It was a dark and stormy night...

It's snowing up a storm here in Halifax. I had planned a productive evening of working, but after travelling over the horrible roads to pick up my husband - a harrowing 40 minute drive that would normally take about 5 minutes, a brief respite with dinner at the pub - and then another slightly less harrowing drive home in slightly less horrible traffic, I am exhausted. I am sure that sentence is also exhausting to read. So, although I've got lots to blog about, including a wonderful parcel in the mail from Mishka and a great trip to Lunenburg over the weekend, it's all going to have to wait until tomorrow. Right now, I'm just going to blob on the couch and watch Dexter.

At the market...

The market finished up yesterday, and all in all, it went pretty well. The blow by blow account goes a bit like this - I started setting up on Thursday, around 1:30 pm, and everything was going wrong. I had no electricity, my fairy lights wouldn't work, the tables provided by the organizers were not great, etc. I left at around 7pm that evening, on the verge of a nervous breakdown with a half decorated booth.
We came back around 9am the next morning and finished setting up. I was fairly happy with the way everything turned out - the photos that I took aren't really great, but I got loads of nice comments. The show opened at noon on Friday, and when I hadn't sold anything after a few hours, I was a bit worried. But, it suddenly got very busy and I ended up having a pretty good day.

Saturday and Sunday were also good. I had a great time chatting with all the customers, and the other vendors I met were lovely too. Most had been at this market for a few years, and were more than happy to help and watch out for a rookie like me! While the feed back from customers was great, I have to say that getting nice comments from other craftspeople was especially wonderful. A special thanks for this goes out to Alex and Trudy (yes, another Trudi) who were kind supporters and patrons all weekend.And, I must also thank my husband Martin, who has been so patient and helpful through this whole process. I'm having this week off from my studio to regenerate, and we're going to have the weekend in a little cottage by the sea. But right now, my week off starts with the latest episode of Dexter - it's getting really good!

Christmas Craft Market Eve

Well, it's finally here, Christmas Craft Market Eve. I'm heading off in an hour or so to set up my booth, and then the market starts tomorrow. My car is sitting in the drive, packed to the gills with stuff, and I'm just finishing off a couple of things before I pick up my husband at work and we go and unload and put together my little Japanese winter wonderland. If by some strange coincidence anyone reading this happens to be in Halifax this weekend, come on by booth number 162 at Dalplex Christmas Craft Market and say "hello." I'll be there, all day, every day.

Best go and finish up. Thanks to everyone for your encouraging words over the last couple of months. Pictured above is a butterfly collage I made recently, and like it says, I must FLY.

Cherry Blossoms

Preparing for this show reminds me of being back at school - it seemed as though I couldn't really get down to work and get inspired until the pressure was really on. I was the type of student who was frantically writing essays the night before they were due, or "cramming" for exams. This last weekend, which was a 4 day weekend (!), has now come to an end, and I feel as though I accomplished so much. I got quite a few books finished, and also did some fun things. One fun thing was this cherry blossom tree. I love making these things - they're so simple, yet (I think) so lovely. I got the idea from Martha Stewart Weddings. Here's a close-up -
The materials are all really simple, and mostly came from my local dollar store, and from my backyard. I'm still planning to make these a bit more wintry, with some glitter and fake snow. I wish that I could make fake cherry blossom bushes all day, but right now, it's back to work on some books.

Related Feeds

Speaking of lovely blogs, I am probably the last one to discover this, but if you are subscribed to a particular blog on Bloglines, and click on the tab that says "Related Feeds", names of many other blogs that you may be interested in will come up. So, I'm subscribed to about a gajillion blogs now. Ok, I really have to get to work...

Long Weekend

I am having an extra long weekend - today is my work "flex day" and tomorrow is Rememberance day here in Canada, so we get Monday off in lieu. It's a good thing, because I really need it. I've still got so much to do for my show, and time is running out. After I finish this post, I plan to lock myself in the studio for the weekend, and emerge feeling well prepared and ready, well - I guess I could settle for a little less frantic.

