My Baby is One

You might have noticed I've been MIA this past year. Last September I gave birth to my son and I've been watching him grow leaps and bounds ever since. He brings me so much joy. It feels like we just brought him home from the hospital. For his one year birthday we had a little party with family and a few friends. I wanted it to be special to commemorate the occasion.

He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so we decided that would be the perfect theme. I made all the decorations (handmade tissue paper flowers, flag banner, signs, cake topper, etc) and my mom helped me prepare the food and she made his Brady's birthday banner for his high chair (the chair is a family heirloom). My husband was busy with the landscaping. Brady just started walking a week before his first birthday and hasn't stopped since. Since I'm a designer I knew that I wanted unique personal touches for his decorations.  I chose the color scheme red, yellow and black.  I wanted polka dots, colors, and touches of Mickey Mouse silhouettes to give the suggestion of mickey and a few images of Mickey Mouse, of course! It was a very special day that we'll never forget!


If you're interested in any of my designs for your Mickey Mouse party you can purchase them here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ricerafferty?ref=hdr_shop_menu&section_id=20104815

 

 

Do you have any regrets? I know I sure do.

We all have regrets. It's best not to dwell on them (which is very hard to do).  Instead, I'm trying to conquer my fears and regrets every day.  Maybe our regrets can be used as a blueprint for our future endeavors.

I have a few regrets from my childhood.  When I was five years old I took a dance/ballet class and quit only after a few lessons.  When we were dancing across the room the teacher saw I wasn't doing a dance move properly so she took me back across the room numerous times until I did it right.  I was extremely humiliated and honestly during a moment of humiliation my learning retention is very low.  I'm the type of person who prefers to make my mistakes privately and practice until I get it right.  My mom was really frustrated and disappointed I never went back.  I loved the dance/ballet clothing more than anything.  I was upset at myself for years because I never got to experience that magical world (I know it's not all pretty shoes and tutus, but I missed out on an experience).

Another regret was when I turned down the opportunity to be in a fashion show when I was a little girl.  My mom put on the fashion show for our church.  Right before I was supposed to go on the runway I decided not to.  I let the fear take over and once again I missed out.  I regret these experiences, but in another way I don't because turning them down taught me a few lessons.  Sometimes we need to do things that may make us a bit scared.  The temporary discomfort will soon pass and after we'll be filled with joy.  I DID IT!  I DID IT! 

My mom regretted not getting her art degree when she was younger, but in 2006 she graduated from college.  She has been accepted into numerous juried art shows and was the designer for a fashion show Runway 3.0. 

Throughout middle and high school I went to every single dance, I took every art class(which isn't easy exposing your emotions and getting critiques...believe it or not you get used to it), and studied art in college (I also inherited the love of art).  Recently I attended a salsa class AND I was one of the models in the Runway 3.0 Show.  It felt amazing to fix these mistakes by dealing with them in a new way today.  It definitely isn't easy to do things that scare us, but I just think back on the pain and disappointment I endured of not trying and it helps me to push myself harder and further.

By working on my business Rice Rafferty with my mom we're conquering our fears and we want to encourage other women to find their inner strength and conquer their fears too.  The dreamy vintage look of dance wear is a huge influence on Rice Rafferty accessories.

The photo at the top of this blog entry is of me.  I'm wearing a tulle trapeze dress with fiber optic lights and a feather hair accessory with ribbon and real pearls.  The hair accessory is great for bridal parties.  We can make custom items to match your color scheme.

www.ricerafferty.com
www.ricerafferty.etsy.com

Christmas in Vermont

This year my family wanted to do something different for the holidays.  My brother gets a place in Killington, Vermont for the skiing season every year and he graciously invited us to come stay with him.  The scenery was absolutely gorgeous.  The snow covered mountains and wooded bridges were so charming.  We checked out the skiing resort, the quaint small town Woodstock VT, and hung out at his house by a famous trout stream.  We kept the wood-burning fireplace full stocked.  As we were driving across New York State into Vermont a billboard read, "Yes, even gas stations are nicer in Vermont."  I thought it was pretty funny, but it's seriously true!  Christmas night was spent stargazing.  The darkness in the woods surrounding the house was free of light pollution so we really had an amazing opportunity to enjoy the winter sky.  I had an amazing time with family - old and new.

