Last call for AHO

Thank you to all that attended our first “Artists Helping Others” Benefit Show and Sale. If you are kicking yourself for not buying that special piece of art or if you were out of town and missed the show, you still have an opportunity to support CHO and Homestretch. Through August 31st all purchases from the gallery will benefit these two worthy organizations. Please view the gallery and if you have any questions about the art, please contact me.

The Day After

Well, The Great Hall is tidied up but I can't quite say the same thing about me. After clearing the decks on Saturday and Sunday I am TIRED. I think it is a combination of lack of adrenilan plus staying up way too late watching the Olympics. I am actually looking forward to getting back into the back to school routine next week!

I am going to make the "Artist Helping Others" show catalog available until the end of August. So if you are having "non-buyers remorse" and you would like to inquire about a specific painting please email me at theresa@stifelandcapra.com and I will let you know if it is still available!

Opening Night, no jitters!

This is only a partial aerial view of the show from the sound booth. With the vaulted ceiling of the Great Hall the space feels nice & airy, and there was plenty of room for people to move around.

"Might As Well" sounds like a laid back attitude, but it also the name of the local band that played at the benefit art show last night. NICE group of guys and wonderful, very interactive music. Their intimate style made you feel like you were sitting in on a private jam session. (I think it was as far as they were concerned!). Thank you Christine for suggesting Paul & the guys; they did a great job!

I saw a lot of new faces last night as well as the usual suspects. Anyone from Falls Church want to guess who these feet belong to?

Remember the show continues today from noon to 4. I am heading over in a few minutes to set up. See you there!

Artists Helping Others - Opening TONIGHT!

Yesterday was the big day where we hung all of the art for the benefit show this weekend. I've got to say, it all went as smooth as the silk that Ashby paints on! Homestretch sent half a dozen hard working volunteers who learn that it is a tricky thing to get all that art hung level! The Homestretch staff did a fantastic job. Really made my load a lot lighter. Thank you ladies! Seventeen artists are represented and the is a wonderful mix of mediums and subject matter (as you can see from some of the photos here!). We also set up a bin gallery of smaller unframed pieces so there is quite a range of options to choose from.

The show is at the Great Hall at Vienna Prebyterian Church tonight from 6 to 9pm and continues tomorrow from noon to 4pm.






For those who have asked, YES, the shop will be open from 10 to 2. So if you are having Farmer's Market cravings, buy up all of those peaches and tomatos and stop in. I'll be there in the early morning and then Bob & Terry are taking over for me.

Coming Down to the Wire!

I realize with that title I probably should have used one of Lou's racing photos but we really ARE coming down to the wire to the benefit art show this weekend. All of the accompanying photos are art from the show. These plus dozens more will be on display. I think it will be a beautiful show. I hope you will join us.

Sitting here trying to think of something else to write but I am a bit "show obsessed" at the moment. Food? Check. Music? Check. Art? Check. Make a list and realize that you won't remember what you have forgotten until it is too late? Check. Apologize to Cathy for making her edit the show program for the 5000th time? Check...

The blissful beach.

I always say that if Bob & I hit the lottery you'll know where to find us. Sitting in the Realtor's office perusing water front real estate listings. It might be because I am from the mountains but I loooovvvvveeee the ocean. We went to the Eastern Shore this past week with family from Connecticut and the weather was absolutely perfect all week. That is, until, we did the one thing that was on my list of "grown-up" non work related items. The art league of Rehoboth was having a art show and sale. 20 minutes into the show it started to rain, blow and hail. As Bob's computer assisted leg isn't exactly water proof we made a beeline for the car and watched the storm on the north end of Rehoboth beach. VERY impressive and relaxing in a weird sort of way. We had our picnic in the car watching the crashing waves...

Did some great shopping for the gallery while I was on the shore. Should have everything tagged soon so will get some pictures posted as I unpack.

Speaking of unpacking I returned home to a shipment from Ann Carney Designs. Lots of new earrings (Erena alert!) and a dozen beautiful bracelets and watches. This one sparkles like the sea.


This week's big push is to figure out what I have forgotten to do regarding the big art benefit on the 22nd and 23rd at VPC. Artists? Check. Venue? Check. Advertising? Check. Refreshments? Check. Volunteers? Still working. Music? Still working. Attendees? You?

Party like a 11 year old!

