Viva Consuela!

Finally...the pics!

Hi there!  Hopefully many of you have heard that I was able to open a store in Dripping Springs (right outside of Austin, Tx).  For those of you who have been asking for some pics, here you go!  Enjoy, and don't forget to come to the Grand Opening party if you can! :)

Tada!!....Welcome to Consuela!

Here's the back porch

And our backyard...isn't it fabulous?  This is where the Grand Opening party will be, hope you can come!

 

 

Now, let me show you around.  Here are some pictures of the main retal area, and some of the things we are making for our line of products.  One thing I haven't mentioned yet, is that we have started wholesaleing the Consuela line to other stores, which is so much fun!!

In addition to the things in the above pics, we still make hats and caps and oilcloth totes and one-of-a-kind bags and all of that, which you can see on the website, but some new items are things like these great tables and frames made with old wood.

We are also carrying several limited edition prints by favorite artists.

This building is so incredible.  The owners took great pains to restore it using as much original wood as possible, and we have the good fortune to be able to work in some of the rooms.

Well, hopefully that gives you a little glimpse of what has been keeping me away from blogland!  Thanks so much to everyone for all of their positive thoughts and well wishes.  If you are ever near the Austin area, please stop in to say hello.  More soon!  Hugs!

On the Road...again!

Hi there!  Just wanted to check in and say that I have not fallen off of the face of the earth, but it is spinning so fast, that falling off is definitely a possibility! :)  I'm off to Canton tomorrow a.m.  Will try to catch up with Blogland as soon as I get back.  Hope every one had a great Thanksgiving!

Vaya con Dios,

Consuela

What's Cookin'

Every room in our house seems to be covered with things I'm making, or the stuff I use to make things with.  I've been trying to get some new things ready for the next show, and now for the new shop! :)  I finished a couple of whimsical seashell pedestal decorations encrusted in seashells...

And a couple of boxes and trays

As for the title of this post....what's cooking....well, I have quite a lot of stuff cooking in my kitchen...unfortunately for my husband, it's not food.  At this point every speck of counter space is covered with embroidery and fabric being designed into comfy cozy pillows! :)...here are some of them in progress...

My husband comes home from a fishing trip today...so that will spur me on to get these finished.  I can't keep looking at them, I may need to actually use the stove again!  Will show you the finished products, hopefully sometime next week...

Feelin' the Love

Today was a long hard day trying to get ready to go to Canton and get the shop open...Thanksgiving?  Who said anything about a holiday thrown in there with 3 and 4 hour drives here and there to see family???  We won't really think about that right now.  hehehe...anyway, today when I was feeling a little whipped, I got a pick me up and was once again fluttering happily about...

Why you ask?....well, because I got an extra special treat from my friend Katri !  Treats and surprises always amaze me.  Having someone go out of their way to do something special makes me feel very warm and fuzzy...when I was in college, my mom used to occasionally send me a surprise of a bar of Clinique soap, which I was always out of and was an extravagance to me then, and she would always include a crazy-looking pair of socks...usually related to whatever the closest holiday around was.  She knew I never wore these socks, but she sent them anyway, and I really loved it.  Just a frivolous little treat...that made me feel cared for...so today, I was kind of feeling thrown about a bit when I got the mail

and Katri had sent me such a sweet note with this totally awesome frame and quote that melted my heart on the spot.  Isn't timing amazing?  Earlier, I had been at a stone yard with my husband trying to explain the patio I want to build in the front of my little store.  He has built lots of stone patios in his business, and he kept looking at me like I was crazy as I was explaining to him what seemed so simple and obvious to me....it was kind of frustrating...then I read the quote Katri sent

This put a huge smile on my face...In my mind I said to my husband ...see???  I really have a vision, and you just don't see it yet...but, it will be good when it's done! :)  Of course the first thing I did was find my special new treasure a home..