I'm hoping to do some fun things too though. Perhaps see a movie, get some dinner, get outside while the weather is still kind of bearable. I've been wondering if I should take a blog break, both reading and posting, to get everything done, but I've decided that it's times like these that I really need to blog. Reading all your lovely comments keeps me going, and reading all your wonderful blogs keeps me inspired. So, thanks for your comments and for sharing all your beautiful work. Now, time for some work of my own...

Anticipation

As my show gets closer and closer, I get more nervous, but also more excited. I saw an ad for it in the paper yesterday, and it really hit home - in a couple of weeks time, I will be at the biggest show I have ever done with about 10,000 attendees. I have no idea what to expect. I do know though, that I want to make my little booth really speak to people. I want it to be like my having my own little shop for three days. I want it to be furnished. That's where this big green rack comes in. I went and took an order over to Henhouse today. While the owner was serving a customer, I had a look around. That shop is a very dangerous place for me, I love everything in there, and always want to buy something. Anyhow, this rack caught my eye, I've been looking for something to get my books up off the table, and make them really stand out. I am not sure if I will hang the books from the pegs on strings, or rig up some sort of ledge system. It was originally a herb drying rack from Eastern Europe, but I think that it has a slightly Japanese feel, in keeping with the rest of my "props." It's becoming a Japanese winter wonderland/rustic furniture kind of theme. I just hope that I can pull it off!

Scenes from the Studio

Another Saturday spent making books. Crocs are the best footware for this, especially since I haven't cleaned the floor in my studio for ages and there are all sorts of things that can get stuck on your feet in there. Got my tunes next to me too - the soundtrack for the day was Keren Ann, Sufjan Stevens and Bill Bryson co-hosting DNTO on CBC.
Making the covers for a photo album. This is the sticky bit of the operation.
Got distracted and put together my sign for the craft show. Have to get something better than duct tape to secure my branch on there, or that little bird's in big trouble! Every so often, I look up at my lanterns for a happy feeling.
And then it's back to working away (notice giant mess behind me!) into the night...

Adorn

I picked up a new - well, new to me anyhow - magazine called "Adorn" last night. The tag line on the cover is "the crafty girl's guide to embellishing life." The magazine features articles on paper craft, jewellery, sewing, knitting and felting, and seems to have a connection to the blogging community. It's also full of lovely images, like the one on the right. I should love this magazine, but for some reason, I don't. Maybe because it's tiny in size, but still cost $6 CDN, maybe it's because it's so chock full of ads that I feel that all the projects in the magazine are selling a particular product, maybe because I feel that the projects are a bit too simple? I don't know, I can't really put my finger on it. I'm not saying that I hate the magazine, I just don't like it as much as I thought I would. I'll have another flick through - it's got a bit on pom poms and I've always wanted to try my hand at those - but I don't think it will become a regular addition to the piles of magazines teetering precariously in all the corners of my house. I'll stick with the old faves, like Martha, and the new faves, like marie claire idees.

Chunky

I didn't have a very productive weekend. These are pretty much the fruits of my labour - three chunky little photo albums. Although I quite like their chunkiness, I was hoping to finish a bit more work. Still, my weekend was productive in other ways - we went out on Friday night and saw "The Prestige" which I really enjoyed. Slept in on both Saturday and Sunday...ate some yummy pizza...got a new winter hat. So, I guess the weekend was not a total loss.

