Red Shoes blog

Surrounded by Love

  I have always loved the Heart icon,  there is something so sweet and charming about it.  I mean how can you not love a symbol that symbolizes LOVE!

 So when February rolls around It makes me smile to see the world filled with symbols of love and valentines.

 Personally I like to surround myself with this image year round,  but it's nice to see a month dedicated to just that,  LOVE. the world could use a little more of that right? 

  So the past few weeks I have been working on all sorts of Heart goods. pillows, paintings, you name it. (click on images to see them larger)

these little pillows have a pocket that you can tuck a love note into,  wouldn't that be sweet to wake up to some little note left just for you?

what a nice way to start the day.

It's also such a nice time of year to start bringing out the cheerful colors, warm reds and pinks to warm your soul....

remind yourself that spring is indeed in the future....I love to start kind of coaxing the shop displays towards that kind of thinking......

even tho it's still like 9 degrees outside you can fool yourself into thinking it's warmer with cheery little displays right?

In fact speaking of cozy,  I had my first very successful class last Saturday....8 of us creating in a warm and colorful environment.

you wouldn't even know it was a raging snowstorm outside!

I was so proud of those ladies and what they created, some of them never really even making anything before and producing some awesome stuff!

Everyone of them made something GREAT!

I also couldn't be happier with my new creative space in addition to my studio, this one room now doubles as an artistic space.... one minute it's this...

then another minute it's a retail space.

makes me so happy :)

Now back to Valentines goodies, I have a few in the shop....Valentine tablecloths

and little heart charms and bracelets

now don't think these are just for kids,  we have martini glass charms, wedding ring charms, highheels and other goodies that can make this a very adult like bracelet too,  while still remaining,  well,  Charming.  ;)

 I also have a few other goodies,  but like I said before,  I love to celebrate the heart all year long.


Instead of traditional Valentines,  I like to stock more unusual goods in the shop,  like this beautiful metal Heart Cache. Something you could use year round.

although I prefer to keep my religious views to myself, I will tell you that I love to surround myself with beautiful religious icons, saints and symbols.  there is something comforting and beautiful about them that just draws me in.

and I know there are a lot of NON-religous people that like these things too.

they are beautiful works of art,  plain and simple.

The sacred Heart is one of my ALL time favorites.

 Now something truly near and dear to my heart was born in february.  My little valentine baby Jackson was due on Valentines day.  It couldn't have been a more perfect date for my first child!

but because he was such a big ole baby (9lbs 11 oz.) they made him come out a little earlier on the 10th.

  it's o.k. though, From the minute he set foot on the planet he has been followed by hearts wherever he goes.

a heart shaped chip on his plate,

a heart shaped burnt cheese spot on his quesadilla

yes,  we notice these things.

he even pointed out that our dog has a heart on her fur....

one little black heart

yup!  sure enuf...

a little black heart,  so perfect for her, cuz she'll bite cha if you touch it ;)

hee hee...
and these are just to name a few....seriously there have been TONS of hearts on goofy things around him..like the time we were barreling down the highway and mud splashed on the car window (his side) in the perfect shape of a heart.  no joke.

I always tell him it's the universe telling him he's loved.  and he is.

my sweet son, turned 13 yesterday......

from a little round faced tot

who was even cool when he was 5,

to a pretty hip, hilarious, incredibly cool kid

full of talent, techno-whiz, and athletic ability,

(a good big brother encouraging his little sister when he can...)

not to mention quite charming with the girls.

(oh please help me)  ugh.

anyways.  Happy birthday to my sweet sweet boy.

I got everything I wished for with this child.

he couldn't be more like me in many respects,

 the good and the bad ha ha ha.

the universe definitely shined some love on me with this one,  and that is yet another reason to celebrate the Heart all year round.

it's a good thing for sure.  :)

XOXOXOXO

Chrysler vs. Mini.....so proud of you Detroit.

 

  First off, I'll start by saying that I am probably only one in about a handful of People that isn't even remotely interested in football, but ironically I AM interested in Cars.  I think I have a latent Boy gene that has somehow gone wrong,  but who cares...I'm happy with who I am.

  I will say that even though I did NOT watch the Superbowl last night,  I did catch the only 2 commercials regarding cars,  and it was only because I was called down to check them out.

  Now these cars are obviously both in a class to themselves, but I will say that Mini cooper showed the LEAST amount of class last night with their ad campaign and Chrysler was the victor without a doubt.

 Now that being said,  I actually OWN a Mini cooper,  and love it.

If I could marry a car, it would be this one.

but last night,  well that was just embarrassing. 

  Instead of focusing on the little car's rich racing history and iconic imagery,  they defaulted to cheap innuendo and sophomoric humor.

yes,  the car is cute,  and sometimes humorous, but it has an amazing history that should have been more of the focus.  it's one of the reasons I wanted to buy the car in the first place.  I wanted something different, and unique.  I also wanted something that didn't use a ton of fuel,  yet was still sporty and had a race car feel to it (insert boy tendencies here)

 So this car really spoke to me.

 I loved how it was so tiny,  yet so powerful.....a winner of many road rallies and a champion in the 1965 Monte Carlo rally. the year of my birth.

 we were just meant to be together. 

Plus I loved that it was imported.

 

I can't say enough about this car, and I am more than happy to own one....except that Mini,  you could have done better with your ad campaign last night.  shame on you.

  Now Chrysler is also a car that has a racing history

The 1956 Chrysler 300B was a dominant force in Nascar and open road races. (plus it looked pretty cool too.)

classic American Styling that I LOVE.

oh America,  how we love to build the big cars.

 yes, i'll admit we still own a big ole American truck in addition to our mini.

I am proud of American automobiles.  there is something powerful and liberating about them. 

I grew up here in Michigan,  it must just be in my blood, I just don't like having to pay for gas to drive one. 

So last night when I saw the Chrysler commercial,

well,  it made me proud.

proud of our state.  

proud of the Motor city

proud of Detroit. 

 there are so many wonderful things about Detroit that people forget about,

Motown was here....the birthplace of amazing music.

The D.I.A. where you can see that mural that's in the commercial painted by Diego Rivera 

there is Slow's BBQ.... by far the best barbeque I have ever tasted.

Mexican town and Southwest Detroit.

gorgeous architecture.

the renaissance center

The Detroit Urban craft fair

Tiger stadium/ Ernie Harwell

Avalon Bread

plus a growing number of Artists and artisans that are helping to

revive certain portions of Detroit.

and this is only the tip of the Iceberg when it comes to the amazing things that the city has to offer.

 So in conclusion,  I have to say that a simple commercial about a car 

was more than just that,

 It made a struggling city shine.  I may own an imported vehicle, but

'Imported from Detroit'

well,  that is certainly something you can be proud of for sure.