Holiday Spectacular Tomorrow!

Come check out the CT Etsy Team

at the

North Haven Holiday Inn!

Tomorrow, Saturday, December 6th

10am - 4pm

Finish your holiday shopping!

Buy Handmade!

Giveaway!

Life is Like Champagne... is giving away one of my bib and burp sets!

Today is the last day to enter, check out the blog and enter!

You can't win if you don't play!

It's Almost Monday

And this is what I have to look forward to.

My Desk.

Does this look like the desk for the general manager of a major regional theatre? It is! Every day is full of paper...budgets, accounts to be reconciled, bills to be paid, contracts to be drafted, finalized and fully executed.

I have no one to blame but myself. I try to do more than can get done in 8 hrs, and subsequently, things end up strewn about. Want to know the funny part? Give me 5 min (or less) and I can find ANYTHING that needs finding.

So this week my goal is to spend a few minutes before I leave every night straightening up, filing and trying to reduce the mess, so my view in the morning can be a little calmer.

Anyone got any great organizing tips?

Responsibility

With every right comes great responsibility.

I can remember the anticipation of my 18th birthday, when I would be able to vote, a very grown up, adult thing to do. My first presidential election as a legal voter happened my freshman year in college. I went to the courthouse in my hometown with great pride to be sure I took all the right steps to obtain my absentee ballot, so my vote would count.

Being given the right to vote gives us the responsibility to be sure our voice is heard. For some, this means more than others. I have friends who have been going door to door register folks. Others have been manning the phones and rallying against an issue near and dear to their heart and lives. Me? I may not engage in political banter, or shout from the mountain tops who I voted for, but I take my voting responsibility very, very seriously.

Did you?

Punkin' Carvin'

From almost my first Halloween my family has had a pumpkin carving party. (I was just a couple months old my first Halloween, and don't recall any photographic evidence of said carving party).

While I don't love Halloween (I would rather stay home and answer the door than go trick or treating, much to my brother's dismay) I do love pumpkin carving.

Ok, so I like the IDEA of pumpkin carving. I don't like cleaning out the guts. I get bored before my pumpkin is clean. I also have grand ideas for carving, and the carving skills of an eight year old. (I don't have great knife skills in the kitchen either. It's a wonder I have all my fingers.)

So this Halloween was awesome!

First I found a smallish pumpkin.

Secondly, at the pumpkin party we attended, the guys were busy cleaning out pumpkins and D cleaned mine out! Woo Hoo! No guts!

I was left to execute my carving ideas on my own. I had picked something simple, but effective, so I had a fighting chance of my pumpkin not being the least artistic of the bunch.

Isn't she cute? (Pumpkin has to be a girl...look at the hairdoo!) I carved it all myself. The eyes are even similar sizes!

And she has a big mama friend. Jes' pumpkin was equally suprised.

Happy Halloween!

Help Needed

I'm a frequent reader of The Domestic Diva's blog. She's an amazing woman who is starting her own boys clothing line. Truly inspirational.

Her 16 year old daughter is in need of a kidney transplant, and they haven't been able to find a donor match. Please check out her blog, and spread the word.

Success!

Shake and Bake was awesome!

Great vendors, funky venue, delicious baked goods (I couldn't resist Jillian's rice krispie squares) and my best event sales to date!

Unfortunately, my camera ended up with very little battery (I didn't check it on Friday night, and didn't bother charging the camera) so I don't have lots of great photos.

I was across from a great vendor, Girl Called Ric. I fell in love with her vintage halloween inspired dolls. Check them out!

I did get a pic of my latest idea for displaying blankets. I sold a few...maybe it was the new display! (ok, probably not...work with me here)

There's rumor there may also be a holiday show at this venue...I'm there!

Shake and Bake Tomorrow!

Come check out Shake and Bake!

Saturday, October 4th

12-4pm

In addition to groovy vintage clothing and fabulous and funky handmades by members of the

CT Etsy Street Team there will be

BROWNIES

CUPCAKES

RICE KRISPIE TREATS

COOKIES

and loads of other delectibles!

Stop by to buy handmade and pick up a great snack!

Wellies

It's been raining here for the better part of two days.

Rain always revives my interest in good old fashioned Wellington boots.

No longer does one need to settle for plain green Wellies. J Crew has these pink polka dot ones on sale.

These red floral ones from Boden are my favorite. I wonder if I can justify purchasing them? It's supposed to still be raining tomorrow...

Aprons

I love aprons. Vintage ones especially. Finding vintage aprons in prestine condition is rare, as most were used as intended...to protect ones clothing from spills and splatters while making dinner, baking a birthday cake, or just working around your kitchen.

Last christmas I was asked to reproduce a red apron with an appliqued poinsettia for some family members. It was an apron that held great sentimental value for my step mom and her sisters. The reproductions were a big hit (and a lot of hand sewing!).

I copied the adorable 50's shape of that apron, and have made it in a variety of fabrics...some vintage, some more modern. All adorable!

Look for these aprons (and more) coming soon to my etsy shop.

It was a hot and steamy morn...

So it's not quite as catchy as "It was a dark and stormy night..." but it in fact was a hot and steamy morning yesterday at the historic Merwinsville Hotel. Something close to 100% humidity...there was rain on my drive to the show location. Luckily the rain had stopped falling by set up time at 9am.


Here's what I learned:


1) EZ Up tents ROCK!

My birthday present was a very practical, and totally awesome EZ Up tent.


2) You need a buddy for outside shows.

While the EZ Up tent is awesome, it still takes two people to get it out of the carying case and up and ready to go. Not to mention the extra volume of EVERYTHING one brings to decorate a 10x10 space is a lot to load and unload. The flaw in this is that all the stuff leaves no room for your buddy in the car. At least not if you expect to see out of any window while you're driving.


3) The CT Etsy Team Rocks!

This one I already knew, but Sunday reinforced our strengths as a team. Every vendor was super friendly and helped each other unload, figure out where to set up on the lawn and helped each other get tents up and secure.


4) Be sure to set up your tent so you can take advantage of the shade it provides.

We started out the day wondering if we were going to see any sun, but by lunchtime the sun was out in full force. I set my table up too far in the back of the tent, so my chair was outside the canopy of the tent. Which meant I had nowhere to hide when the sun started to burn my pale shoulders.


5) I'd do it all again.

Despite the chaos, being buddyless and the crazy weather, I'd do it all again.

Isn't the tent awesome?

First Outdoor Show

Tomorrow is my first outdoor craft show. A couple gals from the CT Etsy Team put together a fantastic show at the historic Merwinsville Hotel in New Milford, CT. We'll be on the grounds of this beautiful building as well as it's porch.

I've never done a show outdoors before, so today there was much trial and error in setting up my "booth" in the living room. a 10x10 space is BIG!

Watcha think?

I also made myself a vendor apron. Seemed like having a place to keep my little notebook, phone and hopefully sales was a good idea. I used a small piece of decorator cotton I had in my stash, and embellished with some bright ribbon.

I think I turned out super cute! I may have found a new item for my etsy shop!

Etsy, CT 06755

Welcome to my blog!

Here it is...the place where you can learn about my life as an indie crafter (and an arts administrator).

This Sunday, I'm participating in an indie craft show with some of my CT Etsy Teammates. Check out the video our fearless team leader made...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWiF4HSGrko

(someday i'll figure out how to embed the video, tonight, we're luck it's a clickable link!)