Exhibit and Forest's first college course

I thought this necklace up last week, made it yesterday, popped it up on the website last night and awoke to find it sold this morning. I wasn't ready for it to go. I will miss you little owl necklace! I didn't even get a chance to bond before I dropped it off at the post office this afternoon. I am sure it will be happy in its new home though. I have more owls, I will just have to make more.


Last Friday I got together with my mother-in-law, Linda. We visited the latest exhibit at the Harry Ransom Center here in Austin. The current exhibit is all about the 1920's - one of my most favorite decades. It was great, highlighting all the amazing art, literature and societal changes that happened during that decade. There was a letter from Ernest Hemingway's mother, to him, chastising his behavior. There were tons of great photographs and original manuscripts with the writer's notes in the margins. One super neat picture featured of all these ladies in their fancy full coverage bathing suit ensembles. Why can't we still have bathing suits like that? I came away with a long list of books I need to read including Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis. I really enjoyed all of the first edition books they had on display. The cover art was beautiful and inspiring. Then, at some point in the exhibit I was reminded of prohibition - it's amazing what you can accomplish without alcohol in your life! Just kidding, I know they were all drinking bathtub gin at the speakeasy. Afterward Linda took me to lunch at Bess. I had yummy crab cakes and we shared a strawberry shortcake for dessert. The food was good and the restaurant is lovely and cozy.


Today I met with a bookkeeper. Oh, I am so happy at the thought of having someone to help me with accounting. I don't mind doing it so much but sometimes I run into problems I just don't know how to solve!


My son started his first college course this evening. He is still in high school but is able to take courses at the local community college for dual credit. It was really a proud and exciting moment for me as a parent. He is taking US History I.



Oh, and one more thing, last Saturday I tagged along with my husband on an errand and we stopped into one of my favorite antique malls where I found these lovely gold charms. Can't wait to cook something up with them!

Man, Mondays are tough. It's even worse when they fall on Tuesday. We had too much fun this weekend and I am totally worn out! Friday night James and I made enchiladas and margaritas and hung out in our backyard. Heaven! Saturday night we went out to celebrate Victoria's birthday with dinner at Chez Nous and drinks at Long Branch. While we were at Long Branch, I practiced some time delay photography. The above photo was my favorite of the evening. The rest are on my flickr page. Sunday we hung out with our friends, Kristin and Scott. Kristin made awesome pizza and Scott made great margaritas. After dinner we played games on their WII (is that how it's written?). I want one of those gaming systems! Monday we had our rotating game night with friends. Clint and Dixie hosted this time and bbq'd for us! We played Scattergories. It was a fun fun weekend.

This morning I got up super early and Forest and I went down to the community college to start getting him enrolled to take classes for the summer. He can do dual credit courses where he gets credit for high school and college. So cool! On the way home we stopped in for a few items at Target and he filled out an application for a summer job. He is growing up!

Today I am working in the studio, making new necklaces. I am hoping for some good dry weather this week so I can do another resin batch. The last project was so fun. They sold so quickly I didn't even get them on the website. Maybe this time I will make more! Resin projects are so fun. But, resin really stinks so I won't be making this a long time line.

I actually did get around to soldering in my studio last week. I wasted so much fuel before realizing that I needed softer solder. I am at least glad that I can have the patience with myself to realize that it will just take time to figure out how to make my ideas a reality. It is such a learning experience. Yeah, another one of those. Damn!

Since the Sopranos is coming to a close, we have been rewatching the series from the beginning which has been pretty cool. I can't believe how many story lines come full circle in that series. What an amazing show!

long time, no blog

Look, I got some new glasses!

Good grief, I haven't blogged in a week. I have been busy working and having some fun. Trying to balance the work and the fun. I am starting to think I may be a workaholic! I am kind of serious. Well, the work is actually fun for me right now. I just feel super passionate about my work lately!

Last Wednesday night I met up with Sarah for drinks and then we took a little excursion to the local craft store which was super fun. This weekend I didn't really have any big plans. I just enjoyed hanging out with James all weekend. And, in between, got lots of little jobs done like making rings and organizing my jewelers bench. I pulled out all the equipment I have been collecting over the past few years. I feel like I am pretty much totally set up to solder now. Just need to take the big step to start. Why is that part so hard? Maybe it will happen today? I worked hard yesterday to get a bunch of piddley stuff caught up so that today and tomorrow can be reserved for creative work. You gotta organize this stuff!

Had a nice lunch with Wendy on Friday. It was a nice day to sit outside.

I took my first actual trip to the Blanton Museum yesterday. I met up with my friend Brooke for coffee first and then we walked over to the museum together. We had a great time. I found it inspiring. I loved the new temporary exhibit of the works from the Dahesh Museum. There were some really beautiful and vibrant oil paintings. There is something about oil painting that really excites me. It has such depth. I also really liked that a lot of the paintings were of daily scenes. One of the explanations on the wall was saying that more common life scenes developed when the patronage shifted from religious to merchant class and middle classes commissioned works. I enjoy seeing these almost photographic images of normal life from another time period. We went upstairs and explored a little of the 20th century area but we ran out of time. I look forward to my next trip!

