What’s new at Mew–Nesting Baby Shower Stationery

Haven’t really had time to post about what’s been going on in the studio lately–so much design and production on new client projects!  I don’t like to release wedding invite photos though until the client sends her invite, so the What’s New section has been a bit quiet.

Last week, a past client (who is now a friend–love when that happens!) called for a quick turnaround on a baby shower invite with a nesting theme.  I quickly whipped up this custom, original illustration and love the result.  I could see this easily being translated into a color palette suitable for a baby girl as well.  I’m thinking of listing this both on my website and in my Etsy shop as a set–invites with matching thank you’s.  Keep a look out…it’ll be in there soon.

Giving Back with the Girl Scouts

A few weeks ago, after an article about my business ran in the local newspaper, I received an e-mail from (what I thought was) a woman who was a Girl Scout Leader inviting me to come and speak at an event to help young girls learn about having their own businesses.  I said yes right away–I was a Girl Scout growing up and I really believe in what the scouts teaches young people. The event took place this past Friday.

About 80 girls between ages 11-14 were present at this event which was set up as a round-table Q & A session.  There were other career women and business owners as well such as a nurse, an ad exec, an accountant and a fires safety instructor.  When I asked to be introduced to the woman who invited me to the event, turns out she wasn’t a mom at all, but one of the Girl Scouts herself.  The level of maturity that these girls exhibited was impressive.  There were lots of “pleases” and “thank yous” and when it was time for me to load and unload my car there was no shortage of eager volunteers.

The groups asked questions from a worksheet including “What makes you a good business owner?”, “How has technology influenced the way you do business?”.  But when I gave the girls a chance to ask questions that weren’t on their worksheet I got things like “What do you wear to work?”, “Have you ever tried to fire yourself?” and “Are you rich?”!  I asked the girls what kind of businesses or careers they could see themselves in and I got a mixed bag of answers–work with animals, fashion designer, school teacher, physical therapist.  One eleven year old said she wants to be a chemist!

Though I didn’t pass up the opportunity to distribute a few business cards to some curious moms, I didn’t agree to participate in this event as a business opportunity.  I have fond memories of my own experiences as a Girl Scout with my mom as the troop leader, and I really believe in what this organization teaches young girls as far as values–kindness, education, helping others, self-confidence.  I left there really feeling like those two hours of my time might have really made an impact on someone in some small way.  I look forward to keeping in touch with this group and helping out whenever I can.

An evening with Perideau Designs

I’ve been lucky enough to meet a few of my Etsy pals in real life.  Lauren of Ornametal just happens to be my neighbor, which I probably would never have known if not for hours of forum surfing during my former day job.  And Michelle of Cicada Studio and I had a great visit (but too short!) last summer with our guys in New Jersey.  Saturday afternoon I had dinner with Bridget off Perideau Designs–we had such a good time!

Turns out we both live in CT, about an hour apart from one another.  So for a few weeks we had the plan to meet somehwere in the middle, which ended up being the New Mill Restaurant in Southington.  It was a beautiful, old, historic building that had been restored–heavy wood beams, creaky spiral staircases, and even, yup, a working water wheel out front.  I’d like to have a word with the interior designer and find out what they were thinking with all the lame animal print decor inside–but other than that, the place was perfect!  At first I felt a little goofy about bringing in the camera, but as soon as I mentioned Bridgett said she had hers too, so we were even!

Being Valentine’s Day weekend an evening reservation was hard to get, so we planned to meet at the bar at 4:30 like a couple of senior citizens.  Not surprisingly at that hour of the afternoon, a couple of real senior citizens were sitting beside us and we had a great time chatting with them.  Apparently, they’re regulars and make friends with all the young ladies that come through!

We may have started early, but both of us were shocked when we looked at the clock for the first time and it was already 10 pm!  Time flies when you’re having fun.  We had some great food and plenty of wine–even had room for dessert.  Of course we talked business.  When I left to head out Dino jokingly said to me “Ohhh, you’re going to hang with the competition!”  But there wasn’t even a hint of competitiveness in the room.  I really admire Bridgett’s work and style and we both believe there’s room for everyone in this happy little handmade world!  But more than business came up–babies, husbands, travel, day jobs, blogs, cooking…you name it, we covered it!

