Soren Lorensen Design

The Impossible Blog Post.......

2012-02-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

There's no sugar coating this one. Not in my mind, and not in words.

The time has come to say goodbye to Soren Lorensen Design.

Sigh.

But we sure did make a fun go of it! :) I mean that. You've helped me create some of the greatest memories of my life! You pushed me to creative limits I had yet to visit, you laughed with me and had bad days with me, you challenged me to grow and you have become my friends. You guys ROCK.

So, I guess I have to explain myself a little bit. The last few months I have done some serious soul searching and totally boring number crunching. I discovered that my soul was consumed by my work and my numbers were too crunched! I stalled, tried a few different tactics, and also developed a line for wholesale distribution only. But no matter how I put it on paper, SLD just wasn't jiving with my life, and I realize it is the right time for me to say goodbye.

Two years. Seven hundred and thirty days. Not a single one passed where SLD was not on my mind and part of my day. And I say that in a good way. :) I love SLD! It's so fun. I get to be creative, play with color, and dress your adorable kiddos!

So thank you for all the great fun you've provided me!

Oh, the plans? Well, I haven't determined it yet. But the Two Year Anniversary "BIG" Fundraiser is still being planned for the week of Feb 24th, and I want to raise a lot of money for some special causes. I'll fill you in on those details soon, but it should be fun. I think the shop will be closing sometime in March, but I'll continue to update you on the decisions as I make them. I'm random like that ;)

So thanks for sticking with me, supporting me, and being such good people. I've learned a lot from some of you, and you've made me a better person.

xo,
shari

Happy Valentine's My Little Peacock.....

2012-01-13T08:46:00.001-07:00

Finley is Peacock obsessed. I work as an art dealer as well as SLD and every time I show her a painting she tells me "My personal connection to it is it reminds me of a Peacock." She's too funny. :)

So I knew I had to create a peacock silkscreen. It's the perfect animal that really shows off what individuality is all about.

I was planning for my two-year SLD anniversary (coming up Feb 24th!) and I knew I wanted to continue the "Big Collection." Last year I created the Dream Big image to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Soren Lorensen Design.

A huge portion of proceeds of each Dream Big sale for two weeks went to fund micro loans around the world for seamstresses needing small loans to help grow their businesses. We raised nearly $1,000 that was lent out to multiple women around the world, including Lucy, in Kenya and Gilda, in The Philippines. They've been repaying their loans, and I've been able to re-invest the repayments so now we've sent nearly $2,000 in loans! Can you just imagine, after a lifetime of reinvesting the loans (which is what I plan to do!) how many women around the world, and their families, that we have helped affect! It's really so powerful!!!

So, back to the story! I decided to create the "Love Big" image for the two year Soren Lorensen Design anniversary and once again, donate a portion of proceeds to another non-profit organization. This year I decided to focus on the kids, rather than the grown-ups, just to spread the love :)

This year, a large portion proceeds during the Two Year Anniversary Big Collection event (more about that later) will go to a donation to Pajama Program. This is such an amazing program. It's been around for ten years, started by a woman who saw this great need to give underserved children, many in the foster system, a semblance of the comfort most other children have at bedtime.

I can't tell you how special bedtime is for me and Finley. It's our bonding time, our giggling time, our deep conversation time, our reading time, our rub her back time. It's some of the absolute best times of my life. To think that we can help some kids at least get a glimpse of hope for better times, is pretty nice.

The founder learned that some children, like the nine-year old boy who sent her a Thank You note, has never ever owned a pair of pajamas. The organization donates pajamas and books all around the country. You can watch a very powerful video, including an Oprah moment, on YouTube.

Next, the search for the perfect image was on to make this fundraiser a hit! One day, I stumbled upon the intricate and masterful Folk Art Paper Cuts by British artist Suzy Taylor. You have got to check out her shop!

Hello! (or should I say, "Hallo," she's British after all ;) She cut these designs out by hand!

And then...I spied her artful hearts-y peacock! But it was sold out! Instant Etsy convo later, and we decided to work on getting the image ready for this silk screen (also with the help of another wonderful artist and SLD collaborator, Rachel Birch of Rachel Ink.) I added the caption, and Love Big was born.

You have to see how talented Suzy is! She was just commissioned by Pottery Barn Teen to design two quilts (eek, can you imagine!!?) And look at her process.....

