A few of my Favorite Things

Anniversaries bring memories of the mundane and sublime.  Last weekend was the 4th anniversary of my husband Bob's 3 week bout in the Intensive Care Unit at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Strep induced sepsis led to the amputation on his left leg and left repercussions on our family that are still being felt today.  So what do we do at the Stifel house?  Why have a party of course!  We call it the "Re-Birthday" Party.  I invite my family and the neighbors over to celebrate the fact that I still HAVE a husband!  They tell stories about duty shifts, taking care of the kids and rehab.  What could be a depressing day turns into a celebration of how far we have come.  Here's to friends! 

And family!

OK, so NO neighbor photos and no cute pics of my sister's family.  I was too busy worrying about the fact we were out of ice.  One of the things I learned with Bob being ill is not to sweat the small stuff.  Hopefully she will forgive me!)

I love you Bob! Here's to many more years together.

New Venues

 The fun thing about going to events is that they expose you to venues you haven't otherwise visited.  Sandi Parker's solo show inMOTION opened to an enthusiastic crowd at Cassat's, an Arlington, VA cafe.  I have never been there before even though I heard great things about brunch and lunch offerings.  I dragged my husband and Beth & Bob Loftis over to the opening to be there the minute it opened.  Why?  We all no how nerve-wracking it is when you are waiting for folks to show up to an event so I figured we would break the ice for here.  The complication? One set of invites said 5o'clock, others said 5:30.  I being the Princess of Promptness got there at 5.  My husband was not terribly impressed with me.  I think he thought I was making the 5pm time up! I was grateful when other random patrons showed up before the "official" 5:30 opening so I didn't look like I was scamming my always tardy hubby.

One place Bob DID regret not being when the event doors opened was his office party last weekend at Cuba Libre' in Washington DC.  We left a little late, hit a little traffic, and had a little issue with parking.  The roving cocktails and passed appetizers were VERY much to my foody husband's taste and he was a wee bit sad that he didn't get more of them before they moved on to the awards part of the evening!

Lesson learned?  It's good to help a friend and valet parking is always a good (albeit decadent!) option.

Cheers!

I am so pleased!

Amazing how if you actually put things out there in the universe that you get a reaction. I am somewhat infamous for starting things with a bang but then not following through with them. Mind you I usually get things done for other people in a timely fashion (we all now how freaky I am about being late!) but my OWN projects? Eeeeh, not so much...

So, when my friend Betsy asked what my plans were for the new year and I mentioned one of them was resurrecting my etsy site. She said "Great! Let's work on it NOW." Uh, now? Make my own thing a priority, really? Well, she really cajoled me into getting my fanny in gear to get some of my art posted.. As well, Betsy and her hubby Hank physically helped post some of my vintage goodies on line. You can see them at http://theresawellsstifel.etsy.com

And I started a new collage this morning. And I got this charming Bat Mitzvah pillow delivered last week. Changing gears, accounting set-ups and payroll. Somehow not feeling as thrilled about that....

Ta Da!

What do you see? A dining room table with three non-matching chairs shoved off in a corner? I see 2 weeks worth of sorting, cleaning, mending and tagging of a MOUNTAIN of found treasures that I finally got out of the house! They have been integrated into the sparkly chaos that is the sales floor at Stifel & Capra but I am guessing they MIGHT sell there better than on my dining room table!

I have been tempted to stop at road side haunts, sales and junk piles in the past week but I promised myself that I would clear this particular pile before I started a new mountain. Am actually proud of myself that I did it. What's next? Eating less, and exercising more? Doubt it but stay tuned!

A rose by any other name

Almost twenty years ago my now husband Bob told me he'd never buy me "I'm sorry" flowers.  And it's true, he never has.  I usually get them on my birthday or our anniversary.  And random Thursdays.  These have held up well don't you think?  These roses are much better looking in person as this is one of those unedited camera phone shots.  And honestly they are more like "Boy , are YOU Sorry" flowers as I have been SUCH a grump lately.  It is not even the end of January and I already feel thwarted by Father Time vs. my "list of Big Things to Accomplish". 

Maybe it is because we have add some snow/ice storms and in DC that causes absolute pandemonium with less than 2 inches of precipitation. (Schools closed, grocery stores bare.) So my schedule gets knocked all a kilter. 

