Lessons I’ve Learned From Violet Riot

As you’ve probably noticed, the super duper Violet Riot online store is almost no longer.  When Beth and I first discussed taking it down, it meant relief, both financially and emotionally.  She and I are both being pulled into prosperous, exciting new directions and having this online store that requires attention and money for upkeep, was getting to be too much.  And in all honesty, it was tax time that pushed us over the edge.  Having to gather all the necessary information and pay for someone to file our taxes for a business that we aren’t really pursuing, seemed like a waste.

So, like I said, relief was the first emotion when we decided to close Violet Riot’s digital doors.  But then, as the huge, amazing, killer 50% off of everything sale went underway, it started to feel a bit more bittersweet for me.  The amount of orders that came pouring in made me stop and think, “Wait a minute, this could be profitable, look at all the people who love Violet Riot stuff!”  And then I had to remind myself that they were buying the stuff for below cost – we were not making a dime off of any of this.  Although yes, money was coming in, it had places it needed to go (hi Mr. Expensive Tax Preparer)!

I sat in my car at a traffic light yesterday after dropping off a slough of orders at the post office and I started to ruminate about my journey with Violet Riot.  I thought about how it started – me making clothes for my 3-month-old son – and how dead tired I was during that time (and for the next 3+ years!) and laughed out loud at why I ever thought I should take on a business when I also had a baby to nurture an no nanny.  ”What were you thinking?!” I asked myself lovingly.  And yet, although all of my “free” time (when my son was napping or sleeping) was taken up by Violet Riot and I was depleted in many ways while my son thrived, I can’t help but be grateful for the experience and for all that it’s taught me.  It gave me a real life education about business, myself and balance (or lack thereof).

The hardest part about shutting down our online store is that I labored (and I don’t use that word lightly!) over this website.  In fact, I completely designed everything on it, twice.  I wrote all the content, figured out what the hell Authorize.net was and nit-picked all the fonts.  Our first web designers took all my design pieces and a hefty deposit and assured us they could get the job done.  After months of seeing little progress, they stopped contacting us and we were left with no website and no money.  Our second attempt at a website proved to be a total success because of an amazing company called Shopify.  They took my new design pieces and within a week, it was done!  So, to now let go of my baby, which turned out even better than how I had envisioned it – is not an easy thing to do.  A friend posted a well-timed quote on Facebook this week that has been helping me see the light, so to speak – “Transformation is always possible, you just have to be willing to die a little bit.”  I have other ventures I am involved in now and I know that in order to fully make the leap into that realm and to open up those doors of opportunity, I must close some current ones and die a little bit.  And it does feel like a death is occurring.

So, as I waited for the light to turn green (it’s a notoriously long light) and was mourning the loss of Violet Riot, I was flooded with all of the things that Violet Riot had taught me.  Here are a few…

1.)  When I channeled Don Corleone and sent a certain web design company a well-composed, level-headed, yet legally threatening email, I was able to get that hefty deposit back.

2.)  Goodwill does not wash their clothes or spray them with any kind of sanitizer.  So that Goodwill smell is really what all sorts of people smell like when mixed together.  (Don’t worry, we always washed the shirts!)

3.)  If I want a business with a soul, I’d better be prepared for a checking account with no money.  Making substantial money off of people and having a soul don’t usually go hand in hand.

4.)  It was a beautiful thing to start a business based off of something that I loved, but at the end of the day, if it didn’t compensate me for all the time I spent doing it, it might not be was not worth it.

5.)  American Apparel’s retail prices are RIDICULOUSLY over-priced when compared to what they charge for wholesale.  I walk into their retail stores and gasp at how much money they have to be making – $16 for a pair of boy’s undies?!

6.)  Seeing someone else’s child wearing something I made is beyond words.

7.)  There was no pattern as to how people bought our stuff.  We constantly looked for trends or more popular designs to emerge, but everyone liked something different.

8.)  The minute we bought lots of pink to sell for girls, moms started asking if we had anything other than pink – and vice versa.

9.)  There are so many steps in making a Violet Riot tee and people have no idea all that goes into it – buying recycled t-shirts, washing recycled t-shirts (see item #2 above), deciding on and tracing out design from recycled t-shirt, cutting out design from recycled t-shirt, choosing and buying new American Apparel shirt, sewing a tag in AA shirt, changing thread in sewing machine to match design from recycled t-shirt, adhering design to AA shirt, sewing design onto AA shirt, attaching side tag to shirt (we’re talking hours here)…

10.)  People love getting 50% off of anything!

