So, even tho this show has been on the air for many seasons, I never bothered tuning in...I dunno why, but I happened to catch the Food Network Chefography one night, and they were featuring Duff, the founder of the bakery...I don't really watch reality shows, I don't like all the screaming, crying, fake drama, and stupid acting that goes along with them, and figured this show was another in a long line of stupid reality shows...but its NOT...and now I'm addicted to it...I think its because it reminds me of when I worked for Origin, the computer game company that was here in Austin from 1990-1998 (the years I worked there, anyway)...It was filled with creative, silly, funny people who worked like crazy and stayed as late as they needed to in order to get the job done...the bakery seems to be the same creative environment and its fun to watch what they design as well as see how talented they are in executing the designs...
I watched the Harry Potter cake episode (shown) last night and it was really cool...not only did they build the cake, but Duff had to drive it from Baltimore to LA for the movie premiere...We've seen cakes fall apart, be dumped on their heads, all the fondant slide completely off, have paint spilled on them, crack in half, and yet they all get repaired and ready for their delivery...its stressful, and we're glad we aren't the ones who have to worry about it all...so yeah, I'm looking forward to their new season starting in July...
I get to pack up my generator and send it back to the manufacturers for some love...something 'sploded and now it makes a loud hissing sound...air is escaping and I don't know from where...thankfully, I have a backup generator (yeah, I know), and I think I'm gonna just upgrade the one I'm sending back to their bigger, larger, more horse power unit...I mean, how can you not go bigger, faster, louder, right? It blew out the day i got back from Boston and I just haven't had the time to troubleshoot it...its easier to send it back and replace it than fiddle with it, wasting valuable beadmaking time...at least that's how I see it...and there's NO ONE local (in the 100 mile radius) who can work on it...BOO!!!
So, I guess with that, i will take my leave, get things packaged up and fire up the torch...its time...I'm ready...I have some ideas of things to work on, so this'll be fun...back later...
I've spent the morning watering plants that aren't hooked up on our spiffy submatic watering system...mostly stuff in the backyard, hanging geraniums, etc...the trees are getting a good long drink right now...our water bill tends to stay the same whether we water a lot or not, I think they just charge us a flat rate and we either use that amt or we don't...so this month, (and probably the next few) we are gonna use the water...not waste it, mind you...it doesn't go running down the driveway into the street like I saw the Austin Airport was doing last night when I picked Brian up from his Seattle trip...water just running down the street in the curbs, the city sprinklers were tossing water all over the roads...nice...so we aren't wasting ours, its going right into the dirt where the roots live and the plants drink heartily...
Its a big 'Western' festival in town this weekend...a parade has already gone by, i could hear the fire engines...a creepy little carny village has sprung up w/ scary little rides for the kids, and unwinnable games for the adults...I don't mind walking thru the place, getting a hermetically sealed cotton candy and gawking at the craptacular wares these folks haul from one town to another..I remember being a kid and going to as many little carnivals as I could in the summer...they were probably just as creepy back then, but I don't remember being repulsed...for some reason I wanted to win a large cigarette lighter, it was my life's goal...once i won it, I didn't do anything with it..i didn't light firecrackers, or even fill the damn thing cause you needed lighter fluid and I didn't know where to buy it...whatever...I hope the kids of nowadays enjoy the carnivals and look back on them fondly...I know I do...
Another day, another injured (or dead) bird...I found a little finch with an injured wing...at least I think that's what's wrong...I'm no Bird Whisperer...I picked her up and put her in the tree...I'm hoping a little rest will giver her some time to get better, but who am I kidding...she can't fly properly...there's nowhere out here to rehab wildlife so I'm kinda stuck...but I'm ready to put Jack and Chloe in the truck and relocate them to somewhere not here...I don't really care where...anyone want two cats?
I've been busily working on projects that I have had in the house for years (literally) and its been fun...Its nice to finish things that you intended to do, but never got around to...Pics to come...right now I'm kinda hiding out from the heat...I've walked the dog, but its blistering out there, and it makes me tired...
I wanna go see the new Angelina movie tomorrow...it looks formulaic, but I'll go...its getting much better reviews than some other movies out there, so that's pretty good...I have low expectations, which helps...I learned that long ago, after enjoying the Matrix and then watching the two horrible sequels it spawned...is anyone really surprised that Love Guru or Speed Racer didn't do big bucks? The trailers looked awful...Mike Myers used to be so funny, but now he's just a one-note actor...I loved the original Austin Powers, but not the sequels...and none of his other films (cat in the hat, 54, Shrek) were much of anything...oh sure, lots folks liked Shrek, but Brian and I just went 'ehhh'...then again, we didn't get the first Narnia either, so what do we know...
I think I need some lunch...I wonder what's hiding in the pantry...I shouldn't watch cooking shows during the day, they make me wanna create weird food combinations that shouldn't see the light of day...
With the intense summer heat we've had since Mid-May, we find ways to stay cool as best we can...thankfully the porch stays in the shade thru the entire summer, so sitting out on it can be rather enjoyable...after the first plants had been spent in the porch basket, I picked up some shade plants and potted them the other day...I'm really happy with the selection and how it all turned out...I don't know much about shade plants, but as we move from the finishing the front yard into working in the backyard, we are starting to explore more about shade gardens...our fabulous pecan trees keep the backyard in shade all summer, which we are grateful for...but I'd still like to start digging out there, making some pathways and get some plants in the ground...afterall, we have exhausted the little front yard - there's not much room left to dig!
I like that I don't have to have FLOWERS to have a cool looking basket...as much as i love flowers, there are other ways to get color, plus texture, with using shade plants...I do have to water this dude every few days, even tho its shady, it still gets the water squeezed from it on 100 degree days, so I give it good drinks and try to keep it moist w/out being soggy...we'll see how long I can keep this dude going...
