TGIM

usually i don't love to rush the ending of the weekend to the beginning of the week, but i am glad the weekend is behind me! it was really hectic with craftywonderland and finagling (did i spell that right?) family stuff too but it was fun, a bit slow, but fun. today my interview came out and i have received some kind words about it. check it out, and feel free to make fun of me rambling and making little sense LOL.
http://www.diyalert.com/node/4937

today i am kinda feeling tired and crapped out with a lot of work to do around the house but i am hopeful to get it all knocked out so i can sit down and list some of the seagull brooches that didn't sell yesterday. :)

ps my hair isn't purple it was the stage lights. but wouldn't it be cute if it was? ;p

please come visit me here!

i am starting to get a tad nervous about the whole thing, just like old times! craftywonderland in portland oregon....you know you want to come see! :)

in other good news today, i did an interview with sister diane of DIY alert, and it will come out on monday in the pdx profile section plus another blurb in the regular newsletter. uh...this is rad! i will link when it comes out, of course and i will be very proud. that is if i don't sound too dorky in print LOL!

don't put it off any longer!

this was my battle cry for last night, as i realized i am a smart-assed punk who thinks it is ok to cruise through and pull it out at the last minute. i am referring to getting ready for this sundays craftywonderland.com of course. i admitted this late yesterday afternoon and kinda laughed about it, but then had a AHA moment of no wonder things are like they are half the time--i SLACK! so, after locking up around the apartments at eight last night i summoned some energy and pulled out the whole of my stock--tagged and bagged what i was bringing (also making me have an AHA moment about slimming down and only concentrating on what really works for me in the shop--i have a lot of crap that is just sitting around!) and all that i have left to do is hand print out prices. also i need to make sure my display/table stuff is in one place. doing this made me realize I AM OUT OF BUSINESS CARDS and don't have time to reorder online. but at least i know now and not friday night trying to scramble to print out some myself or some shit.

well i guess the moral of this story is i can't blame mental fogginess and complete exhaustion on my procrastination problem--i have been like this forever. but it is time for a change!

pictured above are some finished seagull brooches. they are about 4 inches long and made from vintage fabric scraps :)

humpty-hump

happy wednesday. i am kinda grumpy today...like the old man i am i broke something pulling out all the patio furniture for the pool area today. grrr that stuff looked light, but must have been made from Adamantium or something. and i should have asked for help, but i didn't. anyway i put the hurt on myself, but i will live i am sure. :)

picked up some needed sewing notions today, such as PINS--something you think you have but you don't when you go to find them, and WHITE THREAD--ditto. going to do some sewing tonight--i am making some fabric seagull brooches and flowers, too. i am digging on the oilcloth i picked up thinking i would use it as a table cloth, but realized it was too busy. not too busy for brooches though, especially paired with different fabrics for the proper juxtaposition. boy, i like saying juxtaposition. say it with me!

again, happy wednesday. try not to break yourself anymore than you already have, and try and get some good sleep. oh wait, that was my internal dialog going on out loud again! for *you* i say keep on rockin...because i know you are in your own way. lol.

my monday, your tuesday.

didn't get the luxury of an extra day off yesterday, since my regular day off is monday anyway. so today, your tuesday, i am having a case of my mondays! i am off work already--jammed and got everything done quickly since we have company and i am trying to allow them to have the most quality time together skate-wise. although i am hoping it is quite a while until the next houseguest...we ate TOO much good food in the last few days! he is vegan too so we felt compelled to wow him with the best portland has to offer. and of course we didn't disappoint. his favorite was the vegan taco truck and since today is his last day he requested it one last time. :) last night i made pizza with the "teese" vegan cheese from foodfight and THAT did not disappoint, either. we have had organic beer and wine, amazing breakfasts and brunches and snacks that made us fat and happy. thank god we don't eat like this all the time! but it is nice to show friends around and brag about all the freaking amazing vegan fare here. we have a vegan mini-mall, after all ;p

the week in review

today i have already gotten off work, so i am sitting here waiting for my shawn to come home from the airport with his best friend visiting from cleveland with vegan mexican food from the taco truck. it is one of those days already though. i don't feel very good--not a cold or a bug kinda bad--just a bunch of little things. my tummy feels weird- my bellybutton hernia is acting up. yes, i have a hernia. you would too if you had two 9lbs+ babies lol. but, they run in my family and i think i am going to get the repair. i would get my sleek innie belly button back and also it won't get worse with complications. i dunno--i go in on the 20th unless it gets worse and i sneak into urgent care. i remembered weird al's version of 'living with a hernia' and i checked out the youtube. good old weird al! now i am really old because i used to just laugh and laugh at the video thinking ha on old people and their hernia's! blargh.

