Blog Carnival for July

Catch up! now that it's summertime, and you (and/or the kids) are out of school, it's a good time to catch up on those chores, reading list, organizing that etsy shop, etc. What are you going to catch up on, in July?

I must say, the thing I miss the most about being a student, and well not a full time grown-up, is having that nice 3 month hiatus from any sort of responsibility...now with a full time job, and school that goes 12 months a year, along with trying to do anything for fun, or to travel, even that seems like work! summer months go so quickly now it seems, but in the spirit of this carnival question, I plan to set some goals for myself!

1. transfer to full time status at school...and finish my degree!

2. do something creative every day - participate in the 21 day drawing challenge

3. post new things to etsy store at least once a week

4. get my office/craft room completely organized

5. finish one of the books I've started

okay, good list...now it's time to get started...ready...go!

EoY banquet

my dad, doing what he does best :) working the crowd at the Entrepreneur of the Year banquet

and of course the yearly photo with the newest crowned Miss New Jersey, Ashley Fairfield and my super wonderful parents :)

my bathroom!

or at least I think it's the bathroom in 'my' room at my parent's new place...things are moving along!

walking to work

every day for the past few weeks I've walked past these pretty flowers outside of Camden Yards...so today I actually stopped and took a picture of them...I don't know what they're called, but I'd love to get some for my "backyard"...anyone know what they are?

what I did today...

not much, not going to lie...it was a slow day at work, so while I was bored, I decided to do a little post-it sketch of a picture of my kitties that I have on my desk :p

The One With George Stephanopoulos

Episode 4 - Season 1

Rachel: And now everything's, just, kinda like...

Phoebe: Floopy?

Rachel: Yeah.

Monica: You just gotta figure at some point, it's all gonna come together, and it's just gonna be.... unfloopy.

Phoebe: Ya, like that's a word.

Rachel: Uh, Phoebe? Who's George Snuffleupagus?

Phoebe: That's Big Bird's friend.

monday art day- my hometown

I grew up in good old NJ...the Jerz, Joisey, dirty Jerz, yes, yes, the list goes on...so when I saw the topic of this week's Monday Art Day was "my hometown" of course the first thing I thought of was The Boss and his song...My Hometown...

Here's to Jersey...I miss my yellow and black license plates, not getting out of the car to pump gas in the dead of winter and more shopping malls and diners then you can ever go to....

This was my old license plate...before I traded it in for my Maryland plates...ahh how I miss them...

Bruce Springsteen, My Hometown

I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand
Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick and steer as we drove through town
He'd tousle my hair and say son take a good look around this is your hometown
This is your hometown
This is your hometown
This is your hometown

In '65 tension was running high at my high school
There was a lot of fights between the black and white
There was nothing you could do
Two cars at a light on a Saturday night in the back seat there was a gun
Words were passed in a shotgun blast
Troubled times had come to my hometown
My hometown
My hometown
My hometown

Now Main Street's whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there ain't nobody wants to come down here no more
They're closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain't coming back to your hometown
Your hometown
Your hometown
Your hometown

Last night me and Kate we laid in bed
talking about getting out
Packing up our bags maybe heading south
I'm thirty-five we got a boy of our own now
Last night I sat him up behind the wheel and said son take a good look around
This is your hometown

supplies have arrived!!

today was a fantastic day at work...why you might ask?? because the supplies for Gena's bridal party jewelry arrived!


the bride, maid of honor and bridesmaids will all have different shaped swarovski crystals...I'm so excited to get started!!

relaying for life

Friday night my co-workers and I did Relay for Life up in Towson...it was quite moving...to see all the luminaries light up, names of survivors and loved ones lost to cancer...it was a fun night...with games, and events- musical chairs at 11pm...how could that not be fun ;)

dancing in the dark...

Sunday night I learned a few things...no power = no fun...we had a nice little 3 hour power failure in the neighborhoods around mine...so I rounded up all the candles I could find, and bunkered in for a few hours of eerie silence :p

also...no power, is kind of boring...if it had been during the day, it would have been light enough to read, or get other things done around my house, but being that it was 9pm it was a little more difficult...so I rounded up all the candles I could find...and sat on my couch...



and of course...no power and no light makes it hard to make dinner...so pizza delivery to the rescue...ahh pizza by candlelight...not the way I envisioned ending up the weekend or gearing up to start the new week...but it was definitely an experience...

how to catch a mouse

I have two cats...so lucky me, I haven't ever seen a mouse in my house...which is a rare occurrence if you live downtown...they're everywhere, and in the city, it's kind of a given that you'll have a run in with at least one mouse :p

but my friends...who have probably the cleanest house I've ever seen...had a little mouse come to stay for a few weeks...and they finally caught him, using a technique they found at this site: how to catch a mouse


I agree with Kelley...why are they so cute animated...but not so much when they're in your house!

