The Maker's Summit

So aside from staying at an awesome bed and breakfast, we also got to attend The Maker's Summit while we were in Greenville.  The Maker's Summit is a business conference for the art, craft, and design world.  There were several really inspiring speakers, discussion panels, and one on one appointments with professionals in multiple fields.  In between all the learning, we were treated to pastries, artisan coffee, a delicious lunch, and chocolate chip cookies.  High fives to the organizers for knowing what makes a conference great. 

Going into the day, I was super excited to hear from a couple of the speakers.  At the end of the day, I was thrilled to have heard from all of them and had pages of ideas written in my notebook.  It would be almost impossible to describe to you how a whole day of listening to people talk could be absolutely riveting, but it was. 

We spent an hour in small groups, discussing more specific issues that everyone faces with a small business.  Our group of twelve was made up of both women and men and probably had an age range of fifty years between the oldest and the youngest.  I love the diversity in the handmade community and how it's so easy for everyone to feel like they belong.  Before we left, I worried about what I should wear.  Once I was there, I realized how silly that was, because everyone was dressed so differently that nobody stood out, thus squelching my nightmare of being the lone jeans-wearer in a sea of pencil skirts. 

I'll be honest and tell you that I shy away from situations where I may have to meet lots of strangers and I think I am fairly terrible at small talk.  Luckily, Steve can make conversation with anyone, so it was easy to make friends.  We met pattern designers, jewelry makers, graphic designers, and some people who were just taking the first steps toward starting a business.  It felt amazing to be in a room full of people who are all passionate about making beautiful things. 

Another awesome thing about attending a conference that is put on by a group of creative people is that everything was so thoughtfully done.  From the goody bags to the table decorations to the flowers on the lunch buffet, I felt like I was at a lovely party at a friend's house. 

I don't actually know the story behind Barnum, the larger-than-human sized stuffed octopus, but he fit right in too. 

 

The conference lasted until 5:00, but the fun didn't end then.  We also attending the after-party which included dinner, craft making, and some other really cool activities.  I'm finishing up a few pictures of all the goods we came home with and will post a full party report on Thursday!

Pettigru Place

Wow.  Our weekend was so packed with fabulousness that I am going to devote the whole week to sharing about it.  In fact, it was so full that it seemed like way longer than two days.  I wonder if that is the key to weekends that seem longer?  I'll have to examine this theory later. 

 

First, I want to tell you about the place we stayed. 

We were attending The Maker's Summit in Greenville, South Carolina, which is a conference for makers.  Isn't that a great description?  Often, I am stuck when people ask me what I do for a living.  My answers may vary from "I sew" to "I run an online shop" to "small business owner", depending on my mood.  I think I may just start telling people that I am a Maker. 

We chose to stay at a bed and breakfast about a mile from the conference site, called Pettigru Place.  It was awesome.  Super cozy, despite the 19 degree temperatures outside (we even saw snow flurries!).  Our room was very comfortable and the owner was willing to accommodate all of our needs, from late check-in to early breakfast. 

Oh, breakfast.  I have a real love for breakfast foods.  Every morning we were treated to a pot of tea, fruit and granola, and then whatever amazing treat the owner had whipped up, from eggs Benedict with homemade Parmesan basil sauce, to breakfast cheesecake.  You heard me.  Breakfast.  Cheesecake.  In fact, on Saturday, I managed to each cheesecake at both breakfast and dinner, which was really all it took for me to consider the day a total success.  All the other stuff was just bonus. 

 



If it had been warmer, we totally could have walked to downtown Greenville, which I'm now tempted to go back and do.  As it was, we were pressed for time and it was teeth chatteringly cold, so we drove everywhere.  And when we got back to our room, we made tea and hot chocolate to drink in bed- the perfect end to a cold day. 

The other great thing was the bathroom.  Sometimes at a B&B, you'll find a hundred year old bathroom with terrible water pressure and lukewarm water.  Our bathroom looked recently redone, had amazing water pressure and super hot water.  The shower had one of those large, rain forest shower heads, which was cool, but not something I'd want to own.  But it was fun to try it out. 

