Red Shoes blog

To be continued.......

Today was kind of a milestone for me. 

I quietly closed my shop.

yes,  just .like .that. 

I didn't want to make a big deal out of it because it's unfinished business really.
I just need a break.
i've been thinking about this for a long time,  and today just seemed like a good day to take a leap, and move forward,
sometimes, you just gotta do it.
  Needless to say,  2011 was a tough year.
I know it was for many people.
for me,  it was both good and bad.
I dealt with a separation,  leaving my home and comfort zone to moving to an apartment downtown.
broken bones,  and staples to the head with my skateboarding son, along with a ton of teen age angst and rebellion,  Student council leader and straight A student with my daughter.  yes,  two radically different children that  I think are both growing into some amazing people.
I had tons of fun with friends,  partying and socializing,  meeting new people.
and dealt with tremendous sadness at the loss of some of my friend's parents.
I created a lot of Art work, did commissions and made it into several books and magazines,  landing on the cover of a book, AND a national magazine…I started teaching classes, focusing on what really makes me happy.
 I worked hard and played hard digging deep to try and see what I want out of this life.
it's exhausting honestly,  In fact I created a little Flickr photo album of some of the images of things I did in the past year.   you can check it out here if you'd like.
what.  a.  blur.
they say what doesn't break you will only make you stronger,  well I can say that is for darn sure.
  So it was with mixed emotion that I closed my business today,  while yes,  there is a certain melancholy to it,  there is also a strong feeling of relief and excitement to start something fresh,  something new.
  The New year always seems to be all about that,  Fresh starts and resolutions.  I've never been one for resolutions,  they always seem like something to fail at even though they start out with good intentions.
So I am approaching this as a new beginning,  a new adventure.
I am re-inventing Red Shoes into something that is more ME.
what I was meant to do from the start.
Honestly it was always about the Art,  but for some reason I feel like I wandered far away from it trying to make other people happy.
well,  I've finally snapped out of it and gained some sort of murky clarity.
So in the next month or two I am going to take some time,  to further cement my vision into something new for Red Shoes.
I will be going back to my roots, making more of my own work, and gathering up other artists and vintage goods to sell at my shop when I re-open it sometime in february,
so don't be sad,  I won't be gone forever,
I'm just taking a little much need break,
this is a good thing.
 stay tuned…..this is
to be continued………….
XOXOXO

A little Thank you gift for you

 This time of year always reminds us to be thankful.  Fall always has that kind of thoughtful quality to it.  well at least for me it does.
 I have a great many things to be thankful for in this world,  I owe a part of that thanks to all of you who come here and offer your kind words and support.
It makes me feel so nice and comforted.  I thank you tremendously for that.
   So in a small way I would like to give something back to you,  to say thank you for all you do.  a little something I stumbled upon today while messing around in my studio in full-on A.D.D. mode.
    Needless to say,  I have about 500 projects on deck,  or swirling around in my mind

look at these for example....

a variety of projects stopped and started......waiting to be finished.....eventually.

so I need a new project like a need a hole in the head.....

but todays discovery was a good one,  because it's simple,  quick and easy,  and for someone who NEVER creates anything simple fast and easy,  this was a freaking break through! 

now I want to share it with you! 

  So today while I was cutting up some of my recycled sweaters,  a light bulb went off in my head.

Sweater sleeves make GREAT Christmas Stockings!

now maybe this has already been done before,  I have no clue,  because I live under a rock and don't know these things,   but it is new to me!  whoo-hoo!

So here is my little tutorial for you on how to make a simple christmas stocking out of a sweater sleeve.  because yes,  the HOlidays are fast approaching us,  and it's good to think and make ahead.  plus,  this is a very economical project to do,  and that is always a good thing, especially now that the government is taking all of our money,  ahem.

SO!

Start with a sweater you find at a thrift shop,  or in your closet,  you know,  the one that accidently got tossed in the washer and is now small enough for your cat to wear.

make sure that it's a wool sweater,  those are the best kinds.

I also look for very fun patterns.

the top of the sleeve has a natural diagonal cut to it which is great!

