Lenox Knits

First Night in Chelsea

2011-06-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

So I got into the city on Sunday late afternoon. Just before I left I walked outside to tell the kids good-bye and managed to get stung by a bee. I immediately thought that my luck wasn't going to change and that maybe I shouldn't be going into the city on my own. I waited around for about an hour and when I didn't go into anapolaptic shock I got on the train.
I found my room and walked around Chelsea/Meatpacking District for a few hours. I was at the Highline Park for sunset. This is an old elevated railway through the city which has been converted into a park. The first shot is from the Chelsea Market and the second is taken of the Hudson river from the Highline. The third is of the Highline Park connecting two old warehouses.
I really loved these big fluffy flowers along the park. I don't know what they are but they look cool in profile against the sunset. I really haven't had time to go through my over 1000 pictures from the trip. I had a few minutes yesterday but I don't feel like I've done them justice yet. I should have a quiet weekend coming up to spend some time reviewing and editing.

I ate a late dinner at The Spotted Pig which is reported to have the best burger in NYC. It was a damn good burger with Roquefort cheese and a mountain of shoestring fries. I made some poet friends here and spent several lovely hours looking out the bay windows onto the West Village streets talking about poetry and art vs. commerce. I bought Cecelia Adam's book of poetry which she had quoted to me throughout the night.

I finally felt like my New York adventure was starting to turn around. I had no more major drama or negative energy thankfully and despite the heat and tired feet I enjoyed the rest of my trip. I'll share more as I have time.

I survived my big adventure!

2011-06-06T07:05:00.001-07:00

I wish I could say that things were all smooth sailing after the plane ticket debacle but that isn't quite true. Our plane was delayed flying into Newark which is evidently a very common occurrence. So we missed our train to upstate where Mike's sister lived. We sat at Newark for over an hour tired and frustrated before we were finally able to find a hotel with a shuttle that wasn't booked up for Memorial Day weekend. The next day went much better. We made the early train and got there in time for the last 30 minutes of the Bat Mitzvah ceremony. We were then able to hang out for a few hours before the reception. It was quite an event let me tell you. I've never seen anything like it but we had a good time that evening with the open bar.

Abbie was incredibly composed and gave a lovely speech with personal reflections on all of her family members in attendance. I was thanked for the fluffy Hanukkah scarves I send. I am glad that we made it after all the travel drama since I know it meant a lot to Mike's sister for us to be there.

We had my niece Kate this weekend so I haven't had time to go through the rest of my vacation pictures. I had fun in New York but it was pretty exhausting. I really wish I could have a vacation to recover from my vacation for sure.

New York Here I come!

2011-05-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

This Shalom Peace Scrabble tile pendant from Poem Weave Designs is similar to the one I got my niece for her Bat Mitzvah. She has lots of unique Hebrew pieces and cards on her Etsy shop.

So the planning is done and the packing is almost completed too. I really hope this trip isn't cursed. So far it's been one problem after another, mostly of my husband's making. So I'm hoping that once I leave him behind and head into the city on my own the luck will turn.

Mike insisted he had to come back for the last day of school, which is just a half day of turning in grades and cleaning up his classroom. So he had to change his ticket since I'd already bought them before the last snow day. That was the only detail I left to him and boy did he screw it up royally. When he changed his return flight he actually canceled the departure flight and made it a one way ticket. I thought that they had really gauged us on the change fee but I didn't question it much.

Well, last night we were doing the on-line check in and we couldn't find any record of his ticket today since he had accidentally canceled it. They charged us another $275 for a ticket that we had already bought once. So for him to be there for less than 48 hours it's costing us almost $800 in tickets and fees. He has lodged a complaint that it shouldn't have been that easy for him to mess things up and that he was given no warning that he was canceling the flight but I doubt it will do a bit of good. Needless to say we will never be flying Continental again.

When I called my mom all upset she said, "Oh Paige you should know better. You never let them do anything important." She did teach me better I know but trust me it won't ever happen again. We have put it behind us and after 15 minutes of yelling and slamming doors we had moved on. That's the good thing about Mike and I. We really don't stay mad for long.

So send some positive energy my way as I try to move past my husband's silliness and enjoy my solo adventures.

Cityscapes

2011-05-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I bought a Groupon for a photography workshop from The St. Louis Photo Authority. I redeemed it this weekend for a 3 hour walking workshop called Cityscapes in downtown St. Louis. It was me and one other guy who was having back troubles so for the last half I had the full attention of two professional photographers. It was pretty amazing. After we walked and shot for over 2 hours we went to a coffee shot and they critiqued my work and answered all my questions.

The top shot is one I liked a lot. I set an artistic filter in Elements and then there is the original. You can see the old courthouse and the arch in the background but the focal point is the flower.

Edward Crim does mostly commercial and architectural work now, and his partner Don Love specializes in portrait photography. He told me the story of how he did his first wedding when he was 14 years old. I couldn't have asked for two better resources. Edward is starting a meetup to do walking tours once a month around the city. This will allow me to learn more from him for $10 a year, and I plan on taking Don's portrait workshop in his studio which will be a great learning experience.

I took the class because I thought it would help me be better prepared for my trip to New York City which it definitely did. I think the most important thing I took out of the class is the need to slow down and think more about my shots. I tend to shoot hundreds of shots and hope that a few good ones pop. It works for the most part but that means I have to wade through thousands of images and my work flow is getting out of control. Edward explained how he handles his work flow in Aperture on Apple and also showed me how to use Lightroom from Adobe, which I will definitely be investing in.

The biggest critique they had for me dealt with camera shake. Because I am constantly moving towards the next shot this is a real problem. As an amateur it's not a problem but if I want to sell my work it is an issue. Of course I need to get into the habit of bringing my tripod with me but that's not always realistic for me so I need to slow down and focus more.

They also got me thinking about exposure a lot more. If I want to go entirely manual I will need to learn to trust myself to set the exposure and not just take the camera's opinion. I'm going to experiment with a grey card and see if I'm able to figure it out. They also encouraged me to take the black and white photography class I was talking about as it will teach me about exposure and lightening as much if not more than a digital class.
This one was my favorite shot during the 15 minutes we had of good light.

This was their favorite shot of mine. It's of one statue through another statue at the City Gardens. There were about 3 of my shots that they actually said, "I missed that" which made me feel good. Here is their gear which they were dragging through the city. I definitely had lens envy. Especially the lens on the black tripod. It was 400 mm and you could literally see every detail through the viewfinder with crystal clarity.

I will probably be keeping my 55-250mm on my camera most of the time in the city. I would have relied more on my 18-87 mm if I hadn't gone to the class but after looking at my pictures with both I think the telephoto will be best for architecture. I will also have my lensbaby handy to try to get the unique perspective it gives. I'm not putting any pressure on myself for getting the perfect shot. I just want some nice picures that I can blow up to put on my walls.

The Obsessive Crocheter

2011-05-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

A friend from work showed me this article in New York Magazine this month. Agata Oleksiak, the obsessive crocheter, essentially covered her entire apartment in crochet cozies. I don't know quite how she sleeps in that room since it kind of makes your eyes bleed but I love it. It is actually installed at the Christopher Henry Gallery in Nolita until May 28. I'm so disappointed since I will be in that neighborhood next week a few days after that. I would have loved to have seen it with my own eyes.I think I would like Olek. This is a quote from the article:

The gallery’s assistant director, Jason LeBlond, confirms what you might have speculated about Olek, who is rarely spotted not wearing a crocheted cardigan or collar: “There is no separation between her art and her life.”

Portraits

2011-05-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about where my photography journey is taking me lately. As I've gotten more and more into photography I've been spending less and less time knitting and getting ready for craft shows. I don't know why I can't do both but I have a hard time being super passionate about more than one thing at a time. I will start focusing on building up my scarf inventory so that I can do at least a few shows this fall after I finish the baby blanket I'm working on for a colleague. But it just doesn't hold the same thrill that it did in the beginning.

I really wish that I could find a photography mentor to help me explore my options and learn some new skills. A student I was working with a few months ago put the idea into my head. He said that he had been lucky to have a mentor that helped him along his photography path. I was almost hoping that he would offer to help me but in my professional capacity I can''t approach him myself. I am thinking about joining the St. Louis Camera Club and will try to make it to some of their workshops. Perhaps I can meet someone there who could take me under their wing.

I'm also thinking about taking a real class here at the college but unfortunately the only one I could do in the Fall is for Black and White Photography using 35mm. This could be fun too but I don't know how practical it would be in this digital age.

I really enjoy doing portraits as you can see from the above shots of my nieces. I have no formal training but I've read a lot of books and taken a beginning photography workshop which helped me learn about composition. I really need to learn more about lighting and photoshop as well as upgrade my equipment before I could actually charge anyone for portrait work but it is something I'm thinking about in the back of my mind.

We have a screened in porch that is rarely used which I could convert into a studio if I decide to go in that direction as well as plenty of parks that I could use for natural light work in the area. I really don't think I will be quiting my job anytime soon but if I could make some money on the side doing something I love how cool would that be?

Tip of the Hat!

2011-05-10T07:20:00.001-07:00

A month or so ago the girls had a very quick trip to the farm for Spring Break. I got to see them for a few hours. I had just gotten my new favorite lens, the Lensbaby 2.0 that week. I got it on e-bay for a only $50 which was a great deal. I really want the Composer but it cost more like $250 so I had to be satisfied with the older model for now.

The lensbaby gives that cool bokah effect with a sharp sweet spot, which is manually set with the lens. You squeeze the lens until you get the sweet spot where you want it. The nice thing about the composer is that you can lock the lens in place instead of holding it there while you shoot. It definitely has a learning curve which is why these relatively good shots I got the first time I shot with it are some of my favorites.

I'm really thinking about changing the name of the blog to Lenox Knits and Pics. I know that the focus has totally changed from my knitting ventures to more photo centric, which is one of the main reasons I had trouble getting myself over my blogger's block. I felt like the blog had no real focus and I was unsure of how to move forward. I'm still unsure but I realize that is not as important as simply going forward. I figure things will come back into focus if I just keep working at it, just like the Lensbaby!
The girls were having fun modeling for me in Nana's old hats. I have a lot more shots with my new lens that I will probably share later this week.

Before & After

2011-05-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that I had been making some positive changes in my long absence from blogging. I thought I would elaborate on that today. My weight had gotten to my highest point ever by the end of last year. I was miserable and tired all the time. I was completely desperate for something to change. My Mom introduced me to a woman she volunteered with who is an HCG consultant. Mike and I talked with her for a long time. It was primarily him she had to convince because I was ready to try anything at that point.

So, on January 1 I started my HCG journey. For those of you that think it's taking the easy way out I strongly disagree. Yes, you lose weight fast but it's definitely not easy. I had hunger at times, annoying rashes, weakness, occasional headaches, and nightmarish periods for the past 4 months but I've also lost almost 60 pounds in that time. HCG is certainly not for everyone, and if you just have 20 pounds to lose I wouldn't even think about it. But if you are like me and you have over 100 extra pounds that you are dragging around it is a very effective way to get things under control fast.

There are risks but gastric surgery has a lot more, which I was starting to think was my only option to get off of this roller coaster ride. I have at least 2 more cycles to do to finish losing the rest of my weight but I'm going to take the summer off to just maintain. I also need to prove to myself that I can keep it off and that I have control over what I put in my mouth. I'm hoping that by the end of the year I will have lost 100 pounds but I will keep you updated about my progress come the fall.
The top shot is from last week when I finished my second cycle in a new outfit, although not much of a departure. The second shot is after my first cycle when I lost over 30 pounds in 40 days. This bottom shot is my before picture. Before shots are always unhappy which wasn't that difficult for me at the time. I can't believe how puffy and swollen my face was looking back. It was only a few months ago that I was seeing that face in the mirror every morning.

Creative Kate

2011-05-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to brag on my niece Kate for just a moment. She received 3rd place for 3rd graders in all of the Fort Worth Catholic schools for her poster above. The theme was "Being disciples of Christ". In her poster there is a little girl carrying a pink box of donations up to a Daycare.

Kate is truly a creative spirit. She takes whatever assignment she has and makes it her own. I particularly love this poster she sent my Mom of the 10 plagues of Egypt. She added some humor and emotional poignancy to this somewhat odd assignment. I like how she put a band aid on the Egyptian with boils. Seriously, who makes a 9 year old draw a picture of the death of all first born, but Kate did it with gusto. She was not happy with how her livestock depiction came out so please don't judge her for that.

I am missing the girls a lot this spring. They will be coming for several weeks over the summer but it's so hard not seeing them for months at a time. I miss Kate's random and over the top impressions and her ability to make me laugh for hours with her stories and voices. Mike calls her a little Amy Sedaris which is kind of true but in a good way.

My new favorite Bag Maker!

2011-04-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

I have to share my latest Etsy obsession. I bought one of The Bag Basement's backpacks earlier this year. I absolutely love how they are made from recycled jute rice bags that are hand dye cut out with patterns. It is huge and has tons of pockets. I use it for an overnight bag/workout bag to bring clothes to work, etc. It really has tons of uses come to think of it. I will also bring it with me to NYC to carry my purchases for the long days out shopping on my back.

The second bag is very similar to the bag I just bought as my summer handbag. I love the cool tie dye effect and it is the perfect size for everyday use. The strap is adjustable so it can be worn across your front if you want which is a great feature.

I also just bought a necktie for my Uncle's b-day. I didn't choose this I love nerds one but how cool is it. She has a bunch of unique designs that you won't find at the mall for sure.

New York Dreaming

2011-04-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

After far too much deliberation, and some consultation with my Mom, I have bought the above dress from eShakti for my niece's Bat Mitzvah. I'm having them customize it by adding 3/4 length sleeves made from the tulle overlay material in the dress. I don't feel comfortable with my arms right now so I thought that would be a good compromise. I think it's dressy enough but also more appropriate to wear to other events around here, than the black one from yesterday with the funky sleeves. Thanks to those who weighed in on my big decision, especially Pricilla for confirming what I knew in my heart, that my favorite choice was too casual.

