shannon and ken

 

Beautiful photos by F Stop Poetry ~Venue The Narnia Estate Flowers ~Petal Play Design

A Cheap Tart full of pride and passion

While at a networking event for the bridal industry, I met a young lady with a sparkle in her eyes, I asked what her business was and she said "Cheap Tart!" with a big smile. Anyone who knows me, knows that humor is the main ingredient in my life, so needless to say, she had me at Cheap Tart! Here is a little about Dinah Grossman and her exquisite business. You must try her goods for words cannot explain the joy I felt at Easter when I laid eyes on her tarts!

Meet Dinah!

Tell us a bit about yourself and Cheap Tart? 

 I moved to Chicago from New England five years ago, and started Cheap Tart two years ago. I've been working in restaurants/pastry since I was 15, so starting my own project was a natural step, I suppose.

What/Who inspires you?
 I'm inspired by cookbooks, kitchen supply stores, food photography, and wonderful home cooks and bakers.

How would you describe your work?
My pastries can be quite rustic or more polished. I grew up in rural Maine (most of Maine is rural), but my parents are both from big cities and visiting family in Chicago and New York was a part of my upbringing, too. I think my work is a combination of those two sides of myself, those two different influences.

Please describe your creative process. 

If I see a photograph or try a dish that inspires me I think about how I can incorporate the elements in the picture or the flavors into a pie or tart. I'll start using a base recipe or method that I know well, and work off of that until I come up with something new. I'll play with a recipe or adjust it until I get it just so. 

What propelled you to start your business?
 I never went to culinary school, so even though I had many years of experience working as a pastry chef, I found it difficult to get a job as a pastry chef once I moved to Chicago. Finally I read a blog written by a woman with zero experience in pastry who had started her own cake business and seemed to be succeeding. I figured if she could do it, there was no reason I couldn't do the same, but better.

 What do you think is the most wonderful part of owning a business?
 I like the sense of ownership over my whole life that owning a business gives me. I make my own schedule, and even when the hours are insanely long or I'm exhausted, I'm doing it for myself, and that makes it worthwhile.

What are your struggles of owning a business? 

Never being able to "leave the office." I'm surrounded by my business at all times, and that can be exhausting. It's also stressful knowing that there's no one there to catch your fall--you either succeed or fail and have only yourself to hold accountable.

Best business advice you’ve been given. 

Someone who was giving me advice on securing a business loan suggested I "Go get laughed out of a bank." In other words, you should expect to fail, and fail repeatedly, but that it was through those failures that you learn what you need to succeed.

Advice to other creative entrepreneurs? 
 Love what you're doing enough, and believe in it enough to be okay with sacrificing in other parts of your life.

If you can tell the world one thing, what would it be? 

Everything is so much easier if you can learn to cooperate and collaborate with those around you.

Well it turns out that Miss Dinah and I share more than one thing in common! She bakes sweets, I eat sweets ~ we both have double SS in our last name ~ she's a food writer ~  I read about food ~ She studied web design at The School of the Art Institute Chicago ~ I live near Chicago ~ last but not least she lived in Buenos Aires Argentina (my birth place) while she studied the Argentine Tango. Yes! This tiny Lady packs a punch!

 

Here is Dinah dancing the Tango, from my beloved and native Argentina!

Once Upon A Time...

we did a photo shoot........it was my first time shooting and Louise's first gig. I think Hollywood is making a film, stay tuned...

Model: Madeleine George and Louise ~ Hair and Makeup: Renee Sokolis ~ Dress and Accessories: 11 Eureka~  Flowers: Petal Play Design ~ Location: Lemont Quarries.

