Cutting-Up’s Artist Blog

Oh-how-we-love to see you sporting the Cutting-Up vibes!  We would love to see YOUR pics too!  Make your look hip & unique or show us your everyday!  Either way, you’re golden & you never know when we’ll post your pic on the blog stop! We are in this big beautiful world together, so let’s stay connected!  We love thinking our art & words are reaching you &, my-o-my, we do love it when you reach back to us too!!!

Plain White T\’s on You Tube

Had coffee with an old friend to catch-up today.  We don’t have many opportunities to visit; but, with good friends it’s not ‘time between’ that’s measured but simply enjoying time together.  Here’s one of those face breaking moments where laughter cracks the daily ‘about the day’ seriousness.  My friend thinks he’s looking old in the pics; but, that’s endearing and even somehow comforting between real friends. The photo collage that follows were pics of early spring flowers & things snapped on my way back to “the matters of a busy day.”  

Thanks to all our amazing friends and customers who made our January 2009 Atlanta Market truly SPECTACULAR!  Shazam!  We LOVE Atlanta!

Whew!  Colleen and the girls had their hands UBER-full in Atlanta!  Thank you to all our customers, returning and brand new-b’s, for visiting us at the booth in Hot’Lanta!  Special thanks to our beautiful Natlie, who also owns Grits & Grace out of Noonan, Georgia, who always gives us her extended heart & fabulous talents along with her help & expertise in Atlanta, Bob Brandt with Heartfire in Myrtle Beach for keeping Cutting-Up a beacon on the hip beach in South Carolina, and our lovely friends we see on the “market tour”… Michelle Allen from Allen Designs, April Sytsma-McCrum from Catching Fireflies, and Amy Peters from Amy Peter’s Studio, all pictured with Colleen there at the bottom of the collage above!  From the depths of our souls…. we love love love you guys!

Here’s a little merry-merry “PEACE!” from Wendy & April who are bundled-up for a busy afternoon in the Cutting-Up Warehouse.  Let’s just say it’s COLD and you could hear teeth chattering!  Good thing their hearts are so warm!  Bundle up, sisters!  Aren’t they adorable?!

I’m ever thankful Colleen & I have been a part of each other’s lives so long now that we are a part of each other’s families. We love sharing our profound friendship with you all. And, Cutting-Up continues to be an extension of our great love we have for others, for which you too are now a great part! In the pics here we shared measuring cups, family, friendships, and taste tests the night before Thanksgiving preparing for Colleen’s great feast! We hope you all had moments like these to share with you and yours… and that they ripple with warmth in all your days!

I believe I’m truly one of the lucky ones walking the earth.  My life is full of beautiful people & my life experiences continue to dazzle me and expand my heart’s capacity to feel loved, moved, touched…blessed. I had the opportunity to visit some old friends in Colorado for a very quick weekend in Denver. Colorado is a haven for my spirit… and I’ve not been to this special place or seen these amazing people since 2003.  During a few summers in college I had the great fortune to work as a hiking counselor for the most amazing camp on earth, Camp Cheley!  

Later in life, through a philinthropic Camp Cheley offers called Burn Camp (in conjunction with Cooks Children’s Hospital, Denver Fire Fighters & Camp Cheley, I found myself for four years of my adult life able to return for ten perfect days each August from 2000-2003, to build upon my “Cheley experiences”.  The opportunities to work for shorter periods of time filled me with the spirit of giving, elevated me to be a better person in the world, and kept me connected with the camp and staff and friends. This past Saturday night in Denver there was an ‘open call’ to any woman who had an affiliation with Cheley.  I knew some special faces; but, was floored when a sweet girl approached me with sparkling blue eyes and said… “I don’t know if you remember me; but, I’m Wendy Zimmerman and you were one of my counselors…” I wish you could feel how that felt… the gift of full-circle God allows.  The girl next Wendy in the “grown-up” photo was also a part of my life after a personal trauma… No, I mean, seriously… a head trauma - as in - in 1990 I fell off a mountain and she was part of the organized rescue.  ZOMG! Did we laugh… last Saterday?!  Were we moved…?!  Another beautiful woman, Johanna Lorh, had the most heartfelt talk with me about her experiences as a CILT (Camper in Leadership Training).  I can’t tell you how powerful these connections and are or how important the time away felt… but I do know that life is AMAZING! Stay alert and stay AMAZED because you never know when this could be the best day of your life!