Mike and I planned on going into NYC after the weekend celebration and spend 4 days there. I had the tickets purchased and room reserved when winter hit us in full force. For the first time in the 5 years he's been with this school district, they used all of their snow days and had to tack days on at the end of the year. This gave Mike an out from the trip into the city that he wasn't really looking forward to anyways.

I decided to put on my big girl panties and plan a trip for myself. Honestly, I have been thoroughly obsessed with planning my trip down to the minute for the past few months. Looking at guide books and NYC apps on my phone has helped get me through this very dark and dreary winter. I have spent lunch hours that I should have been blogging walking the streets of the Village and Soho on Google Maps plotting my routes. It's actually sad and kind of embarrassing how much time I've invested into this short trip. I've always dreamed of going to New York and I don't know if I will ever have this opportunity again to do exactly what I want to do.

We will have 2 more Bat/Bar Mitzvas to travel for so who know what I will do in the future but I figured I should take advantage of this opportunity to cram as much shopping/photography excursions into the trip as I possibly could. I also know how directionally challenged I am so I wanted to plan the routes ahead of time so that I wouldn't get overwhelmed and feel hopelessly lost when I was there.

I know things will not go exactly as I have them planned and I'm open to some diversions, but having it planned to the letter will help me feel more in control when I am so far outside my comfort zone. I also have a few photography tours booked. I'm especially excited about the Paparazzi tour since it will be a private tour. We'll run around the city and try to capture a celebrity of some sort. He will also take pictures of me and give them to me on a disk so I will have some pictures of myself from the trip.

I'm going to post my master plan for your amusement:
Sunday:
arrive late afternoon.
Find room in The Jane (113 Jane Street)
Visit Chelsea Market. (75 9th Avenue)
Visit the High Line.
Shoot Hudson River at Sunset. app. 8:30 pm.
Dinner at Spotted Pig in West Village (314 W. 11th Street)
Drink next door at literay haunt White Horse Tavern.

Monday:
Breakfast at Cafe Gitane in the Jane.
Find my room in Chelsea (357 W 30 St #5)
Shop Habu Textiles (135 West 29th Street Suite 804) &
Mood Fabrics (225 West 37th Street, 3rd floor )
Go to Art in the Park Festival at Washington Square Park, starts at E. 12th St. from noon-6 pm.
Drop off bags and head to midtown.
Walk 34th st. West to 5th Ave.
Shoot ESB from corner of 34th and 5th Ave.
Shoot the NYC main library with lions from 5th Ave. entrance, go inside to shoot the main reading room.
Walk through Bryant Park
Shoot Grand Central Terminal at 89 East 42nd Street.
if time go to Chrysler Building at 405 Lexington Avenue.
Walk 5th Ave. to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral between 50th and 51st Streets.
Eat dinner in midtown early at Sake Bar Hagi (152 W 49th St), get there by 6:15
Be at the Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Sunset.
Walk through Times Square after dark.
Walk back via Broadway.
At 32nd St. Greeley Sq. turn left towards K-town.
On way back stop for a late bite in Koreatown. Possibly Woorijip: cheap cafeteria style (12 W 32nd St between 5th Ave & Broadway)
if still energetic a late show at Upright Citizen’s Brigade. 307 W 26th St (between 8th & 9th Ave) OR The Magnet Theater Show (254 W 29th St between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)

Tuesday:
Run with Paparrazi tour from 9-12. Meets up at Christopher St & 7th Ave
Eat lunch at Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli (369 Broome St between Elizabeth St & Mott St)
turn left, Shop on Broome St.:
Papabubble: personalized handmade candy. (380A Broome Street)
Clic Bookstore & Gallery: photography goodness! (424 Broome St between Lafayette St & Crosby St)
Shoot the Haughwout Building at corner of Broadway and Broome
Pearl River Mart: Asian Super store! (477 Broadway between Grand St & Broome)
Purl Soho: Yarn! (459 Broome Street)
Kiteya: Japanese handmade goodness (464 Broome)
Turn Right on Greene.
Shop on Spring St:
Evolution Nature Store: skulls, fossils, & fun (120 Spring Street)
Free People: Boho accessories & clothes (99 Spring Street)
Kiosk: kitchy stuff from around the world (95 Spring Street)
Kate’s Paperie: stationary, etc. (72 Spring Street)
Pylones: colorful cuteness (69 Spring St
Tierra: handmade jewelry (65 Spring St between Lafayette St & Cleveland Pl)
Dessert at Rice To Riches: Rice pudding goodness! (37 Spring St)
Walk to East Village about 1 mile stopping along the way:
Calvin Tran: “hear go hell come!” (246 Mulberry St)
Pass Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral (263 Mulberry St between Jersey St & Prince St)
Cat Fish Greetings: handmade cards (219A Mulberry Street)
Billy’s Antiques and Props: in green tent, quirkiness (76 East Houston St)
Dashwood Books: Photography bookstore (33 Bond Street between 2nd St &
Bowery)
The Smile: yarn, art, & coffee for refueling (26 Bond St)
The Future Perfect: art + kitsch (55 Great Jones St)
Hannah Clark: handmade jewelry (60 E. 4th St)
Sara’s Vintage & Handmade Jewelry (65 E. 4th St)
Random Accessories: random knick knacks (77 E 4th St at Bowery and 2nd Ave)
East Village Books:used bookstore (99 St. Marks Pl between 1st Ave & Avenue A)
De La Vega Museum: funky art w/ a message. ( 102 St. Marks Pl)
AuH20: handmade clothes & jewelry (84 E. 7th St)
TEICH designs: handmade bags & jewelry (84 East 7th St.)
Cobblestones: reasonably priced vintage accessories ( 314 E 9th St between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave)
Local Clothing: cheap thrifting! (328 East 9th Street)
Katinka: Hand-dyed Indian textiles (303 E. 9th St)
A Repeat Performance: quirky antiques (156 1st Avenue)
Obscura Antiques: sublimely bizarre! (280 East 10th St)
Drop off bags in my room.
Play Dead show at 8:00 at the Player’s Theatre (115 MacDougal St.) pick up ticket at will call window.
Falafel at Mamouns (119 MacDougal St)
Taxi back to room.

Wednesday:
Breakfast at Skylight Diner (402 West 34th St.@ 9th Ave)
Photo Walkabout tour of Chinatown & Five Points from 10-12:30
Eat lunch in Chinatown.
Visit the WTC site, St. Paul memorial, & Trinity Church
Visit Battery Park for views of harbor and SOL.
Visit the Irish Hunger Memorial. (290 Vesey Street)
if time Take the Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall Terminal Manhattan.
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge.
Visit Jacques Torres Chocolate. (66 Water Street)
visit some galleries/boutiques in DUMBO if time:
Powerhouse Arena: art and books (37 Main St between Water St & Howard Aly)
Umbrage: photography gallery & bookstore (111 Front St. Suite 208 between Washington St & Adams St)
Spring: Art and handmade creations (126 Front St between Adams St & Jay St)
Stewart/Stand Art & Design Store: (141-A Front St between Pearl St & Jay St)
Shoot the bridges from Brooklyn Bridge Park & Manhattan skyline at sunset.
dinner somewhere cheap and quant.

Thursday:
Sunrise at Roosevelt Island Tramway (app. 5:30 am)
Photograph the 19th century smallpox hospital at south tip of island.
Take tram back to Manhattan
Shoot the Flat Iron Building and Madison Square Park.
Breakfast at Eisenberg Sandwich Shop, get sandwich for later.
Leave for Newark 12:30 pm
Flight home 2:50 pm

Bat Mitzva Dress

2011-04-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Since I'm back to my old blogging self again I thought I would reach out to you all for help solving a shopping delima I've been agonizing over. I have my niece's Bat Mitzva in May in New York and I have no idea what to wear. I'm assuming a nice dress that I would wear to a wedding or other special event is appropriate but I just can't decide. I have a few picked out from my favorite dress shop on-line, eShakti. They will even customize the dress if you don't like the sleeves or length which I love about them. I know the pictures are kind of blurry since I had to blow them up but if you click on them it will give you the full view.

I'm afraid the first black and white one might be a bit too casual but it's actually my favorite. It's a light cotton and I could probably get a lot of use out of it after the event. But I don't want to stand out as the informal aunt from the midwest, especially since we've already been told Mike needs to wear a tie and jacket.

The purple and black is a bit more formal but it's also not as much my style either. I like it but I don't love it. The next black one is my compromise dress. I think it's a bit more formal since it's primarily black but it's still a lightweight cotton that I could get a lot of use from. But is it formal enough is the question? The last option is the most formal of them all. It's a little black cocktail type dress that I probably would find little reason to wear again but I know I wouldn't stand out in the crowd.

If you have any opinions on these possibilities I would love to hear it. Thanks!

Coming Home

2011-04-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know if anyone still cares or not but I am finally coming back from my extended blog vacation. I don't quite know what happened this year to cause my first major blogger's block. But the longer I waited to post the less I seemed to have to say and the harder it was to break the silence. My old blog buddy Nancy from N. Fallon Design Studio sent me a very sweet card in the mail this week that made me realize it was time to come back home. I shot the above of the girls on the first weekend I had my brand new Lensbaby. I will be devoting an entire post to my new love later I'm sure.

It's been a pretty difficult year but I won't go into it all now. The short version is that I've been fighting the major D, which saps the will to interact with anyone right out of me. Also, one of our dearest friends is in the middle of chemo treatment. This has caused an incredible amount of stress and drama for Mike and I both, which honestly neither of us handles all that well.

I haven't been knitting much either so I don't have much to show for my time off. I finished a vest for myself that I'll post later this week. I have made some good changes too but I will go into those on another day.

I will try to check in with some of my old pals today. I really have missed the support and connections from the blog world. I know lots of you have taken breaks too. I was wondering how you got yourself back into the swing of things after an extended break? Was it just like getting back on the old bike, which ironically I actually never learned to ride in the first place...

Write On!

2011-01-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

I'm very proud of my literary boys this week. Mike finished the second draft of his science fiction novel about accidental time travel. I read the first draft and was pleasantly surprised at how engrossing it was even for me, a non-sci fi nerd. He's sending copies out to friends and family now for input before he starts soliciting agents. He has started writing at least 3 novels since we've been together but this is the first that he has actually completed so I'm especially proud of him, even if it never gets published beyond the Kinko copy he is carrying around doing line by line edits as we speak.

A great inspiration for Mike's perseverance is one of his best buddies Brian Katcher. This shot is from our New Mexico Adventure last summer with he and his super sweet wife Sandy. Brian has had 2 Young Adult novels published with another on the way next year. He's also working on a sci fi series with another publisher but I'm not sure about that release date. Brian recently won the 2011 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award, which is given to "works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience."

“A young adult novel about a transgender girl—told from the perspective of the straight boy who falls for her—“Almost Perfect” is exceptional. The writing is sensitive, haunting and revelatory,” said Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Award committee chair Lisa Johnston.

He's been getting a ton of great press since the award including this write up in the St. Louis Post Dispatch and even a mention on the Onion AV club. It really couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Brian and Sandy are probably the most easy going and non-judgemental people I've ever been fortunate to know.

If you have teenagers I would highly recommend his first two books, including Playing with Matches, which is actually my favorite by a slim margin of the two so far. Kai lists Brian as his favorite author on Facebook and has actually read Playing with Matches multiple times which is unheard of for him.

Sets for everyone!

2011-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

I have been having the worst blogging block I've ever experienced. Every time I sit down to my computer with a few minutes to blog I come up completely empty. The last few weeks have been really busy at work and I'm still coming out of my mid-winter blahs but hopefully I can find some inspiration soon. I need to visit my favorites and get caught up on all of your doings and that would probably get me motivated again but it's finding the time to do it. I'm hoping for another snow day tomorrow which would be the perfect time to do some blog hopping. We are supposed to get another 3-6 inches which should be enough for a day off.

So I'm posting pictures of all the sets I made for my girls for Christmas. Jess and Kate both wanted such drastically different colors that I made them each two sets, one for really cold days and one more for fun. In the top shot they are also playing with their crazy new toys I got them from Cranky Yellow which were a huge hit. Kate particularly loved her David Wolk doll with its Barby legs and bulging eye head. She said she couldn't wait to show it off (and freak her friends out).

The first adorable little girl is my niece Savannah looking all sweet in her funky new set. The second adorable little girl is Sophie, our good friend's Brian and Sandy Katcher's imp.

Snow Day!

2011-01-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

I haven't dropped completely off the planet but thanks for those who expressed concerns for my well being. I am starting to come out of my funk (my code word for major depression). I've been to my doctor, had my meds adjusted, and I'm taking some positive steps toward changes that I hope will make for a happy new year.

Today is a snow day for both Mike and I so we got to sleep in late and I spent all morning/early afternoon going through my knitting books & magazines looking for the right vest pattern to make for myself. I found it in an old Vogue magazine. It even uses one of my absolute favorite stitch patterns, the Seafoam pattern. I used my gift card from my MIL to Webs to buy the yarn for the vest and a lace shawl I'm also going to make for myself. I usually spend my gift cards on yarn for the business but this year I decided I really wanted to knit myself some nice things to wear to craft shows and for fun.

These pics are from our last snow fall on Christmas Day with the girls on the farm. Kate is all bundled up in the wild scarf/hat set I made for her with pom pom yarn. I hope you are warm and cozy where ever you are today!

Favorite Gift Given

2011-01-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

I've been pretty out of it lately and not feeling too up for being social either on-line or off. I just wanted to share my favorite gift that I was a part of this holiday. My uncle asked me to take pictures on the farm that spelled out LENOX for my Mom. I think it came out really well. It was funny how my niece Jess knew instantly where each of the letters came from. My Dad who has spent practically his entire life on the farm had to stop and think about a few of them.