Maybe at almost 50 I should realized that a schedule is only an OUTLINE of what I want to get done when, so I shouldn't be shocked, SHOCKED, when things don't go according to plan.  How is it though that I seem to get every one's "things" done but not my own?  So, of course, most other folks think I am a model of efficiency.   Except for I am thinking the aforementioned darling husband, who tends to get lumped into the "my" category and of course gets slighted also.

Am thinking I need to do something about that.  Perhaps a date night is in order...

Nothing like a deadline!

Nothing like a deadline to get you motivated! Falls Church Arts is sponsoring a show called Passport to the World. The show is opening is this weekend http://www.fallschurcharts.org for details. The drop-off day was Tuesday between 6 & 9. When did I frame my piece? Tuesday at 3:30 of course. Eek, nothing like living on the edge. But hey, at least I finished my piece! And I liked the way it turned out. This was one of the few times that my sketch ended up looking like the finished result. Mostly I suppose because there are no wayward faces or crazy hairstyles to get distracted by in this one.

I am trying to make 2011 a "concentrate on your art" year. I feel like I spent FAR too much time last year reacting to things instead of pro-actively doing my own work. The conundrum is of course, making art is rejuvenating while working on spreadsheets? Aaah, not so much in the soul restoring category. For me at least. I am sure there are a lot of folks out that that feel restored by the symmetry of Excel but for me it is a necessary evil. When I am working on paperwork it helps to think of the beach. Like all my hard work will some day earn me waterfront! Took this shot the last time I was in Lewes, Delaware.

Had a wonderful weekend at the store. Friday was our FIRSTfriday Open House of course. Ended up staying later than normal as a patron lost their car keys! Eek. Crisis averted as they were found. Saturday and Sunday were encouraging for this fretful "Wonder waht the year will bring?" owner. Very encouragingly we sold SEVEN paintings on Saturday and Sunday. None of them were huge pieces but it was nice to see folks supporting "my" artists!

What else is new and exciting? I have about twice as much energy as I did six months ago. I think my chronic neck problems are being assuaged by the ancient art of acupuncture! It is quite thrilling to being able to work at tasks (like typing this entry) and not having my back lock up so I can't move onto the next thing. Three cheers for Joanne!

Goals and aspirations - 2011

I wonder if Colonel Puhek knew when he enlisted that he would stay in the Air Force for thirty years? Was that his plan? To serve his country through war & peace and make it home to his wife and family to start the next chapter? I haven't asked him but I know that my career path has seldomn been so defined. I went from retail to wholesale selling to direct sales to recruiting and business delopment and back to retail. Oddly, for someone that is so focused on working and doing a good job I have always seemed to fall into things by happenstance. Even Stifel & Capra is nto what I planned it to be. It was conceived as a business to business firm marketing art to commercial clients. Of course signing my lease 2 weeks before the bank melt-down three years ago MAY have had some bearing on my re-thinking of my plan!

So does that mean I am facile, flexible, fearless and forward thinking? Or just that I am whimsical, weak-minded and wishy-washy? I'd like to think the first but the resume might make you wonder. Mostly I think I am fairly good and dealing with the cards I have been dealt. I'd like to think this is a GOOD trait...

I was more than a little frustrated the last couple of quarters at the store. I felt like I was taking care of everything but my own art. Hmmm, maybe because that was true. Some friends said "Ahh but running a business is an art form" and "Parenting is an art form." But I, ahem, got into this to make some art. So what to do?

Back when I was in sales it was all about "how much money do you want to make?" and then I would sit down and work of the activities and efforts backwards so my team could see step by step how they could reach their goals. Tricky part: as I reach the ripe old age of 50(!) this year life really isn't JUST about money. What IS it about this year? What were my goals? I sat and thought, and pondered, and contemplated.

Resolved for 2011:
-to keep appointments with myself as religiously as I keep appointments with others
-to be less judgemental and more patient
-to become a better listener
-to treat my family at least as nice as I do strangers!

Tall order. But I am six foot two. I am also a very concrete person. How to track things so nebulous.. Any suggestions?

Now mind you I still need to lose weight, get more organized and save more money (college expenses are looming!)