Cut on the seam like shown.

turn the sweater inside out and stitch up the opening in the shape of a foot kind of simply following the curve.

(note,  that was drawn on, for effect... I stitched it closed with a sewing machine)

it should look like this when you turn it right side out.

next make a loop out of a scrap piece of sweater

pin the strip and sew up the edges

it will look like this.

next attach the loop to the top edge of the stocking.  I folded over the sleeve and pinned the loop to the inside of the seamed edge

sew a box shaped pattern to secure

attach a big ole button to cover your loop stitch area.

you could stop here,  and you would be done,  but if you're me,  you will want to add embellishments.  maybe a little flower,  or more buttons to the edge,  or felt balls,  whatever,  have fun!

you will finally end up with a sweet little stocking that was made in a ridiculously short amount of time,  maybe even just 15 minutes,  yes,  I just said that.

crazy fast!  and cute too!

hope you like my little thank you gift ,

just my small way of saying thanks for being so kind to me. 

XOXOXOXO

Family and Friends First

 Transitions are hard......As with everything in life,  They takes time.  Sometimes it feels like an eternity till things change over,  or that you can't do them fast enough.....but all things happen in their due time I suppose.

    I have been working a ton lately,   so I decided to take the weekend off,  packed up my Art supplies, and hit the open road heading North Solo to my friend Kamala's resort,  Wandawood.  That place gives me such peace,  surrounded my Michigan's natural beauty. 

4 white-knuckled hours later,  I arrived and imediately got down to business......

  when I say I am taking the weekend off,  this does not really mean that I am sitting still.....you know I can never really do that.

My friend is going through some changes too with her mom and has taken over running the resort for her.    This is a large endeavor with 2 kids in college,  another child in middle school,  and 15 cottages to maintain.   So I decided to help her re-vamp some of the cottages to make them even more charming than they already are.

   We spent the whole weekend sewing,  laughing,  and painting.  it was a ball.

painting with a lake as a backdrop is a beautiful thing......this is not my idea of work.

  We spent the first day taking notes and figuring out our plan.

I love how we were able to quickly tranform some of these cottages into amazing spaces with just simple little touches such as changing out a futon cover,  adding pillows,  or a colorful rug,  and an original piece of Art.  So Fun!

here is the 'before' photo of the cottage with a plain checkered futon cover,  drab rug, and basically plain decor.....click on pics to see them larger.

here is the 'after' photo where we literally made this place look like an Artful retreat with just a few small additions.

the futon really pops against that red floor with the black cover,  and the bold graphic pillows accented with that bright green rug. note the bright pillows in the background on the red coverlet.

I also made simple panels to cover the shelves in the kitchen with this cool fabric we found that ties in with the French chalkboard hanging above,  making it all seem cohesive.

adding one of my folk art fish above the retro mustard colored stove that still rocks in this kitchen!

I love how those panels look from the living room,  this is honestly my most favorite cabin now,  I will be staying here next summer,  that is for sure.  :)

  I made 8 folk art fish in all, adding a few of them to different places, a row of them ended up in another cabin on top of a beautiful window over looking the lake along with blue and green striped pillows.   we were really happy with how this one turned out as well.

again,  simple touches.....

in fact,  if you would like to learn how to make one of my simple little folk art fish,  you can sign up online here,  I am offering a class this saturday,  and one the following week as well,  so fun!  (and Easy!)

besides making fish,  and pillows,  I also made her a sign....

and we spray painted some chairs to go with the brown and turquoise theme of another cottage.

honestly,  we got a TON done in a short amount of time,  I only had a few photos of these two cottages,  but we transformed more than 6 or 8 of them.  seriously!

 In fact,  I did some of my own transforming at the shop before I left....painting the hallway a bright poppy colored red....folks, yes, I am on a ROLL.

 In fact,  I've been going through a lot of personal changes myself, so it's no wonder the shop is as well.   So this week now that I am back home,  and back to reality ...Life is ALL about Changes and Transitions.

 I am not the best at making decisions, sometimes it takes years for me to 'get it'

for things to sink in,  othertimes I can make snap decisions and be quite impulsive. But this one finally just seems right.

