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Ciao: Why did you go to China?
Ryan: I really had two goals in mind: to open the door a little into Chinese culture and business and to get to know the other distributors on the trip. My ulterior motive was just to travel-it’s one of my favorite pastimes and this trip was a particularly enticing opportunity.

Ciao: What did you learn when you were there?
Ryan: I learned that some of my preconceptions were inaccurate. I was concerned that the differences between Chinese and American culture would overcome our similarities. In fact, I was surprised (again) by how similar we all are in the fundamentals. In fact, the kinship our group developed with our hosts was one of my favorite aspects of the trip. I also learned that spending two weeks in China is really just cracking the surface. I hope to spend much more time there.

Who is Susan Feiker (or SuFi) you may ask? She is the mama of Statements. If it weren’t for her kind smile, comforting spirit, listening ear, amazing baked goods, warm hugs and continuous generosity the Statements crew would not be who they are today.

SuFi came to Statements four years ago wanting a change in her life. She has made Seattle her home for the past 8 years after living in LA off and on for 9 years. It was here in Seattle at Mars Hill Graduate School (no relation to the local church) where she earned her masters of Christian Studies, which she specifies is a mix of psychology and theology studies.

It is probably her degree and her overall caring personality that makes people flock to her kitchen for conversation. “I love people and their hearts. I want people to feel comfortable,” says SuFi about her impromptu counseling sessions that go far beyond the employees and into Statements customers, “…I feel good about it, I love it. I love that they can share their life with me. All are welcome.”

Along with her amazing cooking ability there is a lot you may not know about SuFi. She is an artist who works mainly in the encaustic medium–wax or oil on wood. She also likes to sing, dog sits a cake eating Dalmatian and is also very interested in historic preservation. She is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation which is probably why when asked if you could be anything she said an archeologist “…like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft.”

Ok back to baking. SuFi has not always liked to bake. In fact she tried to avoid it as a child when her Mom wanted her to help but it just caught up with her. Her scones and cookies are one of the reasons Statements is known throughout Seattle. SuFi’s favorite goody to bake is the cinnamon schemer scone, “….I like getting my hands in the flour and cinnamon and people love them.”

Overall, Statements could not survive without SuFi as she is one of the many who make up Statements family feel. Tuesdays and Fridays would just be another day without her.

LIT is a couture lampshade boutique, starring its creators Dawn and Shawn (yes they think it’s funny their names rhyme) and the Papillion shop dog (with the most personality ever). LIT specializes in custom, contemporary lampshades, made the old fashion way, by hand. Dawn and Shawn use traditional methods as well as new techniques and work in vintage, high-end, and modern materials. The two of them agree, “…making something by hand and knowing that we will be taking the credit for the quality is one of the best things about being a self-employed designer.”

LIT may be relatively new to the design scene, but Dawn and Shawn have been in it for years on both the west and east coasts. Dawn worked on contract for a couple of different architectural firms in Manhattan and Shawn sewed lampshades for about 6 years with a company in the Seattle Design Center. But when Dawn realized she wasn’t compatible with the modern architectural world, “… I have a turntable, rotary phone, film projector and two typewriters.” She walked into the store Shawn was working at one day and said, “Wow, this would be fun,” Shawn realized he had found someone who shared his passion for lampshades and his desire to own his own company became a reality. “Shawn and I are both very quick learners with an eye for detail. If we hadn’t found lampshades, lampshades would have eventually found us.”

In addition to their design experience the pair has had design running through their veins since childhood. Dawn has been reading French Vogue and emulating Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch and Elizabeth Taylor since the age of six and Shawn is an accomplished painter whose paintings can be seen exhibited at various venues in Seattle. They also love, “…anything old, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin champagne, Shanghai Garden’s hand shaved noodles, old glass doorknobs, you-tubing videos of Galliano’s lines for Dior, staying in and drinkin’, talkin’ and laughing far too much.” Design certainly seems to be a major influence on their lives which is also a major influence for their lampshades. Dawn says they get inspiration everywhere. “We are always looking through fashion magazines, going to galleries, and observing what is going on around us. We love birds, thistles, black and white, lettering, and great linens.” This love of design could also be why when asked if they could see their pieces anywhere they do not give the obvious answers; hotels, movie stars homes, etc yet they simply state: “Elle Décor. Keep looking, it’s going to happen.” And why not Elle Décor? LIT shades are the perfect balance of fashion and interior design, everything Elle Décor represents.

Although LIT is still in the newborn phase of its life, its parents have certainly seen a change in the design industry. Dawn and Shawn have definitely noticed a color transformation from the black and pink color craze finally being over, allowing for more refined color palettes like grays, lavenders and mustard yellows to emerge. Shabby chic has given way to the rejuvenation of mid-century modern. It is their great fashion and design sense, attention to detail, and always looking for the “It factor” which will keep people looking to LIT for what lamps will be wearing on the runway next season.

Take the proper steps before upgrading kitchen floor

The Times Union reports on trends in metal tile, glass tile, and of course ceramic tile:

Tile in style

They say there is always a silver lining to every cloud, and for the tile businesses in Iowa, that seems to be the case. The Globe Gazette is reporting strong sales of flooring–especially tile because of how it holds up to water damage–in the wake of last month’s floods:

Flooding has meant overflow of work for area flooring businesses

Q. I recently had ceramic tile installed on my kitchen floor. The tiles are pavers and are 12 inches by 12 inches. A short while after installation, a crack that is several feet long appeared in the grout. A number of these cracks have appeared, some at right angles to the others. The contractor said the floor was flexing but it seems pretty solid to me. Why are the cracks appearing and what can be done? (click here to read more)

Many owners of mid-century homes are remodeling and looking for ceramic tiles that update the home while preserving some of the original aesthetic. A design column in the Baltimore Sun explains how you can achieve both:

Our 60-year-old house, which we’ve been slowly renovating, contains a guest bathroom that’s in need of new wall tiles. The original floor, still in place, consists of the small black-and-white tiles that were the norm back in the ’40s. And you can guess what color all the fixtures are. We’d like to retain the style that the homebuilders chose for this small but functional bathroom, even though it’s kind of dull. Can you suggest ways of introducing a bit of visual fizz without altering the basic design? (click here for more)

What kind of preparation needs to happen when replacing tiles that have come loose? The Vancouver Province posted this article with advice:

I laid down ceramic tile over our exposed aggregate outdoor patio. These lasted about five years. Now, many of these tiles are lifting and some sound hollow underneath. My question is: What process would you recommend to prepare the surface to create a smooth finish before reapplying tiles? (click here for more)

We in the Northwest don’t take the sun for granted – simply because we get so little of it, especially during the dark winter months. While this spring has been less than tropical, make sure to take advantage of that sunshine whenever possible!

Getting daily sun exposure is essential for good health, and here are a few reasons why:

Our bodies produce vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight. A staggering number of Americans have a deficiency of vitamin D, and this vitamin is very important in maintaining healthy bones, muscle integrity, warding off many kinds of internal cancers and Type 1 Diabetes.

Sunlight is a natural antidepressant and positively affects mood. This is why many people experience SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and suffer depression during winter months.

Exposure to sunlight can help you sleep better, because it stimulates the pineal gland, which produces melatonin and plays a role in proper sleep (which is also very important for optimum health).

So next time you see Mr. Sun pop his head from behind the clouds, make sure to run outside and say hi for a few minutes! It’ll do wonders for more than just your tan!