Monday, December 12, 2011

My Top Ten: Mario Brothers!

I was one of the children who had the original Nintendo gameboy (remember those?) so I've loved the blue overall and letter-capped superheroes from an early age.  Natually as I got older, my time with them slowly decreased.  I'm happy to report that my little nephews have rekindled my love for them in the world of Mario Kart, so I was ecstatic to put their awesomeness on canvas by creating a custom painting for a little boy.  It featured his portrait posed with Mario & Luigi in Marioland, complete with an orange initial cap and shirt, his favorite colors.  I'm told that he "loves it!"  I did too.

It made me wonder what other items I could find on Etsy that featured the brothers, and my search had amazing results!  There were items for all ages.  Here are my top ten discoveries:

 
The Wishing Elephant
1.  The key to having a quality Mario Bros relationship is to start early.  These Mario & Luigi twin onesies are perfect for that.  Wearing these 100% cotton bodysuits, the boys (or girls) could be a great cheering section for you to get that high score.  The best part is that the appliques can be stitched for additional durability.  That means no handwashing!  Contact The Wishing Elephant for more info.

 
figurativepie
2.  Sock monkeys have been very popular lately.  Perhaps you thought of getting one for your little one.  Figurative Pie took it to another level by creating the Mario and Luigi version.  These stuffed heros are too cute!  Right now, you can get 15% off your order and free shipping for domestic orders.  Visit her shop to see what other items are there.


BoxedPops
3.  Imagine holding a Mario Bros cake pop in one hand and your Wii remote in the other.  Yes, it could be done!  These Mario Bros cake pops are awesome for your Wii parties.  Boxed Pops will provide one dozen (6 Mario & 6 Luigi) for your special event in a variety of flavors.  Each pop is individually wrapped and carefully packaged for safe delivery.  Contact Boxed Pops early to coordinate your event.


LiamandLeia
4.  Another popular item are dictionary prints.  Liam and Leia provide 7x10  "nerd" inspired art prints.  I love that "M is for Mario" and "L is for Luigi".  If you buy 3, you get the 4th free.  Other characters are available.  These limited editions are great additions to your game rooms.


beaujangles
5.  If you've been searching for that perfect gift for a game loving guy, he could dress up and still be himself with these sterling silver Mario & Luigi cufflinks from Beaujangles.  They're ready for presentation in their cufflink box.  This pair comes as a Mario/Luigi set, but you can request two Marios or two Luigis if preferred.


laceinspring
6.  For the ladies, is this Mario mustache necklace (looks more like Luigi's mustache to me) from Lace in Spring.  Its adjustable, and comes in an antique bronze finish or antique silver.


billmain, sinj, BlakeWheeler
7.  Numbers 7, 8, 9 are combined.  I found versions of the Mario Brothers as if they'd stepped out of the game.  These three are probably what they look like if they showed up at your house to look at your pipes.  Billmain has an 8.5x11 Super Mario Portrait.  From Sinj are a set of ACEOs featuring Mario and Luigi in their golden years.  And Blake Wheeler's 14x16 original Super Dinner Bros.


ElvesInTheAttic

10.  Finally, for everyone who receives a gift of the Mario Bros, you can keep the theme going with these Luigi thank you cards.  Elves in the Attic sells these "Luigi says Grazie" as a set of eight from recycled materials.  Custom orders are welcome, so visit the shop to get ideas, or see what comes in the Mario Bros set.

Friday, October 7, 2011

My Locale

I've been wanting to focus on my local area here in South Louisiana more and have been doing a little research on my best approach.  One thing this state (and others) loves is pets!  There's a Pet Fest (coming November 13th), Dog Day Afternoon, featuring "The Gatsby Strut", and other events all about our four-legged friends.  How could I possibly fit in?  By painting pet portraits!

Pet portraits are fairly new to my portfolio, but I love painting them!  The painting below is Zach, a West Highland Terrier.  My client's mother had a love for french things, and what better way to feature Zach than on a Louis Vuitton suitcase.  It was perfect!  Here's what my client had to say:

"Hey  Nichole - It looks fantastic!  I love the details on the suitcase. It all looks so great."
The next thing to do is to find the pet lovers!  Have any ideas of where they are?  Feel free to post your comments.