I Heart New York

I just got back last night from a quick and very spontaneous trip to New York. My husband and I decided last Tuesday that we were going to head to the US Open, and were on our way by Friday morning!I have to say that this trip will go down as one of our favorite trips ever. Spontaneity was the key word of the entire trip, and it just made it so much more special.....and because we wanted to be there so bad....we enjoyed and squeezed out every minute that we had.This trip was about great tennis, new experiences, the generosity of friends, meeting new friends from far and near.....and really good food. This little collage of pictures is just a snippet of what we enjoyed....and if you want to see more....go to my Instagram page .Here are a few of my favorite highlights:* Good Fork- This little restaurant in Red Hook Brooklyn has the best pork and chive dumplings + the watermelon salad is delicious.* Bakeri - This sweet and amazing little bakery is a feast for the soul and the belly. Go.* Brooklyn Flea - Always a favorite for me, and the first time to this location. It was fantastic! Grab a hot dog from Asiadog and a donut from Dough.......word.* I really enjoyed Red Hook, Brooklyn. Red Hook was hit hard by hurricane Sandy, and the shops and businesses there are still rebuilding and opening their doors....but these people are fighters and I loved meeting the people in this community..... people like Jane from Foxy + Winston. * US Open tennis. Even with a 4 hour rain delay one day {where I was soaked for the entire rest of the day!} ...we saw some great tennis and had a ball.* Friends Michael and Grace {think Pink Olive genius} who spent an entire day with us driving us around the city and showing us the best time......love them.* Gracious friends who let us stay in their apartment while they were away. If you find yourself in Park Slope Brooklyn, and need a great haircut.... Slope Suds salon is the place to go! Ask for Karla...she will take care of you!I am so glad that we have such memories to hold onto....truly great! Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!xo,Barb    

Friday

This week seems like a blur. So much was accomplished....from unpacking and merchandising new product, rearranging the shop, painting furniture, school shopping, errands, + coffee and lunches with friends.So many blessings....and a few struggles.....to keep me grounded.....I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! My kids start school next week and we plan to enjoy this last weekend of our Summer! So glad my favorite season is right around the corner though.......xo,Barb

"Bermuda, Bahama......come on pretty mama"

Well my friends.....as you read this, I am already off on my Bahamian adventure. JB and I, along with 11 other couples from our church, are headed to Eleuthera for a few days of teaching/training, service projects {I've heard we may get to build bookshelves for a school in need of them! That would be cool.}, and definitely some time taking in the beauty of the Bahamas.While this may sound wonderful to some of you...... for me there are all sorts of emotions balled into one big tangled mess. I am excited about being somewhere I have never been, about being there with some really crazy fun + genuine people, and about learning new things about myself and others. However, I struggle with fear when it comes to getting on an airplane....any airplane.....and to make matters worse {or better?}.....the airplane we are being chartered on for this trip is a vintage World War II plane! This plane is so amazing and cool....on the outside.....and one that I will take many pictures of.....but getting inside and actually flying in it....is absolutely terrifying for me. There are not many things I am afraid of....but I am afraid of this....{ being eaten by a shark might be my #2 }.....and will be facing my fear head on in just a few short hours. I do not react on the outside....I will sit quietly in my seat, and close my eyes like I am sleeping {yeah right!!}......all the while my insides will be churning, my heart will be racing, hands and pits sweaty, and I will be squeezing the ever living daylights out of JB's hand until we land. I will relax for a couple days before I start fretting about the trip back home. I know....it's pathetic, and many friends have told me to just "take a little something to take the edge off"....but I am too proud and stubborn for that.You see....this fear of mine is a huge predicament.... because I absolutely LOVE to travel and see new places. I love experiencing new scenery and cultures...and feel it is essential to understand and comprehend how others around the world live. I just don't like the method of transport to get to some of these places......and don't you all even try to tell me "you are much safer in a plane than in a car"....heard it a million times.....does not compute in my little brain. I would rather drive to Africa {if that was possible} in a month than get on a plane and be there in several hours. UGH!Ultimately though, in the middle of all of this fear and angst......there is truth. The truth is.....my life is in the hands of a Creator who is far more capable than I am, everything will be fine even if things don't go as I would wish, and the alternative would be to sit around and never experience anything wonderful because my fear cripples my actions.I just can't let that happen.....but that doesn't mean this will be easy.xo,Barb

