we've moved our blog!

You can find us here! Come visit! 

xo

2014 ~ here we come!

It's so very exciting to present our 2014 Makerie retreats ~ the brand new Sweet Paul Makerie, the Makerie & the Makerie Summer on the Farm presented by Whole Foods! We are just thrilled ~ beyond belief ~ with our spectacular teacher teams and the incredible workshops they have so thoughtfully put together for you. Each retreat will be quite special, each with their own magical personality and flair, and in three spectacular settings. 

The Sweet Paul Makerie is the first retreat collaboration we've done and are very honored to be partnering with the Sweet Paul team. This is also the first time we've taken the Makerie outside of Colorado and couldn't be more excited to host a creative gathering in New York City ~ one of my favorite places in the world! Working together with the Sweet Paul team to bring their incredibly inspiring magazine to life has already been more than a dream come true and we can't wait for you to see the awesome things we've got in store! It will honestly be like stepping into the pages of their gorgeous magazine, getting to take classes in person by the fabulous featured artists and sharing meals highlighting the mouth-watering recipes found throughout the various issues. It's the most treasured treat to work with them and I am humbled by this amazing opportunity!

The  Makerie is our original retreat vision and one that's very close to my heart. I love seeing how each deveolops into its own very special feel and our teacher team this year is second to none. Our retreat home, the Colorado Chautauqua, remains one of the most magical places to host a gathering like this and I feel immensely grateful to be able to share such a peaceful, beautiful place with everyone who comes. This year's Makerie will provide the opportunity to take four workshops during the retreat ~ some exciting new ones combined with some of the most popular ones from last year ~ along with all the goodness we always incorporate ~ yoga, hiking, yummy, healthy organic meals and even a few surprises too!

The Makerie Summer on the Farm presented by Whole Foods will be a one day creative retreat held at the most gorgeous, quaint farm ~ the Lyons Farmette, just outside of Boulder. We loved combining two of our very favorite things this past summer ~ modern creative workshops and a fabulous farm dinner ~ and can't wait to do it again. It will surely be one soul and belly filling day! We are still in the planning stages for this retreat and will be launching our registration in early 2014. Stay tuned! 

As for the Makerie Sewing retreat, thank you so much for all the inquiries! We are looking to make this a bi-annual event so please look for this in the spring of 2015. (it will be here before you know it!) We've already talked to a few amazing teachers about it so pencil us in! I really wish I could do it all but being thoughtful about what I choose to take on each year and balancing my family life are top priorities. I'm sure many of you can understand!

There is so much goodness in store for this coming year & we just can't wait to share the wonderful details. Do check back THIS Friday, as we will be launching a new web site, sharing all the retreats details and opening up registration. Creativity is just SO good for the soul and we really hope to see you at one (or maybe a few?) of our retreats. 

Lots of love...

the makerie story by creativebug

The Makerie from Creativebug on Vimeo.

This deserved its own post. Thank you SO much Creativebug for sharing the heart of what the Makerie is about.

a brand new beautiful partnership!

Today we are thrilled and honored to announce a brand new partnership with Creativebug. We now have an official 'Makerie Channel' to bring you a taste of the Makerie experience all year long, featuring online classes by four of our outstanding teachers ~ Cal Patch, Elke Bergeron, Molly Hatch and Tamar Mogendorff.

The very first moment I layed eyes on what Creativebug was doing I knew they were up to everything good. I was immediately attracted to the professionalism and aesthetic of what they had built, and also equally loved the care and thoughtfulness that went into sharing each of the teacher's stories and the personal experience that created. Have you seen their outstanding roster of teachers and the wonderful variety of workshop offerings, including kids? It is second to none!

