Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Renegade Craft-Holiday 2010 Recap

My other big event of December 2010 was the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, IL. I really had no idea what to expect with this show. Besides the fact that it's one of the most well-known shows in the U.S. and so well publicized, I just knew that I had to prepare as many items as possible before the show. 
I changed up my booth quite a bit for this show and had fun created mannequin heads for my headbands and hats. Zach and I tried our best to practice my booth setup before we got there. The night before Renegade it snowed quite a bit. Little did I know that this would help sell all of my cowls, scarves and hats, expect for 3 on day one of the fair!


 My booth before all the items were picked over!

Birds eye view of the main level.

We had such a great time and were even able to stay for a few days longer to explore the city!
I'm super happy I got to be a part of the show and meet so many awesome people. I was told by several that I should apply for the September show as well. So I hope to see Chicago again several times this year!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Here We Go Again - October/November

I really could have so many excuses right now as to why I haven't been blogging lately, but really the truth is I've just been more committed to my Etsy shop and twitter! But now I feel like my blogging friends have been missing out so here I go, a little update of the last few months. This may be more than one post but at least I'm filling people in, right? Let's go month by month, shall we?

October
October was filled with apple picking, pumpkin patches and lots of prep for shows. Besides all that it was my first year being able to see my 5 year old niece dressed up for Halloween. In fact, since we've moved back to St. Louis, there has been a lot of firsts I've been able to experience with her! It's really something watching this little girl grow!

Fun fact: In St. Louis kids are usually requested to tell jokes before they get candy on Halloween!

November
My first booth of 2010 (this has changed QUITE a bit)


November was the beginning of my crafting season in 2010. I started with a few local shows and then was happy to participate in the Rock N' Roll Craft Show 7. This was very different from my normal shows in that all the items were displayed department store style. Everyone's items were sectioned according to the catergory that it fits in. It was lots of fun and I'll definitley plan on applying for the show again next year.  It was a great start to the holiday craft season!

Photo from 2005 from the RNR Flickr Site.

During November we were also able to make a quick trip to KC to visit some friends and their new little baby girl! They are such a sweet little family and we really miss being around them and all our friends on a weekly basis!

The Courtney's

Thursday, October 28, 2010

A little update

I feel like there is always some large gaps between when I do a group of posts. I continually apologize and really wish I was better at being consistent with blogging. I am trying, I promise. I'm looking into getting an iPhone which would help with this and so many other things in my crafting life!

Life has been filled with knitting. Lots and lots of knitting. And it won't be stopping anytime soon, thank goodness, as the holiday season is just beginning! I have been applying for as many craft shows as I can handle and I'm super excited about this as I got into a couple of craft shows that I wasn't sure if I would get into. So below is a list of some of my show for this season. The first few are smaller local shows and the last are the biggies!

November:

Nov. 6, 10am-3pm: Chesterfield Elementary Holiday Boutique in Chesterfield, Mo. (info here.)

Nov. 7, 11am-4pm: Hawken House Christmas Market in Webster Groves, Mo. (info here.)
Nov. 14, 10am-4pm: STL Boutique Moms Fall Show at The Columns in St. Charles, Mo.
(info here.)
And my favorite show in STL:

Nov. 26-28: Rock n Roll Craft Show at Third Degree Glass Factory in St. Louis, Mo.

weblogo

And this is where I will be as a vendor the weekend of Dec. 4-5! Heck yeah. I'm pretty stinkin' excited!

Renegade Holiday Sale 2010

I have also created a new Facebook page. Stop by here and become a fan!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Apples and Pumpkins

A few weeks ago we got a chance to go apple picking and pumpkin patching. It was lots of fun and the perfect start to fall!

Apples!
Apple Picking Love
My brother discovered he could tear an apple in half with his bare hands! :)
I can open an apple with my bare hands!
Pumpkins
My beautiful niece is now 5. She is getting so big!
Gabrielle and Pumpkins at Age 5

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Better Late than Never!

