I have a case of the jitters… we are on our way, we are half way there… I am putting glitter on things here in the hotel room just hours before the show! I have answered calls all day from friends and family.. now how far is this,answer:870 miles, how long?answer; it s  THREE HOUR show!!!!when do you set up?answer: three hrs before the show we get to go into the ballroom… yes it’s a ballroom…. we only have a 10×10 space, it has been years since we did a 10×10…. I have so many things… BUT… we laid it all out in front of the store, and it did work… so I need to take a deep breath….. BUT.. three hrs!!! for set-up!!!!! For those of you who know me well , you know I do not ask many questions… some one asks us to do a show, I think, that sounds fun, sure, count us in…. when I hang up Ludmil ALWAYS… ALWAYS… asks me, how many vendors, do we have a wall, electricity, how do they advertise , do we unload at our space or far away, how about trailer parking, what is the attendance like.. I never never never ask all that even after all these years.. I just say Ludmil ,we are going to do Silver Bella, some really talented, amazing people do Silver Bella…. and some of our old friends from the North West do Silver Bella,that’s all I know and all I need to know… we’re going! Little by little after the deposit has been sent and I have started gathering my goodies,I find out all there is to know,it does not change a thing for me,I am still excited and still making all my charts and plans, but  Ludmil feels so much better because he has some answers. We can’t wait to see you. At our Urban Market show this past weekend many people said they were coming to see us, I can hardly wait.Go check the Bella web site for answers to all your questions, I have to go glitter…

A little sidebar, I am miles away from where I was born oh so long ago…… things so seem to go in a full circle don’t they.

p.s. thank you lovely people who came and visited our booth at Urban Market… we love seeing you!

Ludmil and I love this market… Jackie the promoter is wonderful, the customers are always excited and fun to work with, we have great fun with all  our friends who do the show with us, the weather is always warm and sunny…. it simply does not get much better..so come Nov. 8th, this SUN. and shop with us….at the Houston Urban Market….

We are bring more than we usually do, as the last two times I have not had quite enough… that’s how popular this show is!! I also am doing one of my very favorite things, and that is Christmas.. it is time, even though it is still so bright and sunny here in Texas it’s time to “DECK THE HALLS”.. I have made some very sweet things, that I am eager to show off… one ,is a tag that is designed to hold a gift card… you know the ones teenagers, and college students always seem to prefer….. and I also have some sweet snow angels that I am very fond of.. I have been very busy in my little studio.

Must give sweet Ludmil a big thank-you as he made me 4 custom units for my studio, all designed to go with the wallpaper covered cabinet I got from Gloria, at Sweet Pea , and it has made such a difference in my room… I have been busy sorting , tucking ,filing and primping , it all looks so orderly now…thank-you sweetheart it has made a huge difference.

Come early to Houston… there are always such great things from all of us that get swooped up in the first 30 minutes..see you soon…. Love Linda  P.S. while I am at it I should probably mention that we are on our way to Silver Bella in Ohama, Nebraska, have not been there before and we are truly jittery about being asked to do this special show with so many really talented people.. I have saved back lot’s of glitter and bling for this.. we will be there Nov. 13… it is just one dazzling night of fun and then it’s all over… I will tell you all about it when we return.

The first cool days of fall have arrived  in Texas. I am reminded of the homes of our friends in the North West who we visited this summer. Thoughts have been  tumbling around in my head for weeks about how wonderful it was to share time with these special people, I thought that some of you might enjoy a peek inside their homes as well. This list is in the order of our stay.

I called an old # … magically Polly answered! I said we would be in the neighborhood in a few hrs. was she up to a visit! YES she cried, this after 15 years, you would have thought it was last week that we saw one another. Like days of old, our chatter covered the map, children, husbands, work, grandchildren, family, sex, all things old girlfriends share. A meal was cooked, like always, and wine was shared, a walk was taken, like always, and Polly graciously stayed with me as her sisters trudged on up the hill. ( I am the one not in shape, like always) the visit was short and delicious. I felt renewed!

A stop with Dani and Eric, in Santa Cruz, they have house guests from Germany, no problem, the more the merrier, we had Dani’s birthday to celebrate! A walk on the beach for Ludmil, me enjoying Dani’s new store, just steps away from where they live, and again cooking dinner together, and sharing customs of celebration for Dani’s birthday. Up early, we four and off to the Alameda Point flea market.

