farm fresh

I joined a treasury team on Etsy. Now I have a a good excuse for making more treasuries!

Someday I just want to have at least a couple of vegetable plants. I don't know why, but things always taste better when you grew them yourself (even if they look a little uglier than the grocery store behemoth hybrid vegetables :).

resolution not dissolution

Happy New Year! We are only eight days into 2012, but I already feel like I'm farther than that because of all the plans I have for this year. Normally I hate resolutions, because I don't like feeling like I've "failed" when I don't do things exactly as I'd planned. "January 1st is just another day, I want to live my life organically", and other excuses. I'm also not one to hate on the previous year, so I don't feel the need to reinvent myself annually. But all of that said, I DO have high hopes and some plans that I'm trying to commit to (and some that I have already committed to, in a big way!).

I'm continuing my business-minded-ness this year, and I hope to keep growing in that arena. I already have some exciting projects lined up, and I have a shop update lined up for Tuesday the 10th. I'm planning on applying for a local craft show in the Spring to get my feet wet. Hopefully my iPad will become a good business tool also to make it all a little easier to pull off.

Part of this business drive is just because I enjoy it, but part of it is out of necessity because I will need the extra money for SCHOOL. I can barely believe it myself, but this is a big commitment that I made that begins in August. I've put my deposit down, and I'm so excited! I stumbled upon Sharpe Jewelry Academy on the Visual Arts Center website whilst looking for basic jewelry workshops to brush up on some skills. Jay Sharpe is a local jeweler who has been making/teaching for 20+ years, but the program is new. I can't wait to learn new techniques to elevate my jewelry-making and really immerse myself in the business, whether it's all mine, or a combination of working for myself and a jewelry store. Only time will tell where I land after it ends in June 2013, but I feel like a new chapter in my life and career has begun, and I'm up for the challenge big time.

I'm more "me" than ever before, which I'm sure always comes with age, and I've been defining what I want out of life a lot lately. It feels really good to be doing all of this. For some reason I have had loads of creative energy, so I've been taking advantage and have all sorts of smaller goals and projects to fill in the spaces too. I just want to be healthy and present as much as possible. Every year, not just 2012, is about making it happen! So that's what I'm poised to do.

a very Merry Christmess

What a whirlwind holiday season! The Thanksgiving-Christmas time has always been intense, but especially so in the past eight years since I've been out of school. For the last four years I've made a decided effort to handcraft more presents for people, which doesn't make it any easier, but definitely more satisfying! My day job (retail) requires more hours and is insane around Christmas, and then I spend all of my free moments and money on gifts. So I took a break from blogging, needless to say. Now that it's after December 25th, I can show you what I was working on!


A painting for my mom


Hats for my sister (I also made a grey fox-eared one [checking the fit here!])


An advent calendar for my bf (this is an ornament I made for one of the days)

I made a zipper bracelet for my other sister from this tutorial, handmade earrings for my grandma, made a legit foam hand puppet for a friend, and a dreamcatcher for my bff's birthday/Christmas present. Although I always think really hard about what to get people, I tried to give fewer, more thoughtful gifts to everyone this year. And I tried not to use any credit cards, mostly succeeding! It was a wholly satisfying experience. The weather has been uncharacteristically warm for the season here in Virginia, which made it kind of hard to get into the spirit at first. It made me wonder what it's like to have Christmas in Australia, haha.

Some friends bought MischaLee for their own gift-giving, which I greatly appreciated. I received some really thoughtful presents from everybody, and got to squeeze some time in with my family. Santa brought me an especially amazing and totally unexpected iPad2, which is changing my life right now. This is my first real Apple item besides an iPod, and I could really get used to the non-PC experience, eek! I'm planning on using it as much as possible for business growing, but more on that later.

I know it's late, but I hope everyone else had a great holiday too!

eye candy

Photograph by Jennifer Parry Dodge

I've been frequenting the Ermie blog for the past couple of months. She takes such beautiful, simple, and peaceful pictures. Check out the Blue posts from November of 2011 for some traditional crafting beauty.

Speaking of blogging (and crafting) I will be back shortly with an update on my busy holiday season!