The last patch of daffodils finished blooming a few weeks ago (photo above). I love all the fresh spring green this time of year. The hills are covered with green grass and the trees are sporting new bright green leaves. The grass will turn brown soon because our rainy season is almost over until fall, so all this green is a fleeting treat. We have to mow all the grass on the property for fire safety each spring (we’re not allowed to leave dry grasses standing).

The days are getting longer and warmer, and the spring grass has encouraged several deer families to visit regularly to graze. Yesterday we saw a brand new fawn that was so tiny he looked like a puppy. He was hopping along behind Mom through grass that was taller than he was, holding his tail straight up. So cute (wish I could get a picture!). Love the spots on the new babies.

I received two anthurium plants for the holidays, and they still seem to be very happy. They are putting out lots of new blooms and have grown enough that I think I should repot them soon. Also received a little Kalanchoe for the kitchen window sill and it seems happy so far.

We just planted our tomato, squash, and strawberry starts (mine go in containers on the porch where they are easy to reach). Still need to plant lettuce.

I am working on something that is keeping me too busy to do much blog writing right now, but I hope to have some good news to share about that soon. Meantime, I’ll keep checking in with photo posts and little updates. Happy holiday weekend!

So when do you need a trademark? When you create a new business and begin selling your products or services, you will want to trademark your business name. Owning the .com domain name for your business is not the same as holding a trademark, and it’s a good idea to own both the domain name and the trademark for your business name. You might also want to trademark some of your product names if they are unique and of value to your business. In addition, you can also trademark any original images that are used in your branding, such as an image used in your logo. It is smart to register a word trademark without any specific font or format because a word mark is more general.

The Trademark Process

If your business is based in the USA, you’ll want to register your trademark with the USPTO (United States Patent And Trademark Office). The first step in trademarking is to check the online USPTO database to see if your business name or something similar has already been trademarked. This database check is something you should do before you choose your business name so that you can be sure you do not infringe on someone else’s trademark. You don’t want to invest time and expense into a name only to have to abandon it later when a conflict arises. You should do a Google search to see if other businesses in your field are using the name and also do a trademark search to see if any trademarks have been filed and if they are still active.

The same is true when naming a new product. If an internet search shows that your first choice is already taken, choose a different name out of respect for your fellow artisans. Common or generic product names are exceptions to this guideline; for example, many companies offer a “Vanilla” or “Amber” fragrance, which are general names that cannot be trademarked.

To get a trademark through the USPTO, you need to have sold your products or services across state lines in the USA (not just in your own state). To meet this requirement, first do a check for name availability and choose your name, then start selling your products/services (across state lines), and then file the trademark application. Or alternatively, you can file an “intent to use” trademark application and then finish the registration once you are actually selling, if you fear the name could be taken by someone else in the meantime.

The USPTO uses 45 classes of goods and services to categorize trademarks. For example, perfume products fall into category 3, which includes cosmetics and cleaning products. NOLO press gives a good explanation of trademark classes.

In addition to your class, you will need to provide the date of your first use in commerce (verifiable by sales receipts), a description of your goods or services, and images of the name in use (product shots and screen shots of your website). To register, you need to fill out an online form, upload your images, and pay a fee. The trademark will then go through a process of approval that takes quite a few months; you will receive occasional updates of the progress as your mark moves through the process, and you can visit the site to check progress anytime you wish.

Searching the database

To search the USPTO database, go to the USPTO website, then scroll down and click the button to use their TESS (Trademark Electronic Search Systems) page. On the TESS page, you’ll probably want to start with a basic word search, so choose that option and it will take you to the word mark search page as shown below. Then type the words of the business/product name you hope to trademark, click submit query, and scan the results. You do not want to see your chosen name already used by someone else in your class (your field of business). If your name has more than two words, try various combinations of two of the words to look for possible conflicts. The USPTO gives tips for how to conduct a good search. When the USPTO evaluates your application, they will determine whether your proposed trademark is likely to be confused with an already registered trademark by a company with similar products, so look for possible sources of confusion when you search.