It was a laidback evening of effortless conversation with a new friend!  I can’t wait to do it again.

Sunday was Valentine’s Day, so I didn’t feel guilty about lounging in bed all morning “recovering”.  In fact, we lounged in bed all afternoon too–neither Dino or I even got dressed before 3 pm!  I gently convinced him to stay in PJs with me and watch HGTV for a zillion hours.  He never protests relaxation, so it was easy to twist his arm.  We ended with taco night, more TV and fast asleep by midnight.  How’s that for romance?!

February is for Lovers

There’s always so much love in the air in February!  I may be a scroogey Grinch around Christmas time, but I definitely get in the spirit for Valentine’s Day.  Maybe it’s because there is the promise of spring right around the corner.  I have fond memories of Valentine’s Day growing up–my dad would always come home from work with a red rose for my mom and a pink one for me.

Some time in February, though I forget the exact date, is the anniversary of my first date with Dino–five years ago, this year!  For the longest time we had a cover story about how we really met, which was on Match.com!  Can you believe it?  I guess internet dating was just starting to shed its shady image and become a little more accepted, but I still felt embarassed about admitting it.

I was living on my own in a tiny, but adorable studio apartment above a movie theater in Bedford, New York.  My next door neighbor was a young Brit living here as a nanny.  She was always going out on dates! We became fast friends, and I used to look at the Match.com pages with her–I never, ever intended to put up a profile page.  Each time we looked I saw a couple of prospects, but the one that always stood out to me was a guy from Stamford, CT–he liked music, the outdoors, and snowboarding according to his profile.  He had a great smile and blue eyes.  Many weeks passed before my friend finally convinced me to create my own profile.  I reluctantly agreed, but on the condition that I would only contact that one guy.  He was Dino.

And that’s what I did.  I posted a pic and a detailed profile.  I sent him a message saying that he was the only one I was contacting, and that I’d like to meet him but I wasn’t going to go back and forth with email for weeks.  If he wanted to meet he needed to let me know–no dilly-dallying!  And then, I hid the profile page so no other people would be able to contact me.  I laugh now at how demanding that must have seemed!  But it didn’t scare him away, and we made a date for that week.

We met at one of my favorite restaurants at the time in White Plains.  I remember agonizing over what to wear, and would you believe I ended up with a t-shirt and jeans!  Who wears a t-shirt on a date???  In February??  I thought I was dressing it up a bit with a sparkly belt–what?  He wore a blue shirt under a navy sweater.  I hate blue shirts and navy sweaters!  But he was handsome, and we drank beers and ate together and talked a lot and I guess we laughed from all the beers.  At the end of the date he kissed me in the parking lot–like “make out” kissing!!  On the first date–where were my manners?

I knew that weekend that I had plans to go to my friend Michele’s annual Oscar Party–it was a big thing with formal wear and a red carpet and a drag-queen Joan Rivers.  I wanted to ask Dino to go with me, but since it was only two days away I was afraid I’d look like a stalker!  But I put it out there–in the same assertive manner of the first email.  And he came with me.  The picture above is from that party, and the first photo of us together ever taken.  It wasn’t even on a digital camera!  Look how young he was and how chubby I was!

Now, we are married.

Sunday, Bloody (Superbowl) Sunday

I think 30 years without a broken limb or need for stitches is a pretty good run, no?  But we all know, good things do come to an end.  For me, my good luck ran out yesterday when I was preparing dinner for a wee little Superbowl gathering.

Dino isn’t much a fan for any football, let alone the Saints or the Colts, so we weren’t making a big fuss for the game.  He just invited my dad over and asked me to make meatballs–that’s really all he wanted, and he hardly makes special requests so it was my wifely duty to oblige.  I make good meatballs!  I started early so they would have a good few hours to swim in their tomato sauce bath.  After browning them in the oven first, I was just about to add them to the pot when I realized I needed one last can of tomatoes.

As I was opening the can with my new can opener (which sucks, by the way) one edge was still hanging on.  Even as I was doing this idiotic move, I thought “This is an idiotic move–you should not do this!”  Sure enough…slice.  And carnage.  Since you’re wondering–no, there was no blood or body fluids near the food, it all went down at the sink.