Happy New Year from Stifel & Capra!

It's not that I intentionally forget. It's just like I am more of an "you are in or you are out" kind of girl. What do I mean by that? You know exercising everyday and then the path freezes over so I can't walk safely. I stay home. Path thaws. Do I make my way out again? Uh, no. Blogging? Religious or non-existent. So many people said to me , what no cheery pics of the store? No humorous anecdotes of your madcap adventures? Uuuuuhhhhhh, apparently not. I seem to have been a bit overcome by the "urgent rather than the important" to quote Steven Covey. I didn't used to run my life like this. What happened?

I teasingly told my friends who asked how the shop, the kids, the family, the hubby's new job et al were going that they were all fine but I was in the "bitter and resentful" stage. Usually said in cheery voice and a hearty smile. The folks who know me remarked that this was not my normal operating mode. That this is still perceived as true makes me breathe a sigh of relief I must confess! But things ARE on the upswing. Why? I think the acupuncture is working for my neck pain (praise the Lord!). The Spouse has settled into his new job. Parents are well and kids seem actually rested and refreshed from their winter break. Thus leaving me time to quit micromanaging and worrying about them and actually focusing my attention back on my cranky self!

In my past life as a recruiter the week between Christmas and New year's was always a time for reflection and planning. I decided to go back to what works for me. And plotted. And planned. And will tell you about it. TOMORROW. Promise.

There's always tomorrow...

That's what I kept saying to myself.  Gulp. Last entry was uuuuuhhhhh, FALL?   Now it is the second week of advent? Oh my.  Needless to say I have had my normal very full life.  Too schitzy to stop and write.  I miss it. And you.  Will be back to writing soon.  Please do come visit me at the shop so I can regale you with tales.  Or check out Stifel and Capra on Facebook.  Of course writing this will hopefully mean I will be ready to write sooner rather than New Year's!

The Last of a Season

Here 'tis.  Our last, luscious, lonely tomato of the season.  Sitting on the kitchen windowsill.  Bob & I are watching and waiting until it is about to burst with ripeness before we sacrifice it to the end of summer gods.  As you can see by the color out the window, Mother Nature does not care about my tomato.  Autumn is here.  One of my favorite things about living in Virginia is the fact that we DO get four true seasons. (although I must confess I could skip DC's "hazy, hot and humid" August.)  We are dragging out the fire pit this weekend so the teenagers can dance around it and toast marshmallows. Fun!

Thinking of the seasons change and the impending holidays makes me reflect on the many losses my friends have endured this year. Judy, her father. Pete, a brother. Phil & Barbara, their daughter. Betty & Jim, their grandson. Hank, his mother. Julie, her grandmother. Ashleigh, her college BFF. David, his wife. So much loss and mourning. So much strength and fortitude. We also lost the last original homeowner on my little street.  Jackie recently passed away peacefully in her sleep to the shock and chagrin of her closest neighbors who always took such solicitous care of her.  In one of those "can this be a coincidence, really?" moments, Roger my former neighbor was chatting up Randy (the friend who bought Roger's house almost a decade ago).  Roger mentioned how nice it was to see everyone even under such circumstances as he lived in the Midwest now. Where? Indiana. What town? Oh, it's small you've never heard of it.  Turns out it is the same town where Randy went to school and where his mother still lives! Small world.

Disregarding the sugar fest of Halloween, this year All Saint's Day will be a day I stop and contemplate all those goods souls who are no longer with us.  And appreciate those who still are. 

What a find! - REfind Consignments

I am taking this great new class called "Growing Your Soul" this year. I am in that Mommy Rut where I feel like I am always Last In Line so decided to do something. After acknowledging that I probably need a personal trainer I decided that getting my interior life into shape was a more immediate priority. (How I am going to explain this to my doctor when I go in for my follow-up next week is another story!) I am thoroughly enjoying class but I must admit I found a very secular distraction a block away from church. REfind Consignments. Number one- What an AWESOME name and two: what a charming place!

It's a bit more formal than Stifel & Capra (but what isn't?) but REfind is really nicely merchandised and, because the building is new, spic and span, with plumb walls and dare I say level floors! The owner Carey Williams was easy to talk to and very welcoming. If you find yourself over on Church Street in Vienna, VA stop in! Tell them I sent you. And if you go tomorrow you might see me again -my class gets out at eleven.

