Red Shoes blog

A Texas sized Heart

 I was born from a true pioneer Spirit.  A woman who came from a very a hard childhood.  But despite all that told me fantastic stories about her life, and family,  and made me appreciative of all the little things in life.

  Stories about learning to drive at 12,  her grandfather peeling oranges in a perfect spiral plucked fresh from a tree.  watching Chickens laying eggs, swinging from rooftops, and almost setting her house on fire. 

  All of her stories used to keep me glued to the kitchen table as a kid,  wanting to know more and more.

 She's always promised she'd write a book,  I hope someday it will come true.

  She left her Texas home at 18  to join the Army,  travelled to Germany, and across the states never looking back.  She used to take us on trips cross country to Texas every summer to visit family.  It always amazed me that she would do this as a single mom with two young girls.  she never seemed afraid.   Those were honestly the best memories, staying in hotels,  seeing where she grew up,  eating fresh tortillas, and tamales made from scatch by my aunts.  Listening to her laugh and speaking spanish with her sisters and brothers. 

  Even though she struggled to support us as a single parent,  we never really noticed that we didn't have much because she gave us so much.  private music lessons,  sending us to camps, taking us out to restaurants and raising us with an appreciation for the finer things in life,  even though we would have been considered poor by today's standards.  I never felt that way.  my childhood was rich.  I ran free,  just like she wanted me to.   We were raised in a household that celebrated culture, and the Arts. She encouraged us to read,  and listen to music.  Always emphasizing the importance of education even though she only had a highschool diploma.

  So it's from her that I inherited a generous spirit,  big heart, and the desire to be my own person,  and a strong woman.  I am Lucky beyond lucky to have her in my life still,  and happy that my kids have her too.   She may not always know it that we appreciate her, but  we do.

 A woman with a true Texas sized heart and wild spirit,  who even though at times we don't always agree, and I want to strangle her most days,  she still manages to make me laugh,  or cry at the silliest of things..continuing to teach me things and making me want to be a better person.

bottom line,  she always believed in me,  and taught me how to believe in myself.

Love you mom,  more than you know

Happy mothers day!

XOXOXO

Digging in the dirt.....and other adventures....

 Oh Spring......it's so hard to concentate when you're here.

The garden calls my name, 

the flowers distract me......

  and then inspire me.

There is something amazing that happens when you dig in the dirt.

the simple physical nature of working the earth and soil is good for you.

my mind completely lets go of all negative thoughts and energy and is seriously restored by nature.  I have been playing in the dirt since I was a little kid,  I can thank my parents for that.

of course that was a billion years ago when we didn't have all of the distractions like we do now.  we actually played outside until the street lights came on....we WANTED to be outside.  I mean how can you not?

climbing trees,  riding your bike.

I'm thankful I have kids that like to do these things.

I've been busy working in the garden here at my little apartment.  I am so lucky I have this amazing green space right in the heart of the city.  I even cleared out a space in my backyard that overlooks the town below,  it's pretty awesome sitting under the trees at night by candlelight.

so when i'm not lured into the garden,  you will find me in the studio.....I've been busy working on paintings, jewelry,  and pillows.  gearing up for next week when we re-open the shop on Thursday the 26th of April!

when I first opened the shop 7 years ago,  I had two birds.......people used to make trips just to see those silly little birds.

sadly my last remaining parakeet, tulip, died a couple of weeks ago.

we buried her in the garden under the trees and Tulips,  Fiona made a lovely shrine for her....

with her little bird bell,  flowers and bird seed sprinkled around.....just about killed me that child. such a sweet soul.

So,  being the animal lover that I am,  and my fondness for birds,  it just seemed fitting that we should have a new bird when we start our new Red Shoes venture.

So meet our new bird........

a sweet little Diamond Dove.  that we named

mr. pink, chicken,

Pat,  button, and now t-bone.

who knows!  we can't decide!  but I will tell you,  I adore this little bird,  and being able to hold him.   we are working with him slowly to get him used to us,  but oh. my. word.

love him.

so not only are we inspired by the garden,  but we are inspired by our birds as well......

finally finished my hanging birds,  after oh,  about 8 years.......

i'll get around to the projects eventually,  been busy working on a lot of things,

Fiona as my constant studio companion and inspiration.....

she's back to creating things for the Kids art Fair in July......tiny folk art fish that honestly,  I CANNOT PART WITH......gonna have to reproduce some copies,  because these are mine,  I can't let go.....