I love it :) You can find her on Facebook too. :)

I'll be releasing a few "Love Big" Made to Order items (dresses and tees) this week in time for Valentine's day :) It's a perfect little Valentine dress :)

Then, for the two year February 24th SLD anniversary, I'll be releasing more Made to Order's in both Dream Big and Love Big to help raise money once again, this time for the Pajama Program!

Thanks for joining me on this two year ride! It's so totally fun :)

xo,
Shari

Remember Dream Big?

2012-01-12T18:15:00.001-07:00

It's back! My annual BIG collection! It's a time to dream and love and just be a kid. Show your personality and individuality. That's what the "Big Collection" is all about. :)

Last year was the year to Dream Big, and this year it will be the year to Love Big. I'll introduce you further to it tomorrow, but here is a peek :)

xo,
Shari

Help Shape 2012 and Win a $30 Credit to Soren Lorensen Design!

2012-01-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking.... (and it's never good when I do a lot of that ;) But I've been thinking about SLD, and how soon I'll be approaching my two year anniversary (I have something special planned for that again!) and how I would love to pick your brain just a little. :)

I started with a simple little poll yesterday, but have decided to expand it a smidge to get even more insights from all of you.

If you'll take a moment to answer the questions in this SLD survey, you'll be automatically entered to win a $30 Credit to my etsy shop! :)

Let me know if you have any extra comments or thoughts, and as always, I would love if you could spread the word about SLD! The success of SLD is all about its happy customers...so let your friends know how happy you are!

Here's the direct link to the poll: http://apps.facebook.com/my-polls/sld2012

xo,
Shari

Cake Pops and Reindeer Treats....

2011-12-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

Finley got a Cake Pop Bakery last night for Chanukah! She's been asking for one forever, and she often quotes the commercial (at least I think that is what she is doing!!)

She tells me "Mum, you can EAT all the FUN that you make!"

She was really excited to open her first gift :)

She was though dissapointed, upon seeing the black and white Manual/Recipe book. She said "Where are all the fancy color pictures? This is supposed to be an Activity Kit they said!"

It's hard to explain to her that Infomercials, as amazing as they seem (I am personally addicted to them) that sometimes they....well....embellish a little ;)

Anyhow, we'll be making Cake Pops this weekend to hand out as Christmas Treats for the neighbors. Anyone ever make any? Any tips? Where do I find replacement sticks? I can't wait to try it! I am most definitely going to be reading up on some Bakerella tutorials!

Finley also came home from school with this really neat idea they made at school. Check out how easy and fun this would be to do with your child! Mix glitter and oats. Done!! :)

I thought I was all done with my Christmas shopping (I may have gone a little overboard this year. Mr. SLD tells me it's ok since I'm still new to this. But I think he's just hoping that I got him a lot of gifts ;) I actually went overboard on Finley, but shhhhhh.....we don't need to tell him that ;)

Anyhow, I thought I was done with shopping, until last night I got into bed with Finley to read her bedtime books. We started one book and she stopped me and said "Mummy is this book by Jan Brett? I really love her books, and she is a very good artist."

Huh? How many kindergartners know books by their author/illustrator!!??

She told me she loves some of her books she's read at school, like "The Mitten"

I guess I better go shopping and see if I can find some Jan Brett Books in this tiny town! :) When a 5-year old asks for books by author, I figure I have to comply with the request, no?! ;)

xo,
Shari

When Good Ideas Turn Bad, and how to Change the World

2011-12-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Random title, I know. But stay with me :)

I've been envisioning this dress for a year. A Double Bubble, cinched Waist Dress. I have literally been dreaming about how great it would be.

We finally made one. Harp music is floating through my head....I LOVE it!!!

Now, it's time to get Finley in it.......

MASSIVE FAIL!!! LOL!!!

I guess some dreams should NOT be turned into reality! ;)

Embrace your imperfections and learn from them :) I try to teach that to Finley EVERY SINGLE day. She is one of those kids whose biggest fear is the fear of failure. So much so, that she would rather not even try sometimes. That makes me sad, but she is a pretty special kid, and even though she'll sometimes be terrified to try something new, other times she'll surprise us with the amazingly fresh ways that she thinks.

For example.....last night we had Family Game Night. We were playing an I Spy game (the kid is a champion). But for some reason last night she wasn't in the lead. She would barely pipe up when she saw a match! And Mr. SLD and I were occasionally trying to let her get the matches before us so that she could earn the points.