Fun on FIRSTfriday - Inside and out!

We had a great time on FIRSTfriday last weekend.  Attendance was down a WEE bit as it was the local school's homecoming but actually that enabled folks that were there to actually see what was in the shop!  So the artists were happy that sales did not suffer!  Dace Jenkins, our silhouette cutter extraordinaire was here with his wife and family.  I am surprised that Dave's didn't explode from all of the compliments.  Here is an example of one of the charming pieces we have in the shop. (all of the color gradations are done with cancelled stamps.)  Dave's feature wall is up until October 31st.

OUTSIDE now that I have finally sold my sainted, benighted hoosier cabinet we have some wonderful additions for your porch or sun room.  Falls Church resident, by way of Georgia, Deborah Hudgens brought in the prettiest plant and container combos that we have seen in awhile.  We sold half of her stock by Saturday morning.  She is coming in later today to bring in a new batch of goodies so you can have some fresh ones to pick from!

Amy Fromm graced us with her presence as well Friday.  The Interlaken Soak Co. is beckoning me to add "soak my head" (body, feet) to my list of things to do.  Now that the bbq, art show FIRSTfriday is over for now maybe I can jump in the tub.  But wait, I haven't told you about the new consignment store I found or the new local pizza place or.... 

Ready, set, GO!

These pictures were the calm before the storm LAST weekend. The artists Helping Others show went very smoothly this year. I was impressed with how organized and nicely everything came together. Jim Larsen & Christopher Fay (presidents of CHO & Homestretch respectively) stopped by along with friends, Vienna Pres members and artists fans. Thank you fro all that attended. If the proceeds for the event were a harbinger of the economy things are looking up. If you couldn't make it to the show and would still like to contribute to either of these great organizations please do so at http://www,homestretch.org or http://www.cho-va.org

I have been RUNNING like a banshee these last 3 weeks. I hope YOU will run by the shop tonight for our FIRSTfriday event. The shop is bursting with new finds, new art and the delightful Dave Jenkins will have entire feature wall and table top display of his charming silhouette work. http://www.stifelandcapra.com/Gallery_Jenkins.php . Amy Fromm from the Interlaken Soak Co. will be there with her soothing organic bath products line (boy do I need some for the weekend!) and last but not least, corporate chef Patrick from 2941 fame will be on hand to talk about his newest endeavor, Napoli style Pizzeria Orso. (samples, Patrick? I sure hope so!!!)

Tonight's the Night! AHO 2010

The Artists Helping Others 2010 show is up and looking lovely. Hope you can join us tonight or tomorrow morning!
http://www.stifelandcapra.com/ for details and directions!

Life IS Wonderful (and the art show IS this weekend!)

When my friend John stopped by my bar-b-q on Saturday and said "I can only stay for a minute but I really had to give you this because it made me think of you." I must admit I cringed.  What could he have? Turned out it was the above bumper sticker!  John said it reminded him of my attitude.  And he meant it sincerely, NOT sardonically.  Thanks John!

The countdown is ON.  The 3rd annual "Artists Helping Others show is THIS weekend.  We have over 100 pieces of art, glass and jewelry on display Saturday September 25th from 6 to 9pm.  We are having a "Life is short; eat dessert first" buffet.  Proceeds from all of the original art, prints, and cards go to Homestretch and CHO two fine family oriented organizations.  For directions or more information visit http://www.stifelandcapra.com/AHO2010-Press%20Release.php
Hope to see you there!

"Work to be done" by Theresa Wells Stifel - a mixed media collage - Cloth Paper Scissors

"Work to be done" by Theresa Wells Stifel - a mixed media collage - Cloth Paper Scissors

entered 3 of my collages in Cloth, Paper Scissors latest artisan contest. There are a lot of amazing pieces posted. Wish me luck!

Fun with Kathie Rogers!

We had SO much fun with Kathie, her husband Chuck and their cheerful friends from Annapolis (plus of course all of our usual suspects!) at FIRSTfriday last weekend.