As much as we loved it, we were both overjoyed to wake up in our own bed this morning (although I really wish there'd been someone here to make blueberry pancakes for us).  I can't wait to read over my conference notes today and map out a business plan for the coming months.  I'll be back here tomorrow to share some more pictures and tell you about some of the people we got to meet!  

February notes

Happy February, friends!  The year always feels much more manageable once January is behind us, doesn't it? 

 

Today is my sister's birthday and I'm really wishing that she were here so that we could celebrate together and maybe I could burn a pound cake for her, like I did the last time she came for her birthday.  Come to think of it, maybe that's why she stayed home this year. 

 

I found these great candles at Target this week and picked them up for $2 each.  They were in the after Christmas clearance items, but they look just right for February to me. 

 

This week has been pretty great and full of unexpected treats.  One treat was receiving this save the date magnet in the mail.  Not only am I crazy about these two people and super excited for their marriage (which I feel like I really had a hand in, as their relationship began in our driveway), but I immediately noticed that Sophie is wearing a Plumfield Shop scarf in most of the pictures!  I love catching people enjoying things that I've made. 

 

So this morning I was hanging up the laundry and realized that I hadn't shared our new-ish drying rack.  We found it at The Container Store and it is amazing.  It does the work of two of my old racks, plus is way more sturdy.  I love how tall it is, so it takes up less floor space. 

 

 

While the laundry dries, I'm making chili and running a few errands.  We're headed to a small business conference this weekend and we're both so excited!  Steve is making a list of everything we need to do before we leave, while I do important things like decide what to wear.  We're taking the camera and will be sure to report back with lots of pictures!

 

PS- Don't forget to celebrate Groundhog Day tomorrow- we'll be staying in a bed and breakfast and hoping we don't get stuck there :)

learning

This winter is the third time I've taught sewing classes.  With each session, I find myself in greater disbelief: people want to come over to my house during the day and use my ironing board and chat about fabric with me?!?  Okay!  Where do I sign up?!?

So, needless to say, sewing class is delightful.  We saw the sun for a bit yesterday, which was also delightful.  And a nice reprive from the grayness, which is back this morning and guaranteed to stick around all day. 

My plans for the day include some phone calls, making a quiche for dinner (I think I'm going to try this recipe), and cutting a million little triangles for party banners.  I've been cutting them all week, with no real end in sight.  But it's a cozy task that I can move around the house with me and it's easy to work on if I have a spare 15 minutes here and there. 

Today I'm also listening to some lectures for an online class that I'm taking.  Have you heard of Coursera?  My brother introduced me to it during his last visit and told me about a class on small business growth that he had signed up for.  So I signed up too!  It just started this week, but I can already tell that I'm going to learn a lot.  I can't get over how awesome the whole concept is- tons of interesting classes, taught by professors from major universities, all online, all free- what could be better?  If you like to learn new things, you should totally check it out. 

ice on the bird feeder

It's been cold here.  Like ice-on-the-bird-feeder cold.  We almost never see ice in Charlotte. 

Birds, however, are another story.  This morning, I realized that after a really fun weekend full of friends and meals and games and mandolin-playing, we had taken exactly zero pictures of any of that.  What we do have, as usual, are plenty of bird pictures.

Maybe we were too busy having fun?  Is that a thing?  I've never really thought it was a thing, but I'm willing to change my mind. 

In other news, did you know that postal rates have increased as of today?  For some reason, I didn't think this was a big deal to me, until I remembered that I ship lots and lots of things.  So I spent two hours this morning frantically researching the new rates and applying them to all the items in my shop.  After checking all the options, my guess is that I will never have an international order again, as it now costs about $40 to mail an envelope to Europe.  Yikes. 