Idea Stealer...

I know a good idea when I see one...so I'd like to think that this is not so much stealing, but borrowing a really great idea, from a very inspirational, crafty girl...Liz Kartchner, scrapbooker extraordinaire, and Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooker of the Year! I was browsing through her blog, and I stumbled across her idea, "Shades of Summer" where she will be sending around a fun pair of sunglasses to people across the country...they'll take pictures wearing the shades and send them back to her- and I thought that would be such a fun way to connect with all my friends this summer...so if I know you, you'll be getting an e-mail soon ;)

so I found these super cute shades...and I'm going to send them around, and make an album, with pictures of all my friends wearing them in interesting and fun places :)

if you look really closely on the glasses you can see they're made by dr peepers...so I had to get these ones ;)

to see the original post by Liz, visit: http://www.elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com/

The One With The Thumb

Episode 3 - Season 1

Monica: Uh, No. Loosely translated, "we should do this again," means "you will NEVER see me naked."

Phoebe: Or, or, you know, "I think we should see other people," means, "Ha ha, I already am."

I have a problem...

yes, I love fonts...I have hundreds, and a good number of them came from one of my favorite sites Scrap n' Fonts ...I could (and have) spent hours on there, finding fonts for scrapbooks, school assignments, and even a freelance project or two...


not just fonts though- cute little downloads called doodlebats...seriously, how cute are they??

and the best part, every once and a while they have $1 sales, so you can load up on your favorites...but just to warn you...it can be addicting ;)

my creative friends

ahh, the gift of creativity :) I am so proud of my friend Liz...the soon to be mommy to twins, Hunter & Haley...she made this super cute wreath to hang on the outside of their house...and she has a scrapbook with all the details of the past 7 months in it...she's becoming so crafty :)

view from lunch

it was so beautiful out at lunch today, so I went to meet my good friend Liza to eat on her office's balcony overlooking the harbor...

Blog Carnival for June

We have two topics for this week's blog carnival...and I thought I'd touch on both :)

Theme 1: What does success mean to you? We all have our own ideas about what makes a person successful. Do you feel you are a success in your business? What makes you feel or not feel that way.

for me, I've been struggling, basically since the day I graduated from college to discover what it was that would make me happy in my day-to-day 'work life'...so far, I really haven't found it in any paying job I've had...and there have been many, actually too many...but they've paid the bills, and that is why I am still just going through the motions in my 9-5 (actually 8-4:30) day job...it wasn't until I started working on crafty projects that I really felt happy, and the discovery of Etsy really was the push I needed to get off my butt and try and make something happen for myself...it's been a little slow coming, with the demands of a full time job and school, but I think that I'm on my way to success :)

lately I've had a few very positive steps forward with my jewelry making, and that is something that always makes me feel successful...the most important thing, is not to get discouraged, and keep working towards my goal...the hardest part to understand, is not all successes happen overnight...they definitely take time and effort :)


Theme 2: Lovin the Craft So, you have an Etsy shop. You enjoy to make and create and really love it when others love it as well. What kind of crafts do you do for yourself? Any adventurous do-it-yourself handy work stories? Is your home filled with your creations? Do you make your own clothes, jewelry, etc.? If so, why not show off your favorite item you kept for yourself.

I make everything I can think of...I've made myself jewelry, painted and photographed images for my walls, coasters, candles, the list goes on...the list of projects that have yet to be started, also a very long list...but the way I see it, if it's something I plan to sell, at least I can enjoy it before it gets sent off to its new home :)

It's not the best picture, but my most favorite thing I've kept for myself recently is this smoky quartz and pink chalcedony necklace, that I am actually wearing today :)

Consultations

So this weekend I had my first consultation to design wedding jewelry...probably the most fun I've ever had...I'm very excited to work with Gena, and maid of honor Krista to design her beautiful, golden, sparkling jewelry for her December wedding! Stay tuned for details :)

I finished a book!

it has been quite a while since I can admit to having finished a book I started that wasn't for school, or about how to start up my own business...so reading a book for pleasure was a somewhat foreign matter to me, when I picked up the Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs...a book I'd highly recommend if you are a fan of knitting, but even if you are not! it has some unexpected plot twists, but a warm-hearted, tale of friendship, and yarn, in good old NYC

other good books...that I have read for inspiration in starting my own creative business...The Creative License by Danny Gregory and Craft, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco...very inspiring reads for aspiring artists :)

Mixed Media...DONE!

and now...3 weeks off from class...which I very much need!

and the image without text

mixed media, final work in progress

the last assignment of mixed media class...our task, is to take an article from a magazine, and give it our own illustrated design....my article, is about a restaurant that serves all natural, organic, vegetarian foods, that started out with smoothies and fruit based beverages...the title of the article is Natural Nectar, and when this is all done, the pear will have a straw coming out of the side, and the background will look like wood...hopefully :p the mediums I'm using for this mixed media masterpiece? Acrylic...Watercolor Pencil...Watercolors...


it's due tonight...wish me luck!

