Pretty Pear Designs

Boo!

 

I love Halloween!  The crisp air,  a cozy home, the spookiness of it all.  I think it all goes back to when I was a kid and how excited I was when I would come home from school and see the dish of candy corns set out on our coffee table.  I knew the fun was just beginning.  I loved the after school specials, the movies, and most of all the trick or treating!

I think one of the greatest gifts of being a parent is passing down those traditions to your kids.  It is fun to watch them soak it all in , get so excited for it and know what memories you are creating for them. 

My kids are just like me, they have a love hate relationship with how much they like to be freaked out.  Spooky is fun, creepy and well scary.  So much anticipation for this day.  I was greeted this morning by shouts of Happy Halloween and proceeded to tell my 4 yr old that for breakfast this morning we would be having fried eye-balls with fingertips, since that is what witches eat ( and today she is a witch).

Looking forward to dressing them up today, not looking forward to the longstanding battle that parents face on Halloween - at least those of us living in the north, that the reality is in order to go trick or treating we will have to bundle up.  It is cold in upstate NY today!

So, I wish everyone a fun, spooky, memory filled Halloween!

Craft Show Update

Well, I felt a bit rusty setting up, but managed to pull everything together.  It was a good show, better then what I had expected.  It was a small show, just in our local high school cafeteria, but put together by the equivalent of our towns version of  the PTA which I just joined.  The whole event was for the good of the elementary school.

 

Just after as the show was beginning a woman walked up to my booth and just made my day.  She said "I love how all this looks, you have such a great product...are you the consultant for this company" with a huge smile on my face I said "why thank you, but this is all me", and then I asked her if she would like to be a consultant - hehe!  What I great compliment I thought.  I love, love, love what I do, and I try very hard to put out a professional, elegant product that is high-end yet handmade.  Whether I had a sale or not that day, I was so happy and proud.

The show was also a wonderful way to introduce myself  and what I do to the community.  I am a friendly person, but a bit reserved when I met other moms about what I do.  I never want to seem pushy.  So, it was very fun to see all the moms and teachers that have seen me at the school.  It was oh look it is Emily's and Rebecca's mom and THIS is what you do? type of statements all day.

I am very excited for what is next for Pretty Pear Designs.  New Yorkers seemed to embrace my work as much my Wisconsin supporters.  I am eagerly working hard to get my studio up and running again in our new house.  Lots of work to do, but ready to do it.  I am hoping to do more shows come Spring time and make my way down towards NYC...stay tuned!

Craft Show

 

Well, it has been a while, almost a year since I have last done any type of show.  Tomorrow I will be doing a small show at my daughter's elementary school.  I have to say I am very excited to be doing this event.  The show helps supports a good cause (the school), and it is a great way for me being the newbie to the area to meet more moms and to introduce Pretty Pear Designs to people as well.

It was hard leaving Wisconsin, especially the Elkhart Lake Farmer's Market which such a wonderful and important part of Pretty Pear Designs.  I started there with just a small card table, curious if anyone would be interested in what I made.  Three summers later I had filled a tent, had an online shop, and met the most wonderful people who really supported and liked what I was creating.  It was hard to say good-bye to that.  Starting over isn't always easy, but I am excited to be doing it!

Politicians, why we don't like you. Shame on you!

This maybe my Jerry Maguire moment.  I am putting it out there, not sure if I should, but I am.  I was lying in bed this morning just thinking.  No t.v on , no radio, just my thoughts...and I started thinking about politics.  To be honest I am not sure why.  Maybe because we have a barrage of campaign adds going on constantly, it is top news, or maybe just because I have got America on my mind.

So, here it goes.  When I turned 18 it was exciting I could vote, a voice finally.  I cared a lot, still do but in a different cynical way.  I dread this time of year, the messages are constant from our politicians and to me they are all in most cases the same.  I was thinking to myself about a recent visit to my old High School.   Walking the halls I saw all these campaing posters up.  Catchy slogans of why we should vote so and so sophomore treasurer, or so and so for senior class president, why they were the right choice.  It was nice.  I thought there is no way the school would condone mudslinging posters on their walls.  The parents would make the kids break out a new sharpie and tell their kids to start over, they would noy allow them to plaster the school walls with bad things to say about their opponent - just focus on you, and what you will do to make the school a better place to be.

Shame on you politicians for sending some of the absolute worst messages to our future generations.  Where did we forget our simple values of decency and respect.  This is what I try to teach my kids.  Why is ok to think you will win by lack of a better word being mean and nasty.  I would like to know more about you as a canadiate, why spend your money on air time with those nasty adds, and you know the ones -  black and white bad images, ominous music, and switch - rainbows and sunshine for you, and to be fair both sides of the aisle do it, we are splitting hairs if we say one side does it more. 

Recently in the news and on tv we have seen a heartfelt effort on behalf of greater tolerance for our kids.  We plead for a bully free schools.  We are trying to send a message of acceptance.  I find it oddly ironic, that in the mist of this important and good message we find ok to  have adds where we in some cases destroy the opponents.  Are we telling our 15 year olds - be tolerant, be nice, yet if they are opposing you then you have the right to go after them, it is ok to be nasty, I am fighting for my cause.  This is why many of us are disgusted with the direction of politicians these days.

