I Love This Face!

He has got the cutest little fuzzy face I know, and I love his pink nose! He has kept me company through all this illness stuff and not complained one bit. How many ways can I say " I love Yui!


He has inspired a lot of my work lately. Including my newest piece. Not that he is sparkly and and green, but he has the loveliest stripes. YOU ROCK YUI! Thanks for keeping me in check these last few months.

It may sound silly, but I truly believe that cats, dogs, and all sorts of other creatures sense illness and want to help heal. It helps me feel better knowing that he is right there with me while I am feeling so lame. I am one lucky person that is for sure!

Eye Twitches and Extremely Poisonous Snakes

Yesterday was a involuntary "down" day. I am trying so hard to get my stuff together but yesterday, I just fell apart and needed the day to rest. I am assuming that since I have been sleeping so much lately that my eye twitch that supposedly went away years ago, is back with a vengeance! It is so bad now that my son is starting to imitate me when he sees the twitch. I feel like I am always making nasty squinty faces at people because it just involuntarily twitches and twitches and twitches. Another great side effect to too much sleep, is some of the wackiest dreams of all time. The other day it was zombies, yesterday, it was moving into a house infested with the most beautiful but deadly snakes there ever were. They were everywhere! In the closets, cupboards, under the sink, coming out of the shower, in the toilet, under the beds, you name it! I woke up a little freaked out about that, and started wondering again about the little being living in our cupboard. I just hope it's not a snake, that would just plain old suck!

Things I Want To Do Soon

1. Get back to work and get some stuff done!

2. Rent a car and check out some ghost towns in the area.

3. Spend a day at the beach(well, maybe part of a day depending on the weather)

4. Did I say "get some stuff done?" Because I really meant it.

5. Grab a coffee and walk through Redwood Park.

6. See a movie, if anything semi-interesting is playing.

7. Get some new tee-shirts.

8. Do some sewing just for me.

9. Do some gardening.

10. Take a three day weekend up the coast.

I am sure there are more, I just can't think of all of them right now.

Vivid Dreams of Zombies Playing Musical Chairs

That is my life while asleep lately. I used to not sleep. Now I sleep a lot and dream the strangest things ever. The zombies were on a yacht in their pajamas playing musical chairs around a wedding cake. I was there because I thought I was escaping them by running through the swamp and into an abandoned yacht on a river in the middle of nowhere. No such luck. They were all partying on the yacht and luckily didn't want to have anything to do with me. I would love for someone to interpret that one. We will see what tonight brings.

Windy, Windy, Windy

It won't stop blowing! I have to go out in a bit and I am sooooo tired of having itchy, burning eyes when I get home. I love weather, I do love the wind, but I don't love having random street crud blown into my eyes, nose, and mouth the second I leave my house. It makes me sneeze, cough, and my eyes always hurt for days afterwards. Now I am not missing the rain so much, at least I can just shed the wet clothes, put on some sweats and curl up when I get home. It's a little harder to cough up ten pounds of road dust and dirt. It's making me sick just to think of it!

I am leaving this note as a reminder to myself..........

This entry is more just a reminder for me than anything. I just got back from two days of vending at our local Metaphysical Faire, in Eureka. I did not make one sale, got barely any notice of my work and although I didn't think much of it at the time, I can look back and see what I need to do differently in the future.

1. Don't crowd your booth. That was one large flaw of the entire show, there wasn't enough room to wander through without bumping into other people and tables. In our booth, we were hidden by two racks full of clothing, therefore my small display of leather goods was eaten alive, never to be seen by anyone (yes, I am a little peeved about it but I will get over it.)

2. Sit closer to the foot traffic path, not in the far reaches of the booth, otherwise the patrons of the show can not see you and talk to you as easily. You definitely want to be "out there" when you are displaying your work. You don't have to jump on people, but you need to be available, not hiding in the background like you don't want to talk to anyone.(Although, that was truly the case yesterday, as I was feeling horrific, and just wanted to be home sleeping.)

3.Use lighter, brighter colors to display your work on. I have used a large black cloth for years at these shows because it brought out all the wonderful qualities of my metal work and drew customers in. With my leather work, the black cloth overpowers everything around it, and the colorful leather pieces just sink into one another and disappear making it harder for the customer to really observe each piece. I think I will be going with a white cloth for the leather in the future, that way it will make it a little easier to see the true colors of my work, not mixed and muddled mud.

4. Clearly label prices. Make it as easy as possible for your customers to find the prices for your work. It cuts down on the confusion, and in the past, has made for more successful sales.