  Ultimately my shop has always been about the Art. It's what got me started in the first place years ago, got me some attention,  and beside my family,  is truly my first love.  all of the other stuff is secondary.  But,  being the people pleaser that I naturally am,  I spent a great deal of time, energy,  and money trying to sustain the retail portion of it to please my customers. 

I have decided to no longer do that. 

   I can't tell you how many times I have had customers come into my shop ONCE a year and ask me why I don't have a particular hand lotion in stock.....or have people tell me they "love this shop at Christmastime!"   or the people that come in once during Art fair each year for my sale items that are marked far below 75% off and try to get me to come down more on my price, telling me they are "really good customers" while in the same breath make comments about how my shop has really downsized and doesn't look as 'full'.    There are also the customers who are unhappy that I don't have more handmade pillows in stock so they can come in a use their groupons to buy something at half price that took me hours and sometimes days to complete. 

I wonder if they ever think about these things they say.

  Well,  after 7 years,  and a flagging economy,  a person can only take so much.  

A shop cannot survive on customers that come in once a year.  and only during Christmas or sale time.

  While I don't want this to seem like a gripe session,  because honestly,  the good FAR OUTWEIGHS the bad, I felt the need to spill this......to give you a little view from my perspective.   when you put your heart and soul into something, these things can eat away at you over time. 

That is if you let them.

 I have made many long lasting friendships,  and built a customer base of people that are genuinely wonderful.  customers that I love dearly and would bend over backwords for.  It's for these people that I have kept my doors open as long as I have.  I have a serious feeling of commitment to you people,  I would never want to disappoint you.      I'm told all the time how I 'can never close,  because Ann Arbor would lose a Treasure'.   So it's for these people, you people,  that I continue to carry on.

  BUT,  I am changing it up a bit to take care of myself as well.

I am not your normal type of retail establishment.   My family and my friends come first.  and when I say that,  I consider a lot of you that have been here with me from the beginning my friends.   you mean a lot to me.

Just know I am one woman running this place,  handling emails,  cleaning, painting,  waiting on customers, and creating.    I have decided to focus soley on my Art work, and teaching  classes.  it's what people seem to want,  and what makes me the happiest.

yes,  this took me years to figure out.

You can buy a lotion or a book anywhere,  but you can't buy an original painting,  or a Pillow made out of a recycled sweater many places,  so it's that what makes me unique that will be my primary focus.

  So as I transition the shop to more handmade goods, 

vintage goods,

and a dedicated class room where I will share my skills, 

(in fact there are some classes online to sign up for here :)

 

I hope you will be a little patient with me,  I am going as fast as I can.....

I have a head full of ideas....sewing, Painting and crafting into the wee hours to fill my shelves up with things that I enjoy producing,  That I hope you will enjoy owning,  because they have been made with true love,  heart, and two hands.   you really can't say that about something massed produced in China as far as I am concerned and in the end, that is what is truly important to me.

XOXOXO

 

 

My downtown life......

  You asked,  and I am delivering......loads of pictures of my new space. CLick on the images to see them larger if you'd like.  I do apologize in advance,  there are a ton of them.

  It's a tiny little place right in the heart of downtown.  I honestly love it here.  it's radically different than any place I've ever lived before.  The noises,  the sites,  and sounds. Plenty to adjust to,  but then again,  I have a ton of things I am adjusting to in this new life of mine.  So without further dialog,  here is my new space,  a tiny little place I now call home.

come in won't you......it's nice and sunny in here....

my dogs will greet you.....they like to look out the back windows and see who's here....

My bird likes it here too....she can chirp all day long on the back porch,  chiming in with the rest of the neighborhood bird-gang ....

My front window looks right out onto the main drag of the downtown street....

 
interesting what you will see down here at night when sitting out on the front porch....I've had all sorts of fun meeting new people......

women playing guitars while strolling down the street,  visual artists and their manmade creations to name a few......

inside tho,  it's a nice quiet little space,  and I can tune it all out if I choose....

filled with sunshine.....

a little kitchen,  and space to keep my treasures.....

