Nature Inspired Napkin Giveaway + Garden Videos

Spring is the air the ground and all around.

My garden inspires me in all of its seasons- loaning me palettes to color my designs. Here is my Vermont Garden on a Spring Day in May.

A place dedicated to the beauty of mother nature.

What inspires you?

Tell me your tale and I will select a winner for my nature inspired Papillion Jacquard Jade 18" Napkin Bundle

(please include your email address to contact you - or email me at

aprilcornell(at)aprilcornellholdings.com to enter)

April

Feel Beautiful, Live Beautiful, Be Beautiful

Please join me in congratulating Tamara H. - Winner of this Giveaway

Thank you all for participating as always!

Let's Springify! + Linens Giveaway

My home in Northern Vermont is still snow coated and cool, with just a tease of warm air and cracking ice to be heard.

I say it is time to Springify! I am grabbing the hot colors of spring and bringing them indoors. The last of my Xmas brocades are heading for the basement and oranges and roses are decorating my table. I love the hothouse pinks of our new Paisley Bouquet print and they marry up nicely with the real pink roses from my favorite market. I add some matching red pears, limes and oranges to my table, and you would never know that outside is dove grey and brown.

What do you do to brighten up your February days?
Tell me your tale and you may be chosen to win a set of colorful placemats and napkins from my Spring 2010 collection (please remember to include your email address, so I can contact you!)

April
Live Beautiful Feel Beautiful Be Beautiful

UPDATE: We have a winner! Please congratulate Holly S.!

Inspirational Women: Janet McKenzie

Martin Luther King Day, Black History Month, our first black President Barack Obama, all made me think about Janet McKenzie, an artist whose beautiful paintings of black men and women of biblical times has done much to put a black face to today’s art world. Her richly beautiful paintings celebrate our strengths, our femininity and our heritage. Her most famous work ‘Jesus of the People’ chosen in 2000 as the Catholic Church’s new image of Christ, depicts a black Jesus - a Jesus of the people, and though the image is strongly male, the face itself was based on a female model. This stirring painting has toured the world, creating controversy and dialogue. Showing a Jesus who is confident and calming against a back drop of pink stained glass. Janet told me one of her early motivations for painting people of color was to give her teenage nephew a reflection of himself in art.
Janet’s new book, Holiness and the Feminine Spirit published by Orbis Books features 28 full color paintings of women through sacred and secular imagery. She paints women of color – and that really means all women, because the colors of every skin, the nuance of every feature are alive and rich in her renderings of African, Asian and Caucasian and First Nation Women. Enjoy the writings by well known writers, Joyce Rupp, Diane Butler Bass, Wendy Beckett and Ann Patchett among others juxtaposed against her moving and brilliant artworks. Her women are empowered, strong and beautiful. In Janet’s words -

“Women are for me the sacred beings that are the foundation of life, subjects that have the power to captivate my imagination and inform my expression.”

Living in the remote Island Pond, Vermont, Janet has produced a body of work that astounds and inspires.
You can visit Janet at janetmckenzie.blogspot.com
Janet’s book is available through www.orbisbooks.com

April

Feel Beautiful, Live Beautiful, Be Beautiful

Passing on Good Fortune

A couple of months ago I wrote about my company in New Delhi, Cornell Overseas and how they took a piece of good fortune [a nice order] and turned that into good fortune for others.
All of the staff in our Delhi office participated and collected enough money to organize a food distribution for the poor...at the time I thought - imagine if everybody did that?
This action so excited us in Vermont, that we decided when good fortune came our way, we would do the same. I am happy to say, that it is now our turn to give back. We recently received a large commission check from our Licensing Partner, Danica. When the news came in Donna and I locked eyes across the room - "our turn" we said.
So happily, last week we met with United Way and gave our first pass it on check to them. We also wrote a second check for the Giving World Foundation. The foundation that gives a hand up, through education and opportunity to people in India.
I have long admired the United Way. In our community they are involved with so many worthwhile projects - Dismas House, Food Shelters, King Street Community Center, the Red Cross and many more meaningful organizations. They also have dedicated groups of volunteers that allow community members to participate and learn from volunteerism.
My company is also looking into how we can contribute in this way, too. So my friend, times may be trying, times may be tough, but let's remember to keep passing on the good news, and not hoard it for ourselves.

April
Feel Beautiful, Beautiful, Live Beautiful

Behind the Scenes

This week is all hands on deck at our office in Burlington, VT. We set up a photo studio in our warehouse, painted cinder block walls, draped backgrounds, collected props and created mini environments of beauty to showcase new table linens, scarves and clothing for our website.
Many eyes, and hands were involved - there was the designer's eye [this is my vision], the graphic artist's eye [this is what I see on the screen], the buyer's eye [can the customer understand the product?], the perfectionist's eye [there's a wrinkle in the napkin], and the photographer's eye [this is what the camera sees!]
So many details, so much focus and such excitement and laughter made a great creative day.
My favorite part was when I was being photographed sitting at a table, and four people were dancing to YMCA behind me to make me laugh - it worked!

April

Be Beautiful, Feel Beautiful, Live Beautiful

Falling in Love With Home

Burlington, Vermont is a beautiful place. It has been my primary residence for quite some time, but I haven't really appreciated all the area has to offer until this summer. Moving our offices to a refurbished building on the lakefront perched us up overlooking Lake Champlain. The views are magnificent. When we remember to take breaks for lunch there are numerous picturesque cafes and restaurants to choose from.

   I have watched the sunset while enjoying dinner lakeside with many friends and family members. It's been a summer romance, and I am finding myself in love with the place. 

    This summer marks the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the lake by explorer Samuel de Champlain who managed to get this lovely place named after himself. There have been all kinds of celebrations throughout summer. This weekend is a the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival along the lakefront beneath our offices. 

     We are joining in the fun by having a Tent Sale with many of our design samples and one-of-a-kind pieces. If you are out of the area, you can shop our attic online.

     I am enjoying my hometown. I hope you take the time to feel the same way about yours!