Due to a general sense of being tired, and having a bunch of stuff to catch up on here at home, I didn't make it out to the Gem Mall until today. This was the last day of the show, and it was set to close at 3pm instead of the usual 6pm. So I fully expected that when I got there between 12:30 and 1, some vendors would be in the process of packing things up. After all, it's a two week long show, and I remember from the couple of years that I worked it that we were all pretty eager to leave by the end!
What I did not expect was to find that many of the vendors were mostly, if not completely packed up! This included my usual Swarovski crystal supplier, and the vendor I get my carved bone pendants from. So I completely failed to stock up on those items, as if there was anyone else selling what I wanted, they had also already packed up!
The aisles were full of boxes and packaging materials, and the tents echoed with that irritating sound of tape being pulled from the roll. Many sellers seemed much more focused on packing up than on serving customers!
So my money went to the people who actually had the integrity to stay set-up until the end. I got a few strands of Czech glass and a handful of dyed ribbons from Da Beads, Inc and shared a gripe about people closing shop early. And I got three super gorgeous tribal pendants (one for me, two for business) from a vendor whose name I forgot to get. I wouldn't have splurged on tribal goodies at all, but I had extra money in my budget thanks to not being able to buy what I was there for in the first place!
I'll be looking for new sources for Swarovski crystals and carved pendants now. Anyone who can't stay open for the duration of the show they signed up for does not deserve my patronage in the future.
Speaking of patronage, here's my token mention of my shop! Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs! Your home for fantasy jewelry and blog-based griping!
Showing posts with label me rambling on as usual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label me rambling on as usual. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Monday, December 01, 2008
What are you giving this year?
Now more than ever, people seem to be giving greater thought to what they buy and give as holiday presents this year. Budgetary concerns, ethical concerns, safety concerns, and environmental concerns all factor in to gift giving decisions. Given the state of world affairs, it's difficult to just go out and buy the first thing you see. Especially on-line, I see people being a lot more concerned and conscientious about what they buy.
There are a lot of options besides going down to the local big box store or mall and paying for mass-produced, imported goods. But what is the right option for you? Buy American? Shop Local? Buy Handmade? Buy Green? Make it all yourself?
With many of our nation's jobs being outsourced, and much of our goods being produced overseas, Buy American may hold a lot of attraction for you. Of course, the fact of the matter is that there are somethings that simply aren't made in America. If you want to buy beads, for instance, you're limited to artist beads and a few lines of findings and charms.
If you see quirky little stores closing down all around your neighborhood, Shop Local is probably the best choice. We all want to keep our favorite shops in business, and in this declining economy, small stores need all the help they can get. Of course, if times are really tough in your town, you may not have many cool places left to choose from.
If you like one of a kind presents, Buy Handmade is a good choice to make. As an added bonus, you're often buying directly from the artist, and helping them put food on the table. The difficulty with this one is that some people are remarkably hard to find handmade items for. I don't know who's harder to buy for: the relatives who already dabble in all sorts of arts and crafts and can make almost everything themselves, or the ones who are too straight-laced to be into the kind of off-beat items that I like to buy at craft fairs and on Etsy.
Environmental awareness is big right now, and a lot of companies are capitalizing on this by going green. You may want to Buy Green if you're concerned about issues like global warming and overflowing landfills. You have a variety of options along this theme, ranging from upcycled crafts to items made from recycled materials to reusable items that replace disposables. Just make certain that you're still buying something that the receiver will enjoy, and not just using your gift to push an agenda.
If you're an artist, artisan, or crafter, making everything yourself is often a good way to go. You can personalize the gifts, save some money, and have fun doing it. The only drawbacks are that it takes a greater investment of time than just shopping, and there's always the risk of having one person who doesn't understand the work that goes into a handmade gift and belittles it, making you feel like dirt.
To get super bonus double karma points, you should buy handmade, recycled supplies from an American artist and turn them into personalized gifts for your friends and family. And in fact, if you can do that, I give you extreme kudos and I'd love it if you could post in the comments section and let me know exactly what you're doing.
As for myself, I find that it's impossible to adhere to any one gift-giving trend. I'm trying to be more conscientious about what I buy, but different things are appropriate for different people. It's up to each of us to take a look at our budgets and our concerns, and decide what is best for each of us to do. There is no One True Answer to politcally-correct gift purchasing, and chasing after that false ideal just adds unnecessary stress to what should be a joyous time of the year.
There are a lot of options besides going down to the local big box store or mall and paying for mass-produced, imported goods. But what is the right option for you? Buy American? Shop Local? Buy Handmade? Buy Green? Make it all yourself?
With many of our nation's jobs being outsourced, and much of our goods being produced overseas, Buy American may hold a lot of attraction for you. Of course, the fact of the matter is that there are somethings that simply aren't made in America. If you want to buy beads, for instance, you're limited to artist beads and a few lines of findings and charms.
If you see quirky little stores closing down all around your neighborhood, Shop Local is probably the best choice. We all want to keep our favorite shops in business, and in this declining economy, small stores need all the help they can get. Of course, if times are really tough in your town, you may not have many cool places left to choose from.
If you like one of a kind presents, Buy Handmade is a good choice to make. As an added bonus, you're often buying directly from the artist, and helping them put food on the table. The difficulty with this one is that some people are remarkably hard to find handmade items for. I don't know who's harder to buy for: the relatives who already dabble in all sorts of arts and crafts and can make almost everything themselves, or the ones who are too straight-laced to be into the kind of off-beat items that I like to buy at craft fairs and on Etsy.
Environmental awareness is big right now, and a lot of companies are capitalizing on this by going green. You may want to Buy Green if you're concerned about issues like global warming and overflowing landfills. You have a variety of options along this theme, ranging from upcycled crafts to items made from recycled materials to reusable items that replace disposables. Just make certain that you're still buying something that the receiver will enjoy, and not just using your gift to push an agenda.
If you're an artist, artisan, or crafter, making everything yourself is often a good way to go. You can personalize the gifts, save some money, and have fun doing it. The only drawbacks are that it takes a greater investment of time than just shopping, and there's always the risk of having one person who doesn't understand the work that goes into a handmade gift and belittles it, making you feel like dirt.
To get super bonus double karma points, you should buy handmade, recycled supplies from an American artist and turn them into personalized gifts for your friends and family. And in fact, if you can do that, I give you extreme kudos and I'd love it if you could post in the comments section and let me know exactly what you're doing.
As for myself, I find that it's impossible to adhere to any one gift-giving trend. I'm trying to be more conscientious about what I buy, but different things are appropriate for different people. It's up to each of us to take a look at our budgets and our concerns, and decide what is best for each of us to do. There is no One True Answer to politcally-correct gift purchasing, and chasing after that false ideal just adds unnecessary stress to what should be a joyous time of the year.
Friday, November 28, 2008
So, I decided not to have a sale.