11.)  The people who are most disappointed that we’re closing are also the ones who never bought anything.

12.)  When I had to be resourceful, I was – I learned about how to charge for sales tax, what the BOE is, shipping rates, trust certifications, merchant accounts, SSL numbers, business licenses, HTML, etc.

13.)  There is no rush in life.  There is no need for me to be busting my ass to run a business when I’m still waking up a few times a night to feed my son.

14.)  I have a hard time selling.  It puts me out of my comfort zone to try to push products on people, even if I did hand make them.

15.)  Owning my own business and having a kid infinitely increased the amount of things I had to micromanage.  I don’t suggest it.

16.)  All my adding and tax calculating skills go out the window when ringing up a celebrity.

17.)  Even though we offered an extensive choice of designs, there is always someone who wants something random like an octopus or an Easter Bunny (Hi Rex!!)

18.)  Staying true to who I am, my ideals and what I want to offer to the world is satisfying in itself even if it doesn’t monetarily reward me.

19.)  When choosing a career, I will stay away from positions that require me to squint, hunch over a sewing machine and flex one foot for several hours a day.

20.)  Letting go of Violet Riot does not mean I failed.  Instead, it means I am able to go with the flow of life and to recognize when to bend and to know where I want to be in life and to make a conscious step in that direction instead of treading water for fear of exploring new territory.

21.)  Getting into business with a friend (typing through tears here) was the very best part about Violet Riot.  We heard all the cliches about what it can do to a friendship, but all it did for us was strengthen the love and bond that was already there.  Taking a manicure break, oogling the guy behind the counter at American Apparel’s pick up window or stopping for a Pink’s hot dog while waiting for the sketchy screenprinter to finish are really what made Violet Riot worth doing.  I hadn’t really realized that until this very minute.  I love you Beth!

Let me just collect myself here for a second.  Whew.  That’s like writing a eulogy.

I cannot express how grateful I am for all the love and support our customers and family and friends have given us and Violet Riot over the few years.  Thank you all from the bottom of our hears.  One of our top shelf customers, Ona Barnett, has a son who used to call me “the woman who makes beautiful shirts.”  My heart just melts to think that something as simple as a shirt can create such love and joy.  That was the root of Violet Riot.

In case you were wondering, the new avenues that Beth and I are venturing upon are…

Beth is involved with a gourmet ice-cream company called Beachy Cream, that uses locally-sourced ingredients and even has vegan and gluten-free options of their delicious ice cream sandwiches.  She is a business partner with her mom, Ann, who started the company in Malibu, California and it is based off of recipes that Ann’s mother used to make during their summers in Cape Cod.  It has taken off and they are in stores, they do high-profile events and they will be opening their first location at The Market at Santa Monica Place on May 20th.

I, Brandy, have been following my passion of supporting pregnant women and moms through the transition into motherhood – whether that be through fertility, birth or post-partum (even several years post partum).  I am a Birthing From Within childbirth mentor, which means that I teach/mentor classes of expecting parents and help them navigate terrain that has no map – birth and parenthood!  I am finding it beyond nourishing with little micromanaging and lots of opportunities have opened themselves up to me.  I like to think the universe is validating my step in this new direction.  I also have a website and blog related to this new world (surprising, right?) – you can check me out at www.mothernurturedenver.com

Although the Violet Riot online store will not be around forever, as long as I have a sewing machine, Violet Riot will live on BUT… only when and if I have the time or energy for it.  Could’ve used that wisdom about four years ago!  Mwah! XO

In Case You Were Wondering…

It’s been a while.  A lot has changed in the Violet Riot world in the past six months or so.  All good, all part of the journey.  It is truly amazing where life takes you when you let it drive instead of driving it.

Last May, myself (Brandy) and my family moved to Denver, Colorado.  We were looking for the simpler life including being able to afford a house and not shelling out over a million dollars for a tear down in Santa Monica.  Denver has welcomed us with open arms and I know in my bones that this is where we’re supposed to be.  I get daily validations such as this: I was in my car, stopped at a light the other day and this woman pulls up next to me and motions for me to roll down my window.  The LA in me is thinking that I was going to take a verbal lashing for something that I unknowingly did a mile back, so I admit I was hesitant to comply with her request.  But I did and she says to me, “Your son is so cute back there reading his little book!”  And that was it – a smile and a nod and then it was her turn to turn right.

