Button, Button, whose got the button?

Ya know how ya see someone else wearing something cute
and you buy it but
when ya put it on...wa, wa, wa.... disappointment:(

So it was with the little neutral sweater

that fit all my requirements.

Neutral so I could wear it with anything,
warm so I would wear it with everything,
cheap enough so I could justify buying it
and my daughter Sarah liked it
and she had one in black
that I've worn more than once.
So why don't I wear this one?
Because it's the same color as me.
Boring boring beige!!!
I think I was thinking
I would put a fun pin on
or jewelry with it
but the design around the yoke
doesn't really lend itself to that
although a fun brooch could work.
The earthiness of the sweater
didn't play well
with my sparkle pins I own though.

The solution?
Buttons!

I had Lois Perry,
world renowned (or should be)
button maker, potter and multi-media artist,
not to mention great friend,
(oooppsss! I mentioned it)
made me these fab buttons to play with!
What a difference they make don't ya think?
I LOVE them.
They are hand made ceramic
and I just tied them on with green crochet cording.
Now, I had intentions of stitching a fun playful vine pattern around the yoke and adding all sorts of other flower shaped buttons to really fill up the shoulder area but...

I kind of like it this way.
What do you think?

These boots are made for walkin'

Well, we won the shoe lottery!

If you've ever looked down while talking with me you will have noticed that my shoes are generally between awful and appalling and down right embarrassing.
Yes. I am aware of this.
The problem is that from childhood I've always hated to wear shoes. Always.
They would be scattered around my neighborhood
mostly under apple trees and every evening my parents would ask...
where are your shoes?
I would then explain- you CAN'T climb trees in flip flops!
(Okay, we called them thongs back then before people wore butt crack underwear).
Beyond that, as an adult my feet are two different sizes and extra narrow, I broke one that just never healed right,
and I have
Morton's Toe
(monkey toes with a longer second toe than first
which is why toe out shoes were invented I'm sure.
You may or may not be interested to know that it's also believed
to be a sign of being the head of the family.
The longer your 2nd toe is from your first the stronger your leadership role.
Yeah- no contest. I rule.)

So, to find shoes that are comfortable or that fit or even just stay on my feet...huhhhhh...
My daughter Sarah on the other hand
will stuff her little toes into anything that is beautiful
and to her most shoes that fit her are in that category.
Shoe shopping together has been a challenge in the past
but I was determined on this trip
to go with Sarah and take her advice and
find the perfect pair of black shoes I can wear every day.
The best bug man in Dallas let us in on this secret gold mine of shoes called
Off Price Shoes.


They are regularly $9.99
but on special days they are marked down to $4.99 for shoes
and $15 for boots.
I, who generally walks out of shoes stores
crabby and disappointed
(whether I find shoes to fit or not)
hit the boot bonanza!


Sarah walked out with 9 new pairs of shoes for $48 including tax!

In less than an hour we came home with a dozen new pairs and created our own little shoe display like a work of art at home...
because according to Sarah-
"What's more beautiful than a dozen pair of new shoes".


You will notice that there is a pair missing.

Yes. The black pair of flats I originally came to Dallas to find!!!
I only bought boots!!

We are still in search for the perfect pair of black shoes!
The adventure continues...

What a Year!

So, I started 2009 in my
Something Unique Studios
in Bartonville.

2,500 sq. feet of art heaven.

It's right behind the old state hospital building
now called the
Bowen Building.
I had another picture but it disappeared.....
Yeah- there was a lot of that kind of thing while I was there.
I loved my art palace. It had a front gallery.
and an upstairs where
Leann McWhorter did her
energy healing
and filled my space with joy,
healing and friendship.
Again those pictures have disappeared.

But here are friends enjoying my space.
I had a giant gift gallery.
This is where I sold many of my friends beautiful works of art too.
It seems just like yesterday
my friends where giving me gifts
for starting my new palace.
There are so many great memories.
At my Grand Opening Dec. 9th 2007
is when we found out I was going to be a
grandma for the first time.
I had fun there with friends, artists and customers.
I held classes, parties and created works of art of all sizes.



