I ' V E    B E E N   working on quite a few dog silhouettes lately- here's a peak!

Email me {lovemaryhester@gmail.com} to order yours! RUFF! RUFF!

I   L O V E    L O V E    L O V E   my hometown! Augusta, GA was a great place to grow up and I still consider it home {even though I haven't lived there since 2007}. I still try to stay involved in the community and know the goings on of my town from a distance so when friend and fellow Augusta native Sutton Stracke of Sutton's Law invited me to host a trunk show to benefit theAugusta Ballet, I was all over it!

Sutton brought her friend, Amber Sakai, all the way from L.A. to display her Spring collection and spend some time in the town we are so proud of. The trunk show was at the Wallace House at the Augusta Country Club, where cocktails {water for me!} and cake were consumed all day long. What better way to spend a Tuesday?

Amber's style is very classic with a glamorous twist. She uses simple silhouettes, some organic and some structured, in order to maximize the beauty of hand-picked fabrics like metallic brocade, hand-dyed cashmere, and simple cotton weaves in gorgeous colors. Her designs are no-fuss with beautiful lines that create timeless silhouettes. I've included a few of my favorite styles from her latest collection.

And even more than a talented designer, Amber has such a kind heart. Her contagious smile and sweet words were noticed by everyone and I am glad to have met her! I left the Club that day feeling inspired and happy to make new friends. I'm glad I got to be a part of it.

A   G O O D   portrait artist is hard to find, especially one who's style is so distance like Beth Allen's is. I fell in love with Beth for her children's portraits but now I love her also for her abstracts and south-western themed pieces. Painting faces that remain true to the subjects is hard work, but Beth does it with style, color, and loads of personality. She really has the gift of letting the subject's heart shine through her work. I can only hope to do the same as I continue learning the art of painting portraits. 

Beth is a full-time mom and a part-time artist. How she finds the time and energy to get all this work done, along with homeschooling two children, being a wife to her husband (owner of Proof Bread) and daily chores... I just don't know but I hope to be so motivated when I have kids of my own!

To learn more about Beth and her work, visit her website or follow her on instagram.