I have ridiculous amounts of stuff...... In fact,  I may be a borderline hoarder.....but this place since it's so small limits me,  I have to corral myself and work within a small space.

being creative with how I store things.....

Vintage ladders make great towel racks!

especially when you have a micro-sized bathroom.

the good thing about this place is that it has lots of windows and light so it makes it feel less cramped....

even tho the houses are crammed up really close.

however, despite the proximity it really glows inside....

the dogs even think it's comfy, 

keeping me company while I work,  or create....

in fact, they are actually pretty relaxed down here despite the crazy sounds at night.....drunks, car horns,  sirens.......trains.....

oh the train.....  it likes to come by around 3 am,  and several other times of the day as well.  surprisingly I'm getting used to it,  and now sleep thru that loud honking.  oye.

 

here's a little glimpse into my relaxing morning on the back porch.  what you can't hear is the mixture of church bells with train horn.  that was interesting :)

  

 Honestly,  I don't mind it.
The great thing about living down here is that I can walk out my front door and either be right in the heart of mainstreet and all of it's vibrancy,  or I can walk into the neighborhood that I grew up in on the old westside.....

 

being inspired along the way with the balance between beauty, light,  color,  and the natural grunge of the city.....love that.

I will say that I miss having my children with me every night.....that is the hardest thing,  but they do come and stay with me on occasion,  and I cook for them almost every night,  and breakfast every morning.....I just didn't want to up-root them from their home....it's a delicate balance that is for sure.

 I do think they are adjusting just fine......Fiona likes to come here,  and Jackson enjoys skateboarding downtown...there is that sense of freedom that comes with this place.

But I do miss some things, like my garden....

but I can work in one at my shop....

cuz I don't quite feel complete unless I have my hands in the dirt somewhere.

SO on that note, with everything in life.....there is a balance,  and sometimes change is good.  I've heard it said somewhere that is takes getting lost in order to find yourself.

I'm learning how to navigate this new adventure of mine,  thanks for coming along with me and wanting to take a peek....I look forward to seeing what comes out of this new life....I have a head FULL of ideas and I think this place may help me to realize some of them.....only time will tell......  thanks for stopping by, I hope you Have a wonderful Sunday

XOXOXO

 

 

 

Wandawood 2011

  Before I post any photos of my last days of summer vacation,  I just want to say a giant Thank you for all of your kind and heartfelt messages to me.  Honestly I am overwhelmed at your generosity,  and the fact that you take time out of your busy lives to make me feel better.  you are truly wonderful people,  and I appreciate you!   so just know that I think you are awesome,  and the world is a much better place with you in it  xoxoxo.

  SO! here are some pictures of my vacation this year. A little peek into my world.... My trip to my friend Kamala's amazing resort called Wandawood.   We've been going here for 23 years!  yes,  hard to believe,  but true.

I love to take so many photos because my memory isn't worth squat any more,  and I don't want to forget a thing.  This is seriously one of my most favorite places on earth,  an easy place to get lost in,  and for 10 days... that's just what I did......

Click on photos to see them larger (except of course the toe photos,  don't click on those,  I am in dire need of a  pedicure,  but who cares,  i'm on vacation.....toes in sand right?!)

This place is so peaceful, Even Tank is Zen up here....

Lounging,  and more lounging....

 shoot,  that's all he did,  lounging ...here with my sweet boy.....

or being held by cute girls (and boys)

Honestly, He is about the laziest dog I have ever met... clearly this place seemed to wear him out!

no this is not a dead squirrel in my bed. ha ha.

 

Now This trip was a little bit different for my son this year because of his broken collar bone.  He was limited in his water sports abilities,...sadly no wake boarding or tubing for him :(

so he took to taking artful pictures,  seeing the mundane and the beautiful with a different eye.....

Because he sure does love photography and  filming the great outdoors......

 Fiona on the other hand took it upon herself to cart his A** all around,  (when she wasn't socializing of course.... ) oh that girl is something I tell ya!  She deserves a medal.....  A+ sister for sure.

