Thanksgiving and Being Thankful

I am always thankful for snow on my days off and what could be better than decorating for the holidays on a snowy day?

This is the scene out my front door. 

 My neighbor's Blue Spruces are always stunning when it snows. Unfortunately, after the last storm CMP thought it was necessary to sacrifice the top of the front tree. Not to worry by next year you will hardly notice the harsh trimming.

This is out on my back porch, I use the bird
feeder on the right as my depth gauge. Looks
to be about 8" already - nothing for a
Nor'easter!

I have many other things to be thankful for this year as well and many of those things I take for granted everyday. Things like my daughter, for who without I would be alone and there is my home, for without I would be cold, and my job, for without I would starve. 

I have spent much of the last few years rebuilding my life after giving myself over to care for two separate family members. Through much of this rebuilding I have been less than thankful and more than a little fearful and nervous, but I have come to realize that for all the energy I spent being afraid and nervous I never made it better. I have constantly looked about for more and more work to try and catch up in this horrendous economy, I have forgone many pleasures, and many friends and family company because I had to work this shift and make that product. In the end, after all this scurrying about, I have learned a lesson I had known all along -"be happy with what you have not what you don't have!" Most importantly, Don't set yourself up to be alone, be brave invest in people not things and trying to survive financially. Because if finances fail the last thing you want to be is broke and alone.

In these times it is hard to keep the faith with the government playing its games, seemingly oblivious to our struggles and worries. But if we keep striving we will make it through even this long drawn out affair of the financial world, for we have to remember it is money that makes our political system work, but does it have to affect our home lives as well?

My new small tree, I don't think it works here by the TV, do
you?

So let us put up our holiday decorations, let the twinkle lights twinkle, and let us be happy for 

                                             "What We Have Not for What We Don't Have!"

Have a wonderfully warm and fulfilling Thanksgiving, eat, drink, be merry, and above all Keep The Faith!

Take care, Joanne

Well, The Show Is Over...and...

Here it is the first weekend in November, my home show is over, the house is somewhere near back to normal, and it is time to move again on projects that were put aside to make time and room for it. First, let's see some  pictures from the show, I have to say that it is very strange to wake up in a store and I am pretty sure the kitties were not all that impressed either.


This is what my hall looked like during the show. To tell you
the truth I kind of like the display but where would I put all
my family photos?



This is where my TV usually is, missing my shows for a
couple days was probably a good thing, besides I have
another "boobtube" downstairs if I get despirit.

This was our sign post, I wasn't sure if
my neighbor's For Sale sign distracted
people or not, but isn't Jake neat!

These are the blanks from my last post partially painted
and hanging from the rafters in my studio.

This is the painting station I worked at for the Santas, I had
forgotten how long painting projects take when you are
making multiples. I still have several to finish!

This is one of the large Santa's finished.

So now that the show is over and done with I can tell you what I learned.

 First, never blindly say "I am going to host a show at my house." when you are not completely prepared. If your life is busy now, it probably isn't going to change to much in 6 or 9 months just because you said so.
Second, never commit to a show unless you have enough product already. It is an amazing amount of work to put on a show in your house and all those things you want to get done in your house get magnified. Things like no trim on the back door become a huge stressor, that is until you realize you are a quilter and can pin up a quilt over it! Then when the huge oversized chair won't fit down the hall - you realize you will love it in the kitchen in front of the pinned up quilt and of course that neat drop leaf table you found at Goodwill is perfect for the kitchen as well. WELL THEN...you make that happen too! Even if it is two days before the show and you have no place for the old table!

Third, you won't realize that you don't have enough signage until the day of the sale. Even if you make a great scarecrow out of a 1 x 10, he will seem tiny on a busy highway with a 55mph speed limit! Don't even get me started on how many pumpkins, bales of hay, and mums you realize you may need.

Fourth, there will be damage, a spill, a tear, a bang - this is reality and in my book no big deal! Just be prepared.

Fifth, remember your first show is just a test and you will probably learn more about hosting a show than you will be busy selling product. It is a huge commitment and I am still debating whether I will do it again. If I do it will be more and bigger and longer, with more advertising and hopefully more artists.

Sixth, enjoy the process and friendship, think of it as an open house party and enjoy the folks who come in. Serve some cookies and cider and enjoy the experience and they will come and share your craft. I gave more tours of my studio and sold much less product than I had hoped, but I did reconnect with many, many quilting buddies and old friends that I hadn't seen for a long time. That was a huge reward in its self!

Seventh, I am sure there are more unrealized lessons that I learned but for now I am focusing with these. So go have yourself a little show and enjoy, put your foot in it and take a chance that "It can be done and it will be so!" There is nothing you can't do!

Enjoy and take care, Joanne