I am not letting the reality of Christmas fast approaching get me down.
I have a million projects for the shops half finished - they won't sell very well half finished. I must make/find the time to complete these things.
I know that I am not alone.
I just feel that way.

It's been a crazy time lately - a quick little buying trip to L.A (it was fantastic - I brought back so much great stuff) the subsequent day spent at Customs dealing with the shipment from my buying trip, and then all the paperwork that has been gathering dust on my desk all month. Not to mention the everyday drama's of being a mom, entrepreneur and uhm...woman.

Busy month indeed.

As some of you are discovering, I am a great horder of things. My Dutch Husband would probably take exception to the 'great' part of that statement but that's another story...
In all the purging and organizing and general simplifying of life that is going on around here lately, I stumbled over a box of broken china - before a collective gasp ensues, it was a horded box of broken china. It was already broken when the hording began.
I have been keeping, and adding to, this box of 'junk' over the years - if you have to ask why then you might wanna skip this post.

I have big plans for this box.
Back when I first opened the store I did an enormous mosaic in the front windows. I also sold a few pieces of furniture that I had worked my broken china magic on.
If you've ever done this kind of work then you will know how time consuming and challenging it can be. Needless to say I burnt out and haven't touched a pair of tile nippers in awhile.
This box of broken yummyness has been waiting for two 'big plan' ideas.

One - a series of stepping stones for my garden, featuring different rose plates broken and then "repaired" as the central motif. These would then be found winding in and out of what is turning out to be a rather wild cottage garden. I have 30 stepping stones.

Two - my masterpiece - the front facings of the cement stairs to my house. Again with the rose plates (did I mention I have a 'thing' for pretty rose plates?) re-assembled in their shattered glory and having the added practicality of the house number nipped out in black tile on the very last top step.
My husband is appalled.
The big plans have been on hold for awhile.

Cut to the other morning when baby and I went for a rainy morning stroll and I discovered this walkway in my neighborhood! It is a mix of tile, pebbles and what I can only guess to be painstaking pottery pieces especially made for this project. Incredible.



I stood there agog.
It was the entire walkway. I don't even remember if they continued up the stairs - I was in such shock by it's brilliance I don't remember looking up. I will have to return to see what they did to the stairs and report back.
It is incredible.
It made me happy.

There is a bright spot in the midst of my dreary studio organizing ....a book signing!

This Thursday, at the Main street location of Barefoot Contessa, we will be hosting a book signing for the fantastic "Handmade Nation" author Faythe Levine.
She is in town promoting the showing of her indie documentary (based on the book) and I'm pretty excited about meeting her and having her in the shop available to sign books and greet her fans.
It's a whirlwind visit for Faythe but she will be available from 3-4:30 this Thursday.

Cupcakes and pink lemonade are in order.
I am completely crazy to attempt to bake cupcakes with my now crawling toddler trying to help at every turn, but I feel the occasion warrants a cupcake or two. ..

Please, do come out and say hello to Faythe and support this great documentary - tickets are still available and you can check out Handmade Nation at her blog - www.indiecraftdocumentary.blogspot.com

We will have books available for purchase at the signing if you don't already own a copy (and really, you should, it's a great source of inspiration)

This is gonna be fun!

never again

Never again will I hoard vintage treasures!
I swear it.
I have spent all day, ALL DAY, in the old studio that I am quickly vacating, going thru boxes and boxes of stuff. Awesome stuff, but nonetheless, argh!
Why do I do this to myself? I have 5 days left to the end of the month and I hardly made a dent! Two full trailer loads and still I am wading thru vintage hats, teacups, gorgeous old linens.....double argh!

What is worse, I keep finding crafting stuff - don't get me wrong, crafting stuff is fantastic but this much of it? I don't realize that I already have loads of felt and buy more, or saucers to turn into little mirrors, or linens to be reborn as pillows....the list goes on and on.

I will take photos to show you my madness. Then it will be out there and official and I will be shamed into being a good girl. Walking the straight and narrow...

(Of course, all this drama didn't stop me from hitting a thrift store this morning and finding an old fisherman's creel! woo hoo!
I've been wanting one of these for ages! Gonna hang it on the front door and put flowers in it. It's gonna be awesome!)

Now, what was I saying?

a work in progress

That's what my house is, a work in progress.
Unfortunately, with a small baby, not much progress.
It seems to take me forever to get anything done - I think that is the single hardest thing to accept with my new role as mommy. The sheer number of hours to make a dent in any given project.
Gone are the days where I could apply myself to a task for hours at a time, uninterrupted, till it was done.

I would not change my state for anything - I adore my baby and this adventure I am on - I just wish I could wave a magic wand and have dishes wash themselves, laundry fold and dinner prepare itself!
Notice how I would not use the magic on my many craft projects....I want to do those myself!
Magic is for getting the mundane out of the way - not the creative.
Doing the creative has it's own magic....

Unable to throw anything out.
That's what Gordon, my Dutch husband, says is my biggest problem.
I protest, but secretly, I agree.
I just can't help myself - I find uses for things, I see beauty in the ugly and worn.
Funnily enough he's almost as bad as I am - this past weekend we finally managed to get the boulevard garden started.
I may have contributed the shabby wicker chair/now spiffy planter to the project, but HE dragged home the slabs of concrete he'd found to use as our stepping stones.
Me: shabby chair
Him: hunks of concrete destined for the landfill
Uhm.....isn't that the pot calling the kettle.....

I am really pleased with my little garden so far.
It needs some ground cover around the 'steps' and the jasmine vine to grow over the chair to be spectacular, but we'll get there.
We moved some unhappy lavender plants and pansies to this new spot and it looks like they have cheered up immensely. A small lilac cutting from a neighbour will also be added shortly - my hope is to have a lush little tableaux to look out on (instead of street traffic) when we are dining on the front porch.

Our neighbours one street over have the most amazing boulevard - in front of almost every home is a wonderful garden. It's so lovely to walk down the sidewalk surrounded by lush greenery and the jumbled scent of blossoms.
There are only a few of us on this street with plants out on our boulevard - but it's a start!

I have been busy digging into boxes and boxes of my horded treasures.
(I have the excuse of hording items because I like to say that they are to sell in the shops, but I find that I don't seem to ever let them get to the shops)
Till now.

As a result, I have been doing allot of polishing of silver.
So much so, I find I am beginning to dislike polishing all this silver.
This is outrageous comment for me as I adore polishing silver.
I like to have it gleaming and on display around my house.
I am humbled by the sheer volume of stuff that I have accumulated.

I am trying very hard to let go of these pretty things and fill the shops with these treasures.

The only way I am allowing myself to keep anything is if I can use it. Right now. Preferably in some unexpected way. I must either replace and 'upgrade' what is existant or find a way to use the new piece immediately. I end up having to 'think outside the box' and now my makeup is safely hidden from view in a silverplated entree dish. Q-tips artfully arranged in a pretty gravy boat and my cottonballs in a lidded sugar pot. It makes for an awesome bathroom!
I've also hit upon the idea of using the "missing it's twin" sugar or creamers as little vases. To make this work I have to superglue a florist frog into the bottom of them.
So far, so good.