Making Sausage (in the crafty sense)

Painting with a side of gin. Because I can.

Raw materials.

I've spent the past 8 days working many many many hours to pull together a "staged" booth that reflects the Twig & Bloom aesthetic. Why you ask? Because, by Thursday of this week, I need to submit my application --- complete with photos --- to two vintage fairs scheduled for March. These fairs require their vendors to have their poop-in-a-group and even a newbie better have a "look" that reflects their inventory. At times it was NOT pretty (somehow I deleted all the photos of me wearing safety goggles and a face mask) ---stuff was everywhere, paint and chemical fumes wafted magically from the basement to the first floor to the second floor . . . and I'm sure a few brain cells were the casualties of this craft-blitzkrieg.

A coat of paint and voila - MAGIC!

But, it all came together on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Throughout the day, between various and sundry boothiness, I hopped on line and was reminded of what a great man Dr. King was not only for this country, but for his family. An MLK quote that rings true in my own life right now:

  "Faith is taking the first step

even when you don't see the whole staircase."

Spring vignette. 1/4 of my final boot(h)ique.

Twig & Bloom is a leap of faith. I find myself at a crossroads and, while I consider all my options, I am committed to educating myself, learning new things (Booth Staging 101), and dreaming big dreams while taking baby steps with Twig. I believe that the underlying reason behind Twig --- to bring comfort and beauty into people's homes --- is a value that needs nurturing these days. We can all buy the same ottoman, the same candlestick, and the same lamp at the box stores, but without a dash of something uniquely personal that catches your eye and makes you smile, you're not making your house a home. And I want all of you, my lovely readers (I think we are up to ten now), to relax after a busy day in a space that soothes you, reflects your personality and cultivates creativity in this mass-market world.

That Velveteen Rabbit book breaks my heart.

Finally, Dr. King has another quote that rings so very true to me right now:

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." 

Throughout our lives people will disappoint us (and vice versa, holy mackerel vice versa...), violate our trust, and cast aside our friendship as if the love was meaningless. It is our responsibility to ourselves and to our families to find a pathway to personal forgiveness and that whole letting-go-of-the-anger thing. Now, keep in mind that the offenders MAY NOT do this on their end of the equation, but for you it is paramount to do the work, forgive, and move forward. You will lose people in your life through this process, but that's okay.

Find the love.

Live the love.

BE THE LOVE.

Yours-in-paint-fumes-and-forgiveness,

Stacey

P.S. A valentine to me from my Sweet G. She was probably 8 or 9 at the time.