Make Thanksgiving a Part of Every Day

Happy Thanksgiving from Rice Rafferty!  I have so many things to be thankful for this year.  We hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. This four day weekend was action packed.  I cooked the Thanksgiving dinner for five people and I went with an organic, free range turkey (mmm mmm worth every dollar).  The more I make Thanksgiving dinner the easier it gets. 

Throughout Thanksgiving day I switched between making dinner and creating more accessories!  We're getting ready for our holiday sale at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA.  Dec 4 - Woodland Road, Mellon building 1st floor, between 1-4pm.  Pittsburgh is our hometown so we always enjoy going back for a visit.  We have designed new handmade headbands, bib necklaces, and earrings.  The bib necklaces now come on a board for easy hanging or wear if you dare.  WARNING:  When you wear a Rice Rafferty accessory you will get noticed. 

Our accessories are completely one of a kind - made from up cycled materials, hand dyed, and designed for you with love.  Hope to see you there!  If you can't make it you can contact us directly or visit the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts or Burchfield Penney Museum gift shop.

www.ricerafferty.com

When Your Fear Becomes Reality

What do you do when your worst fear has become a reality?  My mom just got the results from her surgery and she has breast cancer.  It's hard to even type the words.   How ironic is it my mom gets diagnosed with breast cancer in October, breast cancer awareness month?  It's times like these that you realize we really have no way of protecting the ones we love.  We can only show our love for each other and hope for the best.

When I was a little girl my biggest fear was my mom would get sick.  I'm sure every child has this fear.  You wonder who would take care of me?  I knew there was nobody else would take me in and if they did i'd become like Cinderella and the ugly stepsisters.  Now this fear has become a reality.  I'm an adult and can take of myself, but everyone wants their mom to be healthy.   

She followed what they say to do - breast feed, mammograms for years, eat a healthy diet, stay away from harmful chemicals (she never dyed her hair), have children when you're young.  Yes, breast cancer runs in my family, but even those who don't have it in their family run a high risk.  Environmental factors are increasingly becoming a culprit.  It seems like a lot of people have cancer right now.  Is our medical system really working for us?  Are there things we can do now to prevent illnesses/disease?

I'm happy that family has been and will continue to be a priority in my life. I don't have a lot of family members, but the ones I do have I'm extremely close with.  I'm trying to be grateful that they caught it early enough for her to get surgery and get better.  My mom has always been on top of her medical exams and she always had the feeling she would one day get breast cancer (call it a woman's intuition?).  My two grandmothers had breast cancer, my aunt, and now my mother.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all cancer patients and their families.


http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_cancer_prevention.htm

Tips for choosing cancer-fighting fats and avoiding the bad

• Reduce your consumption of red meat, whole milk, butter, and eggs, as these are the primary source of saturated fats.
• Cook with olive oil instead of regular vegetable oil. Canola oil is another good choice, especially for baking.
• Check the ingredient list on food labels and avoid anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, which are usually found in stick margarines, shortenings, salad dressings, and other packaged foods.
• Trim the fat off of meat when you do eat it, and avoid eating the skin of the chicken.
• Choose nonfat dairy products and eggs that have been fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.
• Add nuts and seeds to cereal, salads, soups, or other dishes. Good choices include walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, and sesame seeds.
• Use flaxseed oil in smoothies, salad dressings, or mixed in snacks such as applesauce. But do not cook with flaxseed oil, as it loses its protective properties when heated.
• Limit fast food, fried foods, and packaged foods, which tend to be high in trans fats. This includes foods like potato chips, cookies, crackers, French fries, and doughnuts.
• Eat fish once or twice a week. Good choices include wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, herring, and black cod. But be conscious of mercury, a contaminant found in many types of fish.

In the Pink

My mum [who has breast cancer] is a fighter. I've got that from her, I know she's a fighter.
Naomi Campbell

Rice Rafferty has joined the fight against Breast Cancer.  Our new line "In The Pink" was inspired by the pink ribbon and breast cancer awareness.  We plan to give a percentage of the sale of this line to Look Good Feel Better.  The next most important part of recovering from cancer after all the surgeries etc is feeling good about yourself and finding the beauty within to keep going.  Our designs are meant to help people find their beauty and joy in in life again.