Although I am planting roots here in Denver and am eating up being so close to family, one of the few downsides to this move was leaving behind my amazing, talented, fun (among many other things), business partner, Beth.  No more pedicures while talking the biz (that only happened once, but we swore the minute we hit the jackpot it was going to be a regular thing.)  When I moved, we decided to take a bit of a break from doing Violet Riot full force to sort of see where it organically landed when the dust settled.

You know how sometimes when you’re working so hard at something, you forget to look up from it to even ask yourself if you should keep working at it?  Moving to Colorado, taking a step back and de-stressing helped me get a really clear picture of what my intentions for Violet Riot and myself were.  My and Beth’s intentions for Violet Riot were to make really cute, comfy, unique clothing without sacrificing our ideals all the while keeping it affordable (which by the way, is basically impossibly, just FYI).  There are (at least) two flaws in that plan – two people who are stay-at-home-moms only have so much time to drive downtown to American Apparel, take pictures of EACH piece for the website, upload it, market it, fulfill orders, keep the books, cut the designs (and that bird is intricate!), sew the shirts, sew the tags, keep inventory, spend all weekend long at festivals and boutiques… the list just goes on and on and my neck muscles just tightened up thinking of it all.  Talk about running yourself ragged – and we didn’t even have a normal eight hour work day to devote to it – we had naptime (rather, Beth did, that lucky duck), after bedtime and the few mornings our kids were at preschool – and that left no time for having any downtime or grocery shopping or house cleaning or (gasp) yoga.  It would be one thing if we were charging an amount that would make all of that worthwhile – or even allow us to hire people to help.  But, that wasn’t the kind of company we wanted to be and truly, even with help, we still didn’t have the time or energy to run all the operations and micromanage the ten-thousand parts of making homemade t-shirt.

It just so happened that around the time that this was all becoming crystal clear to me (and I was realizing and dealing with how totally exhausted I was from trying to run a business and be a full-time parent), new opportunities were opening up in my and Beth’s lives.  Beth’s mom, Ann Ryan, had started an all-natural ice cream company in Malibu about a year earlier and things were exploding for her and Beth was met with an opportunity to play a big role with Beachy Cream.

For me, I was feeling a calling to be doing work relating to supporting women and mothers (which I realize now, is what was really at the core of Violet Riot – it just manifested in t-shirt form) and so I followed my heart and began my journey to become a certified “Birthing From Within” childbirth mentor/educator.  I also have plans to facilitate parent support groups with a very open, accepting, compassionate vibe that help moms (and dads) explore who they are now that they’re parents – or as I like to call it “getting turned inside out.”  Like with moving to Denver, my bones are beyond content with this new career shift and I enjoy not having a humpback from slouching over the sewing machine for hours at a time.

So where does that leave Violet Riot?  Our website is still up and will continue to be up as long as there is stock for sale – and who knows, Beth or I could have a craving for the whirring of the sewing machine and come up with a bunch of new stuff on a whim!  So, it’s not like it’s gone, but Beth and I are diverting our energy to our new endeavors.

Violet Riot has been my baby, from the first poorly-sewn onesie I made for my son.  I will never stop sewing and coming up with ideas and making them happen – hence the rollerskating shirt at his 4th birthday at a rollerskating rink…

Awesome face.

It’s in my blood (sewing AND rollerskating, of course).  And I told myself that even though Violet Riot is being put on the back burner, if an opportunity organically arose that didn’t seem overwhelming, I would consider it.

Enter Nourish Family Center.  For you Los Angelenos, it’s like a Pump Station – lactation consulting, pump rental, parenting classes, a boutique (unlike the Pump Station – it is NOT insanely overpriced), etc.  I had contacted Nourish a few months back in regards to talking with them about my birthing classes.  I gave them a link to the Violet Riot website so they could learn more about me and where I was coming from.  I was totally caught off guard when the owner told me she not only wanted to meet with me about birthing class possibilities, but she wanted to carry our line in the boutique!  So to all our Denver peeps (all three of you), you can now shop for Violet Riot at Nourish, in Centennial!  The women there are beyond sweet and knowledgeable and their boutique features locally-made goods from many mama-owned businesses.

