Karla Nathan – Page 6 – Karla's Cottage

It’s still February, so it’s not too late to celebrate Valentine’s Day

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, friends

By Karla Nathan / February 22, 2025

I had a Galantine Party planned for before the holiday, but the weather cancelled it. Too bad, because with this dreary, cold, endless winter, we needed a break to be together and have some fun.

After the February Juju sale, I brought home my leftover inventory with a heart theme and decorated with it to make the cottage festive for my friends.

We rescheduled our gathering for after the 14th and I did not mind savoring all of my roses and hearts in the kitchen for an extra week.

Our party was right before more snow and hideously cold temps were beginning to rage across the plains again. So I salted my sidewalks, had logs blazing in the fireplace, and lit lots of candles for a cozy evening and we made the best of it. Our timing was pretty good, snow started falling later that night, we had our evening together before it hit too hard even though it was bone chillingly freezing already.

Originally, I’d planned mostly snack type foods. With the never ending cold and the dismal forecast, I figured we needed a more hearty meal and whipped up a beef stew casserole topped with Duchess potatoes, and set the table for a dinner party instead of a casual hang out evening. I was glad I did that, it’s good to enjoy your pretty things and spoil your buddies sometimes, isn’t it? I eat off of paper plates a lot, and completely forget I have these lovelies.

The day before, I made a chocolate cake. But not just any old cake, this was Bobbie’s buttermilk cake, a trademark, family favorite, best cake ever cake.

I’m not a recipe person, but I got out Bobbie’s cookbook where she’d complied recipes from our entire Downey clan and followed her directions to a tee to bake her cake.

Between Valentine’s Day being the adoption date for my sons, and Ryan loving that holiday so much, my sister’s last name being Valentine, and the 16th being the anniversary of her death plus her daughter and our mom’s birthday, well, I desperately needed that buttermilk, fudgey delight.

And it was sooooooo good. It tasted like home.

I was glad to have my friends to share it with, and served it on my grandma’s plate. Which I did not put away back in the high cabinet. That chintz floral pretty is going to stay out year round and get the use it deserves. We never forget the ones we lost, but I think honoring them in small ways keeps them close. Like using their things, making their favorite foods, doing things they loved.

For me, sharing these moments and talking about them with others I love is healing. Thank you to my buddies for indulging me.

At the Guncles

dogs, family, guncles

By Karla Nathan / February 19, 2025

While the reason for my trip to Jax wasn’t the best (poor Kev was under the weather and I went to help out) my time there was as delightful as ever.

The Guncles’ home is colorful and welcoming, the company is hilarious, and the food? Amazingly delicious.

On this visit, I tried to make myself useful by helping Randy take down Christmas and replace it with Valentine decorations.

We created a mushroom and fairy wonderland.

He had been crafting a lot of schroomies, so the ones that didn’t go into the fabulous birdcage got popped them into flower arrangements.

He let me redo his craft room too. I love a good sorting out, and a session of label making.

The Florida temps were mild, but after the cold January I’d survived in Kansas, it felt downright balmy. Wearing a sweater to go out is a treat after the layers upon layers I’d been bundling into back home. Olivia and I went for strolls around the neighborhood multiple times a day.

We saw hearts in the sidewalk and pavement every time.

This one was a unique find, it’s a ding on a car’s door.

The best part of the trip was seeing Kevin get stronger and stronger.

I wished I could’ve stayed longer.

That is what I say every time I leave their lovely home.

An unexpected treat in Jax

family

By Karla Nathan / February 16, 2025

When visiting Guncles in Jax to be of help while Kevin was not feeling well, I got to spend time with Terry’s family too.

While chatting back and forth about when and where to meet up, Terry mentioned they were going to the Jacksonville Zoo.

I promptly invited myself along!

We knew it was featuring a lantern festival, but we did not know what to expect. What we found, blew us away, we had the best time exploring the interactive, light up exhibits, chasing bubbles filled with smoke, enjoying the sights and an acrobatic show.

We were also quite pleased to find out how tasty the food at the snack bar was. My goat cheese and spinach pizza was not what I figured on finding there.

Not only were they kind enough to let me tag along on this fun night out, Terry and Dale drove back from Amelia Island the next day and gave me a lift to the airport.

Our time together was too short, but treasured. I always do lots of smiling when spending time with that family. Thanks again, Neibaurs!

