Fa, la, la, la, la...

I’m down to the last couple of days at my job, and I’m starting to get sappy. I’m cleaning off my desk, and below the blankets of dust (I’m not the tidiest of employees) are collections of lucky rocks, favorite paperclips, pens, photos, post-it notes and knick knacks that I am having a difficult time parting with. Three years of stuff. But I know it’s time to move on, despite the fact that I will miss everyone at MegaPrint (if you are not already following the MegaPrint blog, you totally should…I designed it and its chock full of good stuff!) I have made some of the greatest friends here, who have been the biggest supports and shining stars in my life. This place has afforded me so much opportunity and I appreciate it being there when I needed it three years ago. I am grateful for all of it, and will truly miss it (a rarity these days in the job world). From the cheese/fatty meat days and breakroom festivities to the fish birthday parties (RIP Elroy!) to the fun design work to the recycling adventures to the everyday laughs, I will miss it all. So, thank you to Jay and everyone who have made MegaPrint a place that I enjoyed going to everyday.

So…in 2 weeks from today, I’ll be heading south in Janis (my van) to Asheville, NC. But for now, I am just going to soak up the last 14 days in New England with fabulous friends and family and enjoy the holidays.

Here is the MegaPrint holiday card I designed this year. And…a picture of the tree I made out of scrap cardboard--trying to go green...literally. :)

And I'm off to Woodsville for 3 days of Christmas excitement with the Lucas Clan. Merry Christmas everyone and I wish you all the happiest and healthiest of new years!

Peace and love,
Stacey

Happy Holidays!

In the spirit of going green (and saving a little money for my trip), I created electronic holiday cards this year. Here it is and Merry Christmas everyone! :)

Terra Perma update

This posting is a little overdue, but with all that has been going on in my life, I know it’s hard to keep up with me. On December 6th, Terra Perma Art Gallery held an Open House, showcasing the works of Sarah Cail (a freelance photographer) and myself. They put on a delicious, homemade spread and hired a beautiful harpist to play for the afternoon—it was quite a treat!

So first of all, I would like to thank all those who made the trip to come and support me. It was a great day.

Secondly, I regretfully have to mention that Terra Perma will be closing at the end of 2008. Ana, the owner, has her hands full with the gallery AND Sunflower Natural Foods in downtown Laconia, and she will be consolidating the businesses into Sunflower next year with an anticipated opening in the spring. So while the new location will not have the unique charm and wide, open space of Terra Perma, it will be a nice mix of organic goods and earth-friendly wares. Ana has always been a strong supporter of not only the arts, but of the community, and we all wish her the best of luck in her new endeavor. :)

I would like to take this platform to thank Ana and Sue at Terra Perma...your encouragement has inspired me to keep on truckin'.

Meowy Christmas.

I had to do it...sorry about the bad pun. My (slightly deranged, but very lovable) cat Moe enjoys sitting under the tree for hours at a time. Check out her creepy eyes! Now I just need to wrap me some gifts and shove 'em under the tree...not sure why I am having trouble with the Christmas spirit thing this year. I think I just need some spiked eggnog.

My little helper.

During the last few nights before our (very snowy) open house, my friends came in and helped Diane and I put finishing touches on the place. Hannah was my little helper, and is quite skilled with a paintbrush...for a five year old. :) We watched her diligently paint the stairs a reddish brown, and were taking pictures of her as she painted around her legs and into a corner. All of a sudden, she looks up at me and exclaims, "awww, nuts! I'm stuck!"

Thank you.

Despite the weather being absolutely awful, our Open House had quite a turnout! I'd like to thank all those who weathered the storm and made the trek in support of our new business venture (some people traveled over 2 hours in the snow and ice!) One person commented that the weather was perfect, because those who were there would always remember the event (and had a better shot at raffle prizes!), and I think that is the truth! (...though a nice, clear night would have been okay too...) Still, Diane and I had fun welcoming everyone to our new shop, and are thankful for all of the support we have received from friends and the community. A special thank you to Moe and Alex of the Common Man family who generously donated cakes, a gift certificate and a lovely flower arrangement and have made Diane and I feel more than welcome in the neighborhood, Jim for his fabulous music, TJ, Josh, Chainsaw, Tina Cleana, Tanya & Tara for their last-minute painting skills and Longhaul Farm for the goodies. (I know I am forgetting someone, but nothing has gone unappreciated). Again, thank you all for coming and I look forward to doing it again this summer for round two!

Live music w/ Jim Tyrrell!

Cakes compliments of the Common Man Bakery. :)

Come to our OPEN HOUSE this Thursday Night!

Most of you know that I am teaming up with my friend Diane on a business adventure on Squam Lake. When I return from my NC travels in the Spring of ’09, I will be opening a seasonal gallery in a shared space at the corners of Rte 175 & 3 in Holderness, called Veggie Art Girl: an earth-friendly boutique. Diane is going to have a fun shop filled with old-fashioned presses, offering all sorts of nifty services from graphic design to boat lettering to silk screening. I will have my shop in the space beside Diane, and we are going to rock Squam Lake this summer!

Why all the buzz NOW when I am not opening ‘til spring? Before I leave, I wanted to make sure everything was in order. So as you know we have been ripping carpet, painting, building and remodeling the space (ahem...any help is gladly welcomed if you love to paint or build!) We’ve been working hard and now we want to CELEBRATE!

