Bari J.

Impatience is a Virtue.

OK, this was not part of the plan, but I'm giving up some of the goods. I've been hinting and hinting at this and "duh" I know you knew what I was hinting at but ok so, I can't keep a secret. Never have been able to... Telegraph, Telephone, Tele-Bari. I can't shut up.

Actually, if you tell me a secret, I am like a vault unless you are endangering yourself or you are my sister. I can keep the secrets of others, but not my very own. It's ugly.

So... Oui. I am on my way to my goal of having licensed designs as a lot of you know I am DYING to do. You would not believe the single track mind I have. It's good and bad and all that stuff. No one ever said I wasn't totally type A. The good news is that progress is really being made (as S.L.O.W. as that process is).

However... I wanted to see what it would look like on fabric. It was driving me nuts. What would these designs on this little screen look like on real actual fabric? Honestly, I couldn't take it.

And, how cool would it be to be able to show fabric companies my designs on F.A.B.R.I.C.??? Seriously, is that cool or what?

So, I decided to take the matter into my own hands and print some of my own darn fabric. And, VOILA! These pieces showed up in my mailbox today (more on how later). I can tell you I really did almost pee myself.

I even used my fabric scissors to open the envelope. That's the kind of desperation we're talking about here.

And now look, I'm not even showing you the whole enchilada.

Seriously, I think I might lay down on the floor and cry.

EDIT: I just want to clarify that this is not a licensed line yet. It has not been picked up although I am making in-roads on that. This is my dream. This line in whatever form it takes will be licensed at some point ... because I am not going to let it not be. The getting to that point is a really, really long road. I feel sharing the process with you along the way will show that it can be done. Whatever that "it" is for you. Thank you so much for your encouragement. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!

Ahhh... the artistic process. And, oh dear... the art of business. Oh, what a long road it is to get where you want to go. I'm making headway. So, you all will probably get a better idea of what's up in oh, about a year or so. Progress is good. I sure could use a nap though.
Here's another, yet even meaner, oh so much smaller hint... (paranoid much?)

On another note, look what came today. This sweet Stephanie made me quite happy. Oh, how actually finishing a project can fill a girl with joy. BTW, Mathilda and Grace... next week... (see below if you have no clue what I'm taking about.) Steph will take their place on the art bags page.

I'm sad to see the kids go back to school. No, I really am. But on the other hand...
Do you see me there? I'm sitting there on the patio with that beautiful cup of chamomile tea in hand. I have the newspaper. The house is clean. The laundry is done. And most gratefully, there are no bike helmets on the kitchen table. Tomorrow I'll miss them.

Some time next week Mathilda (on the left) and Grace (on the right) will be stopping by for a visit. I'll have to whip up some scones for them to enjoy.

You'll be able to find them having a little party here next Friday.

For those of you who just can't wait, I now have in-stock Art Bags. They are each one of a kind so if you see one you like, grab it!


More coming next week! Wee Hoo!

PS... There's also some of these on the way:

Ya'll didn't think I'd forgotten what I'm doing here, did you? It's back to bags, baby!

Since you've been asking... I thought, "Why not?". So, here it is. I'll only be taking on a couple clients at a time, so it's first come, first serve. Thanks for your votes of confidence.

And it has something to do with something or another that I've designed (You didn't think I forgot that I said I was going to do this, did you?). Really, it's not as exciting as you are thinking (don't get carried away... yet), but it's making me oh so very happy. I hope to have more really exciting stuff to tell soon, but this exciting news should get me part of the way there... here's a hint...

Just a fun little give-away. Enjoy these labels by printing out the pdf. It's fun to print them on those full sheet Avery labels and cut them out. Use for your own enjoyment only please.
Cheers!

My friend Heather is having a party, and we lucky girls are all invited! I did indeed do the graphics for this invite and had a blast doing it (I think that this may become a habitual part of my business, but more on that later...) It sounds like too much fun is going to be had, so I think I'm going to have to wrangle my way into another road trip. Don't any of you mention this escapade to Super Husband... he'll need to be eased into the idea. So, belly up! Which of you Nor Cal ladies is in? Click HERE for tickets.

And we are not great campers either. So, when the eight of us (my parents, my pregnant with twins sister and her husband, the kids, Super Husband and I) boarded a house boat on Lake Powell last week, I sort of knew we were in for it.

The truth is that all things considered, we did pretty well. It's a gorgeous place, one that I consider myself very lucky to have seen. And, considering Mom is scared to absolute death of water (she has been known to break out in hives on a pier) she REALLY did well. I honestly didn't think she'd get on the boat in the first place, so that she made it 5 days and 4 nights is an incredible feat... she deserves a medal... and some jewelry (hint, hint, Dad) for tolerating this adventure.

The other truth is that despite the fact that none of us really knew what we were doing, we only got stuck on the beach we had "parked" the house boat on one time on the very last day.

This was not fun, and I thought we'd never get off, but somehow or another we made it ... after an hour of digging us out by Super Husband and with Super Grandpa on the speed boat behind us tugging at full force praying the house boat didn't suddenly come free and crash madly into him.

More good news... I CAN survive without a hair dryer and showering in a two by two cell with a drip of cold water to clean me.

Another thing I found out about myself this week was that I have a mean swing when there is a big brown poisonous spider involved and that I can move like a speeding bullet if there is a wasp in a boat cabin with me. What I re-learned about Super Husband... he will not kill a big brown poisonous spider ... and not because he's such a nature lover... ah hem. It's because they are big and brown and poisonous.

Things I learned about my kids... they are super cute when they are fishing, they really don't care about showering one bit, and they do not like small speed boats in the high wind (and neither do I even if it means seeing the infamous Rainbow Bridge up close in person).

Also, I learned (as if I didn't already know) that kids can spend hours upon hours rushing down a house boat slide with a five foot drop. And they can pack away s'mores like nobody's business. They were the only ones in the bunch that I believe could actually LIVE on a house boat no problem.

So despite the fact that his wife is probably going to extort payment for this from him for the rest of his life (just kidding mom) this is exactly why Super Grandpa spent a small fortune on a house boat. Because the joy of kids (especially ones who are your grandchildren) is absolutely priceless.

And, I for one, especially enjoyed the scenery.
TTFN,