So Long 2008

Happy New Year Everybody! We don't have any big plans to ring in the New Year tonight. I have a feeling we will be asleep before midnight. Here is a review of our year! It was a good one!


Feb: We bought a condo with a rocking view!


March/April: We went to Santa Monica and Vegas!


Summer: A new haircut, visit with our nephews in Sisters, visit with family in Redding


Fall: Eugene Celebration, Autumn Ashland Trip


Winter: Reading Curious George to our little friend visiting from NY and Holiday Wishes from the 80's!

Merry Christmas!!!! Happy Holidays!!!!!

We took the concept of an ugly Christmas sweater contest a little overboard perhaps. The doughnut tree was inspired by a blog post about vintage Christmas trees from CraftyPod
One of my coworkers built it! I may use it for a real Christmas tree now that the donuts are gone.

Snow Day!

It doesn't snow much here in the Willamette Valley, but when it does, Mother Nature usually gives us a good show. We awoke this morning to about 3 or more inches of really dry, light powder. It is beautiful. And cold and wet.

That is why I declared a snow day and decided to stay in our cozy condo and work from home today. Plus, I'm not very skilled at winter driving and neither is 95% of the drivers here in Eugene, so I don't even want to risk it.

View from our condo:

I did see some people riding their bikes in this snow:


We really aren't very outdoorsy, but we ventured out enough to uncover the car and start it up and snap a photo. We might walk around downtown later in the afternoon.Unfortunately it is supposed to drop down into the teens and freeze tonight, so instead of snow it will be a thick sheet of ice tomorrow. Fun!

Christmas in a small space and on a small budget

So, we live in a small condo. Not much room for a big tree and lots of decorations. We are also feeling the pinch of the economy (and unexpected vet bills this month), so I didn't really want to spend a lot of money on decorations anyway. So, I tried to add a festive spirit around the house with what we already have.

We bought a wreath from our friends pre-school fundraiser again this year. It turned out to be a nice place to hang some of our ornaments.


This is what I thought up with the rest of our Christmas ornaments and decorations and some silver ribbon. Not bad if I do say so myself.


It's not much, but it adds a little bit of holiday cheer to our little place.....

Christmas Ideas

I am NOT yet into thinking about Christmas, but I would like to highly encourage you to buy local and buy handmade if at all possible. It's just better.

Here are some of my current faves from ETSY to whet your appetite.

Etsy Buy Handmade luckylisp

Christmas Cats

So, I don't have kids, or a small dog that requires sweaters. That being said, I sometimes try to dress up my cats. Yes, yes I do.

Last Christmas I just had to get this super cute reindeer outfit for them. Each cat reacted a little bit differently when I put it on her.

Can you tell which cat is smarter?

Tv Cat

So, my baby is feeling much better ($500 later) and is eating and scratching and whining again.

Here is an old video of her watching a nature program about fish. She likes to watch tv. Especially nature programs about fish and birds. But sometimes she just watches regular ole tv with us.

My sick baby...

My baby is sick. She has a vet appointment today at 1:30. I hope she starts to feel better soon. I love her so!

[update] Still a very sick kitty. Initial tests didn't show anything wrong. She is now back at the vet for more testing. Possible intestinal obstruction!!!! Little sweety. eventhough she is as sick as a "dog" she snuggled up in bed with me last night to keep warm.
Get well soon my love!

[update] My furry baby is doing much better. She is starting to act like her old self, eating, cleaning herself, scratching on the furniture. It was a little scary there for a bit, but she seems to be recovering. A couple more days of rest under her blue blanket and eating chicken baby food and we hope she will be 100% better.

Art around every corner!

Hey Everyone,
Just want to let you know about the many exciting holiday arts and crafts events happening in Downtown Eugene this Friday!!!

I will be attending my third Meet Your Maker craft show this friday from 5:00 to 8:00 at the Broadway Wine Bar. We had a great turnout last month and I think this one will be even better. You could probably get all of your holiday shopping done just there if you wanted to. Lots and lots of great things for sale. If you can't make it check out the sellers online shops to see what you are missing and maybe order a couple of things online!

Also! Two of my bestest friends are participating in an art show at the Jacobs Gallery that opens this Friday! I've seen some of the pieces and they are AMAZING and for sale! The show opening of Tiny Treasures at
the Jacobs Gallery at the Hult Center in Eugene, a show loosely based
on the artist trading card (ATC) phenomenon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_cards ). The most
important ATC feature for this show is size: all art pieces are
limited to 2.5" x 3.5". There are 30-plus artists featured in the
show. The opening is Friday December 5, from 5:30 - 8:30. The show runs
through the end of the month.

While you're at it, look for the Downtown Merchant's Association
Holiday Parties. Many stores (including gorgeous Passionflower, at 128
E. Broadway) will be open late and feature food, drink, and music.

