Happy 2010!

It's time for the requisite New Year post. I sadly spent the last day of the year (and the last day at my job) with a pretty bad migraine. In addition to head pain, for me this includes clumsiness, foggy vision, nausea, sleepiness, and -- my personal favorite -- excessive drooling. SEXY. Anyway, I was not up for a lot of celebrating last night. Instead, we lounged around, played some Trivial Pursuit on the PS3, and popped the champagne cork. I look forward to sipping champagne on New Years Eve, oh, pretty much the who year. Conking out at 11:00 and only finishing 2/3 of a glass was not what I intended to do, but down I went. My taller half woke me just before midnight for the required smoochin', and then I passed back out. So I'm up bright and early today. :)

I'm not a resolution-making lass, but I do take the first of the year as an opportunity to dream up some goals or wishes for the coming months. Here's what I wrote last year. I did well enough on those goals. I started selling consignment -- a big, scary step for me. I learned new skills, though the sewing machine and I are still only cordial. I think I improved the Disciples of Etsy team some, and now I'm stepping down as leader. My studio remains an untamed mess.

Here are my plans for 2010:

1. Try new things every month. I'm already signing up for some classes (details in another post). I want to experience more wonderful things.

2. Get braver with my business. I want to push myself in some way. This year, I will approach more stores, apply to bigger shows, launch new products, etc. It'll never grow unless I plant the seeds.

3. Do more crafting for me. I tend to focus too much on "can I sell this?" Sometimes it's OK to make art just for the sake of making art.

4. Organize! Oh, to be an organized person.

5. Run a 5k. This goal won't go away until I do it, dagnabbit.

6. Write more for me. I get paid to produce sentences. I used to do it for fun. I'd like to devote more time to creating sentences on my own time.

7. Eat more vegan meals. I feel better when I do. Plus, it makes me feel more creative in the kitchen.

8. Do something amazing. I'll just leave it at that.

What are your plans for 2010?

Thankful Thursday, New Years Eve style

Today is the last day of 2009. It's also my last day at my current job. I'm full of bittersweet feelings today. 2009 and this place both treated me pretty well, but I am boldly moving forward towards a better year and position. This is what I'm thankful for on the precipice of this new adventure called 2010:

1. Memories. I'm not a live-in-the-past kind of gal, but memories are still invaluable to me. They remind of us of what we've done, who we've known, and who we've become. They are little treasures.

2. Hopes. Despite my recent grumpiness, I'm an optimist overall. I know that things can always get better. It helps me look forward to new experiences. I like to start the New Year with my eyes, arms and heart wide open.

3. Experiences. Good or bad, I thrive on experiences. I love to try new things. Whether they bless me or burn me (quite literally sometimes -- I guess lampworking isn't for me), experiences expand the limits of what we can do, what we believe in, where we've been, etc. Just as "the unexamined life is not worth living," I think a life empty of risks is only half-full (see: still an optimist). I know 2010 will bring a whole new array of experiences.

I'm wishing a joyous New Year to you all! I hope it's a celebration that prepares you for a beautiful 2010.

A very snowy holiday

I had planned to share photos of all the handmade gifts I made this year. Unfortunately, a blizzard (yes, a blizzard in Oklahoma!) majorly altered our Christmas plans, so I haven't finished distributing everything yet. The sleet and hail started in early on the Eve, and by 4:00, a blanket of snow began to cover the city. We had planned to see my mom's half of the family for a while that afternoon but quickly rethought our plans. Mom and her amazing guilt trip brought us across town for a brief, hour-long visit, which, given my crankiness about the holidays in general, was probably perfect. Since my grandmother hosts but is badly in need of a hip replacement, my mom, uncle, taller half and myself did all the cooking. Between all of us, we had a delicious, stress-free spread of -- believe it or not -- totally vegetarian fare. It was perfect.

