a FaMiLy aFfaIR

Ever since I started this business in 2000, and a few years prior, my family has naturally gotten roped into whatever cock-a-mamie project or idea I was conjuring up, and things just keep getting busier and more diverse every day! My mom and dad are always working on something for us, my husband NEVER gets a break, my brother comes in from Denver from time to time to jump in on things, and my aunts can’t help but get their hands dirty. What can I say…they’re a very creative and talented group…probably a big part of why I do what I do! My most lively partners-in-crime are my mother and my Aunt DeDe. They always seem to be around for our most challenging (or interesting, to say the least) projects – it’s to the point now, where my Aunt D. always asks what we’ll be working on BEFORE she commits to spending the week here when my mom comes. She’s been in on having to sew miles of fabric to create a cabana, re-doing tents in 100+ degree weather, etc….Regardless of their sarcastic grumbling, I love it when they’re here and they are definitely two gals that I can always count on who can do most anything and everything. (I just need to be sure to always have a never ending cocktail supply and good snacks) We have great fun together and to be honest…capturing all that goes on behind the scenes is way more entertaining than what you all get to see! My recent project for those two was the front room of our studio. I’ve always wanted to get it set back up as our showroom…maybe open it up as a little boutique down the road… and just hadn’t gotten it done yet, so I put them on the task this past week while they were here…..Let me just say, I’ve never seen a shop get set up so fast!!! They stuck some sticks in the window and they were off and running! They had that room completely transformed in just two days! As you can expect, we challenged ourselves to set up shop using only what we had lying around or could build with supplies we already had. They rummaged around from building to building to see what would work for displays, what things could be altered…etc, etc. to creatively showcase any of our leftover finished pieces that were just lying about, some of our online merchandise and all of our new projects to come. It helped that they had Jon for the day….they said they’ve never seen a man take their ideas and building requests so seriously and get their ‘wish list’ done so quickly – “Need a shelf here, can you make that look like a wagon? Can you install this wall?” -- That kind of stuff……usually takes weeks at home for their husbands to get things like that done for them! A couple of my favorite quick fixes were to just splatter paint randomly on the walls to cover up any holes; a net hanging from the ceiling to store pillows and such; one wall had A LOT of holes and touch ups needed, so we just brought in a panel of old fencing and secured it to the wall – (new wall in an instant!) Since we’re all about making one creative mess after another around here, they took leftover paint and spilled it over things like hangers and stands to give a quick burst of color and make the boring more interesting. I love how they utilized all the driftwood and sticks as displays. It’s a fun room to walk through now and we’re all looking forward to filling it up!
You’ve gotta love an entertaining family who’s always willing to play along!
Remember...A family that CReaTes together, sTaYs together! :)
Check out the slideshow below and enjoy a little diddy by our friends from The Tyler Thompson Band titled "Nothing Less Than Paradise"....(what m & d are thinkin' every time they're here, I'm sure!!) off their Cold Cuts album.

Cheers!
michele.