I'm going to have one made for myself using the alternate fall color letters below. I will also try to spell out GEORGE here in St. Charles and hang them together. I'm planning on shooting all of the letters when I get back to the farm with plenty of time. It was fun but challenging. The L was actually the most tricky to get right for some reason.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

I honestly have been far from jolly this holiday season. Today was my last day of work until Jan. 4 and I am really looking forward to the time off. I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and I hope you have a very safe holiday. We are getting snow on Christmas Eve which I hope doesn't completely disrupt our travel plans and day. I'll let you know what Santa brings my way next week.

I think the Elf me dance is pretty cute. I didn't get the heads situated just right. Who knew I could dance that good. Actually Kai is the only one of us who could actually do those moves and he's too cool now to dance he says.

Done Dropping

2010-12-19T20:13:00.000-08:00

This shot is from the farm with a sign my Dad made. I thought it was funny and appropriate for this post. I'm sad to say that I'm done with Entrecard dropping. The network administrator has informed me that there has been suspicious activity from my computer which is causing problems with the network. He told me the times that it had happened and they all corresponded to my lunch hour or after work when I would do my EC drops.

I've been growing disgruntled with EC for awhile but had continued to participate albeit much less often than in the past. But clearly the system is so corrupt and buggy that I can't risk my home computer either. I'm going to leave the button up for the time being since I don't think it's hurting anything and if it brings a little traffic in that's fine too.

I will now have to really think about how I want to keep this little blog going. I will be following the blogs that I regularly dropped on and using Google Friend Connect to do my blog hopping from now on. Hopefully I can find other less risky ways to connect with bloggers. Perhaps this might be just the thing I need to get me out of my blogging rut I've been in.

Fall

2010-12-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

I'm seriously missing Fall right now. These are a few shots I took on the farm last month. It has been below freezing here for the past 2 weeks. We had snow on Monday and freezing rain on Wednesday but neither one was enough to earn a snow day.

I am really paranoid about walking in the snow this year after my major fall in January. Everyone keeps telling me to be careful which I am but I really wish that I could just stay inside, which unfortunately isn't an option. I can't hide from my fears for the whole Winter whenever there is any bad weather. The worst part is when I have to walk through the snow in my driveway. Getting out to scrap gives me a panic attack every time since that is when I fell last year and had to crawl through the snow with my fractures to get to my cell phone.

When the snow clears I am going to insist on getting the garage door replaced. I tried to convince Mike to do it this Spring when we were having the other work done on the house but he didn't want to spend the money then. This time I'm not going to take no for an answer since I don't think I can take the anxiety for the next 3 months of scraping.

I'm having a hard time getting excited about Christmas too. We will only be seeing the girls for around 24 hours which takes most of the fun out of it. I'm really looking forward to the week and a half off of work which I desperately need this year. I don't have much of anything planned which should be a nice chance to regroup.

A year in FB posts

2010-12-14T05:17:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post with a cool app on Facebook that randomly puts together a sample of your status posts for the year. It's interesting to see what was going on in my head although possibly not so much to an outsider. If you want to make one for yourself you can go here if you are on FB. It would be cool if there was a way to do that for your blog.

Cleaning Green

2010-12-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

I'm sure that everyone has probably heard of Drugstore.com. But did you know what an amazing array of all natural products they have. This is totally not a paid aid, I just really love the convenience of shopping from them especially with free shipping when you spend a certain amount. You can get 10% off your entire order by going through this link for the next few days.

They have so many more environmentally friendly products including a much fuller selection of Seventh Generation products than our local supermarkets. They have the softest recycled toilet paper we've found and also other feminine products which you can feel better about using. I also started using their concentrated laundry liquid recently and it works really well. I've always been scared to try other products besides good old fashioned Era since my skin is so sensitive and that is what I've used since birth, but the Free and Clear really does work and isn't irritating at all.

I have debated in my mind about whether it is worse for the environment to have the products shipped to my house in a box, sometimes with plastic wrap inside or to just buy the normal products at the local store. I realize that I'm probably over thinking things here and that these are concerns that many people in the world would love to have time to worry about. But I do feel better using products that have the least impact as possible and if it takes a little bit more energy to get them to me so be it.

Random Wednesday

2010-12-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

I finally decided on a private studio in Chelsea with a garden terrace for less than the B & B in Chelsea. I found it on Craigslist but after many e-mails I feel comfortable with the arrangement. He has feedback on this site and pictures of the room which made me feel a lot better. He offered to have our friend who lives in Brooklyn come by and see the place before we paid the deposit which seemed like a lot to ask, but it was reassuring that he offered. The other place I contacted from Craigslist replied back immediately asking for 50% to be wired to him Western Union to hold the room. Talk about running the other way.

I spent the entire day Sunday making my Dad a coffee table book called Scenes from Lenox Farms. I had it made by A & I Books and if I had paid full price it would have been over $100. I had a Groupon so I got a deal but I still ended up paying way more than I usually do for photobooks on Snapfish so I hope the quality is worth it.

The shot of Jess running down the hill is one of Dad's favorites. I shot it with my old point and shoot but with some tweaking in photoshop I think it looks pretty cool now. I used the technique I learned in my class to convert to black and white and then bring part of the picture back to color in these two shots. I spent so much time editing every picture but I think my Dad will appreciate it.

I think that I have all of my holiday shopping done. Hopefully everything will arrive on time. There has been a box on the door everyday this week. It's fun opening them up and seeing what I bought even if they aren't for me. Hanukkah snuck up on me this year so the nieces and nephew in New York will be getting their gifts late but I don't think they'll mind having something to open after the festivities have died down for them.

New York State of Mind.

2010-12-05T12:11:00.000-08:00

Set of 5 mounted greeting cards - NYC street scenes
by Googla

I'm starting to plan our trip to New York in early June. It's our niece's Bat Mitzvah and they live in upstate. I've never been to the city before so I've convinced Mike to stay a few nights in Manhattan before we come home. I'm really confused by all the choices of places to stay in the city. I really want to stay in a neighborhood and not in a chain hotel with millions of tourists.

All that I really know about New York is from the movies of course. I really like the looks of this Guest House in Chelsea called Dupay's Landing. It says that it is "Located on a quiet, tree-lined, residential street in busy Manhattan, this is the historic New York experience that you have always wanted, but thought was an impossible dream." There are 3 rooms in a cute little brownstone and the room I'm looking at even overlooks the private garden. It's $160 which includes all the taxes per night. This is more than we generally spend but it sounds pretty reasonable for Manhattan.

There are other "b&b's" that are basically in someones apartment that are cheaper but Mike really doesn't like the idea of that. There are tons of them listed on Airbnb. It could be awkward to basically be invading someones apartment but if they are used to hosting guests I'm sure it would be fine. Mike isn't the most social traveler though.

I really need to get this thing booked before everything good gets booked up. If anyone has any suggestions about cool places to stay in New York or neighborhoods you would recommend looking into I would really appreciate it.

The Many Faces of Kate

2010-12-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

I would have to say that my niece Kate is the most expressive and unique kid I've ever been lucky enough to know. These shots were all taking over the Thanksgiving break. Not only is she incredibly intelligent but she also has an immense imagination. Her family calls it Kate's world. Her older sister pointed out that Kate sometimes says something to you forgetting that you aren't involved in the conversation going on in her head.

I sometimes think my sister is in over her head with trying to raise Kate but she really does try to understand her and help her to develop as best she can. Because Kate is exploring music and taking piano lessons this year Angie has asked everyone in the family to make or buy a CD of music that best represents us or that we enjoy for Kate. I thought that this was a great idea and can't wait to share some of my favorites with her.I've been doing a lot of shopping on-line this week and I found a great Toy Store called Hearth Song. Their tagline is "toys you'll feel good about giving." I would totally agree with that statement. They have very creative and interesting toys many of them with a crafty emphasis. They have a well articulated environmental policy and a story that I can really support. They are currently running a $4.99 shipping deal and a $10 reward card if you spend $50 on their site.

I bought my niece Jess a Design your Own Lamp as she has been getting into decorating lately. I got my nephew a kid sized metal detector as he is very into geocaching with his Mom and loves to explore the outdoors. They had kid sized bamboo knitting needles on sale for 69 cents. I'm going to give them to all the girls and see if anything of them choose to take me up on my offer to teach them to knit.
I got Kate a Physics kit from Mike that they can play with together. The two of them have always had such a special bond. I think it's because she recognizes a kindred spirit and considers him her intellectual equal. I took 10 shots of her sitting on his lap and each one of them was totally different. The two of them were hamming it up like crazy in most of them but there was something about this one that I really liked.

I am of course still buying handmade for some gifts this year but I have found that you have to supplement the handmade with other gifts that will help them to explore their own creativity. Kate is also into drawing and cartooning right now so I have bought her a bunch of supplies and how to books on Amazon including a Beginners' Sketching/Drawing Artist Kit. I do so love shopping and shopping for my nieces is the most fun of all.

Last day to Enter!

2010-12-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that today is the last day to enter my Bag It Up Giveaway. You could win one of three prizes. Each has a gently used handmade bag with a matching wire wristcuff made by me. See the details here. I haven't been doing a lot of promotion, or really any, so there are only 31 entries as of today. So your chances of winning one of them is really good.

My new Hat Listings

2010-11-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

I had an absolutely delightful Thanksgiving holiday. I had some relaxing and enjoyable days with my immediate family and the chaos of Thanksgiving day with the whole Lenox clan. I'll share pictures from the week later but I just wanted to share my new hat listings today. I got my niece Jess to do some modeling for me. She's turning into a real beauty and growing up so fast. She had fun being a super model for a few hours and did a great job I think.

These are the three hats that I have just listed in my Etsy shop. I've decided to build up my shop again as I had 2 sales the past few weeks without even trying including my most expensive scarf/hat set. Perhaps things are starting to turn around for online sales after all.The top hat is called Naturally Pink and was knit with an organic wool with environmentally friendly dyes. I used a chevron ribbed stitch which shows off the colors nicely and has lots of give. The black striped beanie is is called Silk Mountain and is from my favorite yarn brand, Noro. It is a wool, silk, mohair blend and is super soft and warm. And finally the Perfectly Purple Hat was knit with a wool handspun in lovely shades of purple, blue, and green.

She also modeled some scarves too but I haven't had time to edit or list any of them yet. I'll share when I can. It's too bad she doesn't live closer as it would be nice to have such a willing model close by.

Merry Christmas For Me!

2010-11-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

Handmade Christmas For Me! by paigegeorge

So the big holiday shopping season is almost upon us. I've already gotten my big gift for the year. My Mom and Uncle got me the Canon Speedlite 430EX, an external flash for my camera, for my birthday/Christmas. I haven't had a chance to play with it much but I'm hoping to put it to use this week with the girls.

Amazon.com Widgets

I was doing some looking for fun on my two favorite shopping sites since the network is down this week at work and no work is being done of any kind in our office today. I found the two cool widgets at the top of the page. These are books and stuff that I'd love to find in my stocking from amazon and the top one is a list compiled from etsy. I originally made a treasury of it you can find here. But I just discovered the site kaboodle and put together a wish list and made a widget which is easy to add to a site. I think this may become my preferred way of sharing items on my blog. Let me know if you have any troubles with seeing it or slow loading time.

So do you plan on venturing out for any Black Friday Shopping adventures? What are you hoping to find under your tree this year?

Happy Birthday Ani!

2010-11-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

I finally feel as though I'm returning to the land of the living today. I have been on antibiotics for 4 days now but it was a seriously nasty infection in my ears and the start of bronchitis in my chest.

November is the month of birthdays around here with Ani's getting the highest priority. We had her friend birthday party on Saturday at the Painted Zebra. It's a paint your own pottery place so they could get creative and messy without the cleanup. I think the girls had a good time painting their trinket boxes. Ani painted an ice cream cone box and made it look like the ice cream was melting down the cone which I thought was very creative.

She's now 10 going on 21 which is troubling at times. Sometimes I catch myself talking to her like she's an adult. I can't remember what I had said but she actually told me one time, "Aunt Paige, sometimes I think that you forget that I'm only 9 years old." She is definitely becoming her own person now which is exciting to watch. She has her own dramatic flair just like her Aunt and I hope that she won't lose that spark as she grows.

This last shot if from her family party a few weeks ago with her Dad.

Mother/Daughter Weekend.

2010-11-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

There was a whole lot of mother/daughter bonding going on this weekend. In fact, I would call it the theme of the event for me. I spent more alone time with my Mom than I have years. This was nice, except for the being sick as a dog on Sunday part. The craft show day was cold and windy which was good for my sales but it didn't help my cold much to say the least. I'm still coughing up a storm and just hoping to make it through the day at work.

I had a lot of support from family and friends at this event which made it extra special for me. It's going to be a very Lenox Knits Christmas at the Barnitz household this year for sure. They are the amazingly supportive neighbors and old family friends that bought many gifts to exchange this year.

Lisa and her daughter were going to have to miss the show on Saturday so they came over the night before to get a advance show all to themselves. They had a lot of fun playing in my tubs and frolicking in the knitwear. Kennedy is an absolute doll and she is an excellent model too. I plan on having her do some modeling for me the next time I'm home for my Etsy shop.
I also made a surprising number of stranger sales which was encouraging. I got lots of compliments from Mom's friends but the rest of my sales were to the hip, discerning shoppers of Rolla like this pair here. They were my last customers of the day and two of my favorites. They are future mother and daughter in laws and they had a lot of fun picking out their scarves. They had a nice camaraderie and they let me take a picture with their chosen scarves.

I think that I will probably do this event next year as well. It's a nice change of pace from the indie shows I do and it was a good day for sales to boot. I can almost fit all of my inventory into one tub which is a first in awhile. You can tell that I have had things priced to move this year for sure.