I promised to add a few pics from our August trip to Florida, and, althrough it may be October and time has flown by TOO quickly, I wanted to share these amazing photos with you.

Alys Beach is a small development a short ways down 30A Highway from Seaside. The white stucco building make you feel like you are in the Mediterranean. I am in love with this small oasis. Too bad my pocket book is also small and would not allow for this much of a splurge!

Every area of Alys Beach is stunning. Including the entrance to the beach! Also, the coffee is the best on 30A. :)

Alys Beach - So grand.

Amazing.

Coffee at the beach. Nothing better.

Lookin' good in that fedora.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A New Look and Shope Update!

I've been working on re-branding my etsy store and blog and other materials. I've created a new logo, taken new photos and updated the headers, ordered business cards and lots of other stuff. I'm pretty happy with the new look! How do you like it?

I've also been working on lots of new items for the shop! Below are a few that I've added over the past week. A new infinity cowl, a new color of the large posie headband, and some small knitted bows. I'm still working on quite a few more, but they will be added in the month to come.


Friday, August 6, 2010

Scenes from Seaside

We finally made it to St. Louis in time to take a quick vacation to Seaside, Florida. We went last year and loved it so much we made last minute plans to go back. We had a great time, needless-to-say, we probably won't drive back as traffic turned the 13-hour car ride into a 17-hour.

Seaside is probably the cutest little beach town you've ever seen.
USPS

Cupcake Trailer

Dreamy porch swing



So bright and cheery

Blue building, blue sky and palm trees

White pickett and the ocean.

Another tid-bit of info: Seaside is where they filmed the movie "The Truman Show" because it looks so perfect it's surreal. More photos to come!

Monday, July 12, 2010

BIG news!

After much thought and discussion over the past few months, Zach and I have made a pretty big decision...
We're Moving to St. Louis!


We are pretty pumped for what's in store and are trusting that God has some good things planned. We are being pretty brave, both quitting our jobs and moving in with my 'rents until Zach gets a new job, closer to the field that he is waning. And me, I'm going to try and pursue my knitting and design full time! We are being super brave, but are both really excited to be closer to my family and be able to do things we are passionate about.

I have already began to try and get a start on promoting myself through etsy and have applied for several craft shows this fall and am hoping to get more involved with the craft scene in St. Louis. So, if anyone has any tips, please share! 

In the mean time, these next 3-4 weeks are going to be super busy! My last day of work is this Friday, next week I will be packing up our little house and preparing for our move the Monday of the last week of July, and then going to Florida for a week with my family! It's going to be super busy, but I'm very excited to know that God has great things in store for us. We are also planning on starting to attend the Journey in St. Louis, so if you have any info or connections about that church as well, please share or let me know! Sorry for the few and far between posts, life is a bit hectic right now, but eventually I will be able to focus more on this blog!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

A Bill Has Been Signed.

I know I have written briefly about invisible children and the amazing work that they are doing to try and help find homes and save the lives of the child soldiers fighting in Uganda. Well, history was made this week, and on Monday, Obama signed the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act bill, which will force our goverment to do something about the war in Uganda and take action! Invisible children, Resolve Uganda and so many other organizations and people around the world have been working on this happening for almost 5 years and this is the largest step made towards the recovery of that nation. Way to go anyone who has been a part of this and will continue to be. Thank you.



Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Introducing...

The Living Greenlee Market Bag!
I am so excited about the newest item for my shop. I'm working on a variety of colors, but they will all be in this supersoft cotton yarn. This bag is perfect for the beach or the market and just great for the summer!


 

I hope you like it!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Bonfire

A few of my favorite things right now.

1) Tuesday night dinners with friends.
I know I've mentioned how we've been doing this for the past 3 or 4 months, but every week I look forward to just hanging out with our good friends and eating and enjoying eachothers company.

