Karla Nathan – Page 4 – Karla's Cottage

Around the neighborhood in the Old West Bottoms of KC

By Karla Nathan / August 16, 2025

Typically, when I go to the West Bottoms, I’m working at Good Juju.

Or popping quickly into another open shop during First Friday weekend. And that is rare. But the other day, Beth and I decided to check out a restaurant nearby and do a bit of exploration after a crew meeting.

The old buildings covered in graffiti and chippy paint have an allure that made us want to take some equally alluring photos of ourselves, making use of the gritty, textured backdrops.

I see photo shoots going on in the area all the time for senior pics, engagements, or just for fun. And after walking around the neighborhood, not just driving by, I can feel the attraction to the ambience of the weathered paints.

See, doesn’t the background make us look like tik tok beauty influencers?

One thought that kept recurring to me, was how did anyone reach some of these areas with their spray paints?

Some of the graffiti was arty, some fun, all interesting. But over all, I prefer the natural wear and tear that time provides on the surfaces.

The local businesses had some interesting details that they added too.
Like this restaurant we chose, called The Ship, with a whole ocean/cow town theme.

Yep, ocean/cow town.

Sounds oddly random, like the owners threw a bunch of themes written on slips of paper into a hat and plucked two out, then said, okay, this is it.

The place was hopping, with a live country band and 20-30 yr olds dressed up in their best cowgirl outfits whooping it up on the dance floor.

I'm afraid we were more sightseers than patrons. At my age, a loud bar is interesting to peek at, but not where I want to sit and talk during dinner. Maybe we can go back on a night when there isn’t live music. I did mention my age, right? Ha! Getting me to stay out after dark in Kansas City is a rare occurrence. I enjoyed our night out (we drive to a tapas place, and I didn’t get home til after ELEVEN PM), but the odds of dining out at night in KC again soon aren’t great.

Jammy time in front of the tv calls out to me pretty early on most evenings. But it’s good for the soul to get out and explore sometimes. I recommend a walk through the Bottoms to get out of your own rut if you’re in one as deeply as I am.

How to make Goblin wings

Good JuJu, holiday decor, how-to projects

By Karla Nathan / August 12, 2025

Guncle Randy gave Sugarwings a skelly, and I asked to borrow it for booth decor. But first, she needed some foofing up. Jewels and a skirt helped, but this gal needed wings.

I wanted wonky, messy wings, more hobgoblin than fairy. I used coat hangers to form them, and left them slightly crooked. Then wrapped them in shiny duct tape, in a bulky, not too perfect way.

I roughly cut out a piece of cellophane, sprayed it with adhesive, and then folded it over a wing.

After firmly pressing both sides together, I used a heat gun to finish the adhesion by melting the front to the back. I let the heat gun burn holes through the wings here and there too. Then jaggedly trimmed off the excess and hit those raw edges with more heat to curl up.

They looked pretty good, but I wanted them more sinister than sparkly, so misted their edges with black spray paint.

This went so well that I decided to make a few more pair to sell too. I think the skeleton looks complete now. I’ll wire them into place and hang her from my ceiling.

A haunted cottage painting

Good JuJu, paintings

By Karla Nathan / August 6, 2025

Before we even had August’s sale at Good Juju, I was making big plans for September and October’s events.

The back wall of my space is brick, and I cannot hang anything on it, so I had previously hung a big Karla’s Cottage banner down from the ceiling beams to fill the space. Well, I got to thinking that I need a Karla’s Haunted Cottage sign for Halloween, but the spot is pretty hard to get to,

After consulting some people whose minds think in a more engineering way than mine does, we came up with a pulley system to hang seasonal banners without going to much fuss to change them!

I immediately got to work painting a 6’x8’ canvas drop cloth with a spooky theme. Now that it’s done, I’ll flip it over and paint a gingerbread cottage on the back of it. I’m excited about all of the possibilities.

A drop cloth is nine bucks, I need about 8 hours to prime and paint it, and can do artwork on both sides. Heck, I’ll be wanting to switch them out every month!

Hmm, my time might be better spent making things to sell, not just display. But dang, this was fun to do.