Rolla Holiday Bazaar!

2010-11-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

I'm heading back down to the farm this afternoon for the Rolla Holiday Bazaar tomorrow from 9:00-4:00. Mom and I will be setting up my booth bright and early. It will be fun to have her there for the day. Kai is the only person I've ever had help me with a show before. Something tells me that Mom will do less texting and complaining but I could be wrong.

The above shots are from last weekend at the farm. We went down for the annual hunting cabin party. You can see the good ole blue grass band that Dad and my cousin Beth are dancing too in the panning shot. The top one is of my friend Tif riding Bob. We had a very relaxing weekend which I'm afraid won't be the case this time but hopefully it will be worth it.

My Veteran's Day Thoughts

2010-11-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

Saying Happy Veteran's Day sounds a bit silly to me but I thought I would share my two family veteran's day pictures. The top shot is my grandfather on my mother's side, Jay Parscale, who fought in WWII. I don't know a lot about his story but I think he was also an Army cook. He is gone now but definitely not forgotten. This handsome young man is my Dad. He was an information specialist in the Marines in the very early days of the Vietnam War. He was sent out on his own for weeks at a time and sent back information via Morse code. He was also there for the buildup during the Cuban missile crisis. He often tells the story of how he was sent across the island during a hurricane to deliver a message and he had to crawl on his hands and knees holding on for dear life. I also know that there are lots of stories that he doesn't tell and wishes that he could forget.

As you may know I am the peace loving type and I dearly wish that there was no need for any young man or woman to go through what my Dad and Papaw had to experience. But until that day comes I'm very grateful that there are people willing to put themselves at great risk for our freedoms.

Bag It Up Giveaway with Lenox Knits!

2010-11-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've done a giveaway around here. I thought it was time to do some fall cleaning and chose 3 lightly used bags that I would like to pass onto to good homes. They are all handmade and still in very good condition. I will include a matching wire wrist cuff hand knit by me to each winner.
The bags are each approximately 9" x 12" which is a little small for my everyday bag but perfect for most normal people.

The orange flower purse was the first bag I ever purchased on Etsy in 2007. It was made by Blossom Arts who also works in polymer clay and made the button enclosure. I actually thought about taking the button off the purse and using it on something else but I couldn't bring myself to destroy her vision of the purse since it really is the perfect compliment to the design. I'm including a gold wire wrist cuff with orange and yellow beads.

Supastarr made the blue/tan flower purse in the middle of the top shot. I've bought screen printed tee shirts for Mike from her on several occasions. I'm including a silver wire wristcuff with blue seed beads and shell beads.

I cannot for the life of me remember when or where I got the blue batik quilted purse. I think it may have been at a craft show but it has no tags so I have no idea who the maker was. I'm including a silver wire wristcuff with gray seed beads and shell beads.
I'm keeping the rules really simple this time:

For the first entry just let me know what you look for in a handmade bag and/or where you bought your last bag. Please include your e-mail address if there is not a link to it on your profile page.
For an additional entry you may follow my blog with Google Friend Connect. If you already follow just let me know.
For a third entry you can add my blog to your blog roll and leave a link.
And finally you can earn another two entries for blogging about the contest. Please give a link to the blog post and leave two comments here.

As always please leave a comment for each entry.

There will be three winners chosen by random number generator on December 1, 2010. I'm opening it to the United States only this time to keep shipping cost down.

I don't really have time for all the promotional efforts that I normally do for my giveaways so your chances should be really good on this one. I'm looking forward to your responses and hoping that there are some other bag addicts out there that will get some good use out of these handmade creations.

Cinderella Project

2010-11-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

Details about my giveaway should be coming tomorrow. I don't have the time and energy for a big production this time around but this one should still be fun.

I just wanted to ask you to take a few minutes to vote for a very worthwhile program for girls in need in the St. Louis area. The Cinderella Project collects donated prom dresses and also provides makeup and free alterations for the dresses. They are participating in the Pepsi Good Idea Program. If they are one of the top 10 vote getters then they will receive funding to buy much needed plus size gowns. As a big girl myself now I know how important choices are when it comes to clothes. These girls deserve to have as much fun picking out their dresses as their skinny counterparts.

If you have a facebook account it takes less than a minute to vote. You can vote everyday through Dec. 1 and you can also post it on your facebook page to ask more people to vote if you want to really be helpful.
Here is the details on what they will use the money for.
Overview: The Metro St. Louis Cinderella Project has collected over 4000 dresses from the public in the past two prom seasons. We collect an amazing selection of dresses in sizes 2-12, but as the sizes get larger, the selection of prom appropriate dresses decreases. The young women that are referred to our project are of all shapes and sizes. A lot of the girls we see are needing plus size dresses. Our inventory of dresses in sizes 14 + is limited. Our goal is to have an equal selection of prom appropriate dresses for the plus size girls as there are for the smaller size girls.

Bag It Up

2010-11-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

So I finally made my purchase for my new winter bag. I actually went with one that was not part of my post yesterday. I ended up with the Skull Tote in Damask and Paisley by Moka Designs . I really love the rich red and browns and there are a total of 8 pockets and tons of room inside which is what sold me.

I'm sure I will be buying from the sellers in my post from yesterday in the future as I am such a purse slut. I am always shopping around and rarely go back to the same seller twice. Mike says I have a serious bag problem. When I told him I was shopping for my winter bag he asked if that meant I was going to get rid of some of my previous ones. He said "why don't you pass some of your other handmade bags on so that someone else can enjoy them?"

This really got me thinking and I have a giveaway planned that I will be announcing later this week. If you like handmade goodies you should definitely stay tuned for this one.

Big, Bold, and full of Crap

2010-11-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Recycled Embridered Tribal...

MadeYouLook2

$49.00 USD
Large Wool felted Peace Tr...

PEACEandLOVE...

$38.50 USD
Large - Reversible - Hobo ...

retrofied

$48.00 USD
Miyabags Shiny red--Embroi...

miyabags

$52.50 USD
The Melanie tote-Autumn le...

SilkandPurpl...

$50.00 USD

It's definitely time for a new handbag in my world. I've been carrying the same one for over 6 months which is almost unheard of for me. And on top of that it's not even handmade, gasp. I bought it in a moment of weakness at the mall on one of my first trips out of the house after my surgery. I've tried to get my monies worth by carrying it for longer than usual but it's time to let it go and get myself a handmade winter bag. I've gotten it narrowed down to 5 choices. If you want to see all the ones I have considered check out this treasury.

My requirements in a bag are such: It must be big. I carry a lot of crap around and must have something capable of fitting it all comfortably, preferably with lots of pockets to attempt to keep me organized. I need a long and sturdy strap. Too many handmade bags have little straps which just aren't practical in the real world. I prefer if they use upcycled materials as in the first two bags in my choices, but this is not a requirement.

I'm still really torn between a bold pattern like number 1 or 4 and something more earthy and natural like number 2 or 5. I guess it is the classic contrast in my life, between say Mondo's designs and Gretchens' to tie it in to my last post. Number 3 might be a good compromise I suppose and it is reversible which is nice.

So which bag would you pick? I'll tell you tomorrow which one I'm decided on. I know that the fate of the world does not depend on this but on a day like today when many of the decisions we are making in the polling booth are so important a frivolous choice seemed like a nice diversion.

A Travisity of Justice

2010-10-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

I honestly don't think I am overstating it when I say that our house was in deep mourning last night over the horrendous ending to an otherwise perfect season of Project Runway. Mondo was absolutely robbed of his rightful title and I think that there should be some investigation of the judging. Perhaps it is time to clean house and get rid of old ladies Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. If they think that Gretchen's old lady underwear with brown prints is "on fashion trend" then I think it's time for them to move on. We need someone who can recognize real talent and not feel threatened by it.
Mondo's collection was fresh, colorful, and alive. Gretchen's was sad, drab, and uninspired. This is coming from a hippy dippy type who you would think would be her target audience. Her opening look is above and is representative of the entire collection. She had 3 different looks with those droopy knit underwear. Who in the world would actually wear those things out of the house?
This is the controversial final look from Mondo's collection which probably cost him the win. Nina and Michael didn't like it and told him last week. I personally agree with Tim Gunn that it was the perfect closing of the show and would absolutely wear it if I had the body or someplace to wear it. There were at least 6 of his looks that I would wear unlike Gretchen's sad collection. After the emotional highs and lows of this season it just seemed inevitable that Mondo would come out on top.

I believe that Missy Schwartz, who writes the recaps for EW sums it up best, "I am aghast. As I sit here at 11:16 p.m., the minutes piling up before I get to go to bed and try to forget the travesty that was tonight’s finale, I am at a loss as to what to say. Other than this: Project Runway has betrayed me. Nina and Michael have betrayed me. No, they’ve betrayed us, we the faithful Runway nuts who have stuck with the show through thick and thin, even when it went off the rails in L.A."

I have never felt so strongly about a reality show conclusion in my life. Luckily Mike is equally aghast so we can discuss it at great length. That is one thing I love about Mike, he actually prefers Project Runway to football. Does anyone else have strong feelings about last night's show or do you think I might be a bit too emotionally invested in a reality show?

Unexpected Visitors

2010-10-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

So I saw this online the other day and I've been obsessed with it ever since. It is from the footage of a Charlie Chaplin premier in 1928 which filmmaker George Clark, discovered on the outtakes. It appears to show an old woman/man in drag walking down the street talking on a cell phone. There is a flat black device in her hand which she is talking into with no one else around. Some are saying it could be a time traveler but I'm sure there is some explanation we may never really know since everyone there is dead now.

I've always loved time travel movies/TV shows and ironically Mike has just finished a rough draft on a book involving accidental time travelers tentatively titled Unexpected Visitors. He has started 3 sci fi/fantasy novels since we've been together but this is the first that he's actually finished. He let me and our friend who has been published read the rough draft. I was worried that it would be crap and I would have to be supportive and lie but it's actually very well done. I pointed out some plot problems which he can easily fix and he's hoping to have it ready for submission by the end of the year. It could easily be done into a series if things go well which is the plan. There is actually a market for pulpy science fiction so there is always a chance it could be published.

Medusa's Day

2010-10-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that Medusa was my new best friend but unfortunately this was one gamble that didn't pay off so well. It was a perfectly pleasant day with some lovely booth neighbors but I sold a grand total of 4 scarflettes. The Medusa shot is of a big sign they had out which I posterized in Photoshop.

It was an unseasonably warm day which hurt my sales, and the event was a bit too spread out so I don't think we had as much traffic as we could have. They had booths in 3 different locations, some outside and some inside, and entertainment was all over the place . I don't think people were clear on where things were which caused some confusion. I think I pretty much broke even when you factor in the booth fee, food, gas, and a few other things I bought for the day.

I was happy with my booth display. I don't know why I didn't sell any scarves or wristcuffs but I guess it was just a scarflette crowd, what there was of it. I did sell a scarflette to a former Smashanista which I thought was cool. When they walked in I thought they looked familiar and then I heard someone talking about roller derby and I made the connection. I didn't think to take a picture of her in the scarflette which I am beating myself up about today.

I made a trade with the lovely Mandi from My Lovies. I chose a locket with a few beads but I came really close to choosing this beautiful pendant with old lace.

I had some good quality time with Kai, although he said he made 1000 texts during the day. I don't know how many different ways you can say I'm bored but I think he found a few hundred.

I'm looking forward to my last show of the year, the Rolla Holiday Bazaar on November 13. Hopefully there will be a good scarf buying crowd awaiting me there.

Off to Meet Medusa!

2010-10-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Medusa's Craft Menagerie from 11 am to 7 pm today. It will be spread out throughout the 3100 block of Cherokee Street and will include the participating shops: Fort Gondo, The Archive, Peridot, STL Style House, Snowflake Gallery, Cherokee peach. You can also find my stuff at Peridot among all of the other great handmade goodies on consignment.

I'm not real sure what to expect from the day so I'm prepared for just about anything. I'm bringing Kai to help out and keep me company. I know that there will be lots of entertainment including a fashion show, live music, and a fire performance of some kind.

So if your local I hope you will come out and say hi and partake of Medusa's wonderment.

Opening My Eyes

2010-10-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

I was checking out the Huff Post Arts page yesterday and found a really inspirational article I just had to share. It's called Relish the Art That Surrounds You by Agnes Gund. The main premise is that we should take time to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us wherever we are. This line sums it up nicely, "I'm talking about the ubiquitous examples of the lift, the alert, the surprise and small thrills that come from acknowledging the loveliness that is both momentary and constant in the every day, ordinary encounters of our lives."

I was actually thinking about a post like this for awhile but just didn't have the foundation until I read this article. She says exactly what I was thinking far better than I could so I do hope you check it out. Ever since I took up photography as a hobby/new obsession I really feel like I've begun to see the world differently. A day doesn't go by that I don't frame an image in my mind as I'm walking down the sidewalk or driving down the street. I used to be so much more in my own head, not noticing the world around me as I do now. I see the world in images now and am constantly amazed at the beauty I encounter in my own little world.

She talks about places that she goes to explore beauty where she lives in New York City. I don't have the diversity of this local but I think I have just as much beauty to explore in my own neighborhood. So here is my own list of places in St. Charles, MO that I have photographed and can go back to time again to discover more beauty:

St. Charles Frontier Park. This includes the docks and riverfront views in the top shot. There are also countless festivals and gatherings held throughout the year that are not only great photo ops but just lots of fun.
St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery. This old cemetery was founded in 1856 and has some of the most important residents of St. Charles buried in it. It also has lots of really cool old statues and headstones that I love to photograph. I caught it right at sunset with the big cross for one of my classes earlier in the year.
Busch Wildlife Conservation Area. This is only 20 minutes from my house and is a wonderful opportunity to explore nature and discover beauty anytime of year. I definitely need to get out there soon to capture the season change and some fall colors. The goose in flight is one of my favorites that I've shot there.
Lindenwood University campus. This is my alma mater and is one of the oldest schools this side of the Mississippi. I can practically walk to the campus from my house and there is some amazing architecture and walking paths with beauty to explore right next door.
Frenchtown. This is the old Main Street of St. Charles and in addition to great antiques shopping there are also beautiful old buildings, a working trolley, horse drawn carriages, and other seasonal opportunities with people dressed in costumes.