Portrait of a Reader

This is me, circa 1980, with Gypsy - I was about 8 years old. She was my favorite pony at the riding school that I attended for a few years. I started thinking back to this time in my life while listening to an essay called "Why Bother" on the audiotape of Jonathan Franzen's "How to be Alone" that I was listening to while working on my books this weekend. The essay explores the issue of how fewer people seem to be reading nowadays, and Franzen questions why he should bother writing novels. The bit of the essay that really caught my attention was Franzen's citation of the work of Shirley Heath,a linguistic anthropologist,who has studied the reading habits of children. When I heard her description of the "social isolate" reader, I felt as though she was describing me. The social isolate reader has a "displaced" sociabilty. While she may be very social, she feels different from everyone around her and finds her community in the books that she reads. I was painfully shy as a child, and loved to read - still do. Another characteristic of the social isolate reader is that she feels restless without the company of books, and must return to reading - in Franzen's words "may feel a gnawing, almost remorseful need to be alone and do some reading to reconnect to that community", and it's this need amongst people like me that is keeping the literary novel alive. Another facet of the theory is that many social isolates turn out to be writers, and while that doesn't describe me, perhaps it's the reason that I love making books. It's a mediative, solitary exercise that allows my mind to drift and enter an imaginary world. I can become the little girl in the picture again, well, minus the horse. It's kind of ironic that listening to "How to be Alone" made me feel a part of a wider community of readers.

Missing in Action

That title pretty much sums up my last week - unintentionally missing from my blog - but definitely in action!

As usual, I've been slogging away on my books. I've still got a few weeks to go until my show, and I have no idea what to expect in terms of numbers, etc, so I'm just trying to make as much as I can! I am getting a little burned out, and feel like I need to step back a bit and get some perspective. I just have to remember that whatever happens at the show, it's not the end of the world. If I don't sell anything - I will just have more stock for my other clients. If I sell out early, I will just take orders and spend lots of time looking at other booths and chatting with people. If I look at it this way, it's really a win/win situation.

In other news, my mom, grandmother and auntie visited for a couple of days last week, which was nice, but crazy busy. It was my grandmother's birthday, and she and I went off to see Randy Travis. Not my favorite musician, but my grandmother is my favourite person and I'll do just about anything for her, including spending a few hours in an auditorium full of senior citizens listening to twangy country music.

And now, it's the weekend again! More book making, but hopefully, also some relaxing, eating, drinking and movie watching. TTFN!

Marie Antoinette Rocks!

I saw "Marie Antoinette" tonight. I thought it was fantastic - the movie is a real feast for the eyes. In one scene, a character describes M. as "delightful, like a little piece of cake" and that's what the lovely ice-cream pastel pallette of the movie brings to mind. The photo above is an exception, showing Kirsten Dunst as M. in her finest red chinoiserie - a girl after my own heart! I would most definitely recommend this beautiful and inspiring movie.

Happy lucky me.

Unlike the title of my post, I've been feeling a bit down and tired the last couple of days. I've been busy in my day job, and busy working on my books for the show. I took a little bit of a break tonight, but my mind is still racing, thinking of all the things I have to do over the next couple of weeks. But, when I think about it more, I really can't complain. People are paying me to do something I love, even if it's only part-time, and I've got lots of good things going on in my life. I've got a partner, friends, family, a comfortable (if messy) home and the luxury of complaining about it all once in a while. Now that I've had my whinge, I'll toddle off to bed and be happy lucky me again tomorrow. Good night!

Pretty in Pink

If I had a practice of naming my books, which actually isn't a bad idea, I think I'd name this one Andie, after Molly Ringwald's character in "Pretty in Pink." I'll admit, it's pretty sad that I know the names of the characters in that movie, but I am a true child of the 80's.

There is something in the combination of pink and red in this book that reminds me of the movie, and of Molly. Maybe I am thinking of the tragic pink prom dress she wore (no wonder Blaine didn't ask her - yikes!) in combination with her red hair?

Although I loved this movie as a "tween", I don't think that I ever thought this dress was cool. In fact, as I've mentioned in previous posts, my colour sense is pretty boring in the everyday. I'm a basic black kind of girl. However, when it comes to my books and artwork, I love colour. The more loud and garish the combination, the better. Take a peek inside this album - the pages are a colour called strawberry. Red, pink and strawberry...I think that Andie (and Duckie!) would approve.

