A Great Quote

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered
to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything
--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--
these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to
avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.

You are already naked.

There is no reason not to follow your heart…
Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

-Steve Jobs

Busy, busy bees

We have been busy little bees, both at home and in the studio/store. The holidays are just around the corner....Seriously??!! Eeek!!! Here are some random shots of stuff that's been happening over the past couple of days. ....

Speaking of busy little bees...I've been on a bumblebee kick lately, and believe they are cute on everything.....including this chair...now available in the store...

A sweet little bench with one of my favorite sayings......

This is a project I'm working on at home....an old chandelier, which was gifted to me by wonderful Cindy.....I've finally got a place to put it! I had someone re-wire it for me, and now I'm adding the color....

My mom is helping me get some curtains made for our living room and family room....out of my new line of fabric....

Here's a shot of one of my storage shelves in the studio. Do you think I have enough canvases? Tee hee.....

The fabric is here!!!

Woo hoo!!!! Oh happy day! The fabric is here!!! Yippee!!! I'm so tickled to have it in my hot little hands FINALLY!!! Mom is helping me with various projects around the house, such as curtains, table runners, pillows and more. And we will be creating little goodies for the store as well. The fabric will officially be available in the store this Saturday, so all of you locals who have been sweetly waiting on this, come and get it!!! Below is the entire grouping of Fiesta!!!

Hmmmm.....I don't know why these pics turned out so tiny...but I hope you get the gist....love these checks and dots....they are playful compliments to the floral print, but also fun on their own!!

I'm going to really try to get some fabric into the Etsy shop also, so stay tuned!!!

Roller Girls Rock!

Last night some friends and I, and their daughters attended our very first roller derby in downtown CR! It was the Derbyville Horror. Sweet. I really wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but man, was it ever fun!!! The Cedar Rapids Roller Girls did a great job, and beat the Mid Iowa team in their one year anniversary bout. Can't remember the score, but it was good stuff! All ladies in attendance with me agreed it's time to lace on some skates again and go roller skating!!! Woo hoo! Can't wait! The rest of my weekend will be quite tame in comparison: getting caught up on paperwork, cleaning the house, finishing an order, etc.

"Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer, sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, a good mother, good looking, good tempered, well dressed, well groomed, and unaggressive." -Marya Mannes

Any Day Now, I Swear.

Still waiting on my beloved second line of fabric (called Fiesta) to arrive. I'm told it has shipped.....but it's coming from Canada, going through customs, and from previous shipping experiences, I can tell you that this can go very well, or very badly. Judging by the time frame, I'm fearing the latter.

The UPS man who delivers to our store every day is starting to be a little frightened (as if he weren't already, because we are so friggin' weird). He knows we are going to maul him soon if he doesn't show up with the goods. He does pacify Lukie the lab with a daily Milkbone, so that helps. Sigh. In the meantime, let us gaze upon the splendid beauty of these two primary prints, and hold our breath. (Mom, you're turning blue.)

Cranking in the Studio

Hiya! Here are some pictures of the stuff coming to life in the studio these days......some of this is shipping out with orders for stores, some of it going into the Bear. Getting lots done, so that feels good, but of course, still so much to do!!!

Quirky little Christmas trees.....

A forest of bar stool legs.........

Love these snowmen....they make me smile. Someday very soon they will have wire and beads attached, and they will become fanciful ornaments. And some bowls and boxes are just perfect for gift giving.....

A cluster of magic wands waiting for their ribbons and trimmings.....

Are you having a good week so far? Hope so!!!

Whippin' It

Last night we saw the movie "Whip It," starring Ellen Page. We (the family and I) love Ellen Page and we LOVED this movie!!!! Oh my goodness...did I ever love it. Way back in the day, I was a bit of a roller queen myself. Skated all the time. Forwards, backwards, moonlight skates, limbo, etc. My first job was working at the local skating rink. There, I assisted little ones with lacing up their skates, served up slushies and nachos by the dozens, and played records and mix tapes.

As I watched "Whip It", I found myself swaying and leaning as I watched them skate on screen. It really made me want to strap on a pair of skates again!

Maybe a pair like these?

Or these? Hmmm......I'll need a helmet and elbow pads.....it's been a while.....

....to be continued.....maybe.

What a party!

Oh my gosh, you guys! We had so much fun on Friday night! Thanks to all who made another Chocolate Walk night a BIG SUCCESS!!!! The moustache party was a BLAST!!!! Above is a picture of the DEElicious chocolate moustache cake made by Melissa.

Adorable Elizabeth and friend.....at the end of the evening, Elizabeth's stash was all wacky and crooked. It cracked me up every time I looked at her.....

Jenna wore the "Sheriff" stash.....hilarious...here she is with mom, showing off one of the hand painted moustache wands......


My sweet friend, Jenny and I......



And many, many fantastic party guests made it a night to remember......

I've said it before, I'll say it again. My customers rock.

Chocolate and Moustaches - What More is There?

Hey everybody! You are invited to join us this Friday night for......

The Chocolate Walk Moustache Party!!!!