New Book: Sweet Paper Crafts + a Giveaway

I am THRILLED to introduce you all to my amazing friend Mollie Greene's new book: Sweet Paper Crafts published by Chronicle Books! It is brand spanking new, and chock full of super fun paper projects that include woodland animals, party hats, chandeliers, wreaths, mobiles and so much more!Mollie has a true gift with words, and such skillful hands. I am privileged to live in the same town and to call Mollie a friend. Another interesting and fun tidbit is that Mollie's husband J Aaron Greene is the very talented photographer who photographed Sweet Paper Crafts as well as my book Furniture Makeovers. I know.... it is not fair to have two such talented people married to each other!Here is one of my favorite projects from the book:WOODLAND CREATURESfrom Sweet Paper Crafts by Mollie GreeneA parade of friendly creatures out for a party, these puppets can be used to tell a story, clustered together in a bouquet, or arranged to peek out from a houseplant. These happy puppets are for children who can play responsibly with a wired object. For backing the record jacket, choose decorative papers that are sturdy but not too thick, such as those from magazines or children’s books.Supplies Glue stickPaper for backingRecord jacket front or backWoodland Party Puppets templatesPencilScissors for cardboardContrasting paper for accessoriesScissors for paperWire cuttersRuler20-gauge straight stick floral wire1-in/2.5-cm circle punchLiquid glueInstructions1. Using the glue stick, adhere your chosen backing paper to the wrong side of the record jacket. Allow to dry for about 10 minutes.2. Download the Woodland Party Puppets templates at www.chroniclebooks.com/ sweetpaper. Using the pencil, trace the deer, bear, squirrel, fox, and rabbit tem-plates on the paper-covered jacket. Cut out the shapes with cardboard scissors. Be careful to cut inside the pencil lines so that you don’t have to erase them later.3. Trace the two crown templates, two party hat templates, and two bow tie templates on contrasting paper. Cut out with the paper scissors. Decide which creatures will wear which accessories and glue them in place with the glue stick. Allow to dry for about 10 minutes.4. To provide added support for the puppets, cut a small rectangular piece of record jacket to fit the back of each creature. It should be as large as possible without being seen from the front. Glue in place with the glue stick.5. Using the wire cutters, cut five 9-in/23-cm pieces of floral wire. With the circle punch, punch five paper circles, one for each pup-pet. Dot a small amount of liquid glue on the small rectangle on the back of each creature. Place one end of a piece of wire in the glue. Using the glue stick, apply glue to a paper circle and place it on top of the liquid glue and the end of the wire. Press to secure. Allow to dry for about an hour before handling the puppets.Are you convinced you need a copy of this book yet? Well, today is your lucky day! I am giving away a copy of Sweet Paper Crafts! Leave a comment here, and a winner will be chosen and announced on Monday! Good Luck!Have a great weekend!xo,Barb

A little walk around the shop.....

I realized the other day, that I have not posted a lot of pictures of the shop. Part of this is due to the fact that before the book came out I had to be careful not to give away any secrets....but the other part is that I just did not realize it.I know you got a few glimpses of the shop, both inside and outside, when viewing the video from the book launch party.....but I wanted to capture some of the beautiful sunlight coming into the space this morning. So.... here is the shop {the workshop in the back is a whole 'nother story!}......I hope you enjoy.I feel so blessed to be in this space every week, and never take for granted that this is what I get to do with my time. This place of light, color, and happy is so good.....and I am thankful.Have a wonderful weekend!xo,Barb

Thankfulness overflows today

Let today be filled with memories that remind us of the sacrifices of many....who fought and gave all so we that could enjoy these very freedoms.xo,Barb

Etcetera: Trippin' and signin'

Last week was a whirlwind....but it was a week so full of goodness and fun that I am having a hard time getting back into the swing of reality around here these past two days!We started our trip visiting family in Virginia for a day and then drove up to Frederick, Md for a signing at the barn.....now under new ownership, and with a new name....Sweet Clover.   We stayed with Cassie B and her family while in Frederick, and it was such a fun time getting to know them better while at the same time feeling like we had known each other forever. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together and could have stayed up all night talking!As you can see from the pictures, the barn was a beautiful and peaceful place nestled in on a working horse farm {my daughter B was all about that!}. The barn is packed full of goodies from all different vendors and I did not walk away empty handed! I purchased the sweetest little metal and wood milking stool ...and still need to find where it will land in my home! It was wonderful to meet new friends who had come from far and near, to sign books, and just enjoy!On our way up to NYC from Frederick we stopped in Gettysburg to have lunch with my good friend Marian and her husband which was a nice treat...and then...since we were in Gettysburg we did a quick drive by and through of the battlefields and all of the history  that is in that area.....it was pretty fantastic!Then we headed to NYC for the signing at Pink Olive! It had been over a year since I had been to the city, and I absolutely could not wait! I feel like the city is my second home and told my husband..." I can't wait for my first inhale of city air"......yes, it's that good. We stayed at the Lexington Hotel which we booked through Hotwire..... but were a little nervous about it since upon being informed what hotel we were at it said "under renovation". Sometimes that can be a bad thing....but in this case the hotel was absolutely gorgeous and we stayed in a brand spanking new room that was so beautiful it just made you happy to be staying there...period. The hotel staff was amazing and I can't say enough about them....great experience.We had planned a few extra days in the city and we packed so much in! On Saturday we had the signing at Pink Olive in East Village...and as I walked up the street I saw the bright orange and pink balloons welcoming me....and then when I stepped inside.....oh my! Grace had decorated the shop and made it even more beautiful and special just for Furniture Makeovers....and I was absolutely beside myself! Thank you to Molly from Glitter + Rye for making the event so very special.......and to B Cake NY for the amazing cupcakes with the little sugar Furniture Makeovers books on top! All of the details were just so very exciting and special! I got to meet blog friends face to face for the first time, completely new friends that blew me away, my brother and his family drove down from upstate NY just for the event......and  hanging out where it all began 6 years ago was just a dream...really.We shopped and shopped til we dropped {yes, I came home with new shoes}, we ate pizza, we saw a Broadway show, attended the Stationary Show, had dinner with friends, and all in all..........it was a SPECTACULAR week! I love making memories, and have the best friends and family a girl could ever ask for!Have a great long weekend!xo,Barb

One week ago today......

photos by Carlton Riffel Photography

....we were frantically running around the shop getting everything set up for the big party! We were anxiously glancing at the clouds and the wind wondering if they were going to bless us or cause us great grief. I did have a few tears and a moment of sadness around 2:00 in the afternoon as it looked like we may not be able to set everything up outside, and I so wanted to see the tables, flowers and lights!As was meant to be.....the sun came out and shone for about an hour and a half and we were able to set up all of the beautiful tables and flowers, serve cake, enjoy the outdoors, and most importantly take lots of photographs before the rain started and plan B took effect.It was a wonderful night...and I am still smiling about it. I put up an album of photos on the Knack Facebook page if you would like to see more!Have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!xo,Barb