Years and years ago I sent my MIL out on an hunt for a new Danish Modern table. It took her a few months to find one that I could afford. Can you see why I could afford it? It was a hot mess from the get go. Shaky and scratched. After some haggling I think that I paid a $100 for it. As bad as it was so much better than the battered oval IKEA table that I had had for years. Since I know a thing or two about tablecloths, it's served my family well.
One of the projects for book 2 needs to be photographed a nice tabletop so I grabbed a pint of paint and primer and I am good to go. I'm so excited, I think it looks great.
Wow, the first coat of primer really made the scared surface obvious.
I love my freshened up dining room! Gone is the wood on wood with wood effect. Yuck! I love painted wood, it think that I would paint my mother white if she was made of wood.
Remember my hunt for new chairs? Well I went with a mod chair in peacock!! I found them at Target.com at $40 each they were a total bargain!!
It
always amuses me how we can take pretty pictures when we are surrounded
by a mess. Let me just say that I didn't intend for us to shoot in my
dining room on Tuesday. So there it it folks, what my house really looks
like while I'm writing a book. MESSY!!
Here's Meghan McSweeney
shooting really detailed how-to shots for my second book. She grabbed a
piece of junk mail off the hubbies desk to use as a tiny bounce.
I am totally excited to be going to the newest Country Living Fair in New York's Hudson River Valley. You'll have to come and check out it out too.
Our BIG news is that Modern June will be adorning the fair with a new oilcloth bunting that is going to be a great BIG fun project for us!! (I mean BIG!)
We'll be there selling our wares and fabrics and I'll be on the main stage doing a demo. This years demo is using our slick fabrics for outdoor fun! Date and time TBA!
I have just turned in the manuscript for my 2nd book and I am just as thrilled/relieved as I could be! You know those big deadline dates, don't ya, how the mess with your head? I've know that my manuscript was due on April 1st since sometime in October. What is that, 5-6 months? It always seems so far away, yet right around the corner. For months now, I've written checks at the grocery store and ask for the date and all I could think of was how close my big deadline was. It's crazy. Time can move so fast and so darn slow when there it a big deadline looming.
I have to go on record and say that I couldn't have done this book with out the help of a few good people! My family has helped take care of me and themselves along the way, I am so thankful that my kids have been stepping it up and have been so responsible. (Most of the time!) I could not have written this particular book when they were any younger.
My hubby is totally awesome!! During the last 6 months he's become a better teacher, cook, cleaner and all around good guy. I love him with all my heart. It's hard for him to be the full time provider and pseudo-single parent all the time. The kids are at an age where they couldn't care less to even come out of their rooms for food, but he still misses me and that's pretty intense.
My biggest thanks (sorry, hubby) goes to my cracker-jack team of Junies!! I am not lying when I tell you that Kathie, Nicole, and Geneva are running the show at MJ and OCA!! Honestly, this is such a big book I couldn't have written it without their help in the studio, without them we would have had to shut down at least one of the shops so I could write, plot and plan.
Now, don't think it's over yet!! No I'm hoping from the frying pan and into the flame. My friend and photographer, Meghan McSweeney and I have a lot of pretty photos to take. Which means I need to paint, clean, and declutter my home. Oh, and make a whole lot of samples! Don't feel too bad for me, once it's all done on May 1st I'm going to have one very lovely home. All this hard work and stress will be worth it soon.
I'm not even going to think about the editing process that will soon be upon me!! La-la, la-la-la. Nope, I'm not thinking about that...
My family spent the last few days attending the Virginia Homschoolers Conference. It's my annual homeschooling booster shot. It always comes around just as I'm running low on steam and filled with doubt. Thankfully, I leave feeling energized and self-assured. The conference makes me confident that our eclectic/unschooling style of homeschooling will not render our kids ignorant and destitute. (Thank goodness!!)
It was also my second year of hosting the teen party. OMG!! 52 homeschool teenagers is a lot of wonderful and crazy energy!! I finished up Friday night by serving about 200 people ice cream and cake, I haven't been that physically tired and mentally fried since Country Living Fair!
Every year I pick up a few pearls of wisdom to help guide me through another year and this year was no different.
#1: Do what you love and do what your good at!
#2: Our main job as homeschooling teachers is to teach the kids how to learn.
#3: Are you doing what it important or what is URGENT? (Yikes!)
#4: There are no educational emergencies!
I always go to the feel good sessions, sessions like Unschooling Unzipped and a Homeschool Mom Looks back by Jeanne Faulconer. Meanwhile, my hubby went to a few sessions that were more technical. Oh course, it's that ying and yang thing again! He went to sessions on real world math and teaching aps!
After the conference Don and I went out to pick up dinner alone and compared notes. My take away from his sessions are great as well.
#1. Mathalicious
#2. Evernote, I am so excited about this! Man, I hope it finally gets me on top of it all. PLEASE!!
At the end of the day I was part of a panel of working/homeschooling parents. The panel and the room was filled with a working moms and dads that are or are planning to work while homeschooling. I loved it, they are my people, a bunch of fellow crazy people that are willing to conquer it all! I'll be back tomorrow with more.