2) Bonfires and Firepits.
Last week at our dinner we grilled hotdogs and then used Laura and Jeff's fire pit and had a bonfire with s'mores. It was great. I love this time of year.
3) Cirque du Soliel. We went with some friends last Thursday and saw Allegria. It was amazing. One of the coolest things I've seen. If you've never seen a Cirque du Soliel perfermance, it's totally worth the cost.

Monday, April 26, 2010

(M)orning

Good Monday morning. I have sort of been unavailable in the blog world this month and I apologize for that. I still have a lot of photos I want to add, but never get a chance too. I still don't have a lot of time this morning, but I wanted to share a little personal note for the day (who knows, maybe the week or month at the rate I've been going with the blog lately).

For Zach's birthday I got him the latest 2 cd's that the band, Mae, has put out: (M)orning and (A)fternoon - soon they will have an (E)vening album as well. We had listened to the album a couple of times, but yesterday while we were in our car on the way back from visiting Zach's family, I pulled out the lyrics to one of the songs, and I just couldn't get over how amazing they were, just absolutely beautiful. Zach was having a hard time hearing them while they were singing, so after the song played, I read the lyrics to them. As I got towards the end of the song I began tearing up. It's been a while since I've really felt God's presence and it was just amazing to me that in that moment, while reading some lyrics to a song, that I really felt like this was how I wanted every morning to feel. Like every day is a choice. God gives me the choice to be here and to make everyday what I want to make of it and for that I am so grateful. We have a lot going on this year and it makes me joyful and loved to know that God wants me to decide every morning what to do.

Night/Day
by Mae

I've been dreaming such a long time
And I've been waiting for the sunshine
But all my friends they say I'm getting by with sleeping in
They say I'm sleeping in

You know whenever I try I want to get it right
But I distract my focus and blur my own sight
Cause I've convinced myself that my best can only come in the moonlight
And I keep sleeping in
I keep on sleeping in
And missing something

(Close your eyes before the daylight breaks)

There are things about me I just can't ignore
I know I want to change and I see that door
On the other side daylight decides there will be war with sleeping in
Oh, I know they'll be no more sleeping in

I wait, I wait, I wait only in jest
I wait, I wait, I wait with no need to rest I wait
The day, the day, the day will come again, I say
A ray of light can only get in if I say

I've been putting off this purification a rebirth
and a regeneration inside of me
And I've been saying for far too long
even though something brand new is coming out of me

I'm going to wake up, wake up every morning and then decide
I'm going to wake up, wake up every morning and make it mine
Rain or shine

I wake, I wake, I wake and greet the day
The light is on the change is made I can see my way
The day, the day, this day has come again
Each ray of light will make its way into the core of me

I always knew that I was missing something
I know this time that I will leave nothing up to chance
And in the wake of this brand new day I see the light
and I feel the sun and I'll do it all again tomorrow

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Birthday Weekend!

For the first time, probably since I was in high school, I was able to go back to St. Louis and spend the actual day of my birthday with my family. It was one of the best weekends in a very long time. As some of you may know, Zach's bday is the day after mine so we had a weekend of birthday celebrating!

We started the afternoon by going out to lunch with my mom in Clayton. Wood-fired pizza & flourless chocolate cake = AMAZING. It was a fun lunch with the girls only.

 
Later we went back home had some yummy DQ ice cream cake and then went to my younger sister's talent show. She pretty talented, that girl.
 On Zach's actual bday (that saturday) we did a little shopping in the afternoon and then headed to the City Museum. I left my camera in the car while we were climbing around, but had to get a few pics while we chilled near the fire after everyone was worn out.
 
We ended the night going back to my rents and hanging out playing the guitar by the firepit. Great weekend.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Fisheye

For my birthday Zach got me a fisheye/wide angel/micro lense for my camera. It is probably the best addition yet to the camera, it takes such fun photos and adds some humor to our personal photos. More posts about or birthdays soon, but enjoy some fun fisheye photos below from our Birthday weekend in STL!