I mean,  these are the ones I made for a special order for the cabins up North at Wandawood....

and this is what Fiona churns out next to me......freaking free spirited artistic genius! oye,  she KILLS me I tell ya!

click on them to see them larger if you'd like :)

my little buddy girl. 

 So on that note,  I am off the get back into the studio,  this child and the garden as inspiration.......

lots of things will be happening soon.....

going through my own personal stock of vintage things I am ready to let go of......

vintage kewpies,  fun toys....

tiny little carnival ducks...... (not the letters)  sorry,  gotta keep the 'Lucky' letters to remind me how Lucky I truly am!

but I do have other letters and pretty plates and teapots I am letting go of......

and other  wonderful things rolling in slowly but surely to the shelves of Red Shoes,  like the fantastic handpoured and fabulous smelling candles from my sweet friend Michelle at Blackberry Briar,  these scents she concocts are seriously AMAZING.

fresh lilacs,  green grass,  oh my word,  once again......

garden fresh and awesome.

yes indeed...it's all good....and soon,  you'll be able to walk back into our doors and see it all for yourself again,  so pencil us in.......Thursday April 26th.......from 11-5:30

you know we will be so happy to see you!

 

XOXOXO

 

 

An Open House, an Artful weekend, and classes!.....

  whoo,  what a whirlwind weekend!   We had our little sneak peek open house this past friday,  to give people a glimpse into what we are doing with Red Shoes.   Just a peek To let you see what we are turning the shop into,  which is 3 working studios.  my studio,  and two of my girlfriends studios.  a Couture seamstress and apparel designer,  and a custom lamp,  and lampshade maker.

  The night went very well,  we had a lot of positive feedback about what we are doing so that was a great thing to hear!

  Here are a couple of photos of what we have going on.

not a ton of pictures,  too busy socializing and having fun at the open house,  but you can get a little feel for it here.  more pictures will come soon when we officially re-open sometime this month,  probably towards the end of April.

lovely flowers from lisa at pot and box!

pillows,  pillows,  pillows,

I sold a bunch of them on Friday,  and I usually never have them for sale online because it's hard to keep them in stock in the store,  but since i'm not officially open yet. I have put some up for sale online if you are interested,  you can see them here :)

 Samantha made some beautiful paper barrel shades for my classroom.  I LOve them!

she will be able to custom make any kind of lampshade for you too in papers and colors you choose!

they really make a room pop.  truly.

 finally finished some birds after...oh about 7 years.

yes,  i'll eventually get around to it ;-)

Mary had her adorable little studio set up where she makes the cutest childrens things out of recycled sweaters,  and also will be available to do custom sewing for Adults as well.  beautiful stuff I tell ya.

 All And all the night just glowed,  we had a great time,  and it felt good to get the shop doors open again.  we know people have been anxiously waiting,  and honestly,  we are working as fast as we can to get them back open for good.  so please bear with us,  it will be worth the wait.

  On another note, the same night as our open house,  the streets were filled with luminaries from the annual Fool moon festival event.  Such a visually stunning thing to see.  you can check out some of the images here

and see more about the making of the luminaries and giant puppets for the Parade on April fools day taken by my amazing photographer friend,  Myra Klarman here

 I love my town,  so full of Artful things to do.

the streets filled with unique individuals.......

 watching the parade with my Fiona.  :)

So on that note,  I am off to spend the day with my girl,  spring break started today.

we will probably do something creative later,  cuz we just have to make things.

which,  if you would like to be creative, I have some classes online available for sign up here.   Simple small abstract canvasses to paint,  making some jewelry,  or some metal flowers....

easy,  no pressure classes.  check 'em out here

try it,  you just might find out somethin about yourself!  :)

have a great day!

XOXO

oh,  and p.s.

I know some of you have contacted me about having your work on cosignment at red shoes,  and honestly I haven't meant to ignore you or not get back to you,  i've just been crazy busy swamped with the shop stuff.  so please,  if you are interested in doing this,  please email me some photos directly to my red shoes email at redhoesllc@yahoo.com

i'd love to see what you have going on.

we'll go from there.

thank you tons!