These are just the ones that came to my mind this morning. I didn't include anything on the other side of the bridge which opens up a whole other world of possibilities.

I know it's a cliche, "to stop and smell the roses", but I guess that is what I'm really trying to say. I'm really thankful for all of the beauty I'm lucky to have around me. I love our little corner of the world and as much as I wonder about what else is out there beyond my neck of the woods I really wouldn't change things one bit.

Blogging is Hard.

2010-10-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

Anyone who is reading this is probably well aware that maintaining a blog is not easy. Anyone can post randomness once a month and call it a blog but to actually be consistent is really hard. Add to that the need to interact and be a part of the community and you practically have a full time job on your hands. The Embrace Your Narrative Key Chain comes with book and pen charms and silver split ring and is from fellow blogger Risky Beads. She maintains not just one but two handmade blogs including the Handmade Highway.

I honestly feel I've been a bit derelict in my duties the past 6-9 months. I've gone through the motions and posted at least 2 or 3 times a week and checked in with my blog buddies at least once a week but the passion was gone. This week I decided to try to recapture again what it is I have always loved about blogging. Mainly it is about being a part of a community.

I have the EC community and then the larger crafting community. I have seen Entrecard get overrun with spammers and won't even open up my drops inbox anymore for fear of what half naked pictures and other annoyances will be there. I've developed my Favorites list there of blogs I like in the system and who drop back regularly on me. You can find the list here and if you are in EC and would like to be added to my favorites that I drop on at least 3 times a week just let me know in the comments.

I also decided to make a commitment to be more a part of the wider blog community. I don't leave as many comments as I know I should and I hope to get over that lurking impulse. I went through the blogs I follow and cleaned up the list. I unfollowed anyone who hadn't posted in the past few months. This reaffirmed how hard blogging is as there were many abandoned blogs on my list. I have it down to a healthy 140 blogs. You can see the list on my profile here if you like. Now that all the dead weight is gone I can actually use my Reading List as it was intended to be used.

I also added some new blogs to My blog List on the right column. This blog roll is prime real estate as the more links to your blog the higher your google page rank. I'm still proud of my Google Page Rank 3 which took me 2 years to achieve. If you have a creative blog, not necessarily crafty but it doesn't hurt, you post at least once a week and would like to exchange links on our blog list you can also let me know in my comments.

I wanted to highlight a few of my new featured bloggers and recommend that you check them out. Some of the blogs on my list are well established with many followers like Makeunder My Life, and a few are just really well written blogs that have yet to be discovered like Cara Makes. Cara has a real way with words and is also very creative to boot.

I absolutely adore hipchic designs natural aesthetic and she really inspires me to try my hand at something new.

Additions Style has a very inspirational blog for the creative types. She has a modern design aesthetic which is refreshing to the eyes.

I also added Moonangelnay, who is a fellow longtime EC member. I have always respected her work and her commitment to blogging.

So I am going to make a commitment to return blog comments in a much more consistent way and to really try to be a supportive member of this wonderful community. I've gotten so much support myself through the past 3 years both personally and creatively and I really am grateful that there are people that still check in on me regularly.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

My Photoshop class is half way done and I've learned a lot so far. I thought I would share some of my homework assignments from the past few weeks. You can see the original image of the first one here. It's from the Sandia Peak Mountain at sunset in New Mexico. I added an artistic filter, I think called Cutout.

This is a church in Taos, NM. The assignment was to apply all of the different adjustment layers and come up with something cool.
This is a bug in my backyard. The assignment was to turn the picture black and white and then bring one thing back to color. The last one was a silly card I made for my sister's b-day. It's a shot of her dog Boozer that I took.
I still have so much to learn but I'm starting to get a handle on how layers work finally.

Opening Doors on Cherokee Street

2010-10-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

I've had a few interesting developments on the crafting front the past week. I was beginning to get frustrated and wondering if it was really worth it. I tend to get easily discouraged but not getting into the Rock n Roll Show was actually a good wake up call for me. It got me thinking outside the box and looking for other venues that I would have overlooked otherwise.

I contacted peridot, a new craft venue on Cherokee Street. Here is the description on their site: A workshop space for local talent to thrive and grow. Offering various classes in areas like sewing, knitting, stained glass work and much more! We also have a consignment shop for local artists to sell their treasures.

They are also where the upcycle exchange is being housed and since I had some things to drop off this weekend I decided to bring some of my knitting for them to check out. I ended up leaving the things I brought to consign, which was very exciting. They didn't have any scarf/hat sets yet which she liked. I will work on some more of these that I think would be a good fit for their clientele of indie artsy types.

I really love the vibe down on Cherokee Street. It is in South City, where all the cool people are moving. I really hate driving in the city but the two times I've gone down to Cherokee I haven't gotten lost or had trouble finding a parking spot. I didn't take the time to really explore on Saturday as I had Ani with me and we were trying to get back in time to get pictures of Kai in his homecoming garb. A failed mission, but take my word for it, he looked sharp. I have a shopping date set up with a friend in a few weeks to explore all the antiques shops, thrift stores, and art/craft venues.

Peridot is also sponsoring a craft show in a few weeks that I think I'm going to go ahead and do. It is only a $30 booth fee and should be good exposure. It is called Medusa's Craft Menagerie, which is actually a lot of fun to say. I was driving Mike crazy last night saying it over and over. It sounds like it could be a fun event too. Here is what the invite says:

On Saturday, October 23rd, Medusa's Craft Menagerie will debut on the 3100-3200 block of Cherokee Street in Benton Park West. Celebrating the emerging “Upper West Cherokee” creative district, this all-day event will feature eclectic arts, one-of-a-kind crafts, delicious edibles, live music, a offbeat fashion show, fire performances, and much more!

In addition to these opening doors I've also got another more traditional venue that is interested in consignment that I will talk about on another day.

Oh So Missoni!

2010-10-08T08:04:00.001-07:00

Generally speaking I don't much keep up on trends in the world of fashion. I have had pretty much the same sense of style since I was 13. I like bold patterns, long skirts, loose knits, and chunky jewelry. I do most of my clothes shopping at thrift or resell shops, supplemented by the occasional online outlet purchase from my favorite big girl shops Torrid and Ulla Popken.

I sometimes like to rate the runway looks on Elle. About 90% of the time my favorite look is the least popular one which says a lot about my ability to choose what is popular. I, of course, watch Project Runway religiously, thanks Lifetime for actually giving us a riveting season this year. But other than those two fashion diversions I am pretty much out of the high fashion loop.

The one designer that I do actively follow or at least check out each season is Missoni. This really shouldn't be any surprise as Missoni is known for knitwear and bold patterns. This year I love the fall RTW collection even more perhaps than the scarftastic 2009 line. I love the patchwork knits and use of granny squares. And how cool are the high collars and scarflettes on every single look. I really like the ones with zippers, like the blue one here. I'm totally wondering if I could find a way to use zippers in my own work.

I love the color palette which is perfect for fall and winter. I also really like the interesting shapes of the knitwear and the asymmetrical looks. I will definitely be thinking about them as I add to my inventory in the coming months.

I also checked out the Spring 2011 line that just showed on the runway and all I can say is WOW. The wild colors and prints are absolutely mind boggling. Some might say head ache inducing but not I. I love the hats and scarves. Each look had a colorful scarf wrapped around the neck which I think is awesome for Spring.
Do you have any favorite designers that show up in your work sometimes?

Sets For Sale!

2010-10-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

A month ago I posted about my indecision regarding my Etsy shop here. I've decided that it's important to have some sort of online presence even if it's not as active as I have kept it in the past. That way the customers who take my card at my shows have a way to shop in the future, etc. I also think that my empty shop may have hurt my chances of getting into the Rock n Roll Show as well.

I went ahead and renewed the items that I had listings for that didn't sell at the Strange Folk Festival and listed a few of my scarf/hat sets this week. I must say that the listing process has definitely been improved since the last time I did it awhile ago. I also like that you can use pictures that aren't perfectly square now.
The top shot is of my Fabulously Pink Set. I have it priced at $40 for both the scarf and the hat. I also have a teal set in the same pattern and size that I don't have photographed yet.

The Rainbow Bright Set is made with a machine washable acrylic and is priced at $35 for the hat and scarf together.

And finally my favorite set is the All Natural Pink Set. It was made with an organic cotton yarn with natural dyes. The scarf and hat are priced at $45 together. They are more for fashion than warmth but I think that they are a very cool ensemble.If anyone has any custom requests for scarf/hat combos I would be happy to oblige. I can probably find something in my stash to meet your color/fiber requests. If not that is just another reason to shop for yarn!

Change in Plan

2010-10-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

I recently found out that I did not get into the Rock n Roll Craft Show this year. I have to admit that this was a huge disappointment to me. There is a $40 jury fee that you don't get back for one thing. I was also counting on it being my other big venue since it was my best show last year. I sold a ton of scarves there last year and made more in one weekend than I've ever made at a show before. I thought that since they got a 15% cut of that amount that I would have a good chance at getting in again but I was wrong.

I looked at the vendors that did get in and the knitters appear to make big cowls or use higher priced yarns. I guess that they are trying to make it more like a high end boutique event but I don't think that they are going to make as much this year because of it.

So I've been scrambling around the last 2 weeks trying to come up with some alternatives. After talking to my Mom about it I think I now have a partial plan. I have decided to do the big Holiday Bazaar in my hometown of Rolla. My mom and I used to go to this together pretty regularly and it is my first memory of a craft show environment. It is obviously a more traditional craft show than I have been doing for the past few years but I think that is ok. I just need to whip up a bunch of lower end scarves in the next month to get myself ready for it.

My mom knows just about everyone in the town so I'm going to have her sit at my booth with me. Mike thinks I will have a lot of sales from the locals who stop to chat with her. They will see something they like, and because it is Joyce's daughter they will go ahead and buy it when normally they would have walked away. So yes, I plan on pimping my mother out for my business.

I am also looking into a few other alternatives that will be a better venue for my more creative work. I really hate having to rework my plans this late in the game but you have to go with the flow. I've been really lucky so far about getting into the shows that I have wanted so I shouldn't be too discouraged but that is easier said than done.

New Friends and Strange Trading

2010-09-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

I was truly blessed this year with the perfect conditions and location at the S trange Folk Festival. I was located right next to the stage so I had one quilt rack on the far end of the table and the other on the steps. I set my chair up on the stage so I was queen of my domain and could see everything going on below me. This shot to the right is from my perch with a few customers browsing my table.

I was also blessed with the friendliest vendor neighbors you could possibly ask for. Directly next to me was Lisa from Cornflower Press seen above. I was captivated by her original linoleum block art of rural images that reminded me of my childhood. I bought a plaque with the white barn house image as it reminded me of my Nana's old house. By the end of the weekend we were laughing like old friends and I hope to stay in touch with her. She has been making a living from her artwork for many years and I found her quite inspiring.

Straight ahead of me was the utterly tempting Dyeabolical Yarns. I always enjoy visiting with Rachel and drooling at all of her colorful fibers. I actually got one of her amazing handspuns in my favorite fall colors in a trade for one of my organic cotton creations. Trades are actually as good if not better than sales in my book as you get something that you probably wouldn't have bought otherwise to remind you of the day.

I also traded a hat for a set of all natural beauty products from Erin. I got the anti-aging lotion, the blemish treatment (how sad is it that I need both of these at my age), the mosquito repellent that uses catnip of all things and smells really good, and the cut and scrap balm.

I traded for a very cool fused glass plate from ArtLady Designs that she made out of a recycled shower door. Turns out she lives in the next town over from me and her husband works for the community college.

My goofy trade of the day was for a floppit from Tindlebears. I always need to get one item that will make my husband question my sanity and that will remind me of the inherent strangeness of the event. She also makes some really adorable teddy bears that would make great Christmas presents.

I bought a Christmas present for my Mom from Three Strands who does hand embroidery of nature images from rural Missouri. She is an ecologist from the parks service and I admired some of her photographs she was selling on notecards. One was of a controlled burn and when I told her that my Dad burns every year she got way more excited than a person should at that news. I love when someone is really enthusiastic about things other people don't think about so I instantly liked her.

And finally I once again enjoyed the yummy concoctions of the Hot Cookie. She was my booth neighbor last year and even though she was at a much healthier distance this year I couldn't resist her double fudge drops and Lemon Tarragon Sables.

Meeting unique people and making new friends really is the best part of Strange Folk each year, and is why I look forward to it more than any other event of the year.

Strange Folk Wrap up!

2010-09-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

I've mostly recovered from this weekend. I would have to say that this was my favorite Strange Folk Festival yet. I had a perfect spot in the covered pavilion right next to the stage so I could spread out more than those in the center aisles. I had the best booth neighbors, which I will talk about more tomorrow. Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day in the upper 70's with huge crowds most of the day. I had a perfectly acceptable number of sales but nothing spectacular. Sunday was a rainy, cold, and somewhat miserable day and guess what. I had my best day ever at Strange Folk!

