SALE!

Don't forget -- everything in my shop is marked more than 10% off in honor of the shopping weekend! Also, every purchase of $15 or more will include a free gift. What a deal! Head over to my store for great savings!

I hope everyone had a happy, food-filled, relaxing Thanksgiving. :)

Publicity!

Check out this great article in the City Sentinel Online about the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar coming your way December 6. Yours truly, in addition to about 40 other amazing vendors, will be there a-sellin'. It's going to be the handmade event of December, so be there!

While we're on the subject, I'm doing a show at my church on Sunday. Yep, it's the first show I ever did, so this weekend will mark my first anniversary on the craft-fair circuit. How fun. My stepsister, Kaity, will be there with me selling a few jewelry items she has. If you're in the area, come to All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Ave., between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to buy some fantastic handmade goods. The artists who sell there are spectacular. There will only be about 20 or so, but I've been to far larger shows with nowhere near the quality of this show. If you can, come. If not, there will be pictures, so fret not.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I have family plans in about four hours, but until them, I'm PJed out and enjoying the quiet apartment. :)

Handmade Tulsa (and Free Family Fun) Weekend Update

Friday brings "Black Friday" shopping at nearly every store in the area. If you hate the idea of beating up old ladies for savings at the mall this year, head over to Etsy for great sales. Tons of sellers are offering discounts from Friday through "Cyber Monday". Search "sale" or "Black Friday" on the site to find those offering specials. On The Storque, Etsy admin will also do an article about some of the different specials. If you want to keep it totally local, check out the site's Shop Local feature.

If you do plan to get out in the craziness, here are some handmade shopping opportunities as well as some free or low-cost family events.

Thursday
Lights On at Utica Square! Enjoy the lights-on ceremony at Utica Square, 21st St. and Utica Ave., beginning at 6:30 p.m. Utica Square isn't exactly a goldmine of handmade goods, though a few shops -- Flirt and Kokoa Chocolatier for sure -- do sell some locally produced items. Also, the event is free and is still a lovely way to enjoy the beginning of the holiday season.

Friday
Chandler Park Lights on the Hill! This is a free drive-through light display at Chandler Park, 6500 W 21st St. There will also be horse-drawn carriage rides available. The event is every Friday and Saturday through December 28 from 6 to 10 p.m. Come enjoy one of Tulsa's most beautiful parks!
Winterfest! On the west side of the BOK Center, enjoy ice skating on an outdoor rink ($8 with skate rental, $5 without and for children under 3), a giant tree, live music, carriage rides, caroling, and more fun. The rink is at 3rd and Frisco in downtown Tulsa. Winterfest will run through December 31.

Saturday
Jonathan Sobol -- "Everyday Paintings"! Saturday will be the final day of Jonathan Sobol's solo show at the MA Doran Gallery, 3509 S. Peoria Ave. The gallery is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday Market! Familiarly known as the west side flea market, the Saturday Market boasts an impressive array of new and second-hand items sold by locals. There are a few handmade items, but most items are used, which is still a wonderful way to stimulate the local economy without contributing to mass consumerism. Located at 5802 W 51st St., the flea market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday
All Souls Arts & Crafts Fair! This annual, all-handmade craft event features artists from the church, 2952 S. Peoria Ave., from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no admission, and you don't have to be a church member to attend. Proceeds -- 10% of all sales -- go to the youth department. There will be jewelery artists, potters, knitters, card makers, and tons more. It'll be worth the early rising to get your hands on some great gift items!


There are a ton of other lights-on celebrations throughout the area as well. If you live in a community outside of Tulsa, just do a search to find ones closer to you. Also, if you know of any other handmade, crafty, DIY, or indie events going on this weekend, leave a comment.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and keep safe during the shopping insanity!

Etsy finds

Happy Tofurkey Eve!

In honor of my favorite holiday friend, the pumpkin pie, here is an Etsy Mini of some wonderful handmade finds. They all have me excited to chow down on the sweet, spicy goodness!

Sale forthcoming

I decided to jump on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale bandwagon. Starting Friday, everything in my shop will at least 10% off. Plus, purchases of $15 or more will include a free gift. No need to contact me before buying; I'll adjust all prices manually, so the price you see is what you'll pay.

If you would like a custom item, the sale will also apply. Just contact me, and I'll get everything set up!

