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"SUMMER begins to have the look, Peruser of enchanting Book Reluctantly,but sure,perceives-- A gain upon the backward leaves." by Emily Dickinson (excerpt from a longer poem) We are in the summer season now. This is clear. Sometimes the season is all that seems to be clear. I have found myself watching the sky more often here in The Berkshires. I like to look up. I like to see the clouds in all their various forms. Blue skies have their benefits, but so do clouds. After a recent visit to The Clark Art Museum in Williamstown,Massachusetts, I saw several cloudscape paintings. I realized that even an accomplished painter has challenges when depicting clouds. I resolved to look at clouds more carefully and then create my own cloudscape. Dacher Keltner, author of "Awe The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life" writes: "Viewing art activates the dopamine network in the brain.When paintings decorate walls in public buildings and offices,people's minds open to wonder:they demonstrate greater creativity, inspiration,problem-solving abilities,and openness to others' perspectives." This resonates so much with me. How about you? As I proceed on my "Cloudspotting" creative adventure, I will need a few things: As a self taught painter, I will use a combination of acrylic and watercolor paints. I may also add in some collage materials...I do recommend watercolor paper, or cardboard, or go wild and use a canvas to paint my cloudscape. I will enjoy the process of "Cloudspotting", learning cloud lingo, "fluffy", works, but "Cumulus" does too. Enjoy the process of making art! Get into the "art zone" It is a great place to be. Focusing on mixing paint colors, creating new ones, varying paint brush types, have music in the background (if that works for you) Experiment with making art. I don't always like how I draw. So what I do may seem odd, but here goes: I draw shapes of the thing I am painting with a black "sharpie" marker. I then go over the shape with paint as I proceed with the painting. Each person will have their own technique and style which works just fine actually. When I finish my "cloudscape" I will post it. Until then, have fun making your cloudscape or whatever your creative experiment will be. More food for thought from "Awe" by Keltner; "One impressive study,which involved more than thirty thousand people in the United Kingdom,found that people who practiced more art,like painting and dance,and viewed more art,for example by going to museums or musical performances, volunteered more in their community and gave more money away two years after the study's completion. Visual design that encourages more everyday awe also promotes collective health and well-being." Keep going and keep looking up. -Kim

Back in March 2024, I decided to jump back into the world with Hello Gorgeous. I discussed the idea of putting on a Makers Market with a new friend. She liked the idea, and said she would help. We were off and running. First things first,pick a date. Saturday, June 22nd it would be. Each city has a completely different process. Here in Pittsfield,Massachusetts, I filled out an online application for a Special Events Permit. Once submitted,I went to a Parks Commission Meeting in April to explain what the event would be, where, and a few more details. Although it had been about 4 years since I had spoken in IRL to people I did not know, it actually was okay. Truthfully,the biggest concern for me was that I often wear a mask and I worried if people would hear me. (honestly,computers stress me out more than people.) Everyone was kind and helpful which made the presentation go smoothly. The Summer Frolic Community Market for June 22 was approved! We began emailing and messaging local makers, artists,businesses,non-profits and food vendors about participating. My contact at the city gave me 2 lists of possible participants which was excellent. Slowly but surely, we created a wonderful list of Local Artists, Makers, Food Vendors and Community Resources. The location was fabulous, Springside Park in Pittsfield. The green grounds surrounding the historic home with front porch. Beautiful gardens and a fountain nearby as well as lovely leafy trees for shade. An ample parking lot with a view of the city and mountains and even bathrooms! K & I met at the park and discussed details, we spoke on the phone,emailed and texted each other to bring all the ingredients together. Kira of @wildandfolkstudio made the beautiful poster, lovely reel, and sent the majority of emails to participants. I appreciate so much working with Kira,(a new friend) because we were making the Market plans happen! I spoke on the phone, emailed, texted and sent direct messages to invite people to participate. Kira did the same. She created a spreadsheet, Google links and the like. (which is awesome,since, that is not my strength) I did in person market research by going to Art Markets (my favorite type of research actually) Met and talked with some wonderful people who agreed to participate in the Market. Berkshire Print Shop made the signage,flyers, and postcards. A nice Home Depot employee found the corrugated signage and stake for outdoor signs. He was about to go on his break, but he saw that I looked lost. The cashier asked me for a postcard about the Summer Frolic Market. It was a good day. Well, it is now June 22, and the Market did not happen. What? Well...Mother Nature decided to do her thing. For the last 10 days,I had been looking at the weather for 6/22. It went from 25%-70% chance of rain and then yesterday, it started forecasting thunderstorms. Kira and I made the decision to cancel and postpone the Market yesterday at 12 noon. We sent out emails, texts, and did the social media posting. I did lives for IG,FB and attempted one for TikTok. The local newspaper;The Berkshire Eagle (where I had advertised from June 15-22), posted a cancellation notice. It was confusing,stressful and frustrating. But! Everyone involved was so understanding and supportive! Thank you to my new friend,Kira and to my old friends,sister and daughters for listening to me vent. Thank you to each of the participants for being open to trying something new in Pittsfield. I appreciate your creativity,energy and good vibes so much. And today at 2pm, IT RAINED buckets,with wind, thunder and lightning. We made the right decision. (which was a huge relief) Kira and I are looking for a Future Market Date as well as a location that has an INDOOR option too. If you can recommend a location, please let me know. I realized that although Mother Nature is unpredictable; people can be totally wonderful. Thank you to everyone involved in putting the Summer Frolic Community Market together. You have made me feel so welcome in my new home. You Rock. thank you,Kim

