Not Summer, Bummer

Hi.

I have been gone for so long I cannot even remember what I have already said here. I was uploading pictures of these galaxy boxes and it dawned on me that I already showed these here. Well... here they are again?  I'm trying harder to take better pictures.  I think I need to set up a space in my house that is dedicated to product photography. This was my first go at it.  The problem is the deer are so cute it may be too distracting from the box.

 Inside is a world of mystery and glitter.

 How are your holiday preparations? I wish Christmas was in the summer. Everything is slower in the summer so maybe Christmas would be, too.  You could sit outside and open presents and drink Christmas lemonade.  I bet that's how Christmas goes down in the warmer climate areas.  Winter could be used for hunkering down and enjoying the snow and shorter days not spent running all over the place trying to buy gifts for everyone you have ever talked to.  Just an idea. Summer Christmas 2013!

Anyway. I finally learned how to make a dream catcher.  I wrapped some metal circles in fabric and then literally hemmed and hawed around it for about two days.  I watched this charming video over and over again of this crafty gal who did a step-by-step on dreamcatchers.  The video was so comforting, like hanging out with your Grandma while she makes you tea and teaches you how to wrap thread around a metal circle.



Finally I felt like I was up to the challenge.

 This is the first one I made. The webbing did not turn out right but I liked it anyway.  It almost looks like a spider so I guess that's neat.  I made a completed one but did not photograph it.  I will make more and more and more and more.

 Here are my newly organized supplies.  I obviously organized all this because I was procrastinating doing something for real.

I think I self-sabotage a lot. I had a photography teacher tell me that once. He said I'm so afraid of making bad work that I'll just go ahead and make bad work.  It's totally true. Or I just won't make work.  It's stupid and kind of childish.  I'm seriously ready to change that about myself.
How many times have I said that here?
But seriously. I'm ready.
Happppppy Holidayssssss.

Wedding Video for reals.

I'm so excited!! My official wedding video is live and I just got my wedding pictures this week.  It's been a very wedding week for me!  Caleb Irvin Photography is responsible for this amazing video filled with sweet clips from my wedding. I chose the song Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros as our song because it sums up exactly how I feel about my fella. I hope you will enjoy the video!

Video

I have wanted to post wedding photos for sometime now but it's starting to feel like I'm never going to get them. The other day I was looking at my phone and remembered taking this little video the day after the wedding.  This little moment was a sweet, peaceful one.  I hope the quality is good. It's only about a half a minute long and it feels so much like summer you can almost smell it.  Hopefully I'll have more pictures soon. I'm really excited to share!

Two options, one video. In case one doesn't work.

Arrows

The other night I added these sweet little arrows in my shop.  I had so much fun making these.   

I wish I could live in a Springtime world all year-round and wear crowns of feathers and glue glitter to flowers.

Note: I just realized in my Etsy listing I said the arrows are 1.5" long but they are 1'5" long. I hate math. And measuring.

Birthday and Other Trivial Things

 I'm writing this post on the business end of thirty.  It's crazy to think how many years I've been keeping this blog and how much I have changed. And how much has stayed the same.  I'm grateful for where I am that's for sure.
I celebrated with a cookie. My favorite from the grocery store. My sweet husband fancied it up for me.

This is the day after 30.

I got so many sweet gifts. Here are a few. My friend Janey knows how much I have wanted a horse ribbon. She's been holding onto this one for a while. (Those beautiful wall hangings were a wedding gift from my sweet boss.)

 

I got these charming balloons from my manager at work. She's a dear friend who knows how much I love heart shape everything. Especially balloons!

On a completely different note while I was uploading my pics I noticed these old pictures on my computer. These are from when I first took these banners into my work for consignment. I have been thinking about making more banners lately. I have been a little bit restless in my studio because there are so many things I want to do but can't get myself organized and focused. 

What's been on my mind lately is figuring out who my customer is.  I know so little about the business side of things. I just make and make and make but I don't know how to go about making the most of sales.  Any advice? I will happily read/listen to it all!

I hope you're doing well on the path to the holidays.  XoXo

Life In Pictures. And Words.

Ack! I can't believe so much time has gone by since I last posted.  The past few weeks have been such a blur.  There are many times I want to write but then I want to work instead and most times I just ended up watching TV and become emotionally exhausted.  Anyone watching The Walking Dead or Sons of Anarchy? They are both wearing me out.  I have to balance them out with episodes of The New Girl and The Mindy Project just to get my emotions in check.  By the time that's over I'm ready for bed.  I'm starting to become aware of the toll all this TV watching is doing so I am making more of an effort to get back into my studio.  Here is what I have been doing lately. Sorry for all the Instagram pics. It's the best way I can procrastinate while still doing stuff.

I made feta stuffed dates for Thanksgiving dinner. Its the fanciest thing I'll ever do.

I'm working on little boxes for storing mysteries of the universe. 

I'm not sure if I'm finished yet.

This collection of rocks is my favorite.

I'm finally working in my studio again! I'm excited about these little creations.

Impromptu dance party while painting pictures.

I listened to music from my grad school days and did photo transfers and got nostalgic for my twenties.

And then I made the mistake of pulling out a blank sheet of paper. Um.......

I finally added some new work to Etsy including this Springtime garland. In my world it's always Spring.

These guys are slowly being added while I'm slowly saying good-bye to others.  We're a jar family.

Friday I turn 30 and its the weirdest thing ever but also a little anti-climatic. I think I've really changed a lot in the last ten years...Thank goodness for that!! If I hadn't changed this blog would be dedicated to bad poetry and terrible art.  All about boys. But in an angsty embarrassing way.  I just spelled embarrassing correctly for the first time ever. I guess turning 30 is doing great things already.

Happy Wednesday to you!

Dreamy Dreams

See those cutie-pie house pillows on my old studio wall? I have had those for at least five years now and I'm absolutely crazy about them.  

The artist who made them, Dana from LeiLiLaLoo has just posted a bunch of new paintings and monoprints in her etsy shop and they are just as dreamy as her house pillows.  Since I have been trying to work on paintings lately I found these especially inspiring. Go to her shop and see many more goodies.