Stars and Stripes and Bears, Oh My!

Wishing you a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend. Make it a great one!!

Cheers and warm bear hugs! Aleta

I'm resting.....really! (wink, wink)

Looking at some of the pictures on my blog, my family has been telling me if I ever quit designing and making bears that I should think about becoming a photographer. Silly, sweet family! A photographer I'm not. For starters, my camera is idiot proof and I just like to take pictures. Some turn out well and others hit the recycle bin pretty quickly! I'm sure you've noticed, if you are a frequent visitor to my blog, I like taking pictures of flowers, the occasional weed and my cats. With a little prompting, I decided to print up a few of my favorite pictures and put them on cardstock. Fear not, I'm not ready to quit my day job! It has been a fun little diversion though!!
Another little something I've been making is pillow slips from my antique linens. I have a passion for pillows. White pillows especially. Don't ask me why. I haven't a clue! ha! My particular favorites are those with heavily embroidered intials and scalloped edges. Just so you know, I don't cut up my pristine linens. Nope. Nope. Nope. I only use those with issues....rescuing their salvageable parts and making what my have ended up in the bin, something beautiful and useful once again.

So there you have it. And you thought I was just resting by the pool all day. Nah......just enough to say I rested. Ha! Actually, creating pretty things is what I truly find to be most restful. Don't you think so too?

Happy Pink Wednesday bear hugs, Aleta

From chaos comes clarity.

From chaos comes clarity. I read that somewhere just recently and it seemed so relevant to what's taken place in my own life these past few months. There has certainly been much chaos!! I am taking some much needed personal time to just relax, find my true self and let go of those things which are not important. I need a clear head to make some decisions going forward. I'm finding clarity.

Wishing you clarity, truth, peace......and warmest bear hugs, of course!! Aleta

First of the season!

Look at what I found in the garden this morning! My first strawberry of the season!! Everything is blooming in abundance and the sun is shining brightly.....what a magnificent day!! I hope that you too, are enjoying a most splendid time.....wherever you may be. :o)

Warmest Pink Wednesday bear hugs, Aleta

Who would have thought?

Before the bear.
After the bear.
Before the bear.
After the bear.

Who would have thought that a bear, a REAL bear, would have been part of Flourishes flea market? The connection between my bear business, The Silly Bear, and a bear wreaking havoc on my flea market the morning of our show was.....too weird. I don't know how else to describe it other than....weird.

We had been told the day we were setting things up that a bear had been seen in the area feeding out of birdfeeders and chicken coops and walking around in the cemetary next to the house. Okay, thank you for letting us know. I hardly gave it a second thought after we told the vendors. We went about setting up.....had pizza in the field for dinner.....put on the finishing touches....and left everything in perfect order, ready for Saturday morning.

At 6:30am Saturday morning my world started to spin. Six of twelve booths set up and ready for marketers were now in shambles. Heavy cabinets were tipped over, contents broken on the ground. And then it started to sprinkle rain. I stood in the middle of the field and shook my hand at the sky and said, "Stop it! Stop it right now! Don't do this to me." I thought I might have a melt down right there.

All month things had gone haywire. I had vendors and artists bail on me one by one. How was I going to fill up the field and make a show worthy of those who'd stuck by me? What else......I had to fill the spaces myself. Eight booths. My husband, children, son-in-law and sister in law are rock stars for helping me move everything out of the gymnasium, set everything up, work the show AND take everything back down and move it all back into the gym. I am forever in their debt. I love you guys. (As tears run down my face.)

Not only had I been dealing with the disappointment with what was going on with Flourishes business, I was also worrying about my mom's health issues. The doctors are still trying to sort that out. And lastly, I have been nursing a rotator cuff injury in my left shoulder. Advil. Lots and lots of Advil. Smile girlie....just keep smiling.

The bear was nearly my undoing. However, I couldn't let everyone down by having a nuclear meltdown in the middle of the field. So, I shook my fist at the sky and then proceeded to pick up the mess so we'd be ready to welcome the first marketers at 8am. Afterall, the show must go on!! Smile girlie....just keep smiling. :o)

Warmest hugs, Aleta

A special note: Thank you to Joe & Jermonne, Barn House; Debbie Taylor and Lori; Corrine and Karen, Second Childhood Girlfriends; and Tammy Gilley, Tammy Gilley Studios for their support and presence at our flea market.

I'd also like to thank my teddy bear collector friends Debbie, Joye and Lee for driving all the way from Seattle to make my day extra special. A big thank you too, to Bonnie Foster(a fellow teddy bear artist and 2008 Industry Choice winner!) and her husband for traveling all the way from Idaho to say hello.

Orange and Pink for Wednesday!

With the sunny, warmer weather the tropical color is starting to burst at our Portland home. Orange, pink, yellow and lime green!! It's so vibrant....and just what I need to keep me going! This morning I'm off to the chicken races.........er, Flourishes. ;o) You can peek in on the progress here.

Warmest Pink Wednesday bear hugs, Aleta

A busy week ahead!

It's going to be quite a busy week!! I have a To-Do list for Flourishes two miles long. Things are coming together.....though at times, it seems at a snails pace!

Just for the record....I detest pricing things. It takes forever!! I would much rather be working on displays. :o)

A little sneaky peeky up there. Terri Brush charms and necklaces!! Glitter and rhinestone bling!! LOVE 'em!!

Gotta dash off.....I'll try to post a little more later today.

Warmest bear hugs, Aleta