The Philadelphia Story

After a great Friday night dinner at Janes, we felt like watching a fun movie, so we rented "The Philadelphia Story" again. It's a great film, with lots of "star power" - Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart are all great in it. Jimmy Stewart's "drunk scene" is especially good. In fact, I think that Jimmy might be replacing Cary in my affections. I also watched "Harvey" again a few weeks ago, and Jimmy was absolutely fantastic in it. In case you haven't seen "Harvey" it's a movie about a man who has a 6-foot tall invisible rabbit as a companion - I think it was a sort of pre-cursor to "Donnie Darko."

Anyhow, for the rest of the weekend, it's been work on my books. I am just going back into the studio now to get started. Then, maybe another classic film tonight, perhaps "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" - haven't seen that one yet. Ciao!

Computer Geek Chic

It's been a good afternoon. It was incredibly sunny outside and I got to leave work early. I wandered leisurely downtown checking out a few shops. In my fave shop Biscuit, I found this laptop bag. I've been looking for ages for a laptop bag that has a bit of style, not the generic black one that you see everywhere, and I think that this one fits the bill. Up until now, I've actually been carrying the computer around in the cardboard box it came in and, although it has a handle, that's not very chic at all. I gotta go, because we're going out for dinner - it just gets better and better. Happy weekend!

The paper has landed!

I ordered a whole bunch of paper from Paper Source, and it's finally arrived - woo hoo! I got lots of great colours to make the pages of my albums. They really do make the nicest colours that I have never seen anywhere else, and, their customer service and packaging are excellent. I also got their handy dandy swatch book, as pictured above, for future reference. So, now it's back to house arrest for me, as I use this lovely paper to finish off my albums!
Speaking of house arrest, I've been working on a project that I got from "Martha Stewart Weddings" - these are little crepe paper cherry blossoms that I'm going to decorate my craft fair booth with. I think this project appeared in "Weddings" sometime last year, and it's really cool. The blossoms get attached to tree branches with hot glue, it's very sweet. I'll show you some pictures of the finished project when I get there. I've probably only got about a hundred cherry blossoms to go...

The reasons why I love this town...

This photo was taken (unfortunately not by me) on a city street here in Halifax over the weekend. Apparently, the deer used a cross walk to get across the road at a busy intersection just ahead. Not sure where they came from, but I hope they reached their destination safe and sound...

Black and White

For me, lately, it's all about black and white. I've always loved wearing black and white (a lot of this is laziness on my part - I buy lots of things in black and white because, well, it matches), and now I'm seeing it everywhere - it's even creeping into my work. I made this little book today, when I saw this beautiful black and white (with a touch of blue) chrysanthemum paper, I had to have it. Black and white is also showing up in home fashion, like this plate by Marimekko...

And on the runway in this dress by Stella McCartney. Vogue has named black and white as one of the top trends for spring 2007. I love it when the cycles come round, the planets align and I end up being in fashion again!

Long Weekend

It's a been a long weekend here in Canada, and I've been under a self imposed house arrest, trying to get lots of work done for the craft show. It was a bit unfortunate really, since it was a very beautiful and gorgeous weekend. I did sneak out this morning for a brief break, and walked down to Tim Hortons for tea and a muffin. Tim Hortons is a bit of a Canadian institution, especially here in the Maritimes, it's fast food type coffee and donuts kind of place and I wouldn't normally go there to sit and read the papers - but I have to say that it was nice this morning. It was the only place open on the holiday, so there were lots of people there and it had a bit of a community feeling. If only they had some decent cappucino, maybe I would go there more often.

I did getlots of work done this weekend, but I'm feeling exhausted and suffering from a bit of cabin fever. We were meant to go out to a movie tonight, but I think we are both feeling a bit tired, and after dinner, we may just curl up in front of the telly. "Dexter" is on tonight, so that would be good to watch. I am still not sure if I totally like this show, I mean, I like it - but I just wish that Dexter was not a serial killer. But then, there goes the plot. Best go and get the dinner together. The picture above is a flower I saw on my walk down the street today.

