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Nov, 12{life lately} looking back on October
I have to say that October really flew by for me and it was busy, too. The past four weeks have been dedicated to getting my poor Brutus James back to normal. I think we’ve spent more time at the vet and urgent care than we ever could have imagined. We have one more follow-up appt today and hopefully he can be cone-free. I’m so lucky to have such a sweet and patient cat, because although he dislikes the cone, eye drops and meds, he deals with it in a fairly calm manner. The ladies at the vet love him and always say how calm and sweet he is. He sits on the scale without trying to run away and we don’t even use a cat carrier, because he enjoys the car ride. Lucky me. The late nights, remembering what meds need to be taken at what times (all 6 of them) and the driving back and forth are all worth it, because he’s showing great improvement!
In addition to all of that, we planned and executed a smash of a Boo Bash! Everyone came dressed in well thought-out costumes and participated wonderfully. We had a packed house, literally – I think we may consider moving or renting a facility next time. Hahaha It was the best turn out that we’ve had, so far! Lots of fun costumes, silly food and great conversations set the party into motion. We had so much fun. How was your Halloween week?!
Oh! I can’t forget that I also hosted a Giveaway for Stoic Design recently and one lucky winner received a Where The Wild Things Are Canvas! Lucky girl. If you missed your chance in entering the giveaway, not to worry, you can find a discount here!
This weekend one of my dearest friends came to town and stayed with us for part of the time. It was so good to see him! Then we had a fundraiser Saturday night, which kept us up past our bedtime. I spent last night printing Roblins on yards and yards of fabric, and I plan on spending tonight sewing and prepping the shop for the Holidays. I also need to make sure that I have everything ready for this weekends craft show. Thanks for stopping by!
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Nov, 12{inspired} the holidays
This past week I’ve been inspired not only by Halloween, but also by the upcoming Holiday Season. Next weekend my mom and I have a craft show, and it’s totally geared towards Thanksgiving and Christmas – I can’t wait. And it’s that time of year where we need to start thinking about Holiday shopping and I’m going to add few last-minute products to the shop within the next couple of weeks, just in time for a SALE. Woohoo! I can’t wait for that. So, I’ll keep this inspiration going and just keep sewing… P.S. my sweet friend, Meghan, made my lovely Autumn crown for my Birthday last month and I love it!
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Oct, 12
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Oct, 12And The Winner Is…
congratulations to Danielle Priser for winning the Where The Wild Things Are canvas art from Stoic Design!!! We know that you’ll enjoy adding this piece to your home, so enjoy! To be completely fair, I used Raondom.org to do just that, randomly select a winner:
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Thank you to everyone who participated! We wish that all of you could have won, but you can still purchase one for yourself of for a gift, because Tia is offering 15% off your next purchase in her Esty Shop! Use coupon code: CHICKIEDEE15 This offer is valid until the end of this year, and it’s just in time for the Holidays, so get a head start on your shopping with Stoic Design!
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Oct, 12A Special GIVEAWAY from Tia + Richard at Stoic Design
Oh boy am I honored and very excited to host this special giveaway from Tia + Richard at Stoic Design! They’re a husband and wife team who create Quote Art on Canvas. Each canvas features either Lyrics, Movie, or Literature Quotes on Vintage Maps, Antique Book Pages and Sheet Music. Their art would make a great conversation piece for your living room and I’m so jealous that one of you gets the chance to win this awesome canvas! (smile) This is my favorite quote from the movie – I mean, who doesn’t love Where The Wild Things Are?!
UPDATE: Giveaway now closed. Thank you all for participating!
All you have to do is “like” their new Facebook page and leave a comment below letting me know that you did so for 1 entry. And for 2 extra entries, you can follow their blog and Twitter, and be sure to leave a comment below for each to enhance your chances of winning! That’s 3 chances to win!
This giveaway will run from Monday Oct. 22 – Sunday Oct. 28th (until Midnight MST) and the winner will be selected at random and announced here on Monday Oct. 29th! Good luck!