Also happening downtown that night is the monthly First Friday Artwalk. It is a fun festive Friday
in Eugene, truly one of the best community events of the year. Help us
prove that downtown is a vibrant, growing destination!

So please stop by the Meet Your Makers, Jacobs Gallery, Passionflower, and all of the
other amazing stops along the way.

Let's prove that Downtown is the place to find Unique Eugene!!!! Just stop by to say hi and taste some wine if nothing else!

Keep these on your radar

There are several events coming up that you should keep on your radar, and they both occur on Friday, December 5th, so hopefully you can plan ahead and make it to all of them.

1. The third Meet Your Maker craft show/faire that yours truly is participating in is happening at the Broadway Wine Bar from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. I'm trying to get some holiday themed stuff ready, but we'll see....But it is the perfect place to find some holiday goodness.

2. Two of my very good friends, Becky and Claire, are in a show at the Jacobs Gallery (this website is terribly out of date and does not have the show details yet) that invited 30 artists to make ATC (artist trading cards) pieces. I've seen Becky's and they are AMAZING. Claire is a professional artist, so I know her pieces will be phenomenal as well. I believe the opening is from 5:00 to 8:00pm. All the pieces are for sale, so it will be another place to pick up a special something for that special someone.

3. Also, the stores downtown will be having their Christmas open house parties for First Friday They will all be open later and will have goodies and drinks and lots of things to buy! My aformentioned friend Becky works at a great downtown shop called PassionFlower. It is a beautiful shop and I dare you to find something you can't live without. They always put on a great party for the December holiday party.

So, get yourself out and about in Downtown Eugene on December 5th! You have no excuses.

Friendly Blogs Part 2

Ok, so here is another installment of my Friendly Blogs!

Today I want to tell you about my dear friend over at Jenny Lee Folwer.

Funnily enough, Jenny is actually my husband's high school sweet heart. They have remained good friends over the years and I gained her as a friend when W and I married (lucky me).

Jenny makes the most amazing paper cuttings and silhouettes. She made one of W for me that I gave him for our second anniversary.

She free cuts them with scissors from observing a photo of the person. Amazing? Yes!

I love just about everything she does. She uses some very creative materials for her work sometimes--feathers, bark, leaves, etc. Check out her ETSY shop!

Beyond being a talented crafter with unending energy, she is also an amazing mom of two and runs a small little farm in NY state (farm in my mind being anything with more than two cats--she has goats and chickens).

Cheers :)

Awesome Giveaways on the Blogosphere!!!

So, as I mentioned before, I read ALOT of blogs. Most are crafty blogs, and they are always giving away amazing things to their readers.

I won two giveaways so far this year. One from the lovely heatherhalesdesigns and another from sweetjessie!

I want to tell you about a couple of giveaways that are happening right now on two amazing blogs/websites.

The first is at Indie Fixx, which is an amazing and resoursful crafty blog as well as an incredible indie handmade goods shop.
Check out their Autumn Cornucopia Giveaway which ends today! While you are there check out the shop and read the blog. You are bound to find something you cannot live without or need to make right away!

The second fantabulous giveaway is at another crafty blog and indie storefront. Modish is having the November November Giveaway. You can enter to win really awesome prizes now until the 16th! There are two ways to win, so click on over there and check it out. Also, look at the amazing indie handcrafted stuff they have!

OK, so get out there and read blogs and enter giveaways! It is your duty!

:) Cheers

Friendly Blogs

I have so many blogs that I read now my Google Reader is overflowing with goodness. I decided I should try and share some of the goodness with others (those tiny few of you who read this little thing).

So, here is my first blog share.

I was so pleased to see that my new friend over at la petite vie blogged about the little acorn covered button pin I gave her for her 30th birthday. It matched an embroidered hankie she bought from me at my first meet your maker event in October.

(Photo via la petite vie)

Not only is this gal one of the organizers and founders of the new upstart Meet Your Maker indie craft show, but she also makes heavenly, all natural bath and body products and cleaning products. I bought the all purpose cleaner and LOVE IT!!! She is also the mother of one of the cutest little girls and a super fun girl to hang out with.

So, go on over to her blog and say hello. Maybe even check out her ETSY site or look to see when the next Meet Your Maker event is (December 5th) and help spread the word.

Cheers!

Shoppe Update!

Hey everyone, I just listed all the onesies I have in my ETSY shop!

Last night I did my second Meet Your Maker event and sold two onesies! It was great fun. A good crowd. People are definitely starting to think about Christmas gifts. I'm going to do the December one too (on December 5th at the same place). So if you are around come on down!

:) Cheers

Yes We Can!

We had people over last night to either toast champagne or cry in our beers. I'm so elated this morning that we got to do the former rather than the later!

We live in a blue part of a blue state. But we were all watching the numbers as they came in and at 8:04pm pacific time the whole west coast of the political map simultaneously turned blue and the networks called it for Obama and we all cheered and cried. I'll never forget it.