In fact, those two are so opposite,

This photo below cracks me up,  kind of sums it all up right there.....

him, Laid back Mr. Cool....(he will probably have a team of people doing things for him later on in life)  and she being the social Live wire will dominate the world in some capacity......he'll be the director,   she'll take center stage...

 Now the cabin I stayed at this year was my favorite by far...it was a two story with a screened in porch and a fireplace.....

I never knew how much I liked lighting things on fire until now.

In fact, I made a lot of fires,  clearly my latent girl scout gene kicking in.  I'll also tell you that these fires were started from scratch too,  no firestarters for this gal.  nope.

wonderful reading books by the fire......they even have a bookcase full of them if you forget to bring one of your own....

I loved my little upstairs room...

and my screened in porch, (note lazy dog liked it too)

My sweet little cabin in the woods ....

on a bluff....

with beautiful views of the lake from my porch....

beautiful french doors...

and windows.....

along with charming little built ins....

a nice little dining room where we played cards at night laughing with friends...that is,  when we weren't outdoors laughing and playing cards on picnic tables into the wee hours.....oye....

in fact we played a lot of cards.....

Mmmm, mmmm mmmm,  cuz when my friend Kamala and I get together.....well,  you can just imagine,  like a Tornado and a Volcano combined....we like to have us some FUN.   ;)

a couple of these,  some practical jokes, and some dancing thrown in there too...oh how my girl Kamala loves to Dance.....

in fact,  she'll take any opportunity to do so......

on a boat for example.....

and what's hilarious about this is that she is one of only a handful of people that can actually make my surly, teenage- angst-ridden son Laugh, that  cracks me UP.  :)

she's cracking the exterior with her boat/dance moves....

he's starting to lose all self control.....

oh,  it's so hard not to laugh at her really.....

and bam!  he can't stop it.....he busts out.....cuz yes,  she is that funny  :)

 

So here's to wandawood,  another year behind us .....gosh it flew by so fast...

  with many happy memories.....

spent with family and good friends....

 
we'll see you again next year......

That is for sure.

p.s.,

i'll post pictures of my apartment soon,  I know a few of you would like to see it.

and I will happily share,  it's a cute little place that just glows from within......

which helps me to tap into my creative spirit......because vacation is over,  and now it's time to work...... 

and you can be sure that is just what I am doing........  :)

XOXOXO

 

 

Dog Days of Summer

   I'm not really a fan of August,  there's something kind of melancholy about this month.  Swim season is finished,  Art fair has come and gone, the lonely hum of the cicadas fills the air....and the natives start to get restless.  

me included.

I can only go so long without creating or working before I start to lose it.

don't get me wrong,  I LOve being home with my kids,  sleeping in,  lounging by the pool,  but I start to get restless after a while,  my mind starts kicking into overdrive thinking about projects and Ideas......not that I want to rush through life,  but August, well you can hurry up and git.   I got stuff to DO! 

  That being said, we have actually Done quite a bit this summer, 

Parties,

Bonfires....

awesome backyard barbeques with friends, 

eating local.....

can I tell you how much I love Mark's Carts?  oh my word.  locals,  if you haven't been,  please go.  it's freaking awesome and delicious.

 I also spent a great deal of driving, and more driving.....

I swear,  I spent the entire month of July in my car.

oh and socializing with goofy friends...cuz a gal's gotta have fun right?!

walking around downtown, 

farmers markets

and Kid's art Fairs.....

Fiona had a booth with her paintings and folk art fish ....

and this year my Son did too with his photography.

pretty cool images he took using an Itouch.  we primarily use just our iphones now to take pictures because yes,  they are that good when it comes to Apps.  we use Hipstamatic, lemme cam (free), instagram, shake it photo, and others.

when we weren't shooting pics we were poolside

with swim practice and summer swim team....

my little champ with the heart of a lioness.....never nervous before a race!

go Fiona GO!

my son on the other hand is the opposite.....laid back Mr. Cool

is a nervous wreck before a race

you can see him swim here,

  

because yes, I am a proud mother.

SO.....even though he's a  hot mess before a competition on most occasions he wins his heats, go figure.

