To Market, To Market...

'The Market' (show) yesterday exceeded our expectations by far, especially when it came to having a wonderful time! We saw so many friends and I am such a boring blogger that I didn't get one.single.photo. Nope, not one. sigh. I was just too busy trying to keep up with talking and selling and moving sold things outta' the booth... So, a word of thanks to all of the friends and 'fans' (I crack up when people tell us they are our fans! We make stuff with JUNK, how can we have fans for that?!) and decorators/designers, shop owners, and fellow dealers who came by to say hi, give us a hug (I love hugs, don't you?), and support us in so many ways, the least of which is buying our products. We couldn't do this without you and we appreciate you so much!

We did miss seeing Miss Kimberly of Mimi Charmante, but she was recovering from a night of hobnobbin' with the stars (check her blog), so we'll see her next time! I finally met Miss Melaine of My Sweet Savanna - Kim's been saying for months now that we 'simply MUST meet!' - but things were such a crazy whirlwind that I barely had an opportunity to visit with her. So, I'll have to make amends for that because I just know that we'd have oh so much to chat about! And to Todd Waddell of Bountiful Home, I'm sorry for the same thing. I barely said hello to you! Geeze, I'm a wench.

Thank you also to the dealers at the show who offered their compliments on our booth setup. We really appreciate that - especially coming from people who know how hard this work really IS.

There are a crazy few days coming up for us, but I'll get some blog fodder so I can post more interesting things on here soon.....

"I Love What We Do!"

I can't even count how many times my honey and I said that to each other today! We've been at Magnussen Park in Seattle, setting up our space for tomorrow's Sand Point Antique & Design Market. We had a pretty fast & easy setup - with no drama! YAY! Here are a few shots of what we created to whet your appetite - for more, visit our Retreat blog.




...and for the main course, come by and see us at the show tomorrow!

Survivor

Sometime last spring.... May, I think... the rain subsided and the weeds they began to GROW. It was rather frightening how fast some areas were overtaken by them. So Bob got out his trusty weedeater and edger, and hacked them to bits. Then he doused the areas with heavy-duty weed killer (I know, I know.....) to keep them from coming back. They didn't.

Well.... except this ONE. I found it unfurling underneath the raised metal firepit about a month ago, just a scraggly little vine starting to wind around one of the legs. Two days later it was ginormous. It was then that I realized that it wasn't a weed at all, but a Clematis 'Evergreen' vine - a hardy vining plant that tends to do quite well here in the Northwest. We had never seen it there before, not even last summer when we first found our house. I dug the rootball up (it was really huge), split it down, and transplanted the thing into my rear patio windowbox. The window is in the laundry room and overlooks the back deck, and gets morning & afternoon sun. I thought it would be a perfect place to watch her grow.
It's been growing like gangbusters for the past month and looks so pretty there. A few days ago, this amazing blossom appeared. White. Ok, I have to tell you that it's pretty much a miracle plant because of it's story, but that white flower is the cherry on top. Nothing planted on this property is white. Nothing. It's all garish orange day lilies and bright red roses and pink & yellow blooming trees and purple heather. All SO not what I would choose. No white, no where, no how. And Deb does love white flowers.... so the appearance of this beauty really made me smile.

And then I started to think about this little plant...I was meant to find her. She was meant to survive. And suddenly, it became about more than a plant....

It's OK if we go unnoticed, and if we aren't located in the best, most spectacular place. It's OK if we get hacked down, and then doused with hard stuff that tries to kill us off or at least keep us from getting where we are trying to go. It's OK if we spend a long time developing deep roots to support us, and it's OK if the visible parts of us are nothing special.


Really. It's OK.


Because we are survivors. One grand day, the sun is gonna' shine on us, and we are going to grow leaps and bounds and start spreading out all over the place. And we're going to get noticed. And we'll end up in a location with a spotlight on us, right up at eye level, where our vision and destiny and worth will be evident. And in that setting, in that perfect place, we will blossom. And time will stand still while our blossom unfurls and spreads beauty to all who encounter it. And our story will encourage and inspire others to just.hang.in.there. until the sun does shine.

(I really love that 'sun shining' part!)

