ddkdesigns, llc

Smucci Pet Beds and Custom Fabrics Reveals Heart and Soul of Artist

   

 

           Please follow our progress on our new website:

                     www.smucci.biz

                  and note our new toll free number:

                                        877.854.5855

  

      

   

   

Smucci Mission

 

"At Smucci pet beds, we believe that beauty and practicality can co-exist, and each original design reflects our thoughtful commitment to this end. Aesthetically beautiful Smucci fabrics are created by us, and used solely to create extraordinarily soft, elegant, and washable pet cushions. The artistry in each pet bed is plainly evident, each being designed and hand crafted and painted by me, my son and local artists... one bed at a time.

Smucci pet beds is not about looking outward to determine what is marketable or might sell, but rather our collective experiences, love, and immeasurable joy we have found in caring for our pets combined with all the natural elements that surround us each day.

In taking care of our pets, they return the favor and in the end they are really saving us... and reminding us of what is truly beautiful. We know that our pets give us their unconditional best even in the worst of times, in return don't they deserve our best?"

debi & jamie kahn

Not Giving Up, Just Letting Go. Smucci Custom Pet Beds and Fabrics in Evolution.

Sometimes we hang on to something, or someone, so tightly that it's only option is to try to wiggle free. We literally squeeze the life from this thing we love. By releasing our hold, and loosening our fearful grip, we allow the thing to breathe... expand... grow.

If you look closely, you can see the wind on the water on my lake. This morning, I was eating breakfast with Suki and Chica (p-nut butter sandwiches, grapes and fresh strawberries) as I enjoyed watching the abrupt downdrafts of wind push the water's surface in all directions. Yes, you really can see the wind!

So, Smucci is resting in terms of production and travel with one goal in mind, which is to evolve to it's next level, whatever that may be!

Chica and Suki, my 2 blue and gold Macaws.

I Will Be Normal For One Month.

Yep, I have decided it's time to change everything about myself for at least a month, and then re-evaluate my life's direction. You see, as long as I am living the way I currently am, which is completely different from most people, I will never know if normal behavior leads to wonderfully predictable and normal outcomes in life.  So, I have discussed my plan with my son and a dear friend and although they disagree with me and would prefer that I continue to be the unique, passionate, and unpredictable person I am today, they are in my corner and will support whatever decision I make.

There is a list of things I am determined to do:
I am applying for a job at one of my favorite stores, Tractor Supply Company, because I want to work for someone else, play with the cool hardware, and not worry.
I am renewing my RN,BSN so I have a back-up income plan for the price I pay for wrestling with my  entrepreneurial spirit.
I am letting my "so far successful in a short period of time" company, Smucci, rest while I reorganize, consult with my experts, and decide my next business direction.
I will sell my house situated on 90 acres of dense forest abundant in wildlife and overlooking a 13 acre spring fed lake stocked with fish.
I will move to a location more beneficial to me and my son in terms of social convenience and business opportunities.

So, being normal will assist me in getting all of this done. Right? Seriously, I have a long list of handicaps that prevent me from moving forward in normal fashion. I have  taken a hard look at myself and my current behaviors that I believe interfere with normalcy are enumerated below. And they must go:

I will no longer...
... be so passionate about everything
... cry when I see roadkill
... see the beauty in a handful of dirt, a butterfly's wing, the wind upon the lake
... let anyone take my breath away
... turn on the water faucet when Marcus and Maggie, my indoor cats, want fresh running water
... save another abused or forgotten animal
... use the salt and pepper shakers on my table that I bought my first year of college (2 clay creatures resembling anteaters or armadillos whose upturned noses intertwine as if they were smooching)
... love doing night gardening with quality power tools, and with as little clothing on as possible
... wear clothes that fit me. I buy in the teen or boys dept cuz I never developed hips. Ill fitting woman's clothing, here I come, fit or not.
... sit outside by myself late at night and wait to hear a tree fall. So far, I have heard 2, and they really do make noise
... be so honest
... reveal my heart
... work hard
... wait for reward
... appreciate the artistry in others when they are doing what they love to do
... have huge bronze snails at my front door to greet my friends, flying pigs or marble frog figurines
... paint rooms to perfection
... insist on everyone's comfort before my own
... help a complete stranger
... get excited at the first snowfall and coast down my hill to the lake on an antique sled
... stop driving because I had to get a picture of ice laden branches during a horrific winter storm
... stop driving because everything around me was just so exquisitely beautiful

... wear my hair in a ponytail on top of my head wherever I go and my pink cowgirl boots on my feet... my fave. No more boots with shorts.