XOXO

workin' it.

 Give me a warm spring day,  and I will eat up each minute like there's no tomorrow.

wasn't this Past Sunday here in A2 just phenomenal?  I soaked up every bit of that day and got a ton accomplished.

starting with a fresh crisp walk with the dogs,

 then on to listening to good music in my studio with my Buddy Mary,  painting side by side.

  I then had her help me haul out this massive primitive cabinet piece that has been sitting in my garage for a LONG time.

  breaking out the orbital sander and taking off the coats of paints........usually I will leave a primitive piece as is,  not really wanting to add new paint to an old piece.  I love the original paint I usually find below. I am fascinated by the old patina of things.....

but sometimes,  when you strip,  the old paint just falls off and you are left with a surface that isn't really attractive.  so I gave this cabinet a fresh coat of blue paint,  and sanded that down to give it a different look.

I think it turned out o.k.

So in ONE lovely spring day,  I made a painting,  and finished a cabinet,  not bad huh? :)

  actually,  my painting needs a little metal border,  and it's done.

mind you, it was a simple painting,  I don't usually work that spare,  but I kinda like just the simple graphic elements with the neutral tones....

I also managed to finish another painting this weekend..this one, not so simple,  but I'm happy with it too...

the front room is really starting to take shape.....

next up I will be working on some pillows to fill that bed......because on March 3oth we will be having an open house at the shop to give you a sneak peek at what we are working on.  so stay tuned for that.

just know I am working very hard behind the scenes....wrapping up special orders......and old projects....

coming up with new ideas....everyday!......

in between spending time with my people soaking up gorgeous spring days....

and lovely spring evenings absorbing all of the rich visual images my town has to offer

basically just having fun working.....

because you can be sure I have a head FULL of ideas and the desire to get them all out to share with you.....

thanks for stopping by to take a look at what I'm up to,

please enjoy YOUR day to the fullest!  You know I will :)

XOXOXO

 

 

Transformations.....

 I'm a type A.d.d personality.  I drive myself to the point of exhaustion,  in between spiralling in circles of course because I have no clue what to tackle first. (believe it or not I thrive on operating this way)

 So For the past few weeks I have been working extra hard to focus on the shop,  painting the walls,  moving EVERYTHING out to have the floors re-finished,  then moving it ALL back in,  weeding out things here and there and organizing. 

  I have to tell you it's an amazing feeling to know where everything is,  and to see your supplies at your fingertips so you can (hopefully)  become more prolific.

  All that working however knocked me on my hiney and I came down with a cold.

I very rarely get sick,  so when I do I swear I am a big baby about it....I hate feeling like crap,  because when you have one of these obsessive overdrive type of personalities,  it kills me to miss a day in bed.  I literally lay in the bed and flop around freaking out about what I SHOULD be doing.  Do you do that too?  Let's face it,  when you're a woman on your own,  making and supporting yourself through Art no less,  that's what you gotta do right?

  Anyways,  enough about that feeling- sorry- for -myself -business,  so here are some pictures of the shop in it's transformation stages......before and afters.....it's starting to look really nice,  and I am super excited about it!

did I mention I have a LOT of stuff?  this is the front room filled to the celings with stuff.  oye

Clearing out my studio is a major endeavor.  But it felt great.  My studio has had so many transformations......do you do this in an effort to make it more efficient?  well,  I do, over and over..... but honestly,  I think it's my MIND that needs re-organization. when I'm feeling chaotic,  my studio reflects it too.

here it is when it's more zen like......in 2010 mind you ;)

(and clean for a photo shoot)

this is not reality.

but this is....ha ha.

Actually this even drove me nuts,  so I had to scrap this set up.  I couldn't concentrate.

I loved that inspiration board for a few years,  then it began to make me feel cluttered and distracted,  so I decided to eliminate it....I have Pinterest.  an online virtual pinboard that's my place where I organize things, and where I go if I need to be inspired.  If you haven't signed up for that yet.  run.  don't walk,  to sign up,  it's AMAZING  (and addicting)

yes,  you have been warned.