Forest has been introducing me to a lot of rap music. When we get in the car, he always plugs in his Ipod and says "Mom, you gotta hear this song." He is really good at seeking out music. Anyway, about the rap thing - I have never really listened to much because - and I don't mean to stereotype - but often the stuff you pass by on the radio, though it may have a cool beat, the lyrics are sometimes just so sexist and offensive. But he has played some really great stuff for me lately. Let's see, I am enjoying Immortal Technique, Dead Prez and Mos Def. I love learning about new music but I have never been the kind of person to actually seek it out. I always need to have friends who do and can tell me about it! It's a good thing I have James and Forest around. James is mighty prolific in his mix making, I can't even give a comprehensive list of the mixes he's made lately. It's too crazy. This weekend when we were hanging out he gave me a history lesson about the hambone beat - and played a Bo Diddley song, where it started, first and then played all these songs that have that beat right up to present day music. Did you know that song "I Want Candy" has the hambone beat? It was pretty cool to hear the progression of something like that.

Alrighty, I better get back to work!

Blanton Show, Studio Work and Tomatoes

My show at the Blanton last weekend went nicely. My newest designs were well received. The show was held in the main room near the entrance of the museum. It is a very pleasant room to be in for 8 hours. There are windows on the high ceiling and long white walls so the room is very bright and open. It has a very neat effect. When a cloud passes over the sun, it changes the entire room.

This week I have been working on applications for some shows in the Fall, ordering new supplies and sorting through old supplies. I am patiently awaiting delivery of the last of what I need to start soldering. I hope to get my jeweler's bench organized and ready to use today. I want to get out all the pieces that need soldering so I will be prepared to start. Fingers crossed that everything works alright.

We ate the first tomatoes off our vine this weekend! They were really sweet and good. Hooray! There are tons of green tomatoes too. It gives me hope that I can maybe grow other vegetables in the future.

Met up with Victoria yesterday, we ran errands together in her new car and had mojitos at Opal Divine's before heading home. Her new car is so cute. She's been without a car for so long. I am so happy for her!

New Jewelry, Pain and Hot Weather Pledge

This week has been full on creative (with a little pain - see below). I have made SO much new jewelry. Fun fun! Today I am sitting my butt in my chair and putting new stuff on the website. I swear!!

I have been having some trouble with my neck and shoulders again. I have been taking this body pump class with my friend Hope at my gym and I think I just pulled a muscle or something. I am sure my profession doesn't help matters. Anyway, it's been giving me a lot of pain this week. I've had to visit the massage lady, take loads of magnesium, do hot and cold compresses, pop muscle relaxers, moan and complain. It's been tough! Oh yeah, I have also had to relax and not do anything at certain times, which KILLS me. I cannot stand to be idle. I am feeling super behind on some of my duties this week! Also, due to my stupid neck and shoulder pain, I was really sad to have to miss Hope's art show at the Hideout last night. I find her work delightful and I was dying to see "Biggie goes to Dairy Queen" in person!

Had coffee with Kristin on Wednesday and lunch with Liz on Thursday. Both times it was so nice to sit outside enjoying the last of the good weather. Soon it's going to be evil hot. I am going to try to continue my zen attitude this year about the heat. I am just going to be okay with it. I am going to dress light. I am not doing any outdoor shows this summer. It's going to be okay! Also, I pledge to go swimming more often this summer. I did not do enough of that last year.

Speaking of organizing (were we?), I just found a great use for these two vintage drawer liners that my mom gave me last year! They are perfect for holding all my little jump rings, head pins and other findings. I love pretty storage solutions.

Cinco de Mayo Fun

It was a fun weekend! On Friday night we went out to dinner and celebrated Melissa's birthday which actually falls on Cinco de Mayo. She had a full weekend of celebration planned. We had dinner at Habana and got to sit in one of the little thatched huts out front. The food was yummy and they make awesome mojitos! The best part of the evening was when Nel sang a birthday song for her in Spanish. So sweet!

On Saturday night I went to a Cinco de Mayo party at my friend Jennifer Perkin's house. I had a good time. They had the toughest pinata I have ever seen. That thing would not break! Eventually people were just madly whacking at it without the blindfold. It was so funny.

I spent the rest of the weekend sorting through my back stock of old beads, charms and supplies. I have so much stuff! I came to terms with the side of myself that likes to sort. My mom once told me that when she was little they used to enjoy sorting her mother's buttons. (My grandmother was a seamstress and made all her seven kid's clothing, right down to their underwear!) Anyway, I don't know what it is but sorting things is so relaxing and fun. I was going through all my stuff and I just suddenly had this realization of "wow, I am having a blast!" ha!

This week I have got to get my ass in gear and produce jewelry. I have a show at the Blanton this weekend and I have been selling so much jewelry at P&L that my stock is pretty low. Good problem to have, right?

Yard & Website

This rain is making everything in my yard so green. I am pretty sure that I planted cherry tomatoes because of the way they are growing on the vine. Hope the squirrels don't get them. I am a little worried about this webby stuff that appeared on the grass this morning. I might have to treat it - hopefully there is a natural product for it. From my little search on the internet, it might be some sort of fungus. Oh no! One of the website I looked at recommended not watering at night. That's not good. It's not ecologically sound to water during the day, not to mention that the city doesn't want you to. I will just have to study the issue more.

Man, I have had my head buried in my website all week spending every spare minute on it! I finished the shopping cart conversion last night. It's so exciting! There is a search feature, there next and previous buttons so you can just flip through all my products. I will be able to add things quickly. I am kind of excited to add the next round of new products. I am sure that will wear off soon enough! It is so empowering to figure out all the technical stuff. I actually found the add on modules, installed them and figured out how they worked all by myself. James came in a few times and helped me figure out some html issues. I am so lucky to have such a smart husband. He really gets how computers work!

I got a big order of supplies in yesterday including my new torch. I am excited to actually be able to solder in my studio soon!