CMM

celebration!

I embarked on a field trip today with a fellow Color Me Mine owner. I drove about an hour and half to south east Colorado to check out a pottery barn. Not a pottery barn retail store…literally a barn full of pottery! It was crazy. I have never seen anything like it. I have had customers asking for different pieces and these custom-made pieces will surely fit that bill. I’m eager to see if they sell and hope I can take the family on a little field trip down there to see that barn and pick up more inventory.
I arrived home to find my family all dolled up and ready to celebrate. We had dinner at Hickory and Ash. It was so wonderful to take a break from all the madness that this new studio entails and thank my husband and girls for their patience with me and the process. I’m a lucky, lucky lady! 

color me mine littleton

The big day finally arrived. We closed today on the Littleton Color Me Mine. 
This purchase happened much faster than the previous 2, but didn’t come without its share of hiccups. It’s such a wild ride during the negotiations and lease assignments. The calls are endless, the to-do list stretches on and on and then the day arrives and it’s done. Well, not done…that’s when they hand over the keys and the to-do lists shifts from purchasing to operating. 
I closed this morning and then dove right in and spent the day in the studio with the manager. This studio is beautiful, with creative samples, and a dedicated staff. I’m really keeping my fingers crossed and heart optimistic that this will be a peaceful transition. Let the fun begin!
As a reward for the months of hard work, I purchased the girls new pj’s. Ha! I think fondly of the days of champagne toasts and night on the town celebrating and laugh at how relaxed life has become. I loved buying those pjs and their faces were everything when they put them on. We will celebrate properly, but tacos and pjs are the best closing night celebration I could have wished for…

take your daughter to work day

Gwyneth had an appointment with specialists again this morning (more to come on that later). My manager is on vacation at my Aurora studio so I had to cover the afternoon there. I didn’t have time to take her back to school and get back to work on-time so Miss G joined me for the afternoon. I always have momma guilt when stuff like this happens, but she loved it. 
She got to pick lunch and asked for Chinese food. I don’t know many places in Aurora anymore, but we settled on PF Changs. 
This girl loves Chinese food! 
Feeling optimistic about our fortunes. 
I told Gwyneth she could paint, but she got right to work. She unloaded inventory for me.
She input customer orders in the point of sale. 
She checked on customers and changed out water bowls. 
This girls is amazing! I found my next store manager. 

painting wednesday

I have missed my painting days with the girls. We created lots of new projects over the summer and it was great to be in the studio with them. I haven’t been very motivated lately to create anything new, but got the bug last night.
 I’ve been a reading fool lately but took a little break to paint. I made these three projects and can’t wait to see them glazed and fired. 

 This one is a little off-center which bugs me tremendously. I think it will be staying at the studio or it may just make me nuts.

 Sometimes you just need a friendly reminder…
(this is a wine bottle tag)

painting with crystals

Another techniques class in the books tonight. It was our biggest turnout yet, but still small enough so I could work with my girls. 
We painted with crystals, which is a bit different because you have to really trust the process. You paint your piece and then wait for the “magic” in the kiln. Tiny crystals explode during the cooking process. Everyone did a great job and I can’t wait to see how they turned out!

paint with tape

I’ve been teaching classes at Color Me Mine and was ready for this week’s class. I was going to teach the kids to paint with tape. We had a small turnout and friends showed up to take me out for a late birthday celebration. My staff offered to take over the party for me. Everyone was happy and I was feeling quite spoiled. 

painting with bubbles (and stencils)

We dropped YaYa off at the airport and then had to head down to Southlands. The sun was shining when we left but the skies quickly turned dark. We sat at the window and watched my car get struck with hail which was quite the bummer. 
Poor Yaya had to sit at the airport for about 6 extra hours waiting for her flight to leave because of weather delays. We were hoping they would just cancel that stupid flight so she could come hang out with us but it finally took off and she made it home safely. 
When the hail passed we hopped back in the car and headed back to our neck of the woods. I hosted my first summer paint session. It was a very small group which was nice and less intimidating for me. My little ladies rocked the plates they made. They used both bubbles and stencils and I can’t wait to see how these plates turn out after they are fired. 
Annabelle and her emojis
Poor Gwyneth got a wicked headache as we were wrapping things up. It was nothing a smoothie and a good night sleep couldn’t fix!

Pretty impressive unicorn from Miss Gwyneth!

painting | may farms

I was asked to do a painting event for a farm about an hour away from our house. It was a great opportunity but I’m not the best in those situations. Believe it or not, I’m quite shy and I get caught up in all the planning. For about two months I stressed about this event but B swooped in and saved the day. He joined me for the evening which made it so much easier to carry all my supplies, help the painters, and of course, he just calmed me.

It ended up being a smashing success (smashing probably not the best word to use for pottery…). They asked us to return in just a few months for another painting event and I gladly agreed…well, as long as B will help me again!

painting | mom’s night out

We made it home from Breck a day later than planned, but just in time to get back into the swing of things. It was my turn to host mom’s night out for the girls’ school. I had planned to do a game night at our house, but that was already done this year. The organizer asked if I might be interested in hosting at Color Me Mine. I jumped at the opportunity. It’s always fun to have painters in to my studio and it meant I didn’t have to clean my house for the event. Win win!! 
I met lots of new moms and everyone had a blast painting. I can’t wait to return their finished pieces to them. 

girl scouts | small business badge

Annabelle’s troop asked me to host an event for the girls to earn their Small Business Ownership badge. I came up with a plan and asked Gwyneth’s troop to join as well. 
My background is finance so the lesson was probably a little too heavily financially focused. I think a few little eyes started to glaze over during the discussion. All in all I think it went well though and I have to admit I was very proud of the questions that Annabelle asked. She asked about competition and pricing and knocked my socks off. I was a proud mom indeed. 
The excitement returned to the meeting when they all got to paint. They each painted a mug and did a great job.