This journey of solopreneurship has taught me that I have more peers than competitors, and it has been a joy to get to know Evanston businesswomen who are successful and supportive of fellow small business owners. I met Sara Jane of See Jane Sparkle at a Custer Fair years ago, when I didn’t even think […]
Author Archives: MarvyMaike
When I first got my built-ins created my second bedroom was still a guest room that would function as a craft room. I was focused on greeting cards at the time, and that wall was ample space for all my supplies. Then I left my career and my plans as a small business owner morphed […]
This First Friday is hopping! Lots of my friends are in awesome openings throughout Chicagoland. My first stop on Friday will be Moon Art Gallery in Arlington Heights, where Jerry Stangl is the featured artist of the month. Jerry strives “to present the many varied moods of the seasons and times of day in my […]
Earlier this month I started a 2-week cleanse inspired by MyHealthBeet. I had done a 4-day cleanse with her program before that didn’t impact me too much results-wise. I quickly went back to my old food routine. This time, I needed a re-set from stress-related habits that crept in, such as snacking a lot (and […]
It is pretty telling that with all the documenting I do, I have not taken a single photo of my studio since my last studio view blog post in 2014. As my creations toggled between jewelry making and larger wall collages, I’ve been envisioning an extra table in my space, but wasn’t sure how to […]
While last January was a slow beginning full of introspection, this month has started with quite a bit of momentum, and blogging takes away from other activities. With the impetus of a studio re-organization I am also decluttering my house as a whole, and taking it one room at a time with a deadline of […]
It got frosty again last weekend. In spite of the freeze, the skies are gorgeous. Old snow got shoveled and turned into its own sculpture. Hibernating included having lovely icescapes on the windows. It’s neat to see what the combination of heaters and ice create. My original angel perused the winter wonderland. Another load of […]
Remember when I introduced The Collage Cafe? This Sunday I got to join the Grown*UP Girls Club for a creative session. This gathering is Lindy’s brainchild of creating a haven for women to leave all the day-to-day behind and spend some time playing, creating and getting to know other ladies. The group meets on the […]
The more I get to know authentic people, the more “anti-resolutions” the input becomes around new years. I agree with not setting unrealistic goals for yourself, especially those driven by ridiculous image standards, but I also like the concept of using the new year as a re-set. Halfway through reading Essentialism my life became quite […]
The new year is off to a frosty start with the ice queen paying a visit again. Her crown is a bit different this year, but still gorgeous. I watched Frozen for the first time over Christmas, and then read the orginal Snow Queen fairy tale. In the real world we are facing crunchy ice-capades […]