Great Day for a Ribbon Cutting

My ongoing recovery from the long winter was enhanced even a little more when I got to visit Jensen Beach, Florida for a JoAnn Store Grand Opening. Not only were the temperatures toasty, but I was also greeted by about 60 very warm and sunny locals that showed up with some very friendly “Hello’s” and to witness the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. This shy, but darling little girl came by (okay, she might have been nudged a little by her grandmother and seamstress whiz) to model her dress that was made out of my fabric. I maneuvered the biggest pair of Fiskars on the planet to slice in half the ribbon that had been pieced together out of some of my fabrics. It was very satisfying! Thank you Florida for supporting this very busy Grand Opening Event.

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Fiddlesticks Reunion

If you’ve ever read my BIO, you might recall that I learned to quilt and do visual display while working in the early 80’s in Yakima, WA at a CUTE little store called Fiddlesticks. I got to work there a little over three years and it holds some of my fondest memories. I learned just how much fun work could be if you enjoy what you do. I worked with the most lovely women (looking back - we were practically girls back then) and the woman who owned the store became a role model for me and influenced my decision to start a business. When we moved to Yakima, my husband commented after visiting the store together that these were “The Vogue-est girls in Town and I should work there.” That phrase and so many others were the subject of big laughs and reminiscing at a Fiddlesticks reunion that I attended over the weekend. There were 12 of us who worked together during the time I was there and it was a small miracle that 11 of us made it to the gathering. (Sometimes it’s hard just to schedule lunch with one friend!) What’s hard to wrap my head around is that we were all 25 years YOUNGER when I left Yakima. We reminisced about some of the trends back then and the most popular colors were mauve and slate blue.  We were all maniac sewers and made lots of our own clothes. Of course we were sporting lots of big shoulder pads back then too. We made things like Teddy Bears and stuffed Geese and sold them at local bazaars. There was so much camaraderie and affection between us and it was still all there. Michelle (my co-worker) bought Fiddlesticks about 15 years ago from the original owner. I’m so glad she is at the helm perpetuating the legend. I got to take an after hours tour and it is as delightful as ever!

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8 to 80 in Seven Days or Less

A week ago I woke up to an unusually bright reflection peeking around my bedroom drapes. I slid on my slippers and stumbled over to pull the drape open to see what was going on. I literally gasped when I discovered 8 inches of snow had fallen over night. I double-checked my calendar and it was indeed April. Still in a state of disbelief I dug out my snow boots that I had already put away in my off-season closet.

The next day Sam Champion of Good Morning America featured Spokane and our unusual snowfall which did give me some level of satisfaction.  He announced to the world that we had broken our all-time record for snowfall at 100 inches for the season. All our complaining about the weather had now been affirmed. And now the ironic thing is a mere 7 days later it’s nearly 80 degrees! Aw, spring…….you might be shoveling snow one day and digging out your shorts the next.

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Live a Little Bit Greener

I believe I was in Junior High when Earth Day (April 22) was established. It seems that for most of the population it’s been largely unnoticed until the last few years. It’s hard to change some of our habits that are not supportive of a healthy planet, but it certainly is worth the effort. One easy and kind of fun change is to use Re-Useable Bags for groceries and shopping. Anyone would be proud to carry this custom bag on your shoulder. And you can also be proud of your efforts to living a little bit greener.

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Meet Kris

You’ve gotten to know Kris a little by all her scrapbooking projects that I’ve featured on my blog. Kris is going on 10 years at Mumm’s and has spent those years doing whatever is needed to keep the studio organized and running efficiently. There is so much behind the scenes work that is so important to keep our business operating smoothly.  In case you’ve ever sent us an email or called us with a question - the kind, thoughtful and timely responses are all courtesy of Kris. Whenever it’s a staff birthday, she scurries around the office and puts together the cutest assortment of props to decorate around the birthday cake.  It’s often a clever theme that the birthday girl or boy will particularly appreciate. She offers up a lot of enthusiasm to other members of the staff for their work.  Kris has been an enormous support to me over the years both professionally and personally. A few years ago for my birthday gift she came to my house to help (ha! – run the show) get my mounds of paperwork organized. She’s escorted me and brought me home after medical procedures that I couldn’t drive myself to. (And picked up some chicken soup and my prescription on the way home, too.) Now, isn’t that amazing? I’m so grateful. She’s always untangling my issues when it comes to understanding my phone, camera, computer or anything else my artsy brain can’t comprehend.

