Red Shoes blog

Life in the fast lane

 Since when did we become such a fast paced society?
 I seriously don't remember life being like this when I was a kid. 
  Maybe I should ask my mom and get her perspective on it,  but truthfully I don't think it was this crazy.
  This week my life went by so fast I think my brain is still in bed thinking it's saturday.
  The past few days were all about my Son Jackson and his district championship swim meets in Livonia.
  We were Up at seriously 4:50 am to get showered, packed, and on the road by 6:00 am.  o.k.,  that right there is insane.

 there is something wrong with being on the road when the sun isn't up yet.
but there you go!
  So this was my boys first swim meet since having his cast removed from his arm 8 weeks ago......



 it was exciting to see him back to competing again.


 call me crazy,  but when they ask you to stand and salute the flag while they play the national anthem I get all teary eyed.  feeling so Patriotic.

 my boy didn't quite feel the same,  he was full of butterflies, nervous to be competing again. (that's him next to the boy in the white cap)
 Regardless, He did beautifully!  he was so confident even in his nervousness!
 He managed to win 2 of his heats,  and came in second place on 3 of the other ones.  that made him feel better,
 by the second day of competitions he was really excited about it and getting his fire back in his belly.
  We ended up having to sit in the stands for 6 hours watching the meets both days,  this was pretty grueling. 
I will admit though that I do love to watch them swim,  my husband said he's never seen me so fired up about a sport before,  it's true,  i'm not really the sporty type.  I'd rather watch antiques roadshow or HGTV over any sport,  but this is exciting!
 my son was happy he did it too.

  Later that night after the first meet on saturday I came home and started to have this itchy patch under my eye.
 it progressed to my whole face becoming inflamed and red.  eyes all puffy,  I was having some sort of crazy allergic reaction to something.
  I took some claritin,  and benedryl,  but nothing seemed to make it better.
by sunday I was a huge bloated red mess.
  I ended up going to see the doctor on Monday,  then an allergist on tuesday.  I still have the rash and am on steroids, prescription allergy meds, and various creams.
  today my eyeballs feel like they are on fire,  and somebody stuck 2 red hot pokers in them. 
 i'm looking lovely.
The bad thing is that I think I might have an allergy to Chlorine!
  has anybody heard of this?   I googled it,  and come up with not much as far as information.
 I'm really trying to think this is NOT the reason for my outbreak,  because the thought of that makes me sad,
but so far everything seems to be pointing in that direction.
  My daughter and i sit in the stands for an hour and a half watching him do laps 4 days of the week.

there is something so zen-like about watching him swim...like one of those little japanese sand gardens that you rake.....it's peaceful.  gives me time to think,
and my little faithful artistic companion time to create.....

 So i truly hope that's not it.  Unfortunately with allergies,  it's a process of elimination,  so we'll see what the next few days bring. 
today I am taking the kids to an indoor water park, because I promised them (we have the week off for mid-winter break)    this should be interesting!
  anyways,  so to all of you that sent me emails recently,  and nice messages,  I'm sorry i am behind in responding,  I am trying to get it all done,  but between all of the recent events, and drama,  not to mention high energy kids home all week, I am a bit behind.
  needless to say I haven't finished my painting projects around the home either.......
oh well,  it'll all get done one of these days.
  I will leave you with one little image from my living room,  an adorable pillow made by one of my blog readers Emily.  So if you are in her area,  check out her shop!

  The pillow is So darn cute I can't take it!
I am honestly overwhelmed at the generosity of people.
 i get so many little goodies sent to me in the mail, or dropped off in person. I haven't had time to document them,  or properly thank you all.......
  a gorgeous swiss cross vintage kimono from Japan,
from a sweet, and generous friend,  a hand made painting,  a nice felted home made hot mitt with red and white polkadots, 2 delicious cupcakes, ceramic vases filled with grass, and too many more to document!
  so PLease KNOW that I appreciate everything with all of my heart! 
  it makes me feel so special and loved
thank you thankYOU!
  One of these days,  when life stops being so wild,  or when I learn how to juggle it all with grace I'll be able to thank you properly.  so please forgive me!
 o.k.,  I am off,  hope all of you have a wonderful day,
and sorry for the boring post.
  i swear more exciting things to come soon!
xoxoxoxoxo
 

style shift

oh yes,  I've felt one coming on for some time now.
time to move on,  shake things up a bit.
change is good.
change is happening,
evolving,  moving,  growing,

 Whatever!

i'm just painting for Pete's sake!   hee hee!
  No seriously,  I have been thinking about a style shift for a while now.
time for parts of me to grow up I guess.
I am ready to now embrace that "Swedish" side to me,  toning down the color.......putting that fiery Latin side of me to rest for a bit.  and I mean this in a pure style sense,  mind you.  :)

 SO good bye Pee wee's Playhouse.

