It's finished!!!!

The big project is completed. As you can see - it is an entertainment center. The doors on the top cover 3 shelves, the doors on the botton cover 2 shelves. The television fits in the black opening. The cabinet was custom made for my clients and it fits snugly in a corner.

It stands over 7 feet high.

I am so happy with the finished product - pictures do not begin to do it justice.

I know this was a commissioned piece . . but do you think they would notice if I never gave it back to them?  I really like it :)

In other news - we have a new location to display some of our wonderful designs . . .

Lillian's is a new natural food store in downtown Gresham. Be sure and check it out if you are in the area. We have pieces for sale that are perfect for gifts.

And they kind of add a nice little bling to the walls - don't you think?

Proud Moments

I have been working for about a month on a large project - in fact, this is one of the largest custom pieces I have ever done. And it has been fun!! This is a second sneak peak of this little project - I am about 75% done with it now and will soon be posting pictures of the completed piece soon -

I have been working on this in "pieces" and can't wait to have it reassembled and see the final product.

I am also excited because we became the proud parents of a new printer last night. After completing my on-line course with Kelly Rae (which was a fabulous course by the way - and it is available to purchase as a pdf and is full of lots of great information) she graciously shared the printer that she has used as part of her business. I also talked with some other artist friends and asked what they used. After my research - I found the printer, ordered it and after a week of anticipation. . .our new baby showed up. Hubby is working to get it set up and ready to go. Once we have trained ourselves on how to use it - we will be producing some awesome prints. I can hardly wait!!!

More good news - it looks like we will be hanging some bright art work in a new natural food market in Gresham called Lillian's Natural Marketplace. If you live in the Gresham area - be sure and stop in. Gresham has been needing something like this for awhile now - and after meeting Lillian with her outgoing personality - she is obviously the perfect person for the job. I can't wait to get to know her a little better!

And one more "proud parent" moment . . .when I got home yesterday, I took a walk around the yard. I checked into our Rhode Island Roost where our sweet chickens live and found 4 eggs!!! This is a first - they have been blessing us with one a day - maybe even 2 - but today we had 4! I am so proud of those girls. I came in and told my daughter the good news and she commented, "Well that makes sense - they were making alot of noise today!" And I just thought - "can you blame em?"

Balancing the Scales

I finished up with the West Linn Arts Festival yesterday. It was a good experience. The first time I have attended that particular Festival. The weather was beautiful - sunny, blue skies and not too hot. We had a great location that allowed us to really hear all of the musicians and performers which completed the experience. We had a good weekend of sales, but more importantly we met some great people and made some great contacts.

Now it is time for some balance. I have several exciting opportunities coming up - shops and galleries that we are in conversations with, custom orders to complete, our annual holiday sales as well as a special private sale that I am working on (more details to come on that later - it will be GREAT!). By rights I don't have time to catch my breath.

HOWEVER . . .recently, I had a bit of a wake-up call. Nothing major - but enough to make me aware that it was time to put a bit more balance back into the life. I've always been an extreme advocate of women making time for themselves. I remind my friends often that they are not being selfish when they make time to care themselves - take time to go for a walk or a hike, take the bubble bath, read that book for fun, work on their hobby. And I work in my studio all the time. I love my studio time - but when preparing for shows and filling orders - it is the business part of the venture and it is work. Work that I love doing, for sure - but work none-the-less. So it is time for me to take some of my own advice and "sit, talk, laugh, share and relax".

The reality is - when I honor myself and allow myself time for a walk or to do something special for myself - I truly am more productive. I can get more work done in less time. It's one of those little life anomolies that don't necessarily make any sense!

So with the need for balance in mind . . . 

I am actively planning some little mini-vacations to allow myself the time to do just that.

 I am starting with a day trip this Saturday. I'm not sure exactly what the day will hold - but I know that a soak in a mineral bath will be high on the list.

I am planning an early evening pedicure.

And I am looking for someplace to escape for a little weekend get-away.

What kind of things do you do to stay balanced? Share ideas - maybe I will borrow one or two.

Happy New Year.

It's been feeling a bit stormy around here lately . . .figureatively and literally.

Our gray days are back and I don't like it.

The dark is moving in much earlier every evening . . .and I don't like it.

I needed an extra blanket the last few nights . . .and I don't like it.

But I am dancing in the rain as well -

We have some "deals" in the works that should be a wonderful step forward for the art business.

We have some wonderful art festivals coming up - in fact they are some of my favorites.

I have a long list of commission pieces I am working on and am feeling blessed by all of those.

My youngest daughter returned to high school this week and we all survived the first week back.

There was a moment of panic last night when I wasn't sure as she was stressing over a Spanish test that was being issued already. They had only been in school for 3 days and already a test. She was having a hard time.

But we danced through that storm and then laughed about it as we made up our own language.

I had a birthday and it brought up some of those feelings of anxiety that i tend to get around birthdays. You know the kind . . .am I doing enough with my life? have i been a good enough parent? Are my children on the right path?