When we began discussing a partnership, it seemed like such a wonderful fit to work with the Creativebug team to bring the Makerie experience online, which included sharing our story too. Being quite shy at heart, the scariest part of it all was having to be in front the camera and try to describe all the Makerie meant to me. Coming from a girl who can barely breathe when faced with public speaking of any kind, you can imagine how difficult this was for me, but the talented Creativebug team made me feel really comfortable and it was actually fun! (no, I never thought I'd say that!) I am truly excited about the trailer they made and how they managed to capture the essence and heart of what the Makerie is all about.

So here we go! An enormous thank you to the Creativebug team for all their hard work and to our magnificent teachers who did double duty Makerie weekend to bring you their awesome online workshops. We hope you enjoy them in your own cozy homes and do tell us what you think! We'd love to hear.

Happy Weekend!

xo

a super special sunday!

image by Teryn Wilkes

It was another fabulous day on the farm for our second Makerie Summer Series event presented by Whole Foods Market Boulder! The workshops were fantastic and the meals, once again, were filled with local, organic farm fresh produce and a whole lot of love. Beautiful boxed lunches by Eat Private Chef & Catering, served out of a vintage truck, were eaten on cozy, quilted picnic blankets under shaded trees while listening to the inspiring story about how Justins Nut Butter came to be. As the last workshops were finishing up, Whole Foods Wine and Spirits was ready with generous samples of delicious mixed drinks for the creative cocktail hour, served in cute jars for everyone to keep and later redeem for a free bulk item at the Pearl Street location. (so fun!) Meanwhile, hot pizzas topped with the freshest ingredients (roasted beets & arugula was a personal favorite of mine) were coming out of Dawn's gorgeous wood fired copper oven for appetizers, alongside a bit of rain but who said an afternoon rain shower would stop us? After the rain had passed, the skies opened up and made way for a truly gorgeous night to sit outside under the stars, pajaki's hanging overhead and sharing an incredible farm dinner among new friends and old. 

How lucky I feel to have the opportunity to work with so many people I admire and am inspired by. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the people and organizations below for making this experience such a wonderful one for all! 

To:

*each and every participant who came to play and for being pioneers with us on this brand new concept. What a wonderful community you made! 

*Emily of Tea with Lola for her creativity, calmness, adventurous spirit and for always just 'getting it.' I never knew working with someone could be this much fun! What a gift she has become to the Makerie!

*Whole Foods for being such a believer in creativity and for making so many incredible things possible with their generosity and amazing support. 

*Betsy and Mike ~ owners of The Lyons Farmette ~ for opening up their home and farm to us and for being such a magical venue.

*Eat Private Chef and Catering Co. and team, Crust. Rustic Wood Fired Pizza and Whole Foods for the outstanding meals

*our terrific teacher team who taught the most magnificent workshops ~ Allison, Elke, Mia, Shanti and Shannon.  

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

*Lauren of Justins Nut Butter for being our lunchtime inspirational speaker and sharing their story. It goes to show that creativity is everywhere, especially in hearing about the way those beloved squeeze packets were born. Even though Justins is my favorite nut butter already, I feel a closer connection to this awesome company and can't wait to keep adding their nut butters to our pantry. 

*Teryn & Cain for recording the day in such a beautiful way!

*Alyssa from Whimseybox for the great recap of the event. You were faster than me! ;)

..............................

What I know and am reminded of every time we do an event is how much people need creative time away from their busy lives. I can see it in all of the smiling faces and it makes my heart sing. It is such an honor to create such a space for people and we can't wait to do this again in August ~ the last of our Makerie Summer Series events. We hope to see you on the farm in just a few weeks time!

~xo

meet the marvelous mia ~ owner of two hands paperie

Mia Semingson is a creative dynamo ~ every way you look at it. Not only does she own the best paper boutique in town ~ Two Hands Paperie ~ but she's an extremely talented artist too who also happens to teach incredible workshops at the likes of the esteemed Anderson Ranch. It has been so much fun getting to know Mia and her awesome team over the past year, working together on our Makerie weekend retreat and events surrounding it. We have been truly touched by her generous support and the countless volunteer hours she gives to the Makerie and we are more than thrilled to have her teaching a pretty spectacular Pajaki Paper Chandelier workshop for our July Summer Series event. You can create endless, beautiful paper lantern designs that would clearly brighten any space ~ just ask Design Sponge!