So here we have the rooms cleared out so the floors can be polished,  this is what they looked like before,  dull and life less....

and this is the after.....ooooh  ahhhhhhhhhh

makes me want to dance :)

so then the process of moving back in commenced,  I am trying to weed through what I need and what I don't.  I repainted a wall in my studio a hot vibrant pink.

hotpink is supposed to be a very energizing color,  but not aggressively so.  it encourages change, creates calmness,  compassion and neutralizes disorder,  So I am thinking this was a wise sub-conscious color choice no? 

here's before:

and here's the now....

nice and tidy with a pop of color.....

before I had all my fabric in this glass case,  now it's out and folded on a shelf so I can see it better,  and my glass case holds jars filled with all sorts of supplies....

and a glass case holding current projects I'm continuing to work on...

i'm back to making goofy portraits of people.  In fact my daughter and I have been collaborating on a few things.  

Fiona draws the faces,  and I been starting to paint them

I also started making these 3 dimensional portraits encased in these old Martha Stewart shadow boxes that I've had lanquishing on my shelves for YEARS that I recently un-earthed.....see,  cleaning is a good thing ;-)

layers of paint, pastel, glue, and vintage papers on metal.....

of course,  when i'm making my things,  my little studio buddy has to make her own version.

here's Fiona's guy

crack me up.

So that's it for this week,  I am back to working on projects,  in between blowing my nose while twirling in circles..of course.........

thanks for taking a peek,  look forward to sharing and revealing more soon because even though i'm sick,  I am on a mission,  transforming not only my shop,  but myself.

always good to try and re-frame things right?

right.

XOXO

 

 

 

 

 

 

What am I doing? hmmmmm....here's a peek :)

 I know I've not been the best at keeping up with this blog in the past year...I need to work on that,  because the one thing you should know about me is that I love sharing pretty much everything.  clearly I am an open book.

Lots of things go on in my life,  my days are completely full....just like you and most people in this day and age. we are all living these kinds of controlled circus style lives.  (well some of us have it under control)   I just have to laugh at the absurdity of things in my life,  because I definitely don't have it under control,  but I guess I like living on the wild side.

  So just to give you a peek I will share what went down this week.

I heard a crash,  a jingle of bells and  flapping sounds..... My little parakeet fell off her perch with this kind of open-toed paralyzed foot.

 oh man. really?  now what.

  well my little $20 bird went to the vet.

$85 later my bird got a clean bill of health,  no broken bones, healthy,  perfect weight,  but perhaps some sort of nerve damage to her foot.  so I now get to give my parakeet anti-imflammatory medicine via a tiny eyedropper every day.

seriously?

seriously.

evidently  This is my level of comittment.

here's a fun trick,  have a couple of cocktails and try and handle your un-tamed bird that bites, without gloves  because you have this notion that somehow you've bonded and it will be o.k. because deep down you think she likes you!

this is not the case. 

SO! In between administering meds to a grumpy bird,  I have been painting the walls at my shop.......

everything is getting a fresh coat of paint....this is my new class room,  isn't it pretty?

In fact if you want to come hang out in my lovely new space,  I have some classes lined up online now!  you can check out my class line up here .  I even have a couple of night time classes lined up too....  cocktails,  hors'douvres,  creating tiny masterpieces....doesn't that sound like fun?  :) 

  Now I have also had a couple of friends move their studios into my shop.  one is a couture seamstress that makes adorable little baby clothes.....

i'm trying to talk her into making adult clothes too....so stay tuned on that.

on the other side of my shop I now have a custom lamp,  and lamp shade maker setting up her little creative space!  how fun is that!?

in fact she has a class online now as well!  she will teach you how to create your very OWN lampshade right here in my shop!  i'm signing up for sure!

  we have all been busy setting up our spaces,  painting walls and making things behind the scene.

This bed is waiting for pillows that are being made now....slowly but surely...

in between dolls that i've been making....

and old ones I've unearthed that I made years ago that will FINALLY get bodies!.....

because this is how an A.D.D. artist operates......creating little things here and there

in between birds,  dogs,

  kids....

socializing.....

life......you know the deal.  tiny snippets of time in a day to

paint......

make jewelry....

clean my messy, cluttered studio, (and mind)

makes you want to hide right?  ;-)

nah!  I embrace the nuttiness,  it makes life so much more exciting and fun.

so on that note,  I am back to sewing my little home pillow in my freshly painted class room,  because it is such a pretty and serene space.....don't you think?  :)

Really,  really pretty,  sunny,  and fresh,  you know you'd like to join me here right?

well you are always more than welcome :)

XOXO

 

 

 

My Boy is 14!

