Deb fashioned this beauty using an old glass door, the base of a vintage sewing machine & an old 2 drawer filing cabinet.  Genius.

Who can resist anything with their initial on it?  We even spelled out words with these adorable, one-of-a-kind, made in Iowa completely by hand using vintage fabric from anything & everything.

I’ve had a pillow fetish my entire life.  Drives my husband crazy.  But I can’t help myself!  Nothing transforms a room faster than a few cute new pillows!

What one can do with a suitcase obsession.

I’d been in this business a while when I first heard about Mama’s Happy.  A year later when I was still hearing about it, I decided I had to check it out.  And I’m so glad I did!  After selling at a shop in Buffalo for a number of years, I developed my own “junk style” and have so enjoyed bringing that look to Mama’s Happy.  My personality may be colorful but when it comes to paint, the only color you’ll find in my space is white.  It calms me.  And anyone who knows me knows that anything that calms me is good for everyone.

This one is both a little hard for me to admit, and a little bit exhilarating at the same time.  I have done something so completely out of my comfort zone that I’m still just a little surprised by myself.  I have officially stalked a celebrity…with a purpose.  Does that make it any less creepy?  I didn’t want an autograph, I didn’t want a picture, and I didn’t even try to give him Sarah’s number.  I know what you’re thinking…it’s still stalking.

The celebrity was Kris Humphries.  For those not-in-the-know enough (i.e. husband & brother-in-law), Kris is an NBA player from Minnesota who played for New Jersey until becoming a free agent earlier this year.  Most recently known for his blink-and-you-missed-it marriage to none other than Kim Kardashian, Kris was thrust into the spotlight during his relationship with the media mistress.  While he surely became more comfortable with the cameras following his every move, I’m not sure he was quite ready for the mom in the beige Honda minivan camped outside his white Mercedes sedan tonight.

I almost left a dozen times while I waited for him to return to the car I’d just seen him climb out of.

I’m hungry.

I’m cold.

I can think of a hundred other things I could (should) be doing right now.

I’m missing The Biggest Loser finale for this.

What in the world is taking him so long?

This is getting ridiculous.

5 more minutes and surely he’ll return.

Maybe he’s not returning because of the mom in the beige minivan.

What exactly do I expect him to say to me?

I’m pretty sure I am old enough to be his mother.  I’d have been young, and he’s really tall…but I’m pretty sure I could have birthed him.

What in the world am I nervous about?  He’s a child!  I’ve just turned 40!  I’m a small business owner!  I am the lifeblood of this country!  The economy depends on me!

I have conquered bigger things than him in my life!  I have a purpose…a mission…and he could be the one to help me reach it! This is but one small step for me, one giant step for Mound.

And here he comes!  Finally…now take a deep breath, keep it short, speak clearly and don’t sound like a crazy woman.

“KrismynameisAmandaandIliveinMoundandhaveasmallbusinessthereandhaveavisiontoreinventMoundthewaythattheotherlakeshorecommunitiehavedonebut weneedsomeonelikeyoutoopenarestaurantinordertorevitalizethedowntownareathewayweknowitcouldbebecauseweloveMoundandknowthatwecouldredelvelopthedowntownareatobereallyfabulous”

I did it.

What he does with is up to him.  The point is that I did it.  I got it done.  I didn’t want to do it, I would have rather had someone else do it, I could come up with a dozen other people who would have done it better, but the opportunity was there and I did it!

He didn’t say much in response, and he may never think about it again, but to me it was monumental.  I don’t like to do things that make me nervous.  I don’t push myself out of my comfort zone.  I don’t like the butterflies in my stomach and will go to great lengths to avoid them.  But not tonight.  Tonight I met them head on.  I drove home in that beige minivan feeling quite proud – a feeling that doesn’t come too naturally for this mama.

So Kris – I thank you for your time tonight, for not calling the police on me, and for allowing me to stretch myself just a bit.

(And I do think Humphries would be a great name for a restaurant.)

Always a lover of the past, I am a self proclaimed hunter and gatherer.  I find beauty in everything and love anything vintage.  From clothing to furniture, bar ware to buttons – I love it all.  I simply cannot pass up an estate sale and will stop no matter how little time I have.  I make extraordinary jewelry out of fabulous vintage finds, which you can now find in the Gift Shop here at Mama’s Happy! I’m having the time of my life doing this, but my husband says he’s the true winner in the deal because he’s finally able to park his car in our garage again.  When mama’s happy, everyone’s happy!

Deb gets loads of slack for not having her bio up yet.  She just joined us this month, she is the proud mama of twins and she works full time.  So Deb…take all the time you need.  We’re just glad to have you.  In the meantime these are Deb’s precious babes…she said she loves this picture because she feels so lucky to have been blessed by these two little ones, and lucky to be able to join the fun at Mama’s Happy.  I’d have to agree, but I’m pretty sure we’re the lucky ones Deb.  Welcome aboard!

I’ve been a part of this adventure since the idea was just brewing in Amanda’s head.  I wasn’t quite sure what the finished product would look like, but I knew I wanted to be a part of it.  As a long time resident of Mound, I longed to see our business district revitalized and if this was the start, then I wanted to do all that I could to help it succeed!  So I rolled up my sleeves, started schlepping stuff in the back of my van, learned to use a sander, and surprised myself with the results!  Upon opening our doors for the first time, all my retail experience came flooding back.  I had to smile.  I was born for this.

I’m still waiting on Jill to have someone take her picture, cuz she couldn’t find a single close-up of herself.  Mamas…we simply MUST insist on having our picture taken at least once every 5 years!  This is ridiculous!  Now fix that hair, slap on a little lipstick and hand someone your camera…today!