Extreme Holiday Cravings



Click the scarf to see it on Etsy.

Sorry if I got carried away with the pies.

Look Who's Packin'

I'm packing.
I'm packing for the eighth time since Phil and I have been together. That sounds crazy. I'm getting pretty good at it. I can't move and not get rid of anything. I reach a limit where I just can't pack the same item more than twice if I don't use it a lot. I just have to get rid of it.
Germany is different. I'm quite indecisive on many of our belongings. I'm not going to over think it though, except on maybe a few levels. Like last night...
To begin the packing process I started at the most insignificant level. The Florida Scarf fabric.
I can use the smallest piece of fabric on a scarf. Normally, I refuse to throw anything away, but I promised Phil I would get rid of some of what he deems useless. For me throwing anything away is like admitting that it doesn't have a purpose. I can't turn my back on the potential to be found in a chunk of fabric. I think this sounds really crazy, but each piece (or scrap) of fabric is like a puzzle piece. The puzzle for which the piece is appropriate may be yet to be crafted. I want to make it and give that fabric a home. It could end up on the coolest scarf I ever made. It's destiny could be to end up in your wardrobe, around your neck.
So here I sit, late at night, debating over a swatch of 1" x 3" of fabric. It's tiny and wrinkly but it still has a great image of a flower on it. I want it. It's going to be great on something. That one makes the cut, but there are hundreds more that won't. Much to the satisfaction of Phil, I will fill two garbage bags by the end of the night. Florida scarf will lose 10 lbs. in less than 3 hours. I actually feel much better by the end. More free. I'm sure there are many fine fabrics in Europe to be had.
As I was sitting on the ground in my sewing room, going through the fabrics, it was very much like reminiscing over an old photo album; like when you need to get a baby picture of your little sister to embarrass her at her next birthday party. In looking for the best photo you go through your entire collection recounting your entire childhood. I did that with my fabric. It's hard to believe that I'm still making scarves after four years. No one seems to be sick of me yet. And in the corners of those boxes I actually found a decent amount of fabric from the early days. I think I may start a scrap book. (wouldn't that be funny?) You remember different parts of your life, places you've been, customers you've had. They're good feelings. I can only hope that in closing this chapter of my life I am leaving plenty of space to build a great new chapter on the other side of the world.
I think this move is going to be great for Flo Sca. I can only dream about the new supplies I'm going to find and people I'm going to meet.
  

Hot Fairy on Fairy

It isn't every day you get to start out a blog post like that.

I know you're thinking, "what the heck?"

Without forcing you to read any further I'll tell you. It's shower art. If you click it, the link will send you to the Ugly Baby Etsy Shop, where you can peruse this fabulous shower art.

If you want to know why I'm posting it, read on.

This season, with Florida Scarf, I have begun to develope more of an internet presence. I have found that this is going to be neccessary since I will continue to be moving. constantly. I don't know if you're familiar, but when you spend a lot of time around here you begin to make friends. It's the strangest thing to me. I have a few people, that I know only through emails, convos, and reading their blog. These people all seem quite familiar to me however and I have no problem in reffering to them as "my friend" much as I would any of my real life friends. That being said I want to introduce you to my friend Rosalie...

She might be the oddest person I know. (without actually knowing)

I met Rosalie on the internet. She hosts a great website.

Unanimous Craft is a directory of resources for crafters, artists and indie business owners. Rosalie submits her favorite resources and encourages the rest of us to do the same. It's kind of like Yelp for the crafty community.
I encourage you to become a member. It's free!

Being a part of Unanimous Craft has been great for my small crafty business. It's been a lot of Bang-For-The-Buck. Even if you don't make stuff, there's plenty for you to get involved in on the site.

Why She Did It
Rosalie was inspired to build Unanimous Craft after seeing a huge list of links to different resources that The House of Mouse posted in the Etsy forums. She wanted to make a tool that our community could use to get organized and share information. The site launched in March, 2010 with about 100 resources that were featured in Handmade Nation by Faythe Levine and Courtney Heimerl. The rest of the resources have been created by our community.
this friend of mine is a waterproof Shower Art maker, stand-up comedian and blogger who is currently obsessed with German board games, Bikram yoga and embroidery.