I have another shallow planter that was looking pretty sad, so yesterday I made a stop at my fave nursery and loaded up on small sunny plants...last night at 8:30, I'm outside putting all the plants together...plumbago, zinnia, penta, castor bean, it looks great..I'll have to get pics of that too...and keep an eye on it - it IS in the sun, and will dry out quickly...
New tires are on the Honda, it feels great...poor little car, takes the brunt of our driving, but is in great shape...we keep it on it's maintenance schedule and do what they tell us...when the dealer said it needed new tires (53K miles), we took it seriously...I read a great article about how a local dealer is putting names in a paper bag and drawing names (about 7 at a time) to get a CHANCE to buy a Prius, in 6 months! One guy's name didn't get drawn, so he tried to buy another person's place by offering him $3000...but the dude turned him down...I wanna buy an all-electric car and I want one NOW! Honda is advertising them, but you can't get them...bah! I'd like to stop using gas/oil altogether and go all-electric or hydrogen...no wonder Cartman would call me a 'tree huggin' hippy'...no kidding...
Looks like my little stroke of brilliance on drawing swirls on copper and etching them wasn't so original afterall...ha!
Thanks for letting me take yesterday off the computer, cause I needed it...I was gone at 7:00am to take B to the airport and then into Austin for errands, appts and lunch...I caught the early showing of Kung Fu Panda (again) and its just as cute the second time around...plus, I have an addiction to the Goat Cheese Salad at Alamo Drafthouse, so if I go too long w/out one, I have to stop in and partake...tasty! I hit Home Depot and picked up various tin snips, copper tubing, propane kits, dowel rods, then onto another hardware store for washers and wire...I plumb forgot to look for them at HD, but it just as well...Target trip didn't yield anything, which is kinda weird...but that's ok...I needed to tend to my toes, as they were looking pretty lame, so I got a pedicure with new aqua toe polish...groovy...
And today I'm supposed to go get tires on the Honda, but I'm not sure they knew I was coming up today, so that might happen tomorrow instead...I'm in convos with the dude at the shop, he's a friend and takes care of my Miata for me...he knew I was needing the tires, but I don't wanna surprise him if he hasn't ordered them yet...
But I'm happy with the various goods I scored yesterday...now I just need to get some sheets of copper and brass to cut up...I ordered a couple of sheets from Rio along w/ some tools, and maybe, eventually, soon, sorta, I dunno when, I'll be able to make more of the Mary Hetts projects...I'm still w/out embossing powders and a heat gun, but I'm not gonna worry about that too much...I still need a nice selection of loose beads and washers, but i'll work on collecting those too...looks like more trips to Austin will be necessary...
I'm slowly acquiring the bits and pieces to make clay beads, mixed metal projects and PMC pieces...why is it when I think I have what I need, I don't have anything I need? Cause I took classes on projects that I don't know how to do, and as such, I have to stock up on the tools needed for them...Its all I could do not to stop in to the yarn store yesterday but I didn't...I don't NEED new yarn right now, as much as I WANT new yarn right now...gah...
I've been keeping my 'to do 'list up on my computer to keep me on track..its actually working...sure, I don't get everything done in the day I've scheduled it, but the list has gone from 19 tasks to 7...so things are getting done...I am happy about that...I had to stop by the post office to pick up shipping boxes, and once I get upstairs to ship and print, that'll knock another 4 items right off the list...so I guess I just needed to let things play out in due course and not try to get it all done in 3 days...I've been reading other blogs about other post-B&B attendees (students and teachers) who are going thru similar situations as mine - information overload and the desire to get things done, but not knowing where to start...I guess its just part of the whole experience, and something I'll know to keep in mind next time I go...
9:00pm - I'm gonna take a break from the computer tomorrow, there's lots to do and I'll be all over...rock on...
Hey guess what...I found more projects and have posted those pics now too...so if you've already sauntered thru the pics earlier today, go see what is new...and if you haven't already viewed them, then try to guess which ones are new...its not rocket science, but wouldn't it be fantastic if it was?
I've actually shot the pics and posted them!!!!!!!!!!If you wanna see the pics, feel free to go here now...I also realized that I'm missing some pieces that I bought, they must be upstairs...so I'll be updating the page as I find my kits/projects...
The cupcakes were made last night...they are tasty...I doubled the recipe this time, instead of making two batches, and I made MUCH LESS of a mess this time...last time, there was flour and cocoa powder all over the floor and counter...good grief...this time, it was cleeeean...nice...
I've been doing pretty well on my Task List, taking care of chores that need to be done on each of the days I designated them...yesterday was a bit of a blow out, with a few things that weren't planned, so some of those chores were moved to today, like mowing the backyard...its so dry here, and what's growing in our backyard is mostly low ground cover weeds, that when I mowed, I mostly just kicked up dirt...it went really fast, tho, cause when the ground is dry, its very easy to mow the weeds down...Brian picked up all the loose sticks, moved electrical cords outta the way and made my mowing job easier...So now that all that's done, its time to turn to my 'real' Sunday chores - baking cupcakes (yeah, that never got done yesterday) and snapping shots of my B&B projects/purchases...I think I'll go get started on both of those in the next few minutes...
I stayed up too late last night watching the US Olympic Gynmastic trials (day 2 is tonight, on NBC) and then catching Graham Norton on BBCA...it was a hilarious episode, and I laughed thru it all...
Amelie is inside, she's spent a good deal of time outside and she's tuckered out...she's dirty and needs a bath, but I prefer to wear my blood inside my veins, so I think I'm gonna just give her a good brushing...maybe I'll have the vet techs give her a bath...she behaves so much better for them than she does for me...go figure...
Thanks for your suggestions, it looks like there are more than two places to buy clay in Austin...I wasn't even aware of Armadillo on 4th, so I'll have to go check it out...when i relayed my experience yesterday to a friend who owns a retail store, she told me I should contact the store and let them know what happened...I would be interested, but I'm a little concerned that the person i dealt with yesterday is the OWNER herself...course, i could be wrong...I may go back one day, I'm just not in any hurry to do it right now...