But we danced through that storm over a lovely birthday dinner that they prepared for me and we laughed and listened to each other as we talked about the events of our days. And I was reassured.

So it is September - I have just had a birthday, it is the first quarter of the new "fiscal" year, and we are beginning to see the signs of a new season moving in. I've always found it interesting that we look at January as the "start" of the year, yet all of the beginnings seem to start in September. So this is the time of year when I like to think of goals. Besides - I'm always so tired in January that trying to come up with goals just seems like more work!

So I have a few ideas of things I would like to do this next year . . .

1. Go white water rafting.

2. Develop a regular yoga and meditation practice.

3. Go on regular dates with my children.

4. Create and build a catalog of my art work.

5. Find at least 5 retail locations to sell my work.

6. Get my Etsy store up and functioning.

7. Paint a piece for ME or my home at least once a month.

8. Plan a vacation.

9. Go to California to visit a gallery that has fascinated me for years.

10. Try to connect in person with some of the artist friends I have met online.

11. Ask more questions.

12. Tackle those tasks associated with my business that are kind of scary.

13. Try a new restaurant, coffee shop or cafe at least once a month.

14. Take an unmapped road trip.

15. Find my balance.

16. Participate in a class - even if it is just for a day - for fun!

17. Take more photos of my family.

18. Get the camera of my dreams.

19. Send more cards and letters rather than electronic notes. Everybody loves mail!

20. Spend as much time with my parents as possible.

How about you?  What do you want to do in the upcoming year? If you answer now - I promise not to ask this question again in January. So Happy New Year everyone!

PS - This weekend is the West Linn Arts Festival. Come out and see the artists, hear live music and enjoy the magic of handcrafted.

A Weekend Away -

We headed to the Oregon Coast for our annual Labor Day sale in Oceanside. What a beautiful place. I have loved this area of the coast for as long as I can remember. How can a person not love a place that gives you free nightly shows like this. Each evening as the sun would set, everyone on the beach would turn in reverence to the rocks and pay respect to the sun slidding down behind the horizon. Gorgeous!

Our family was raised going to this part of the coast. My parents bought a small cabin in 1968. It was rustic and simple with no running hot water and an outhouse - it flushed, but you went outside to use it. There was no heat other than that generated from an antique wood stove. When you walked into the cabin there was a distinct smell of damp, salty air. I loved it.

When I think of trips to the beach as a child I remember things like fishing, crabbing, digging clams, picking muscles off the rocks (way before this was thought to be a delicacy) and many other strange salty, sandy things. My older brother was quite adventurous with his pallette and tried lots of things that I found disgusting as a child.

We played "chase" games in the sand - a silly game called the fox and the geese was played on many occasions. A large circle was drawn in the sand with a smaller circle in the middle. The small circle was protection. We would run around playing this silly version of tag until we were laughing so hard that inevitably one of the adults would announce they were going to "wet their pants".

 I remember builidng fires and being introduced to my very first s'more on this beach.

We would spend our afternoons combing the hillside, roadway and beach looking for soda bottles and then turn them into the store for our nickel deposit. That generated enough money to buy a stash of candy bars, and on a good day - a bottle of orange soda to go with it. After drinking the soda, I would sometimes put any left over change in the bottle, hide it in a hole in the hillside and draw a treasure map so that I could dig it up the next time we came for a visit.

My mother would have us collect rocks and little pieces of driftwood and shells that we would later combine together to create beautiful collages. These would decorate the walls of our little cabin. Fine art created for nothing more than the cost of a bottle of elmers glue.

 I remember making a fire on the beach, melting candle wax in an old pot over the fire, digging holes in the sand, pouring the wax in and making sand candles. After the wax had hardened, we would dig up our art work and use them for candlelight dinners at our rustic table.

My older brothers would try their hand at fishing in the surf. If they were successful, my mom would pack up the makings of a picnic dinner and the main course would be fresh fish cooked over an open fire.

We played in the ocean.

We hunted for agates and sea glass and shells until I would see miles of rocks in my dreams at night.

Our little house had no television, no cable access, no computer, no telephone and distractions. We made our own fun. I would sit in front of the picture window and color or draw, play solitaire with a deck of cards, play every board game imaginable and explore every inch of the beach and surrounding hillsides.

As children we felt like pirates and we ruled the world there.

Now we share these adventures with our children - playing in the ocean, digging in the sand, exploring tide pools and climbing rocks. We collect treasures. We spend our evenings around the table playing board games. We cook together, eat together and laugh together.

Time is spent in play - not "plugged in".

And as time moves forward, I am now creating evening more memories with another generation of beach bums.

Oh - how I do love this place.

Be AMAZED . . .

Be Happy; Be Amazed; Be Grateful; BE ALIVE.

BE AmazeD and Alive!

These are my words to live by this week.

There are too many wonderful things all around us not to be amazed.

Recently, we experienced a brief miracle of amazment when our sweet chickens began laying eggs. I feel like such a proud mama.

These sweet little eggs were so tiny - about half the size of a regular egg. But they had bright orange centers and were so delicious. Just a little preview of many more to come.

