Thursday, January 31, 2013

In The Shop | new for valentine's

First off, I have to say that your positive and encouraging comments have been such a blessing to me.  You're all so amazing!  I'm settling down very well here in the Beck Mainliner Studio (that sounds so much better than the Bus Studio... :grin:), and will do a blog tour for you all soon. 

For now, take a peek at the newest on the production line - the Regency Romance collection from the Wall Tent Button Co!  Inspired by the heroes and heroines from the pages of our favorite romantic Regency scenes, the blending of classic literature and Valentine's Day is as delicious as chocolate and red roses.
The perfect Valentines Day accessory or gift for the hopeless romantic.  Which is your favorite?


Monday, January 28, 2013

Grey Days to Glimmering Blog Party | Entry

1) What's your favorite thing to do when you've been feeling uninspired?
Go for a long walk with my camera in hand... or listen to grand orchestral music.  Or wild accordion music.  Or any great music.

2) Tell us about a really great movie/show that you've just discovered.
Hmm... I saw most of War Horse recently, and it is one of the very few films that reduced me to an emotional mess.  Even Doomsday didn't have that effect.  The sight of a horse, desperate, in pain, can move me like no other.  It touched a chord deep inside me.  I was working while watching, so missed quite a bit of the film... need to sit down and watch it properly soon.  What I saw was easily the best horse movie, the most touching WW1 movie, the most beautiful cinematic movie I've seen in a long time.  And Tom Hiddleston was So. Good.

3) What do you like to do to change your mood?
Sometimes you just need to change your mood... it may be bad, it may be weird, it may be just plain dull.  I like to play the piano, go for a walk, sing a silly song, or just have a long talk with my Saviour in a quiet place.  That never fails.

4) Your favorite drink is currently...
Chocolate Francais hot coca... it's sublime.


5) When you hear the word exuberant, what's the first word that comes to mind?
This question is so out there... what was she thinking?  Hehe... You really want to know?  The first word?  Well, it's yellow.  So there.

6) What made you smile last?
My little sister, who unfailingly makes me take my cod liver oil twice a day.  Horrid stuff.  But it's been really helping my health lately.  She is so diligent, and only with the sincere desire to help me.  Tell you what, I wouldn't touch the stuff if it weren't for her.

7) What five songs would make a playlist to describe your week?
Hmm. This is just about it...

8) What's at the top of your creative 'To-Do' list?
Oh my.  Everything.

9) The last thing you crossed off the above list was...
I don't even know where that list went over the weekend... Um, survive?  After that, I think I was working on some sewing, millinery, graphic design, and organizing a 2013 business plan.  Better late than never...

10) Quickly - the first movie quote from the top of your head, please!
"We don't need no stinkin' movie quotes!"
That's just wrong.  The top of my head must need renovating.

11) The best thing about January is...
The journals, the date, the plans and aspirations are new and fresh.  Also, skiing.

12) The worst thing about January is...
Blah.  Just blah.  Also, five degrees and frozen hair.

13) What's your #1 resolution for 2013?
I didn't make any official resolution - but I plan to strive to grow and accomplish as much as I possibly can.  This year and always.

14) And lastly, share a quote or verse that you've found especially inspiring lately.
   
What an awesome God I serve.


^Click to see the rest of the entries! ^

Thank you so much to everyone who joined in this little party!  It was such fun.  
And now... stay around for the real party come February, because it's going to be ridiculously fabulous.  In a very big way.

The story I never wanted to tell.

Well, I've had an unexpected and exhausting weekend.
One that has wrought some rather large changes for my life, my business, and consequentially, the blog.

You see, it finally happened.

I've closed down the Wall Tent Studio.
To cut to the chase, I was defeated by the horrendous winter weather at last.  I'm still in some shock that it all happened so fast, but through it all, God was and is so very good to me.

Last week we got several inches of fresh snow, followed by a torrent of rain as the temperature suddenly rose.  My wood was saturated, and the logging tarp shielding my tent from the elements started to give way.  It was old and threadbare in places, but doubled over, I thought - hoped - it would be okay.  Friday night came with real concern on my part at the amount of water coming in, but I could really do nothing at that point.  The rain must stop sometime, and if things stayed as they were, all would be well.

I took these pictures that night, little glimpses of that dark, dripping, but peaceful evening.  My sister's bouquet of red origami roses.  The wood laid out to dry and my business planning and the walls and ceiling of my poor drenched home.

Little did I know it would be my last night in the Wall Tent Studio.
(Yes, being a little melodramatic here.  It helps:)

I woke the next morning to find that things had not stayed as they were.  The tarp had completely failed at last, and the floor was in an alarming state.  A soaked and alarming state.  The walls, the porch, front and back, everything was flooded.  And with the warm front the weather was bringing, my main concern became mold.


Our car battery had died, so we rode to the post office with a neighbor in the morning (afterwards was able to find the battery charger, thank God!), and a box was waiting for me that was absolutely heaven-sent.
My dear friend Winnie had sent me some of her fresh backyard Florida oranges, homemade marmalade, and French hot chocolate, and I sat down to toasted english muffins with fresh marmalade and Chocolate Francais. 
 All around me, young lakes swam and dripped in my house and dampness reigned.  

