2015 May

How Did That Work Out For You??
5/29/2015

I was going to do it! I was! I was!! And then... I had a chance for a road trip that that I did not want to pass up! Now I know why I have so many unfinished projects!! 

Jeff has been in need of a new truck for quite a while and when he finally found one, it just happened to be in Florida. Oh darn! So... I just decided a road trip to pick it up for him was a little more important than continuing to organize the studio :),  especially since I could swing over to see Brent. Then, there was the added bonus of a lady I met at the Delray show who wants me to come by her house and design some fun and funky chairs for her. So it really was a no brainer for me. 

Jeff made the ticket and hotel reservation and sent me all the itineraries. I flew out of Lexington and arrived in what he told me was Ft. Myers with the hotel about a short distance away with a shuttle to pick me up. Not a problem he said. I got off the plane in a little airport with one baggage belt and I asked a guard where I would call to get the shuttle. "Honey" he said. "You are in the wrong airport. You need to be 45 minutes down the road." 

OH MY! That just goes to prove that busy men are not very good at listening to details. He had been told exactly which airport and missed that one! So after a $100 taxi ride and lots of nice conversation with the taxi driver I made it to the hotel and was settled in for the night.

The next morning they picked me up and I knew immediately when they arrived. How do you miss a big red truck that has everything but the kitchen sink on it?? Heated steering wheel? Heated and Cooled seats? A step that automatically goes down for you to get in the truck when the door opens?? I guess since he spends so much time in it every day that it will make life more comfortable. The only problem Jeff is going to have is, that it seems like it is made just for me.

I arrived at Brent's later in the afternoon. He was already home from work when I got there and it didn't take long to figure out what our project for the weekend was going to be. He had already put in a wall in his workroom and we would be sanding and painting, and building his work tables. Home Depot here we come!!

I had planned to spend this week finishing up at least one of the projects that I listed in last weeks blog and decided to work on Tracy's pillows for her. I got them cut out and was planning to make them before heading to the airport. I arrived about 7:30 at the store and at 8:00 I got a call from Delphia saying, "Leslie, don't freak out." That was not the way I wanted a conversation to start.

Delphia had sprained her knee and spent the morning at the emergency room and is out of commission for awhile. I so hope the swelling and bruising go down and the pain subsides soon for her sake. I spent the next little bit with Judy, Julie and Maritess getting the store covered. Thanks for all of them and the patience of our customers as they figure things out!

In the meantime, we had an order for 11 bolts that I needed to pull and get ready to ship. We also had 21 very pretty bolts of fabric delivered the day before that needed to be carried to the basement. All that took priority over those pillows. They will just have to wait till I get home next week. Does that mean I have to do 2 UFO's next week? I told Brent about my plans to get at least one UFO done a week and his only response was, "How did that work out for you??" I guess I am destined to spend my life yelling "squirrel!"

2 Comments

Brenda Cregger - I'm a new follower your post is exciting and inspiring. Thank you.

Leslie - Thanks Brenda! You are a new follower and I am a new blogger! Thanks for stopping by!


So Many UFO's!!!
5/22/2015

Busy is not the word for what we have been this week in the back Studio. We have cleaned and cleaned, and even though there are still piles around to be organized, they are at least in stacks that are similar in nature, and we seem to be getting there.... We had a customer in this morning and my first question to her was, "Can you tell a difference since you were here last Friday?"  Now... just let me tell you, if she had answered in the negative I would have been heartbroken!

I spent the last few days going through piles and I came up with more UFO"S (Un-Finished Objects) than you can even imagine!  Below are just a few. I'm sure I am not the only one who runs out of time in the middle of a project and has lots of UFO's hanging around. Let me know how many you all have. Maybe we need to schedule a day to play (every other week or so) to bring in a project so we all can spend time visiting and completing UFO's that have been hanging around too long. (??)  If there are any takers that would be interested in being part of a UFO group, let me know!

First is my Princess and the Pea from a Cindee Moyer class... this is from several years ago.

Then, there are a couple of projects from Robert Hartley.  
I really want to get my spiral done! The polka dot and beaded project is just waiting for me to get the hand sewing again!!

Then here are the fabrics for pillows for my sister's birthday present (February), not to mention the two projects not pictured that are at home for the past several years for her birthdays... poor Tracy!!

And here's a fun computer bag design (left)  I was playing with that is all finished but the handle. It's just waiting to be completed...

And I love my weaving... and it's so close to being done.  But I really love it on the copper loom. I figure when Kat comes the first of June she'll convince me that it needs to come off. I even have the wood that I'm going to use for the mounting just sitting in another pile.

Speaking of Kat... Have you all noticed the fun classes that she is teaching the beginning of June? She's also offering a free class if you sign up for one of her other classes! I am so excited about the 4-day paper class. I have made basic paper before but have never created with the paper after it was made!! Check out the bowl that she made...I hope you can join us for at least one of her classes and take advantage of the one she is teaching for free!!

So... I have a challenge for myself... I am going to try and make myself finish one project every two weeks and, thankfully, I have all of you to keep me to that task!!

2 Comments

Jayn Lando - Hopefully now that I'm retiring I can make a dent in my UFO pile before adding any new ones!

Linda Pieratt - Oh no. I didn't know we were supposed to finish everything.....


Here We Come, Ready Or...
5/15/2015

NOT!!  

No we are not ready and the store does not look like we want it to.... but yes we opened as planned on Friday. It's so easy to get started on a project and then decide that we want to do a little bit more!!

