Back to the Blog...

As I began to compose this blog, I happened to look at the date, and thought how appropos is this, that I should take up again where I left off exactly three months ago!

Three months. Yes, it's been that since I blogged. But I do have my excuses-- little did I know at the beginning of the summer that three kids at home would mean no time for Mom on the computer. (Who knew that they could all be such little computer hoglets??)

But it was a great summer-- lots of sleeping in, sun, swimming, and boating. And now that we're back into the thick of the 'regular routine' that I was so dreading , I find myself not minding so much. I do have to admit to missing them all like crazy last week. But as this week loomed, I felt better about my days seul, and am realizing that I don't have to feel guilty about pursuing my own interests while they are at school.

I've done alot of thinking this summer-- maybe because I knew that I'd be 'on my own' for the first time in over twelve years... A daunting prospect for a stay-at-home Mom! I've lived for my kids for a loooooong time, and I've had to figure out who I am again. I've got my Gifted business, which I hope will keep me a bit busy, and I've decided to go back to teaching-- but only on a supply basis-- I love my freedom too much! Plus, I've got what might possibly be the most exciting Top Secret project we've ever hatched planned with my bff Joy... (I'd tell ya but then I 'd hafta, well, you know...) and in addition to all this, I have some new exciting work on the horizon-- very enjoyable and challenging work that has somehow miraculously come my way.

I'm one lucky girl.

(And oh yeah-- I've got two new great plot ideas roaming around in my head, begging to be let out into about 360 pages.... when will I have the time??)

So now, the days that I was secretly dreading, you know the ones-- those days where I'd have to figure out Who I Am, and What I Want to Do With My Life, the days I thought would drag by with me watching the clock and waiting by the road forthe bus are now flying by. Already. It seems there aren't enough hours between 7:30 and 3:15 to do all that I have a burning need to get done.

And it's only week two!

And the Winner is... plus, What's 'New-to-Us'!

I'm thrilled to announce the winner of my first-ever blog giveaway! With the help of my own personal 'Random Comment Picker'...

The winner is...

Joy at Cupids Charm! Thanks so much to everyone who commented on the blog, and I hope you enjoy your new goodies, Joy!

So, on to our 'new-to-us' acquisition... our 'new' hundred year-old dining room set!
We actually bought this set last fall, and as some of it was in pretty bad condition, hadn't gotten it all together in one place 'til just recently... the set came with twelve-- yes, twelve! (2 captains & ten sides)-- chairs, which have been re-upholstered in a fantastic mossy-sagey green and burnished gold damask fabric...

This is the pedestal of the 60" round table... it is really just quite enormous-- it splits in two, and has room for five leaves, opening the table up to a total of ten feet long for those huge family dinners I always seem to end up hosting!

This sideboard, below (one of two-- I haven't gotten the smaller one yet, though I've spoken up for it!) is seven feet long, and 32" deep. Again, enormous. But it has great storage-- room for all of my antique linen table cloths, cake pedestals, and cutlery! Obviously, it is still in need of some work-- we'll be re-painting the entire set in the same creamy colour... soon??

Just for now, here's what I've put on the sideboard for display...

A few vintage decanters, filled with creamy buttons, all snuggled together on a vintage silver-edged mirror with legs!

Half of my ever-growing collection of vintage glass candle holders...

And a sweet little 2 oz bottle with stopper sitting on a vintage mirror & crystal candle pedestal...

That's all for now... I've got a date with a paintbrush (which I suspect will turn very quickly into a long, drawn-out affair!)
;)

'Creatively Speaking' and My First Blog Giveaway!

The more I blog, and the more I explore other blogs, the more I realize what a wealth of incredibly talented, giving, and supportive women entrepreneurs there are out in 'blogland'.

Just knowing this has provided masses of encouragement for me-- enough even, to get up the nerve to start my own web-based business! For me, always a natural 'back-seater', taking the proverbial leap into the web has been one that has forced me to grow in ways I couldn't even imagine. It's been a frightening, exhilarating, rewarding and enlightening experience, one I wouldn't trade for the world.

What I'd really like to know, though, is how you all do it! So I've decided to create a new feature for the blog, called 'Creatively Speaking' where I'll interview the owners of some of the best, most creative blogs and sites on the web, and hopefully tap into their creative consciousnesses.

I am hoping that 'Creatively Speaking' can be a platform where we can all learn from one another. I think that uniting some of the many diverse and talented women in 'blogland' and creating an atmosphere of sharing where we can all glean inspiration and support from one another though such a medium as 'Creatively Speaking' will be inspiring and fulfilling for all of us!

My very first 'cochon d'Inde' (uhm, yeah-- 'guniea pig' just sounds so much better when you say it in French, doesn't it?) is none other than Fabulous Fifi herself!