I imagine this is how so many people felt when JFK was elected in 1960. A sense of hope. A sense that the youth matter in this country. A sense that things are going to change. A sense that anyone can make a difference.

Yes, yes we can.

Fall trip to Ashland

We just got back from a lovely weekend trip to Ashland, Oregon. We saw two plays, looked around in shops, ate way too much great food, and enjoyed two of the best fall days I can remember in a long time. We walked around in Lithia Park, which a kind gentleman told us is celebrating its 100th birthday this year and was designed by the same park designer that created Golden Gate park in San Francisco. If you've never been to Lithia Park or Ashland, you are really missing a gem of Oregon and the West Coast. I love it there.





And during our walk we ran across a number of these guys, eating some breakfast in the morning sunshine along the creek. They were beautiful and not at all afraid of all the passers-by.

Fall Colors from Our Window

I love our view!

Biz Trip to Santa Monica

I had to go to Santa Monica again for work and W tagged along. It is already fall here in Oregon, so we were not prepared for 100 degree weather in LA! Even at the beach it was hot. But we had a good time despite the heat, and I got some good work done too.








Santa Monica is nice, but there are sooooo many people there. We were so happy to get back to Oregon. The moment we got off the plane we relished in the empty airport and clean air, and we headed straight for Laughing Planet for some good hippie food. It was heaven.

My First Craft Show

Hey Everybody,
here are a few pics from my first craft show! It was great fun and I did sell a few things, but most importantly I met great gals and got ideas for what I should do in the future. Come out for the next Meet Your Maker event (hopefully in November or December--I'll let you know!).

More summer fruit and veg porn

I absolutely love love love summer and fall for all the veggies that are around. This summer was exceptionally good here in the NW. I usually end up at all 3 farmer's markets during the week and also visit the farm stand that is just down the road from my work as well. I think I have a bit of a fruit and veg problem. They are all so pretty. I get blinded by all the colors and smells and start just buying everything that looks good. Only problem is that we rarely can eat all the veggies I want to buy. So, I have to reign myself in and only buy what we can eat.

Here are a few views of the luscious bounty we have partaken of this season.

I'm a WINNER!

I enter free give-aways all the time, but I never seem to have my number picked.

Until Today!

Today the lovely lady over at Heather Hales Designs emailed me to let me know that I won a lovely vintage pillowcase tote bag! Yayyyyyyy! I'm so excited.

Not only are all the things she makes beautiful beyond belief, but this creation in particular has a special place in my heart. The vintage pillow cases that she has been using in her designs of late remind me so fondly of my dear grandma and her linen closet. I've been thinking of my grandma a lot lately. She just had her 90th birthday this summer. She is suffering from some dementia lately as well and I only get to see her a couple times a year, so she no longer always remembers who I am. I loved her home filled with sewing and cookies when I was a kid. She was a true product of the 50s and the quintesential homemaker.

Thanks Heather for the lovely, lovely gift and these sweet memories that are coming along with it! I'll take some pics of me with it when it comes in the mail so you can all see how great I look with it (he he he).

***added to 10/4/08
Here I am with my wonderful prize!

My First Craft Faire!

Hey Everybody!

I'm so excited! I'm going to be in my very first craft faire in less than 4 weeks! I've got to craft my ass off between now and then.

Meet Your Maker is a new start up indie craft show here in Eugene. W and I went to the last one and it turns out that W went to high school with one of the organizers. W has also been getting involved in the DNA (Downtown Neighborhood Association) and in an effort to start bringing more people and new events to Downtown Eugene he has partnered with the Meet Your Maker gals to bring the event downtown for First Friday on October 3rd.

I'm really excited to be involved with this. It has been a dream of mine to get involved in the crafty community for years. I have so many great ideas for crafty cocktail hours, cool, indie craft supply stores, and non-tie-died handmade goods for our generation of diy-ers.

So anyway, I'm excited.
Check back for more as I get closer and closer to "C-Day"! I hope I make it...

*Post Script*
I've been meaning to post this also, but now that the election is nearer and nearer, here it is...

Crafters can support Obama by purchasing t-shirts and button from this CafePress Shop by Julieree with this ultra cool logo. She gives a certain portion of the proceeds to Obama!

Been gone awhile....

So, summer has been busy. Work has been busy. Life has been busy. I've been concentrating on the condo more lately. I'm full of excuses I guess.

So, Here we are at the beginning of September. It already feels like fall here in the Northwest. We didn't have much of a summer this year. I love fall though and I'm hoping we have a really nice, long one.

I've got a lot of crafty ideas buzzing around in my little head. I'm working on a few projects for various relations. I will take pics as soon as I am done with them.

I guess that is all for now. Sorry, not so exciting these days.....

Embroidery Music Video!!!!!

Architecture in Helsinki



This is awesome!

Most recent projects

Just a few things I've been doing. I have lots more to blog about, but I'm super busy these days at work. Stay tuned for more!