I am rather mortified that I hadn't posted these pics before now. I suffered from the "oh, I will do a REALLY nice job with the blog tomorrow" and then well, a week passes and here we are!

I was concerned about FIRSTfriday being on a holiday weekend but we had a really fun crowd. I think they were giddy from not sitting in holiday traffic!

Kathie Rogers is our featured artist this month. We had fun hanging her wall. These paintings are NOT everything on display so do stop in and see the rest until September 30th. Kathie is also showing in our "Artists Helping Others" Show in Vienna on September 25th.
Other fun things happening: the art market is starting up again! Anne Schwarz and colleagues will be in the parking lot on Saturday from 10 to 2ish. Lots of beauteous bargains to be had; come see!

Can't Judge a Book by its Cover

I always enjoy my customers but sometimes they surprise me! A lovely woman came in last week and I mean lovely. perfect hair and make-up, cute figure , smashing clothes, and killer shoes, shoes? WHOO. I'd be seven feet tall if I could wear those shoes. We got to chatting (surprise!) and come to find out the lovely Martha, from the pages of Vogue runs a livestock shelter. That's right, horses, cows, pigs et al! AND she runs a multi acre organic herb and vegetable farm to help finance the shelter. Amazing! So that is why she was looking for farm signs and mason jars! I didn't have EITHER in the store that day but I did have a vintage Hoosier chest that I donated to the barn where they sell the produce. And the beautiful Martha marched in with bare feet to haul it into her truck to haul it back to the farm. Whodathunk?
The next day this VERY tall, VERY BROAD shouldered man with neck tattoos, a braided goatee and heavy boots stepped over my threshold and started removing said boots. I told him there was no need (smiling as I thought of the barefoot farmer of the day before!) and he said "oh yes, indeed the boots needed to go!" He had apparently spent the better part of an hour the day before scrubbing down a bank he has sullied with his tar laden boots. Eek. As I and my trusty helpers had laid the laminate floor in the shop I REALLY appreciated his consideration. Padding up in his stocking feet B asked me if I had any perfume vials. After the normal, this one is too small, this is one is the wrong color and THIS one is "just right" he chose the heart shaped, sea blue one. Appropriate it turns out. Turns out our bug guy is a big romantic! After his wife said she'd love to take the sea home with her from her vacation our sneaky husband secreted some sea water and sand home from their holiday. He bought the perfume atomizer to seal the holiday feeling into a dresser memento! (we both agreed the reality might smell a bit, but isn't THAT life!)

I declared him "romantic of the day!" and he told me more about his lovely wife. And the fact that she was an artist. Then he mentioned that he was an artist of sorts, a wordsmith. He had just finished his second novel! And then told me how he had time to think and write because he had burned out if his job of many years of working with troubled adolescents and come home one to day to the lovely wife and said "I am going to drive a truck". And so he did! I commented that all he had to be responsible for now was him and his load (this week? Asphalt!). This has obviously given him time to think and write. And ponder wonderful surprises for his assuredly lovely bride.

Everybody has a story. I love my job.

PS If you have any old canning jars that you'd like to donate to the animal sanctuary; bring 'em to me! Especially the blue ones...

Moon over Lewes

Last full day at the beach on Saturday. Was there so long the moon came out!  Had a super relaxing time.  Entertained some out of town friends and relatives, ate a lot of food, drank a lot of wine, went for a couple of power walks and more than a few languid dips in the bay.  Tried REALLY hard to ignoe technology (helped along by  really bad connections.)

Did lots of shopping. Even got a lot of it tagged and inventoried when I walked in the store today I could get it put out on the floor.

The craziest purchase of the week?  A set of congas and bongos!  I honestly bought them because they were a good deal and they are simply beautiful.  Everyone that knows I have two kids has said "are you crazy?!?" We will see...  Turns out one of our house guests actually plays them.  The congas.  Better than Ricky Ricado.  Paul swears that he carried a set just like the ones I purchased in the high school marching band.  Are you KIDDING me?  Amazing.
Am excited to be back to work.  Or would have been if I had a job where my work got done when I was gone!  My awesome artists and colleagues all covered for me on the sales floor but all of the paperwork was sitting in a neat little pile when I came in this morning. (Darn!)  With that said , I am glad to be back!