JohnSarahJohn

JohnSarahJohn is a local Charlottesville design group. Together John Owen, Sarah Owen, and John Gibson work within the community as creators, curators, and purveyors. As a team they strive to achieve visual solutions for anyone who comes their way. They work with clients and collaborators to promote design within a community setting as well as private spaces, depending on your personal need. With a handful of experience, the team has worked together on festivals as well as large and small scale commercial and residental interiors. They put their creative minds together to construct an idenity and brand for their corporate and nonprofit clients.

JohnSarahJohn is currently in the process of moving onto East Main Street, into an old and empty building which they are planning on restoring. After residing on the Downtown Mall for a while, they decided to make the move. The other day I had to run an errand for Pippin Hill and to my suprise was faced with a room full of fun antiques.... I though I was heading to an office space! John Owen greeted us at the door and was as friendly as could be. He showed us around the space and even allowed me to take some photos.

The new location will be opening within the next few weeks. John said this was the perfect move, a fun new location more appropriate for their design studio and store. The front of the old building is going to be a store for fun and unique interior treasures and the back will be their studio space. John Owens says they love to collect funky antiques, items that others might normally not pick up. Look closely below... how fun is the red and gold uniform!

Through the use of antiques, JohnSarahJohn combines old materials and produces wonders. How amazing is this colorful, funky chandelier. John Owen took the time to explain the design process and the process of collecting the pieces to make this wonderful piece.

I just love how they use their creativity to create things out of the ordinary. Their retail space is going to be phenominal!

Their new design and retail space is located right across the street from Blue Moon Diner, in an old and run down Auto Center. The front of the store has an old garage door that the group intends on opening up on sunny Spring and Summer days! The walls are concrete and adorned with old posters and paintings John, Sarah, and John have found during their travels.

Another awesome thing about JohnSarahJohn is their desire to involve the community within their sapce. Between musical performances and open house the team works to bring design into the Charlottesville community... something I LOVE! 

Currently anyone intereted in painting and art are welcome to JohnSarahJohn on Wednesday nights to paint. All you have to do is bring $10 and your own supplies. Community members gather around a model in the back of the studio, sketching and painting together. 

Be sure to keep an eye out for the opening of JohnSarahJohn on East Main Street in the next few weeks. It's going to be simply amazing, I am beyond excited! 

Have a Thrilling Thursday... and check back soon!

what a performance

Last night was just amazing! The Welcome Wagon, band of husband and wife, sang and played alongside The Charlottesville Singers for a large crowd at the The Haven. Wow! Lansing and I even got to eat our dinner with the band... helps when you come in late with Bodos and are looking for a place to eat away from the cold!

Have a Tremendous Tuesday...and check back soon!

The Welcome Wagon

Tonight The Welcome Wagon is playing Downtown at The Haven. The Welcome Wagon is an amazing band I had the opportunity to hear last night at church and am so excited to get a second show tonight!The married couple, Reverend  Thomas Vito Aiuto and his wife Monique play and sing together offering a genre of gospel music that is sweet to the ears. 

The couple began their singing career from the privacy of their home, with little musical experience or training. Together they began playing for the family, having a deep desire to sing old hymns and passages from a songbook. They began making up music for the words they encountered and eventually were talked into playing at small venues and parties within The New York area. Often friends will join in, playing alongside the couple with their guitar, piano, banjo, or drums.

 In 2001 the couple began working with Asthmatic Kitty Records to release their first C.D " Welcome to the Welcome Wagon". This C.D debuts their first song they ever wrote and recorded together: " There is a Fountain Filled with Blood". Today they create a mix of music involving folk and pop, but it was their original simple sounds that made them stand out! 

I loved this quote that I found this morning online: "A home-cooked meal followed by a few microphones taped to folding chairs. A family gathering, a summary of happy noises, and a room crowded with familiar faces. Sure, there are showy guitar riffs and piano codas and harmonica solos, a rowdy chorus, an imposing flourish of brass instruments like wartime canons. But at the heart of it—if you really listen carefully—there's just a pastor and his wife tentatively singing in the quiet privacy of their own home". 

I am just so excited for tonight's show! Come to the Haven tonight at First and Market Street downtown and I promise you will have a wonderful and peaceful evening. 

Have a Marvelous Monday... and check back soon!

100th POST!

Today is my 100th post!

 

" If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus one day, so I never have to live without you"

I have had the best time with Three Notched and thank all of my readers and followers for checking out my blog. 

Have a Wonderful Wednesday... and check back soon for post number 101!

Staunton Restaurant Week

Monday thru Sunday is restaurant week in Staunton, VA... only a 45 minute drive from C'ville! It's the perfect way to taste the wonderful foods Staunton has to offer without emptying your wallet on a nice night out. As long as you are willing to plan ahead you and a date can have a fun night out filled with new and unique atmopsheres and wonderful food.