Here we are, on the much-vaunted Black Friday, and after the weekend is up, we have the so-called Cyber Monday. And you know what? I find that I really don't care. In past years, I've held sales to try to capitalize on these days, and it hasn't really amounted to much. I'm not some mega-retailer who can afford to offer serious deep discounts to lure customers in, and I think that's all people are really interested in.I find myself increasingly fed up with hype, whether it's the fiction of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, or hearing that some new website is the "next great thing" for selling. I'm spending so much time on-line trying to network and self-promote that I have little time left for making jewelry. It's a little ridiculous, and I'm starting to streamline things to make my life easier. Don't worry, nothing is going to change at this blog. Although many people claim that blogs are a great marketing tool, I love mine just because it's nice to express myself and connect with friends old and new. Even if it never netted me a single sale, I'd keep it around.
I have some interesting plans for my business, which came about during a brain-storming session with Chris yesterday, but I don't have time to implement them before the holidays. As such, I'm just going to do what I've been doing now. Making jewelry, listing it on Etsy, and posting links in a few places. If people like it and buy it, great. If not, well, I have bigger things to stress about right now, like getting my house into order and keeping on top of all the little projects that I take on.
And now I'm off to do a little on-line holiday shopping, where I'll be buying what I had in mind for people, regardless of whether it's on sale.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday Thirteen Volume 1
So, I keep seeing this meme over at A Rose By Name's blog, and I thought I'd give it a little try. I am a sucker for internet memes.
Thirteen Things about AJ Reardon
To start off, we'll do Thirteen Random Things About Me, for people who are new to my blog (I'll try to throw in some interesting things so my regular readers aren't bored), and in future weeks I'll try to come up with some fun gimmick lists.
1. I've been going by my initials since I was 11. I'm getting kind of bored with it, but I still don't like my actual name, and getting everyone to call me by a different name all over again is too much work.
2. I am happily childfree and intend to stay that way.
3. I do not call my cats and dogs my kids or babies, I am not their mother, and actually, I kind of hate it when people call me "Mom" when referring to their pets.
4. I'm not quite as cranky as this list makes me sound, so let's try to be positive, shall we?
5. I like gourmet flavored teas, and in fact have an entire cupboard in my kitchen dedicated to tea and tea-brewing paraphernalia. Last night I found a whole stash of yummy tea that had accidentally been pushed to the back of the cupboard. Woohoo!
6. I am an amateur belly dancer and I love to dance to Collide, Dead Can Dance, Stellamara, and whatever else sounds good at the moment.
7. I love living in Tucson because our winters are mild and we have the biggest gem show in the WORLD.
8. Speaking of gem shows, I hire myself out to various vendors to work as booth help to earn extra bead money. Since I started 8 years ago, I've worked for a Czech glass seller, a silver and beading supplies seller, a resin bead seller, a lampworker, and a full-fledged bead store whose booth is an entire room. It's an awesome job.
9. I collect mythology and folklore books. I especially enjoy going to the used bookstore and looking for old and unusual volumes. My collection includes a copy of "A Dictionary of Non-Classical Mythology" published right after the discovery of King Tut's tomb. I think it's technically my husband's book, but I sort of took possession of it...
10. Actually, I just really like books in general. I like to read them, I like to write them, I like to buy them, collect them, give them as gifts. In fact, the only thing I really don't like to do is pack and move them! They get heavy fast.
11. I am really enjoying being a homeowner. My husband and I bought our first house this year and we're so happy here.
12. I'm a big ol' nerd who is into fantasy, sci-fi, roleplaying gaming, comic books and web comics, steampunk, the occasional video game, and hanging out with other nerds. I really get tired of jokes that suggest that all nerds are socially inept, can't get a date, and live in their parents' basement. And don't even get me started on the assumption that they're all boys. Girl geeks rock!
13. I can be a little opinionated, I like to rant, and I stand up for what's important to me. Sarcasm is my favored weapon.
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008
BootsbootsbootsbootsBOOTS!
Today I bought the most awesome black lace-up ankle boots. They're even more awesome than my previous black lace-up ankle boots, which have to be retired due to general falling-apartness. Chris is very amused by my excitement about these boots. While I like clothing, I am generally ambivelant about shoes. The one exception is boots. I ADORE boots of the lace-up or button-up variety. The more psuedo-Victorian the better. Now I just need a pair of brown boots and I will be an extremely happy girl.
This week has been beyond weird. Chris had to work overtime on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and last night, and now he's off today, tomorrow and probably Thursday. As such, today feels like a Saturday, and I kept forgetting that it was, in fact, the middle of the week.
Safety Gear has been redubbed Wastelands Tribe and it was coming along nicely until I realized that I had somehow been 5 rows off on finding the center (despite counting twice...), so I have to take it apart a bit and rework it some, but I do believe it can be saved. It looks nothing short of awesome, with a definite Afghani and African influence. I can't wait to finish it and show it off. In fact, I think I should go work on it now.
This week has been beyond weird. Chris had to work overtime on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and last night, and now he's off today, tomorrow and probably Thursday. As such, today feels like a Saturday, and I kept forgetting that it was, in fact, the middle of the week.
Safety Gear has been redubbed Wastelands Tribe and it was coming along nicely until I realized that I had somehow been 5 rows off on finding the center (despite counting twice...), so I have to take it apart a bit and rework it some, but I do believe it can be saved. It looks nothing short of awesome, with a definite Afghani and African influence. I can't wait to finish it and show it off. In fact, I think I should go work on it now.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
I've been tagged!
When I checked my comments today, I saw that I'd been tagged by The Beaded Lily with one of those blog memes where you share random facts about yourself and then tag your friends. Weee! Here's the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
So without further ado, here are some facts about me:
1. I like to dip french fries in honey instead of catsup.
2. My female cat is named Xunalira because I couldn't come up with a good name for her, so Chris and I played with a word spin game until we randomized something that we liked.
3. It's been 14 years since I had a haircut.
4. I used to square dance.
5. I live within walking distance of the largest park in my city.
6. My first roleplaying character was a five foot tall faerie armed with a katana.
7. I wrote my first novel when I was 15. Too bad it sucks.
And the seven people I'd like to tag are:
My friend Charlene
My EBW Teammate Ann Burke
Fellow LL-BFAC Contributor Arline
My friend Doris
My friend Gina
Marilee, who probably doesn't like memes but gets tagged anyway
Blog-buddy Christina
And now, back to spending my Saturday lazing around. Hurray, lazy Saturday!
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
So without further ado, here are some facts about me:
1. I like to dip french fries in honey instead of catsup.
2. My female cat is named Xunalira because I couldn't come up with a good name for her, so Chris and I played with a word spin game until we randomized something that we liked.
3. It's been 14 years since I had a haircut.
4. I used to square dance.
5. I live within walking distance of the largest park in my city.
6. My first roleplaying character was a five foot tall faerie armed with a katana.
7. I wrote my first novel when I was 15. Too bad it sucks.
And the seven people I'd like to tag are:
My friend Charlene
My EBW Teammate Ann Burke
Fellow LL-BFAC Contributor Arline
My friend Doris
My friend Gina
Marilee, who probably doesn't like memes but gets tagged anyway
Blog-buddy Christina
And now, back to spending my Saturday lazing around. Hurray, lazy Saturday!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Reporting.
Well, I'm almost done with my Comic Con reports. I have a gaming-related report to do, and then a short blurb about some X-Men cartoons I inadvertently previewed, and then I'm free.
Ideally, I should be updating my website tomorrow, but since I haven't made anything and I don't have a place set up for photography, it's probably not going to happen. I really need to get back to beading. I'm starting to worry that I'm going to become one of those people who simply stops beading, and given all the time, money, and most importantly, love that I have invested into it, that's a pretty scary thought.
I guess I had no idea how much moving would throw me out of whack. It changed a lot of things about my life and my daily rituals, and I'm still trying to get settled in with the new routine. And of course, it doesn't help that I had the BFAC deadline and Comic Con this month, so that put a whole lot of chaos in my life. Enjoyable chaos, but chaos nonetheless.
Unless we take off for NY, I should be able to spend August getting my act together.
Ideally, I should be updating my website tomorrow, but since I haven't made anything and I don't have a place set up for photography, it's probably not going to happen. I really need to get back to beading. I'm starting to worry that I'm going to become one of those people who simply stops beading, and given all the time, money, and most importantly, love that I have invested into it, that's a pretty scary thought.
I guess I had no idea how much moving would throw me out of whack. It changed a lot of things about my life and my daily rituals, and I'm still trying to get settled in with the new routine. And of course, it doesn't help that I had the BFAC deadline and Comic Con this month, so that put a whole lot of chaos in my life. Enjoyable chaos, but chaos nonetheless.
Unless we take off for NY, I should be able to spend August getting my act together.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Busy week ahead
So, I'm leaving for Comic Con on Wednesday. We'll spend most of Weds driving to CA, then spend Thurs-Sat and maybe a little of Sunday at the convention. Should be awesome. Too bad my faerie wings still haven't arrived. Well, I still have 2-3 days to get them, depending on if we leave before the mail comes on Weds. I swear, if we leave early on Weds and they arrive right after I leave, there will be no end to my griping.
There are a few things I need to do before the convention, such as find my dayplanner so I can keep track of all the panels, signings, and stuff that I want to go to; get together all the pieces for the costumes I'll wear; make a present for my editor to thank her for making this possible; get everything in order to make it easy for my Mom to take care of the cats and plants while I'm gone; get a sketchbook and notebook for for collecting sketches and taking notes; and lots of other things that I'm forgetting at the moment (kind of like how I forgot to buy a sketchbook at the bookstore today).
I don't know if it's showing in my writing or not, but I just realized from how I'm fidgeting that I am totally wired. I bought this cherry and pomegranate energy drink today, because I thought that the two fruits would taste good together (and they do). Chris was looking at it, and said "An energy drink, huh?" and I said "Yeah, but it's just a little guarana and some vitamins, I don't think it will make me too hyper." Oh, how wrong I was. I definitely have enough energy to go do my housework now.
Anyway, writing is going well, life is good, I really will try to blog more often now, and we had an awesome storm last night. It was pouring rain, and there was a bunch of lightning and thunder right overhead. I'm hoping for a repeat performance tonight. Come on clouds, you can do it!
There are a few things I need to do before the convention, such as find my dayplanner so I can keep track of all the panels, signings, and stuff that I want to go to; get together all the pieces for the costumes I'll wear; make a present for my editor to thank her for making this possible; get everything in order to make it easy for my Mom to take care of the cats and plants while I'm gone; get a sketchbook and notebook for for collecting sketches and taking notes; and lots of other things that I'm forgetting at the moment (kind of like how I forgot to buy a sketchbook at the bookstore today).
I don't know if it's showing in my writing or not, but I just realized from how I'm fidgeting that I am totally wired. I bought this cherry and pomegranate energy drink today, because I thought that the two fruits would taste good together (and they do). Chris was looking at it, and said "An energy drink, huh?" and I said "Yeah, but it's just a little guarana and some vitamins, I don't think it will make me too hyper." Oh, how wrong I was. I definitely have enough energy to go do my housework now.
Anyway, writing is going well, life is good, I really will try to blog more often now, and we had an awesome storm last night. It was pouring rain, and there was a bunch of lightning and thunder right overhead. I'm hoping for a repeat performance tonight. Come on clouds, you can do it!
Monday, June 16, 2008
It's official.
Clearly, I am a homeowner now. We went to Home Depot tonight, and I actually enjoyed it.*
You see, when I was a kid-teenager, a trip to Home Depot was something to be dreaded. It was like many people's reaction to a dentist visit. To my young mind, nothing could be more boring, more of a waste of a Sunday afternoon, than looking at hardware cloth, PVC pipes, or whatever we needed for the latest home improvement/repair. The only possible fun was looking at all the paint sample cards and wondering whyohwhy my parents wouldn't paint my bedroom silver.
I did, in fact, want a silver bedroom when I was a teenager. It seemed a brilliant idea at the time, but my parents adamantly insisted that silver paint would not dry properly or something like that. So my bedroom stayed the same slightly-dirty blue it was when I moved in, because seriously, why bother painting at all if I couldn't have the color I wanted?
But I digress. Home Depot is a lot more fun when you get to look at things which will enhance the beauty or efficiency of your own home. I ooh'ed and aah'ed over pretty switchplates and drawer pulls, priced window film, and picked up compact fluorescent bulbs, among other things.
Anyway, in other news, our desks will hopefully arrive tomorrow, and then I will hopefully be able to put some furniture in my beadroom and actually bead.
You see, when I was a kid-teenager, a trip to Home Depot was something to be dreaded. It was like many people's reaction to a dentist visit. To my young mind, nothing could be more boring, more of a waste of a Sunday afternoon, than looking at hardware cloth, PVC pipes, or whatever we needed for the latest home improvement/repair. The only possible fun was looking at all the paint sample cards and wondering whyohwhy my parents wouldn't paint my bedroom silver.
I did, in fact, want a silver bedroom when I was a teenager. It seemed a brilliant idea at the time, but my parents adamantly insisted that silver paint would not dry properly or something like that. So my bedroom stayed the same slightly-dirty blue it was when I moved in, because seriously, why bother painting at all if I couldn't have the color I wanted?
But I digress. Home Depot is a lot more fun when you get to look at things which will enhance the beauty or efficiency of your own home. I ooh'ed and aah'ed over pretty switchplates and drawer pulls, priced window film, and picked up compact fluorescent bulbs, among other things.
Anyway, in other news, our desks will hopefully arrive tomorrow, and then I will hopefully be able to put some furniture in my beadroom and actually bead.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Things I forgot.
Sometimes I forget to blog about things. For instance, when I wrote about The Mist I forgot to mention the best part of it: Dead Can Dance on the soundtrack. I'm still not certain if it fit, but listening to that beautiful, mournful song at the end... Any movie is basically made better by Lisa Gerrard's voice. It was even better than hearing Collide in the trailer for that most recent Resident Evil movie.
Another thing is that yesterday, I forgot to mention that one of the books that we bought is on spooky crochet, and it has a little crochet Cthulhu. You realize what this means, of course. Now I have to learn to crochet. I was thinking about that this morning, and reflecting on how women used to be able to do all sorts of handicrafts. In addition to cooking and baking, they could sew their own clothes, tat their own lace, crochet blankets and knit socks and quilt bedspreads and embroider handkerchiefs and needlepoint up something pretty for the wall.
