Sunday, December 4, 2011

December what ?

Hi Everyone,

My sincerest apologies for neglecting you and this poor blog for so long. I seriously can't believe it is December and the end of 2011. Really? Where did those 11 months go so flippin' fast?

This is the first time we have been off the road in what seems like an eternity, actually 39 weeks and counting, but hey who's keeping track of such trivial stuff like that? We have shown at several new venues and are in the midst of adjusting our 'perfect' set-up for indoor areas without a tent.

At first, no tents sounded so great, no heavy lifting, no struggling to lock the legs in, no sides but then reality set in. We were spoiled with all of our very own walls to hang and display wreaths, frames and banners on and all of a sudden it's NO WALLS at all. Back to the drawing board and here I was thinking we were finally in a great place for displays, NOT! LOL It is always a challenge each and every venue as they all have different shapes and sizes and we have different neighbors, which means the background to our things now has a different look each and every venue. For joy!

But, we have met some really cool people and have been fortunate enough to be able to show with the top promoters in the Midwest, real professionals who have our business as their top priority. Like the Zurko team from Wisconsin. Bob Zurko, the chief Indian, has been doing shows for over 45 years, (just shoot me now please) and the 'gals' as I call them, his wife and sister, Irene and Eileen, the office, are the most organized, kindest souls you ever want to show with. Just the best and it makes our job so much easier. They procure beautiful clean sites to do the flea markets and antique shows in, provide us with all the tools we need, great marketing and advertising, great traffic and support to boot.

We will be heading to Grayslake again next week and I will be showing off our newest addition, our slip covered journals. I am so in love with the idea to be able to keep the artwork and change just the inside book as you need a new journal.




















Fabric, embellishments and flowers are just a few of the many elements I am using on these creations.



































Another new treat is my 'believe' hearts. Just as sweet as can be. About 4" by 4" and come with a cool muslin shred hanger if needed.


















What would shabby chic be with a bird cage sitting around?



















The boxes are flying out of the booth so I found this really cool oval shape one I picked up, who knows when or where, and love the french hatbox feel this one ended up with. It reminds me of how we grew up around real hat wear. My aunt Jane was a hat maker and as a child we used to sneak into the 'hat room' and make our very own chapeaus. What a hoot that was!















The main reason I have not posted tho is that my personal schedule and life have been severely disrupted by the sudden lost of my best companion and bud for the last 21 years.



















I lost Nubian to heart failure a little over a week ago and the loss is so overwhelming and so difficult to get past. He was my constant companion while creating or working in the office our entire time together. Where ever I was, he had to be close, as in real close to me and I didn't mind a bit. As he became more ill over the years, I learned to type single handed and hold him for hours as that was how he was most comfortable. Rest in peace my dear friend, you are sorely missed daily.

This week, I have the privilege of teaching 'brown paper packages' at a cool little boutique in Glenview, IL on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The Vintage Nest is a a great place to find shabby chic / vintage accents for you and your home and I am so looking forward to visiting with Mindy and her clients.

We will be sashaying into Grayslake this weekend and are looking forward to seeing everyone again there.

Til then,

Suz
the muze
All My Musings
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