November 1, 2011

November Giveaway!

CLICK HERE to enter the drawing on Facebook!

October 27, 2011

Inspiration: Folk Art

One of my favorite places in Bali (and more to come on that later!) is a store called Folk Art.

I met John and Linda, who own the boutique, about a year before moving to Bali. John had some encouraging words that helped me make the final decision to move here myself.

I remember visiting their house located in the middle of the rice paddies and it was like a museum. About 2 years ago they opened Folk Art on Jalan Laksama in Seminyak.  Both have tremendous passion for Asian Art and turned this passion into collecting antiques, tribal jewelry, textiles from Thailand, Laos, Burma and Indonesia as well as Chinese furniture.

I’ve never seen anything like their shop and could get lost for hours exploring the shelves. Since I love all the things they collect and source, it’s like being at home. I also find myself asking Linda countless questions about where the pieces come from and what the history behind each piece is. She has an answer for everything and I’m always amazed by some of the most abstract pieces that have ceremonial meaning and significance.  The shop is an explosion of color and is so stimulating it really inspires me to travel to each region of Asia where the art comes from.

They are by far two of the most interesting and inspiring people I have met in Bali.  They are also exceptionally kind and generous and care about all of the cultures and the people they visit.  They have organized donations to remote areas of Burma that need support and truly understand the meaning of having generosity of spirit.

CLICK BELOW to learn more about Folk Art:

www.folkartgallerybali.com

October 25, 2011

The Road Less Traveled

One of our favorite features on our blog will be about travel.  It’s not hard to see that the line is designed around the inspiration of foreign and exotic travels.  I love to be a part of places that are very different from where I am originally from but that also have a natural beauty and ancient traditions.  Some of my dream destinations are Africa, Morocco, India, Egypt, and Uruguay.

Europe and Portugal are also high on my list.  A place to get lost in amazing markets, eat good pastries and discover enough art to keep you inspired for a long time.  I can lose myself wandering in the streets of any foreign city.

For me, being thrown into a new environment is the biggest creative motivator.  It forces us to get outside of ourselves, see new perspectives first hand and explore aspects of life, otherwise untouched and unknown.

Where are your dream destinations and why do you think you are drawn to those  places in particular?

ANNA BECK TEAM DREAM DESTINATIONS:

Rachel Hosmer - Chief Operating Officer
Hawaii – I love Kona because I am an open water swimmer and swimming there is like swimming in an aquarium. As I swim, I can see the bottom of the ocean with all the beautiful fish and sea life.

Jennifer Mezo - Operations Manager
Bora Bora – It’s the home to stunningly beautiful beaches, soaring volcanic peaks, lush greenery, gorgeous aqua lagoons, fresh seafood cuisine, secluded huts located directly over the ocean, gorgeous sunset views, and most of all RELAXATION. 

Lauren Casady - Customer Service and Sales Team Manager
Thailand – Beautiful beaches, fresh air, lush rainforests, and vibrant cities

Sybil Steele - Online PR
South America-Argentina and Ecuador.  It’s the only continent left that is a complete unknown for me.  It seems so exotic and unexplored in my mind.

Michelle Mellinger - Customer Service Team
The south of France because I love the French language, culture and fashion. It is an absolutely gorgeous part of the world and since it’s located in the center of Western Europe, I could easily travel and explore the rest of the continent.

Photo Credits: Sybil Steele

October 19, 2011

INSIGHT: Designer Becky Hosmer's House in Bali

For a long time I had all my collectibles sitting in piles, not sure how to incorporate them into my daily space.  I’m inspired by my travels and have collected pieces from all over the world. It wasn’t until I met Elaina and Susanna Samaniego from 4 Corners Design that we finally were able to design my house in Bali. 

Elaina found a way to use the art of Feng Shui and install the pieces in my living room, kitchen, bedroom and office.  I’m so happy with the results and hope you enjoy the inner glimpse into my sanctuary in Bali!

INSIGHT with Interior Designer Elaina:

Q:  What was your approach?

Regarding the house it was a lot of fun to approach it decorated with Feng Shui in mind.  I used a traditional pa kua chart for the property.  I attempted to improve the Feng Shui of the various rooms of her house through incorporating certain elements, color and space planning.

For example, her living room happens to be the romance/marriage sector of her house.  With that in mind we brought in the color yellow with some fun accents such as a console table and in the colors of her throw pillows as well as some gorgeous golden light fixtures.  We opened up the room with the layout of the furniture.  We were also able to incorporate some beautiful artwork from India depicting an Indian wedding ceremony.  We aimed to create such an ambiance that Becky would feel invited to curl up on the sofa and just relax.

Her kitchen is located in the fame and recognition area of her house and red is the color to ignite this space, which also happens to be a great accent color for a kitchen. Becky has a gorgeous open air kitchen so we worked on improving this area through lighting and beautiful India tapestry with red as the dominant color.  This is definitely the center of her home, as the kitchen usually is for most homes, so it was a fun space to create.

All in all we took the beautiful pieces that Becky has collected over the years from her travels and incorporated into them into various rooms of her property with the final result being a very welcoming and warm home. Her home is a reflection of her beautiful spirit, which is what we aimed to accomplish.

Click this link to learn more about Elaina and Susanna's design company: www.design4corners.com

Photos by Nathan Myers

October 18, 2011

Introducing Bumi Sehat

After searching for a charity for a few years I decided to meet with Robin Lim, the founder of Bumi Sehat, and learn about her organization.  I think it happened naturally when I met Robin and saw how she was changing the lives of women, children and families all over Bali and it just felt right. I could immediately see how down to earth and what an absolute giver she is.  She cares about the local community and does something that most would never dream of doing.  I’ve also seen her touch the lives of some of my close friends who have used her as a midwife. 

Robin barely gets by month to month, and after visiting her bare bones clinic, it’s obvious that she needs support.  I also trust that the contributions going to her organization from our company and others are being facilitated in a positive manner.

Robin Lim has recently been nominated for CNN Hero, and we will continue to support her and Bumi Sehat. Stay tuned for more inspirational posts on this amazing woman, clinic and the team she works with.

To donate or read more about the clinic click here:

www.bumisehatbali.org

VIDEO interview with Robin Lim, founder of Bumi Sehat: