I am promising to be better about geting back to the blog my friends! Lots has happened in the last year and I am anxious to share projects with you all and fill you in on the haps around here! 2016 was a doozy, wasn't it? The whole world seemed to turn inside out. Closer to home, I was having my own little rebirth. I was a bit out of commision for a couple of months last Spring. Crazy health issues that I could not figure out with my doctor really gave me a new perspective on how life is fragile. But the experience reaffirmed that willpower can be a strong thing as well. I was determined to make my health better. Without going into lots of detail, the cure for me was mostlytaking my health more into my own hands, and along with some very good advice from some family and good friends, I began a much more wholistic approach with diet, exercise, meditation, acupuncture, yoga and that old cliche "living in the moment". I was also lucky. It turned out that my system was in a "reboot" and I was not seriously ill. Things began to turn around and I am good to go!

I was still ill when I signed a lease for a new studio space (I signed via internet as it happened....I was still in no shape to go out). I was taking a big risk in the certainty that I was, in fact, going to get better. But honestly, after siging the lease, it was like a weight had been lifted. I got better very shortly after that!  Working from home can have its negative impacts, and it was an amazing transformation for me to be out of the house during the day. Transformative in my life, my health and my business! 

I had found a perfect spot for my new studio in the new Broadway Triangle District of Sacramento. It is an up and coming district with new independantly owned shops and restaurants, as well as new residential popping up everyday. I am very lucky to have a very visible storefront on a threeway corner!

We have been in the new studio since last July and had a bit of an Opening Celebration in December. We had been in  full swing with clients, getting the new space work-ready, and at the same time redesigning the website and the blog....(the BLOG! WHAT DO YOU THINK?!?!) But the last First Friday event in Oak Park was coming up in December, so we decided to go for it and have the Open House at the same time. We were in overdrive to get it all planned with everything else going on! But once I had recovered, it has been hard to sit still.

Long story short, being in the Studio and being so much more visible has been the best thing ever! 

So I wanted to share with you some photos from my "Opening Night". Clients, Family and Friends all came to eat, drink and be merry with me and for the Holiday Season! These lovely photos were taken by my oh-so-talented graphic designer and  brand photographer, Steph Zangeneh of Wild Within Studio. She does know how to tell a story, doesn't she?

We overindulged on the cupcakes made by my daughter Hannah....(she does special events cupcakes!) These were chocolate/coffee with peppermint icing and spice cake with ginger frosting and candied ginger on top...need I say more?

Then there was a delicious spread by Randy Peters Catering. I cannot tell you how they saved me from myself. I was going to try and make the food myself for this little shindig. I am not a bad cook, btw. Clearly, that would have been a bad idea. Randy Peters Catering was so professional and their menu and pricing was the best that I had found for the what I wanted. The food was delish! The wait staff they provided were the best, and on top of everything! They cleaned up everything afterward and were totally fun the whole time. Many thanks to a fantastic team!

I am very lucky to have wonderful friends that support me and cheer me on. My very good friends, Leanne Davis and Jon Chewning also began a new business last year and they are doing a bang up job! They made the giant leap of leaving their day jobs to open a new winery and have never looked back. They named it Via Romano Vineyards, from the Family Name on Leanne's side. I was very lucky to have them provide the wine for my event....come to find out they just won a Gold medal at the California State Fair for their Pino Grigio!!!! And more medals for their wine at the Monterey International Wine Competition! When you start seeing their wine everywhere, don't forget who told you first ;)

I had another friend, Lori of Loribella Gelato and Catering, provide the most delicious gelato I have ever had! (And I HAVE been gelato tasting though Italy and France) She makes it all from scratch and creates the most delicious flavors, like Poached Pear with Wine Reduction, Honeydew with Jalapeño and avocado,  or Guiness with Chocolate Covered Pretzels.  Her Lavendar and Honey is one of my favorites! She also makes custom flavors for events and for businesses! She is the BEST!

I cannot thank my friend Nicholas Docous enough for showing off his talent for photography in my first First Friday Art event. I think he has the most amazing eye and sees things that most would not. By day he is a highly respected and talented architect, but any other time he is a musician, photographer, music officianado, and traveler. If you have not checked out the Nicholas Docous Instagram page, you are not really living.

A fun evening and I definitely felt the love.......

Many thanks to everyone who came by and showed such kind support! I am so grateful.

I hope this year proves to be a great one for us all. As I have been sitting here in the new studio on a rainy day, I realize that I signed my lease a year ago this month. While we did not move in until July, it is an anniversary of sorts. Last year at this time, life was looking pretty grim. My world was a scary place, and the world at large was going through its own turmoil. But today, the sun has come out...literally....and I hope that it comes out this year ....figuratively.... for us all. And one more thing.....I would not have made it without this guy......

I have some new stories coming up so I hope you look in on us again soon! Thanks for hanging in there with me.........