I grew up in Oakland,California. During that time, I saw squirrels, birds, and occasionally smelled a skunk's presence. When I moved to Chamblee,Georgia, I saw bunnies, opossums, coyotes, deer, squirrels, and hawks. Now that I live in Pittsfield,Massachusetts things have changed a wee bit. Last year, one night, I heard a very strange sound outside my house...it was twilight and I saw 2 foxes running down our street, making the weirdest kind of shrieking sound. I thought that was, well a bit strange. A neighbor said, yes," that is the sound that foxes make." Looking across the street one day, in a neighbor's yard...I saw a brown furry creature that was not a cat, dog or squirrel. It was in fact a "Whistlepig" also known as a "Groundhog" We named her Wanda, from afar and have watched her raise 2 litters of "kits." Whistlepigs are named that, for the way they communicate with each other, thru whistling. Wilbur (another whistlepig) resides in our yard. After he emerged from hibernation, he was quite surprised to see that we had 2 lab mix dogs. They were also surprised to see him. They are separated by a fenced in yard. So the surprise continues. Once when I took an outdoor yoga class by the lake,I saw an actual Eagle in the tree above us. When I mentioned it to the class, they said..."Oh yeah there is an eagle that lives at this lake." I mistakenly thought I had seen it all, wildlife, that is...in my neighborhood. Until... 2 weeks ago while driving home up a quiet street near my house on a Saturday afternoon, an actual BEAR emerged from the bushes,looked at me like,"What?" and then sauntered to the other side of the road. As I exclaimed to my daughter (on a hands free phone call) "There is a bear walking behind my car..." I had just finished telling Annica that after listening to a Wiser than Me podcast interview with Gloria Steinem and Julia Louis Dreyfus I had decided it was time for me to return to the wild play of my childhood"Now that I am 63, it is time for me to be WILD, adventurous & free..."After hearing about the BEAR, Annica says, "MOM,Don't get out of the car! Don't go near the bear!" I laughed and said, "Annica, I may be wild, but I am NOT going to go near the bear." She was quite relieved. 1 week later I was driving on a busier road on a Sunday and I had to slam on my brakes because another actual BEAR was running across the street, dodging cars and then adeptly climbing over the railing on the other side. When I told my son-in-law, he said, "oh yeah, the Berkshires are full of bears." Even as I write this, I'm like wow. Here's the thing though, I think the message is quite clear, it is time for me to be WILD again. I may not know right now what that means exactly. But I will be figuring that out here in The Berkshires.