I don't know where you are right now. But I know where T is. I know where J and MB are. I know where we are. We've been hanging in there, and the sun is breaking through the clouds. It's almost time. Look at that photo of the blossom, and know that your time is coming - you are about to bloom into the fullness of all that you are meant to be. Wiggle your toes in that dirt and throw your leaves open wide, and get ready to soak it all in.

And GROW!

Hi, I'm Deb, and I'm a blogoholic.

While chatting with Heather this weekend, she mentioned that she had no idea I had more than one blog until just recently. REALLY? yipes. I've got links over there to the right in my upper sidebar, but maybe I'm not doing such a great job of promoting all those other blogs and sites that I am contributing to. And I really should get on that. ASAP.

So.... let me introduce you to me. The online me:
There's this me, the Hummadeedledee me on this blog. I'm Deb, a woman who loves to decorate my home, celebrate holidays, and throw an occaisional party. I am a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, classmate, daughter, friend. Generally just a creative person. I call this my 'personal' blog and just share 'stuff' here. Stuff about everything, really. Sometimes on this blog, I mention projects I am working on - and then direct you to other places to read/hear more about them...
I'm also Deb Kennedy, partner/owner/designer of Retreat. That's the unofficial name of the business that my husband Bob and I started two years ago. (Official name is Retreat Collection by KENNEDY|kennedy Design) This is a business that grew out of our lifestyle - over thirty years of creating unique and personal decor in our own home. Our tagline is right in our banner, above, and tells you what we are all about: We make old stuff look fabulous! We gather old materials, design new products, create them, and sell them at local shops and shows. Check us out!
I use my full name, Debi Ward Kennedy, as a retail visual designer. I have worked in the retail industry since I was thirteen years old (when I started in my mom's hotel gift shop across the street from Disneyland) and have been an employee, owner, designer, and consultant to a scope of some of the largest and some of the smallest businesses you can imagine. (Food, Wine, Fashion, Home Decor & Accessories, Books, B&B's, Hotels, Wineries, Churches, and even Theme Parks). I've also contributed to and founded online communities for women entrepreneurs.

For the past seven years, I have had my own business, offering retail visual design services like store planning & design, display styling, brand image development, and writing articles & presenting seminars for industry publications & trade shows. I'm listed as a Retail Expert for the Gift & Home Channel and Country Business magazine, where I provide content on a regular basis. (This is what everyone refers to as my 'big girl job', I guess!) On my web site, you can view my portfolio of client projects, client list, recommendations from clients, view four of my six videos for the Gift & Home Channel, and more.
My Design Blog is where I share tons of information that will help you build a better business by maximizing your visual impact. There's so much on there. The whole right sidebar is full of resource links for you - from books that I recommend, to online business services you can use, to inspiring blogs. The left sidebar links you to all of the articles I've written that are available online, as well as my videos and yet another of my blogs on the Gift & Home Channel.

So whether I am posting as Deb, DebK, Deb Kennedy, or Debi Ward Kennedy, I obviously DO have a lot to say with three main blogs and one for GHC, plus a Facebook Page for each business. (Do you see why Deb don't Twitter?! Deb is outta' time!) When you combine all of the topics I write about, you get a pretty clear picture of who I am. And in person, I'm just a hyped-up version of that, who never sits still. Actually, I ONLY sit still when I am writing on my blogs! ;0)

'Why so many?' you may ask.... well, I needed to create a separate blog for each to keep the scope of information I offer from being too overwhelming. (For example, I don't want retailers to have to wade through posts and links about home decor, or my grandsons, to get to info they can use and to learn about how I can help them build a better business.) Keeping the subject matter relatively concise also keeps me on track when I am researching and writing for each blog, and I work really hard to continually develop content for all of them so that they are all helpful and inspiring resources. I love inspiring people and connecting them to each other, ideas & resources, and I love having visitors. So please drop into my other blogs anytime you'd like to catch up with what I'm up to!

Working Woman

All this time I thought I moved at the speed of light. Hooooooo boy. By the time I caught up with her, Miss Heather had been at it for ten days straight, and yet I watched her buzz around Cindy's show on Saturday morning like an adrenaline-crazed bee. (And I mean that in a GOOD way!) Girl works fast, works hard, and from what I saw of the shots she composed in seconds, flawlessly. She is SO impressive! I have a slew of photos that I took of her while she was taking photos...but I don't want to give away anything that might show up in her future feature articles.