We arrive in Oregon, to home… Julie and Davids, always a soft spot to land, never a lack of food, special smacks brought in just for us, a visit to the farmers market, a true home away from home, where you can walk in a say “I need to go to bed” no questions asked, just a knowingness that it’s OK that you are bone tired and can’t speak a full sentence. Again the talk, the sharing , news of children and grandchildren, old friends…

A quick cup of tea with Gregory and Christine, where the conversation often turns to business ideas, politics, engaging new ideas of the universe…. it is always a visit cut short by time and other commitments, we are always ready to come back for more and that we did a  few days later over a delightful dinner.

A drive up to The Barn House now, you open the door and the first thing that hits you is how clean and fresh everything smells, it always looks this way, so tidy, so warm and cozy, but this time it smells sooo good, I am just sure that Joe is using some special organic, expensive , oil of some kind…. he does have a little secret but I will never tell…. we are here for days…. Joe always has a sink full of sudsy water, waiting for that errant dish to be placed inside, there is an arm load of fluffy white towels to be folded it seems, and we cook, and eat and prepare together for our show together. Jermonne comes home each day to access what has happened, and we gather for a late dinner , then we must all attempt to get some rest on those beautiful beds with French linen sheets that await us upstairs, in our own little suite…. can you think of a more lovely way to end a day?

A visit to our little Natalie’s house, includes the three sweetest kids (outside of my own grandchildren).. they show us the chickens, the garden, their rooms and the room that will be ready for us on our next visit. Natalie makes a nice dinner, Lynn attempts to assist Ludmil on the computer , and again the evening has slipped away and it is time to leave, many hugs and promises from the kids…  kisses and goodbyes

Leonard and Mary’s house… always feels like a party is about to happen or is happening, or you just missed it by a hair… kids, nephews, strays, cousins, Auntie’s Uncles, grand kids,in and out, food, wine, laughter…. phones ringing….. and all around just lots of love being spread .. it was Leonard’s big 80th birthday and cause for celebration, but then again I have never been there when we were not celebrating something… even just the fact that it was MONDAY!

It is a joy to remember times shared…. we feel truly blessed to be welcomed so in each of these “homes away from home”

This is a long post,  I hope you can see how much our friends mean to us…. thanks for allowing me to share. Love Linda

On Tuesday morning the excitement begins, Marburger Farms opens their show, and WE are ready! Ludmil has created many amazing pieces, two birdhouses, and a few structures that you simply must see to appreciate.  He has restored a structure from France that would remind you of an alter, or a creche’ , you decide,  we have two French crosses,  lovely French linens and sleep dresses, those amazing hand towels that you won’t want to live without once you try them, an old John Deer parts cubby that will remind you of a chicken coup, a French Day bed, another iron bed from 1913, a great cabinet, a white mantel, a charming cabinet from my friends studio that will go directly to my studio if it does not sell, it is lined with old wall paper, my old friend Isabel from Maison Douce will love it, come to Texas Isabel and take it home with you.  Many wedding items, you know me and weddings, a few veils, an early gown, a couple really flouncy ones with tons of tulle…. and a “Wedding cake tower” I created to house all sorts of pretties. I have the very sweetest little shoes from my friend in the North West, and another new friend created some hand made “frayed,fragment ,fabric. flowers” to wear on your label, or like my new friend from France who has the Tongue and cheek blog, Corey liked one for her backpack… made a lovely little touch….of course I have my little creations and Pearls of Wisdom and lots of colors of the German glass glitter….there is far too much to mention you simply must come see for yourself!

We have a “gazebo with angles on top, you won’t want to miss… we have had a great deal of fun creating this booth and hope you will enjoy it.. must get busy with all the little finishing touches and  last min. details. Over the years I have learned to pace myself  so I may enjoy the fruits of our labor, and I can sit in the booth and enjoy it and tweak it ever so slightly sometimes here or there, but I am ready for our dear friends and clients to come and enjoy .Take some lovelies home with them…  Christie will have a post today of all the above mentioned, she and I got to spend some quality time together yesterday.  She took lovely photos of the booth as well as our home which we will post soon… as always I am so grateful Christie for your talent, your attention to detail, that you get me, and for your dear friendship.

