Where in the whim is N?!

I feel I need to give a warning with this blog post--it might get real, it might get long (cuz when n gets real, it's rarely short) and it might get messy. So, if you don't have the time, the patience or the heart to hang tough with me, you have my permission to scroll to the end and find the cliff note version!

There has been a funk that has been growing in my heart for many months. It has been hard to see through the fog and get to the bottom of it. There have been thoughts that I have been afraid to even whisper, and when I have dared, the response of those I trust has been an echo of my very deepest fears.You see, the journey of N's Whims has become such a part of me that I had difficulty even separating it. But, through a great heart to heart with my M, I have come to see that while the story of N's Whims doesn't exist without N, the story of N is so much more. What began as an interest, grew into a hobby, then a tiny business, then a part-time job. It has been such a thrill! I can remember the thrill of making the first item that I was excited to wear, and how quickly that thrill exploded as each of you have found something you are proud to wear! If I am honest, my self-esteem has grown with each 'like' of my pieces, each published approval, each and every purchase, and the confidence you show when you entrust me with your special orders. In the beginning, I thought of myself as a dabbler, an imitator even--now, through your eyes, I see myself as an artist. You don't know the gift you have given me! It is so scary to even think of closing that door even an inch....

However, what began as a way to renew myself, be creative, play with my mind and my hands, take a break from reality, has turned into an obligation. N's Whims must be fed. I have packages of new beads that are waiting to be opened. I have beautiful beads piled up in a basket waiting to be put away! There was a time when a package of beads would come and I would tear into it, sit down and make something from the package right away. I have tupperwares of vintage goodies begging for my time. If I am honest, I have begun to create what I think you will want rather than let the pieces speak to me. While that may not seem huge on the surface (I still like what I make, it still feels like N's Whims to me), it doesn't renew me as it once did. I no longer challenge my mind in the way I used to, I have become complacent.

Another issue is that there is more to me than N's Whims. I have always prided myself on being a good friend. Thoughtful, aware, present. When I got married, this flowed into good wife and later good mother as well. This is and always has been a huge facet of my persona. However, in the past few years, I have used the excuse of "not enough time" more than I am proud to admit. I have allowed my obligations to commandeer the time I used to readily give to my relationships. Today, I admitted to Mike that it sounds hollow in my heart when I use the excuse that I don't have time to sit for coffee, or to attend Bible Study, or to take a walk or to just sit and chat. I hate that I don't have the energy to call a friend or one of my sisters after I put the girls on the bus or to bed. Many of my relationships have suffered as a result, and this undoubtedly has added to the funk! Now that I have said it outloud and in print, it seems ridiculous that I have been telling myself that I just don't have time for the important relationships in my life. As long as I can remember, I have always maintained that relationships and making the world a better place for others is the biggest reason we exist! How did I lose sight of that?!

Yes, there are many other things during these last two years that have also changed in my life to take some of my time and energy. My children have needed me more--even though they are now in school full time, challenges keep arising that require my attention to help them succeed. But, that is part of my role as mother, and one that I cannot remove. I will never be able to control how much they need me and will try to relish every time I can be there while they still beg for it!

I have also started teaching group exercise classes again--7 a week. But, again, this is what my body needs to stay healthy (I have PCOS and it is controlled largely through my weight). I cannot lessen the amount or intensity without having it negatively affect my health, as well as my ability to be emotionally present in my life.
I am sure there are other changes that I haven't even identified yet, but they are not something that I am willing to let go of. While it is scary to think of letting go of N's Whims, I have to imagine it. I have to see if I can still be N without it--if I want to. Maybe in the end I will go back to making jewelry as a hobby (with a much better stash of beads :). Maybe I will just make things for gifts. Maybe I will only open once or twice a year. Maybe I will find my passion and balance again and just adjust a few things. I don't know what the future brings for N's Whims, but what I do know is that I want to be proud of N again. Not just proud of N the artist, but N the friend, mom, wife, sister, community member. I want to read for fun again. I want to make a wreath. I want to decorate my house (have you ever noticed that other than the boutique and a few other half-hearted attempts, my house looks much like we just moved in?!). I want to finally make something with those goat bells I found over a month ago! I want to have coffee and just chat. I want to follow the whims of N again.

N's Whims is changing. I am not sure what it will look like at the end of the metamorphosis, but I do know the first stage is going to be dormant. I want to stop and be in each moment, listening for what is important.



