about our last retreat of the year!

*image by Linda Winski

A week ago Sunday we held our third and final Makerie Summer Series event presented by Whole Foods Market Boulder ~ called In the Home ~ which was also our last event of the year. Home is where we make our nests, care for our families and create spaces that feel cozy, peaceful and inviting. This set of wonderful workshops focused upon making things for our dwellings, as well as how we feel in our surroundings.

We started the day with some special giveaways ~ journals provided by Craftside and beautiful magazines by Sweet Paul, Where Women Create and Where Women Cook. (so generous!) In addition, Craftside sent along a lovely array of creative books for everyone to peruse at their leisure. The local, organic farm fresh produce incorporated into our lunches and dinners was also a very special part of the day. Not only was the food delicious, but when shared side by side with an awesome creative community also fed our souls. Adorable boxed lunches were prepared by eat PRIVATE CHEF & CATERING co. and were enjoyed picnic style under a canopy of trees. While we were picnicking, we were treated to the stories of two local inspiring entrepreneurs ~ Indea, founder of Lillabee & Alicia, founder of Whimseybox ~ that sent all of us home with the message that anything is possible! To culminate a day of creating, Whole Foods Wine and Spirits hosted a fabulous creative cocktail hour, serving drinks in fun mason jars that each person took home and could later redeem for a free bulk item at the Pearl Street location. (everyone loved that little surprise!) We were treated to incredible appetizers by Katie and her team at Eat and were given a farm tour of the magical location we were in. We sat down together at one big, beautiful long table for our farm dinner that featured the most incredible pizza served warm right out of Crust's gorgeous wood fired copper oven and topped with farm fresh produce literally picked out of the ground just hours before becoming part of our main course. Dessert was a scrumptious collaboration between Whole Foods and Lillabee ~ ice cream sandwiches packaged so sweetly that it was almost hard to even unwrap. (it didn't really stop us though :) The cookies were made out of Lillabee's brand new Ultimate Cookie Mix that happens to be gluten, dairy and soy free, and you would absolutely never know it. Not only did Lillabee treat us to a variety of sweets throughout the day, but also sent everyone home with their very own box of cookie mix. 

We really have had the best time this summer putting together these creative day retreats on the farm and feel incredibly honored for the chance to work closely with our fantastic local creative and food communities. An enormous thank you ~ once again ~ to everyone who made our Summer Series events such a special experience for everyone involved. 

To:

*every single participant who dedicated their day to play and for taking a chance with us on this new idea of a creative day retreat on the farm. You created quite a warm and loving community!

*my beautiful mom, for continuing to believe in me and this idea and for being my constant cheerleader and endless source of support.

*my husband Chris, for pitching in a great deal on the homefront and with our little ones to give me the time to pursue this dream.

*Emily of Tea with Lola for being such an essential part of all we do and for her amazing ideas, kind spirit and above all, being such a dear friend. I am so grateful. 

*Whole Foods for their generosity and belief in the power of creativity. Along the planing process, which started over a year ago, they were completely open to incorporating all types of creative ideas, which felt like a true partnership that I appreciated so very much. Whole Foods played an essential roll in getting this brand new idea off the ground and we are immensely grateful for the chance to have worked so intimately with their team to bring this series of events into fruition. Each event was filled with all the whole hearted living their company stands behind ~ and more. 

*Betsy and Mike ~ owners of The Lyons Farmette ~ for once again opening up their home and farm to us and for being such a magical location to hold this event.

*eat PRIVATE CHEF & CATERING co. and team, Crust. Rustic Wood Fired Pizza, Whole Foods and Lillabee for the outstanding meals and treats. 

*our terrific teacher team for leading such inspiring workshops ~ Allison, Alessandra, Georgia and Kristin.

*Teryn, Alessandra & my sweet mom for capturing the day in such a magnificent way!

*Spoonflower for printing our adorable tea towel gifts, Katie of Eat for providing the recipe and Studio Meez for designing them.

*Alicia from Whimseybox and Indea from Lillabee for sharing their stories of how their companies came to be. We sure loved hearing about these two great companies and certainly left lunchtime refreshed and with new ideas of our own.

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I know I've shared this before, but each time we do an event that is centered around creative community, magical things happen. I can't really explain it but it does. When we share creativity, we share a part of our genuine selves, which naturally creates an open, happy, non-judgmental, loving environment. We aren't afraid to try new things and are open to all kinds of new inspiration. I feel very grateful for the chance to create a special setting for people to feel the power of creativity and bring more of it into their lives. It does wonders. It really really does. 

Even though this was our last event for 2013, we are already in full swing planning for next year. We have some pretty darn exciting plans for 2014 and we can't wait to share them with you soon! In the meantime, please be sure to join us on our social media channels for the latest announcements and inside scoop. 

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We can't wait to see you again very soon!

~xo

meet allison of beautiful birddog press!

