At the Moment:

January I recovered from the busy holiday season, and started making all sorts of plans or 2018! It’s gonna be a great year. Now that temps are rising I am so excited to be taking pictures of new apparel and tons more T shirts for spring, and I am extra energized from being at Midwest Craft Con a couple weeks ago. Spending time with old friends & making some new ones, along with making lots of stuff and really diving into business discussions…It was the best weekend, and I am full of new ideas and inspiration!

Three awesome things happened for our family these last couple of months.\:

Dan & I celebrated the 20th anniversary of our first date earlier this month in our own way – a fancy dinner out, then playing Nintendo games until the middle of the night (yeah, like original Nintendo cause that’s how we roll).

Baby Reagan arrived, and she is just adorable! I’m so excited to be an aunt.

Della and I drove up to our state capital, Lansing, for the Women’s March in January, and Del even made her own sign – it was a proud moment for me. The crowd was massive & it felt good to be there and teach my daughter to stand up for what is right.

Making:
I’ve kind of gone crazy making stuff just for fun. Like I sewed pajama pants for the kids and I knit a couple hats. Then at Midwest Craft Con I painted myself a bracelet, made a macrame wall hanging, learned shibori dying techniques and made a gorgeous scarf for myself, plus learned a new way to bind notebooks that I am so excited about. I also made another huge batch of Record Jewelry, including a new limited edition color combo necklace that’ll be hitting the shop VERY soon. It’s been a wonderful couple months of making.

Listening to:
Jeff Rosenstock’s new album “POST” – it’s so good! Also, The Go! Team’s new album “Semicircle”. It’s so great to hear a new record from them. Throw in some Nancy Wilson, Pink Floyd, INXS, Ramones, Protomartyr, George Michael, Iggy Pop and Soulsaver too.

Della’s fav song (because she is a music obsessed kid): Guys, I tried my best but she is now super into Imagine Dragons. I’m trying to turn her back around by the next Mix Tape post. Wish me luck.

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At the Moment:
Detroit Urban Craft Fair happened and it was magical. The weekend was so fantastic and busy and full of wonderful people, both makers and shoppers. Thank you to all 8500 people who were there to shop local and to everyone who participated, to the Masonic Temple and our staff & volunteers for all their hard work, and especially to Carey who is the best partner in Handmade Detroit.

Other incredible things happened too – Della is reading! It just happened one day – she started telling us words in new books, and then one night she sounded out the back of Roy’s T shirt, and then was reading me a magazine a few days later. What a girl! Roy lost another tooth and is completely obsessed with the skateboard he just got for Christmas. The holidays were wonderful for us, and very relaxing. I even got to take a day and go on a buying trip just for fun for the site.

Making:
For the holiday season I made over 600 notebooks, 200 pairs of earrings and a few dozen necklaces in November & December. It was a whirlwind of making in the studio, and I totally loved it! We also made dozens of jars of sauerkraut, and I made a banner and blankets for a very special baby shower. Dan made the best thing, though – a new fireplace for our house! It’s absolutely beautiful.

I can’t wait to continue with all this creativity through the winter!

Listening to: 
Antibalas and Thee Oh Sees have been on heavy rotation, and I’m still hooked on Beck’s Colors.

Della’s fav song of the month (because she is a music obsessed kid): Rainbow Connection from the Muppet Movie Soundtrack. We bought Roy a copy on vinyl, and they’ve been listening to it non-stop since Christmas in his room.

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