Katie Crafts

Job Posting: Position: Future Happiness

2011-07-31T12:30:00.004-04:00

Firstly,
I've been ignoring you. I am a bad lady. It's true. Don't hate me.....

This week I was having drinks with a co-worker. She is a bit older than me and single. For all practical purposes there is no reason she is single. She is beautiful, good at her job, has a great figure, and is a charming and funny individual. She was not lamenting her single gal life, but was a bit bummed by her single status. As we enjoyed our $14 Capitol Hill cocktails she asked me how I was doing in my transition from single gal to married gal. We chatted a while about the intricacies of commuting, planning a wedding and running a small business while working a full-time job (here's the inside scoop- it's hard, that's why I've not been writing in this blog). We also discussed our similar ideas about our careers. One thing in the conversation led to another, and she asked about my mental place when I was first internet dating. Apparently I had a unique take on it. I looked at it as a job application. The job: my future happiness.

Huh? Yep. When I was dating I looked at it as a job application and interview process. Think about it....

When applying for a job you put your best and (if you are doing it right) most honest foot forward. You don't flatly lie about your abilities, you don't accept a position that wouldn't make you happy, or that doesn't meet your needs. When talking to a future co-worker you are honest with yourself about what you need to get out of the relationship, and what you can bring to the table. You interview a company as much as a company interviews you. If you have lots of experience it is looked at as a good thing, although you will need to be flexible and willing to compromise. If you are just starting out in a field, you accept that you need to learn a few more things about the position you are applying for, and do some research.

The actual dates are really just an interview. First phone date: you are making sure you are both offering something you can live with. First cocktail date: you are having your initial job interview. You talk about your life experiences, and get to know each other a bit better. First dinner date: You make each other an offer-- this is what I have, this is what I expect. From there it is just contract negotiations. If you can both come to a contract that you agree upon and are happy with, negotiations are over and a probationary period begins. Once the probationary period has been met and you both are happy with progress- you can take the next step and enter into a binding contract. Life.

xo

10 Most Important.

2011-06-12T09:38:00.003-04:00

This week Mr. SmartGuy and I booked tickets to Florida to pick a venue and date for our wedding. We have also been to several events over the last weeks where I have come to the conclusion, that I am the worlds worst bride. In. The. World. I actually told some lovely early twenty year old girl at a family BBQ that right now I didn't really care about the wedding, I was more concerned with the marriage. She got married last year in a blow-out event that was (I'm sure) a dream wedding for her and all of her friends. I'm sure she worked for hundreds of hours on the wedding.

I'm an ass.

As a little girl I didn't dream of what my wedding dress would look like, I never imagined that I would walk down an aisle with white bunting covering the walls, or that I would be surrounded by my 15 favorite friends all wearing matching dresses. I imagined someday I would meet a guy and we would shack-up and maybe someday we would escape to the courthouse and quietly get married and send out a postcard with a little note that said something to the effect of "we got married!" When we got engaged, I called my parents and said "We're getting married!" My Mom's first question was- "okay, but when? Not tomorrow, right?" I believe that is a serious case of parents knowing their child.

As it becomes very clear that we *are* having a wedding, I have been struggling with what I want. Mr. SmartGuy has a pretty firm idea of what is important to him, however I feel a little scattered. I was chatting with a co-worker who is about 15years older than me. She has been to many weddings. She suggested that I figure out what are the 10 most important things about this event that I want, and will make the event fun and memorable to me. I've been thinking about it for most of the week, and so far- this is what I've got.

1. I want to be married to Mr. SmartGuy. He is awesome, I love him, and I never have to worry about him tweeting pictures of his junk to girls on twitter (he hates social media, and isn't an idiot).

2. I want someone I know and trust to perform the ceremony.

3. I want to make most aspects of the wedding decorations. I love a handmade aesthetic, and I wouldn't feel right about buying things for our wedding. It just wouldn't fit.

4. I want people to walk away from the wedding talking about how non-wedding-industrial-machine the wedding was. I hate the look of matching linens and invitations, and chair covers, and bunting, and giant wasteful floral arrangements, and a huge cake that is covered with chemical crap that really isn't food, but food science.

5. I want our families and guests to have fun.

6. I want to wear something that is flattering, fun, and not something that you can buy off the rack, that will go out of style or date the wedding to mid-2012. I want something vintage and charming. I want my friends to make it.

7.?

8.?

9.?

10.?

That's all I have for right now. I'm sure as the weeks and months go by and the time gets closer I will care more about the wedding. For now, all I care about is marrying my best friend, the party is just an outward expression of our inward style.

As a very smart person once said- If people worked as hard on their marriage as they did on their wedding, there would likely be fewer divorces in the world.

Delicious Vietnamese Inspired Noodle Salad

2011-06-05T17:34:00.004-04:00

About 2 years ago I had Vietnamese food for the first time. I was immediately hooked. I don't think you could convince me that there is a more delicious cuisine out there. It ranges from healthy salads and soups to sinfully delicious fried things. This salad is inspired by bun (pronounced buun) and it is a great healthy summer salad. Best part- it's very low-fat, so if you are watching your fat intake or just don't want to feel like you ate a dumbbell it's a delicious summer dinner or fancy lunch.

This makes 2-3 servings, depending how hungry you are. Omit or make substitutions as you like, this is just a good starting place.

You will need:

1 large box of salad (I use the spring mix, you can use whatever you prefer. Romaine is a great option)
2/3 pound of fresh steamed shrimp. You can substitute grilled tofu, chicken, or fish if you prefer
1/2cup shredded carrots
2 green onions
1 cup mung bean sprouts
4oz uncooked rice noodles (available at any asian grocery store) I like the double golden fish brand vermicelli size
Hoisin sauce (optional, and available at any grocery store)

Sauce
2Tbls sugar
2Tbls Lime juice
4Tbls Water
2Tbls fish sauce (waay optional)
1tsp (or 1 clove) minced garlic
1Tbls minced pickled ginger (I get this from the international aisle at the grocery store)
1Tbls minced mint (fresh or otherwise)
1Tbls minced Basil
1Tbls minced Cilantro
a few drops of Siracha (this is crazy hot sauce, available in the international aisle)

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and let sit for an hour or more. Or if you have a food processor you can dump all the items in and whirr it together. This dressing is also a great non-fat all around salad dressing. If you can't have sugar- omit it and substitute with agave nectar or Splenda.

Soak your uncooked rice noodles in a large bowl for 1-2hours. To cook the noodles, boil water and using a colander or sieve dip the noodles in the boiling water for 30seconds to 1minute while shaking to keep the noodles separated. They will cook rapidly. dunk them in cold water to stop cooking. Drain well. Put them in the bottom of your bowls. Add lettuce, veggies/garnishes and protein. Drizzle sauce over the top and add hoisin sauce to taste.

Freakin' delish.

Pile of Whaaa?

2011-05-22T21:24:00.002-04:00

Oh yeaaah.

To take a little travel away from my recent marriage-engagement and the fact that I live in suburbia now, let's talk crafts. I am a vendor in the Charm City Craft Mafia's PILE OF CRAFT, or as a few of my friends said: Pile of WHAAA?

The Craft Mafia is a crafty group that started in Austin, and have "mafias" in cities across the US and internationally. They are known for putting on some of the most well-attended craft shows in the country, and I am super thrilled to be included in one of their shows. I can only hope that this will open me up to getting a spot in another Craft Mafia show sometime in the future, but I wouldn't want to jinx it by assuming.

So what am I planning for this awesome show? Oh baby! A whole new display, some great new bags, and a bunch of awesome new products (like recycled vegan belts!) As almost anyone who has read this blog before knows, I make pretty cool stuff, but I suffer from what I call dis-play-ability. I try to make something great, but the merchandising never looks *quite* right to me. Maybe I am too harsh, but I feel like a crappy display really kills your chances of getting invited back to a show, and I've never felt like my displays are anywhere near as good as my pieces.

Sooo in an attempt to remedy my lame displays Mr. SmartGuy and I made a trip to Lucketts Va for Lucketts Antique Market. It's no where near as big or great as my beloved Brimfiled, but it served it's purpose. I purchased some printers trays, an antique suitcase, some old hardware drawers, a vintage step ladder and drooled over the astonishingly ugly antique chickens that were abound. Add in some overcast skies (so my translucent skin wasn't crispified) and it was a perfect day!

My spoils from the day are still in the trunk of the car, but in coming weeks I'll post some pictures of my display, and maybe you can offer suggestions about how to make it even better!

*oh, and blogger is being cranky, so I can't throw any links or pictures in this post, so get creative and use google*

The Engagement

2011-05-15T18:05:00.005-04:00

So the question has been asked many times, and this is the general outline of how it goes with people who don't know either one of us very well.

Them: So did you know?

Me: ummm know what? That I was going to marry this guy as soon as I met him? Well, not exactly as soon as I met him, but it didn't take too long...

Them: No, silly! That he was going to ask you!

Me: Well, yeah, we talked about it a whole lot, and we planned to go out for an awesomely memorable dinner in Chicago and get engaged. It was perfect. He gave me my Grandmother's ring, I gave him this super cool ring I bought online *which seems appropriate* and it was totally perfect. I am the happiest girl alive!

Them: Oh, you knew? So I guess that's modern

Me: Well I wouldn't want to marry someone I couldn't talk to about our engagement. It seems silly.

Them: Well I guess if you feel like you're engaged, then you are.

Me: (on the inside) Fuck You.

The way it usually goes with our closer friends is something like this:

Them: Holy Shit! you are wearing a diamond!

Me: Yeah, it was my Grandma's, look you can see the groove her wedding band wore into the side of it. Cool huh? Oh, and I got him this really great ring online, and he is totally excited, and I am totally excited, and it's great.

Them: That is freakin' awesome, so when was the wedding?

Me: We aren't sure yet.

Them: You mean you didn't elope?!?, Wow you really must love this guy and want to start this out right.

Me: yup.

So there you have it. We talked about it, and decided to get married. I shopped for a ring for him (because I'm not the only one getting engaged) and we decided to go out for an awesome dinner, propose to one another and drunk dial almost everyone in our cellphones from the top of the Hancock Building in Chicago. It was awesome. It was perfect. It was totally modern, and totally us.

Here are a couple of pictures of the view that night. It was amazing.

Blog, resurrected

2011-05-14T17:14:00.002-04:00

Remember when I used to write in this thing on a weekly, sometimes daily basis? Remember when I used to tell you all about my crazy crafty life? Well, I am working on getting back to it, because I have a big announcement, but before I tell you, here is a little update.

The skinny on the past year: I moved to the suburbs (I live in Mr. Smartguy's condo), and now I commute about 30 miles to and from work. You might say, Katie! That's not so bad!! Everywhere in the country people commute that much. Except here in the DC metro area, that translates to anywhere from 90 minutes to 4 or 5 hours depending on traffic- each way. Let me say that again. EACH WAY. I have a part-time job as a commuter. I am going to try to harness that time and whatever creative energy I have left to work on blogging, and also my big news:

We got engaged! I'm marrying Mr. Smartguy. Yes! the very one who's giant brain made me swoon. The very one I met on the internet! The very one who is the only man that could ever drag me kicking and screaming out of living in a city! That one!

It just happened last weekend, but it seems to be important enough that I'm resurrecting this blog to tell you all about the upcoming nuptials. As you might imagine, it's not really going to be a traditional wedding, so hang on! because it might be a bumpy ride.

So here is my promise, oh readers of this blog (if there are still any) I promise to write to you about what is bound to be a crafty, if not crazy event.

xo
Katie

I'll just draw a diagram.....

2010-07-08T00:47:00.004-04:00

One year ago I met Mr. Smartguy. Or, rather I met him in "real life". We had been chatting on the interwebs for about a week before the grand meeting took place. The night of the first date was crazy. It involved a neighbor falling out of a window, a blown fuse, a haz-mat spill, several traffic violations, and 3 Republican National Convention lawyers. Sometimes, it's just easier to draw a diagram.

Here is how it worked out:

Home, Sweet Nomad....

2010-06-28T19:29:00.003-04:00

It's that time again. I find myself standing in a partially packed apartment, there are boxes here and there, some full, some waiting to have my possessions carefully sorted and packed away. Yep. I'm moving again. This time, it's not for a job, it's for love.

Mr. Smartguy and I are making the leap. After almost exactly a year, we are moving in, shacking up, kicking the tires, and taking a test-drive. We aren't doing anything legal, just logistical. It's a big step for two grown-ass people to decided to move in and give it a shot, but somehow I'm not concerned. Maybe that's bravado, and maybe it's foolish to think that in this day and age a girl can meet a guy on the Internet and in about a year they can be living together happily, but here I am prepping for my 7th move in as many years, and I think this is the best move I've ever made.

Good luck with all the plastic!

2010-06-22T21:35:00.006-04:00

Once in when I was working in the costume shop in Hartford a tour of tweensy children came through our shop. Amongst the eager faces of wannabe theatre professionals was a just barely pre-adolescent boy? kid? mini-dude? who wanted to know everything. What was this made out of? How did we do that? He was especially intrigued by the chorus-girl costumes made of a sparkly leotard that created the illusion of a girlie champagne flute with busty-booby-bubbles (gee I wonder why he was so interested?). The "flute" was made of a molded plastic cup, and he was mesmerized. On the way out of the door the young man proudly wished the shop "GOOD LUCK WITH ALL THE PLASTICS!" Unfortunately the kid had a terrible lisp, and it came out "GHOOD LUHCK WHIHTH ALL THE PHLASTHICS!" To this day, we still wish each other luck with ALL the plastics.

Weak segue, but whatever......

A few people have been asking me if I am still making my re purposed plastic wallets, and the short answer is- well, um no, not really. The reason? DC has enacted a totally-awesome-freakin-love-it-five-cent-bag-tax, and suddenly plastic bags are getting a little difficult to come by. People are bringing their illicit suburban bags into work to give to co-workers who use them for diapers, litter and doggy-duty. The once overflowing bag holder in my kitchen is becoming less and less full and I have to import my kitty bags from my fella's house in suburban Virginia. My once overflowing raw materials supply, is becoming less and less plentiful.
I'm making a few pouches when I find something that tickles my fancy, and I have a few bags left from the mass shipments that used to come in from as far away as Massachusetts and Chicago, but with the prevalence of totes and re-usables, I'm happy to say that this product is almost no longer viable. If I get into Crafty Bastards this year, I think that will be the last hurrah for my re-purposed plastic bags, and I couldn't be happier...

Part Deux

2010-06-07T20:45:00.008-04:00

Upping my Crafty-nerd-street-cred-photoshoot-style

This is the second of a multi-post-series detailing my photoshoot with the Tomerlins of Tomerin Photography in preparation for the Crafty Bastards application process.

Once I decided which pieces I wanted to have photographed (of course, most of those pieces where not yet in existence) it was time to get-a-goin’. One piece I want to start selling are totebags. Why totebags? Well, because Washington DC has instituted a bag tax (which I FULLY support) and totebags are now, oh so very now. So I pulled out the YUDU Mr. Smartguy gave me for my birthday, and I took it out for a spin. **This is yet another up-side to dating someone who is interested in what you do, fully committed to gadgetry, and supports the furthering of said craftiness with gadgetry**. I think the results are strong, and graphically pleasing.

If I were to change anything about the YUDU as a product, it would be the horrible cheesy name. Additionally, as someone with limited experience with legit silk screening, (but more than a decade of painting and dyeing experience) I wanted clear and highly technical instructions. Luckily, with the assistance of you tube, some new and vintage books on textile printing, a few dozen websites and a some facebook conversations (hey, I get points for thoroughness) I fulfilled my nerdy needs and realized that although technically a bit complex, the products available on the market simplify the process. Making screens is something that someone with strong attention to detail, a commitment to following process driven instructions and a basic understanding of the importance of patience can do with reasonable success.

When styling the photos we wanted to be sure it looked like the bag was being used. Also, it was important to me to make sure that the scale of the bag, the quality of the screen and the overall image looked “professional”. We ended up stuffing the bag with a handmade lap quilt my mom made; it was a great color to have popping out of the top, and filled out the bag nicely. I’m particularly happy with this image, I think the styling and overall composition are quite pleasing and it is a good example of the quality of product (both for crafty lady and photographers!)

Like a real professional

2010-05-31T10:34:00.006-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I decided it was high time to get some real pictures of my work, myself, and get my act together for the Crafty Bastards application (which is due in a couple of weeks). Crafty Bastards, for those of you who don’t remember- is a local show that-is-to-date my FAVORITE craft show of all times. The show was well organized, well planned, and had a great attendance. Sooooooooo I gots me a photo session.

The impetus for the photo session was pictures of items that needed context. For those of you who have not tried-it is really hard to take good photographs of your own work, on your own body. It’s even harder to try and convince your attractive friends to let you take pictures of them without some serious cajoling and maybe some roofies. So that leaves me, wearing my own stuff, and trying to take a decent photo of my own wrist, head, and (gulp) belt. Needless to say it is really hard to conjure up the littlest bit of my vague memories of that one episode of Top Model I watched in 2004 all the while trying to figure out how to operate my camera that has a more complicated processor than the space shuttle. In walk the Tomerlins, and I fall in love with the idea of getting someone else to ‘shoot’ my work.

The Tomerlins are a couple that met via their Flickr accounts. Yep, they met because they both liked each other’s photos, and started chitty-chatting online…fast forward a couple of years and they are hitched and own a photography company together. If that’s not a story made in cyberspace and digi-photography heaven I don’t know what is. I became familiar with their work via some great shots of a dear friend on facebook, later we met and chatted at a cocktail party and it was clear to me that these people could make me look great. Professional. Like a Crafty Bastard.

Here are some shots from our session.

I’ll be writing more about how I prepped for the session, and what the session itself was like in the coming days…stay tuned.

3 652.42199 days

2009-12-31T11:10:00.004-05:00

That's how many days are in a decade.

This decade has brought us so many things- advances and back-steps, money and poverty, joy and sorrow. Here are some of the things I've done this decade.

I've:

Lived in 11 apartments/group houses in 4 major metro areas and 7 towns.