I found myself preparing these carefully. Nothing special - they were scrambled with some salt and pepper; however, since we feed these chickens each day and make sure that they have a safe place to roost at night, I was uniquely attached to these eggs. I sat at my table and savored each bite. There is something so wonderful about being a part of the process that creates the food that we eat. I experience this when I pick the berries and vegetables from my garden. And I experienced it when I enjoyed these eggs for breakfast.

And now for a commercial announcement - I will be showing work in Oceanside, Oregon this weekend. If you happen to be on the Oregon Coast for the long weekend, swing by Oceanside. It is such a sweet little town and the beach is beautiful. And there is ART! Wonderful Art by some wonderful people.

The following weekend, I will be participating in the West Linn Arts Festival. This is a first for me - I am quite excited and am looking forward to seeing some artist friends that I haven't seen for a while.

Judee Moonbeam is a wonderful fiber artist. She designs bags, hats and clothing using Middle Eastern, Celtic and African motifs. Judee and I met when we were placed next to each other at a small holiday sale. It was a mid week sale - rather slow - and we found ourselves filling the time by talking. I consider her a soul sister. And since I can barely sew a straight line, I have a true appreciation for the beautiful work she creates and the exceptional quality of her pieces.

Lin Haak is a fabulous artist I met a few years ago. I remember the first time I saw her work at an art festival. I spent quite a while in her booth. Her work combines rich colors, realistic images and an unexpected touch of whimsy. Later, I met her at an meeting of a group of local artists, and I remember feeling a little starstruck. It was like meeting a celebrity that you have followed from afar. The reality is - Lin is an open, friendly woman and I am happy to call her friend.

Art Festivals are a lot of work - there is a lot of preplanning, loading up the van, setting up the booth, packing the supplies for "just in case" - and then at the conclusion, you do everything in reverse.

 But I love them!

 I love talking with the people who come to look and shop and admire.

But even more important, I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

 At each sale, I walk away feeling like I am truly part of a community of like minded individuals. . . people who are driven to create and make this world a little more beautiful.

The Sisterhood

Many Sisters . . .One Sisterhood.

I was born into a family of all brothers. All older brothers. I remember as a young girl wishing for a sister. I would ask my mother if she would have another baby so that I could have a sister and she would laugh and tell me no - that wasn't possible. I just wanted another girl in the house that could do "girl" things with me. I wanted someone to play hair and dolls and do nails with. But instead - it was all boys.

As I reached high school, I began to realize the value of girl friends. I had some very close friends that I could do all of those "sister" type things with.

When I married and had children, I wondered where "friends" would fit into the equation. My husband and I had plenty of friends - there were other couples and families that we would get together with and have dinner and play board games while our children played. And then in 1988, I left the corporate world for several years to raise my children full time. And the isolation kicked in. I realized that I didn't have any best girlfriends. It seemed like everyone was going off to work and having adult relationships and I was at home with toddlers. It was HARD! There were many tears through that period. And some friends came and went - but they weren't the "I can't go a day without talking to my best friend" kind of friends that I had had in high school. Until 1992 . . .

my third child was born. And through that experience, I met someone. A mother with young children, similar parenting beliefs and styles, like-minded morals and a sharp sense of humor that helped to keep the ups and downs of motherhood in perspective. I had found my friend. A few years later, I met another woman that was much the same. And shortly after that, yet another woman. And as if I wasn't blessed enough - 2 years ago another soul sister entered my life. Years later, these women are still an integral part of my life. They are my touchstones. They help to ground me. I have solved many problems and found many answers during our everyday conversations. Who needs therapy when you have friends like these?

 When I think back over the years and the experiences I have shared with these women, I realize that between us we have witnessed the birth of  children and grandchildren, our collective children have moved through preschool, elementary, high school and college; there have been 2 marriages of our children; there has been one divorce and another marriage in crisis; several bouts of unemployment; new businesses started, a few didn't quite make it - major moves,  including one relocation to another state; there have been illnesses from the common cold to much more major illnesses; deaths of parents; birthdays, celebrations, ups, downs, good, bad and ugly. There have been laughter and tears shared over breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. There have been weekend get-a-ways, family camping trips, and family vacations to more exotic locations.

The men - our husbands, have been friends, but they relate to each other in a much different way. They talk about jobs, home improvements and successes.

But us girls?  We talk about our secrets, our hopes, our dreams, our fears, our frustrations - for ourselves and for our family members.  Life has changed where we all are at. We are all working full time jobs now and our free time is at a premium. But I can say that not a week goes by that I don't connect with all three of these women - either by phone, over a meal, over through the internet. And whats more important - I know that if I called any of these women and told them I needed help with something they would be there in a hearbeat - no matter the time of day or night. They have proved this to me over and over throughout the years.

These women may not be related to me by birth or even by marriage - but I never could have asked for more loyal and wonderful "sisters". I know, deep down in my soul, that no matter where our lives take us - these relationships will endure. We are "one Sisterhood".

Who is your best girl friend? How long have you known her?