Simply Brilliant: Local Natives and la Blogoteque

One of the best things I've ever heard said about music is this; Music is what feelings sound like. Before you get all "wow she's profound" about me - it's a quote, I'm just borrowing it. But isn't it true? Music produces such pleasure for me and my family that it would be difficult to live fully without it around our house. My "indie" children, Olivia and Noah, are both marvelous singers and my niece Morgan, plays the piano with élan. Noah strums the strings off his guitar and visitors to our home are subject to impromptu "jam sessions" on a regular basis.

Recently, my daughter introduced me to a marvelous band called Local Natives an "indie rock" band based in Los Angeles. Their debut album, Gorilla Manor, was first released in the UK in November 2009, and later released in the U.S. in February of 2010. According to Wikipedia, their sound has been described as "afropop-influenced guitars with hyperactive drumming and hooky three-part harmonies." Clash Music has also described their style as psych-folk, or modern worldly folk. All I know is that I like 'em and I hope you do, too.

So, here's the video Olivia shared with me - it's a magical video from la Blogoteque filmed in Paris and posted on their video series called Take Away Show. La Blogoteque describes these shows as a weekly film session with an artist or a group who has been invited to play in the city, a bar, the street, a park, an apartment, with the passage of incidents, hesitations or those moments of madness. The videos are free of mounting cosmetics, with a gross capturing the moment, filming music as it comes, without preparation and without tricks. This video was directed by Nathaniel Le Scouarnec. Members of the band are Taylor Rice, Kelcey Ayer, Ryan Hahn, Andy Hamm, and Matt Frazier.

Watch the Take Away Show Here.

Local Natives will be preforming in Austin on Mar 11th at Stubb's Barbeque. Off to get tickets!

Images, film and sound courtesy of Nat Le Scouarnec, Sound by JB Aubonnet and François Clos, Mix by JB Aubonnet, Production Management by Hedwige Hénain and was produced by Chryde for la Blogotheque. The song title is Who Knows Who Cares and is off of their Gorilla Manor album.

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Want It Wednesdays: Caught Me Red-handed

Photos courtesy Shrimpton Couture, Etsy, Joe Vintage and The Vintage Supply Company.

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Grafter: Shannon South

In the English language we have a several descriptive expressions to suggest a talent for making something out of nothing; you know, those people who can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and turn convention on its ear.  In Italian the phrase is creare qualcosa dal nulla.

In the urban dictionary these folks are referred to as grafters and are defined as follows: A Grafter is a person who sets his stall out and proceeds to market and trade with whatever currency is available . . . a creative person who is capable of turning a blank canvas into a masterpiece . . .  a free enterprise, a freelance entrepreneur, a freedom fighter who lives to work.  A Grafter controls his own destiny. 

The honorable profession of grafting is a way of life. To be a grafter you need to be self-motivated, a go-getter.  Well, as luck (and a lot of snooping around on the web) would have it, I have found a lot of these go-getters and decided to start a weekly post called Grafter to showcase these marvelously talented people and their work.  Today I would like to introduce you to Shannon South the artisan and brainchild behind reMade USA.

reMade USA is a design company founded by Shannon, that upcycles used materials to make one-of-a-kind accessories. She says her mission is to create beautiful, long-lasting, well-made products that positively impact the environment, our users and our makers. All products are hand-crafted in her studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY.

This is her marvelous Doily Pendant Lamp

"Every bag we make at reMade USA is made by hand," says South.  And she not kidding - You've got to check out this extremely edited-down photo journal that tracks the steps taken to make this amazing bag below.  The amount of work that went into making this bag exhausts me just to look at!

You can become a fan on Shannon's Facebook and check out tweets on her Twitter, too!

If you are a Grafter or know of someone who is please get in touch with links and photos of your creations.

Photos courtesy Shannon South, reMade USA and Inhabitat.

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I'm a Good Fork

I looked in the mirror the other morning - after wiping a clear spot in all the caked-on tooth paste splatters and the reflection I saw looked like Chris Farley with a hemorrhoid.  That is to say - I don't look my best first thing in the morning.  But who does? Right?  But here's the thing, I don't improve as the day goes on - I just kinda ripen, if you know what I'm sayin'.

So, this year I've pledged to improve a lot of things, my health, my mind, my body . . . well, you get the idea.  Anyway, one of the things that I've decided to do is learn Italian.  I think it is a beautiful language and it's been on my "To-do list" since my sophomore year in college.  I mean since there are so many Italians in Texas and I thought it would be nice to be able to converse with them . . . . . huh? . . . . Exactly! 