So again, we are not gone.  And Ona Barnett, I will always make you whatever you and your imaginative little kids want!  And that goes for the rest of you too.  We are beyond happy to do custom orders and always feel free to send us an email if we can be of service – hello@violetriot.com

I have had the time and mental clairty to discover many things since leaving the wonderful, but frenetic city of Los Angeles and one of those things (rather simple) is that life is fluid.  It does not stay put.  Beliefs, dreams, passions, your address – they all shift – and that’s a good thing.  When we stand firm and refuse to change or try new things, like sticks in the mud, we are liable to snap at the powerful wind of life.  But if we bend, like a pliable blade of grass, and allow life’s wind to move us with each new breeze – even to places we weren’t sure we wanted to go – we will never ever break, just bend.

And no, I’m not sniffing glue over here.

One Woman’s Junk…

I recently visited my niece (we’re the same age – long story) and every time I step foot into her house, I am overwhelmed by just how cozy, fun and unique her furnishings and decor are and as a result, I am immediately inspired to infuse my home with the same vibe.  She has a knack – or possibly even a genetic predisposition for finding gems among junk and sometimes using a little elbow grease to turn junk into gems.  Her home contains a mishmash of old and new pieces of furniture, hand made frames, hand sewn curtains, practical knickknacks and repurposed you-name-its.  Every piece serves a purpose and makes me ask, “What is the story behind this?”  And it’s not as if she has oodles of time and money to make these things happen – she is a mother of four who, with her husband, owns and operates a friendly, quaint (what did you expect?) restaurant in Baldwin City, Kansas whose decor is a mirror image of her eclectic home.  It is called The Mélange Apron.  She hand-sewed every napkin out of a different piece of fabric, each napkin ring is a matchless find she picked up somewhere along the way and the drinks are served in Mason jars.  And every decorative piece there, including the tables and chairs, are for sale.  Her attention to detail is incredible and again, she’s making all this happen in her home and restaurant while being mom of four little ones and boss of one big restaurant.  I am tired just thinking of it.

It just so happens that I am moving into a new house in a few weeks and so the timing of my visit with Kelsey could not have been better.  As I returned home, I pontificated on how I might be able to add some of what Kelsey’s got to my new abode.  At first, I went to a few stores looking for something Kelsey-esque, but quickly realized that the look I’m going for cannot be found in a store such as Target.  No offense Target, you are still my favorite place on Earth.  The vibe I’m seeking cannot be sold or bought in quantity – it has to be scavenged from thrift and resale stores as well as garage sales.  That is where Kelsey finds most of her treasures.

I emailed her to ask for some tips and also to tell her I found a quote in a home décor magazine that I felt summed her style up perfectly: “The best decorating looks like it happened over time,” it read.  So then I asked her, “How do I get that?”  She replied with, “If you want that eclectic look in your house you have to allow yourself to buy things… even if you won’t know what you will do with it.  Another thing is, let yourself be attracted to knickknacks or objects and then think outside-the-box – what could you use it for?  Could an old school desk be an end table by your bed, for example.  Could a strange jar you find be your pencil holder etc… Unique stuff fits so great in an older houses like yours soon to be – it’s got that ‘I have a story to tell’ feeling.”

Armed with Kelsey’s sage advice, I set out on a journey to find some gems for myself and my first stop included a store called “My Favorite Things” that I’d driven past a hundred times before and always wondered, “How does a place like that stay in business?”  But this time, I actually stopped, went in and excitedly wondered, “What could be waiting for me here?!”  It was basically a large room of stuff (okay yes, junk).  Some old and gross, but I knew this wouldn’t be easy and I would have to search until something hopefully caught my eye.  Needle in a haystack.  And there it was.  A vintage milk box – the kind people used to put on their porches back in the Milkman days.  It was love at first sight and triggered memories of friends’ houses that were lucky enough to have these during my childhood (yes, I was jealous over milk delivery – those shiny milk bottles – and what makes it even more asinine is that I hated the taste of milk).  I wondered, whose porch did this grace all these years and how long had it been around?  This is the story that Kelsey was talking about!  And then my next thought was, “What in the hell can I do with this?”  I wasn’t looking forward to starting a career in hoarding but I felt that I had to trust Kelsey’s advice to buy without having a purpose yet even if this thing sat in my basement for a while.  But before I knew it, I had a zillion uses for this thing!  It could be a flowerpot on our front porch, it could hold garden tools in the garage, it could be a step-stool or a little seat for a child or it could hold toys in my son’s room as an alternative to plastic tubs… yes, that was it!  This is exactly what I was going for – finding something with character AND a purpose and thinking outside of the… umm… milk box.  Sold!  The tag said $35, but I haggled the nice junk-man down to $20.  It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?  And no, I didn’t actually call him “Nice Junk Man.”