$25 ZYNODOA 

" Inspired Southern Cuisine"

(540) 885-7775

Located in the heart of Downtown Staunton, Zynodoa is the perfect place to dine this restaurant week. Chef James Harris believes in using local ingredients and his dished always reflect the use of the best foods that are available locally and seasonally. For $25 guests choose one starter plate, one entree plate, and one dessert plate. My personal selection....Starter: Wades Mill Grit Croquettes (surryano ham, gruyere, and bacon mayonnaise), Entree: Steak Frites (grilled ribeye steak, crispy yukon wedges, horseradish aioli), Dessert: Cofee and Roasted Hazelnut Cheesecake. 

$25 BYERS ST. BISTRO

" Eat. Drink. Live"

(540) 887-6100

Chef Stephen Thackers favorite spring ingredient is the Soft Shell Crab! " They can be grilled, sauteed, or fried and all they need is salt, pepper, and lemon to make their true flavor come through" His laid back, simple idea sounds like just the Chef I want to be cooking my next dinner! Personal pick for restaurant week at Byers St. Bistro...1st course: Prince Edward Island Mussels (garlic/fennel/white wine and cream/fresh herbs/grilled focaccia), 2nd course: Sunflower Pappardelle (spring vegetables/hand cut pasta/basil sunflower seed pesto/asiago cheese), 3rd course: Chocolate Peanut Butter Roulade (dark chocolate cake/peanut butter mousse/chocolate sauce/creme anglaise) YUM!

There are many more options for Staunton's Restaurant Week 2011 running now thru Sunday. Make sure to call ahead and make a reservation... this is not something you want to miss out on! 

Have a Terrific Tuesday...and check back soon!

BlueBoyd

I am a huge fan of Etsy! I love spending my free time browsing the site and finding fun and unique homemade crafts made by all different people. From greeting cards to necklaces each artist offers home designed and made objects... some of the sellers even sell their homemade foods! 


The other day I was interested in seeing if there were any local Etsy profiles... and low and behold there were a good hand full. One that caught my eye was BlueBoyd, a local printmaker in the Charlottesville area. I was intrigued by the bright colors and fun and youthful designs. 

The Canvas "Blue Birds" are sold as a set, one male bird and one female bird. Together they are being sold for $150. The artists wrote that she can customize these images for your room! The paintings are done on a stretched canvas with acrylic paint. The female bird is (18" x 24) and the male bird in painted on a (22" x 28"). 

"The Manatees" are a limited edition screen print ( only 9 left)...This screen print is composed of 7 colors and is a hand pulled image sold on a 10" x 14" heavy, white print making paper. This one is only $12! 

"Peace to all who enter here" is a 2 color screen print selling for $7 on 10" x 10" heavy print making paper. 20 remain! 

Along with making fun prints, seller BlueBoyd also screen prints her images onto gift bags... what a clever way to spice up a gift! The printing block was hand carved and the designer used black ink while making the image. As of now there is only one design and one color bag, but the creator of BlueBoyd wrote that she will be offering more options in the near future. You can purchase one bag for $3 or a set of 5 bags for $6.


Check out BlueBoyd online... it's so fun that we have local Charlottesville Etsy creators!

Have a Magnificent Monday... and check back soon! 

Laurel Denise Design

Laurel "Lolly" Smith is the owner and designer of Laurel Denise jewelry and prints. It all started from a dream... "simply put, laurel accessorizes an accessory. She uses her original illustrations and her unique handwriting to create stunning glass and sterling pieces".

 Laurel graduated from JMU in 2003 with a studio art degree...what fun! A time spend working on printmaking and an obsession with being in the studio. She simply loves to create, and not just jewelry. Her many talents range from card design to painting. 

I first encountered Laurel Denise Design at the Spring Farmers Market Downtown. Last Spring, Laurel was there in person selling her handcrafted jewelry. We got her information and learned all about her process of design and creation by staying and talking to her for a bit downtown. From standardized pieces to custom design, Laurel does it all. 

I love the natural element of her design as well as the wide variety of products. Laurel Denise Design has 4 main collections: elements collection, glass collection, simply stated collection, and texture collection.

elements collection

 

 

simply stated collection

glass collection

textured collection

Each collection offers a variety of necklaces and bracelets that are sure to please every ones style. Laurel Denise pieces integrate wonderful sayings and words into design: Simple Joy, Imagine, Dream, Create.

The textured collection offers longer statements such as " she lives her own little fairytale" to "  "give yourself the perfect day. do what makes you happiest, look upon what gives you joy. for all the happiness you give others all year long, give yourself the perfect day. unknown". How wonderful it must be to look down at your necklace or bracelet and be reminded by these sentences.

Check out Laurel Denise Design online or locally at O'Suzannah, located on the Downtown Mall.  I have also grown to LOVE Laurel's blog... especially the name: From Charlottesville With Love. How great is that! I really enjoy how she integrates pieces of her work into other daily fashion ideas within the pages of her blog...

Have a Fantastic rest of your Friday ( all 20 minutes).... and check back soon!

