Exciting News!

One of our creations is being given away on the lovely SUNNY VANILLA'S blog!! Make sure you check it out here!!

Jen from SUNNY VANILLA is celebrating a "blogiversary" - blogging for one year this week! She is a sweetheart and I have loved to getting to know her! Congratulations SUNNY VANILLA! We love you and love your blog and creations!!

Mr Safety Man (hubby) and I are just starting our business and getting it to grow. We love a lot of different mediums for our art forms - mostly concentrating in clay (porcelain, raku), glass, yarn (crocheting/knitting) and textile... thus the reason we're called 'mArrineR's monTage' - creating ART to beautify life!!  We are enjoying every minute of our little store. It's been a dream of mine and Mr Safety Man just jumped in with both feet to help satisfy his artistic side and work alongside me. Our two young daughters LOVE being a part of mArrineR's monTage. It is wonderful to see their artistic personalities blossom while mummy and daddy work on our artwork!!

Welcome to everyone coming from Sunny Vanilla!! We are so happy to have you visit!!
This blog is going through a bit of a transition - but I hope to have a few crafts, goings-on with mArrineR's monTage and musings on life as a mom of two girls!!

Glad you're here!!

i did it!!

I finally figured out how to change the advanced layout of this lil' ol' blog! YAY! It actually is a great feeling of accomplishment! It's been bugging me for awhile now. NOW to just remember it - for if I want to change things up again?!

Would love some feedback. How's it look? Really. What I see here may or may not look that good elsewhere! I am such a lover of purples and greens and REALLY love damask - so thought this might work!

I have been a bit swamped lately with trying to get some 2011 projects finished. I will get better about updating and maybe get some more photos up here (now that I extended the storage a bit).
BUT the "i did it" title goes along with what I am trying to accomplish!
~ I took a day and just overhauled my bedroom.
Why does this room get pushed to be last ALL the time? The rest of my house has suffered for that day of just overhauling. But now I have a place of peace and tranquility to escape, rest, or just be - again.
~ "i did it" can also be applied to trying to get myself more organized... or rather 'i am doing it'.
~ And there's also getting all those hats crocheted by Christmas.
I think the last count was 24 by Christmas and I've finished up 3 more and almost done with another 3!! WOW!
~ I have also come out of my comfort zone:
   ~~"i did it" with starting an online store- mArrineR's monTage,
   ~~Doing our own "show"/craft fairs,
   ~~Last year saw us in our first physical store with our creations -MUSE GALLERIA,
   ~~And most recently trying to meet and start a new venture at another store with my earrings!

Thank you all who have supported me and our little shop mArrineR's monTage! It's been a whirlwind few months... but we are moving along!

This title means a lot.

Slowly but surely I am doing it... we are doing it...

Highs and Lows

From a real high... to a super low. That seems about my pace! I was so excited for my accomplishment - running an entire 5k...  Then I hurt my heel - or my shin which connects to my heel so I haven't been able to continue running and I feel like a blob.

Our new little company - mArrineRs monTage - is now in a store (have I mentioned that yet?). It is SUPER exciting - we are in a physical location in Sarasota, FL! It's called MUSE GALLERIA and it is the neatest of stores. We are about 50 artists in this store and she recently decided we should do some craft shows/festivals in the area...and wanted me to make more of my crochet hats. Hats that take awhile to finish. Hats that are adorable and a good popular sale - but don't go as quickly as I would like.

Then the thought of increased stock started to reaallly force itself on me. Then the thought of more earrings, more aprons, more, more, more, more, !!!!!mooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrre!!!!!! really started to stress me out.  We were doing three large shows/activities in one week, then a BIG craft sale - Hunsaders Pumpkin festival, and then the biggest one yet in December...

the ATOMIC BAZAAR 

(do you hear the crowd cheering?). 

Well that getting accepted in to that bazaar (and yes there's a waiting list) really has been my ultimate goal for mArrineRs monTage -yes it was to get in to Atomic. And if I could do it through MUSE - well then that's what I had to do... the only problem was I had signed up for almost all the others she was planning.

Something had to give. I hated to do it...but after talking with Chris and seeing what this past week did to me with the TWO craft shows... I cut Hunsaders - pumpkin festival.  It killed me to do it... but I am glad I did. Sanity may win out yet.


Sooo the two shows this past week - went ok!!
Wednesday mArrineRs monTage was at a private craft show at MUSE Galleria's table - where ritzy rich ladies were looking to buy. I did ok! I sold a few things...(I think I was the biggest seller of items. We didn't do all that great as a table...but at least I sold things and came away happy).
~ What was my high here? My high was that MY HATS brought most everyone to the table! They were an eye catcher!! HOW COOL IS THAT?! The MUSE owner was so right... GOTTA MAKE MORE HATS... I even got a paid in full - pre-order!!! YES!!!
~ The low? I stood ALL day long and it was THE. LONGEST. DAY. EVERRRRRRrrrrrr. So much so that the heel that was starting to feel better... got worse.
Some shots from Wednesday's La Petit Marche':

my hats on the right and my earrings in the frame on the left

When people first walked in... one of their views

our entire table

my aprons on the left and background

 Then Saturday we had an arts & crafts sale again at the MUSE Galleria's table. It was held at a local botanical garden. I worked longer than I had signed up for (5.5 hours instead of 4) - and we sold a few more things. I am not sure the total yet... but I think we did ok! And I think the majority of my hats SOLD!!!
~ The high?! Seeing people interested in my stuff. Oh and getting to know a few of the artists better

~ The low... again? A super long day that never ended it seemed, standing for so long, and not selling any aprons or skirts. But as I am known to say (or 'as they say'):  t'ant pis... c'est la vie... je m'en fou... it is was it is. I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other!

