Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday!

Hey there, have you heard?? Tomorrow has been declared the first annual "Small Business Saturday!" Yippee! It's a day to come together and support the small businesses we love. As a small business owner myself, I understand the challenges and the joys of doing work that I love. And I truly appreciate the many loyal customers who have stuck by us through the years. Thanks to each and every one of you.

Saturday will be a day for all of us to make a statement.....with our dollars. I challenge you this holiday season to stop, think about at least 2 or 3 small businesses who enrich your life. It might be that cozy yarn shop with the cat that sleeps in the window. Or the coffee shop around the corner, where they always know just how you like your cocoa. Whatever it is, wherever it is, give 'em some love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello all!!! I've been a bad lil' blogger over the past few weeks....it's been a little crazy...but I'm hoping we will get back to whatever normal is soon! Ha! A big thank you to the Des Moines Junior League for being such gracious hosts! We had a great show, and had lots of fun!!! We already can't wait to return next year! Woo hoo! And I was accompanied by Lovin' Man most of the time, which always makes these adventures more, well, adventurous!

(kissing Lovin' Man on our wedding day)

We are hosting Thanksgiving in our crazy house tomorrow....so there is much to be done over the next few hours. Wishing you all a safe, warm, and cozy Thanksgiving holiday. It's always good to remember to be grateful for all the good things in our lives. Hope to see you in downtown Marion again soon! Come and see us!!!

Dreaming Bear Thanksgiving hours:

Friday, November 26th: store 10-5:30 studio 10-4

Saturday, November 27th: store 10-4 studio 10-4

Sunday, November 28th: store 12-4 studio 12-4

Cheers to you all!!!

Look Out Des Moines, Here We Come!

Hello Des Moines! We are coming your way in less than a couple of weeks! Look for The Dreaming Bear booth at the Annual Junior League Gift Mart! We'll be bringing lots of whimsical goodies such as ornaments, keepsake boxes, wall art, stocking stuffers and more! Come and see us November 18-20th at the Polk County Convention Center! Details on the show and more info on the Des Moines Junior League can be found HERE.
Can't wait to see you all there!!!

XOXO

Hello sweet friends. Just checking in briefly to say we are overwhelmed, humbled and grateful for the outpouring of love and support that everyone has given us over the past few days. Yes, it's been a roller coaster ride....losing Luke only a day before our wedding. (still dealing with bouts of shock and disbelief) And then I was lucky enough to marry the most wonderful man in the world, surrounded by loved ones, alongside my two great kids. Our wedding was so lovely, and our party was so much fun. If you spend any amount of time with us lately, you would have found me huddled in bed sobbing one moment.....drinking wine with friends and laughing til it hurts another moment....and everything in between. My wonderful Lovin' Man keeps reminding me that it's okay to feel all of it. He's great. It has been a crazy ride, and we are blessed to have so many joyful, amazing people in our life. Thanks to all of you!!! We'll check in again soon with some pics from the wedding and other Dreaming Bear news. Hope you had a great Halloween! Love, The Dreaming Bear gang

Good Night, Sweet Prince (guest post from Lovin' Man)

Ladies and gentlemen,

I'm afraid I have some very sad news for you. The brightest light at the Dreaming Bear has gone out.

This morning Luke, our yellow lab of seven years, passed away after being ill for several days. Anyone who came into The Dreaming Bear in the last four years would probably remember having to step over Luke to get into the shop or having to endure being sniffed over. Luke often assumed the difficult role of making sure the carpet didn't float away, a task he was uniquely suited for. During children's birthday parties in the art studio, Luke often showed his true colors, which turned out to be hot pink with green glitter as he patiently allowed paint-splattered girls and boys to pet him. He was gentle, loyal, kind, lazy, and beautiful.

I love Luke not just for who he was, but for the kind of person I was when I was around him. He made me a better and richer man for having known him, and I will always be grateful that he took me under his wing. It was Luke's world, we just lived in it.

I also want to thank the kind people at the Cedar Rapids Animal Hospital, especially Dr. Weber, and the thoughtful staff of the Eastern Iowa Veterinary Specialty Center, including Drs. Streeter and Graf, for doing all they could to try to help Luke.

Luke is survived in death by a "suspicious chicken" and two inconsolable parents, for whom Luke was a constant blessing.

On My First Son

by Ben Jonson

Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy ;

My sin was too much hope of thee, lov'd boy.

Seven years thou wert lent to me, and I thee pay,

Exacted by thy fate, on the just day.

