All Things Asheville

I was in Asheville, NC this past weekend for my boyfriend's poetry reading at Western Carolina University (in Cullowhee, NC) as part of their literary festival. We stayed on campus and drove to Asheville (about an hour away) two days in a row. We couldn't get enough! It's such a great town with unique shops, bars, and restaurants. I know unique sounds generic, but it's true! It's unlike any artsy town I've been to. Maybe it's because it's the South--people are so damn friendly. Many times I was greeted by someone twice. For example, at a restaurant, the hostess said "good evening, how are you?" or something along those lines, then she followed with "how's your evening?" I was caught off guard. I really fell in love with the people and of course, the mountains.

In Asheville there's a great place called Woolworth Walk where you can browse and purchase art from local artists. You just take what you want up to the counter. I found this to be quite unusual, but great! I bought these two (as prints, not paintings) from an artist named Sarah Faulkner:

Morning
acrylic & wax on wood 2.5" x 24" x 24"

Taking the Leap
acrylic & wax on wood 3.5" x 24" x 48"

This ceramics artist, Heather Knight, also has some amazing work. I didn't buy her stuff, but I might have to! She has an Etsy site. Her work has great texture and shape. I love it.

Set of 3 Micro Tiles

Spiked pear



Brian bought a Russian flask at a different store, and he also bought me some handmade soaps from the same shop. I got lavendar and lemongrass. They're really nice.

There's a great bookshop downtown called Malaprop's where I finally bought Apartment Therapy Presents: Real Homes, Real People, Hundreds of Design Solutions. You can buy it here, too: http://www.amazon.com/Apartment-Therapy-Presents-Hundreds-Solutions/dp/0811859827

Also, one fabulous thing I noticed everywhere was the use of the honeycomb pattern. I found it tiled on the floor of a public restroom of a hole-in-the-wall diner called, The Coffee Shop, and it was even used as a crosswalk in Asheville. It was so strange to see this honeycomb pattern in various places. It's like it was calling to me! Perhaps a new project...

Overall, this getaway was fantastic. The best trip I've had in awhile.