On Thursday, our sweet Clarissa Ruth turned seven. Seven!?! I can't believe it's been seven years since we welcomed her into our hearts.

Eli flew home from Michigan early to make birthday waffles for breakfast. With a new page in her birthday album, Clarissa proudly marched off to school for the day while Eli and I went shopping for treats at Terra Toys and Sweetish Hill (the bakery that made our wedding cake, many years ago).

After school, we shared the cake and opened all the presents from mom and dad and big sister Ella, plus the thoughtful packages that arrived in the mail from Grandma and Aunt Zoe.  Do you see the photo of the back pack above? Clarissa's Aunt Zoe made that backpack. I so admire her sewing skills, not to mention her wonderful taste in fabric. Clarissa loves her new backpack.

So, Eli flew off to Dallas that evening while we stayed home eating birthday pickles! Clarissa's favorite food in the whole world is pickles. For her birthday this year, she asked for 1) a baby sister, 2) a puppy or 3) her own jar of pickles.  We bought her the largest jar of pickles we could find!

On Saturday, Clarissa got to pick out a bouquet of balloons in whatever color she chose - what a bouquet; I don't there there are two alike. Several of Clarissa's girl friends came over to dress as princesses, decorate a cardboard box, and to enjoy pizza and cupcakes. It was a rowdy, noisy good time. Clarissa's Granny joined us for the party and even took the birthday girl and her big sister home for a sleepover!  The girls came home exhausted, but very happy.  

Happy Birthday, sweet Rissa Roo!  We are so grateful to have you in our lives.  

xo 

creativity, with love

Happy Thursday, everyone!  I've had a lovely day making things for my Etsy shop.  Now, the house is a mess of fabric, ink, ribbon and glue.  It's a pretty mess, but a mess nonetheless!  And it's time for me to dash out and get the girls from school.  But I wanted to take just a minute to show you what I've been working on today.  

I wasn't sure what to work on when I got started, but I ended up with these drawstring bags with beautiful silk ribbon and "love" stenciled across the front in sparkly, metallic silver ink.  Won't these make wonderful packaging for Valentine's gifts - plus they could be used to store so many things during the rest of the year!

I also wanted to show you some of the snapshots I took while I was working.  Sometime, art supplies are so lovely just as they are, I hesitate to use them up.  My compromise with myself was to photograph them first, then use them. If I'm going to be an artist, I don't want to make excuses for not making things!

Anyway, I hope that your day has been as lovely as mine has, and that you're keeping warm and cozy wherever you are! 

Much love, Tracy

I'm participating in the Poppytalk Handmade Marketplace!!

So - remember the online marketplace I told you about?  The one I have admired, the one I was gathering up my courage to submit my cards to?  I have amazing news: my cards were accepted!  The marketplace I was referring to is the Poppytalk Handmade Marketplace.  Basically, I'm participating in a prestigious, curated, online marketplace. I will have a table at an online craft fair, surrounded by very, very good company.

This month, the theme is Love/Valentines/Weddings (my favorite!), but they have other themes throughout the year. When the marketplace is live (January 16th - that's only 5 days away!) I will post a link so you can visit. In the meantime, I recommend you visit Poppytalk's lovely blog.  Oh - and you can see my cards at my Etsy shop.

Looking back over my last post, I'm surprised about how frightened I was by the idea of taking a risk, facing rejection. I'm going to take this as a lesson in bravery. Like my mom always says, "You'll never know know what you can accomplish unless you try."

I'm off to work on my inventory and product photos.  I want my cards et al. to look their absolute best for their big show.  It reminds me of getting my lamb, Daisy, ready for the livestock show back in my 4-H days, only much, much more fun!

Onward & Upward!  Love, Tracy

Love is in the air!

 

Ok, I know it's only the 6th of January, but Valentine's Day is my very favorite holiday. Love, chocolate, flowers, and best of all - sending lots of St. Valentine's Day cards. Swoon! Sigh! The girls went back to school on Wednesday, and I've spent the last 3 days madly and passionately illustrating Valentine's cards, sewing muslin bags to hold chocolates, candies and other Valentine's treats - I'm even working on a silk-screen "LOVE" pillow. I've been having such a ball! 