June 11th...what a day!

today is many things...it's been 6 months since my birthday, it's one of my favorite person's birthdays...no, not Jacques Cousteau- even though today is also his birthday- but it's my Jonny's bday! so happy 26th to you...welcome to the club ;)it's also my 1 year work-aversary at UMMC...yup, finally did it, made it through 1 whole year of work at the same place...amazing :p

The One With The Sonogram At The End

episode 2 - season 1

Rachel (to Phoebe): You're a twin?

Phoebe: Oh yeah. We don't speak. She's like this high-powered, driven, career type.

Chandler: What does she do?

Phoebe: She's a waitress.

Acrylic - final version

All done!

jack in the box

Since these two little guys are the ones I spend the majority of my time with....I thought they deserved a little recognition...more like dogs then cats, I have two tiny shadows wherever I go in my house...and Jack (to the right) has a thing for sitting inside anything, boxes, bags, purses...


Kevin on the other hand, likes to sit behind me, on the couch, in my bed, and especially at my desk...the back of the chair is falling apart...but he's happy...

Becka & Tripp got married :)

what a weekend it was! friday morning through about sunday afternoon is a big blur, but it's hard to believe it's already over! Becka & Tripp's wedding was fabulous, and tons of fun...starting with pedicures and manicures friday morning, a bridesmaids lunch, rehearsal dinner at Camden Yards, a little singing at Howl at the Moon, and of course, wedding festivities at St Bartholomew's church and Pier 5 Hotel on the inner harbor...







the only minor snag of the day...when the party bus did not show up to bring us to the church...so we made other arrangements...

but the bus did finally show, and we made it to the Pier IV hotel for the reception and many celebratory drinks :)

our photographer Andrew Reilly did a fantastic job- you can see some of the pics on his blog!

my favorite of his shots was of the heat lightning that came in during the reception

my best customers

my friends and co-workers are my best, and at this point really only, customers, but I love them for their wonderful love and support!

Here's a custom necklace and earrings set I did for Alexis to wear to a wedding last month

Pile of Craft

Very much looking forward to Pile of Craft...and seeing the work of talented Charm City Craft Mafia members...one of these days I'm going to be part of the show...I hope!!

Happy Belated Etsy-versary to me!

Now I know I've been busy lately, but a lot of that busy-ness has been for good reasons; homework for my always becoming more time intensive classes, getting my house organized finally (3.5 years later, but whatever) or trying to find time for my creative endeavors and updating my etsy store (another wayyyyy overdue task)...that I missed by etsy store's 1 year anniversary! So rewind to February 27th of this year, and Happy Birthday to my store!!

I'm a nerd

okay, my all-time favorite tv show would have to be Friends...no way around it, although The Office is definitely becoming a close contender...so I thought I'd amuse myself, by posting funny quotes from each episode...in order! haha :)

so here we go...show #1, the one where it all begins

Monica to Rachel after cutting up her credit cards:
"Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You're gonna love it."

Phoebe's song of the episode:
Love is sweet as summer showers
Love is a wondrous work of art
But your love, oh your love,
Your love is like a giant pigeon
Crapping on my heart.
La la la la la...

I <3 Etsy

Could this guy be any cuter?
Besides being a huge fan of the movie anchorman...it really makes me want to learn to sew better...you can find this cutie in another one of my favorite etsy shops, Kezzaroo

Ron Burgundy: I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
Veronica Corningstone: Really.
Ron Burgundy: People know me.
Veronica Corningstone: Well, I'm very happy for you.
Ron Burgundy: I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.

acrylic work in progress

our medium of choice this week? Acrylic! I've actually worked with acrylics before, and at first I struggled a bit to get back in the groove, but I think I've found it! Our assignment is to create a poster for an event, and I am making one for the VT alumni -Baltimore Chapter's annual crab feast! I've never been, but hopefully this year I can go! Maybe I can send them my poster to use ;)

I'm not sure, but I want to add more fun details, maybe a few seashells, but nothing that makes it too busy...the final is due this weekend so I still have time :)