On day one I didn't sell a single hat. I sold mostly lower priced scarves and a whole lot of wristcuffs which I had marked down. On day 2 I sold over half of my hats, most of my higher priced scarves, and several of my higher priced scarf/hat sets. What a difference 15 degrees makes. I felt terrible for the vendors in the tents on Sunday as many people just weren't venturing out into the park with the rain and cold. People were taking their time in the covered pavilion and those who hadn't worn a scarf that day were buying them off the rack and wearing them around. A couple of nice folks said they were leaving the tags on them for free advertising for me.
I really had some of the sweetest customers this year. My absolute favorite was the girl in this shot (posted with her mother's permission.) She bought one of my favorite hats and she had her own quirky style which I loved. I actually made 3 in this style with the tufts of Ozark Mountain Handspun sticking out every 5 rows. I will probably end up keeping the one that I didn't sell for myself. This girl fell in love with the hat as soon as she tried it on and her face just lit up. . But her Mom told her she wanted to look around to make sure there wasn't one she liked more. An hour later the girl comes running up to the table and says "I tried every hat in this entire place on and this is the perfect one." I couldn't resist taking a picture since the hat really was made for her with her little curls poking out.

My second favorite customer was a little girl around 7 or 8 who came up with her sister. They tried on every one of my wrist cuffs. She picked out a wire wrist cuff, which is the most grown up item I sell, with Eiffel tower charms, probably the most grown up of my wire wrist cuffs. It fit her barely but she had made up her mind. She got her wallet out and handed me her $7 so grown up like. I was a little worried about what her mother would think. Around 15 minutes later the whole family comes up and the mom says I just wanted to tell you that she had been shopping all weekend long and your bracelet was what she chose to spend her money on. I told her how special that made me feel and we chatted for while. The mom had bought a scarf from me the year before and I think she was a vendor.

My last customer of the day was my biggest sale of the weekend, just like the first year I did Strange Folk. It was about 15 minutes before closing time and a family came up in a flurry. Her daughter picked out one of my most expensive scarf/hat sets and the mom chose one of my $30 scarves for herself. If I had started to pack up like many of the other vendors, she probably would have passed me on by. Mike had come to help me pack up and he was sitting on the steps next to my booth. The sister sat down next to him and he was sharing his popcorn with her and they shared a moment. When the family was leaving the girl gave Mike a big hug which everyone thought was so cute.
I was pretty happy with the booth display. I sold way more items off the table this year than last year. The display items I talked about here were much more effective than the shelves I spent so much money on last year. I didn't change much from day 1 to day 2 except putting out only one head since I got tired of taking things on & off of the heads all day long Saturday. I also arranged the quilt racks by color on Sunday and not price. I ended up pricing things as $15, $20, and a few $30 scarves.

I'll share more about the weekend tomorrow, including the great trades and friends I made.

Craft Show Tidbits

2010-09-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

Last year I did a whole series of posts about craft shows as I was getting ready for the Fall season. This year not so much. I was rereading them this morning to reassure myself that I was ready for the Strange Folk Festival this weekend and thought I would share some of the highlights.

From the post Craft Show Ideas:

Another thing to consider when choosing a show is whether it is juried or not. Personally I prefer juried shows since it keeps the resellers out but there is the stress factor of waiting to see if you got in. I am not in the league to consider the high end art shows but if you are than you need to plan pretty far in advance and be willing to put out some bucks in fees. The most I've ever paid for a booth fee is $90 but I have heard of shows that cost in the hundreds of dollars that attract a high end clientele. Shows that have been around along time and have a built in clientele are worth the investment in most cases. You should consider how long they have been doing the event and if possible find out how many attended the year before. I've never done an event that charged attendees to enter but I've been told they bring out people really ready to shop.

Missouri has a site called MissouriArtsAndCrafts with a list of events and I'm sure your state probably has something similar.... Another comprehensive site is Festival Network Online. You can search events for free here but to get full details and other services it costs $49 a year. This is more than I can justify paying but I do use it to search and then I google events that sound interesting to see if I can find more details.

From the post Fall Craft Show To Do list:

Figure out how you are going to accept credit cards. I think that it's vital to have a method of accepting plastic. You are missing out on so many sales if you just take cash and checks. I use Propay and it's super easy and very reasonable. I just renewed my membership and it was around $30 for a year which is so worth it.

Stock up on business cards. I recently bought 1000 cards from Vista Print with one of their many coupons for around $15. I have heard that some people had bad experiences with them but I've put in 3 different orders and never had a problem. You have to be careful to opt out of all of their silly promotions and you will get spam e-mails from them but I'm okay with that for such a good price on a business necessity. I've also been thinking about ordering some postcards to use as follow up with some of my return customers.

From the post My Craft Show Checklist:

Vendor information. The organizer will usually e-mail you info like your booth number and parking directions that you will want to have that day.
notebook. I like to keep a running tally of how much I've made. Be sure to keep track somehow of how much you make so that you can pay sales tax.
calculator
receipt book
credit card receipts
cash, I usually bring $100 in cash.
cash apron, I prefer to keep my cash on me rather in a cash box that could walk away when I turn around.
Mirror, I'm always amazed at how many vendors forget this one and ask to borrow mine.
Shopping bags of some sort. Paper lunch bags can work for small purchases.
Tools to "fix things", if you make jewelry bring some extra findings just in case.
camera, so you can take lots of pictures of your booth for your blog!

From the post First Craft Show Anxiety:

The best way to elevate your anxiety is to be as prepared as possible. Set your booth display up at home and get everything just the way you like and then take a picture. Save it to your phone or make a copy of it so that you have something to work from on the big day.

Don't be disappointed if you don't sell a ton of stuff at this first show, just look at is as a dry run to get over those first show jitters. Keep telling yourself that this is your hobby and it's supposed to be fun. That helps me for some reason. I will also tell myself that this is not my job and my mortgage doesn't depend on it. If it did I can't imagine how nervous I would be. I'm usually a mess until I have my first sale and then I will calm down a bit. Once I make my booth fee I breathe a sigh of relief and am much calmer for the rest of the day.

Definitely get a good night's sleep the night before. Don't, I repeat Don't, stay up all night making new items to sell. If it relaxes you to work on your craft do so but having a few extra things will not be worth the all nighter if you are tired and cranky the next day.

Try not to have a thin skin and don't take it personal if someone turns their nose up at your booth or doesn't get the inherent wonderfulness of you and your product.... As creative types we tend to have a more sensitive disposition. Don't let this stop you from trying something new and putting yourself out there. Most people will be complimentary and you will get more feedback in one day about your work than in a year on line. I have had some wonderful interactions with customers that gave me warm and fuzzy feelings for weeks afterwards. When someone really gets you and wants to actually buy something you made with your own hands it's one of the best feeling in the world.

From the post What I learned about craft shows:

Too much is not necessarily a good thing. I always brought all of my merchandise to the shows but I found that over filling my quilt racks and table actually overwhelmed shoppers. If someone was interested in a different color I could always get out the plastic tubs with the rest of my inventory and let them look through them. I sold a bunch of scarves right out of the tub.

Make friends with the organizers and keep a smile on your face even if it's painful. The last thing you want to do is to be seen as a trouble maker by the organizer, especially if it is a juried show.

If you can't set up the night before than at least pack up the car and be ready to go. Have the mapquest directions printed out and read through carefully. Try to get a good night's sleep.

I know this is not my first time at the rodeo but I still get those pre-show jitters. Hopefully I will be able to take my own advice and enjoy the weekend!

Strange Folk Here I come!

2010-09-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm getting so excited for this weekend's Strange Folk Festival. I can't believe that it is almost here. I thankfully took Friday off so that I can get myself fully ready. If you let me know that you are a blog reader I will give you 15% off your entire purchase this weekend!

Here are the details from their press release:

The 5th annual 2-day Strange Folk Festival happens September 25 & 26 in O’Fallon Illinois from 10am to 6pm both days! There will be 150 indie crafters and artists from across the country. Live music, good food, activities for kids, and you have the Heartland’s largest outdoor indie art festival. Just 15 minutes from downtown St Louis, easily accessible from both sides of the Mississippi. Family-friendly Strange Folk offers free admission and was voted "best craft festival in St Louis" by the River Front Times.

Log on to www.strangefolkfestival.com to see a preview of vendor crafts! Other highlights include a wide variety of food and drinks, The Upcycle Exhange, Authors Pavilion and book signings, live blogging stations, performance art, sewing demos, hand-on crafts and demos, alpaca petting zoom, animal rescue booths and more!You can also meet our good friend Brian Katcher, author of two Young Adult novels, on Saturday afternoon in the Writer's Block booth.

It looks the weather is going to be perfect, knock on wood. I'll be under the covered pavilion so if we should get another rain shower like last year I won't have to worry. I hope to see you there!

Here comes the bride!

2010-09-19T17:51:00.001-07:00

I have only had one photoshop class so far but it has vastly improved my understanding of how PS works and what it can do for my pictures. As I said yesterday, I didn't have much time to take hundreds of pictures as I wanted to of Chris and Tif's big day so I had to get the most out of the few shots that I did get. I finally understand why my teacher has been preaching to me about shooting in RAW format instead of JPEG. I shot some in RAW and was actually able to salvage a few shots that I would have had to throw away in JPEG.

I spent the bulk of the day focused on Tif and making sure her needs were met so that is why most of my pictures are of her. The top shot is the first picture I took of her after she had been completely made up and dressed. I was close to deleting it since the exposure was off, when I went ahead and opened it in PS to see if there was any way to save it. Because I had shot it in RAW, which means that the camera doesn't make any of the final decisions about the exposure, I was able to fix the White Balance and and I lowered the clarity to get that cool hazy effect.

The next shot was one of the last I took and it captures the festive mood of the reception. It actually looked under exposed but I was able to fix that in PS and I think it makes a nice compliment to the first more serene shot at the very beginning of the day.

Now for an example of how I was able to use PS to create multiple images from one exposure. The first is the full image with just a few adjustments in color and saturation. It's kind of busy with the trees, boat and flowers at her feet but I like how it reflects the beach theme of the day.

In the next image I cropped everything but part of the tree which helps to frame her. I also flipped the rotation since I think it read better that way. I think it makes a nice, traditional bridal portrait.

In this final image I really put my meager PS skills to work. I cropped it down to a head shot, turned it into black and white with a lot of contrast, and then added a filter which gave it a watercolor effect. It is one of my favorites but without my new experience with PS it would have never been created.

I can't wait to learn more about layers in my class and how to get the most out of my images. I can now say that I'm a RAW convert and will never go back to shooting in JPEG after this experience.

Wedding Weekend Over...

2010-09-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Today was the day of rest after 3 full days of wedding activities with our close friends Chris and Tif. I've talked about them often here as they are really more like family to Mike and I. Mike was the best man and I was the de-facto coordinator. I've had my hand in a lot of the planning of their beach themed wedding from the beginning so it was most appropriate. I can honestly say that I've never worked so hard at a wedding before including my own but when Tif gave me a hug at the end of the day and told me I was her rock it was totally worth it.

My main job was to make sure that Tif was calm and enjoyed the day and I think I accomplished that quite well. They had a photographer with them for 12 hours of the day so I didn't have to worry about capturing every moment. Because I was dealing with the vendors, following Tif's perfectly laid out agenda, cleaning up, and making sure that people were happy I really didn't have time to worry too much about my camera.

I was able to catch a few candid moments and I've been playing with the images in photoshop today. Tif was a beautiful, statuesque bride. To be honest I felt and probably looked a bit like a troll standing next to her. Mike said that everyone looked like a troll compared to her yesterday which is as it should be. All I did to the top shot was add some waves to the water with a filter and I obviously cut out a heart in the kiss shot. I added a watercolor filter to this last one and made it black and white. I'll share some more shots from the big day tomorrow and some stories. It was the most intimate and special wedding I've ever been to, as a guest that is.

Pricing Delimmas

2010-09-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

I've been really struggling this year with how I want to price my inventory. The past 2 years I've streamlined everything into very narrow price points. I priced all of my scarves at $15 or $30. My soft wristcuffs were $7 and the wire wristcuffs were $11. Scarflettes were primarily $25 except for some lower end ones that were $15.

Last year at the Strange Folk Festival I started out like the year before with one quilt rack of $15 scarves and one of $30. Two years ago I sold more $15 ones but I sold a good number of $30 ones as well. Last year for the entire first day I didn't sell a single $30 scarf so I eventually took them down and put out all $15 ones. I sold some $30 ones at the Rock and Roll Show but I think with the economy in the state it was in, $30 was just too much of an investment for an accessory.

I'm seriously considering adding a third price point this year at $23. This is right in between the two and would give me more profit on those scarves that I don't feel comfortable selling at just $15. I will only have the top tiered scarves with the highest quality yarns at the $30 mark. They say it is good to have some items that are out of most people's price range to let them know that you are a quality vendor. Mike says that I should make it an even $20 since most people don't want to make change but I don't think there is enough of a difference between $15 and $20.

I'm even more confused by how I want to price my new scarf/hat sets and the single hats. I have used such a range of yarns and techniques on them that I really feel like I should individually price them as I see fit. I want to sell the sets with both pieces and I will probably connect them with twine. They will have the prices marked and I will have all of them on my table.
For example the scarf/hat set at the top of the post was made with a 100% wool, hand dyed yarn. My yarn cost were $8 but if I'd paid full price the yarn was worth much more than that. I used the exact same pattern for this second set and the time was approximately the same but the yarn is an acrylic that I only spent a few dollars on. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking for anything less than $40 for the first set but I would be happy with $25 for the second set.

I also have some individual hats with a wide range of yarn costs and time spent on them. Do you think it would be appropriate to price them all differently or would that be too confusing? I like it when vendors have some consistency in their pricing. When I'm looking at a display or rack I like to know that what I'm looking at is in my price range but I just don't feel comfortable putting the same price on such varying items. Any thoughts about either of my dilemmas would be greatly appreciated.

Tif on TV!

2010-09-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

First off I just wanted to mention that this is my 400th post. Yay for me! I've been blogging for 3 years now, my blogaversery was back on August 28 but it slipped by me with the craziness of last month. That is a lot of mindless chatter with a few thoughtful posts thrown in now and then.