HEUCHERA

This gorgeous plant is an obsession of mine. I got 2 new varieties this year and I cant wait to cut them all up for Erin's wedding!
 The Heuchera (Coral Bells) is an American genus with lobed leaves and tiny bell-shaped flowers on wand~like stems. Determined breeders have turned these perennials into some of the most attractive foliage plants out there. They make themselves at home in moist but well-drained, organic-enriched soils. Attractive to hummingbirds.
The irony is that Heuchera started all green and evolved into the color palette that we enjoy today.
Go out and get yourself one to start your collection , you'll love them, I promise!

 

Pride and Passion Tuesday/Shades of Grey

Long ago in a land far away, before the naughty book was published ,  Attalie Dexter  started making jewelry while living in Asheville, North Carolina, the year was 1997 . The stunning natural landscape and artistic community nurtured Attalie's desire to experiment with materials and explore new ideas. When she couldn't find the kind of pieces of jewelry she wanted to wear, she made her own.
Heavily textured and muted tonal qualities, complicated geometric shapes and layers define Shades of Grey Jewelry. Incorporating vintage dead stock beads and natural materials such as leather and ribbon, the pieces become more interesting with wear. Certain pieces are embedded with positive meaning or bear a metaphysical effect on the body. The spirit of experimentation and nuance is very much in tact in every Shades of Grey piece today.
I met Attalie at Indie Wed earlier this year and immediately became her fan! There is a peaceful feeling about her, the pieces are so unique and well balanced, I started my collection right there and then. This is one of a kind jewelry and it will become your signature look for the year. I can't stop wearing and layering mine!
Here is a little bit about Attalie, who by the way, is fresh out  of the pages of Turkish Vogue! Yay! Congrats Attalie!

Tell us a bit about yourself and Shades of Grey? I started out by just making pieces for myself. My friends (and even a few strangers!) wanted their own, so I started making things for others and decided to actually start Shades of Grey in 2009. My friends have honestly been a huge push and support system for me! What/Who inspires you? I am most often inspired by others...sometimes I know them and sometimes I don't or they are fictional. I like hearing/reading/viewing memories of others and how people perceive things and what is important. How would you describe your work? Very nostalgic, but modern. Please describe your creative process. I work largely with vintage materials, so I am always collecting pieces. When I create a collection, I either have a theme or mood in mind or I will go through everything and my subconscious comes out and I find a link that always ends up happening to relate to something I recently saw. I'm always collecting moodboard images as well. What propelled you to start your business? The work I did before was almost entirely online and although I love that in some aspects, I felt like I needed to start creating something tangible. What do you think is the most wonderful part of owning a business? I get to make all the decisions. What are your struggles owning a business? The decisions get harder and harder. Best business advice you’ve been given? This is more like wisdom I was given rather than advice: The first year that you are fully committed to your business is the hardest year. Advice to other creative entrepreneurs? Never stop working and be true to yourself while creating something unique. If you can tell the world one thing, what would it be? Trying something and failing is so much more fulfilling and better than never trying.

You can follow Attalie's design adventures here.

somewhere in the suburbs

In the middle of May I got an email from Lynne titled, "lily of the valley", email just said "want some?", my answer was YES!!!!
Had not been to her yard since one of her fabulous wisteria is blooming parties, a few years back.
 Lynne is a free spirit with one of the best and most positive out looks in life I've ever experienced, her husband a meticulous architect and together they created a glorious retreat of a yard.
Every corner filled with flora delight. Layers upon layers of goodness at every turn, this is the kinda place that transports you out of a busy day into a peaceful place. I'm so jealous, take a look!