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In addition, Tia is offering 15% off your next purchase in her Esty Shop! Use coupon code: CHICKIEDEE15 This offer is valid until the end of this year, and it’s just in time for the Holidays, so get a head start on your shopping with Stoic Design!
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Be sure to visit Tia at her Shop | Blog |Twitter | FB
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Oct, 12{studio sunday} with Christa of Willow + Company
Today I’d like for you to meet Christa of Willow + Company. She is unstoppable and with her attention to detail, it’s no wonder why she’s moving ahead full steam. Her studio is something to be proud of and I’m sure we can all find some inspiration from it, as well as from her story. Oh! And she has a treat for you at the end of this interview, so be sure to take advantage of her offer!
1. How long have you been creating your wool felt cases for your Willow and Company shop? What’s your inspiration? When did you decide to start selling your work?
You never know what life is going to throw at you, one day you are working on a project and the next on something completely different. Reinvention is the key word in my lifeline. After many successful years building custom homes, my husband and I suddenly found ourselves needing to reinvent our livelihood. We also sought out an outlet for our creative juices. Enter Willow and Company. It was in the autumn of 2010 that we noticed a need in the market for better design when it came to laptop and tablet cases. We focused on Apple products, iPads, MacBook Air and Pro and iPhones, but we also make custom cases for all the other types of tablets and laptops out there. Our design inspiration was drawn from our knowledge of architecture. Each case mimics design elements from architectural details. For example, our Colonial cases mimic the symmetrical design of American Colonial style housing. Our Baroque cases highlight the sexy curves of the Italian Baroque period of design and our London and Rugby sleeves are out interpretation of Modernism. We love the inspiration architecture offers us.
In addition, how long have you been creating for your other shop, Case in Pointe?
When it comes to my Case in Pointe shop, that simply boils down to my love of colorful things, as you can see from my studio and my Pinterest board, named “Color Schemes,” I love all things colorful. And, although making my wool and leather sleeves is enjoyable work, I needed more color in my life. Case in Pointe offers me the opportunity to create colorful cases and sleeves for the rest of us who must live with colorful items in our lives. These book covers and sleeves mainly focus on iPads and tablets, but I have also made a few custom pieces for other types of laptops. I love the mix of the crisp colors with the rustic handmade walnut buttons that secure the devises my sleeves carry. The combination of these two shops has kept us pretty busy. Now that my husband is back in the home building game I am holding down the fort on my own and it is a challenge that I enjoy. I am approaching 1000 sales on my Willow and Company shop and I can’t wait for my other shops to reach that same milestone.
2. On to your studio, where’s it located?
My studio is lovingly named “Studio Duo.” Together my husband and I are a force to be reckoned with, creatively speaking that is! He is warm and traditional and I am modern and colorful. Together we are eclectic to say the least. Studio Duo is located in the basement in our home in sunny Atlanta, Georgia. When we started all of this we were working out of our condo in Chicago, which we quickly outgrew. We decided to move to Georgia to be closer to family (although we miss Chicago terribly—that really is home) and this change has afforded us the opportunity to make use of a much larger space for our studio. This isn’t your typical basement though. It has tall 10 foot ceilings and opens up to a beautiful forest. Although the space would qualify as being unfinished, to me it is sufficiently rustic—reminding me of loft apartments back home in Chicago. All it needs now is an outdoor patio area so that I can sew outside during the temperate weather so common here in Georgia.
3. What’s your favorite part of your current studio space? Why?
I actually love my whole space for different reasons. I love that I can throw open the garage door and let in the sun and fresh air. I love my built in cutting table with the large drafting drawers underneath for storage. And I love having my sewing tables set up in a cozy cubby-like area where everything is within reach. But I must say, most of all I love being surrounded by all the colorful items in the space. Just walking into Studio Duo makes me smile and puts me at ease. Being in the basement makes me feel like I am in my own cocoon. I can blast music or dance around and no one pays me any attention – it’s like my own private secret hideaway. Feel free to check out more pics of my studio as I post them on my Facebook page.