To give you a rough idea of the pace at which I tackle my "To-do lists," I'd like to share a little snippet of my daily activities.  The other day I found a letter that I had written to a dear friend concerning my daughter that I'd forgotten to mail.  I figured it just needed a little updating to send, so I steamed it open and after "Olivia is . . ." I whited-out "teething" and wrote in "driving."  I think, perhaps, this particular instance speaks volumes in describing my whole being.  Just to be clear, I'm what comes after the snail when referring to pace.

So, what was I saying?  Oh yes . . . . Italian . . .

I bring up the Italian for two reasons;  (No. 1) Yum!  and here I refer to the men and the food . . . . Am I right?!  and (No. 2)  I'm, as they say in Italian, una buona forchetta - which means that I'm a good eater or rather, quite literally translates to - I'm a good fork.  Please pay particular attention to the "r" in the translation - because without it I sound a little slutty.  And to be honest, I have been a bit of a food floozy lately and in 2010 my diet would have probably fallen on the slovenly side of things more than anything else.  I'm not suggesting that I'm a glutton, but in my family gravy is considered a beverage.

So, it's back to gym with me.  But this time I'm taking the whole family and we are gonna get healthy and in shape and all that junk.  Things have been going really well so far.  As a matter of fact, I've already been to the gym three times this week and yesterday I was named "Miss Varicose Vein" for my region.  Last year I shared stories of Naked Nana and others, but this year my gym stories will probably revolve more around the frightening fact that while I was asleep and away from the gym I went out of style. 

So, I think I will close this post the same way I closed last year's rant on exercise and getting in shape.  Though none of this has anything whatsoever to do with the "vintage" or the "inspirational" premise of this blog, my reasoning behind sharing this is to tell you that there are muscles in my body that have not been flexed since the last Bush administration . . . and now they HURT!! . . . and I feel VINTAGE!

Image courtesy CafePress

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My House Is Staring At Me

There's something you should know about me, I have a shortage of personal restraint.  I can turn away from the computer, a book, or some task that I need to finish and see it.  Paint me, my bathroom walls so clearly pleads.  Pull me up, my nappy-seen-better-days carpet begs me.  My entire house, inside and out, can stare at me so intently sometimes, like it's on the verge of speech.  I haven't yet learned how to arrange my thoughts in that reasonable way other folks do.  Thoughtful arrangements like;  maybe you should finish the last project before you begin a new one.  Or, perhaps, you should evaluate your abilities before taking on a major renovation single-handedly. 

I have over the past year, begun and not yet finished a stair redo and a master bath renovation without having the slightest idea when I might finish them.  So, the only logical thing in my mind is to start another project . . . . . and for those of you who know my battles with Do-it-yourself Deficit Disorder, I enthusiastically invite you to STICK A SOCK IN IT! and play along.

My new project is my garage, also known as the dumping ground and my storage unit.  The mere thought of my over-stuffed garage makes my hands tremble and my mouth go dry from sensory over-load.  But no more, because I've begun AND finished the cleaning out process and am moving on to the patching, painting, and transforming part of the job.  So, I'd like to share a few photos to give you an idea of what I started with, where I'm goin' and measures I've taken to get organized.

 

See you soon with the finished project . . . . and for those readers who are skeptical . . . again, I enthusiastically invite you to STICK A SOCK IN IT! and have a little faith that I'll actually finish this one!

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Sneak Peek at The Vintage Laundry Spring Catalog

The past couple of weeks I have spent a lot of time washing, ironing, steaming, sizing, and fitting clothes - vintage ones, which is more or less, as pathetic as it sounds, but not entirely without purpose.  I broke out the domestic goddess imitation in preparation for The Vintage Laundry's Spring Catalog photo shoot.  And, today I thought I'd tease you with a little sneak peak.  The catalog will be published  in February - so stay tuned!

These marvelous photos were shot by my beautiful daughter Olivia Stephenson on first or maybe her second paid gig!  I'm slightly biased and everything, but I think she's an amazingly talented photographer.

Photos courtesy The Vintage Laundry and Olivia Stephenson

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Little Love Notes

 Image courtesy Reform School Rules

With Valentine's Day looming in the next couple of weeks, I've decided to start leaving little love notes for everyone.  I've got some that are a little bit mushy, some that are a little bit funny and some that are little bit jaded - just to cover my bases.

