Oh the Goodness!

Have you ever had one of those moments where everything just CLICKS and you think “now this is what I was made to do!”

I had one of those moments recently. It was Christmas Eve eve and I was crawling into bed, so tired and worn out, with my new (albeit late in the season) copy of the December issue of British Country Living. I was sitting there all warm in toasty under my 4 blankets,each of them cozier than the next, with achy muscles (for it had been a very festive but LONG day) melting into my my fluffy bed and pillows…ah, so nice. As I flipped through the first few pages of the magazine, I came to the section where they show all the lovely little goodies they have found at various shoppes, both local and online, I felt as if a light bulb went off in my head – “I am supposed to make things!” I thought. I don’t know why that felt like such a revelation to me. I have been making things all my life, and making and actually selling them this past year. But for several years now I have worn so many different hats – Interior Designer, Web Designer, Shoppe Keeper, Entrepreneur, Crafter… And I have always struggled to figure out which one was really “Me.” I know they are all parts of me, but because so much of this work found me, instead of me finding it, – and because I needed every bit of work that came my way, regardless of which category it fell into- sometimes it has been hard for me to really know which way I wanted to go- which way I was meant to go…

This past year I felt like I did a good job of letting go of my intense need for Definition, and in return – as is usual when you finally let go of something – some things in my life were mercifully re-Defined for me, some questions answered. But lately I have also been so busy with work that I actually forgot for a bit about all my questions regarding “Which Hat is the Most Me Hat?” Until I opened that magazine. And then the lighting bolt hit. “You want to make things” it said. “Design things, create things, make things…” And suddenly I felt all lit up inside, and it all made sense. I immediately knew what I really didn’t want to do anymore, what I wouldn’t mind doing sometimes, and what I really really wanted to do more than anything, which is Create Cute Things.

So as 2008 rapidly approached, I decided to go with that thought, and do something I have always wanted to do: Create a complete collection of Cute Things that coordinate, and so without further adieu I give you The Birthday Collection, in 2 Color Sets

Vintage Pink

and Winsome Blue

This Collection Includes:

Mini Ribbon Cakes

Birthday Candles

Birthday Horns

Happy-Fetti

Happy Birthday Banners (not shown)

Gift Cones (coming soon)
Crowns (coming soon)

Currently the Candles and Happy-Fetti and Birthday Banners (which I will be updating with new pictures soon) are available for sale at Storia HOME.
The other items shown are in my local shoppe here in town and hopefully I can get a few done for the Etsy shoppe before I delve too deep into Valentines Day.
My plan is for these items to be my standard items in each collection for each holiday, so let me know what you would like to see more of for Valentines and Easter!

Now I don’t really know how this is all going to shake out. I know that I am going to have to continue (to some degree) to do some of the things that aren’t my favorite things to do, but that is life and part of the human experience… and they help pay the bills. It can’t all be roses after all can it? But somehow ever since I had my “Aha Moment” (thank you Oprah) I don’t mind those things as much because I am not as worried about them – or the outcome- anymore. I can see that they are part of my learning and creating (and bill paying) experience, but they aren’t my true heart, and therefore, I can hold onto them much more lightly than before.

(for more pics of the new goodies you can go here)