Thinkin' is Another Type of Lovin'

Hello my friends,

I just wanted to stop by and say that I have been thinking of you all. I am feeling gabby, but no time at the moment, but wanted to share a few little pics of what I am hoping will be a finished project someday. It is obvious that I am still trying to learn to use my new sewing machine...hence the operative word, "trying."  I am enjoying myself, and when I get a moment, I would love to share some thoughts with you, as I am learning that while trying to pin, measure, and cut fabric, my mind sure does think about a lot of things...but good things! Things I keep telling myself, "I should write this down..." but never do, because I get caught up in my project. Will share  more about what I am doing (and thinking) very soon!

Just wanted you to know that I miss you and do really think of you more than you probably realize. Which actually makes me feel good because somewhere recently, I read (I think either on Pinterest or on one of your blogs) that someone said that if only people knew how many other people really thought about them. Because if we really stopped for a moment and thought about all the people we think about in a week, and yet those people have no idea that we were even giving them a second thought, how they would be so amazed. And if we have so many others in our thoughts, then it only stands to reason that we must be in others' thoughts as well.

That is pretty cool, don't you think?

Okay, back to pinning, cutting, and thinkn'!  

Lots of love and lots of good thoughts always.

from my house to your house,

It was a Crime of Passion

I should have just made another round of cheese. I realize that too late.

Have you ever gotten yourself into a project that just seemed to grow and grow and before you know it, you somehow feel like while it was a good idea, maybe the timing wasn't so good?

It all started out so innocently, and so excitedly too, darn it.

And it has nothing to do with cheese.

Yes, I really did make a round of cheese by scratch! In fact, I made two rounds, and that will be a future post. So, this cheese photo is a preview, that that project went well.

Just two days ago I was working on some pics for a friend and my computer was acting up, and so I decided to do a non-computer project that I won't tell you what it is, because at the moment, I am not sure how it will turn out. But I decided to close up my computer and start this "exciting project" late one afternoon, and thought to myself, "Wow, this is just what I need!" And boy did I ever get started!

I show the above picture only to show that I took this only days before my insane self took over and now our home looks as though someone broke in, and tried to find something, anything worth taking and decided to just leave it all behind instead!

I share my project mess with you out of the hopes that someone (and I know you are out there) will share that you too, have gotten yourself up to your eyeballs in a mess, I mean project, but somehow had to keep convincing your loved ones with whom you share your living quarters with, "I am almost done!" and yet, you have no clue what you are doing...you think you do, you really do, but as each hour passes, and the sun goes down, and the sofa is calling out to you to in its sofa's soporific voice: "Come...come...lie down a spell and we'll work this out together..." And before you know it, it is 5AM...and you (I really mean, me) stumble into bed, without even taking note of the "project" around me and off to a real snooze. 

And so, my barber husband, who cuts hair early Saturday morning, leans over and kisses my cheek good-bye at 6AM and asks if I got a lot done as he felt me come into bed only an hour ago, and I mumble, "Yes..." and he leaves the bedroom only to be greeted by the crime scene that follows:

Unsuspecting Barber husband enters from the hallway into the scene of the crime...project, I mean.

He looks to his right and sees an array of lights and pillows and wonders if this is some new-fangle sofa trend that his beloved is trying out....he's not sure if he will go along with bulbs and pillows. 

Beat up old grains sacks around the house was pretty daring for him already...

But then he turns to the left and finds cabinet doors wide open and even empty! The CD's! Gone! But then he remembers that most were Elizabeth's "unique" collection of Enya,  Medieval, Boy's Christmas Choir, and he even found Yanni one time! Not grieving this loss he decides...

But now he sees "powder" everywhere, as if someone was dusting for fingerprints...getting a little concern here...but he can't tell if we were ransacked or just sacked...

He notices a little pathway was left open towards the door, and decides that there was no robbery, because he is pretty sure that if he were robbing our place (and would leave empty-handed, he is sure), once in the door, he would have turned right around and gone next door to rob. 

As my barber husband leaves, he takes comfort in seeing a banana peel left on the table from the night before. He is glad that I got a little nourishment for all of my....what would you call it? Work? Fun? Re-doing? No, he is glad I got a little nourishment for my passionate adventure! That is all it is at the moment because adventures lead you somewhere, but you don't know where till you get there.

