The Finishing Touch

I got my love of creating years ago, when I was just a kiddo. 

My gramma knitted. I found it so fascinating that she created something .. like a sweater 

.. out of nothing but a ball of yarn. 

She taught my sister and I how to knit, by having us make headbands. 

 If you knit, you know... 12 stitches, back and forth for one long strip, 

then we joined the ends together and voila .. a head band !

 She created sweaters for everyone ! 

The only one I have left is this lovely green one, now worn by my granddaughter !

 (how cool is that !)

Sadly, my gramma passed when I was 11, but the 'want' to create always stayed with me. 

 In high school, I taught myself to crochet, 

 and I made granny square vests to wear over my catholic school uniform ! 

 I also loved to make purses... I got really fast at it and would make them for friends too ! 

 Anyway, all that to say that I saw the coolest thing in my AARP magazine

 (yes, I'm that old!) 

 back then, when my gramma passed, 

 she was in the middle of making adorable vests for my sister and me. 

My sister's got finished, but not mine. 

(she was the oldest, so she always got everything first)

   After a while, my pap's sisters came and cleared out gramma's knitting room, 

 taking everything...even the half made vest she was making for me. 

I was so jealous that my sister got hers but I never did. 

To this day I can still envision those ladies (we didn't know these aunts) 

 coming and taking all my gramma's stuff.

 My gram was the first death I'd experienced of someone close to me. 

 That days still haunts me ! 

 so.. when I read this article, it touched my heart. 

 Two woman started an organization which connects knitters and crocheters 

 with unfinished projects of people who have passed on. 

 It brings tears to my eyes !! 

check them out

For all you fiber artists out there, have you ever heard of them ?? 

Isn't it a great idea !! Just so heartwarming. 

 If you are interested in becoming a finisher, or have a project that needs finishing, 

(and what a great name, you just know the person who came up with that is a creative !) 

click on the yarn for info:

Anyway, that's my 2 cents for today. 

You just never know what you'll find in the AARP magazine ! 

It comes with my membership .. so if you're interested in that .. you can join here:

Go share the juNxlove ♥

what's in a name

I've had so many questions over the years about how to pronounce my business name and where/how I came up with it. I love word play and just went round and round with a dictionary and a thesaurus to see what I could come up with. I liked the actual word juxtaposition, meaning "two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect for design purposes" and I felt that it fit what I was doing, combining 'junk' with new settings and chains to make 'cool' jewelry. I created the name juNxtaposition®, adding the N and then capitalizing it, just for quirkiness {and so people would notice it} & used the tag line "the art and placement of junk for design purposes" .

Most of my jewelry (and now home accessories) are created with items purchased at flea markets, generally referred to as 'junk'. I have since trade marked the name so that people will always know it is me (I've had to literally defend it when another copied it !) While a lot of customers do not pronounce it correctly, they do know it when they see it, and they know it's me ... the jewelry lady with the funny name that starts with a J. I followed none of the rules that I learned in Marketing class back in the day, it's hard to say, it's hard to spell, no one knows what it means ... lol but it has worked for me for 17 years now, and with the internet, everyone just needs to 'save' the link ... so I'm sticking with it !

At this point ... between the pink ruffles & the crazy name, it's established 

... so I think I'll let it be ♥  don''t you think ?

branding

A funny little story about branding.

When I first started juNxtaposition,
 I was very unique in the re~cyled - up~cycled world... 

as in .. 

I was green long before 
anyone else was green !

However, my brand was very industrial, hard lines, straight edges.

and mostly about typewriters..lol..

so my brand colors were
black, white and red.

black, white & red

But..thru the years, and once I got involved with the 

Country Living Fairs,

my brand became 
more and more 'girly'.

first country living fair EVER !

One day at a thrift shop, 

I found these old faded 
pastel pink curtains.

I wasn't sure what 
I was going to do with them, 

but they spoke to me,

and then they magically
jumped into my cart.

&

POOF !

from that day on 

PINK RUFFLES

became my brand !