So, off I drove in my car with my first real find.  I felt a sense of pride that I had found this piece and that I was reusing something instead of buying anew.  I was hooked.  Next stop: a big, well-known thrift store in town.  Upon entry, I eyed a big, red rocking chair, sooooo Kelsey, I thought, but kept moving towards the back until I was stopped by a old-school, blue suitcase of sorts.  I didn’t know why I liked it, but I did.  I opened the latches and looked inside – it would be a perfect little storage case for a number of things – my son’s trains, my work stuff, magazines, etc.  And the price was right – $9.99.  On my way to the cash register, I found the section of kids’ books and after a quick perusal, I found a vintage Golden Book with the most amazing illustrations of children.  The phrases that went with them were slightly off and more and more the kids looked like they were all on LSD.  I envisioned some kind of odd wall art in my son’s toy room.  Regardless of how I would use this, I had to have it, regardless of if it induced nightmares.  And it was only $1.99.  Everything was paid for and then on the way out, a small, wooden bookshelf caught my eye.  It was the perfect specimen to be primed and painted a really bright color as an accent piece to a room – a useable accent piece (end table?) with a purpose.  And only $6.99!  I was making a killing here!

I took a few days off to collect myself for the last bout of thrifting (at least for a few weeks!) and this time I went to a place that not only sold used furniture, but also appliances, tiles, toilet seats, doors, window panes, bags of random doorknobs and other odd and ends.  It was like Goodwill’s version of Home Depot.  It was here that I spied my most valuable find so far.  It was a vintage school desk and it conjured up memories of my 6^th grade class – the only class in my life in which I sat in a chair like this.  I wondered who sat in it before me and why were there three holes carved in the desk?  I gave it a once over and knew I would find a place and purpose for this even if I didn’t know it yet.  All hail Kelsey!  I planned on staining it and having it in a little well-light nook in our new place.  A perfect spot to right a note, check some email or just sit and remember school days for only $20.  My new house was starting to have some character and it didn’t even know it yet.

I’ve found that finding treasures takes effort, a car larger than my Prius and a creative mind.  What I’ve come to understand is that if something speaks to you, find a way to use it – even if that means repainting or repurposing it.  Here are pictures of my goodies.  I hope they inspire those that want inspiration!

See!!  It’s awesome, right??!  Depending on where this thing ends up, I might paint it, but I do love the vintage writing and style it already has, so we’ll see.

Not sure if I’m gonna use this for Thomas, Percy, James and their friends or just a “Going to Grandma’s” bag for my kiddo.  Regardless, it rules.

See what I mean??  These kids look a little loopy!

Ready for some paint!  Will it be purple, teal, red, light blue, etc?  Yeah, probably a 95% chance of purple… I mean violet.

Before…

After!

Here it is.  My masterpiece.  I didn’t need to sand or prime it, just stained it and watched the transformation happen before my very eyes.  I love the rich brown color of the stain.  It even had gum under the seat (which I stained around and left intact).  I swear this is something I could see in the Pottery Barn catalog for $500.  I had high hopes that this would be a fun project for my son and I to do together, but after about 5 minutes, he made a beeline for SpongeBob Squarepants.  It was probably for the best with the intense fumes coming off of the stain, otherwise he might’ve ended up looking like one of those loopy kids that will adorn his toy room wall.

Introducing… The Keats Tee!

Being the mama of a 3.5-year-old, I see a lot of scribbles, doodles and paintings.  Although mostly by other kids as my son prefers to BUILD the world’s largest marble racer or train track (a.k.a. “super awesome track”) rather than DRAW it.  A tiny part of my artsy, crafty heart shatters as he shuns crayons and and scoffs at paint.  It’s alright, once he’s old enough to understand that he can draw a detailed schematic of said marble racer and train track, he’ll be begging me for paper and markers.  But wait… this isn’t about my son, is it?

Enter Keats Burnett.

A wide-eyed, sweetheart of a kid who went to preschool with my son.  Everyday at the beginning of school, Keats could be found sitting at the small-person-sized table surrounded by sheets of paper and a tub of Crayolas.  It was obvious how much pleasure putting wax to wood gave him and he had a stack of masterpieces to prove it.  I know what you’re thinking – a kid that likes to draw, cute, but so what, my kid draws too and you don’t see me making a shirt out of it.