So come on down this Thursday and check it out! We’re opening the doors from 6-8 p.m. for munchies, live music with Jim Tyrrell and fabulous raffles. We’re at the corners of Rte. 175 and Rte. 3 in Holderness…you can call 968-3192 for more info/directions.

Or are you an artist looking for a space to display your wares? If your work is earth-friendly (salvaged goods, water-based paints, recycled materials, etc.), then come on down Thursday night to talk to me! I’d love to showcase your work this summer on Squam!

Happy Holidays everyone!

My Thanksgiving Tale...

It was a classic Lucas/Bowman feast this year. It was a house full of animals and kids, topped off with canned beers and impromptu caroling. We made wreaths, we decorated cookies, the turkey and fixins' were all scrumptious. There were new faces at our table this year--an extension of the Bowmans, who were all fun to share the day with, (and fit right in with our non-conventional style of celebration). I give it four stars. (But truth be told, I took a lengthy "nap" on the couch, amidst the excitement of cookie decorating--turkey always makes me sooooo sleepy!)
My mums presented my bro, sis and I with our first silverware we had as babies--yeah, we all used them to eat our meals. :)


There's another kid or two under this here pig pile...

My mom's cat Zenn literally sat by the stove the entire time we were cooking the meal, eating scraps that fell. This cat thinks it's a dog. Seriously. It fetches.


Nari was being such a good girl and keeping her doggy paws out of the kitchen (barely). But she was actually drooling from the smell of turkey, so Lyss had to put a napkin on her!

There was a new kitty in the house. We named him Zeus.

Nom-nom-nom...

Remember as a child when the kids' table was nothing but awkward cousins, 4 mismatched chairs around a wobbly card table? Not at our Thanksgiving! Kids rule! :) (And Megan is totally holding her broccoli in the air like a torch-ha!)

Lyss and I. :)

Mmmm...desserts.

My mom made this from scratch: pumpkin cheesecake with chocolate crumb crust, drizzled with dark chocolate, caramel topping and crushed hazelnuts. It was awful. Just awful.

Lyss and Nari on our walk to visit the neighbors...

When my dad yelled "dessert!" (the code word), we busted out some Jingle Bells for the neighbors. I think they really liked it. All seventeen of us barging into their house? I'm sure they appreciated that too.

Darrick's rad sweater had a pocket in it. Sweet. Maypo commented that he looked like Krusty the clown. :)

A standard staple in our Thanksgiving festivities: cookie decorating. Taste the rainbow.

This was all too much excitement for Zenn. He was out cold on the couch. Zzzzzzzzzzz...

Open House at Terra Perma!

This place is great. Terra Perma is hosting an open house gathering on December 6th, complete with a live harpist, free munchies and a reception for Sarah Cail (a freelance photographer currently exhibiting there) and (also on exhibit with handpainted signs and designs)…me! Just in time for the holiday season, Terra is hosting this fabulous event to not only introduce Sarah and I to the community in style, but get everyone in the holiday spirit!

If you haven’t had the chance to check Terra Perma out, you should do so for some holiday shopping. I’m tellin’ ya…their fair trade goods are fabulous and they have such a wide selection of earth-friendly products! Their gorgeous gallery space upstairs is one that I dream of having someday—the old wood plank floors and large, sunny windows, all overlooking the eclectic architecture of downtown Laconia. Beautiful!

So stop on by December 6th for some live music, chow down some yummy hors d’oeurves, of course say hi to me, and get some shopping done! :) Please pass this invite along to anyone who you think would enjoy! (Just click on the invite to open a larger pic in a new window, "save as" and pass it on!) I appreciate it!

Sneak peek. :)

I spent the entire weekend moving, drinking coffee, ripping carpet, painting, hauling, lifting, painting, drinking more coffee, eating bad gas station pizza, moving more, and painting until my arms were numb. And despite some sore shoulders, I’m feeling pretty good about it all. There is a light, waaaaaayyyyyyyyyy at the end of the tunnel, but it is shining and I couldn’t be happier about all of the crazy changes I am going through. In a little over a month, I am moving to North Carolina (nothing like a time crunch!). But before I go, I'm renovating my space on Squam Lake, where I am going to have my very own little gallery in the spring. I’m cleaning this adorable little space to make my own…I love, love, love it! :) It's currently crammed full of crap and still needs a good cleaning, but here are some pics of the space...isn't it beautiful? :)

The rock at Brock.

Yep, I paint rocks, too! This was a custom piece for Ron and Blanche in Groton. I just finished it last week and brrrrrr was it cold up on that mountain!

Open House at the 'Roots!

Today is only 37 days out from Christmas. Ugh. I was made painfully aware of this today as I was plowing through a stack of design jobs...mostly holiday related. Well, here is one fun holiday thing that I want to share...a free open house at Artistic Roots in Campton! There are a bunch of new artists on display...lots of interesting and affordable holiday gifts! So here's a little invite to our Open House on Friday, December 5th...I recommend stopping in for a free snack (the cafe next door always puts on a SPREAD!) and doing some holiday shopping...lots of unique finds to chose from! (Just click on the blog title to link to the AR website for info/directions).