hiatus complete

Hmm. How to begin. Did I tell you at the beginning of 2011 that I made a vision board? Well, I did. Just a small thing that kept track of my goals for the year. More like a souped up to-do/I'd like to-do list. Well turns out those things are kind of powerful. I was able to start consigning some plush through some great shops, it helped me get my creative life organized & more focused. And in my personal life well...let me explain. On the homefront, my former jellybean turned into a gumdrop (aka she got older, in non-mom speak). She seemingly went from this:

 

to this:


and this:

this is my fav pic of her from that year

 and now:

How did this happen so fast?! I mean one of the schmaltzy things parents and the like tell you is that this time in their life flies past, and even though some times seem to drag on (shout out to the middle of the night wake ups from the past!), I think back now and it all seems like a blur. 

Shortly after my last post, J & I found out that our gumdrop is on the Autism Spectrum. More specifically she has Asperger's Syndrome. How is she doing now? She's doing great and frankly, she's killing it in pre-school, but last year around this time, I was caught up in a lot of worrying and took major time away from online & creative ventures. Getting her the therapies she needed quickly took top billing on my vision board.

 Meanwhile, I was trying to get organized. I'd been stockpiling gumdrops clothes for the past 3 years in spacebags. The mountain of bags had finally reached the ridiculous stage. When I originally made my vision board, I'd toyed with the idea of being ready for a 2nd child. J, well he was born ready. If it were up to him, we'd have enough girls to have our own softball team. (His words). I'd started to sift through the clothes, selling off some items on Ebay that were either a pain in the butt to put on her or gifts that...weren't quite our taste, to put it nicely. I was working up to do a massive sell off on Ebay, figuring by the time we had our 2nd child, the old stuff would be too old and we'd want new stuff anyway by that point, right? Hahaha sigh.

oh life, you're so funny.

yep. that's right. the vision board got me pregnant. well with some help from J of course. heh. [insert joke here]. so the hiatus that i thought was over resumed with the onset of morning sickness that lasted approximately, oh i dont know...8 months? yeah. gross. growing people takes a lot out of you. 

Oh, OH! and then? we moved from our old place. yes, we moved again. we are a nomadic people. But with a new lil bundle on the way, moving became priority one. It took longer than expected to find a new rental because apparently, every family in our town was looking for and at the same properties we were. We finally found one, about a month and half before my due date, perfect timing right?

yeah, new jellybean, i felt the same way

About 4 days after our move, I went into labor.

24 hours later, I had a new jellybean- 3 weeks earlier than originally planned. 

Like I said, life is funny.

To sum up: vision boards- powerful; gumdrop- doing awesome, loving her new sis; new jellybean- enjoying life on the outside; new house- perfect, complete with an unscary basement; family- full o'love; 

creative pursuits & plush- OH WAIT!@ I forgot to mention...

So on top of all the commotion as of late, yknow, raising a 3 year old, being pregnant, packing, moving, unpacking, having a kid, I decided "hey, why not apply to Plush You this year, it's not like you're busy or anything  [haha] and it will get you back into the swing of things creatively and the places you consigned with last year would know that you are in fact, yknow, still alive". 

Well guess what? I GOT IN! I'm in Plush You 2012 @ Schmancy in Seattle! So yeah, stay tuned for progress on that too. 

Whew. Ok I think you're all caught up. 

Go buy my stuff at Salty! um...please.

how can you deny those faces?

I just sent over a bunch of adorable plush [if i may say so myself] to the Salty Not Sweet boutique! They are located at 2074 W. 25th St. Cleveland, OH 44113. Right down the street from the historic West Side Market. (if you remember from a previous post, I did a plush window installation for them a few moons back). They took the picture above once the products arrived in store :)

Wait, are you still here reading?  Go. Go now! Ok, stop at the West Side Market First, get some fresh produce, walk around a bit, enjoy the sites, then go buy my stuff. Please and thank you.

secret.

here's a confession: i don't care for yarn bombing.

wikipedia describes it thusly:
Yarn bombing, yarnbombing, yarnstorming, guerrilla knitting, or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted cloth rather than paint or chalk.