We've heard a lot of great music lately, some of it from Steve's mandolin, some from the CD player.  Do you know The Lumineers?   We heard them on SNL last week and immediately bought their debut album from Amazon (only $3.99 for the mp3 version!).  We have basically had it on repeat for the past four days.  The music is mellow and folksy and just the thing to have in the background as you work or cook or chat with friends.  We've listened to it so much already that it's quickly becoming the soundtrack of our winter and I wonder if I'll ever be able to hear it without feeling a little cold. 

Today I am making soup and preparing for sewing class tomorrow.  It's our second week and I'm already loving it, just like I knew I would. 

we belong

After Steve and I woke up to "We Belong" by Pat Benatar one morning this week and couldn't stop singing it while we made breakfast, I commented to him that there are lots of song about belonging together.  And Steve said, "Because that's what everyone wants- to belong."
I thought about it all day.  I thought about how lucky I am to belong to Steve.  I thought about all the people that make me feel like I truly belong. 

Today is Natalie's birthday.  We're getting to the age where there are very few people we've known longer than each other. 

I know that some people think back on elementary school and remember being left out.  I remember waving to Natalie from the lunch line.  We were in different grades and couldn't sit together, but it was enough for me to know that we both wished we could sit together. 

I think some people remember middle school as feeling awkward and avoiding bullies.  I remember picking outfits together before sock hops and never feeling more confident in what I was wearing than when she gave me her stamp of approval.

High school can be a blur of breakups and not feeling popular enough.  I remember always having someone to stand with at football games and going to a dance once with just she and her date (which seemed regular at the time, but in hindsight appears slightly unorthodox). 

When you start college, everything is new and scary.  But as long as I could still stretch the cord on the phone in my dorm out into the hallway and lean against the wall to talk to her, nothing seemed that bad. 

And now we are grown.  Right now, our lives look pretty different.  She spends her days wrangling three small children, while I spend mine stitching.  And the amazing thing is, that even though I don't have a single kid and she can barely sew a stitch, we still belong with each other. 
Always have, always will.   

the secret life of layers

Good morning, friends!  Is it chilly where you are today?  Our thermometer was already reading the estimated high of 36 when we woke up, so I piled on several layers to keep out the cold.

I've learned a couple of valuable lessons lately about layering for warmth that seem so super obvious, I'm not sure why I haven't always known them.  But I didn't and maybe you don't and I hate to keep such important knowledge to myself. 

 

Number one: always tuck in.  I am not a tucker.  I tell myself that women's pants are not conducive to tucking (they're not) and that I like the look of a shirt peeking out from under another shirt (I do).  But I have started wearing an extra shirt, usually just a thin tank top, just for tucking in.  It has been practically life changing in the area of warmth because, no matter which way I bend, there is never a draft.  

Number two: legs need layers too.  Now I know- nobody wants to look thicker than they already are in the winter.  But I bought these long underwear last week and have worn them almost every day since and I'm telling you that you want some.  They are fitted enough and silky enough to wear under my slimmest fitting jeans without any problem.  



 

 

Number three: solid colors are your friend.  Now, as a person who owns more striped shirts than I care to admit, it is sometimes difficult for me to buy a solid colored shirt.  They seem boring.  But what is boring on its own is just the thing for layering!  Last week I needed a solid white shirt to use for photo shoots, so I ran into Target right before I had to pick Steve up from the train station.  As fate would have it, long sleeves were on sale.  I found two different white styles that I liked, and then grabbed a black and a pink in the same styles.  I didn't intend to buy so many shirts, but I got wooed by the cuffs- I love shirts with cuffs that are at least 2" wide.  My plan was to try them on at home and return the ones I didn't want.  Except once I got them home, I realized that I didn't have any other solid shirts and started wearing these four under absolutely everything. 

 

I think the best thing (other than being way more comfortable) about my new found layering knowledge is that it makes me more likely to want to be outside during the winter.  One of my goals for this year is to be outside more and I'm excited to say that I'm off to a great start!

 

 

 

Speaking of layers, we have three events over the next four days that I need to provide dessert for, so I'm working on a double layer Peppermint Chocolate cake today.  Steve and I are both so excited about it- I just hope we'll be able to save some to share with our guests!