Well, at one point the three of us were all staring at the cards, and there are obviously two bumblebee matches. No one says a thing, and Finley finally points at them with her arms, saying "It's....it's....!!!" And there we are, trying to give her the chance to say it, so we're saying "Name it, and it's your win!!" and she doesn't name the match.

We ask her why and she says to us "I just wanted one of you guys to get the match. So I just pointed at them....waiting for you to see it." Our hearts melt.

So I say "Finley, why did you do that? Why didn't you call out the match so that you can win the stack?" and she replies with....

"Because I am so Kind."

WHOA. First laughter, then the tears roll. Who knew that raising a five year old could be so emotionally gratifying and complicated at the same time? We want to instill in her the desire to win and try her best, and yet at the same time, she's also managed to keep her kindness at the forefront.

I am amazed at the beauty that is a five year old. When I think about that kindness, in a world when all is not always kind, I feel at peace.

It's there, you just have to look for it. You can change the world with Kindness.

xo,

shari

Tonight and other stuff....

2011-12-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

I love life these days. I don't know if it's the 'merry' in the air, or the fact that Craft Fair season ends tomorrow (I love them, but I love my weekends more ;) but things just feel happy, and merry, and bright.

Tonight Finley drew this. It made my day :) And, as any pretend tiger mom like me would do, I immediately added three books about the Solar System in my Amazon.com cart. LOL. "But really," I explained to Mr. SLD...."This is how passion starts!!" :)

I also tried to capture a picture of my Christmas tree and some of it's ornaments tonight. I am still trying to figure out my new camera, but I did the best I could. I've only done Christmas a few years now since I married Mr. SLD (I am Jewish.) But Christmas is part of his traditions so we do that, along with Chanukah each year.

Each year since doing Christmas, I sweetly "complain" to Patrick about how ugly his ornaments are that he brought into this marriage. Granted, I brought none. Is that so mean or what? ;)

But as a little girl, I kind of secretly always wanted to have and decorate a pretty Christmas tree. Oooh, my tree would be so pretty! But, by the time I got the chance, I didn't realize I'd have to contest it with someone who has his own Christmas traditions since childhood.

And my five year old, who this year INSISTED she select a new tree topper for the tree. Yup, that's the result right here.

But, I also have to deal with the hand me down ornaments, (aka the "rejects" that didn't make the cut of his mother's tree) have somehow ended up in our Christmas box that we pulled out this week.

This year was the first year Mr. SLD allowed me to create a "color theme" with the balls. (Is that what they're called?! It suddenly doesn't sound right :) Finley picked Ice Blue and Purple. I bought into it until I got home and promptly went back to the store in exchange of my dream color combo.....red and purple. :) Ahhhhh, it is so pretty :)

And no, we are not watching some R-Rated movie. LOL. Somehow it appears the Music Channel on the TV happened to show some image of whoever was singing like this when I snapped the photos. ;)

But amidst my finally pretty Christmas tree....I still have to contend with these less than pretty ornaments, that my husband simply will not let go of. Seriously, there is a 6 inch stuffed red heart with fuzzy cotton and a santa beard and face on it. There is also a plastic bear playing golf. They are far worse in person than how I explain them ;) Am I alone in that I want a really pretty tree? I seriously have no clue!

But....here is the dreaded Bicycle ornament. WTH? It doesn't even look like an ornament! Nor does it have a place to hang it from so it just sits there, deep in the tree. I don't know why, but I don't care much for it. I have a lot of other ornaments that Mr. SLD forced me to hang onto, and I tried to take their pictures. But..... Oooopsie, turns out I hung them too deep in the tree and you can barely see them anymore ;)

An ornament I do love is the Acorn Skier Guy Finley brought home from art class last week.

And I am a fan of the elephant ornament I bought a few years ago to improve the tree. Finley has always loved elephants, and they remind me of the month I once spent volunteering in an African village in December 1999. One night we had to chase (Literally! Chase!!) elephants from a local farm because the elephants were eating the entire crop!

So we decided that each year, we as a family, would continue to add ornaments that are meaningful to us. We will create our own memories in each. Then, even the ugly ones will start to look pretty :) I guess most people have been doing that most of their lives, but this is still pretty new to me!

Well, anyhow, I just felt like sharing random moments from this week and tonight! :)

Oh, and here's another random moment. I grabbed a bottle of Diet Coke from the garage tonight. It's frozen!!!