Redos in Guncleland

guncles

By Karla Nathan / August 2, 2025

The Guncles have a newly revamped guest room that feels Ike a Floridan getaway. Light, airy, comfy and filled with soft, summer colors. Good for our guests, but rough on the poor guys- they had a water leak that caused them to rip out the entire space and redo it a couple days before Sharon, one of our Nathan sisses, arrived on Sunday, and we took her spot on Monday when she left for a Disney visit.

And while the rush job might have left them feeling like this guy, they pulled it off in a grand fashion and we all had a lovely, new room to enjoy.

There is a bit more decorating for them to do, and I look forward to my next visit to see what details they have added. I enjoy the luxe design choices in their home, with elegant furnishings, fine antiques, and whimsical surprises around every corner.

And it makes me happy to wash dishes in the kitchen and see Ryan’s picture on the wall behind me reflected in the mirror on the shelf above the sink.

It’s a welcoming home, filled with laughter, extravagant meals, and happy dogs. The guys generously let us bring our pack of hounds, and even watched them three days so we could take a cruise.

Last time I visited, Randy and I decorated for Valentine’s Day. This time, we pulled out a smidgen of his vast supply of fall decor and spread it around the house.

Of course, there was crafting time too. Besides making crowns from filigree metal ribbons, I turned this vintage photo into a witch to put on the mantle.

For now, our decorating was mostly autumn themed, he will add Halloween elements later.

But we did sneak in a few little witchy bits.

And possibly a few ravens.

Randy had so many pumpkins, garlands, and blossoms, as well as owls, and more, that decorating was a breeze.

What makes a big difference in pulling off a redo is not only the items you’re setting out, but the infrastructure you have to work with. He had cloches, compotes, lights, crystal bowls, well, he has anything you’d need to elevate a vine from Michael’s and make it look classy.

Picture this pumpkin and vine on this table without the elegant cloche and crystal compote.

Not quite the same, right?

Yep, they have a beautiful home with great stuff in it. And I always have a blast when they let me “play dress up” with all of it.

Thanks for the fun, guys! I miss you already.

First Friday at Good Juju for August

antiques/junking, Good JuJu

By Karla Nathan / July 28, 2025

That slappity slap sound you might be hearing from afar?

That is me clapping myself on the back for getting my booth ready for the August sale before hitting the road for our vacation.

First step was removing a lot of the colorful bits I had displayed for summer and creating a neutral scene.

Over the years, I’ve learned that people don’t visit my little corner to buy much in the way of traditional fall colors.

So with a slight nod toward Autumn, I’m mostly focusing on summer’s last bit of glory.

Most of the roses are packed away, with just a few remaining blooms.

After our Independence Day extravaganza, I only had one week to tear down, redo, and fill in, then pack and leave for the trip.

At first, I told myself that I’d only do a minor makeover. And I drove to Kansas City with that in mind.

Next thing I know, I’ve moved every single piece of furniture in the space.

You know what I honestly need? A job redoing booths for other dealers.

I’m honestly overwhelmed by all the shopping, tagging, sorting, storing of the inventory.

The best part is when I get to play with it all and set it up.

Not as much the hunting and gathering part.

Oh, and making stuff! I love that. And the guests, I really enjoy working on the floor, talking to customers about what they are buying and how they’ll use it.

Over all, the great parts outweigh the sucky parts of the job. I suppose that is typical of most lines of work.

As soon as set up is done for the current month, my mind is flying ahead to the next before we’ve even had our sale. So, yep, it’s hard for me not to totally redo even when I don’t have time, or even really need to.

At sea with the Pirates

celebrations, family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / July 25, 2025

The Disney Wish cruise was a magical weekend, and not nearly long enough. 3 days zip by, and I’m just starting to figure out how to find my cabin when it’s time to leave.

While there was a ton to do, and so many activities that you could never do them all, I have to say the pirate night was the highlight for me.

My kids and I have always been all in for any reason to play dress up. Add in a night of frolicking , dancing, and glee?

Under a rainbow of sparkling lights in the sky?

Surrounded by people I love, family who came from long distances to celebrate together?

Aargh, matey, ye can bet thy barnacles I was ready to dance the night away like a swashbuckling sailor and love every minute of it.

Our kiddos were over 18 except Dewdrop, who seems older than her age, so we joined the party from the upper deck away from the heavy crowds down below us on the dance floor. I’d asked a bartender where the best spot was to view the fireworks and watch the band, and he was right. We hung out together above the fray on the adult deck lounge, as he suggested.