Then I met Jennifer Slater
Very shortly after....
this is what happened.


I loved my 3 years at my studio but....

there were new art challenges to take on.
You really know who your friends are
when you have to move this much stuff
and they show up anyway!

After knowing Jennifer just a few hours
we decided it was a good idea
for me to totally change our lives
and start a whole new project.
Simply Everything Boutique
Art Gallery
and
Contemporary Gifts Store
was born that July.

The start of a new business almost over night.
Having been a recluse for years the retail addiction was
back full force out at the
Shoppes at Grand Prairie
and it was contagious.
The retail bug bit Jennifer as well!
She embraced it completely.
My studio went from 2,500 sq. ft. to about 200 sq. ft.
in the back storage closet of the new store.

Jennifer's office became about 10 sq. ft.We were having a great time taking over the world with art when...
Jennifer's son became very ill:(

Luckily they have a plan.
Sadly the plan is to move to Florida.

Lord, Oh Lord I cried!
What shall I do?!
Give me a sign!
That's when
Julie Vonachen
of
Moon Dancer
called me.
She said, Lord Oh Lord!
What am I going to do?!
I am suddenly without a
home for my business!
I yelled,
Thank You Jesus!!

What a great Christmas present
for all of us!!


Jennifer meet Julie.
Julie meet Jennifer.
We instantly bonded in to a new family.
(With Jennifer, is there any other way?)
Julie has barely gotten her feet in the door
and her friends and customers are
racing in to congratulate her!


Yes, this is the famous singer, guitar player
Robin Crowe
coming in to
congratulate Julie
on our new business
Simply Everything Under the Moon.
We have plans to "marry" the two business
Feb. 13th.
There are rumors that Robin may even be there
to play her version of
the Retail Wedding March!
Invitations to the
celebration are forth coming
so keep an eye out for
your announcement.
I am really looking forward to seeing where
my next art adventure takes me!
2010 here I come!

Happy Together

Congratulations to
Janet Hill of Free to Bead!!!
She came into
Simply Everything Boutique
and fell instantly, madly in love with
"Jill"!!
Jill's parents are
artists Lois and Bruce Perry of Canton, IL.
Having JUST created her they had high
hopes that some day someone would
appreciate her for the lovely inspiration she is.
Now, I hear word on the grapevine there is going
to be a very broken hearted rock hound who
was hoping to sweep Jill off her feet in the very near
future:( Don't let this happen to you!!!

Maybe if we are lucky
Bruce and Lois can work together
to create a sister or brother to
Jill in the very near future.
That's right. Dream big!!!
Now, look at the pictures below of some of
Perry's Art
to see
what else the Perry's have
at our store.
The Perry's will be featured TV
on
Postcards from Home
Dec. 11th 6 pm on WEEK 25.

These hand thrown, hand painted pots and bowls
have a special holiday price
of only $12-$15!!!


They make great ring dishes,
dip bowls, dishwasher safe
and oooh so beautiful!
They also put on a SUPER SALE
for our open house until
the end of the month on
some of their fun work.
These are HALF off their original price!!!


Now, don't be left broken hearted by waiting
too long!
Come buy these one of a kind works
of art NOW!!!

The Cookie Shack

Since I'm taking over the world and filling it with art and fun people I am compelled to let you know how wonderful the Cookie Shack is for our city.

Please please consider buying your Christmas gifts from them this year for all those teachers, neighbors and holiday parties.

http://www.cookieshackbakery.com/index.php

Due to their Landlords ill health they are in peril of losing their business unless they can earn $55,000 to buy it ASAP!!

See what you can do to make this world a better place by buying your Christmas gifts.
I mean really, who doesn't love a good home made cookie or cake??
Check them out!
Happy Merry Holidays!