Now for a little game: can you guess how many pairs of eye glasses that can be found in the above photos? I couldn't believe how many I used last night and how many I have on hand...take a guess and then scroll down for fun....

(No, I do not sleep/snuggle with a grain sack! It is just tossed over the edge of the sofa...geesh! I love them, but not that much! :-)

  

Did you get all of them? As I went through the "crime scene" (and believe me, it is a crime that this stuff isn't put away yet....!) I couldn't believe how many glasses I have around in JUST this room! Have to laugh about it.

Well, after I finish this "adventure" and clean the "powder" off the furniture, (man, dust really shows up in sepia photos, doesn't it?), put the peels in the trash, and the lighting sources back in their places, I will share the pretty after photos. I think after this lot, anything I come up with will be an improvement. Hey... that could be a new gig, just show some really crappy, unfinished-what-in-the-hell-did-I-get-myself-into project photos first, then whatever you come up with will always be better and impressive than the first images! LOL. 

Okay, back to work. Actually, I am having fun rediscovering some lost and forgotten treasures that I am very happy to have found again. Just want to find a good place for them so I don't forget about them so I can use them!

Hope you enjoyed the visit and being a partner in my crime of passion.

May your passions always take you on adventures...

oh...btw....I do have way cool CD's...my Barber husband just gets a kick out of naming those few "unique" ones he found in my stash...that's okay...I have hair.

from my house to your house,

Amazingly Simple

I know I don't have to ask you if you ever found yourself just running and your list of projects just keep growing. That is part of our blog world, I believe. And sometimes, I think when we visit each other, we not only get validation that we are not the only ones that are running around with our heads cut off by reading each others' blogs...but then guess what happens? 

We get even more inspired and motivated by reading each other blogs and just keep adding to our already long list of projects! It is sort of like going to a yard sale and seeing everyone else's junk all over the yard and sighing a sigh of relief that you aren't the only one with so much crap in your basement, and as you sigh, you are buying up more crap from the yard sale! But of course, we tell ourselves,  this isn't crap...it is going to be useful for that project "someday." But who cares? It is recycling! And someone gets to make a buck, and we have fun while buying crap...ahem...recycling. 

See that bowl of string? I just snapped that photo quickly today and downloaded it about 10PM, I think. I am in the middle of about seven, yes, SEVEN projects that all came at once and with short deadlines. And I pushed aside some string and this bowl and tossed them inside to get them out of the way, and I shot it quickly just to test some light and my white balance before I began shooting a project (which has nothing to do with the bowl of string). I forgot I even shot this photo until I just now downloaded the photos and saw it. 

As I looked at the photo of piled up string, some of it tangled, I realized just how pooped I am and how much I feel like that bowl of string right now. Don't get me wrong...I am very happy with all my projects and when I get a breather I will share and in a moment, I will quickly show a little of what I have been up to in the recent past that I haven't even had time to share yet - and those aren't even part of the current seven projects. 

But back to the string. As most of you know by now, I love string, yarn, paper, burlap and textiles. But I believe a bowl of string is just about as lovely as it can get, no matter how tattered or how neatly it looks. String has so many uses and yet, it is so basic. And when piled together, for some reason, it looks amazing. It is amazingly simple. 

And that is how life can be at times: Amazingly simple. 

Sometimes, I have a way of just getting in my own way. I get all excited and happy, and then worried how am I ever going to do it all or get it all done. And yet, for years and years, I have done it, have done it well, and loved it. So, why do I continue to worry when life has a way of piling things up all at once now and again? I wish I could space out nicely all the wonderful projects and line them up only one a month, but life doesn't work that way in this field. Feast and famine at times. And sometimes, (rarely) it can be steady. 

But, every single time, it works out. And every single time, life turns out to be amazingly simple. And I am always amazed by it. And amazed by Jesus, who is always there to untangle everything for me and how God continues to give me challenges (even if all at once at times)and shows me how amazing life is and how simple it can be, even in the most complicated of times.

So, I am going to try to hunt down a few pics on my computer to show you quickly what I have been up to, and will explain it all later...I have a very early morning tomorrow and lots of work. I will tell you that I am very busy doing a lot of shooting, writing, cooking, traveling, designing for clients, and painting. I have some big travel plans in the future that I am VERY excited tell you about and I am in the middle of a living room make-over that I am just not having any time to do....you know the saying...the cobbler's kids have no shoes...

Until next time, I am wishing you all a very amazingly simple summer!

