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August 31, 2022

Let's Meet Laura Brookover

August 31, 2022/ Meryl

Hello friends this month I am thrilled to pieces to share Laura Brookover of Atelier Juno Shop.

Hi Laura welcome welcome please introduce yourself to the readers. I’m Laura, I’m 36 years old and live in Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. with my husband Gunnar, our daughter Lilia, and our family dog Juno.

Please tell us about your family and growing up. I’m from New Orleans, which is a very interesting place to grow up. My love for old houses and buildings with history was sparked in New Orleans. As a kid, I loved when we took school field trips to historic houses, like the Pitot House, which was built in the Creole style with large sleeping porches and was once owned by Edgar Degas’s great grandmother. I love seeing old houses the way they would have looked in times past, with period furniture and objects and technology.

Now when I travel I always scope out historic house museums. I visited an Icelandic merchant’s home from the 1700s this past summer, and last time I was in London I visited Charles Dickens’s house. Just last month my husband and I visited Bath, England, where the television series for Netflix Bridgerton is filmed, and went to historic public places like the Pump Room that featured in Jane Austen’s novels. Visiting these places feels magical to me; you’re transported back to another time.

Now, I understand you are not an interior designer but, you are creative – so tell us – were you artistic when you were young? Did you decorate your bedroom while growing up? I’ve always loved decorating and design, and funny enough I had an early venture selling decor in elementary school. My mom Cecile would let me pick out fabric from the scrap bin at craft stores, and using my very crude skills I sewed pillows and comforters for my Barbie dolls. They were easy to sew since they’re just rectangles. I had so much fun making them that I developed a surplus… so I started selling to other kids at school during recess. I would pack my inventory in a caboodle (so very 90s) and bring it to school, where it also doubled as the cash register. A couple other classmates joined and started sewing bedding sets at home too, and a lot of kids bought them! Eventually we exhausted the Barbie bedding set market and that was that. But it was so cool creating something that other people enjoyed and brought home to use, and I have that feeling today with Atelier Juno. It’s very rewarding.

Where and What you went to school for. What’s your 9 to 5 gig? I went to college in Philadelphia and majored in English and Classics. At one point I wanted to be a book or magazine editor (I interned for Oprah Magazine in college), but by the time I graduated I had pivoted to attending law school. I’ve been a lawyer for about 10 years, and I’ve worked at a law firm and in the government as a litigator. Now I’m in-house counsel at a fintech startup, which was a huge career shift in the best way.

Working at a startup involves entirely different legal skills and I love the energy and fast pace. But lawyering is not very artistic, and I think that’s why I look for creative outlets outside work.

You mentioned the genus of Atelier Juno was personal - it evolved out of a want for artwork for your home that you were unable to find what you were seeking. That’s exactly right. My husband and I were living in a small downtown DC apartment, and right before the pandemic we up-sized to a house in the suburbs. (Talk about perfect timing… we were so lucky to have more room during lockdown). Suddenly, we had a lot more space to furnish. I turned to Etsy for vintage art, but I mostly found shops that sold prints with muted colors, mostly pastoral scenes, and that’s not really my vibe. I was looking for more color and more varied subject matter – like vintage portraits, which I love. At some point I realized I could source my own artwork from the public domain. Sourcing is only part of the process though.

When I first had prints made, they were all wrong. The colors, resolution, print material, and sizing were off. So I dived in and researched all the technical aspects of Photoshop and art printing. Even if you have a high-resolution digital image, you have to make sure it will still look sharp at the size you’re printing. And I had to experiment with printing papers and inks and suppliers to achieve a really high quality print result. That was fun, but it was a lot of work. I realized that if I were looking for these different options, other people must be too. And I decided to take everything I learned and start my own vintage print shop, first on Etsy and then on my website, Atelier Juno. I run Atelier Juno as a side business.

How did you decide on the name. Coming up with a name is so, so hard. I didn’t want something too generic, and I also wanted something where I could get a .com web domain. I’ve always loved the concept of the artist’s atelier, and atelier is also just a fun word to say. Our beloved family dog’s name is Juno. So after thinking through dozens of different options, I came up with Atelier Juno, and stuck with it. Probably because I was tired of thinking of names by that point, as much as anything. But I like that the name has some significance to me; it’s not random.

Running an Etsy shop, and even more so an independent web shop, is challenging, particularly in a saturated market like art prints. “If you build it, they will come” has not been my experience. You have to work at being visible. That’s been the biggest challenge. I love the part where I’m sourcing art and reading about the artists and enhancing the digital files and thinking about which prints pair well with each other. But the marketing part, that feels like work. I’m fortunate in that this isn’t my full time job, so there’s no pressure to reach a certain number of sales or website visitors.