Texas Road Trip or Thelma and Louise on Holiday

Sooooo....
Ya know how you were
taught never go on a road trip
without your bail money.....
Good advice!

Well, here is the short version of the story.
Jennifer Slater
boss woman of
Simply Everything Boutique
and
kick butt queen of
Scentsy Wickless Candles
was going to Texas to receive
awards and chat up the top dogs
of that company.
The event was held in the beautiful
Texas Gaylord Spa and Resort
in Dallas
which just happens to be where my
grandson Alex
and his parents live.

As it turns out
Jen's husband got sick at the last minute
and she threatened and bribed me to go with her
so she didn't have to drive 28 hours alone.
(Actually she mentioned a free visit
to see my grandson and after assuring her
I couldn't possibly change ALL my plans
to go, I called back in a matter of hours to
say I was packing my bags!)
With a days notice we hit the road with everything we needed.
Well, almost.
Oh look! There is Jen with her driver's license!!

Too bad she left it HERE
on the way down to Texas.
Jen being Jen
had no interest in
having me choke the life
out of the employees who
stood picking their teeth
instead of calling our room
to let us know she had left it
on the counter.

No problem Jen says.
We'll just pick it up on the way back home.
Then Jen's wonderful plague ridden husband
called to say that
Jen forgot to put her
license renewal sticker
on before she left....
two months ago.
No problem says Jen.
They probably only care
about that in Illinoisssss... (Texan pronunciation) anyway.
I drop her off at her event where
she buys at least 6 of every single thing
they offered.
Everyone needs a purple Scentsy water bottle!!!

I head to the Evans house where we played puzzles and trains and read books and ate and ate and ate...
Then the call came:(
Jen had to rush us home because her son was having
a hospital size asthma attack.
We hit the road the next morning.
Now, I thought I was busy until
I got around Jennifer.
This gal honestly, really, actually, always
is doing at least three things
at a time.
Below you see Jen putting on make up....and talking business with me and...
Yes! That is her on the DRIVER'S side of the car.
See the ground blurring and the highway road outside her window?
I have yet to pry St. Christopher's white knuckles
off her dashboard.
Shortly after this picture the truck two cars ahead of us
sends a 4x8 sheet of plywood flying across
the highway. Cars scattered to avoid taking
it in their windshields, people honking, dust flying...
all while Jen continues talking on the phone
to the owners of Scentsy about
a crisis with crazy consultants.
We continue on, solving SEB issues
and juggling texts and calls every 32 seconds.
About midnight we are just 40 min. from our hotel
where they are holding Jen's ID hostage when....
Officer Friendly pulls us over in
Podunksville.
HHHmmmmm.....
53 in a 35. No license. Expired plates.
We start digging out our bail money.
Luckily, Jen knew her number because
the officer came back to the car saying
they couldn't find her in their system.
After a very long wait O. F. politely
gives her a ticket for only 10 over the limit
so her insurance won't go up.
Thanks...I think.
Jen PollyAnna says,
We're almost to the hotel. We'll check
on Andrew just a couple (50) more times
to make sure he's doing okay and we'll
get a good nights sleep and it will all
be better in the morning.
We pull into the parking lot

and look forward to getting a good nights sleep.
It just so happens that they are full up. Cowboy convention in town.
Seriously. That's what they told us.
They must have all ridden their horses in
because as you can see there were about 6 cars in the lot.
PollyAnna STILL wouldn't let me
kick the stuffing out of
those dim wits!
We are forced to head down the road another 4o minutes
to find another hotel.
In what seemed like an episode of
The Twilight Zone
we come to a bunch of hotels all blocked
by road construction.
The labyrinth lead us to a stop light
that must have been timed by the hour
and we pulled up just as it had changed!!!
Eventually we found our place and crashed until the AM.
We made it home safe and sound and Andrew is
doing better for now, thank God!
Reminder...this IS the Short Version!