Merry and Happy.
xo,
shari

It's really true! I'm on Zulily!

2011-11-30T07:38:00.001-07:00

I've hesitated writing this blog post.....I needed to see it before my very eyes to see it and realize that it's actually happening! But sure enough, it's happening! My 3-day shopping event on Zulily launched this morning and I couldn't be more excited.

I'm excited because of all of the obvious stuff...obviously! I mean, they have 4 million active users and they are the second largest site of this type (after Groupon)! But, I am mostly excited because it's an unexpected, completely unimaginable event to be happening to me.

I remember over a year ago, I received my first order from Zulily (I bought Finley a few princess costumes) and inside of my package came this pretty blue postcard that thanked their Zulily customers so much. I pulled it aside and kept it in my desk drawer, having gained inspiration from it that I need to always remember that my customer's happiness is the most important part of my business.

I then designed a postcard, inspired by that card (which I actually don't have currently printed), but I used it for quite a while in my packages. It featured this photos of a friend's daughter wearing SLD, and that friend was the one who urged me to go out and do this business. I keep this card tacked up on my little bulletin board in my studio. (Thank you Ashley, again).

I find it funny/odd/unreal/bizarre (insert any similar adjective. Wait, is that an adjective? I moved back to Canada from Israel in Grade 2 and never quite caught up in my English grammar type words!), that here I am a year later, up all night folding and packing dresses, for the very same company that I, myself, have shopped from, and who made me remember to always remember how important my customer's are. The whole thing is just freaky to me :)

Zulily approached me not to long ago for this event, and in a very short time (for me!), I put together this collection of 14 pieces that I am really excited about. I hope you love it!! Here are some model shots that my amazing friend and photographer, Mindy Baker, shot, of her adorable daughter Sarah, plus a few of her friends.

Enjoy!!

xo,
shari

Black Friday through Cyber Monday at SLD....

2011-11-25T10:08:00.002-07:00

Have you been getting your shopping on? Every year I get the urge to be part of those midnight doorbusters...until 9pm Thursday night rolls around and instead I get into my jammies and forget all about it! :)

The beauty about internet shopping is you don't have to get out of your jammies....so today I plan to do some holiday shopping from my warm, cozy home, rather than brave the snowy outdoor crowds. Plus, the biggest shops we have in town is Staples and a small Kmart. ;)

So....here's what SLD has to offer you in Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and through to Cyber Monday shopping! Yup, FOUR whole days of discounts!! :)

**Spend $20-$39 and receive 15% off with code black20
**Spend $40-$79 and receive 20% off with code black40
**Spend $80-$119 and receive 25% off with code black80
**Spend $120 and up and receive 30% off with code black120

Here are a few of my favorite items in my shop right now .... enjoy!!

Have a great weekend! And go get your shopping on!!

xo,
shari

**Please be sure to use the correct code. If you make a mistake I'll be in touch to make any corrections. Thanks!

Thanksgiving thanks....

2011-11-24T11:22:00.001-07:00

We should pretend Thanksgiving is every day. Really. Think about how much happier we all would be? :)

I actually never grew up with Thanksgiving. I know, I'm Canadian, and we have Thanksgiving in October. But both my Mum and Dad were immigrants to Canada later in their lives, so they never really picked up on Canadian traditions. Which is probably why I had never carved pumpkins until a few years ago, or why I had never had a s'more in my life until just recently.

Now I am addicted to carving pumpkins for hours :)

Anyhow, I should say, that I'm thankful for all those things, and for how my Mum and late Dad raised me and my sister. Here is a photo of me and my dad, and my favorite Grover doll that I took everywhere.

I was brought up quite modestly, and my parents taught me the value of hard work and loving life. I am thankful for everything that I have.

When my dad was growing up (he was born in Yemen but at age four he and his family walked as Bedouins for four years through the desert to reach Israel so that they could be free to be Jewish. Can you believe it?! Makes me so thankful for a roof over my head, freedom to be who I am, and warm food in my belly).

When my dad was growing up, cats and dogs were usually stray and not something one could afford or want to have as a pet. So I am so thankful that my husband brought home our dog Maddie and taught me about the joy of having a pet, and the unconditional love they provide.

Here is Maddie on the second day we had her.

