July 2008 - Hot, Hot, Hot! Not only was the weather hot, but so were the roads, as Clothes for Us kept them hot driving to various outdoor events and festivities. I had a booth at both Dublin and Worthington, Ohio functions, on their respective greens. It was great to meet new folks, see new faces – and get the word out about Clothes for Us! We hope to do more of these events in the future, so if you should know of any events for which you think CFU would be a good fit, please shoot us an email!

A quick vacation to see friends in Denver and then off to Sedona for a few days of R & R. The Red Rocks were inspiring. Anticipate seeing their influence in the line.

June 2008 - June had some bumps. I received information from my Taiwan agent that the summer line had fallen so far behind, we would have to scrap most of it. But, this gave me the chance to go back and redesign. With a new focus on a three-season approach, my goal is to develop clothes that have the maximum wear for the dollar.

I found some wholesale bamboo blend fabric and we will be working on more prototypes incorporating it. The fabric is wonderful - great drape and no maintenance! I truly enjoy designing with it. Speaking of, our first bamboo pieces arrived! They resemble a thin, hand-knit yarn made into a tank and a soft shrug.

May 2008 - I have found a new way to spend money! I have been taking classes in the art of fused and dichroic glass bead making. The pieces I created are wonderful and unique, and it’s great to make and wear something one-of-a-kind. I hope to incorporate more of the beads into my jewelry.

Also this month, I had cataract surgery. Luckily, it went off without a hitch. I am delighted to see things fresh and new again! Let’s hear it for modern medicine…

April 2008 - We had an open house at my home to show off the inaugural line and some of the Spring/Summer line. This coming weekend we have the first fashion show. It was even listed in the newspaper under events, so we know it is real. The Soroptimists are having a fund-raiser with a fashion show and we are in it. We will have three models with two changes of clothing each. It will be tight as the clothes are still in transit. Life is always an adventure. We have a new gal coming on board for five weeks. Brittany is a high school senior and will be writing from a younger person’s perspective and helping us do research. She is interested in how hair, fashion, and make-up integrate into beauty.

I have been struggling in introducing myself as a fashion designer. I see what they do and it doesn’t seem to fit me. I thought of taking the shapes that our bodies are and working with the drapes of fabric to create the appropriate structural lines for a pleasing result. I deciding after analyzing that process, I am a fashion architect. It is good to have a name to put to my work, now I had better get back to it.