ve got plenty of tricks of the trade up our sleeve and they come in handy every time. No matter where the destination, we’ve found we’re in good shape if we stick to these rules:

Pack Lightly: Seriously.  Plan ahead, limit your options and save room for all the treasures you’ll be bringing home.  You’ll be thankful you did.

Color-Coordinate: you’ve heard it a million times, but it’s true: you can’t go wrong with black, black and black.  Throw in some gray, white or beige and a colorful little accessory or two and you’re all set.

The travel uniform for our next flight to Paris in April.

This is a perfectly chic travel outfit. From Glitter Guide.

Layer it On: one of us has it down to a carry-on for an entire week and the other is (ahem)  not quite there yet. In any case, we both think in layers: tank tops to go under lightweight tees/tops to go under blazers, sweaters and heavier pieces. We also love boyfriend-cut jeans and black leggings or skinny black pants.  For the summer, white jeans and cool sundresses or maxi-dresses are perfect and pack small.

We can’t live without leggings. These are from Spanx.

This is a great piece for layering. We’re crazy about them and never leave home without them. Huff Harrington Home $295.00

Another must-have: the raincoat.  This one is by Burberry.

On the Feet: here’s the rule:  easy-on and easy-off! Who wants to spend any more time than they have to in the security line waiting for laces to be tied, straps to be strapped or multiple sets of zippers to be zipped. We love ballet flats because they’re cute and easy. In the winter, we opt for low-heeled boots that slip on and off.

Gorgeous slip-on leather ballets flats (that come with their own cute little travel bag.) Bagllerinas from Huff Harrington $175.00

And, speaking of security, we always make sure we’re free of anything that might set off an alarm. That goes for jingly jewels or heavy-metal belts. Stash all those in your carry-on and adorn yourself once you clear security.

What we never leave home without:  scarves, scarves and scarves!  Right now we’re favoring these gorgeous and gossamer-like cashmere pieces in Springy colors. They keep you warm on the flight and add a little pop of chic-ness when you land.

We adore these colorful, lightweight and warm cashmere scarves. Tip: never leave home without the cashmere.  Huff Harrington Home $148.00

If you really like to bundle up on the plane, try an oversize wrap. We love foutas, which are based on Turkish hammam towels. We carry them at the store and can’t keep them in stock.

These oversized foutas are perfect for wrapping up in on the plane – and on the ground. Huff Harrington Home $42.00

And don’t forget socks: not glamorous but who doesn’t get cranky when their feet are cold? We stash them in our carry-on in case our tootsies freeze on the flight.

Jewelry and Accessories: ladies, leave the heavy artillery at home and travel with a few non-precious fashion pieces that add pizazz.  Stick to wraps, shawls and scarves to make your fashion statement or plan on picking up a bauble or two on your trip.

The Carry-on Bag: it boils down to personal preference, but we like ours big and roomy.  We usually have a laptop for staying in touch with the store and gallery as well as an iPad for downtime.  Keep all your cords,chargers and adapters in one place (gallon-size baggies work great)  And Ann’s tip: always pack a little overnight emergency kit if you get stranded without  your suitcase.

We love big, roomy bags that double as carry-ons.   This one is from Hobo, one of our favorite brands.

(Speaking of baggies, try them for corralling all your liquids inside your suitcase. That way if the shampoo bottle explodes, it’s an easy-clean up. Meg also packs a handful of extra baggies in her suitcase.)

Planning on Shopping?  If yes, please repeat after us: pack light.  That way you’ll have room for a fold-able bag that you can use to carry your loot home.

Keep your eyes peeled for the part deux of Huffington Travel Style when we share our secrets for looking chic once we arrive.

In the meantime, bon voyage…

Ta ta.

La Linda, by our artist in residence, Sam Jones

There are big changes going on in the Atlanta art gallery scene and we are excited about them all.  For some galleries, change has led to sharpening their game.  For others, it has meant rearranging priorities, hiring new people, consolidating in other cities or even closing doors.  A little shake up took place and the result is a smaller, tighter knit community of galleries who are all working a little harder, and in a surprising twist, better together.   We, for one, have embraced the changes and are totally excited about what the future brings.

One of our favorite friendly, competitive galleries: Anne Irwin Fine Art

When Anne Irwin announced a couple of months ago that Emily Amy was closing her gallery on the west side to become Anne Irwin’s gallery director, we were both thrilled for Anne and Emily and simultaneously a little envious.  It was a brave move and a great coup for them both and we thought it signaled a positive challenge for all of us:  To keep on our toes, sharpen our game and embrace the future!