I'd like to thank Fifi, who has been so gracious in participating in my very first blog interview. Her unfailing generosity in sharing her projects and ideas with others is legendary in 'blogland'. I chose Fifi because to me, she is the epitome dynamic creativity, and truly seems to implement that creativity into her own daily life, her surroundings, and her personality. And I think we can all learn from that!

Welcome Fifi! I hope you all enjoy her insightful interview as much as I have!

Creatively Speaking: Ten Q & A with Fifi O’Neill:

1. Please tell us about a bit about yourself… what do you do?

I am an editor, writer and photo stylist.

2. How did you come to do what you do? If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?

I always wanted to be a writer. I began my career in the 1960s when I was still living in Paris. If I wasn't a writer I would be involved with animals in one way or another.

3. Please complete the following sentence: Three things about me that would surprise other people are…

a) I have owned 3 restaurants.

b) I can't sew.

c) I love to be alone.

4. What inspires you?

Other creative people.

5. What brings your creative drive to a screaming halt? How do you recharge your creative battery?

Too much writing/editing. The best thing for me is to switch from writing to creating something with my hands. It frees my mind.

6. Time to play favorites! What are your favorite:

Colors: all the soft hues

Foods: chicken and any kind of vegetables

Blogs/Sites: Any blog with beautiful photographs, interesting interiors, great gardens and those with creative projects.

Guilty Pleasures: shopping for girly things and home and garden accessories.

6. If there was a fire in your home (God forbid!), and you could only save one inanimate object (lets assume all family, friends and pets are safe!), what would you save? Why?

My computer because all my work is on it.

7. Please complete the following sentences:

I can’t live without: beauty around me.

I’m totally addicted to: Girly clothes

8. What’s ‘So In’ for you right now?

Any object/accessory made of chicken wire

9. Time to play ‘If I’d known then what I know now…’: please tell us one thing you have learned that you wish you would have known at the beginning of your career. How would it have changed or made things better for you?

I truly believe "Ignorance is Bliss" because if you knew what to expect when you get in most business you might never take that step. I wouldn't change a thing.

10. Finally, please give three tips to other ‘bloggers’ and Women In Business (henceforth to be known as WIB’s!):

a) Never let someone say "It won't work."

b) Don't worry about rejection.

c) Stay the course. it might take longer than you thought (it always does) but you will reach your goal.

Thanks so much once again to Fabulous Miss Fifi, for participating in 'Creatively Speaking'! Each comment received on the post will automatically go into a random drawing for my very first blog giveaway... goodies include: a gold 'fleur-de-lis-esque' kind of frame-- it comes to you with a perfect empty circle in the middle (Just to get your creative juices flowing!), a really great vintage silver teaspoon, an old key-- rusted 'just-so', a metal roses 'thingie', which can be used for any number of things, three fabuous, high-quality sheets of stickers (one nests, one eggs, and one vintage 'Paris' ephemera), and two vintage-look 'Paris' ephemera postcards, all sent to you in a fantastic vintage-inspired emphemera file-folder! (And, if I happen to run across any more fabulous doo-hickie's this week, I may just throw them in to the mix!)

Drawing will be held on Monday, June 9, 2008!

Anticipation... & 'What Would You Do With This?'

I have such a great surprise for you all-- but I can't tell you what it is until it's ready!

But trust me, it's great. In fact, it's downright FABULOUS (that's the only hint I can give you!) Plus, it will be combined with my very first blog giveaway, which makes it even greater!

But it's not quite ready. So, while I get my act together, let's play a new game I like to call 'What Would You Do With This?'

It's all about the idea of unusual found objects, and their appeal. I fell in love with this, er-- thing (I don't know what it's for!!) last week... the wheel turns, and the hole at the top makes me think it would have been strung on something, but I really don't know... maybe a clothesline pulley? But it's quite a bit smaller than others I've seen (5" long and 3 1/4" wide).

Why do I like this thing? I really don't know! But I can't seem to help myself-- it's just holds a certain visual appeal for me. But here's what I'd like to know from all of you: What would you do with it? How would you display it? Would you alter it? Add anything? Try to make it serve a practical purpose beyond just looking kinda cool?

Would you display it with something else?

Please, tell me what you would do with this thing!
And I'll scoot off to get my surprise ready. With any luck, it will be ready to post in the next day or two... but I'll be checking back often in between (hey, I need ideas for the thing!)

Until then,

What's in a Card?