Friday, October 2nd 8-11pm

That’s right, baby. Downtown Marion is open late for your shopping enjoyment. As always, we promise to blow your mind with tantalizing treats, but we’re asking you to arrive donning your very best “stash.” Paint one on, stick one on, grow one, whatever you have to do. We’re offering prizes for the top stashes in these categories: most sinister, cutest/sweetest, and most outrageous. Judging will be at 9:30 sharp in the studio. Also, you will get 20% off your purchases at the Bear ONLY if you are wearing your moustache (good for evening of October 2nd only). Let’s make Burt proud!

Yeah baby, yeah!!!

The ToDo List

The to do list has been all consuming this week. I've been hiding back in the studio all week, and spending time in the evenings at home, working away alongside my family as they play games, eat snacks and crack each other up. I've got a few things checked off the list, but not near enough it seems. I LOVE crossing things off the list though, don't you?

I love how the tabletops in the studio look after I've spent a few days blitzing through projects!

Have a great weekend, everybody!!

Moustache Mania

It was this beautiful moment at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago that has inspired the theme for our party during the Chocolate Walk next Friday! We bought this killer T for little man from Fuzzy Ink. Little man is a Lego fanatic, so this was the perfect T-shirt, titled "Identity Crisis." Get it? The Lego man is trying on lots of different heads? Hee hee. Anyway, his "gift with purchase" was a stick on moustache, which we had a BLAST with all weekend long. Little man loved walking into restaurants, the hotel lobby, just about anywhere, with that thing stuck to his face, to raise a few eyebrows. What a hoot!

Soooo......our Chocolate Walk event is going to be a MOUSTACHE PARTY!!! Can you stand it?? Official invite coming up in the next post! All of you locals will be getting a postcard, so watch your mailbox!!! Can't wait!

Save the Date! The Chocolate Walk Returns!

HARVEST MOON CHOCOLATE WALK!!

Friday, October 2nd 8-11pm

All of uptown Marion will be lit up, and open late for your enjoyment!

Stop by The Dreaming Bear, where we will serve tantalizing treats beyond your wildest dreams, showing off new fall merchandise and artwork!

Can't wait to see you!!!!

All of life is an experiment.

I have no idea what I'm doing. There, I said it. Whew! I feel so much better now. Oh, how I do love playing the part of all knowing mother, business woman extraordinaire, loving, supportive partner, wise counseling friend, million idea artist, super dooper fixer upper of a quirky old house, etc. But really, it's all experimentation.........

Tee hee.

I generally just close my eyes and leap, wholeheartedly, most of the time. I tend to figure it out as I go along. Some of my very best experiences have occurred by using this method, but also some of my more painful lessons. Good or bad, it's all part of the journey.

Sssshhh.....don't tell my kids that I don't have it all figured out yet.

Lately, I'm feeling very inspired by this idea. More information is found here and here. A group of loving, supportive women gathering together to fill their reservoir again. Physically. Mentally. Creatively. Spiritually.

I would love to hear how you refill your reservoir. Post a comment here to share with others, or feel free to contact me offline.

"Don't be too timid or squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tired on Tuesday

Just popping in to say howdy! How are you doin'? I'm tired and sore today (whah, whah, whah) because we spent the weekend painting our family room. It's done now, but what a long process! We were covering up dark wood panelling with a bright apple green! These are the colors we've been working with.....

So, in a nutshell, it took many, many coats to get it just right...lots of primer, and plenty of green! There are 2 large double windows, three doors and lots of trim that we brightened up with white. It looks 100 percent better! Now we are trying to figure out how to lay the furniture out. (the room is not ready for it's photographic debut yet)

Lovin' man and I have different ideas about where to place the furniture, but in the end, we are agreeing that I will have a small "studio" workspace in that room, so I can be productive at night, without having to leave the family for my "real" studio. I'm going to try to create a smaller version of my big studio...a little bit of everything, so I'll have many options to choose from when the mood strikes. (and the mood is always striking!)

Last week, Lily and I headed out to Kirkwood to celebrate the completion of Emily's internship. There she is, isn't she cute? Emily, thanks for all your hard work, but most importantly, your positive attitude, and joyful spirit. You will be missed! (sniff, sniff)

And good luck to Lacey (Emily, where's our picture of Lacey?), who is heading off to college this week. Lacey was a painting dynamo this summer, and almost single handedly got me caught up on my work. Almost. Hee hee.

It's Tuesday already!

Hey everybody! Oh my, it's Tuesday already. Eeek! Please tell me that I'm not the only one who is absolutely amazed that we are nearly halfway through the 8th month of the year already!!! Where has the time gone?

I've really been struggling with my productivity lately. Summer gets me all befuddled, and I'm easily distracted. I will be so glad to get back on the school routine. And I think the kids are ready too. (they might not know it yet, ha!)

It was a nice weekend though. My Saturdays are usually spent in the store, as that's our busy day of the week. I had the pleasure of working with the lovely and quirky Elizabeth (who has been missing yoga as much as I have...when will you come back to us, Margaret? Lily misses you too!) and Emily the fabulous intern.

It was relatively quiet in the studio...so we did get some things done, which is always good. Sunday, the Lovin' Man and I worked on cleaning out our basement, garage, and hanging our dining room curtains. Slowly but surely, this old house is looking more and more like ours. We hope to tackle the family room next weekend, wish us luck!

Hope you are all having a great week so far!