Hard to believe that 14 years ago today I gave birth to this giant 9 pound 11 ounce child.

the sweetest little chubby cheeked child I could have ever wished for.

I got exactly what I wanted,  pure love at first sight.

He was such a sweet little kid,  full of curiosity,  and wonder.  I could take him ANYWHERE he was such a good little boy.

I clearly remember always gritting my teeth because I wanted to squeeze him all the time he was so cute and loveable.

The older he got,  the more handsome he became,  and a little bit more complicated too.....his creative edgy side started to emerge,  as did his independence.  I could totally relate to that.

He became a little bit more brooding, typical of the teenage years.  But we have always been close,  listening to the same kinds of music,  interested in Art,  and photography...

thank goodness for that.

he's fun to be around....even though most days now he's so freaking moody,  or

 wrapped up with some sort of electronic device ;-)

but beyond all of that, I can honestly say he's chosen a nice group of friends to be with. 

friends that seem to share the same passions as him,  skateboarding,  filming,  graffiti....

oh Graffiti.

Actually,  I love this kind of Art.  and Jackson is really becoming pretty good at it.

fully immersing himself into learning everything about it.

making little drawings,  and covering his entire walls in his room.

yes,  I let him do this. 

I'd rather he did it in the house,  than out on the streets being destructive.

because yes,  he's done that too and gotten into trouble,  lessons learned the hard way...

teen age years......god I hope I survive them. 

anyways, 

he's now moved on to giant plywood sheets......I am hoping he will start making big graffiti pieces that I can frame for him.

 

because he's really enjoying this art form,  and it's great to see him back to drawing again.

some might think these alternative art forms are just for thugs.

well,  they're not.  It's a form of creativity,  and expression,  and I am all for that.

 

because I know my boy is sweet, caring and sensitive,  making cupcakes for a girlfriend,  or always complimenting me even on my worst days.  he is the most loyal son.  he's just trying to figure it all out just like the rest of us. 

So when he's not being a typical teenage grouch,  he is actually hilarious and quick witted.

lots of people don't see this side to him because he's so reserved,  but trust me,  it's there :)

So today I wish my sweet, creative, and smart  Boy Jackson a very Happy 14th Birthday....

I can't believe these years have gone by so fast,  from sweet faced toddler boy....

to my size eleven shoe wearing handsome man-child.

you're a beautiful son on the inside and out,  and like I said before,  you're more than this mother could have ever wished for.

truly.

 

love you buddy

XOXOXO

To be continued.......

Today was kind of a milestone for me. 

I quietly closed my shop.

yes,  just .like .that. 

I didn't want to make a big deal out of it because it's unfinished business really.
I just need a break.
i've been thinking about this for a long time,  and today just seemed like a good day to take a leap, and move forward,
sometimes, you just gotta do it.
  Needless to say,  2011 was a tough year.
I know it was for many people.
for me,  it was both good and bad.
I dealt with a separation,  leaving my home and comfort zone to moving to an apartment downtown.
broken bones,  and staples to the head with my skateboarding son, along with a ton of teen age angst and rebellion,  Student council leader and straight A student with my daughter.  yes,  two radically different children that  I think are both growing into some amazing people.
I had tons of fun with friends,  partying and socializing,  meeting new people.
and dealt with tremendous sadness at the loss of some of my friend's parents.
I created a lot of Art work, did commissions and made it into several books and magazines,  landing on the cover of a book, AND a national magazine…I started teaching classes, focusing on what really makes me happy.
 I worked hard and played hard digging deep to try and see what I want out of this life.
it's exhausting honestly,  In fact I created a little Flickr photo album of some of the images of things I did in the past year.   you can check it out here if you'd like.
what.  a.  blur.
they say what doesn't break you will only make you stronger,  well I can say that is for darn sure.
  So it was with mixed emotion that I closed my business today,  while yes,  there is a certain melancholy to it,  there is also a strong feeling of relief and excitement to start something fresh,  something new.
  The New year always seems to be all about that,  Fresh starts and resolutions.  I've never been one for resolutions,  they always seem like something to fail at even though they start out with good intentions.
So I am approaching this as a new beginning,  a new adventure.
I am re-inventing Red Shoes into something that is more ME.
what I was meant to do from the start.
Honestly it was always about the Art,  but for some reason I feel like I wandered far away from it trying to make other people happy.
well,  I've finally snapped out of it and gained some sort of murky clarity.
So in the next month or two I am going to take some time,  to further cement my vision into something new for Red Shoes.
I will be going back to my roots, making more of my own work, and gathering up other artists and vintage goods to sell at my shop when I re-open it sometime in february,
so don't be sad,  I won't be gone forever,
I'm just taking a little much need break,
this is a good thing.
 stay tuned…..this is
to be continued………….
XOXOXO