Rosalie is also the brains behind bARTer Sauce, an experiment in trading for art and odd objects. I'm making it mandatory for you to hang around this site.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Rosalie. She's pretty neat, huh? I thought you two would have a bit in common. Check her out on the FB too, if you want, since, that's what friends do these days, especially internet friends.

Happy Birthday Heidelberg

This is Heidelberg Street in Detroit. It is the home of the Heidelberg Project, which is celebrating its 25th birthday. It is a living art installation (I say living because it continues to grow) started and maintained by Tyree Guyton.

As the story goes, Mr. Guyton came home from the war to find the street he grew up on abandoned. He couldn't stand to see it go to waste and become filled with crime. He decided to fight this grim destiny with decoration. It hasn't been easy, and he faced defeat many times, but it has been an artistic institution ever since. This one site draws over 270,000 visitors annually. It has also been an inspiration to the community, learning tool for the children, and a source of pride for Detroit.

You can read the story of the anniversary here.

I love this project. I think it is another example of the importance of art. It's not about one person's need to express themself. It's about art as a multipurpose tool; art as lifesupport.

I think Mr. Guyton is amazing. I think he takes art and does exactly what you are supposed to do with it. I am so happy for all the people whose lives he has affected in a positive way.

You can also learn more by visiting www.heidelberg.org

Interact with Florida Scarf

Who wouldn't want to interact with that face? I mean mine, not my brother's. Although, he is way cuter. Maybe he should be the new face of Florida Scarf.

Ladies?

Anyway, I've recently caught wind that there have been changes in the workings of the FB Fan Pages. If you are a Fan of Flo Sca on the FB, good for you. If not go here.

If you are a fan and you want the Flo Sca posts to come up in your news feed, then you must interact with me. It is no longer enough that you have just clicked the "LIKE" button. Not to mention, I want to hear from you, we all do. I want to see pictures of you wearing your scarf, or hood. I want to hear how your day was. I am not friends with all of the Flo Sca Likers on my personal page. If you chime in on the fan page I can chat with you too...BONUS!

Suggest Flo Sca to your friends if you haven't already. What a party that would be.

Not that social? No problem. All you have to do is "LIKE" a comment/post or two.

Thanks for checking in today. I give you the "thumbs up."

Stay Warm.

Holiday Shopping....Take 1

The Fort Rucker Spouse's Club Hollyday Mart was yesterday and I had a blast. Holiday shoppers were out in full support of the independant vendors who participated. I was fortunate enough to set up next to my good buddy, Katy, from The Knackatorium.

It was an incredibly busy day. I saw many of friends and neighbors, a few return customers from last year, and (most importantly) made some new frineds too. This was my only holiday bazaar this season (unfortunately) and it couldn't have gone better.

I don't normally post on Sundays, but I am just pumped about what a great day yesterday was. So let me take this second to personally thank everyone who bought a scarf, or tried a scarf on, or walked by in admiration. I appreciate all of it. I pour myself into this work, and I really strive to craft a lot of different scarves, for a lot of differnet people. The amount of sales I had yesterday was a confirmation that I'm going in the right direction.  

I made a couple of Army Aviation Florida Scarves...and they're gone...I guess that was a good idea.

I met a couple of other chica's going to Germany...Bonus.

The Fort Rucker Elementary School Band performed. They were adorable. I love when little kids are playing instruments bigger than they are.

I met the coolest older woman who was a theater performer...and clown! She actually teaches clowning....Double Bonus. I could have talked to her all day.

I think I am going to need a nap today.

If you missed the Hollyday Mart, have no fear. I'm in town until 12/12.

You can also purchase items online at www.floridascarf.etsy.com

How Your Scarf Gets Shipped

Are you thinking of buying a Florida Scarf this season?
Are you thinking about sending one as a gift?
That's great!
Allow me to share a couple of photos with you that demonstrate how that scarf will be wrapped and shipped.

Each individual item is wrapped in two pieces of colorful tissue paper. I also hand write a personal thank-you on these cool postcards my friend Laura made for the company. I also include a couple of business cards (designed by Laura) in the likely event that you are going to love your scarf and want to share Flo Sca with others.

Then I put the merchandise in a large padded envelope and give it some flair.

I ship USPS, and it takes 2-4 days to arrive in the continental US.

I do ship internationally. It is priced on a per-case basis.

I will expedite shipping at the buyer's request, and at the buyer's expense. 

Thanks for doing your Florida Scarf research.

I look forward to packaging your scarves today!