In the end I’m happy if customers enjoy browsing my shop and are happy with the prints they purchase. I’ve had a lot of repeat customers, and that’s really gratifying. But it’s good to have goals, and I would like to build enough business that I can pay someone else to handle the marketing aspects while I focus on product development.

Since product development and sourcing is your passion what do you look for when adding pieces to the shop. My art interests are extremely varied, and my shop reflects that. I want Atelier Juno to be a one-stop shop where someone can find art to fill their entire home. That’s why I have landscapes, florals, still lifes, portraits, as well as a mix of mediums like oil painting, watercolor, sketches, and lithographs. I have over 100 prints listed and I’m continually adding more.

I like layered, eclectic design schemes, and I want customers to be able to achieve that look from my shop. So I try to maintain balance and fill gaps. For instance, I think architectural drawings look wonderful in gallery walls, so I sourced the beautiful Mughal Tomb print. Drawings and simple illustrations provide visual breaks, so I have plenty of those, like the White Geranium print. I also have lots of show-stoppers, like Flower Festival, Meeting Place, Tahitian River Fishing, and Palace Courtyard. You couldn’t fill a room with prints like these, though, because they’d all be competing for attention. Balance is important.

Please share what precipitated you adding the magical brushstroke option. This was another instance where I was trying to find something for my own home, couldn’t, and worked out my own solution. I love painting as a medium, but paintings are expensive. Reprints like I sell in my shop are far more affordable. But a print of an oil painting will never look like an original painting, no matter how great the resolution and print quality, because they’re different mediums. One is ink printed on paper, and the other is oil paint on canvas. I tried to find a printing option that was closer to the look of a painting, but couldn’t. So I started to experiment with treatments. That’s how the Archival Brushstroke option was born, and I’m really happy with the result. It imitates the sheen and texture of an oil painting and should be displayed without glass. I work in a small studio nook I created next to our kitchen that also doubles as my sewing area.

Laura the piece I have Flowers in Vase has the technique and it’s magical!

Flowers in Vase by George C. Lambdin Mounted with Archival Brushstroke technique

I found you through Instagram - how has IG assisted with your business. I heard some advice early on that a small shop owner should focus on just one social media platform, otherwise you’re spread too thin. I took that to heart and focus on my Instagram account, @atelierjunoshop. Instagram has been great for introducing Atelier Juno to new customers and connecting with existing customers. I love seeing how customers display their prints. That said, Instagram is challenging. There’s an algorithm that rewards a regular, high volume of content, and I don’t have the bandwidth to post regularly. Fulfilling orders and maintaining my listings comes first, and there’s not much time left over.

Plans for the rest of 2022. I would love to offer framed prints, and I’ve been working on sourcing, logistics, and price points as I find time. I’d also like to develop a wholesale business line, getting my prints into brick-and-mortar retail shops. And it would be really cool to partner with an independent hotel to provide art for hotel rooms. Too often, hotel room art is generic and uninspired. Otherwise, I just want to get the word out about Atelier Juno. The shop occupies a unique niche in the art reprint market, and I also think our prints offer great value for the money, which is so important these days.

I am huge admirer of Laura and the business she’s created! I can’t wait to see more from Atelier Juno!

Laura thanks so very much for saying YES when I asked if we could chat! I love my print and I’m excited to add more of your pieces to the Chalet. You’ve been kind enough to offer my readers 15% through September 30, 2022 with the Code CHALET15.

You can find Laura on Instagram & Website.

Til next time friends be well!

Images: Laura Brookover

June 22, 2022

Let's Meet Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui

June 22, 2022/ Meryl

Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui

Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui of Capital Nature is a lover of nature, photographer and seeker of rainbows - she lives in Burke, VA with her husband Nik and sweet pup Lani.

Ana welcome thanks so much for taking the time to be here and chat!

So tell the readers a bit about yourself: I was born Ann Leilani Ka’ahanui, but I changed my name legally to Ana in my 20s for a few reasons. When I was in 8th grade in Hawaii, my Grandfather, Charles A’a Ka’ahanui, gifted me with a Hawaiian Heritage ring and necklace with the Hawaiian spelling of my name “Ana” engraved on it. The ring only fit my wedding finger so I was wearing a gold band until I got to college! While I lived in Rome, Italy from 1992-1996, the Italians called me “Ana” and I decided it sounded much better with my middle and last names, so I changed it.