Beta Schemta

I switched over to the Blogger Beta last night, and I'm starting to think that was a mistake. I kind of did it on impulse, and didn't really read about it beforehand. I was attracted by the typepad-like label features, etc, and didn't know about the drawbacks. I can't post a comment on a non-beta blog, I have to set up my special banner all over again - right now, it's just all too difficult. I'm going to go have a glass of wine and think things over.

Cool Japanese Links

I thought I'd share some links from the lovely Japanese book that Marieke sent me (ISBN 4-07-250056-9). I know that I should turn them into hyperlinks, but I've been working on this post for two days, and the internet keeps cutting out, or my computer crashes, or I just get too darn tired - so I hope you don't mind cutting and pasting into your address bar. Here they are - enjoy!

http://www.anano.net - the cutest stuffed bears ever!
http://www.shirokumasha.com - furniture and zakka
http://www.tupera-tupera.com/ - illustrators, a bit like eric carle
http://www.le-duvet-doux.com - lovely muted zakka
http://blog.livedoor.jp/liecot/ - chewi-choak blog - I like this blog, although I can't understand a word, and it's got links to some great bookbinding books on amazon japan.
http://www.colobockle.jp/index.html - another great illustrator
http://www21.ocn.ne.jp/~jellyfis/ - kyoko kurabe - prints and handmade books
http://www.bonboog.com/ - cute stationery and home products
http://www.2dimanche.com/ - wonderful Japanese books on French and European style
http://www.l-musee.com/ - beautiful buttons and beads
http://www.monmagasin.net/ - wonderful French inspired Japanese shop. A picture of their interior is below - I can imagine spending some quality time (and serious yen!) there.

Treats and Treasures

The name of Marieke's blog is perfect - she sent me an amazing box of treats and treasures the other day! It all started a few weeks ago when I posted about a tool that I use in my bookbinding - we decided to do a little swap, I would send her the tool and some magazines, and she would send me a surprise. When I opened the box, I was thrilled - Marieke knows all my loves and obsessions. There was a Japanese book on artists workspaces (it's really great - I'll share some images soon), marie claire magazines from France (both incredibly inspiring - I wish I could get things like this in Canada!), a sweet notebook, a lovely bird candle (which I don't want to burn because it's so cute), hand-printed notecards in glassine envelopes and some candies in the most beautiful packaging.

But best of all, Marieke included one of her "hello" prints. I'm going to frame it up very soon and put it in a special place in my house. So, thank you dear Marieke, for your thoughtful and wonderful box of treats and treasures!

The Usual Suspects

We had a little honey, then I bought honey, and he bought honey too. Something about these little guys reminds of a police lineup - maybe it's the guilty-smug looks on their furry plastic faces?

I'm a Mountain

While my whole little town was gripped with Rolling Stones fever - the "super group" played a huge outdoor concert here in the pouring rain, the likes of which have never been seen in these parts - I was safe and dry watching the wonderful Sarah Harmer in an intimate concert. It was a great night, she's a fantastic musician with a beautiful voice, and a lovely songwriting style. Her genre is a kind of folky country. I am not sure if she is famous in other parts of the world, but she deserves to be. I am running out of adjectives to describe her and the night, so I will just say that I would highly recommend checking her out. Right now, I am going upstairs to cut and fold more paper, and listen to the fabulous Ms. Harmer's latest - I'm a Mountain.