Cancer is something that has touched at least one family member, friend, or acquaintance.  The earlier we detect problems the faster we can fix them.  Get a mammogram once a year.  If you're too afraid to do it for yourself then do it for your loved ones.  Both of my grandmothers and my aunt had breast cancer and they're all survivors. 

Our line includes statement bib necklaces and corsages.  We hand dye our tulle and use upcycled beads, pearls, and upcycled jewelry to embellish the accessories.  The bib statement necklace pictured above also incorporates one of our handmade and hand painted polymer clay roses.  The back of the necklace is reinforced with a soft fabric and our rice rafferty label.  The necklace length is adjustable with the long ribbon.

We're also looking to donate a necklace fto a breast cancer organization to be raffled off or auctioned off.   Please contact us if you're interested in purchasing an accessory, helping out or know an organization we can help.  Thank you!

(Bib Statement Necklace $115, Corsage $22)

It Runs in the Family

There's something so fascinating and comforting about maps.  Sometimes I catch myself clicking and staring at maps on google maps or mapquest for hours.  I enjoy looking at the maps while planning trips or just the beauty of their designs.  So, it wasn't really a surprise when we discovered a distant relative who is an art critic for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and gallery owner of a shop which specializes in vintage maps.

Last year was my first visit to Shaw Galleries and it was such a pleasant surprise.  The gallery was full of maps ranging from the city of Pittsburgh, state of Pennsylvania maps to maps of the United States.  One of my favorite maps was a map from the early settler days showing lots of towns in the Northeast, very little in central US, and California was an island!  Shaw Galleries now carries artworks by local artists as well as some prints by world renowned artists.  You may also contact Kurt for an appraisal.  Shaw Galleries is located in Pittsburgh, PA downtown in the theater district.  Check it out here:  http://www.shawgalleries.com

We're the Real Gilmore Girls

We're the rice rafferty girls - aka the real Gilmore Girls. We're not the typical mother/daughter we even share the same names. My middle name is my mothers maiden name hence we share the names rice & rafferty. Since neither of us have a sister, we're best friends and actually enjoy hanging out together (i thought this was normal ).  While each of has our own friends we share; inside jokes, love watching foreign and old movies together, attend concerts, cook, garden, work on our designs, and doing our own photo shoots.

We share cross generational information.  Mom took me to see Cyndi Lauper, Leon Russell & Mikhail Baryshnikov. Last week I took my mom to an Ingrid Michaelson concert to meet up with my friends and tonight we're going to see Rusted Root (to support our Pittsburgh roots, go pittsburgh)!

We even went to colleges together (sort of).  When I was looking at art colleges my mom decided she had unfinished business.  The same day I started at University at Buffalo, my mom entered classes at Buffalo State College (yay Cindi Sherman). We joked that day from Romey and Michele's High School Reunion, " If this doesn't work out, you want to fold scarves?" It actually worked out really well because we would share information, critiqued each others work, and share supplies.  My university education was more conceptual and her college program was stronger with craft and technique.  Together we were able to fill in the gaps everyone finds in their education.  This is when our serious art camp began. 

My silk screening class projects were heavily influenced by my mother's fiber background.  While the professor had all of his students printing on paper, I was off silk screening on t-shirts, up cycled denim skirts and even created fabric made into a bras to ward off breast cancer. My mother taught me to make handmade paper which I silk screened my designs then built into lamps for my Senior BFA Thesis Project.  Graphic design became more interesting when I combined fiber elements - embroidery in books, binding handmade books, and scanning in interesting textures.

After graduation I began working graphic design jobs while my mother taught classes for her college program.  Working full time jobs left less time to make handmade items at first, but I quickly learned I'm a maker and it makes me happy.  My mother kept designing her devore scarves, dyeing them, and burning out the designs.  I would assist her with it the process and soon we began a partnership that keeps building.  I design the business cards, labels, websites, work on trend research, and the jewelry. She keeps making new garments, statement necklaces and devore scarves.

Always hungry for knowledge, mother moved to Savannah to attend Savannah College of Art and Design masters fiber program while I stayed in Buffalo working as a designer.  We were miserable apart.  I kept researching about textile and accessory businesses while she was gathering information @ SCAD.  Last June she returned home.  Full of ideas and  armed with more knowledge we started working on more projects together and that is how rice rafferty was born.  We specialize in making one of a kind accessories items; statement necklaces, devore scarves, silk scarves, copper jewelry, hair accessories, aprons and tutus.  Visit our website www.ricerafferty.com to learn more about us and see our designs!

