Pieces of Life {Fay & Emmy}
I have always loved the work of William Wegman. His photos are both humorous and profound, and they appeal to me because I am a lover of dogs – and art. He is a genius behind the lens, and clearly has a great ability to communicate and work with the canine species. I picked up his book, Fay, at a local big box store for only $7. I had planned to set it on the coffee table, in an attempt to begin a collection of interesting books. What I didn’t expect, was to discover a beautiful, funny story about Wegman’s relationship with his dogs. The emphasis of the book is obviously Fay, but it also tells the stories of Man Ray, Batty and their many friends (Crooky, Charlie, and Pewter to name a few). If you need a lighthearted read that is both visually stunning and humorous, I highly recommend this book. You can find it here.
Part of my reason for loving Fay as much as I did, is because I am, truly, a dog lover. Since I was small, I have always loved dogs… mostly big dogs. I’ll spare the details, but let’s just say, I have owned a whole menagerie of pets and dog breeds through the years. Right now, I have only one dog, Emmy. She is an eleven month old yellow lab, the namesake of the company, and really quite a character. You may have noticed her standing in the front yard in my “Home Tour” collection of photos. Since we’re on the topic of dogs, I thought I’d offer a proper introduction to Miss Emmy Lu!
Lovely in the Country {Home Tour}
Located on the fringe between rolling farmland and pristine lakes, my sweet “country” abode is a classic brick Cape Cod, built in 1932 by the owner of the local hardware store. He handcrafted the house for his sweetheart, who had one small request before she marry him – that he build her a “bride’s home” (Demanding, aren’t we?). He spared no expense, and his attention to detail was second to none. The home has only been lived in by four other families since the original owner and builder, and for the most part, it is still true to it’s vintage form.
My husband and I bought our home in June of this year as its 5th owners, and we promptly got to work settling in and making it our own. The first step was to paint every inch of wall… removing all traces of the red kitchen, yellow boy’s room, and periwinkle guest room. The new colors are subtle and cool, reminiscent of a neutral seascape, with plenty of blues, grays, browns, tans, and greens.
As a whole, our house has a light, airy feel, while maintaining a certain charm and coziness. The layout is fairly simple and straightforward. It allows for easy entertaining, without feeling too open and cavernous. The three bedrooms are small and snug, tucked into the upstairs dormers. Outside the six-paned windows, we are surrounded by towering oaks and a half acre of randomly interspersed gardens and grassy patches.
Home to me is a small, cozy place, tucked into the trees… where my heart is at rest, and my belongings surround me in a neat and pleasing manner. It’s squeaky clean, albeit untidy at times, and it reflects my love of the simple pleasures in life.
Welcome!
Welcome to our blog! A quick introduction: We are Laura Smetak and Bethany Hway, design partners, friends, and now fellow bloggers. Our shared passions and goals brought us together to establish Emmy Lu, a custom stationery design company. Today we are happy to introduce the newest “branch” of Emmy Lu, Pretty in the City, Lovely in the Country, a design and inspiration blog written by an Urban Loft Dweller (Laura) and Country Cottage Chick (Bethany). We hope that you will enjoy a daily visit to our little corner of cyberspace, where you will find us writing about our homes, work, lives, travels, and perspectives. Take a moment out of your day to breathe deep, collect inspiration, ponder simplicity, appreciate tradition, and delight in design.
Subscribe (rss)