If your name is not available, it is best to choose a new name, unless you’ve already been using the name in commerce, in which case you should consult a trademark attorney. If your first use preceded the first use of the already trademarked business, you may still be able to register with the help of an attorney, but it will likely cost at least several thousand dollars in attorney fees to negotiate the process.

Costs

If your name is available, you should be able to use the online system to file your trademark. As of the date of this post, the streamlined TEAS Plus option only costs $225, and the regular TEAS is only $275. The difference between the two is that with TEAS Plus you can only use goods/services descriptions that already exist in the system, which is usually possible because the system is huge. A full list of costs can be found on the USPTO site.

Complications

An examiner might email you to ask a few questions after you submit your trademark application. If the questions are simple clarifications of information, you should be able to answer them yourself. If a conflict arises with another trademark, you will likely need to consult an attorney, but the odds of conflict are low if you performed a thorough search before filing.

Should you self-file or use an attorney?

It can be worth filing yourself to save the cost of filing through an attorney, who would also simply use the TEAS/TEAS-Plus system. On the other hand, if you have a complicated case or lack confidence in your search skills, an attorney will have the knowledge and experience to advise you and negotiate the process smoothly. The USPTO offers a discussion about the advantages of hiring an attorney.

Your business name is important, so it might make sense to hire an attorney to handle the business name, and then you might feel confident handling product names yourself after you have been through the process once with the help of an attorney.

You could have a brief consultation with an attorney to obtain a price quote to help you decide. A blog post like this one cannot offer specific advice for your case; this post is just meant to explain the process and your options.

After registration

When your trademark is approved, you will be notified and you will eventually receive an official certificate in the mail (see image of two of mine at the top of this post). Congrats!

To keep your registration alive, you will need to renew it periodically, so make sure the USPTO always has your current contact information, and be aware of your expiration dates.

Good luck!

Ferrari-Carano offers red and white wines that you can try at their Villa Fiore Tasting Bar, which overlooks some of their picturesque vineyards and is surrounded by the garden. The brand owns vineyards in multiple locations, including Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, Napa Carneros, and Mendicino Ridge/Anderson Valley.

Vibrant yellow tulips with red markings were planted in the beds by the tasting room, and pastel peachy pink double daffodils were planted along a long bed that follows the main entry path through the garden. Different color schemes are chosen each year for the tulips and daffodils.

The garden at Ferrari-Carano, created by Rhonda Carano and head gardener Pat Patin, spreads out over five acres and includes formal beds, a winding stream with a pond and waterfall, dramatic views, a large formal fountain, a shade garden, and paved paths that take you from one area to another.

On one path, I kept wondering what smelled so good, and I realized that the scent was wafting from a star magnolia tree in full bloom with clouds of fluffy white.

Around the corner was a camellia bush covered in beautiful pink blooms that gradually changed in tone from soft pastel pink centers to deeper edges.

A shade garden in another area featured more camellias with spectacular flowers alongside Pieris japonica shrubs with their delicate chains of tiny blossoms in creamy white and rosy red. Pieris is an evergreen shrub that does well in shade and is sometimes called Lily of the Valley Shub because of the shape of the flowers, but Pieris is actually in the heather family (Ericaceae).

In one area of the garden, a meandering path takes you to a pond with lily pads, waterfalls, and Japanese maples that will look glorious when in leaf (they had not leafed out yet in this early spring image).

At another end of the garden, in view from the tasting room patio, is a grand, formal fountain. We did not walk down to that area, but there are paths to enjoy the fountain up close.

A building near the shade garden holds large wine storage tanks and wine barrels. The doors were open for visitors to look inside.

You’ll have a beautiful drive on Dry Creek Road to get to Ferrari-Carano Winery. If you have time, another gorgeous spot to visit in Dry Creek Valley is Preston Winery. They farm organically and produce, in addition to wine, olive oil, sourdough bread, apples, stone fruit, vegetables, nuts, and grains. They also raise chickens, sheep, and pigs.