I knew it was a deep cut because the blood was just not stopping.  But if you know me even a little bit, you know that the hospital is my kryptonite–a visit there has a way of melting me into a quivering, blubbering little girl.  When Dino insisted, despite my protests that I’d just stick on a thick bandaid, I shivered.  I quivered and I blubbered indeed!  The injury was not my problem–it was the anticipation of going to that god forsaken place that sent me into a fit of anxiety.

But we went, and I endured.  As quietly and calmly as I could.  Even though there were people in surgical masks in the waiting room.  And a woman sitting near me with a persistent bloody nose that kept dripping into her throat and making her cough and sputter blood into a pink basin.  And an elderly fellow who either pissed or puked all over the waiting room floor–hard to identify the fluid through the blinding horror in my eyes.  It felt like an eternity, but after only an hour or so of waiting I was seen by a Physician’s Assistant.

The doc, and the nurse were so great.  They put me in my own room with a door.  I promised the nurse (who thankfully, had a great sense of humor) that I wasn’t trying to be rude or obnoxious, I was just a nervous wreck.  When the doc started to explain what he was going to do to me (inject novacaine several times directly into the wound–WHAT???!) I interjected fast and told him to spare me the details unless he had smelling salts handy.  To my surprise, I didn’t faint at all, or really even come close.  I always do!

Four little stitches, a tetanus shot and big, goofy bandage later I got to go home in time to finish cooking my meatballs and watch the game with Dino and my dad.

*By the way, the pics were taken on Dino’s blackberry.  He was considerate not to capture any of the gore, but quite inconsiderate that he actually photographed me out in public wearing that outfit!!!

Mew Gets Some Local Press–Danbury News Times

A few weeks ago I pitched a rough story idea to my local newspaper, and lo and behold they picked it up!  With Valentine’s Day around the corner I wanted to encourage area residents to buy local, and have some fun with what many view as a “dreaded Hallmark holiday”.  I scheduled an appointment with the reporter to come with a photographer on a Friday and I looked forward to it all week.  When I had dinner with a friend the Wednesday before she said “Good luck with your interview tomorrow” and I reminded her that it was Friday, not Thursday.

Um, wrong.  Thursday was supposed to be my day to get the studio all cleaned up and picture-ready.  And then the doorbell rang.  There stood the reporter and photographer right on time–I had totally mixed up my dates!  The studio was a disaster, I was a disaster and I feared that the whole press opp would end in disaster!  Thank goodness that they had a sense of humor, and spared me five minutes to put on a better shirt and a bit of lipstick!  With a little quick photo styling (which really just means that I shoved all the piles of crap off of my desk onto the floor) you’d never know.

So, if you’re local to the Danbury/Bethel area, pick up a copy of today’s paper.  Or, just check out the link on the News Times website.

Gratitude

A year ago at this time, my dad went into the hospital.  What started as persistent chest pain turned into a heart attack that resulted in the implementation of three medically coated stents to help keep Dad healthy for a long time to come.  I am grateful, every day, that there was a second chance for my dad, and my family.  It’s not a cliché that life is short–it is a fact.  Awareness of this fact makes the ride a lot more enjoyable–your eyes may be open just a little wider and you’ll see so much more.

Are you paying attention to your life?  I mean, really paying attention?  Or are you just running the race to get to the finish line?  Are you taking care of your health, or just cruising through lazily, blindly believing that “it won’t happen to me” or “I’ll start tomorrow”?  Are you calling your grandma once in a while to let her know that you love her and admire her, or just putting it off til you have more time?  Are you smiling at passersby (it’s so easy to do!) or making the effort to avert your eyes and purse your lips and pretend you’re the only one for miles?

Often we tend to think we are much more important than we really are, or that we have more control than we really do.  Everyday tasks tend to overshadow the beauty and blessing of everyday tasks.

When our hearts are open, there is so much to be grateful for.  And so many simple yet unforgettable ways of expressing gratitude.  Try a little more each day and see what impact it has on your mood.

Another installment of Photography Phrustrations

I definitely have enough on this subject to make it a somewhat regular post series on this blog.

In fairness, I’ve not really given myself a fair shake with the camera–I’ve hardly used it and have yet to take it out of the home at all to shoot anything of interest.  So, at this point, the only experiments I’ve done are on things that exist somewhere in the house.  For example, a cracked egg shell, an assortment of Japanese tea caddies and the corner of my dining room that I’ve pictured here.  I haven’t even had the energy or drive to do another product photo session.