Mom is enjoying the look on her daughter's face as all of the girls yelled "SURPRISE!" on Wednesday night. The young ladies (and they generally behaved like ladies!) ate pizza, didn't spill soda and learned how to use fusible interfacing, vintage fabric, trims and buttons to make some pretty ornate designs on their new custom pillow cases. This group shot was an "in progress" shot. More embellishing was indeed happening into the evening AND the next day when some girls came back in to play some more. LOTS of fun. Happy Birthday girl!

Today is the first and that means it is FIRST Friday, so stop in tonight for snacks, a beverage and to see Kathy O'Brien's latest jewelry collection. We are here from 5 to 8 tonight and 10 to 5 tomorrow, before I head out on a week lonf buying trip, uh, vacation with my family. A posse of 4 is holding down the shop while I am gone so DO Stop in. I don't want to hear stories of them being lonely when I return!

Quintessential Customers

Saturday brought me a lovely treat. Two ladies dressed like ladies: vintage mid century frocks, cute shoes, vintage jewelry. Clients after my own heart! (But not my waistline, I must say. It's hard being six foot two and unable to wear all of the vintage fashion I love. That is why I live vicariously through women like Becky & Lori!) They had a grand time trying things on and left with fun fripperies: beaded gloves, flowered hats and fun summer dresses. The only bad side? They are here with the army and moving within a year. Darn.

ART SHOW UPDATE: We now have 19 local artists participating in the upcoming "Artists Helping Others" show in August 22nd and 23rd. The food is all accounted for, left to take care of is music and all that behind the scenes PAPER. Programs, art cards, etc., etc. All of you that have done this before PLEASE tell me what I am forgetting!

It has been brought to my attention that we have made it onto "Open List" for Falls Church. Please feel free to visit the site and review the shop, so other people can learn what you like about the local artists at the gallery and the rest of our quirky mix.

http://www.openlist.com/falls-church-va_stifel-capra/885413455/ is the link if you care to participate!

Linda Morgan of Purple Cat Cards brought in a collection of her larger collages to add to her card line at Stifel & Capra.
We have 5 left in stock with various themes, including two manly oriented ones regarding dad and Guiness (uh, not together though...)

You've heard it said that three of anything is a collection? I have three vintage canteens in the shop right now (why? who knows!) One girl scout, one boy scout, one more Michigan camp style, just right to hit the trail with!

When you hit the trail this week be sure to stop in the gallery. This Friday is August 1st and that means FIRSTFriday celebrations in Falls Church! Kathy O'Brien will be here with her newest South River Collection of fun jewelry both Friday from 5 to 8pm and Saturday from 10 to 5pm.

Gaining Momentum

You know that feeling when you are inching your way to the VERY top of the world's largest roller coaster and as it goes over the edge you are weightless for a second before the g-force hits you as you scream down hill? Well, that is how I feel planning our upcoming art show! We have reached a critical mass of artists (so I know I will like the way the show physically looks), I have commitments for the caterer, the music and the facility. Now all (?!?) I have to worry about is getting folks to come to the event. It's for SUCH a good cause, so I can only pray that folks rally 'round.

Progress is being made on other fronts as well. Remember those three gigantic trees that came down in my yard? The trunks have been removed, the branches chipped (an EIGHT HOUR endeavor) and yesterday the stump grindin' guy came out to annihilate any vestige of my once proud foliage. Thanks to neighbor Henry, my gnarly butterfly bush was unscathed and said driver didn't compact my neighbor's yard (although it was a near miss!) Good man though, did a tidy job, actually swept my broken and battered patio...

We've got lots of new merchandise in the shop. A new batch of the "cutest tooth fairy pillows ever" as one of our dentally challenged shoppers phrased it. New artisan jewelry and lots of mid century pottery pieces. I am here both Friday and Saturday from 10 to 2 (usually by 9:30 on Saturday!) so stop by and say "hi!"

If you know any artists (whether amateur or professional) that would care to submit to the show, have them contact me. I'd love to hear from them!

Good News!

I got some good news this morning when I got to the shop. My high school cohort, Leila, is now officially a breast cancer survivor! She sent out a note announcing the end of her treatments. Obviously one still has to be vigilant but how wonderful that she is on the back side of treatments. Hooray!

You know all of those stray earrings that you have in your jewelry box that you won't throw away because you hope their mates MIGHT turn up? Well, I had a client bring her three favorites in to see if anyone out there in cyberland had lost the same ones. IF these earrings look painfully familiar, DO drop me a line, Carol would love to find a match for her "orphans".

MMMmmmm, Thai food

I should say I am excited because my beloved cousin Terry is coming to visit from Fredericksburg today. I am delighted to see her but I am even more excited because she called me yesterday and say "Hey, why don't I pick up Thai food from Pilin on my way?" I don't get out much , can you tell???