Which leads me to how thankful I am that my husband brought me to Jackson Hole, WY nearly ten years ago and introduced me to a whole new way of small town life. He also introduced me to snowboarding, which I am not sure I am so thankful for ;)

I am more than anything thankful for the amazing daughter, Finley, that I have been gifted with. And the unconditional love that my husband and I ooze toward her.

I am thankful for her health, amidst a few frightening times, when I have never felt worse in my life thinking that something could be wrong with my child.

I am thankful for my entire family, and though they all live so far away, I am thankful that we also get to see them as often as we can.

I am thankful that my beautiful Mum, who dedicated herself tirelessly to taking care of my father when he was ill for so many years, and who has since been a widow now for nearly ten years, has found happiness again with her sweetheart from 40 years ago. She moves to Australia this week to spend half her year with the man who proposed to her forty years ago but she never married because of different religious beliefs.

I am thankful for my mother in law , who is a world adventurer and is already eager to take Finley on adventures reserved just for she and Finley. She's already been to all seven continents...so I am thankful that Finley will have a loving and experienced adventure guide.

I am thankful for my father and mother in law, who will undoubtedly teach my child about the world through art and culture and books and smart stuff that only they know about.

I am thankful for my friends back in California, who I am lousy at keeping in closer contact with. But I am thankful that they forgive me for that nevertheless.

I am thankful for my friend Ashley (pictured above) who convinced me to push my creativity to the limits, and how it resulted in my first mosaic/patchwork dress, and turned my life completely around. It has allowed me to try new things every day, meet new people, and ultimately has allowed me to meet all of you across the miles. Though we have not met in person, I feel I've learned enormous amounts from my friends and customers at SLD. I am so thankful for you.

I am thankful that my husband lost his job in California, and that we decided to shortsale our home there, so that we could move our little family back to Jackson Hole and create a even more beautiful life together.

I am thankful that in Wyoming, Finley has the opportunities to see and experience the beauty of our country, and experience and enjoy seasons and all that mother nature has to offer.

I am thankful for Ellen, who started working with SLD over a year ago, and has now become a dear friend and adviser.

I am mostly thankful for two people in my life. My incredible husband, who cleans the house so that I rarely have to, who cooks, takes Finley to the bus stop each morning, who bakes me cookies each night (though my belly is starting to wish he would stop that ;) and who will do anything to make our family happy.

And I am thankful for my princess. For which there are no words to describe the joy, love, and magic that she has brought into my life.

Happy Thanksgiving to you.

xo,
Shari

Krista Lund Photography = Adorable

2011-11-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

I just had to share these pictures I just received from Krista Lund Photography! Her work is so great. I was totally taken by her work when I stumbled across it several months ago.

Anyhow, I emailed her to see if she would be interested in working with SLD...and lucky for me she said yes! :) I love looking at her Facebook page and seeing what she's up to. :)

I've always struggled taking good pictures of my 2-bit trousers. It's so hard to show how they fit (I call them yoga pant like...but how would you describe them?) and Krista just did a great job capturing her little cutie in these patchwork pants.

I also love love love this photo of her little girl twirling around in a Prairie Dress. It's the exact carefree feel that I think matches SLD. :)

Thanks Krista for sharing your amazing talents with me!!

xo,
Shari

Ups and Downs......

2011-11-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

No, it's not that dramatic, nothing major going on here! Ups and downs usually become major though. But these "ups and downs" are about my absolute dreaded topics....

PRICING.

There, I said it. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a business, and not have to think about pricing? Yeah, only in my dreams :)

A lot of people have been advising me to raise my pricing. I went to a workshop for artisans a few weeks ago, and the point was reiterated over and over, that artisans have to remember to pay themselves (really!?). Then others tell me to just go ahead and do it, and that I don't need to announce it.

I'm having a hard time doing that. I respect each of my customers so much. Yes, YOU. :) I love that I know your kids names, or what you ate for dinner last week via our friendships we've formed on facebook and via email. I love that I know if your child has sensory issues, so I ensure to use the smallest amount of Fray Check possible on your dress. Or that your daughter is taller than most other three year old's so I can add an extra inch to your dress if you need it. I love these friendships and relationships, and wouldn't want to just raise pricing without explaining it to you. It just wouldn't feel right. Nor does it feel right to not let you know that this is a bigger struggle than you can imagine for me.