... take the time to explain what classical ballet training has taught me or why the concept of juxtaposition fascinates me and is a recurrent theme in all of my work

... walk around my lake and lay in the grass looking upward at the sky for hours

... be so visual and see it done.

... be so intuitive.

... be so apologetic. I apologize for things that are not my fault

Yes, the wiser voices have spoken and convinced me that I need to try to be more practical. I am not the woman who has chosen to live in rustic elegance in the middle of a forest, nor do I like driving big trucks. I am not using any more power tools and refuse to wear my Stihl backpack blower. My home will no longer be unusual and filled with root furniture, cedar ceilings and chrystal chandeliers. I am going to try to be regular and ordinary and see dirt when I look at a motocross track, not life condensed... just plain dirt. I will not rescue frogs in the field or walk like a ballerina. Trees will be just trees and not amazing architectural forms and feathers will be tossed.

  Since my company Smucci embodies all that I feel, dream, and passionately believe I need to set it temporarily aside while I attend to practical matters.  Smucci is a mirror that reflects exactly who I am. Hmmm, my creativity and heartfelt dreams contrasted with urgent practical matters in my life. Sounds like juxtaposing forces that I just can't handle right now.

SMUCCI SAYS THANKS, TO COUNTLESS, SENSITIVE PET LOVING PEOPLE

THERE IS SOMETHING QUITE WONDERFUL ABOUT TRAVELING TO EVENTS AND TRADE SHOWS THAT CENTER AROUND ANIMALS. AT THE RISK OF MAKING A GROSS GENERALIZATION, PET PEOPLE ARE GOOD PEOPLE. HEARING THE PERSONAL STORIES OF AMAZING ANIMAL RESCUES, WATCHING THE UNENDING DEDICATION OF RESCUE GROUPS AS THEY TRY DESPERATELY TO FIND HOMES FOR ABUSED, FRIGHTENED, AND ABANDONED DOGS, AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PET OWNERS IS WORTH EVERYTHING.

 I HAVE WRITTEN MANY TIMES IN MY BLOG ENTRIES AND HAVE SPOKEN WITHOUT RESERVATION MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR DOMESTICATED ANIMALS IN THE WORLD, AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. THE EXACT HISTORY OF WHEN WE, AS HUMANS, BEGAN THE PROCESS OF DOMESTICATING WILD ANIMALS TO BECOME OUR DOCILE, LOVING, AND SUBSERVIENT CREATURES IS DEBATABLE. HOWEVER, MANY MILLENNIUMS AGO, WE SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK, AND DID SO QUITE PERFECTLY EXCEPT FOR ONE THING. IN DEMANDING THAT OUR DOMESTICATED PETS GIVE US UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, WE FAILED TO ACCEPT IN RETURN THE UNCONDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEPENDENT CREATURES WE CREATED.

AND IT'S WORSE THAN EVER RIGHT NOW WITH THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION. WE ARE ALL TRYING TO SURVIVE, AND OUR PETS HAVE NO CHOICE IN OUR DECISIONS. OUR INTEGRITY IS BEING TESTED, AND REVEALED AS WE MAKE OUR CHOICES. SHELTERS ARE FILLED TO CAPACITY, PETS ARE DROPPED OFF ON THE HIGHWAY OR LEFT ALONE TO STARVE AND ENDURE THE HARSH ELEMENTS OF COLD WINTER MONTHS. AND MANY OF THE STORIES ARE JUST UNSPEAKABLE.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO US, WHO ARE WE, HOW IS IT THAT WE JUSTIFY HURTING A LIVING THING BECAUSE WE ARE INCONVENIENCED BY THEIR EXISTENCE? WE MADE THE DOMESTICATED PET... WE CANNOT TURN OUR BACKS ON WHAT WE HAVE CREATED.