I say though, that but I DID go out last night to a Falls Church Chamber event and attended the opening of the newest Jason's Deli location. www.jasonsdeli.com When Jason's opens a new location they pick a local charity to highlight and sponsor at their event. Homestretch was their charity of choice. If that sounds familiar it is because Homestretch is one of the charities our big art show is benefitting on August 22 & 23rd. DO mark your calendar for the event. Both Homestretch and CHO are wonderful organizations that deserve support (and as everywhere else, help and support tend to disapear in the summer when people go on vacation)! I had a wry chat with Adam Roth, the Catering Manager over at Jason's, about how impressed we are with Homestretch but how it sort of cows us, as in "What do you do?" "Oh I head an organization that helps get families out of shelters and back into safe, transitional housing. What do you do?" "Oh, I make sandwiches". "Uh, I sell art and uh, stuff". But you have to think bigger than pickle slices and vintage jewelry. Jason's Deli is providing jobs and good food at decent prices and I am providing local artists an avenue to reveal their passion to a whole new community PLUS keeping all of my "art supplies" out if the landfill. Aaah, the joys of working with recycled objects.

It's just a normal happy Friday for me but I found out today is Ryan Oliver's 40th birthday! (Ryan owns BreakThru Technology Partners, Inc. across the hall.) It's a wonderful life: lovely wife, nice kids, owns his own business, what more could you want?

I would want to be able to catch up on my "to-do" list! But then I think, eh, how uneventful! My life is full of events (of course we Stifels make an event of sitting on the front porch!) and I like it that way....

Holy HatBags Batman!

One of the silliest things I make of all the treasures I "save" are HatBags. The embroidered hat was the first hat bag I made. It was cute as a button but so small that my then 8 year old daughter could barely wear it on her head so I knew the odds of selling it were slim. The hat was soft and as I held it in my hand it sort of folded together forming a shape like a clutch bag. With its light color I thought, "hmm, no, it will get too dirty as a clutch" and the first HatBag was born!

I lovely how the damaged Pucci blouse transformed the heinous olive tulle pillbox with green glitter (!) polka dots into something almost stylish. Stylish with a goofy edge that is. Hatbags are certainly conversation starters! The bag keeps the structural integrity of the hat intact. All the weight of your sundries are born by the bag itself. If someone wanted the hat "back one line of stitching can be removed and the hat is restored.

I carried the hot pink one at a Fund Raiser where it was a big hit before it was raffled off.

And the Mamie Eisenhower-esque gun metal and silver beaded cloche was transformed with the slubbed silk of a salvaged ball gown. My friend Melissa carried this to one (of her many!) award banquets where she is a top achiever at Valassis.

I have made custom bags out of sentimental hats (grandma's old mink comes to mind). They are a fun way to transform something that sits in the closet to something that you can use any day.

PS I FINALLY got he pictures of the wedding gown-pillow transformation to post; scroll down three entries if you would like to see it!

There's no place like home

"House & Home" that is! That's the name of the new novel by Falls Church resident Kathleen McCleary. I was lucky enough to be invited to her book launch party on Monday evening. Except for the fact that I was suffering from SEVERE house envy (The hostess, Barbara Cram lives in an exquisitely restored Victorian with lovely gardens.) I had a wonderful time. Saw some folks that I knew, met a bunch that I didn't and bought two copies of the book! It has a reputation as a "plot twister" so I am excited to read it.


We have LOTS of new art in the shop this week. Phil Napala stopped in and brought me four new pieces including this floral at bottom left.

We have a lot of new and different jewelry as well. One of my favorite pieces in the store right now is this unusual, chunky buddha necklace from Ting & Pixie. I think the carving is beautiful but I love how Jennifer combined the vintage blue beads and the colored stones.

I am madly trying to get the word out about the upcoming art show. I am also having fantasies about knowing a publicist that is fond of the charities that we are supporting (Homestretch and CHO) and would just pop up and offer to do it for free for me! Not holding my breath on that one though.


You have heard of "just in time manufacturing" ? Well, I am kind of like that with my orders and my life at the moment. My poor husband found that out the hard way when he made the mistake of filing an extension for our personal income taxes on April 15th. What was yesterday, hmmmm, the 15th? You guessed it, there I was at 7:30 pm entering my share of the numbers so we could file on time for the extension. And in just another example of "give us this day our daily bread" our refund was EXACTLY equal to the co-payments on Bob's latest prosthesis and my extensive dental surgery that are on this month's VISA card bill. The blessings are there if you look for them.