New Listings on Paintings By Rachael

If you are following my print shop Paintings By Rachael either on my blog or on Instagram at @paintingsbyrachael, then you may or may not know that from time to time I post new listings more frequently than I do here on my blog. However, I keep the most current prices here on A Duchess & A Blog. I was so excited the other night to find some great deals on my absolute favorite Liquitex BASICS acrylic paints on Amazon and purchased a new set as well as new brushes. I have been loving the same set since high school, and I admit I am emotionally attached to my old art supplies.

So much time, energy, sweat, tears and thought have been dumped into my precious paintings over time. I have evoked the conspiracies and passions from within my soul and  pressed them onto paper and canvases with brushstrokes and easy breathing, and I look around my apartment and walls at all of the pieces I have created and I am hesitant to throw out the products of my favorite supplies that have been broken in over years and years. However, it was finally time. These two new listings will be the last installments in my portfolio using my trusty old brushes.

Acrylic on Canvas, Peonies in a Ginger Jar ($50)

Acrylic on Canvas, Chandelier Through Champagne Glasses ($50) 

Travel over to my tab to inquire about purchasing any prints. I think these have to be some of my favorite pieces yet. I will post photos of where I place them once I figure it out. I absolutely love that my entire apartment is decorated with my own artwork. Not only is it more cost friendly than buying all original artwork (except when I have to frame everything), but it makes my home such a personal place. Each painting brings back memories not only of completing if but of the time in my life during which it was completed, the album I was listening to while painting or drawing, emotions I felt at the time and the mood of the room that added to the mood and spirit of the canvas.

XOXO, 

Prints by Rachael: The Art Shop

I had to stop by to do a plug for my new online Instagram shop, @paintingsbyrachael. 

I am so excited to start this new dream I have had for long time of selling my art. While many of my pieces I have completed I have a respectable amount of emotional attachment to making it very difficult to think about selling, I am excited to now offer high quality color glossy copies. $15 flat rate shipping and handling is offered to all US shipments, and all transactions are run through PayPal to keep finances secure for both myself and the buyer. 

While most pieces are around 12" by 15", I can resize most pieces and will comment actual sizes at request. (Not all sizes are listed directly on my Instagram shop as I have many pieces stored in my portfolio at home and will measure them on demand). 

Below are just a few paintings that I have listed on my site. New postings will be made frequently. 

I hope there is something for everyone, but much of my portfolio stands on feminitity, color, abstraction, and the female form. 

A few of my pieces in my own gallery in my home. 

Please ask any and all questions! 

And make sure you follow my shop on Instagram at @printsbyrachael. 

XOXO, 

Lately

Life has been good lately. Not too busy, mixed with work at a job I am blessed to have, and filled with all the right people. 

We went out with coworkers a few weeks ago and I had an absolute blast. How lucky am I to be such great friends with people I work with. In the medical field, your coworkers become as close to you as family. The things you endure together will be unmatched with any other occupational experience. In fact, a lot of us spend more time with our coworkers than we do with our own family. We went to a bar in a kicky little town that lets you play video games for free. We are talking old school joystick video games. I had a ball playing Mrs. Pac Man, Donkey Kong and Burger Time. Will and I also really enjoyed the classic Indiana Jones Pinball Machines. 

Though a little late, we also made a spooky gingerbread village and ended up eating too much icing. 

I had one of my coworkers over and got to break out my Lilly Pulitzer wine glasses for the first time in a while. It was nice to catch up. 

Singing to my boyfriend's dog...nothing is better than quality time with pets. 

His face says it all. 

My coworkers and I. 

I have been having way too much fun with coloring books. While tedious (it took me probably two months to complete this one drawing) I think the results are worth it. I put this on my bulletin board. I recommend fine point Sharpies. I also added my own favorite mermaid quote to this piece.  

I have been doing a lot of my ow painting as well on nights off!

XOXO, 

Home Updates

I have had some fun new additions to my home lately. I can't wait to share them with you! 

I proudly admit that when decorating my home, I aim to save. All of my home decor has come to me on deep discount from TJ Maxx, Homegoods and Marc's (a Northeastern Ohio closeout store). My taste is always changing, and while I aim to buy decor that will remain a classic for years to come, I cannot always be sure of that. Here are some of my recent finds and additions. 

Quite a few months ago I managed to find this beautiful feux tree on Amazon (on sale for under $50!) and added twinkle lights that I had hiding in my closet. I threw on a few bulbs for the holiday season and in excitement of Christmas have already started stashing presents under the tree. I absolutely love gift giving and shopping for others...I especially loved the sparkly wrapping paper and pink Zebra paper I found as well. Both rolls were on sale for under $2 at Homegoods. 

I did a little rearranging and brought this beautiful vase that was in my bedroom into my living room for this inviting table next to my front door. I added a few candy dishes and some of my favorite scents. I love the hidden drawer for keys and coupons. 