Met Mr. Wrong

Fallen in love

Graduated from college

Gone from being a vegetarian-straight-edge-very-serious-hardcore-kid to being a middle-of-the-road-meat-eating-wine-drinking-adult

Fallen out-of-love (with Mr. wrong)

Witnessed many friends fall-in-and-out-of-love

Witnessed weddings, births, adoptions, and deaths

Had my apartment broken into

Traveled to Europe

Quit 5 jobs

Been fired from 1 job

Earned and spent around $194k (that's scary on many levels)

Started a small business

Fallen in love (with Mr. Right)

Lived with 5 cats

Become the owner of 1 cat

Bought and killed 17 house plants

Gone from no car to owning a car back to a no-car lifestyle

Traveled to 14 states

Gained and lost and gained again 35 lbs

.....and most recently I've met my new niece. This is the littlest Stacklet of them all. She is amazingly beautiful, and talking to her momma inspires me to continue to take my birth control. Welcome to the family. I hope the next decade brings you lots of fun things.

Busted

2009-11-22T19:39:00.005-05:00

Dear Blog,

It's been a while. I've not been writing in you because I've been too busy. Also, I try not to write in you when I think I might say something that would bite me in my kiester later. Therefore, you have sat blank for a (very) long time. I'm sorry. Here's a nice little post so you can feel like I still love you.

Crafty Bastards? Effing rocked. I was not the Craftiest Bastard, but I would do that show again in a heart beat. By far, my best selling day and the nicest organizers EVER. Hands down. Awesome. They brought me a whole foods sandwich. Never in my life have I had a craftshow provide me with even a snack, and this place gave me a sandwich, and it wasn't even a nasty cello-wrapped egg salad from a food museum, it had vegetables on it. **it's sad that I get this excited about a sandwich, but during a full day craftshow, it's the little things that count** Other awesome thing about the show- Mr. Smartguy helped me tear down. Ladies, if you can find a guy who is willing to help you move heavy stuff and brave a craftshow for you, you know you've found a keeper. Which is a nice segue into the holidaze...

Hey Katie, what are you doing for Thanksgiving? Oh, well I'm headed to Texas to meet my boyfriend's family. I'll write that again, I'm going to Texas to meet Mr. Smartguy's family. Specifically Austin, specifically his parents. This leads to the other question-- are ya nervous? Ummmm, maybe?...a little? I'm pretty good at meeting people and getting them to like me. I'm not so keen on feeling like I am the center of attention. Last night I found out that members of the extended family heard of the arrival of a girlfriend, and they are excited to check her out. I'm sure they are all going to be wonderful people, but until I meet them- I'm a little antsy about the introduction. Which leads to another question....

Hey Katie! What about Holiday Craft Shows? Well, like I mentioned before, I try not to say things on the Internet that are going to bite me in the tuckus later, so I will simply say that my job took over my life this fall, and I did not get my act together with enough quality goods to be accepted into any of the big NYC craftshows (well, that was diplomatic). I'm really bummed about it, but it has taken a little of the pressure off the holidaze for me. It also has allowed me to *gasp* have a little time to make some holiday gifts for my loved ones. Who knew?! when you aren't making gifts for other people to buy, you actually do have some time to make gifts to give.

I always feel like I am cheating when I buy gifts. There just seems like there is something wrong about buying things when you are fully capable of making something that has a little love already built in. So I apologize if I've ever given you a store bought gift. I do really love you, I just didn't have time to make something so I went to the mall. I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again...well, okay it will but we can pretend that it won't.

Additionally, due to the aforementioned work surplus, I did not do the graphics or website for the Side Project Market this year. The torch was handed off to someone who actually knew what they were doing! Again, I'm bummed that after lots of years as a participant, and at least 2 years doing the graphics I had to bail due to a work surplus, but that's the way the craftsperson cookie crumbles. Here is a link to the groovy website, and the name of the market has changed too. It is now part of a larger event called Shop Jarvis Square, which brings in the local storefronts and restaurants to create a really fantastic shopping extravaganza! Also, the coffee joint on the corner makes a freakin' awesome mocha (I'm just sayin'). If you are in the Chicago area on December 12th, swing by the square and support the local artisans. They make some really great stuff.

So there ya have it blog. The latest news from Craftlandia. Not too crafty, but hey! If it were all about crafts- would ya still be reading this blog? Here are some pics from Crafty Bastards, and some images of pieces that I have been working on in case you really do read this blog just for the crafts.

Crafty Bastard TOP 5

2009-09-20T21:08:00.003-04:00

OMG! I'm in the TOP 5!

A huge thank you to everyone who voted and re-posted this to their blogs, facebook and myspace accounts. I really, really, appreciate it.

Here is the link thinger again, just in case you want to re post it some more. I would really love to win this. Oh, and if you come visit me on at the show and tell me you voted, I have a special prize just for you!

or

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/craftybastards/2009/craftiestbastard/?vendor_id=1658

In other news, I am doing my best to get ready for this show. I have some fancy new buttons, some gorgeous new leather cuffs made from cast-off leather scraps that would have ended up as landfill, and I am working on having both leather and vegan belts available for sale with my schmancy buckles. Oh, and speaking of buckles- I am working on some great new buckles featuring vintage fabrics, some new-to-me vintage magazines and these awesome British cigarette cards.

I'm still working on my set-up as it has been the thing that consistently challenges me. I want something that looks like it has been thought about, but not over thought, and that is where *I* get in trouble. Hopefully I will be able to figure out something that looks cool *and* travels easily. Wish me luck.

In more life news: Mr. Smartguy and I are having a blast. We've both been swamped with work, but we are still able to find time to hang out (seriously). This week we took one of the amazing pasture-raised-non-caged chickens I've bought from Green Fence Farm, and made a delicious beer can chicken in the oven. If you've never tried making a beer can chicken- let me just say-- oh, so easy and delicious! Your house will smell great, the chicken is moist and tasty and if you line your pan with foil, the clean-up is a breeze. If you don't drink beer or eat meat...sorry this isn't one for you. Maybe there is a version with diet coke and tofu, but somehow I don't think it would translate.

Craftiest Bastard Contest

2009-09-10T22:14:00.003-04:00

Drumroll please................................

It's here. The Craftiest Bastard Contest. What is the Craftiest Bastard Contest? Well it's a contest by the Crafty Bastard ladies so the public can vote on who is the Craftiest Bastard. Since you read this blog, you know I am a pretty crafty b!tch. Sooooooo now is the time to help make me a crafty bastard too.

So what makes me a Crafty Bastard? Well, I am crafty, and although not technically a bastard, I can be a real smart-ass, and sometimes have a potty-mouth. Also, professionally I am basically what would happen in Mcgyver and Martha Stewart got together and had a red-headed baby. So, you should vote for me!

What can I win?

Grand Prize: $500 gift certificate to Urban Outfitters + Winner Promotion in one City Paper 1/4 page print ad + 1 Crafty Bastards eblast

2nd Place: Washington City Paper advertising ($500 value)

3rd Place: Crafty Bastards prize pack filled with City Paper goodies

So as you can see-- if nothing else it could offer me a nice chunk of advertising for this upcoming holiday season.

How can you help? Well I need you to vote, and get your friends to vote, and get their friends to vote. You can vote by clicking on the button ^^up there^^ or by clicking on this link

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/craftybastards/2009/craftiestbastard/?vendor_id=1658

And if you are willing you can put this link on your blog, or on your facebook page or myspace page. You can also send out an email to anyone who might want to help me and ask them to vote for me!

Please please please, with sugar on top!

Oh, and if I have your email address, you are about to get this same posting as an email....because I'm that kind of thorough.

So vote for me!

Thanks.

This message has been brought to you by: Citizens United in Nerdy Crafts Contests.

Oh what to write about?

2009-09-08T21:27:00.002-04:00

Here's the skinny. I've not got much to write about. I'm with a great guy, I'm making some cool crafts, and my job has calmed down. So I guess this blog is becoming less a sounding board for my crazy single life, and more like a narrative for how things should/could go..... to be honest I'm not sure what to say more than:

For the first time in a long time I am beginning to feel like I am home. I wouldn't be so bold as to say that he is the only reason I feel DC is a home, but I do think he is a big part of it. More than anything, I think that by giving him a little piece of me, I am giving myself permission to let go of all the other relationships I was holding onto (friends, lovers, jobs, possibilities that can and will never be more than possibilities). I never thought that by giving another person a little piece of me, I'd become more of myself, but I think that is the reality I am living in right now.
I'm beginning to feel like myself again (for the first time since leaving Chicago) and all it took was giving another person a spot in my crazy life. I guess after years of being a Catherinette, I'm finally willing to toss my hat in the ring, and give it a real go.

Who knew?

New(s)

2009-08-23T20:55:00.006-04:00

It's a quickie of a blogpost.

The Crafty Bastards vendor gallery is up and running. I think this is going to be a fantastic year. The vendor list looks hip and fun, and it seems like there will be a fantastic variety of products this year. Oh, and I sound like a real live professional in my artist's statement. haa!

ArtSpring has re-opened in beautiful downtown Silver Spring. They are the gallery collective I am a member of (previously known as Pyramid Atlantic) and the new store looks amazing. I did a drive-by craft drop this weekend with Mr. Smart Guy, and I was totally impressed. The new shop is huge, the artisans are varied, and the merchandising is top notch. If you are in need of an original handmade gift for someone in the DC area, check this place out. They have things for almost any budget ($3 cards to $!@#$ fine art). Swing by, and help support local DC metro artisans.

Things are a buzzin' at the theatre as well. We are about to open our Free For All production of The Taming of The Shrew (set in the 1950's!). I generally don't talk too much about my 'day job' on this blog, but this seems like such a great community event that I just can't help but get the word out. The show is free to the public, and a great way to get introduced to the Shakespeare Theatre Company without spending big$$.
**Just remember, in this current economic state, the arts are struggling as much as any other not-for-profit-- so give a donation at the door, and feel good about yourself.**
Listen up fellows! This is a date night that will win you billions of good boyfriend points, without costing you billions of dollars. For added bonus points, pack a romantic picnic and eat dinner at the Building Museum lawn.

Back to it!

2009-08-16T18:26:00.002-04:00

It has been a lovely summer. I spent most of June traveling, July hosting travelers, and the beginning of August trying to make myself get back into the habit of making things daily. It's been a bit of a struggle to get my act together, but this week I am going to make a real effort. I have 5 techs between now and Christmas, as well as at least 3 big shows with a website and graphics to design for one of them.

It's time to get some music playing and my craft on!!!!

Here's a little music to get the mood going. This is what the inside of my head feels like:

If anyone has any suggestions on how to get back into my groove, I'd appreciate them now.

This week has been strange.

2009-08-12T22:09:00.002-04:00

On Monday I received several horrible pieces of news: A very dear (maybe even my best) friend lost his father without warning. Another friend lost her brother after a lifelong battle with illness. It was a hard week. I have a difficult time with friends and loss. I also have a difficult time with the conventions of language and what is proper. My initial response generally involves at least 2 or 3 expletives and the idea- "I cannot imagine how you must be feeling". Which is not the comforting words that you are supposed to say while handing over a bundt cake or fried chicken. My lacking social grace is one of my less charming attributes, and at times like this it comes raging out.

The most helpful thing I can think is to remember the time I lost my Grandmother (who lived next door and helped raise me) and recall how destroyed I was, and how the thought that she is still looking out for me helps at times. So that's what I said. Hopefully in 5 or 10 years they will be able to feel a little comfort in the idea that they have a wing-man. It's not much, but sometimes all we get are the comforts we create in our minds and hearts.

In the midst of all this sad news I have managed to meet and become smitten with a darling man. We met online, and have been seeing each other for about 6 weeks. Each time we are together I find out something we have in common, and something we can experience for the first time. He is a dear, and so f**king sincere that I don't even know what to do with him at times.

As you can see: I'm having a bit of a dichotomy of emotion that I'm not sure what to do with. It's been a strange week. It's been days of switching between tears and smiles, and not really feeling right about either because of it.

If you are the praying type- Light a candle and say a prayer for my friends. They are dealing with some astonishingly hard emotions and sad realities this week. If you are not the praying type, cherish your loved ones and tell them how much they mean to you. Personally, I'm doing both. It's important.

A trip to the zoo

2009-07-28T23:36:00.003-04:00

I went to the National Zoo this week to take some pictures of animals. I ended up taking lots of pictures of bugs. I seem to be developing a bug problem.

At the zoo there were stinky things, and loud things, and smelly things, and animals too!

Here are some bugs.

ENJOY!

I'm a Crafty Bastard

2009-07-20T22:28:00.005-04:00

This may not sound like much to those of you not in the DC metro area, but Crafty Bastards is a rather big deal. It is DC's largest annual indie craft show. This year there were around 480 applicants, and I was one of the 120 chosen. I'm psyched, and I cant wait to start getting my craft on!

Here are the Photos I applied with. It will give you an idea of what I am planning to bring with me. WOO HOO!

There will also be some surprises, but you are going to have to wait to see those!

Ugh. Really?

2009-07-19T12:32:00.005-04:00

I got back on the online dating bandwagon.

I've met a very lovely fellow, and we've gone on a few rather enjoyable dates. In general I think he is quite charming, and very intelligent (and I have no idea if he reads my blog...)

Since I have paid up through the next 60 days I feel like I shouldn't put all my metaphorical eggs in one basket, so I've been checking my eHarmony inbox when people send me a request to communicate. This afternoon I finally sat down to weed through it and see who has been checking me out.

I don't care what anyone says, it's a scary thing to date on the Internet.

The number of people who misrepresent rather obvious details about their lives is staggering. If you say you are 5-10" and I meet you and you are eye level with my boobs -you are not 5-10". If you say you are 32 and you post a picture of you and your daughter, and she is my age- you are not 32(also if you have that many crows feet at 32, go to a dermatologist). If the only tid-bit of personal information you are able to give me about your life is that you liked The DaVinci Code(barf), scored !@#$ on the Myers-Briggs, and make 145k a year, I'm sure there is some girl out there for you, but I'll be damned if I know who she is.

it's a jungle out there, and I'm not sure I have enough bug spray.

On the upside, I'm having a great time getting to know this non-scary guy I met online, so it can't be all bad....

A very Large Bug

2009-07-19T01:05:00.004-04:00

I went picture hunting with a friend today around Eastern Market in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of DC. This is the very large bug I found. I thought he was rather handsome, so I took some pictures of him.

Stash Reduction Skirt Enlargement

2009-06-30T22:14:00.002-04:00

It's not as painful as it sounds. There comes a time in every crafty girls life where she realizes the vintage fabric will not make itself into a new skirt. There also comes a time in every crafty girls life where she has been working behind a computer for too many months in a row and her behind starts to show that she has been behind a desk (and she ate her way through Chicago last week). I'm hitting the gym and upping my veggie to junk ratio, but I sincerely doubt that will make a difference by next week when I go to Florida, where the weather is hot and many eyes will be on me.

So I'm getting my sew on!

I also signed back up for eHarmony -yeah we're back to that- and I feel I need some cute date-wear to give me that extra bit of confidence, and seperate me from the sad, sad women limited to shopping at Forever 21 (when they're 32). Hopefully this time Mr. Right will present himself, as I am not interested in doing this for the rest of time. I know I have to keep kissing frogs, but holy crap! The endless supply of pond fodder is starting to wear on my nerves.

But I digress...
Tonight I made some patterns. I used this as a starting place, but as per my usual, I changed it up a little to be more suitable for my tastes. I also ordered some more fabric (I couldn't help myself, it's an illness I swear) from a groovy online fabric shop.

I'll be cutting things tomorrow night, and posting some pics of the process. I think I may have even convinced a draper at work to fit me in my skirts so my bum-bum will look as hot as possible!

Chicago By The Lago

2009-06-29T19:58:00.009-04:00

This is a proper Chicago style pizza. The correct order of Chicago style pizza is: (bottom up) crust, toppings, crust, sauce. No subsitutes.

When I was in college my orientation class sang a song. It was called "Come to Chicago, the city by the lago". I for the life of me cannot remember the words, but it also worked in a clever rhyme about eau and Chicago. I tell you, those fine arts students are nothing if they aren't clever.

This past week I dashed away from our nation's capitol and worked in the costume shop of Northwestern University in Evanston, Il (also known as Heavenston). They were working on a crafts heavy show, and I found myself in need of a little diversion and money. So I jumped on a flight and crafted it up with the groovy folks at NU for a week.

The best thing about a working vacation? You can work all day, play all night, and at the end of the year- write most of it off! Here are some shots of my Chicago adventure. Enjoy!

This is Minnie, she is the pup of my dearest Canadian friend. This is how Minnie rolls.

Some shots of stuff I worked on in the shop.

Local Chicago wildlife

Chicago LOVES it's public art. And so do I.

Why Blog?

2009-06-14T21:57:00.002-04:00

I've found myself asking this question lately. Does it really do me any good? Does it really do you any good? Here is one thought.

It's from Post Secret. Check it out.

I love this stuff.

Not In Charge

2009-06-06T20:13:00.002-04:00

I've got a rule about blogging about work- I try not to do it. If I do it, I try to make it so generic that no one at my work could read it and feel like I am talking about them. So lately, I've not been blogging.

Here is why. I've been in charge of a costume shop for the last few months, and to be blunt- It has pretty much been the worst few months of my life. I have had to deal with almost every bullsh*t issue you can imagine. From grown women crying at work to grown men cursing me out in public. It has been one of the most stressful periods in my life to date. It *may* have even out-stressed the year my grandmother was dying, my father lost his job, my beloved dog died of bone cancer, and I had mono. Yeah, it's been that kind of few months.

There is good news. I am no longer in charge. The new person in charge is here, she is awesome, and she will deal with all this bs (hopefully) much better than I have been able to. If not, at least It's not me on the front line.

Some people have been asking me if I will be able to go back to my craft shop and be happy with my smaller income and less glamorous job title. The answer is one word:
YES.

And to celebrate- I'm gonna go do something totally immature and childish- I'm just not sure what that will be.

