i sure can keep a secret....but finally....

but finally i can tell you....it's taken nearly two years to hold this secret inside of me, but finally i can make the announcement about what has been going on behind the scenes...in my little studio in my little corner of this world...

Country Living The Mom's Guide to Running a Business
Strategies for Work Success and Family Balance

Michelle Lee Ribeiro

a new book by my favorite people, Country Living, will be hitting the bookshelves in april! i was contacted nearly two years ago and invited to be part of a book on mom's that have their own businesses, seeking my ideas of how to balance family and work...well i couldn't say no.

but to be honest, it was a little overwhelming, i mean this is COUNTRY LIVING!...and they are TOP DOG in my world...Michelle Lee Ribeiro is the writer, and it was so great to get to know her and have her ask such great questions about not only my business but my family...fore with a home based business; work and family constantly mingle...

i was thrilled that they had thought enough of me and my business to include me in their book to help others...that really means a lot to me...if i can help someone else in a positive way, help them from perhaps making the same mistakes that i have, or to show them to try not to take life so seriously in their new venture...then i've done good...


here's the book jacket of what is coming April 4th...








and here's a little intro. that sterling publishing wrote about their upcoming book...you can go on-line and pre-order this book from a lot of different places if you would like...





"This follow-up to Crafting a Business provides everything a determined entrepreneur needs to know to successfully run her own business while raising a family. Through inspiring profiles, 28 women share diverse strategies on business development and operations, defining space and boundaries, and creating a viable work-family balance. A special “workshop” section also provides business basics for those just starting out.
MICHELLE LEE RIBEIRO is a writer and editor who has covered everything from finances to fashion for various national magazines, websites, and TV outlets."

so a bigger than i can possibly express in words: thank you to country living for asking me to be part of this project...thank you sterling publishing and michelle...it certainly has been a life that i wouldn't want to have any other way...dreams do come true....

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

ok...i'm a bit tired of it all..

i'm talking winter....the 'beautiful' white stuff that floats down from the sky...if you remember my posts from last year you will notice a theme to them....a woman becoming closer and closer to having a breakdown, day by day...

well, i will spare all of you from a repeat of that this year....for it has been snowing for over a month now...so i've decided to only once list my complaints of how it is in our mountains in the wintertime...and just leave it at that...

shoveling - hubby shoveling to leave for work, and then more when he comes home...eli shoveling until he throws the shovel down and stomps in saying...every time i'm done it keeps doing it again...i now know that there are different shovels for different jobs....we have the metal shovel that can help break through that constant layer of ice...we have regular snow shovels, and then if it's a nice light weight snow, you can just pull out the leaf blower and have at it....





we have to shovel from our back door to get to the gate, shovel around the gate so we can open it...shovel down the stairs to get to the car, then shovel around the cars and behind them to be able to get out...and lets not forget to shovel the long winding (down) driveway to get to the road where the plow has come...and yes, it's day after day after day...

carrying in wood - just plain sick and tired of lugging in that wood through the studio and it making a mess all over as i do it...it is really amazing how much bark can just fall off after you have vacuumed...and if that darn wood stove doesn't start sucking out that smoke like it's supposed to then i'm going to personally put it out of its misery and throw it in the yard...

now it's trash day - i yell out trash dayyyyyyy.....ok, we can get the trash to the can, but there is no way we can get the can up the hill through the snow to the road...so we have this system...walk through the snow everyday to throw the trash out....then on trash day, take all the bags out of the can and put them in super sized black bags....heave the bags over the low fence, throw ourselves over the fence (this eliminated the need to shovel around yet another gate)....then drag the bags up through the snow on the hill and put them on the road...taadah...

then off to the store - i honestly think the weather people have stock in the grocery stores...for the entire town is there loading up like we will possibly be snowed in for weeks at a time...but nobody ever is, because everyone has to go to work the next day and everybody has 4x4's...after buying enough groceries for a week, (totally unnecessary as i said, but we do)...i have to lug them from the car below, dragging them up all the slippery steps into the house, up more stairs to where i can finally heave them on the counter to put away....the cha-ching of the grocery store still ringing in my mind...

and schedules - what schedules...for there is never any school...i think eli has gone to school maybe 7 days in 7 weeks, maybe 8 weeks....i've just quit counting...i'm happier that way, keep my head in the sand, and wake up everyday with the thought, i wonder what today will bring...instead of ohhhh nooooo, not again....and if you would like to know...school was in today, but the school is taking the classes over to ski for the day....yes, this is the world i am in....

my back is getting very tired of bending...my legs weak from going with the flow...

and this morning? hubby said, i don't feel good, i have a headache, i'm hot and cold....well i do love him, but i'm thinking i sure hope you don't have the flu, and visualize myself rolling him out into the yard...(with the stove)





here's my link if you would like to keep this artists mind intact:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

she's finally here...

arcola

i'm happy to add "arcola" as the 7th limited edition piece to my collection of 'gee's bend' inspired quilt boards...







because of the weather up here, my photos i have to say do not do this piece justice...when some of this snow and ice is out of here i will add a new photo to do her justice...but until then i must add that she has a colorful warmth which was hard for me to capture...






if you love her, and just have to have her for your own, drop me an email or give me a call...gee's bend pieces don't stay around very long...