Cliff note version: N's Whims is going to take at least a few months off. If I have already agreed to work on your special order, I will be working on it before I take a break. If you have a jewelry need, let me know and we can find a good time for you to stop and shop. On April 20th, there will be an amazing open house from 9-noon. We will be raising money for An Orphan's Wish, and as always, you will find wonderful hand-made items from several vendors. As a huge thank you for all of your support and encouragement of N's Whims on this crazy ride, I will be holding the second sale in the history of my business. All N's Whims items will be 10% off that day! Following the open house, I will take some time away from N's Whims. I will not be taking any special orders and may or may not even be making jewelry. I don't know what will follow that hiatus, but I am hopeful that if jewelry continues to be my whim, the jewelry will be even more inspired and joyfully created. You will be the first to know!

Lily's Luau

The dresser before....

What a neat experience for N's Whims and Craft to Give Back! Several months ago, one of our Craft to Give Back volunteers donated a wooden dresser to Craft to Give Back. We have been tossing around the idea of gussying up some used furniture with good bones and either selling them to raise money for charity or donating them to DAIS for families starting out with nothing after fleeing abusive relationships. So, Jill O'Toole dropped off this awesome sized wooden dresser that was a bit blah. It sat for several months in the garage, taunting me. I wanted to work on the first one alone before we tackled any projects as a group. In the meantime, Patti Hottmann, another Craft to Give Back volunteer mentioned that Lily's Luau was coming up. Lily's Luau is the biggest fundraiser of the year for Lily's fund, which raises money for epilepsy research. Patti's oldest daughter, has epilepsy and she was serving as one of the hosts for this years event. This seemed like the perfect venue for our first dresser re-do! Now, there was a deadline (which is often what finally gets me to move from dreaming to doing)! 

The drawers before....

Inside of drawers painted!

Nicole Mihalas, another Craft to Give Back regular, happened to have a can of Laguna Blue paint leftover from painting Zoe's room. She dropped it off and I got to work cleaning, sanding and removing hardware. Next, I painted the inside of the drawers and the drawer pulls espresso brown. What a difference that alone made!

First coat on and drying....

Of course, when I purchased the spray paint, I only purchased one can and ran out right on my last drawer. I searched my stash of spray paint and found another half-finished can of the same color--can you believe it?! That NEVER happens to me! Once the drawers were drying, it was time for the first coat of blue--why was I so nervous? It turned out to be the perfect blue for a luau inspired dresser! I added a coat of blue to the outside of the drawers and day one was finished. The next morning began with sanding again--so glad that Mike and I bought a power sander for our anniversary last year :). Next up, wipe it all down again and then added a second coat. Such a pretty color in real life! I found a beautiful hibiscus flower picture, which is the symbol for Lily's Luau, and sent it to my parents, the owners of Vintage Caroline. They made and donated the hot pink vinyl hibiscus flowers for the top of the dresser.

Ta-Da!

Now, all that was left was to get dressed up, join a few Craft to Give Back ladies, and enjoy the coconut shrimp, island drinks and festive music--all for an excellent cause! We managed to have a great night, lots of giggles, met some fabulous young ladies living courageously with epilepsy--and, I walked away winning a basket of aveda products and pedicures for the four of us! I cannot tell you the thrill of seeing that our humble little dresser (along with a $25 gift card to Matilda Jane donated by Nicole Mihalas) went for $310 in the silent auction! Love the generosity we witnessed for a great cause last night. I learned that Lily's fund actually pays for research fellows focused entirely on finding a cure for epilepsy. Awesome job, Lily and family! Super duper fun and exciting night! Just goes to show how a community of women looking to bring a positive touch can make a difference! Can't wait to hear what the overall amount raised was. If you are looking for a great cause and a fun gala, you will need to make sure you get your tickets to Lily's Luau early next year--they sold out this year! And, if you have paint, furniture or painting supplies to donate, please keep Craft to Give Back in mind! We would love to take your donation, add a bit of love and make it grow into something even bigger....

Quick little post

I really shouldn't be blogging right now--since my to-do list is still a mile long, BUT....
I was on a hunt for a really cool vintage looking chain (which I never did find the source of) and some of my fellow bead pals sent me some links for good sources. I found some great vintage chains at A Grain of Sand
AND, they have really reasonable prices. LOVE it!!  

I am also going to try once again to get the Art Bead Love Tour to stop at my little studio! Who wouldn't love a chance to take up to 30 of these lovelies and trade for other beads made by artists?! If you would like a chance, click on the above link and make a comment!