4. Approximately how many hours per day/week do you spend in your studio?
I spend a lot of time in my studio. During the busy buying season I easily spend 50-60 hours per week there, and around 30-40 hours otherwise. It really just depends on what my shops are doing. I have recently opened up another shop called Pillows by Willow. This is a collaborative endeavor with my mother-in-law, Dorine. With this shop she is my expert seamstress and I handle all business and creative decisions. I am surprised how quickly Pillows by Willow is getting noticed. So my hours in the studio might just double in the months to come, but I’m not worried. Apart from my husband and I, my extended family is very talented and creative so I know we will all just come together and keep working at this.
5. Do you have any tips or advice on how to maintain an inspiring and functional workspace?
Inspiration is necessary if you want to accomplish turning your passions into work. I don’t know anyone who can create AND work in a space they find uninspiring? My advise to others who would like to turn their hobby or passion into a money maker needs to figure out two things. You need to decide what makes you smile and what motivates you. Take these and then put it into your space. Big or small we can all benefit from our space’s personality. For me, design and organization are the keys to my inspiration, happiness and motivation. Take for example, my antique bookcase and mannequin. All of my fabrics are neatly folded and stacked – this is the neat freak in me, but the designer in me must have the colors arranged in a complimentary fashion. The items on top are attractively placed but also accessible. My mannequin is smartly dressed with more shop supplies (spools of ribbon, spools removed of course) and some of my signature jewelry. For me, the combination of order and style, is necessary. First order then style!
6. Do you have any future plans for your studio?
Truth be told, my life would be meaningless without future plans. I am CONSTANTLY making changes! I move furniture around, I repaint walls, I switch out rugs and floor cloths with the seasons. Right now I am using antique and handmade quilts as floor cloths and I love the look they give my space. Moving to a new space? I would love too, but that is just the organizing maniac inside of me speaking. The thought of taking apart and setting up a new space is exhilarating—I know, I’m crazy! As for the moment I do not have plans to move, but you just never know! A space where friends and clients could shop around would be great, maybe if I………..
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I want to thank you, Christa, for not only sharing your amazing studio with us, but also for sharing your story in such great detail. I appreciate the time and care that you put into this interview, your attention to detail is a treat! I personally was inspired by the way that you organize everything by color, but in a very neat and clean way. I have everything organized by color, my clothing closet included, but I can take a lesson on how neat everything is. Thank you for your order and style advise… consider it noted. I know you have big things that your working on and I can’t wait to hear more. Do keep us updated and thank you again for sharing!
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♥♥Now for the special treat!♥♥
Christa would like to offer a discount to all of you for the months of October & November of 30% off your TOTAL purchase! How sweet is that?! The Holidays are coming and it’s time to start that shopping. The coupon code is ChickieWillow. She also offers discounts to people who “like” her Facebook page and “pin” her items onto their Pinterest boards. All you need to do is convo her on Etsy and say that you “liked” her Facebook page or with the link to the pin board on Pinterest and she will send you a coupon code for 15% off your next purchase!!! Woohoo! What a sweet gift!
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Be sure to check out Christa’s site | Willow + Company shop | FB | Pinterest | Pillows by Willow shop | Case in Pointe | Willows Jewelry Box
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Oct, 12{life lately} what’s new
(This image was taken with my iPhone prior to his first little surgery)
Sheesh! It’s been a rough week for my poor little Brutus James. On Wednesday I had to take him into the vet for a minor surgery on his chin and mouth! This was very unexpected and I’m not exactly sure what happened, but Tuesday evening he had a bleeding chin and went into hiding. He currently has a drain in his chin that will be removed today and closed up with a few stitches. Then on Thursday I noticed that his eye was protruding out to the point where he couldn’t blink! I rushed him to emergency where they preformed another 2.5 hr. surgery and stitched his eye closed! By doing that, they hope that this will save his eye and sight. They think the infection from his chin was realated. Poor little guy. He’s been through so much in just a few days. He’s currently on 5 different medications that have to be given at particular times in a particular order… so confusing. And I really do have the best hubby. He’s been so helpful and comforting to Brutus and I both. I’m convinced that Brutus will pull through, because he’s a strong boy. He has his follow-up appointment this afternoon, so I’ll keep you posted on his status.
