Ah yes...sour grapes, to smash or to savour...

I know it's been quite some time since my last blog post.  There has been so much that has gone on since Spring Break.  It all seems a blur now... well not really.  I just have finally come to terms with it all.

I went into Spring with a positive approach.  My business goal this year being "location, location, location." You know, streamlining how I obtain my accounts.  I thought my ideas were attainable and even sustainable, but so far been proven as I would say "not so much."

My first venue was to participate in the Modern Vintage Chicago Spring Clothing & Jewelry Explosion.  I will say that while my display was kind of over the top, it did turn out beautifully.  I did feel kind of like an old-timer amongst all these savvy and sassy indie designers, but it was fun.  I learned alot and more importantly I was vetted to do a bigger, more important show.

The next event was a huge decision for me.  I'd been told about it years ago... but felt like I just wasn't ready.  In order to be considered, you needed to submit a portfolio of work, bio, etc... In my opinion "big fish" and I surely didn't feel like one.  So when I was asked to participate, I was proud & honored.  Albeit a little bit freaked out by the cost, but I felt that it was the next logical step into growing my business.  Because afterall, this is my goal this year.  So it was with bated breath & much excitment that I submitted to participate in GenArt Shop Chicago for Spring.  Their website is no longer up for viewing, but I will link an article to this post which pretty much articulates how I feel about the closing of the organization & the perceived duplicity in soliciting participants for an event within three weeks of closing the doors & accepting our money.  Needless to say, I was devastated.  I am a very emotional person...my art is deeply rooted in my emotion and everything on every level affects it.  It may sound a little ridiculous, but I was a bit emotionally destroyed by this.  It took me many weeks to overcome and get a better attitude.

In the meantime, I had also already commited to participating in The Randolph Street Market.  A phenomenal show which showcases some of the most interesting vintage and antique finds of a more urban feel, culiminated with the talent of indie designers of Chicagoland.  The end result was a break even on show costs & a very small profit, of which I could totally accept.  I was grateful to at least cover my costs.  The upside, all the wonderful vendors, spending time with a friend and some major shopping after some fun negotiation with my husband over "found money."  I can find the silver lining, if I truly look hard enough.

The latest is that some wonderful friends of mine who own a local shop will be closing their retail doors.  I will not disclose at this time their identity because this is all too new.  But this week I found myself withdrawing my inventory from their store.  Nice people, huge hearts with roots in our community.  I am sad that they will not have a presence here, but am happy to learn that they will continue to grow their wholesale and online business ventures.

I know....I sound like such a downer, right?  Business has been slow even in my other bricks & mortar locations...but I am not giving up.  I feel right now that I cannot continue to take risks to put myself in the positions of securing accounts and I need to withdraw a little bit.  My ultimate goal for this year being the Chicago One Of A Kind Show.  But I know now that is a lofty idea as the fees for participation are staggering in comparison to all of the shows I've been involved with thus far.  But you know what?  I've decided I'm okay with it.  I mean we all know why, everyone is struggling, people cannot put food on their tables, afford healthcare, provide for their own basic needs - so in the grand scheme of things, this is small fish.  What I do is a luxury...a frivolity - not a necessity.  And I am fortunate, as I have been told many times, that I have a wonderful husband who has committed most of his adult life to travelling full-time in order to provide for us on a moderate level.  And while my goal is to be able to contribute to college for my children, it is not a necessity, I am still a whole person - even if I am unable to share my art out loud at this time.  And...I have found...I am okay with that.

I promise to be more in good cheer and be more interesting again in my next post...promise.

Funkymom & The Family - Part II - Spring Break!

I always reminisce to the days when I was younger & had more energy to be "super mom" and able to fulfill everyone's needs, requests & desires... ah yes, to have that ability again. As I am fully in my middle-age years now, I am less patient, a bit crabby & less likely to "turn it on" and show everyone a good time. Maybe I drank the koolaid this week, I don't know, but somewhere that crazy, energetic mom of yester year came creeping slowly to the surface & I was able to pull it together. Minimal arguments, everyone was happy & along for the ride. A truly rare occasion, given the age & gender differences. But somehow my kids all came together this week & we had a super time!

Okay, so the week started out slow...I have to admit. I worked for my friend in her boutique on Sunday. And now that I'm older, I always seem to need a day of recuperation. Can you tell I've been out of the daily grind for 16 years? What would I do if I had to get up everyday & do a 9 to 5 job? I'm sure I'd find my way back into it, but after all this time, I guess I am conditioned to the fact that if I have to work really hard for a day, I must have a day to rest! However, the eldest did have sleepovers two days in a row... the middle & youngest tramped on the mega trampoline in our backyard most of the weekend.

On Tuesday we had some dental appointments late afternoon. So we went to see Diary of A Wimpy Kid...but the eldest went off to see Bounty Hunter instead. That's okay...I understand, not every movie is for everybody. They were satisfied that they at least got to do SOMETHING. As they heaved & sighed...worried that they were going to be bored to death this week.

