Author: Frances

The ride home on Foxen Canyon, green for the first time in years. So grateful for some time in the studio this weekend to capture it! #theridehome #foxencanyon #losolivos #santaynezvalley #landscape #pleinairpainting (though not really bc done in studio 😉 Happy Monday! 11×14 oil on canvas board, by moi.

As I drove into town this morning, A hot air balloon rose across the vineyard in the distance as if on cue. Almost corny but beautiful. #rancholazaca #losolivos #santaynezvalley #santabarbarawinecountry #oaksavannavineyard #hotairballoon

Just another day in Los Olivos… #losolivos #santaynezvalley #smalltownliving #smalltownusa #horseandcarriage

You know how sometimes you see something in a window and you just want to take the whole thing home? Umhmm. Loved these bird motif ceramic plates from @scoutsouthernmarket in Beaufort SC when I was there a few weeks ago. What can I say, I am a total #chinaslut #placesettings #tablesettings #entertaining #tabletop

How divine is this Montecito house in the March/April issue of @verandamag. Formerly the music pavilion and underground ballroom of a grand old Santa Barbara estate, since subdivided, but lovingly preserved. Interior design by Ann Holden of New Orleans, photograph by @maxkimbee, text by moi, and my great pleasure. #Montecito #AnnHolden #classicalarchitecture #warnergroup #warnergrouparchitects #santabarbara #graciousliving

How much do I love this book and this the most divine bathroom in the world?! The book is Patina Farm, by my friends Brooke and Steve Giannetti, whose art of living is beautiful, soulful, and authentic. I was lucky to write about this house for @verandamag a few years ago, and visiting them there was a day I will always remember. Watch for a few more posts highlighting this gorgeous book. Photos by the super talented @maxkimbee Brooke’s fabulous blog is @velvetandlinen

Morning walk with friends, near Alamo Pintado, Solvang, Ca. Watercolor on paper, by moi. #morningwalk #solvang #santaynezvalley #santabarbarawinecountry #watercolor #landscape #pleinairpainting

A round hole in a square cloud, first I’ve seen. View from my office window at #rancholazaca. Boy were we happy to have the rain these last few days! #clouds #santaynezvalley #blessedrain #weirdsky

Having a mellow Monday morning, looking back at last week in New York and the visit by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh to ABC Carpet. His calligraphy art was on exhibit, as were various flower and sand sculpture offerings. The beloved holy man is a friend of the ABC family. #thichnhathanh #abccarpetandhome #buddhistart #sacredart

“Man wonders, but God decides when to kill the Prince of Tides.” Pat Conroy, rest in the peace and certainty that you shared your gifts unstintingly with the world and enriched our literature and our lives with joy and meaning. Photo re-grammed from @charleston_daily

Our “curio cabinet” of a hallway at the ranch is filled with #birds‘ nests, #butterflies, #heartshapedrocks, and other scavenged treasures. Going to be an inside day today because of rain! Yippee! #rancholazaca #overgrowngirlscout #curiocabinet

Mustard flower in bloom and out of focus, looks like a painting? #foxencanyon #santaynezvalley #losolivos #iwanttopaintit