escape from condotraz

I've been trusting my little pup more and more these days, walks without a leash, hanging out in front of the shop taking in the sun, you know...summer fun !
 She's been doing really good as long as no chipmunks are around, sticks to my side and comes back when I call her. That is until last Tuesday morning.
We came out early in the morning to go to work, I usually let her smell around and investigate for a bit and do her morning dooties while I load up my car; purse, bag with crap that does not fit in my purse, lunch, files and breakfast protein shake, the usual. All done and I called out her name and nothing! I started walking towards her favorite spot and she was nowhere to be found, my heart sank as I piked up the pace screaming  LOUISE!!!! and nothing...I wanted to die.
 Looked everywhere, in the woods behind the house, the sides of the building and in the storm drain wholes. It was so quite  out, just a hand full of birds chirping and all I could think about was the giant hawk we saw the day before perched low on our tree. Still calling her name, now sobbing, hoping to hear the jingle of her tags. Twenty minutes later (which by the way felt like a month) she comes running out of the woods with the most exciting and gratifying face I've seen on my weinerbeagle EVER!!!
I wanted to kill her, but instead I loved her. I asked her all day Tuesday what she did in those twenty minutes and she just wagged her tail...

pride and passion tuesday/ Esther's Place

We set out on our adventure on a brilliant  Sunday afternoon, Nick, Nat, (my sister's kids) Louise and yours truly. Our mission to learn something new from the sweet ladies at Esther's Place.

 Nick and I used to have dates all the time when he was a little bean, but now that I lead the glamorous life of a small business owner, time is at a premium and poor little Nat has been suffering the consequences of my busy schedule. 

So this summer I decided to try to change that a bit and what a great place this was to start our adventures!

Esther's Place began with a small flock of sheep and a wheel and has since grown into a fiber arts studio and rereat center . Named after one of their first sheep,  Esther's Place was founded by Natasha Lehrer at the age of nineteen. With assistance from her parents and others, she wrote grants, learned everything she could about different fiber arts, helped furnish Esther's Place restored 19th century Victorian building, and began this vibrant community resource in the sweet rural town of Big Rock, Illinois. 

Twice a year Esther's Place holds an open house weekend, where you can come explore the possibilities 

and have a meet and greet with the flock and yes Esther was there too!

We explored the studio, enjoyed a felting class and sampled delicious baked goods and refreshments the ladies made. It was delish!

Then Natasha escorted us to the pastures to meet Esther and her friends. Natasha was delightful, passion poured out of her with every explanation and with the animals. She loves what she does and we got to reap the rewards. The kids loved it! Nat said she wants  to be a farmer when she grows up :)

We got to feed the flock and pet the baby lambs, they were sooooooooo sweet.

It was a great day all around, we learned how to felt and about the life of a sheep farmer, left with lots of great goods for future projects, delicious homemade breads and we made fun memories we will share for a lifetime. I will be taking a class there this fall and would love it if you would come along with me and support this heartFELT small business with large passion !

for the love of flowers

Flowers! Oh how I love flowers! Question is... do I love them more than I love myself???
The wedding industry has become so glamorized and at times I feel a bit detached from all of that, like somehow I don't fit in.
I love the brainstorming, planning, the excitement of it all; ripping the boxes open and putting together what we've been planning for a while, making  reality a vision is basically like crack for me. Yes!!! I have an addiction, so much so that I forget what I even look like the day of the wedding. Normally hair back, still a bit of dirt under my finger nails and no make~up.
Always hiding from the guests hoping to catch a glimpse of couples reaction to the room. Wedding planners walking around in pretty little Anthropologie dresses, photographers in cool urban outfits with kick ass gear hanging from their necks, like the most amazing pieces of jewelery I've ever seen and here I am a hot mess. What in the world?!
 The thing is, I feel bad for about an hour and then on the way back to the shop all I can think about is getting some more crack and a nap... anyone else feel this way?

over the moon

I'm so excited! My cousin Lucy is coming to visit! We grew up five doors from each other and now we are continents apart. Shes a bit older then me, still never to cool to hang out with her younger cousin.  She took me to my first concert and bought me my first bottle of perfume, it smelled like honeysuckle :)  I looked up to her then and look up to her now. Love her so.

 Been planning her visit for a couple of months now, I rented a place smack in the middle of everything and can wait to show her this beautiful city of ours!

We have two days of frolic in the city! any thoughts or ideas? Think of us while you're enjoying the weekend and let me know! Can't wait ;)