Busy Summer

Although I've been very quiet online, I've been sewing like crazy and working on business growth. As far as the blog goes, I felt like I had gotten very stale and needed a break. So I've concentrated on living my life rather than writing about it.

Annarella Girl has moved into a new space in on the square in Georgetown, "Little Loft." This children's boutique is upstairs in the new location of "The Exchange" which is now on 7th St opposite the courthouse. The boutique is an innovative combination of really. really gently used clothes (wait until you see the brands she has) and new handmade items. If you're in town, you must check this out. I think you'll make it a regular stop for kids clothing and gifts.

Last night my favorite photographer, Sarah Havard, stopped by "Little Loft" to take some pics of AG clothes. Here is a sneak peek of what she does so well.

 She really makes my clothes look good. Of course, Johanna, the model, also makes the dresses and headbands beautiful. She was a trooper with all the clothing changes and posing. What a joy to work with.

On another note, I've been one of the featured sellers on www.cheepboutique.com.

White onesies with attached skirt and a matching headband for $18. With free shipping for additional savings. There are 6 different fabric combinations from which to choose. Swing on by ane check out Cheep Boutique. I'll be there until July 31st.

Yes, I've been busy, but I'm balancing it with family and friend time this summer. I have a hard time keeping baklance between work and relaxation. Like so many others, I feed my self-worth with work and the recognition it brings to me. My goal this summer is to like myself even when I'm playing or doing nothing. Maybe I'll make some progress this season.

Is Summer Over Yet?

In the workroom, summer is moving into fall. Can you believe it? Slowly (and I emphasis that word since I have many distractions) I'm developing the dresses and skirts for fall and winter.

Mrs. Cie of Fonda Photography and mother of this sweet Annarella Girl inquired this AM what fall dresses I was working on. So I decided you all needed an update. So I'm posting some pics of the samples I've got so far. A few, as noted, are in my etsy shop. and available now. Some are still experimental. Thanks, Mrs Cie for the interest. Check out her beautiful photography by clicking on link.



I love this yellow fabric with the black and red birds. Have you noticed how birds are everywhere in prints? I think it makes a great apron dress. I haven't decided how else I'll use it. And wait until you see a cool owl on black fabric I haven't used yet.


Pink is always popular all year long. Love it with brown. Another dress which spans the seasons well. I'll be posting this on my etsy shop shortly. Its a size 6-12 mos.

Black, green with splashes of pinks. (This is already posted in my etsy shop.) Gorgeous! I love mixing black into the smaller sizes. Its a sophisticated color which plays well with toddlers and is a welcome break from the pastels. You could use soooo many colors, pink, black, white, green, for shirts or leggings to wear with this come cool weather. (Yes, someday it will come.)

Last for today, just a teaser of this dress. Black, beige and red. Will look great for the holidays, but not so specific that your girl wouldn't love wearing it all year long. Shown in a size 7.

I hope you've enjoyed this preview. Seems like the fall/winter line is going slow, but I'm still working on summer to fill out the inventory which is selling. Plus my lovely assistants are learning and in next couple of weeks will be up to speed.

While you're looking at lovely photos, see what Sarah Havard is upto. Remember she took my publicity shots. Her logo is in my header and there is a link in the sidebar under favorite artists.

Have a great day. We're expecting rain. Good for the garden, but bad for the drivers. Be safe.

Pretty Pictures

Such pretty pictures from Fonda Photography of Iowa. This is her daughter wearing an Annarella Girl top as a short summer dress. She sure looks cute and cool!

Check out the website http://www.fondaphotography.com/ . Mrs. Cie is a wife, mom, artist and photographer. Her shots are colorful amd natural, like these above. There are so many wonderful photos on her website. I'm proud that she liked a top from Annarella Girl for her daughter - artist to artist.

Writing this in a construction zone. Husband is giving me more hanging space to use for fabrics. I also have a second sewing station. It's amazing what we can fit in my small sewing room. Special thanks to my daughter, Jennifer, for her good organizational ideas! (Don't know in what gene pool she found her skills.)