The snow continued to fall and fall. The official count is 5.8 inches in Tulsa, but there were drifts several feet high. Our part of the state actually got the least of it, too. I'm always the last person to be excited about the fluffy white stuff, but I have to admit that this was one of the best holidays I've ever had. We were stuck inside -- just the two of us -- from about 3:00 on the 24th until Sunday. We did venture out to walk the dog, but our cars stayed firmly in place. (As if we had another choice. Oh, the joys of apartment life.) I'll do a better rundown of some of my loot in another post, but I did want to share a couple of cell phone shots. First is our now-traditional Christmas breakfast:

Yep, that is a plate full of homemade (by me!) buttermilk biscuits and vegetarian white gravy (crafted by my beloved). The meal was decidedly un-vegan, but I'm back on the bandwagon today. We had coffee and fruit on the side. I wish this picture was representative of all the biscuits-and-gravy consumption but, well, there may have been seconds. And we may have barely put a dent into the fruit. Oh well. Next up is some snowy aftermath downtown:

It cracked me up that the plows moved the snow into a giant pile into the middle of Denver, a busy downtown street. I bet it won't be there for long. The work week is once again upon us.

I hope you all had a safe, warm, happy holiday. I also want to show some love to Hollyrocks, who is getting hitched today. Yay! I'm so happy for the newlyweds-to-be. Send them your good thoughts, and let's hope Eureka Springs welcomes them with open arms. :)

A gift for you

We got a blizzard in Oklahoma last night, which shortened some Christmas Eve plans and cancelled everything today. Here in Tulsa, we have six inches of snow on the ground. That's insane for this area! I'm not a fan personally, but the creature in my life who hates it the most is my tiny dog. I took this video this morning of her attempting to go get through show piles nearly as tall as her. I hope you enjoy!

On the road yet again

My love and I are making the drive today to visit his family in one of Louisiana's bustling metropolises. No, not that one. Not that one either. Oh OK, so it's not exactly a great big city, but I just got back from Durant, Oklahoma, so this will feel like a major metropolitan area. ;)

I can't wait to see his family and celebrate Thanksgiving at his parents' home. I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful holiday. I'll write about our trip when I get home. Look for a couple of scheduled posts from me over the long weekend. Happy Tofurkey Day!

Trading for crafty holiday goods

We all love to give beautiful, unique, handmade goods for the holidays whenever we can. However, it's hard to find the time and energy to make 50 knit sweaters -- plus, does everyone in your family really want a variation on the same item? That's where the amazing, gorgeous gal that is my dear friend Holly of HollyRocks steps in this year with her 2009 Hollyday Tradeoff. Do you want to trade with other crafters for amazing gifts this year? Then head over to her blog post and fill out the requested information. If you want to trade with me, you can comment here or convo me on Etsy.

Let's get trading!

Obligatory Valentine's Day post

I didn't mean it to sound that way. The truth is I'm incredibly excited about Valentine's Day. We have a lovely day planned tomorrow. In the morning, I'll rise early for my ballet class, and right after, we're heading to the Circle Cinema to catch a back-to-back airing of the Oscar-nominated short films (dorks!). We'll spend the afternoon doing whatever sounds like fun -- thrifting, snoozing, maybe getting free couples massages at our apartment complex. At 8:30, we have dinner reservations at Biga, the tastiest, fanciest, and most deliciously romantic place in town for our buck. I'm going to wear my scandalous green dress (viewable in this entry), red lipstick, and perhaps a pair of fishnets -- oh my! We will sip wine, eat more than ought to be humanly possible, and still manage some dessert. I just can't wait!


We don't do gifts on Valentine's Day other than the sweet stuff. My box of these amazing chocolate miracles are arriving today, and I'll be baking Grey his gold cake with orange icing either tonight or tomorrow afternoon. I also managed to win myself a V-Day treat by being the second caller on Up Late with Ben Sumner on Saturday. They are from Sweet Tooth Candy & Gifts in town. I was really hoping they'd be shaped like Ben Sumner's face, but roses are nearly as cool:

Cute, huh? I love that the full-on chocolate roses (with stems, not in the box) have a tag that reads "semi-solid". Is that how we say "hollow" these days? :)

Really, though, this will pretty much be my perfect Valentine's Day. I'm happy any day I get to do the things I love with the one I love. Through a fancy dress, some wine, and magically delicious chocolates on top of it all, and it's like a dream come true.

I hope you have your ideal Valentine's Day!

All I want for Christmas ...

is peace, love, understanding, and all those goodies. Failing that, anything from this Etsy mini would be just lovely:





Have a safe and happy holiday to everyone, no matter what you celebrate!

I'm blooming!

