ISOLA BELLA PHOTO SHOOT

You will be noticing changes to my website in the upcoming week. Posting new pics from today's photo shoot with my 4 year old son. He took the beautiful sky photo below and some of mommy. Brewer's Beach - St. Thomas

Another beachcombing afternoon

Spent the day out west on the island searching for treasures. This is what came home with me. Troca shells and old shards of pottery as well as the most beautiful shades of blue and green seaglass I have ever seen.

Seaside Accessories and Accents

NEW! Canvas Wall Art by isola bella

Spent today creating a new line of block-prints on linen canvas. Check out the entire series on my official site.

Shopping Therapy. What Recession?

1- I love how jewelry designer Catherine Weitzman interprets the coral pattern in a modern way.
2- I swear I have the same coral necklace as the nude figure in this picture that I bought on the island of Capri. I was drawn to this beautiful print of a painting by artist August Mache titled: "Nude with Coral Necklace"
3- A modern and sophisticated brown coral tote by Thomas Paul
4- Book Ultimate Tropical by Luca Invernizzi Tettoni
5- New favorite jewelry designer!!!! Mesi Jilly creates incredible rings carved from shells!
6- Havaiana's slim style / silver moon

JOIN THE ISOLA BELLA GROUP ON FACEBOOK

Hi everyone. Lot's of fun networking this week. Hope you join the Isola Bella Group now on FACEBOOK. Sunny regards- Gina

Not just for the kitchen! Isola Bella has just launched a new line of gourmet kitchen towels hand-printed with eco-friendly inks. These are 110 thread count soft, smooth, lint-free, 100% cotton and very absorbent! They are also sewn in the USA! We love to use ours as a picnic cloth at the beach or you can wrap a bottle of wine in it and tie it with a natural ribbon as a cute hostess gift! I am sure you can think of many more fun ways to use and share these! Available now at shop.isolabellashop.com

The photo on the left was taken from my mother-in-law's house on Water Point on the East End of the island Saturday. What a view! The colors are neon-like. It takes your breath away. The photo on the right was taken at Brewer's Beach on the West Side of the island today. Amazing isn't it?

This painting was inspired by a photo I took a week ago at my son's favorite park at Lindbergh Bay on St. Thomas.

Thanks to designer Anette of swanky tables for featuring ISOLA BELLA on her blog this week. It is always so much fun to see how others would use my products in a unique way. Linen towels as luxurious gift wrap??? I love it! Anette is an amazing tablescape designer. She has a great eye for spotting hot trends and showcasing fun finds. From recipes to party and home decor her blog is not to be missed!

Some inspiring shots I recently took on St. Thomas and a St. John day trip; bougainvilleas, red ginger lillies (my favorite tropical flower) and orange hibiscus. The old rum barrel and wild donkey photos were taken on St. John. Donkeys run wild on St. John and they usually stroll the beaches. It isn't uncommom to set your beach towel down and find one follows his nose to your lunch. This little guy took a liking to my sons goldfish crackers. These snapshots are what make my life so extraordinary living in the Caribbean. The explosion of colors, history and nature that lies literally at your doorstep is such a gift.

Artist: Kristen Maize

Title: Perched : oil on canvas 16 x 20

Artist: Kristen Maize

Title: Yellow Bucket: 24 x20 oil on canvas

She has become my local favorite artist, after viewing a gorgeous painting of hers hanging on my friends wall, I had to see more. I love how she breathes new life into an old mundane object and transforms it into something so beautiful by her choice of colors and the way she edits. Her painting above titled: Yellow Bucket, is one example of that.

Kristen Maize is from the island of St. John. Her work reflects the beauty and colors of everyday West Indian culture, people and landscape. She is an environmental scientist who loves to travel the world exploring new cultures as inspiration for her work. You can visit her online gallery at www.kristenmaize.com