A little Thank you gift for you

 This time of year always reminds us to be thankful.  Fall always has that kind of thoughtful quality to it.  well at least for me it does.
 I have a great many things to be thankful for in this world,  I owe a part of that thanks to all of you who come here and offer your kind words and support.
It makes me feel so nice and comforted.  I thank you tremendously for that.
   So in a small way I would like to give something back to you,  to say thank you for all you do.  a little something I stumbled upon today while messing around in my studio in full-on A.D.D. mode.
    Needless to say,  I have about 500 projects on deck,  or swirling around in my mind

look at these for example....

a variety of projects stopped and started......waiting to be finished.....eventually.

so I need a new project like a need a hole in the head.....

but todays discovery was a good one,  because it's simple,  quick and easy,  and for someone who NEVER creates anything simple fast and easy,  this was a freaking break through! 

now I want to share it with you! 

  So today while I was cutting up some of my recycled sweaters,  a light bulb went off in my head.

Sweater sleeves make GREAT Christmas Stockings!

now maybe this has already been done before,  I have no clue,  because I live under a rock and don't know these things,   but it is new to me!  whoo-hoo!

So here is my little tutorial for you on how to make a simple christmas stocking out of a sweater sleeve.  because yes,  the HOlidays are fast approaching us,  and it's good to think and make ahead.  plus,  this is a very economical project to do,  and that is always a good thing, especially now that the government is taking all of our money,  ahem.

SO!

Start with a sweater you find at a thrift shop,  or in your closet,  you know,  the one that accidently got tossed in the washer and is now small enough for your cat to wear.

make sure that it's a wool sweater,  those are the best kinds.

I also look for very fun patterns.

the top of the sleeve has a natural diagonal cut to it which is great!

Cut on the seam like shown.

turn the sweater inside out and stitch up the opening in the shape of a foot kind of simply following the curve.

(note,  that was drawn on, for effect... I stitched it closed with a sewing machine)

it should look like this when you turn it right side out.

next make a loop out of a scrap piece of sweater

pin the strip and sew up the edges

it will look like this.

next attach the loop to the top edge of the stocking.  I folded over the sleeve and pinned the loop to the inside of the seamed edge

sew a box shaped pattern to secure

attach a big ole button to cover your loop stitch area.

you could stop here,  and you would be done,  but if you're me,  you will want to add embellishments.  maybe a little flower,  or more buttons to the edge,  or felt balls,  whatever,  have fun!

you will finally end up with a sweet little stocking that was made in a ridiculously short amount of time,  maybe even just 15 minutes,  yes,  I just said that.

crazy fast!  and cute too!

hope you like my little thank you gift ,

just my small way of saying thanks for being so kind to me. 

XOXOXOXO

Family and Friends First

 Transitions are hard......As with everything in life,  They takes time.  Sometimes it feels like an eternity till things change over,  or that you can't do them fast enough.....but all things happen in their due time I suppose.

    I have been working a ton lately,   so I decided to take the weekend off,  packed up my Art supplies, and hit the open road heading North Solo to my friend Kamala's resort,  Wandawood.  That place gives me such peace,  surrounded my Michigan's natural beauty. 

4 white-knuckled hours later,  I arrived and imediately got down to business......

  when I say I am taking the weekend off,  this does not really mean that I am sitting still.....you know I can never really do that.

My friend is going through some changes too with her mom and has taken over running the resort for her.    This is a large endeavor with 2 kids in college,  another child in middle school,  and 15 cottages to maintain.   So I decided to help her re-vamp some of the cottages to make them even more charming than they already are.