I have been a letterpress lover ever since the day I held my first beautiful piece of letter pressed paper. The way it felt in my hand, how soft the ink appeared on the paper and the sacredness of knowing that each piece was printed by hand. I took my first letterpress class from Ms Allison of BirdDog Press last winter. It was completely incredible and I knew we had to add it to our Makerie offerings. Allison is quite a master ~ of many things! It goes without saying that her paper designs are out of this world, but the shear amount of creativity this darling girl has across the board continues to blow me away. Her letterpress workshop offerings are the first of it's kind at the Makerie. We are giddy with excitement for those of you who will be taking a field trip to her inspiring studio to take learn this timeless printing method!


Meet Allison below, one of the most creative souls I know!

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The first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Make sure it is really time to get up because I wish I could go back to sleep. I am a night owl.

A fun tidbit people would never know about you?

I'm not sure you would never know, but I have wacky “triple-jointed” elbows.

Some favorite ways to relax?

A week on a river trip, wine with girlfriends & maybe some yarn, giving in to my magazine addiction

What's for dinner?

Probably pasta... with simple crushed tomatoes and fresh mozzarella & maybe some homemade pesto

The best advice you’ve received? 

Learn something new every day!

What is the best meal you ever had?

Farm to table dinner

What are you most excited about lately?

A vintage travel trailer decked out with a feedsack fabric interior

A favorite spot you’ve traveled to?

Amalfi coast, Italy

What makes you laugh? 

Life’s comedy of errors

Your favorite way to make someone smile?

Handing a client their new freshly pressed business cards or stationery

What, in your mind, is a recipe for disaster?

A three year old with no nap & cupcakes for dinner.

Any tricks for finding life balance? 

Have the birds eye view but make an achievable list for each day.

{Oh & sleep when you’re dead. There really aren’t enough hours in the day, that’s a fact.}

Favorite books from your personal library?

zines: UPPERCASE, Anthology, Selvedge, boho, Kinfolk 

fiction: Still Life with Woodpecker, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Help,

books: Home As Sanctuary, Creative Family, Dottie Angel

I love books and magazines, period. The power of the printed word. Love.

Thanks for the great Q&A Allison! 

we can change the world with our own two hands

We are so excited to show you why we've been busy little bees behind the scenes over here. Several months ago in yoga class, the teacher played the most beautiful song during shavasna (the peaceful resting pose at the end) and it's pure loveliness made me cry. It was exactly what creating things with my hands meant to me, woven into every wonderful word they sang, and epitomized what the Makerie was all about. Fast forward and here we are! 

We had so much fun creating this piece and have some very special people to thank for making it happen. First of all, Dan Knudson & Michael Anderson, of Dan Knudson Productions, who brought their bright spirits, fancy cameras and amazing eyes. What an absolute treat to work with such great guys! Allison Bozeman not only let us take over her darling BirdDog Press studio, but also starred in the show and had every perfect prop at arm's reach. This mulit-talented woman was in the middle of eight branding and printing projects, but still managed to clean up her studio and spend an entire day helping us. Yes. She's a rock star ~ and then some! Laura Kuhn, our marvelous intern, lent a hand (literally at times!) and pitched in whenever and wherever she was needed. We are quite lucky to find someone like her who's willing to help with anything! Some of the fabulous footage is what it is because of Elke Bergeron and Kristin FitzGerrell, who provided many of the fantastic handmade props and accents. I highly recommend taking a peek at both of their endlessly inspiring sites, here and here. In the beginning of the piece, there is a drawer being pulled out from a wooden sewing box. This was my grandma's, passed down to me by my sweet Aunt Sarah. I couldn't think of a better way to begin the Makerie story and it warms my heart to no end that my grandma can be part of this in such a special way. If she were here today, I have a feeling she might have been first in line at the Makerie. :) She was a creative soul beyond belief! And lastly, gratitude goes to the Cup Espresso Cafe and Thai Patton, the gifted espresso artist who created our logo in a latte with flair. Adam, the Cup's manager, embraced the idea from our very first phone call and I'm so appreciative for their time and trust in us. This certainly took a team to pull this all together and I am immensely grateful for the amazing one we had! 

Thank you Ben Harper & Jack Johnson for creating this exquisite song. Oh I do hope it will inspire you to go out and use your own two hands as much as it does me! If it speaks to you, even a little, I encourage you to add it to your own playlist by purchasing it here, here or here. 

I feel this video does not need a lot of explaining so I invite you to sit down on a comfy couch, with your favorite cup of tea and a cozy blanket to watch it. It's just that kind of piece.

With love....

p.s. To view our video on a mobile phone, please click here. 

letterpress class

I was so lucky to attend the letterpress workshop at Birddog Press last Sunday. I love paper ~ beautiful thick paper that feels like velvet in your hands. When I saw that Alli was offering a workshop on creating your own letterpress stationery, well how could a girl with a longtime love affair with letterpress say no? It was a fantastic day of playing with wood type letters, learning a brand new creative skill, and a wonderful place to share ideas and inspiration with like-minded people.

Not only did I leave the workshop with a set of stationery I designed myself, but ended the day with a huge reaffirmation of why I wanted to create the Makerie. Spending the day with this wonderful little community, getting lost in creativity, just filled me to the brim. It's one of the best things you can do for yourself. Period. Creativity helps people find balance in their lives. It fills them up in magical ways. And although it may be a bit disguised, it's one of the most beautiful forms of self care there is.