The above image makes me think of something Lily Tomlin has been quoted as saying, "If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question?"  That would be a combo of funny and jaded or a "faded" love, if you will.

Next up is something I read as a teenager, wrote down and used as a kinda check list when dealing with affairs of the heart.

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Inspiration: Color Me Happy!

Janis Nicolay is a marvelous talent and a dear blog friend.  

This breathtaking image can yours, check out her Etsy.

 

This marvelous image can be purchased on her Etsy .

Debi Treloar is originally from Zimbabwe, studied art then photography and she has lives and works in London.   She shot this fantastic photo for Emily Chalmers .

Courtesy Debi Treloar

Courtesy Debi Treloar

Be

Courtesy Debi Treloar

Best selling author and stylist Selina Lake has always provided such inspiration for me.

Courtesy Selina Lake

Courtesy Selina Lake

Photos courtesy Selina Lake, Debi Treloar, Emily Chalmers , Janis Nicolay, Etsy, and Pinecone Camp

 

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Simply Brilliant

 

Tim Walker Photographer

Artist Shane Waltener

Decorated tree outside of Penelope’s Durston‘s beautiful shop Cottage Industry

Photo courtesy The Design Files

Tim Walker Photographer 

Images courtesy Tim Walker, clmus.com, Penelope’s Durston‘s, Shane Waltener and The Design Files

Narrow Waist Seeks Broad Mind

At the moment, I'm doing what I normally do every January . . . . that being, looking at the pattern of my life and deciding that I don't like it and working on a plan to change it. 

So here's what I've been thinkin' . . . . In June of 2011, I will celebrate my forty-sixth birthday.  The thought of being a middle-aged person has never appealed to me.  It doesn't seem like a job I'd apply for.  I always imagine a personal ad that reads something like this:

Narrow Waist Seeks Broad Mind

  
Narrow waist seeks opportunity to change places with a broad mind.  Warning:  When waist trades places with mind everything on your body will hurt, and what doesn't hurt won't work any longer.  Also, your body might develop some food allergies, and every time you eat, it will break out into fat.  This will cause self-loathing through most of your 40s and 50s, and a few years afterward, and intermittently for the next twenty-five years or so. 
Requirements:
Applicant must have degree from the School of Creative Mathematics so that you honestly do not know how old you are.  Also, when calculating your age in dog years, you must be dead. 
Pay: 
No pay.  Possible opportunities for "pay back," "paying it forward," and "paying very little attention" but, no actual compensation. 
Education: 
Nursery school or equivalent. 
Benefits: 
You won't have to drink alcohol anymore - you can get the same effect by just standing up fast.  Also, you get to boast that you're not forty-five years old, but eighteen with twenty-seven years experience.

To get a jump start on the New Year, my therapist has suggested a daily regimen of finishing what I have started, and I have stead-fastly stuck to it, too!  Here's proof... so far today, I have finished a 6-pack of Diet Dr. Peppers and a Haagen-Dazs Dove Bar and I feel pretty accomplished.  Next she suggested a "do-not-do-that" list.  First on the list is making statements like "Jeez I'm getting such a muffin top!" or "Would you look at my ka-donkey-donk butt?!" -Inevitablly I get a response like "You look great," which is a lie but said out of kindness and love and is code for "I noticed that you've put on a little weight, but if you think you're going to get me to agree with you, you're nuts." 

In a nutshell, my New Year's Resolution plan includes these rules of thumb:

•  Change my exercise routine.  Instead of running my mouth, pushing my luck and jumping to conclusions, do an occasional sit-up or take a jog.

•  Avoid contact with things that raise my blood pressure.  Including, but not limited to, things that possess tetanus, tires, or testicles.

•  Stop eating food and switch to bark so that I can look better naked.

and finally . . . .

•  Die young as late as possible.

Happy New year everyone . . . see you tomorrow!

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See You In 2011!

“Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it”
                                                       -Lily Tomlin
 

At the close of 2010, I'm looking forward to 2011 with much anticipation. I am so grateful for the opportunity you’ve all given me to share the things that inspire me, make me laugh, make me cry and make me reach for the "happy pills". Thanks to all of you for your friendship - I'm so very thankful that this past year brought each and every one of you into my world! I will see you after a few days of fun, family and goofin' off.

Here's to a little less stress and reality, for that matter, in 2011!

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Funny How My Finest Hour Lasted a Minute and a Half

So, I'm all a twitter cuz I'm in The Austin American Statesman today - on the front of the Lifestyles section even, yet, already!!  And, what's even cooler is that my presence there has nothing whatsoever to do with my being dead, imprisoned, or part of a scandalous news story! 