Weak weekend

Last Saturday was a craft fair at Centennial Middle School in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. This was the worst show for us Craft Mafia ladies to date -- at least since I've been involved. Sales were really bad, and there weren't even very many lookers. The people who did the best were the multi-level marketing folks with the Silpada, Avon, etc. Too bad. I thought our booth looked great. See?

Everything, minus Tara's clothes rack, which went against the table on the far left. Here's my stuff:

Do you see the cuteness of the banner? Crazy people not buying our awesome wares. I'm sure our show was affected by An Affair of the Heart that was happening in Tulsa. For those readers not from Oklahoma, An Affair of the Heart is one of those country-kitschy shows that takes place in our expo center/fairgrounds. Most stuff -- probably 90% -- is not handmade, though shoppers tend to assume it is. It's basically the bane of most local artists' existences. I've even heard stories of friends picking up stuff from the show called handmade that had a big ol' "made in China" sticker on the bottom. Not cool, bro. I don't detract from the show itself, but I hate that people think it's handmade.

Anyway, the show was still fun because I got to hang out with some lovely ladies plus Tara's beautiful baby boy. He's my best friend now. Plus, I cheered myself up Sunday with this amazing $.50 ring. Bask in its glory:

Will you Mary me? (I can hear you laughing!)

Handmade Holidays

If you're like me, spending unthinkable amounts of money on Christmas and Hannukah presents makes you want to hibernate until the New Year. Last year, I did a halfway handmade holiday, but I've decided to commit more fully in 2008. Luckily, resources for making things at home or assembling them out of cheap-o supplies just abound. I've seen a few posts around about homemade gifts, but I wanted to compile a list of my own, too. On with the show.

My Plan of Attack

• Baked goods. I love to bake, so having an excuse to spend all day getting high off sugary goodness sounds like a wonderful plan. I've never made truffles or candy of any sort, but I plan to learn this year. I may also do fudge and/or cookies. I have an uncle who loves chocolate of any kind, and since we don't know him terribly well, this idea came out primarily as a way to make something for him.
• Luggage tags. These are from the Mark Montano book listed below. Basically, laminate an 8.5 x 11" sheet of paper -- scrapbook paper, a map, etc. Cut a 3 x 11" section, then fold a one-inch section over on one end. Staple over the flap, close to the folded edge. Fold the other end almost in half, so the unfolded end slips easily into the stapled part. Punch a hole in the stapled part to attach something to secure the tag to the luggage. On the blank inside, use a Sharpie to write the recipient's name and address. Voila! For pictures and such, go look up the book on Amazon, choose the Look Inside! option, and search for "luggage" in the box.
• Jewelry. Alright, time for a gimme. Yes, I'll be making jewelry for friends and family. I may even use leftover craft-show inventory for some of this purpose. Don't tell!
• Recipe books. I haven't quite figured out a plan of attack for these babies. There's the basic method of writing recipes on index cards, punching a hole through them, and then connecting them with ribbon, a key ring, or some other method. There's the full-on handbound book method, but I doubt I'll have the time for that. I'm thinking of buying a small three-ring binder and typing up recipes. Basically, this is definitely still in the planning stages.
• Classes or lessons. I'm very excited to put some money into paying for loved ones -- especially the kidlets -- to do something. I'm looking into getting my brother guitar lessons through the local community college (only around $60 for 10 weeks) and possibly my stepsister to take some jewelry classes with me. I'm also interested in signing my mom up for voice lessons, something she's been dying to do.
• Calendar. This was suggested in at least two of the links I posted. I intend to give one to my father, who is notorious for forgetting my birthday every year. I am considering making the entire month of August and most of September dedicated to my birthday, with items such as "start planning Brigid's birthday present" on August 1, "wrap Brigid's birthday present" on August 31, "plan Brigid's giant birthday bash" on September 1, and "Brigid's 25th birthday!!!!!!!!!!" on September 10. It sounds a bit passive-aggressive, but it's really not. I think my dad would find it funny, and I'd be more likely to get a gift next year!
• Bath products. Many bath items are insanely easy to make. Bath salts, for example, are easily made using epsom salt (which costs pretty much nothing), some table salt, fragrance, and food coloring if you like. Body scrubs are nearly as easy, made by combining sugar or sea salt, some oil, fragrances, and food coloring if you want. There are also tons of fairly basic soap, lotion, bath bombs, and other goodies online. Do a Google search, and be amazed with the possibilities.
• Crocheted stuff. A few (possibly unlucky) recipients may be receiving hats and scarves made by me this year. I say "may" because we'll first have to see how much time and patience I can whip up. I do plan to crochet little face cloths to go with the body scrubs. Any basic crocheter can do them: get some fairly thin cotton yarn and small hook. Use it to make a square -- 4 x 4" or 6 x 6" would be good -- just in single crochet. Way easy. There's also a really small chance I may try some more amigurumi this year. We shall see.
• Sock critters. You may remember that I made my first sock monkey several months back. Well, it was so fun and easy that I'm considering trying other kinds of animals, too. I have big plans of making little ones out of baby socks. Aww!
• Manipulated photos. I'm no PhotoShop whiz. In fact, I've never use it in my life. However, there are lots of other fun ways to personalize pictures without all the fancy computer stuff. There are collages (digital or the good-old-fashioned kind), ones presented in decoupaged frames (Mod Podge+dollar store frames+old magazine clippings), ones made into 3-D images (check out the Montano book for instructions), photos printed up poster size, scrapbook pages, and other items printed up with family photos -- tote bags, T-shirts, napkins, placemats, etc.
• Assembled kits. These are a pretty common suggestion for gifts in the links below, too. And why not? They're easy, cheap, and fun. When I was a kid, I did one for my stepmother of different varieties of tea and a couple of chocolate bars in a thrift-store basket. Movie baskets (popcorn, soda, candy, and a DVD/rental coupon), garden kits (spade, seeds, and gloves in a pot or watering can), home spa sets (bath products, nail polish, lotions, aromatherapy candles, and a loofah in a nice basket), travel activity kits for kids (travel game, coloring book, crayons, Play-Doh, and flash cards in a decorated shoe box or little case), and romance basket (wine/sparkling juice, candles, coupon for free babysitting, restaurant gift certificated, and bubble bath) are all basic and fun ideas, too.