The hot days make me sleepy, and I find myself taking naps in the afternoon...its weird, I've never been a 'nap person', and up until a few weeks ago everything was fine, but for the past 4 weeks our temps have been between 98 and 103...every day...and it wipes me out...so I find myself crashing in the afternoon, but then getting up refreshed...it happened again today, after we ran all over Austin this morning...Brian crashed too, we were both tired and drained...but the outdoor stray kitties have food again, and we've made some more progress on some other projects, so it was a productive day...I guess it's what you'd call a 'siesta', and I'm finding my body just naturally goes that way...I'm sure when its cool again in November, I'll stop taking naps...heh...
I still haven't fired up my torch yet, but I will...I still have my list of chores to complete, I've not gotten everything done for today, and it might push the list into next week, but I will be making beads again soon...I swear...ha...I just checked my list for today and I haven't done a single THING on it so far today...d'oh! Oh well, there's always MOnday, right?...
Ok then, I'm ready to go bake some vegetarian cupcakes and maybe some dinner...I'm not sure which one will win...probably cupcakes...
Its been a kinda weird day today...Part of it was great, part of it was disappointing...The great part- I got to sit and visit with Al Janelle at Bluemoon this afternoon, and watch him make (sorta) one of his awesome chicken beads...do you know who Al is? He was in the beadmaking world a while back, and after awhile he walked away from it to become one with the earth and tend to his wildlife garden...full of snakes, spiders and wild animals...his stories are cool...anyway, he's starting to get back into the bead world and I've never seen him making a bead before so it was a real treat..the 'sorta' part was his bead release gave way and even after many attempts to recover, it just seemed to go downhill...but, I got the gist of what he was doing...can I do it? no...I don't have the stamina or patience...it took him over 2 hours and he still wasn't finished...I've never made a bead that took over 30 min...I get a little wiggy with long-term beads...but his work is fantastic and I hope he makes more so i can buy one one day...soon...
The weird part happened earlier in the day...I was SO JAZZED to go to one of the two local clay shops in Austin...I was ready...buy buy buy...rah rah, I'm ready to buy clay and glazes and tools and find out about firing and just get INTO it...here I come! So, the first shop I go to - closed...what? Its lunchtime, and I guess there's only ONE person in the shop, and when its lunch, they just close...too bad, so sad...can't come in...great...so, with much traffic dodging, I jump back onto the road, and down the street to the next clay shop...they are open! hurray, that's positive...pretty pieces are all over the shelves, that's great...there are 3 people inside! Yea! They are attentive and realize I'm in the store...that's a good sign...and then it all goes wonky...I explain to the woman, who is walking and talking in what seemed like a daze, that I took a class in Milwaukee, have started to make beads, would like to buy some clay, glazes, tools, etc....She slowly wanders to the clay, saying she only has red clay in stock, and I said that was fine with me...its .50 a lb, she says, great, I say...I say AGAIN that I'm looking for glazes, and she asks me if I'm from around here, or if I just moved here...um, I guess the Milwaukee comment has stuck in her brain, apparently we are about 10 minutes behind in the conversation...No, I'm from around here...she weighs the clay and slowly hands it off to a co worker who had been on the phone...she mentions they might be able to fire the clay for me, but they don't really ever do beads, and maybe there is some wire I could use, but they don't know...all this is said in soft, slow, airy words...ok ok, but I want GLAZES!! That never seems to make it thru her brain, its never addressed, answered, referred to or mentioned, even tho I've said it now 3 times...they tell me its 3.25 for the clay, I pay, they say 'thanks' and I leave...wow...Here I am, n00b to the max, ready to jump in, sign up, buy goods, take classes, the whole thing, and all they can manage to do is sell me $3.25 worth of clay...did no one LISTEN to me? apparently not...and as such, I will be forced to order my supplies over the internet and pretty much continue with what I learned at B&B and ask questions of my teacher via email and do what I can...I prefer to 'shop local' - to keep local shops in business...I didn't HAVE to visit these places, I coulda just ordered the stuff and left them alone..instead, I made trips to both shops and didn't get much more than a nod back...ok...so be it...
I've received my clay beads from my B&B class, I'm planning on taking pics and posting all bout my B&B experience on Sunday...there's lots of pics to take and lots of things to say...don't worry, you won't miss anything, it'll be posted a long time (my other trips are still posted on my Links page, in fact)...
Its time for some dinner and to chill out and reflect...and do something fun tonight...we'll see what happens...
Since returning from B&B I've been in kind of a slow-motion state...sure, i'm up and moving around, but I feel like I'm not getting anything done, while getting tons of stuff done...but I realized, finally, what is going on...I've got SO MUCH stuff to do that I'm kinda in a stasis position...I don't know what to do first, so I do nothing...I made a list last night of just the things I know I need to do - there are 18 items on the list, NOT including shooting the pics from my B&B projects, which I just added to the list, so that makes 19 things to do...and of course, they all need to be done in the next 24 hours...I need to prioritize them, but frankly they all feel like they should be done right now...and as such, I am moving in slow motion, trying to un-freeze my life and get things going...
I have been doing plenty of stuff in the meantime, that's whats so weird...cats to vets, lawns watered, food gathered, errands run, appts made, trips completed, packages mailed, emails answered, tires ordered, books read, kits found, junk hauled upstairs, suitcases unpacked, I mean, I have been DOING things...I just need to push apart the days, and get PLENTY of time to do the rest of these things...I'm glad I'm not going anywhere for the next while...anywhere far far away...
I'm headin' out to walk the dog and try to get 5 or 10 of these things knocked off my list...wish me luck!
DING! After reading this sad little diatribe, I took some action!! I made subheadings on The List of Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon...and I broke up all the tasks for each day, and guess what?!?!?! It looks like I can get this crap done in the next few days...I guess it doesn't ALL have to be done in the next 24 hours, as much as it FEELS like it does...I'm sure i'll be adding projects to this list, I can already think of emails that i haven't answered, but I can't do it all today...it'll all get done, and if it doesn't, it'll still be there...for another day...go to my happy place...chill out...its not a race...ahhhhhh...unwinding....
