BUON ANNO! HAPPY NEW 2014

Buon Anno! (Italian for Happy New Year!)

So much for this creative girl to catch up on!  Life has been so busy since my last post.

But my holiday wish is all contained in this image which includes my "Amaryllis" painting of a few years ago: 

The holidays of 2013 held many creative events and projects. 

The "Market Faire" on November 2, an 18th century array of artists, merchants and entertainers, The Green, Dover DE was a wonderful success!  Our abundant array of natural bath, kitchen, shaving and laundry soaps, old time after shave, ladies fragrant floral splash sold completely out. 





 

air drying/curing soap

Shaving brush, bowl & soap



 

Ron was captured in this photo by a friend





All soap varieties had to be replenished for I was to present our Coastal Cottage Soaps at a few other Holiday Shows locally.  Off to my soap studio to measure, heat, whip and pour.  Then slicing, curing and labeling.

A good supply of lovely natural soaps are ready for purchase, packaging and shipping this new year.

Creativity takes on many different forms in my life.

A great creative sewing project involved making 2 custom swivel club chair slipcovers and a lined swag window treatment for our family room.  A trip to the famous interior design fabric store, The Interior Alternative, in Newark, De was the basic requirement.  I have purchased yards and yards of fabric over the years for window treatments, slipcovers, pillows and duvae covers.

Moving the sewing machine down to the family room really helped with the continuous measuring, fitting, pinning and sewing.  So I happily created while watching old classic movies far into each night.  This project also kept me company while my husband was down with a serious case of the "shingles".

A few similar sketches of my projects:

 

 

     

A new year means a fresh start in many ways.  We all contemplate and reset goals, like eating healthier, exercising, starting a hobby or getting more organized. 

So my thoughts lately engage in writing about starting to "Create a more Simplistic and Healthy Life."  I try to practice this theme in everyday life.  This is not a new whim, but always thinking, planning, researching and doing.  Collecting tips and info over time as well as my own basic tried and true provides a great basis. 

Look for my new blog with insight into starting down the path to start creating a more simple and healthy life.

My best to you all and Buon Anno!

The Artful Maria