The marvelous Mia took some time to answer a few of our fun questions so you had the chance to get to know how fabulous she was too. 

..........................................

All of Sophie Calle’s photo projects are at the top of my inspiration library.  

A favorite summer vegetable. 

Anything from my garden! Especially fresh tomatoes and basil.

Favorite food hangout in town. 

Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place... Locally owned by three sisters, amazing food and fun atmosphere. They also cater to many different dietary needs.

Making ice cream in our backyard with our old fashioned ice cream maker screams summer.

A risk you’re glad you took.

Buying Two Hands Paperie three years ago. It has been an amazing adventure.

A favorite gift you’ve received.

My eight year old wrapped up a Christmas gift all by himself this past holiday season and it included a handwritten card with a drawing of our family and a piece of chocolate from his Halloween loot.  A gift from the heart!

What you love most about what you do.

There is never a dull moment. I get to meet so many wonderful creative people in our shop. I am constantly being inspired by our customers.

The lesson I keep learning.

To confront issues head and not put it off.

Daily practice

I write one or two sentences in a five-year journal about my son.  I love to read my entries every once in awhile and I look forward to passing it on to him when he is older. 

Any tricks for finding life balance?

Take time of for yourself. Spend time alone doing the things you love.

..........................................

Thank you so much Mia! 

a special new addition to molly hatch's workshop!

Cleveland Institute of Art: Visiting Artist- Molly Hatch from Cleveland Institute of Art on Vimeo.

That Molly is always up to amazing things! She’s a fountain of creative ideas and we just adore working with her. This recently released video gives you a great peek into her world, one that she'll be sharing with all of us at the Makerie. If you follow along her beautiful artistic journey than you surely have seen that her work can be found at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as part of the "New Blue and White" exhibition, a show demonstrating the ways in which today’s artists and designers, working in a variety of media, are making blue-and-white modern. It’s been really special to see Molly’s work celebrated in such a lovely, deserving way and we’re giddy with excitement to have her in Boulder in April. She’ll be teaching her Word Play workshop for the very first time and just added a very cool new bonus element we wanted to share. She’ll be giving each student the opportunity to design and apply a permanent monogram or surface decoration to a juice glass using stencils that will be created in class. This is such a rare chance to work closely with Molly on this process, as she will be sharing her special techniques and product favorites to teach students how to make their own decorated glassware and ceramics. Imagine the possibilities! They stop only where one's own creativity ends. There are a handful of spots so grab 'em before they're gone! 

our etsy team holiday gathering!

What a marvelous time we had at our very first Etsy Team holiday party! Each time we get a group of people together for one of our events, it always refreshes my spirit and reminds me about the heart of what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. Every single person who has been involved in the Makerie in any way is amazing and I just can't believe the beautiful creative community that is being formed because of this little event we started. What a wonderful mix of people who came last night ~ volunteers, participants, one of our awesome local teachers, and even our Whole Foods contest winner ~ gathering together at Fabricate, one of our favorite local sewing boutiques, for some fun holiday crafts and yummy treats and wine. We made burlap wreaths (thanks to the super generous donation of coffee sacks from Conscious Coffees) and decorated cute burlap bags with colorful felt balls to wrap around mini-trees (inspired by the sweet idea from Sunset Magazine). There is something quite magical about getting a group of people together to make something with their hands ~ a quiet hum, some great conversations in between and simply an unspoken language of how meaningful it is to create something side by side, in person. It is truly the essence of what the Makerie means to me and I couldn't feel more honored to give people the gift of making creativity a priority, even for a short time. A huge thank you to Etsy for their wonderful support, to Fabricate for hosting us and to each and every person who came last night. You're the heart of the Makerie's creative community and I feel so very lucky.

we just turned two!