And it made me think that women probably had to do all those things, not just to supply things for their home, but to keep themselves from going mad. It was unusual for a woman to work outside the home, of course. After you'd cleaned the house, assuming you didn't have a maid, what were you to do? Especially if the kids were in school? And what if you didn't have kids? It's no wonder it was considered terrible to be barren. A woman essentially was just considered to be a wife and mother in those times.
I'm happy to live in a time where I'm free to not have children, and free to work outside the home (even if I currently don't), and where I don't have to be the master of a dozen crafts. But sometimes I feel like I should be able to do all these things. It's so much easier now, with high-quality tools and materials, and good lights (honestly, can you imagine doing embroidery by candlelight?), and books aplenty. The only issue, really, is stretching myself too thin. I do worry that if I try to do too many things, I'll never really master anything.
Anyway, I really should be working to finish this anklet. I did let myself get distracted, and I probably won't actually finish it until tomorrow.
Another thing is that yesterday, I forgot to mention that one of the books that we bought is on spooky crochet, and it has a little crochet Cthulhu. You realize what this means, of course. Now I have to learn to crochet. I was thinking about that this morning, and reflecting on how women used to be able to do all sorts of handicrafts. In addition to cooking and baking, they could sew their own clothes, tat their own lace, crochet blankets and knit socks and quilt bedspreads and embroider handkerchiefs and needlepoint up something pretty for the wall.
And it made me think that women probably had to do all those things, not just to supply things for their home, but to keep themselves from going mad. It was unusual for a woman to work outside the home, of course. After you'd cleaned the house, assuming you didn't have a maid, what were you to do? Especially if the kids were in school? And what if you didn't have kids? It's no wonder it was considered terrible to be barren. A woman essentially was just considered to be a wife and mother in those times.
I'm happy to live in a time where I'm free to not have children, and free to work outside the home (even if I currently don't), and where I don't have to be the master of a dozen crafts. But sometimes I feel like I should be able to do all these things. It's so much easier now, with high-quality tools and materials, and good lights (honestly, can you imagine doing embroidery by candlelight?), and books aplenty. The only issue, really, is stretching myself too thin. I do worry that if I try to do too many things, I'll never really master anything.
Anyway, I really should be working to finish this anklet. I did let myself get distracted, and I probably won't actually finish it until tomorrow.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Settling down to bead.
I'm about to work some more on Locked Away. I did a little bit last night, but wasn't happy with most of it, so I undid it. Hopefully tonight will be more successful. I'm trying to figure out exactly how I want to fill in the area around the wings. I'm trying to use the amber 15s, because I'm not really thrilled with the terra cotta lined lime beads. I think the amber looks much nicer with the teal-turquoise.
I haven't really been able to bead much during the day lately. Having Chris home all the time really throws me off and I find that I have a hard time concentrating on anything when he's constantly on the phone. One of the best things about having a house will be having our respective work areas on opposite sides of said house, so we don't interfere with each other. Don't get me wrong, I love him and I love the idea of having him home, but the reality doesn't work out so well.
Tonight I did a little dancing, since I've completely kicked the cough that my cold left me with. With any luck, I'll stay healthy and I'll be able to dance on a regular basis again. I can feel myself slipping out of shape, and I don't want that to happen!
I haven't really been able to bead much during the day lately. Having Chris home all the time really throws me off and I find that I have a hard time concentrating on anything when he's constantly on the phone. One of the best things about having a house will be having our respective work areas on opposite sides of said house, so we don't interfere with each other. Don't get me wrong, I love him and I love the idea of having him home, but the reality doesn't work out so well.
Tonight I did a little dancing, since I've completely kicked the cough that my cold left me with. With any luck, I'll stay healthy and I'll be able to dance on a regular basis again. I can feel myself slipping out of shape, and I don't want that to happen!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Staying home, getting things done.
I decided to skip D&D today so I could try to get better, and also get some things done here at home. I'm glad that I did, because it is such a beautiful day and I have a nice breeze blowing in through my front window. Even with being sick, I don't feel bad, because everything else is just right. Perfect temperature, wearing my favorite jeans, a happy cat in my lap, and Dead Can Dance on iTunes.
Spring arrived rather suddenly here in Tucson, and caught me off-guard. One day I was wearing long-sleeved tees, the next I was digging around trying to find my tanktops because once again, the living room was turning into an oven during the afternoon. I just hope that Summer doesn't arrive fast on its heels. This weather is so pleasant, I want it to at least stick around long enough for me to go to Renaissance Faire and not get heat stroke.
After I do some much-needed housework, I'm hoping to finally start beading again. I hate sitting around, not making anything, when I have so much cool, inspirational stuff around me.
Last night we went out and saw "In Bruges." It was really, really good. Sometimes I was sitting there wondering if I liked the movie, because some of the humor was off, and some of the scenes really seemed quite random. But then it all pulled together at the end and I was all "Wow!" It's only playing on one screen in all of Tucson, so I guess it has a pretty limited release. Everyone who was watching it at the same time as us really seemed to enjoy it, though. Please note that this is not the movie for you if you have a problem with cursing, or a little American-bashing. I'm not sure I've ever heard so much cursing in one movie.
The interesting thing to me about the film was that the trailer totally plays it off as a comedy, albeit a dark one with some gun fights. However, there's also some serious drama in there. Although at times I questioned the blend, overall it came across as pretty natural. "In Bruges" has the kind of comedy I prefer, which is to say, witty dialog that seems natural. I don't like forced situational comedy or physical comedy.
We also went to the CD store, where we found two QNTAL CDs, a Voltaire CD, an Ataraxia CD (I have no idea if I like them, but they were on Chris's list of bands to look for, and they were on the Lotus Eaters Dead Can Dance tribute CD), and another Nordic Roots collection. Please note that neither Chris nor I have any Nordic roots of which we are aware, but we do occasionally enjoy some good Nordic music. Garmarna and Varttina are both good, though I swear I can't tell them apart.
I suppose I should stop rambling on and go get to work!
Spring arrived rather suddenly here in Tucson, and caught me off-guard. One day I was wearing long-sleeved tees, the next I was digging around trying to find my tanktops because once again, the living room was turning into an oven during the afternoon. I just hope that Summer doesn't arrive fast on its heels. This weather is so pleasant, I want it to at least stick around long enough for me to go to Renaissance Faire and not get heat stroke.
After I do some much-needed housework, I'm hoping to finally start beading again. I hate sitting around, not making anything, when I have so much cool, inspirational stuff around me.
Last night we went out and saw "In Bruges." It was really, really good. Sometimes I was sitting there wondering if I liked the movie, because some of the humor was off, and some of the scenes really seemed quite random. But then it all pulled together at the end and I was all "Wow!" It's only playing on one screen in all of Tucson, so I guess it has a pretty limited release. Everyone who was watching it at the same time as us really seemed to enjoy it, though. Please note that this is not the movie for you if you have a problem with cursing, or a little American-bashing. I'm not sure I've ever heard so much cursing in one movie.