   We spent the whole weekend sewing,  laughing,  and painting.  it was a ball.

painting with a lake as a backdrop is a beautiful thing......this is not my idea of work.

  We spent the first day taking notes and figuring out our plan.

I love how we were able to quickly tranform some of these cottages into amazing spaces with just simple little touches such as changing out a futon cover,  adding pillows,  or a colorful rug,  and an original piece of Art.  So Fun!

here is the 'before' photo of the cottage with a plain checkered futon cover,  drab rug, and basically plain decor.....click on pics to see them larger.

here is the 'after' photo where we literally made this place look like an Artful retreat with just a few small additions.

the futon really pops against that red floor with the black cover,  and the bold graphic pillows accented with that bright green rug. note the bright pillows in the background on the red coverlet.

I also made simple panels to cover the shelves in the kitchen with this cool fabric we found that ties in with the French chalkboard hanging above,  making it all seem cohesive.

adding one of my folk art fish above the retro mustard colored stove that still rocks in this kitchen!

I love how those panels look from the living room,  this is honestly my most favorite cabin now,  I will be staying here next summer,  that is for sure.  :)

  I made 8 folk art fish in all, adding a few of them to different places, a row of them ended up in another cabin on top of a beautiful window over looking the lake along with blue and green striped pillows.   we were really happy with how this one turned out as well.

again,  simple touches.....

in fact,  if you would like to learn how to make one of my simple little folk art fish,  you can sign up online here,  I am offering a class this saturday,  and one the following week as well,  so fun!  (and Easy!)

besides making fish,  and pillows,  I also made her a sign....

and we spray painted some chairs to go with the brown and turquoise theme of another cottage.

honestly,  we got a TON done in a short amount of time,  I only had a few photos of these two cottages,  but we transformed more than 6 or 8 of them.  seriously!

 In fact,  I did some of my own transforming at the shop before I left....painting the hallway a bright poppy colored red....folks, yes, I am on a ROLL.

 In fact,  I've been going through a lot of personal changes myself, so it's no wonder the shop is as well.   So this week now that I am back home,  and back to reality ...Life is ALL about Changes and Transitions.

 I am not the best at making decisions, sometimes it takes years for me to 'get it'

for things to sink in,  othertimes I can make snap decisions and be quite impulsive. But this one finally just seems right.

  Ultimately my shop has always been about the Art. It's what got me started in the first place years ago, got me some attention,  and beside my family,  is truly my first love.  all of the other stuff is secondary.  But,  being the people pleaser that I naturally am,  I spent a great deal of time, energy,  and money trying to sustain the retail portion of it to please my customers. 

I have decided to no longer do that. 

   I can't tell you how many times I have had customers come into my shop ONCE a year and ask me why I don't have a particular hand lotion in stock.....or have people tell me they "love this shop at Christmastime!"   or the people that come in once during Art fair each year for my sale items that are marked far below 75% off and try to get me to come down more on my price, telling me they are "really good customers" while in the same breath make comments about how my shop has really downsized and doesn't look as 'full'.    There are also the customers who are unhappy that I don't have more handmade pillows in stock so they can come in a use their groupons to buy something at half price that took me hours and sometimes days to complete. 

I wonder if they ever think about these things they say.

  Well,  after 7 years,  and a flagging economy,  a person can only take so much.  

A shop cannot survive on customers that come in once a year.  and only during Christmas or sale time.

  While I don't want this to seem like a gripe session,  because honestly,  the good FAR OUTWEIGHS the bad, I felt the need to spill this......to give you a little view from my perspective.   when you put your heart and soul into something, these things can eat away at you over time. 

That is if you let them.

 I have made many long lasting friendships,  and built a customer base of people that are genuinely wonderful.  customers that I love dearly and would bend over backwords for.  It's for these people that I have kept my doors open as long as I have.  I have a serious feeling of commitment to you people,  I would never want to disappoint you.      I'm told all the time how I 'can never close,  because Ann Arbor would lose a Treasure'.   So it's for these people, you people,  that I continue to carry on.

  BUT,  I am changing it up a bit to take care of myself as well.

I am not your normal type of retail establishment.   My family and my friends come first.  and when I say that,  I consider a lot of you that have been here with me from the beginning my friends.   you mean a lot to me.

