ARTmonday: Kathleen Schwartz

I knew my friend Kathleen Schwartz (Katie to her friends) took gorgeous pictures of her kids. Their pale cheeks, long mermaid hair, and the idyllic beach and forest settings all added to the images she captured so beautifully. But it’s the quirkier shots that I love, with the girls in their fairy costumes just going about their day, and the interiors from their big old house in Maine, with its high ceilings, tall windows, crystal chandeliers, and sailboat seat. The photo of the yellow living room caught my eye this morning, reminding me of Tina Barney photographs. I started browsing through Katie’s collection and was immediately drawn in.

Shop Alert: Luna Leaves Newbury Street

Wow.  This is crazy.  Luna Boston closed its Newbury Street boutique on Monday.

A real loss, that is for sure.  There’s a showroom in Charlestown, and of course their excellent website, but still.

What if I want to buy a bag on a whim? Boo.

Just in: Owner Sarah tells me they’ll messenger Bostonians their bag of choice – same day service. Yay!

I want this one:

Rebecca Minkoff Linear Stud Darling, sale price $357

Idea: Silver Tipped Bulb

I was catching up on my perusal of decor blogs when I saw this really cute light fixture this morning – actually an ingenious DIY idea – on Door 16.  You may have seen it already, since she posted it in January, but I somehow missed it until now.

This is one of those ubiquitous brass sconces found in many an old house (and all my college dorm rooms). Anna spray-painted the brass glossy white, for a porcelain-like appearance, then added an oversize silver-tipped bulb from 1000Bulbs.com. Totally cute. Makes me wish I had an ugly sconce to transform.

Shop Alert: Kitchen Arts Is Closing

So, it’s true. I walked by Kitchen Arts this morning after drop-off, and they’re indeed packing up and moving on.  I suppose they’ve had a good run – the store opened back in 1980. Guess we’ll have to trek over to Williams-Sonoma in Copley if we’re suddenly in need of a pie tin or silicone spatula.

Here’s the message on their website. Sounds like Newbury rents + recession booted them out of business:

“At the end of this month KitchenArts is closing it’s doors and leaving Newbury Street after nearly 30 years. Everything is on sale: merchandise, shelving, display tables, the works. Come on down, score some deals, and say goodbye to another independent retail store. Sale ends March 31, 2010. Everything must go.”