A Week In Review - Meeting Amy Barickman

OK I should let you know right away this is going to be a "read", so grab yourself a drink and a snack!

Last weekend at the antique show in Petoskey I met the most fascinating woman, Amy Barickman. Amy is the founder and owner of Indygo Junction and the sister company Vintage Workshop. She is an author, fabric designer, trend setter and represents 25 designers and leading artists in the quilt and clothing pattern craft industry. Amy was selected as one of nine Women Entrepreneurs Honorees by Country Living magazine and featured in their March 2007 issue. Her book and patterns are frequently reviewed in magazines such as Threads and Cloth Paper Scissors. Her book Button Ware features 33 projects. I was privileged to preview her newest latest book Vintage Notions. We had such a fun chat back and forth. I was wearing my Amy Butler skirt, she of course recognised the fabric and knows Amy Butler personally. She was so gracious to mention me on her blog & I of course has preordered a copy of her newest book. Take a look!

amybarickman.com

There is a link on her site to her blog and on the left here of our blog.

On our way back and forth from Petoskey to Boyne City, my home town where my parents still live we passed a lavender farm is full bloom. Dan could not turn the truck around fast enough for me to get a better look at the purple fields!

It is such a pretty farm. A beautiful farm is cause for either of us to slow or pull over.

We had a fun time on the 4th celebrating with my family. We are so lucky to still have all of them and we embrace that.

Our raised bed gardens have been a community effort here @ 45 College and we got a few things planted this week. We already have tomatoes for our salad tonight. Dan has informed me that in my enthusiasm I have way too many squash, cucumber & pumpkin plants & that they will soon be in the driveway! Oh my :>

I have been teaching a Cottage Design Class @ Kendall College of Art & Design this week. I wrote the curriculum for this class and we had a blast! We have class time to design our dream cottage, learn the history of cottages in the US, identify styles, design outdoor living areas etc. A dear friend of mine from college and his wife allowed us access to their cottage in the city gardens to tour. They keep chickens, have the most darling chicken coop, the sweetest chickens - I got to hold one!! , the most beautiful flowers and vegetable gardens with a coy fish pond.

During the class we took several field trips and the last day we went to Holland to a couple of my favorite "cottage style" shops.

The first one we stopped at was FOUND & VAGABOND. I loved this patio set with different vintage fabric on each chair seat, this dresser with vintage wallpaper on the drawer fronts - I have always loved that idea so now I  have to try it - stay tuned for that one!, and you know I love patch work and this set of chairs was so charming with all of the seats different. This shop is worth a stop as is Cottage Corner on River Ave.

Cottage Corner is packed with awesome cottage furniture in wonderful colors. Remember you don't have to have a cottage to love and live with this great "stuff"!

One of my dear friends has a cottage in Holland and we toured her cottage that is to die for! Afterwards we did a walking tour of other cottages in her area and here are a few that we fell in love with and I wanted to share them with you too.

Thanks for sharing my week with me. I'd love to hear about what all of you have been up to too.

Both of the malls that we are in here in Grand Rapids are loaded with great things - it's summer and we are loving it!