Finally, I wanted to share a picture of the gift that my girls' Daisy and Brownie troop leaders are getting this year. Do you ever crack yourself up?! I must admit that I do quite often--I have giggled to myself several times making these :). Maybe it is because I have been spending crazy amounts of hours in my studio alone! I just might be cracking, but at least I am having fun :D. 

So, I made wine glass charms with each girl's first initial. The leader simply chooses the charm that helped her earn her glass of wine that day--giggle! These ladies sure do work hard and the girls just love it. I hope they know that we appreciate them!

Happy Holidays to each of you and Thank YOU for supporting N's Whims during 2012! 

2012 Holiday Open House

I can't believe we are only one week away! Seems like just yesterday I was putting the final touches on the girls' Halloween costumes! And, yet, in just 6 more days, it will be December.... Which means, the holiday open house is here! Saturday, December 1st from 9-12 at 1418 Blue Ridge Trail. This is in the Southbridge neighborhood in Waunakee, WI. As always, you will find only hand-made, well-made unique items perfect to gift--if you can find a way to part with them :). I can also promise holiday tunes, treats and maybe even an N² giveaway (hint, hint)!


I am especially excited to share with you the giving back part of this open house. It is two-part this time. First of all, the vendors will be sharing a percentage of profits with Got Love? This is a local group with big dreams of changing the lives of many families in Guatemala.  All of the artists will be donating money to purchase used and refurbished sewing machines for women in Guatemala. This will give Guatemalan women a way to create their own crafts to sell and help support their families! How is that for crafting to give back--for more crafting! So super cool if you ask me! These women have never worked an electric sewing machine before. On their last trip Annette Kruschek's daughter and Mother-n-law taught women how to operate a machine. Now these women are teaching others within the village how to use the machines that were purchased. It has been very successful and many items have been made since their trip. I love the, "Sewing Hope" project. That is the ultimate goal... hope for a brighter future!! 

Annette Kruschek will also have a Got Love? table full of hand-made items made by Guatemalans. The proceeds from these purchases go right back to helping the needy in Guatemala. You are really going to want to check out their facebook page and see the amazing ways that they are giving back in this country with so many shortages. Annette will also be able to tell you so much more about what they have done and are planning to do. Of course, if you would like to sponsor a sewing machine yourself, you can donate directly at the open house as well. Giving a working sewing machine to a family is only $35!

The second way to give back at this open house is at the Craft to Give back table. Once a month, a group of amazing women get together and make things to help N's Whims give back to the community. N's Whims donates all of the supplies for each crafting session. Then, we work together to make the projects. We are now selling some of the fun things we make. ALL proceeds from the sales of these items will be donated to DAIS (Domestic Abuse Intervention Services) in Madison. How cool is that?! Here are some pictures of a few of the items that will be available at the Craft to give back table. Also, we would like to refurbish some outdated/unwanted furniture with good bones to sell at future open houses. If you have some furniture (even if broken, we can re-purpose parts) or paints you would like to donate, please let me know!


Now that you know about all the ways you can feel even better about spending your money at the open house, let me give you some clues as to who will be here and what kinds of amazing handmade goodies you might find! Of course, you will find N's Whims jewelry and other whims--I am going to be a jewelry making fiend this week, and won't be posting any of the new lovelies so there will be lots of suprises! Come early for the best selection as many will be one of a kinds! Bring a guest who is new to N's Whims and get 10% off of one N's Whims item at the open house! Make sure you let me know because it can get CRAZY during the open houses! Oh, and I should also let you know that I have someone on board to help me bag and ring this time AND my studio is now across the hall, so there is more room to browse in the boutique now! Woohoo! You will also find many N² items in my boutique. These are fun projects that Nicole Mihalas and I create together--she is amazingly talented and so much fun to be with. So, we combine both of our skills and creativity to come up with some cool creations to sell. There are also a few items made by our girls, Zoe and Bella--gotta keep them busy while we are crafting! If you need some sticky bands from Cdel design, you can pick them up in my boutique as well.

Dede's beautiful stained glass pieces will also be available at this open house. She will have several smaller pieces that are perfect for gift giving! Her glass items were very popular at the last open house! She will also have some winter hats--they are one size fits most. All of my girls and I enjoy wearing them all winter long!  Here is a sample of her abstract glasswork--one of the pieces that makes me smile every time I walk into my living room :). 

Sue Jacobs, who works at Arboretum School, is going to be joining us for the first time. She makes beautiful bags and purses--as well as other cool items. I don't have a picture for you--you'll just have to trust me that you'll want to arrive early and check out her items because they are mostly one of a kinds and are likely to sell quickly! Her items are so well made and use such cute fabrics. You are going to LOVE them!