other than that fun, it has been a busy week. i finished up some orders one of which is featured here: a flock of seagulls lol. this weekend i am picking up the sewing machine adrienne is loaning me to shut me up. hopefully it will only be for a few weeks until i can get mine situated. i keep putting it off, thinking i should repair my old singer but then i see all the cute stitches available on newer machines and i flip flop back. either way i am going to be sewing up a storm very soon, and i can't wait. no more hand-sewing for me :)


shawn is stoked about dave visiting. he has all these skate spots to share and the most excellent vegan places to eat--i hope to steal dave away one of the few vegan bars LOL. i don't think he will be too happy to leave--cleveland is no place for a self respecting vegan nowadays, hee hee. the peer pressure will be great for him to move out west for sure.

well off to continue waiting for lunch. i have laundry to do and the girls room is a pit of doom and despair. yay!

constant flux

i have become one of those people who are constantly rearranging. like on the weekly :) it is a zen activity for me, i am really just making the energy flow at a maximum. what a perfect thing to do on such a dreary day! apparently we are going to have record may heat this weekend--but today was soggy and gray. i suppose i will appreciate the warmth even more, but i will be glad to see it go. if i wanted to live in blazing hell i would be back in sacramento LOL! it is supposed to go back to a normal NW spring weather by tuesday thank god. maybe i can catch some much needed rays....hello my little cheek freckles! it has been a while since i have seen ya.

quotes for the day:

"When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you."

"In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. "

"Born to be wild - live to outgrow it."

-lao tzu


i don't have any clue what is going to be for dinner. i really need to go to the market, but lucy looks like rainbow brite (she dressed her self and has on about 3 layers of clothing) and is covered in stamp ink (animal stamps=fun times). lyric is looking raggedy too but i am getting off to round them up as best i can. there is no food in this house and i am craving something sweet! :))

happy friday and all that jazz :)

one more day in my work week, but thankfully saturdays in the office are pretty mellow. which i think i am going to take advantage of if that is the case and crochet something from the rad vintage pattern books my friend laura picked up and sent to me (they are as heavy as bricks, and the postage was crazy! what a doll!). i collect vintage crochet manuals, patterns, funky pictures. and lemme tell you these books do NOT disappoint with the crochet-lady-crazy. i am going to make shawn a tie LOL.

ooooo it is almost time for BSG! happy friday :)

a few new pendants

found this groovy vintage pillowcase from sears and roebucks that just cried out to be made into (what else?) pendants (among other things when i get my sewing machine up and running).

my head aches and i am inhaling a sachet of lavender right now. it is kinda helping. i need a hot shower and some peace and quiet, honestly.

so far i have only listed these on etsy but i will do so on my site tomorrow in the morning.

happy thursday!

while dinner is cooking, a quick post :)

teriyaki noodles with beef-less strips and veggies. hungry!

it has been a busy week. took the girls to the indoor swimming pool, the duck pond and several other parks to explore while the weather was giving us a break. it was really pretty here the last few days, and when the sun shines you take advantage of its rays. :)

i am working on a larger custom orders during the evening, trying to get that out to their prospective people as quick as possible. i replaced my older and cheaper soldering irons with a big boy that pretty much will melt a tin can. love it! i can't remember if i mentioned being at junes craftywonderland, but it is also something i am preparing for. if i get my sewing machine even one week before i have a couple of ideas i would like to go ahead and try out. that would be as good as any place to see if something bombs or not! :p i am seriously dying to sew and i am so hard up late at night i watch video tutorials on different sewing projects. kinda sad, LOL. but it makes me happy, and that is all that matters.

well, dinner is about ready to serve and lemme tell you i am happy to partake. happy monday!!!