Pretty Girls

Had a fun Sunday. Photographer, Sarah Havard, did some new promotional shots for Annarella Girl. The girls were beautiful and so good. This is a peek of them waiting for instructions. Despite the wind and slight chill there was not a complaint between them. Soon I'll have some of the shots to show you. In the meantime take a look at Sarah's website. She is very talented!!!! I'm so pleased to have photographing my clothes.

Good news for The Exchange, Angie and Carly are now accepting kids clothes. The children's section will open in 2 weeks. They've done so well with the adult clothing - keeping quality high and pricing low. So go through the closets for your kids outgrown clothes. As long as they are clean - no stains, in good repair - no rips or missing buttons, and good brands, bring them in Monday, Wednesday or Friday to consign them.

I will still have a small section of Annarella Girl in the atrium. Stop in anytime to see all my new things!

And ...when not procrastinating

Here's a little practice with the camera. I find the darker the fabric, the harder it is to get a good picture. My photos are getting better buy there is still soooo much room for improvement.

And don't worry, procrastination is not gone just postponed for yesterday and today.

Continuing the saga

Thanks to all the comments and feedback from my last post concerning my struggle with photography. You all were kind and generous. I decided that I needed to practice, so this morning I took my camera into my workroom to see if I could capture the essence of it.

(My analysis of the primary reason for my inadequate photos is that when I'm looking at viewfinder I see what I think/want to be there, not the actual image. Not until I see the published image do I notice all the clutter, fuzziness or lack of composition. It's kind of my approach to my own image in a mirror.)

This is where I spend most of my time these days. Notice the comfy swivel chair. I can go from cutting and pinning to ironing just by turning. (Lazy, lazy!) Seriously this layout works really well since every sewer knows that after the sewing machine, the most importabt piece of equipment is a good iron. P.S. The painting is an early one by my son, Tyson Skross. Check out his website.My sewing center with all the threads and ribbons in easy reach. You'll notice that I'm surrounded by family pictures. It makes me smile to have them all so close. And my vice - TV. Its always on - and frequently to junk - I confess to a love of talk shows, court TV and reality shows - Oprah, Jon & Kate, and Judge Judy are among my favorites. Of course, Project Runway - "make it work" is inspiring.Scraps and pieces. My bolts are beside my table. Painting is done by my talented daughter-in-law, Allyson Smith, who has her master's thesis show hanging April 14 at the art gallery at the University of Indiana in Bloomington. I'll be there for the opening on April 17. Can't wait!

More family photos. And the new table covers for Annarella Girl's booth at the Bluebonnet Festival in Burnet this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So much better than the stark white.New dresses ready to take this weekend.Work in progress that I'm hoping to finish tonight.Patiently waiting.... this old gal is Zoie. Notice the carpet which is always full of threads and scraps of cuttings. Maybe someday a hard wood floor will appear. There used to be a bed in this room which was taken out so I'd have an organized and focused workroom. Zoie still misses the bed where she would nap away all the hours I worked. She isn't comfortable on the floor where she fears being stepped on. A real possibility!

So I'll keep practicing with my camera. These are slightly better. I'll take pictures of our improved booth this weekend and maybe some satisfied customers.

Chasing the winter blahs, part 2

Continuing on with small and inexpensive ways to change your home's insides so that you leave the drabness of winter out of doors.


Jim Nilsen has always been a favorite photographer here at Annarella. His small framed shots are like little jewels that when grouped can brighten an entire wall but also work well as a spot of interest in a bookcase or on a table top. He shoots in South America, Europe and India capturing the colors and feels of each region. The precision of each image is juxtaposed with a mood-saturated pallette. One or several in your home will be sure to chase away any winter blahs.

Here are a few of my favorties from his website. Forget the cold outside and enjoy the tour around his world.Brazil

Mexico

France

Italy

Greece

Au revoir. Ciaio. Good by for today.