Oh, could I lose all father now ! For why

Will man lament the state he should envy?

To have so soon 'scaped world's and flesh's rage,

And if no other misery, yet age !

Rest in soft peace, and, asked, say, Here doth lie

Ben Jonson his best piece of poetry.

For whose sake henceforth all his vows be such

As what he loves may never like too much.

Hands Off Ladies, They're My Guys!

Soooo.....this is what I came home to find on Saturday, after working at the store.....my dining room table (and yes, I refer to it as MINE, not OURS) covered in various art supplies, tools, glue, markers....oh and lookie, there are some pruning shears.....

We had a Halloween party to go to that night, so the men of the house took matters into their own hands, and constructed their costumes....at the eleventh hour, I might add. We were only a little late.

They were Lego people! Well, Little Man refused to wear the bucket on his head, so he wore a helmet instead. He was a Power Miner Lego guy, complete with his own crystal, which he constructed out of foam board.

And Lovin' Man was a groom Lego guy. Note the yellow dish washing gloves!



They thought of everything! While I started out more than a little annoyed at the beginning of this process.....in the end, it was definitely worth it, and they were the hit of the party.

Gotta love 'em!

In One Week......

.......I will become MRS. Lovin' Man!!!!!


.......we will be celebrating our 2nd anniversary in our home together.


.......it will be Halloween weekend.......AND.....my new fabric line will debut at Quilt Market in Houston!!! Yahoo!!! Check it out!!! It's called "Bubble Trouble" and it is available through the super cool folks at Fine Lines Fabric Company!!!

If you are a store/wholesale fabric buyer, you can find them at the International Quilt Market in Houston in booth #565 and 567. The pictures you see here are quick snapshots I took while we reviewed the samples and edited the line. I pouted a little bit when I could not take any samples for myself yet....but then I got over it quickly. :-)



They are even more vibrant in person! Love, love, love.




Lots of colorful bubbles bopping everywhere.....







....complimented by some jazzy stripes.......





.....playful checkerboards......

....and some crazy little dashy lines......

You likey? Which are your favorites? Perhaps we should stitch up a little number like this.....

All of the possibilities!!! Thanks for sharing with me!!! More to come very soon!!!

Pensive

(a most recent journal page from my altered book)

pen-sive (pen'siv)
adjective
1. Thinking deeply or seriously, sometimes of sad or melancholy things.
2. To ponder, weigh, and consider.

My Hands are Full!

Hi friends!!! Whew! My hands are full, full, full these days! How about you? What's keeping you crazy busy lately? And how are you coping? We've had a couple of sick kids the past few days....with Little Man taking on the worst of it. I think he's finally turned a corner today. I will be so happy to get that "sickie" feeling out of the house. Know what I mean?

In less than two weeks I will be officially married to Lovin' Man! Oh my!!! A dear, dear friend is marrying us, and she has written such a beautiful ceremony. And another dear friend is going to read a blessing for us that she wrote. How cool is that? We feel very honored, and excited for our big day. We are just trying to stay healthy!!!

Speaking of feeling honored.....this guy showed up in my mailbox!!! He was sent to me by my new bloggy friend, Susie LaFond. Wasn't that sweet? He is a joyful little spirit, and he has a pin back....I'm still trying to find just the right place to perch him. Thank you Susie, for this thoughtful gift. I love him!! Be sure to check out her blog and Etsy site for lots of inspiring gift ideas. I love the journal she currently has in her Etsy shop!!! Check it out!!! Hope you are all having a great day so far!!!

New Goodies in the Etsy shop!

More goodies have arrived in the Etsy shop!!!! Woo hoo!!! Playful candlesticks, moustache pillows, and "stashes on a stick". Everything you'll ever need, really. (wink, wink)

Coming soon, some super affordable canvases, as I am cleaning house. Check back soon! Have a peachy day!

Just some friendly tug of war......

....with his favorite toy of all time, The Suspicious Chicken. One can easily dislocate a shoulder by playing this game, but we indulge him anyway. (of course)

Note to Self.

This is a journal page done earlier this year.....feeling like I need to send this message to myself today. So much to get done lately and wondering if I've got it in me. I think I just might! This image might make a cool postcard, eh? Hmmmm.....or maybe a necklace??

It Started With a Shower Curtain - Our Bathroom Re-Do!