Away from the office, Kris is very devoted to her husband Bill who works in his dream job as Deputy Fire Marshal for the Spokane Valley Fire Department and her active 15 year old son Justin. Justin is a baseball nut and she is able to attend most of his games to cheer him on. Don't get in her way when she's cheering on her son!  As a family they do a lot together including RV Camping, skiing, snowboarding and biking (as in Harley). Bill keeps his bike spit-spot. Any day of the week I could apply my make-up in the reflection off his chrome. They regularly watch or attend auto racing events, car shows and love to watch our local Hockey team (The Chiefs) cream the competition. They are a darling little trio.

Kris’ mom was diagnosed three years ago with Alzheimer’s. As you can imagine it has been an extremely painful process and experience for their entire family. Kris and her extended family (she grew up with brothers that she describes as loving and a little cantankerous) have been teaming together to support their Mother and organizations that are working to research, prevent and reduce the affects of Alzheimer’s. Since they all live in the same area, it makes it easier to share their efforts. Last Fall I joined them on a Memory Walk to help raise funds and to honor her Mom. 

Kris (who usually has strong opinions about who she does and doesn't like on American Idol) enjoys a variety of music including Glen Miller Orchestra and George Strait, but is an 80’s rocker at heart. She is also a die-hard Sammy Hagar fan and has traveled far and wide to attend his concerts with her good friend Michelle. She dressed as Madonna for my 50th birthday bash and assembled her entire costume from her own clothes that she had stashed away since high school.  

She would have a million pets if she could and is always looking out for the best interests of all animals. They’ve got a tradition of naming their pets with names that start with an “S.” Shelby who Kris describes as a snotty princess cat now rules the house. The family was devastated by the loss of their beloved Border Collie Suzie this last December. When the time is right, I expect she’ll make an announcement of a new “S” named puppy joining the household. As our in-house scrapbooking expert she keeps us up to date in all the latest trends and techniques. Her organizational skills have not gone to waste when it came to designing a scrapbooking den stocked to the rafters with papers and tools in the new house her and her husband built a year and a half ago. Kris loves a good sale, is a serious coupon clipper, but is never cheap. She's got an uproarious laugh and loves to use it 'til her sides ache. 

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Happy Easter!

I wish you many Blessings this Easter and I hope you have a chance
to gather with family and friends. Love, Debbie 

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Mom’s Weekend

I’ve been keeping you up to speed on Spring projects, but it’s been a while since a Murphy update. This weekend was all about Murphy and Mom. It was Mom’s weekend on Campus and I’ve been looking forward to this since I tried to make a hotel reservation 6 months ago. The hotels were booked and at first I had some “reservation” when I realized I was going to be sleeping on his little dorm room bed. The more I thought about it, the more I looked forward to camping out on campus. His cozy little room for one gave us the close quarters that allowed for some great Mother-Son conversations. We barely even paid attention to the movies I had brought just in case.  We had a few chuckles over the routine we had created of him standing guard in the hall every time I had to use the restroom in his all male dorm.

On a sunny Saturday morning stroll on our way back from breakfast, I leaned into Murphy and told him that I was having the best time. He leaned back into me and flashed me a Murphy grin and said with perhaps a little surprise in his voice that he was having a great time too. It was “a moment.” I must say every time I saw a Mother-Son duo hauling a sleeping mattress, stocking up on supplies (and new shoes) at the Mall, out for a meal, or just smiling and laughing together it kind of melted my heart. It’s a big birthday week too as Murphy officially said good-bye to his teens……oh, it all makes a Mother proud.

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Garden Boots – Practical and Decorative!

Does it get any simpler? And could anything look more like Spring? JoAnn Stores provides free “How To” project sheets in the store and this one features our fun new polka-dot rubber boots. Artificial Forsythia stems placed in these sunny yellow boots make a unique Spring statement when displayed on your front porch. And when you’re done with your display, slip your feet in them and look stylin’ while you clean out your garden beds. What a cute gift idea for Mom for hosting Easter Brunch.

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Ahhhh......Signs of Spring

We love creating coordinating looks and this group really sings! Birds are such a welcome sign that Spring is in the air and so does this sophisticated collection.  We created these simple-to-make appliquéd wall hangings for the Website this month.

And, they coordinate with our new Desktop backgrounds and a lovely “Thinking of You” card that you can send Just Because. Just in case you missed it, take a peek at the Songbirds fabric. It was so popular that it will be reprinted with additional coordinating prints too.  (coming out in a couple months) Tweet~Tweet :-)

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