I found this in the midst of cleaning my studio today. It's about four years old - from a blog that Karen Bishop used to write:


Let go. Just let go of what you thought was real or important. Allow what is truly real now to enter your space and your reality. Take time for yourself…make it all be about yourself now and what you need to do to rest, self-nurture, exhale, be in the moment, let go of responsibilities, and just stay in your own sanctuary and bask. Find a way to re-charge your battery, rejuvenate, and allow time for you. Say no to commitments, gatherings, appointments and have-to’s as much as you can.

Allow yourself time for you, have a willingness to no longer make anything happen, and you will find that everything will simply happen on its own without you needing to be at the helm. Letting go of what no longer feels good or right will allow the new to arrive and place you in a very new space at the same time. TRUST.

I needed this reminder.

Funny how you find the things you need just when you need them, isn't it?

I was in just that relaxed place she writes about for the two months after I broke my foot, but it got away from me as soon as I was able to get around without my boot and crutches.

Life got a little crazy and tense when I decided to finally open Lille Hus. But I know I can have the shop open and do it in a way that still allows me to breathe and really enjoy the process and leave the outcome, well, out of all the rest of it.  I simply need to remember that as I go about my day.

This isn't a marathon. I'm not carving David.

I will dance with my creativity and enjoy each day. Simply. And with an open heart.

Que sera sera.

                                                                                                    

Yes. I'm weird.

I don't think there are many other people who get the thrill I do out of putting their work into cellophane sleeves...I just love that part of having a shop!

I love putting the work in and making sure it's "just so" in its little package.

And I love turning it over and pulling off the tape and exposing the sticky stuff.

And I love c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y folding the end over and sealing the packet shut.

And I love turning it back over and putting a sweet little round Lille Hus sticker on the front.

And I love putting the black grosgrain ribbon around orders of multiples and then putting a sticker on that.

It just thrills me no end! All of it!

And tonight? (Be still my heart!!!) I get to print out a mailing label!!! OMG!!!!

Yes. I'm weird.

Now, please, quit reading this and go buy something at Lille Hus so I can have some more fun putting things together to mail to you!

Thank you. (Very much.)

An exciting day ahead!

Today is the day Lille Hus opens and I'm a bit giddy! Here's what the shop looks like right now:

I figured 9 pm would be a great time to hit the "publish" button for all my listings, pop open the champagne, dance a jig, and then hit the hay and dream of waking to lots of orders! 

It will be fun to see how this goes, but right now I really, truly, feel like any sales are just a bonus. I've gotten so much out of the whole process of getting to this point, you know? And, while I've done as much as I can to prepare, I'll feel better once I get the first orders sent since I can't test out the whole sale and send portion. I'm prepared to handle the glitches that might pop up, but hope there won't be any!

One thing that really excites me about having the shop is my intent to donate a portion of Lille Hus's profits to KIVA (www.kiva.org) - a terrific organization that provides micro loans to entrepreneurs around the world, helping them realize their dreams. I got the go-ahead yesterday from KIVA headquarters to share that intent with my customers. I hope it will make them feel even better about their purchases - I know it will make me happy to give even more support to KIVA than I've been able to thus far.

I'll be spending my day doing a super-duper cleaning of my studio in anticipation of the opening. Even though no one can see it, it's important to me to have everything all organized and lovely; the perfect setting for the start of a new venture!

So...get your champagne ready, and join me at 9 tonight! (And get those fingers ready to hit the "Add to Cart" button! )

Yikes.

Had a bit of a scare (read: HUGE scare!) when I couldn't get into Blogger for the past two days. Felt like it took me FOREVER to figure out what was going on.

But I did! All by myself even!

Turns out it had to do with having to switch my browser to Explorer from Firefox to download some free software from the US Postal Service...software that really wouldn't have done much anyway, so I deleted it. Lordie, I can't even remember all I did - including holding my mouth in various ways and standing on my head multiple times - but whatever I did it finally worked  because I'm b-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-c-k!

Whew.

I'm feeling a bit vulnerable with Skipperdee (my laptop) and opening the shop which is dependent on him working. And working a lot. Skipperdee is really getting up there in age and seems to be struggling a bit with all the demands I'm putting on him - even though I've had his RAM increased. Poor lil' guy. What am I going to do if he goes kapoot???

I've backed everything up on my external drive, but still...

Yikes.

Maybe the Good Fairy of Computers will visit me and leave me a 17" MacBook Pro. With Adobe Creative Suite installed.

Wouldn't that be lovely????

Fun stuff...

It's fun rediscovering work. Like this watercolor I did a while ago:

Colorful Spheres. Watercolor

It might show up in the shop.

Fun stuff, huh?

Changes...

I decided to take down my professional website, karenanneglick.com - so if you click there, or type in the URL, the site won't show up anymore.

Figured it was a good way to save some money as I set up the shop and figure out where I want to go from here.

Truth to tell, that gallery site was more about my ego than anything else, and it was created out of the insecurity I felt and a need to prove something. What? Who knows...and who cares? Not me. That's how much I've moved away from the Karen Anne who needed to have it.

So anyway, I guess I've come to a time and place in my life where I don't feel insecure anymore. And where I don't feel I have to prove anything to anyone. Ever again.

It feels really good to have made the decision to nix the site.

I feel free. Really, really free.

And that is a very, very nice way to feel!

P.S. I've been re-learning a lot about photography the past two days. I've also learned that at some point I need to make a light tent. But not right now or I'll never get the shop opened!                        
                                           Here's your sneak peek at Lille Hus:

Hurrying at a Snail's Pace...

Slow and easy does it. So they say...

Trying to complete all the details needed for opening Lille Hus is proving to be a bit of a challenge, but I'm nothing if not persistent.

It will happen.

I'm checking the blocks one by one but, most importantly, I'm listening to my little voice who has been telling me to take this a bit more slowly and to: GET SLEEP. (That would be the same little voice I ignored when she told me to take the black rug up - and so I ended up not seeing Jake, tripping over him, and breaking my foot...THAT little voice! She knows her stuff.)

The past few days I've walking around like a zombie from not sleeping well and it was definitely beginning to take its toll. I got a great 8 hours last night, though, and feel much the better for it. Getting things done right the first time 'round is much better than having to re-do it later like I've been having to do. All that stuff I did in the wee hours that I thought was perfect? Not so much...

Anyway...

Back to work. Have fun. Take a break when you need it.

Everything will get done in good time. Especially when you're having a good time doing it!