Hello Craft

2009-04-22T21:58:00.002-04:00

There is a summit of craft going on in DC next week. It is a collection of crafters, shows, speakers, and a documentary screening. Today I was on the website and I tried to call to get tickets to the screening of Handmade Nation. Somehow I was routed to voice mailbox where they are collecting "handmade stories" for a podcast as part of the event. I decided (and who knows why) that I should write my handmade story. Maybe it's because I've been in a funk lately, or maybe it's because I don't really know what my next goal in life should be, but this is my handmade story I'm submitting....

My handmade story:

My name is Katie and I live a handmade life. God, that sounds like something you say at a crafter’s anonymous meeting. Anyway, a little background: My handmade life… I work full time as a costume craftsperson and theatrical milliner. I make my living creating armor, hats, accessories of dress, puppets, puppet clothes, leg wear, leather goods and painting and dyeing everything from fur pelts to silk stockings. My work has been seen (by my count) in over 70 theatrical productions in 6 cities and 2 countries. I’ve worked in some of the largest and most well respected costume shops in the country, and I make my living solely by making things. I have a 100% handmade income, in my spare time I have an etsy.com shop, and I make and sell things at indie craft shows and artisan markets in 5 cities and 3 states. By many accounts I have a dream career. A dream life. I am living the crafts dream.

But that’s not really a terribly unique thing. The thing I think many people forget about when they hear things like my income is from completely handmade sources is how difficult that life can be. I work 8 to 10 hours a day at my theatre-day job making beautiful and interesting things, then I come home and make more things. I find some days that my brain is so busy and so creative that I simply cannot think, sleep, or even concentrate on the banalities of life. I’ve spent many days hammering rivets into leather to make armor only to go home and knit baby socks. But again this is not that unique, or even really that interesting.
What I think is worth noting is that I’ve managed to give up almost all the normal and regular things that make modern people happy. I rarely watch television, I don’t love to go shopping in big box stores, I abhor regular fashion magazines. My bookshelves are lined with how-to books, instruction manuals and visual research. I given up many deeply intimate relationships to move from city to city, state to state and follow my dream career. The really interesting thing is: The things that make me interesting are also the things that challenge me. Daily. I find myself almost unable to relate to people who sit in an office and stare at a computer screen all day. I cannot go out on a date with a “regular” guy and tell him what I do for a living without some strange remark about how much I must love Halloween, or renaissance festivals (I don’t really enjoy either). I’ve ditched and left best friends, lovers, roommates, my family, and even a few pet fish.
But here’s the crazy thing, and I want to make this totally clear: I’m not unhappy. I am in fact a mostly happy, joyous person. I’m pretty content with my life, but I do wonder what it might be like to be able to turn off the creative side of my brain and just veg-out on the sofa. I wonder what it might be like to be able to sit on the train and not notice every knitted garment and pattern it in my head. I wonder what my life would have been like if I’d not left one of those cities, or I had followed my boyfriend instead of my career. I wonder how it feels to come home after a day of sitting in front of a computer and sit in front of the television. But then again, I don’t really want to find out what it would feel like to have a normal life. Because then it wouldn’t be my life, it would be everybody’s life. I’d just be living it.

This I believe.

2009-04-19T20:25:00.002-04:00

I listen to a lot of NPR. Scratch that… I listen to a whole lot of NPR. On NPR they’ve been running a series called “This I Believe”. It is a combination of essays and interviews from famous, and not so famous people about their beliefs. Every time I listen to one, I think to myself..______ this I believe. So I started jotting them down, and here is the current list of my beliefs. I’m sure some of them will change, and I know some will not.

In no particular order:

I believe

·It is better to live comfortably within your means than fabulously beyond them.

·People want to be nicer than they actually are.

·Giving someone a granola bar is the right thing to do when they tell you they are hungry.

·The act of creating is one of the most satisfying acts in the universe.

·Going to the gym feels good, assuming you can make yourself go.

·A favorite pet is the luckiest pet.

·I’ve chosen my career over my life one too many times.

·Red heads have more fun.

·It may not be better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

·Watching more than 1 hour of television a day can make you dumb (even the Learning channel)

·Wooden spoons are the most useful thing in the kitchen.

·Sex is like food for the soul, have too much or the wrong kind, and you’ll feel lousy.

·Skirts are more comfortable than jeans.

·Working on a project that is personally meaningful can change your outlook on life.

·Everything I ever needed to know- I did not learn in kindergarten.

·Chicago has got to be one of the best cities on earth, otherwise why would anyone stay there in the winter?

·Touching your toes is highly satisfying.

·The Christian right is neither.

·Growing up in Florida is like growing up in a foreign country.

·Socks are the best piece of clothing.

·You should move to a city you’ve never visited at least once in your life.

·Sheep are an all-around useful animal.

·Having someone to sleep beside you is very important.

·Birth control is the greatest invention of humankind.

·If we all believe, we can change.

·I’ve over thought myself into a corner more times than I can remember.

·Working in the arts is a lot like herding cats.

·If god wanted me to believe without question, I wouldn’t have been given cognitive thought.

·I should have been more attentive in math class.

·The revolution will be handmade.

xo
-Katie

What do you believe?

The waiting game....

2009-04-17T22:32:00.002-04:00

Well,

No word on the Brooklyn show. Or rather, got word- the word is- no word on the Brooklyn show. It seems the crafty world is out in force this summer, and BUST magazine and all their BUSTy ladies are working a little (or a lot) of overtime trying to decide who is doing the show.

I can only imagine how difficult a task it must be to weed thru all those applications to try to figure out who is in, and who is out.

So the question remains: In or Out?

Looks like I've got to wait till Monday for an answer.

In the meanwhile, I've been getting crafty with it. 25 anatomical hearts are almost ready for their stuffing, and 25 buckles are awaiting papergoods and resin.

It's going to be a VERY crafty summer. Pictures WILL be coming soon.

I promise.

xoxoxo
-K

NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN!

2009-04-07T18:27:00.003-04:00

well, not really.

No sleep till Philly!

Say it with me now, do a little chicken dance, I got in! I got in! I got in! woot. woot. wooot!

Okay, so I got into the Philly Art Star Craft Bazaar. It's my first 2 day, juried craft show. It's also outdoors. I'm starting cutting things out tonight. I have a feeling pincushions will be my popular item, so I'm taking suggestions for new designs. Have a great idea of what I *should* be making? leave a comment.

I still have to wait for 10 more days to find out about the Brooklyn show. If I get into that show- it's gonna be a VERY crafty summer.

I'm super excited.

like I needed to say that.

Hello old friend.

2009-03-25T21:03:00.002-04:00

It's been a while....

Okay, so it's been a month, in this month- which I apologize for. Just to give you an idea of how busy it's been- I have a glorious beautiful new digital SLR just siting in it's box. I took it out once, and then I put it down to deal with something else that seemed more pressing at the time (it wasn't).

So what's going on? Weeeeeellll! I went to Connecticut and got all my stuff out of storage. Luckily I have a bucket load of friends there who helped me load the truck, put me up for the weekend, and in general have bailed me out more times than I can count. You know who you are....all of you. Thanks so much. Once I arrived here in DC I got a second wind, and unloaded my truck. It only took 90 minutes. A friend showed up and helped me with the dresser, and the next night 6 of us shoved my sofa thru my front window. Yes, you read that right. The door wasn't wide enough, so thru the window it went. Thankfully I had smart people on both ends of this trip who helped me with not only considerable brawn, but also huge freakin' brains.

I've been quickly un-packing and getting reunited with some old favorites. My sofa is just as good for sleeping on- I tested it out. My sewing machine seems to be in good working order, my shower curtain is just as flowery and retro-fabulous as ever. It's weird when you realize- you really do miss your own stuff, it's a bit like seeing a good friend from college, you didn't realize how much you missed it till it was back in your life. People keep asking me what I need for my apartment, and the answer is- not much. I have my stuff now, and with a quick trip to IKEA for some planned replacements- I'm all set.

What else? I applied for the Philly Art Star show. My bad-assed, sweet-assed friend from The Hand of Fatima and I are going to go halfsies on a 10x10 space. Hopefully we'll both be accepted, and we can rock the show together. Her pieces are so amazing, I can't imagine she would ever be rejected from a show, and my stuff seems to fit into the shows "look" so I'm going to go ahead and say- it looks good for me to be in Philly the weekend of May 30-31!

That's all for tonight. I'm working on getting internet in my apartment, but like so many things in life- it's proving to be another of life's adventures. Hopefully it'll be installed sometime next week. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Life, love and the pursuit of happiness.

2009-02-27T18:34:00.004-05:00

Dear Universe,

Thanks for this week. It makes me a stronger person. I appreciate that you consider me capable of these very stressful days, but I would like to request that in the future you spread out the difficulties.

Sincerely,
Katie.

Okay, so you are asking yourself- Katie, what could have been so difficult about this week? Well, really no ONE thing was that hard. I moved. I worked. I attended flying rehearsals in the evenings. I was emailed a break-up by someone I had been on 8 dates with. In general these are not terribly bad things, but when you cram them into Tuesday evening to Thursday at 5pm, it leads to some pretty tiring days.
The good things that happened this week are HUGE! I love, love, love my new apartment. My commute to work has been reduced from 1 hour 15 min to 18 minutes each way. I have a little studio space, a huge living room, and a great bedroom. I love the designers I am working with, the costume shop is working hard and happiness is flowering in some unexpected people. My quality of work life has gone from good to great. I applied for the BUST Magazine Spring Fling in Brooklyn, and I was complimented on more than one occasion for my composure in a stressful working environment.

The bad things this week were just a little too crappy...

I've been seeing a fellow I met on eHarmony. He seemed fantastic, genuine, and like he valued the same things in life I value. We even come from the same hometown. On Thursday, he sent me an email (YES AN EMAIL!, at least it wasn't a post-it-note)stating the idea of getting into any relationship gave him a panic attack. That's right, I met a man on a website geared towards marriage who gets panic attacks at the idea of commitment. I don't know how I keep finding these guys??? It's like I have a commitment-phobe magnet. It would seem anyone on eHarmony would have a pretty clear idea of what they were looking for. It's not like the questionnaire is vague.....
In the midst of all this I crammed my stuff into a rental car and moved in 6 hours time. It was one of the hardest days of my year. I worked in the morning, moved, and literally ran to the theatre to be at a rehearsal in the evening. If speed moving was an Olympic event, I would have made the qualifying round.

Cest La Vie! It's always an adventure. I'm off to restart my eHarmony profile, and tomorrow I'm headed to the farmer's market in my new neighborhood then to Ikea for some overdue retail therapy.

xoxo

Stress and the Inner Zen

2009-02-22T14:39:00.006-05:00

I'm moving this week. Yes, again.

I also start dress/flying rehearsals for a show, pre-producton for 2 additional shows, and somehow working to manage a shop of 25+ women who are all strong personalities in very different ways.

It's stressful. My job is stressful. I'm watching people all around me lose their cool, freak out, and even quit (and in this economy, WTF?). But yet, somehow I feel calm. I go to work, do my best for the day and go home. The next day- I do the same. There is no time to be angry, there is only time to get the work done quickly, done well, and done with the best attitude you can muster. This week I had several people become upset with me, because I'm not angry or stressed, and I refuse to become angry because it will only make me more stressed. It seems my coping mechanism for freaking out has become- I get calmer.

Well see what happens this week, but I feel like it's going to be so stressful I might go into a state of zen... or just total emotional apathy, ya know, well see...

Until then, enjoy this little bit of fun! I love Neil Patrick Harris.

Oh and here are the handwarmers I finished this week. They make me happy. The yarn is 100% suri alpaca, so it's very fuzzy, soft, and warm!

Universal Handwarmer Pattern!

2009-02-08T17:52:00.005-05:00

Okay, so it’s been a long week. The economy is in the crapper, and life is hard. Something that always makes me feel better is the act of creating. Specifically knitting. This pattern can be used with ANY yarn/needle combo, and to make ANY size or length of handwarmer.

This is not a pattern for someone who has never knit anything before. I consider it a starting place for intermediate knitters to begin writing their own patterns.

Before you get started. Here is the least you need to know. I failed math. I don’t mean “ I was bad at paying attention, and math was hard for me”. NO, I failed math- literally. Twice. I went to art school mainly because I knew I wouldn’t have to take a math class. I can do this math, and so can you. Just don’t think about it too hard, follow the instructions, and it’ll all work out.

To start you will need:

The yarn you plan to use. Generally you can expect to use about 200 yards of yarn for an average pair of handwarmers. This changes depending on lots of things, so be prepared to use 100 yards more or less depending on your project.

A calculator. Math is your friend.

A set of Double Pointed Needles- the right ones for the yarn you are using to achieve the gauge you want (whatever that may be for you)

A notebook or place for taking notes and an implement of marking- or just print this blog post, and write on it. I like to keep my knitting notes in a book, you should do as you please.

4 yds Waste yarn- the same gauge as the yarn you are using.

A soft cloth/plastic tape measure.

A yarn needle

To start:
knit a 4” by 4” gauge swatch using the stitching pattern you are planning to use. YOU MUST KNIT A GAUGE SWATCH FOR THIS TO WORK. NO CHEATING!

Count your stitches and rows. Write them on the top of your notes.

Gauge: ______(stitches) ______(rows) equals 4x4

Okay. Now measure.
ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE TO THE CLOSEST ¼ Inch.

Around the palm of your hand (not including thumb) this is your width measurement.

(Width)_________ X (Width Multiplier)_______=_______ (Cast On) round to nearest whole even number

Now measure from the crook of your thumb to where you want the handwarmer to end on your arm. This is called length A

(Length A)__________ X (Length multiplier)______= _______ (Rows to Thumb Row) nearest whole number

Length B is from the crook of your thumb to where you want the handwarmer to end on your fingers.

(Length B)________X (Length multiplier)_______= ________ (Rows After Thumb Row) nearest whole number

Now wrap the tape measure around the base of your thumb and DIVIDE by 2 (half). This will give you the Thumb width

(Thumb Width) ________ X (Width multiplier)_______=_______ (Thumb Opening) nearest whole number

Now measure how tall you want the thumb sleeve from the base of your thumb.

(Thumb Length) _______X (Length multiplier)________=________ (thumb row) nearest whole number

Now lets do some math! I promise it’ll be okay.

Divide gauge Stitches______ by 4. Round to nearest .5 this is your multiplier for widths.

(Width Multiplier) _______

Divide gauge Rows ______by 4. Round to nearest .5 this is your multiplier for lengths.

(Length Multiplier)_______

Plug these numbers into the worksheet above, pull out your calculator and do the math.

OPTIONAL BUT RECCOMENDED:
Now if you want to get extra fancy and figure out exactly how much yarn you will need – frog (rip out) your gauge swatch and measure it in inches________ (Gauge Length).

Multiply Gauge (Stitches)______ X Gauge (Rows)_________=_________ (Total Gauge)

To get how much yarn per stitch you will need divide (Total Gauge) _______ by (Gauge Length)_________= _________(Stitch length)

Add (Rows to Thumb Row)_________+ (Rows after thumb row)______+ 1 = _______(Total Rows)

Multiply (Cast on) _______ X (Total Rows)_______ = (Stitches in body)_______

Multiply (Stitches in Body)_________X (Stitch Length)________= __________(Single Needs)

Multiply (Single Needs)_______ X 2 = _________ (Total Needs)

Divide (Total Needs) ________ by 36=_________ (Base Yardage)

Add 30 + (Base Yardage)________= _________GRAND YARDAGE

GRAND YARDAGE = this gives you about how much yarn you will need to knit your handwarmers with your gauge! You should round UP when buying yarn, so you do not run out. There is almost nothing as frustrating as needing 10 more yards of something once the dye lot is no longer available.

Okay, so now onto the fun part!

Start designing your handwarmers! Cuff and stockinette? Ribbed for your pleasure? The options are yours. Stripes? Whatever you want.

Wrist Cuff: you should decide what type of cuff you want based on how many stitches you are casting on, and personal preference. With a little math you can determine what type of ribbing you want, and how tall you want your cuff to be.

I generally use 1/3 of the total of (Length A) to get the number of rows for my cuff:
(Divide Rows to Thumb) ______ by 3= ______ (round to nearest whole number).

Type of ribbing can be determined by personal preference and number of stitches in cast on. For example: I like a 3x1 rib. In order to get a 3x1 rib I need my total stitches to be divisible by 4 (3knit+1purl) you get the picture. You can adjust your cast on stitches accordingly. If you like your knitwear a little tighter- subtract stitches from cast on. If you like your knitwear a little looser, add. I generally like to add, because my hands swell and shrink in the winter and I hate to have things too tight!

Finger Cuff: This is the cuff at the top of your handwarmer over your fingers. The ribbing here should also be divisible by the same number as your wrist cuff, but it doesn’t need to be the same. I like mine to be around 10 rows long. You should use your personal preference and design something pleasing to your eye.

If you want to do stripes, use your (total rows) and divide into stripes. I like to use three colors and a 4 stripe repeat, so it looks random, but there is a pattern. You should design something that makes you happy.

Okay so onto the knitting! After all that math, you are going to really enjoy knitting handwarmers you designed, that are perfect for the yarn you like! And won’t you feel smug when someone asks you for the pattern, and you can say “oh, I designed it myself”

Cast on _______sts. Divide evenly between 3 DPNs. Place marker. Begin knitting in the round. BE CAREFUL not to twist your work!

Knit in your rib pattern: Knit ____ Purl____. Repeat for rows 1-______(rows for cuff). Continue in pattern to end of (rows to thumb row) _______. Slip marker.

Thumb.
Pick up waste yarn and knit across (Thumb Opening)_____ turn work, and knit across those stitches again. Drop waste yarn, pick up main yarn and knit across those same stitches one more time.

Complete this round. This completes thumb row. Leave waste yarn in place and continue knitting in pattern for (rows after thumb row)______. Be sure to put on your finger cuff for ______ rows.

Bind off loosely.

Knit the bodies of both handwarmers before you knit your thumbs. It helps you to count and double check that your right and left are both the same length, and the thumb is in the same place on both.

For the thumbs!