In an attempt to spend some time with my son, and to be able to stay wake so I would log in a few more hours of work, I took a short power walk. I was happy to have brought along my Instagram gizmo -- otherwise known as a cell phone.
Isn't spring is coming along nicely here in Richmond, VA? I am glad that last weeks snow didn't dampen the mood.
Well, it cost me 5 pounds and aged me 5 years but the first draft is done. All kidding aside, this book thing is hard!! The best/worst thing is is that it's far from over. Next up, it the big scary package date, sample making and then photography time.
Oh no? Photos? Photos in my house!! Whose dumb idea was that? Oh ya, that was mine. You know what that means don't you? My entire home has to be photo ready in a matter of weeks. OK...
So, I out of the frying pan and into the fire. It's hard work being crazy!!
I am seriously rolling in the deep, in the weeds, shattered, and slammed!! We've never been busier in the shops, MJ.com is in development and I am 8 days away from my a massive deadline. So this is just a quick note to share some of my new found wisdom!
Delegating is awesome.
I don't have to touch everything that we send out.
I have a dreamy set of Junies. (I've known this all along!)
Sleep really helps when caffeine and double stuffed cookies fail you.
I am off to write, pattern and sew!! Not to mention, ignore my hubby and neglect my kids for just a little while longer.
A few years ago my son had a math homework melt down and as a result he took his pencil
and rammed -- it lead first -- into one of my favorite laminated cotton
tablecloths and pierced it. Needless to say I was NOT happy.
Amazingly enough, the hole never grew larger. I used that tablecloth for
another 6 months straight till a new laminated cotton fabric caught my fancy and I still
circulate that tablecloth in every now and then. I'm still amazed
that the hole have never ripped or tore though so many wipe downs and heavy
use.
Please note that we don't live in a big fancy house, we only have one
table so that table gets a lot of use!! School, work, game
nights, craft time and every meal happen at the table. We live at that table!
I've used oilcloth and laminated cotton on my tables for almost 7 years
now I can honestly say that laminated cotton is just as strong and hard
wearing as the oilcloth.
I have one month until my next big deadline for book #2. (Dun, dun, dun.) The first draft deadline! I have to have all 30 patterns written and pretty by February 28th, so you can imagine how freaked out I am. It doesn't help that it's the end of the month and I haven't crossed off all the items from my January to do list! (Ugg)
Before I dive down my little publishing rabbit hole I had to make a stab at my 4:30 AM list today. You know that list don't you? It's the list that has you laying awake at 4:30 in the morning. The list that makes you stare at the ceiling in wide-eyed panic, wondering if it's best to get up out of bed and get to work! If only the people on your list were awake...
I accomplished wonders today:
New insurance policy complete, check!
Workman's Comp policy underway, check!
Appointment with my new book keeper, check!
Emailed my biz consultant with desperate plea for new website, check!
Fabric bills paid, check!
Fabric orders made, check!
Massive spread sheet for book, check!
School classes paid, check!
3 loads of laundry, washed dried, folded AND put away, check!
1099 forms printed and ready, check!
I hope this clears my mind so I can get creative and work a little magic, there's a lot to do in the next 31 days!!
As I was downloading photos off my cell phone last night, I noticed a recurring theme. Over the last few weeks I've been snapping products in shades of sea glass! Who doesn't love sea glass? You just can't go wrong with these soft shades of green and aqua. It's a nice balance to the bold colors that I am instinctively drawn to.
1. Beads of love at Bangles and Beads in Carytown! Wish I made jewelery.
2. I snagged up two of these oilcan soap dispensers from Target a few weeks ago. We have them by the kitchen sink, the large oilcan for dish soap and a smaller one for hand soap. Photo Credit: AM Dolcha Vita
3. I spotted these sea glass vases at Target! They are on my wish list!
4. The Yarn Lounge is just super dreamy. Wish I knitted.
I am getting closer and closer to taking photos for Book #2 and there are some things I need!! I NEED new chairs for my dining room. But I have a problem, do I buy new ones or paint up the ones that I have or do I buy new chairs? The chairs that we have are perfectly fine, they are sturdy and fairly comfortable. But boy, are they boring!
So what do you think paint or buy? Leave me a note and help me decide!!
Either way, I thought I would share what inspires me! For more inspiration check out my dining room pin board!
My hubbies holiday office party was a few nights ago, the food was so cool. It was served by 3 local RVA food trucks, Pizza Tonight, Thia Cabin and my favorite, Soul Ice!! At each table inside the Hardywood Brewery the party divas scattered blank food truck papercraft pages. The name of the game, design you own food truck and the best few get $50.00 gift cards. My cute hubby one and gave it to me!! (Love him!)
When first asked what a Modern June food truck would sell my first answer was Mac and Cheese!! Yes, diner fair would rule my menu!! We'd have the BEST aprons!!
Then after a bit of thought I realized that if I had a food truck I wouldn't sell food out of it! Nope, I would trick it out with my favorite industrial Bernie the Bernina, bolts of fabric and all trimmings! I would be your mobile tablecloth lady. Mobile Modern June!! Okay, that would be a logistical nightmare but darn it's funny!!