Well, right before Keats’s fourth birthday, my son and I went to his house for a play date.  After we did the usual scoping out of his toys (namely assessing the train situation), I passed by the refrigerator and saw this hanging up there.

“This is me walking in slippers.”

It struck me in a way that most refrigerator art doesn’t.  The quirky little person with big feet was impressive enough but then the title that he gave the drawing was just perfect – too perfect for a then 3-year-old.  I said, “I HAVE to make a shirt out of this!”  Keats’s mom explained that he had a ton of other ones too – he would draw these things and then assign a title to them that she would write next to it.  And then she brought out the stack – like a 12 inch stack – and she said that wasn’t even all of them!  And they were all just as amazing as the slippers one.

I knew right then and there that we’d struck gold!  How fun to make shirts that literally came from the brain of a child but that are also witty and interesting enough to make even adults chuckle.

Here are a just a few of our faves from the first inch of the stack (seriously, they were all reeeeeeeeeally good).  We’d love to hear which one(s) are your faves and that you’d like to see on our next Keats tee.

“This is me eating a pea and a bad guy.”

“This is me trying to pick up a big lollipop.”

“These are all my teachers.”

“Max” (his cousin).

“Me in a hula hoop being silly.”

“Me standing on an apple.”

“Dad Mad.”  One of my personal faves.  Keats’s dad (a.k.a “Mad Dad”) said to me, “I’ve been mad at Keats like one time in his life and he decides to document that ONE time!”

A special thanks to Keats for loaning us his work and also to his parents for allowing us to exploit their talented child!

Oh yes and you can buy the shirt here at our online store.  It comes in a 2T, 4T and 6T on the softest, comfiest, vintagey tee you’ve ever felt!

Melon Ball Lollipops!

I don’t know about yours, but my kid has eaten about 10 times more sugar these past two weeks than he usually does.  Fed up with the countless cookies and candy canes that people sprinkle on children this time of year (teachers, grandmas, Santa, parties, etc.), I was determined to bring something to my son’s preschool holiday potluck that was fun, tasty and felt like a treat while still being good for the body.  I was channeling Gandhi here by “being the change I want to see in the world,” which is sort of my mantra of late.

Anyhoo – I recently picked up a melon baller at the store and from there, an idea was born – melon ball lollipops!  Kids were sure to be lured by them.  Insert villain cackle here.

I got some lollipop sticks at a local chef store, but you can also find them at craft stores (Jo-Ann and Michaels) and I would imagine Target – great provider of all things necessary and awesome – would also have them in the baking aisle.  Being frugal, I cut each stick in half as to make twice as many and also to make them easier for small hands to hold.  In a perfect world, my grocery store would’ve had something smaller than a 15 lb. watermelon, but it didn’t and so I went with honeydew melon and cantaloupe.  But I really think the watermelon would’ve added a beautiful (and delicious) touch and I long to see the trifecta of melon sometime in the future when smaller watermelons are aplenty.

Using the big end of the melon baller, scoop out as many balls as you want lollipops.  Once they’ve all been balled, make sure to cut off the tippy top of each ball, giving them a flat top – a very slight amount, but enough so that when they are placed upside down on a tray, the balls will stay flat and not roll over.  Insert sticks into balls (jeez, how can I resist an off color joke here…must…keep…typing…).  Only go halfway up so that the stick doesn’t come out of the top.  That was like those common sense warnings where they tell you not to blowdry your hair while showering.

Put the lollipops head down in a dish or on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.  Freeze overnight or at least for a few hours.  Freezing them overnight helps if and when you’re transporting them somewhere because by the time they are ready to be eaten, they are still slightly frozen (which is perfect) and not mushy.  But you can also choose to not freeze at all!

Almost all of the kids were excited about these and of course, they had lots of fun picking which color they wanted (damn you again lack of ruby red watermelon!).  And I was happily surprised that even after a first lick and raised eyebrow, the kids kept eating them knowing full well they’re weren’t the real thing.  I had one myself and loved taking a bite of the half frozen melon, whilst my son kept to the rules of lollipops and licked his.