Our Valentine’s Day and the loved ones we remember

family, Food and Drink, Hearts

By Karla Nathan / February 13, 2025

Sugarwings and I cannot resist a holiday themed cocoa party.

So we picked out some special mugs and coordinating Jammie pants to be ready to celebrate in style.

I gathered up hearts and roses to decorate our cocoa station. But, the bottles of flavored syrups that I’m hooked on had ugly labels that did not look festive, so I made some prettier ones on my computer for them.

We also dug out the recipe book that my sister, Bobbie had compiled with family favorites in it. Her specialty was a buttermilk sheet cake.

The Grandfairy and I will be making that together in honor of Bobbie, whose last name was Valentine. She passed on the 16th, my mom’s birthday. And Ryan was adopted by Rich on the 14th, so we have loved ones to honor this week.

There will most likely be a few tears when we clink our mugs together and have chocolate cake while thinking of the ones we miss. But my kiddo and I will be making new memories and traditions together that I hope will carry into the future.

A Wicked themed hot air balloon

guncles, show and tell

By Karla Nathan / February 10, 2025

In my last post I mentioned possibly making springtime and Easter themed balloons to hang from the entry to my booth.

I was inspired by this Wicked one that Randy and I made together.

He found the ideal photo of Elpheba and Galinda to download and print. We glittered up Glinda (with a silent “gah”) and glued them in together surrounded by pink tulle to look like a frothy skirt. The wand is an olive fork Randy had.

I looked up the font from the Wizard of Oz movie poster and cut the word “Oz” from rainbow wrapping paper then glittered it too.

This was such an entertaining project that my next move was to order a multi pack of lanterns to make more for my booth.

Indulging myself with pinks and roses

antiques/junking, Good JuJu

By Karla Nathan / February 6, 2025

Unpacking my pretties for this week’s First Friday Weekend at Good Juju was extra special since I got to explore and figure out how best to use my new space.

Plus, it’s Valentine’s month, and I cannot resist drenching my booth in hearts and roses.

And maybe a few mushrooms.

Over my last few years at this venue, I’ve seen that pink doesn’t sell as well for me as neutrals when it comes to my creations.

This time of year, I feel free to go hog wild with my favorite rosy hue.

Along with plenty of the rich creams and faded tans that do so well there.

Plus a few splashes of the holiday’s traditional red.

And lots of roses scattered throughout.

This is my entryway into the space.

I had Rich add some chains from the high ceilings for me. Those hang down to a reachable place so that I will never need to use the terrifying 80 foot tall (at least it feels that high to me). With these lowered chains, I am able to hang seasonal decor at the entry and change things up on a regular basis.

For now, I’m loving it all so much exactly as it is, so I didn’t add any extras to the ceiling.

No “changing it up” is needed yet, because the whole spot is a ginormous change!

I’m thinking I could let it ride for a few months, as is, just bringing in fresh merch for each sale. But I do sorta have a hot air balloon crafting idea brewing, that would be beautiful for Easter, or spring…. Hmm….

Finalizing my new spot and finding joy in doing it

antiques/junking, Good JuJu, jewelry

By Karla Nathan / February 3, 2025

My new space is done, inventory set up, and ready for this week’s sale at Good Juju.

The front portion of the booth is my jewelry boutique.

The very front entrance holds a jewelry shelf dedicated to Valentine’s Day.

Once you step into the main part of the space, there is an abundance of tributes to the holiday sprinkled about.

But the entry is mostly jewels. I set up a small table with Cheifs colored pieces since we are located in KC and the Super Bowl is this week. And to not be just an opportunist, I actually watched a game (for the first time). While I cannot call myself a football fan, I am a huge Kansas City fan, and love the way my adopted town’s citizens support it local teams, events, the city itself.

By the way, that might be the last game I watch. As a person who has had multiple concussions myself, watching the crashing bodies gives me the willies.

There is a row of gigantic metal poles down the aisle of Good Juju that support the high ceilings. I have one at the left side entrance in my area, and I refused to ignore it or treat it like a wasted space. Instead, I used magnets to wrap the top in vintage wallpaper and the bottom in silver velvet. Then I added more magnets with hooks and hung necklaces from them.

Eyesore into asset, with just a few magnets!

With the expanded dimensions I now have, I could bring in another full table of old earrings. And of course, if you layer upwards, you get even more display space.