In other unrelated news, I’m pretty excited for the mailman to come within the next couple of days because I ordered a new lighting kit and a few other small items! With the Colorado winter rolling in, I needed a way to take high-quality photos inside. I currently have a home-made lighting kit, but the lights that I have get so hot that they actually melt my clay-mations if I don’t stop for breaks. Eek! It’s a pretty large kit, so I’m still thinking on where I’ll be setting it all up and if it will stay in that location permanently or not. Decisions. I also ordered a few goodies for our Halloween party and a little something for myself. I met some huge goals recently and treated myself to a special gift.
Poor Meghan was sick last week, so we cancelled our Sunday Craft Day and rescheduled it for tomorrow. It actually worked out since my back was killing me. We’ll be making our Halloween costumes and posting about them shortly after. I’m sure we’ll be Instagraming along the way, too! We’re addicted. And by that I mean seriously a-d-d-i-c-t-e-d. Back in July Meghan and I were at a Rockies game with the hubbies and as we were trying to Instagram, it froze up and we couldn’t share anything! We went through withdraws for a few hours until the glitch was fixed. Major relief.
Anyhoo, my back is slowly feeling better. Thank you for all of your kind wishes. Since I’ve been more mobile, I ventured (briefly) to the store to buy some cute fabric for a few new projects. I hope your Saturday is treating you well. Be sure to do something fun today!
Oh! I have a really wonderful {studio sunday} scheduled for tomorrow, so definitely grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!
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Oct, 12{inspired} teal, grey + mustard
Earlier this week went a bit out of control. I went to the store for some fabric to complete an order and stumbled upon this pretty teal, grey + mustard fabric. I couldn’t help myself, I just had to have it. As soon as I saw it, I was inspired to make a few specific things with it. So, be expecting a couple chevron totes coming to the shop! The mustard polka dot fabric is intended for a skirt and I can’t wait to dive into that project as soon as I wrap up a couple of orders first. I hope your Friday is treating you well. Any weekend plans?
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Oct, 12{diy} chalkboard name tags
True story, I woke up the other morning, bright and early, with this DIY on my mind. Wild, huh?! I’m not sure if I dreamt it, or if I thought of it as I was waking up, but I immediately wrote it in my ideabook so that I could share it with you. And boy am I excited to share!
I don’t use them a ton, but I find the need for a name tag once in a while. I don’t think that it would hurt to have a name tag while I work the craft shows. My mom and I do a few a year, so these might come in really handy. And, if not, then I wouldn’t really need a good reason to wear such a cute name tag anyway… ha!
For this project you will need the following supplies:
Mini Chalkboards | These can be found at your local craft store, such as JoAnn’s.
Colored Chalkboard Paint | I chose pink, but you can choose another color or to keep it black.
Brooch Pins | These can be found at your local craft store in the jewelry section.
Acrylic Paint | This is optional. I wanted to paint the wooden frame.
Hot Glue Gun + Glue
Chalkboard Marker or Chalk
Paint Brush
First you cut off the little string that comes attached to the mini chalkboard and tape off the frame so that you can paint the chalkboard. Once that’s completely dry, tape off the chalkboard and paint your frame. Then set aside to dry. (It may take more than one coat of chalkboard paint for full coverage. I let mine dry for an hour between each coat.)
Next, hot glue the brooch pin on the back of the mini chalkboard, near the top-center. This will ensure that your name tag doesn’t tip forward and hang down. You want all to read it after all.
Lastly, write your beautiful name on it and call it done!
My favorite part of this {diy} is that its reusable and eco-friendly!!! Enjoy!
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Oct, 12My Interview with Eline S.
I’m so happy and honored to be apart of Eline S.’s sponsor group! She’s such a sweet and crafty lady and you can read my interview with her here. I had so much fun with this interview. Thank you again, Eline S., you put so much time into this and I appreciate that. You’re so sweet!