Ferrari-Carano is located at 8761 Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg and is open daily for wine tasting and enjoying the garden. Preston Winery is located at 9282 West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg and is open daily 11 am to 4:30 pm.

The snowdrops have been blooming for over a month, despite the cold and rain; their cheerful demeanor belies their toughness. The variety Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’ seems very happy here and comes back faithfully each year.

My daphne (in a container) has been trying to bloom for weeks, opening just a couple blossoms at a time. It smells amazing! This is my first spring with it.

The pink camellia ‘Debutante‘ has put out a record number of blooms this year. It responded very well to the extra water it received last summer from the new mini sprayers that we added to the drip system.

The grasses that have been dormant for winter are putting out a few initial shoots, but most of the garden is still soggy and sparse. The beautiful branching forms of the winter-bare oak trees, clad in moss, are highlighted dramatically at sunrise and sunset.

I took these photos along Limerick Lane (February 2019), but there are many places in Sonoma County where you can see the colorful display.

The stunning floral earring illustrations that had captivated me took a year to complete. Natalie explains, “Custom orders and special projects were pulling me in different directions during that time, but I always kept the earrings within sight, studying them, and working on them when time permitted. I was so proud of the final result — it was like I personally gave birth to them!” The earrings sold the same day that Natalie listed them for sale on Etsy. She adds, “I keep thinking I’ll make another pair for myself because I love them so much (occupational hazard), but the idea of them being an exclusive pair is part of their charm.” I have to confess that I hope she makes more pieces with a similar floral design, though I understand the artistic desire to move on to something new, especially when the production time is so long.

Natalie’s talent for executing fine detail in very small-scale illustrations lends itself beautifully to jewelry. Asked if her painting style comes naturally, she responds, “Totally natural, and it’s the weirdest thing. I’ve always enjoyed drawing, sculpting, and painting, basically anything artistic. But there’s something challenging and rewarding about doing it on such a small scale. So I kept pushing myself to see how much smaller and more intricate I could get.” Natalie was encouraged by the positive reactions she received to the fine detail in her art, and that made her feel like she was doing something special. Small-scale, finely detailed illustrations have become her style and comfort zone, but she does sometimes do full-scale paintings as well (“much kinder to my neck!” she admits). Although most of her pieces measure less than two inches, Natalie works freehand and does not use magnification devices when she paints.

Many natural materials find their way into Natalie’s jewelry: mother of pearl, seashells (unoccupied), feathers, wood, leather, and gemstones. Natalie describes her style as leaning “earthy/bohemian,” and her painted illustrations often feature natural themes of trees, flowers, birds, and animals. Growing up in rural North Carolina nurtured Natalie’s love of nature and the outdoors. “I had a love affair with nature from the moment I met her!” she says. “Whether combing the beach for shells and shark teeth during summer vacations, or playing in a nearby creek that had the most beautiful, glittery sand. And don’t even get me started on the woods… The woods have always been an escape for me. It’s the perfect fairytale setting of tall trees providing protection and separation from the real world, leaves crushing under your feet, and it all smells so heavenly. I still wander off into the woods every chance I get.”

“I knew at that moment that I wanted to be what they were”

Like many artists, Natalie’s creative urge began when she was young; one of her early projects was making illustration books to share with her family. She remembers the strong impression made by a group of artists who arranged a special visit to share their art with the students at her middle school. They gave live demonstrations of singing, acting, painting, sculpture, and other art forms. She recalls, “It was incredible, and I’d never seen anything like it. I knew at that moment that I wanted to be what they were, or some form of it. And looking back on it, I realize how lucky we were to have that experience in a public school system, and I find myself wondering how many other lives they changed or careers they inspired that day.”

