Spring is Almost Here

Spring is around the corner and I am dreaming of pretty spring motifs and bright colors.  Just  a few fabrics that  will make an appearance in my shop shortly - a sneak preview.

Modern Meadow Dogwood Bloom Pond, Big Poppy Spice,Amy Butler Midwest Modern Garden Maze Pink & Kaffe Fassett Millefiore Green

European Linen in Purple, Ice Blue & Spice

Lonely Shop

Just a quick post today.

It’s been a busy few months; I have been sewing at a steady pace since the holiday season began last year.  Due to the increase in sales, I have not come up for air since last November, but did want to thank my customers for their wonderful feedback as well as their patience.  Since my orders increased faster than my output, my two week window for production has grown from 2 to nearly 4 weeks, which I believe is too long!

 

Aside from the backlog of orders, something else that has been weighing heavily on my mind has been my desire to update and redesigned my messenger bag.  In addition, a  friend of mine said, that my shop should be stocked with a variety of items and this is another goal I have been unable to achieve...Therefore this week I made the decision to pull all “made to order items” from the shop until I catch up on pending orders, redesign some of my handbags as well complete those unfinished projects started so long ago.  

 

While I may only have about 10 items currently for sale they are ready to ship.  So, if you happen by the shop (www.hmmills.com), and see a lonely shop don’t despair, I will return in a few weeks, with new items.

Take care,

Helen

Outdoor Pets

I was sitting on the patio the other day and noticed several Turkey Buzzards (a.k.a. Turkey Vulture) circling above.

When they landed on my neighbor's house I could the pass the opportunity to  grab my camera and take a few photos, but...

By the time I finished snapping a few blurry photos, several more buzzards had gathered on the fence watching the others fight over the remains of something.  Although DH tells me, "they are just doing their job," they gave me the creeps; not even the dog would come out to the backyard with me.

I decided to go back into the house post haste when it dawned on me that they had turned their eyes in my direction.

According to Wikipedia:
The Turkey Vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion.^[4] It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals.^[4] In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups.

Melancholy and Dreaming

On a bit of a rant today, I have been having those It's a Wonderful Life, and the Road not Taken moments for the past few weeks.

First I must say, I am very grateful for this wonderful life DH and I have built, but...

Sometimes as I look back on my life, I remember those forks in the road and the road not taken.  Substantial decisions that would have taken my life on a different course.  My day job, (although some would call it a career),  has made me reflect on those choices lately and now I dream every day of an exit plan. I recite my resignation in my mind, replaying it over and over. My life has become a grind,  working too many hours, coming home late, sewing late into the night and starting the day again three or four hours later.  Zero joy.

I dream of silly things, having the time to sew and create things.  I dream about baking cupcakes and making DH chunky, or making dog biscuits, and making my puppy chunky.  Sitting outside, enjoying the fresh air, a glass of  wonderful wine in my hand and spending more time with DH...silly things.

Hello Sweden

I recently sold another Messenger Bag from my HM Mills Shop. 

It's been a few weeks since I had an international order so I was surprise by the buyer's location: Örebro, Närke Sweden.  While I do know where Sweden is located, the words, Örebro, Närke intrigued me, as I was packing my bag for a long trip.  So what's a girl to do?  I Googled it of course. 



From the friendly folks at Wikipedia:

Närke is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest.

Örebro [œrəˈbruː] is a city, the seat of Örebro Municipality and the capital of Örebro County in Sweden with 107,038 inhabitants in 2010. 

Interesting Sites include Örebro Castle:

A medieval castle fortification in Örebro, Närke, Sweden. It was expanded during the reign of the royal family Vasa (House of Vasa) and finally rebuilt about 1900. The castle lies on an island in river Svartån. Some of the rooms are used as classrooms for pupils from Karolinska Skolan.

Safe travels, messenger bag...