I'm wearing a wonderful hair ornament made by Holly of Sweetheartville today. Isn't it the cutest?

She traded me it and a couple more for a pair of custom earrings. We had the Tulsa Craft Mafia holiday party last night, and Holly was one of our lovely guests. It looks like our group may be expanding. I think that sounds lovely.

Tonight I'm painting faces at a party for kids being thrown by my day job. I can make jewelry, but paint or draw? Not so much. I hope there won't be any mirrors for the kids to see themselves!

It's a girl!

No, not for me. My friend Kayla is having a little girl. I'm so excited! It will be years -- well, it better be! -- before my siblings reproduce, and Kayla has none, so I get to be a surrogate aunt. Hurray! She and her husband had been calling the baby Peanut until they found out the sex today, so I plan to make her an ornament shaped like a peanut. I haven't decided how, though. Should it be beaded? Crocheted? Paper crafted? Something else? If anyone has ideas, please let me know. Yay for babies!

Speaking of which, tonight is the Tulsa Craft Mafia's holiday party. I'm hoping for an appearance from my favorite three-month-old dude. We'll see. :)

Kid pictures

Sorry for the silence, folks. I've been enjoying my lack of busy-ness (which probably correlates directly to my lack of business), so I haven't had much to say. Sunday was a bizarre day. The temperature peaked at 75 degrees F and then fell 50 degrees by nightfall. We're now icy and snowy here in Tulsa. Before the ickies headed in, I did take the kids for a fun photo session. Wanna see the pictures? You do? That's great!

I ordered individual shots of all the kids and then two group shots. My dad and Jo will get a set and my grandmother will get another. Talk about saving money on holiday gifts. Here's what they will receive (click pictures for larger image):

And here are my two favorite "outtakes":

These are all the unedited versions. The printed ones are properly cropped and such. I got the prints today after ordering them yesterday on Walgreens' Web site. They aren't the fanciest prints ever, but for the speed and price -- $15 for 9 5x7s and 2 8x10s -- they are well worth it. I plan to rummage around dollar stores and Goodwill for frames. Fun! I'll probably also get Jo and Dad a gift certificate to a restaurant for Christmas/Hanukkah, and I will take Jacob and Kaity (the older kids) to the Globetrotters game in January. Sarah is still a mystery. Only two weeks left to decide!

I hope you're all enjoying the holidays. I'm getting over my grumpies by crafting a little and buying gifts for people in need. That's my favorite part of the season.

Bubble-printed stationery

I got started on some holiday presents (finally) Wednesday evening. I was in a sour mood, but whipping out these supplies much improved things. This would be a great project for kids or those of us who still act like children! These instructions came from Mark Montano's Big Ass Book of Crafts.

Supplies:
Food coloring (mine was icing gel)
Blank stationery
Small bowls
Straw for each color
1 tsp dish soap
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup of water

Instructions:
Combine dish soap, sugar, and water in a bowl. Add food coloring. If you're using the normal stuff, the book recommends 10 drops. I just eyeballed it with my gel. Make the color a bit darker than you expect because the color will lighten quite a bit when it dries. Remember: you can mix the colors to make new ones. Oh the joys of primary colors. Anyway, stir until everything is combined and the sugar dissolves. Here comes the fun part: insert your straw into the bottom of the bowl and start blowing bubbles until they rise over the top. Now, take your blank stationery and run it gently over the top of the bubbles, popping them. Try not to saturate too much or the moisture will leak through. Coat to your liking. Let it dry. If you like, repeat the process a second time with another color. Here is my first set:









The colors came out a lot lighter than I expected -- so light, in fact, that they were hard to photograph. They look much better in person, I promise. This was a combination of blue and orange.








My second set had much richer color. Here, I did a layer of red (which turned pink when it dried) followed by a layer of purple. After both sets dried, I pressed them in the pages of a heavy book to get the cards to close right. They are still a little open, but they work.

As far as cost is concerned, the stationery came in a set of 50 white cards with 50 envelopes for $9.95 at Michael's. The icing gel was about $3 also at Michael's. Everything else I had at home (or "borrowed" from work, in the case of the straws and the toothpicks I used to mix the colors). I plan to gift them in sets of 10 cards with envelopes. That's five gifts for about $2.60 each.

This was so much fun! I can't wait to do the other three sets.