We are at the Country Living Show in Ohio, and having the very best of times… this is a beautiful place and the Country Living people really know how do present a show…. but first let me address what inspired this post… we have been swamped with people coming to our booth who have been following us for years, or have followed us through all the special people who include us on their blogs , both in Texas and the North West.. you all know who you are and all I can say is, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you…. we even had an sweet dear friend come and say hell-o from when we first came to Portland, OR. how great to see you Marianne… and that was 16years ago, and a lady that told us she missed us in Buxton,OR. I said ,”you came all the way from Oregon?” and she said “yes she was visiting family and when she saw our name she made plans to come visit, we were greeted so warmly by the ladies at McMaster& Strorm… what a delightful little place, and the creative group at Earth Angles, what amazing talent all under one tent, and they knew US!!!! I am so touched, so gratified, so warmed by this lovely response, we had expirenced much the same response when we went home to the North West for our August trip,but those folks know us, old friends and customers, these folks  have just met us ,amazing.. and I wanted all to know how much it meant to us to be received this way, so genuine, and sincere. A totatly unexpected surprise, I did not expect anyone to know who we were…. so this has taken my breath away! AND they have loved our stuff!!!!! We are almost sold out, WOW…. reminds me of the old days when we sold at Magic of Christmas, with all the STARS folks, and the lines were long and people were stacking things knee deep to purchase and everyone was so happy and nice and appreciative… we do live in a special world and I am so grateful.What a completely amazing summer we have had traveling to all these places, and renewing old friendships and making new ones,  I know I am going on and on ,and I again do  not have any photos…. boo hoo.. but if I did it would be of all the happy, smiling faces that have greeted us and welcomed us here in OHIO, and did I mention all the neighbors here at the show are great, food… well not so much, except this amazing ice cream, and great lemonade, but Ludmil makes such a fuss when I try to live on candy and popcorn… so we are off to eat something healthy!For those of you who told me you are happy to keep up with us even without so many photos, thank-you…. I have our sweet Christie coming to take photos of our Marburger show next week and also of our home, so you can see our sweet little place here in Texas…and maybe you will be enticed to come see us this winter! So until next week when we will be at the Marburger Show in Round Top Texas tent A7…I shall say goodnight and decide just where I will go tonight for a healthy meal!

I have much to be grateful for as do we all, I felt a need to put it on paper and I did, the more I thought about it I thought I would give it more importance, more credit by placing my list on my blog . My list begins with my husband, who along with being my biggest fan is also the barometer I count on to keep me centered,true to my heart, and walking my path. He also keeps me hydrated at all times….

Next on my list would be my family and my extended family, I so fully realize how much I appreciate and love you for making both Ludmil and I a part of your life, your homes, your business, your families .Our customers/friends/family are often one and the same ,you pay us the highest compliment by having us in your life, for loving us..To have a life style that allows us to come for a visit, work with people we love and care for, have some much needed escape from the Texas heat, and to find some treasures to take home, it simply does not get much better than that.. and I am grateful.Over and over while we were in the North West we were hugged, kissed,people laughed with us, cried with us, told old stories, plus  we have some new ones to add to our collection… we posed for photos, and were told how much we were missed, how appreciated, there is no way to describe  just how great that feels… we feel loved and embraced, and for that I am very grateful.. not everyone is so fortunate.  Thank YOU

I am grateful for our monetary success, in a business that has supported us for the whole 16 years of our marriage.Ludmil and I have a mission statement that we refer to from time to time, to keep our focus, our intergity, our passion and our humor, in both the good and the not so good times…I am grateful for having a mission, a purpose, a goal,a commitment to stay grounded and centered, who would not feel grateful for all of that?

I am grateful for the group of  Road Angles, following us.. we ran in to a little set back with the trailer.. it could have been so much worse… as it was we only had a couple days delay, and a few $$$’s less in our pockets… but we did not go over a cliff, or catch on fire, or start a fire.. all a possibility, had we not been stopped by a friendly motorist…

Very simply I am grateful for all that I have , all that I am given, all that I learn on my journey…. now I am off to enjoy the remainder of this lovely summer day  in Texas where the heat has dropped from 105 to a very comfortable 92… another thing I am truly grateful for !