With your work facing you carefully pull out the waste yarn and pickup the stitches. This should look a little like a buttonhole with knitting needles holding it open. Pick up an additional 2 stitches on either side of the “buttonhole” to complete the round. Distribute onto 3 DPNs place marker and begin knitting in the round for _______ (thumb rows). Knit the last 3 or 4 rows in ribbing to keep them from rolling down. Bind off loosely.

ALMOST DONE!

Weave in your ends, and block with steam over a clean rolled-up washcloth. Voila! You are now a knitwear designer!!!!!

SO Cool.

2009-02-01T14:15:00.002-05:00

My friend Mara posted this link and it was so cool...I had to copy her.

Enjoy. I'm in tech.

I was there

2009-01-21T23:04:00.002-05:00

I don't know if you heard, but there was a little party in Washington DC on Tuesday. I was there with 1.8 million of my closest friends.

I could write a big sappy post here about how much this day means to me. But in the end I think many of us all feel the same way. So instead I'll just say thanks.

Thanks to everyone who:

voted

worked on the campaign

volunteered on MLK day

was there at the inauguration working security

took a part in this little piece of history

is going to look at their life and find a way to be a little more personally responsible for our future

Thanks.

Oh, and I know I promised you pictures, but blogger keeps crashing my internet when I try to upload images, so I'm going to have to figure out what the problem is first......grrrrrrr

Obamanation!

2009-01-18T14:42:00.002-05:00

There are a million (literally) people in DC this weekend. Maybe even more than a million. There is no toilet paper, milk, or bottled water to be had. It's a political hurricane.

AND I'M HERE!!!!!

The town is buzzing. The people are excited. It is going to be the best weekend ever.

I'll post some photos soon.

Oh, and Pat wins the caption contest.

Pat, I'll send you a little something something this week!

100!

2009-01-12T21:17:00.004-05:00

Woohoo!

This is officially my 100th blog post. And you are still reading this thing? Wowsa. I feel like I should include some amazing, wonderful, cool thing that some lucky person should win for reading 100 insane and wacky thoughts by me!

Well, instead- here are a few thoughts about this week.

I went on a date. Yup, a real-live-honest-to-goodness-date. It was even with a real-live-guy. Maybe eHarmony will work for me yet! DC seems to have a much better selection of "my type of guy" than Hartford. I also have been looking at apartments. I've narrowed it down to a neighborhood I want to live in, and I am looking each day at the listings for that area. The problem being- The inauguration is in a week, and every one is trying to rent out their apartments for $8million a night, so they aren't really interested in talking to me and my crappy $1,000 a month, ah isn't the free market grand?! ...Whatever. Oh, and yeah- that is a sh*tload of money, but that's what apartments here cost. YIKES!

The area I am looking in was really bad about 10 years ago, and slowly has been picking it's way into the kind of place that will be taken over by artists (me), then yuppies (too expensive for me) in the next 3-5 years (median income trends up, population trends down). Good news for me- I work in the arts, so I fit into the artist category and the area is still cheap* enough for my not-for-profit salary. It's also not so sketchy that the teenagers are selling smack in the alleys. Hopefully I will find a great apartment in the next week or two, and all will be well!

So I guess that's all I have to say for this momentous 100th blog post. Not so momentous, but also kinda nice to be headed towards a little normal in my crazy life.

Oh, fine. Here is a picture contest. Come up with the best caption, and I'll send you something from my etsy store! Post it in comments, and I'll pick someone by the 18th of January.

XOXO, and thanks for reading my rambling....

*Not really cheap at all, but everything is relative.

Ringer in the New Year

2009-01-02T12:37:00.003-05:00

I am starting to feel like I only write blogs after something really big has happened. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it seems to be a trend.

Here is the update (s).

(1) I visited Florida for the holidays! Woohoo. While visiting my folks I also tossed together an impromptu high school reunion. It has been said that I attended the "gayest high school in America" I would like to change that to I attended the "most likely to succeed high school in America". A little back story for those not in the know: My High school was (and still is) an arts magnet school for Orange County, Florida (and a large number of graduates are homosexual). It was a school that you had to audition/interview to get into, however it was free to attend. Pretty sweet deal. When I graduated, I knew we were all pretty talented. Little did I know we were all going to be incredibly successful as well as talented.

around 15 people showed up at the reunion. Among the attendees were Broadway dancers, riggers, master electricians, and singers. One owner of an environmental consulting company/not-for-profit for the entertainment industry and a well known rap/hip hop artist(who was on twitter chatting with other even more well known rap/hip hop artists while hanging out with us). Not in attendance due to scheduling conflicts and births -photographers and musicians who support themselves fully with their art. In addition, after the public festivities we were invited to the home of a grad who was most well known for a boy band and a well planned appearance on Dancing With The Stars... ( I didn't go because it all seemed a little too weird, and contrived). It was a treat to see all those people and realize that either because of or in spite of the education we received at that crazy high school we are all incredibly talented and insanely successful.

(2) I got a (temporary) promotion (sorta). The Director of Costume at my theatre is leaving. While the theatre is searching for a new director, the duties will be split between myself and another woman. It is going to be a HUGE CHALLENGE, but one that will very quickly tell me if I want to be upper management or not. It is something I am looking forward to, but at the same time I have a feeling I am going to be astonished with the amount of time and energy I will be putting into this job. Additionally I will need to move (YES AGAIN), so I can get home from the theatre past midnight during the week.
Side note: I am beginning to hate moving. Almost to the point where I am willing to toss or sell all my possessions in order to be able to do it easily and cheaply. The *near impossible* search for an affordable new apartment has begun, and since I no longer own a car I am looking to move into the District of Colombia. My bi-annual moving is beginning to wear me down, and I am starting to feel a little like one of those theatre gypsies I used to look at with pity and concern.

So there are my updates! Lots of little things, and maybe even a big one. Oh, and since it is New Years week here are my resolutions. This year the list is short.

1. Loose the weight I put on this fall/winter. It is my rule that I CANNOT leave a town till I fit back into the pants I wore into the town, and I'm going to break that rule pretty soon if I don't kick the 10 fat ones I put on. So here it is. I gotta loose 10 pounds during the month of January so I can leave Maryland and move into the District of Colombia.

2. Start paying more attention to my appearance. I *hate* blow drying my hair. It feels like a waste of time and resources, but the reality is- I look much better if I do it. So I'm going to make the attempt to do my hair and at least slap on some mascara everyday. I will also make sure I have at least one pair of jeans without paint or dye stains on them at all times.

3. Find a way to be happy to live in DC. With the economy as it is- I am going to be here for more than a few months, and it is time to start enjoying it. So there.

4. Start dating again. It's time. I've tried to pretend that I am happy with my life and relationships as they are, but in reality I'm lonely. It is now officially time to suck it up, and go out on some dates. EHarmony will once again be getting my $$$$. Jerks.

That's the story on my end. How about you? Any resolutions to share with the class?????

Sometimes

2008-12-17T22:06:00.003-05:00

It doesn't all go as planned.

The Bust show was great. Lots of interesting vendors, creative products, and good friends. The days surrounding the show were a little less perfect.

Friday 9:21am

Because we are leaving for NYC my roommates and I decided we should have a house pancake breakfast. I put on my slippers, start to go down the stairs and in a looney-tunes-cartoon moment I am layed out going down the stairs on my right hip/ass/back (whatever that region is called). I decide it isn't enough to go to the doctor, but just walk it off (this *may* have been a mistake)

2:30 pm. Car packed, headed to NYC with the roomies. Ass pain is growing with every moment I sit in car. Bruise is approximately the size of Montana, my ass approximately the size of Texas.

As the weekend goes on, my ass/hip/back start hurting more, and the humor in the situation gets less and less as my ass/hip/back continue to swell (or maybe it was all the NYC pizza?) and turn AMAZING shades of fuchsia and purple.

Broken ass aside, the show was lovely. I had a fantastic team of cheerleaders in from all over New England, and even one in from plain old England. My friends (as always) supported me in every possible way. I even had my own piece of sweater-meat at the show. Side Note: The moment you first get to watch a guy realize he is the equivalent to a bikini-girl at a car show is worth it's weight in gold. It was a glorious moment of self realization. I'm happy I could be a part of it.

Sweater-meat was pretty good at smiling at the indie-rocker girls and getting them to part with their hard-earned-indie-cash. When he had to run to his next gig, my dear friend EJY came and helped. She is also a great smile and chat kinda friend, and now indie-rocker-boyfriends bought gifts for their indie-rocker-girlfriends from us. Additional Note: Always invite/bribe/beg attractive friends to help at your craft table. It ups sales...

Did the show go as planned? well no. I didn't sell out, I didn't even sell half, but in the economy as it is today, I did a little better than breaking even, so I call it a fantastic success.

I left NYC on the bus on Monday morning with my left-overs bungee corded to my suitcase and headed back to DC. My butt/hip/back still really hurt, but it was starting to feel a little less like a major injury, and a little more like a pratfall gone bad.

I arrived in DC, made my transfer to the train. I was exhausted. I had one more event that night, and was bound and determined to make it a great one.

I got off the train, and disaster.

My bungee slipped. The hook (with all it's superb elastic momentum) came flying off the container and with the accuracy of an angry interrogator at Gitmo it slammed into my finger. I'm pretty sure I heard/felt a snap. Part of my nail shattered, and I don't really know what I screamed, but I'm pretty sure it was something equivalent to shitdamnmotherfuckerwhatthehellohmyeffinggodthathurts The next train off-loads and 4 military guys offer to help, and suggest in the nicest, calmest voice they had, that I should "consider getting that checked out, ma'am" I didn't have time, so I did a little self evaluation, headed to the CVS bought a finger splint and took my broken ass and finger to my last craft show of 2008.

So when people ask me about the Bust show, I tell them it was an adventure. And I offer to show them my busted ass or shiny finger splint.

Who says you can't have a crafting adventure?

UPDATE: Both ass and finger still hurt, and are slightly swollen. I doubt I really broke either, but I will continue to use the "my ass is swollen" excuse for as long as possible.

Thanks

2008-11-25T21:36:00.004-05:00

This week I have lots to be thankful for.

My father is feeling better after heart surgery last week, and the rest of my family is healthy.

My parents, after many years of not-quite saying the right thing, said the exact right thing to me when I got in the the show. "Heck yeah!"

I have a job- even if it makes me nuts sometimes, it is still a steady job in the arts, and that is more than lots of people I know can say.

I have amazing friends who send me boxes stuffed with plastic bags and dark chocolate :)

I have my health, or at least I can still see and touch my toes, so I guess I'm doing better than about 1/2 of all Americans.

I have the start to a bitchin' craft stash for the Bust Craftacular in 19 days

I have great roommates who will take me to the grocery store when it's cold out and I'm tired. They also don't complain too loudly when I leave sushi ornaments and silk screens drying all over our apartment, or the dining room becomes a plastic recycling factory. They are also willing to let me tag along on their roadtrips, bake bread and generally are some really nice people....even if they don't really like my cat.

I am Thankful Barack Obama is the President Elect, and my reproductive rights have been protected for at least 4 more years.

I am thankful my kitty is feeling better after another ugly health problem. She is not healthy, but the final word from the vet is that she is getting old, and her health problems are a result of her age and not something acute.

I am thankful that my kitty will eat pumpkin off a spoon, and is cute and snuggly even if she is kinda farty from the pumpkin.

I am Thankful my craftshop is almost up to code, even if the workmen have been working in my shop during tech week which makes me wear my shoulders as earrings, and has stopped all work on a show that opens in a week. But I am thankful for the work being done, and the cheerful guys doing it.

I am thankful that I have such dear friends that will travel to see me in a craft show, help me prepare, offer to help set-up, run my credit card machine, and let me stay in their apartments. I am also thankful they will offer me their support and love, even when I am feeling crazy and 'frickin the frack out'.

For all these things, and many more I am thankful.

How about you?

Holidaze!

2008-11-15T20:03:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I posted, so I'm sorry to those of you who are cyber stalking me. For the rest of you who didn't hear already--

I GOT IN!

Yup. I got into the Bust Craftacular. It's been my nerdy-feminist-indie-crafter-dream to participate in this show, and I hadn't applied in the past because I thought I would never have enough product, enough time, and enough whatever to get in. So I applied. I told myself I would just apply and if I got in, fine. If not, fine too. I'd chalk it up to something I should work towards in my future....except I got in. No wait list, no maybe next year, not even a "your the last one we let in". Just in.

AAACK! HOLY MOLEY! I NEED TO MAKE MORE STUFF!

So I've started kicking into crafty overdrive. Luckily I had already conscripted some ladies at work to help me prep, and they are stitching plastic wallets like mad women! *note* I'm keeping my etsy stuff separate from my show stuff as to not break the rules on etsy regarding non handmade-by-me-items* I call them my craft posse, they call themselves the Stack Craft Mafia.....either way they are stitching, I'm cutting and fusing, and we are all busy and happy.

On top of kicking up my stock for the NYC show I've also been stocking up because I'm being carried in a local store now. It's called the Pyramid Arts Collective. It's the community store of a printmaking and paper arts studio. They carry all sorts of work, and the store is mostly run by volunteers who are also showing pieces in the store.

As well as the Bust show, Etsy, and the local store I'm also participating in the Side Project Artisan Market in Chicago. I can't go out this year, but I am sending things, doing the web stuff and did the graphics for the advertisements.

It's been a busy couple of weeks, and there is still a metric butt-load of work to be done, so until I come up for air again here are a couple of links and photos!

The Side Project Postcards- We had them sent out to a printer, and although I've not seen them- according to the people in Chicago who recieved them they turned out great!

The Side Project Artisan Market Website

The Pyramid Atlantic Store

The Bust Holiday Craftacular- the 2007 website, the 2008 is under construction Oh, and yeah. That's Amy Sedaris......she was a vendor last year.

Last but not least...

A Quiz!

Are these pictures of...

A. A very busy, very crafty night with paperclay?

B. Attack of the sushi clones?

C. An modernist representation of a good night at a sushi bar?

D. All of the above?

All I can say is...

2008-11-05T21:38:00.002-05:00

Thanks.

THanks.

THAnks.

THANks.

THANKs.

THANKS.

It is all the people who stood in long lines, dug into the depths of their patience and humanity that could allow us to elect Barack Obama the President of the United States. Things here in DC are happier than I have ever seen them. The street parties carried on into the morning, and even the police spoke kindly of the "riotous riots".

Amid all this joy I feel I would be remiss if I didn't mention the defeat to many who are near and dear to my heart. Proposition 8 was passed, thus defeating the rights of same-sex couples to marry in California. Similar propositions were also passed in Florida (America's wang- hey, I grew up there) and Arizona (the glorious state that offered us John McCain of no reproductive rights fame)
I wish we could have won equal rights for ALL our citizens, maybe someday "all men are created equal" will be true. Until then- let's embrace this victory, and work towards the next even bigger challenge- the day when rights are equally equal for all Americans.

Much love to all of you.

Oh, and since this is supposed to be a craft blog----- I'm working on some cool stuff. I'll post more once I get some sleep and can focus on my regularly scheduled programming of crafts, knitting, and my cat.

I only have one thing to say........

2008-11-03T22:54:00.002-05:00

GO VOTE!!!!!!!!

IT'S YOUR ONLY VOICE!

THANKS! IF YOU ALREADY DID!

Crtl+Alt+Del

2008-10-27T21:39:00.006-04:00

I don't know when it happened. It crept in like dust, or the post-collegiate 15lbs, or maybe like the roommate's boyfriend who stays over "but only on the weekend" then the weekend starts beginning on Thursday, then Wednesday, then one day you find his boxers mixed in with your laundry. However it happened...it did.

What am I talking about?

My horrible-lousy-bad-no-good attitude. I don't know when it happened, but I'll be damned if it's going to stay. I need a restart button.

This has been a great weekend. I got tons, and I mean tons done. I processed somewhere around 100 plastic bags into sheets of upcycled plastic for wallets, I started a website for one of the markets I am participating in this holiday season. I even sent out emails to local shops to get them to carry my work (one replied yes within 12 hours!) and I had 2 sales on etsy. This should have been an awesome, bad-ass, party down weekend. But somehow it was ruined as soon as I got up and left the house today.

The metric butt-load of bags awesome people have sent me to make into wallets :)

I had (by most accounts) a good day at work. I met with a designer about the next show I am working on. She is lovely. Her designs are clear and beautiful and will be fun to build....but somehow between 5pm when the meeting ended and I got home at 7:30-today went to crap.

It started, or rather ended, with a slice thru my finger with a fresh x-acto blade. Not bad enough to need stitches, but bad enough to hurt like heck, bleed like crazy, and send me home without finishing my project. Oh, and why did I slice my finger? Oh yeah, because I was preoccupied with how I just knew this week was going to be a let down after the weekend. (If that's not a PSA for shop safety I don't know what is) So I packed up and left for home. I got on the train....and it was broken. Yup. Broken. Simply-broken. We sat halfway in a tunnel for 30 minutes, when it reached the platform and I got off, it broke again. Instead of waiting for someone to get out and push, I walked to my transfer station about a mile away.

Proof the United States was founded by dudes

The walk was lovely. I walked past the national mall on a clear cold night. I should have been reveling in the beauty of our nation's front lawn...but instead all I could think about was that this was going to be a long week, and my flippin' finger hurt-WTF??! I couldn't even take a moment of joy feeling with every ounce of my being that soon Barack Obama will be the president of the United States (I'm gonna go work for him this weekend to be sure).

Our Nation's front lawn

I got home, my roommate asked how my day was, and it took most of what I had left to not burst out in tears. If I didn't know better I would blame it on PMS, or seasonal affective disorder, or depression, or some other perfectly good explanation....but that would be too easy, and a total lie. In reality- things here in our nations capitol haven't gone how I wanted them to go, and I'm getting caught up in wishing it was something else. I'm not sure how, but I need to find someway to make my time here more than just a stop-over in my life. I need a new way to look at it all. I need a restart button. I need a reboot. Or at least a good defragmenting.

Or maybe just a swift kick in the pants. As a friend in Hartford used to say to me.... Do I need to slap you upside your head? Or are you gonna do it yourself?

I'm working on it.

