The Winter Mantle

Ok, I've been at it again... Arranging and rearranging this menacingly large mantle... It's kind of become a joke around our house. He says, "I tried to tell you" and I just sigh in disbelief...
I think Easter will prove to be exciting and beautiful (mostly because I have lots of decor) and I love Spring also. And speaking of Spring, along with the three booths we now have in three different cities, we will be offering products for sale at local craft fairs. The first will be Spring Fest on Dickson Street in Fayetteville, May 4th. I am so excited to start this new adventure!

Christmas Decorating Frenzy...

well, today has certainly been a new experience for me... sure, i've decorated for Christmas before, but i lived in a little house in the 'hood (so to speak). This house is blowing my mind!! and scott just sat around today snickering at me... I thought i had amassed enough garland over the years to decorate every room of a house BUT, i only got the living room and the dining room done! i have 1 swag and 2 pieces of twiggy stuff and 2 very short outdoor pieces (which worked well outside the front door last year). i still have to do something with the stair bannister and kitchen... and UGH... the outside front entrance and garage. This is when i regret not even LOOKING at christmas stuff at yard and estate sales... so here's what i got so far...

I am supporting my child's school fundraiser by buying 5 red poinsettias for the fireplace opening and i'm making four stockings out of burlap sacks saved from scott's grandparent's barn in Georgia. Hopefully have that picture by next week!

So i spent my whole day (between phone calls) working on this... i know, pitiful right? But i really did feel overwhelmed... here is the inside of the front door...

Well, i guess i'm off to see what the stores have to offer as far as outdoor garland... can't wait to show you my vintage blown plastic santa!!

Giving Thanks for all that you have!

retro in the district has gone home... we have moved from our downtown location to a "home office". not only does that give us the opportunity to still sell at booths, but it gives us the freedom to travel to craft fairs. while i'm not working, i plan on decorating the new house and sharing my ideas with readers. we have a huge mantle in the living room and the first thing i did was paint it white... 5 coats of white... it was worse than any piece of furniture i have ever done! here it is with mom's "fall" decor... simple and unfinished.

after my family Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, i plan to begin decorating for Christmas the "retro" way.

i also have been working in the new studio on some 5X5 canvas works for sale.

"say goodnight gracie"

i actually did see the george burns show when i was very young... and at the end his sister would always reply, "goodnight gracie". george would just smile and shake his head. The next week they would perform the show all over again. well, it has come time for retro in the district to say goodnight... but only until next time. we have decided to move the store from the district in downtown rogers to a more hip, progressive area closer to the university of arkansas. unfortunately, a future location hasn't been procured yet, so we are going to be working out of belle's plantation in Lowell and a new very awesome shop called "in retrospect" on township in fayetteville. my vision is to make retro even more cool, more vintage and more repurposed. we will miss all of our downtown friends and neighbors but as with life, the business must be nourished to grow.
So, retro will continue on in another location, the blog will continue with double the pics and you will have three opportunities to shop! check out our facebook page for new stuff still arriving (yes, daily)!

Kansas City, Missouri

Last weekend, Scott and I set out to Kansas City to pick up an antique glider we had purchased 3 weeks ago... we timed it so that we could go to their First Friday event that is held year round in the Crossroads Art District. We have a similar event in downtown Rogers on the 3rd Friday of each month, but not the size of this one in KC....oh my... I could not believe the number of people walking around... in 100 degree weather! It was from about 16th street to 20th and several blocks wide. They had bands, street vendors, art galleries and lofts open for touring... local merchants were open late for business. It was very cool. The magnitude was something I wish we could bring to downtown rogers... Then, if that wasn't enough, we went back downtown saturday morning and found a HUGE famers market in their River market district (just North of the Crossroads). There was a really good US Air Force band playing in the square and tons of fresh veggies from local farms. From there we went to pick up our purchase at a very cool and interesting antique store called River Market Antique Mall... four floors of fun... old signs, vintage furniture, architectural pieces, flea market booths, records, vintage clothes and on and on. VERY cool stuff and definately worth the trip downtown. On sundays only, there is another neat place called Cowtown which is a few blocks south of river market district in an old brick building. very vintage and very retro... think rubber chickens and vinyl records...60's furniture and decent prices. KC is pretty easy to drive, kid friendly and can be a nice getaway destination with lots to see and shop.

Summer Travel

I dont' know why we do it... plan all of our travel time in the hottest part of the year! i guess its because the work from our real jobs has leveled off and we have time on our hands (and a little money). my companion (and love of my life) scott, has gotten all of his swimming pools up and running smooth and i have designed all the wastewater systems for now, until the weather lightens up and people decide to build homes before winter sets in. it is a vicious cycle every year... but after 12 years somewhat predictable. Last year at this time, we travelled to San Antonio to visit his brother and lovely wife, then later drove (yes, drove) to Atlanta to visit more family and shop. We are waiting until September this year to make the long haul, this time driving (yes, driving) all the way to port charlotte, florida... yup... you read that right kids.... but wait, there's more... when we leave his mom's house, we are driving to atlanta to see dad and the rest of the family! I absolutely love to travel.... but i hate driving :-( even with gas prices as high as they are, it is still half the price to drive it. so, off we will go on a big adventure... and hopefully find lots of treasures along the way (the good thing about driving).

Creative Block

I'm always coming up with ideas... when I shop, in dreams, looking at magazines.... but when i actually have the time to work on new stuff... BAM! creative failure. i take pictures of lots of things so i can remember but then i get an item in the store that once belonged to something else like an old cabinet door or window and i have to create something new and fresh. i do lots of decoupage on cabinet doors and turn windows into tables. but i'm always looking for creative wow... it's what customers expect. And now I have been invited to put my art in a gallery in Eureka Springs... i am so honored just to be asked! but now desperate for ideas.... never ending vicious cycle, huh? Like Dora says,"just keep swimming..."