These are some of the things I intend to make. If you see an idea you like, please steal away. There are a million more good ideas out there that aren't going on my list this year but will still be great choices for others. Below is a list of resources I found and love for just such an occasion.

Resources

• Get Rich Slowly blog: This blog entry has 34 excellent ideas for things you can make for holiday presents (thanks, HighFashionGirl, for mentioning it!).
• Buy Nothing Christmas site: From the previous blog, I found this interesting list with even more ideas for ways to save money and give from the heart. Many have a religious slant, but most gifts are perfect for Christians and non-Christians.
• Crafty Gifts community: From the crafty_gifts community on LiveJournal, I found this great list of things to make or put together using low-cost items.
• Go.com: I've looked through this list several times, too, and there is a ton of good ideas. Most suggestions -- with complete instructions -- are great for kids, too.
• The Big-Ass Book of Crafts: This will more or less be my present-making Bible this year. The writer, Mark Montano, has directions for making a huge variety of stuff. Plus, the pictures are great, and I find that it sparks my creativity in tons of areas.
• Recipe Goldmine site: There are tons of good recipes here, but I'm most interested in the truffles and bon bons section. I'll let you know the results!
• Web-Goddess.org: She is the creator of the best, easiest, clearest sock monkey tutorial I've ever seen. Here it is.

Even with all this, I haven't started making a single thing this year. Yikes! There is a method to my madness, though. I will start crafting as soon as I'm done with shows this year, which will be soon.

Who else is doing a handmade holiday? Please share any links or ideas you have!

Everything's coming up roses

...and other assorted plant life.

Yep, the cold weather has me down again. Be like me and choose to ignore it! You can have your very own spring with these bloomin' good items.

"Traditions"

The current theme for the EtsyBloggers Carnival is either my favorite Thanksgiving tradition or how I'm preparing my Etsy shop for the holiday rush.

Hmm . . .

On the second one, the truth is I have absolutely no plan to prepare my shop. Ha! How about that? My goal is to put things in it and hope people buy them. Maybe someday I'll have a plan of attack.

The first topic is difficult for me, too. As discussed in an earlier post, Thanksgiving went from being my favorite holiday to much lower on my list. Back when I ate meat and only had one family destination every year, I loved it. What a great time to wear your fat pants, eat a whole pie, and sleep for 19 hours, right? Once I left for college, the holiday got more complicated since I had at least two houses to visit in a very short break, so I quit returning home. In fact, my two favorite Thanksgivings happened in college after I decided I would not leave campus. On the first one, my mom came out to visit me, and we spent the weekend in a brand-new, gorgeous hotel I got us a steal on in Huntington Beach. The second was my senior year of college when my friends and I made a vegetarian meal ourselves and ate in one of the dorm kitchens. It was so fun, and I ate pie for days after.