It's really hard to believe it's been two years since we launched the Makerie! Our second anniversary was last week (November 11) so I'm a little late in sharing this, but didn't want it to slip by without a gigantic thank you to each & every person, organization and entity that has been a part of this journey so far. I am grateful beyond belief for the gifts and growth I continue to gain from this experience, for learning to listen to my heart, and most of all ~ for the beautiful new friends in this incredible creative community I continue to make. At the end of day, it really is the amazing people that have made the Makerie come to life. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this dream come true for me which will hopefully inspire many others to go after their dreams too.

Lots of Love~
the Makerie

on being busy

Busier and busier. It's the new norm. Just ask the New York Times. I often ask myself why is the answer always 'busy' when you ask someone how they are? Much to my chagrin, I'm guilty of this too. What I'm noticing is that when I do meet someone who says 'I'm great' without listing the things they are busy doing, I admire them. A lot.

In one of my favorite books about parenting, they raise the question "When did being busy become such a status symbol?" It's such an interesting thought, isn't it? Whether it's the pace of technology and how available we are all the time, or the societal pressure to always be productive, it's our current culture and we're moving at a frantic pace. When my schedule is jam packed, I say yes too often and have very little space to think clearly, I know that I am not operating at my best and some of my very favorite, simple daily practices slip away without even realizing it. As I find myself getting caught up in the whirlwind, I'm learning how to get off the treadmill and start putting some self care back into my days.

This past weekend, my sweet husband surprised me with a getaway to the mountains to celebrate our upcoming anniversary. I can't believe it's been 12 years! Having a few days to focus on each other, breathe the fresh mountain air, ride our bikes up Vail pass, enjoy lazy mornings and long slow dinners, knit by the fireplace, and have space in our days was completely refreshing to my soul. It made me realize, once again, how important it is to take care of yourself and put a bit of breathing time into your days ~ in whatever way you can ~ and especially during the hectic holiday season that has arrived. Giving yourself time and space is so much of what the Makerie means to me and our weekend away was a beautiful reminder of just how important retreating is for our spirits. It lasts far beyond those precious days away. We all need to slow down more. Life is too short to be busy. It's true.

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!

...........................................................................

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! 

absolutely adorable aran!

Aran is the author of the gorgeous blog ~ Cannelle et Vanille ~ her "blank canvas for creating anything and everything sweet that comes out of her heart." If that didn't have you at hello, the sensational images and mouth-watering recipes she shares certainly will! Her unique, organic aesthetic is attracting worldwide attention and she's authoring her first cookbook. She has quite an incredible eye for food styling and photography and her recipes are just full of creativity and interesting ingredients. You would never know it's all gluten-free! We are absolutely thrilled that Aran is teaching two food styling workshops, the first of its kind at the Makerie, and she is simply as sweet as she can be.


Without further ado, get to know the adorable Aran below!

...........................................................................

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

Kiss my babies good morning and make some tea.

A fun tidbit people would never know about you?
That I often times get reprimanded by my family because I eat too fast.

Some favorite ways to relax?
I love it when we spend time as a family on the weekends without an agenda. Not having a set schedule and knowing I can devote all of my time to my family is very rewarding. But I do like to be alone as well and in the rare occasions I do get to be by myself, I love taking walks in nature, soaking my feet in seawater, baking and listening to music.

What's for dinner?
Tonight it will simple. Roasted red snapper with potatoes and onions, green salad with fennel, strawberries, and avocado, and for dessert, a piece of leftover chocolate cake. A thin sliver or else I won’t be able to sleep – I can’t sleep if I eat too much or too late at night.

The best advice you’ve received?
Facing problems is like exercising, you just have to get up and do it or you will never learn. My aunt said it to me when I was 20. I think about it every single day.

