Firsts

This has been a week of firsts for me: first time shipping to Canada (yay for shoppers!);
first time taking Moondoggie with me to the post office and leaving him outside ALONE to wait (he's a very well-behaved dog, but he IS a dog and I'm overprotective. The Doomed's main concern was what if he attacked someone, mine was what if someone stole him 'cause he's so cute.);

See that windowpane next to gentleman in red? My camera didn't catch it but I could peek at Moondoggie through there. Spent the entire time bouncing in and out of the post office line making sure I could still see him.

first time using my prototype handbag (I'd like to start making and selling bags in the shop but it's definitely a new venture for me and I wanna make sure they're well-made and hold up);

Embroidered handbag!

and my first time doing four days straight of my spinning class. Am I crazy? Maybe. I'm definitely sore but I gotta admit it feels good, especially considering how much time I spend sitting on my posterior, crafting away. I'm gonna even it out by stuffing my face with pizza this weekend - I've been craving it and haven't had pizza in a long while. Gotta live a balanced life. :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Odd Duck Handmade Indie Bazaar & Craftfair - Finished!

Guess who manned her booth all by her lonesome at the Odd Duck show this past Saturday?

Me!

It wasn't supposed to work out that way but The Doomed ended up having to go to work and I'm nothing if not a trooper. So, after our now traditional pre-show McDonald's breakfast, he helped me set up, then took off - leaving me without a co-seller and booth buddy for what turned out to be the whole day. But you know what? I don't need no stinking man! I did it myself and, if I do say so myself, I did rather well.

All set up and ready to sell!

Oh, and I had had such great plans to meet and greet and document my second craft show as thoroughly as possible. Instead, I only got to take pictures of the area immediately surrounding me and met and greeted only those who came up to me.

Wanna see?

To my front left

Right in front

To my right

Fascinating, isn't it? The show was excellent, tons of people all day long, and everyone seemed to be making sales. Even me! I was indoors, on the second floor, basking in air conditioning and, boy, was I  lucky because it was a scorcher that day. It took a little longer than my first show for me to start making sales but once I did, it was a steady business day for me.

I even got to meet a few folks! Katie from Kaytea had the booth to my right and we ended up chatting all day. Having her to converse with made the day far more entertaining for me and I was really glad I got a chance to meet her. Plus, she makes adorable baby clothes (modeled by her own adorable baby). If only I knew some babies to shop for! I also met Tanya of Dreads and Curls, a fellow knitter who makes such beautifully detailed accessories along with her partner (who's name escapes me at the moment - darn it!). I love their shop name - she's the curls and her partner's the dreads! Ha!

By the end of the day, I was exhausted and hungry and my cheeks hurt from all the smiling - but it was so worth it. I can't wait to do it all over again! Honestly, it's so much work and stress getting ready for craft days but nothing compares to the genuine feedback and appreciation you get from folks at theses shows. I love it!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pressure's On!

Odd Duck is just over a week away and though I've been steadily working away (hence my blog absence), I haven't really been feeling stressed about my second craft show.

Well, that's over!

I have so much to do! I feel ok about the amount of items I have ready but I still have to sew labels, plan out my table, print price lists, etc., etc. Ugh, I feel some late nights coming on...

Hey! How 'bout a sneak peek of new beanie designs I've been working on?












- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tech-y Wish List

I'm not a huge tech-y geek, but there are two items I've been craving since first sight and, having recently done more research on them, am more determined than ever to get in the next few months.

Item 1

Feast your eyes on the Olympus Pen. I know next to nothing about photography or DSLR but desperately want to be able to take better shots for the shop without forking over thousands of dollars on a camera and accessories that I'll never fully understand how to use. I first saw this in a commercial and they totally marketed to me directly. No, really. It said something along the lines of "are you an idiot with photography? Buy this!" Do you see that description on the Amazon page? It's MADE for folks like me! It automates practically everything, takes the same quality shots of a DSLR, and, while it does offer lens changes and detailed customizations, it's far easier to use than a traditional DSLR. Or at least according to the reviews, which I'm totally willing to believe. It's still a pricey little camera but seems a better investment than getting another Canon point-and-shoot and certainly fits my budget a little more comfortably, especially with my crazy online-deal hunting skills.

Item 2!

The Dell Inspiron Duo. I'll admit it - I was totally attracted to the color first. Not the red pictured up there - the pretty, pretty teal one behind it. I'm a girl! SO SHOOT ME. However, researching this compact little gadget more, I realized it really is perfect for me. I'm a desk-top kind of gal - love working at a desk with a large monitor and ergonomic keyboard and mouse (hey, I'm also a slightly carpal-tunneled kind of gal) - but I have been looking into getting something small and portable, with full Office capacity and without having to lug around a full laptop. So I was thinking a notebook would probably be my best bet and began looking into getting one when I saw the commercial for this Dell. SOLD! Obviously I was attracted to its color, size, and snazzy ability to change from tablet to notebook but also its price point, access to full Office system and decent hard drive size. It's like having the best of an iPad and a laptop! (Though I KNOW it's not as great as an iPad, you Mac freaks, relax). For me, someone who uses a computer really only for basic stuff and loves the touch ability of my iPhone, it's perfect. And must be mine. Soon.

Do you have any tech-y dream items? Share away! I love finding new can't-live-withouts!

On Being a (Gulp) Hipster

I just realized that this:



makes me sound somewhat like a middle-aged housewife, trying to keep up with her hip offspring. What's that thing the kids call it? Graphitics...graf...graffiti?

Which is funny, and timely, considering I've recently had to accept the fact that I apparently fit the description of a....hipster.

A friend recently sent this link to me. On the page you see this image:




I'm ashamed to admit how many of them apply to me. Why ashamed? Well, who wants to be classified as any one thing? So I wear decade-old Converse and Vans - it's only 'cause I've OWNED them that long! (Hey, I take care of my things...and my shoe size hasn't changed since the 7th grade.) I'm obsessed with documentaries, LOVE Apple products, lomographic photography, go to "shows", the list goes on and on. The only thing that really saves me is that I've yet to own a pair of skinny jeans. And the fact that I refuse to use acronyms. LOL, my ass. I LAUGH OUT LOUD.

Here's the thing: I HATE that label. It makes me think of kids with funky hair cuts, poorly fitting/matching clothing, and pretentious ideas without actual knowledge. People I refer to as "kids". There's nothing innately wrong with them but I just can't identify with them. Nor do I have to! I haven't been a "kid" for longer than I care to admit to. I'm no geriatric and I still get the occasional carding when buying booze but I've been out of high school now for almost as long as it takes to get in.

Like most people, I like what I like. Can I help that some are considered items du jour? So I love grammar, noir movies, indie music, and Charles Bukowski. Ditto for pulp art, Varga girls, surf music, and chick-lit from the 60s. I've loved these things for YEARS. It's taken me a lifetime to acquire the knowledge and obsessions I have and I proudly cling to them, even while they fade in and out of the popular conscience. I'm not saying that every "hipster" is a poseur, but is it my fault that that's a stereotype I carry around in my head? And, therefore, don't want to be associated with? I can't be the only one. I suppose the true "hipstery" thing is fiercely imaging/insisting that you don't fit ANY mold. That you're an original. Even though you realize you look/sound an awful lot like that other "original" guy standing next to you. The truth is there are very few things that can still be called original. Everyone and everything is a melding of all its influences and surroundings. So it is with a long sigh that I admit...I suppose...I might, indeed, be a "hipster" myself.

The good news? Exit Through the Gift Shop really was quite a good documentary.