A Sign of the Times

This weekend, we met another craftsperson at a boutique event in the Pacific Palisades and I have to say, I fell in love.  Meet Julio Wahl, he hand makes ALL of these amazing, fun, weathered signs and it doesn’t hurt that he’s adorable inside and out, as is his wife, Esther.  These are people who you want to buy from and support – think Santa and Mrs. Claus.  They are good people, doing what they have a natural talent for and smiling all the way.  And I learned that each sign has 11 steps to completion.  Sometimes we so take for granted the amount of effort, time and hard work simple-looking things can take.  Seeing people buy his signs (myself included) made me overjoyed to know that quality, small business craftsmanship still has a place in people’s hearts.  His signs are wonderful and unique and they really capture that vintage, worn, homey feel and the icing on the cake is that they’re affordable.  I just wanted to pass along this gem to you as his signs make treasured gifts, or so I hope as I bought a bunch for Christmas gifts and know I will be back for more.

http://www.weatheredsigns.com/

Oh yeah and there’s a picture of the Violet Riot booth sporting our new banner!

Pumpkin Painting!

This one might fall under the category of obvious craft projects, but I’ll share it nonetheless because sometimes the busy-ness of our everyday lives can cast shadows on the seemingly apparent.  How many times have you been trying to make dinner with a whiny toddler under your feet and it’s not until dinner’s almost served that you realize you could’ve entertained said whiny toddler with a bowl, measuring spoons and some grainy matter such as salt, if you’d just had a moment to stop and think about it?

So, I give you… painting mini (or large) pumpkins!  One of the best parts of this activity was shopping for the supplies.  It meant we got to go to our local preschool store, Lakeshore, and got to choose from the ginormous wall of paint!  I was almost hyperventilating – my two favorite things – crafts and meticulous organization, together at last!  (Notice how there is no mention of my son or which colors he wanted?  I was too enthralled with “the wall” that I have no idea what my son was saying/thinking/feeling.)  We also took a risk and decided to get some no-spill paint cups, which turned out to be great and not just a waste of money.  And don’t forget the brushes!

I’m not going to insult you with a step by step explanation of how to paint a pumpkin, but I will say that in the spirit of recycling, it’s a great idea to use those annoying ads that wind up in your house, on your counter and in your car as a free cover for your table.  Nevermind that you have to stare at ads for Spam and Easy Mac – it’s for the Earth!

What I think was so fun about this project and what my son seemed to love was painting something other than flat paper.  Painting an object opens your brain a little more, not to mention that your finished product can serve as a centerpiece.  My son was on a roll with painting objects, so I went into our recycling bin and pulled out some other stuff to paint, such as a Ziploc box.  Milk and egg cartons and other various-sized boxes would’ve also been perfect.  Oooh, which gives me an idea – next time we’ll paint the boxes like they’re buildings and make a city!  You know what that means… another trip to the “wall of paint” – yessssssssssssssss!

Work Time and Kid Time All At the Same Time

I’m pretty sure the reason that I frequently have a thought one second and then it completely vanishes a nano-second later is because I am constantly multi-tasking and my brain is trying to tell me that I don’t have enough RAM to complete all these tasks at once.  (Has anyone else ever tried to check their email while brushing their teeth only to find that neither tasks are getting accomplished very well?)  I frequently feel like a sluggish computer.  Note to self – I should probably be more understanding of my own sluggish computer.

One of the requirements of motherhood is the ability to feed a baby, hold a conversation (coherent or not) AND cook dinner (healthy or not).  And one of the endless requirements of working with a child in tow is having to clean up spilled snacks off many less-than-clean floors as your “colleagues” look on – as I found out today.

When I wake up every morning, I categorize my chores (including work) into two groups – things I can do WITH my son and things I can’t. He will not allow me to sit at a sewing machine and concentrate, so the stitching happens when he’s not around, but one of the things he will do is come with me to American Apparel in downtown LA.  There are railroad crossing signs and big trucks down there, so he’s sold.  I do feel a bit out of place bringing my son to these places of business and I do get stared at – to which I want to say, “I’m a working mom trying to make it work PEOPLE!” but I’m fine with it as long as no one is offended by my son picking his nose (which he did today right as I got to the counter to pick up shirts, a perfect greeting, don’t you think?)

So, those of us with kids know that the worst words we can hear are something to the effect of, “Your food, flight, shirt order, etc. isn’t ready yet and it will be another 30 minutes or more.”  When I heard these words today, I stifled my urge to have my own tantrum and instead took a deep breath and then immediately took inventory of my purse to see what would possibly make these next 30+ minutes pleasant for everyone.  My son is pretty easy-going, but the words toddler and wait are sort of an oxymoron.  Somehow I had a calculator in my bag of tricks, but sursprisingly that only bought us about 3 minutes. That will all change once he learns to spell “hello” and “boobless.”  Snacks!  I brought snacks – perfect – until they accidentally got dumped on the floor immediately following their unveiling (blame it on the most hideous orange Crocs – not mine, for the record).  Alright, onto mints from a tin – his favorite. Just a half of one. I was praying he didn’t find the ancient lollipop that was still in my purse from the last time he got his hair cut.  Then we moved onto Mama’s sunglasses – a familiar favorite.  Then more nose picking and before we knew it, 30+ minutes was up.