I met my husband Nikhil (Nik) Raval working at the Borders Books and Music at Pentagon Centre. Fun fact: He doesn’t ever call me “Ana” but the nickname “Hapa” which means “half” or “mixed” in Hawaiian. The term describes that I’m half islander and half Caucasian. We did things out of the conventional order since we are not conventional. We got a place together, adopted our dog Zoe, bought a house in Burke, VA and then got married on Sept 10, 2005. We had a wonderful 11 years with Border-Collie-Retriever Mix Zoe and now have adorable pup Lani, which means “heaven” in Hawaiian. My Mother Mary Ann claims that she suggested the name. Both dogs were adopted from Lost Dog Rescue and we knew Lani was destined to be ours when we found out that she was born on our wedding anniversary!

Please tell us what did you studied in school and what your 9 to 5 gig is: I graduated from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC with a degree in Foreign Languages. I studied abroad at the University of Nice, France and at Loyola University of Chicago’s Rome Center in Italy, where I later returned for two years after graduation serving as a resident advisor. I’ve also worked as an Event Planner for a government contractor and as a Community Relations Coordinator for Border Books & Music.

I’ve worked at the U.S. Green Building Council since 2003 in various capacities that connect people to the green world. As employee #22, I'm a veteran on the staff of 300+ people. I started as a Workshop Manager, then managed curriculum development and also did a year on the operations and facilities team. Currently I’m on the Marketing and Communications team, I manage projects, curate digital assets and serve as the staff photographer.

Capital Nature - how did this venture start and it’s goal: Part of my job at the U.S. Green Building Council was leading public tours of our very sustainable LEED Platinum headquarters. Over 10 years, I led over 850 tours for more than 14,000 guests. One of the design concepts is called biophilic design, incorporating elements that make the tenants feel more connected to nature. “Biophilia” means “love of life, love of nature.” Studies show that when people feel a connection to nature, they are happier, healthier and more productive. We have lots of daylight, views of the outdoors from our desks, reclaimed wood furniture and decor, plants throughout, images and symbols of nature and a 2-story water feature.

I enjoyed using the built environment as a teaching tool and especially sharing what biophilia means with our visitors. This love of biophilia led me to attending programs by Biophilic DC, a civic initiative co-founded by Stella Tarnay. She and I started having lunches and calls in 2017 and officially started our nonprofit Capital Nature in January of 2018. Our mission is to connect DC area residents and visitors to the unique nature activities in the region. We offer our own programs such as nature and forest bathing walks. We also curate a web events calendar where we hand-pick events and promote dozens of organizations in the area. We want it to be the one-stop location for anyone looking to do something outdoors, whether it be planting trees, pulling invasive plants, learning about mushrooms or doing yoga in a park. We are also very engaged with citizen science activities, where lay people help scientists make observations and collect data using the app iNaturalist. We are on the leadership team for the global City Nature Challenge. This year, we had a great turnout, placing in the top 10 in all 4 categories out of 445 cities in 47 countries.

Yoga

Elementary School Class

My article “stepping into nature” was featured in the annual journal "Avenues" published by the Urban Design Committee of the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. It captures my nature journey from seeing a leaf on a walk, to becoming trained as a Virginia Master Naturalist to being certified as a Forest Therapy Guide. Here is the Facebook post I did about it.

**stepping Into Nature** **Written by Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui**

I was so happy with this Washington Post article by John Kelly from May 4, 2021. He attended one of my walks in DC:

Cleansing the soul and restoring the spirit with a spot of forest bathing

I was very lucky to grow up in Hawaii, being surrounded by some of the most gorgeous nature in the world. I didn’t become a “nature nerd” until later in life.

I was thrilled to be contacted by KCRW, the NPR affiliate in Los Angeles, to do an interview about trees and forest bathing! They had seen the article about me in the Washington Post. They have an hour-long Saturday afternoon program called Life Examined, which explores science, philosophy, faith — and finding meaning in the modern world.

My 15-minute segment followed an interview with the German forester Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees, one of my favorite tree books! On their website, they also list our interviews separately, but I encourage you to listen to Peter's segment, as you will learn fascinating things about trees. One funny thing I learned about myself: I say "Absolutely" before I answer questions. I need to work on that! Shout out to Nik for taking the photos of me for my segment and I'm thrilled they used my #thedailyleaf Instagram collage as the cover image for the full episode and Lani's paw is included.