Enough with the politics!

2008-10-22T22:14:00.004-04:00

What about the crafts?????

Okay. Yes. It's true. This blog has gotten rather political and personal and not so crafty. So here is a blog about some of the schmancy new crafts I'm a workin' on.

The Back story (because everything has one) :

I've been working on trying to find something I could make that wasn't sewing related. I feel like I have been sewing at work and home and it is becoming something that is happening sew much (I couldn't resist) that my hands are exhausted and I am slightly bored with myself. So I started looking at other things I could make. I also started looking around my room and realizing I have amassed a small collection of vintage paper goods- with no real way to display or use them.

Then I started thinking about things I do at work and how I could use those skills in my everyday craftiness.

The thing that really sticks out....toxic chemicals. I use them everyday. I do all kinds of stuff that should be preceded with the warning "this is a trained professional, do not attempt this at home". So I used some of that training and started messing with polyester resin.

Note!!! If you don't know what you are doing- this can be some REALLY dangerous stuff. Read: KILL YOU DEAD, or at least make you have a square-headed-baby**. But luckily! I am a trained professional, and understand how to read an MSDS and know there are things you DO have to read the instructions on.....

So I took my craftiness added some vintage ephemera and poured on a heaping helping of resin and voila!

Ephemera Belt Buckles are born!!!!!!!

They will hit the etsy store at the beginning of November, and will hopefully* be making an appearance at the BUST craftacular December 13th in NYC! They are going to range from $35 to $50.

*Oh man, I am so excited about this show. I might be unbearable if I don't get in. I will be unbearable if I do get in!

** Note: Resin is not toxic once it is fully cured. I DID follow the safety warnings, and I would encourage all of you to get an MSDS on all your craft supplies. Only you can keep you safe.

Air Quotes.

2008-10-19T17:13:00.004-04:00

This week I've been called a starry-eyed idealist by a few people. I'm sure there are loads of people who are sick, sick, sick of hearing about "change" and listening to me and all the other "starry-eyed idealists". I know there are lots. I've been hearing all about it this week- at work, on the train, in the media, on facebook...

Since I will only have a few more weeks to keep flogging you with my liberal elitism-

I would like to remind you of a few people who were supported by some "starry-eyed idealists" and through movements that started as ripples, then splashes, then waves that have changed many lives.

Martin Luther King Jr.- starry-eyed to many, changed the lives of millions.

Rosa Parks- could have been called an idealist.

Susan B. Anthony- not exactly popular with the status quo.

Other slightly lesser known people who have changed a few lives:

Margaret Sanger- founder of the American Birth Control League, later Planned Parenthood.

Tommy Douglas- founder of the Canadian Healthcare System.

Okay, so the last two had a little problem with eugenics... so not everyone is perfect.

Remember, it's the few who dream big that impact us in the brightest ways. Starry eyed or no, I'm proud to say I've been working/talking/blogging/putting my money where my mouth is for a little change these days....and it's not of the pocket variety.

The debates this week were one of the most eyeopening and informing debates of this election. Seeing John McCain use "air quotes" when referring to a woman's health is all I needed to see to know he is the totally wrong man for the job- I don't care what your views on my reproductive rights are.
You should read what Cecile Richards (of Planned Parenthood) has to say about John McCain. You should also hear what Colin Powell (of Colin Powell is a really smart Republican guy) has to say about Barack Obama and John McCain.

This election is going to change America.

It has to.

2 weeks worth of adventure.

2008-10-14T18:04:00.007-04:00

6 Number of voters 2 people can register in 3 hours

4.25 Number of hours it takes to get to NYC on the bus (in good traffic)

2 Number of batchelorette parties I've been to in the past 2 weeks

4 Number of weeks I have to wait to see if I got into the Bust Craftacular

25 Number of Lbs. of clothes, shoes, handbags and toiletries it takes to travel for 5 days straight and attend a wedding.

As you can see- I have been a little busy.

2 weeks ago He came into town. For those of you who don't know who He is- He is a dearest friend I have been seeing in an on again, off again relationship *He's not my boyfriend* that has lasted almost 5 years. (He will tell you it's been 4 years, but I think his math is off). He is one of the most intelligent and politically savvy people I know and love. It's great to spend time with someone who knows all your history, is willing to call you out on all your B.S. and allows you to do the same for *and to* them. He is also one of the few people I know who I can stand beside and feel like a completely politically illiterate dolt (that's saying something). He and I spent a day working for the Obama campaign in northern Virginia. Needless to say the weekend was a blast.
It was incredibly interesting, fun and rewarding to spend a little time working on a grassroots effort for a candidate I can believe in. This election has been one of- if not the most important election in decades. The stakes are so unbelievably high- not just for the country, but for me. The issues this time are not just ones of simple foreign policy, or lowering the national debt- but questions of basic human rights, specific women's rights, the current financial disaster, 2 wars and the future of health care in America. My life and the lives of those I love are going to be directly affected by this election, and it's not because I live in DC.
After donating some money, sending some emails, writing a few blog posts, and annoying everyone I know with my "Obama this" and "my boyfriend Barack" that. It was time to put some wear on my shoes and get some folks registered to vote. We walked and worked for several hours the day before the registration cut off. We only registered 6 voters, so we headed back and hit the phones for a few hours. It's incredibly rewarding to see that in a swing-state registration was so very, very high. I'm sure it was a combination of a number of factors, but it was-to turn a phrase 'frickin rad.' If you have never volunteered for a cause you strongly believe in, try it. You will feel good about your teensy little contribution for weeks and maybe years to come.

The trip to NYC and Connecticut for the wedding this weekend was fantastic. The bride looked amazing, the groom was adorable and the day couldn't have been prettier if they had payed off God himself. To top off an already lovely weekend, my bus ride was easy-as-pie and cheap, cheap, cheap. I arrived home and was feeling so confident about my week and my life I applied for the Bust Craftacular. It's one of the biggest and best indie craft shows in NYC, and if I can get in I feel certain it will be a very busy, very merry holiday season.

Oh, and on the political front if you haven't seen this yet. You should.

Strained Peas.

2008-09-28T17:11:00.003-04:00

I (along with many? most? all? people in their late 20's) am in the middle of a wedding and baby boom. Currently I know 6 couples who are getting married in the next year and at least as many who have either recently welcomed or are about to welcome their first baby. This leads to many, many parties, deep introspective thoughts, and even a few moments of "Holy Sh*t! What am I doing with my life?". This week was a little of one of those weeks.

I've been in dress rehearsals for a show that deals with love and relationships as a glorified chess match, prepping to go see 2 dear friends in Connecticut make it official, and my favorite Chinese dumpling is about to turn 2.

I've always stated I never wanted to have kids, and generally have thought I wouldn't even want to get married, but simply co-habitate and I believe the phrase is 'live in sin'. In the past I have always viewed marriage and children as something women of a previous generation did to secure their lives. You did it because you were supposed to- no real choice involved. You finished your education, got married, changed your name and became someones wife. As I get older and see friends pair up like animals getting on the ark I have started to re-think my former opinions.

Today my roomie and I made a trip to a local indie craft market, Crafty Bastards (lame name, good show). I was thrilled to learn Mariam of The Hand Of Fatima was going to be there with her latest jewelry and her latest fancy craft to date- her 5 month old son. Her work is stunning, her children are beyond gorgeous and her husband is absolutely fantastic. Everything she makes has a great story- and her children are no exception. I met her while doing the Brooklyn Home Show, she was literally due to have her baby any day and working as hard as ever. She is my kinda lady. The kind who doesn't let a little something like birth at any moment slow her down.
As my roomie and I were walking away from the show I said something that I NEVER thought I would say before, and it was totally true:

"Mariam has everything I want in life".

That's not to say that her life isn't a challenge or that it is easy by any means, but she has it all. She is an independent artist, she makes her living with her craft. Her husband clearly is her greatest cheerleader- working the credit card machine, feeding squished peas to the baby, and helping her become a successful businesswoman, mother, and artist. I don't know what the intricacies of their relationship are, but from the outside looking in- it's pretty rad.

On our train ride home roomie and I were discussing life, and how funny it can be. Right out of college I made fun of people who got gooey over property ownership, couples who got married and popped out babies in quick succession. 4 years ago I was so worried about how I was going to pay for groceries I couldn't think past my next paycheck. Now I find myself using terms like 5-year-plan, and 403 (b). I'm looking to the future, sometimes that future is next week, and sometimes it is 10 years away, but either way it is a future involving more than next paycheck.

5 or 10 years ago I would have never thought the highlight of my weekend would be holding a curly haired baby at a craft market- but it was. I'm not saying I want children, but I do want a partner. A person who is my biggest cheerleader, someone who would run the credit card machine at my craft market, and who would let me run their credit card machine too. A few strained peas in my life might not kill me either.

Being a stereotype.

2008-09-21T15:33:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I was riding the train with some work friends. We were talking with the 'new' girl, telling her about the different neighborhoods and each trying to convince her ours was the best. When I finished describing my little town just north of Washington DC she looked at me and said:

"Wow, you really are a liberal stereotype."

Now I don't necessarily consider that a bad thing, but it did sting a little to be labeled so easily (and she isn't wrong).

Fast Forward a couple of weeks:

This week I finally decided that it doesn't make sense for me to own a new car. I've had The Staxi for 4 years. I literally almost never drive it.. It is/was a constant source of worry- was I going to be able to afford to fix it if something went wrong? Where was I going to park in when it snows? What if someone hits it while it is parked on the street (the fate of my last car)? When am I going to get my next flat tire (3 in 2 years) Combine all this paranoia with high gas prices, a rising cost of living, and my desire to move to NYC and suddenly a car just sounds like a bad idea. So I sold it.
I've had a wee-bit-of sadness over selling my car. It was a quick and easy way to get around, it gave me a huge amount of freedom that non-car owners don't always have, and I could put lots of stuff in it. On the other side, I can rent a car when I need it, and not spend $450 a month on payments, insurance, and gas.

This morning I walked to the local farmer's market with my canvas bags. The market specializes in organic and locally grown produce. I was wearing a handmade headband and purse made from re-purposed plastic shopping bags with a sweatshop free tee-shirt. Suddenly I realized--sh*t, I really am a stereotype.

I considered the possibilities.

I could catch a taxi, eat McDonalds and buy some elastic waisted pants at Walmart or I could embrace the moment, buy good food, reduce my carbon footprint, and hope my lifestyle is one small part of a bigger movement.

I finished my marketing, came home and started marinating a locally produced eggplant while reading a feminist blog. Later, I sent off an email to the Obama Campaign to become a volunteer.

Because if you are going to be a stereotype, you might as well do it right.

Excitement all around.

2008-09-14T11:31:00.004-04:00

Barack Obama sends me emails almost everyday. It's really nice of him to keep me in the loop and give me the chance to help him change the United States. One email he sent this week was especially important, as it provided a link to help people register to vote. Here is the email:

Katie --
You'd be surprised by how many people you know who aren't registered to vote.
Registration deadlines are coming up soon, and we need every single vote we can get to win this election.

Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to check out our new one-stop voter registration website. Instead of tracking down the right forms, all you need to do is answer a few basic questions and you'll be ready to vote.

You can also:
Confirm your existing registration
Apply to vote absentee
Find your polling place

If you don't know your own registration status or you'd like to learn more, take a minute to visit the site right now.

This race is too close and too important to stay home on Election Day.
If you take the time to register and vote -- and make sure everyone you know is registered as well -- we'll be able to turn the tide of the past eight years.
It's people just like you who will transform this nation.
Thanks,
Barack

If that isn't the nicest email I've ever gotten from a politician I don't know what is. I tell you, that Barack Obama is one nice guy. I'm happy he is going to be in DC. I needed some better neighbors.

This week I also sent out a whole smack of fused plastic pouches to The Green Show taking place in Connecticut hosted in part by The Space and The CT Etsy Team on September 20th at The Space. Sharon of Morganstreet Soaps is going to be selling my pieces for me. She has a line of handmade soaps, lip balms, and body butters that will make you swoon and cry. Her Lemon Ginger body butter is my favorite (she seems to be out of it right now!), but her lip balms are a close second. The show will also have an amazing selection of vintage clothes and accessories. Be sure to stop by and check it out.
The Space it is a great community venue owned and operated by a lovely couple and their adorable daughter (she runs the place). Go support small business owners, artists and crafters by starting your Christmas shopping early. You'll feel much better knowing your gifts were made by people who are making a living wage as well as helping boost your local economy!

On top of all that exciting news I got an email this week from a national fashion and accessory blog that they want to do a story about me and my work. So exciting, the only catch- they don't link off etsy.com, so I will need to get a local boutique to carry my work. I'm planning to attack it full force in a couple of days and get someone here in the DC area to carry me. Wish me luck, and if you know (or maybe you are a small business owner) that I should contact please post a comment and give some leads.

Hope everyone has a great week, and while you are making plans- go see Romeo and Juliet and The Shakespeare Theatre Co. I have it on good authority that it's going to be a heartbreaker.

I love Samantha Bee

2008-09-06T15:06:00.006-04:00

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184097

Kinda makes it all seem a little clearer....doesn't it?

Yeah, I thought so...

This one is pretty good too...

http://current.com/items/89270795_target_women_sarah_palin

Did ya register to vote yet?

Personally I'm about ready to start stockpiling birth control...

Climbs upon soapbox....

2008-09-01T21:26:00.004-04:00

Get ready because here it comes.

Anyone who is not responsible to make basic birth control methods available to their own daughter, and instead relies upon the unrealistic and ridiculous abstinence only sex education plan is not responsible enough to ever consider running for any political office. I feel sorry for the young woman. I do not feel sorry for her mother.

If you have no idea of what I am speaking...read this, and this.

Climbing off soapbox...

If you haven't considered registering to vote, now would be the time and place to do so.

Woot Listing!

2008-08-31T16:25:00.003-04:00

Wowsa!

These last few months have been a challenge. I haven't had the majority of my stuff, I'm in a new city, and have a new (and very challenging job). This combo leads to a lack of creativity, etsying, and joy. Over the last couple of weeks I finally removed myself from my creative slump and have been making some stuff! woot. Special thanks to my mom and dad for finding and sending me my camera cord.

Here are the latest plastic wallets, and there is more to come. Many of them are already listed on etsy, and I am working on finding a couple of markets in the DC area. If anyone knows of any that are coming up, please send me an email! Also, if you have a cache of interesting plastic bags, please let me know. I am finally coming to the end of my stash!

Here is the link to my plastic fusing tutorial in case you are feeling a late summer surge of craftiness. Remember to use a properly ventilated workspace.

Chasing wild geese

2008-08-24T18:48:00.004-04:00

Life is full of challenges. Sometimes they make you stronger, sometimes they make you stranger, and sometimes they just make your brain hurt. These last couple of weeks have had a mix of all three.

I've been living in DC without the majority of my stuff for almost 4 months now. Some days I feel I should sell it all and become totally portable, a theatre gypsy. Sometimes I feel like I really, really, REALLY miss my stuff. Let's just call it a dichotomy of emotion. This week I was missing my craft supplies- in a big way.

So far I've realized I don't have- an awl, hammer, mini-screw driver, zipper foot, the cord to connect my camera to my computer, a photo set up, many thread colors, sand paper, an x-acto knife, and someone to date. In the grand scheme, these things are all attainable via either a quick trip to my storage facility-date excluded-8 hours away or a 4.5 to 10.75 hour trip to NYC where I can get it all (most likely date included). Instead of interstate driving I decided to try to find what I'm missing right here in DC. I even scheduled a real live date with a real live guy in my real live city.

It would seem to me that in a city as large as DC I should be able to take care of my list and still get home in time to shower, make myself beautiful and head out the door for a long anticipated date. This plan was flawed. Almost as flawed as the US plan to invade Iraq, just with less civilian casualties.

I figured I could get my list taken care of at a fabric store, a home store, and Ikea (extra points if you already see the flaw) and still make it home for a shower.

Never, never, never go shopping anywhere the weekend the dorms open. These words should ring true as "never get involved in a land war in Asia". It's similar to slamming your head in a door, realizing it hurt, and then doing it again-just to make sure it really hurt. Anyway I'm getting off topic. I made it thru the stores. I didn't find half of the items on the list, bought something I'm pretty sure was called "Fukit" at Ikea, and headed home for my date. Almost as soon as I walked in the door my iCrack buzzed and the date was canceled.

Normally I would blow someone off after the second canceled date (or if I sit in a bar for more than 30 minutes waiting on them to show up). This time it was the 5th date this dude has canceled with me. I'm not sure what or why I allowed him to make and break 5 dates with me, but I did. Maybe it was the angel sitting on my shoulder telling me to be nice, or maybe it is the fact that I am bordering on desperate to meet an intelligent male within 20 miles of my zip code. Either way, I've been chasing a lot of wild geese this week.

I think I'm gonna throw in the towel and head to NYC soon. At least there I know where I can buy a zipper foot.

What Makes America Great?

2008-08-11T21:20:00.006-04:00

4.5 : Number of hours it is supposed to take to travel between DC and NYC

6.5 : Number of hours spent in the car traveling between Washington DC and NYC on Friday

12 : Number of Twizzlers eaten in car.

48.65: Dollars spent each way in gasoline and tolls

38 : Hours spent in NYC

7.5 : Amount in dollars to see the Coney Island Freak Show

10.75 : Hours spent coming back into DC from uptown NYC

2 : Number of bridges closed between NYC and DC on Sunday.

This past weekend I headed into NYC to enjoy a little hard earned R&R and spend some time with people I know and love. On Saturday we headed down to Brooklyn so I could see Coney Island for my first and possibly last time. For those of you who have never been to Coney Island: put down the computer mouse, gas up the car and go. Now. If for no other reason- Coney Island is about to be closed and torn down (or as they call it-reorganized) for high rent schmancy beach front apartments and condos.

I grew up in Orlando- the land of homogenized Disney cleanliness and niceties, so I have always thought I didn't like amusement parks. They are too clean, too fake and too nice. Disney is famous for the whole hand point (as to not offend anyone by accidentally pointing at them) Not at Coney Island. Coney Island is about as sleazy as it gets. People let the bird fly as freely as the seagulls and the booze comes by the yard.

