I WANT SPRING!!!!!

Today was a cold and windy day. After venturing out to take this picture this morning I was CRYING for spring. The sound of the birds overpowering my thoughts, the daffodils bursting forth with color, the peonies peaking their little heads up saying "Is it time.....Is it time?"

I sometimes forget how much I love my garden. I know......you are thinking, how could you forget????  The smell of fresh cut grass, the buds of the crab apple trees bursting forth with an abundance of color, the scraping back of the bark mulch to reveal the little sprouts that contain all the promise of the zinnias summer explosion. The roses budded and waiting to scent the summer air. And oh.........the sweet juicy pop of the first tomato as you bite into it's goodness.

It's coming folks......I promise.

Michelle's Gallery Show

I first came to love all that Michelle created when she played in the garden with us for the last ten years. Upon semi-retirement from The Flower Tree, she started to follow another passion, painting. On March the 9th, she will be having her first gallery opening and joining her will be another artist she knows well, her brother from Washington state.

She is so very talented! Please make plans to stop by on this evening and see what she is creating now. 

I walk

when I walk....I see.....

and everything in my life starts to become clear

sometimes I walk in the early morning, and sometimes as the sun is setting and the moon arrives....

 I just like to walk........

 to see.......

Building on a Creative Life

Last fall we had our first 'Playin' at Plein Aire' event at The Flower Tree Nursery. We are so very thankful that we not only had an amazing turn out of  artists, but the generous support of our local community who bid on the completed projects. We are now in a position to fund the art scholarship that was created in memory of our dear friend and creative spirit, Linny Moore, who left us to soon. If you are interested in applying, we still have funds available for the Winter 2013 season. Please also watch for our Spring Plein Air event which will take place in May.

Building on a Creative Life

Twice a year, the committee for “Building on a Creative Life”, an art scholarship created in the memory of Linny Moore, offers two (or more) awards. These awards (renewable ~ provided approval and criteria are met) are determined on a competitive basis and require the submission of an art portfolio and artists statement. All artists, in every format, are encouraged to participate in this process. The objective of this scholarship fund is to give money for educational expenses--books, tuition, art supplies, and more ~ to people who meet specific criteria. All artists receiving awards through this program are also encouraged to participate in a semi-annual outdoor art event “Playin’ at Plein Aire” where all funds raised are used to further the scholarship program and raise awareness of the Lahontan Valley art community.

ARTIST PORTFOLIO
The artist portfolio should include a minimum of 10 images in digital format. All materials should be labeled with artist’s name, title of each piece (if any), media, dimensions, and year completed. Portfolio artwork may include drawings, painting, photography, watercolors, oil, digital works, mixed media, printmaking, sculptures, et cetera.  Portfolios may include artwork created outside of art courses, preferably within the past two years.

ARTISTS STATEMENT
The Artist Statement should include your reasons for wanting to be an artist, a description of artists and/or work that you admire, and your academic and artistic goals. Your statement should be a minimum of 300-500 words (double spaced) in length. Be sure to include your name at the top of your statement. Your statement must also include a detailed description on how you intend to use the scholarship funds.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
Preferably, a letter of recommendation from a current or past instructor and/or mentor familiar with your artistic qualifications should be included with the application.

DEADLINE
Return this completed form along with your portfolio and artist statement by:
December 1^st to be considered for the upcoming season starting January 1^st
June 30^th to be considered for the upcoming season starting August 1^st

Please type or print: Personal Information

Last Name: _______________________First Name:____________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________State: ____________Zip: ______________

Telephone Number: (____) ________________      Cell (____)___________________________

Email address:______________________Blog:___________________Website:____________________ Requested amount of scholarship $____________________

CHECKLIST for art scholarship: ______ 1) This completed application form ______ 2) One-page artist statement ______ 3) 10 image portfolio (digital format), with name & media (i.e.: ink, watercolor, photography) ______ 4) Self-addressed, stamped return envelope large enough for portfolio, if you would like it returned. Please use precaution when packaging and labeling application materials. The committee is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items. Please return all of the above material to : Building on A Creative Life 2975 Reno Highway Fallon, NV 89406

On the Road Again

The first of the year is always a great time to take stock of the year just passed, and look forward to the one in front of us. That is why everyone contemplates their resolutions so much isn't it? I am not one for making resolutions, but as a business owner ~ I do have lots of tasks to resolve. The mountain of paperwork that accompanies "year end", the physical action of taking inventory......and the mental one as well. This coming year isn't going to start exactly as I had planned it to, business decisions sometimes get in the way of best laid plans. But I am going to make the absolute best of some new challenges that have been thrown my way and take the time to re-energize the passion that I have for both of our stores.

So as this new year begins, I am taking "inventory" of my thoughts and plans for the coming months. Need a little Jump Start at your own small business? Here are a few things that always seem to work for me.

1. The best way I know how to go about jump starting.......get out there and.........TRAVEL! 

2. Open your eyes, and more important....your mind. See what's out there, see what others are doing, what new ideas can I gather from being in a different state, different coast. Even from the small little stores at the airport I have found inspiration and new products, and don't even get me started on the dusty little second hand stores on the back roads of the south.

3. Get out there and talk to other business owners. Trust me, your way is not always the BEST way. Don't just walk around their store and try and copy some of their ideas (come on, if you are a small business owner you BETTER be trying to copy your favorites). If I am in a store that really moves me I like to try and find the owner or manager, and 9 times out of 10 they are there......remember....we are talking SMALL business here, and they are probably minding their own store. I always let them know that I live 3000 / or 300 miles away and that I really am inspired by some of their displays. Or maybe just their product mix impresses me and I don't want to be so obvious when I turn over the item to see who the manufacturer is.  I am always so pleasantly surprised how these interactions go, and I can tell you from experience almost half of my newsletter/emails that I get on a regular basis come from these businesses and many have gone on to be great business "pen pals". As small business owners we all work really really hard, and sometimes it is really nice to be able to take the opportunity to "pay it forward" by complementing someones business sense that you admire. 