The interesting thing to me about the film was that the trailer totally plays it off as a comedy, albeit a dark one with some gun fights. However, there's also some serious drama in there. Although at times I questioned the blend, overall it came across as pretty natural. "In Bruges" has the kind of comedy I prefer, which is to say, witty dialog that seems natural. I don't like forced situational comedy or physical comedy.
We also went to the CD store, where we found two QNTAL CDs, a Voltaire CD, an Ataraxia CD (I have no idea if I like them, but they were on Chris's list of bands to look for, and they were on the Lotus Eaters Dead Can Dance tribute CD), and another Nordic Roots collection. Please note that neither Chris nor I have any Nordic roots of which we are aware, but we do occasionally enjoy some good Nordic music. Garmarna and Varttina are both good, though I swear I can't tell them apart.
I suppose I should stop rambling on and go get to work!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Not at all productive.
I had a lot less energy yesterday than I thought, and today I'm really beat. Blah.
I don't like to bead when I'm sick, because I just feel gross and it's like I'm going to transfer that grossness to the beads... Much in the same way that a lot of creative people don't like to create when they're in a negative mood, lest the negativity affect their art.
I'm not sure if I agree with that concept whole-heartedly, but I often find that I CAN'T create when I'm upset. My muse just shuts down. There are rare exceptions. I have a beautiful necklace that I made for myself one day when I was feeling down because someone was tearing into me on-line. It remains one of my favorite necklaces. The person, the forum, and the game tied to it are long gone for my life, but the necklace remains.
I have found that if I write when I'm in a bad mood, it has a negative effect on my characters. All of the sudden, even the nice ones are getting snarky, and everyone gets into fights with each other, and then I have to re-write it all next time I'm at my computer.
And Chris wonders why I usually sit around doing nothing when I'm mad or sad...
I don't like to bead when I'm sick, because I just feel gross and it's like I'm going to transfer that grossness to the beads... Much in the same way that a lot of creative people don't like to create when they're in a negative mood, lest the negativity affect their art.
I'm not sure if I agree with that concept whole-heartedly, but I often find that I CAN'T create when I'm upset. My muse just shuts down. There are rare exceptions. I have a beautiful necklace that I made for myself one day when I was feeling down because someone was tearing into me on-line. It remains one of my favorite necklaces. The person, the forum, and the game tied to it are long gone for my life, but the necklace remains.
I have found that if I write when I'm in a bad mood, it has a negative effect on my characters. All of the sudden, even the nice ones are getting snarky, and everyone gets into fights with each other, and then I have to re-write it all next time I'm at my computer.
And Chris wonders why I usually sit around doing nothing when I'm mad or sad...
Friday, February 22, 2008
One post, lots of things!
I finally took some pictures! And there will be much more photography done on Monday, oh yes.
This necklace is the one that I whipped up one morning to go with my brown and silver sequined skirt. It's a really beautiful skirt... Somewhat full, ankle length (and I have long legs!), with silver paisly-ish designs. I didn't have a necklace to go with it, so previously I'd just worn this Lillypilly pendant on a silver chain. However, I simply can't go to a bead show without a beaded necklace, so I had to make this.
Sometimes simple is best. Even though this is just a strung necklace that I made in less than an hour, I've received a lot of compliments on it. While I do think that I did a very nice job of matching the color and theme of the pendant, I think people really love the pendant itself. It's much prettier in person, because the shell is lighter in the center and dark at the edges. Combined with the Celtic spiral pattern, it makes for a very attractive piece.
The necklace is strung with three sizes and colors of Czech firepolished beads, smoke topaz Swarovski crystals, and "Celtix" pewter beads that we're given to me as a gift. I think the various topaz shades look very harmonious together, and they're a pretty good look for me, with my brown hair.
I finished the necklace I was working on this afternoon, but the photo didn't turn out, so I'll try again on Monday. I am very happy with the necklace itself. It's using a technique that I haven't done for years and did from memory, without even looking at my old examples, because I wanted to see if I could. My bead count might be a little different than the original, but it still came out looking nifty.
Most importantly, my BFAC kit arrived this afternoon! I can't talk about it, though. I have to keep the colors and styles secret until everyone has received theirs. But I can design all I want! I've already picked out a few things to add to the kit... a rivoli, a druzy cab, and a key. Although I'm thinking that I might do two rivolis instead, but they'll definitely be the color of this one that I already have (which is chipped, so I don't want to use it in my BFAC project anyway).
Christina of This Girl Beads did an open blog tagging this week, and since I've never been tagged, I'm taking it and running! If you want to play, here's the rules:
- Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
- Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
- Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
- Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
1. My eyes change color, possibly dependent on my mood. My ID says "green" because that's my favorite color, but sometimes they're hazel, and sometimes they're grey.
2. I wrote my first story when I was 8 years old or so. It was written from the POV of a super hero I'd made up, and it was about a species of fish she'd discovered. I wrote two or three of those stories, and I still have them (no, I'm not going to share them). Why would a super hero go around looking for fish? It made sense to me as a kid, now I just shake my head.
3. I've never been outside of the US. One time my grandparents took me to San Juan Capistrano, but they didn't tell me where we were going, so for some reason I was convinced we were going to Mexico. While in San Juan Capistrano, I got a book of really nice paper dolls, and all their clothes were Victorian. I wish I still had those!
4. I like to dip french fries in honey, but only at fast food places, because it's too messy at home!
5. Peach is my least favorite color. I accidentally bought some peach beads, and now I have to sell them on Etsy because I know I'll never use them.
6. Although I like skulls, graveyards, macabre stories, and other such morbid things, I am afraid of actual dead bodies.
7. My husband and I met in an on-line roleplaying channel. If not for the fact that some guy that he didn't like decided to pick on my character, we might never have become friends! Also, my character had lost her clothes during the course of the picking-on, so Chris likes to tell people that I was naked when he met me. I, obviously, do not like his version of the story, because it makes me sound like a stripper.
Ok, I think that's about as random as it gets!
Tune in tomorrow for more jewelry pictures!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Good bye, 2007!
Well, this has certainly been an eventful year! It's been a year for change and progress... Lots of changes over at my website, Chris losing his job and starting his own business, my various attempts to take my business in new directions, studying Chinese, etc etc. I think that 2008 is going to be even more exciting, though, so I am looking forward to it!
Just for fun, I think I'll post a list of my goals for 2008, and in a year, we can revisit that list and see how I did! This list is in no particular order, of course.
1. Move into a house. Okay, this is quite literally number 1. I hate my apartment, and Chris is finally on the same page with me on our need to move on.
2. Do at least one Faerie Festival or Fantasy Convention or some such. I've got to stop relying entirely on my website to generate business. And while we're on that topic...
3. Open an Etsy shop. This is the first 2008 goal that I'm likely to fulfill. Watch this blog for more news on that!
4. Explore new-to-me materials and techniques. I want to increase the variety in my selection. I've already started that with the addition of Earthenwood Studios beads and pendants (which you'll start to see in my next update), but I hope to do even more expansion in 2008.
5. Do more polymer work. I've barely touched my clay supplies all year. This is another one that I'll probably get to early in the year -- maybe even starting on the 2nd.