When I was a kid, my favorite thing was to eat at least half the bowl of mashed potatoes intended to feed 12 people. I looked forward to seeing my family and taking three days off from school. Now, I'm more of a Thanksgiving Scrooge. I can't eat most of the traditional foods (turkey, dressing, candied yams, gravy, sometimes the greenbean casserole and mashed potatoes), and I don't like football or parades. My parents split nearly 15 years ago, and when you add in my boyfriend's intact family, that's a lot of houses! My newest tradition is picking who I like best that year and eating with them. This year, his family wins. They're a bit more pleasant than my crazy one anyway.

I guess my favorite tradition will be the one I make one day. I look forward to having a family of my own, babies included, to celebrate with. I love the idea of giving thanks for all that we have, but the reality is too anxiety- and dead-animal-laden for me. My goal eventually is to serve meals on Thanksgiving instead of watching loved ones make pigs of themselves. Though I wouldn't personally cook a turkey or eat one, it would make me happy to help others who aren't as lucky as me bring their traditions to fruition. I genuinely look forward to traditions to come.

How about all of you? What are your favorite traditions or ones you'd like to start?

Handmade Tulsa Weekend Update

Good morning, fellow Tulsans!

I know everyone is starting to gear up for the holiday season, so I wanted to share some great ways to spend more of your dollars locally and on handmade goods. Buying locally produced goods allows you to give one-of-a-kind gifts, stimulate the local economy, and help the environment by eliminating the long commute mass-produced items make to get to you. For more information on the benefits of buying handmade, click here.

The Tulsa community has tons of great opportunities to support local, independent artists this season, and you have several chances this weekend.

Thursday
Knit with The Knit Owl at Ida Red! Whether you're an accomplished knitter or a total novice, come by Ida Red Boutique, 3346 S. Peoria Ave., tonight at 7:30. Amby of The Knit Owl will be there to craft alongside others and even teach newbies the basics. It's totally free, and there will be cupcakes! Come make a holiday present of your own, and while you're there, check out some of the great, handmade goods for sale at the boutique.

Friday
Autumn Arts Fest! Riverfield Country Day School, 2433 W. 61st St., will host local crafters from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. during its family preview day. There is a small admission fee to benefit the school. Shop for great things made by local crafters, including Christine of Weather and Noise and Such Pretty Things.

Saturday
Centennial Middle School Arts & Crafts Fair! Come browse booths full of handmade goodies at Centennial Middle School, 225 E. Omaha in Broken Arrow. The festivities will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free. Come check out the Tulsa Craft Mafia booth while you're there. Proceeds from the booth fees will benefit the Centennial PTA.

The Holiday Market at Battle Creek! While you're in Broken Arrow, come by the Church at Battle Creek, 3025 N. Aspen Ave., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. for another craft fair. There will be lots of handmade goods here as well.

Champagne and Chocolate Invitational Holiday Art Sale! Living Arts of Tulsa will hold this annual celebration of art from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday evening. Tickets are $10 and include champagne, chocolate, hors d'ouevres, and the chance to purchase amazing art produced in the Tulsa area. Come see the works of artists Nicole Moan (Ceramic Corsets), Susan Barnard, Lisa Regan, and more than 60 others. Click here for a full list of artists, ticket purchases, and more information.


There are five excuses to shop local and handmade this weekend. If you know of any other events this Thursday through Friday, please leave it in the comments.

I'm it!

The wonderful Tara over at Nothing Elegant has tagged me! Here are the rules:
-You have to link to the person who tagged you
-You have to write 7 things about yourself (both weird and normal stuff)
-You have to tag 7 people and link to them in the end of the post and you have to leave a comment on their blog.

So here we go.

1. My weirdest "talent" is that I can turn my bellybutton inside out, i.e. make my innie look like an outtie. It's very strange, so I won't show you any pictures. :)

2. I love black pugs, and I don't think I can die happy without some day acquiring one.


3. I still secretly wish I was a ballerina.



4. My mom is my best female friend in the world.

(Us in 2004)

5. If I got offered a job in Italy, I'd grab my boyfriend and leave tomorrow.









6. I wish I could join the Red Hat Society. They seem to be my kind of ladies.









7. I don't miss eating meat, and I really never liked bacon.














As for the tagging bit, I choose Renee, Stela, Heather, Grace, Amby, Jessie, and Addielou. I look forward to your posts!