No where in Disney can you load a paintball gun and shoot at a 17 year old kid (dressed in protective gear) who is telling you to *suck his cock*. Yup. Suck. His. Cock. Let that sink in for a moment. A day at Coney Island made me realize what is actually good about America; and it is a guy in moto-cross gear telling me to suck it.

Other things that make America great are to be found at the Freak Show where a handlebar moustached man named Johnny Vomit reminds children "never major in Liberal Arts" right before he pounds a nail into his skull...these are the messages that are not getting to children early enough. Parents: take notes at this freak show.

Additionally you can see an exhibit called the 'Waterboarding adventure" where it "Don't Gitmo Better Than This".

Yes friends. These are the things that make America Great.

Bloggy blog

2008-08-05T21:48:00.002-04:00

Howdy everyone!

Well, it's been a while and here is the update........

In the last couple of weeks I have:

Spent my first night in an airport- 12 hours in BWI to be exact. You know it's gonna be a bad night when some goldfish crackers and a second airline blanket seem like luxury.

Gone to Florida to visit my family.

Come home to no air conditioning, limited Internet access, and a very pissy cat.

Tried to schedule some dates with men I met on the interweb- sadly, my *particular* brand of humor didn't go over so well. Note to self: Never make jokes about shovels, dark alleys and quicklime before the first date.....

Since then- life is getting back to normal.

The AC guy has been out to see us 4 times in the last week to no avail.....soon I'm gonna start sleeping in the costume shop. Holy Crap. It's hot.

Holy crap it's hot chicken salad.

2008-07-20T14:20:00.005-04:00

I moved from Connecticut to Washington DC. People said to me: "hey Katie, it's really hot in DC" and I said: "Oh sure, but I grew up in Florida, so it can't possibly be that hot"....

We can chalk this up on the blackboard of stupid statements made by Katie. It is just as hot here as Florida. I don't think (read:hope) that it will be as long lasting a heat as Florida, but until then- I'm eating lots of cold things this summer.

This is a variation on good ole chicken salad, and tastes great on spinach tortilla wraps, in a pita pocket or on top of a bed of mixed greens. It falls into the category of 'bonus boxed', because it uses bottled curry sauce. If you are feeling a little more advanced substitute your own homemade yellow curry sauce. If you don't eat meat, try it with some baked extra-firm tofu, or for the pescetarian with 2 cans/pouches drained tuna.

Makes lunches for a week, or feeds a family/house of roommates for dinner

Bake or grill: 3 fresh chicken breasts (around 24 oz.) until done (to check for done-ness, pierce the thickest part of the largest breast -juices should run totally clear and meat should be easy to cut) allow to cool and cut into 1/2" to 1" chunks. Toss it into a big bowl.

Add to the bowl:

One large (or two small) cored and chopped granny smith apple.

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 Tbls Mayo (I used reduced or fat free, but you can use whatever you have in your fridge)

3 Tbls Yellow Curry Sauce ( I use Trader Joe's brand, you can use whatever your local grocery store has)

The juice of 1/2 a lemon (watch out for the seeds)

1 tsp additional curry powder (add more if you like things very flavorful and a little spicy)

1/2 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste.

Variations: add some red pepper (spicy), some finely chopped onion, bell peppers, a minced garlic clove, some chopped water chestnuts, or some chopped grapes.

Mix with a spoon till all ingredients are well covered and everything looks yummy.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Yum.

On the difference in religions.

2008-07-13T14:11:00.002-04:00

Special thanks to Re for the quote.

On blogging and responsibility.

2008-07-11T20:55:00.003-04:00

I've been reading feministing on my way to work each day(oh yes iCrack), and it (as a few of you know) is an intensely political modern feminist blog. Several writers post to it, and the community of feminists comment. One post this week grabbed my attention and has made me think long and hard. Basically the jist of the post was- be responsible for what you say, do, and stand for. This gets me thinking about my life, and my politics and why I started this blog.

I started this blog as a way to promote my etsy shop (as seen on the side bar>>>, now go buy something) slowly it has become a more personal blog. I talk about my life, my politics, and my thought process for leaving one home in search of a new adventure. It is a deeply personal and meaningful thing to me to share my life with the couple dozen people (?) who read about me and what I do. In the end, it is still a blog, and as such it is a very public thing.

It's a strange thing to write some words, hit post, and the next day realize people around you and hundreds of miles away know what you wrote, what you are thinking, and have a little insight into your strange and wonderful world. It is even stranger when someone you have never met walks up to you at a craft market and tells you they read your blog (I'm lying it's wicked cool). I think it's moments like these that remind me that in some small way what I do and say actually goes into the cyber world and pings off someone else's radar.

So here is your PSA for my very public and very odd little blog. Please vote. Forget all the other things I've said (except that one time) and vote. People forget how a simple act can deeply impact someone else's life. While you are at it, remind your friends to vote. If we all make sure 2 other people vote, and they make sure 2 other people vote we will be in for a rockin good time this November. So far this election has been unlike any other in history, so let's keep the momentum going.

dammit.

Aack! an update.

2008-07-10T20:30:00.002-04:00

Wowsa!

There has been a lot going on lately. Here is the quick run down

My dear friends got married. It was amazing. The bride and groom looked like a million bucks (thanks to the costume shop (s)). Traveling to and from the wedding was a little more difficult than I had wanted or expected, but heck, when your friends are getting married you bite the bullet and sit in traffic for hours longer than you anticipated. I'm waiting on some pictures of the tent city we erected, so stay tuned.

My moving company sent me an updated estimate based on the cost of gasoline..... I won't be getting my stuff anytime soon. I'm not really sure how to deal with it, I'm feeling a little stressed about the whole situation. If I felt more stable in this apartment, I would just go pick it all up in a truck. However, I am woefully uncommitted to so much in my life right now, I think it is better to leave my stuff in storage and re-asses the situation in 6 or so months. The good news---I found this out before I headed to the wedding, so I was able to load my car with some furniture and a few craft supplies. --nothing makes a girl happier than some yarn and paperclay!

With the return of a few craft supplies, comes the return of me adding things to my etsy shop. It has been pretty unattended to for the last couple of months, and I feel like it is time to get it loaded for the fall, and start prepping for Christmas (yeah it's July). I am working on some groovy new things for the fall, and hopefully this year I will be prepared for the holiday rush.

That's about all I can manage to think about this week, so I promise, promise, promise a better more interesting and clever post this weekend.

xoxoxo

-Katie

When internet dating......

2008-06-28T15:52:00.005-04:00

Don't try to be witty. It just doesn't translate.

Trust me.

Here is an example:

When someone asks you 'What's your one guilty pleasure?'

Don't reply:

"I like to eat politically incorrect meat while wearing puppy fur and stomping on kitten's heads :)"

Trust me. It gets you 'closed out'.

For those of you not lame enough to have to resort to getting your dates online, being 'closed out' is the same as not having a guy return your phone call, and sending you an email that says:

No Thanks. You are a freak.

Yup. That's been my week.

Clearly he wouldn't have been able to handle the Stack Attack.

Oops.

Shopping is hard! Let's do math!!!

2008-06-22T16:05:00.003-04:00

When I was living in Chicago working as an apprentice (read:slave) to a theatre that recently won a Tony award (read:jerks) I had the opportunity (read:I was told I was going to do it so I looked at it as an opportunity) to be a shopper for a production of The Merchant of Venice done in modern day Venice. The production was done in ridiculously high fashion with shoes costing more than I made in a month and more than one $2,500 jacket. Although shopping for this show might seem like a dream, it was a huge challenge.

One of the things that made the challenge better was Morgan.
Morgan and I were the only costume students in our college class, and over 4 years we got to be pretty good friends. After graduation she was looking for work, and the theatre was looking for an extra shopper. Insert costume pimp Katie, and I had a shopping partner in snide remark crime. Morgan had sayings about stores. Nieman Markus was Needless Mark-ups. Saks Fifth Ave. was sack of sh*t. Bloomingdales was gloomy days. The one that has stuck with me most though was Talbots. Morgan always said "Talbots is where you shop once you've given up".

"Talbots is where you shop once you've given up" might sound like a harsh statement, but in shopping terms it's pretty much true. Talbots is not famous for it's cutting edge style, it's innovative cuts or even it's new take on old classics. Talbots is a guaranteed thing. It's the booty call of the shopping world. It'll service your needs, it won't change your world. It is where you know you can walk in, try on 15 things and walk out with something that is appropriate. High style...no. Appropriate, yes.

Aimee is getting married in 2 weeks. I just yesterday moved into my new apartment, with my new roommates, and last Monday I opened my first show with my fabulous new theatre company. In short- I've been a little busy. So today, I made it my goal to find a fabulous dress to witness Aimee and Eric's nuptial ceremony and Party in the barn. This is much easier said than done.

Today I hit Target, Syms, Fileens, Marshall's, Lord and Taylor, Bloomingdales, Gap, Old Navy, New York and Company, Lane Bryant (I was getting desperate) and finally I gave up. I went into Talbots...

The dress is cute. Earth shattering? No. Mind blowing? No. But cute. More importantly, it's pink, brown, and green. The bride's favorite colours.

Stuff I've learned

2008-05-25T12:15:00.002-04:00

Since my last post I have learned lots. Here is a quick run-down.

1. Sometimes, old wives tales are true. Growing up in Florida you hear lots of strange tid bits. Some of which- like punch an alligator in it's nose when it's attacking you- are true. Whereas others- eat a green orange and your stomach will explode, are probably not.
The one that I proved to be true last week is "don't touch your lips to a mango skin because mangoes and poison oak are part of the same family, and if you touch your lips to a mango skin you might look like Lisa Rinna for a couple of days'. Yeah, it's real hot to start a new job and look like you just got bad collagen implants.

2. If you lose your wallet, always ask the manager of the seven eleven (not an employee) if they have found it. Yep. I have it back. weeee!

3. When asking for a street address in Washington DC, be sure to ask for the NE, SE NW, SW portion of the address. Oh, and write it down. Because if you screw up this vital 2 letter snarflet of information - you just might end up driving around our nation's ghetto, instead of our nation's capitol.

4. Always ask an impartial person for the real story. Yeah Lisa, the jig is up. I had a lovely dinner with Pat (a great friend who was in town for 24 hours on her way to an awesome summer job) and she told me all about the dragons on the kimono, the paint spill, the blood on the ombre dyed slip, the foot creme and the re-built hat.
Here's the back story for those of you not involved- After my first day at work here in DC I got a lovely text message from the current costume designer at the Hartford Stage thanking me for all my hard work and letting me know the show looks lovely. This set off a light bulb in my head, knowing that something was up. So I called the costume shop and was informed that everything was "great". A week later I got the real story. It involved blood, foot creme and an exploding jar of gold paint. -Use your imagination, I'm sure you can come close.

All in all it has been a good first full week here. The show is going to be completely drool worthy, and I am enjoying my return to a city.

Ya'll come back now, hear!

(that means- please come back later, and I'll have posted more)

Technical Difficulties

2008-05-17T13:45:00.002-04:00

Howdy Ya'll!

Now that I am back below the mason-dixon line I can go back to using the vernacular that I was raised with. This may or may not include 'howdy', 'ya'll', 'put it up' (instead of away) and the ever popular 'roin' instead of 'ruin'. I will still refuse to 'worsh' my clothes or sleep on a 'pellow'. As I much prefer laundry and pillows. I have fully reverted back to my deep appreciation of people (mostly men) who open the door for you, and offer to help you with your grocery bags when your hands are full. There is something so nice about having someone acknowledge that you could use a little assistance.

My first days here have been interesting. I went ahead and took care of the obligatory crappy thing that has to happen when you move, and promptly lost my wallet within 84 hours of arrival (it's somewhere between the 7-11 and work, I'm just not sure where???). The good part- seems whoever has it took the cash ($31) and tossed the wallet and cards, because no fraudulent charges were made. (Before you ask- no I wasn't pickpocketed) The bad part- now I have to figure out how to get a new license- Hopefully I can do it over the phone with the state of CT. If not, I may just have to keep using my passport until I have a permanent address. Any suggestions?

Other than the wallet incident, DC is proving to be great. I love the train. I arrived on Tuesday night and asside from getting groceries- I have no use for my car. I have been walking all over the place, and somehow I had forgotten how much I actually like to walk. I feel better, I am sleeping better than I have in several years, and the train gives me time to unwind and chill before I get home.

The ladies (and it is an almost entirely all lady shop) are very nice. There seems to be about 27 of us in the shop total, although I haven't taken a head count. I fall into the middle age group, middle height(!), and middle level of moderately hippie behavior. I have a friend date tonight with 2 of them and for movies and beers. I am redorkulously excited about going out and seeing the town.

I don't have Internet in my apartment yet, so I am posting from the 'business center' in my complex. I promise as soon as I can I will be posting some pictures and making more frequent posts. Until then, keep your panties on ya'll...

Priceless

2008-05-13T18:52:00.006-04:00

Tank of gas in New Jersey...$27.00

Road snacks, coffee, lunch...$19.00

CD of This American Life to keep me company on my journey...$17.99

Tolls from CT to DC...$22.00

Calling the cops on my neighbor one last time...priceless

Trying to get out of town is always hard. It is extra difficult when it involves the police. But we'll get to that later.

Saturday was awesome! The Hartford Stage folks came and helped me load the last bits of my life into storage and we headed out for one last beer and plate of fried pickles (I swear, they are waaaay better than they sound). Sunday, I spent one last day finishing up my work on the current show at the Stage Co and attempting to prepare the shop for my departure (they are totally in capable hands). After work I had dinner and a milkshake with some very dear friends, finished loading my car and settled onto my air mattress in my empty apartment with the last beer in my fridge and a DVD episode of This American Life on my laptop. (I like the radio show much better than the television program). I fell asleep feeling like all was well in the world, and tomorrow begins a grand new adventure.

I woke up on Monday morning to discover my horrible neighbor aka Mr. Peesonhisownlawn, aka Mr.Shoutsexplitivesintothephone, aka Mr. Barfseverymorning is also Mr. Beatshisdog. So what did I do? I called the Manchester Police one last time. In retrospect, I'm really happy I did. At the time, I wished I had put my kitty into her carrier before my apartment had 3 cops with loud radios and a scared kitty hiding under the bathtub.

Turns out my crappy neighbor had/has several warrants out for his arrest in Florida, and so the police not only arrested him for animal cruelty but also for whatever he did in Florida (in my mind it involves peeing on his lawn). The police were very nice to me, thanked me for calling them and were more than happy to take this guy away. They even offered to help me try to extricate the cat from beneath the bathtub, but I thought it might be better to let her chill for 20 minutes.

Once Ms.Kitty came out from under the bathtub, was properly sedated (as prescribed by the vet) and her carrier safely belted into the car we were on our way. The trip was pretty smooth. We got stuck on the George Washington Bridge for about an hour, but with the soothing tones of Ira Glass to keep me company, I didn't really mind too much. The Garden State soundtrack is a great soundtrack for driving thru The Garden State on a gloomy day, and lasts almost as long as New Jersey.

We arrived in DC only about 30 min after my projected arrival time, and without further problem. The company housing apartment I am staying in is swank. It's a luxury high-rise with a water feature in the lobby. I could never afford to live here in my real life, but I sure as heck am gonna enjoy pretending like I could.

....the best part-I have a dishwasher and laundry in unit.

Oh, and if you are still worried about the dog, he looked like he was okay as the police were taking him to get checked out by the vet.....

Home.

2008-05-03T11:00:00.011-04:00

Anyone who has ever moved from one city to another knows it is a sometimes scary, sometimes invigorating, sometimes lonely thing. (Pro-tip - Never listen to more than 3 Elliot Smith songs in a row while packing) I finished packing up my boxes, taking cast-offs to Goodwill, and started loading my storage unit. While doing these things I realized Connecticut was never my home. I have never made the change from 'is this how you do it here?' to 'this is how we do it here'.

I came east sight-unseen. My job here is awesome. The people I work with are kind, funny, and talented. Yet still, Connecticut never felt like home.

I finally hit on it last Saturday when I realized I've never nailed my pictures to my bedroom wall. I didn't unpack my boxes of research and art books. In short:I never finished moving in, and I've been here almost two full years.

This prompts the question- What makes something or someplace feel like home? Is it your stuff? Is it your friends? Is it the feeling of community you get from your neighborhood? Or is it simply your mindset? Do you have to decide that you are home, and the rest falls into place?

I hope it all becomes clear when I arrive in my new home. While prepping for this move some of my friends want me to tell them I will be in DC for a year or two and then I will finally arrive and be home in NYC. But for me, I can't go into this move feeling like it is yet another temporary layover before my life begins. I want to move somewhere and know I am finally, really, and truly

Home.

Lookng for love in all the wrong places.......

2008-04-28T19:50:00.003-04:00

I bought an iPhone. I am almost ashamed to say it was my first purchase of an apple product. Previously- no iPod, no Mac computer, nothin. However it was almost 2 weeks after I purchased my iPhone before I made my first visit to an Apple store. And let me just say....wow....I've been looking for love in all the wrong places!

No one told me that the Apple store is a mecca for kinda nerdy, kinda hot boys in their later 20's. I could have saved myself at least $200 in lame Eharmony payments if someone would have just told me-- Hey Katie, all the boys you might want to date work at the genius bar. Aaaack! It was like all the stereotypes of my ex boyfriends were in one place at one time. There was Mr. horn-rimmed glasses, Mr. too many tattoos, Mr. too many piercings, and Mr. too many tattoos, piercings and big glasses.
And not only were they cute, but the 'genius' I spoke to was totally smart, charming, and really nice. Everything a girl could hope for in a genius.

Now to make an appointment at the local Apple store in DC to get a little one to one training for my iPhone.

Oh, and the move is going well (whatever!)

Sea of allergies

2008-04-17T20:55:00.002-04:00

Hello all,

Sorry I haven't posted about the results of the Craftastic yet. It was an awesome show with a good turn out and tons a really talented and creative women showing their work. I had my best sales (other than holiday markets) to date, and it was great to talk to so many of you face to face.