Freelance lifestyle journalist and good friend, Amy Gabriel, chose to feature me and my home in her new-ish series called Inner Space.   According to the Statesman, it's a monthly look inside some of Austin's most stylish nooks and nests.  How groovy is that?  I'm stylish and I have a nook AND a nest!  At least for today anyway!  Many thanks to Amy, the Statesman, and the talented freelance photographer, Ashley Landis, who shot these photos.

And if you're interested, you can read the full story here.  And you can get a sneak peek at the newly designed Vintage Laundry website here.

Happy almost Christmas Eve!

Photos courtesy Ashley Landis and the Austin American Statesman

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Want It Wednesdays: Blue Christmas

Photos courtesy Mallett Antiques, Corinne Robbins, 1stdibs and Guinevere

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Fire-resistant Menus "R" Us

I don't remember exactly how long I was in the grocery store, but my presence there began on a road not so much paved with enthusiasm as sporadically littered with an enthusiastic resistance.  This is my first, and most likely my last, time to be solely responsible for Christmas dinner.  Being blessed with two aunts, a mother, and three siblings who are thoroughly marvelous cooks, I can say with a solid degree of authority, that I am a lousy cook.  I spontaneously screw up the order and amounts of ingredients in cakes, of course, unless I buy them in a box and all I have to do is add an egg.  I will, without thinking twice, serve a steak so rare that with a little help from a vet, it could recover.  I cook so poorly I'm amazed my children and da Hubbs have not put in for transfers.

Over the years (45 to be exact) I have taken cooking as seriously as someone like myself could.  I knew my motivation was rooted in fire-resistant menus;  I wouldn't cook it if it was likely to burst into flames.  Clearly roasting was out of the question, as was braising, sauteing, and everything involving a ladle.  I've been thinking about our Christmas dinner menu for some time now, wondering what food items I deemed durable enough to withstand my underqualified, indifferent, likely-to-send-send-you-to-the-emergency-room-with-food-poisoning" culinary skills.  And then it hit me . . . .  we'll begin with cheddar whizzy shot straight out of the can into our mouths, along with little square Spam bits eaten with toothpicks a -la-the Rainman followed by fruit roll-ups and Altoids.  But I had a hunch that the family might object.  So, I closed my eyes right there in the snack aisle and shook my head like a Magic 8-Ball waiting for a different idea.  I think it it is fair to say that I am often epicuriously  lethargic.

The good news is that "fully cooked" has turned out to be the magic password for cooking for the holidays, just the way "let's get take out" would on a weekday or "there's no food in the house" works on the weekends.  In theory, this should solve my problem . . . . . right? . . . . .  well, I'll keep you posted.  But in the mean time here are some marvelous food blogs that keep me laughing and inspire me to solve my "crappy cook" conundrum:

The ever creative Amateur Gourmet

The witty, tongue twister of a blog named Spork Or Foon

And a blackly hilarious blog called Suicidefood

Photos and logos courtesy Amateur Gourmet, Spork Or Foon, Suicidefood and Amazon

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Girl Friday: Dollars for Dreamers

When I was a little girl, the second I heard and understood the definition of the word entrepreneur, I knew I wanted to be one.  To me, it seemed the most cool, wayward, underground, and flat-out liberating thing there was.  I wanted to own my own business immediately, largely because I had no idea what it entailed.  I had no thoughts of cash flow or financial deficiencies.  I figured that all an  entrepreneur had to do was just raise their hand in a "please-hand -over-all-your-cash" manner as they explained their vision and passers-by would simple empty their pockets in an effort to support their spunky creative gumption.

Well, strange as it may seem, I wasn't far off.  Because today I ran across a company called Kickstarter, whose basic premise stems from just that thought process.  It's a fundraising website co-founded by  Yancey Strickler and  Perry Chen.  The thing that sets this company apart from other crowd-sourcing ideas is the fact that it's an all-or-nothing situation.  Here's how it works: You set a fundraising goal and a timeline that can stretch up to 90 days.  Pledges are tiered, with each tier offering different incentives.  If your project doesn’t reach your pre-set monetary goal in the time limit, nobody pays.  If you reach your goal before the time limit, you continue to raise money until the time limit is up. The implications of this are that b ackers simply can't lose — if you can’t complete the project, they don’t pay.  And if you can, they get both their tier award and the satisfaction of knowing they were instrumental in helping a dream come true.  Kickstarter and Amazon have teamed to make payments seamless and safe. Amazon acts like an escrow service — if pledge goals are met, the pledges are automatically charged the moment the funding time limit is reached.

