It is a cliche but TGIF!

Thank goodness, it is Friday! Once summer is done, and the fall is here, I start a whirlwind of preparations for upcoming shows and events...that means the casual days of summer flea market and estate sales are indeed past, and the scurrying to fill in the gaps between my imagined look for the upcoming shows & REALITY is ON!!!!
First comes Remnants of the Past...for those of you who do not know this show, it is such a beautiful venue, an old barn in the middle of orchards and a picture perfect backdrop of California foothills...

50 dealers from California and Washington and distant parts gather together for an amazing vintage show that is a little bit "Round Top", a little bit Country Living, and SO MUCH MORE! I really feel that I must bring my "A" game to this show...everyone is so creative! WOW!

Anyway...my vision for this show is slowly coming together, but I always try to add something new, to push the envelope a bit, to find that special something that someone out there will think is special too! ...something that takes an everyday item and reshapes it to something fresh and new...I have a few pieces that I am working on right now...and they are a bit challenging...we will see!

Then on top of the work...(well it is fun work!) I have been reinventing my website and blog...hope you are still with me...

and then, finally, today I was hit by a hacker in my Paypal account...YIKES!!! I am usually a calm person, but I think my blood pressure spiked! After hyperventilating, changing passwords, and venting (just a bit and only to my older son (a very sympathetic listener by the way), so that no one's feelings would get hurt!) I think things have settled down, but TGIF!!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Kate

To tech or not to tech...that IS the question!

For those of you who know me...you will know that while I am somewhat "tech savvy", it would not be listed as one of my intuitive skills, or core competencies...so when I told my family that I was going to start a blog, launch a web, and join facebook...to a man, all my family & friends said..."ready to be a techie?...ready to "be friends", ready to post and follow blogs, ready to start a webshoppe, ready to tweet, and in general put yourself out there in the webosphere? They know that my enthusiasm often leaps ahead of my "tech know-logy" and then I am reduced to a bit of hunt and pecking and to be honest calling on my youngest son to tell me which html string to add, how do I downsize a picture...and oops...where did my BLOG go, and how DO I get it back? (the answer to that last question, by the way is...you don't!) And to be perfectly clear...I am much more of a right brain kind of gal, than left brain whiz kid...
But... I really wanted to take this new step...
I really wanted to take on the challenge of something outside my skill set...
My husband and I talk all the time about pushing boundaries...using "muscles" we do not normally use...thinking outside the box about everyday things, and I think this may just be a good example of pushing boundaries for me!
So...
what have I learned so far?
Do not blithely go where you have not gone before (the old look before you leap adage holds very true here...) while it is terribly exciting to post your first blog...consider...this is my blog...not my sons...so share with them first, before telling the world a story about their life...
also, webpages take time and TALENT to create...it is not a matter of cut and paste and voi lah! This I learned after several attempts and a google site...it took me half a day just to figure out how to delete my very poor first attempt...Yikes!

That being said...DO experiment...do explore...DO go where no (wo)man has gone before (well not really, but hey! it still feels great!)...it is exhilarating to see the process unfold...and to be honest...I even enjoy the mistakes...because I enjoy, I really enjoy, figuring out how the heck I did that, and then fixing it!

For a shy person like me, it is important to keep all of this in perspective...It can get a bit overwhelming if you let it...But...people are amazingly kind! What a gift it is to spend time with these amazing people you meet out beyond your day to day to day...life!

So...On with the process...and it is a work in progress...be patient with me! I think I am a techie!

Mid May! Where did the time go? Oh! I know...

Whew! Just beginning to resurface after one very hectic, wonderful, challenging and incredible 4 (or so) weeks! Just after I started this little venture, I got busy getting ready for my FAVOURITE show...Remnants of the Past...what an amazing time! To say it was beautiful is an understatement...to say we all had an incredible time, really does not capture it...seeing all my favourite folk...the dealers who come to this show each time, and new favs, all the great ladies (and gentlemen (to be fair to those guys that brave this world)) that visit us here...what a true and rare blessing! The only problem is that it just goes by in a blur...I found myself just wanting more time...more time to talk with each person that stopped by my booth, more time to look around and take it all in, more time to shop, (never enough of that!) and more time to enjoy what brought us all together for that amazing day...
Once it was over and my husband, sons and my older son's sweet girlfriend (did you get a chance to talk with her at the show? She helped me out all day while the menfolk played a round of golf) got everything packed up ready to head for home, we stopped at Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos...remember I mentioned finding that special restaurant wherever we find ourselves??? This is definitely one of those...so good and so perfect to complete the day...gourmet flatbread pizzas, (grilled shallots, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil...oh, just the memory makes me want to get in the car and head on up there!) and homemade toasted marshmallow s'mores...oh my oh my!
No time to rest after the show, because then it was time to get ready for our younger son's college graduation...sigh! Did not think I would be so emotional (oh really? this from the woman who sniffled uncontrollably when dropping him off at pre school) We were very blessed to share a family celebration where we laughed a lot and shared great memories of our son's growing up (a little embarrassing I must admit, but he took it all with a good heart)
Then on to the CALM antiques show in Santa Barbara...two days setting up and three days to meet, greet and chat...what a pretty show...I always feel like some of those dealers have got it SOOO together...and some of them are what I want to be when I grow up! If you got a chance to come by, did you see Kymberley's booth...3 Fine Grains...stunning! I kept going back over and over to ooh and ahhh... And then Dan Marty's Maison Au Naturel...all I can say is...I really NEED that industrial shelf and bin unit...(okay maybe not need...but oh how I loved it!)

Catching up now, my sweet husband and I are away from home, resting (sleeping!) and restoring...enjoying undivided attention...talking about all sorts of things that matter...planning, dreaming and preparing for a busy summer ahead...

Blessings to all of you...thank you for stopping by and chatting at the shows...thanks for your kind emails and comments...keep em coming! I enjoy spending time catching up with you guys...

At the Beginning...

April 2010....
Let's share together some of the things that get our hearts going...flutter, flutter, flutter! What gets you up in the morning...what is it that fuels your latest passion...
For me, it is...
Family! Ah...my wonderful dear husband... helpmate, best of best friends, soul mate, fellow dreamer of big dreams, seeker of the best in me, pusher from behind when needed("get out there and do it for goodness sakes!"), my forever love!
My two sons! When did THEY grow up? Wasn't it yesterday we were playing in the sandbox in the back yard, reading Lord of the Rings at night before bed...playing video games, hockey and golf, doing nights and nights of homework (usually at the last minute)...when did it become wonderful long talks over dinner and wine, family "vacations" completely remodeling a very old cottage, cooking phenomenal meals together and finding the best little local restaurant wherever we are (but where did you learn to like the "nasty bits"? Yikes!)
Parents...my sweet mom and dad...my early strength and shield, they taught me so much...still do, God Bless them!
For me, my Faith moves me, though not as much as it should...but I am working on it.
Stories...people's life stories, books (ah Jane Austin!) Movies, the latest news article, my favourite blog from the internet (what were we doing before the internet?) history, science, philosophy...Art...they all inform my thoughts...
Creating things...did you ever look at something and think about what it could become? Just let me wander the aisles at any flea market, and I literally start bouncing up and down...did you see that ...what do you think of that... where (or how) can I use that? Right now I am thinking about the antique ceiling tiles I am going to make into.....? and what colour is that chair going to be?
Can you see where I am going...will you come along...I hope so...!