She slowed down just.long.enough for me to catch up with her, and Bob snapped a shot of us. (Since she forbade me to at dinner! She said she looked 'wiped out'. Dear lord, if I could only look that good on any.day.of.my.life.) Truth is, this girl is as beautiful in spirit as she is in appearance.

Heather and I are relatively new friends, having known each other just over a year, since I interviewed her in one of my videos for GHC last June. But when we do talk & visit, it's with an easy connection over creativity, decorating, and more. I so appreciate her encouragement and enthusiasm for the creative life, which she shares with me and with everyone she comes into contact with. It's one of her many gifts. I really can't wait to see the story she produces for the magazine - I'll see this show through a whole new viewpoint, that is certain!

And tortilla chips will never look the same to me again...... ;0)

Long & Winding Road

After we left the Tarte show on Saturday morning, we headed North on 99 to Milwaukie St. Hit Stars and Stars & Splendid (saw some AWESOME space displays that I'll share on my retail design blog soon), then hit the Goodwill outlet and a few more thrift stores. The Sellwood neighborhood was having a yard sale bonanza, and we stopped at more than a few of those. Finally, we hit our limit and headed out of town.

After traveling West and taking in some beautiful scenery, we made it to Seaside, OR. We always go to the beach on our anniversary. You see, way back when, we met one day at work. But then that night, we met again at Huntington Beach. Lifeguard Tower 17, to be exact. It was meant to be. Then we got married exactly one year later. (But not on the beach. =( ) So, each year, no matter where we are, we find a way to go to a beach and stand and watch the sunset and remember that night all those years ago when we found each other.

This was our first trip to Seaside, and we fell in love with it! Really reminded us of Balboa Island/Newport Beach/Huntington Beach, CA where we hung out in our younger days (and finally got together allllll those years ago!). Even has an amusement zone! We really loved seeing and hearing the pounding, unimpeded surf - living on Puget Sound, we don't get 'waves' or 'surf'. We get.... ripples. ;0) We'll be headed back for a longer trip in the future, for sure.

As we walked the boardwalk, we saw a wedding about to take place out on the sand. I decided to be bold, and walked up to some of the guests who hadn't walked out to the site yet. I explained that it was our 29th wedding anniversary, it is an auspicious day to get married, and that we wished the bride and groom as much love as we have shared over this many years. Yes, I am crazy. Yes, the women I talked to looked at me like 'HUH?'. Then she smiled, clapped her hands, and said 'YAY!'. Maybe she was crazy, I dunno. Never saw the happy couple.

So we headed to Astoria, crossed the huge bridge over the massive Columbia River, drove north to Long Beach, WA, and Bob found a beach to take the truck out 4-by-in' on. He's always wanted to drive on the sand!

We ended up on a long and winding road (story of our lives!) from Long Beach peninsula North to Aberdeen, Wa., and caught sight of this spectacular sunset as we buzzed along the inner coastal road. The sun peeked out from the cloud cover just before sinking into the ocean. Gorgeous!

Then we drove home. Well, actually, we drove to Olympia, and got stuck in a massive traffic backup that lasted 60 miles until we had reached the other side of Seattle. THEN we drove home. I know they have to repair the roads, but why they had to take a five lane freeway down to ONE LANE for 60 miles is beyond me. We got in after 1 AM, two very tired oldieweds. Oh yeah, that's what we have taken to calling ourselves now. We can't be newlyweds after 30 years together - so we we're oldieweds.

Next year on August 22, on our thirtieth wedding anniversary, we'll be renewing our wedding vows. On the beach. On our Island. =)

Perfect

Perfect spots of color among natural surroundings...
Perfect Grand Entrance....
Perfect bling....
Perfect French Vanilla Latte feeling in Linda's WillowNest room.....
Perfect details, every last one tended to by the Queen herself. It was beautiful and inspiring, and we are so glad we were there. Cindy always does such an amazing presentation, wherever she goes, and this entire barn was gleaming under her careful touches. Marvelous job, Your Highness!

