A Special Gift from UMAR

I have been a supporter of the UMAR , the United Methodist agency serving adults with developmental disabilities, for several years. This wonderful organization was founded in 1983 with the mission to promote community inclusion, independence and growth for these adults through residential, employment and cultural enrichment opportunities. One of my dear friends works at one of the homes for women and I have had the pleasure of getting to know these special ladies that she cares for everyday on a more personal level. My friend is always planning fun activities for the women. Recently, they all attended the prom! As you can see from the photo they had a wonderful time getting dressed up for the big event! They also recently went on a trip to a ceramics farm where they used their creative skills to sculpt different objects. I was so excited and touched when they came to the studio to share some of these gifts with us! They made a beautiful large bowl decorated with roses for me and they made flower pins for everyone in the studio. What special gifts! We will enjoy these treasures for years to come.
Please visit the UMAR website to learn more about their mission and to find information about volunteer opportunities or how to make a donation.

Audrey's Wedding

Last Saturday, Audrey, one of my designers here at the studio, got married! The wedding was here in Charlotte so we were all able to attend. I wanted to share a photo of the studio together at the reception. After the ceremony we had a wonderful time dancing and celebrating together! Best wishes to the happy couple!

Family Forever at Cracker Barrel

I am so happy to announce that our newest line of products, Family Forever, is now available at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores. It is a wonderful line of products, all just in time for summer and the many family reunions of this season. My personal assistant, Beckie, recently attended her family reunion. One of their traditions is to look through photos of past family reunions so she was very excited about the scrapbook and photo organizers in the line. Products include scrapbooks, photo albums, family tree charts, picnic baskets, picnic serving pieces and much, much more! Please visit your local Cracker Barrel to see them for yourself!

Eggs In A Basket

Whenever we decide to make a trip to Cracker Barrel for lunch, many of us take advantage of their wonderful breakfast menu that is available throughout the day. One or more of us always orders the meal titled Eggs In A Basket. It is an easy meal to make and looks very cute when creatively displayed on the plate. Here is a simple recipe for this meal:
All you need are 2 slices of bread, 2 eggs and butter.Butter both sides of the bread. Then use a round cookie cutter to cut a hole in the center of each slice. Place the buttered bread in a frying pan on medium heat until lightly browned on one side. Flip the bread slices and crack an egg into each hole. Once the eggs are cooked and the bread is brown, flip it over and cook for another few seconds. Remove to a plate and enjoy! To make a “face” with yolk eyes leave the eggs sunny side up!

Susan

Yesterday I took the studio to lunch at Cracker Barrel and we were so excited to see several of our programs in their Old Country Store! Currently they are carrying our Morning Song Rooster, Celebrate, and American Heritage programs. Roosters are always among our favorite images to paint, so we were excited to see a wall full of our Morning Song Rooster products. The Celebrate program is of a newer style for us and we love the bright colors and wide variety of items from cupcake cookie jars to cocoa-mixes and recipe card albums. Finally, the flags and patriotic lyrics featured in our American Heritage collection will be perfect for any July 4th gatherings. As always, we enjoyed a wonderful country meal together and look forward to visiting again soon to find more of our exclusive Cracker Barrel programs!
Susan

For A Very Sweet Valentine...

Today I took a trip with the studio to Cracker Barrel for lunch. We shared a wonderful meal together (pecan pancakes for me!) and then perused the Old Country Store. We always enjoy field trips there to see our new product lines as they hit the floor.
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Cracker Barrel is carrying our latest collection, Chocolate. Everything from the dessert plates and mugs to the dishtowels and framed prints are adorable. Perfect for the chocolate lover in all of us! Here are a few photos, but I encourage you to go and see them for yourself.
Have a Sweet Valentine's Day!
Susan
For your nearest Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, click here!

A Very Special Thank You!

Yesterday our last 5th grade class from Winget Park Elementary came for a studio fieldtrip. We all had a wonderful time hosting the groups as they came through, sharing with them our passions for and process of creating commercial art. The children have a fresh outlook on art that inspired and entertained us! I hope that we were able to show them a broader view of art and how many different career paths it offers. They left us with a special treat too – a basket of goodies and a very special card. It was an accordian thank you book, with a page drawn by each class of 5th graders. It was a wonderful thank you!

Susan