I will say that even though he has always been my non-dare devil of a Child and actually quite conservative when it comes to dangerous things, he has somehow managed to break his bones now for the second time around.

  right after swim season ended he managed to wipe out on his skateboard....two staples to the head, and one broken collar bone later,

he is definitely feeling the dog days of summer  poor kid.

nothing like a clipped wing to slow you down.

no more swimming, or tubing, or wake boarding...... Big bummer.

but the good thing is that they supposedly heal fairly fast,  so hopefully he won't be down for too long.

So many many things have been happening over here,  some good......

My studio will be published in a new book coming out!  whoo-hoo!

you can see and order it here

and......

some not so good,

 like me moving into my own apartment.

 

yes,  I just said that.

very personal and private for our family, so I hope you will be gentle with me about that....everyone is O.K.

  sometimes these things happen, growing up with someone and being friends with them for 25 years,  well,  sometimes you just grow in different directions.

He is a wonderful person. 

I have a wonderful family, 

we just are functioning as a different kind of family unit now...  I will leave it at that. 

 So Yes, summer has flown by filled with lots of events.

  August is a month of change, and even though I may not like it very much,  it is restorative in it's own ways.  The mind and body needs it to re-group.

to re-focus. and grow.

I feel very positive about the future, sometimes change is good.

I look forward to sharing all of the new ideas and creations that come with this in the near future......stay tuned.  It's always an adventure that's for sure.

XOXO

 

 

 

summer of self sufficiency

I love the early summer mornings......sun shining just so,  birds chirping, breeze blowing....enjoying my cup of coffee silently on the deck with just my two furry sentries by my side.

 

The Back yard is SAFE!

That is,  until all H.E. double toothpicks breaks loose and the crazy day begins with making breakfast, packing lunches, planning dinner,  racing to swim practice, then back and forth to various lessons/activities, dropping off picking up,  etc.  honestly,  it's EXHAUSTING.

He laughs.......

  So I have decided to make this the summer of self sufficiency.

these clowns need to start pulling their own weight around here!  ha ha.

i'm half joking,  but also quite serious.

Yesterday it began with teaching my son how to scramble his own eggs,

I mean,  he's 13,  surely old enough to know these things by now.

note Fiona is unloading the dishwasher.....

In todays society I can't believe how many control freaks we have out there that never let their kids do anything because they want it done right and don't think their kids are capable of doing it.

 well  we're not doing our kids any favors by not letting them try.

I can't tell you how many stories I've heard of kids going off to college and seriously not knowing how to do even the most basic of things to take care of themselves because their parents always did everything for them,  that's NUTS!

I don't want that to happen to my young folks.   They need to learn these skills.  It also may help them to appreciate and understand just how much work it takes to run a household or a business.   Today's kids NEED this!  They have been given everything and have no clue about what it takes to work hard.

In fact my son actually enjoyed making his own eggs!  he also enjoyed washing the dishes too!  He had his ipod playing while he did it,  and claimed he wanted to do the dishes everyday because it was kinda peaceful.

after I peeled myself off  the floor from shock,  I was quite excited at the prospect of having some extra help around here.

  I have been running 3 households lately...  The shop,  with it's gardens and rooms inside,  My mom's house,  where I've been staying for the past 3 weeks while she's out of town.....doing her gardens and mainting her household,  along with our own house and garden.  I am a little fatigued.  So the extra help is awesome.

good for me,  AND good for THEM.

 I actually Love staying at my mom's...the house I grew up in.....they don't build them like that anymore... with it's french doors, and solid oak floors.....

and original porcelain light fixtures.

the yard and garden makes me so happy...I could spend all day there....

Now Little Fiona is my happy little camper and helper. Singing at the top of her lungs everyday.

she has always been a willing participant to the mundane household tasks, (she's actually doing laundry as we speak ha ha) is this a natural girl thing?

being the strong independent female that I am, I would hate to think that us girls are naturally born to do these tasks......but in our household the girls work HARD.

but we also play hard too :)

we lounge by the pool.....

go to outdoor summer festivals.....

paint and create.....

soak up the goofy sights and sounds of our town.....

read books,

and eat ice cream at the Washtenaw dairy......

cuz ya gotta balance it all....work and play.