4. Step outside the box. Visit a store that you THINK may have nothing in common with your own, and see how they do it. One of the original choices for some of the display materials at Red Zinnia (juxtaposition of antiques and stainless) came from a  gourmet grocery store in downtown Chicago. I walked in and KNEW that someday I would use that exact same layout for a store. And this was a year before Red Zinnia was even contemplated. I just liked the look that much and had noted it in my "Ideas" book.

5. Get to the trade shows for your industry, and take as many of your staff with you that you can afford. Sure the shows are a lot of work, and yes they do cost money to attend, but how else are you going to find the new and exciting.....oh yeah.....re-read #3!

So with those few things being said, I am on my way outa town! See you in a month or so, and until then you can keep track of me here, or over on FB and Pinterest. Oh, that leads me to 6 and 7, you do have a FB and a Pinterest account don't you??

Get going, and if our paths cross along the way....make sure and say hello, I would love to meet you and swap ideas! See you soon, Susan

Merry Christmas from Ours to Yours

'Twas the night before Christmas,
And all through the store,

Not a creature was stirring,

No one came through the door.

Harriet was safely sleeping,

On her bed on the floor,

When outside in the trees

She heard quite the roar.

She ran round the table,

And put her face to the glass.............

To see what could be causing

This loud sounding crash.

"It's just us", we exclaim,

As we open the door

We've coming bearing gifts,

Catnip, treats and toys galore!

We picked up sweet Harriet

And cuddled her well,

Filled her food and water

And pulled out her new bell.

We left with a smile

Harriet's blanket tucked tight,

Merry Christmas to all,

And to all a good night.

Merry Christmas from our family,

including Harriet, to yours.

May the season bring you good

health and happiness.

Winter Solstice in the garden

This morning as I stepped out into the cold to get this picture, I couldn't help but feel the light of the season returning. The Winter Solstice arrived early this morning and with it came this amazing sunrise. Shades of red and orange light up the sky in preparation of the first day of winter. Not only do we have this show in the morning, but it is predicted that we will have snow by tonight up in the mountains. Lots of snow! For now I will enjoy the clear skies and reflect on the season just past, and the new one starting.

Winter in the garden is a time for reflection and solitude. There aren't a lot of chores to be done, and hopefully everything has been heavily mulched with a blanket of compost to keep it warm through the days ahead. But while there may not be physical work involved with this time of year, there certainly can be some written and mental gardening to be done. Planning new gardens for this spring?  Today is the day to take notice in the garden where the sun sets. Occurring at about 4:30 this afternoon, step outside (or anytime this week) and see where the sun casts its final shadows of the day. You might be surprised to see that the tree that shaded a bedroom window for you all summer is now in full shade itself. When planning those new shrubs or perennials beds for next spring, you will want to keep in mind “Will they get sunshine in the winter months also?” or “Will they be in full shade through these cold days to come?” And why should you care? It is important for gardeners to understand how remarkable plants are. They have abilities to sense the world around them and respond to it in ways that many gardeners are unaware of.  We used to be considered Zone 5, but now the USDA has expanded the zones into more micro-climates, but........the majority of the growers that we deal with have not! So while we may now be considered Zone 7A, the plant tags will still say, Zone 5, confusing.....Yep! find your zone here. Quite often I plant things that are considered marginal for our area, perhaps Zone 6 all the way to Zone 8! These selections need to be planted where they will get the most winter sun and warmth, and yet also they may need protection from the heat of the summer sun. Best places….perhaps under a deciduous tree facing the south, where they will get full sun in the winter months to warm them, and have some protection from the summer heat from the shade of the tree. Or maybe by a large rock or boulder, also on the south side. If you are thinking of a plant that can take the heat, but perhaps not to much cold, something like the beautiful Salvia greggii…a lovely addition to the perennial garden, tucking the roots up under the rock as best you can when you plant it, will allow it to gather warmth from the rock all winter, but still enjoy the heat of summer.

Reflect and Relax. I laughed the other evening when a fellow gardening friend explained to those of us gathered that the reason she owned one of those high intensity headlamps you see miners wear, is so that she can garden late into the night during the summer season. This time of year for those of us gardeners that want nothing more than dirt under our fingernails can be daunting. We dream of seedlings and blooms and the fresh fragrance of herbs. But while it may not be time for digging, it is time for reflecting, and remembering the beauty of the garden. All months, all weeks, all days. There is beauty in the garden.

Happy Winter Solstice! May the light find you and surround you in its warmth during this season ahead.

A "crafting" we will go

We gathered for our annual holiday craft extravaganza at Lucia's last night, and after we wandered from room to room to see all her newest/ and oldest decorations, we settled in at the table. This year we made small paper houses that can either sit on a tabletop, or with a small hole cut in the back, can hang on the Christmas tree with a light showing through the tissue paper windows. It was a great night, gathering with friends, holiday music and good food. And dessert !!! Oh my, Michelle outdid herself ONCE AGAIN, with a most extraordinary vision in chocolate!

  

 we do love our glitter......

 one of Lucia's newest....The Carousel

 fun times......

Happy 2nd Birthday Carson!!!

Happy Birthday to my sweet grandson! Today you turn two and as you fill your day with giggles and fun...... and of course some lovingly made cake, feel my hugs around you. Love you sweet bird. Nana

Family Day @ The Flower Tree

Well, I may have missed Family Day, but as you can see.....Michelle and Rose handled it just fine without me. What beautiful wreaths, yule logs and arrangments everyone made.