Twitter feature

If any of you are on Twitter (Twitterers? Twits? Twitterpated?), YarnCoture chose me as her featured Etsy seller of the day. Follow her here to see the updates, which will run sometime between noon and 1 p.m. today, Central time. If you miss them, you can still click on her profile to see what pieces in my shop she highlighted.

YarnCoture is such a sweetheart to do these weekday features. I'm so excited to be chosen for today. Check out her Etsy shop for unique crocheted and knitted items. Check out her hats in particular, modeled by one of her adorable children!

Thank you again, YarnCoture!

The Cola Contenders -- Rounds 3 and 4

Round 3
We continued the great soda war last week with 365 All Natural Cola.

Sorry, no photos this time around. You can go back to the original post to see the soda can. I was going to take a shot of the cola in a glass like I did last time, but it was identical to Blue Sky, which you can see in the original post. Once again, this mean's that 365 cola contains caramel coloring, but it also states it's from a natural source.

Anyway, this brand was somewhat similar to Blue Sky in flavor. It was similar to RC again, but its flavor was a bit more complex and interesting. It wasn't too sweet nor too bland. 365's biggest advantage over its competitors so far is bite. Yes, this soda actually has adequate carbonation! That's a really important cola quality for me. While the RC-like flavor doesn't do it for me the way Virgil's more organic notes did, the presence of amped-up carbonation is an important factor.
Rating (out of five bubbles): We both concur it's a 3.5, making it Grey's favorite and tied for first with me.

Round 4 -- the finale
In the final round, we tested out Jones Pure Cane Cola.



It's in a clear glass bottle, so you can see that it is, in fact, brown thanks to naturally sourced caramel coloring. As I anticipated, this was the clear winner. It has a crisp, complex flavor and plenty of delicious carbonation. Unlike its competitors, it has caffeine, so that may explain the extra bite. Whatever the case, this was a joy to imbibe. It is its own cola -- not a Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, or (God forbid another) RC Cola rip-off. It was refreshing and tasty from the bottle, and as I discovered over the weekend, it's quite wonderful from the can, too. You can buy 12 packs of it from Reasor's for $4 (I think). I am very happy to have found the perfect Diet Dr. Pepper replacement. Though this one has calories, I'm happy to spend 160 of them on something tasty and not totally chemical-laden.
Rating (out of five bubbles): He gives it a 4, I edge it up slightly to a 4.5.

Conclusion: Jones definitely came in first, while Blue Sky was the least appealing. Of course, none can overtake my favorite cane-sugar cola of all time, the German-produced Afri-Cola. Oh how I miss thee.

I hope you enjoyed this little adventure as much as we did!

Garage Sale Recap

Well, Saturday's Holiday Rock N' Roll Garage Sale was not a huge financial success for me, but it was fun -- and LOUD! The last band, Colourmusic, was quite awesome, and I had a good time hanging out with JD, Stela, Claudia, my new friend Heather, and of course my beloved man. Here are a few shots:







(Click on photos for a larger view. I'm trying not to overwhelm my readers with giant photos!) The first one is Grey being a sexy salesman. He's actually really good at getting me sales. On the right is me. Check out my displays in action. I'm really happy with them.








Here's a fun side view of my teeny table. On the right is the display I "made" for my Yo Yo Pendants, rings, and barrettes. It's the little trunk I got from Hobby Lobby filled with white rice. I love it! The best part is that everything gets a little jumbled in transport, so you get to dig for buried treasure trying to set things up. :)







On the left is the lovely JD getting things set up. I love her little Christmas tree and, of course, her gorgeous displays. She was right across from me. On the right is Heather of To the 9's, my neighbor to the left. She's a relative newbie to the craft-selling scene, and I think she's off to a great start!







Here's Claudia with her table. I didn't manage to get a shot of her Green Line bags, but they are lovely -- little bags made from T-shirts. So environmentally friendly! On the right, she's burning wood. It gave off such a nice smell, and I swear I felt warmer when she had the burner out! Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of Stela, but you can see her recap on her blog.

And lastly, I give you the absolute coolest sale attendee -- this tiny child dressed as Winnie the Pooh. I don't know who he/she is, but he/she is my hero! (EDIT: I've just been informed that this adorable wee one is the daughter of Nicole Moan of Ceramic Corsets by Nicole Moan. That explains her awesomeness!)