All the Etsy stuff has been packaged and is heading to the PO this morning...look for it by the end of the week...and thank you!!
Well, I made it to Harbour Freight and loaded up on goods, but then headed home, totally forgetting about the clay...looks like I need to make another trip into town, probably Friday...I did manage to find the books that I bought at the show, and was looking thru them yesterday...if I can't play in the clay, at least I can read about playing with the clay...alas...
I've been riding w/ the top down a little TOO much of late, i think...I'm getting tan and burned all at the same time, and I'm thankful for the color in my face, but I could do without the redness...just cause it gives me a headache later...but I'm so pale, i need some color and I just can't stand driving w/ the top up when its sunny outside...so what if I sweat, that's part of it...I was wondering why my hair was flying all over, when the old dude next to me in his convertible Mustang had not one hair flying around...where's the fair?
Amelie dashed outside this morning while I was fiddling around with the birdfeeders...and she's so worried that i'm gonna scoop her up and bring her back indoors, that she zooms away from me if I get close to her...thankfully she's just hanging out on the tote in the backyard, taking a snooze...she really enjoys being outside, and she stays close to the house, and right now there is a young cardinal eating from the ground, but she isn't even looking...she's not a hunter, even tho she does enjoy the birds...but she's too lazy to do anything about it...now, Bette Davis, she IS a hunter and I can't let her stay out, cause she'll take out as many birds as she can...
Oh, the other day I was driving the dog to the school for her walk and I was only a few feet from the house when I spied the COOLEST snake in the gravel road...granted, out 'gravel' road is mostly dust, so he had slithered into the sun and was enjoying himself...I drove right up next to him and tried to get a pic from my phone, but by the time I got it out and setup, he was gone...I dunno what kind he was, he was only about 14" and dark brown w/ some patterning, but it was very light...he was some kind of viper, I guess, with a triangular head, but I read that not all triangle shaped heads mean venomous...I thought he was AWESOME and I hope I see him again...only not squished in the street...maybe he'll wander down our way...the cats would kill him tho...maybe he's better to stay in the woods and out of civilization...good luck dude...
I'm thinking of stopping by the local pottery shop and picking up a big ol' tub of clay, some glazes and silly little tools...taking this ceramic beads class at B&B has lit a small fire in me to make more of these dainty little things...my class pieces should arrive later this week, maybe next, but that's ok, I wanna make some more stuff NOW...they are so easy to do, its just the same low-fire clay you used in art class as a kid - do they still offer art classes in school anymore? If not, you should take your kids to local craft places, or buy supplies online and teach your kids yourself...i learned how to do calligraphy, linoleum block printing, rug hooking, charcoal drawing, pottery all in my middle school art class...it was a great experience and I still remember it...I think kids should be exposed to art and music at an early age, cause as adults, I think we are afraid to fail or make mistakes in those areas...I see it all the time in class - I am not bothered to make ugly stuff in classes, I typically DO make ugly stuff...I like the exposure to the technique where I can come home and grow it in my own space...some things I take to more easily than others, but eventually they all make their way into my world...
I can't draw 'properly' to save myself, but I can do great cartoony kinda drawings...you know, the big eyed, round faced, simple line stuff...so what if I draw a banana and it doesn't look like one...I can do a cartoon one just fine...
So, go - buy glitter and glue and markers and construction paper...make something fun today...do fingerpainting - one of my most favorite things to do as a kid...buy crayons...(leave them in the sun and enjoy the melty goodness)...buy some paint and wood pieces and paint them...hang them up in your kid's room...enjoy your summer w/out it costing a lot of money...get some clay or sculpey or paper maiche and some newspaper and rock your world...I'm ready!!
I'm tellin' ya, I'm dolin' out the info as I can...I have all my stuff, but I won't have time to shoot the pics for a while...I have to take Amelie to the vet to remove some pieces from her fur...cause she won't let me get near her to remove it...and then walk the dog...ship my Etsy goodies (thank you)...and then visit City Hall...and then work on the house...and that's just today...(and that's not all, but you don't wanna hear all the tedium going on here)...so, I grab the opportunity to shoot pics when I can, and today you get to see the Lisa Niven Kelly Stamped Ladder bracelet class...I've linked to her site where her kits are for sale - you should know that she's only teaching this class right now, the kit will be for sale down the road...but buy something else to enjoy cause all her kits are really great, and her instructions are wonderful...
I was relocating one of my class projects kits this morning and could hear the little bits and pieces jingle as they fell out of the bag and all over my hallway...I can't SEE the pieces, but I know they are onthe floor somewhere...
I'm doing a run to Harbour Freight tomorrow, I hope to get more washers, hammers and various trinkets and goodies there...I like Harbour, its like going to a garage sale...there's always something there you don't need, but are intrigued by...good times...
Yes! I watched Tiger and it was pretty tense, but I still managed to take a bath while he played...I knew I'd wanna see the end of the match, and I was glad I timed it the way I did...I don't think I'll have any time to watch any of it today, maybe the last few holes, but that's ok...I'm sure it'll be a good match, but I just have too much to do...its always exciting when Tiger plays, even when he plays badly, which isn't often...
Amelie has an idea something is wrong, she spotted the cat carrier when she came in from her morning stroll outside, and now she's hiding...I gotta go dig her out...wish me luck...