playing catch up

ah yes, the always fun game of trying to balance work, family and art. i feel perpetually behind, and frankly out of creative gas. however, i have been keeping busy. i got in to craftywonderland for june. i haven't sold there in ages and it is the perfect day/hours for me now that i work part-time and on saturdays. so i will be working toward that goal from now until then. i have also been pouring some more plaster skulls. i have one 75% done--and another one on the line ready for painting. those always make me happy to paint :) this skull needs its topcoat and hanger, plus the roses situated just right. i like this one--would like to keep it for myself!


i have enough stock and have had a couple custom orders for pendants and whatnot but am feeling pretty blargh about the whole thing. good thing: i am going back to california with the girls to visit my family for a weekend either last week of may or first week of june. i want to go before it gets hellishly hot for sure. june 10th is my birthday and that week there is always the rose festival carnival down on the waterfront here in pdx so i need to be here for that (my little gift to myself since i love rickety carnival rides that go upside-down!). it will be nice to see my family and let them hang out with the girls for a couple days. then it will be nice to COME HOME :) love central california and all, but that dry, sick, over 100 degree heat will be the last thing i ever miss about it.

monday monday so good to me

coming off a good weekend with the family that included long walks, skating, organization and crafting. the weather has been beautifully crazy with sun breaks and snow flakes...it has been amazing to watch. shawn and i watched 'into the wild' and i was really touched by it. made me yearn to go camping, that is for sure. :) i finally cleaned my workspace, and can actually see the table! i am waiting for the sun to pop out so i can snap some photos of the earrings from yesterday but i did take a sneaky peep shot of them drying last night. when i was cleaning i came across some old old stained glass pieces i had made but didn't know what to do with so i strung them up and made the most lovely garland for my kitchen window. i can't wait for the sun to stream through them...

shawn made the yummiest vegan manicotti on saturday and i made another yummy soup for dinner last night with baked french bread. sometime in the next two days i need to get two tires replaced for the car--you don't want to know how bad of shape they are! totally unsafe, wires sticking out and metal showing. yikes.

i hope everyone has a happy monday!

busy bee!

i got some stuff done this afternoon, pendant soldering and i also made a killer veggie soup to help all the sickies in the house (plus help the ones who aren't stave off this cold!).

mmmm food.

comfort food to be exact. (pictures shown: the enchiladas from the other night and also "beef" strogenoff. 100% vegan and 100% delicious). tonight we are having vegan shepard's pie (pictures to come ha ha). i think i need to make a food blog and put up recipes i use. we have almost all we want for our little cookzine but we have been dragging our asses on printing it up. plus we need a cute cover, and i have too much on my plate (pun intended) to be doing that right at this point and time. but i love taking pictures of food and talking about food so there you go. yay FOOD.

although today i did NOTHING other than lay around with the girls. i fell asleep at 9:30 last night (unheard of!) and feel like i am coming down with the cold the little one has, and i suspect the big one has too. i am putting up some new pictures of stuff, listed today to remind me i have been productive--just not organized with my bigger orders. i tend to let things distract me and i made a big list on my workspace for me to follow along with. i just can't keep it all *up here* for whatever reason. blargh! well this week HAS got to be more productive; i am trying to stave off the cold with food. feed a cold and all that jazz.

hope everyone is having a good start to their week.

the ocean breathes salty

i have a fever...and the only prescription is perhaps some camping by the sea. i feel my soul is low and needs a re-fill very, very soon. this could explain the oceanic themes to my work right now. albatross, terrapin, seahorses and more...i am just longing to be by the sea....tomorrow i can take finished pix of the seagull magnet sets i made, but they are still drying. and i have taken so many pictures today it was redonckulous. i am all edited out!

i did make some non-nautical items too :) some daisy earrings, and i also got some glass pendants wrapped and ready for soldering. all in all it was a very productive day. i even sold the seahorse earrings less than a hour after i listed them on etsy! that was nice. i happened to have two pair so i relisted the second pair as well.

i got the fabric for the custom pendant, ring and earring set. she wanted her own special leopard she had and i got it in the mail today. i can work on that after the orders from the stores, i have to have done by friday. i also need a better glass cutter for that custom order. the one i have is of course, crapped out. count that along with my soldering iron, too. i need supplies! badly.

happy tuesday!

oh and it was tofu enchilada night, kids. i bet you wish you were here now doncha?