Why am I so unenamored (did I make that word up?) with this thing?  I feel like I need to capture one awesome photo in order to feel it grab me.  But it’s evident that I don’t have the knack for turning every day objects into art, as I’ve seen so many other hobbyist photographers do.

At this point, I’m starting to grasp the concept of the way the camera works–exposure, aperture, etc.  So there’s a start, I suppose. Here I’ve posted a couple of shots of a cabinet in my dining room.  I guess I’ve demonstrated depth of field here.  Did I even get it right?  There are many other shots from this grouping that I didn’t post–some going towards the light, some going away, some from above and some from below.  I’m feeling hung up on the technical aspects of photography–in other words, I feel that because there is so much technique required in capturing a good photo that there is less room for interpretation as in some other art forms.  Does that make sense?  And currently, I’m just focusing on technique, before I even delve into subject matter.

Perhaps today is the day that I take the darn thing out of the house and play some more.

Something Fishy

I wasn’t even going to tell this story out loud on my blog, because it’s so ridiculous and kind of gross.  But I find it, also,  sort of hilarious, and you know how I like to get a laugh.  And since this blog is a look inside my life, I thought it might be worth telling.  This just happened the other night.  For real.

It’s 2 am, and I’m woken out of my sleep because I’m roasting hot.  Blankets flung off me-half my pajamas off-sweaty neck-hot.  I get out of bed to go downstairs and lower the thermostat, but right by nightstand I notice a foul smell.  It’s faint, but evident none the less.  I sniff around thinking maybe I left a teacup out by mistake.  No, not that.  I sniff more and start to wonder, maybe it’s just Dino sound asleep–you know how men can sometimes get smelly at night.  Not that either.

As I get closer to the staircase and start to head down the smell gets stronger.  It’s a bit like sour milk, or more specifically, rotting corpse.  I half expected to see a pile of biologicals from the cat on the living room floor.  But no.  And now the smell is so powerful and so heinous that I call up to Dino, wake him up and make him come down and help me investigate.  Maybe it’s something in the recycle bin?  No.  And not the garbage either.  Maybe there’s a rotting onion in the pantry that I didn’t see?  No.

And then Dino, on his hands and knees by the fridge, sporting a sickly green pallor, say s “I think I found it”.  Do you know what it wassssss? So gross.  The night before we had made stir fry for dinner and used, as I always do, just a drop of fish sauce.  Apparently, the lid wasn’t on all the way and the contents of the bottle had dribbled out onto the first shelf of the fridge door, down to the second, and out the door onto the floor.  Fish sauce doesn’t smell like fish–it’s so much worse than fish.  To my dismay, I learned that when an entire bottle is emptied into the fridge with no cover on it, it has the potential to stink up an entire house–all three floors.

In the middle of the night, the two of us groggy from sleep and me without my glasses on, have to completely disassemble the entire refrigerator door to clean it, as well as thoroughly wash and wipe every single bottle in the door as well.  It reminded me a bit of what it must be like to have a toddler wake you up in the middle of the night because he barfed in his sheets.  It was on that same level of unpleasantness.  Just what I want to be doing in my sleep, let me tell you!

Fortunately, once the discovery was made, we were able to resolve the problem quickly.  But needless to say, I’m never using fish sauce in my stir fry again.

What’s new at Mew; Rubber Stamps!

My belief in manifesting your own destiny, or however you want to refer to it, is a primary focus for me in 2010.  I have a certain list of goals that I want to accomplish, and I just keep telling myself that I will successfully meet all of them.  It’s kind of amazing to me how powerful self-belief can be.  2010 is starting off great!

One of my goals for Mew Paper Arts this year is to expand my product line and get more exposure, potentially through licensing.  One day right after Christmas I was approached by Alma of The Cat’s Pajamas to license my illustrations for use in rubber stamps.  Alma, like me, is a small, self-powered operation with her cat as her business partner.  It seemed to be a great collaboration from the start!  Alma’s rubber stamps are especially loved by crafters in the scrapbooking community.

Until she unveils her new products to her customer base and distributors, I’ll keep the designs under wraps.  But in the meantime, just wanted to share the good news.  And to remind you to stay focused on your goals–every new opportunity is a step in the right direction!