What is the best meal you ever had?
I have had very many good meals in my life, most of them very simple, but one of my most recent memorable meals was at 3-star Michelin chef Martin Berasategui’s restaurant outside of San Sebastian in the Basque Country. It was unbelievable.

What are you most excited about lately?
The release of my first cookbook later this year. It has been a long time in the making and I cannot wait to share it.

A favorite spot you’ve traveled to?
I was 14 years old the first time I traveled to Oregon and Northern California. I lived with a family as an exchange student for a month and we traveled all along Washington, Oregon and Northern California. Since then, Redwood National Park holds a special place in my heart. 

Your favorite way to make someone smile?
With a good meal.

Any tricks for finding life balance?
I don’t believe there is such a thing or at least I have not found it. When my personal life is going very well, I neglect my work and when my work is thriving my home can be chaotic. I feel that is life though and we just have to learn along the way. When we bounce from one end to the other, somewhere in the middle, we feel balanced, but I don’t think it’s a permanent state.

If the world ended tomorrow, what would upset you most about the person you didn’t get to become? That I still have not learned to be more patient in this life.

Favorite books from your personal library?
I am a cookbook addict. Currently I am reading through NOMA and catching up with Tessa Kiros’ books.

Thanks so much Aran! 

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. 

fabulous flora

image by Tara Morris

Flora is an international painting sensation, teaching her Bloom True workshops all over the world. Her unique approach to teaching combines her wealth of painting experience with yoga and massage therapy, which infuses her workshops with a deep connection to the mind, body and spirit. I love how she describes that by 'honoring intuition and celebrating the present moment, she helps her students overcome fear and welcome joyful spontaneous expression back into the creative process.' How incredible does that sound? She continues to inspire thousands of people and we feel quite lucky and honored that once again, Flora will be sharing her magic with us in April. Her class is currently sold out, but be sure to check out her new e-course and the brand new book ~ Brave Intuitive You ~ she just wrote. This woman continues to amaze me in countless ways!

Get to know the fantastic Flora below.

...........................................................................

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

Try to remember where I am! With so much traveling these days, I often waking up wondering what country I am in. After that is settled, I splash water on my face.

A fun tidbit people would never know about you?

I pretty much grew up at the YMCA because both my parents worked there. I got to go to as much camp as I wanted!

Some favorite ways to relax?

Yoga, lots of yoga and walks in the woods. OH, and sitting in my little hand built sauna in my backyard…a favorite winter activity.

What's for dinner? 

Ideally, something that someone else cooks for me. I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’m just not much of a cook, at least not recently.

The best advice you’ve received?

Louise Hay’s belief that the most important thing is to love yourself. Everything else works itself out if you are loving yourself first. 

What is the best meal you ever had? 

I’m sure it was probably sushi somewhere along the way.

What are you most excited about lately?

Collaboration in all sorts of ways. Sharing is caring. 

A favorite spot you’ve traveled to?

The Gili Islands in Lombok, Bali’s neighbor to the east.

What makes you laugh?

My friends---I seem to attract the funny ones. 

Your favorite way to make someone smile?

Random acts of kindness.

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

PMS, a thrown out back and Mercury in Retrograde…I only say this because it just happened!

Any tricks for finding life balance?

I prefer to seek harmony since balance seems pretty elusive these days (even for a Libra girl like myself).  Lately, I‘ve been trying to find harmony in every 24 hour period, one day at a time. I try to incorporate a bit of self care, a bit of creativity, a bit of worky work and a bit of fun. That’s the goal anyways.  

If the world ended tomorrow, what would upset you most about the person you didn’t get to become?

I would probably be bummed that I never had a child. 

Favorite books from your personal library?

100 years of solitude, Time travelers Wife, The Creative Habit, Sally Mann’s Immediate Family, The Essential Rumi, The Gift by Hafiz, Light on Yoga

Thank you Flora!