Ana I know Rainbows are deeply special to you - can you tell the readers what they mean to you and how they manifest around you: Rainbows give me so much joy! Growing up in Hawaii, you see rainbows every day. When we moved to Virginia when I was in 8th grade, I had a rainbow bedroom, maybe to remind me of Hawaii. My mother Mary Ann is an artist and made me several decorative items, many of which I still have. I have collected many rainbow items over the years and have been posting #thedailyrainbow photos on my Instagram. It can be anything showing the colors of the rainbow. Friends and family now text, email and tag me on rainbow images which makes me so happy. 💜🌈

What I learned about myself is that I have very specific color shades that I prefer for rainbows, with images that represent them. For example, I prefer primary colors over pastels. I did a personal Google survey a few years ago asking friends and family to list the items that remind them of their favorite colors in the rainbow. What I discovered is that many favorites are tied to childhood memories and life experiences. For example, several people chose colors based on their favorite sports teams. Here are my favorites and the image that best describe them:

Pink: Strawberry Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink from my childhood
Red: Red Skittles
Orange: Dutch National Soccer Team Jerseys
Yellow: a tie between Candy Corn and Sunflowers
Green: Kermit the Frog
Blue: My royal blue wool coat
Purple: Grape Ape cartoon from my childhood

A goal of mine is to take the responses from the survey and make a collage of all the things that represent each color for my family and friends. I find it all very fascinating.

**Ana’s love of color started young. Age 3**

I know you have a creative eye. You are often seen with your camera in hand. How many years have you been into photography: I’ve had a camera since I was about 10 years old and have always enjoyed taking photos. One of my best friends has said there would be no record of her childhood if I hadn’t been taking so many photos. Consequently, I have amassed thousands of images over the years, all in boxes in our home. It’s on my to-do list to Marie Kondo those photos, go through them, purge and organize. I have memories of the anticipation of getting film developed and hoping photos came out. In my late 20s, I did take one photo developing class that was really fun. I enjoyed being in the dark room and watching the images come to life. I’m so thankful for digital photography as it’s easier to store and organize photos. I keep all my pics in Dropbox for ease of sharing and posting. I am the USGBC photographer and have taken over 300 staff headshots as well as pics for dozens of programs. On a personal level, I love to photodocument events like baby showers and other special occasions, then gift photos to people. I’ve also trained my husband that if a meal looks Instagram-worthy, he’s not allowed to eat until I’ve photographed it! I won a DC photo contest several years ago called “Capitol Hill Dogs” with an entry of our pup Zoe called “bliss.” I am always thrilled to have my photos published in magazines and online. My proudest accomplishment is making it into 4 editions of the “365 Dogs Page-a-Day Calendar,” which has a distribution of 5 million.

**documenting insects at a pollinator garden in Washington, DC**

Tell us more about your creativity: I love how people are creative in different ways. For example, my mother, Mary Ann Kaahanui, can do everything. She can crochet, knit, sew, embroider, paint, do calligraphy, design dolls, make beaded jewelry. etc. While I’ve made beaded jewelry, surprisingly I don’t do any of those other crafts. I consider myself creative in other ways. From when I was young, I could make things out of paper. Mother’s and Father’s Day cards were innovative or in 3D and I loved doing découpage, stamping and embossing as I got older.

My maternal Grandfather, Paul Zetts, Sr., was a jack of all trades. He could “McGyver” anything you needed and I inherited that from him. I enjoy coming up with ways to use unconventional items. For example, during the Christmas holidays, I’m able to take colored plastic tablecloths and make palm trees and a volcano for our Dancing Hula Santa. When I was in college, I made and sold earrings made from Friendly Plastic. While living in Rome, I made beaded souvenir jewelry that I sold on campus and at the American Embassy in Rome. My little cards said “Accents by Ana.”

Ana's dad Mel

Ana's mom Mary Ann

Any plans for the rest of 2022 you’d care to share: This is my 19th year at USGBC and while I love our mission, my colleagues and our work, I’m ready for a new adventure. Stella and I started Capital Nature 4 years ago. Neither of us have ever been motivated by money so fundraising has been a challenge. I’m not willing to leave my paid job until we have some funding and it’s been slow going. Ultimately. I’d like to leave USGBC and work on connecting people to nature full time.

My forest bathing practice is getting busier with requests from local botanic gardens, parks, schools, churches, counties and other civic groups. I get so much gratification from leading forest bathing walks (slow, meditative walks in nature) and am thrilled to get people of all ages involved in citizen science. I especially love leading tree appreciation walks. Through Capital Nature, we are growing our list of collaborators and partners. National Geographic and Patagonia in Georgetown have awarded us micro-grants and we continue to push forward in search of grants and other funding opportunities.

One thing I’ve learned in the last few years is how to balance my 9-5 job with running a nonprofit, having a family life and keeping up with friends. It can be really challenging at times and sometimes I may push myself too far, but in the end, it’s all worth it to me. My favorite words are “wonder” and “joy” and I try to live by them as best I can.

Ana I can’t say thank you enough for saying yes when I asked! And friends Ana is not only an interesting and creative soul but, she’s also my cousin!

You can find Ana on Facebook & Instagram
Capital Nature on Facebook & Instagram

Til next time friends be well!