So now for the second video I wanted to share. My good friend Tif Engler was recently featured on our local show Great Day St. Louis on KMOV. She is the professional organizer who has so patiently helped me to get my craft room organized on more than one occasion as I pictured here. Too bad I have to keep the door shut when she is visiting lately, even though she is the least judgemental person I know. I still feel some shame for letting my yarn habit get the best of me again.

She discusses useful organizational tools some of which are free in the video above. This is her second appearance on the show and she is so much more relaxed in front of the camera now. She used to work in TV but behind the scenes as a producer and I think it shows. She is actually getting married next week and she said that she was so preoccupied with it that she didn't have time to get herself nervous about the TV spot.

If you want to read more about her services you can check her out at Your Life Organized. She now has several employees helping her and she has organized her business like she does everything else in her life. I'm super proud of her and what she has done as a small business owner living life on her own terms.

She is organizing Estate Sales now and has a big one tomorrow in Foristell, MO. If you are in the area you can check it out here. It's going to be quite an event and if weather permits the bloolights are going to put in an appearance and play a few sets. They have played at tent sales in the past and do a good job at keeping the shoppers entertained and hanging around longer than they might have otherwise.

A few videos to check out.

2010-09-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

I don't normally post videos here but there are two I'm particularly excited about this week and wanted to share. First Robin Carnahan is running for the Senator from Missouri and she and her family have deep ties to Rolla, where my family is from. She filmed the commercial above on Dad's lot with his very well behaved bulls. I love the last shot of the bulls which perform right on cue. Mom said that they did just what they were told to do this time around.

When her father, Mel Carnahan, and brother were tragically killed in a plane crash a decade ago she was left with the family farm nearby the Lenox family farm. Instead of selling the farm and moving on after this tremendous loss she called my father and he and his hired hand come over to help her learn the ropes. She now works the farm and has continued in the other family business of politics equally successfully.

She is running against the very conservative Roy Blunt and could use all the help she can get in this tough year for Democrats. My dad was involved in local politics on the side when we were growing up and still has a lot of local connections. He is holding a fundraiser for her down by the lake this month. He was also recently quoted in an article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch about her rural roots. Dad said that they clearly had an agenda to try to explore how involved she is in the farm but he did not play along.

I will post the other video of a friend of mine on a local television show tomorrow so that this post isn't too big to handle.

To Etsy or not to Etsy?

2010-09-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about my online selling woes the past month. I've had my Etsy shop closed for the summer with a message saying that it would open again in the fall. Well, fall is basically here and my shop has no signs of life yet. I'm struggling to find the motivation to get my pictures how I want them. Even now when I know way more about photography than I did when I started, it still takes a lot of time to take the pictures, edit them, and then set up the listing. All for maybe a few sales a month which just isn't worth it to me.

There was a time when I could expect 1 or 2 sales a week during the prime knitwear buying season, late Oct-Dec. There is now so much competition on Etsy that it is nearly impossible to be found, even with improved photos. There are currently 26,553 results for knit scarf. You can tag as efficiently as possible but without some kind of personal promotional tool it's a long shot to be found. I'm not even going to get into my pet peeve about the same people constantly being promoted on the front page and other Etsy promotional areas.

I have kept my shop open the past 3 years through the dry spells because I thought it was important to have an on-line presence. My main priority has been doing a few targeted craft shows a year but I liked having a shop to direct my customers to online. I've enjoyed the camaraderie on Etsy despite their many flaws, but lately I just feel over their antics. They have made a number of controversial design changes and major overhauls to the checkout and feedback systems which make me nervous to reopen at this time.

Etsy Bitch as always, is the best place to go to find out the real story behind the changes. I am sick to death of reading the Storque and getting the sugar coated BS that the Etsy Admin put out. You have to read between the lines so much that it almost becomes illegible. I was even more confused after reading their post about collecting sales tax with the new checkout system. The 99 page forum thread is simply too daunting to figure out what I need to do to be safe.

I'm once again considering other options such as Artfire but I have a box of 500 business cards with my Etsy address on it that I'm planning to use as price tags for the Strange Folk Festival. If anyone has thoughts I would gladly hear them. Do you think that I'm hurting myself by not having an online venue as a kind of portfolio for my work?

Strange Heads for Strange Folks

2010-09-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

In between long stretches of good knitting time this weekend I think I got my Strange Folk Festival booth display ironed out. I am completely changing it from last year. I used those fold up shelves last year which were easy to transport but a total failure I'm afraid. People were unwilling to look through the piles of scarves on the shelves. Things just sat there until I moved them to the quilt racks. I will continue to use the 2 quilt racks on either side of the table which is where almost all of my sales came from last year.

So I've decided to retire the shelves and use only display items that are drapeable. I set up my table minus the knitwear on my back porch this weekend. I found the rack on the right at a Salvation Army for $7 and painted it tan but I think it probably needs another coat. It will hold a lot of scarves/scarflettes draped over it without being overwhelming like the shelves were. I already had the child coat rack on the far left which will be perfect for displaying hats. I gave it another coat of tan spray paint. I got the plant stand in the middle at an antique mall in Rolla for $10 and painted it a deeper beige.

I painted my Styrofoam heads which I bought at Sally's Beauty Supply for $4 a piece with a metallic copper acrylic paint. I had a failed attempt at spray painting them tan. Who knew that there was a chemical in spray paint that would turn a styrofoam head into a mutant creature? It started bubbling up but for some reason I kept spraying until the eye socket completely sunk in. Only then did I research what you should use to paint styrofoam. I obviously won't be using this one at Strange Folk. I will use the heads to display scarf/hat sets.

I will probably use 2 of the levels on the stand to hold mug racks that I got for a few dollars at Goodwill and painted the metallic color. I will hang some of my left over wrist cuffs from last year on them.

I got the table cloth at Goodwill for $4 and I really like the colors. I will probably put a cream sheet over the top and just show the print on the sides of my table but I haven't decided yet. I will use my banner from last year with my Lenox Knits logo on it.

So I spent around $40 including the paint this year on improvements to the booth which I think will pay for itself with more sales off of the table. What do you think? Do you like the tablecloth or do you think it will be too busy once I put all my colorful scarves on the table?

My best Dressed list!

2010-08-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the weekend working on my craft show booth which I think I have finally worked out for this year's Strange Folk display. I have everything painted in my earth tones and I still have paint smudges on my hands and feet. Yes, I paint barefoot. I promise to share pictures tomorrow.

Last night as I was painting the last of my Styrofoam heads I saw the stunning Rutina Wesley above from the show True Blood rocking her handpainted dress from designer Douglas Hann ant. Mike and I have this show on our Netflix que but since we are right in the middle of Mad Man currently it will be awhile. With his attention span we can only watch one series at a time.

I also really liked her costar Carrie Preston's look below. She has my current hair color and she's not afraid to wear a bold custom made print from Japanese designer Makoto Takada. I love everything about her look from the hair to simple shoes. I actually found both of these looks on a lot of the worst dressed lists which says a lot about my fashion sense compared to the "authorities" in the fashion world. I love when someone wears something that was made just for them and shows their individual style whether it be a student in my office or on the red carpet.

I prefer watching the Emmys over the Oscars since I actually have seen most of the shows unlike the Oscar nominated movies. And I think the fashion tends to be more diverse and accessible. Did you have any favorites from this year's emmy awards?

Headed in the right direction.

2010-08-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

Because I've gotten so much great feedback from you all about the last scarf/hat set pictures I thought I would throw another set of pictures at you from last weekend. It's a more grown up style made with an organic cotton yarn. The hat is my new favorite pattern that I came up with in a fun lace stitch.

This is another example where I can't decide whether I like the one on the torso or the one on the head better. The consensus from the last set was that you liked the head shot best but I'm not so sure in this example. I really wish that I had a mannequin that actually had a head or that I could stick the head on the torso but it doesn't work that way.I will probably enlist Ani one of these weekends to do some modeling for me. I just don't know how people feel about hats being worn to be photographed. You see it all the time on Etsy but I think it could be a turnoff to some potential buyers.

So which one gets your vote in this round. The head shot or the headless torso?

Aperture Survey

2010-08-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

I did a quick aperture test on a hat/scarf set this weekend and I would love to get some feedback. I shot on a tripod in every possible aperture to see what my favorite would be. There is a definite difference in mood as you get higher depths of field and more of the hat in focus. I chose three to share that I think reflect the different depths of field and the different moods.

The first is a the the smallest depth of field of any of my lenses with an f stop of 1.8. It is Mike's favorite and the most arty of all of them with just the front of the hat in focus and the rest blurry. I think it would make a good 2nd or 3rd shot in an Etsy listing but then again maybe it would catch someones eye as a first shot.
The next one is at 5.0 f stop which is a pretty typical setting for me. Since learning more about the different settings on my camera I usually have it set on Aperture Priority and depending on lighting conditions I tend to have it set around the 5.6 stop. It's a good middle ground spot as whatever you are focusing on is nice and clear and just the outer limits are out of focus. This would probably be my choice for a first shot on an Etsy listing I'm thinking.

The last shot is at the largest depth of field this lens shoots f stop 22. Everything is in clear focus and I think the eye doesn't really know what to focus on. I would probably use this more for a full shot of both the hat and scarf but I don't think it works for the closeup on the hat. Especially for this wild hat with all of the colors and textures as I think it all is to much to take in but I could be wrong.

I would love to get some feedback. You can see more of the detail if you click on the picture to zoom in on them. Which of the three shots most catches your attention? Which of them would you use as a first listing shot on Etsy, if any?

Back to Knitting!

2010-08-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Since getting admitted to the Strange Folk Festival again this year I have been knitting my fingers to the bone. It was exactly the motivation I needed to get my business act together. For some reason my knitting has been on the back burner this year. I guess my enthusiasm for my new DSLR and learning more about digital photography has caused me to be distracted. I used the shot above as one of my texture shots for my Image Within Class a few weeks ago. It's a lacy mohair blend scarf hanging on a little mannequin.

It's funny because I initially wanted to learn more about photography so that I could take better pictures of my knitting but before I knew it photography had overwhelmed my free time leaving little time for my knitting. I know I'm going to have to strike a better balance next year. I didn't realize how much I had missed my knitting time until I started doing it full force about a month ago. I never really stopped knitting but I didn't have the passion that allows me to sit and knit for hours at a time almost in a meditative place.

I'm also getting excited again about trying new stitch patterns and coming up with new designs for the first time in a while. I'm really enjoying creating my hat/scarf sets which is something new to my collection this year. I'm having trouble with the pricing issues but that is for a whole other post. This weekend I plan on getting a lot of pictures taken of my inventory before I start tagging things for the show. I hope to have my Etsy shop back up and running with all new pictures by the beginning of September.

Handmade Back to School 2

2010-08-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

iPad/ Netbook Sleeve in...

BagDuJour

$22.50 USD
Sandwich and Snack Bag ...

JulieMeyer

$16.00 USD
Lime Green and Paisley ...

Chromotherapy

$20.00 USD
Set of 3 - 5x8 Notebook...

everleedesigns

$5.00 USD

Yesterday I shared some of my favorites from my Handmade Back to School treasury. Today I want to share a few more that I think are both cute and practical. I read an article yesterday about how some school supply lists are getting a bit out of control. Some schools are even requesting kids bring in toilet paper and trash bags. Who wouldn't want to brighten up their school supply list with a few handmade creations to add that one of a kind style to their locker.

Every kid should have their own unique lunch bag with a squirrel or some other pattern from Julie Meyer's shop full of Insulated Lunch Bags and Eco-Friendly Reusable Bags. Or how about that very retro Eclectic pencil holder from Glitter Bits.

What strange requests have your kids come home with on their school supply lists?

Handmade Back to School

2010-08-16T07:53:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again. Our classes start next week but most of the public schools in the area are starting this week. I put together a treasury of handmade back to school items which you can see in its entirety here. I particularly like the "Great Rules of Writing" by Quotes and Notes. You should click on it to read it in it's entirety especially if you are a grammar nerd.

Kai actually started last Wednesday. He starts High School this year which seriously blows my mind. His Mom let him get his eyebrow pierced when he turned 14 so with his mohawk he looks like a real trouble maker. When you get past all of that bravado he is the sweetest kid I know whose family is the most important thing to him. He actually enjoys hanging out with his uncles playing Dungeons and Dragons every Sunday night in our basement and isn't too cool to be seen with his Aunt at the mall. He already has his college picked out and I'm really hoping that the momentum he had last year will continue into high school.

He is with my other nephew Graham in the shot above. Graham is starting kindergarten this year which also is mind boggling. It seems like just yesterday that my sister in law told me they were going to start trying to get pregnant. She got pregnant the first month. We started trying around a year later so that the cousins would be close in age. The best laid plans...

I've been thinking a lot about our decision not to pursue fertility treatments and to just accept whatever happens. As I get closer to the big 40 it seems more and more like a final decision. Having such special nieces and nephews like Graham and Kai help to fill whatever void might be there but I still feel it now and again.

Minor Changes

2010-08-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

Around 11 weeks ago I joined the Weight Watchers group at work. They very kindly agreed to move the meetings to my building so I really didn't have any excuse not to join. So far I've lost almost 15 pounds. It's not a major change yet but a series of minor changes which I hope will add up to real lifestyle changes over time.

I've lost over 50 pounds multiple times in my life but they always seem to find their way back to me with some friends. This is the first time I've ever really attempted to lose while I've been on my antidepressants. The cycle has always been that I go on my medication and gain a bunch of weight since for some reason the medication that helps me the most seems to disrupt my will power. Eventually I go off my meds, lose the weight, end up in a major depression, go back on the meds and gain it all back and then some. This is clearly no way to live. I'm hoping that the slow weight loss and subtle changes in my eating habits will work this time.