THERE IS AN UNSPOKEN AND UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE BETWEEN PET LOVERS AND RESCUERS THAT IS CONVEYED QUIETLY WITH A KNOWING GLANCE AND A SINCERE HUG, THE SHARED LOVE AND RESPECT FOR OUR DOMESTICATED PETS IS DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO WORDS AND IS OFTEN EXPRESSED BY THE GENEROUS GIVING OF OUR TIME, BUT THERE EXISTS A SILENT SECOND LANGUAGE THAT SURFACES FROM TIME TO TIME AS WE CONVERSE. IT IS UNMISTAKABLE AND IRONICALLY RENDERS US SPEECHLESS.

I SO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU WHO GET IT, AND UNDERSTAND OUR RESPONSIBILITY, AND WORK TIRELESSLY. RECENTLY, MY SMUCCI BEACH CRADLE WAS POSTED ON DOGTIME.COM, AND IS OPEN FOR COMMENTS AND REVIEWS FROM THE 8 MILLION OR SO UNIQUE VISITS THE SITE GETS PER MONTH. I WILL SHARE MY RESPONSE TO AN ANONYMOUS COMMENTER ON MY PRODUCT. I LOVE A GOOD DEBATE WITH ANYONE WHO HAS DONE THEIR HOMEWORK.

APRIL 17, 2009, 10:38 AM Lady what are you nuts? $300 for a bed that looks like a saw horse with a pillow? I'll go to Wal-Mart thanks and get a dog bed for real people.

AND MY RESPONSE;

APRIL 18, 2009, 7:43 PM

thank you for your comment, and I appreciate your point of view and welcome the debate. My company has been built on one simple premise; We can enhance our homes with the highest quality products that will practically perform much better than anything currently offered in the pet product industry. Love it, buy it and Smucci will last the lifetime of your pet.

Beauty and practicality are juxtaposed concepts, and it is often difficult to understand that they can co-exist effectively and peacefully. I love the challenge of bringing it all together. My company is committed to producing a product unlike any other... unique and extraordinarily beautiful handmade beds and custom fabrics. Original ideas and products are rare, appreciated by some and not by others.

My long term goal is to donate a respectable amount of my profits to assisting the domesticated pets that need to be rescued, and have been tossed aside because they have become inconvenient, old, sick, or too expensive. I am a philanthropist at heart, and everything I do is from the deepest part of my soul. Wall Mart is a wonderful place and brilliantly marketed. I shop there too. Enjoy.

debi d kahn artist, creator, owner Smucci by ddkdesigns,llc

SMUCCI BALLERINA BED...NEW & IMPROVED

"Pas de Quatre" was choreographed by Jules Perrot in 1845 with music by Cesare Pugni at Her Majesty's Theater in London. In the 19th century, ballerinas were worshiped and idolized, their salaries the equivalent of what star athletes are paid today. They were beautiful, had enormous egos, and had feuds with their rivals. This particular ballet was composed for the four greatest ballerinas of all time...Marie Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito, and Lucille Grahn. The first performance was sensational sending critics into a frenzy. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were in the audience.

The order of appearance was considered, contemplated, debated, and finally assigned by age, from youngest to oldest with each solo spot choreographed to enhance the dancers' strengths. Taglioni danced last, took the top position in the classical opening and ending pose, and was humbly portrayed by me at the tender age of 15 in the following Toledo Blade photos.

Dancing the lead in "Pas de Quatre"
 was a dynamic role and will always be a memorable highlight of my dance career. I have somehow hung on to the 4 pink tulle, classically crafted costumes, and have moved them, as many times as I have moved, to new locations over my lifetime. I love to look at them and remember the hundreds of hours I spent perfecting the delicate yet incredibly strong movements that Taglioni was famous for. Somewhat of a rebel, as I have been known to be as well, she was the first ballerina ever to dance entirely en pointe in Les Sylphide (1832), designed as a showcase for her talent, for the full length of the ballet.

It is interesting to note that at Maria's retirement from professional ballet at the age of 45 (uh, wow!), a pair of her pointe shoes was sold for a notable sum, reportedly to be cooked and served as a sauce for a group of balletomanes! She continued her involvement with dance for many years after that, however, teaching, guiding and choreographing. She was 80 years old when she died, and will always be remembered as the famous Italian ballerina of the Romantic ballet era. I feel privileged to have danced in her famous footsteps.