As expected, the turnout for the show was wonderful. It was delightful to see so many of our new friends... Cindy & Barry of course, and Joe (with no Jermonne), Robin, Isabelle & Lisa, Linda & Ludmil, and tho we didn't officially meet Donna & Diana of Annie, Fannie, & Abigail, we drooled over their displays both at the barn and at Monticello. Heather & Jim were there, too, hard at work when we arrived earlier than planned at 8 AM...but more on that later! (Along with some very cool shots we got after we left the Tarte show, and after some very successful thrifting & garage sale-ing, when we drove over to the coast.) ;0)

Added: Tracey emailed and asked me why I didn't share more photos of the Tarte show.... mostly because everything I shot Heather ALSO shot, and I didn't want to give away any of the stuff she'll be using in her article for Flea Market Style Magazine. Pissing off magazine contributing editors who happen to be friends is NOT a good thing! Even Cindy didn't share a lot of photos of her own event. This is why you have to BE THERE, girls!!!

Finding Our Way

OK, I don't know what is up with Blogger. Or my hotel internet connection. But I can't load any photos for this post. and I have such fun photos..... pffffffftthhthhththt. (Is that how you spell the 'raspberry' sound?) So, in lieu of photos, I will do this: *imagine shot of Matador restaurant at dusk with lots of golden amber globe lamps from the 70's hung under red crushed velvet ceilings. Yes, Really.*

(note squares of red crushed velvet fabric on ceiling....)
I'm having a bit of trouble writing this blog post, because I am still laughing so hard... we have spent the last four hours with Heather & 'The Man' Bullard, having a lovely dinner at a place up the street from our hotels and some of the most lively conversation we've been party to in quite awhile. (And knowing some of the people we have been around lately, that is really saying something!) No offense to any of them, but Heather's discourse on the features and flaws of the Garman navigation system that they use in their car had us all in stitches. Heather has pronounced her verdict that we'll add ten more years to our marriage if we'll just get ourselves to Costco and spring for one of these babies. I've decided she's our new relationship/marriage counselor and we'd better listen up to this advice, since the last time we were in Portland we got into a rip roaring fight over my navigational skills - or lack thereof - that caused us to miss Monticello altogether. (uh huh. More on that later).

So, hearing our tales of woe, The Man gave Bob (previously known as Mr.Deb) the full tour of the Garman device and pointed out all of the great things it can do for you. Heather expounded on the device's penchant for talking incessantly in its peppy female voice and not allowing for frequent garage sale stops while en route to a final location.... she calls it her husband's mistress and says he loves it more than her. "He agrees with her. He believes her and not me!" Like I said, hilarious. She could be a stand-up comedian if she ever decides to ditch the designer/writer/photographer/stylist/contributing editor gig she has going on now. I'm just sayin'....

*imagine photo of several small plates, flatware, napkins, and water glasses on table.*

So Miss Heather was still in her 'On A Mission' mode (that's what The Man calls it) after shooting a story for the magazine all day - when the tortilla chips & salsa were placed on our table, she had to style them for the photo I was taking.

*Imagine photos of said small plates arranged, with flatware laid precisely ( but arranged to look casual) across them, napkin tucked under edge, bowl of tortilla chips & salsa in background.*


*Imagine second photo of same setting, with feminine fingers stealing into the scene to place - precisely - tortilla chips onto one of the small plates*

Those are her pretty fingers all.over.my.chips. Uh huh. She did it and then apologized, wondering if it was like double-dipping or something.

*imagine photo of same scene with a large goblet of white sangria added*.

Now I had alcohol to kill the germs, so I didn't care and ate the chips anyway. AFTER I snapped the beauty shots, of course!

We talked and laughed and caught up and had a lot of fun. By the time we walked back to the hotels (across the street from each other), I was wishing we could spend more time with them. We'll see them in the morning at the Tarte show, as Heather has some last shots to get for her story in Cindy's show, but no more visiting. We'll just have to find a time to get them up to our place to stay a few days, that's all there is to it.

Earlier today Bob & I hit Monticello Antique Marketplace....