I have had a major allergy attack this week, and have been following a strict regimine of anti-histamines and decongestants during the day and spending as much time asleep as I can manage. I'm sure I'll feel much better in about 3 days, once the leaky faucet that is my face quits - look for a more in-depth blog and my spring line >> online.

Hope you are all feeling great and enjoying the amazing spring weather. I know I will once this pollen bloom quits.

Until then- Check out the pictures on the CT ETSY team blog! The link is just over there>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Craftastic+Katie= Shop Class.

2008-04-12T15:11:00.004-04:00

The Craftastic is tomorrow. I am ready, tagged, I got change from the bank, I picked out my favorite crafty tshirt and made sure my lucky socks are washed! I am prepped and ready to go----except for a fabulous way to display the 20+ knitted beaded bracelets I have made. So I got the brilliant idea of a bracelet tree. Don't ask, sometimes it's better to just imagine how these ideas pop into my head.....

Did I mention I have a fine arts degree? I can't decide if I love it for it's handmade and slightly off-kilter look or if I think it looks like something a kid who isn't allowed to use power tools in shop class made..........

Either way it and the rest of my spring line will be in Hamden tomorrow. Come see me and 11 other members of the Connecticut Etsy Team. Remember- Mother's day is right around the corner, and your Mom is tired of getting crystal frogs.

xo
-Katie

Moving, Taxes, and iCrack

2008-04-05T15:03:00.005-04:00

It has been another interesting week. No acrobats this week, but lots of taking care of business.

#1 I lost my cell phone. This might sound like a disaster, but when taken into account it was 3 years old, and about 4 years obsolete- not too bad. The downside- I lost every phone number I have, so if you are a personal friend- call or text me your phone number so I can add you back. The upside- I bought an iPhone and leaped into conspicuous consumption of the most superior kind.

The iPhone is supposed to be SO user friendly that it does not come with a user manual. Fine, good enough, however when you are a PC user and you can't get your Apple phone to jive with your PC and the only tech support offered is a PHONE NUMBER?!?!!?!....Houston we have a problem. Long story short, it took me 2.5 hours to activate it. I was fully and totally humbled. I have also been annoyed and feeling a little like I should have thought about this more clearly when I realized that my MICROSOFT Hotmail will not open on my APPLE iPhone. hmmmm...

#2 I received a price quote to move. Sounds great, except for what they priced me to move, I could give away everything I own and buy new. Further investigation has revealed a better and more cost efficient way to do this, but wowwsa. Apparently people are willing to pay alot to not have to deal with their stuff. My move has just gotten more complicated, but will in the end cost me about what I had budgeted for it. Thankfully, I have some nice people here who are willing to help a girl out one last time.

#3 I did my taxes. before I go any further- I have to say I used Taxact.com for the second year in a row, and it rocks. I am totally mathematically and organizationally impaired and even I could use this software. This year it was not a moment of triumph, or sorrow. I got something back from the feds, but owed the state of CT a little. I am constantly amazed by the amount of money Connecticut gets from their residents. How this state has such horrible schools and roads will never be satisfactorily explained to me. There simply is no reasonable explanation.

#4 It is getting warm. I love spring. There are few things that make me happier than walking outside and not feeling my snot freeze. Even if it means I need to do my taxes.........

Color Test????

2008-04-03T19:31:00.000-04:00

Creepy!

Katie took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

"Preoccupied with things of an intensely exciting n..."

Click here to read the rest of the results.

Running away with the circus?

2008-03-30T10:19:00.002-04:00

This week was great. I:

Paid my last rent check to my landlord in Connecticut-------- who decided since I have been such a great tenant (paid my rent on time EVERY month, never had a complaint filed against me, only told off one neighbor-and she really deserved it) he was going to let me out of my lease 15 days early, and only charge me half for May! He also decided I didn't have to paint my apartment back to white (I think he felt bad for accidentally giving me an eviction notice intended for the neighbor I told off).

I went to NYC and swatched for the last show of the season at the Hartford Stage. I love NYC, and I will admit, I had a few pangs of sadness at the idea of not moving there, but a few less when the job I had applied for in NY called and offered me waay less money than the one in DC.

I started giving away furniture for my move. This might not sound like a great thing, but it feels really good to give your furniture a new home.

I spent a day backstage at Cirque Du Soleil fitting thongs on hot Italian acrobats.

NOT.

but I did spend a day backstage working on building stage masking for Cirque.

It was amazing. In general it was a lot like any backstage experience, only international and with contortionists. The best part about it- it was so not an American experience.

They played French rap, German techno, and Canadian folk music while the technicians set the stage and rigging. Everyone was really, amazingly, insanely hard working, really nice, and even the Americans had a Canadian accent! Their kitchen trailer served healthy food, separated all their trash into compost, paper, glass, plastic, and 'other' for recycling, and they had "did you wash your hands?" signs from the Canadian government everywhere. It was completely the same as an American Backstage experience, only completely different.

Oh, and if you ever wondered how all those performers keep in such tip top shape- it's because they work......hard. We arrived at 9am to begin work, the performers were already there working out, standing on each other's shoulders, bending over and kissing their own *sses. It was amazing. At one point we had 3 young contortionists rehearsing beside our sewing area, I was having a really hard time concentrating. My mind kept going back to the 12 year olds folding themselves in half backwards. All I could think was the dialogue that must have happened in their lives- Here is a sample of what I imagine it was like

Adult: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Girl: hmmmm

Adult: Veterinarian?

Girl: No.

Adult: Doctor?

Girl: No.

Adult: School Teacher?

Girl: No.

Adult: What then?

Girl: Contortionist.

Adult: That's nice.

We finished work and quickly toured the costume area---where they make their own shoes. And I don't mean they make ballet slippers, they make beautiful, colorful, artisan quality gorgeous shoes. I went home and have started to wonder.....could I run away with the circus?

Like I said it was a really, truly, amazingly, great week.

Andre The Giant Has A Posse

2008-03-26T19:25:00.005-04:00

If you know what this means.....you are automatically cool.

If not, here is what I am talking about.

Once upon a time (1987ish) there was a young girl and her brother was a skateboarder. She was a very crafty, very nerdy, figure skater sort of girl. Her brother was a very cool, very straight edge, very skateboarding sort of fellow. He had some fabric patches, and later some vinyl stickers that had a silk screen print that said "Andre The Giant Has a Posse" with a image and some other stats for the pro-wrestler. The younger nerdier girl said to her brother and his friends "what does that mean?" and they told her if she didn't know, she wasn't cool enough to know..... brothers can really suck sometimes.......

Fast forward 20 years to 2007ish and that nerdy girl is now a rock star crafter, who never forgot how if felt to want to be a part of something so cool, so esoteric, that if you didn't know what it was you probably aren't cool enough to be a part of it. Enter Etsy.com and the CT Etsy Team. Etsy is not so cool that you need a password, but it is still just indie enough to be cool. Oh, and the Andre The Giant and later OBEY patches--they didn't mean anything--just like the name Etsy- doesn't mean anything.

And here is my homage to the OBEY patches:

Not quite Andre The Giant, but cool for sure. I'll have the stand alone patches at the Craftastic on April 13th ($2) as well as a few of the zipper pouches ($8). A portion of the profit will go back to the CT Etsy Street Team to help promote the rad, indie crafters in CT to advertise, host markets, and generally make Etsy as big as Andre The Giant.

Oh, and they were my first trip into the extra cool, extra indie world of homemade silkscreens. I am in love. I used actual silk for the screen, and I think it worked better than tulle or stockings.

Craft Market Tres

2008-03-21T21:19:00.003-04:00

It is about 2 days before the market, you have all your pieces done, the tags are on, and you have a plan(ish) for what your display will look like. Now comes the hard part. The part where you have to talk to people you don't know about your work and they either buy it or they don't. This can be more difficult than all the seaming, felting, painting, and exacto cuts combined.

I watched a documentary about buzz marketing a couple of years ago, and it changed my life. Buzz marketing is a style of guerrilla marketing where you create a 'feel' or *buzz* around a product without overtly advertising it. The easiest way to market something to people is if they see someone who they want to be like using, enjoying, or taking part of a product or service.

Therefore; give yourself some buzz.

When I get up and go to work in my crafty studio, I do it in whatever I have been wearing and a paint stained apron. This is not how I dress to go to a craft market. When I am a market vendor I think about who my target audience is, and I dress like them (this is easy, since I'm part of my own target market). If your market is young slightly conservative moms, try to look like someone they would go shopping with, take out your nose ring, and wear a sweater set. If your target market is Brooklyn hipsters, pull out your ironic tee shirt, slap some Vaseline on your tattoos and put on your ballet flats. Remember: part of the 'buzz' is creating 'the image'.

Here is a list of things to remember the day of the market

1. Change. People come shopping straight from the ATM machine, so you should be able to make change for at least a couple of $20 bills.

2. Tape. Something on your display will need to be taped, trust me.

3. Scissors and some string or yarn. Something or someone will need it.

4. Bags or something to put purchases in.

5. Lights, extension cord, table/display and a table covering.

6. Business Cards or postcards.

7. A notebook or sales slip book to record your sales in.

8. A small project to work on. It is a great way for people to strike up a conversation with you.

9. Water and a couple of healthy snacks. It's easy to forget to take care of yourself, but you will feel much better if you can eat something and keep hydrated.

10. Your fabulous products and your smile!

I can't wait to see you all at the Craftastic spring fling.

woot.

5 years.

2008-03-19T18:51:00.002-04:00

5 years ago our country, for better or worse, invaded Iraq. I was thinking today...what was I doing 5 years ago today, and how is my life different?

5 Years ago I was:

Just finishing my degree.

Dating a guy who I was sure I was going to marry.

Living with 3 roommates, 3 kitties, 2 fish tanks and more than likely a couple of mice.

Getting ready for a job interview as an apprentice with a major Chicago theatre.

Worried that the economy was going to tank due to the impending war.

Looking back I realize that almost nothing tangible in my life is the same, and yet almost everything is exactly the same. It is scary to look back at what can change and what stays exactly the same in 5 years.

No one knows decisively when this war is going to end, or why we got involved in the first place. The thing is we know is our vote does count, and we should use it whenever we get the chance.

Take a moment and think back to what you were doing 5 years ago today.

Now think ahead...what do you want to be doing in 5 years....

Now remember, if you don't vote, it won't happen.

xo

Craft Market Dos.

2008-03-18T18:18:00.003-04:00

Okay, so you have carefully decided what to make, how it should be priced, and the day of the market is about a week away. It is now time to label and display your work for sale.

I generally use business cards or a nice hand written tag for my labels. On the labels I include my company name, a way to get in contact with me (a URL or email address), and any care instructions, if there are any that apply. I think it is a good way to make your work feel finished, professional and it lends an air of confidence to your work. The more professionally you can present your work, the better.

Once everything is labeled I price it all individually. The only time I think it is a good idea to group price things is when you are dealing with 'stocking stuffer' gifts, or jewelry you are displaying on a board. Remember, people are paying you for something unique, so play it up. The more unique the item feels, the better.

Everything is priced, tagged, labeled and ready to go. The best advice I can give anyone about presenting work is merchandise, merchandise, merchandise. Go to a store you think is beautiful. Look at how items are presented, things are presented in a way that makes you want to touch it, try it on, and is visually interesting.

Levels and vertical presentation boards are a great way to make yourself stand out in the crowd. It is really hard to get someone to walk across a room to look at something if they aren't interested. There is nothing more boring than walking into a craft market and seeing flat tables with work lined up in neat rows. Asymmetry, odd numbers, and multiple levels are interesting.

If you need to see an example- go to an upscale, trendy store and take notes. A well merchandised store will always make more money than a cluttered and poorly lit one.

If you are selling wearables, be sure to have a mirror available for viewing. People want to see how great they are going to look in your work before they give you money. You should also be sure to bring additional lighting if the space is dark or if you have something like textiles or jewelry that is better viewed in bright light.

Next post, You and your business image.

Feminist Heaven!

2008-03-17T21:06:00.003-04:00

Okay, so this is supposed to be a post about craft fairs, business, and the state of the creative mind.....but instead I have just discovered BUST magazine's personals website, and I think I might be in heaven. Oh, BUST magazine....how I love the! Let me count the ways.

1. Interviews with Ira Glass and David Sedaris in the new 'We love men' issue.

2. Fashion spreads featuring only handmade pieces.

3. A f!cking personals page for me to meet a rad, crafty, intelligent, politically minded man.

4. The Boobtique

5. Need I say more?

I heart BUST magazine.

Craft Markets. Uno.

2008-03-16T00:29:00.006-04:00

Last week Jillian made 2 new posts about what she has learned from her new trip into participating in craft markets.

This weekend I attended a Connecticut Etsy Street Team meeting and am starting to prep for the Craftastic spring fling. As I read Jillian's posts, meet people on my team, and get to know the online community as real people some things have become very clear to me. Etsy is FULL of wonderfully talented incredibly skilled people. Some of them are participating in Etsy with an entirely different mindset than I am. Part of that is the difference in life view and part of it is purely what people want to get out of Etsy as an online marketplace. I am also learning that although I think of myself as a newbie to indie craft, I have a lot more experience than many of my team members.

As I am prepping for the last craft market I will be a vending in for a while I thought I would write a multi-post tutorial about what I have learned participating in craft markets over the last 5 years. Remember, I am writing about small venues with less than 12 or so crafters. If you are going balls-to-the-wall and trying your hand at a giant venue with 30 or more vendors, it is a totally different story.

Here is part uno.

When I am planning what I am going to take to a market there are a couple of questions I ask myself. These include:

Who is my target audience? and what is their income and spending level (realistically)?

For me I know most of my work appeals to educated women in the 24-40 age group who more than likely work in the arts, or are pretty crafty and trendy. I like to think of it as the 'BUST' magazine-reading-smarty-pants-market. So I work on developing products that appeal to these women and fit in their spending patterns.

Can I create this product and still make a profit on it?

If the answer is no, then it's time to re-evaluate how I am constructing something, the materials I am using, and how I am charging for the product.

Has this product sold well in the past?

I always bring some items I call my guaranteed sells. These are items that generally cost less than $15, are good gifts, and would appeal to a broad variety of people. If I make something and it proves to be unpopular I will stop making it. No need to waste my time making something that is unpopular, even if I am having a blast making it. Time to add that item to my 'personal crafts only' list. For me- these things include hand dyed yarn, jewelry, and knitted hats. The market is (in my opinion) flooded with these items and I don't need to try to swim in an already crowded pool. side note- I am still trying to get rid of some of these things, so look for them to be marked down like crazy at the spring Craftacular.

So now you have decided on what you are bringing to the market. Now let's talk quantity. In all the markets I have participated in (some holiday, some not) I have almost never sold totally out of anything. Having said that, I usually try to have a good quantity of items. What is a good quantity? Depends. If it is a holiday market- it could be as much as 20 of one item. For a non-holiday market, I try to have a dozen of my best sellers.

Most people (myself included) were totally overwhelmed by their first market. It is a daunting thing to have to go out and chat with people about your work, look them in the face and on occasion, have them ask really dumb, insulting questions. However, when someone is totally thrilled with your work and is willing to give you some of their hard earned money for something you made -it is worth all the time and energy. Trust me.

Next post- How to display your work.

T A G ! I'M IT!

2008-03-13T22:03:00.004-04:00

I got this Tag from Jillian from my CT Etsy Street Team So here it goes!

The Rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are 7 facts about Katie of KatieCrafts.......

1. Fish is my favorite food.

2. I am 5 feet 9.75 inches tall (that means I am almost as tall as the average American man).

3. I grew up in Orlando, Florida and my first job was as a costumed character at a theme park in Orlando that rhymes with misney. At that job I was hit by kids, parents, tourists, other characters, and a float.

4. If I wasn't a costume craftsperson I would have liked to be an anthropological skeletal analyst.

5. As of my move in May I will have moved 6 times in 5 years. uugh.

6. I almost always keep my toenails painted.

7. I don't have a favorite color.

Here is the start of a list of bloggers I am tagging. I'll add to it when I have the time!

Mazie's Mommy

Maradoll

Immortal Longings

Ms. Kitty Fantastico

CT Etsy Street Team

Sometimes

2008-03-13T21:34:00.002-04:00

When I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I like to sit back and watch the puppies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFcFmvOuNQU

Rock.

Am I loosing my mind!???

2008-03-10T19:12:00.002-04:00

It has been a really long week(s) since my last post. This weekend I was in Brooklyn for the Brooklyn Home Show; a shiny new craft market in ,well, some one's home. It wasn't the spacious Brooklyn loft I was expecting, it was a small, scratch that, teeny-weensy little apartment. At one point there was 30+ people there. I am almost happy it was a rainy, crappy, day. If it had been all sunny outside I think we might have broken the one building codes we left intact. As far as craft markets go, it wasn't fantastic, but like I said it rained. So there.

I will be participating in the Craftastic the second weekend in April. It will be at The Space in Hamden CT. Hopefully it will be sunny that day. I'll post more information as we get closer to the event. I think it should be a spring fling of a Craftastic time.

huh?

2008-03-03T19:32:00.002-05:00

Me: I'm moving to Washington DC.

You: Really! I thought you were moving to New York!

Me: Yeah, so did I, but now I'm moving to DC.

You: Why?! DC is so much lamer than NYC

Me: Bite me.

There you have it folks! If you would like to ask me this question...again... Please phrase it as an interpretive dance.

Thank you.

If it's good enough for Barack

2008-03-01T11:38:00.002-05:00

woot.

It has been a roller coaster of a couple of weeks. I haven't been feeling well (actually thought I had mono again, but don't!!!) and at the same time I have been playing a strange little game of where do I want to live this summer/fall/for the next 5 years. So I gathered up my references, a portfolio of images, and all my nerve and sent out a smack of resumes to find a new home.

In a week I had nibbles from places as far away as Seattle, Santa Fe, and Washington DC. I quickly have learned that theatres are in need of people with good crafty skills plus a few braincells leftover from years of smelling paint, dye and hat sizing. It is clear to me now that there are tons of talented people out there, but very few that look at the arts with (even) a little thought about how to get it all done in a timely manner and not make yourself crazy/vegetative in the process.