6. Get published in at least one bead magazine. I've made some attempts in that area this past year, but in the coming year I'm going to put a lot more effort into it.
7. Network. I worry that I've become too insular. I need to make more friends and business contacts, and spend more time communicating with the ones I already have.
8. Dance. I haven't danced in months, and I really miss it. One problem is that sometimes I get bored just dancing for myself and/or Chris. I know I'll never dedicate the time to being a professional dancer, but it would be nice to find a few opportunities to dance for other people. Whether this turns into dancing for my friends, or the residents of a senior center, or dancing like a madwoman in my front yard, the change would still be nice.
9. Organize my time better. I have a lot of hobbies, and I can't seem to find the time to juggle all of them AND the things that I have to do (stupid housework). I know that there are people out there who do even more than I'm trying to do, and they're serving as my inspiration. In 2008, I will waste less time and accomplish more things.
10. Various and sundry personal goals. These are all too private to post about here on my blog where the whole wide world can read them. However, there are a lot of little things about myself that I'm dissatisfied with. Things I've never learned or accomplished, personality flaws that hamper my social life, that sort of thing. I hope that by the end of 2008 I'll be a better, more well-rounded, happier person than I am at the end of 2007.
Everyone be safe tonight, and I'll see you in the new year!
Just for fun, I think I'll post a list of my goals for 2008, and in a year, we can revisit that list and see how I did! This list is in no particular order, of course.
1. Move into a house. Okay, this is quite literally number 1. I hate my apartment, and Chris is finally on the same page with me on our need to move on.
2. Do at least one Faerie Festival or Fantasy Convention or some such. I've got to stop relying entirely on my website to generate business. And while we're on that topic...
3. Open an Etsy shop. This is the first 2008 goal that I'm likely to fulfill. Watch this blog for more news on that!
4. Explore new-to-me materials and techniques. I want to increase the variety in my selection. I've already started that with the addition of Earthenwood Studios beads and pendants (which you'll start to see in my next update), but I hope to do even more expansion in 2008.
5. Do more polymer work. I've barely touched my clay supplies all year. This is another one that I'll probably get to early in the year -- maybe even starting on the 2nd.
6. Get published in at least one bead magazine. I've made some attempts in that area this past year, but in the coming year I'm going to put a lot more effort into it.
7. Network. I worry that I've become too insular. I need to make more friends and business contacts, and spend more time communicating with the ones I already have.
8. Dance. I haven't danced in months, and I really miss it. One problem is that sometimes I get bored just dancing for myself and/or Chris. I know I'll never dedicate the time to being a professional dancer, but it would be nice to find a few opportunities to dance for other people. Whether this turns into dancing for my friends, or the residents of a senior center, or dancing like a madwoman in my front yard, the change would still be nice.
9. Organize my time better. I have a lot of hobbies, and I can't seem to find the time to juggle all of them AND the things that I have to do (stupid housework). I know that there are people out there who do even more than I'm trying to do, and they're serving as my inspiration. In 2008, I will waste less time and accomplish more things.
10. Various and sundry personal goals. These are all too private to post about here on my blog where the whole wide world can read them. However, there are a lot of little things about myself that I'm dissatisfied with. Things I've never learned or accomplished, personality flaws that hamper my social life, that sort of thing. I hope that by the end of 2008 I'll be a better, more well-rounded, happier person than I am at the end of 2007.
Everyone be safe tonight, and I'll see you in the new year!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
The Giving of the Thanks.
Ah, Thanksgiving. A day to spend with your loved ones, enjoying a feast, and thinking on what we're thankful for. For some it's also a day for football, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a family more apathetic about sports than mine. If the TV gets turned on at all today, it'll probably be to watch a DVD. Our holiday gatherings are small. Just my parents, my brother, Chris and myself.
I have a lot to be thankful for this year. This month especially has been good to me: The Collaboration Exploration, the Art Bead Scene interview, the Anime NebrasKon auction. I feel like a lot of opportunities are opening up to me. In the meantime, Chris has taken his lay-off as a chance to pursue his dream of running a business with his best friend, and opportunities also abound for them. If there's one thing to be thankful for this year, that's it.
But there are lots of other little things to be thankful for! I found a great new finding supplier at the start of the year (thank you, Lois! I never would have checked them out without you!). Art Bead Scene has rekindled my love of designing with art beads, instead of hoarding them. Layne's Legacy -- Beading For A Cure raised more money than ever this year. I read a lot of good books, played a lot of good games, and saw a lot of good movies. And there's still a little more than a month left in the year for further excitement. Best of all, I've been blessed with the good health to get out there and really enjoy my life.
I hope that this post finds all of you, whether you're reading it today, tomorrow, or sometime in the future, happy and blessed with a number of things to be thankful for.
I have a lot to be thankful for this year. This month especially has been good to me: The Collaboration Exploration, the Art Bead Scene interview, the Anime NebrasKon auction. I feel like a lot of opportunities are opening up to me. In the meantime, Chris has taken his lay-off as a chance to pursue his dream of running a business with his best friend, and opportunities also abound for them. If there's one thing to be thankful for this year, that's it.
But there are lots of other little things to be thankful for! I found a great new finding supplier at the start of the year (thank you, Lois! I never would have checked them out without you!). Art Bead Scene has rekindled my love of designing with art beads, instead of hoarding them. Layne's Legacy -- Beading For A Cure raised more money than ever this year. I read a lot of good books, played a lot of good games, and saw a lot of good movies. And there's still a little more than a month left in the year for further excitement. Best of all, I've been blessed with the good health to get out there and really enjoy my life.
I hope that this post finds all of you, whether you're reading it today, tomorrow, or sometime in the future, happy and blessed with a number of things to be thankful for.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
A Day Of Getting Things Done.
I woke up today, and just decided that I didn't feel like going to D&D. Not only am I a little tired of the Dungeons and Dragons system, but I was feeling a little blah. I knew that if I went to gaming, I'd be uncomfortable, start to resent being there, and possibly take it out on my friends. So instead, I just stayed home. And while I was home, I figured I might as well us all of this unexpected free time to get a few things done.
One of the things that I did was finally add a list to the blogs that I read every day. Some are shopping related, some are bead and jewelry related, and some are not. Insect Picture of the Day, for instance, is exactly that. Pictures of bugs. Hey! I like bugs! And Gateway to Doom is the blog of my friend and fellow AJ, who does fantasy artwork. Oh, and Miss Doxie is just plain funny, though her language is a little salty. You have been warned!
I also set up my own playlist on Chris's iPod, which I've taken over ever since he got his silly iPhone. Previously, the only list I had was my dancing list, which had just a fraction of the music that I like. Now, don't get me wrong, for the most part our music tastes overlap, and I don't think there's anything I like that he doesn't. However, he has a few bands on the iPod that I really don't like, and some that I have to be in the right mood to hear. I really got sick of getting up to skip past Rage Against the Machine whenever they came up. I don't have all the music that I want in the list yet, but I've got a day and three hours worth so far, which means that today I can bead unmolested by Corrosion of Conformity.