Wednesday we set off for Chicago & spent the entire afternoon at the Museum of Natural History. We have been to every other museum in the city except this one. The older two seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, while the youngest was getting a little bit tired of the walking. So we cut our time short, & since we got a family membership, I know we'll go back. It was a beautiful day on the lakefront & since we were right there on Museum Campus, we sat on the concrete edge while the kids teased those poor water fowl swimming at our feet with rocks when they were really looking for food. Of course by this time everybody was hungry...so we went to our favorite kid-friendly place to eat, Ed Debevics. I also think the kids enjoy it so much because it's the one place they are allowed to be belligerent - because part of the "atmosphere" is purposely rude wait staff. Of course we had to tame the boy... he was getting a little out of hand in the mouth. My girls did their daddy proud, throwing down on a slab of ribs (oldest) and a HUGE chili cheese dog (youngest). We rolled our way outta there. To wait out the wonderful after work traffic, we made a quick stop over to an old family friend, & then we were off home.

Thursday was supposed to be a gorgeous day...80 degrees & for some reason I was still feeling super adventurous, so I figured what the heck - lets go back into the city to the beach! We met up with a former classmate of my eldest daughter & spent the afternoon at Foster Beach. Where the boy daringly submerged his body in icy Lake Michigan (crazy kid) and played soccer with his younger sister & the eldest got to spend time chatting up her girlfriend. I sat & watched, sipping my iced mocha & read a book, because when I woke up this morning, I almost felt like I had a hangover - apparently not used to all this activity. Glorious! We were right in the area of the city that my daughter's friend described as "Vit Town" which has a largely Vietnamese population. So after a little prodding, I encouraged her to take us to her favorite place to eat & order for us so that we would have the opportunity to experience the authentic cuisine with someone who knew her stuff! I could not believe it!! ALL of my children tried everything & enjoyed it. I'm sure if you are a parent you surely know, it's no easy feat to get all your kids at the table to enjoy and eat everything placed before them. There is always at least one crinkling their nose at something. So, I was super thrilled that everyone kept an open mind and enjoyed trying something new. A little bit of traffic - then we were home.

Friday was a bit different. Dad was home...after a long week on the road to Sacramento, CA. For those of you who don't know, my husband has spent almost 14 years on the road in support of his family. A wonderful provider, but this latest assignment as he hits middle age is kicking his butt a bit. It's a lonely life to lead...I believe, spending your entire week living out of a suitcase & eating out all the time & very little socialization. But it is with superb diligence & dedication that my husband continues to provide for us - and for that, I am forever grateful. So, dad was a little bit crabby. Five-hour plane ride which includes a layover in Denver & a 3-hour time change. I went back into the city for our 3rd & final day with our eldest to visit some old family friends we hadn't seen in a long time. The other two remained with dad & were supposed to see a movie...BUT that didn't quite work out - apparently there was a squabble in the van which prompted dad to turn around & go home. Ah...but tomorrow is another day. So after a great visit with our old friends & a brief sit in traffic, I got this wild idea that I wanted to do a yummy dinner on the barbecue for the family. So, quick stop to the grocery store...onwards home & halfway through unloading the groceries my husband saw me kind of shrivel up. Ha! What was I thinking? Well, apparently he realized I had surely planned for much more than I could handle, so he took us out for dinner.

Saturday found me with a bit of energy to run some errands in the morning, but by afternoon I was fast fading & feeling ill. The children had redeemed themselves so off to see Avatar they went. I loaded up on sicky meds & spent the rest of the day in bed... Dad was even super enough to take the kids to an annual Spring party that we get invited to. He came home with an extra teenager for an overnight, to which I was very grumpy about, but I feel asleep and was none the wiser.

So here we are at Sunday...I'm still not feeling 100%, the kids are a little tired, but happy. After this, I'll be packing dad's suitcase for his evening flight. A busy, fun filled week was had by all. No regrets, lots of fun and so glad that some of the "old mom" was back for the week and found her way back to the surface to create an environment where there was little bickering & much fun had by everyone!

Until next time...

It's been a while...

Tis the season to be busy & not have time to blog! I am having my last event this weekend... an in-studio holiday open house. This will be the first time I'm opening the studio to a broad public audience. I just finished setting up - it looks so fabulous (except for my actual work area - which looks like a bomb went off on it) & I promise to take pictures & post after the event is done.

Then we'll get back to our regularly scheduled program...I haven't written about Funkymom & the Family in a while. And I want to do the first installation of the People Who Have Touched My Life...Touched My Art Series.

More soon....PROMISE

How I First Fell In Love With Vintage Beads & Buttons - Final Act

I left off talking about that wonderful shop Vintage & Vogue. Once I decided it was time to move on, I started brainstorming about what I could do to grow this hobby into a business.

One of my first wild ideas was to do a holiday open house. But it wasn't just any run of the mill venture... I decided that I would gather other creative women & support their efforts as well as my own.

I look back on those years & think I was nuts! It was alot of work...very family-instrusive, but I had alot of fun! My little 1928 Queen Anne is an ecclectic mixture of new & old. My motto, "get rid of the new to make room for the old." I would devoid the 1st floor of all its treasures leaving only the furniture & create a "boutique look" throughout. It was warm, inviting & cozy. We had alot of fun spending time together, drinking wine & shopping!