All in all, I guess the garage sale wasn't really my venue. I did sell one of my favorite pieces -- the Gilded Leaves Necklace -- and hand out a good number of business cards. I definitely enjoyed hanging out with my Oklahomies and meeting new people. I didn't end up selling any rings or rosaries, but they got by far the most compliments. I'll have to list more of them soon.

Holiday Rock N' Roll Garage Sale

I'm participating in the Holiday Rock N' Roll Garage Sale tomorrow in Oklahoma City. If you're in the area, please stop by! There will be awesome handmade goods, vintage finds, and great local music. It is this Saturday, November 15, from noon to 8 p.m. at the CD Warehouse at 905 N. Broadway in Oklahoma City. Sellers include JD Star, Stelabird, Claudia's Burning Ink, and me! Admission is free, but everyone is encouraged to bring a canned food item to benefit the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Come on out and buy some Christmas/Hanukkah presents, enjoy local bands, and contribute to this great cause. For more information, check out the event's MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/rocknrollgaragesale. I hope to see you there!

The Cola Contenders -- Rounds 1 and 2

For the past few weeks, I've been feeling icky about drinking soda. The regular stuff is full of high fructose corn syrup and chemicals, which I know aren't healthy. The diet variety -- my typical go-to -- is a combination of fake sweeteners and more chemicals. Since I don't like club soda or fruity pops, I decided to start the search for a delicious, natural cola drink. Along the way, Grey and I thought it would be fun to do a taste test. We bought three -- with plans to acquire at least one more -- and evening by evening, we're working our way through them. Here are the contenders:
From left to right, we have 365 Cola (Whole Foods brand), Virgil's Real Cola, and Blue Sky Natural Soda in Cola. Not pictured is Jones Cane Sugar Cola because I still have to go buy it.

Round 1 took place Tuesday night. Up first was Virgil's. This brand is the most appealing visually in its neato glass bottle. It also has a fun twist-off cap that I can use for craft projects. Unfortunately, it's nearly a dollar more expensive than the cans for the same amount of beverage. Taste-wise, this drink was quite good. It has a complex flavor more akin to Dr. Pepper than Coke or Pepsi. The clove and vanilla are noticeable but not overpowering. What this soda is missing is bite. The carbonation is a bit lacking, which is too bad. If it were stronger, this may have been an early winner. Rating: Out of 5 bubbles, my co-tester (AKA my boyfriend) gave it 3 bubbles, and I was a little more generous with 3.5.

Round 2 took place last night. The second competitor is Blue Sky.

(A friend recommended I take a picture of the drinks in a glass to show off the color since, without caramel color, most soda is naturally clear. I don't have a picture like this of Virgil's, but I plan to purchase another bottle so I can show you what it looks like out of the bottle. As you can see, Blue Sky's cola is brown because it contains caramel coloring, though the can indicates it's from natural sources.)

This soda comes in a pretty can with lots of lovely blue, but it's not nearly as cool as the bottle. It cost me $.69 at Whole Foods, and I think you can get a six-pack there for about $3, so it does win the price war. The cola had a decent flavor but was much less complex than Virgil's. No particular flavors stuck out to us. Grey and I both remarked that it tasted a lot like RC Cola. I think Coke drinkers will be more likely than Pepsi drinkers to enjoy this soda. Like Virgil's, it has low carbonation, which is a definite strike against it. Where's the bite, natural soda manufacturers? Rating: I gave it 2.5, but my love gave it a 2. Virgil's was a clear winner over this one, giving it a second-day advantage.

Round 3 takes place tonight, so I'll make sure to update you soon. I hope you enjoyed this little detour. :)

Photos of the Day #9 and #10

This is yesterday's photo of the day:

It has started to get unreasonably dark when I leave work at 5 p.m. This photo was taken yesterday, when I left 20 minutes early. The sky has been moody for days now. It makes me feel almost imprisoned by the lethargy, so the fence and power lines seemed fitting.

Here's today's photo:

I finally broke down and bought a pair of tights. The truth? I love them! They are warm and cozy. They aren't itchy and cutting into my skin like I expected. Now I have to buy another pair in brown and maybe some wacky colors, too. Oh my!

New items in my shop

I'm finally being a good girl this week and adding things to my Etsy shop.

Yesterday, I added the Lucky Scarab Bracelet, priced at $15.