Sorry friends...I am pooped, so the photos are simple and small...with little explanations - until next time!

Colors for our living room....

Working in PJ's today....what am I doing now??

What am I up to here????

Don't even try to guess....

Yes! I have a studio!  Temp for now, but it is a working studio that I  haven't spent a lot of time in, but will soon!

My studio in the making....

Painting/sanding a kitchen...in my studio!

My tool room

Kitchen before...

You will have to wait until I get a moment to hunt down the after photos! Ahhhh! I can't find them on this computer and they must be on my file card still and I am too pooped to download them. Sorry!  But it turned out great - the client loved it.  I know, I know, very lame...no pics.

More photos and words next time...or maybe less words, and more photos?

from my house to your house,

Pins, Paper, Scissors

As promised, I said I would show you some photos that weren't included in the Aug/Sep/Oct issue Where Women Create Issue. This time I am showing some extra photos that I shot in the studio of Amy Barikman, of Indygo Junction. To recap, I am trying to catch everyone up on everything....

Two postings ago, I showed you some extra photos that I took for Curious Sofa that weren't included in that issue of WWC, and if you missed that posting and want to see some photos, you may click here and it will take you right to it. Next, I showed you photos of Ree Drummond's (Pioneer Woman) ranch and if you missed that posting and the stories that went with it, you may click here, and it will link you right up. I also caught you up on the fun tidbit that I entered a national design contest sponsored through Design Sherpa and was selected and made it to phase one with my photo and essay (feel free to click and leave a comment!) and as of this writing, phase two has not been announced yet. So, I have no word if I made it to phase two yet. I believe there are four or five phases, the winner won't be selected until November, I believe. And finally, I hinted a little about my new studio. I am still in the process of getting the permits - I went to city hall and am getting the inspections scheduled as I type this and the electrical is being finalized! More on that later...can't wait to show you...  :-)

So now, on with the eye candy. Let me tell you a little about Amy. This is one very talented lady with LOADS of energy. She makes me look like a slug! She writes, owns and runs a business, takes great care of her wonderful family,  has a beautiful home, a great disposition, and loves to share, share, share. I was just fascinated by all that she does. She owns (along with her mother) Indygo Junction, a pattern business that many of you crafters probably are familiar with. Her company sells all sorts of patterns that will help you make all kinds of fun stuff from rosettes made out of vintage ties, purses, vests, scarves, tops, aprons, you name it. Items you see in the following photos are from her patterns.

Amy at her desk. I love her style.

I thought you might like to hear how a photo shoot goes on DURING the set up when I don't know what I am really walking into, and I thought you might find it interesting, so here is a peek. When I arrived at Amy's house to preview it, I had to shoot her studio and Debbie's on the same weekend. I arrived on a Thursday afternoon and went and visited Amy's home. She is a dream client because she let me style and do whatever I wanted to her space. She is a real worker bee and had this fabulous room with all these windows that she did work in, and it did have a table that she did paperwork on, but her stacks of patterns were in the room next to it, with no windows (both these rooms were in the basement) and I immediately said, "We must use the room with the windows!" She just smiled and said, "Tell me what to do." She showed me around her house and she had all these FABULOUS vintage mannequins and I told her we need to gather all her girls up. I went into her pattern room (actually a room that actually was more of a stock room, not really a work room) and she pulled out all sorts of goodies and I told her we need to pull those into the window room too. I rearranged her tables (they were already in there) and gave her more "assignments" to pull together for the next day (Friday) as I shot over Curious Sofa. She worked very hard all day Friday in her studio.

Oh, I can't remember her kitty's name, but I loved him!! He was a like a dog and followed me everywhere.

Late Friday, after a day of shooting at Curious Sofa, I go back to Amy's to see her work, and I am so happy when people actually do what I tell them to do! (I know, I know, Randy turns that statement around every time I use it, but I am referring to when people do what I say design wise!).  She did pull her studio together but still had some work to do. Amy is very modest and humble. I helped her to see her space differently for a photo shoot. I helped her with "marketing." 

I noticed that she didn't have any of her company's items out, or her branding out, or her name anywhere. There is a very fine line in doing this. You don't want to go overboard, but hey, it is a national magazine, so you want to take advantage of the free advertising! So, I ask her to show me around her whole place and I come across all these purses she had stashed away and fell in love with them! And I needed to fill up the place under the table, it looked too bare, so this was perfect! See? Not in-you-face marketing, but still an addition of color.