Fact is, I have a small business not just to create cute, fun clothes, but to also earn a living for myself, and my employees. I am so grateful to have Ellen working at SLD full time, and two other part time seamstresses in town who help me gear up for big projects like my upcoming Zulily event (eeeek!) or my craft fairs. These folks need to make a living too. And, we all happen to live in a glorious place called Jackson Hole, WY, where living doesn't come too cheap ;)

Anyhow, I'll spare you the details. But, after a lot of deliberation and number crunching, and telling my bookeeper to leave me alone for several months because my brain could not handle the whole "cost of goods" numbers I was seeing..... I decided that the time has come.... in order to keep SLD going pricing will have to increase by small amounts.

It's been an internal struggle, because I want to create accessible clothing for kids. I want to make stuff that any Mum out there can just buy. But my realization is that these pieces are not mass produced in countries with small living wages, and also the limited edition nature of SLD does not make 'production' very cost effective.

So, over the coming days and weeks you will notice prices starting to go up. I'm hoping that you still can get on board and remember the quality and unique styling of SLD, and the individuals behind the clothing that you support. :)

Now, you wanna hear about the Down part of "Ups and Downs?" Since Up is about my prices increasing...the Down will be about prices Decreasing! A Black Friday sale at SLD. Stay tuned to find out more.....

Stay tuned.....

xo,
shari

Two Years Ago.....

2011-11-03T09:17:00.002-06:00

Two years ago I wrote this guest blog post on the Lil Blue Boo blog. It was one of my first blog posts, and it was about how beauty is in the eye of the beholder. More importantly, it was about recognizing our failures or shortcomings and taking them as stepping stones to paths of greatness. One of the last lines reads: "...let’s take a moment and give a standing ovation to our failed projects. Without them, how could we appreciate all the beauty we otherwise create?"

Now, two years later, I had no idea how true that would ring. Ashley is now battling cancer, and can't do the things she typically could in the time frames she is used to. She needs more rest, something she is not that used to doing. She's got a new scar and tiny skeleton hands (see her blog posts here ) and you know what? She's as beautiful as ever.

I think that while many people have always loved her, without even knowing her, now even MORE people love her. They can see through her recent struggles, the greatness that lies within her. She's not just a crafting guide to so many, she is a wife, a mother, a friend, a sister, a daughter..... And now she has chosen to share her recent 'shortcomings' with the world in order for others to learn and grow from their own struggles. If she helps just one person, she's helped give them the standing ovation that they need to get through a hard time. It's more than most people can give in a lifetime.

Today, oddly enough, a local magazine is having a photo shoot at my house. They are shooting "Art and objects in a home that inspire." You know what I suggested to them for one of my objects? The same bricks that I wrote about in that blog post two years ago this week.

Funny how things come full circle. Old houses are demolished, but we maintain a piece of it with us for the rest of our lives. Ashley's body was practically trampled in surgery, but she maintains her high spirits. Our failed projects, our losses, and our disadvantages, do not equal defeat. They equal a path to greatness.

xo,
Shari

Moments to remember.....

2011-10-24T14:05:00.000-06:00

It's been a week full of ups and downs. In a nut shell, I have been taught a valuable lesson just by watching the strength of my friend as she battles cancer.

What it's taught me is the absolute most basic lesson. Life is short. That's it. You just never know what's around the corner. I didn't really need a reminder, I should already know that. But I got the reminder loud and clear this weekend. So after working all day Saturday I knew I had to make some changes in my life.

I know you all are wonderful parents, and I think that I am a pretty good parent myself. But at the same time, there are so many times I say "one minute sweetie" to Finley. Over and over during the day because something else might be pulling my attention away from her.

So I pushed everything else aside, and made time for my family this weekend. Forget the fact that I work three jobs. My family needs to be number one priority amidst a long list of other items that remain on the "To Do" list. And they need to know that.

So I had the most amazing weekend amidst the tears and fears for the life of a friend.

Saturday night we roasted s'mores in the backyard.

Sunday morning Finley and I built a fort in the living room and pretended the carpets were lava.

Sunday afternoon the family carved pumpkins outside.

We enjoyed a popscicle on an unusually warm October day.

We saw pure joy on Finley's face as she flew her first kite in the front yard.