Away We Go

Yesterday I had dinner with my friend Crystal, a fellow graphic designer, who just got back from Europe.  She recently traveled to Dagenham, UK.  This was her first time traveling ALONE and outside North America, so I was very proud of her.

She also ventured to Scotland UK, Wales UK, London Uk and Salisbury UK. I enjoyed hearing all about her adventure.  She was telling me how all the stores you can find here in a US cities are there as well.  She mentioned H&M and I said oh yes we have that here.  She was searching endlessly trying to find unique gifts for her friends, but it was all Made in China and generic.  Crystal ended up bringing home some beautiful seashells for her family.  With the internet we have really become so connected as a society, yet we lose some of our individuality.  She imagined the UK to be different somehow...maybe not so modern?  She absolutely loved it though!  If I was there I would have loved to check out some textile museums or studios!  Crystal said the trip made her appreciate home more.  There's no place like home, but she's ready for more traveling in the future!  :)

Have you seen the movie Away We Go??!?  A young couple is on a quest to find a place to move, to call home, and start their family.  They travel to Wisconsin, Montreal, Miami and Arizona visiting friends and checking out different lives.  Aren't we all on this journey trying to find a place where we fit in this world?  Have you found that place?  Where is it?

St. Lucia Day

December 13 was St. Lucia Day. I first heard of this day when I was a child reading my American Girl Kirsten books. It's a Swedish custom, the first born daughter puts on a white gown, wears a wreath with candles on her head and wakes her family with a tray of sweets before dawn. This tradition came about because December is the darkest time of the year and it is thought that Lucifer will come and get you on this night. So people celebrate St. Lucia by throwing parties and people sing and dance all night long. Another essential part of this day is baking St. Lucia buns! These buns have been on my mind for years. I always wanted to make them, so finally this year my mother and I baked them! The buns were so adorable (I never thought I'd describe a baked good this way, but they were!). It felt like Kirsten's story was coming to life in my kitchen. They were quite delicious too. Since you might have missed celebrating St. Lucia day I recommend baking the buns for Christmas.

Grandma's Chocolate Ice Cream Soda

A favorite ice cream treat of mine is an old fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream Soda. My grandma would make me this special dessert for me when I was a kid. I remember observing how my grandma made the ice cream soda with special care. She made it with love. She would carefully drizzle chocolate syrup in the bottom of an old fashioned glass, scooped ice cream into the tall glass, pour carbonated water into glass until it reached the top. She added some whipped cream, more chocolate syrup, some crushed nuts and a cherry to top it off. I guarantee this treat will cool you off! Enjoy!

TGIF

"It's Friday night/And the mood is right/Gonna have some fun/Show you how it's done, TGIF.."

Ahhh childhood nostalgia. It was a time long ago...before reality television. Fridays remind me of the good old days. When TGIF meant more than a saying it was an event for children in the late 80s-90s.

If you didn't recognize the quote it's the theme song from the TGIF "Family Friendly" sitcom television lineup on ABC. The lineup consisted of 4 sitcoms 8pm-10pm. 20/20 aired following TGIF. This block ran 1988 - 2005. TGIF had its own branding of graphics and a theme song. The family friendly shows lineup was an ABC staple reminiscent from the 1950s (The Donna Reed Show, The Brady Bunch, Leave it to Beaver). The shows were wholesome, they brought the family together and just made you feel good. Over the years TGIF shows included: Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Perfect Strangers, Dinosaurs, Baby Talk, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Boy Meets World, and Clueless.

Thinking about TGIF reminds me of hanging out in the basement of my old house, writing on the chalkboard, playing hangman, making forts out of pillows, playing dress up with my cat, sharing air popped popcorn and ginger ale with my grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, and brother. It was more than television. It was about enjoying the simple things in your life - FAMILY. These are the things we need to focus on now more than ever during this recession. I admit even to this day...I sometimes sneak and watch old Full House reruns. It calms me like a glass of milk or a cup of chicken noodle soup. For 30 minutes I can escape to another time...a calmer time. So tonight find a way to calm down, relax, and have fun the way we did during the TGIF days. Enjoy! KR