My fed ex box of tools and treats arrived yesterday - saturday - praise jeebus...I've unloaded it and everything is scattered all over the floor...i had to make room for Amelie to jump onto her table - or she woulda just thrown it all over the floor anyway...so, I shall be hauling it upstairs and going thru it all today...after I get back from the nursery where I'm gonna pick out some replacement plants for my baskets which have 'had enough'...the heat is wearing them out...its time to refresh them...
speaking of, Brian and I have spent the past two mornings in the garden, finishing up the submatic watering system...now both sides of the garden have hoses w/ emmiters to distribute the water...we've added a few extended lines w/ emiters into the lemon, lime trees, and a couple of the potted rose bushes...we still need to bury the new submatic in the left part of the yard, but that'll happen, prob next weekend..its just too hot to go back out there today, we were out when the yard was still shaded, but not now...still, having the system installed even in its current state is SO MUCH of a help, you have no idea...we'll install the timers to the faucets and it'll actually turn the water on and off for us all by itself, no need to worry about it...I'm sure there'll be some tweaking here and there, as some areas might get more water, and others less...we'll fix those as we run across them...
I'm really happy to have it installed, tho...I really take a hit when I'm out in the sun for long periods of time..its not the heat - its the humidity..you've heard it all before, but its true...15% desert humidity is a whole lot different than 90% Texas humidity...trust me, its brutal...but I like the heat over the cold cold winters, so I'm here...and now I have water and I'm freakin' happy...the next thing I wanna do is install a water collection service in our backyard...we can gather thousands of gallons of water from just one good 2 hours rain storm...even an inch of rain will yield thousands of gallons...hippy hippy shake...I haven't started growing my own veggies yet, mostly down here its peppers, tomatoes, okra and squash...not exactly the vegetable bounty that I love...so I just buy local and let the other farmers do the work, I'll happily pay them for locally grown veggies...I don't wanna fight the worms, birds and other garden variety bugs...heh...
How about Tiger? I was SO GLAD we watched his final 5 holes, how exciting was that...he plays again today, I hope his knee holds up, and its an exciting day...he is so much fun to watch...
Ok then, I've killed some time here, the nursery opens at 1:00 and i haven't been in a few weeks, so I wanna see if they have any bat houses or other funky yard art that I might need...time to zoom...
A little more info about why the butterfly population is down this year...it applies to the Dallas area, but if you're experiencing low butterfly turnout like we are in Central Texas, it probably applies to you as well...
We caught the 6:15 showing of Kung Fu Panda and enjoyed the heck out of it...it helped that there were loads of little kids (with parents) in the theatre, giggling, chatting, and giving a great atmosphere to the movie...normally you'd think that chatting and noise during a movie would be bad, but listening to little kids enjoy the movie was half the fun...the movie is just my kinda kid flick - its not too sappy or stupid...there's a real story and its interesting, the animation is pretty and the acting is well done...its not just another kids summer movie, at least it wasn't for me...normally I don't go see kids summer movies, I mean, I've seen Nemo and some of the Disney flicks, but mostly I just write off stuff like Ice Age, Madagascar, Shrek and the really truly stupid looking kid flicks...but this one was a hoot and I recommend it for YOU as well as your kids...
I've got some Bead and Button stories...how about this one...its the afternoon, after the first full day of the show is open to the public (Friday)...I'm heading back to my hotel, and can see the escalator...two women are at the foot of it, with their myriad of bags in tow...they get on the machine, and at about 5 steps up, one of the women gets caught or hung up, and somehow falls backward, hitting her head smack on the ground...it makes the most miserable sound, as her friend screams...thankfully the escalators have attendents located at them (perhaps this has happened before) and he ran right over, turned off the machine and called for help...people started arriving immediately, and while the escalator was turned off, the lady and friend were trying to untwist her from her upside down position...I wasn't sure what to do, and decided to just wait it out to see if they needed me for anything...(there's not a lot of room to fit lots of folks onto an escalator to assist)...after ahwile, I figured they had it under control, so i headed to the elevator and went home...I hope the lady was ok, I didn't hear anything more about it, so I figured she musta been...crazy times...
I'm STILL waiting on my Fed Ex box, they told me it shipped Monday, and yet, nothing...it only took 3 days to ship the thing TO the hotel, why so long to return it...bah...there's not much I can do, I had to ship it separately, there was no way I could lug that stuff back with me...I guess I wait...
I spent a LOT of yesterday driving around w/ the top down, in 100 degree heat...sounds icky to you, but I needed the vitamin C to soak into my body...after spending a chilly (58 is chilly to me) week in Boston and another 9 days in Milwaukee where I was indoors 99% of the time, I needed some sun...so what if I sweated...so what if my hair is a mess...so what if I'm sunburned on my cheeks...(i wore sunglasses and my hat too), I needed to go out and burn up the road...it was fun and I enjoyed it...my car is driving like a brand new car, after all the repairs i've put into it, and its a blast..plus it looks good...new window tint, new detailing, the beast is gorgeous...I enjoyed it...I did spot yet another Smart car, a little blue one and I laughed when I saw it...its about the teeniest thing I've ever seen...hilarious!!
The dog is walked...the yard is watered (by hand)...the birds are fed, the cats are fed, Amelie has had a walk about in both the front and back yard...she even crossed the street for a minute, but I put the stop to that...she doesn't understand the whole 'car' situation and I don't want her getting spooked at the wrong time...she's inside now, laying down next to the computer, happy as a fat clam...she's figured out how to get from the back yard to the front yard all by herself (you have to jump a high fence and she's rather portly, so I didn't expect to see her on the other side)...
Brian did a little digging about why there are no butterflies this year...turns out, butterflies are 'cyclical'...last year was a great year for them, this year, there are very few...we've not had our garden long enough to have experienced the ebb and flow of the bug world, so we are still learning...one exciting thing I've seen (twice now, actually) are PRAYING MANTIS in the yard...they are very small, and beneficial (they like to eat other bugs) and I'm tickled to see them at all...I didn't see a one last year..not a one...this year, I've seen two...I'm easily excited...
I'm also happy to get to drive my car today...being gone all last week, and not having anywhere to go this week, it hasn't been run in well over two weeks...its time to blow open the carburator and get going...and of course - its sprinkling out here! We haven't seen rain since like February, and today, when I wanna go out in the convertible, its sprinkling...so what, I say...I'm gonna put the top down...by the time I have to hit the road, it'll be hot and sunny...and since when has a little sprinkle stopped anybody, I ask you...
