In peace...

 I cant think of a time when the holidays couldnt come soon enough. Since I've spent this year out of festivals and shows, I no longer dread upcoming holidays and the chaos of getting ready, finding enough time to make everything and trying to figure out what people will want to take home. It will be so good to get out some good mystery books, get rid of some clutter, and walk the dogs. Hopefully wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you are going to spend your holidays in peace.

Righteous Fur Fashion Show At Ogden Museum of Southern Art tomorrow night 11/12/10

 Been waiting with anticipation for the Righteous Fur Show tomorrow night, downtown at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art & Design-


Stasya and I had fun taking pics down the bayou way, but my dress will need to be shored up, just like our wetlands, before it can go any further.


I'm loving the green green green look these days- anything green gets me going- what about you?


I hope some of yall show up- Meanwhile there's another show same night uptown and then the PoBoy Festival this weekend on Sundy. Heather will be there with some lovely new Fleur Debris.


Hope to see yall soon, xoxoxo!

Another year older, working on the wiser

Another year older down by the bayou. As we edge closer to cool weather, it is a reminder of the milestones we've seen and the ones we're about to approach in the months ahead.Mournful ones: In December Rudy will have been gone a year. It will be the 6th Thanksgiving and Christmas without Heather's family. Joyful ones: Our cassia tree will be past the roof in height, celebrating 10 years in business, and hopefully more quality downtime with family and friends.

I didnt know what was to come this year after Rudy passed but it has turned out to be full of reaching goals. I only started setting specific goals for my business a few years ago (crazy right?)and although the route has sometimes seemed circuitous, eventually we got there.

Since the Anthropologie gig, many people have approached me asking for advice or help about how to get their Etsy business going. Plenty people have sold way more than I have on Etsy. And I dont consider myself anyone to take business advice from. In fact I am a little anti-advice about everything I do and while I second guessed my decisions a lot more in the past (even some recent ones I'll tell you about soon), it has come to pass that doing it my way has helped me reach my goals. I've never purchased or read a business book or gone to any of the websites or followed SEO people or any of that crap. I'm not on Facebook and while I dont consider marketing a dirty word, marketing myself means something different to me than it means to the rest of the internets most likely.

My way is pretty simple and it has nothing to do with any kind of guru, plan,or pdf file download for ebiz. New Orleans has a pretty wonderful closeknit craft community full of TALENT. Instead of re-inventing the wheel I just asked people what they did or have done to reach x,y or z goal. And then I did what they did. No silly I didnt copy the work they did, I just listened to them and followed their advice. I'm not talking about marketing advice, but practical advice that just applies to everyday things like best places to advertise, finding my target client, and so on.

So its really cool now to be part of the cycle where people ask me what I think (and then do it. yeah!). This happens in my day gig all the time but to have it happen with something self created is pretty cool. So now I am starting to re-envision this blog as it seems as passionate as I am about thrifting, the need to acquire a bunch of stuff is no longer in my blood. I'd like to travel lighter as I make new goals that involve far less working with stuff and more about ideas...

More to come soon.
xoxoxo,K

Blue

Of all the rites of passage of adulthood, there are few more awful than that of dealing with the illness of one's beloved pet. I have been very fortunate to have had my beloved childhood pets die of old age.Fortunate really to be shielded by my parents from all death pretty much. In the past two years, my two oldest dogs died with my ex, within months of each other as they should. They belonged to each other more than they ever did to either of us, together or apart. They had nice long lives.

Both my partner and I have struggled greatly with dealing with Sheba's advanced age. There have been moments when she wasnt well, but sprightly as ever she would bounce back and we could just shrug and say she's got plenty of life left to live. This summer has been a rude awakening. Sheba is almost 16 and her health has turned for the worse this summer and now her moments are escalating. We almost lost her twice this week. Both times she was out cold, her heart stopped and then she came back, dizzy but alive and kicking eventually. Today we had to face the music as it turns out her heart is the cause of her problems and it is simply giving out from giving so much love and expecting little in return.

Now it has not turned to not if but when and there is little wondering how. This magical creature wont be here forever.She is in her sunset and our job is to keep her calm and happy. It would be nice to be shielded from this too, but that wont be the case. Thanks for listening, xoxoxo

Falling.....

Who doesnt love fall right? Its my birthday season, the weather cools down,hair hangs right and festivals start up again anew. I usually love fall for those reasons and so many more but this time around there is a bit of lack of focus.

I am in a bit of creative quandry- Christmas feels like it is approaching so rapidly and yet all of my fabrics have arrived for spring. When you design clothes, you want to stay on top of it a few seasons ahead but you still have to get through the season at hand to afford it. Also I feel like my style is shifting and am not sure which way to go with it.

And did I mention- not reforming the appropriate company structure for my business post Katrina is looking like it will create some problems for me. I just dont know what to do. In the meantime, shrimp are back in season and the Saints are playing again in the city that care forgot. Well there are some big orders to finish and other wonderful goings on behind the scenes here so must toddle off amigos. Thanks for listening to me ramble!