I love looking at catalogs and magazines where the styling is creative and artfully done.  Of course, one I enjoy most is Anthropologie.  Their presentation is amazing and always so inspiring. When I saw the use of a hand mannequin in their gift look book, I thought it might be fun to get one to use for pictures of our milk paint and products. It’s hard not to have a little fun with a hand mannequin.  Kriste and I clapped with it.  We “raised our hand” and gave a thumb’s up and even saw if the wooden thumb could bend at an angle as freakish as my thumb. My thumb won. Then, we tried styling it in pictures with the products.  Holding a brush seemed like a no brainer, but who holds a brush like that?  And why is a wooden hand holding it? Maybe showcasing the logo on the

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from the editor at Cottages & Bungalows magazine.  I started working with her a few years ago when she reached out to me, asking if I would contribute a DIY article for one of their issues.  After I went into total freak-out-pinch-me-did-she-send-the-e-mail-to-the-right-person mode, I said yes and submitted my first freelance magazine article a few weeks later.  When I look back on it, I can’t even believe she hired me to write more!  I’ve grown so much as a writer and photographer, but it’s fun to see the reminders of where I started and my growth.  Anyway, that first article turned into becoming a contributor to the magazine for over two years. With the launch of the milk paint line and the growth of my blog, I had to resign from that monthly gig.  After writing almost 20 articles for them and over 125