I'm feeling the need for a movie...I think Kung Fu Panda would work...Brian has nixed the Sex and the City movie and I'll honor that...no need to drag him to it...and he's already seen IronMan twice, and we don't wanna see Indy again, so I think the Panda will have to do...I don't expect anything, i just wanna chill out with a goat cheese salad and enjoy some cartoons...seems like a plan...
2:21pm BEADS, TROLLS, BRACELETS are all posted on Etsy now...Go have fun...hope you see something good...and I'll be back on the torch Monday, if not over the weekend...rock on and as always THANK YOU!!!
I like reading other sites to see what their experiences were at B&B...I'm thankful this year that all my classes were pretty decent...sure, a couple of them were kinda 'low end' - what I would say I could easily buy the supplies from Michaels, read some directions and figure it out myself...but I know that going into the class, so i wasn't disappointed...plus, the instructors were pretty nice and I had a good time in them, so I didn't much mind...then I had some 'high end' classes that kinda kicked my ass, where I knew I was getting into things that I'd never done before (blown beads in boro comes to mind) where the instructor (Doug Remschneider) was super fantastic, could do pretty much anything you asked, and was hilarious...I sucked at that class, but I knew that going in, so i was ok with that too...
But I'm really thankful that I didn't have any classes that I absolutely HATED or were frustrating...I've heard about some ugly classes where the instructor was condescending, rude, mean, testy, stupid, unprepared, flighty, non-existent and unprepared...I was in one class where a student came in, to escape the class she had signed up for, because she hated it so bad...we welcomed her in our class (she had taken a different class from our instructor the day before and knew she'd be happier with us than with the other class)...I have a friend who made a pretty cool piece of jewelry, but said the instructor was combative - saying things like "you're NOT going to put that in the tumbler NOW are you?" or "you AREN'T going to put liver of sulfur on it NOW are you?"...my friend was like "well yeah, sure, why not" and her piece turned out just fine...why can't instructors say things like "lets see how it turns out and if there's a problem we'll just fix it later"...be positive, not negative...I mean, there are a ton of different ways to do things, if there's one thing I know, its that there is rarely only one right way to do something...I dapped some disks (made them curved) before I punched holes in them...ideally I shoulda punched the holes first...but did I let that stop me? did the instructor tell me I'd ruined my piece? no! cause it wasn't ruined, it was fine...I make mistakes, we all do...some of my coolest projects come about from mistakes...why not go into it with a positive attitude? I don't freak out, I just keep going and let things fall where they may...I'm, glad my friend did the same thing - her piece looked great and there wasn't any problem with it at all...I told her she shoulda said "what do i care, I'm never wearing this piece of crap"...maybe the instructor woulda shut up...but then, probably not...
I'm headin out for pics...lots to do...back after 'while...
I had a nice diatribe all typed up and ready to post here, and the internet connection failed...the picture posted but the diatribe not so much...oh well, I'm not even sure what I was rambling about previously, so we'll just let it go..
after spending most of the day on the way to and fro from the CPA's office, we are back home and feeling good...while we weren't able to recoup all the money we submitted to the IRS when we filed our extension, we were able to get back a nice chunk of it with some additional deductions that we weren't aware we could take...so now we'll be getting a refund from the IRS in the next few weeks...I'm glad its all settled...
One of the groovy things that I've discovered is that I should be spending more money...sounds like a joke right? but I didn't have that much spenditure last year, I had already stocked up on lotsa glass and didn't really need new torches, blah blah...well, looks like I should be spending more...I like a CPA who tells me that...time to buy...take more classes...spend more money...sweet...what should I buy first? A pound of each Double Helix? well, that's going a little koo-koo I think...maybe just a small sampling of each color would do...
I did manage to complete one class project yesterday - the Ladder Bracelet that I learned from LIsa Niven Kelly...of course I'll post a pic of it for ya'll, with all the scoop...I think she's just teaching the project, she's not selling the kits for it yet, but if you're in the mood, you should check out her Beaducation website where you can take your own online classes without having to travel to Milwaukee...I have a class on there that I still need to take, once my tools get back I think I'll fire it up and make the project...I can't really DO anything for the next few days w/out my hammers, bench block, pliers, etc..I guess I'll just take pics and post them for ya'll tomorrow...that'll haveta do...I need to get underway early, tho, cause I don't want to melt to the seat outside...its dang hot and I'm gonna be hiding under the shade, shooting pics as fast as I can...
4:15pm...I just spoke to the shipping dept of the Hilton Milwaukee - they have shipped my box of goods to me today, so I expect to see it one day this week (its going ground)...they had a single earring with my info on a shipping label, but I didn't recognize the description of it (would I wear an earring with a yellow bead on it?)...I wonder if it fell outta my stuff in my room...I dunno..its in 'lost and found' now and if I realize it really IS mine, then I'll call them back...but for now, it doesn't sound familiar...
11:00am...I should prob give ya'll a bit more update than I already have...so here goes nuthin' -
I will be doing a bigger report on the B&B show in the coming days...once I get my class projects back from Fed Ex and can shoot pics, with explanations, links to teacher's websites and books and such, I'll go into more detail as to what I thought of the class, the instructor, any cool stories, you know...I have great memories, I'll share them with ya'll...
This was the best B&B that I've attended so far..(3 in total)...mostly because I had my own hotel room where I could crash, unwind, get plugged in, have quiet time, and hide if needbe...I am 'that kind' of person who gets energy from being quiet, and I need sleep...this year, I got what I needed and EVERY DAY was a good one for me...No drama, no problems, no bad things happened...I was tired, but not cranky, and there's a difference...so, yes, it was an awesome show, and I'll talk more about that in the coming days...
I saw LOADS of folks and will tell you of some of the cool new people who I saw at the show...you'll hear all about it...