5. Get your name out there! Make sure to have easily readable signage and promotional materials out there. I didn't sell anything this time but at least I had some potential customers take cards.

6. If you are sharing a booth with someone, make sure you sit down beforehand and really design your space before you set up. It saves on annoyances and resentment down the line.

I am sure there is a ton more I could do, but that is my start. I think my whole theme for this particular show was to un-clutter and lighten up and don't agree to do a show at the last minute if you have been sick for months and still don't feel that hot. No one wants to buy from a grouchy lady sitting in the corner that only wants to be home sleeping, and I don't blame them.

I Almost Forgot!

Miss Super Easily Distracted has almost forgotten about a fair she is participating in tomorrow. Boy, is my head in the clouds or what. Luckily I don't have to do a lot to prepare so I am off the hook there. I just wonder where my brain is at sometimes. Should be an interesting crowd. I am a vendor in our upcoming Metaphsyical Faire being held at the Unity Church in Eureka CA. If you are in the area drop by and say HI! the address is: 1619 California Street, Eureka, CA. I will be there all day Friday and Saturday, showing off my stuff.

Two Cats Mime Fighting

Weirdos! They see each other every morning. One inside, the other on the deck and they still fight through the glass. He is a HUGE tabby cat with white socks and nose, and she is are most cranky of feline companions, Mac. The are trying to be so ferocious, it's so cute. So much growling and hissing and spitting over nothing. Big Tabby usually starts it all up by "innocently walking past the window. This sets Mac off, she is hissing, spitting, hair raised, and oh so very angry! Then, Big Tabby casually glances inside to see what all the fuss is about, he sees Mac and her sidekick Yui and he flops onto his back, exposing his belly and stares at Mac with a "you know you want me" look in his eyes. By this time she is so angry she is trying to claw through the glass to get at Tabby and hurt him badly. Then, Big Tabby pops up and body slams the glass sending all three cats into a frenzy of hissing, growling, claws and teeth!

Then,

They just stare at each other from opposite sides of the glass. When Tabby gets bored he stalks off, leaving Mac to curse at him through the glass.

The Rain Keeps Raining...........

and I am getting restless! I miss my walks and adventures. I would go out in the rain but unfortunately, it's more like buckets than pitter-pats out there. Ciaran loves it no matter what but he has a little plastic bubble to protect him from the elements, while I get completely soaked to the bone. I do my best to wrap myself in all my waterproof gear but after so many years of walking in the rain everyday, no matter what the weather is like, I firmly believe that no matter how waterproof you think you are, you are never going to be waterproof enough. When I was still working I had told myself that I would no longer invest in rain gear because it was a waste of time. I would instead, just buy a pair of flip-flops and a wetsuit to wander around in......maybe some waterproof mascara if I wanted to dress it up a bit. It would be cold and uncomfortable, but a LOT less uncomfortable than having to sit all day in soggy clothes from top to bottom.

In other news, I have another new bag to share! Rainy days are fabulous for getting some work done:)

Spring Cleaning

I decided to get a little bit of cleaning and organizing done. I am making myself three tasks a day each week to do to get our little place organized. So far I have two gross tasks and one o.k. one for today. I get to clean out the fridge, which smells like the most horrible halitosis ever, thanks to the two week old chicken mushroom surprise quietly melting into the top shelf, and many other lost and forgotten food items that get pushed to the very back and ignored. Then I get to clean the mushrooms and hair clumps out of the faucet in the tub, this strangely fascinates me, the fungus that grows is absolutely gorgeous but I just hate having to pry it out with a screwdriver, and the hair clumps are disgusting, but I feel so accomplished when they are removed. Finally, I get to sort Ciaran's old baby clothes into little piles: one for dumping(cause they are just too stained or damaged for use), the other for storage. How exciting! Then I can finally work on my leatha!

I Ate Cookies for Breakfast!

Yes, I did, and I do not feel guilty. They were good and went well with my milk and my vitamin supplement. They were oatmeal applesauce cookies, a little burnt on the bottom but oh so tasty. In fact, I may just have cookies for breakfast tomorrow too.

Working with no sleep.

Is funny. Only because I am too tired to be frustrated and angry. I keep making the stupidest mistakes ever! Luckily, the have all been easily fixed.........so far. I think I should just throw in the towel and get a nap in before the kiddo wakes. Oh bother!

In other news, see! I finally added a new item to my Etsy shop. I feel so accomplished!

Woah! I Did All That?

