atlanta – Page 7 – tide & bloom

français fern

For the first print of 2015, I decided it was time to incorporate some hand lettering into my work. I knew I wanted to create something romantic for Valentine’s Day, but I was afraid it could turn into something trite. While I’m a big fan of a bunch of stuff already out there, I just wanted to make something at least a little different. Something that would be a bit more unexpected. And then it just happened upon me one afternoon, all of a sudden.

This famous French phrase, technically a couplet, is something I recalled from my high school days. Don’t ask me where I originally saw it – I think maybe on a locket from Etsy somewhere. Anyways, it is originally written by Rosemonde Gérard, from her poem, “L’éternelle chanson” (“The Eternal Song”) or “Les Vieux” (“The Old Ones”) and translates to:

For, you see,
each day I love you more,
Today more than yesterday
and less than tomorrow.

What do you think? .. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. If you do love it, they’re now available for purchase in the shop here!

all day every day plaid

So I literally wore this plaid button-down dress four times last week. I’m dead serious, just ask any of my co-workers! First day as a dress with a belt (as you saw), second day unbuttoned over jeans and a tee shirt, third day unbuttoned and tied up in a knot over a black pencil dress, and fourth day below. I think it’s safe to say this was a good buy…

lady brunch at ladybird

I had been hearing lots of things about Ladybird, so it was time I find out firsthand. Perfect opportunity for a lady brunch, right?

When you get into your late 20s, brunch unfortunately starts to lose its luster. You no longer have the availability to devote hours and hours on a Sunday to sitting around gabbing over mimosas. But every now and then, it’s necessary to indulge and enjoy the company of other lovely ladies. A couple hours out of your errand-running is nothing compared to to some good-hearted laughs with friends. Ladybird was a great spot to spend some quality time – family-style tables, down-home casual breakfast food, and endless cups of coffee.

Everything was pretty darn delightful here (company included obviously). Their brunch selection covers anything you might be craving for a cozy weekend morning. I myself went for the savory mexican flavors with a cast iron pan full of chips, salsa, avocado, an egg. You know, tasty stuff. Other delicious choices on our table included the deviled eggs, beignets, farro bowl, hot chicken biscuits, and breakfast flatbread.

ladycrush: alice

Name: Alice
Day Job: Department Manager at Anthropologie
Dream Job: Textile Designer

How would you describe your style? My style really depends on my mood. That sounds cliche, I know, but it’s true. I usually like to mix vintage with new trends. In the winter I’m always in a scarf, in the summer I’m always in a high-waisted skirt. Being so petite, you hardly ever catch me wearing flats so I’ve invested a lot of time into my shoe collection! If I was stranded on a deserted island, I would chose to be alone with a trunk of all my shoes. Is that weird? Probably.

Where are your favorite places to shop for clothes? If it’s not from Anthro or an URBN shop, it’s from a local thrift store. I also have my own Etsy shop where I sell vintage clothing that I’ve found over the years. Check it out! Hanger Threads

a look back

So it’s that time of year again, where everyone makes lists, countdowns, and figures out their resolutions for the coming year. Despite the high probability of seeming trite, I will participate in this action and take a look back at all my favorite blog posts of 2014. Below the picture gallery, you’ll find the corresponding links that will take you to the post. If you have just recently begun reading my words then you might like to see what I’ve been up to this whole time. I’ve seen a lot of lovely creations, spoken with a handful of amazingly talented people, and eaten a lot of tasty food. Isn’t that what life’s all about? It is for me anyways…

row 1 : chattanooga / java jive / may flowers / surfacing
row 2 : elizabeth / apple butter bakery / le petit marche / stacktone slims
row 3 : take heart shop / tiny buffalo / suzanne / henry & june
row 4 : farmer’s market / treat yourself / amelie’s / announcing
row 5 : oakland cemetery / buttermilk kitchen / the tote / krog street market
row 6 : olio / maelu designs / blueridge mountains / arabia mountain

krog street market

More often than not, the things I choose to write about in this blog are an ode to Atlanta. The sights, the happenings, the people… this city is what sustains my creativity and my drive to be the version of myself I’ve always aspired to. I want to be someone who is cultured, someone who appreciates what the world offers, someone who values kindness and innovation. That plus a whole lot of other little things and I think I’m well on my way to being there. I don’t have as much free time as I’d like, but when I do get the occasional day off, I try to make the most of it. When I heard Krog Street Market was finally open to the public, it skyrocketed to the top of my “must-try” list.