It is 86 degrees in Pittsfield,Massachusetts today so I went to Onota Lake. I thought that there would be a tiny breeze there, and it was so refreshing. People were out enjoying the sunshine, picnics, music, walking their dogs, pushing their strollers, sitting at lake edge, relaxing on the beach, and swimming. Boaters were out on their pontoon boats, canoes, and rafts. I find this place amazing. I grew up in Berkeley and Oakland, California. I went to Lake Anza in Tilden Park and to Lake Temescal when I was a teenager. Swimming was allowed till I was about 16, and then we could not, because that lake was polluted. Maybe that is why I find this lake swimming so wonderful. We can swim in this lake. Now I need to remember how I used to do it way back when. As a kid, and a teenager and I swam in lakes or pools or the ocean, I always imagined being a mermaid. Honestly, I still do. Afsaneh of Joo Joo Paper made this lovely mermaid card. I probably need to create a "Mermaid" section on the website. As I walked the trail near the lake, I thought about the wonderful variety of people in this world. Walking by the lake, seeing people enjoying themselves was lovely. As I felt the light breeze and saw the sunlight flickering on the water, it felt like summer to me. When I drove home, with the windows down, the music blaring, my arm waving making waves outside, I said to myself, summer is here. And it is good.

When I saw that Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson were cousins, it just made sense. I saw Taylor Swift in concert several years ago and was just amazed by her ability to do it all. Write, play guitar, sing, dance, come down out of ceiling of the venue on a swing...That was way before the Eras Tour. Emily Dickinson wrote over 1800 poems. She wrote them on envelopes. She wrote them on paper. She wrote letters. A book of those letters has just been published. She expressed a variety of feelings and wrote about many subjects. During her lifetime,only a few were published. Emily's sister, Lavinia, found them after Emily's death. I began reading Emily Dickinson's poetry in the last few years and am so glad that I did. Her poetry sticks in my mind;"the mermaids from the basement came out to look at me.” How do her poems do that? How do Taylor's songs resonate with so many? What would Emily think of Taylor? What does Taylor think of Emily? Taylor herself is a bit of a poet.. I mean she just released her new album,"The Tortured Poets Department." So there's that. My favorite song from the album is."Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" -an excerpt "So I leap from the gallows And I levitate down your street Crash the party like a record scratch As I scream. Who's afraid of Little Old me? You Should be." From Emily: "The Heart is the Capital of the Mind The Mind is a single state- The Heart and the Mind together make A single continent- One is the population- Numerous enough- This ecstatic Nation Seek-it is Yourself" "Little .Old me is powerful" "Seek- it is Yourself" Both Emily and Taylor use their words to remind us that the individual is powerful. We are enough. An essential reminder for 1866 or 2024.

When my brother and sister were little, we watched a lot of Sesame Street. As the eldest,I probably acted like I did not like it. (I loved Oscar being grouchy though) My Dad always found it quite entertaining. His favorite characters were Oscar and The Count. He also admired Mister Rogers very much. My Dad passed away about 23 years ago. He knew my daughters, but he did not get to meet his 5 other grandchildren. Now that I have a granddaughter, we watch a lot of Sesame Street. Laughing about Oscar, counting with The Count, (Dad loved answering the phone in a Dracula voice.) and puzzling over Snuffleleupagus, I truly feel like my Dad is there with us. ; me, his daughter and his Great Granddaughter. My Mom has Alzheimers, so she cannot understand that she is a Great Grandmother. (We know though and know she would be thrilled.) Last summer I made a trip with my granddaughter to Astoria,New York. We woke up early and explored Astoria...walking to get bagels and coffee. We said hello to people walking their dogs,ladies waved at Z in her stroller, we saw the produce and flower stands. All before 9am. I suddenly realized that Astoria reminded me of Sesame Street. Guess what? ! "Kaufman Astoria Studios" located in the Astoria section of Queens is where Sesame Street has been taped since 1993." Sesame Street is a brilliant and heartwarming show which has been around since 1969. It deals with so many subjects, simple and complicated. I love the well thought-out philosophy of kindness, empathy, compassion and understanding for our family, friends, neighbors, community, world, and even ourselves. Sesame Street is very comforting. Elmo would agree with that, On January 29,2024, Elmo asked on Instagram, "Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing? People sent Elmo quite a bit of feedback. (to put it mildly) Thank you to the creators of Sesame Street for all the good vibes you put out into the world. Thank you to Mister Rogers for your kindness and for reminding us to "look for the helpers." Good weekend to You, Gorgeous Friends. -Kim