A couple of other changes took place with one favorite gallery in town retiring from the game and going back to private representation.  Another favorite gallery decided to close their Atlanta presence in favor of another location which has  been thriving in the past few years.

The most interesting part of these changes has been the spirit of cooperation among both the departing and remaining galleries in town.  We have been most touched by one gallery, in particular, who was extremely concerned that their artists continue to have the right representation.  As a result of this and other changes in the gallery scene, we have excitedly picked up five new artists, which we are announcing in today’s email blast (click here if you would like to sign up for our emails), all of whom came to us recommended by other galleries.

New HHFA artist, Carolyn Killebrew, All On, 48 x 50

New HHFA artist, Brad Robertson, Abstraction II, 36 x 36

New HHFA artist, Jenny Schultz, Reflections of Normandy, 48 x 20

New HHFA artist, Barrett Edwards, Marsh Skies, 12 x 24

New HHFA artist, Andrea Costa, Glowing Sunset, 36 x 48

We love this spirit of cooperation and think that it makes for a healthy, gallery environment where everyone – artist, collector and gallery owner – benefits.  And it also signals something else:  Galleries are confident that there is enough demand out there for all of us to thrive in our various niches.

In addition to adding new artists to our roster, we have also made some internal switches that we are excited to announce.  We lovingly lost our wonderful Sarah to a new and exciting art-related opportunity, and although we were sad to see her go and grateful for her time with us, it reminded us that we can’t keep our birds in a cage when it’s time for them to fly with their own wings.  One door closed but another opened wide when Linda Mohan – who has been with the gallery since we started and whom we borrowed full-time to help us open Huff Harrington Home – returned to her true love, Huff Harrington Fine Art, as the Gallery Manager.

Linda Mohan – our new Gallery Manager

Linda’s electrifying smile, warm and welcoming personality and complete familiarity with all of our artists has just lit the gallery on fire!  It’s been a great month and we are so thrilled that Linda’s many wonderful gifts are being used to their best advantage.

And in an interesting twist on even more gallery cooperation, if you visit us this Saturday, you’ll see a new face at Huff Harrington Fine Art whom you may recognize from a couple of the other galleries in town.  That’s right:  In possibly the ultimate act of cooperation, we are actually sharing an employee among a couple of different Atlanta galleries.  Why not?  Good, knowledgeable employees are hard to come by and if one of us finds a great one but can’t offer the full-time work, why not share?  That’s the kind of spirit that we think is helping us all thrive in our healthily competitive Atlanta art market.

Mackenzie, who has already earned the highest of HHFA compliments, a new nickname: MacDaddy!

So here’s to our fellow galleries in Atlanta and to the changes in the air:  Thank you for your help and support over the years, and may we all continue to cooperate, be successful and do the right thing for our artists, our collectors and each other.

Cheers!

Ta ta,

HH

Our eyes were opened – wide. And, with Sam Jones and Colleen Strickland (our in-house designing divas) chirping in our ears, we quickly embraced the lamp – and what fun we’ve been having.

Our lamp love holds no bounds but we’ve quickly honed our crush list down to several chic styles that seem to work beautifully for our clients. We love offering up super-elegant lamps that scream “Statement Lamp” but we also have started carrying some that softly whisper “look at me…”

A gorgeous alabaster lamp gives this study vignette a super chic vibe. (House Beautiful)

And our version:

Curves ahead! Alabaster lamp from Huff Harrington Home. $825.00

Love a little sparkle from a mercury glass lamp.

Et voila!

Here’s our version.

We love the glimmery and celeb-worthy lamps, but lately styles that are a little crunchier and organic have been catching our eye.  Can’t you just picture any one of these in a pretty beach or mountain house?

We love everything about this crusty, texturey floor lamp.

Oysters! Who knew their shells would make the most interesting lamp? $500.00.

Here are some others that have been – ahem – lighting up our lives:

This has a sort of stately mountain or country house feel to it. We fell instantly in love and can pretty much picture it anywhere. $1025.

And it doesn’t stop there.  What about sconces?  We recently came across these and can’t wait to have them in the store:

Horn. We love it. Especially when it comes in white.

And speaking of horn…

All this to say that lamps, like people, come in all different sizes, shapes and colors and you may like some more than others. Here are a couple more that struck us as being lamps we’d want in our lives:

We call this the All That Glitters Lamp. $640.00 at Huff Harrington.

Did we mention floor lamps?  Take a look:

Tall, elegant and handsome. Hmmmm. $765.00 at HHH.