You can read more on this marvelous company in Wired, NPR and The New York Times.

One of Kickstarter’s earliest success stories was Polyvinyl Record, an indie record label that has released albums by of Montreal and Asobi Seksu.
I, myself, will be wasting no time in getting started!

Logo courtesy Kickstarter

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"Urine" For a Treat"

There is no etiquette, no protocol for asking one's husband, " Did you by chance take a whiz on the bathroom floor this morning?"  It's just awkward.  This seems an obvious "good manners" faux pas, but there are certain aiming mis-judgments that polite society will permit.  People have been known to miss the boat, miss the point, and one's heart might miss a beat, and we simply shake our heads, shrug our shoulders and move on.  I mean I don't claim to be Emily Post or anything and nobody's perfect, right?  All of us are only human after all.  But, stepping in the contents of someone's bladder first thing in the morning is outlandish - and just a little antagonistic - it is sufficient to say that no one is prepared for being questioned about such matters. It's a far cry from "Is that your wet towel on the floor?"  And besides all of that, who would own up to such a thing?

Luckily, before I could even put the question on the table I realized that it was not da Hubbs but our kitty, Eva June, who had sprung a leak.  And being the opportunistic creature that I am, I would like to take advantage of this good segue opportunity . . . . So, I have another little leak to share with you about some newly posted inventory on my Etsy and "urine" for a treat!  Ha!  I sleigh me.  Get it?  "Sleigh" instead of "slay" - just a little bathroom slash Kris Kringle humor to get your Thursday goin', don't cha know?!

To begin with, I would like to show you this prissy pink perch in the photo above.  How great would this reproduction Louis XVI style tufted chair look at a mirrored desk or parked in front of a glam-y French vanity. It has been re-upholstered in a marvelous pink linen with two inch diamond tufting and the wood work has been guilt with a gold paint finish.

Next on the list are these elegant reproduction French Louis XV carved side chairs have an arching crest above a cartouche-shaped upholstered back with a serpentine apron raised on graceful cabriole leg. The wood treatment is a satin white paint and has been newly upholstered in a silver grey damask blended fabric with a double welting that gives them an amazing tailored yet feminine feel. I can only image how marvelous this pair would look on either side of a sofa table in a dining room or as intimate seating at a romantic table built for two.

And last you could take this stunning set of (4) vintage Parson's chairs and have our studios reupholster it in a fabric of your choice. Because you know how I feel about customization in the home - I figure it's like couture in the closet.

I've been envisioning this set of vintage Parson's chairs around a Saarinen pedestal table or pulled up to a curvy French farm table. They each have a six button tufted back with a straight apron at the seat raised on sleek squared pillar legs. The present vinyl upholstery is stained and worn so, they will need to be reupholstered - each chair will need 2.5 yards of a  solid fabric and 3.5 yards of a fabric that is patterned.

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Want It Wednesdays: Ninja, Ginga and Holiday Splenda

Photos Courtesy V and M, Bob Graham Lighting, Fred and Friends, Ebay and Copper Maven Collectibles

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Retro Redo: Master of My Domain

Okay, have it your way, I'm a procrastinator.

You know how they say that procrastination is like masturbation because in the end you're just screwing yourself?  Well, the only thing I have to say to that, is at least I'm the master of something.

Now, to be fair and maybe a little less inappropriate, I did accomplish one or two things that I'd like to share with you.  So, in today's Retro Redo, I'd like to show the "before" and "afters" of a couple of vintage armchairs that our workroom has done.

I'll begin with this mid-century club chair that I had listed on my Etsy store.  This handsome mid-century piece has great scale with great pieced button tufts on the back that emphasize its tailored silhouette. Even in its original velvet fabric it made a marvelous statement.  But the fabric my client chose to re-upholster it in simply blew my mind.  The piece finished up beautifully and though I didn't think it was possible, it is more gorgeous than before!

Another piece that proves my theory that customization in the home is like couture in the closet, is this great vintage reproduction Louis XV Bergere chair from the 1940s that I had also listed on my Etsy.  It is a beautiful example of craftsmanship with its fantastic carving on the curvy french feet and arms. This client decided to guild the arms and feet and re-upholster in a lustrous chocolate pinstriped velvet.  I think the results are spectacular and it is a simply sensational piece!

See you tomorrow with a "Christmas-y-themed" Want It Wednesday.