I’m taking advantage of the extra wiggle room to bring in more handmade bits too.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite games was playing “store”. With this new, improved, larger spot, I actually feel like I’ve gotten past the make believe stage of my game and have a real, live store of my own. The walls we built and the spacious layout of the area combine to bring a more professional look to my junk and treasures.

Fingers crossed that my jump to a larger spot (and higher rent) pay off. Whether it improves my sales or not, it has brought me joy.

More charm necklaces

jewelry

By Karla Nathan / January 31, 2025

One of the advantages of having a bigger space at Good Juju is that I’ll have room to actually display my hand made necklaces. My jewelry had been crowded into a smaller area and these pieces were mostly hung on hooks.

Which certainly did not show them off to their best advantage. Especially the charm necklaces. They need to be spread out to show how they will look while being worn.

I’m taking advantage of having more space to fill by using it as an excuse to craft more necklaces.

Because it sure makes me happy to whip some up.

Ryan’s birthday

family, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / January 28, 2025

The 27th is Ryan’s birthday which makes his birthstone a garnet. I decided to make myself a garnet bracelet with a silver heart to wear on his day.

Bobbie’s last name was Valentine and the anniversary of losing her is two days after the holiday, so I made one in honor of her too.

After losing ones I love so much, reminders aren’t needed, they stay in my thoughts. Sometimes as a soft murmur in the background, others like a wail. Or a quiet giggle heard from across the room. A constant reminder.

Still symbols and trinkets while not needed, can be pleasant to have. With a glance at my wrist while wearing these, I can imagine Ryan looking over my shoulder while I am crafting and saying, “That’s cool, mom”. Or sharing pictures of my creations with Bobbie, who loved making beaded bracelets too.

Grief hasn’t left me, but it does take on different forms. Since losing my sister in February, I’ve had some rough patches. There were some times when I simply didn’t care much about the world around me, and I was doing just the bare minimum to get by. Some days, maybe I didn’t even get that much done.

I might be in a better place right now, but who knows. The sadness is always there, the missing them never ends.

We lost a kind hearted brother this year too. I grieve for him and his family who are experiencing a year of “first times without”.

I have no advice for anyone who has experienced death of a loved one. All I know is that those I love will always be with me. And I take solace in the little things, the sound of Ryan’s wind chimes, fixing his favorite meal, making a bracelet with he and Bobbie in my mind as I create.

A good day out of the house and a FB snafu

antiques/junking

By Karla Nathan / January 25, 2025

Since all of the foundation work last fall, the holidays, then the huge job of switching booths, plus a blizzard and never ending, pipe freezing weather, I hadn’t gone shopping in months.

That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Most of us antique dealers are only in the biz to support our junking habits.

My town is a gold mine of garage sales in the summer and I stock up well then. But I missed the thrill of the hunt. With Rich out of town and Sugarwings at mama’s, I took a mini road trip and filled my car to the brim.

I adore this bargain priced chest of drawers as is, with a bit of clean up. I am torn, since I also love painting furniture. At Juju, these things do better natural, but my booth is mostly light. Although I do think contrast is nice and a dark piece can be a great background to show off lighter pieces.

I’m leaning toward a good clean up on the base, with a sanded down top and a clear coat I kinda like that idea. But you never know, it could still get a coat of paint if I can’t stop myself.

As much as I liked the dresser, I almost passed it up due to needing to replace the hardware. That could’ve cost me as much or probably more than the piece itself. Then I spied drawer pulls for 50 cents each.

Once I spent what felt like a huge chunk of my day out digging through this bottomless box of screws to find a dozen to fit, I almost gave up again.

I braved through the ordeal and started to load my new treasure up, and was pleasantly surprised when two workers took it off my hands and out to the car. It’s not often that stores will load furniture for you any more. It was my lucky day overall. A very old, very cool piece, 6 handles with a complete set of screws, and a car full off smalls. Plus two nice kids to carry the heavy thing.

A great day!

Ps- if you have depended on my links on the Karla’s Cottage FaceBook page to know when there was a new blog posting, gosh I am sorry. Yep, I’m still blogging, and yep, I’ve been linking on FB, both on my business and personal pages. But no posts on the business side are on there, since October!

Who knows why. And I hadn’t looked for the same reasons I hadn’t shopped. I have found a work around for future links, so you will find them there again. Thanks for your patience.

Author name: Karla Nathan