And this…our very favorite  Bangle Lamp.  You practically can’t be a Huffington until you have one of these:

The famous Huffington Bangle Lamp. $730.00

Being the responsible purveyors of all the things we love, we felt we needed to bone up on some Lamp Know How and this is what we came up with:

Mix It Up:  Make sure your rooms have different types of lighting – table lamps for ambiance, task lighting for reading or working and maybe a big gorgeous chandelier for some drama.   (don’t forget floor lamps for those readers in the family) Don’t rely on canned lighting in the ceiling to be your only source in a room.

How’s this for a little drama? (from Marjorie Skouras)

Dim It Down: Meg’s handy husband learned how to install dimmers – which he says saved him a fortune because Meg insisted on dimmers for every lamp and light.  Seriously, there’s nothing better than a dimmer to add a little ambiance and softness to your room.

A helpful hint: turn the power off before you start your DIY dimmer project…

Plug to Switch: have your electrician wire your walls and floor plugs to a wall switch. That means you can come in and have instant, pretty lamp light with the flick of a finger.

Keep it Low: we like low-wattage bulbs for chandeliers. (we’ll say it again: don’t forget the dimmer!)

Put a Lid on It: a lampshade can make or break your lamp’s look. Take the lamp with you when you’re shade-shopping and give lots of shades a whirl.  We love large scale drums and rectangles shapes for an instant style-saver.  And make sure the shade hides the lamp’s inner works – the harp, the switch and any hardware.

We love linen in any form. Here lanterns get dressed in nubbly linen. Love, love, love.

Think Outside the Box: keep your eyes peeled for unusual objects that can be turned into lamps, like:

Black iron chain links make a great looking lamp. $475.00 at Huff Harrington Home.

The choices are overwhelming but we’ve come to look at lamps the way we do art:  you’ll know the light of your life when you see it.

Ta ta.

Lorraine Christie, Gossamer Wings 24 x 36

Relationships play a prominent theme in her paintings whether a tender moment between lovers, people caught in the rain or silhouettes dancing in a wet glow. She uses a unique blend of light, shadow, texture and rich color to evoke a strong emotional reactions.

Lorraine Christie, Darling Please

And that’s how this solo exhibit, which opens to the public at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 7^th and will run for two weeks, came to be named by the artist, “The Heart Inhabited.”

Lorraine Christie, No Regrets, 36 x 36

We love to ask Lorraine about the vignettes that she captures in her work.  Are these the same characters woven through her tableaux?  Are we catching a fleeting moment in time?  And what are the many scenarios that go on in each painting?

Lorraine Christie, A Second Chance, 30 x 24

We had fun recently parsing a painting by Lorraine Christie and looking at the different stories that made up the whole.  It’s called “My Soul to Take.”  We studied each different part separately and tried to guess what the artist was thinking when she named it, “My Soul to Take.”

Is it her soul that he is taking?

Do they know each other? Is this a random meeting?

What a beautiful stand alone painting this could be! Look at the body language …

Maybe it’s her soul. Does she want to give it up to him? Are they happy together?

There’s a loneliness in this group. She seems to be wishing for something …

Determination in her stride. She is up to something …

Guess what!  These are not individual paintings, although each one could easily stand on its own.  In fact, here is the full painting, with all the intricacies of the relationships revealed in all the different vignettes.

Lorraine Christie, My Soul to Take, 24 x 48.  Isn’t it breathtaking?

If I owned this painting, I would have a conversation with one of the people in the painting every night.  Where are you rushing off to, Simone?  Did Desmond forget to call you?  What’s troubling you Janice?  Are you excited to meet him again tonight?

I may not be lucky enough to own one of Lorraine Christie’s works yet, but I sure appreciate being surrounded by them in our gallery.  We’re not the only ones who are drawn to her unique and amazing work … and unfortunately for us, they don’t usually hang on our walls for very long.  But when they do, we are often mesmerized by the artist’s deft brush stroke or dashes of unexpected color or intricate compositions and luminous subjects … all of which lead to a story unfolding …mysterious, evocative and completely unique.

Lorraine Christie, There’s Room for Two, 30 x 24

We asked Lorraine about her remarkable technique, and this is what she replied:

“There are no specific techniques or given formulae that can be used to depict this. I simply draw upon either observation of others or the observation of my own hearts habitation… warm and cool, thick and thin, bold statements stand beside soft strokes. Our many moods.

The paint is applied, the story unfolds…”

The Heart Inhabited.

Ta ta,

HH

PS  The exhibit, “The Heart Inhabited” opens to the public on Friday, February 8th at 10 a.m. at Huff Harrington Fine Art.   Why a day show, you might ask?  Because sometimes our evening shows have been too crowded for you to really appreciate the art.  So this way you can come any time during the day, and enjoy the art at your own pace, with a little glass of bubbly if you so desire.  We can’t wait to see you!