Content written for online magazine TheBOX by featured writer Mechelle Lyon

Ronit Bigal is quite a unique artist. Using the humans body as a canvas and Black Indian ink as an element, Bigal’s work draws in the eye and keeps viewers fascinated. It’s not only the unique use of calligraphy that creates an allure, but also the way Bigal captures the human body with the use of a digital camera. Everything is fluid. The curves of the body combined with the flow of the text connect the whole picture together and makes it into something spectacular.

Do you Feng Shui?

My husband and I live in an apartment so tiny we can walk through the whole thing in under 30 seconds. Without running. Or taking large steps. Needless to say, we have some difficulties with decorating. Mainly trying to make normal sized pieces of furniture fit without us having to crawl over it to get into the next room. With the help of websites like Apartment Therapy I’ve learned neat little tricks to help us get more organized. But now I’m trying to get our home more… shall we say focused? There are a lot of patterns, knic knacks {the hubs thinks I have quite a few}, and objects that seemingly have nowhere to call home. The other day I visited a  Feng Shui website. It did nothing but confuse me. Feng Shui {from what I gathered} focuses on the “flow” of an area. Flow? It also talks about how the objects around me can affect my energy based on where they are placed. ???? Being more of a visual person, I decided to use the search button on Pinterest. This is what I found…

From what I can tell, Feng Shui = 1} Clean  2} Color Coordinated  3} Must display some sort of plant life.

Well, today I bought a mum from Walmart. One out of 3 isn’t bad! Ha!

Summer, Surgery, and Sunshine

Hi everyone! Sorry for the almost complete lack of content over the summer. This summer was a busy one for many reasons including summer vacations, being a newly wed, and work. In addition to these things, I recently had to have my gallbladder taken out. Yuck! For those of you that still have your gallbladder…try to keep it as long as possible. Trust me on this one.  The “minor surgery” to have it removed isn’t really as “minor” as people think it is. Sure, the procedure has gotten more advanced and the wounds have gotten tinier, but the pain…OH. MY. GOSH. Thank the sweet Lord my husband and I were married before I had to have this procedure. With my poor belly being gutted like a fish, at night I was unable to sit up by myself to make my bathroom visits. I had to reach over, poke my sweet, sleeping husband and have push me upright. I felt so bad that I had to keep waking him up, that I tried {and failed} to get up by myself. I ended up getting stuck on the bed with my torso resting firmly on the mattress and the rest of me hanging off the bed. Not a shining moment.

All this to say is… it has been a good, but interesting summer/ beginning of fall for the whole Lyon family. Now that life is getting back to normal, things on the blog will looking up as well.

Before I get too many more post prepared, I’d like to know what all of you would like to see happen on the blog!

More fashion? More food? More art? Or do you like things as is?

Feedback is always great, so leave a comment!

Hope everyone had a fantastic summer!

Art// Dalton Ghetti

Fall is in the air and it is time for school! That means notebooks, backpacks, lunch boxes, and most importantly pencils. Oh, lovely No. 2 pencils. Perfect for taking tests, writing essays, and carving. Wait…carving? Yes, you heard correctly. Pencils are not only a useful wring utensil, but also a perfect canvas for artist Dalton Ghetti. Known for his unique ability to sculpt the tiniest images that can been seen with the human eye, Ghetti’s work is mystifying.

“His idea is to bring people’s attention to small things. Small is beautiful. Most of the pencils he uses are found on the streets and sidewalks. Dalton’s work is a recycling process. He turns discarded objects into art.”*

To see his biography click here.

{*The quote above is from his biography page.}

Happy Anniversary Elephantine!

Rachel’s adorable blog Elephantine is having a giveaway to celebrate the jewelry collection she launched 3 years ago. And between you and me, her jewelry is fabulous! Take a look the necklace below and then go to the link to see how you can participate in the giveaway!

{Photo via Elephantine blog}

Happy Thursday Everyone!

The Magical World of Shel Silverstien

{Content written for the BOXSeats section insideboxmag.com by Mechelle Lyon}

Books are the gateway to unknown worlds and no one takes readers to unchartered lands better than author/illustrator Shel Silverstien. His writing abilities are an art all their own, but it’s Silverstien’s drawings that really bring the reader to a whole new whimsical world. Silverstien started his career by being the leading cartoonist for Playboy magazine during the 50′s and 60′s. His featured article included 23 installments of illustrated travel essays called “Shel Silverstien Visits…”. He then went on to publish multiple children’s books that were filled with his quirky drawing of delightful characters on adventures. For some of us adults, whose imaginations refuse to grow up, his work still continues to impress.

Since 1955, Silverstien’s drawings have helped us fly in shoes …

Eat a whole whale…

Learn how to give…

And taken us to the edge of the world…

Cheerfully Charmed

I have fallen head over heels for the jewelry line Cheerfully Charmed! The colors and style are to die for! Check them out for yourself!

They are having an awesome giveaway today. Check out the details by clicking HERE.

Inspiration// Pinterest

Maybe it’s because we didn’t have much of a winter last year, but I am DYING for fall to get here! Big clunky sweaters, wooly scarfs, and knee-high boots are in my closet begging to be worn. So until fall officially gets here, I guess I’ll have to stick to Ooo-ing and Ahh-ing over fashion on Pinterest.

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Art// Nathan Sawaya

Nathan Sawaya and the next level of Lego

Content created for insideboxmag.com {TheBOX Seats}.

The LEGO group, based in Billund, Denmark, is owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family who founded it in 1932. The goal of the company is to develop creativity through playing. Through their wide variety of toys, Lego has transformed the lives of children in more than 130 countries. With a box of Lego’s, you can become a farmer, a superhero, or even a student at Hogwarts.

Nathan Sawaya, a freelance artist from New York, decided to take Lego creativity to the next level by building large-scale sculptures made entirely out of Lego bricks. He has created everything from people to a Tyrannosaurus Rex (measuring 20 feet in length!).

Below are some of his amazing pieces. To see more of his collection, click here.

Photography// Food Photography

{Content created for insideboxmag.com}

I love food. Plain and simple. If it’s on a plate and not staring back at me {those fish at the super market that still have the eyes really freak me out} I will eat it. So it’s only natural that in my admiration for food, I have also fallen for food photography. Food and photography? Can you say best combo ever?!

The photographers who get these dream jobs have some serious talent. They also have a whole staff of people working behind the scenes to make sure the food looks as tempting as possible. Surprisingly, professional food photography can involve an art director, a photographer, a food stylist, a prop stylist and their assistants. Check out the yummy photographs below from some of the best in the business!

Matt Armendariz

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Derek Richmond

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Michael Ray

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