Couldn't fit better! :)...and reminds me of the kind hearts that are out there in the world.  Thank you Katri!  You have no idea how much this meant to me today, and in my current and continued journey with all of the creative stuff.  I don't know why it drives me, but it just does.

See you next week!

Taking a quick break from Blogland to go to my show in Canton.  It's supposed to be a beautiful week and weekend.  Sunshine and high in 70's!  Should be a busy one.  Be back on Tuesday....hopefully with fun stories to share!  Viva Consuela!

Tagged

I've been tagged by the oh so fabulous Suzi Finer .  My instructions are to share 7 random and/or weird facts about myself...so here goes...

1.  I'm a sci-fi/fantasy fiction junky...I've read The Hobbit and all of the Lord of the Rings books at least 4 times...and I'm a complete snob about the movies...because of course they no where near touch how amazing the books are! ...on the sci-fi side...this is slightly embarrassing, but I must admit I'm hooked on all of the Star Wars movies...I can watch them over and over and still watch it again...it's a sickness, I know! Ha!

2.  I grew up in the 80S, and lived in Boulder, Colorado for most of that time.  Me and my little group of friends were an odd sort of rag-tag, rebellious bunch...at various times, we all wore trench coats, and were addicted to the movie, Quadraphinia (sp?) that sting was in when they all road vespa's around.  The other kids called us Mods during that phase... we evolved that look from one thing to another, including having mohawks, and/or shaved parts of our hair...died hair, blue, pink, black, whatever...wearing really bright neon clothes with huge shoulder pads (especially if we could imitate Stephen Sprouse or Norma Kamali)...and then at one point all having black hair, white make-up, and red lips...what's so funny is that years later all of these things kind of became the norm, even the music we listened to which was so unpopular at the time ended up getting popular eventually.

We went to lots of shows (small shows by bands that eventually became well known)...and inevitably we always ended up meeting them..probably because the shows were so small....my first ever concert was Big Country, and that's the first band I ever met...here's their song that eventually gained some recognition...

We also hung out with bands like the Thompson Twins, Depeche Mode, Simple Minds, Howard Jones, Psychedelic Furs...etc...one of my favorites that we met a long time before they were popular are "The Cure".  If you have never heard some of their older stuff, it's so fabulous, and I love these wacky 80S videos...one of my all time favs is Caterpillar

and for all of you cat lover's, and especially since Halloween is coming up you have to check out Love Cats...

3.  I would love to leave life as I know it behind and travel and visit places all over the world...staying in different countries and areas for a month or more...something I don't know that my husband would ever agree to...but you never know!!???!!

4.  Kind of along those same lines, I have no inhibitions about going places by myself...I will take off whenever the mood strikes me...could just be to a movie and dinner alone...could be a drive across several states to see some store I heard or read about, could be flying somewhere to attend a show or exhibit or something else I'm interested in.  I actually almost prefer going it alone sometimes, because I don't have to work the details out with anyone, I just do whatever I want...one of the best trips I had this way was to Washington DC.  I saw some of the most wonderful exhibits, ate great food, shopped at fabulous shops...it was wonderful!  If you've never tried it, I highly recommend it.

5.  I LOVE Sushi!  I could eat it every single day!!!!  My favorite restaurant is named Uchi.  If you are ever in Austin, Texas, this is an absolute MUST!!! :)

6.  I am a completely anal dishwasher.  I scour and scrub every dish, utensil, and glass before it ever goes into the dishwasher...for some reason I think that the dishwasher is just for sanitizing the all ready clean dishes...strange, I know! :)

7.  In person, I usually come across as out-going...but the truth is I am very shy, and get my feelings hurt really easily.  That's why blogland is a little hard for me...because if I leave a comment on someone's blog or email them...and then never hear back, it's really difficult for me, the shy person wants to pack up my toys and go home!

That's why I can't actually carry through with the other part of the instructions for this tag...I'm supposed to tag 7 other random people...but if I tag someone, and they don't respond or whatever, I'll feel all weird...I know, it's so strange, I'll do stuff on my own, and I'll take career risks, but when it comes to putting my personal feelings out there for possible rejection....uggghhh...very difficult!

