On the road less traveled...

Burning the midnight oil.

Tomorrow Eugene's Saturday Market starts.  My mom and I became members last year- and did pretty good through the market season.  I had all these grand ideas at the end of the season about what I wanted to do with my booth this year- what I wanted to change, how I wanted to decorate and display.  And what did I get done??...well, pretty much nothing.  ... until tonight.  Because that makes perfect sense, right? I have less than 24 hours to go...and that means GO TIME!

I managed to get a few things done- primarily a cover for the table, rather than just throwing some fabric over it.  That looks cleaner.  I minimized the 3 rubbermaid totes we lugged around last year, to 1, and then I have a couple of display pieces.  So far, already looking like LESS- which is definetly the goal.  I don't like it when the booth is too full- just not my thing.

I have a couple of other ideas- which hopefully I'll get around to before next weekend.  Idealy before next friday :)  And now, at 2:00am, it's time to get a little shut eye before I have to be out of bed and downtown by 7:45.  Sigh.

So if you're around...swing by Market...hopefully the weather semi-participates.  It should be a good day!

(btw...Hey Casey, remember those inserts we want to sew for our carts at coburg?  Let's try to do that in the next month or so...otherwise I have this sneaking suspicion we'll be sewing all night and then throwing back lots of caffeine to make it to coburg at 5am!!  Just sayin' :))

A little painting...

Two years ago (can't believe it's been that long!) I made a series of canvases for my office.  I wanted something personal, something that meant something to me, but also something simply creative.  And I was having quite the time finding something that I wanted to hang in there.  And I had been in the overall office for a year and a half, and in that particular office for 6+ months.  I literally had a dream that I was told if I didn't put something up soon, they wouldn't believe I was staying and could lose my job.  So I got to work!  It didn't happen quickly...I had a very particular idea in my mind.  But when I was done, I loved them.

[probably my favorite amongst the group]

Since they've been up, I have pretty regularly gotten compliments on them, and many people have asked if that's what I sell at Saturday Market.  I've always said no....but I can't help but ask, "why not?"  I'll have to go through the approval process still, but I am going to try to sell some original canvases, and prints this next year.

So here are two I came up with 2 weekends ago.  I've managed to get prints done of them as well, which turned out pretty awesome...

Once I get around to getting some prints packaged up, I plan on putting them into the shop- framed and unframed.  Fun new series of projects!

Makes Me Smile.

[Todd, Pummi and Orin]

These little guys have been in the works the last few days.  They make me smile.  I am planning a whole collection of them by the time spring hits.  Hoping to get them to the shop soon!

[sneaky little ninja!]

My Project 365

One of my goals is to keep up with a way of daily documenting this next year.  I have high hopes and high expectations for 2011- and I am determined not to be disappointed.  I turn 30 this year (gasp!) and I want to spend a little extra time figuring out where I am in my life, what I really want.  To focus on my dreams and my expectations.  To live a more inspired life.

I thought about picking up Project Life, but I really wanted something that I made from scratch.  I love the look and the idea, and so I started to brainstorm about how and what exactly I wanted to do.

I put this "kit" together for myself.  I cut LOTS of cards with the Cricut (an awesome gift from Dave last Christmas).  I picked out some things stamps and letter stickers from my stash.  I selected a couple of journaling and calendar stamps that I wanted to use regularly and picked up an office date stamp.

I found a couple of fun and very appropriate "TODAY" and "LIFE [unscripted]" and a cool calendar ring that I am going to incorporate throughout.

It's a mini-scrapbook page every day.  I could do a photo, I could pick a word, I could journal, I could do anything.

So far, this is what the project looks like:

I spent the better part of Monday evening surfing blogs- I'll post a list of recent sources of major inspiration.  I have stumbled back upon some blogs I used to read and in catching up on some of them, I've found some great other places that I hope to keep reading!

I was so inspired that I had a hard time staying focused yesterday as I had a million ideas brewing in my head.  I came home with a plan to create a bunch of kits to post on in my Etsy Shop- although I had a little more difficulty finding some of the pieces I was looking for to put into a kit.

So I finally decided to put together a single kit, see if there was actually any response on it, and then I could always add more. 

So here is my first kit idea, although this picture doesn't show all the pieces I want to put in the kit, so I'm not listing it just yet..I will have to piece together the rest (hopefully tomorrow) and then it will get listed.  Is there interest?  Should I make more?  Is there even any interest for something like this?

It was fun to make anyway.  And I haven't quite given up on the idea of developing a better concept for a similar kit for my shop.

The Camera-Strap Project

I managed to figure out a way to make my own SLR camera strap over the last few weeks.  Although, I haven't actually made one for myself yet!  I knew exactly what I wanted to put together for Casey for Christmas this year.  We both recently got DLSR cameras, and both really want to be better about using them.  Which means you need a cute strap, right??

My sewing machine and I fought and fought.  I said some mean things to it.  I hope it will forgive me, because I want to make more of these...in fact, I'd like to make some for my Etsy Shop but I am really going to need more cooperation from the machine!  It has served me well for years, and I'm not ready to splurge to get a new one...so it needs to shape up!!

I'm overall pretty pleased with it.  I forgot to take a picture of it on the camera...Casey, I'll leave that to you!

Meet Riley

Over the course of the next few weeks, I intend on introducing all sorts of new friends!

Today, meet Riley...

There is a whole collection...and they can't wait to meet you!  And VERY soon they will all be available at my etsy shop!