The thing is I know how to lose weight and I certainly know how to gain it but I've never conquered the keeping it off. My Mom recently told me that people like us can just never turn it off. We always have to be on guard. I know I will slip up but I just need to be able to catch myself more quickly and get back on track without going all Elvis as Mike has referred to my bad periods.
I think you can see the difference already in my face. The top picture was taken this weekend. Compared to this picture which was taken in March it's pretty dramatic. At the time I thought it was an OK picture but now I'm pretty shocked at how round my face was. This was during the bad days of not being able to walk. Mike was showing his mean teacher face.

I will keep you updated on my progress. I obviously have a long way to go but I'm trying to focus on the good changes that I've seen already. Besides being able to see a difference in my face, my pants are fitting much better and once I lose another 10 pounds I will easily have gone down a pant size. Since I have pants in at least 4 different sizes I will luckily not have to make a big investment in new clothes for awhile.

Old Farmer's Advice

2010-08-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

At my photography class last night I showed the shots from yesterday's post from Dad's barn as well as the one above. I said that they were all from my Dad's front yard and that got everyone's attention. I think one guy was ready to take a field trip until he found out it was a few hours away.

One person asked if I had a picture of my Dad which got me thinking. Next time I'm home I'm going to have him wake me up when he gets up at the crack of dawn to go check the cattle and photograph him doing what he loves. He has such a distinct look and character which should make some damn good pictures especially in the early morning light.

My Mom sent me the following forward this week which I thought had some very good advice from an old farmer's perspective. I particularly love the last one.

"Life is simpler when you plow around the stump."

"A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor."

"Words that soak into your ears are whispered.....not yelled."

"Meanness don't just happen overnight."

"Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads."

"Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you."

"It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge."

"You cannot unsay a cruel word."

"Every path has a few puddles."

"When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty."

"The best sermons are lived, not preached."

"Most of the stuff people worry about, ain't never gonna happen anyway."

"Don 't judge folks by their relatives.

"Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer."

"Live a good and honorable life, then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time."

"Don 't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none."

"Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance."

"If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'."

"Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

"The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'."

"Always drink upstream from the herd."

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment."

"Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in."

"If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around."

"Live simply, love generously, care deeply,
speak kindly, and leave the rest to God."

"Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."

And........................................

Quick trip home

2010-08-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

So we had a birthday party on Saturday night that was about halfway to my parent's farm so we went ahead and drove down there that night. Mike went floating on the river the next day with a few friends and I spent the day with dear old Mom.

The pictures above are a few I'm bringing to my class this week of patterns that I captured in Dad's barn. I love the colors of the rusted out truck with the tangled barbed wire. I thought the dirty gas cans lined up in primary colors really popped too.

Mom and I went shopping at a few antique malls and ate lunch at Sybill's Restaurant in St. James. It's actually a very upscale place for brunch that a school mate of my sister's opened right in the middle of a hick town.

I was shopping for a few things for my craft show booth at the Strange Folk Festival coming up in a month and we found one thing I was looking for and one I didn't even know I needed. Those are the best kinds of finds in my opinion. I've been thinking about my display a lot and I'll be talking about it once things slow down a bit more.

Is it Friday yet?

2010-08-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

This week is literally the most insane week of the year at my job. Monday was the last day to pay for Fall classes. Tuesday we dropped over a thousand students for non-payment and yesterday we saw close to 500 students in my office between around 10 counselors re-registering or reworking their schedules. When I got there at 8 a.m. there was a line all the way down the first floor, up the stairs, down the second floor, up the stairs, and all the way down the third floor hallway. There was a constant stream of students until I left at 7 p.m. I have been up and down on my ankle around every 15 minutes and I can totally feel it tonight. My head has been in a total fog. Tuesday night was the second week of my latest photography class from the photo resource center. This one is called the Image Within and it focuses on advanced composition and design. Our assignment for the week was to photograph at least 5 subjects in our backyard every day and to bring in our favorite shot from each day. I actually completed the assignment, spending at least 15 minutes in my backyard for 6 days at different times each day. I spent several hours going through my shots and editing my favorites. I created a file and named the shots, put my flash drive in my hard drive and went to class. When she pulled up my flash drive the file was no where to be found. All that work for nothing.

So I'm sharing some of my favorites here. Our assignment for next week is to focus on texture, patterns, and lines and bring in 6 shots. I will probably use the Buddha shot and maybe even the spider web so I will get some use out of them after all. I have another scarf with really cool lines that I'm planning on photographing this weekend.

My brother is healing nicely. Thanks for all the well wishes. He and his girlfriend made it back to Miami this week and he is still planning on going on another business trip next week. My job may be pretty stressful this time of year but at least I don't have to worry about traveling to BFE while I'm healing from major surgery. Ham just can't seem to slow down.

Serenity Now!

2010-07-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

I don't think that I've ever read the entire serenity prayer until today but by golly today was the perfect day for me to see it. The above shot is from the Taos Pueblo church with the mountains in the background. Here it is:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

A real Gem!

2010-07-23T10:02:00.001-07:00

I know it has been forever since I last posted. July and the beginning of August are the absolute busiest times of year for our office. Somehow we always survive and manage to get everyone registered but I am seriously looking forward to the Fall right now.

My brother Ham is currently in a hospital in San Diego waiting to have his gall bladder removed. We are still waiting to find out if they can do it laproscopically or if they will have to open him up. For everyone's sake I'm praying that they don't have to do it the old fashioned way but he is pretty bad off. I am so thankful that his girlfriend Angelica made it there last night. She has taken charge and knowing that she is there has been a huge relief to my Mom.

My brother is definitely a serial monogamist and we tease him that growing up with 3 sisters has left him incapable of living without a woman in his life. He had a string of disastrous relationships that usually escalated into major drama. Angelica is the first grown up girlfriend he's ever really had who has a real head on her shoulders, a solid career of her own, and who actually really seems to care about Ham. She posted on Facebook that Ham was her first priority and that she would be there for the duration. We all met her for the first time in July when she came for the fourth of July. She fits really nicely into the craziness of the house and jumped right into the teasing and back and forth that always ensues when we are all together. My mother told me this morning that if we didn't know it already that she is an absolute gem.

I am still struggling to understand what she is doing with Ham to be honest with you. In my opinion she is way out of his league but obviously he makes her happy. He was just in San Diego for business but she has taken care of the hotel and everything else. Hopefully they will be able to make it back to Miami next week but if they have to make an incision he might not be able to fly that soon.

Cream of the crafty crop!

2010-07-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a month ago that I was worried that I wouldn't get into my favorite craft show, the Strange Folk Festival, this year due to record number applications. I heard today that I had gotten in which literally made my month! They accepted 150 crafters out of 350 applications and she called us the cream of the crafty crop.

I really think the longevity of my blog and number of followers made a difference this year as they said that they were using web presence as a factor. Since my Etsy shop is on vacation for the summer and my twitter account has been a ghost town for months this little blog is about it.

I will definitely need to start speed knitting to get myself fully stocked for the fall. I will be in good shape for the Strange Folk festival in terms of inventory but if I want to do some other shows I need to get busy.

If you are local in the St. Louis area there is another great show coming up this weekend called theSoulard Market Park Arts and Crafts Fair. There will be 80 local independent artists and crafters selling unique, modern handmade wares. I plan on going by with my nieces to check it out. The Upcycle Exchange will be there collecting donated craft supplies if you have some things cluttering up your craft room, unlike me of course.

Carnival Duty

2010-07-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Something you probably didn't know about me is that for 4 days every year since I was born I've been a carny worker. My dad is a Lion's Club member. This year was the 75th annual Rolla Lion's Club Carnival. It's one of the old timey carnivals where the whole town comes out and plays games and rides the same rides every year. Every year we wonder what rock some of the people crawl out from under because you never see them any other time of year, but they have plenty of cash to spend on worthless prizes.

The two most important holidays in our family are therefore July 4th and Thanksgiving (this is when the entire Lenox clan comes together). You can miss Christmas and Easter but don't even think about missing Carnival Duty. This is the only time that my Mike proves his worth to my father. He works a good 15 hours each year in our current stand the steak sandwich booth. He cut onions, made sandwiches and handed out sodas like a pro. He may not be able to work cattle but he can make a damn fine steak sandwich.

The girls enjoy working my uncle's nice safe stand. Unlikely the cat doll stand that we worked from the time we could walk to when we were pimped out to the old drunk players who would keep handing us their hundreds when we were in our teens. I went to see the new cat doll stand and I think I totally insulted the worker's manhood. I told them how when I was 3 years old they would have us out there picking up the real baseballs, dodging the men throwing them at us at 50 mph. They have little nerf balls now and sticks to pick them up with so they don't even have to bend over. Total wussies.
The top shot is me with my sisters, none of whom worked as many hours as I did this year. I made change without a calculator or cash register for several hours straight every night. It was the only job I could do sitting down but I didn't complain. This is my Mom. I can't remember ever showing a picture of her. She was the keeper of the stuffed animals. I don't think she put many hours in this year but she has definitely served her time through the years.

6 months to the day...

2010-07-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

I had a different post planned for today but on my way into work this morning I realized that it was 6 months ago to the day that I fell and broke my ankle. You can read about this delightful experience here if you missed it. When I realized this I got that pit in my stomach as I thought about how helpless I had felt on that day. These items are part of a treasury I threw together in tribute to my poor unlucky foot here.

Unfortunately there is still residual affects from that dreadful day that I'm dealing with. I gave an hour long presentation this morning and my foot was throbbing and swollen by the end just as it usually is by the end of the day. Ice packs are still my best friends and comfortable shoes are even more of a daily consideration. The ossification going on in my ankle now has the potential of making the fall a lifelong struggle which scares me but I'm still trying to stay positive.

I knew it was going to be a long recovery and that it would be hard which it has been. It's amazing how much more I appreciate the little things like being able to drive myself around or learning something new about my camera now. I'm very thankful for all the positive thoughts that were sent my way from you all.

Thoughts on Taos

2010-07-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

This will be my last vacation concentrated post. In some ways New Mexico already seems so long ago. I have a frame filled with some of my favorite landscape shots ready to hang right over the student's head in my office to try to bring a bit of that peace during the chaos of the coming months at work. After Santa Fe we took the high road to Taos while our travel mates headed back to the airport. The high road had some lovely views but honestly we were more impressed by the low road in some ways. You follow the Rio Grande River for much of the way and you have actually more mountain views that both the driver and passenger can enjoy.

This was supposed to be when Mike and I had good quality time together and I got to focus on my photography some. The later happened as planned, the former not so much. Mike forgot his laptop adapter in Santa Fe so he was unable to write or play much online which made for some grouchiness on his part. But he did enjoy the peaceful B&B environment and spent hours out on the porch reading in the chair above with the string of chilis. We stayed at the Adobe and Pines Inn which is 10 minutes from downtown Taos and has a beautiful stream running through it and a zen rock garden with a labyrinth.

The day that we got there happened to be a feast day at the Taos Pueblo, the longest continually inhabited building in North America, with a corn dance. The Pueblo Indians have been living there for over 1,000 years and still maintain much of their culture. You can't photograph the dances so I went back the next morning to get some shots. The sun was already blaring when I got there so I didn't get any great shots but I like this one.

The first night there I took off with my camera right before sunset. I found a great spot where I could park which was the start of a trail with great views of the sunset and mountains. I took several of my favorite shots ever that night. I'm actually still processing the raw images from that night and there are more gems still to be discovered I know. Both of the shots at the top as well as this my favorite tree in New Mexico.

The last morning we were there I woke up before sunset, which shocked my family to death. I saw the sunrise from behind the mountains, visited the Rio Gorge Bridge, drove to D.H. Lawrence's ranch at the top of a mountain, and visited his memorial all before breakfast while Mike slept in.

I will probably be going back there next year to take a photography workshop without Mike. It is by far the most beautiful place I've ever been. Mike didn't really like the vibe in Taos like he did the rest of our travels. There is a certain uptight, rich former hippy tourist feel to it. Santa Fe has a much more laid back scene. I will definitely never go in the summer, prime tourist time again. I was told late September is a great time for taking pictures.

Tomorrow I'll try to get back to some regular blog material, whatever that is....

Santa Fe Fun.

2010-07-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

We just got back from the farm for 5 days, but I will talk about that later in the week. Today I'm going to share my great admiration of Santa Fe. I don't have many pictures from that fair city as it was all about enjoying the moment on those days and not so much recording it. The top shot is my favorite of Mike and me from the whole trip. It's taken in the backyard of the restaurant we ate at on our last night in Santa Fe. And these are our traveling companions for the first half of the trip. Brian Katcher and Sandy are about the most laid back travel mates you could ever hope for. Whatever we suggested was a-ok with them.

We were laughing about my airheaded ways and we really enjoyed each other's company thoroughly. When my floppy hat caused shadows in all the indoor pictures on the first day of the trip I was freaking out thinking something was wrong with my camera. It literally took me all day to figure out what the problem was which had us laughing for hours.The amazing thing about Santa Fe is all the random art everywhere. The freeways are filled with it and pretty much everywhere you look is a statue or mural along the sidewalk. This is in addition to all of the stunning views of mountains and random rock formations like the one below along the road. I got pretty good at taking pictures from my car as Mike was generally not inclined to stop whenever I spotted a photo op as they were everywhere.
We didn't bother going to any art museums as there was so much free art to take in everywhere you looked. In addition to all the random art there were art galleries that you could wander through even when you knew there was no way in hell you could afford a thing besides maybe some postcards by the door. We also walked around the state capital building which is covered with artwork by New Mexican artists. You can just wander the halls while lobbyist and government workers hurry past conducting the business of the state. We walked into the governor's office and shuffled past the secretaries station mumbling don't mind us we're just here for the art.

Mike has decided that Sante Fe is now his favorite city. Poor New Orleans is now a distant second.