Drumroll please........

I have decided to take a job with a rather schmancy Shakespeare theatre in DC where I will be crafty and management. It is a good move for my career, pocketbook, and -as if I needed it- my ego. It will also enable me to continue to make good contacts with NYC designers, live in a city, and gain some/more management experience. It's nice because DC has many of the amenities I was looking for in a city (public transit, Chipotle, a real art store, like minded men) and is lacking some of the rat race I was not looking forward to (constantly looking for the next job, living with your neighbor up your butt, having to buy my own insurance).

Now if I just had a cute baby I could borrow so I could meet some hot politician.......Oh, Maizie, Maizie.....wanna come visit your auntie Katie??????

My Life

2008-02-25T19:56:00.003-05:00

You: Hi Katie! How's the job search going?

Me: Okay. I have had one interview, and am waiting to schedule a couple more.

You: Really! Where?

Me: An opera in the southwest and a theatre in DC

You: Really! But that's not in NYC. I thought you were moving to NYC.

Me: Yeah, me too. But now, who knows?

You: Oh.

There you have it. I have NO idea where I am living next! Life is really weird sometimes.

Mr. Right and Jane

2008-02-17T22:50:00.006-05:00

Lately I have felt a little like I was living in a Jane Austen novel. Maybe it is because I am working my way thru her complete works, or maybe because I am of an age when women want to get married. It's a bit like asking which came first--the chicken or the egg. Either way- here I am, watching Colin Firth play Mr. Darcy on PBS and finding myself re-evaluating my past relationships, my current prospects, and my views on dating, mating, and the world.

One of my co-workers tells me I will have a much harder time meeting nice men if I continue to read femisist literature, another tells me I should read all the feministing I want, and the right man will come. I think reality is somewhere in between. There is some truth in the statement 'men want to be needed just as women need to be wanted'.

I have met plenty of men who wanted me to need them, and few who wanted me too, but never one in the same. Over the last 10 years I have dated artists, designers, scholars, sales clerks, actors, and even a guy who worked in porn. All were Mr. Right, just for some other Jane.

Jane Austen had it right when she wrote "Interested people have perhaps misrepresented each to the other. It is, in short, impossible for us to conjecture the causes of circumstances which may have alientated them, without actual blame on either side." Sometimes it is good to remember this truth. It is also good to remember that your value as a human being is in no way connected to your marital status.

Mr. Right will come along, and hopefully he will like both Jane Austen and Bust magazine. Just as I like feminist literature and men.

I hope you all had a happy Valentine's Day. I know I did, and I didn't even have to kiss a boy to have a good time.

xoxoxox

Work

2008-02-13T21:22:00.003-05:00

This is a conversation I have had 4 times this month with the same 2 people.

Them: What are ya doing?

Me: Sending out resumes

Them: Really! Why?

Me: I'm moving to New York and I need to find a job

Them: I thought you just moved to Hartford?

Me: I did. Now I'm moving to New York

Them: Oh, is that a good idea? Will you be able to find work.

Me: I hope so.

- I am now done having this conversation. If you would like to ask me this question again, it must be done in the form of an interpretive dance.

Just for you.

2008-02-09T21:22:00.000-05:00

Samara, this one is for you.....

Having a blog is a little strange. In my mind, no one reads this thing. Sure, I write stuff, and sometimes someone makes a comment or two, but in general it just floats out in cyber space, collecting digital dust and being yet another kinda crafty blog. This week I have had several reality checks.

I haven't been blogging lately. Actually I have been, I just haven't been posting what I have been writing. It isn't really appropriate to share some of what I have been thinking, so I just write it, and hit delete. Also, I have been getting ready for a craft fair, tech for a show, and oh yeah- I quit my job. Before you freak out, I already did, so that's over and done with. Now I am onto finding something for the summer and beyond. I already have a job interview for the summer season, so now it's time to prep and pep talk till the interview happens. So I've been a little busy.

Oh, yes- the blogging reality checks. Like I said I have been busy and not really publshing blogs......So I got a facebook nudge (or bitchslap) from a college flatmate- who I lived with for 3 weeks. In those 3 weeks 3 of 4 house mates dropped out of college. I had no idea she had been reading my blog, or even really remembered me. My fondest memory of the time we lived together happend in one day. It involves hair bleach, tin foil, mononucleosis, mashed potatoes, and her dreams of telling a professor to 'suck it'. But, that's a post all on it's own.

Things she and I have in common-

1. Love of all things squid.
2. The color combo of pink and green
3. Making pretty stuff and having people buy it.

My other reality check came in the form of a person at the craft fair today. She saw my fused plastic wallets, and we started chatting. She had read a blog with a tutorial about how to fuse plastic. She wanted to know if I had read that particular tutorial.....it was my tutorial. So wierd, so cool. I feel like a little bit of a crafty bloggy rockstar. So clearly, people actually do read this blog, it's not just me and my ravings being read by a few click happy friends boosting my counter. Neat-o.

Oh, and the craft fair was kind of a bust, although a 4 year old did tell me I make really pretty things. And that makes all the difference.

COME SEE ME!

2008-02-08T11:11:00.001-05:00

Weeeeeeee! Tye Dye In Your Nuker

2008-01-29T20:10:00.000-05:00

Good thing I didn't click on the E-harmony 3 for 1 button! Turns out I wasn't really lonely, just had a wicked case of PMS. Thank goodness. I was starting to worry.

^^^^ This is about as close to plumbing talk I will ever get, so no worries. I'm done^^^^

Well, this blog has gotten sorely off topic as of late and I apologize to all of you for it. Here is a little crafty goodness to help bring it back.

How to tie dye in the microwave with Koolaid.

The good thing about a microwave is that is super heats water very quickly. The other good thing about a microwave- most people have one, they are pretty easy to use, and they are reasonably safe.

You can do this project with kids on a snowy or rainy day, but please don't let them near hot things. Use common sense and be careful. Steam and boiling water is hot, and Koolaid stains. Be smart, and have fun.

Things you need

1. white cotton tee shirt (or nylon/cotton tights, or onesies)

2. microwave safe ceramic or glass bowl- big enough to hold whatever you are dyeing.

3. Dye- in this case sugar free Koolaid powder or water based icing coloring.

4. squirt bottles, or glasses - something to dissolve dye in and put the dye onto the shirts.

5. water

6. plastic cling film aka saran wrap.

7. 1/2 cup of baking soda

8. Tongs or someway to turn your STEAMING HOT items while nuking.

9. (optional) cotton string.

10. Kitchen sink

Here is how you do it

1. PRE WASH white cotton tee shirts, tights, onesies or whatever you want to dye. -Note Acrylic and Polyester DO NOT DYE (not even a little)

2. dissolve your baking soda in a sink full of lukewarm water and pre-soak your item(s) to be dyed for about 30 minutes.

3. While you are pre-soaking your whites completely dissolve your dyes in small containers of warm water- the more dye in the water the darker the color will be.

4. Wring out your items to be dyed and arrange them one at a time on plastic wrap. If desired tie the item up with cotton string (not rubber bands).

5. Artistically squirt or dribble your dye onto your shirt/tights/onesie.

6. wrap up the item completely in the plastic wrap and place in microwave safe bowl

7. One item at a time---Nuke it! - I would start with 2 minutes on each side at medium power. YOU SHOULD CHECK YOUR ITEM EVERY 30 SECONDS to be sure it does not catch fire. You want the item to be steaming hot, almost boiling hot and you will be able to see the color developing thru the plastic wrap. If you are seeing the plastic turn burny stop and let the item cool completely before you touch it.

8. Let the item cool completely and remove it from the microwave, rinse thoroughly and enjoy!

Important notes:

All microwaves are different, therefore you should be really careful to not catch yours on fire.

If your item is not thoroughly wet- you run the very real chance of catching it on fire, burning your house down, and melting your microwave. Don't do this. Be sure your item in thoroughly wetted.

Some onesies have metal snaps. Do NOT put metal in your microwave. Duh.

Don't try to be clever and substitute RIT or some other commercial dye for Koolaid or food dye. You should not put fabric dye in your microwave if you plan to cook food in it afterwards.

******You can also do this with silk scarves or super wash wool yarn! Simply follow the above steps but substitute 1/2 cup of vinegar for baking soda. Be sure to skein your yarn out and tie it off in at least 4 places- so you can rinse it without it getting all tangled.

Yeah! Look at you fancy dye person.

Here a couple of scarves I have dyed in my microwave. I'm not really a tye dye tee shirt kinda gal, but I love a good tie dyed silk scarf.

28. Maybe.....

2008-01-27T19:36:00.001-05:00

It is because my birthday is stuck right between Christmas and Valentine's day, or maybe because all my friends are pairing up, or maybe because this week I have received facebook notices about 3 engagements and 2 weddings....but damn! As we like to say at work, my 'dinger' has gone off. This time last year I was happy, no, not happy... thrilled or maybe even elated to be single. This year I have to admit I'm (almost but not quite) lonely.

Today was my 28th birthday. I am planning a move to New York City. I have a small online business that is slowly but surely growing. I make my 'regular' living working in theatre; something that many people wish and hope and dream to someday do. I just lost 16 pounds! I am financially independent of my parents and I work in the arts (did I mention that?) Somehow all that still seems boring compared to my friends who are pairing up like animals for the flood!

I actually found myself flirting with a college student at a coffee shop today. I don't know how old he was, but he wasn't 28, and I didn't care!? WTF? I believe I have gotten a small taste of what it must feel like when your biological clock starts ticking and I am here to tell you -it isn't pretty.

Maybe the people at E-harmony have a special timer that tings with my biological clock, because today they sent me a 3 for 1 notice in my email, and I almost did it. geesh.

Well, on a nicer, less pathetic note I am participating in a craft fair the weekend before V-day at a place called The Space in Hamden, CT. Maybe there will be a nice crafty-artsy boy for me to oogle at there.

xoxoxo

Blogging for Choice

2008-01-22T19:25:00.000-05:00

Today is the 35th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. I am participating in Blogging for Choice by well, blogging for choice. I know you are thinking this is gonna get ugly, but I am here to try to make it as pretty as possible.

Simply stated-I am Pro-Choice. Here is why. I believe, among other things that I, you, and the greater United States (especially the District of Colombia) cannot, should not and hopefully in my lifetime will not dictate women's reproductive health. Simple as that. I cannot understand another woman's life story- because I don't live it. Therefore I cannot dictate what is right for her. You cannot understand my life situation and story, and therefore you cannot dictate what is right for me. Although you and I may have had a similar upbringing, sociopolitical beliefs, religion, education and career path, you are not me and therefore cannot understand what my life is from my perspective and I cannot understand yours.

There is the sticking point. Perception and perspective. What a person perceive to be true is all that matters. My perception of my life lead me to move halfway across the country to a place I had barely visited and take a job for no more money in a place that costs more to live! To me it was a great decision because I perceived it to be a great decision. If you choose to have a baby-for whatever reason-you perceive it to be the right choice for you, and therefore it is. If I(or you) choose not to have a baby- for whatever reason- I (and you) perceive it to be the right choice, and therefore it is. If and woman in these great united states chooses to have a baby and give it to some other people to make a family, then that is the right choice for them, because they made the choice based on their life's perspective. And that's all that matters- perspective, baby.

The harsh reality is- women are going to continue to have abortions. We have been having them for Milena, herbal, self induced, medical, and positively medieval. Now we are lucky enough that an abortion is legal and safe. I hope in my life time I am never faced with the prospect of loosing a woman in my life, because she felt desperate and faced some horrific back-alley abortion simply because someone else didn't respect her right to her perspective. And there we are, back to that word. Perspective. I am more than Pro-Fucking-Choice. I am Pro- Perspective, mine, yours, and hers.

Here are some good links

Naral- One stop shopping for all things and information Pro-Choice.

http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/index.html

Emily's List- A political action committee to help bring Pro-Choice to power.

http://www.emilyslist.org/

Planned Parenthood-A national organisation that provides women's health services, birth control, emergency contraception, adoption services, and abortion counseling and services.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

Feministing- The most bitchin' feminist place on the web.

http://www.feministing.com/

2008-01-21T16:37:00.000-05:00

I'll be blogging for choice tomorrow in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Roe Vs. Wade decision.

On Auto Shops and Feminists

2008-01-16T21:30:00.001-05:00

A great thing about living alone is it gives you time to get inside your own head, indulge yourself in new things. A bad thing about living alone is you don't have someone else to temper you. You tend to grow quickly, indulge your whims and for better or for worse become your own magnifying glass. So, I have been doing some feminist reading over the last few months...and.....I have had some car trouble over the last 10 days or so.

Many women, when faced with car issues hand the keys over to their brother/father/husband/boyfriend and allow him to take care of the issue. I however, do not have this luxury as the closest male family member is about 900 miles away, and I am blissfully single. So I deal with my own car. I have been taking it for it's regular oil changes and tire rotations, just like a good consumer should. So when I got a flat (I changed it myself) and took the car in to have the tire patched.

The very nice person at the desk asked me if I needed any additional maintenance work done, and I happily informed them I just had it all taken care of, and all was well with the maintenance of my car. I got a phone call 4 hours later. The tire was patched, but the tires were in need of a rotation, badly. I asked a few more questions and ascertained that the garage that had been doing my 'maintenance' had not been rotating my tires, and furthermore, since I bought the tires from that garage, the rotations should have been free. And it is in these situations that I find myself asking the question....did this happen because I am a woman? The answer- I will never know, but the fact that I even think it makes me mad.

More than mad, it makes me sad. I am sad to see that women in this world no matter how intelligent, how educated, how powerful we are- we are still just dumb girls in many minds. This very issue has been brought to the spotlight in recent weeks in the way the media is covering Hillary Clinton's campaign, the way the candidates are talking about women's reproductive rights and the way I feel walking into an auto shop.

I'm beginning to see why women who read lots of 'feminist' literature and identify themselves as Feminists are seen as angry, and it just might be because we are.

Huh?

2008-01-14T20:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I know 2 posts in one day is a lot...but I just read this on feministing and I have to say. WTF?

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/01/07/1199554567704.html?page=fullpage

Veggie Soup

2008-01-14T18:39:00.000-05:00

This is an easy-peasy yummy soup. It can be made either vegan or meaty. It's great either way. I like to make a big pot of it on Sunday afternoon and eat it for lunches. It also works great in a slow cooker a.k.a. a crock pot.

1 large onion (larger than your fist) chopped into biggish pieces

2 large red potatoes (fist sized) unpeeled, chopped into slightly larger than 1" cubes

3 cloves of garlic smashed and minced

4 Celery stalks chopped

5 Large carrots chopped (about 1lbs. bag)

6 Cups of veggie or beef stock ---reserve one cup---

1 Can of your favorite tomato soup

1.5 lbs of super lean stew beef (optional)

1 bunch of parsley chopped with stems removed-usually sold in the produce isle of the grocery store

1Tbls of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Tbls Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Rosemary (either fresh or dried)

In a big pot saute the onions in the olive oil and salt over medium heat until translucent about 3 minutes. Add garlic and if using beef, add beef and saute for about 2 minutes. Add stock and tomato soup allow to come to simmer. Add veggies, parsley and rosemary. Do not bring to full boil and cook over medium/medium low heat until veggies are done (and meat is almost falling apart) about 4 hours. Dissolve the flour in the reserved stock and add to soup, bring to low boil and stir continuously to thicken soup. Stores really well in the fridge for about 4 days.

If using a slow cooker- combine all ingredients (except reserved stock and flour) and cook over medium for 8 hours. Dissolve flour in reserved stock and add to pot. Crank it up to high and cook it for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Yummy!

Man.

2008-01-11T19:22:00.000-05:00

I need a man in my life. Why? Here's why.

1. My cat barfed in my bed twice last week

2. My car died yesterday and I had to deal with 3 auto-repair shops to have it fixed.

3. I got a flat tire tonight.

4. I got a $647.15 auto property tax bill in the mail.

Oh my!, says the feminist, you don't need a man for any of those things. Yeah, true. I cleaned up the cat barf and changed the sheets. I was smart enough to know I shouldn't ignore the check engine light, took it to the various repair shops and had the repair covered under the warranty. This is the 3rd flat tire I have dealt with in the last 2 years, so I know how to safely change a tire and get myself back on the road. I knew the tax bill would come so I have been squirreling away money to pay it, even on my limited not-for-profit salary. I can deal with all those things, but my beer is empty and I really don't wanna get up right now, so if I had a man in my life- he'd probably be nice and get me one.

Craftivsm I

2008-01-10T19:03:00.000-05:00

As I was listening to NPR (as usual) and a story came on about a twenty something tailor's apprentice, the small but mighty push towards craftivism and not being a mass consumer. The story got me thinking, thinking about my life, my work, and my place within a bigger movement. What is my place in all of this craftivism?

The Arts and Crafts movement of the 19th and 20th centuries was a push towards beautiful high quality, handmade, pieces furniture and decorative arts. I'm sure at the time the original people involved were thought of as nuts for their push for handmade in a time of industrial revolution. Just as right now craftivists are looked as subversive, anti-establishment feminists by people who can easily purchase cheap mass-produced goods made in our new global economy.

The difference now- with the advent of the Internet you can read all about the lives and musings of artists and craftspeople, find ones that have the same politics as you, ones with your worldview. You can easily be informed about where and how your goods are produced. As and informed consumer it is much harder (for me) to purchase anything without questioning it's origin, sustainability and larger impact.

I find myself asking all the hard questions when I shop now. Where was this made? Was the person who made it payed a living wage? Is this cup of coffee fairly traded, does the barista have health insurance? Did these eggs and this milk come from animals who were pinned up and pumped full of hormones? I'm sure my life would be much simpler if I didn't ask these questions. I know my grocery bill would be lower. but would I be happier? I doubt it, and besides, my life would be so boring and predictable without wonderful handmade goods.

Rock on.

2008-01-09T21:29:00.000-05:00

I just saw this. It's a great feeling to be a part of this bigger movement in the world.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_02/b4066060100841_page_2.htm