So there you have it!  What is a random fact about you?

Dream a Little Dream with Me

Okay....well, so I talked a big talk, but didn't get much done in the way of organizing.  I decided that I needed a lot of that stuff out and around me so that I could see it and be inspired to use it!  I do however have a new plan...I want to move the mess rather than clean it up!!...step into my dream...

I have been dreaming forever and ever about having this wonderful place to go where I have a studio/workshop...where I can get my own work done, but also a space for classes and get-togethers..some place magical where people feel welcome, and the creativity flows.  I also would like to have a semi-retail store at this magical place...where I sell the things I make along with treasures created by other artisans I have found in Blogland, and around my local area...also selling art supplies and altered art materials, one of a kind vintage ephemera...funky furniture pieces...on and on...I have journal after journal filled with the idea mapped out, etc...but have never found the perfect spot until now...

This little gem is for lease in the town I live in just outside of Austin.  It's right on the main highway, but set back off the road a bit...it definitely needs tons of flowers and oilcloth draped and swagged everywhere with luxurious outdoor pillows on old vintage chairs, etc...but it has the bones to be just what I have always envisioned. 

The back of the house has a big open room perfect for the workshop and parties and classes...with the great porch area to sit and chat...imagine color, and flowers and wonderful outdoor peely paint wicker, vibrant oil cloth pillows and seashell mosaics everywhere...(minus the deer head ;)...)

and awnings made of old ceiling tins painted the most beautiful aqua..over all of the windows with flower boxes below the windows dripping with trailing geraniums...

and in the back yard comfy hammock and swings filled with pillows made from vintage fabrics...and also I'd love to hold a yearly or bi-yearly artisan gathering and sale, where everyone comes and sets up under the trees, and we have live music, a celebration...can you see it???

so I sit pondering on my back porch with one of my ever faithful companions...Scout..."can I help you, mom??"

and trying to make yet another list to help me determine if I can afford this commitment...and instead doodling and still dreaming about how perfect it will be

I have had many friends try different forms of business that haven't quite made it...but then I read all of the time about success stories and ones that do...so hard to know...what is best, what will work...but I do know that in my heart I feel like this is the perfect spot if I'm going to try it.  What do you think?  Anyone out there tried leasing a place before? 

Baring it All

Are you ready for this???  I'm not sure I am, but here goes....in order to try to motivate myself to get organized around here, I'm going to share my inner sanctum with you.  What a mess!!  My creativity seems to have a life substance of it's own that oozes and grows and spreads...it's pretty much taking over our entire house.  My poor husband!  (All the more reason why I need a shop/store...but that's another story...HA!)...anyway, I took a bunch of pictures of everything, and realized, that it was so ridiculously many that I couldn't even show them all, but I will show some of the primary messes...Let's start inside with what may someday be our dining room.  I have never been a fan of formal dining rooms, so I have never bought formal dining room furniture.  When you walk in our front door, immediately to the right is the dining room...so I found these fabulous old Mexican doors, and screwed them together making a screen

so now the only entrance is a small door off the kitchen, and the dining room is now one of my primary messes.  I pretty much dump everything on the floor in here when I come back from Canton...

I always have the best of intentions about tidying it up, but it usually stays this way...I keep all of the fabric and stuff in here.

and I store my jewelry in here

Now, even though we don't have a formal dining room, we have a perfectly lovely breakfast table, that we could use on occasion, although it might be difficult when I'm making anything...such as the next batch of caps and visors!

I also have a complete mess of catalogs and treasures and art books...etc in my office, but we won't even go there for now! :)...instead let's head out to the garage.  This is where I make my messiest messes! :)  I was impressed with this next picture when I saw it on the computer, because it actually looks like there might be some things organized on these shelves....up close and in person, not so much...