*imagine photo of sign at entry doors*

Yes, we found it this time. Somehow we ended up two streets away last time and got all turned around. Whatever get over it Bob. So, back to Monticello. ohmygoodness. Yeah, it IS everything that people say it is. The girls at the front counter were super busy while we were there, so I couldn't ask the burning question in my head: Who's space is that in the front right corner of the store????? (The one with the window to the right of the entrance) I was in heaven lookin' at it and was afraid to take photos of it. Seriously. I was in luff and wanted to know who created this lush setting the color of vanilla bean ice cream - so if you know, please tell me! Pass along my compliments to the chef, as it were - stunning. Just stunning. Edited Sunday to add: I found out whose space that is. Walked into Cindy's Tarte Barn on Saturday morning and saw the displays at the back. Eeeeeerily similar - and Deb felt like a dork. It's Annie, Fannie, and Abigail, of course!

OK I have to get to sleep cause we are up with the birds and off to Cindy's Land of Tarte for some magic and mayhem!

Welcome to My Studio!

After a few days of repainting, swapping out accessories and decor items, and reorganizing my studio, it's got a fresh new outlook! Last time I shared my office/studio with you here, things looked a bit dark:
The photos below show more Before/After transformations... By removing all of the black accessories & decor, and repainting the black table a soft white, the effect in the room is more open, spacious, and lighthearted. It also fits in well with the Beach House style we have in the rest of our house. Sometimes a girl just needs a change!My mannequin Miss DiDi has had a wardrobe change (she's much more demure this way!), and yes, that IS 'The Chandelier with a Million Personalities'! It's been so many different colors that I can't remember them all, and now it's white yet again. I did love it in black, but needed to lighten it up for this new style.

The thing is, it doesn't take a team of HGTV designers & carpenters, or Ty Pennington, or even a lot of work to redesign a room. A little time, effort, some paint, and a swap of color in accessories is all that's needed to really make a difference. You can do this too!

If you'd like to see more photos of my restyled room, check out the slideshow below. I do hope you enjoy it as much as I am enjoying my wonderful, calm, relaxing and inspiring new Retreat!

Disclaimer: I'm adding this on Friday. I finally got my hands on the newest copy of 'Where Women Create'. Here I've spent all this time cleaning and clearing and simplifying my space - and now they show rooms and rooms filled full to overflowing with a colorful riot of stuff. sigh. I'm glad I love my new space, anyway!!!!!

Not Yet....

... nope, no office photos yet. Still some details to complete in there. But I DID get another project a little further along! I found a few more white frames to group with a swanky mirror I had been saving. I repainted it white and then hung them all on the dining room wall. Love how they reflect the billowy white curtains as they dance in the breeze!
And look, there's still room for more! ;0) I'll be completing my office project this week, and I promise to share photos as soon as I can... Have a lovely Monday, friends!

It's Been An Unusual Day.......

....usually I'm so thankful that my best friend, partner, husband, and companion of thirty years are in business together and doing what we love....

...usually I feel rather sassy and confident in my abilities and skill.....

....usually I am able to tap into the little girl who still lives deep inside me, and revel in her sense of wonder & imagination..... (she's not actually THIS little girl, but this was the only little girl photo I could find right now!)

...usually I am able to celebrate every moment that I experience, regardless of the circumstances.....

but today, my friends, today.....

I'm So Tiiiiiiiiaaaahed.

I couldn't have said it better myself than Madeline Kahn did in Blazing Saddles. There's just no other way to look at it.

The sun DID come out today, from behind the gray cloud cover we've had for two weeks. So, there's that..... Ok, well, I can usually get through tough days like this with a little encouragement. Perhaps from the words of another screen siren......

'Aftah Awl, Tomorrah is Anothah Day.....'

Danger: Woman Decorating!

This morning I wasn't feelin' so hot, so I started cleaning up my office/studio. Sort of a low-impact but necessary undertaking. Get it clean and organized so I can buckle down with projects. That was the goal. But then I started lookin' around, and..... well, you know where that leads, right?!

Yep. Total redecoration. I've torn it allllll apart and am putting it back together with some new touches, colors, and details. As soon as it looks presentable, I'll snap some photos to share! Stay tuned...

Islands of Memory

I was a bookish kid growing up. I hid in my room and read so much that my grandmother would literally chase me out of the house... I can't begin to count the number of times I heard her say 'Debs, it's a beautiful day! Get out there and PLAY!'. I miss her calling me Debs. So, I'd go outside. With my book tucked under my shirt! I'd head straight for the tree in the front yard, climb up, and hide within the leafy branches as I finished whatever story had captivated me enough to spend a sunny summer day on my bed. (Why the tree? She & mom never looked up there for me. And my pesky little brother couldn't reach the branches!!)

