Busy season

Well, it's been nearly two months since I've blogged, terrible of me, but I was making up for lost time with my children after last year's surgery-recovery cycle.

Kitty Hawk - July 2013 - taken during a visit with my brother and his family

We had an absolutely wonderful summer!  Lots of visiting and trips and fun.  We're also about 3/4 through our bathroom renovation. Last week was back to school for the kiddos and my husband went away on business.  As hard as I tried, I didn't get much done work-wise.

This week I've been better - getting things ready for the kick off to the fall season!  I have a new tent that you'll see at the Collingswood Farmers' Market this fall.  I am also working on new products - fine art nature photography, organic cotton shams adorned with upcycled cashmere and wool, and some new items for baby!  I am working on a new look to my newsletter this week, but more on that later!



This is the fall schedule:

Saturday, September 28 - 8 am to noon - at the Collingswood Farmers' Market - I'm the featured artist of the week - please stop by and shop if you're in the area!

Handmade Holiday Bazaar @ the Collingswood Farmers' Market - 8 am to noon under the PATCO line.  I'll be there the following dates:
Saturday, November 2
Saturday, November 16
Saturday, November 23

Saturday, December 7 - 9 am to 3 pm - Eastern High School Holiday Craft Show - I believe I'll be in the gymnasium.

Thursday, December 12th through 20th - times vary daily - Markeim Arts Center - Give the Gift of Art - 100s Under $100 - visit the website for more information.

Please sign up for the email newsletter - you won't receive too many from me - maybe 4-6 per year with information on events, special sales, etc.  I will never share or sell your email addresses!  My first one is set to go out soon so make sure you sign up!

Thanks for checking in!  Have a blessed day!
~Nicole

Happenings... including a Feature Interview on Markets of Sunshine and Destash Sale

Hello!  I hope that your day was lovely and that you didn't have to endure the soggy day that I had here in New Jersey.

This week I'm the featured artist on the Markets of Sunshine Blog and you can read my here.

Saturday, May 4th, 8am-noon - I will be having a Destash Sale at a friend's yard sale in the 200 block of Dayton Avenue in Collingswood, New Jersey.  I will have a table full of items at bargain prices, ready for you to make something beautiful!  Please stop by, we'll be right down the street from the Collingswood Farmer's Market - it's opening week - so exciting!!!

Now for some news that I don't think you're expecting...

I'm taking the time to step back a bit from my professional world to spend time with my children.  I am feeling the nudge from God that my work has been taking me farther from my family than just the next room and I need to address that in my own way.  

I plan to continue creating and fulfilling the creative outlet that I do need and enjoy, but to a lesser scale than I had been striving for in the past several months.  I have several items created, awaiting photographing and listing.  I will continue to create new items - the second generation Tech Sleeve idea is burning a hole in my creative pocket!  There are other items that I have in mind and they will be made as well, but in due time.  I also will be accepting custom orders - my absolute favorite part of my job - creating something unique for a particular person.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading.  I appreciate all of your support and I hope that you continue to stop by to read.

Many blessings to you and yours!
Best,
~Nicole

Fixing the long name curse - at least for Valentine's Day

My boys are like night and day - their interests, their coloring, the length of their names...  Ean was blessed with three easy letters, they fit easily just about anywhere.  Nathanael on the other hand - and no, he's not a Nate or Nathan, don't even try - has nine letters.  For a four-year-old trying to write that nine lettered name on valentines, that's a new kind of torture ... for us, too!

So I've fixed it so that mistakes can be made and I don't have to run to the drugstore to buy another pack of valentines.

Clear mailing labels, address size.  Godsend.  Clear really is best for this because whatever your child sticks the sticker on top of will still be able to be seen.

Take a sheet of labels ... lightly with pencil write your child's name.

He knows all capitals best right now, so we ran with those.

Then let your child trace his/her name with whatever color crayon works for the color paper s/he'll be applying it to (don't use yellow crayon for a yellow paper - we learned that is a no-go).

Then peel it off.

And stick it onto the valentine!  

We did learn with certain paper (the glossy, probably not great for the environment store-bought valentines that are being delivered this year) that the labels will pull back up to be rearranged or to get bumps and bubbles out.  This isn't guaranteed on all kinds of paper, but that glossy stuff sure allowed for multiple rearrangement of the labels, quite easily, too - since it was the four-year-old who did it!

Hopefully I've posted this so that all of the other parents who have long-named kids can run to their office supply store and pick up some clear mailing labels tomorrow during lunch and get those valentines done tomorrow night before the big day!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a blessed week!

~Nicole