People always are amazed at how I am able to accomplish these things,  well,  I will tell you that I don't watch t.v..... I wake up early.....and go to bed late...I am certainly not perfect,  and I don't always get everything done.   But I try my best,  and expect the same from my people.  

They will make mistakes,  they won't get that dishwasher loaded the right way,  or they'll mow the lawn a little crooked,  but it's O.K!  Everybody has to start somewhere.

So on that note,  I am off to go deal with todays crisis that just developed,  Pearl killed a chipmunk in the back yard in front of Fiona.

Hard to believe such a cute exterior masks a natural born killer....

after a short discourse on terrier natural instincts, getting to pet the cute little dead creature before it was buried, all is well..........for now .....cuz even little white dogs have their jobs to do too ;)

XOXOXO

 

Summer Living....

 I've been AWOL.  I seem to now be down to the seasonal posts,  since my last entry was in the spring! 

Sheesh how quickly time flies!  Does anyone even read this ole blog anymore anyway?  ha ha.....'cuz Even I feel like I am getting stale!  but I have to say when I look over the pictures taken over the past few months I can see my life is hardly stale.  it's moving too fast to even grow some moss or mold.

 So where have I been?

well, lets see.......

 I did an Art Show.....

had fun setting up my displays....taking my show on the road.

but I did have to work many late nights to accomplish this.....my faithful companion by my side....

sweet old girl.

I have been working on many art projects....

and teaching classes.....

The following projects were made by my 'Students'  inspired by the above painting I did.....

I think they all did a great job!  Now while these paintings obviously look very similar to my original painting,  it's o.k.,  because they had my permission to be inspired by my work,  and make their own for their own PERSONAL use,  and not for re-sale!

I struggle with that a lot.

I am very free and open with my work,  loving to share,  teach,  etc.

but when I find things like this on the web.....a direct copy of my work,  it makes me reluctant to continue sharing (click on the image to see in it's entirety)

being inspired is one thing,  but copying outright and profiting from someone elses work is STEALING!

happens all the time,  but forgive me for still being enraged when it does.

anyways...moving on.

besides stewing over stupid stuff out of my control,  I have honestly been enjoying all that the start of the summer has to offer!

abbreviating my shop hours to be with my greatest works of Art.....my children....

hanging out at the pool with summer swim practice...in awe over how fast my son is growing....already surpassing me in the shoe size and height department...look at his wingspan!   I'm just floored by how quickly he is growing up. 

my daughter too.  If I could freeze time,  it would be right now,  this instant.

I know I've mentioned my kids being creative,  well this year they BOTH are going to be in the kids Art fair this summer. Each one doing their own thing....

Fiona with her paintings...

and Jackson with his photography..... I am very excited!  happy that they too share the love of the arts.

i'll let you know closer to the date of the event when and where they will have their goods on display,  we have a TON of work to do to get ready!  Yikes!

So for now,  I am going to go lounge on the porch and figure out which direction I'll spin today.....my mind twirling....  gonna have to figure out how this summer schedule is all gonna work out!  I'll be teaching more classes soon,  gonna have a line up in the next week posted....and of course going to work on my pieces of my own,  pillows,  painting etc.

 but right now, im lounging with my sweet early riser by my side....

happy start to summer all!

oh,  and before I forget.....

since it's that time of year when people head up North to Vacation in Michigan

I wanted to share my favorite place on earth with you.....My friend Kamala's place

Wandawood.   It's a gorgeous place to rent,  right on a crystal clear lake.

my family and I have had numerous years of memories made going here.

I am happy to share it with you so you too can make your own at this gorgeous place!

here is the link to her website..wandawoodresorts.com

you can email me if you'd like to know dates that the specific cottages are available...she gave me a list!

trust me,  you would not be disappointed!

XOXOXO

 

Sweet Vintage Spring

Oh It's that lovely time of year when The Buds start popping,  the flowers are bursting, my allergies are in full swing,  and My hunt for Vintage Treasures is ON!  The past couple of weeks have flown by as usual,  but oh how I have packed it all in....gathering goodies,  experiences,  and learning new things along the way!

