Let’s face it, things change. As we navigate those twists and turns of fate we can only hope to move forward, seeing new things with a fresh eye. Like it or not, change is a constant. You can dread it (understandable) or you can choose to embrace it. That said, it has been more than five years since I began my adventure as Kitchens for Living.
I believe I have been true to my promise to share the latest design trends and product info for the heart of your home. We have frequently ventured out of the kitchen and even around the globe! I am so grateful for all the wonderful and talented kindred souls I have met along the way, fellow bloggers, designers and great organizations such as Modenus, Blanco, Brizo, Tile of Spain and many more. This blog has afforded me the opportunity to travel and bear witness to marvelous destinations and inspiring trade shows. Before this starts sounding too sad, let me tell you I have never felt so excited about the future and eager to explore new opportunities. 
This will be the last post for Kitchens for Living. From now on I will be able to merge two of the things I love, kitchen design and art with my new site, Artful Kitchens. A big THANK YOU to Leslie Carothers of The Kaleidoscope Partnership for her guidance and insight which lead me to discover a new path full of promise and possibilities. 
Artful Kitchens will focus on all the ways you can use creativity to personalize your kitchen. Artful spaces reflect who you are and the way you live.
The stunning tile above, by Walker Zanger, was featured at KBIS 2015 which I had the pleasure of attending with The Modenus Blog Tour Vegas. 
New products like this perfectly white quartz by Wilsonart enhance the kitchen with a feeling of crisp clean freshness!
Color is a primary element of the Artful Kitchen. We'll be talking a lot about that in an upcoming interview with Amy Wax of Color 911
We will continue to incorporate new products and technologies as they emerge and we will explore all the artful ways of creating a kitchen that reflects who you really are. I’m so excited, I hope you’ll join me and spread the word. Last but certainly not least, whether you are a brand or a consumer, I want to collaborate with you! 
Continue the conversation on Face Book or email me at ArtfulKitchensbyGlo@gmail.com
Brizo Does Memphis!
I haven’t even finished telling you about all the great products I learned about in New Orleans and it’s time to announce the next great event! If you’ve been a follower of Kitchens for Living for a while, you’ll remember my visit to fashion week in September of 2010 courtesy of Brizo Faucets. They continue to host a select group of design bloggers (known collectively as The Blogger 19) each season, on a trip to the Big Apple. They get to preview what’s in the pipeline for Brizo products AND to attend fashion designer Jason Wu’s runway show. I love fashion, in fact my first career was in fashion merchandising. I find a strong connection between fashion and design and Jason Wu really gets that. He has collaborated with Brizo for many years in a very mutually beneficial relationship. The next great event will be a reunion of Blogger 19 alumni July 16-18 in Memphis. We’ll be taking and exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of both the Brizo factory and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. I'm really looking forward to both. If you’re bored at work and you want to get your inspiration vibe on, check out this video featuring Jason’s latest collection as well as his take on his relationship with Brizo Faucets.
NEW YORK BOUND FOR AD SHOW & ARTEXPO
Happy Monday peeps! Looking forward to a great week visiting New York City’s home of fashion, art and design events, Piers 92/94. I’ll be arriving Wednesday evening in time to attend opening Trade Day at the Architectural Design Show. I’m really looking forward to seeing many fellow bloggers and designers I met through the Blogger 19 Fashion Week event sponsored by Brizo and also meeting others who I follow and admire for the first time. Look for updates and coverage of my unique take on all the action.
Friday I’ll be heading over to the other pier for ArtExpo NYC so that I can indulge in my other passion, art! As an added bonus you’ll get a “teenager’s take” as I roam the city that never sleeps with my 16 year old "diva daughter" in toe (spring break). It should be fun. Don’t forget to check back!
FASHION WEEK, BEHIND THE SCENES
I'll never forget attending fashion week in September 2010 courtesy of Brizo Faucets. It was an honor, to say the least, to have been invited to become a member of the illustrious "Blogger 19". Brizo goes way back with fashion's Golden Boy, Jason Wu. Since 2006, the two have joined in a unique collaboration, showing the world that high style can be achieved both at home and on the red carpet. The partnership began with Brizo's sponsorship of Jason's Spring 2007 Collection during Fashion Week in New York City in September 2006. Jason designed a dress exclusively for Brizo that was auctioned off in 2007 with proceeds benefiting DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). Jason's involvement with Brizo now includes his own Jason Wu for Brizo Collection comprised of lavatory faucet and accessories for the well appointed Powder Room.