The other thing I kept putting off was signing up for Facebook. Our D&D GM has been using that to post exp and other game info. I'd resisted signing up, simply because I already have two e-mail addresses, a blog, several forums, etc to keep up with. But everyone else gave in, so I caved. Now I just need to figure out how it works.
With all of that done, I have hours and hours of good beading time ahead of me! I'm halfway done with another ornament for the 2007 Holiday Ornament Give-Away, and once that's done I'm going to work on my top-secret project. I started it last night. I might take a break and play a little Guild Wars between beading, or maybe dance a bit. I danced last night and surprisingly, I don't hurt today.
One of the things that I did was finally add a list to the blogs that I read every day. Some are shopping related, some are bead and jewelry related, and some are not. Insect Picture of the Day, for instance, is exactly that. Pictures of bugs. Hey! I like bugs! And Gateway to Doom is the blog of my friend and fellow AJ, who does fantasy artwork. Oh, and Miss Doxie is just plain funny, though her language is a little salty. You have been warned!
I also set up my own playlist on Chris's iPod, which I've taken over ever since he got his silly iPhone. Previously, the only list I had was my dancing list, which had just a fraction of the music that I like. Now, don't get me wrong, for the most part our music tastes overlap, and I don't think there's anything I like that he doesn't. However, he has a few bands on the iPod that I really don't like, and some that I have to be in the right mood to hear. I really got sick of getting up to skip past Rage Against the Machine whenever they came up. I don't have all the music that I want in the list yet, but I've got a day and three hours worth so far, which means that today I can bead unmolested by Corrosion of Conformity.
The other thing I kept putting off was signing up for Facebook. Our D&D GM has been using that to post exp and other game info. I'd resisted signing up, simply because I already have two e-mail addresses, a blog, several forums, etc to keep up with. But everyone else gave in, so I caved. Now I just need to figure out how it works.
With all of that done, I have hours and hours of good beading time ahead of me! I'm halfway done with another ornament for the 2007 Holiday Ornament Give-Away, and once that's done I'm going to work on my top-secret project. I started it last night. I might take a break and play a little Guild Wars between beading, or maybe dance a bit. I danced last night and surprisingly, I don't hurt today.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Of Piranhas and Ghost Stories.
Image: Angry Piranhas
Angry Piranhas! is a necklace that I made some time ago, using this set of really awesome piranha beads by Chase Designs. Piranha beads! How often do you find something like that? My only complaint is that I'm not a huge fan of the brown color of their bodies... But the beads themselves are just too cool. Wicked little fish with giant teeth!
I've been reading my way through Fragile Things. There's nothing like a good short story collection, be it by one author or many, to keep me happy. I can sit down and read whenever I want, but not get sucked into a huge plot that will keep me from getting anything done. So far, A Study In Emerald has been the best, it made me smile the entire time I was reading it. There's just something about stories set in Napoleonic through Victorian era England that I love, and adding Great Old Ones into the mix is a recipe for happiness. So far there have been a lot of ghost stories, too, which is entirely fitting for this time of year.
I love ghost stories. When I was a pre-teen, I had a book called Ghost Words, at least I think that's what it was called. I can't find it in Amazon, so either I've got the name wrong or it's long-since out of print. I can't remember the author's name, it was just some young adult book that I picked up at a used bookstore, and it entranced me. I read it three or four times, and I'd probably read it again if I still had it. Somewhere along the way I lost it, or maybe decided I'd outgrown it. It was a very sad little story about a girl who had been given a name that her mother saw on a tombstone, and the ghost of the girl who had originally had the name. I was captivated by the horror of the ghost's existence; there was some passage where her foot started to fall apart or something like that, and I loved the creepiness of it. It shaped a lot of my current taste in books, to be certain.
I think that the main appeal of ghost stories is that whether the ghost is malicious or benign, there's always a sense that they are a ghost due to some sort of tragedy. I'm very drawn to tragedy in writing and roleplaying (to the point where I mock myself for it), and ghosts fulfill that need perfectly. Not only was their life cut short for some reason (for ghosts are rarely people who simply died of old age), but now the spirit lingers on in life for some reason. It's quite touching.
Someday, I hope to write a really good ghost story, but until then I'll settle for reading the works of better authors.
I've been reading my way through Fragile Things. There's nothing like a good short story collection, be it by one author or many, to keep me happy. I can sit down and read whenever I want, but not get sucked into a huge plot that will keep me from getting anything done. So far, A Study In Emerald has been the best, it made me smile the entire time I was reading it. There's just something about stories set in Napoleonic through Victorian era England that I love, and adding Great Old Ones into the mix is a recipe for happiness. So far there have been a lot of ghost stories, too, which is entirely fitting for this time of year.
I love ghost stories. When I was a pre-teen, I had a book called Ghost Words, at least I think that's what it was called. I can't find it in Amazon, so either I've got the name wrong or it's long-since out of print. I can't remember the author's name, it was just some young adult book that I picked up at a used bookstore, and it entranced me. I read it three or four times, and I'd probably read it again if I still had it. Somewhere along the way I lost it, or maybe decided I'd outgrown it. It was a very sad little story about a girl who had been given a name that her mother saw on a tombstone, and the ghost of the girl who had originally had the name. I was captivated by the horror of the ghost's existence; there was some passage where her foot started to fall apart or something like that, and I loved the creepiness of it. It shaped a lot of my current taste in books, to be certain.
I think that the main appeal of ghost stories is that whether the ghost is malicious or benign, there's always a sense that they are a ghost due to some sort of tragedy. I'm very drawn to tragedy in writing and roleplaying (to the point where I mock myself for it), and ghosts fulfill that need perfectly. Not only was their life cut short for some reason (for ghosts are rarely people who simply died of old age), but now the spirit lingers on in life for some reason. It's quite touching.
Someday, I hope to write a really good ghost story, but until then I'll settle for reading the works of better authors.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Night Into Morning.
My night owl traits are back in force, as evidenced by the fact that I'm here blogging it up at 2am. I haven't done this for a while. Today was an atypical day, however. Chris was home from work, but I had a lot of work to do so we didn't goof off much. This was the first day of my new effort to stay on a schedule, and I have to say that I got a lot done. I did an insane amount of Chinese homework, lots of housework, finished one necklace and made significant progress on another. All this, and we went out to dinner with a friend and spent 1 1/2 hours at the restaurant.
What I haven't done yet is read Fragile Things. It's still sitting there, in the Barnes and Noble bag, tempting me to say to heck with sleep and stay up all night reading. If I didn't have a test tomorrow, I'd probably give in.
Anyway, the good news is that it will only take me about 5-15 minutes to finish my homework tomorrow, and then study a bit for my test (the tests are easy, so it won't be much studying). I should have plenty of time to update the site. Hurrah!
What I haven't done yet is read Fragile Things. It's still sitting there, in the Barnes and Noble bag, tempting me to say to heck with sleep and stay up all night reading. If I didn't have a test tomorrow, I'd probably give in.
Anyway, the good news is that it will only take me about 5-15 minutes to finish my homework tomorrow, and then study a bit for my test (the tests are easy, so it won't be much studying). I should have plenty of time to update the site. Hurrah!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Blogging About A Zillion Things!