This morning, it was the Into the Red Abyss Earrings at $10.

EDIT: I have now added the Harlequin Romance Necklace at $25.

Check out these items and many more in my Etsy store!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

The skies are dull and monochrome today, so I decided to make an Etsy Mini of some lovely, rainbow-colored items. Check them out:

Presenting...The Storybeader!

This month's EtsyBloggers Blogger of the Month is none other than Deb, aka The Storybeader. Deb is one of my absolute favorite Etsians, so I'm very happy to write about her this month!

Deb is a very active and vital part of the EtsyBloggers team. She tackles nearly every blog carnival, volunteers to help out, and I always know she'll have commented on any thread started. She and I are also members of the Oklahoma Street Team together, and we just so happened to have shared booth space at the Cleveland County Creative Craft Festival back in March 2008. (Click here for proof in the form of my giant backside in front of her side of the booth!) I've seen her wonderful work up close, and it's even more beautiful in person. Her ability to combine a variety of beads into a gorgeous treasure necklace blows my mind. This and this are two of my favorites. One of the neatest things about her jewelry is that each comes with a haiku that was inspired by the completed piece. Her poetry is every bit as interesting as her jewelry.

On a personal level, Deb is a really sweet, fun, smart lady. She enjoys art, history, and writing, which shines through in her work. I was grateful to have shared space with her earlier this year. I don't think I would have gotten through that show without her!

Please take a minute to check out The Storybeader's shop and blog. You won't be disappointed!

Photos of the Day #7 and #8

This is yesterday's Photo of the Day:

That's my very animated mother getting her hair shampooed by Jeffrey Cook, the greatest stylist in the world. We've been his clients for about four years now, and I couldn't love him more. He opened his own salon earlier this year. The salon has the best lighting ever. I need to start taking my jewelry over there to take photos.

Here's today's photo:

I love the way my office's roof looks when it's raining outside. There are interesting shadows and textures formed by the lighting, the shape of the building, and the coating of water. It makes me feel cozier looking outside at it.

A very Girlie adventure

Last Friday and Saturday brought The Girlie Show to Oklahoma City. I've heard nothing but raves about it, so I decided to make the trek on the second day. OKC is an hour and a half from Tulsa and $7 total in toll fees. Lame, I know, but Mom and I were feeling dedicated -- mostly to shopping. First, we stopped at Lido Restaurant in the Asian District for green beans in garlic sauce (hers with beef, mine meat-free, of course). Then we turned our attention to the task at hand: buying way too much stuff at The Girlie Show.

(Click on pictures for a larger image.) It was held in the Farmers Public Market, which dates back to 1928. The building is fabulous and will be the site of Deluxe on December 6. Talent was oozing from the seams. There were jewelry makers, silk screeners, painters, sculptors (well, really just the one), and everything in between. I ended up buying a gorgeous pendant etched in wood and painted by Pamela Michelle (booth is below, left) and a sassy, fused glass ring from Funky Chic Studio (below, right).

That's my mom in the pink/red shirt buying a pendant from Funky Chic Studio. To help me mourn the huge chunk of change I'll lose this week to brake service on Esmee (my Mazda3 hatchback), Mom bought me a couple of gorgeous clothing items from Harrilu of the Dallas Craft Mafia. I've not been able to photograph what I bought, so I'll do a separate post later with all the goodies.

After we shopped ourselves nearly penniless, Mom was craving a pastry, so we began searching for a bakery. We failed to find one still open, but near Brown's Bakery was the Grateful Bean Cafe, which boasted homemade ice cream. We decided that was close enough. As I wrote in my last post, the Grateful Bean is inside the old Kaiser's Ice Cream Parlor, which dates back to 1917. The original location of Kaiser's opened in 1910, but they moved locations seven years later. The Grateful Bean retains the charm and appeal of a turn-of-the-century soda fountain.

Check out the groovy neon sign. On the right, the awesome, mustachioed man makes my Broadway Ice Cream Soda. My mom had a hot fudge sundae.

The ice cream was unbelievable, the fudge sauce was almost black, and the whipped cream was fluffy and vanilla-flavored. We were quite pleased -- and quite messy. So, how much did we enjoy our treats?

Photo of the Day #6

Here is yesterday's photo of the day.

It was taken at the Grateful Bean Cafe in Oklahoma City, which is housed in the old Kaiser's Ice Cream Parlor. Mom and I both ordered ice cream treats -- that's a chocolate ice cream soda he's working on -- and boy were they delicious! I liked this shot of him making my drink with the chrome soda fountain in front.

