I wish this was my work space...

Days like these... It's so obvious that I'm on the wrong career path. Or not the wrong path.. but maybe just misdirected. I hope that one day (sooner than later) I have the financial stability to make a living by living my life.. doing the things I love. The best I can do is find some sort of positive element in every "job" I take. I spent 7 years working for McKee and Company... learning the elements of home design... textiles... color palettes... space planning...(and of course, how to take coffee orders, prune roses, and handwrite 100s of 100s of price tags... haha) Next, short-lived employment at Salt Creek Grille, as a 20 something year-old hostess. Needless to say.. I didn't learn much... other than the simple fact that I love to serve people. I love to create atmospheres where people can come and talk, and eat, and be merry. But even that... I learned that a LONG time ago. I do love to entertain. All I can say about my current venture is that I'm learning a lot.. (about diamonds and gemstones, settings and metals) I'm still not sure it's helping me figure out what I want to do with my life... but I don't hate going every day... and we all know that's half the battle. I can't justify the compensation.. so I won't even try. For the most part, I enjoy my peers, admire my boss, and have an awesome team. Just trying to figure out how (and when) it's all going to result in a life (living) I'm proud of.

BEGINNING SEWING

I really did think it would be easy to find a 3-day sewing workshop.. even a 6 week class.. but so far, I've got nothing. Nothing at the community college, nothing in Adult Ed and not anything through the Sports and Req Department. Do people offer private lessons? and sell them on craigslist.. I should check that out.

 Taken out of context, I'm guessing the 30-sec mini rant about sewing classes makes no sense... Rewind a few days:

I offered the (particularly brilliant) idea to Tracey (my bosses wife) of starting a line (under the McKee Home label, of course) of custom toss pillows. The store sells some really cool vintage burlap and linen toss pillows that pretty much fly out the window as soon as we get them in.

Here is an internet quality picture of one of them. For integrity purposes I guess I shouldn't reveal the name of the vendor. Either way, she makes these very organic looking toss pillows in all sizes and shapes. Some with shell inspired details.. others with pearly bead crosses. 

Tracey and I figured that we could make them for relatively cheap (even using really cool textured linens, like stuff in Threads by Lee Jofa collection... or just burlap)  and buying cool beads and trims from international vendors. Only problem is using our drapery/upholstery workroom for labor is pricey. Basically we left the conversation (not likely to be revisited) "I'd really love to learn how to sew" - Me "I could keep you busy for weeks making things for the store" - Tracey

Sounds like job security to me. AND I'm really interested in creating some sort of product like that and selling it on the side. If I could learn to weld I could make a fortune collecting vintage bottles and crystals to make these cross bottles that everyone are so obsessed about. (This would be a very costly set up, so not really an option) However, sewing is definitely a life skill i'd like to posses. Currently added to my to-do list: Find a sewing class... or tutor. I'd pay someone up to $30/hour to tutor me in basic sewing. 

P.S. I'm getting a sewing machine for graduation.. it's not a new beamer.. but I'm pretty stoked about it.

Planties

Ivy

Lavender

Moss

Ivy

Maiden Hair Fern

Moss

Ivy

Button Fern

Moss

Custom Batik Bedding

This project is since done and (almost completely) sold.. but definitely worth sharing. Over the summer my boss picked up 2 really cool cotton batik tapestries. One in a blue/green color way and one that was sort of pink with red stamped accents.

This is the bedding (2 Euro Shams, 2 Standard Shams, 1 Kidney Pillow) that I designed to sell on the showroom floor with the pink/red/mustard colored version. Each of the 26" Euros are backed with a really soft linen in a rainy blue-gray. The standard shams have a quilted 2" flange and are accented with a Kravet mother-of-pearl shell trim. Likewise, the kidney pillow is trimmed with the same shell trim and a custom tapestry banded trim. We displayed the pillows, on an Black Iron bed with a really cool vintage-y bedding line that we just picked up.

(Prices ranged from $299.00 - $328.00) 

There is still one standard sham available that we're using as an oversized lumbar pillow on a cool cotton linen slip-covered sofa. I'm  still in the process of figuring out what to do with the second piece.

Terrarium Fun

A past "TO DO" I felt worth sharing. One of my summer projects at work (a McKee and Company Interior Design and Fine Furniture) was to design and plant these adorable moss covered terra cotta terrariums. The idea in and of itself was great. "Things" (as my boss likes to put it) like this set our store apart from all the other chatchka (sp?) out there. So I read a little about the concept and drove to Costa Mesa to select the species that liked a lot of water and not very much sunlight (we're using them inside.) 

The first round I bought a maiden hair fern  (see above) and paired it with a little button fern, added some moss and preserved lichen and called it a day. It was surprisingly easy to assemble and didn't require a skilled eye for design. I have now attempted 3 rounds of terrarium plantings and failed miserably at all three.  I even tried orchids, despite rumors of their fickle temperament... Surprise Surprise.. those died too.

Every group of terrariums adds a nice splash of organic "specialness" to the store for about 3 days... After that, bugs, spiders, and mold overtake the cluster and I'm instructed to throw them out and start again. Despite my failure, it's a brilliant idea... Plants that essentially water themselves!