It's been a very interesting weekend so far, so I have a lot of little things that I want to talk about. Let's go over them in no particular order.
Today Chris and I went back to Barnes and Noble, which had a much more reasonable Sunday afternoon crowd. He picked up his science book, and I bought Fragile Things, by Neil Gaiman. I'm so happy that this book is finally in paperback! Granted, I've already read a few of the stories, but the vast majority are new to me. I'm really looking forward to reading them, especially since I know at least one of them has a Lovecraftian vibe (I read the first page of it one time when I was stranded at B&N, but then I got un-stranded right after I started it). Oh, and I'm really hoping that the creepiest story that I ever read is in there, so I can make Chris read it.
Afterwards we took a trip to Target for boring necessities, and I decided to look for clothes. It is almost time to put away my Summer clothes, so I need some Autumn stuff. I didn't see much that grabbed me, though. To be quite honest, a lot of the clothing that's being marketed at my demographic is downright ugly. Not just ugly, but so unflattering in cut that it's destined to make me look ugly. However, they had some blouses that looked nice enough, and this one line by some designer named Alice something, which had a really nice Victorian/Edwardian Gothic feel to it. There was this gorgeous black blouse with lace and ruffles and a high neck... and of course, they didn't have it in my size! I WILL own that blouse before the end of the month, and I WILL wear it with my elegant black velveteen skirt, and I WILL look smashing.
Oh yes! And this morning, when I woke up, I had the pleasant surprise of seeing Night Shift at the top of Art Bead Scene. This humble little blog got a shout-out in their "As The Bead Turns" blog post about blogs. So yes, I am blogging about how another blog blogged about me blogging about bat necklaces last week. Anyone want to blog about me blogging about this? :P
Anyway, Art Bead Scene has really been inspiring me to use up more of my stash of art beads. Yesterday I worked on a really cool Gothy green necklace, but the tiny lampworked hearts that I'm using didn't want to hang straight. I'm hoping that I can find a way to make them play nice, because honestly, I don't think I have anything else that matches the rest of the necklace... whoops! More on this story as it unfolds.
In other weekend news, and continuing with the largely overwhelming theme of things Gothic and/or Lovecraftian, the excellent people over at the HP Lovecraft Historical Society have just posted a teaser trailer for their next movie: The Whisperer in Darkness. While that's honestly not one of my favorite Lovecraft stories (honestly, I think the main two characters were kind of stupid and set the standard for characters in horror movies making dumb mistakes), I'm excited to see the movie. Note that while Call of Cthulhu was silent, this production is one of those new-fangled talkies. Clearly, this is so they can attempt to portray the eerie buzzing voice that forms a central part of the plot... I've not decided yet, based on the trailer, whether it would have been better to leave it the imagination. What I have decided is that I like the starkness of the title/logo.
In completely unrelated rambling, I saw a simply gorgeous woman at the grocery store today. She was middle-aged, with tan/olive skin and dark hair, slender. Though her looks were not what most people would consider exceptional, I was very struck by how she was dressed and how she carried herself. She had a long sage-green skirt with darker green trim along the bottom. Her top was a dark forest-y green with a touch of olive, sleeveless and low-cut. This deep neckline was largely taken up by a bib necklace of disks of paua shell that reflected the green of her clothes. I find that Trader Joe's is a great place to see women with stunning fashion sense, and today was just one of the many days when I've found myself envious of how beautiful and put-together someone looks!
One final thing: my weekly website update will probably be this Tuesday, not Monday. Chris is off of work tomorrow, so I'll be hanging out with him instead of doing photography. I may possibly have to push it all the way back to Wednesday, but only if my homework takes longer than I expect it to.
Today Chris and I went back to Barnes and Noble, which had a much more reasonable Sunday afternoon crowd. He picked up his science book, and I bought Fragile Things, by Neil Gaiman. I'm so happy that this book is finally in paperback! Granted, I've already read a few of the stories, but the vast majority are new to me. I'm really looking forward to reading them, especially since I know at least one of them has a Lovecraftian vibe (I read the first page of it one time when I was stranded at B&N, but then I got un-stranded right after I started it). Oh, and I'm really hoping that the creepiest story that I ever read is in there, so I can make Chris read it.
Afterwards we took a trip to Target for boring necessities, and I decided to look for clothes. It is almost time to put away my Summer clothes, so I need some Autumn stuff. I didn't see much that grabbed me, though. To be quite honest, a lot of the clothing that's being marketed at my demographic is downright ugly. Not just ugly, but so unflattering in cut that it's destined to make me look ugly. However, they had some blouses that looked nice enough, and this one line by some designer named Alice something, which had a really nice Victorian/Edwardian Gothic feel to it. There was this gorgeous black blouse with lace and ruffles and a high neck... and of course, they didn't have it in my size! I WILL own that blouse before the end of the month, and I WILL wear it with my elegant black velveteen skirt, and I WILL look smashing.
Oh yes! And this morning, when I woke up, I had the pleasant surprise of seeing Night Shift at the top of Art Bead Scene. This humble little blog got a shout-out in their "As The Bead Turns" blog post about blogs. So yes, I am blogging about how another blog blogged about me blogging about bat necklaces last week. Anyone want to blog about me blogging about this? :P
Anyway, Art Bead Scene has really been inspiring me to use up more of my stash of art beads. Yesterday I worked on a really cool Gothy green necklace, but the tiny lampworked hearts that I'm using didn't want to hang straight. I'm hoping that I can find a way to make them play nice, because honestly, I don't think I have anything else that matches the rest of the necklace... whoops! More on this story as it unfolds.
In other weekend news, and continuing with the largely overwhelming theme of things Gothic and/or Lovecraftian, the excellent people over at the HP Lovecraft Historical Society have just posted a teaser trailer for their next movie: The Whisperer in Darkness. While that's honestly not one of my favorite Lovecraft stories (honestly, I think the main two characters were kind of stupid and set the standard for characters in horror movies making dumb mistakes), I'm excited to see the movie. Note that while Call of Cthulhu was silent, this production is one of those new-fangled talkies. Clearly, this is so they can attempt to portray the eerie buzzing voice that forms a central part of the plot... I've not decided yet, based on the trailer, whether it would have been better to leave it the imagination. What I have decided is that I like the starkness of the title/logo.
In completely unrelated rambling, I saw a simply gorgeous woman at the grocery store today. She was middle-aged, with tan/olive skin and dark hair, slender. Though her looks were not what most people would consider exceptional, I was very struck by how she was dressed and how she carried herself. She had a long sage-green skirt with darker green trim along the bottom. Her top was a dark forest-y green with a touch of olive, sleeveless and low-cut. This deep neckline was largely taken up by a bib necklace of disks of paua shell that reflected the green of her clothes. I find that Trader Joe's is a great place to see women with stunning fashion sense, and today was just one of the many days when I've found myself envious of how beautiful and put-together someone looks!
One final thing: my weekly website update will probably be this Tuesday, not Monday. Chris is off of work tomorrow, so I'll be hanging out with him instead of doing photography. I may possibly have to push it all the way back to Wednesday, but only if my homework takes longer than I expect it to.
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