I ended up using these curtains 
on the front of my tent.

From ground level it looked 
like I had a pink tent !

first pink ruffle tent

At every busy show,
 I would tell people to just look 

for the tent with the pink ruffles

and before you knew it, 
I became known for that..

(the booth with 
the pink ruffles and funny name)

Everything just sort of bloomed from there,

pink became my brand color, 
& ruffles became my style.

I used some form 
of pink ruffles at every event
...

inside buildings

 & inside barns.

pretty much 
anywhere / anyway I could

My branding ideas had grown again 
over the years ...

new tablecloths, new backdrops

& lots of different displays,

but all with a girly pink theme.

oH My how we've grown

We use pink tins for packaging, 

pink shopping bags, 
pink shipping bags, 

pink decor, pink tablet cover..lol.. 
pink pens, pink phone cover ...

I think you get it.

It's amazing how a color can take over,

I've added gingham checks 
to my design,

and grey as an accent, 
and lots and lots of pink hearts <3
(a story for another day)

but all coordinates back to the 
pink ruffles.

Country Living Fair

I'm very proud of how my business and

my booth ... and my brand

has grown over the years..

& honestly, as silly as it sounds,

those thrift store pink curtains

certainly had a lot to do with it! 

So I suppose my point is, 
you just never know 

where your inspiration 
will come from in business,

you just need to use your imagination 
and think outside the box.

If you're ever out at a sale, 

and wonder if juNxtaposition is there,

just look around for some pink ruffles and you'll know its us !

Naps, perspective and a Generational Bond

This weekend after my father's passing, I was scheduled for an event. My friend Lucy came to my mother's assisted living home, where I was staying, to pick up my jewelry etc to take to the show in my place. She brought with her, her three-year-old Evelyn. We introduced her to my mom and told her that she could call my mother Grandma Cherry as all the kids did.

Lucy, my mother and I sat and talked for a little while while Evelyn wandered around and checked things out. My mother, who has dementia joined in the conversation, but of course was fascinated with little Evelyn. 

After a little visit, Lucy had said to Evelyn that it was time for them to go home, have lunch, and take a nap, however Evelyn had spotted a coloring book and markers that my mother had there. She asked if she could color for a moment and we said sure. We set her up on the floor with the markers and coloring books. 

My mother had had enough of the conversation and as she did when she grew tired, she just sort of rolled over, put her head down and went to sleep on the couch where she had been sitting. 

All of a sudden Evelyn jumped up in total surprise and just stared at my mother on the couch asleep.  Her eyes grew wide, she looked at her mother, and said “Look at Grandma Cherry, ..... she took my nap!”

Lucy and I just laughed and laughed, it's so funny to see a child's perspective. Lucy had to explain to little Evelyn and that everyone could take their own nap, but Evelyn was having none of it.  It’s amazing what goes on in a child’s mind.  Her viewpoint was just so funny !

Later, when my mother woke up and the girls had gone home,  I told her the story and she just thought it was the most amusing thing that Evelyn would have that perspective.

As it turned out, later that evening Lucy messaged me to let me know that my mother did, in fact, take Evelyn's nap as she never did take one of her own that afternoon. (even typing this its cracking me up again) In fact , she talked all afternoon about 'Grandma Cherry Aunt Jeanne' and how she had taken her nap. (mom’s name changed slightly in each telling) The funny thing was, my mother talked all afternoon to anyone who would listen and told everyone the story of her, taking Evelyn's nap.

It's the funniest thing to realize the words that we say and how children learn and understand the multiple meanings. As the next few days went on, it turns out that Evelyn and my mother were both so fascinated by the idea that mom had taken Evelyn’s nap that they both talked about it incessantly. Through the next few days, as our family went through my father's funeral, every now and then my mother would mention taking Evelyn’s nap and it brought us a light-hearted moment and a smile to her face.