I still love you,  but I'm ready to move on, 
(for now)
So goodbye to bold colors,  (except in small doses)
My Living room Before:
 

hello to serene spaces....
my living room in progress........

slowly removing the color......transforming spaces,  hiding clutter
a clean slate......

putting away all of my vintage toys,  and bric a brac.
 dusting,  cleaning,  organizing,
Breathing deep........thinking,  imagining,  creating new things,
new styles,  new directions to move into....

  and since my living room is attached to my dining room,  I painted that too,
here's the transition from the red room to the black room before...

 here is the "before" dining room,
I hated that blackboard wall honestly.....

and when people started writing on it,  it felt like I was living with a nervous breakdown! or a graffiti artist!

  both rooms knocked out in one day, 
  yes,  I am driven,
  painted from 6:30 am until 5:30 pm.
  somebodies got to do it!   (my husband's not really the painting type)  but that's a WHOLE 'nother story!  ;)
So here's the after:


pretty blue,  
looks nice from one room to the other


the kids seem to like it!

 I don't know if that painting will stay,  but for now,  the hint of red adds a nice dash of color to that cool wall.  like a little dash of paprika to garlic bread!  MMMMMMMMM.
anyways!   (can you tell i'm hungry?!)
bought some modern chairs cheap at Ikea.......
mixing the old with the new....playing around....

moved the armoire into the kitchen and put simple wine glasses in there,  and my collection of vintage diner ware.
because yes,  I have SOME STUFF.



that little red guy just appeared in there!  ;)
  anyways,  I am liking the new looks,  embracing the calmer cooler palette

fresh starts are always a good thing!
 Plus it's truly amazing what just a little paint,  and rearranging of your "stuff" can do for you.
color can profoundly affect your moods.
  So on that note,  I am off to finish working on some stuff here at the shop,  my one and only day I will be here!
  My boy has his championship swimming meets this weekend so I will be wrapped up with that for 2 days starting at 6:30 am on the road BOTH days!
OYE! 
  I should go hang out in my "new" bath and body room today,  just so I can feel all "zenned" out just thinking about it!  :)

 see,  Just a "little" bit of reorganizing TRULY can make a space feel so much better!

and I like it even with the lights off!  ;)

xoxoxox
c.


 

pretty little things, and spring thoughts

  The sun is peeking from behind gray clouds.
but in here it is in full sunshine mode.
 I am thinking springy thoughts,  dreaming of blue skies, and open windows with fresh breezes...
come join me won't you!

you can almost smell the fresh cut grass can't you?
more goodness to come,
fresh goods from my friend Kristen at Moodswing studio,  gorgeous jewels you will flip over!
heavenly Lilac scents from sweet grass farm,
and more lovely colorful blankets and pillows being crafted as we speak,
all in due time, people  all in due time.
xoxoxo

i put the crazy in crazy quilting

ohh,  this will probably be the shortestet post in the history of my posting,  because i am literally out the door to go get my hair all did.
 do you think it's time when your roots are oh, say,  about 2 inches long?  hmmmmm.
  anyways,  this is was I have been working on the past few days.
some crazy quilts.
  now if I had to try and explain how to do these to those of you who don't know how,  well that in itself would drive me nuts,  because it's so easy it;s kind of complicated.  I still flip myself out over it,  but hey. 
  so here's some pictures for ya.

little squares that get turned into patches on linen pillows

 oh yes,  when the weather starts hitting 40 degrees I start thinking "linen"
and "spray painting"

 isn't that the perfect green?    don't ask me what the name is,  because If i told you I would have to kill you. because you would run out and buy some, and I need it ALL to myself!  hee hee!   :)

  it's almost that time......
time to start spray painting wicker,  and everything else in sight.
  spring is in the AIR!  whoo-hoo!
 o.k.,  so on that note,  I am out the door!
see,  wasn;t that painless?
stay tuned,  more to share!  ;)
xoxoxo

hearts, good design, and a sad goodbye.....

 Does my title give you any indication that the rest of this post will be long,  varied,  rambling,  and pretty much the usual fare?
  well if you responded yes,  then ding-ding-ding-  you are  CORRECT!

 Sheesh,  I feel like I am still on that elliptical trainer going a million miles an hour trying to work off the cup of coffee I consumed this A.M.,  that clearly hasn't worn off yet.
 yes,  i am a spaz. 
Racing from one thing to another as usual.  I dropped off the kids at school in the morning and headed to the gym.
 this week I have been to the gym everyday!  whoo-hoo!  I m on a mission. 
Well today is my work day,  so I showered BEFORE I headed to the gym,  and brought a change of clothes to get cleaned up and changed into when I got to the store,  well this morning my head got so hot that my hair tripled in size.
  I looked like chaka Khan.  i'm not kidding.

minus the fancy dress mind you.

oh well,  WHATEVER!  I am here.
  so if you stop by and i look super scary,  please accept my apologies.  I was in a rush.
 ...... in a rush to show you that even though my husband is out of town
(AGAIN)  I am still being productive and working on things,  not only trying to reshape my hiney,  but I am managed to make two new pillows too!
 
whoo-hoo!