There was no help for it.  After breakfast, it was time.
My wonderful brother came down from town (where he now lives and works) with a strong new tarp and good rope, and we disassembled the traitorous old tent fly and set up the new one.  It turned out to be much bigger than before - so although it's not as pleasing to the eye, the danger of the elements getting through again is almost zero.  Lord willing.
Then I packed up all my belongings and cleared the floor.  The amazing providence is that my brother's restored 1945 Beck Bus, just 20 feet away, was empty and waiting, and that's where I went.  I am so thankful that there was a place prepared for me. I'm sitting here now, in this bus, my furniture and things arranged and myself warm and safe.

I've started a new chapter. It's not what I would have chosen.  I couldn't bear the thought of abandoning the sanctuary my tent has come to be to me, even with all of it's trials. But God is always going on before, preparing the way and giving us an extra nudge when we're not ready to step through the door. I am warm.  It's airtight in here, with an electric heater and windows.  Glass windows!  You don't know how huge that is till you've become used to not having them.

I don't have to worry about fires and floods and staying alive now.
And I think God is going to use this in my life to let me accomplish things that were not possible while I was struggling with daily living on such an intense level.


Once everything was out, I pulled up the soaked carpet and took it to the dump - mold is nothing to mess around with.  To do that, I had to disassemble the stove and take it out, then brought it back in and set it up once more.  I built a roaring fire, then got out my scrub brush and mold spray and got to work.
Thank goodness for my wonderful, helpful sisters.  I love you all so much.

A few hours later, every inch of canvas was scrubbed clean and dry, the floor was well on it's way to drying out, and things were looking up.  I pulled up my rocking chair on the bare plywood floor and we watched Christmas in Connecticut, monitoring the fire to keep it blazing hot.  
And took melodramatic self portraits in the stark lighting from the single lamp set on the bare floor.
Delicious.
I have to laugh - now - at how this all happened.  The cold didn't get me.  The snow didn't get me.  The fierce winter weather didn't defeat me - all it took was a little warm weather and a leaky old tarp.
No matter how stubborn we are, no matter how tough, God can always find a way to get through.
The Wall Tent Studio's there yet - empty, still and cold.  Biding it's time till Spring comes again and the next phase of our adventures together come to be.

Because I know we're not through yet.
Not by a long shot.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Cross Country

 
We went cross-country skiing three times so far this week out at Farragut State park.
The first outing was glorious and sunny, and we had such a great time.  I opted to hike along with Algy.  Next time out, I tried on the skis for the first time in a long time - at least three years!  I think we'll be doing this a lot for the remainder of the skiing season.

When life sends you ice and snow, just go skiing.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Gray Days to Glimmering | Blog Party

I've been in a creative slump - a blogging rut, if you will.  The funny thing is, I've noticed that many of the authors of the blogs I read and enjoy have been commenting on the same thing.

I think it's got something to do with the January blahs... Christmas is a whole year away, New Year's sparkle and freshness has gone just a bit stale, and yearned-for Spring seems so impossibly far off.


I think it's high time we all banded together and did something about this.
So I'm declaring it party time here at Accordion to Kellie!

Everyone's invited... so please help me spread the invitation!  Here's the badge:
{Right-click image, copy and paste}

And now, for the party.  Just copy and paste the questions below and answer them on your blog, including the image above in the post, then link up to your post in the linky below.

Gray Days to Glimmering Blog Party

1) What's your favorite thing to do when you've been feeling uninspired?
2) Tell us about a really great movie/show that you've just discovered.
3) What do you like to do to change your mood?
4) Your favorite drink is currently...
5) When you hear the word exuberant, what's the first word that comes to mind?
6) What made you smile last?
7) What five songs would make a playlist to describe your week?
8) What's at the top of your creative 'To-Do' list?
9) The last thing you crossed off the above list was...
10)  Quickly - the first movie quote from the top of your head, please!
11)  The best thing about January is...
12) The worst thing about January is...
13) What's your #1 resolution for 2013?
14)  And lastly, share a quote or verse that you've found especially inspiring lately.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.


Now for the giveaway, sponsored by my newest division of Kellie Falconer Design - the Wall Tent Button Co.
The prize is winner's choice of any two (2) compact mirror designs (ready made/custom), a custom handcrafted felt mirror case, and three (3) pinback buttons (ready made/custom)!  
What will you pick?


To further sweeten the party and make sure no one gets left out, it's also sale time at the Wall Tent Button Co!

Enter Coupon Code:


GLIMMERING15 
at checkout to receive 15% off your order!

Making a purchase this week allows you to get another 25 entries in the giveaway... because you can never have enough adorable buttons and useful mirrors around, right? 

I also have buckled down and opened a facebook page for Kellie Falconer Design (which will serve for both my shops at this point), to see what they know over there... I'm a complete newbie there, and it's just a bit lonely.  Be sure to drop by and say hello!
     
Well, there's plenty to do here to brighten up your day and add some interest to the blogosphere... don't forget to visit the blogs linked up above and discover some new friends and inspiring ideas!