Reading with my Ears

Something that I enjoy when I'm working in my studio is listening to books on tape. Right now, I'm listening to "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell". I read the book last year, but wanted to hear the story again. If you haven't read the book, I would highly recommend it. It's long -about 800 pages - so it's a time committment, but I think it's worth it. The author, Susannah Clarke, has created a magical world based on our own, yet eerily different. Malevolent fairies, fueding magicians, footnotes that could be a novel in themselves - this book has it all. I wouldn't say I am a huge fan of the fantasy genre, but this book goes beyond that. I heard that it took 10 years to write this book and I can believe it, so meticulously crafted. Just a wonderful and beautifully written story. Her latest book of short stories looks great as well, and it's beautifully bound and cased in it's own lovely slipcover, appealing to the book nerd in me.

I have to say though, not all my listening and reading choices are so literary. I like to listen to books like "The Nanny Diaries" or things by Candace Bushnell, because they are fun and don't take too much concentration. I think that I just love the written word. I get feel anxious and out of sorts if I'm not reading something, that's why I love reading with my ears.

Totally Mechanized

My paper cutters arrived the other night, and I've been happily cutting away ever since. I got the ones mentioned in my post the other day, and the question I'm asking myself is - why didn't I do this sooner? It's made things so much quicker, in two hours tonight, I cut what would have probably taken me nearly a day to do. I shouldn't say that I'm totally mechanized though.... I cut up all these little birds by hand a while back. I was making cards with them, but they were so labour intensive that I would have to charge heaps for each card. So, I am thinking that I can mount them on small canvases in mini-collages. Until then, I just dumped them in a pile on this canvas.

Gotta go, America's Next Top Model is on. I really enjoy watching it - I'm such a loser!

Weekend

I've had a nice weekend - I got a lot of work done in my studio, and sources of inspiration have been coming thick and fast. On Saturday morning, we went out for brekkie at Starr's Bakery, which is a really lovely little place. Then, we wandered down to the Dartmouth Farmer's Market, which was buzzing. Normally, I'm not so crazy about the Dartmouth market, preferring the one in Halifax, but there was a really nice group of crafters there this weekend, as well as loads of lovely veggies - guess it's just that time of year. The best thing was that there was an artist's boardwalk outside along the water. Lots of artists had tables set up selling their work. I bought the two little paintings of apples above, which the artist has mounted as fridge magnets. They are the nicest fridge magnets I have ever seen. I have a real weakness for paintings of fruit. After the markets, we went to the library, where I got loads of books and magazines, as well as some books on tape to listen to while I work in the studio. One of the magazines I got was Country Home, which had a nice article about Danny Seo. I really like his design aesthetic, and the way he uses natural and recycled materials. It's a bit like my own aesthetic, except that he designs this way out of concern for the planet, while I am just cheap. I might have to get one (all?) of his books - they look really cool. One of the great things in his house was his use of branches, which I also love. I am planning to have my booth at the markets be quite "branch-y", a kind of cherry blossom woodland winter theme that incorporates birds. Not sure how I'm going to pull it all off, but I've started by getting the basket on the right. I love the way that it's reminscent of a nest, and the black colour makes my books pop. So, I've got lots of ideas running through my head, and I'm thinking of working on a few new products - if I get the time. I'd better go and get started...

The detox is over!

With all the excitement over the craft fair - thanks for all your lovely comments and encouragement by the way - I forgot to update on my progress with the Dr. Joshi detox. I finished up on Saturday, and I think the results have been good. I lost a few pounds, I'm feeling better and have more energy, and I haven't had a serious headache, besides the caffiene withdrawl ones, over the last few weeks. We went out for brekkie on Saturday morning to celebrate the end of the detox and I ordered my pre-detox usual - a latte and a frittata bagel. I had two sips of the coffee and didn't want anymore, and I felt very bloated after eating the bagel. So, I've decided to follow a more relaxed version of the detox on a daily basis - basically, just cutting back on bread, dairy, caffiene and alcohol. I hope that the nice results continue - as I'm going to need lots of energy over the next couple of months in the lead up to the craft fair!

Oh, and this is just a gratuitous thermos shot. I bought this thermos a couple of weeks ago - for some reason, I've always wanted a Chinese-type thermos. I think it's really pretty, but it's highly impractical - it's not watertight.