 

The wonderfully full and very classically styled costumes are worn by  me, Debora Draheim Kahn as Maria Taglioni (center), and Cassandra Macino of The Cassandra School of
Ballet as Grisi (left), my sister Cynthia Draheim Dickey as Lucille Grahn (right back), and Barbara Tansey as Fanny Cerito (right front). We danced our hearts out as live music played by The Toledo Orchestra directed by Serge Fournier, produced by Gail Grant Theatre and photographed by The Toledo Blade in 1968. We were... awesome! 

The Smucci Ballerina Bed is a tribute to the incredible strength and perseverance required to make it as a great ballerina, and simultaneously honors the beauty of fragility, grace and vulnerability as equal requirements. I designed this bed to honor the strength within us to protect the pets we love, and to outwardly express this sentiment as we tuck our beloved pets into this beautiful bed each night.

Tonight, I enlisted the help of my talented son, Jamie, to photograph the Smucci Ballerina Bed with P-Nut, our rescued papillion, serving as the model for the shoot. For the backdrop, I tucked the original Pas de Quatre costumes behind the bed along with some of my pointe shoes, and the results are amazing! I have been inspired to rework the presentation of the tulle tutu beneath the Smucci Ballerina Bed into a freer form, much like the backdrop of the photo. I will also offer this pet bed without the tulle skirt, for those who are just not ballerina connoisseurs, highlighting the beauty of the rose crown molding, custom colors and hand stenciled silver leaf.

                                

Admittedly, some of our greatest creations are simple, purposeful, and a result of our first impulse. But then again, refinement and grace have a place...sometimes the best is saved for last.

Beauty and the Beast

When I was 16 years of age, I was asked to step up and give a sermon at the podium of Hope Lutheran Church. I did so, without hesitation and with complete confidence, telling the congregation about my heartfelt  beliefs. I was "the beauty", and a fellow male contemporary was "the beast." I am uncertain as to why we got labeled as such, but it happened, and I was not in charge.

There is beauty in each of us, and no matter the substance of your battle or who you are battling, there is good to be found. So the fight that you hold so dear to your chest...or cause...is challenged by someone else who holds their battle just as dear. It is difficult to relent, be gracious, see the other side, and to keep the best interest of all at the forefront of your fight...

But, in doing so...you exhibit beauty...not in the physical sense, but at a level deeper than typically experienced. True beauty is synonymous with purity...in mind, heart, and spirit. True beauty has no side, but rather seeks to find the truth.

We all, each and every single one of us, have a beautiful side. And as beautiful as we are, we are all broken and incomplete. What a juxtaposition, a complete opposition in our fundamental nature, we exude and demonstrate as we live our ordinary lives.  Extraordinary beauty and truth vs. betrayal and the inherent beast within...how diametrically opposed are the fundamentals of our basic human nature.

I confessed the beauty within me, but not without revealing my inner conflict, as I stood at that podium and spoke of the spiritual grace I had found. I was raw, un-edited, and pure in my words. We all seek to take the high road, and live exemplary lives. However, the beast is always present, and when he appears we must do all we can to move in the opposite direction.

Blending exists between my personal life and that of Smucci, my chosen profession. My passion in creating a beautiful and practical product for our homes that celebrates my love of our domesticated pets is evident in all of my designs. I am dedicated to protecting the safety and happiness of our family pets.

But I also acknowledge that sometimes we just give up, and let the beast take over and convince us not to care, and then slack to a lower form of humanity. We have created this dilemna... we decided milleniums ago that we needed domesticated animals to exist alongside us as "pets". We strategically created dogs and cats to become our best friends, and to become loyal to us. And now we haphazardly toss them aside when it is not convenient for us to care anymore.

Sorry, we can't turn our backs on what we have created. And we need to remain beautiful, and do what is right... in mind, heart, and spirit. We need to protect those who are so much weaker than we are... no matter how much exasperation or inconvenience we are subjected to.

 

Why Are We So Reticent?

  

October 2008 

Several years ago, I made an important decision that was life changing. It was a difficult time and although I knew it was right for me, I wasn't sure I would survive the upheaval and exhaustion that resulted. However, I kept moving forward keeping a few simple principles in mind...

25 December 2008

I am quite adept at succinctly putting my heartfelt thoughts in written form. My blog has captured the process of creating my company, and all the inspired adventures along the way. However, this particular blog entry was initiated in October 2008, and has been left unfinished. This is very unusual for me, and definitely not my pattern.