I attended the Jason Wu Spring 2011 show, got to learn a little about Brizo and met many fabulous bloggers who I am honored to have been included amongst. As an alumnus, I'm the lucky recipient of all the latest Brizo/Jason buzz. So for your enjoyment today I present a little eye candy, photos from Fashion Week held last week in NYC. All photos courtesy of photographer Jayme Thornton. If you'd like to view the rest of the photos click here
2012 DREAM
Last night I had a dream. Before I share it, let me back up a bit and set the scene. One of the nicest, no actually the BEST thing that has come out of this blog for me is to have been chosen by Brizo Faucets to attend Fashion Week in September 2010 as one of the "illustrious" members of the Blogger 19. This was followed by a trip to Toronto in January 2011, as a member of the Blanco Design Council, to attend IDS (International Design Show). I not only became acquainted with cutting edge state-of-the-art products but also with many talented folks in the blogging community.
Now Modenus, a go-to site for design dreamers as well as professionals, is sponsoring Blog Tour 2012. Veronika Miller, who I had the pleasure of sitting next to at the Jason Wu fashion show is the mastermind behind this venture. They are currently selecting the blogger line up for some new design adventures. All this must have been lurking in the outer recesses of my mind when I went to sleep. To sleep perchance to dream!Hubs and I arrive at a hotel and check in. We are down in the lobby where I discover that a great meeting is about to take place. It's an advance gathering of potential candidates for the 2012 Blogger World Tour! Lo and behold, in walks in the King of Kitchen Bloggers, Paul Anater along with Nick from Cupboards, who I've never actually met. We all fall into a big group hug and I am swept into the event. Wow. All "potentials" are handed a "blog critique" and mine is pretty complimentary, actually. Paul leads the group which now also includes Erin Lochner of Design for Mankind. As the meeting unfolds I begin to see how unprepared I am. Yikes! I'm dropping pens, struggling to keep up when it occurs to me that I need to take pictures and blog about this! I must go to the room and get my camera. (It never occurs to me to call Hubs and ask him to wait for me even though he's being really good and waiting for me on the sidelines.) I feel the big brass room key in my pocket. I pull it out and it says 27. (I dream a lot in numbers.) I locate a very helpful bell hop who helps me figure out what floor that's on. He consults a chart which tells us that 27 is actually 7151 which means I'm on the 7th floor. Now I can grab my camera and get back to the group. The bell hop senses my sense of urgency and puts me on the closet elevator which is for freight. Did I mention he's wearing a hairnet?Everyone knows dreams are meant to be exploited for shameless self-promotion. So there you have it, just a lil wish for the new year. If I don't get that I'll settle for health, prosperity and another great year for Kitchens for Living where my dream is to motivate, inspire or help you create your own DREAM KITCHEN. Happy new year!
MY KITCHEN & BATH FAVORITES
As a kitchen and bath designer I am constantly assaulted with images of products that are truly "drool-worthy", if I may coin that expression. I am seduced by originality, great function and sometimes simply an undefinable- irrational- attraction (kinda like how I found my husband). Anyway here's what I'm lovin today.Siderna Faucet by Brizo
Everyone knows I've been a big Brizo fan ever since becoming a member of the exclusive Blogger 19 (2.0) last year. Their Siderna bathroom faucet is simply sublime. I love the glass handles and I love the shiny chrome. I know that the popular taste, at the moment, is for brushed nickel but I have to stray from the pack for chrome. The nice thing is, frequently, shiny chrome costs less than the more popular brushed finishes.Sharp Microwave Drawer
I think the best microwave I ever owned was an over-the-range model by Sharp. Now they offer a microwave drawer which I love for many reasons. Although infinitely useful, who wants to look at a microwave? The microwave drawer is unobtrusively located below the counter. It's safer and accessible for the junior chefs in your family. They come in 24" or 30" models which are installed into a base cabinet. Mosaics by Hot Knobs
Hot Knobs is a product of Portland Oregon based Aquila Art Glass. Producing Art Glass Knobs and Pulls was a natural extension for this company known for the production of a variety of hand crafted art glass plates, bowls candle holders, etc. What a great piece of bling this would be for any cabinet. Knobs as well as pulls (handles) are available. The Green River Stone Company
Despite the serial killerish name, this is an awesome product. I just love fossils. There's something about all that antiquity in something you can actually see and feel. This is the ultimate in unique. The Green River Stone Company offers the finest in natural art fossil fish and stone products. The material actually is fossil-rich calcium carbonate shale from their private quarry in Southwestern Wyoming. From this stone, deposited 50 million years ago as sediment in a large freshwater lake, they produce individual fossil specimens, artistic fossil murals, and other stone products for museums, private collectors, interior designers and architects.Aqua & Lime Anyone?
Check this out! Brendan was doing a little modification on these antique doors which I believe belong to an armoire. Since they were done and awaiting delivery, he propped them up in our very cool new greenish design studio and voila'! It's like the chocolate and the peanut butter. They just go together. Wish we could keep them. Now we're looking to steal some doors off of another armoire. I think we may be on to something. Hmmmm