A Bushel and a Peck

I Am Off

I am really excited to start the new year getting together with good friends and talking shop.

I leave tomorrow for the Altitude Design Summit.

It will be four days of dinners, sessions with amazing bloggers/shop owners, brainstorming, creating, parties and even a little thrifting on the last day.

It will be rooming with Melissa and Alexis.

Alexis was pretty much the highlight of France..except for the other things like flea markets, gorgeous chateau, incredible food, Paris...but she still ranks right up there:-)

Melissa I have only known online and I am thrilled to spend "real life" time together.

My good friend Christy will also be joining us.

I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.

I am blessed to get together with creative women often but this will be a special trip for me to truly focus on my business and time for me to hopefully figure out some hard decisions I need to make.

I am having some growing pains with my business (and I do know that is a good thing) but I need to really think about where I want it all to go.

You all know how much I don't want to take away from my family...so...how do you grow and stay true to the things that are most important?

Maybe you don't grow..or you figure out something really creative and amazing:-)

I know that my house will go to pot, my kids will eat sugar for the next four days and no one will bath or even get out of pajamas....but...I will be wearing cute clothes, hanging out with creative people, drinking wine and eating food that I DID NOT HAVE TO A MAKE!!!

See you at the end of this week!

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Don't forget to enter HERE for The She Art Workshop!

I also wanted to remind you that the last of the Winter Collection is in the shop.

I will not be making anymore (time to focus on the spring line).

The bonus is that I am offering FREE SHIPPING for the rest of the week.

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I would also like to thank each one of you that have been praying for Joanne.

Yesterday seemed to be better..if you can say that right now..but they didn't have to make any hard decisions and that is good. 

Take A Breath

Really.

Take a deep breath.

If you can do that you have the loveliest of gifts....life!

At this moment each one of us probably knows of someone fighting for that breath or feel the loss of someone that has breathed their last.

About a year and a half ago I was standing in line at the Joann fabric counter and a woman getting her fabric cut commented on my Maddy's dress.

It was one of the first little girl dresses that I had sold in my shop.

She was gorgeous and kind...so kind.

We exchanged cards.

When I got to the car I flipped her card over and it had scripture on it.

When I got home I looked up her blog and found that she was a Christian author, creator extraordinaire and amazing mom and wife.

You couldn't help but love her right away.

We exchanged emails, read blog posts and then they moved away for a bit.

They had recently moved back and she had let me know on my blog and she was now even attending a church in our town.

I was so excited to talk to her because I had an idea I wanted to run by her and kept meaning to call and meet for coffee.

Late last night when I climbed into bed I went to catch up on Twitter.

Panic and fear gripped me as I tried to make sense of what I was reading.

Tears...oh, the tears as I read her sweet husband's words.

She had a massive stroke.  Her daughter had found her unresponsive.  She has tubes coming out all over her. Her brain is swelling and part of her skull has been removed to help.  She has not woken up.  

Her name is Joanne Heim. 

If you don't know her I hope you get the chance to because she truly is a reflection of Christ.

I have not heard anything since last night.  

Her husband posted to her blog last night and his words just break my heart. As his wife is quietly lying in bed with tubes and machines all around her...these are his sweet words....

 

"Here's my thought: not that much has changed in our relationship. She is still here, she is still the love of my life, she is still the one I want to grow old with.  Her inability to talk or respond yet doesn't really change any of that.  

Enough of this writing.  Time to hold hands with my girl."

True love.

If you believe in the power of prayer I humbly ask you to get on your knees for Joanne, Toben, their two daughters and family.

Take a breath....what a gift!

 

New On My Nightstand

For Christmas I got two new books to add to the pile on my nightstand.

Aren't the covers alone just gorgeous!

Makes me want to get into my pajamas (oh, I am already wearing them..and I have been all day), make some tea, crank the heating blanket up and climb into bed.

If I am not reading my new books I will be working on an on-line art class I am taking from the super talented Misty Mawn.

I do not have a lot of extra time to take classes like this and I have been really looking forward to it.

Anyone else taking this class?

I have to admit that I am already behind on day two but I am ok with that!

What are you reading?