Tuesday, while we were at the beach on Whidbey Island with our girls, I suddenly remembered a long-forgotten book that was one of my childhood favorites. You see, as we walked along the shore, we discovered a bevy of beach huts - built from driftwood that had been piled, leaned, half-buried, and arranged to form little forts. Some had flagpoles, others had walkways, one even had a doghouse! And a few had fences.

It was the fences along with the huts that caused a memory to spark.... I pictured a hut like this, built against a rock wall..... with a fence of driftwood logs driven into the ground to form a fort-like inner courtyard. The image was familiar, and I struggled to fill in the blanks of what story this setting had held.

Then I remembered that the story had a little girl. Not her name, nor her nationality, though I knew it had to have been Native American. Small details started to come back to me.... a boat and arrows and clothing that she made. The great storm that led her to learn to build that fence. Her friends from the sea. And this was where my eyes opend wide and I smiled and said 'Island of the Blue Dolphins!' to no one in particular. No one heard me, anyway!

As I revelled in this memory of a book I dearly loved, I watched groups of boys and girls from a day camp swarm the beach. They were searching for logs to complete their beach huts, architectural masterpieces all. The boys played 'war' (of course) while the girls gathered seaweed to make pretend food from, and hung grass as curtains in their 'window' openings. I wondered if those girls had ever heard of this book, ever read it, and if it influenced them to play as they did. I doubt it.

'Island of the Blue Dolphins' was written by Scott O'Dell and originally published in 1960. I read it for the first time approximately 10 years later, when I was eight years old. And re-read it each summer....even pretending I was 'Karana' on the shores of Whiskeytown Lake and Brandy Creek during family picnics. The last time I remember reading it was the summer after seventh grade, while sitting on the sand in Long Beach, CA. one hot Fourth of July weekend - a year after we had moved to Southern California from up North. I can imagine now that I read it then while longingly staring out at the distant Channel Islands, where it supposedly took place, imagining Karana's life lived right there.

Amazon has this to say about the book:

Scott O'Dell won the Newbery Medal for Island of the Blue Dolphins in 1961, and in 1976 the Children's Literature Association named this riveting story one of the 10 best American children's books of the past 200 years.

O'Dell was inspired by the real-life story of a 12-year-old American Indian girl, Karana. The author based his book on the life of this remarkable young woman who, during the evacuation of Ghalas-at (an island off the coast of California), jumped ship to stay with her young brother who had been abandoned on the island. He died shortly thereafter, and Karana fended for herself on the island for 18 years. O'Dell tells the miraculous story of how Karana forages on land and in the ocean, clothes herself (in a green-cormorant skirt and an otter cape on special occasions), and secures shelter. Perhaps even more startlingly, she finds strength and serenity living alone on the island.

Here is what a Google search turned up about the book:

Island of the Blue Dolphins was released as a major motion picture in 1964. The film starred Celia Kaye, Larry Domasin, Ann Daniel, and George Kennedy. A Universal Picture. A Robert D. Radnitz production, directed by James B. Clark.

(I find it amazing that my husband's great uncle, the actor George Kennedy, was in a film of a book I loved!) I never saw that motion picture. And were I to watch it today (unlikely, as it's on VHS) I think I'd be sorely disappointed. I'm an imaginative reader, and entire worlds take form in my mind as I devour books. I doubt if anything Hollywood could design could come close to the world I dreamed up based on Scott O'Dell's descriptive words.
But it would be really lovely if they'd do a remake of it. This thing has Disney written all over it - Karana could be the newest Disney Princess and pay tribute to coastal Native American tribes. Or, do a live version and let me do the production & set design. I'm just sayin'. I mean, just think of all the little girls who could be newly inspired by this story. And the grandmas like me who will smile when they remember an old friend....

(Oh for.......... My dear husband just reminded me that we know a Pixar screenwriter. GRIN!) In the meantime, I'm going to grab myself a copy and read it for old time's sake. Seems like a perfect read as summer winds down. Would you like to join me? You can purchase a copy of the book from Amazon.