Michael R. Plate...03-23-39 through 06-23-12

Michael R. Plate

03-23-39 through 06-23-12

This past Saturday, my dad passed away.  I'm not sure where to begin.  He was was the best dad I could ask for.  So many memories are swirling around in my mind....from tickle fights, to tennis lessons, to hot fudge sundaes, talks about boys, and beyond.  I'm so thankful to have had him in my life.  I think the best way to sum up my dad, is to make a list of all of things I will miss most about him....so here we go:

•  I will miss his artistic and funny drawings he sent me in the mail

•  I will miss his cheesy sense of humor

•  I will miss his constant cursing...it was just part of his lingo

•  I will miss his stories about the funny things he'd pick up while riding his bike

•  I will miss his 2 hour phone calls with conversation ranging from sports to cars to cats

•  I will miss his jokes about him "tweeting" or "blogging"

•  I will miss his stories about "Two and a Half Men"...oh dad

•  I will miss his constant teasing of my husband...because he loved him like a son

•  I will miss his stories about K-town

•  I will miss his creativity and artistic advice

•  I will miss his generosity of spirit

•  I will miss his wisdom

•  I will miss having his shoulder to cry on

•  I will miss his limitless love

•  I will miss his hugs

I love you and miss you so much, dad.

30% OFF Black Friday/Cyber Monday SALE!!!

Today through monday November 28, we have a 30% off storewide SALE. Yep...that's off of everything! No need to enter a promo code, sale prices are shown! Get a jump on your holiday shopping or treat yourself to something nice! Enter shop here :)

Everyday Elevated...A Shoot with Tegan Olness

This past weekend my friend Jessica and I had the honor of being invited on a test shoot with our friend Tegan Olness of Tegan Jae Photography. The shoot was inspired by images she saw on Yowayowa's website. Nicole Feltz is a model Tegan had worked with before, and proved to be a natural when we asked her to do some rather awkward jumps, while still maintaining her poised appearance. Nicole has a timeless beauty that worked perfectly for this shoot. Jessica was a constant source of ideas, assistance, and inspiration throughout the shoot. It was so much fun to explore this concept with Tegan, Jessica, and Nicole. I was privileged to be invited to shoot, and I look forward to exploring this concept further. Below are some of my favorite pics from the shoot!

Raising money and awareness for Crohn's & Colitis Foundation

Door County

Hello all! My friend Noah is raising money to help those who live with Crohns and Colitis. Last year his father passed away, and was a long-time sufferer of the disease. Noah will be running in the 2011 Wine Country Half Marathon (California) in honor of his father, and to raise money for this cause. Additionally, I'm donating 50% of the sales of the print above "Door County" towards this effort. Please visit his site for more information on this worthy cause, and to read Noah's story.

13 for Cy

Gallery Night in Milwaukee -Moss Floral Design

This gallery night, I was fortunate to show some work at a floral design studio in Bay View called Moss Floral Design. Miki Herman is the owner. Not only does she offer beautiful floral pieces for events, but she also teaches classes on floral design. While visiting her studio, we also ventured next door to Eco-batik. Owner Jennifer Doheny had a lovely array of products from vintage metal pieces to jewelry to her own batik lampshades and artwork. You can find her print work on Etsy, and see some of her lamp shades on her own website. Thank you all who ventured out into the cold to share in gallery night!

One of my gifts for Christmas was a collection of succulents from Succulents Galore. I've planted them in a vintage enamel/steel bowl, and hoping to be a good plant mom for my new little plantlings!

Relaxing

Had a wonderful day at the beach with hubby recently. Got to take some pics....was a nice break from the home improvement projects we've been immersed in recently. Hopefully some of these will make it into my Etsy shop soon!!