Archive for the 'chez étoiles' Category

Sewing

Published on November 5, 2006 in chez étoiles, inspiration, my house, projects, sewing and thrift. 0 Comments

I’ve launched a Sewing Series – you can read a little about Session #1 here and I am working on getting the materials and patterns ready for Session #2 – Make your own Tote Bag. I decided to offer 2 patterns (or help those who wanted to design their own…). So I’ll be doing the super basic roomy tote (stay tuned – I’ll post the pattern here after the session). But I was in a local sewing shop – and came across a pair of 6″ bamboo rings…oh inspiration. I googled the rings and bags – to see what was out there…and didn’t find too much (I didn’t look that hard, I have something in mind anyway), so I’ve been busy sketching up ideas and looking through my fabric stash to see what I can find to match the bamboo handles. I did find some wonderul blue/green wool at a thrift store – after I wash it (a musty yucky smell…)we’ll see if the piece is big enough. I was going to use the wool to make a gift. So many projects, so little time.

Note the fab wallpaper. Too bad it is in terrible shape and printed on a nasty canvas textured paper. It could be a cool almost toile. I’ve been looking for wallpaper over here…thanks to Dre. So maybe by this time next year (one can dream can’t they?) I’ll have a new dining room with a new color vibe – maybe one of the walls will be dressed in a new pattern?

Thinking about projects – we had an excellent guest speaker at our business class this past week. Sheldon Snodgrass – great name, cool guy, awesome energy. He put some energy into the class, helped spark a little fire in me and took some of the pressure off the whole “write a business plan” side of things (at least for me…). Sheldon talked about how he can have so many different things going on and it can get a little hectic. Reminds me of me…and my ongoing creative madness with projects. It can get so crazy that all I do is think and think and I can’t seem to get to the do – or I get far enough into the do, that I have tons of started projects…and it takes even longer to finish them. But I think it’s ok. I keep a notebook of projects and ideas. I think it helps to keep the juices flowing. I think it even helps to solve some other creative porblems I might have. When I do finish something, it does feel quite wonderful. So here’s to finishing another bag…

Smart Friends and Presentation is Everything

Published on November 2, 2006 in chez étoiles and design. 0 Comments

I have many smart friends. Today, this very smart friend helped me realize what I’ve been thinking all along. PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING. I’ve been working on my shop site with free open source wonderful software, and not really happy with it because it’s not what I envision my store to look like. BLAH! Why didn’t I talk with her about this sooner? Crazy.

So – I have the programs I need to do this even though they are years old – they should work. It is so tempting to call and order the latest versions, but I also need to keep in mind, that I need to create this with what I have.

Back to the drawing board. Well – not really, I know what I want the site to look like, and I need to keep in mind that at first it’s going to be small and manageable, reminding me that I need to focus on the now and the near future, not the distant future. I’ll do more research and play around. This will probably delay the site launch another month or so, but I think it’s really important that my vision be executed properly.

Legal squiggle…and I can’t believe I have to wait for the next season of Project Runway?!?

Published on October 19, 2006 in art, chez étoiles, design, inspiration and project runway. 1 Comment

Oh boy – another good class last night.  I felt like we were all sitting on the edge of our seats as our fearless leader talked the legal.  Oh legal.  I think for me this is the scariest part.  LIABILITY.  How do you protect yourself – your house, your belongings, your company?  So many questions – so little time.  Legal?  What questions do I ask?  What do I need to know to protect myself?  I just feel the need to make lists, and more lists and a few more.   Organize, organize, organize.  Oh – to have the freedom of hours.  Almost makes me want to re-Franklinize.  At times like this I do miss my Franklin, I actually pulled out my shell of a Franklin and considered ordering the meat…maybe I’ll sleep on it.

ok – so Project Runway…I have to admit that I actually cried during the runway shows.  Can’t help it – total sap-o-rama.  I even cry at the Olympics…to think of all that these people have accomplished is pretty amazing.  I’m thrilled for all 4 contestants – they are all winners.  But, why is it over??? Can’t they start the next season next Wednesday?  I admit – that I also watched Top Chef – thinking that I wouldn’t – but you can bet that  I’ll be tuning in next week.  sigh…  I did recognize Padma…we used her in one of our campaigns for lingerie in one of my former lives.  Very sweet and kind.  Should be a fun…or maybe Top Designer. Anybody know when that starts?

WIRED…and not

Published on October 17, 2006 in chez étoiles, family and inspiration. 2 Comments

The Iz has decided that the middle of the night is her new bedtime. She is so tired, but WIRED. Poor thing, who wants to cry to sleep every night, it must be exhausting.

But even more exciting, we are now wireless here. Big deal, as our computers as are up in the office, and that doesn’t allow us to work anywhere else in the house (as work means being on-line:-).