Okay, I have to add, the green purse if my favorite. I love them all, but I love the green one.

And in this wide shot, see how the table would look naked and dark below without a dash of color? The trunk is too dark on its own. You see the purses, and nothing tells you the purses are her patterns, but there is a feeling that you might wonder about them, look up her website, and presto! There they are! Now in case you are wondering, those pillows right in front, on the floor, are mementos that were already in her studio that has meaning to her, and added great color - not a pattern. So, again, we are not overdoing the marketing.

So, there I am on Friday evening, giving her more instructions to dig out even more stuff. Again, like I said before, people are just amazed at how much stuff it takes for a photo shoot. She will have all day Saturday to get it right. I will be shooting all day Saturday at Curious Sofa, and Sunday, I will be shooting all day at Amy's. I leave of list of things for her to hunt down: threads, ironstone bowls, notions, pin cushions, papers, needles, anything with sewing...

I shoot all day Saturday at Curios Sofa and then on Sunday, I come back to shoot at Amy's. She found lots of good stuff and then I go about and arrange them here and there, according to how the light is coming in through the window and hits it. Above is a good example. She wrote a book, Vintage Notions, and did a lot of research and had tons of vintage papers regarding the subject. She also had vintage ribbon and lace. By simply putting the them together at a certain angle, then suddenly, what was  just stored in a box and plastic bags only moments earlier, becomes "artsy."

She had piles of the old red tomato pin cushions...I loved them! But when they are piled in an old jar...well, now, even I would consider putting this beautiful, bright red jar of pin cushions in my soft palette office....

Her studio was like a candy store. I was so happy! I could have clicked and clicked all day long with all the goodies she pulled out for me to play with. She really did a great job and was great in standing back and letting me make small adjustments and playing with all her finds.

This really is her office, don't misunderstand. But she also has another area that just didn't have any windows, color, and was just pure shelving for inventory. And all of what you see here all belonged to her, none of these things are props. All I did was arrange it so the readers could see all of her fab finds and what had most meaning to her and why. The bench was there, the bulletin board, and so on. A picture should tell a story without words. I think if you knew nothing about the owner of this space, you would instantly know that this person was into fabrics, and textiles and yet, there is not a sewing machine in sight. Did you notice that? No sewing machine. Remember, she is a pattern lady - not a seamstress. But yet, somehow, you knew by this photo she was into fabrics and textiles. That is what a picture should do - tell you a story. If you don't believe me, look at the photos of my space, and the space of Debbie of Curious Sofa...I bet they will tell you a story.

Okay, now on with some more photos without me gabbing:

I added her beautiful scarf  - yes- this is a patter from her company.

These are pins made from vintage ties. Yes - her pattens!

Suspenders hanging from desk lamp, and she works with buttons too.

I have to say, when she pulled this out, I flipped. I have TONS of photos of these pins from all sorts of angles. I just loved it so much and found it to be so cool.

Something as simple as lining up her little bolts of thread along her window sill not only keeps her supplies handy, but can be a little work of art. (Of course, be aware of fading if left too long in direct light.)

I remember making yo-yo dolls as a little girl, while learning how to sew!

Just as I was leaving the studio for the day, the light changed on me (clouds came in) and I tossed these boots on the desk and stood on a footstool and snapped this. The colors of the papers went with the color of the inside of the heel, if you look closely. That is the challenge of natural light, the time of day, shadows, clouds, and so on. I love it, but it is hard to work with.

It's funny to see what the room looks with someone's eye (and a pocket camera with flash) standing there and then what it LOOKS like through my lens, on a stool, hunched over, squinting...all day long...clouds just came...I can tell I am getting frustrated with the lighting coming and going....see the dull light in the windows?

After a long day of shooting and after dinner, we had a our photo taken to remember a job well-done.

I hope you enjoyed the little tour of another studio and photo shoot.  Next time, I am going to share with you some girlfriend time I had with a special friend that I kidnapped and took her antiquing. And hopefully have more news to share. Until then, maybe take a look around your house and see what you might have that might look good somewhere else or mixed up a bit. You might be surprise what you find in closets, drawers, or in a box...then put them in a bowl, a jar, or on a window sill and enjoy them for a change. Who knows, you might end up using it and gaining drawer space all at the same time!


from my house to your house,