Tea Talk (A Little Bit of This and That)

Hey, y’all! Are you ready for a little light-hearted conversation? In the vein of what some bloggers have been doing lately (see M is for Mama and Jones Design Company), I’m doing a little recap of what’s new and some random thoughts; kind of like hanging out at the coffee shop together and chatting. As a non-coffee-drinker, I prefer to order Chai tea, thus “Tea Talk”.

So in no particular order, here it goes:

In my attempt to be somewhat conscience of the latest decorating trends (LOTS and LOTS of hand-painted signs and sayings), I tried my hand at making a sign. HA! It turned into a trial and error experiment that took much longer and ended up much more pitifully than I had envisioned. Oh well! I think I’ll stick with painting pictures. But I like the words, so I’ll keep it.

One of the major “WHY GOD!!?” moments in transitioning to life out here was finding a new place to do my art printing (I know, right? There’s my dramatic side again). I thought the profit margin for selling art would be in my favor, but as it turns out, things can get pretty pricey pretty quickly. So after much searching and (again) trial and error, I found a place that does great color copies for a very reasonable price. Again, God is teaching me patience.

Along with some custom orders, I’ve been working on some new products for the shop. You’d think I’d be cranking them out with all the time I have, but time management is not my strong suit on summer vacation. As the summer is slowly slipping through my fingers, I’m thinking summery thoughts with a set of new cards. Next up: butterfly card set. I’m also taking my time working on some western landscapes. I’ll be adding new things to Birds and Berry Studio on Etsy soon.

I signed up to sell at a (semi-) local craft fair in September ad another in November. This is one of those “do I risk putting myself out there for potential failure” situations. My expectations get the better of me and I fear I will be disappointed. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of gal, so I can’t do anything halfheartedly; which means that it’s easier to be let down when you give something all you’ve got and it may not meet expectations.

Our trusty Silver Bullet officially bit the dust and it’s been quite the challenge trying to find a new vehicle. Let me just say that this is one of those sanctifying times in marriage where two sinners are learning to communicate, compromise, and make a huge life-altering decision. How do other people make big purchases so effortlessly?

We recently went on a boat tour of Bighorn Canyon, the 3rd largest canyon in the United States. We were the only ones on the boat so we got a private look at at the high cliffs, mountain goats, cliff dwellings, and beautiful blue water. Much needed together time for this quality-time-loving girl.

So what about you? What random things have you been up to? Any final summer shenanigans? Last minute trips? Fun projects?