So, I’m sitting at the kitchen table, Iz is on the floor, playing with a frying pan and a cup of water and cooking all of her plastic food toys. The wood cook stove is going, and I’ve just put water on it so I can heat up noodle left overs, and the rest of the goodies will go in the cook stove to warm up for dinner in a few. I feel pretty lucky.

However, I am procrastinating. I need to write my Marketing Plan as part of my Business Class homework. Lots of reading, research and writing. Instead, I am reading blogs, writing emails, and writing here. A lot if what I am doing now is geared towards the marketing plan homework, but I should be typing that right now and not this.

A dear friend sent me this link: http://rifferaff.typepad.com/make_it/ and I love it because it tells me all about Jenny Kwok, who is responsible for the fabulous cutxpaste – which, I LOVE big time….who knew she left Brooklyn for Istanbul?  How cool is that? Further proof that on-line can be successful, wherever you are…

Project…

Published on October 11, 2006 in art, chez étoiles, inspiration, playgroup and project runway. 0 Comments

So, I just got home from my class, and immediately tuned to Project Runway.  What will I do when the season ends?  Tim Gunn has just arrived at Uli’s apartment in Miami.  It’s rainy and cold here in Western Mass.  Hmmm, I could be there now, sun and warmth and all.

My class was really great tonight.  We did some brainstorming and I came up with my tagline/mission statement and I have to say – I love it.  Stay tuned, it will be posted when the site is launched.  I feeling more postive about the class, I was a little worried that it wasn’t going in the direction I needed it to, but the brainstorming was really the creative part I was missing from the other sessions.  Whew.

Now, Project Runway is back in NYC, and watching, makes me a little homesick.  While I love the decision to move out, I do miss an awful lot of what the city has to offer and miss friends and my favorite places.  Oh, to take a taxi…

I’ve been coordinating Messy Play Days at our Family Center and feel so inspired by lil’ ones making a mess with paint and glue and glitter and leaves.  Oh, to squish paint between your fingers, spill glitter all over the place and to crumple leaves.  To watch their faces, makes me want to enjoy it all over again.  Pictures later.

Itchin’

Published on October 3, 2006 in art, chez étoiles, inspiration and shopping. 0 Comments

Shopping cart installation was successful! Woo hoo. Thanks Rick and Rob. The juices are flowing. The brain is in overdrive and well…I just can’t stop thinking about how much fun this is for me. For those of you who know me, I LOVE to take charge, and to move ahead with my very own idea, well, it’s pretty fun!

It wil take a bit of time to get it all finalized and even close to being published, but I think it will work for a bit.  I want to focus on the site and my business class.  Once they are done or at least well under way, it’s time to start looking for product.  I decided to take the class so that I could stay on track.  My mind was going in all different directions (especially – the mom direction) and I was feeling like I really needed some direction so I could get this whole thing going.  Now, I can’t wait for it to get going.  CRAZY!  My mind is still racing, but at a much more refined state (at least I’d like to believe that!).

design*sponge has launched her very own shop.  Beautiful items.  Esp love the cards by port2port press.  So lovely.

Description

Published on September 20, 2006 in chez étoiles. 3 Comments

I’m taking an 11 week course (starting next week) on “Launching a New Business”.  Basically it’s a “write a business plan” class.  I’m finding myself to be pretty excited about it, and I actually had trouble sleeping last night with all these ideas running through my head.  I’ve been jotting down notes trying to describe my idea, and after reviewing them yesterday, I realize I had strayed a bit from my very original concept.  Why did I stray?  I do a lot of research (some say it’s my sign:-), and I’ve been trying to identify competition.  I think through this my idea morphed and I had started to doubt my idea!  But as I return to my original thoughts and concepts, I am even more confident about moving forward.  The site is being worked on.  More info is on paper.  I’ve put together a list of friends that have started their own business.  It’s LONG!  I never really thought about it before, but I am surrounded by entrepreneurs.  Hopefully I can corral a few to be advisors.

The Brainstorm NEVER Ends!

Published on September 7, 2006 in chez étoiles. 0 Comments

Which is a great thing I think. I love to let my mind wander in and out of all the possibilities. I have had many a great brainstorming buddies too. You know, where they get excited when you say something – you can see it click and they start and before you know it there are so many ideas on the table – and it’s no fun to stop. Who knows, you might need those ideas later.

I keep thinking about the business I plan to get off it’s feet in the near (oh PLEASE!) future. As I daydream about it and put bits on paper and gather up tear sheets and think about what it is I’m passionate about, the business grows. TREMENDOUSLY! Where do I start? I’m taking a business plan class (will this help me? – will I stay focused? – I think this is the real reason I’m taking the class). I’m talking with friends about the site, and I am researching like a mad woman (another one of my favorite things to do). Trying to figure out if I can do this on my own financially or if I need to start looking for fundage to get off the ground. Then I get impatient. It’s all together in my head, why isn’t it all executed. Arggghhhh.