Two hours in the tub

It's been an active Saturday between the trip to the flea market, an oversized lunch, a trip to Owasso to play with puppies (Mom and I are both pining for French bulldogs now), dog walking, grocery shopping, and ice cream at Maggie Moo's (a big splurge, but I've been so healthy all week). When I picked up my latest issue of Self magazine from my tiny mailbox, I knew what I needed tonight: a long, hot bath.

I got in at 8:00. I got out at 10 'til 10:00. Oh yeah.

With a few dashes of Epsom salts and drops of peppermint essential oil in the water, a Virgil's Cola perched precariously on the side of the tub and my periodical in my damp hands, I soaked my evening away. I don't read a ton of magazines each month, so I like to dedicate times to the ones I do peruse. Self is my favorite, and it's a perfect bathtime read. I don't consider a bath complete until I've done a cover-to-cover reading of my chosen magazine, and all the page corners must be properly dampened.

After sealing in all the moisture with lotion, I'm feeling relaxed, smooth and full of creative energy. I'm off to make a list of projects to tackle in the coming week.

Do you take baths to unwind? If so, do you put anything in the water (salts, bubbles, oils, etc.)?

Thankful Thursdays

Here's what I'm thankful for today:

1. Nasal spray. My allergies have gone crazy!

2. Organic, fair-trade tea in my handmade mug. I bought the latter from Forever Tuesday at Indie Emporium. (The tea is Choice Green Moroccan Mint.)

3. Re-learning to knit. I had forgotten how much fun it can be.

Indie Emporium recap

I had a huge-a-mongous blast at Indie Emporium. This was actually my first year selling there, but I can't wait until the time rolls around again in 2010!

Here is my lovely booth before we opened the doors on Friday night:

And a close-up of my new products (Charming Memory bracelets and Whimsy rings) on their displays:

Oh my gosh, look at the crowd! (If you look carefully, you might spy me in my fuchsia sweater.)

Here are two of my shoppers, the cutest little two-year-old boy and his nervous dad:
Day 2 didn't have the previous night's insane onslaught of people, but it was a lot of fun and profitable, too. Here I am at my booth:

If you look, you can see some carnage. My hooks didn't want to stay on the picture-frame displays, and look how quickly I sold out of one of my scrubs. I ended up selling the sample one, too! I guess I'll know to make more Orange Spice ones next time. Look at this close-up of some of my bargain jewelry:

Hey, look, more shoppers!

Later that evening, I modeled in the fashion show, but I don't have any photos to share yet. When I do, I'll certainly post them.

As always, the best part was chatting with customers and other crafters. These shows give great feedback on what products people like and which displays draw in the eye. The #1 highlight, though, was the young lady who came to my booth and told me she'd bought one of my Wonderland rings from The Felt Bird -- and she was wearing it! That filled me with such joy.

Though it's tempting to continue basking in the glow of a successful venture, now I have some serious crafting to do!

Why I Love Mondays

Liking Mondays is definitely not cool. They mark the beginning of the work week for most folks, and that brings with it the dread of the 40-hour grind.

Maybe it's because I like my job, or maybe I'm just a nut, but I love Mondays. Yes, they have me rising early after two days of fun. However, they also mark another new beginning. I measure time in weeks for the most part, so I consider each Monday morning to be another chance to start again. I feel more creative and productive on Monday mornings than pretty much any other time. My head is filled with ideas and projects, generally dreamed up the night before, and I can really dive into my writing assignments for the week. At the beginning of the week, I make a mental or physical list of everything I want to do or try over the next seven days. This includes craft projects, work tasks, and health stuff (recipes, exercises, etc.).

I think of each new week as a chance to do better than the week before. My life is a constant effort to be the best person I can be. I want to be smarter, healthier, more creative, a better partner, and an involved citizen of the world. There are a million ways to make strides in all these areas, and I make a concerted effort to accomplish all I can throughout the week. I know I'll never be perfect, but that just makes me try even harder!

The way I approach Monday morning sets the tone for my entire week. I know if I can get up to hit the gym at 6 a.m. on Monday, I can do it again throughout the week. If not, it's probably not going to happen at all. Likewise, if I can start the work week with a smile on my face, I can keep up the positivity the next four days. So while the rest of the world is begrudgingly rising and dragging themselves into work, I'm already around with a smile and a cup of fair-trade tea in my handmade mug.

What do you think about Mondays? Am I the only crazy who loves them?

It's here!

Indie Emporium starts tonight! Come one and all! I hope to see you there. :)

Indie Emporium 2009

I will be selling jewelry and a few other things at Indie Emporium TOMORROW and SATURDAY! Already have plans? Cancel them!


Stick around for the fashion show Saturday night to see me walk the runway, too.

You can also tune into OklaTravelNews tomorrow around 12:40 to see me promote the show.

There will be a ton of other amazing crafters at IE, too, so come on out and see us! The first 50 shoppers in the door Friday night get a bag full of amazing goodies, including a coupon to my store. OoooOoooO! Be there, folks!

Catching up

I've been no fun lately, and for that I apologize. Things have been crazy between all the stuff on my plate and then a nice big helping of mono scooped on top. Yep, that's what I've been doing. I always seem to get childhood illnesses a few years later than most folks. I caught chicken pox at 7 -- two years after my kindergarten class' epidemic -- and strep throat for the first time at age 15. I guess it was about time mono found me.

So anyway, I'm making tons of fun stuff for Indie Emporium, which I'm sure you all remember is this weekend (!!). I'll have lots of fun rings, memory wire bracelets and a whole slew of one-of-a-kind pieces you won't want to miss. I'll have more details soon.