Just know I am one woman running this place,  handling emails,  cleaning, painting,  waiting on customers, and creating.    I have decided to focus soley on my Art work, and teaching  classes.  it's what people seem to want,  and what makes me the happiest.

yes,  this took me years to figure out.

You can buy a lotion or a book anywhere,  but you can't buy an original painting,  or a Pillow made out of a recycled sweater many places,  so it's that what makes me unique that will be my primary focus.

  So as I transition the shop to more handmade goods, 

vintage goods,

and a dedicated class room where I will share my skills, 

(in fact there are some classes online to sign up for here :)

 

I hope you will be a little patient with me,  I am going as fast as I can.....

I have a head full of ideas....sewing, Painting and crafting into the wee hours to fill my shelves up with things that I enjoy producing,  That I hope you will enjoy owning,  because they have been made with true love,  heart, and two hands.   you really can't say that about something massed produced in China as far as I am concerned and in the end, that is what is truly important to me.

XOXOXO

 

 

My downtown life......

  You asked,  and I am delivering......loads of pictures of my new space. CLick on the images to see them larger if you'd like.  I do apologize in advance,  there are a ton of them.

  It's a tiny little place right in the heart of downtown.  I honestly love it here.  it's radically different than any place I've ever lived before.  The noises,  the sites,  and sounds. Plenty to adjust to,  but then again,  I have a ton of things I am adjusting to in this new life of mine.  So without further dialog,  here is my new space,  a tiny little place I now call home.

come in won't you......it's nice and sunny in here....

my dogs will greet you.....they like to look out the back windows and see who's here....

My bird likes it here too....she can chirp all day long on the back porch,  chiming in with the rest of the neighborhood bird-gang ....

My front window looks right out onto the main drag of the downtown street....

 
interesting what you will see down here at night when sitting out on the front porch....I've had all sorts of fun meeting new people......

women playing guitars while strolling down the street,  visual artists and their manmade creations to name a few......

inside tho,  it's a nice quiet little space,  and I can tune it all out if I choose....

filled with sunshine.....

a little kitchen,  and space to keep my treasures.....

I have ridiculous amounts of stuff...... In fact,  I may be a borderline hoarder.....but this place since it's so small limits me,  I have to corral myself and work within a small space.

being creative with how I store things.....

Vintage ladders make great towel racks!

especially when you have a micro-sized bathroom.

the good thing about this place is that it has lots of windows and light so it makes it feel less cramped....

even tho the houses are crammed up really close.

however, despite the proximity it really glows inside....

the dogs even think it's comfy, 

keeping me company while I work,  or create....

in fact, they are actually pretty relaxed down here despite the crazy sounds at night.....drunks, car horns,  sirens.......trains.....

oh the train.....  it likes to come by around 3 am,  and several other times of the day as well.  surprisingly I'm getting used to it,  and now sleep thru that loud honking.  oye.

 

here's a little glimpse into my relaxing morning on the back porch.  what you can't hear is the mixture of church bells with train horn.  that was interesting :)

  

 Honestly,  I don't mind it.
The great thing about living down here is that I can walk out my front door and either be right in the heart of mainstreet and all of it's vibrancy,  or I can walk into the neighborhood that I grew up in on the old westside.....

 

being inspired along the way with the balance between beauty, light,  color,  and the natural grunge of the city.....love that.

I will say that I miss having my children with me every night.....that is the hardest thing,  but they do come and stay with me on occasion,  and I cook for them almost every night,  and breakfast every morning.....I just didn't want to up-root them from their home....it's a delicate balance that is for sure.

 I do think they are adjusting just fine......Fiona likes to come here,  and Jackson enjoys skateboarding downtown...there is that sense of freedom that comes with this place.

But I do miss some things, like my garden....

but I can work in one at my shop....

cuz I don't quite feel complete unless I have my hands in the dirt somewhere.

SO on that note, with everything in life.....there is a balance,  and sometimes change is good.  I've heard it said somewhere that is takes getting lost in order to find yourself.

I'm learning how to navigate this new adventure of mine,  thanks for coming along with me and wanting to take a peek....I look forward to seeing what comes out of this new life....I have a head FULL of ideas and I think this place may help me to realize some of them.....only time will tell......  thanks for stopping by, I hope you Have a wonderful Sunday

XOXOXO