Some one has slipped us some crazy pills….. when I looked at the 2009 calendar and decided that we could be in the North West for the month of August with our old and dear friends, work and play…. then go home and head to Ohio for the Country Living show , and right back again to set up our Marburger show for the Sept. 29th opening…. I had not yet map quested all those places, or thought about the several thousand miles we would be traveling to do all this when I made all those plans.As I have so often said you need to be just a bit off center to live this life style… I was interviewed by the Orgeoian newspaper this week about our trip here and one of her questions was” tell me about this lifestyle choice?”….. I responded , “choice???? no no no , it runs through your veins, is what you eat , breath, sleep… dream… no choice involved,  it simply is,it becomes you, there is no seam, you and the life are one and the same…. but if I were given a choice, this is what I would do, and that is the joy, the blessing. To be able to do this with Ludmil, my heart, is the bliss…. we have our show here with Barn House tomorrow, and Cindy is coming tonight for the nite… there will be little rest here tonight … so much excitement in the air…. Cindy is my girlie girl.. we will talk make-up/clothes/decorating/ display/ all in one sentence run together… the poor boys here won’t know what hit them.. we used to whirl around the store when we did shows together, adding that final touch here and there and everywhere.. some sparkle , some glitter, some tulle, all of that will be saved for her show next week. For the Barn House, it’s all about texture,  straw,  fresh lemons,  flowers,  nature.. moss and sticks, rocks and feathers.. a little bird seed here, and a big huge cabbage fresh from the garden, every bucket, container, box, barrel, pan,or vessel has been kissed by something from the land… pear branches, and apple boughs, looks like a mix of a farmers market and a french country market… you will love it! come see us!!!! and now I am going to pretend to sleep in the hammock out side for a little afternoon nap…. do you realize how much younger these people are here!!!! ( I am really slipping off to my little attic bedroom which is so cozy…. like I , it does not get any better .COUNTRY LIVING!!!!!!

We will be back!!!!!!

Ludmil and I have had such a lovely trip together across the county, headed for the much awaited Barn House sale in WA. and the Queen of Tarte sale in OR.. Along the way we have encountered temps ranging from 59 to 115 degrees, we have had lovely overcast skies with coastal breezes and hot hot air in Arizon that takes your breath away, but  when we emerge from the van at rest stops it is a delight to feel the cool air graze our cheeks and ruffle our hair…..just what we were hoping for.

We have had such a great time seeing old friends, reuniting with a dear friend who I had not seen for 15 years. We stayed with them in their canyon home in Arroyo Grande.. and took walks in the canyon and ate such good food together, it was as though I had seen her last week, that easy and loving… just like good friends are supposed to be…

We continued up the coast and stayed with our good friends in Santa Cruz, they had house guests , German, who were a delight , Ludmil was very happy as he made balloon creations for the little 8 year old boy, we walked on the beach, again ate great meals that we all cooked, celebrated a birthday, and I even sold some of my creations ,quite by accident to a client from my friends store…. can’t beat that… on to Alameda where we saw so many people…. old clients, from our days there.. did some really great buying.. can’t believe how we continued to stuff that poor van… Ludmil and I pack our own things very simple, to leave all possible room for our treasures…

We had dinner with our dear French friends and their children who I adore, such fun to see them all… more great food, good wine, we walked around some San Francisco haunts of old and some new… lovely day in SF… found some more great treasures…

We are at our dear friends Julie&Davids, in Lake Oswego OR., it is like comming  home, they are family to us, not (like family) but family in the best sort of way… you know better and more loving and connected than your REAL family… do you have some of that in your life?

Yesterday it took us 3 hours  just to unload the van… yes that’s how packed it was ,we did not even get to the trailer.. J&J are away at a show, wait till they see all that we brought..  I have saved back a wholde group for Cindy’s show…. want to have fresh things for her too!!!! anyway we begin our set up in earnest on Mon. it will take us more time than usual to set up  as we have to laugh and eat and drink and play with all the animals at the farm and have discussions over and over about where and how things look best, Joe and I work really well together and my precious Natalie will be on hand to help and her sweet kidos who we also adore…. so there will be a lot of time spent doing things besides setting up, we just like to sound like we work 24/7 it sounds so industrious.. but if this is work.. sign me up… I love love love doing this…. and can not imagine not doing it…… we have a running joke about just how I will go on to the big beyond… and I will share it with you someday.. but right now it’s time for me to eat again… we are having a few friends tonight at Julies…and I need to keep my energy up.. all this party time gets to a girl you know…. come see us bright and early at Barn House on the 15Th of Aug. see their blog for details…. until then love love love……..to all!!!!