Coffee Spells Trouble...

...but only because it makes me do more than I probably have time for. In a good way, of course. Otherwise I'd have to quit drinking it, and I simply couldn't handle that process emotionally. Um, can anyone say addicted? Yes. I probably have issues. ;)

I sat down with a good friend of mine for a cup of coffee the other day and we got to talking. And then, well, we started this little blog. Go take a read, you'll see our purpose. Eventually we hope this group here in Bend will grow and flourish, busting at the seams with beauty and art.

Cultivated Beauty

While I'm Posting...

Gosh, I feel like I am playing the biggest game of catch up. EVER. I figure I may as well post while I'm thinking about it.

Once again, Ben Edwards photographed a bit of my work. It's because he is a rad friend, and we tend to know some rad people, and radness just happens. In case you wondered.

Now, I need to put a little disclaimer here, I simply altered Cheryl's beautiful gown...but then we funkified it with some beautiful green silk. I also designed her daughter's dress. It was such a treat to be able to really tie the two in to one another, a great symbol, I believe, of the wonderful mother+daughter relationship they already have.

Take a gander at Ben's blog post here.

She's back!

Ok, enough is enough. I have not blogged in ages. I had miles of to-do lists at the beginning of summer including, but not limited to: fashion shoots, design work, teaching, marketing, travel plans, weddings, etc... and life knocked me over. Being the somewhat green and environmentally friendly person that I am, I bike to work and around town. I also recycle and compost, but that's beside the point.

In June I was biking to work. And on one fateful morning,

I was hit by an SUV.

That'll stop pretty much anyone in their tracks. Teaching stopped. Work stopped. Sewing stopped. Design stopped. Aspirations were put on hold. The only thing that started was me learning how to properly function again. Frustrating to the max, I will tell you that. Learning how to sit up properly again, retraining every freaking muscle in my body to do what it did before. Ugh, not fun. The good I found in the trial was that luckily everything had been simply knocked out of place or torn, nothing was broken (miraculously).

Over two months later I can finally sit with only localized pain in my back and my knee - which means this girl is gonna be back in front of her sewing machine ASAP. Teaching will resume. Designing will resume. Work will resume. And it is exciting!

I know I have been talking about whether or not I'll keep Ania around for the long haul or not. I'm hitting this silly mid-twenties crisis that's sending me across the world in the next year. But the one thing I know is that I'm really sinking deep into my own identity, finding and strengthening my passions, and trying to share that journey with others along the way. For now, Ania will remain as creative as possible, and give as much as possible with the gifts she has been given. She has been looked on with favor and grace.

I simply *have* to brag!

I met Lisa Logan, an amazingly talented couturier, by chance last year. I somehow managed to break the clutch in my sewing machine and had to get it fixed. When I picked it up she happened to be at the store and we got to talking. And then we met for burgers and onion rings to talk. She gave me the gift of time and her expertise regarding my little company, and I'm still so grateful.

Well, today I opened up the newspaper, and lo and behold, there's Lisa right on the front of the community section! Go read it here. She's fabulous, and I simply had to give her a shout out. This article will give you insight as to how complicated her job is, and even more so how talented she is - though you must simply see her work in person sometime. :)

Little things like these make me excited to see what life looks like when I arrive home from Africa, and how business takes shape (whatever that may be). Enjoy your Saturday all!

Africa on the Brain

My journey to Africa has begun...well, at least the first stages of it anyway! I'm in the process of planning, raising funds and daydreaming constantly. I have a blog going tracking progress and updates. Swing on by, and purchase some coffee after you check it out!

http://onejourneyamongmany.blogspot.com/

Yay Inspiration!

Seriously, so glad to have gone to Portland this weekend. It was a nice break from the normal routine, as was the reason for the visit: fashion. I'm working a fashion show and a photo shoot for a friend of mine, the lovely Katie Syme, makeup artist extraordinaire. I'm doing 4 garments for this shoot, one fab dress and a few seriously funked out shirts. Below are a few snapshots of textiles we fell in love with. Of course, you'll have to wait and see what they turn out to be sometime around the end of May. It's gonna flippin' rock.

Catching Up

I'm trying to play a serious game of catch up with life at the moment. I have a super busy summer coming up, and a ton of work to do between now and June. Everything from upcoming fashion shoots to attending the majority of 11 weddings of my friends this summer to trying to cram an hour a day into enjoying the beautiful spring weather Bend has been blessed with the past few days.

A couple of things for you to check out:

The World Relief NEXT team is in Africa, check out their blog, and the blog of Benjamin Edwards for stories and photos that will inspire you.

A new blog I'm starting up about my journey to Africa later this year is up and going. Right, because I need just one more thing on my to-do list. However, it'll be fun and interactive for you. :)

Keep your eyes peeled, I'm going to have some shots of my work for the fashion shoot sometime in June, and I'll try to get some pictures as I begin the creative process. I hope you'll enjoy following that as much as I'm going to love being creative in my own right this time around!