Quick Update

Just thought I'd post a quick update and let all know that I got in to the craft show! I just found out yesterday, and have been frantically making preparations and filling shop orders, so I haven't had much time to post, but will do so soon. Zen-like state now descending into madness!

Renoir, Picasso and Mrs. Ida Simon

Yes, Mrs. Ida Simon is truly up there with the greats of the art world over the last century or so. But, amazingly, I was able to pick up one of her paintings at a yard sale yesterday for about 2 bucks! All joking aside though, I like this painting. And, I like the fact that it's signed, it gives it a bit of a story.
At the same yard sale I also picked up this painting by an R. Fleming. While not as well known as Mrs. Simon, his (her?) primitive use of bold colour is quite exciting, and will make a lovely addition to the hallway going up the stairs. I had fun yesterday morning, going out and checking out yard sales. There were quite a few on my street, and also a few in town. I only bought at the one where I got the paintings though. I also picked up two brand new sets of bamboo knitting needles and a shade for the light in my studio. The whole lot only cost me 10 bucks. Pretty impressive, I thought.

The rest of the day was spent making more books. I have a couple of orders to fill this week, and I am beginning to get a sense of the "Christmas Rush" coming on. My meeting with the Craft show people went well, but I won't find out about whether or not I'm in until tomorrow. The anticipation of the meeting was a bit nerve-wracking, but now that it's over, I have transcended into a type of Zen state. If I get in, great - and if I don't, well - that's OK too. Mind you, I say this now, but wait until crunch time and Zen will be replaced by...well, something quite a lot less Zen.

Working

I've been busily working away on preparing my presentation for the craft show people on Friday. Luckily, I have most of the things that I need prepared, but I've been working on some extra albums and an information packet. Now, all I have left to is worry...

These are a few of my favorite things...

Recently, Veronica listed things that she loves on her blog, and I've seen similar lists on other blogs. I loved reading these lists, you get to find out lots about the person, and also discover loads of cool things. So, in the true copycat spirit, here's my list of my favorite things, in no particular order...

Family and friends (goes without saying), Martin (ditto), Japanese paper, cherry blossoms - actually, pretty much everything Japanese, making books, making art, doodling, ice cream, Chulo Pony, shopping at H&M, New York, clouds, sunsets, beaches, daschunds, Vienna, art museums and galleries (especially the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC), silly movies, Amelie, music - right now, lots of girl singers like Emiliana Torrini and Feist, home decorating magazines (especially Domino), brie, flea markets, funky old things, my duvet, sleeping in on weekends, reading, old movies, Cary Grant, cooking meals for my friends, baking, walking on leaves in the fall, a nice hot cup of tea with lots of milk, flowers, brown paper packages tied up with string, Matisse, red shoes, chocolate brown, getting emails, getting letters, reading blogs, little birds, wine, cozy knitted sweaters, chunky necklaces, ending sentences with ...

Feeling better now...

Well, my overwhelmed-ness (is that a word?) of yesterday has turned into excitement. I have been wanting to get into a particular juried craft show for months, and having been ringing the administrator in a stalker-like fashion since April or May with few results. Well, I rang again today, and the previous administrator is gone, and the new administrator has agreed to meet with me next Friday to look at my work. I am very happy/excited about this – although I’m not in yet, at least something is finally happening! So, now I just have to prepare a presentation for my little meeting next Friday, really knock her socks off!

Whilst dreaming up ways to outfit my little 8X10” booth, if (and when?) I get it, I came across some photos from the aptly named “Inspiration Engine”. So gorgeous - I would be pleased if I could do something half this good! If anyone has any photos or ideas or links about craft booth design, I’d love to hear about them.

Anyhow, I’m off to Grandma’s house for a bit. Happy long weekend everyone! Well, everyone in Canada (and the US?) anyhow.