behind the scenes :: preparations and visitors
1// working on our display for Indie Craft Parade this year (don't forget -- Sept. 12-14 in Greenville, SC!)2// paint and frog tape make our job FUN3// glass and candle cubes brightening up our shop4// Man pillow (or Abe as we call him) making our bed "Viviette" look super sexy5// curb appeal6// longtime blog follower Paula and her family popped into the shop this week... all the way from London! It was such a treat.
problems = opportunity
viaWhile I was away at the beach last week I did a lot of reading. One of the books I read was called Thinkertoys and there were many brain exercises and creative thinking techniques......{ I recommend it!} ......but the overall perspective was turning problems into opportunities by changing your perspective, adding or taking away elements, and challenging the norm. I wrote a few pages of notes, and already referred to them again today....but one of my favorite quotes from the book was this : "Problems are nothing more than opportunity dressed in work clothes".You hear me? Turn those problems into solutions by rejecting passive thinking and use active thinking to generate and organize new ideas!
quotage :: much to be done
image via PinterestI was just having a conversation with one of my children last night, and it was an amazing conversation. A conversation about life, about that fact that we all lose focus sometimes, get off track, make mistakes, suffer consequences, experience triumph, gain clarity, and find the courage to do hard things.This quote reminds me that we are never done. We are always growing, and changing...and that is a good thing. Mistakes are going to happen, life is going to get messy.....but if we continue to desire to grow we will always reach toward light and wherever the light is, is where we should want to be.
behind the scenes :: this and that
New stamps for hang tags, new set-up in the shop, photographing our newest piece of furniture, a coffee break in Atlanta, and work on new projects ... it all adds up to a week well spent for the Knack team.We hope your week was a good one, and that your weekend is full of rest!
This modern world allows for a high degree of self-presentation. Social media provides a platform to curate and edit our lives, and to dictate the way we are seen. Behind the screens and usernames and likes and filters, there is a life that is complex and beautiful and impossible to sum up in an "about me" section.Thank God.There are two important things here:1. You are so much more than you do, say, and present to the world.2. So is everyone else.There is so much brewing beneath the surface - good, bad, and in-between. Let's remember this week to give ourselves and others the benefit of the doubt.
living with :: Aronia
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5The heat has set in for the summer, and we are dreaming of popsicles, pools, and backyard parties to make the most of the hot southern months.The heat's also got us dreaming in bright hot colors and understated elegance.Today we're setting our coral chest "Aronia" up on a hot date with some seriously spicy finds. From a strikingly cool print to hang above her and a simple planter box that won't take away from her details, to a stunner of a ring for your finger while you flip through the latest issue of "Collective Quarterly".Stay cool, hotties.
a little magazine holder :: orabella
Every now and again.... a tiny little piece catches our eye, and we can't resist saving it and giving it a whirl! The beautiful details on this magazine holder....like the scalloped handle, the cut out design, and the turned legs make it extra special..... and super fun to paint!Details make all the difference in the world my friends! We used General Finishes milk paint on this little lady, and the color is Persian Blue.New life. All good.
quotage :: name it, claim it
It's usually the other way around. We've all heard it - maybe even said it - "I'll believe it when I see it." It's a decree full of distrust, cynicism, and doubt. But when you think positively and declare joy, peace, and victory into your every day life, you'll soon see the results of that belief. It's not magic, it's simply that we live what we believe. If we expect the bad, we usually see the bad. And if we expect good? Let me tell ya, good will follow suit in some way or other.Look for the good & believe that it exists.