Life is short. Enjoy each moment to the fullest.

xo,
shari

Sun Valley Road Trip

2011-08-18T11:15:00.000-06:00

I know, I've been a lousy blogger. You know, I take all these pictures with my camera planning blog posts around them and then wind up with too much on my plate and my little ol' blog suffers dramatically. The last thing I should be doing right now is blogging. But I prefer it to packing the car for tomorrow's art fair so I think I'll just add this teeny weeny post now so that I can postpone the packing ;)

So Sun Valley in a nutshell? I LOVED it! Not only is it the coolest mountain town, but the vibe, the people, and the adventures were out of this world! :)

It all started just an hour out of Jackson on our Road Trip (Sun Valley is about 5.5 hours away). We came across this abandoned house that I have wondered about for so many years. About 20 minutes before approaching the gravel road that goes to it, I started telling Ellen all about it. I was really hinting that I wanted to stop there. As we approached the turn Ellen yelled "let's go see it!" and so we did.

Isn't it the coolest?

There was some graffiti on the walls, but I only saw one beer bottle in the whole place. The hardwood floors have held up remarkably well. I couldn't get a good shot, but there was a birds nest in the wall with teeny weeny baby birds squawking.

You have to wonder about the people who lived here. With this view, why would they ever leave?

After a few more hours of driving, we drove through Arco, apparently the first American city to be entirely powered by nuclear energy. We just had to stop at the Pickle Place. I mean, the giant green rocking chair out front was just calling our name! :)

And any place that serves breakfast until 11:34am is my kind of pace. Yup, that's right, 11:34am, and we made the cut off!

I'm not sure what happened to my photo of the deep fried pickles we ordered. It was not what Ellen nor I expected, that's for sure, but we did actually finish the plate ;)

It seemed to be the weekend of big Chairs and other items....

I felt like a pixie in this great big chair. And apparently the people of Sun Valley also like their Bikes big :)

Then we were onto the small adventures. Like spotting this guy walking across the street at nightfall. There was no way Ellen was going to let this ferret get run over on our watch! So the chase was on! While I pulled over and stressed about the art fair starting in the morning...Ellen was chasing this guy through backstreets and utility structures! But she caught him, and he was obviously friendly. :) Someone's pet for sure, and he even had a tattoo on his ear!

Having never handled a ferret before, we marveled at his long and completely strange body! This guy had abs of steel!! :)

Ellen wasn't quite sure at first if he liked her.....

But sure enough he came to love spending time in her lap.....

I think he even went in for a kiss :)

After calling the police and having officer Tony come see us, he sadly told us that he is only allowed to handle dogs and that we would need to bring him to a Community Service Officer in the morning. In the meantime, here we are in Sun Valley, renting a condo, and needing to find someplace for a ferret for the night!! Officer Tony was kind enough to give us a small crate, which became Terry's (of course we named him!) home for the night.

If you've never had a ferret before, you will be surprised to hear that they let off some kind of musky scent. Yeah, I just hope I get my condo cleaning deposit back ;)

The next morning was the first day of the art fair, and also our moment to find Terry's home! We woke up bright and early to meet with a Community Service Officer, who seriously did not service his community well :( He refused to accept Terry and sent us to the only animal Clinic in town that was open at 8am on a Friday.

I cannot thank the St. Francis Animal Clinic of Ketchum enough! Although they too are not supposed to accept exotic pets, the nearest shelter that would was too far away, and we had an art fair to set up! So they happily welcomed Terry into their home and told us they would help find his owners. I sure hope they have :)

And then, who would have known, but one of the artists at the fair, Julie Sola of Fat Crow Press, had a series of linocuts called "Possum Dreams" that so reminded Ellen and I of our adventures with Terry. Needless to say, there is now a "Possum Dreams" piece hanging in Ellen's home :)

This is the one I bought for Ellen:

So in a small town of 15,000, we then welcomed over 11,000 people to the art fair! SLD flew off the racks. In fact, I had an SLD spotting while driving down the Street on Saturday morning, right after the first day of the art fair! I had to stop and roll down my window. The two girls slept in their SLD :)

I had SO much fun at this last art fair. And getting ready for the last one of the season tomorrow. As much as I've enjoyed these adventures, I can't wait to snuggle into bed with Finley in the evening and read books to her. I miss her so much when I am away. She starts Kindergarten at the end of this month and I am shaking my head in disbelief. Where does the time go?? Here she is getting her Mommy Manicure while reading an US Magazine and marveling at the dresses.....

And here my baby is striking a pose yesterday morning for me. When did this all happen!!?

OK, well, time for me to get packing. Just so glad to finally get all this down to 'paper.' :)

xo,
shari