My next step was to join the Wheaton French Market http://www.bensidoun-usa.com/ run by two savvy brothers from France. These markets offer a variety of wares from yummy pretzel bread, fresh cut flowers, lovely hand-made clothing to unique jewelry. So, I decided to take my "boutique" concept from the 1st floor of my little house to this open air market. It is alot of work, but also alot of fun. I love making a connection with people, talking about my work, sharing about our lives... this was a perfect venue for me! I still do the French Market, but not nearly as often. As I grow older, I find it more difficult to get up at 5:00 a.m. and do all that setup, so I have slowed down a bit.

I also made some great connections, friendships & memories by participating in a 10 years and still counting holiday open house at beautiful old McNeal Mansion in Elgin, IL http://www.craftyshops.com/cgi-bin/craft_show_direct.cgi?action=view_detail&cs_code=406&session_id=&order_code=&cat_value=&cat_name. While the owner & myself have fallen out of touch. I highly recommend it as a wonderful venue to find antiques and hand-made items. Not to mention the stunning old home it is featured in - well worth the visit & still going on this weekend!

And that's the end of the beginning, there isn't any more :-) BUT stay tuned for features in the People Who Have Touched My Life...Touched My Art Series. In these articles I will share about the wonderful people who have supported my art... the talented shop owners & savvy antique dealers of whom I have had the great fortune to build relationships with.

Until then....

Funkymom & The Family I

We're a pretty interesting bunch. Mom is right-brained....dad is left. An extremely independant eldest child, a consciencious second child and the youngest who is turning out to be as right brained as her mom!

The eldest celebrated her 16th birthday this week. Ah yes... I truly felt my age. Where has the time gone as she went out several times this week at the urging & encouragement of her youngest sibling to have behind the wheel time with her dad.

This was a full weekend for our family. Twenty crazy kids stressing the post holes on our deck as they danced the night away in October night coolness - but they didn't care. Ah, to be that carefree again, instead I was shivering every time I went in and out of the house to pick up after them.

Of course the Halloween happenings of trick or treating with your friends, four extra kids spending the night & the youngest child sadly not having the plans she had hoped for with a little disappointment. Next year will be better! The nice thing about this year's festivities is that this is probably the second time in the past 10 years that dad was home for everything. Traveling full time in support of your family leaves little time for events & holidays. It was nice to have him home.

I had to chuckle when the youngest told him "make sure you are nice & smile at the little kids coming for candy." Hah!

Until next time...

How I First Fell in Love With Vintage Beads and Buttons

This is a little known story, well some of you know a bit, but not all. I started really thinking back about where/when I very first realized that I loved vintage beads & then it hit me, when I first saw them in a capacity that intrigued me.

I have a friend I've known since childhood, we grew up together & we have fallen in/out of touch over the years. For a time my friend Victoria had started making jewelry with another friend of hers & THAT was when it hit me! I don't even know if they realized what they had. But they had created the most gorgeous earrings with Swarovski rhinestone buttons. They were totally 80's glam... a blood red 16mm rivoli crystal encircled twice with much smaller clear rhinestones. They had the most beautiful red glass drops with rhinestone rondelles. They were exquisite! I envied how cool they were, I remember that now. I don't remember alot of their other work, but those earrings remain a vivid memory.

I believe my eldest daughter was 3 when that happened, so let's fast forward to 3 years later when we relocated from our cool northwest side 3-flat apartment in the city to the conservative, yet interesting Wheaton. I felt like I didn't "fit" here and was amazed to find someone else who seemed just as funky as myself walking on the playground. Janice had big red hair & wore cat eye sunglasses with a faux leopard coat & I knew we would be friends! I should step back & say that at some point during our time in Chicago I found my "inner vintage" & started collecting, among my treasures was a ball jar full of vintage beads that I vowed one day that I would do something with.

I started hanging out with Janice & learned that she was a jewelry artist who designed very fun & whimsical designs. She used a mixture of new & old components & her elements are dainty. I was so proud to show her my ball jar full of treasure and we started beading together. She showed me all the basics and would take my jewelry along with hers & sell it for me. Whenever I tell the story of how I started, I always mention that Janice inspired me to start.

There is more to this story, so stay tuned!

Here I am World! It's Me....Lisa!

As I sit here for the very 1st time, writing my very first blog, I am excited. I know... I know... it's silly & its also VERY early (the DH woke me w/his footsteps on the floorboards), so I decided to try & get started on my own, even though my sweet friend Martha said she would help. Okay, here goes nothing!

Welcome to Blast From The Past Designs! This is where those who think they know me... will find out they only know a little bit. And to those who don't know anything about me at all, well... all I can say is if you like quirky unique people with a passion for their art & life, you will definitely be amused!

Follow along with me as I feature weekly (or as I can) about The People Who Have Touched My Art... Touched My Life & the wacky craziness of Funkymom & The Family. I look forward to sharing & getting to know you!