I would like to stand from the roof-top (or my blog) and tell these politicians to run their campaigns as if they were in an elementary school.  Difference of opinion and in depth debates are immensely important and should be constructive be respectful of your opponent (you maybe on his/her kickball team at recess).  Lots of two-stepping and insult swinging is counter productive, you will turn people off.   If I were a kid on a playground I would turn around and walk away from that.  This is how a lot of Americans are feeling right now.

Many people feel that as a nation we are at crossroads, and we are.  How we feel as Americans is personal.  What I call America maybe different then what you call America, so be it.  I may not even have to like it.  But what we should all be working towards is a collective dignity of how we met at this crossroads.  Until we figure out how, we are chasing our tails every election.  Shame on you politicians for allowing and leading us in these circles. 

All we ask is for honesty, have your differences, engage in them, but keep them meaningful.  Simply enough don't be mean, we Americans are getting tired of it.  Run your campaign as if you are running for class president, slander wil lnot be tolerated in the schools.  Don't engage in slander just because your opponent does, remember the old saying - which I tell my kids a lot,  2 wrongs don't make a right.

I am proud to be an American.  I believe in America, and I get choked up when I say the pledge of alligance with my 4 yr old and 7 yr old.  It holds a lot of weight and a tremendous responsibility.  We have the gift of freedom to choose in this country who we vote for, but the responsibility is on ourselves to run in the most honorable way possible.  Shame on you politicians for forgetting that.

Rainbow

 

I am convinced that if I were to have a new career it should be rainbow chaser.  I love rainbows.  It sounds childish, but I am constantly in awe of a moment that when the conditions are right beauty just manifests itself.  I think it is the golden hues in contrast to the dark gray and then this splash of color that just makes you pause and take it all in.

My kids, and luckily I have two young daughters who go gaga for rainbows have to follow me along on my stop everything and go find a rainbow journey.  This morning while the girls were eating breakfast before school, I was in the kitchen and looked up the hill and up to the barn (see previous post for barn picture).  There I saw natures beauty just calling out to me.  Like a responsible, organized, tasked scheduled person that I am - ha, I made the girls drop there cereal spoons, ditich their breakfasts and without shoes or coats on we ran outside to view this glorious rainbow.  I said to the girls hold on tight I will carry you, and with a girl on each arm we went up the hill to oooh and aaahhh at it -plus it was a great workout for me.  They loved it.  My 4 yr old exclaimed "just gorgeous".

We were running a bit late after that, not too bad.  With a smile on my face I went back into the kitchen and started making sandwiches for the girls.  Kooky as it maybe, I hope that one of my girls childhood memories of me will always be that mom stopped whatever she was doing to chase a rainbow and take it all in.

Back in the saddle

 

Is that an odd name for a post title?  I have been sitting here at my computer trying to think of how do I title this...it has been so, so long.  I guess since I am here actually blogging, and dedicating time to this as well as Pretty Pear Designs the title seems appropriate.

So, where have I been?  First I should say that this blog is a combination of things that I do with Pretty Pear Designs, but it is also personal, fun, and at times emotional.  I do not do a great job of compartmentalizing my life, everything is connected.  If you have the time and feel like scrolling through some old posts, you will get a good sense of who I am and how I blog.  I have shared myself here personally and professionally.

Much has changed in my life.  I am no longer on that lovely hobby farm in Wisconsin.  In 2009 my husband was layed off.  Such are the times and we did what we needed to do for our family.  They always say when one door closes another one opens.  We were extremely fortunate enough that my husband found a job in a relatively short amount of time and that we sold our house, and closed on it upon our arrival in New York.  Yup, New Yorkers, again!  My husband and I both grew up in New York.  My husband grew up in upstate NY, while grew up on Long Island.  We were very fortunate to be able to be relocated, and to end up close to family.  I feel as if my life has come full circle a bit (but I will leave that for another post).

Getting settled in upstate NY has been my top priority.  As much as I did not want to suspend my work with Pretty Pear Designs, it was I had to do for my family.  Renting a house, buying a house, and then getting settled into it did not allow me the opportunity to create.  My kids are troopers.  Could not be a prouder mom.  They transitioned so well.  My oldest who is now 7 had to change schools three times last year - she was a champion 1st grader.  My top priority was to be there for her and make sure that all  went well.  My 4yr old got lots of mommy time which was most needed.  I am in the country again, which is inspiring to me.  Yet, just a few hours from NYC which is lovely.  I can see old friends and family again.

Our new house has been a bit of a design challenge for me.  To be honest, I did not like the house that much, but the property is beautiful and it came with a great barn for my husband.  I spent most of the summer painting and getting the house situated.  I am finally, finally to a point where I can indulge in my creative side.  For the first time in seven years I have both kids in school, so I actually have some time to myself!

So, I am back in the saddle again!  Excited for what the future holds, adaptable to what maybe!