Howdy! I've been meaning to show you guys our bathroom makeover! I did this a few weeks ago, and it was such a fun project for me, I can't even tell you. This is our upstairs family bathroom. It's a room that we eventually plan to gut, and put in new fixtures, floor tile, tub, etc. But that's a little way off, and I just couldn't stand to wait until a complete demolition to make it fun, so here you go!!! It all started with this monster shower curtain.......





and this monster throw rug....



Both of them were purchased on clearance at Target last year, the day after Halloween! Yahoo! (You might recognize some of these monsters in previous posts from pics around the house...I bought several pieces from this collection!) Do you ever do that? I mean, shop the day after a holiday to get half price goodies? I try not to, unless I've scoped it out before hand. I had my eye on these little guys for quite some time before the sale. Sometimes it's worth it when you find things you love. I've even had my Little Man help me with these shenanigans....he's small and wiry, so he can bravely squeeze through crowds of crazed ladies, and help me grab the goodies I'm after. He's good.



After removing some horrible wallpaper, I painted the walls a cheery, smurfy blue, and removed some really ugly old curtains from the windows, which flooded the room with lovely sunshine. The mirror is very old, and has some discoloration around some of the edges, so I painted a wavy border with an opaque, orange glass paint to cover the imperfections. I kept the old lantern style light fixtures, just added a coat of monster green paint to them as well. The cafe curtains were sewn by my mom. (a print from my very first fabric line) We loved the light in the room so much, that we decided to just cover the bottom half of the windows, which is the half that counts!! No one on the street needs to see what we're doing up there!

Then, I needed some fast & easy wall art, so I sketched out three little monsters of my own on some 11x14 canvases, and colored them in with acrylic paints. I coated them with a glossy polycrylic to help them hold up well to the humidity in the room. I love the cranky green guy with horns. He makes me laugh.

And this guy is just a gentle soul.....

When I excitedly told my mom what I was doing with the bathroom, she sarcastically said to me, "It's too bad you never have any fun." Hee. Yeah....too bad.

What to love about Lovin' Man, Reason #1,562

He chose this to be his wedding ring. It arrived in the mail this week, and we are totally, completely LOVING this ring. It looks so good on his hand....and....wait for it......you can attach real Legos to it when you're feeling creative! It's so flippin' awesome!!! A very cool gal named Shannon from Rubygirl made it for us. Visit her Etsy shop HERE to see all of her wonderful work!!! Other favorites of mine are the interlocking heart necklace, the flower stud earrings, and the cuff links!!! So cool!

Halloween is OUR kind of holiday.

Howdy! How've you been? A few of us at the Dreaming Bear house are sniffling our way through the week, with lovely autumn colds. Ugh. I think most of us are on the mend now, but it's funny how draining a silly little cold can be. And I get even more annoyed (baby-ish?) when I get sick, because it forces me to screech to a halt, which is never acceptable. (ha.)

Last week I did enjoy fluffing the house a little bit, in anticipation of our favorite holiday EVAH. We got some pumpkins out on the stoop, some mums in the pots, and I have ridiculous little monsters, ghosts and black cats everywhere.

Ummm....yeah...everywhere.

I haven't really shared much up until now about our upcoming wedding....did I tell you that Lovin' Man and I are getting married on Halloween weekend!??! Woo hoo! It's special to us, not only because it's a super fun, kick ass holiday...but two years ago on Halloween weekend, we moved into our current home together. Our first real home that is OURS. Up until then, we had two houses to sell....first we sold his, and he moved into mine.....and then we finally sold mine, and now we are in OUR home, together. It's funny what a relief it becomes to finally arrive where you are meant to be all along. At the beginning of this journey, our home, our wedding, everything seemed so far away....but here we are! And ever so grateful to be here.

Anyway, behind the scenes, I've been running around finalizing details for our wedding and party. It's going to be very simple...the ceremony will be here at our home with just our family and the following night will be the bigger party, with friends, co-workers, extended family, etc. We are super excited....and it's only 3 weeks away! Eeek!

I'll do my best to share little details of our plans....our party decor will be a little whimsical/Mad Hatter-ish/with touches of Halloween and black & white stripes. Folks are welcome to come in costume if they wish, or dress in festive masquerade ball attire. My mumsy is making me a fun party dress for the occasion, and my flowers will be colorful Gerber daisies. Love 'em! Above is a pic of our invitation....I sketched the daisy and stripes a while back, and had a local printer duplicate them onto a lovely textured, canvas like paper, which I attached to the fronts of the cards. They turned out kinda fun. Kinda kicky. Mama likey. Cheers to you, more news coming soon!!!!!