Although it’s not developed to full capacity, what gems do lie there make up a completely worthwhile visit. The Little Tart, Spotted Trotter, Craft Izakaya, Mama Bath and Body – all with local reputations for an attention to quality and dedication to their craft. It’s nice to see all these Atlanta favorites gathered together under one roof; almost like a permanent farmer’s market or a community-centric mini mall. It’s a concept that has been oddly rare in Atlanta until recently. With mixed retail developments popping up all over town (Westside Provisions, Ponce City Market, et cetera), it is undeniable that the city is thriving and the best is yet to come.

Visiting KSM gave me the opportunity to finally meet two newcomers I’ve had my eye on, Xocolatl and Yalla. Xocolatl has got a great thing going for them; small batch anything obviously piques my interest, but small batch single-origin bean to bar chocolate is like one of the most seductive set of words I might ever hear in my life. Unfortunately they were all sold out (of course) of their bars, but it was lovely to just meet the makers and watch them pour a new velvety batch. Now I definitely have a reason to go back to KSM very, very soon (hello holiday gifts).

the clutch

Clutch it with your hands, hold on to it with your heart. The medium bag of our collaborative collection is the perfect size for a subtle and chic statement. Each piece has a reinforced leather bottom and a long leather tasseled zipper. Large enough to hold your everyday necessities and small enough to carry conveniently, the clutch is easily adaptable for a modern lady on the go.

The design pictured here is now for sale at Crafted Westside’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop at Westside Provisions! Open daily from 10am-6pm, Crafted has great hand-made gifts of all kinds from Southern artisans, including my art prints as well. If you can’t make it to the store, feel free to contact me at christina@tideandbloom.com to see more designs available for sale and custom ordering details. Hooray for Small Business Saturday!

neva opet collaboration

In case you haven’t read between the lines, I’ve been working on a seriously exciting collaboration with my lovely and inspiring friend, Rachael of Neva Opet! Her bags are some of the best in town and it’s no secret that I’ve been a big admirer of hers for a while now. She was one of the first artisans I interviewed for this blog and her positive outlook and support has made a wonderful impact in my life’s work. It felt super natural for us to fuse our crafts; our mutual respect and adoration for each other’s sense of design made this a no-brainer. What is this going to look like, you ask? Well, here’s a sneak peek from my instagram…

I’ve never done product design like this before and it was definitely a good challenge. With the amount of bags I had to do and the lack of free time I had, it forced me to create more efficiently. This mostly meant leaving things be and accepting the beauty of simplicity. I have the tendency to over-create because I always want to add more and more subtle layers. But for this project, it was important to step back and force myself to provide breathing room. I had to remind myself that they were all going to be transforming into something else, something useful, and that a simple statement is much more impactful than a busy chaotic mess.

I have no idea what the end product is going to look like! I just passed off all the materials to Rachael for her to do her magic and by this time next week, we will finally have a finished line.

What I do know is that there will be a variety of colors, patterns, and bag shapes for you to choose from and it’s just in time for the holiday season! Some of these will be living in Crafted Westside‘s Holiday Pop-Up Shop and others will be available for custom order. We’ll be premiering our products in the next two weeks with more information to come. Hope you’re half as excited as we are!!

buttermilk kitchen

The upside to working retail is the beauty of my days off. Sure, sure, it would be fantastic to have my two-day weekends back. But sometimes you just have to look at the silver lining and soak in what you can. I get to explore sweet little local places unburdened by crowds and every now and then I’m lucky enough to have the company of women who are quite lovely. This week, Buttermilk Kitchen was our southern brunch nirvana.

There’s not much I can convey in words to add to what these pictures already show you. The atmosphere was perfect, particularly on the patio with the sun moving up, and the service was extremely on-point. Everything was in a perfect state of balance, very thoughtful but not at all fussy. The menu was pared down and every piece of food on our table was exactly what we wanted it to be. It was fresh, it was rich, and well worth the trip.

I imagine that the weekends could be overwhelming in a place like this. It’s undeniably awesome and I’m sure the entire neighborhood knows and loves it. If you ever get a weekday off, make a day date for Buttermilk. I swear to you, probably one of the best brunches I’ve had in Atlanta.

sunday in the park at oakland cemetery

If you aren’t familiar with Atlanta landmarks, you might think that spending the day in a local cemetery sounds strange or morbid. But at Oakland Cemetery in Grant Park, you’ll find that it can actually be quite the opposite. This year’s Sunday In The Park event was divine perfection; the sun was shining and the garden cemetery was full of growth, vibrancy, life.

Out of the multitude of festivals and fall events, this is definitely one of my favorites. It’s a “Victorian street festival”, where you’ll find vintage cars, steampunk costume characters, food trucks, and more. The mausoleums and monuments are also open to the public, inviting visitors to explore a little bit of the history of those laid to rest there. The air is filled with joy and lightness.