Truly Bluegrass

The doors have opened! Truly Bluegrass is a new shop that launched yesterday in Versailles, and specializes in Kentucky-handcrafted items. I finally dropped off my own goods on Sunday, and although the smell of fresh paint was still in the air, the shop was well organized and stocked with high-quality items. These included some spectacular pottery, unique jewelry (I liked the punky pony necklaces), metalwork, stained glass, one-of-a-kind quilts, and food items from the region.

Although retail has had a tough time in downtown Versailles, I have a good feeling about the potential for success with this shop and I certainly plan to shop there! The owners are very enthusiastic and have great eyes for quality and beautiful displays, and they are located next to another successful Versailles shop, Daisy Girls. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to their endeavor!

We have our own display area with hand-dyed yarns from Seldom Scene Farm's alpacas, handfelted soaps, handknit items, photo cards, and fiber for spinning and felting. Best of luck, Wendy and Joyce, and congratulations on your opening!

I've also been hard at work on dyeing fiber and yarn for this weekend's Midway Festival, one of my favorite weekends of the year! It's been satisfying to have more studio time, and I've been alternating between painting and dyeing. Here are some of my newly-completed projects which will be available at Midway and/or Truly Bluegrass...

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Alone... but not lonely!

Saturday night I found myself alone in the house for the entire night for the first time in... years? I nearly called a friend to go out, but ended up putting some halibut on the grill, opening a nice bottle of wine, and getting out my art supplies and fiber stuff.

I was fortunate enough to have a few unwatched Netflix movies. There has been an ongoing theme of feminism in my thoughts, readings (Loving Frank), movies (Mona Lisa Smile), and media (Sarah Palin) lately... what's with this? (Have you ever had a concept appear and reappear in multiple aspects of your life?) Okay, it doesn't mean that I don't still support the GOP ticket, but I struggle with the idea of a mother of five with several young ones in the White House; does this mean I'm not supportive of feminism or that I'm ultra right-wing? It's not that I don't think a man (ie. Todd Palin) can handle the kids with lots of paid help and extended family, or does it? I know few men who can multi-task as well as we women, and hugs and kisses from mom are somehow different from Dad's.... I truly believe that women should be able to choose their careers, ANY careers, but I do have to wonder how much of a price their children may pay for those choices. Okay, enough philosophizing for now...

The other movie I watched was A River Runs Through It. Friends and I were talking about this movie last week while riding, and all that I had remembered about it was that Brad Pitt looked amazing and the Montana scenery was gorgeous (Brad looked better to me 16 years ago, but then again I'm sure I'd have looked better to him then, too). The movie is so much more than I remembered, and it will be added to my favorites list. It's theme is simply Beauty... and that people make their own choices in life and it's not always possible to help them when they make the wrong ones, except by loving them.

I was delighted to have everyone return home on Sunday! I did get a lot done, and next time I'll show you my projects and tell you about the opening of Truly Bluegrass, the new shop in Versailles that is carrying some of my yarn, fiber, and finished products.

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Hodge Podge and Mod Podge

Finally, I've gotten my running out of the way for the week and I've taken time in the studio to play around with some new techniques and painting. This mixed media stuff is so much fun! I know I should be doing fiber stuff in preparation for the Midway Festival, but.... you know me!


I told Mirian that there were surprises in store for her if she made the bus and missed no school for the first month, and here's a decoupage box I made for her from a left-over stationary box that I painted and embellished:




She's been wanting to learn to shave her legs, so I included a sparkly pink razor and some fragrant shaving gel- she loved it and did well with her first shaving lesson! (She would be SO embarrassed that I put that on the blog).

We had our first fall alpaca cria, a black male from one of our oldest import girls, Roana.

Hopefully he's a harbinger of our fall births- unassisted, nursing in no time, bright and healthy! I am normally excited for each and every cria, but we've got a big surplus of males I'm trying to move right now. Black is desirable, though, and he appears to have some good potential. If you know anybody looking for bargain-priced fiber males OR breeding stock males please refer them to me, okay?

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Fossils at the Falls

This week I went on a field trip with Mirian's class to a hidden gem, Falls of the Ohio State Park, just across the Ohio River from Louisville in S. Indiana. There's a lovely visitor center which describes the 385 million years of changes that brought forth amazing fossil beds over a mile long, right along the river.

Two major interstates buzz right by, but this park and it's unique history have fortunately been preserved. The Falls were the launching point for Lewis and Clark's Expedition, but the most impressive and evident history is preserved in the 220 acres of fossils, which you can walk around upon.

The kids, an especially curious and bright class of 6th graders, really loved it and were inspired by the guide, who was hilarious and very knowledgeable. I asked him just how unique this spot was, and he said the same fossil beds are unexposed anywhere else in the world except for a small area at Niagra Falls.

I must say that poking around on the rocks and learning about the milleniums it took to bring forth this wonder truly made me and my loco life feel like such a tiny speck in time!

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Studio, Schmudio

I wrote recently about how every time I decluttered a corner, there was always another staring back at me. I am happy to report that I am finally feeling like I'm catching up! Last week the top of my desk in the house reappeared from a long retreat. Only problem was that it yielded a ton of stuff to be filed... and I couldn't even get to the file cabinet in my studio due to a light being out in the closet and so much junk in there. (Electrician was here, CHECK, plumber here now to install some new faucets, CHECK, we are really getting stuff done around here!)

My studio needed a major overhaul (see top, before), and I am happy to report that it is, as of today, once again a place that I'll love to hang out and work and play. It always helps when my parents or other guests are coming, and although I abandoned the white glove a very long time ago, I do like for this area to be at least presentable. Tah dah!!!

I am on a roll now, and feel like I'm digging myself out of at least 4 years worth of accumulated stuff. I mean scary, monstrous piles. One technique I have picked up and that I'm trying to teach the kids is when I see something out of place, either "Put it away, throw it away, or give it away" (ie. to Goodwill). This is really working for us! I'm also finally designating places for things a little better (aka. unfinished knitting projects go in certain clear bins in my studio). Here's how I have organized my multitude of knitting needles and notions, in a clear plastic over-the-door shoe organizer.

Something tells me that I'm turning a corner in terms of organization around our home, time will tell but I am pretty determined!

One more photo... this is my cute Dad with our dog Munchie and visiting dog Molly. We had such a nice visit with my parents.... thanks for coming, Mom and Dad.

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