Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Adventures in....

My First little Market





And I got to catch up with several of my favorite people on Sunday!!! I was so excited to see Jacque (The Creative Gardener) with her soon-to-be hubby, James; Emma and Chris from the Tin Thimble; Clinton (Watston Designs/Brown Dog Cottage and his darling wife, Becky have a spot at the Tattered House); and my employee Tiffany and her man Nate! Which I'm happy to report she finally bought that recycled silver Eames Chair necklace she has been loving since I opened the shop! (thanks Tiff). AND I also saw my new friend KB whom makes wonderful handmade custom assemblage jewelery (I bought one of her vintage button and reused vintage paper pendants).

My 6-month pregnant dear friend Jessie came to help, poor thing--she blew a tire on the way here....I had to pick her up in the Dixon Walmart parking lot (what other tire place is open on a Sunday?) LOST the ONLY key to the family suburban, some where in the abyss of --spring closet cleaning, store product, market product etc...(the house gnome really needs to get them back to me soon!) Luckily my friend, Brock, was at the Glass Turtle where I walked to get his keys and 4runner...I raced to Dixon, got Jess at 10pm-ish, where we proceeded to dine at Le Denny's, got to bed at 12:30am, we were up at 5am (that's late for most markets). Had an interesting and fairly successful day ( I got some GREAT shopping done, I can't wait to show you what I'm creating and came up with--recycling at it's best from your Green Girl!!). But wait there's more--- drove her back to Dixon Walymart at 7pm--she got on the road....and at N. Texas rode had to pull over because the imbecils at Walymart left a brake line lose rubbing against her tire? I felt so bad for her!!! I was ready to just tow her Volkswagon behind my 4-runner back to San Jose!! Of course that would have still left the brake line dangling around the tire!?! Needless to say, she left me the bulk box of powdered donuts holes and made it safely home! Next time I'm sticking her on the capital corridor Amtrak!

So.....Alameda is next, thankfully Clinton, Becky and the Tattered gals are there if I get myself in a pickle!

I'm happy to report my new job is awesome--it gives me the opportunity to focus on Design and having a life again...how about the fact that I have WEEKENDS OFF!!! What??? What am I going to do with myself? I think I will need to get another job to just eat up all this free time!! I've been doing Visual Display and Merchandising for 16 years, and Interior Design for ten...and I love both!


There's several other things on-deck this summer for me and the ECO-BOUTIQUE, I'll be sending the events out in the newsletter (if you would like to sign up for the newsletter email me at EcoBoutique@dwlwdesigns.com) and I will be posting more pics and musings---now that I have ALL this time on my hands! :)


Here's to an amazing kick-off to Summah, Lobstah, Cook-Outs & Friends!
Cheers,

Tamara, Your Local Green Girl

Saturday, May 16, 2009

KINDLING

If you haven't picked up on it already I love languages, literature and words...or sayings. They seem to spark the writer in me...

KINDLING: material for starting a fire.


I'm calling KINDLING the ignition of change which
completely describes my life and the ECO-BOUTIQUE at present. After a few sleepless weeks and agonizing decisions, I'm happy to report--I'm moving the boutique! To start, after much encouragement from the Antique Trove manager, I've decided to move in on Row G and E! I'm also going to be joining the ranks of exhausted Sunday marketers AND eventually opening a smaller more quaint boutique in Old Town Auburn--possibly August.

I'm moving out of the Lincoln Way store by June 1st....mainly because of the "streetscape" project. They are tearing up the frontage of my store---and it's CalTrans, the city and the county...and it's not going to be pretty for a long time! Street closures, minimal accessibility, noise...etc


I'm not sure how my life goes from a little campfire to a regenerative forest fire...whatever the grand plan is for me, I'm happy for these personal and business changes. It gives me an opportunity to still do what I love, design, green living, having a "boutique" space to express myself. :)


So here's to KINDLING, the beginning or inception of growing bigger and brighter.

Thursday, May 7, 2009



Zinc, zinc, Zinc.
Moss and Tonka Jeeps...

I need to add some color to
this!



















My friend and THE best worker bee, Moses did this when we were moving Texas
stuff around the shop....cute for a dude, right?!