  So Here is a little visual taste of all that's been going on in My world,  hope you are enjoying Spring as well!

Fresh Lilacs!!

and pyrex......

found a beautiful vintage silk Chinese parasol...decided to hang it in my bathroom at the shop.... gosh I love the colors of it...makes me So happy!

spring is such a nice time to move things around and re-decorate a little bit.

I changed my living room around, and love it.

nice place to just hang out with these clowns ;)

Spring is a great time to re-arrange the studio too...gotta get down to some serious making some craft bizness!

it's great to use vintage items as storage...a tool box makes a GREAT storage piece that looks cool too!

  in fact my studio is so cozy,  I had a cat decide to stay with me for a couple of days...

a wayward kitty that lost her way home....  after staying with me for a couple of days,  a few emails and calls to the humane society she was happily re-united with her family.

but I sure did like her, and miss her.... she was a nice little companion! 

Spring also of course means my annual trip to my favorite greenhouse....

and baby tears!

they look so cute in vintage diner cups!

I'm always looking for fun containers to hold plants, and other things.

my favorite is this old horse trough that I fill every spring with flowers on my deck,  I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing it.

cheers to old stuff re-purposed! 

I also scored a ton of other great things that I will have out soon in the shop

....OR at a new venue I am going to be part of.....The Rust belt Market in Ferndale!

It looks like a cool place,  and I am all about trying new things! So On June 4th I will have my first set up there,  a combination of my vintage wares,  and handmade pillows and work.

cuz I am ALL about trying new things,

the lure of the open road calls me, 

I love Fiona's kind of thinking.....It's kinda like mine too....

I keep chasing my dream......you never know how it will work out, or what you will find....  but the adventure is part of the fun..... doing what I love,  and sharing it with you!

Happy Spring!!

 

XOXOXO

 

 

 

Finding your inner artist

  The past few weeks I have been teaching some simple little Art classes on Saturday afternoons.    It's been a really fun experience,   Not only am I teaching people,  but I am learning some new things myself!  I love seeing what develops,  from different perspectives,  color choices, and their own personal visions and how they approach things.

  At each class I've had,  there have been at least one or 2 people that really were concerned that they couldn't do it,  they didn't feel creative enough,  or had NO clue what they were going to do.    They almost seemed panicked.   but in the end, they DID it!

  That's the one thing that I find most rewarding is how proud people are when the class is over,  they truly have a feeling of accomplishment,  you can SEE them beaming with pride over their creations.   That seriously makes me the happiest.   These people tapped into their inner artist and created wonderful things that I KNOW they were proud of.

   SO here are a couple images from my most recent class...'making metal/paper flowers'......wonderful creations from people that never even knew they had it in them! 

I mean,  look at this super cool flower arrangement she made!

I LOVE it!

SO if you too want to try tapping into your inner artist, think about signing up for one of my classes here,  you'll meet new people,  figure out things about yourself you may not have known you were capable of,  and have a great time doing it!

 and the best part is,  I take care of all the mess afterwards,  and  I'll even feed you

isn't that so nice? :)

 

Wanderlust

I have a deep rooted desire to hit the open road.
Always have.
Maybe its from all those years of driving from Michigan to Texas with my mom. I always admired that she had no fear taking off and doing just that with two small girls in tow.
I Also have a deep rooted distaste for assembly line stuff.
I cannot for the life of me do the same thing over and over.
So I've decided to create some 'grunge'
Fairy doors...something completely different than what I've been doing. inspired by wanderlust, open roads and freedom.
I think these fairies would heavily favor the music of Lucinda Williams, I imagine them in red pick up trucks with a faithful dog by their side sunshine on their faces and the wind in their hair.
Because if I were a fairy, that's what I would do.
But since I am not.
I just dream if these things while I paint.
Cuz that's the next best thing I spose
When you're losing your marbles doing the same thing over and over ;)
Tee hee hee.
Grunge doors will be up on the website for sale tomorrow.
Xo