But what about the BEADS? I will most DEFINITELY have beads (squeezes and trolls) to post for ya'll...I have to take care of some business for my CPA today and tomorrow, so the earliest I'm looking to post anything for sale is Thursday...I thought that would give ya'll plenty of time to 'get ready' although its not like its gonna be a massive post or anything, but i have probably 10 or so squeezes and about 15-20 trolls to post...I was gonna do it on Etsy because I don't have to babysit my site that way...its not like loads of 'outsiders' buy my stuff on Etsy - its all YOU so so you won't have to fight anyone else for it, don't worry...It actually costs me more to post on Etsy due to the fees, but its easier for me, so I do it and there's no confusion...as far as new beads, I will most definitely be posting a new offering (what do I call these offerings? Pickings? Schemes? Themes? any ideas?)...I have a color palette in mind, and hope to get to them soon...HOW SOON you ask? I'm not sure actually...the good news is, I don't have any immediate commitments, so I should be home for the next few weeks (until the George Michael concert in Dallas...), so I'm sure it'll be SOON...very SOON...but I have a buncha stuff to do between now and then...plus, I have to get my generator looked at, its like everything exploded at the same time...
Questions? Gimme a holler or post a comment...I'm here...I'm listening...I'm doing laundry and am happy to be wearing something OTHER than what I've had on the past 9 days...no more jeans until November!!!
9:00am Yea!...after arriving yesterday, I had to take a nap and crash...and I still fell asleep at 10:00 and slept another 8 hours...I think i was a bit tired...
I busted into my suitcase this morning to start putting stuff away and found the TSA had opened and searched it...I'm just glad my bag of beads was still there, but they were...I think everything was still there, but I don't remember anymore...I have a buncha stuff arriving via Fed Ex this week sometime, and that's gonna be fun to bust into as well...nearly all my class projects are in that box...
I have about eleventy million things to do today, but I've at least changed the pic on the page, have my computer hooked up again, have read my email and am doing laundry...I need to fill up the bird feeders in the backyard next...
I see two young cardinals in the backyard, I think they are the ones from our nest...one is male, the other female...the male hopped onto our back steps to take a drink from the dog waterbowl...Amelie is inside, and spotted him and about lost her mind when he was just inches from her...she's still sitting down on the floor, looking for more birds to come get close to her...this is why Bette Davis has to stay inside - she is a good hunter and I can't handle seeing her catch one of the clueless babies...they aren't aware what awaits them, like cats crouching the tall grass...they need a chance to get bigger and smarter...so Bette stays inside and wails at me, but too bad...
And with that, I have to go get busy...I'll be back as things pop up, and I find my camera and shoot some pics...i have a few beads that I bought, not many...I have some cool books to let ya'll know about, some cool websites to link to...I'll get to it all...time for some poptarts first, tho...
I'm in transit halfway between Milwaukee and Austin. where am I? is that enough of a clue? ha. I will say that the weather is pretty good for flying today. I don't envy yall who had to fly yesterday. its a bit bumpy but no storms. I'll even take the heat when I land. did I just say that??
sorry I can't update my photos from my iPhone. its my blog software not the phone per se. hey speaking of phones I hear rumour the new iPhone comes out soon. tomorrow maybe. I'm gonna need a closer look at it fer sher.
I have movies to catch up on. SATC and Kung Fu Panda for ince. i feel like ive been gone for ages and in a time warp outta touch with the world. I went for days without even stepping outside. all the hotels are connected via walkway. we did leave for dinner last night and crammed 5 of us in a cab. it was rather clown-car and hilarious. great food and lotsa rain. seems to be the them of this years show. I have some pretZels to eat for lunch so I'm gonna wait here in....didja guess yet?
10:25 pm. oh yeah by the way...I have trolls and bracelets to post for yall. I got tired of hauling the bead bag around and decided to post what I still have for yall instead. so don't think im not thinking about yall cause I am!!
I have to get ready for a meeting with my CPA when I get back so I'll post as soon as I can. after I get some sleep and pet some kitties. just thought you'd wanna know. tis all for now.
is it normal to sleep walk thru the day? tired. am in my cermaics class. its awesome. doing a demo. more later.
the instructor caught me updating yall and I hadro stop. but she was very cool about it. jennifer heynan is her name. jangles.com is her site. she's really great. I have funky ceramic beads that I made. after lunch we play with glazes.
I am staying outta the show today. if you wander aimlessly you spend way more than u need to. I just found a place that sells gems u can fire in pmc. they ate gorgeous. I got a card an ran out. ha. am eating a sausage - no comments from yall. its really tasty. the Mexican food leaves a bit to be desired. whaddya gonna do. I'll eat well when I get to Texas.
this show has been a complete blast for me. good classes. no high maintenance students. didnt spend too much. got to hang with nearly everyone I could. made some inappropriate comments now and again to make ppl wonder if I was a freak or just someone to stay away from. ya gotta be weird at times otherwise your brain turns to oatmeal. I like to laugh out loud and be gross with friends. this has been a good week for laughing.
While I'm still having a good time I'm ready to head back home. Ive got a groovy blown beads class today and a ceramic beads class tomorrow which are both new territories for me. that might be bad at this late in the week but I'm looking forward to them anyway.
its so cute up here cause the weatherman says oooo you might need to turn on your a/c tonight! hee. the weather has been fabulous - lots of rain lightning thunder and tornadoes. awesome. there was a storm threat yesterday but we never knew about it in our class. whatever. its sunny now and should be nice when I leave Monday. let's hope so.
gotta straightn my hair and head out. sorry for no proper update of late. no time. maybe tonight. rock on!!
I am outta class for the day ancon my way to dinner. I dunno when I'll be at the computer tonight so I'm doing a quick drive by now. copper seems to be the new thing now whateith the price of silver. I've taken 3classes that all used copper not including my metals on lampworking class which also used copper. crazy.
the show is good. I've used restraint and bought very little but have seen much. some groovy fibers for the two chinese pendants shown here. and a few other things.