Concerts at Christ Episcopal Church

Last night my friends and I attended our first Christ Church concert! The Hill and Wood opened for Sanders Bulke, and together the show was simply wonderful and relaxing. Concert goers sat in the Church pews and listened, mesmerized by the music for nearly two hours.

The Hill and Wood is an amazing local C'ville band led by main singer, Sam Bush. After playing a plethora of songs, Sam introduced Sanders Bulke, an up and coming songwriter... who has even been featured in LOST and Grey's Anatomy! 

Sam Bush, along with being the lead singer for The Hill and Wood, runs The Garage, a fun music and art venue Downtown. Last night he told the audience he was going to start utilizing the Christ Church space and offer more concerts in this beautiful space.

First opened in 1820 as Charlottesville's first Church, Christ Episcopal Church displays old architecture and amazing stained glass windows. The Church is located on West High Street, right off the Downtown Mall. 

Stay posted on upcoming concerts that will take place in the Church by following The Garage website. You can't miss an opportunity to witness a musical performance in this space... it's just amazing! With the beautiful carpentry, elegant tapestries (currently purple for Lent), and intricate stained glass windows, this is a venue you don't want to pass. 

 

Have a Magnificant Monday...and check back soon!

wishing you a fun day

Feast!

 Feast! is by far one of my favorite places to eat in C'ville! Located on the way to the downtown mall, it's the perfect stop for lunch or a quick gourmet grocery run. Opened in 2002, Feast has continued to grow in size and food offerings. Today, the store is almost 5,000 square feet and offers gourmet cheeses, olive oils, meats, fruits, and veggies. 

Originally the heart of the store was an open cheese case, filled with a little over 40 different artisan cheeses and 10 hams and salamis. Today, Feast! has expanded and they now offer over 70 cheese types and 60 cured and deli meats!

Feast! is owner-operated and they strongly promote and encourage their mission : " To offer Feast! customers the best in service and quality. To be a vital and responsible business — independently owned and operated — that is a viable alternative to huge, corporate groceries and that develops the unique character and economic advantages that independently owned businesses offer to the community." 

The owners of Feast! work to connect with local farmers and encourage the sale of locally made foods. The store promotes family-owned food businesses and wishes to sustain local farmland around the Charlottesville area. Food offerings are seasonal as well as year-round products such as olives, hard candies, and jams. 

I love the fresh vegetables and fruits. From locally grown Pippin Apples ( my personal favorite) to pears and tomatoes they seem to have it all, right there under your eyes... and it's all fresh and ready to eat!

There is even a Feast! brand. The website states, " When you eat a product that has a feast label you know you are eating something good for your community and, above all, something delicious". From gourmet salts to dried fruits, the Feast! brand was chosen from the best of the best. The Feast! grocery offers a wide selection of specialty items for ones kitchen. The owners have hand selected what is being sold, often taking into account customer recommendations.

My friends and I venture to Feast! to buy a homemade lunch on the weekends. The cafe has become a neighborhood favorite for locals around C'ville as well as a destination for visitors. While the sandwiches are famous, they also sell wonderful salads and soups and have great sides (white bean salad and fruit salad) ! Ingredients are found locally as well as internationally. 

The sandwiches are made on Albemarle Baking Company and are served with a choice of a side. My favorite is the Tuna Melt: Spanish Bonito tuna, sharp cheddar cheese, roasted tomato spread, focaccia, grilled...too bad Feast! is closed on Sunday or I would be there right now. As well as specialty sandwiches there are gourmet salads and soups as well as a small childrens menus.. including grilled cheese and PB&J.  Don't forget to ask about the seasonal specials as well as daily specials! Be sure to check out the drink refrigerator for some Feast! brand lemonaid, limeaid, and sweet tea.

Have a Splendid Sunday...and check back soon!

Pura Vida

After a fun filled week spent in Costa Rica, I am glad to be back in Charlottesville!

My friends and I had the BEST time... soaking up the rays, swimming in the ocean, sailing on the Catamaran, and eating fish tacos! After flying into San Jose we took a bus to Manuel Antonio... about a three hour ride, but beautiful the whole day! We even had a chance to stop, grab a few beers, and look down over tons of crocodiles. The opportunity to sell tourists, like ourselves, was not lost!

Our house was simply wonderful and plenty big enough for the twenty of us. We had a killer view to boot. 

The walk to the beach was about fifteen minutes from out house. The first day we took a longer route following the main road, but by the second day we had found a steeper, yet faster way down the mountain! 

The locals did not miss a chance to sell us their goods. From whistles to snow cones, men and woman were giving it a shot with the sunbathing visitors....

Around one or two every afternoon we headed down the beach to grab a typical Costa Rican lunch of fish tacos and plantains...yum! The palm trees offered shade and stone chairs and tables were placed right off the beach. 

Each afternoon I took naps, spent time by the pool with a book or a deck or cards and enjoyed the wonderful Costa Rica weather! What a fun trip...

Have a Super Saturday... and check back soon!