Yesterday was an interesting day. It was a mix of things. Weird printer issues, chatting with the help person at Pirate Ship. (our shipping platform) and having a lovely conversation with a Gorgeous Friend from Georgia. She had purchased a gift for herself and for a friend. However,her power had gone out and she was not sure if the order had gone through. She called the office at 770-569-0534 and left me a message to confirm that the order had worked. It had not, so we talked on the phone and put the order together with all the relevant details. We then proceeded to have a wonderful conversation about all sorts of things. She reminded me of how much I treasure conversations with people. Simple but true. Today I woke up to see a kind message from her in my email that said: "Kim, our call was much more fun than ordering from Amazon! Thanks for going the extra mile...! I also got a text today from a Gorgeous Friend in Georgia who said to me, "Thank you for having such cool stuff!" I am so grateful to work with Gorgeous Friends, kind people who support my small business. Every time I am meditating...saying "things happen" "it will work out" , about some small business detail that is frustrating....I then realize how much I appreciate each of You, Gorgeous Friends, for shopping with my small business. Honestly it makes it better. Seriously, better. There is a power in saying, Thank You. Saying thank you to people in person, on the phone, via email, text and of course through an excellent greeting card is fantastic. Here are some possibilities of the powerful THANK YOU card. Have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend. And THANK YOU for being YOU. -Kim

I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 40 years. I then moved to Atlanta for 20 years, and now reside in The Berkshires. How does this influence me? Well, I think my various homes express themselves in some of the treasures I curate in Hello Gorgeous. For example, my California side expresses itself through socks. I went to UC Berkeley, and their mascot is a bear, so... California's state flower is a poppy so... Moving to Atlanta, I began to notice some things like...peaches & fireflies... Now that I have been in The Berkshires for about a year, there are certain items that reflect this...change. These socks,stickers,books and greeting cards certainly are not the only treasures that bring California,Georgia, and Massachusetts to mind. However, they do represent for me the places I am grateful to have called my homes. My mom was born in Old Hickory,Tennessee and before she developed Alzheimers, she loved to visit me in Georgia. We took a wonderful road trip to Asheville and visited a Craft Museum, which she loved. She bought artwork and treasures that reminded her of her childhood in Tennessee,Kentucky and Michigan. My dad grew up in Brookline,Massachusetts and then moved to San Francisco when he was a teenager. My dad died before I moved to Atlanta, but I think he would have been so happy that I was able to explore new places. He was an adventurous person who loved soft shell crab and eclairs. Every time I see an eclair here in Pittsfield, I think of him. Each time I am in New York City, I think of my dad, who said he always wanted to retire there. At Hello Gorgeous, I curate things, but these are things that evoke joy, memories and often comfort. The places I have been always give me new perspective and I am grateful.

What does a new month mean to you? For me it means new beginnings. March is Women's History Month. In a time when so much turmoil is in the air, I really like to focus on wise women's words. Here are 2 of the designs that resonate with me today. Harriet Tubman's words always empower me, making me feel stronger. This greeting card art by She Said It Cards is perfect for mailing or framing. These words of Toni Morrison actually make me feel uplifted and lighter. This portrait card by Violet Red Studio makes a wonderful greeting card of encouragement as well as being suitable for framing. For a new beginning, I am happy to announce a new partnership with North Adams Artist and Maker, Made by Sarah Rose. Sarah Rose's bright and colorful fabric designs will be available at HGBGA.com beginning Wednesday,March 6. Meet the Artist/Maker on Tuesday on IG live from 7pm-7:30pm est. Wishing You each a marvelous March filled with all the joy of new beginnings. Thank you for shopping with my small business, Kim

