Mural for a 3 Year Old
Ricky B’s Room
One of my favorite things is painting children’s rooms. Ricky B just turned three and his room is complete. He has a giant tree that continues onto the ceiling forming a canopy that covers over twenty-five percent of his ceiling. A squirrel peeks down at Miley the family’s golden retriever. Miley loves to chase rabbits but he is so busy looking at the squirrel that he doesn’t notice the two rabbits watching him.
Ricky B’s mom and dad liked the idea of a growth chart in his room but you would have a hard time finding it without a closer look. His height will be recorded throughout the years on the rope hanging from the tree branch. An emotional reminder of the little one when he takes off to college.
Quick little video of project.
Another response to January’s question: What’s Holding You Back?
Julie Clark from Colorado Springs didn’t think she had much to add but I think you’ll find her story interesting and her new partnership it created. Be sure to check out her blog.
Mickey:
I appreciate your response to my e-mail. Being a special education teacher in addition to a business owner keeps me busy during the day. First, let me say that I loved your blog. Your art is beautiful and I wish I had the budget for your murals in my store. They would look so pretty with my linens.
As to my story, I don’t really have one. I am a Teacher – certified in Special Education, who at one time a couple of years back, found myself questioning why I went into the profession. Budget cuts had forced a layoff at the school where I taught for 14 years. Frankly, at first I was devastated and very frustrated. Therefore, in response to my growing frustration, my husband bought me a vintage linen business. His idea of therapy for me.
He knew I loved vintage linens, the owner was retiring, the timing was right and he knew I needed something to occupy my time between tutoring and substitute teaching. Where he thought I had time, I don’t know, but with his help, I agreed to it. Six months later, we expanded the first store in the Treasure Shoppe and opened a second little space in American Classics. We then opened a third store in the Willowstone Market, but closed it to expand our space at American Classics. Eventually we partnered up with another couple to showcase our Victorian fabric, accessories, etc., and now we have two locations in the American Classics store – space B30 and B26 and the one location at the Treasure Shoppe, downtown.
Naturally, during the school year, most of the marketing, business decisions, buying or stock work during business hours is up to my husband. I’m not superwoman and I hold him to his promise to help when he “gifted” me the store. He’s the professional writer, so he does much of the marketing messages and store displays. I tell him what I want to say, furnish him with an outline or rough draft, he fleshes it out, then I edit, re-write and give it back. He polishes the final article, Linens2Lace blog or marketing piece and publishes it. We do this for sale ideas or marketing as well. It’s a good partnership.
As I said, I don’t have much of a story. I just happen to like linens and the stores are my outlet to express this, as well as keep me from going crazy. I am not kidding when I say, if you see a woman in the store with her nose buried into a handful of linen, it’s probably me. It’s my therapy. I love the find, the challenge of retail selling and I love talking to the customers who come in when I am there. I have learned so much and they have great ideas for repurposing that add to my blog. It’s that type of occupation – far removed from education, which has provided me an outlet for my “occasional” frustration with our education system.
I wish I had more that you could use, but there is nothing special about what I do. It simply works for me, but I don’t think it’s a transferable. Who else would be this crazy?
Thank You
Julie Clark
Hi Mickey, I always like seeing your newsletter in my mail box and Bella too, of course. My question to you is, “Do you think as we get older that creativity plays a lesser part of our live than it did in our twenties and thirties?”
Terry, North Carolina
Hi Terri, as I approach retirement age I feel creativity is an even bigger importance in my life. In my twenties I discovered that if I didn’t paint I became depressed. After getting your question I realized that that hasn’t changed for me. If I wake up feeling a bit “blah” it goes away if I paint. The thing that has changed is that writing works the same for me.
Here are some interesting facts on age and creativity from Deepak Chopra.
Mickey
Bella’s Insights
Hi Everybody, it’s Bella!
Mom snapped this shot while we were visiting our BFF Debbie at her office. She is a really busy insurance agent, whatever that is; mom says she’s really good at it. How do you like how coordinated we are. Guess this shot was just meant to be.
How ’bout this! About a month ago I got a text, yep that’s right “I got a text.” Well, it was on mom’s phone and she read it to me but she was willing to text back my thoughts.
The text was from Sparky, he’s a good lookin’ dude, but I gotta keep an eye on that guy. The text went something like this. . .
Sparky: Hi there Bella and Bella’s Mom! Mom is busy so I thought I would let u know that we (this is ur best friend, Sparky) won’t get to ur place until about 8:30 PM Tuesday night – is that ok? We’ll be leaving early the next morning so I shouldn’t be too much of a “pain.” Sorry about the snarl last time – I think my ovaries were acting up!
(I’m thinkin’: Now who does this guy think he’s kiddin’. He doesn’t have ovaries and it wasn’t a “snarl” it was almost a “NIP!” but stealth Bella dodged yet another bullet.)
Bella: Hello Best Friend Sparky. (gritting my teeth) Tuesday is fine just remember that’s pinochle night at our place. People leave around 9:30 PM-ish but u know where everything is so u can make yourself at home when u get here. Mom is too into that game to even know ur here (she barely notices me!) See u Tuesday.
Sparky: Thank you, mi Belle. Mom and I will be as quiet as church mice.
Bella: U don’t even have to be quiet. I’m telling u unless u bark she’ll never notice. Trust me, Bella
Bella
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