Weekend overview

Well, it was a good -- though bordering on too-long -- weekend. Just because I feel like it, I'll do a backwards update.

Sunday -- I had the All Souls Arts and Crafts Fair in the morning and early afternoon. I was worried that the economic problems would reign in profits, but I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I made $50 more this year than last year. I owe it in part to my ProPay account. One very nice woman made a good-size order from me using her Visa card. How wonderful! I'll have to be better about advertising my credit-card-taking capabilities in the future. I had fun hanging with Kaity, though she was absolutely silent. Grey and my mom each bought a piece from her, so she walked out with $25. Woo hoo! In the evening, I made more stuff, trimmed and washed the dog, and watched TV.

Saturday -- We set up for the show at 10 a.m. Everything looked lovely. I forgot my camera, so you'll have to take my word for it. After, Grey and I had lunch at Ri Le -- yum! I can't ever turn that place down. It's the best Vietnamese food I've ever had, and it might be Tulsa's tastiest treat. Later, my mom came over, and we chitchatted for a while. I was fairly early to bed that night.

Friday -- The day brought Part II of his family's visit. They are such lovely people. I enjoy being with Grey's relatives because they lack my family's crazy factor. They are normal. It's so weird. :) Anyway, we celebrated his dad and little sister's birthdays with pizza, eggnog cake (which I artfully avoided), and a few games of dominoes. The best part was watching his impatient grandmother bang on his aunt's door with rollers in her hair. Most excellent.

Thursday -- Feast Day, so they say. After a Thanksgiving-related meltdown, I pulled myself together well enough to enjoy Part I of his family. I ate a decent amount, but I've found that being vegetarian forces me to limit myself somewhat. I did enjoy Grey's vegetarian stuffing/dressing, the broccoli-cheese dish, and rolls, of course. His goofy family doesn't do pumpkin pie, though, so I've yet to eat any this year. Later in the evening, we whipped everyone else at Trivial Pursuit. We are no longer allowed to be on the same team. Too bad.

So that was my time off from work. It was not relaxing, but it was largely enjoyable. Now I am back in high gear to prepare for Saturday's Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar. As much as I love craft shows, I can't wait to have relaxation time come December 7!

How was your long weekend?

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!

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!

Show and tell!

Oh friends, I finally have all the pieces of a working camera. Hurray! I lost my replacement battery charger (yes, replacement) a month or so ago. I was unexcited to spend $40 to replace it, but I finally decided to bite the bullet Saturday morning. (It didn't help that I woke up three hours before my boyfriend and didn't have anything else to do.) I'm so glad I did. I also picked up a second memory stick just in case and got my oil changed, which is mostly unrelated to this post. The result: I have pictures to share! Pictures galore! So as not to bombard you, we'll start with a "What I Did This Weekend" post.

First came Halloween. These were all taken with the disposable camera, which is kinda obvious.

Above is me in my Dorothy costume (ruby slippers not visible); my dad with a bow on his head; and my siblings -- Kaity as pumpkin head, Sarah as a witch, and Jacob as a ninja.

Here we have Sarah opening her presents from me, Jacob covered in allergen-free chocolate, and him again striking a ninja pose.

Then was the ballet, which we moved to Saturday in order for my love to have time to heal. Check out my fancy dress:
Oooooooo, the hotness is too much to bear! ;)

This dress was made by Shannon Mulkey of Patina. Check her out.

Here are some shots of me walking Sully this weekend:

And if Halloween wasn't scary enough for you . . . Dun dun DUN!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, one and all!

Who has big exciting plans? We have ballet tickets tonight, so I won't get to engage in any full-on Halloween activities. Unfortunately, my beloved is ill, and I really don't want him to go if he's not feeling up to it. I may need to find someone else to accompany me. We shall see. If I do end up going, I will be wearing this gorgeous dress by Patina, purchased in Atlanta.

Before the ballet, we are going to drop by my dad's house to celebrate my sister's birthday. I made her a ring with a pink S on a purple background, and I'll probably throw in a matching pendant. I also bought the cutest book ever called Doodles that I bought in Atlanta, too. It looks really neat, especially for a young girl with autism who needs to improve her motor skills.

For your viewing pleasure, here's a small treasury of Halloween finds made by my Oklahomies. Click, view, and enjoy!