Caroline Designs has been busy coming up with some new items. Her new skirt design is especially cute and whimsical. I love the little details on these skirts--each is one of a kind! She is also making the adorable ruffled pants pictured on the right. These are a great alternative option under skirts and dresses in the winter. My girls love wearing them because they feel like pj's, without looking like it :). She will have hair accessories, green snack bags, gnome doors & other skirts available as well.





Super excited to get the rest of my holiday shopping completed at this open house! Can't wait to see you all there!

And, finally, the last vendor at the open house will be....

Jessica Regele! 

Jessica owns The Regal Find, a gift & craft shop  located in downtown Middleton.  This little shop will be filled with handmade, local and vintage finds.  There will also be a dedicated space for workshops, crafting treasures and parties.  A special event is scheduled at the shop for the end of November and the shop will then be open full-time in February. Jessica is currently taking applications for crafters interested in selling lovelies at the shop!

Jessica specializing in re-purposed finds.  The picture above features a  pre-loved cabinet front and a found clearance floral arrangement (that needed some serious holiday bling). So much fun! Can't wait to see all the goodies she will be bringing with her--and how fun will it be to stop in and shop early next year, then step right next door and pick up a lovely treat from Bloom to eat! 


Looking so forward to seeing everyone at the Fall N's Whims Open House this Sunday (yes, only 2 more days!) from 2-5pm. 1418 Blue Ridge Trail, Waunakee. Come early for the best selection. Many of the treasures available are one of a kind and are likely to be scooped up quickly!
 

Love waking up to the light through my windows!

This is a piece Dede made us, I love how it reminds me of the beach--sand, baubles and blue-green ocean waters....

 
Dede Kauffman will be at the open house this Sunday, 2-5pm. If you have ever noticed (or heard me going on and on about) the stained glass in my windows, you know Dede does beautiful work! If you haven't, here are two of my favorite pieces that sit in my boutique windows.

Pure happiness when I walk into my studio to begin working and see the sunshine coming through my windows, lighting up the office and casting shades of orange! These two are just perfect for me--down to the swirls and the cracked glass jewels!

This is one of my favorites in my living room--it reminds me of all the jewels and blessings in my family tree....

Bella wearing her fav!

Dede will have some abstract pieces similar to these, as well as some smaller fun pieces. She is also bringing some of the simple warm hats she knits. These are one size fits most--they are super cute on all my girls, and I love to wear them, too!

Oh, one more excellent gift idea--Dede makes crash glass collages--here is one she made for me. Bring a favorite picture or two, and if you have a favorite quote printed (scrapbooking items work great for this) and she'll design one for you, too!

Only 4 more days to some excellent retail therapy-- See you on Sunday afternoon!

2 new vendors will be in the house!

I have been trying to talk my friend, Carla, into bringing her wares to my open houses for quite a while! I don't think you will be disappointed in the least that she has FINALLY accepted! 

Carla of Zsa Zsa envisions herself as a part-time, glue-gun-slinging, crafting superhero.  Seeking abandoned tablecloths, drapery, and other doo-dads, Carla saves them from a grim fate.  With a Zsa Zsa make-over these castaways become beloved objects once again.  A drapery becomes a chic “ripped wreath,” a cloth napkin finds panache as a corkboard, vintage patterns become mod trays…  Not only are objects recued and restored, but reused!  Ergo; Zsa Zsa is saving the planet with her green savvy ways. At the sale, Carla will have: Zsa Zsa Gaboards, wreaths, crafts made from vintage pattern pictures, jewelry boxes, coasters and glamorous glitter skeletons.



An added bonus to getting Carla to commit, we get her momma, too! I love that this becomes a family affair (my momma is the creator at Caroline Designs and my mother-in-love, Dede is the woman behind all of my beautiful stained glass and winter hats :). Without further ado, I bring you Jean Zirk of Z Creative!
 

Some children are born with a silver spoon; Jean was born holding a needle and thread.  The offspring of a potter and home economics teacher, creativity was destined to be in Jean’s genes!  As a young mother of four children in the 1970’s, Jean made all her own and her children’s clothing.  She even sewed uniforms for Berkley’s cheerleading squad in 1970.  These days Jean is enjoying her retirement, her grandchildren and her love for sewing and crafting. At the sale, Jean will have aprons, cards and fall floral arrangements. 


This is shaping up to be the best N's Whims' open house yet! See you this Sunday, 2-5pm!