That may be the longest title for a blog post ever. And perhaps this should be 2 separate blog posts but who has time for that these days? Our days are busy this holiday season from cyber Monday shopping to work to parties to children's' Christmas programs (and if your home is anything like mine this holiday season it's not only filled with gumdrops, little elves, and lots of twinkling lights but also strep germs and lots of Children's Tylenol, tis the season!)
I can't believe it has been a week since the opening of our Holiday Pop Up show in my hometown of Louisville with my dear friends Emily Maynard of Elva Fields, Louise Breen of Pappy & Co, and Chenault James of Chenault James Interiors. Sisters Louise, Chenault, and Carrie opened the doors of their new showroom in the awesome Louisville neighborhood of NULU and invited Well + Wonder artwork to adorn the walls and help fill the gorgeous space (perhaps the highest compliment!) . We have works in the showroom by nearly all of our artists but perhaps the pieces de resistance are three AMAZING large scale commissioned paintings by Kit Porter and Kerry Hays. Many more images to come (when I get through the holidays and properly photograph everything! New Years resolution #1!) . The space was gorgeous, the cocktails were awesome (Pappy & Co Buttermilk old fashioneds, yes please), the crowds were huge, but perhaps the most fun for me was introducing Well + Wonder to so many new folks. And in the sales and conversations that took place that night and in the past week, something struck me, so many clients and friends expressed that they were buying from Well + Wonder this holiday season because they were looking for gifts with "meaning." Yet another compliment, but it's so true, is there anything more meaningful we can give to loved ones this holiday more than original art? I'd be hard-pressed to think so. And not one, but two buyers at the show came up to me and said they were buying these paintings for their young children. They had started art collections for their young children by buying one painting every year for each child - I love this so much! One client was looking for cows (Hello, Caroline Chriss, looking at you) for her farm-loving 6-year-old, one was lucky enough to score a Caroline Swetenburg llama that is already hung in her little girl's precious pink room, and one client purchased a Whitney Stoddard figure named Ellie (her little girls name, serendipitous right?) . How did I, the art rep, not think of this myself? So not only are you starting an incredible collection for your child, you're investing in something you love (rather than say more plastic Peppa pigs we step on and don't need!!), and you pick out a piece that you feel represents your child and where he or she is and what they love. That's meaningful and purposeful, y'all. So, in closing, I can't take any credit for this. My friends in Louisville Caroline, Deana, and Tiffany, all had the same idea well before me, and perhaps many of y'all do out there too. It warms my heart this season and I just want to say again, thank you to all of you for giving meaning this holiday and supporting our artists all year long! Merry, merry!! Xo, Mollie