19" x 19"
$220.00
limited to 20 pieces

15 are still available at this time






link to my site: www.dallison.squarespace.com/
my email: dianeallison@charter.net


thank you all for letting me continue with this series...i wouldn't be able to do it without all of your support!

new gee's bend, on her way...

the other day when i looked over my website reading about the introduction of game boards that i was going to design inspired by the amazing 'gee's bend quilters', i noticed that i stated that i would do a series of 3 pieces....i am now introducing #7... years later, i see that the color of these quilts still call me to gaze upon them. the bright colors and designs keep pulling me back to study these pieces and read about the artists, hour upon hour...so who knows how many i really will create...as i'm getting older and older and my eyes fail more and more, i love the bright colors even more...and the people pull at my heart....

Arcola

the new piece that i will be introducing is based on Arcola Pettway's quilt that she called lazy gal...her quilt was created in 1976...and holds vivid colors of reds, green, blue, soft yellow and browns. i noticed that i had not until now created a checker board, so i thought that would be a fun twist on her quilt design.














The Story of Arcola Pettway - (from the gee's bend book)

"The life of Arcola Pettway (1934-1994), with its farming, child raising, gospel singing, and quiltmaking, was very similar to those of her closest relatives and friends. Her cousin, Leola Pettway, who was raised in the same home with Arcola, remembers their younger days...."

"'My auntie Deborah Young was her mama. You got to ask somebody else about who her daddy were. We growed up together, living with our granddaddy. He was a reverend. We played a lot; couldn't do much in them days but stay home and make up games, or go get water from down to the spring. When us coming up - we was little children - we used to sing together in church, just the two of us. Best thing back then was: went fishing. Set out hook overnight, go back next morning and get something sometime. Auntie Deborah, she teach us about quilts. Teach me first - I was five or six years older than Arcola and I reckon I showed her some. She used to sing in a group, go around to churches; sing with her sisters and my daughter, and I help them out some Sundays.

Arcola got married to Joseph. They had a lot of children, I reckon a dozen or more. They farmed, just about like everybody else.'"










Arcola's life was full i'm sure, with family, friends and hard work. Sadly it was so short...


this will be a limited edition piece


"arcola"
19" x 19"
$220.00 + shipping

only 20 pieces will be available in this edition... (18 are available at this time)

i will post a photo of the finished piece in about a week to my blog. if you know that you already would like one, please let me know right away. i know many of you pre-order anymore just off of the photos of the unfinished piece that i post so you don't miss out...so please don't let it slip by if you love her...

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

home tour...

come walk through homes with me...it's like opening a magazine...

there is something about peeking into someones homes....and i guess it's not just me that loves to do this, for now there are actual 'home tours' that are done on a yearly basis...perhaps this is the 'legal' way that i can take a decorating therapy peek instead of just driving by, slowing down and staring like a crazed woman...

and another way....and even more fun, is when you send me pictures of your homes with your game board collections....i just love this, to see what colors you are using on your walls (i can never make up my mind), to the layout and design of your homes....to the mood of the nest that you've created for yourself and your families...

i feel that each and everyone of you over these 16 years have become my friends, even if we only chat by email or phone....i am comfortable enough to know that if i were driving through your town i would have your number and address clasped in my hand searching you out for a tour of your home and a friendship face to face....

awwwww....i feel so renewed and inspired....i think i will take a walk around my own home and see what i can change up a bit....

here's my link if you need to do some shopping: www.dallison.squarespace.com/

happy 2011 everyone!

it's hard to believe that yet another year has flipped right on over to a new year....my mom has told me the older you get, the quicker they go....i would have to say that a year anymore feels like 8-9 months, and not a day more...

my blackboard is filling up quickly with your names for new game boards for your home - i think it is going to be a very busy year with everyone sprucing up their homes and adding to their collections. the photo above is from a clients home that has been collecting piece by piece over time...i'm always so tickled when i can see what you've done with your treasures!

i am doing the same thing at my house....my latest addition to our home is this 'over the edge coat rack' for my entry way (thanks mom and dad!)....i figured i would 'laugh' about how i must sound to everyone repeating 'hang it up!', over and over again....i plan on painting the large black and white german checker board to go above it...(and tone it down) i think it will be quite something (hmmmmmm)...but you know how i do love color, so that's why...

i set aside some time today to search through my 'gee's bend' quilt book to be inspired with a new design...i know that i had said in 'january' there would be a new piece added to the growing collection...so i can give you a look in about 2 weeks...weather permitting....

yep, we are back to the same weather pattern that we had last year....school has only seen 5 days over the last 5 weeks...eli and i are adapting pretty quickly to our long winter 'vacation'...

if you are in need of some color therapy this winter or a new design for your home, my link to my site is listed below...

also, don't forget valentines day is right around the corner - if you wish to order the 'well worn heart' for someone dear to you, just let me know and i'm happy to create one for you... but it will take several weeks to make your piece, so don't wait until the last minute, or your heart will be sad....and i don't want that!

www.dallison.squarespace.com/