Now I don't know about all of you, but I have to say, I'm oddly fascinated by the phenomenon of the business card. There's just something about being handed a pristine, well-designed card that makes me sit up & take notice! If it's a great card-- maybe a different size, shape, fabulous font, unique design-- I immediately think 'Hey, this person has got it going on!' I mean really, if you can take something as mundane as a business card and inject some real creativity into it, you're creating an immediate impression-- and making yourself memorable in ten seconds or less (and in today's fast-moving world of business, isn't that what we all have to do??)

I haven't been 'carded' since I was seventeen-- and believe me-- that was a really looooong time ago! I'd love to get carded. But, since that really just is not going to happen, I've decided to 'card' myself-- in a totally different way! And I'd love to 'card' each of you, too. Here's how it works: each week I'll be featuring someone's business card, blog and site, using their business card as a jumping-off point. If you'd like to 'Get Carded', please send me pictures of your business cards, or even the business cards themselves (please use the contact link to the left to send images or receive mailing information) and I'll feature one card/blog/site per week on this blog-- hey, I'm even having a special sidebar icon made so the card can stay up all week!

I'd also love to know how you decided on the design of your card. What makes it special? What make you proud to hand it out? How does it specifically tie-in to your business? Enquiring minds want to know!

To get the ball rolling, I've 'carded' myself... here's my business card!

Cathy at Avalon Rose designed the card to go with the site, using the logo she created to tie everything in really nicely. I decided on a simple brown on cream theme, using a nice 80 lb. linen stock (I could go on about paper all day-- but don't worry-- I won't!)

And here's the back. I decided on a two-sided card, because let's face it-- getting handed a business card is kinda like getting a greeting card-- don't we all turn it over? And I wanted to have a little something on the back that made it worth turning over...

Okay, so since I've 'carded' myself, I want to 'card' you next! Send me your cards! I'd love to see and share them!

PS. Just wanted to mention the new look of the blog... I love it and hope you do too-- I think it's soooo much better than before. Again, huge thanks to Cathy!

Tiny Treasures...

Today Joy & I went to our 'bar-none' favourite store, Memory Lane. To say this place is the all-day sucker of eye candy is not overstating the fact. Plus, the sweet, sweet owner of the store (whom we are thrilled & blessed to be able to call our friend!) Karen, showed us all the newest & 'bestest' goodies.

It's always so hard though... We are torn between shopping and visiting, and so we wander around doing both, driving ourselves crazy when we take our long, lingering walk out of the store, because inevitably, we end up missing stuff, and have to go back & buy it.

It's such fun!

But Joy did have the best idea ever, and that is the next time we go, we'll take pictures of all of Karen's gorgeous displays-- seriously, this woman is a display genius-- and then share them with you. This store is beautiful, And Karen is so fabulous, giving and sharing with us, that we feel she's our long-lost 'junking' sister... she just totally gets it!

Plus, we met Karen's Mom today, Fran, who is every bit as sweet as her daughter-- we'd barely known her a half hour and she hugged us as we left like we were part of the family. We already adore her!

So... what did I get today? 'Tiny treasures'... buttons, a rhinestone buckle, the sweetest little square bottle, and two adorably little shiny 'baubles' that I put into a silvery box to share with you... here they are! (And, by the way, thanks Karen!)

The Sweetest Offerings...

My kids have been plotting for weeks now. And not just about how they can get a new puppy (though I'm sure there's more than a bit of that going on!) but about what they should be getting me for Mother's Day.

From my 9 year-old daughter, thinly veiled questions for weeks now... "What's your favourite colour Mom?" and "What kind of chocolate do you like best?" (Cadbury's Caramilk, thank you!)

My 5 year old son, takes the more direct approach-- "What do you want for Mother's Day,

Mom?" (To which I always answer "Hugs & kisses!")

And then there's my 12 year old, watching me with the almost underhanded glee as I look at the weekly flyers, and I can see the wheels turning... Can I talk Dad into getting her that new garden furniture she's eyeing up?

Little do they know that they've already gotten me the best thing they can ever get me... weeds.

Because to me, the sweetest offering children can ever make to their Mom happens when they rush indoors, rosy-cheeked and a little breathless with their own excitement, clutching a handful of dandelions, creeping charlie, and other assorted non-grass (but nevertheless growing in the grass) 'flowers'.

And I love 'em. Each and every gangly one. I proudly display them all over the house. (No pesticides for us!) I treasure them.

Because one day, when my kids are all grown up, and they've pooled their hard-earned cash to get me some wonderful gadget for the kitchen, or a day at the spa, I know that while I'll appreciate their thoughtfulness and sacrifice, I'll be thinking back to these days, the days when a handful of weeds was the sweetest offering ever.

Happy Mother's Day to all you other Moms, Grandmoms, Aunts, and all the other kinds of Moms out there too (you know who you are!) who love weeds just as much as I do.