Recent events have caused me to revisit this post, and to finish what I began and have wanted and needed to say. Why are we so reticent to just let go, give up the control, and submit to a higher and wiser authority? Have there been times in your life where you have felt so keenly attuned and aware of everything surrounding you? All of life's trivial pursuits fade and the real stuff surfaces when you are in this state of awareness. These times are memorable, and leave lasting impression and lessons, such as those I have alluded to in past posts about rescuing a frog on a field or rehabilitating a broken baby bird. If you have experienced this heightened state, you probably agree that during this time you did nothing...other than listen and follow a wiser voice, and that the process felt pure, with the end result being the affirmation of love.

I have let go, and I have been reticent. Even when we know in our hearts and minds that this is the best path to take, it is still hard to do. We over-intellectualize our human options, and in doing so we interfere with all the extraordinary possibilities open to us. We cannot possibly know what this life holds for us if we insist on remaining in total control of our future. We simply have to submit.

My beautiful daughter, Carolyn, has inspired me to keep on my current path. She has solid and steadfast values, and now she is teaching me. She is never without a smile, or wonderful friends around her. "Grudge" is not in her vocabulary...she forgives and moves on. Cares is caring, never judging or objecting to anyone's lifestyle, mistakes, or decisions. She regards loyalty as one of life's most important qualities. I am blessed each minute I get to spend with her.

   

Smucciettes Cares and Taylor adorn Smucci t-shirts and assist in delivering Smucci pet beds to customers. It is wonderful having these energetic girls a part of my team!!

 

BTW, submission is not synonymous with weakness. Rather, it is an admission that we all need guidance. Knowing when to call for expert help, when to listen, and when to trust...is strength.

Why am I so passionate?

I am aware that my zeal and zest in caring for and protecting animals has been questioned, at times, by my peers. I have a lot of pets, and most of them I have rescued and taken into my home because they had none.  Undoubtedly, my friends have a point, and when I see them look at me inquisitively when they realize how many animals I have and how dedicated I am to their comfort and survival, sometimes I wonder myself...

...but only for a second. Life is not, for me at least, about being so busy, distracted, or self-absorbed that I am excused from acknowledging what is really important, or from taking the time to invest the time in doing for others less fortunate than myself. Believe me, I have my share of difficulties, but rather than debate or compare our "comfort quotients", I would rather have us agree that there will always be someone who is less fortunate than ourselves, and who has immense potential, many needs, and few resources.

Usually a "cause" is a problem that we tackle in the hope of making things better, more humane, tolerable, and understandable... and comes from a place within our human spirit that is decent and good.  We need to be cautious, however, and look honestly and quietly into our own hearts when adopting a 'cause" or philosophical fight.  Personally, I have a lot on my list I would like to change about the world, and in future blog posts I am confident that I will reveal those precious thoughts of mine!  But for now, I will limit my commentary to the plight of all the homeless and un-attended animals that would enjoy the sanctuary of a caring and loving home...and a special place to call their own.

I wish I could accept all the blame for my sensitivity towards animals. But, alas, I cannot do so. Before I was born, my mom worked in the animal "test lab" at The University of Pennsylvania where my father was attending medical school. What do you think she did with all those test subjects? Not only did she rescue them from testing tortures, she snuck the dogs and cats out the back door of the university facility at the end of her shift and found good homes for each of them. Wow, she will forever be my hero!

My dad was an ophthalmologist, an MD that specializes in the surgery of the eye. Prior to deciding on his chosen profession, he considered...at length... the possibility of becoming an ornithologist (a  person dedicated to the study of birds). His fascination, love, and overwhelming interest in birds was  a part of my everyday existence growing up as his daughter. My dad instilled in me a complete reverence, and disquieting awe, for the beauty and miracle of our feathered friends.

I am in love with loving our pets. Animals that we, as a society and over the millenniums, have domesticated into the creatures that will inhabit our homes, live alongside us, be loyal to us and give unconditional love to us. How can we ever turn our backs on what we have created?

Our domesticated pets TOTALLY depend on us for their lives...the quality by which they will live, and the love and comfort they will receive. We are so much stronger and more able than they will ever be, due to our own design. Why not do all we can do, and give them exactly what they need. It is really just that easy.

ddkdesigns,llc is dedicated to the safety and happiness of all the pets that inhabit our homes. It is also my passionate wish that ddkdesigns,llc will encourage and remind all of us to honor those animals who are less fortunate, and to follow our hearts in doing whatever we can to help.