The gang at the store started painting while I was in NC last week and after painting a room or two they decided that I would not like the color and, so, they started over!! They know me well!! The new color is beautiful and it made the carpet look really dingy. So... thanks to a subtle suggestion, I started pulling up carpet and it didn't take long before it was too late to go back! 

Look at the beautiful floors that we revealed!! We have scraped paint and gotten them so that they're presentable, but have decided to take a break before we think about refinishing them.

Gary and José

There have been so many dedicated folks that have worked 8-14 hours a day to get us where we are. A great big thanks to all that have given so much to make it all happen! It is actually exciting to see our ideas  take shape.. a shape that could not have happened with so much fabric in the store.

The studio, along with the main store, is making a transformation. We moved the checkout counter from the main floor to the back and moved the black table that ran along the back of the studio out where it can actually be used! Look folks! It's the first time that we've been able to see the back table since we put it in!! Now don't look at all the other mess.... I'll work on that next week.

So...it was a good first day. Customers stepped over the piles of random stuff that were in the way, they took advantage of the fabric that we have not yet moved out that is still 75% off, and they were patient as we figured out what our new policies with the internet will be.

I think we are in good enough shape for the new bolts of fabric to arrive that have been ordered to go online. Watch our Making Ends Meet Facebook page to be notified when the new fabrics come in at great prices.

The best part of our first day.... My bird chair has a new home!! I'm ready to start creating more furniture this next week. Lots more for the store and to go on Etsy... it's a great place to buy one of a kind items.

Check out our new classes. We're ready to play!

1 Comment

Jayn Lando - Leslie, you and your staff are absolutely amazing!!

A Little Peace of Heaven!

5/8/2015

Lake Susan

How do you begin to describe those places in your life that you visit that make you feel like you are home when you arrive?? You know what I mean.... the ones where memories are made, where you watch your kids at youth conferences become the wonderful people they are today, and you love to catch up with the staff that treat you like family. It's a place where you meet up with friends from around the country that have shared interests and memories.
Montreat, North Carolina is that place for me. 

Since the early 1990's I have been at Montreat at least once a summer, if not two or three times, for youth conferences or the Annual Recreation Workshop. It's always lots of work to help with these conferences but the rewards and renewal that you come out with are HUGE!  It's like a little piece of heaven!

Here are some of the doors we painted back at the STUDIOS that we used for signage during the week. They went in the auction, which provides money for scholarships. There is a neat story behind the garden gate (far left photo)... I purchased this gate from a little junk store while visiting a friend in Memphis. Another friend of mine purchased it as the Welcome Home gate. She is in the process of adopting two little girls and intends to put this out in front of the house when she brings them home. How special is that!!

Check out my new bike I bought at the auction!! It was hand painted by my friends Sonia and Angie and I love it!!  It is for the vacation home that I don't have.  I'm hoping to be selling these fun things on our Etsy site before long. 

I love to experience and watch adults laugh and play at this workshop.  Watching church leaders, recreation leaders, and adults needing a little R & R spend the time away from the stress of everyday life, where they can learn and share with each other, is so very rewarding. I think we don't do enough of that in life. I feel I am fortunate enough to say I can play at work... but I think we will try to do a little more of that with the ladies at the store!

Below (left) is our communion bread on which we painted the answer to the question, "How is God calling you to say, 'yes' to love?" That was then shared with all participants in the worship setting.

The embroidery hoops were used to create Dojang's. It is a Korean signature stamp that we created in worship and then hung to share with all. Don't they look fun!! 
Now to pack up and return home for the next adventure. Going home on a high from the week is a great way to start the next one! Thanks for stopping by!!

1 Comment

Jayn Lando - It was a wonderful, wonderful event full of peace, fellowship, fun, growth, and so much more. You did a great job leading it all!

Draperies, Beads & Silks... Oh MY!!

5/1/2015

We have had some great classes happening in the STUDIO this past week! 

We had our first drapery making class in the STUDIO Art & Design Center and everyone finished with GREAT results! They even did more than one width of fabric, which is usually only done by more advanced seamstresses. Betty has so much patience as an instructor....So many pretty fabrics and such different results.

Ellen was back with another fun bead embroidery class. The ladies had their choice of many different bead and Shibori silk kits to start with and then they added their own personal touches. This is not a class that you walk out with a finished project, but look at the beginnings of these beautiful bracelets. 

Embroidery Bead Artist, Ellen Yunker

I love the bead embroidery.... and I went into it kicking and screaming, that I wanted no part of it. I find that it's the one thing that I can sit and do.... (when I have time to sit) and it actually relaxes me. There are no rules, it is so free form and you can make up your pattern as you go along. 

Lots of last minute things to get ready for ARW. I made 28 table toppers on Monday, finished the last 2 doors and built door stands for all our doors so that we can put them up for display!! Now on to load the trailer one more time. Somehow Jeff is always busy when it is time to load the trailer and Jason gets drafted!! Thanks Jason for all your help and support!!

Renovation is underway and we are moving things around. I know that we won't get it all done by the time we open up again on the 15th, but we will continue working on each room until it feels just right!

I am headed to Montreat, NC in the morning and I'm leaving the painting and renovating in good hands!!

So... the trailer is packed and I'm finishing final details. Annual Recreation Workshop, here we come, ready or not! I hope you all have a good week.  Watch Facebook for fun pictures of a week of play... or WORK, as the case may be!! 

0 Comments