Sunday was filled with doing crafts for the girls, getting down decorations for the girls, helping the girls, breaking up fights between the girls, watching a movie with the girls (while I tried to start a project for myself), fixing food for the girls... you see my point. It was just the girls and me. But we had a really nice day. A nice day - just super busy and consumed in my girlies. I hope they remember I was there for them - even though my mind WARRED with itself on getting things done/working on hats/working on sewing/cleaning this mess of a house/ etc etc etc etc etc - but my heart won out and I spent a lot of time with my kiddos (until football at 4pm - when the Patriots played! ;) hehehe).
Here are two aprons I put up in our Etsy store today from what I started on Sunday!!(www.marrinersmontage.etsy.com):

So highs... and lows...that's what it is. I wish the highs would outweigh the lows for once - or at least stop the lows from overtaking the good feelings. I hate that. It seems a bit harder for me to keep them away or not concentrate on them.

Eh... maybe if I ignore them they'll go away... going to go squeeze my girls!

I leave you with Boo - overcoming her fear of skating this weekend!

Even through the exhaustion and what a long day it was already on Saturday... 

this was a high for me this weekend!!

Quiet...

I finally have some quiet. Some time to reflect, some time to ponder, some time to really think. It's been such a crazy few weeks... as if you couldn't tell from lack of posts!! I haven't really had much quiet time...Even when I've been by myself late nights (which has been every night the last 2-3 weeks working in my studio) it has not been quiet. My brain just has been buzzin' with things I have to do, what needs to get done, what schedule I have to keep. So having a bit of just "me" time - just time to sit, relax, and think...has been good. Short. But good.

I am truly trying to get our lil' online Etsy store - www.mArrineRsmonTage.etsy.com  /company up and running. Right now it is just a little dream - but ultimately I would love to do something big with it -  I'm not sure where it will take me but I can't wait to grow with it. I've found what makes my soul sing... and interestingly enough - I found it through such a dark and horrific time in our family's lives. And yet something beautiful blossomed from that time.

Being creative is just a blessing to me. This summer I sewed my heart out along with my sister. We cried tears, sang songs, laughed, cried some more, hugged, remembered, loved, and started our healing process all with an idea I had for some sundresses for the girls & "Adventure Bags" for all 5 of the kiddos. It helped. It made me focus on something other than the numbing pain of losing my little nephew Andrew, but first Mr Safety-Man's mom, and then of course Mr Safety-Man's dad the day of Andrew's funeral. I could pour energy in to those stitches I was doing. I could feel all my emotions and sort through them if I wanted - or just "phase out" if I didn't. (And ask my sister... I certainly phased out a bunch - I think I sewed my sleeve to one of the dresses a few times. My excuse - it was rather late!!!).

All this has brought me to realize - that I love to sew, I love to create, I love to use my hands and work with my clay. And I want to do this and share it.  It is a very 'soulful' fulfilling feeling to realize something you want to do. Something that makes my heart really sing. And owning my own company - doing something I love to do... that's my dream. My goal for later... well let's just say it will start with making my first quilt and move to some day being the designer of a fabric that someone else might use for their quilt!!

Early this spring I was invited to participate in the first craft show at the PAC - a local art center here. One of the ladies that put it together and I had become friends through another art show we both were featured - at the PAC. I saw her just before Christmas and she had this wonderful idea...a craft show of just local artists - right before Mother's Day!  I told her to GO for it! MADE HERE craft/art show was born! It was a fantastic idea and we are planning to do it semi-annually  - November and end of April now.

There were not a ton of vendors and it was all local talent. I felt honored to be among some wonderful artists represented. I was super excited and super anxious at the same time. I worked my tookus off...I wanted to make Mr Safety-Man proud, my family proud, and my friends. I wanted to let Mr. Safety Man know that I could do this and follow through and be serious about my commitment to our company - mArrineR's monTage. I wanted to achieve my goal and perhaps even make myself proud again in the process?

The craft show was Friday April 29th... there was a lot of work for mArrineR's monTage to get ready - we really had a tight schedule and both Mr Safety-man and I worked on a lot of inventory, on set-up, on props for the booth, etc.  A LOT OF WORK. But it was worth it in the end! I tried to handle the stress before our first "solo" booth. I didn't do half bad (well at least I think... Mr Safety Man may have different thoughts on that one...) - but I really have to thank my family for their patience with me. The girls were SUPER troopers and really helped us a lot and understood that a lot of time was going towards that. They were my BIGGEST fans and their parting words in the AM... "You can do it Mommy! SELL A LOT MOMMY!!" and they DID give me confidence!

Set-up was a bit difficult for me. I wanted everything perfect and I realized that it would have to be what it was. I think in the end... it turned out well. It made me laugh that I thought I would NEVER be able to fill a 6 foot table and in reality I think I needed a larger one!!!

The people just kept coming. During the show I think I can remember only a few lulls - and even then - there were still customers walking around. Mr Safety-man took off work to be with me after reffing two hockey games. It meant more to me than I can explain having him there to support me.

Loads of our friends came to support us. And for that mArrineR's monTage - all are truly thankful! I wouldn't be where I am without our friends. We got calls, e-mails, and texts from people that wish they could be there but supported us by thinking of us. Those meant a lot to us as well.

It was a great experience. I learned a lot, we networked, we learned certain things to say and what not to say, we sold items (YAY!), we received some knowledge, we taught our children some valuable lessons, and we spent time together as a family.

Everything that day/eve REALLY was a learning experience- really great learning experience.
I sit, thinking, and realize... no matter how anxious I got,  this day really was a wonderful one.

Was it all worth it?

Yes. Good times. Good memories. Can't wait for the next one!!