And to all my friends who question me about my cause, I rest confident and assured that I am tackling one of the important issues on my life list. I thank all of you for the inquisitive looks, as they have been considered, completely honored, and have provided me with clarification on what is really important in my life.

The following are scenes that I have enjoyed over the past 2 years of living on 90 acres of pure wilderness. Sometimes clarification in our lives comes from the simple, natural beauty that surrounds us. Everything that I create for ddkdesigns,llc has a source of inspiration. My Natural Elements line of pet beds is a tribute to the natural, untouched beauty that surrounds me and my son every day as we live within this remarkable property. The landscape of the lake and forest is never the same, depending on the season, weather, and all the uncontollable variables.  I look forward to sharing the beautiful images that I am priveledged to view every day. 

  
 

Cool Winter and Warm Evolution... Another Smucci Fabric?

       

       photos by Jamie Kahn 

 

 

    Painted in subtle shades of blue and grey, the scenery surrounding my lake has become quiet, reflective, and thoughtful. Punctuated with the barren beauty of so many trees, the stunning architecture of each limb reaches into the landscape which will soon be covered in layers of white. The warmth and brilliance of autumn has disappeared, fading to what comes next.  Nature's color pallette becomes comfortably simplified, as black is layed upon endless shades of cool winter hues... softened further by countless months of fallen snow.

 

Cold days and incredibly long, dark nights are cooly received by most, and justifiably so.  However, for me, this period of seasonal time is exciting as it's inherent beauty is based upon one thing... surrendering to it's simplicity. Just as nature offers few color choices during the winter season, cold months also limit our options. There are fewer daylight hours to accomplish our tasks. We must slown, close our schools and businesses, and proceed thoughtfully when our communities are beseiged with snow and ice. We pull our clothing more snuggly against our bodies, wear wonderfully furry boots, and narrow our focus to survival and warmth. We look inward, and in becoming more introspective, hopefully we emerge in the Spring as better human beings. 

 

Winter's stark and harsh elements cause us to reach deep inside ourselves to find the warmth. The somewhat bleak winter landscape is precisely in opposition to the growth within our "inner landscape."  In looking outward at the cool monotones and minimalism of Winter, I simultaneously feel the vivid and diverse color within. I guess this is another example of juxtaposing forces, a recurrent theme in my personal life, which describes the exaggerated chemistry of opposition.

 

This is an incredibly special time. I can't wait to feel it, and arrive in Spring to see how each of us has evolved. Hhhmmm, I am feeling something else, perhaps the evolution of another custom fabric... perhaps Smucci Winter.  

 

 

Distinctively Designed Pet Beds from the Heart and Soul of the Artist. How does that Translate into a Mission Statement?

It is necessary, and requires incredible focus, to take the inspiration and goals behind your company and mix them with your methods and projected outcomes, and distill these thoughts into one concise yet comprehensive mission statement. It is necessary because it helps you define who you are, where you plan to go, and how you are going to arrive at your destination. The mission statement becomes your road map, and keeps you on track.

I love to emote and write, and write what I am emoting about. But this...uhmmm, well. This is hard.

I will share some of my thoughts as I moved through this process some time ago, and the emails I sent to a wonderful friend who helped guide me through it all. He knows me well enough to know how to give me "wind," but not the "answer." I have known him since grade school, and he is wonderful.

"This is so hard to write. I just want people to know that I have a seriously wonderful, unique, original, never-been-done-before, artistic, hand crafted in the USA, beautiful product."

"But people also need to feel the the fun, intuit the humor!  I am so not stuffy or snotty. And everything is based on inspiration, not what is designer hot."

"Listen to this. It all comes from a place deep within me, as a result of being inspired by my own pets and their idiosyncratic sleeping preferences, as well as the natural elements that surround all of us, if we take time to look and really take it all in, freely displayed and available each and every day of our lives."

"Why don't more people get it, there is so much beauty to behold"

"It has nohing to do with creating a product that I think  might look good and will sell."

"This business venture is about looking inward, and bringing all the beauty out in the sunlight for everyone to see and enjoy. It is not about looking out at the world, and trying to guess what is marketable and sellable, and incorporating that "guess" into a design element"

"I know, and it does. My company embodies my very soul. Yeah, thanks."

"Think I am, now, ready to write"