Pretty much every surface is covered with paints and mediums and stains

and stamps and papers...on and on...

and on

add in a bucket of things I've rusted...

some African beads that I'm just sure I will find a fabulous use for...could be the most wonderful jewelry ever, right???

Oh yes, and here's that entire case of fabric paint I ordered, because I feel sure that I will need that when I get around to doing those custom painted shirts I've dreamed up...

and this wonderful screen I just had to have, where someone had glued all of their old opera ticket stubs...

And the recent addition of this fantastic yarn I found...does it matter that I don't knit or crochet?  Of course not!  I had to have it.  I will find a purpose for it, I am sure!!!

It's so funny, just looking through these pictures while writing this makes me want to instantly go to the garage and get paint on my hands...only draw back is that I also feel like I'm being swallowed up by it all...so something has to be done!  Hopefully taking ownership of it here will help me get it organized...at least so that my husband and I both feel like we can walk around in our own home!! :)

My little angel made by my friend Kathleen will preside over my clean-up today.

Wish me luck!

Best thing since sliced bread...or cupcakes...!!

Oh my goodness!!  I have been having so much fun today.  A while back a friend suggested that I get a stylus/electronic pad...I'm not sure if this is what it's officially called...just know it's the thing that works like a mouse, but looks like a pencil...

I have been wanting more control over some of the the digital images I create, and remembered today that I had always been meaning to try this....what in the world was I thinking????  How did I ever survive without this wonderful tool???  I'm completely in love.  I just went to Best Buy, and bought whatever the cheapest one they had was...just wanted to try it.  It's so much fun.  If you use Illustrator or Photoshop and don't have one of these, run, hurry, go get one!! :)  The cupcake was my first attempt at using it...I was hungry...hehehe

Next I drew this little lovely.  It was so much fun and so easy.  She is 100% digital...

 

I love finding new tools, and I feel like a new door has just opened up for me...one more way to get the ideas from my head and onto the screen!

Paths

Hi there!  Sorry for my lag in posts!  I've just been slow in recovering from the Bloglandia Ball!  hehehe...no, just kidding.  I have just been in a bit of a tail-spin.  The day of my last post, I left for my monthly show in Canton.  It was very busy, which was fun, but long...on Sunday when I started loading my trailer, I got a call that my dad had been rushed to the emergency room and when he got there his blood pressure was 40 over something!  His health has been very precarious since a stroke 3 years ago.  The doctors really thought this was it for him, and there I was 4 hours away with a trailer that had to be loaded.  It was really hard.  Anyway, luckily, my dad pulled through again.  It's not that I don't know that he might not be with us much longer, but I guess it's always hard when the time is upon you, even if it's not a surprise. 

Anyway...after I got home, I happened to see that my dream location for a store/shop has become available for lease.  I have always dreamed of having a little store that had my workshop in the back, so I could have classes and parties and such, but also have a fun place for retail...but not in a traditional retail location, and also not with traditional retail hours.  In addition to finished product, I want to sell all of my favorite bits and parts and pieces that I use, and have fun girls night outs where we give classes while listening to music, and nibbling on a bit of wine and cheese...etc!  This little house is made of old moss rock, with a high-pitched metal roof, it's right on the highway running through our town, but it's surrounded by beautiful trees, and has an awesome back porch...swoon, swoon, swoon...

Of course the day I saw this, I found out that my husband may have some significant changes happen in his work pretty much right away...this throws everything into a tail spin...rethinking our jobs, where we live, what we want to do in the future, what risk we are willing to take with our businesses, etc.

One of the biggest ongoing challenges of my life is timing.  It seems that I have always been chasing the clock, the planets and stars never quite lining up just so for me to carry out plans and dreams... major shifts continually taking place that keep things on hold....I can accept this, and I know that I will never give up, and that everyone goes through challenging times...it's deciding on a direction in the midst of the whirlwind that always keeps me guessing and spinning...for now, I'm just trying to be still and wait and see.  So, I'll keep you posted! Hugs!  Viva Consuela!! :)