With two sisters, family pets, and her mother’s in-home day care business, Natalie grew up in a busy home. Family is still important in their lives, and they find a way to get together for holidays and vacations. Natalie’s parents recently celebrated their 60th anniversary and still keep in touch with many of the now-grown children that were under her mother’s care years ago.

Although her interest in art continued through courses in high school and then night classes as an adult, Natalie put her passion on hold for 15 years while she worked in the corporate business world. She decided to return to her art full-time in 2002, and her business has since bloomed.

Natalie’s family ties led to the creation of her best-selling jewelry design, her family tree pendants. She hand paints a tree shape on each mother of pearl pendant and then adds jewels in birthstone colors to represent each person in the family tree. The inspiration for her first family tree pendant came the night before Mother’s Day when her husband needed a gift for his mother. Natalie explains, “Family means everything to my mother in-law; she’s a true momma bear. At the time, I had been experimenting with some tree designs and decided to create one centered around her family. The stars aligned because in my stash of Swarovski crystals I found all the correct birthstone colors to complete her tree. I stayed up all night to complete that first family tree pendant, and my husband jokingly takes the credit for inspiring it! It’s funny how the things we don’t plan in life often become the most appreciated. That pendant went on to become my best selling product.”

Natalie and her husband currently live in Pennsylvania and love to kayak on the nearby Susquehanna River, especially at the Conejohela Flats, which is a group of islands that are famous for bird watching opportunities. She explains that visitors can see bald eagles, osprey, peregrine falcons, and shorebirds such as tundra swans and snow geese during yearly migrations. “If you’ve never witnessed the sight and sound of thousands of geese – all rising off the ground at once like some digitally-enhanced flying saucer made of birds, and taking flight in unison — you’re missing a remarkable experience,“ she says.

In addition to spending time outdoors, other activities that Natalie enjoys include attending live music events with friends and spending time with her pets. She has adopted numerous rescue animals over the years (including dogs, cats, pigeons, and mantids) and currently has two adorable rescue dogs, a terrier mix named Brewster and a Cairn terrier named Rosie. She says, “My husband and I have had some pretty amazing companions over the years, all rescues, and I feel so fortunate for our time with each of them. Each arrival is a pleasant surprise that magically uncovers another layer of love in our hearts.”

Music has also been a big part of Natalie’s life, and especially now that she is married to a musician. Natalie’s husband, Bobby, runs a recording studio and will soon release his first solo album. He has recently completed a collaborative project, an album that is a fusion of traditional Colombian music with Mississippi blues. “It would be easy to think my love of music is partly due to my love of him,” Natalie says, “but it’s only a fringe benefit. I’ve loved music since early on, sitting in front of my dad’s old Telefunkin console (a prized possession he bought while stationed in Germany) playing and singing along to everything from Chet Atkins and Fleetwood Mac to Olivia Newton John and The Runaways. I was all over the place! And that 53-year-old Telefunkin? My father asked if I’d like to take it home with me this past summer since I’d always loved it so much. She’s all mine now.”

Natalie hosted a giveaway during the holiday season where her social media followers could nominate someone to receive a gift of a custom piece of her jewelry, which strikes me as a lovely idea. Like most artisans, she is happy when she can make someone’s day brighter through her art.

“And then a thank you note comes along (email actually) from a 98 year-old recipient of one of my creations, saying it brought her to tears and was the most meaningful gift she’s ever received… There’s no better confirmation than that.”

Many artisan business owners contemplate whether their art makes a difference in the world and feel gratified when they hear happy feedback from customers. Natalie sums up this universal experience when she explains, “Over the years, I’ve received correspondence from customers and recipients of my work, particularly the family tree pieces, and it truly fills my heart with joy to hear how much it means to them. But a common thing that I, and other creative people, seem to struggle with (especially during those quiet times) is wondering if we’re doing the right thing. Are the items we create serving a purpose or do they have any relevance in this world? And then a thank you note comes along (email actually) from a 98-year-old recipient of one of my creations, saying it brought her to tears and was the most meaningful gift she’s ever received… There’s no better confirmation than that.”