I saw a tweet the other day that a website I have admired for ages is accepting submissions for an online Valentine's Day market place.  So, I gathered up all my courage and submitted my cards this afternoon!  I'm assuming they must receive about a gazillion submissions, right?  It's like applying to Harvard!  And though I'm really proud of my cards, I am just a beginner. But it didn't take much consideration for me to realize that I'd rather risk disappointment by going after my dreams than face the certain disappointment of not even trying.  Keep your fingers crossed for me, ok?  I'm off to attend to all the chores I've been neglecting in favor of Valentine's.  Enjoy the first weekend of 2012.

smooches & hugs & x's and o's!

Welcome, December!

So, the girls and I arrived home from our Thanksgiving in Michigan the night before school resumed.  We made a hectic stop at the grocery store to restock the fridge after our absence, hauled in luggage, and resumed our normal routines.  The girls returned to school.  Eli called home often and even texted photos of the magnificent snow fall that arrived in Michigan just after we departed.  I tried to juggle laundry from the trip with getting things posted in my Etsy shop in time for Christmas shopping.

And then, on our Wednesday morning commute to school, Clarissa wished November a dramatic and flowery fairwell, and welcomed the cold weather, hot chocolate, and magical holiday season of December into our lives.  Wait, what?  December?!

I have been fantasizing about making this year's advent calendar for each girl since early last summer; yet here I found myself with only one day to make them.  That left no time to sew and hand stencil 48 muslin bags.  I would have to think of something else, and right away.  I hastily gathered up supplies, including 48 trinkets/treasures/treats, the brown paper bag lunch sacks and matching card stock.  My preparations took longer than I anticipated - doesn't it always?  I even made a very late night call to Eli for help with resetting the IP address on our wireless printer!

They didn't turn out as I imagined them.  But the girls welcomed December to our lives yesterday morning, still in their jammies, with oohs and aahs over so many mysterious gifts.  Ella even complimented me on my choice of Rosewood for the number 1.  (I love that my daughter's are already identifying fonts!)  While the girls were at school, I set about hanging the bags on long strands of twine in the art room, and snapping a few photos.  I think that pretty much counts as a deadline met, don't you?    

Do you see the little card stand below?  I bought it at the Round Top Antique Weekend with my mom a couple months ago.  My dream is to someday participate in a craft fair and use the little stand to display my cards and photos.  Until then, it is the perfect place to put advent cards each day after the gifts are opened.  We can save them for next year.  Just in case I still haven't managed to sew those muslin bags.

Peace, Grace & Gratitude

This year our family spent Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law's house in Spring Lake, Michigan; the girls were happily surrounded by both parents, a loving grandma and two doting aunts.  I well up with gratitude when I think about our wonderful family, about how kindly and generously they welcomed us. 

The first thing I noticed when we arrived is that my mother-in-law's garden has changed quite drastically since we visited last summer.  But even in dormancy, the trees and flowers are strikingly beautiful.  The weather was cold, but not miserably so.  Together, we shared a delicious, vegetarian Thanksgiving feast.  We hiked the trails of the Blandford Nature Center, where my husband attended 6th grade.  We visited an apple orchard, Robinettes - my sweetie blogged about it here.  We even made time for the Muppet Movie with lots of buttery popcorn and Sprite.  

But most importantly, we came together as a family.  I am so very grateful for this charmed life of mine.    I am thankful for my loving & supportive family.  I am grateful that my husband was able to spend 4 whole weeks without traveling for work - though I'm sorry about the cycling accident that made this possible.  I am thankful that I have finally gathered up the courage to open my Etsy Shop.  It has been thrilling to see my creations up there, and I've even received an order - yay!  

Now, my thoughts are turning to all the joy and magic of the Christmas season.  Ho Ho Ho!

What about you - how was your Thanksgiving?  Are you in the holiday spirit yet?

With love and hugs, 

Tracy

Introducing: Fair Morning Blue on Etsy

Oh, hello there. Many months have passed since I have posted anything here.

 Last summer when I was staying in Michigan with my family, our lives took on a slower pace; there was time to think, journal, and daydream about what I ought to be doing, what would make me happiest. It occurred to me that I had spend nearly a year taking photos, learning to use Illustrator, re-learning to operate a sewing machine (after many years), stock-piling fonts, printing, stamping, stenciling, and even screen printing. I approached these things with eagerness and joy, but with no specific end point in mind. Well, in Michigan I realized that I wanted very much to share the things I made, to make a legitimate job out of creating useful and pretty things and sending them out into the world.

 So, it's taken me three or four months to gather my courage. But finally here it is. I introduce to you...my Etsy Shop:

  Fair Morning Blue