this long light green one is kind of fun because it even looks cute on the back side!

that is,  once I finish sewing on the buttons and add the heart to the back.....(on the list to-do today)  ;)
  now usually I put on my own label to the back of my pillows. but this one won't have one,  because it's reversible
   I have always struggled with that anyways.
  I rarely add my label to my work feeling that it distracts from the work itself,  plus I haven't found anything that i like.
until one day,  something came to me in a dream.   i'm serious!
  I made a little drawing,  color copied it and added mulitple images to a page,  and then printed it onto inkjet fabric paper.
VOILA!

my own little custom-made fabric label!
yay!
 anyways.  this was a quick one,  but I forsee doing more in the future,  and it was cheap,  which of course is the best part.
  Now moving on,  since this is the season where I am all about the heart,  hearts all over the brain,  I thought I would share these little goodies with you,  just in time for Valentines day!
  My friends over at the super-cute online kids boutique
Oliebollen.com have a wonderful little contest and freebie going on!
  now who doesn't just LOVE freebies!?
 well if you head on over here
just LOOK at what you can get!

super cute drawings from my web designer and friend,  artist Deb Pilutti!   yay!
 little drawings and things you can download to send to people,  have your kids color,  or anything else your little hearts may desire,  so please go check them out!  AND if that wasn't enough,  you can also enter your name into their little contest and possibly win a $25 gift certificate to their online shop!
  trust me,  their website is fantastic!  super stylish clothes for kids,  AND you can scoop up some Orla Kiely stuff for yourselves too!
  yes,  she has Orla keily.  
yummy bags purses,  and even clothing!


 So go check 'em out!
  now the buzz has been out over Orla being at Target.
she is set to have the whole line over there on the 15th of feb.
for a limited time.
  there are a few pieces over there now,  and don't think I didn't scoop up a couple of storage bins for myself.

 I showed remarkable restraint in buying only these 2 boxes,  because even though the design is top notch,  and I can use organizational tools like nobodies bizness,  truth is.  I really don't NEED anything.
 but it was ORLA for peets sake,  and I couldn't help myself!
  Now since it is only a limited time she will be there,  take comfort in knowing that you can ALWAYS get the goods,   the REAL_DEAL honest-to-goodness stuff from Oliebollen.
  and since I am all about good design I am excited to show you a sneak peek into the Austrian blanket catalog we got in this week!







 UMMMMMMM!  yummilicious new designs in vibrant colors and patterns!  it's so exciting to see their new lines,  and super exciting to see them in person!  so in the next few weeks,  keep your eyes peeled because yes,  we will have them in stock!  yay!
 
 O.k., now back to the heart stuff!....  more little heart goodies have rolled into the shop in the way of petite little necklaces.
 
teeny-teeny tiny things smaller than a dime,  maybe even the size of a green pea.  that have sweet little reversible images of hearts on BOTH sides so you basically are getting two necklaces in one!
  they come on a small sterling silver chain too.  and run around $30!
  so cute!  so fun! 
if you would like one,  just let me know and
I can see what I can do for you. 
  since the images vary,  it would be hard for me to upload all of these to the website,  so I have to think about how I am going to do that.  (one more thing for that list!  hee hee!)
 
   Now my son, sweet boy, loves hearts almost as mush as I do.

  probably because he was actually supposed to BE a valentine baby!
  that was his actual due date, but those pesky doctors made him come out earlier because he was such a huge baby.
  9lbs 11 ounces at birth.  shooey!  if left to bake in there a bit longer I bet he would have been more than 10 lbs!  
  anyways,  since he is my little valentine boy
 hearts follow him every where. seriously,  I kid you not.
  they will show up on a heart shaped grape, a potato chip,  a bubble on the shower door, a dirt speck on a car window (his side) a pancake, etc. and if I were the highly organized mother that I usually am I would have photos to show you,  because yes,  don;t think I haven't documented that stuff!
however,  i only have one today!

can you see that little piece of fuzz on his cast?
here let me help you....

 you gotta use your imagination,  but trust me,  it's there.
  the boy is surrounded by them at all times,  I tell him it's the universe's way of telling him that he is truly loved.
 and I hope he knows it and believes it.
    SO on that last note,  tell your little boys (and girls) you love them everyday.  give them your time,  your love.  it's so important.
  My husband Ian lost a brother this week.
his oldest brother Dave died last week.
 a parents worst fear,  to outlive your own child.

 he too was a sweet boy...

 and an even sweeter man.

 four brothers now 3.

 the thing that cracks me up about his photo is the fact that Ian,  being the baby of the family,  and the little devil,  is holding up a spatula behind his brother chris' head!

 chris doesn't look amused! 

 but even in tragedy we still have humor and laughter,   strong family bonds and ties.
  so thankyou to all who sent your sweet thoughts, we appreciate them all.
  SO on that note,  keep your hearts open,  the creative juices flowing,  and show your people around you nothing but love.
because in this day and age,  we need it more than anything!
  love to you all~
xoxoxoxoxo