As I sit there looking at everyone else doing their jobs – whether it be waiting for on order, working behind the counter, driving a truck – it truly dawns on me how different my day is from the rest. On one hand, I don’t get luxuries like time to stare off into space in between tasks or to the chance to take a quiet lunch break or even use the bathroom alone.  But, I realize how amazing it is that my son and I get to share this time together. He’s getting to see first hand what goes into making the shirts that Mama puts all her blood, sweat and tears into (note: shirts do not contain blood, sweat nor tear stains).  I get to see his bright blue eyes and dirty face while I’m on the clock (he scarfed down Veggie Booty right before we got there and then I realized I brought no wipes for all the Booty dust).  He’s like my intern (although more demanding and truly, less helpful).   It’s a melding of work time and kid time – wonderful and multi-tasking at its best -  but also the reason that I just forgot what else I was going to say.

A Flawless Photo Shoot!

Just last weekend, my friend and brilliant photographer, Marc Lemoine, photographed some adorable kids wearing Violet Riot gear.  We are in the process of creating a legit online store and we were in need of some quality photos.  Like most things involving kids, we weren’t sure how this day was going to go, but by a stroke of luck, it went off without a hitch and was a blast!  A favorite memory of mine is when I pretended to be a butterfly hatching out of its cocoon and flying free in order to elicit a smile from one of our models.

One of the other best parts of the day was discovering that my business partner Beth’s daughter was MADE for modeling.  Seriously, you’ve never seen anything like this.  She is only three years old and was posing and smiling and mugging like a pro, not to mention taking direction (with a smile).  We were all completely blown away!  Here she is tearing it up…

My son followed her (lucky him, huh?) and he needed some coaxing, to say the least.  Marc was so amazing with the kids – not that Ava needed any bait, but he was asking her, “Who’s your favorite princess…  Ariel?  Belle?”  And then he knew to switch it to Thomas the Train mode for my son.  Here he is showing my son how his camera works…

We thought this day was going to serve as birth control for Marc, but it seemed to be having the opposite effect!  But mind you, this was around 9am and the shoot went until 4pm.

One thing we learned from the shoot was that the hardest age to fly with is also the hardest age to photograph – around 18-months.  They’re everywhere except for where you need them to be!  But they are cute as heck.  The other thing we learned is that babies love laying in things that resemble a nest.

We are so thankful to all the families and their little models that came out to help us – you guys are the best!  We SO appreciate everyone’s support

You will be able to see some of the professional pics in all their glory when our website is finished, which should be sometime in November (these things take time, people!), but here are some to tide you over…

Birdie Wearing A Violet Riot Shirt!

I had the pleasure of meeting Michele Moreno (aka Birdie) in a children’s class that my son was taking up in the beautiful Pacific Palisades mountains – Bee Planet with Laura Berk.  Birdie came and sang at one of our classes and her music was such a breath of fresh air – soulful, earthy and so catchy that I sang her tunes for days after wards (you know when you even wake up in the middle of the night singing a song?!)  My son kept requesting “The Elephant Song!  The Elephant Song!” and I think I wanted, okay NEEDED, to hear it again even more than he did.

Lucky for my son and I, Birdie and I formed not only a bond, but a working relationship.  She needed some unique, fun shirts to perform in and I needed to hear the “Elephant in the Congo” song again.  We were a match made in Heaven!

Her CD is done and is FANTASTIC!  Again, it’s earthy and soulful and fun – think Corrine Bailey Rae meets Carmen Miranda – and a hit with the kids.  Birdie even did an private, impromptu rendition of “Elephant in the Congo” at my house for my son and I think his mind was officially blown and now it is his favorite song ever.

If you do one thing today, listen to a clip of Birdie’s “Elephant in the Congo” but don’t come crying/typing to me when you’re up at 3am singing, “Living on the savannah in Africa!” – I warned you!

Here is Birdie’s website…

http://www.birdiesplayhouse.com

And audio clips page (you know you wanna hear it!)…

http://www.birdiesplayhouse.com/MusicCD.html