When all was said and done, and we were sitting back at Mom's house, she said to me, “you know that was just so funny that I took that little girl’s nap” and literally a moment later Lucy messaged me and said 'Evelyn just sat up and quite randomly said “remember when Grandma Jeannie Cherry took my nap” '  It’s just so funny that days later they were both still fascinated by this idea. (And it was more funny with each telling !)

Lucy, being a generation younger than me, as generations go, my mother would be a great grandmother to Evelyn. Isn’t it wonderful that something so silly and a child’s perspective could span four generations?  I have a feeling that we will forever be talking about how Grandma Cherry Jeanne took little Evelyn's nap and it makes me happy to know that my best friend’s daughter may well always have a story that includes my 87 year old mother and the bond they will now always hold.

Lady Boss and who does all the work

When you own a business. it's not all a bowl of cherries. 

 There are so very many hats that you need to wear. 

 Today's post is about the year end bookkeeping hat. 

 I am sooo very lucky that I ... in my 'other' life..
 am a bookkeeper, accountant, and tax preparer !

  Because of that, I weirdly actually love tax time !!

 I guess I'm a math geek on the other side of my brain.

But, there is one thing that I loathe !! And that's filing.

  I hate hate hate filing. I don't do it all year, like I should. 

I literally sit at the end of the year... this year.. on my bed.. lol..
 and I do an entire year's filing in one afternoon.

 I have to .. or I wouldn't.. 

but sometimes I'm lax in doing great bookkeeping during the year... sometimes accounts don't balance, and I don't take the time to do the work

 (have you ever heard the phrase 'the cobbler's children have no shoes' ?
 yep that's me.) 

 So... if I need to look something up for taxes .. 
I need to be able to find it... so there ya go. 

Today was that day .

Snow on the ground, me on my bed, 
a webinar playing on my laptop (this is also training season) 

and boom, just like that .. a nice sorted pile.

 But, after all, it can't be all fun and games.. right ?

That's it .. just wanted to give you a glimpse of the

 un-glamorous side of running your own biz.

   But don't worry, the good stuff will be coming soon... because I really can't wait to get back on the road !!

 It's gonna be a great year.. I can feel it already !

have you signed up for our newsletter ?

if not, just over to the website .. check it out anyway ..we're playing with a new design...

and halfway down the home page in the PINK box, there's a newsletter sign up link ... 

see ya soon ! I'm so happy to be back blogging !

here we go again

well, here ya go ... it's only been about 3 years since I have posted on this blog.

I do believe I'm going to start it up again.. I missed you.. did you miss me ?

country living fair tickets

***

well ya'll 

it's that time of the year again 

our very very very 

did I say very 

favorite show 

you can win tickets to 

the Country Living Fair

in Columbus OH 

 

just jump on over to our facebook page 

(click here)

pinned to the top is an entry .... 

comment 

I WANT TO GO 

for one entry 

then....

tag your friends...

have them LIKE our page...and comment that they have ..along with your name..

that's an entry for each of you .

what is the Country Living Fair ?

 you ask

just the all time event of the year !

click on the <country living fairs> 

tab above

and you can see what it's all about !

we certainly hope to see you there.

xxoo jeanne

the Summer Market at Avon Lake OH

***

 this past weekend I had the privilege of attending the Summer Market at Avon Lake

for those who don't know, Avon Lake is right on the water of Lake Erie

and when I say RIGHT on ... I mean RIGHT on Lake Erie

obviously the view was a-mazing

we just basically looked straight out at the water !

 the vendor selection was fabulous and the displays excellently creative

.....................my booth ................

I loved the framed chalk boards the girls had for each vendor

here's a glimpse of some other goodies

naturally,  I must include some water pictures

the people were so nice & they came to shop

and the sunset !!

wow

we had to leave right after the show as we had another event

back at home the next day ...but we took a few minutes and put our feet in the water

then the ride home...

sunset in the rear view mirror .. just beautiful

I already am looking forward to next year !

hope to see you there 

if you're wondering when we're coming to your town .. 

check out our travel schedule here