Plenty of seats, and a big open space to dance or just watch the spectacular made me almost glad that I didn’t have tiny grandfairies to tend to. (Almost, not quite, I’ll always miss those sweet, magic years with preschoolers). There is something to be said for traveling with near adults.

I don’t think I’d ever even seen the adult deck before. Let alone watch the serene sunset with a glass of wine while enjoying catching up with family. Which doesn’t mean I was too grown up to abandon my own adult behavior and dance like a kid myself once the band of pirates began rocking out to 80s music.

It’s of course, good to be home again. But my heart might still be at sea for a bit. I’m missing my pirate gang.

Crafting Crowns with Randy

guncles, jewelry, Travel

By Karla Nathan / July 19, 2025

Of course Randy and I made time for hanging in the craft room!

One of our go-tos is making crowns.

Lots of crowns!

Then we have fun playing with them, finding critters around the house and yard to wear the new creations.

Soooo much fun! We never have quite enough time for all the projects we want to get done, but we love the heck out of each we do.

Treasured times in Guncleland

dogs, Food and Drink, guncles, jewelry, Travel

By Karla Nathan / July 16, 2025

We enjoy traveling with our dogs, and there is no better place to take them along than to the Guncles’ house in Jax. They get the full royal treatment there, complete with a throne to rest upon.

They aren't the only ones feeling queenly on this vacation. Randy and Kevin make us all feel special with their pampering.

See how they feed us? Deliciously beautiful!

We’ve been crafting, touring the antique mall they have a spot in, drinking good wine, and playing with pups.

As well as being fed the best meal I think I’ve ever had. Honestly, the red snapper and rosemary honey carrots rank at the top of anything I’ve ever eaten.

The dinner was so perfect that we couldn’t think of erasing it from our taste buds by eating dessert. So, I’m considering having this tart for breakfast instead.

I’d brought fresh peaches from our tree and made this a little differently, with a tiny bit of brown sugar, spices, and some white wine drizzled over the fruit. I think it will be an appropriately decadent breakfast for Guncleland.

The girls are enjoying the trip as much as we are. They travelled well, stopping at dog parks along the way. All are freshly groomed to be their loveliest selves for the adventure, including Honey. We take the doodles into the groomer a couple times a year, with home trim ups as needed, and regular baths in the garden hose.

But not their mama dog, I didn’t even think about getting a haircut for a golden retriever, til I saw one being styled when I picked up the golden doodles from their appointment.

So Honey Bunny got the full treatment, including a furminator brushing. Worth every penny! On the drive here, no clouds of hair were wafting from the backseat and floating up my nose. Who knew you could avoid fluffs of fur like that? And doesn’t she look pretty for going to see the Guncles?

We are heading out to a cruise this weekend, and the dogs are staying behind in the lap of luxury here on Sweet Cherry Lane. I know they will love every minute of it. That’s how we all feel here.

Celebrating each other

Food and Drink, friends

By Karla Nathan / July 9, 2025

Beth, Angie and I threw ourselves a party.

Their birthdays are only a week apart, while mine is a month earlier. But all are springtime, so meld together nicely as a reason to celebrate with each other.

While I don’t think you ever actually need an excuse to have a party, when I see one, I’ll nab it.

Any chance you get to have an afternoon with friends, especially if you also get wine and chocolate, you should take it.

Add in some cupcakes, lots of laughs, and who cares if it’s a birthday today, a month ago, or no where near one at all.

When I count my blessings, days that my buddies come out to spend an afternoon with me ant the cottage are way up there.

Patriotic art for the 4th

friends

By Karla Nathan / July 4, 2025

Last week, I went to another mosaic art opening.

This one also featured two of my pals, author and artist, Dr. Margie Carr and artist and teacher, Shanna Wagner.

Margie has been making her glass flags with meaningful quotes imbedded and Shan uses her lyrical skills with glass to lure you in with beauty then show you some ugly truths.

I am doubly impressed by both of them, that they create such lovely pieces with so much to say.

And I was impressed with myself for actually getting out of the house and going to not one, but two Art openings in a week. I tend to be a bit of a recluse of an evening. But when I have such talented friends with stunning work, of course I had to make the effort to haul myself out in public to see it.

I’m glad I got out to see the show. Great job, Shan and Margie!

Author name: Karla Nathan