When I was a little kid in Berkeley, California, I went to an amazing dentist, Dr. Sakamoto was soft spoken,gentle and taught me how to take care of my teeth. His office was my favorite place to visit. Why? Because after the appointment, I could choose from a basket of tiny glass animal figurines. When I grew up, I expected all dentist offices to be like that office. However, I have not yet found any dentist's office that give out prizes to grown ups. What is to be done? Give Yourself the extrinsic rewards-the treat-Yes, the Sticker. While it is true that sometimes intrinsic rewards are good enough. However, some things call for stickers. I have curated a Sticker Shop that is fantastic. From pop culture, to political, to inspiring, to arty, to even sweet. You can be the Curator of Your very own Sticker Collection. Stickers could go on your water bottle, tumbler, suitcase, laptop, car, and perhaps even in a special photo album. You may decide to send stickers to people as happy mail too. They fit conveniently into an envelope. All our stickers are between $3-6 each. Nice people who make cool stuff make this sticker art. Here are a few possibilities: Welcome to the work of That's So Andrew and Apartment 2 Cards! Find their work and more at HGBGA.com Enjoy extrinsic rewards & free domestic shipping! Perhaps, it is indeed the "little things." Thank you Gorgeous Friends for shopping with my small business. -Kim

I am currently experiencing my first Massachusetts winter and it is a trip. Yes, it is cold here. Snow is quiet as it falls. I have learned what a "squall" is from the cozy comfort of my home. (for which I am grateful) 1 thing that I did not expect thought when I moved here is that I would live about 90 minutes from Emily Dickinson's home in Amherst,Massachusetts. Back in 2020, when I was pretty much always home, I began to read the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Emily wrote about 1800 poems while in her Amherst home. I went to the Berkshire Athenaeum (what's that you ask?) the Pittsfield Public Library. I checked out 4 books on Dickinson, the first of which is "These Fevered Days" by Martha Ackmann. Below is a poem by Emily Dickinson. "This was a Poet- It is That Distills amazing sense From Ordinary Meanings- And Attar so immense" I have also discovered that Ice Fishing is not just something I saw in "Grumpy Old Men" It is a winter activity that happens on the frozen lakes in Pittsfield. People use sleds and atvs to go out onto frozen Onota & Pontoosuc Lake. They set up a tent kinda thing, use an augur to drill a hole, then they have a flag system that alerts when they catch a fish. On February 24th, there will be an Ice Fishing Derby. I am pondering should I go? What would Dickinson say about Ice Fishing? She would like the outdoor adventuring component. What do I think Dickinson & the Ice Fishing Fans like about The Berkshires? Sunsets, Mountains, 4 Seasons & the Sky What would Emily & the Ice Fishing Fans enjoy from Hello Gorgeous? Wool blend socks from Socksmith. Original wall art by Mina of EWBA and Abundance Bath Bombs by Sow the Magic. I am enjoying this new place that I call home. I learn something new each day.

I am supposed to be working on inventory. I have been. It is slow,requires a computer,patience and an attention span. I do have some of those. I think January is a time for adulting, which may make it challenging. It is also coincides with winter. As I work on inventory, slowly but surely, I think of cards that entertain me. Take for example: Jon Snow by Tay Ham: Winter is Here. As you know, greeting cards make me happy. "The Snow Queen" by Tylre Paper. Walking in our new neighborhood through the newly fallen snow, I am amazed by the sparkle of the snow in the sunshine. If it is cloudy, the snow makes everything look like a painting. I realize I am just getting used to this, the first snowfall, but it makes me marvel at winter. "Things that aren't terrible about winter." by Kwohtations. Like Socrates said:"Wisdom Begins in Wonder." Sticker by Lucy Loves Paper. Winter makes me look at the world with new wonder and that is good. This blog post gave me a break from inventory. Now I must return to adulting. Thank you Gorgeous Friends for being YOU. -Kim