I'm tired but really happy. everything is going well. ive been enjoying my classes even the super easy ones that I could prob learn from a book. I like having a private quiet space to retreat to after along day. its just the way I am wired. need quiet time. I woulda loved time out if they had those in my day.
ok gotta book. more later. rock on.
11:00pm Long day...tired...back hurts...dragging 40lbs of hammers, glass, books, tools, not complaining (it sounds like it, doesn't it), but just saying...my back isn't used to dragging anything heavier than my ass around town, so this is a bit different...8:00am comes early tomorrow, and I have a shower to take and a hike to the next hotel to make, so I'm gonna head in for now, and more pics to come later...on class front - my classes were awesome..so far, no bombs...Meet the Teachers was rockin' and I actually MET my teachers for the rest of my classes, instead of just buying stuff hand over fist...amazing...restraint is a good thing, even if its overlooked often...Metals beads with Janice Berkibile tomorrow, should be a rockin' good time...she's coming to Austin in Sept to teach, if ya'll are interested, I can send you a link to the group that is hosting her...it's worthwhile, I swear...ok, i'm done...more later when I come up for air (the preview show is from 4:00pm - 9:00pm tomorrow and I hope I save enough money for bus fare home)...
Howdy Creatures...
9:23am - The sun isn't out, its hiding behind fog, but I did the best I could to get some decent photos for you...I've also added links to both Celie and Mary on the BnB page, so feel free to order their books (or kits, or whatever they offer) and try some of these techniques yourselves...they are fun and easy (although the PMC class could run you a few bucks if you aren't already setup to do PMC)...
6:45am I'm on the computer, not my phone, so its easier for me to type (less typos!)...I am having a great time here, its getting ready to get crazy for the next few days...I've taken two classes and they couldn't have been any more different - the PMC class was very structured, exact, precise, and the metal folding class was free-for-all, open to ideas, do your own thing and wild...I like both styles of teaching, on one hand I like to have someone give me a project and say 'we are gonna complete this project', and yet I like when I am shown how to use tools, given some materials and turned loose to do my own thing...I will post pics here in a little while, its still only 6:45am and there isn't much light out...I don't have class until noon today, so I have plenty of time...and I imagine you're tired of the Trolls pic at this point, right? yep...
I've been selling bracelets off my wrist, but I still have plenty to bring home to post...there will always be beads...and I'm taking a couple of lampworking classes, so I hope to have some NEW styles to show you as well...that's later in the week...
I have to say that I am really enjoying having my own hotel room this year...in years past I've stayed in rooms with lots of other people and I would go home french fried...I need downtime, quiet time, time to think, to unwind, to relax, to chill out...I think I fell asleep at 10:00 last night..exciting! I like to come and go at my own pace, my own schedule, I'm just used to doing things on my own, in my own weird way, and not have to worry about anyone else around me...I'm like a planet in her own orbit...would that make me Pluto?
Today is a long day...class with Lisa Niven Kelly, then onto an enamel on copper class, THEN its 'meet the teachers' evening...I am looking forward to it all, and trying to get my pacing right so I don't burn out..I found myself around 5:00 hitting a wall yesterday, about an hour before class ended...I worked all thru lunch, for about 6 hours straight and then bam - my brain unplugged...after a few minutes, I fired up again and made 3 more pieces in less than an hour...I just have to pace this well, and I guess try not to do everything...I still have projects from the past 2 times I've been to B&B that are sitting unfinished in their B&B bags, so I know I don't have to complete everything, but you know I WANT to complete everything...so, we'll see where it all falls out...things are ramping up - more folks are arriving, the level of energy is getting higher, I'm seeing more faces and the elevator is taking longer to arrive...I'm glad I'm in the Hilton hotel (as much as I despise Paris Hilton and know that like when I stayed in the Hilton in London, my money is going to her makes me crazy), but most of my classes are close to this hotel, so getting there and back is easier...plus, Starbucks is right downstairs, so breakfast is easy!
Back in a bit...(Howdy Anne!)...
I'm updating on my phone again. I just got in from a long groovy day. more folks are showing up and I'm starting to be pulled in electnty million directions. which is great! after making a really cool ring in Celie Fago class I got to hang a bit with Anne Mitchell and Gail. then hit dinner with my friend Marlene and we had a great time staying out too late. Shes friends with Wendy Witchner who I took a class from3yrs ago. tomorrow I take a class with Mary Hetmansperger.
I unloaded all of todays junk and loaded my rolling bag for tomorrow. hammers hammers everywhere.
I think I need some M&Ms and then I'm crashing. more later. I can't type on this phone all that well. and I'll try to get pics posted as soon as I can.
rock on kiddos.
I spent last night rifling thru my tool box and gathering up my stuff for today/tomorrow's class...I've already realized I'm missing a 'work surface' cause I didn't know what they were referring to, so I'm hoping there will be some extras to buy/share...if not, I guess my ziploc bag will have to be my work surface! I'll survive...I didn't bring every single thing that was suggested for the classes, and yet I've never had a problem completing a project...they mighta sucked, but they were completed...
I musta brought summer with me cause its warmer here now than it was...but its still very comfortable and makes me happy...its always a nice time when I come up, sunny and enjoyable...
There's a Starbucks in the hotel, I think I know what i'll be having for breakfast...bagels, creamcheese, and hot chocolate...quick and easy...and not as expensive as room service...yeesh...
I look in the closet and its all denim, all the time...I look like a gold miner from the 1840's...I've already spotted women who get really dressed up to attend this show, fancy luggage that matches their shoes! Makeup, hair, nails, jewelry, these are power women! And then there are those of us who just wanna be comfortable, wear our Crocs, keep our toenails painted purple and not wear any makeup...that's pretty much my life, actually...I'm waiting on my flat iron to heat up, my hair looks like Roseanne RoseannaDanna when i let it go natural, and no one wants to see that...that's as fancy as I get...
This is gonna be fun...yeehaw...