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If Procrastination Were Dirt, I'd Be About an Acre

I have been trying for weeks to write about my plans for The Vintage Laundry, but it hasn't been easy, and for one simple reason:  Redesigning the website and implementing new services and aspects to the business has taken up so much of life lately that I have had no time to sit down in front of the computer to post blogs.

I hate that I procrastinate.  I absolutely hate this about me!  If procrastination were dirt, I'd be about an acre - or maybe 40.  If you're one of those people who is all together and perfectly prepared for all that life presents to you on a daily basis, don't even bother reading this because there will be nothing for you here.  This is for people who put things off claiming that if you can't do tasks perfectly, why do them at all, those who are bad at multi-tasking, and those who feel that their disorganized houses, and their hopeless and chronic inability to finish their "to-do-list," somehow makes them less than.

There was, however, for exactly 10 minutes in 1993 right after the birth of my first child that I, LeAnn Stephenson, was thought to be the most on-top-of-things woman on the planet.  It's true, just ask my breast pump.  In any case, I would like to NOT procrastinate.  I would!  But every time I try to get all organized, something goes wrong and makes it impossible.  I want to make sure I make this clear:  Every time I try to get all organized, something goes wrong.

I have observed people who are overwhelmed by their "to-do-lists" (and are often procrastinators) - and I've also witnessed the parallel universe of folks who are freakishly efficient (but are often overwhelmed, as well.)  I myself swing between the two universes, spending larger portions of time in the land of the overwhelmed slash procrastinating.  I have periods of time being wildly committed to finishing my "to-do-lists" and being on top of my schedule; then some little glitch or fire ignites needing my attention, and then I spend time solving the problem and putting out the fire.  Then I slowly make my way back to completing tasks in a timely manner,  then something new and urgent comes up.  So far, in the "urgent-must-put-this-fire-out" department, the past month and a half has managed the following:  I have broken four metatarsal bones in my right foot, one right after the other which leads to visits to multiple doctors to see why this is happening and an oh-so-stylish boot cast to hobble around in;  my internet provider has been malfunctioning making it usable only 2 out of every 7 days for quite some time now, making designing the website, emailing clients, posting blogs, and listing new merchandise a little tricky;  My children, Olivia and Noah, both had birthdays and celebrations that had to be planned, invites designed, and parties to be had;  extra pockets of time to be alloted for my daughter who is now driving here and there and everywhere to accumulate hours she needs to get her license;  problems with damage and shipping on some of my reworked furniture pieces, causing loss of profit and general disappointment in certain people; and now I'm entirely destroyed by the imminent arrival of Christmas and all that that implies, not to mention that I can't perform the simple act of a hair flip to remove my bangs from my eyes without becoming a candidate for traction.

So, here's what I know now that I didn't know then:

•  Take calcium EVERY DAY and make sure you have some Vitamin D with it so it will absorb properly.

•  There are no brakes on the passenger side floorboard of my car.

•  Stop doing what does not work - get rid of the things that work against you.

•  Take more pictures and spend more time with family.

•  It's okay to say, No.

•  Keep your bangs trimmed.

•  There are people will take advantage of me.

. . . and finally . . . .

•  The Earth will not stop spinning because I didn't finish my "to-do-list."

Photo courtesy Blogging Innovation

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Sometimes I Feel Like a Figment of My Own Imagination

Here I am last spring with two of my favorite bloggin' buddies, Adrienne, of  

The Flying Bee and Angelique, of  Six In One Hand . . . . at least I think that's me!

Hi everyone - I'm back, and I'm full of it - "IT" being up to your own personal interpretation.

After a long antique show like this fall's Antiques Week, a couple of quotes by Lily Tomlin always spring to mind. One goes something like this: "I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific."  And the other goes like this:  "Sometimes I feel like a figment of my own imagination."

When I get the opportunity to be immersed in my business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the better part of a month while preparing for, setting up for, and selling for this twice-a-year event, I always feel that I have a clearer, more specific grasp on the direction that I would like to take my business.  As I visit with friends and customers about what they are searching for or brainstorm with fellow dealers about the state of the vintage/antiques business in our present economy, or iron a dozen vintage napkins or polish a pile of silver flatware, my mind tumbles around with idea after idea of ways to expand, grow, and refine my business.

My posts for the rest of the week will consist of ideas and specifics about how The Vintage Laundry will be changing, growing, and expanding our scope and offerings.  I'm really excited and I can't wait to share - So, stay tuned!!

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