After getting tired of tipping over my plastic Softsoap bottle I finally bought a pretty white porcelain soap dispenser (on clearance for $3 at TJ Maxx!). I absolutely love it. The Native American horsehair jewelry dish is from a trip we took to Rhode Island this summer. 

I found these wall scones (together $8 at Marc's) and finished them with a few electric votive candles I had lying around. They completed my bedroom wall! I had been looking for something to balance it for a while. 

This adorable lobster on the wall was also on sale for $2 at Marc's. I have the eye for the closeout section...it is my own personal challenge to make any cheap decoration elegant. 

I found this couch tray at Marc's as well for $3. The mermaid blanket was a gift from my coworker, and I purchased the Lost Ocean adult coloring book in San Francisco this past Spring. It is such a relaxing and mindless activity to do while watching TV. 

This orange was $1 at Marc's! 

I scrounged some of my favorite pretty decorative boxes that I have been saving out of my closet and stacked them. I just love how they look...every box has a different personal meaning to me. 

This table was a score for $15 at TJ Maxx. When I play my piano, I have been straining my eyes because the overhead light is not enough. 

I found this absolutely adorable garden lamp to light up the area. 

Perfection! This painting was featured in a previous "Lately" post...my mom found this for me at a garage sale. I absolutely love garage sale art, and this is one of my favorites. It is an original painting, not a print. 

I managed to find this feux sheepskin fuzzy rug for my office and also hung an old bulletin board from my childhood room to hang some of my favorite photos that I didn't know what to do with.  

This fuzzy throw pillow was also a score at TJ Maxx. I have 6 pillows on my bed. I know it sounds weird, but I like pillows in odd numbers. I feel that they look better stacked in odds (crazy, I know!). 

Side note...this candle was on sale for $4 and the scent cannot be beat. It warms all 1,200 square feet of my apartment with a rich peppermint bark smell. I am on a hunt to find as many of these as I can before the holidays are over. 

What are your favorite places to shop for home decor on deep discount? 

XOXO, 

Lately

Just wanted to share a few of my favorite things going on lately! 

My mom scored this gorgeous (and huge) canvas at a garage sale a few weeks ago and gifted it to me for my birthday. She has so many gorgeous thrifted art finds around the home I grew up in and I always joke about how much I love garage sale art. This is living proof! It looks absolutely wonderful above my piano. 

I am loving the new sweater / poncho / shawl trend. I hope it is here to stay. I found this gorgeous shawl that almost fits like a poncho at Macy's. They had a doorbuster sale which included 25% off almost everything, and I had an additional coupon for 25% off. It was a win win. I know it will look gorgeous with a pair of dark jeans and black leather boots. 

We took a country drive a few weeks ago. We had a pit stop at a real A & W to get root beer on tap and then drove out to the Linesville Spillway in PA to get a good look at the giant savage feeding carp. It was a gorgeous sunny day and a perfect time to bust out long sleeved shirt and sunglasses. 

Also, here is an updated post on how my living room is looking lately! You can view many of my other adventures in interior decoration here. 

XOXO, 

What I'm Loving Lately

I have taken an unintentional hiatus.  I have had a very busy last few months.

I wanted to share a few things that I have been loving lately!

Loving...though not buying. So I guess "observing from afar" would be most appropriate.

Is it just me or is Lilly hitting the head on the nail lately with everything.

Seriously, the colors and cuts of everything in the Summer 2016 is unbelievably flattering.

I have long been on the search for a  new perfume.

I have been wearing Juicy Couture and Juicy le Fleur for the past few years, but fell in love with

Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf...or so I thought. The different notes actually did not smell good on my skin at all. I fell in love with La view est belle by Lancôme...and never in a million years did I think I would like a perfume by Lancôme so much. I love their cosmetics but have often found a lot of their fragrances to be a bit too powdery for my liking. I have met my match...this sensual blend of floral scents is absolutely mesmerizing and the smell changes on my skin throughout the day. To say the least, it is warm and refreshing and I get countless compliments on it.

If you have not gotten on board with the new toy obsession, now is the time. While in San Francisco on Haight and Ashbury, I fell in love with these little Mermicornos from outside the Woot Beer Kidrobot toy store. Now, all I do is buy blindboxes. It is chronically addicting. If you think these are cute, check out the Dunny series as well. I love that so many different artists design "toys" for these collections. I have mine on display, and am quickly running out of room. These are not for kids at all. There is a blindbox series for everyone and opening a box not knowing which character you are going to get is better than waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.

I have every single Mermicorno, and all are loved equally. I love that each Mermicornoo has a story.

Lastly, my breakfast fascination has gotten out of control. I am a night shifter, so come 2 am I am craving waffles, bacon, eggs, sausage, English muffins, pancakes, etc. If I don't go out to breakfast with coworkers I come home and try to have as healthy of a meal as possible. Two of these Thomas Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins with butter and jelly along with OJ and a banana will hit the spot for me. If I am eating at home I get in bed almost immediately after so I try not to have as big of a breakfast as I would if I am with others.

What have you been loving lately?

XOXO,