I'll have tons more pictures tomorrow as I do the big Oklahoma City update. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Saturday picks

Check out these wonderful Alice in Wonderland inspired pieces. I want every single one of them! The two Alice books are two of my favorites. My father used to read an illustrated version of the first one to me at bedtime, and someday I look forward to doing the same for my children.

I hope everyone's having a wonderful weekend!

Photos of the Day #4 and #5

Here is yesterday's photo of the day:
I was feeling goofy and wanted to do a self portrait of some kind at my desk. Somehow, that evolved into me taking a picture of myself while reading my own blog. Ooo! So many levels. :P Behind me, you can see my black Klean Kanteen. I love that little dude.

And today's photo:That's the view out my window at work. Well, that's the view from my furthest-right window. I have three. The others mostly overlook the building. This is the one I look through the most. Keep in mind I'm quite short, so I really only see the parking lot when I stand up. Generally, it's just the sky and top of the buildings.

I hope to take more exciting pictures this weekend. Tomorrow, Mom and I are hitting The Girlie Show in Oklahoma City. I can't wait!

New items!

I put new items in my store yesterday and today. Click the pictures to check them out!

I Heart You Ring, $6

Gothic Princess Bracelet, $20

I'll come back later with my challenge post for today and yesterday.

Attention Tulsans!

If you live in the Tulsa area, come out to The Collective tonight for Audrey Eclectic's opening. If you can't come tonight, just make sure to swing by at some point to see her stuff. I fell in love with her whimsical, achingly beautiful art at Indie Emporium this year, and I bet you'll love it, too. I hope to see you out there!

Photo of the day #3

This is yesterday's photo of the day:

The larger image is a bit blurry, but I think that works with the subject. It was so windy and strange yesterday when I walked the dog after work. It was another hint of weather to come -- the cold, blustery kind that threatened to steal Piglet away. This view is from the west side of the Arkansas River, where my apartment complex is. I love stepping out my door, walking a few yards, and standing at the bank of a body of water across which lies downtown Tulsa. The Arkansas isn't exactly the nation's prettiest -- or cleanest -- river, but when the sun hits right, it feels vibrant and momentarily breathtaking. Tulsa might not be on my good side at the moment, but there is plenty of beauty hiding in it if you know where to look.

Ad!

If you're in the Oklahoma City or Tulsa area, look for the newest edition of NONzine. The Oklahoma Etsy Street Team, called Disciples of Etsy, will have an ad. I'm one of the lovely ladies whose shops are featured, so check it out. You can preview the ad here on the Disciples of Etsy blog.

Also, if you're interested in upcoming shows and such in Oklahoma, check with the blog periodically. JD and Claudia, the team leaders, update every so often on what's happening especially in the OKC area.

What I've been working on

I've been working on many aspects of craftiness lately. Inventory is important, of course, so here are some new items that will be available soon: rings and Yo Yo Pendants.

I showed you a purple-and-white heart ring I made for myself a little while back, but this black-and-pink one will be for sale. The green is also mine, but one just like it will be available, too. See how good they look together? That's why you should buy tons of them! ;)

I call these Yo Yo Pendants because they are two flat-backed marbles glued together and then wrapped with wire, so they look a lot like those fun toys you played with as a kid. Each side is a different color, so they're reversible for double the fun. I have one that's red on one side and blue on the other. The ones I have for sale are all different, and a few even have patterns. The colors I have available are red, orange, yellow, light green, medium green, teal, navy blue, medium blue, white, black, purple, cream, light pink, and medium pink. Custom colors and designs are available, too, and purchased pendants will come on black cotton cord for wearing. They'd also look great on leather, chain, or ribbon. I wear mine proudly. :)

The other major thing I'm working on is my display. I've been doing shows for almost a whole year now, and I'm finally acquiring the right things to make my items stand out. I've recently purchased/been given six necklace busts (three white, three black), a bracelet stand, and an earring carousel. Check it out:

"Oh Brigid, your second earring display picture is blurry. What's the deal, nerd?"

That's because it's spinning! Yes, I am a nerd. I think the rotating display makes a huge difference, though. Everything looks more professional and is easier to sift through. In the first picture, my $15 stuff is on the left, and my $10 is on the right.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures! I'm working on a display for my rings and pendants now, so I'll be sure to share it with you soon.