I actually got some stuff done today! I think I have done more today than I have been able to do since before the holidays. I just looked at the pile of completed stuff and blinked, rubbed my eyes, blinked again, and..........no.............it's all still there AND it's all done! I will actually have things to list in my shops! Stuff to send off to my family and friends! and a couple of items ready for my show in a couple of weeks. Yipee! I guess with all of my preoccupation with feeling blah, I didn't realize I was actually getting work done. Fancy that!

There is Something Living in our Cabinets

I have been waking up in the wee hours of the morning the last couple of nights and have come to discover that we have something living in our kitchen cabinets. I am not sure what this new tenant is, however, it is something that truly interests our cat Mac. When I turn on the light to the kitchen, all I see is Mac, stooped over with her nose pointed right to the cabinet in question. She doesn't even acknowledge me but stares into the nooks and crannies of the cabinet. Now, either she really sees something, she is sleepwalking, or she is just plain old psycho. Either way, it creeps me out a bit. I can't find any evidence of a new critter living situation. No noise, no strange smells, no droppings, no chewing, no nothing, really.

So we have a new mystery. At least it isn't as stinky as the mysterious beastie that lived in our bedroom wall and made little squeaky, chattery noises all night when we first moved in. Not only was it loud and obnoxious, it was darn stinky!

Oh who knows, in an apartment where mushrooms magically grow out of our bathtub fixtures, and our hallway always smells like fish sticks, anything is possible.

What is up with your no napping policy?

Oh dear small child,

What the heck? Why do you not nap anymore. I try to set you down for some much needed rest time. You willingly go to your crib with a smile on your face and all is quiet. I think, "O.K., time to get to work", and get all my stuff together for a marathon cut and paste session, and then I hear "Wow, Hi, apples?puppy?walk?" or "Hi Mama, Hi Mama, Hi!" Don't get me wrong, it makes me smile and giggle, but I really need this time to work, and even though you are a big ol' two year old, you still need a few minutes just to rest during the day. I can hear you as I write this, in your room talking and giggling about something or other. I wish I wasn't such a sucker and would let you sit for a while before getting you out of your crib for more wild adventures. You are cute, but you are a stinker.

love,

your mama

Sometimes You Just Need to Get Out of The House

.........and get some fresh air. We have had a stormy few days here in Northern California and my young friend Ciaran and I are pretty darn bored and wiggly. So today is an outside kind of day. Hopefully a little running around will put things back where they go in my head, so I can come home and get some stuff done. Ciaran just really needs to get out and run somewhere. Poor little guy has spent the last few days doing laps around the couch and down the hallway to get rid of his excess energy. So we take the young man to Target to spend some of his birthday money on something grand! Mom just gets to browse for now,(except for a small purchase of a so smooth and chocolate-y ritter sport with cornflakes, if they have them!) I LOVE YOU CHOCOLATE!!!!!!! Then it is off to find some wonderful area to set Mr. Ciaran loose, so he can get all that energy out. Have a great day all!

I've Done It!

I have finally made it throught my to-do list that was due at the early part of January! I am sooooo darned happy! Now I can concentrate on other things. It feels good to finally be done. I was feeling quite slackerish and wrong, then BAM! it all got done! Now if I could just shut off the t.v. and get my butt out of this chair so I could play around with some new ideas, life would be just dandy!

I did manage to get a new billfold done amongst all of my other projects. I love the colors, not sure if they will go over well, but hey, it's worth trying right.

I would celebrate with a nice long walk but today, I am not into walking in the rain, I usually don't mind, but after being sick and stuck inside for so long, I'm a little sensitive. I hate feeling like this though, all super sensitive and unwilling just to step out and deal with whatever is out there. I really believe that I get set straight with every outside adventure I take. I learn so much from everything around me. Not to mention, fresh air and exercise are great for depression and motivation. Even rainy day walks, they can sometimes be the best thing for you when you need a little mind clearing. Everyone needs to get rained on once in awhile, it is good for the soul.

The Perfect Blustery Day!

A perfect day for flying a kite. Except I don't have a kite. So I guess I will stay at home and watch the next storm roll in and sew up a storm. Doing ANYTHING this last few weeks has been challenging. I feel so accomplished when I get one little thing done. Now I do not have any time to waste. I have got to get cracking OR ELSE! I don't know what the OR ELSE really is though. I imagine it is some sort of self imposed consequence that I will have to suffer through. All I really know is that I really miss being productive. It hurts to not work for me. It is what keeps me sane. The sooner I get back to my regular schedule the better. Then maybe I can be rid of some of this weird, nervous energy. I will miss all the naps though. I forgot how lovely napping is. I don't think I can recall the last time I got to nap everyday. Weird. If I could only nap and not wake myself up with my own snoring. Then life would be perfect!