I'd sort of thought this had come and gone 5ish years ago, but I guess more mainstream outlets are just now finding out about it?

don't get me wrong, there are some forms of it that i truly enjoy. The vibrant colors can really perk up an urban landscape. sometimes, it's even kinda cute in a fauxhemian kinda way, like this tree:

so why don't i care for it? it's the long term effects really. As seen in this episode of the Mighty B (a show i really miss btw):

The Mighty B!
Get More: The Mighty B Episodes,The Mighty B,The Mighty B Games

After a few days of rain, exposure to the environmental elements, & some mid to high temperatures, fabric gets...well, stinky. Unlike more permanent graffiti methods, the yarn starts to take on a smelly, droopy life of it's own. If there were a way to implement some sort of ongoing maintenance for these installations, i'd be 100% behind it. Even if it were as simple as untie-wash-retie or after said number of months, replace with a fresh installation. But I don't want to see some sort of droopy, sad, and forgotten lump of acrylic wrapped around a light pole.

Maybe I'm just out of the loop, or just being a fuddy duddy about the whole thing. But it's still my opinion. For now, I'll take mosaics and a spray paint can over yarn.

Things I have learned in 32 years...and a quickish crafty x-post

OK. I turned 32.

At this point, it's a yay, but I've seen everything past my 20s as a win-win. Not that I didn't like my 20s, but I was a lot more...emo than I thought I would be during them. Once you get past your 30s, things are both simpler but more complicated. Like you gain weight, you lose weight, you gain it back, but then when you put it in the perspective of "hey, someone lived inside your body for 9 months, had to be cut out, and you're still around to tell the tale", I can deal with being plus size for awhile. On the opposite side of the spectrum, it's having to deal with hearing high schoolers saying things like "what was the name of that old band..not Smashing Pumpkins...right, Janes Addiction!". Or looking at VH1 classic, and seeing every band you loved from the 90s, and realize that kids now have no idea how awesome it was to actually go into a record store and spend hours there (and there was an actual "Indie" section!) Sigh. really, kids?

Also, I am really, really intolerant of the heat. Sure, I turn a dazzling golden bronze, but I'm a sweater. Sweater? is that the proper term for one who sweats a lot vs A cotton-polyester yarn garment worn to keep warm? Hmm. Anyways, I sweat. So by the time I get to my destination I either look like I've just come in from the rain or someone just finished doing something salacious (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more). Either way, not a proper way to show up while dropping your child off to daycare. I blame Ohio, really. There is no reason why we should have 4 straight months of snow, then 3 months of rain, 4 non consecutive beautiful spring days, then turn as hot as the devil's balls (pardon my french) for 3 straight months. hmph.

So what have I been doing the first half of 2011, you may ask? I was busy...being awesome. Besides watching the wee one become a real kid (seriously, when did she get so big??) and creating smaller plushes (bunnipus'), I was busy making a huge project for....
So last Saturday, May 21st, the Salty ladies re-opened their wonderful shop in Ohio City (2074 W. 25th) with a grand opening par-tay! The hubs & I went to show our support....and to see the window art installation plush they so kindly displayed for their big event!

here's me feeling dorky standing in front of it

and again, me feeling dorky, standing behind it...with a celebratory Yuengling.
stay classy.

Everything looked so great in the shop! There were all sort of great handmade goods, new vintage pieces, products showing Ohio some love, cute jewelry, super yummy smelling Terre Verde Soap & Candle Co. products, letterpress/handmade (and hilarious) cards...the list goes on!

We stayed long enough for me to snag a pair of button earrings & record hair clips, though I had my eye on so much more. Alas, we had a babysitter to relieve & a bambina to watch over. I plan on going back really, really soon.

It's great to see that area of town getting a facelift & much needed economic boost. I'm also partial to that area since we lived in Ohio City for a short period of time right after our big move from Philly (where I shortly discovered a month later I was expecting...but that's a story for another time & another blog.)

If you live in the Cleveland area, I suggest you get your tushes down to see the shop. It's only a block away from the historic West Side Market and right next door to the equally cool Room Service shop.

Oh, and after the plushes have run their course in the windows, they will be available for sale through the shop. Just want to put that out there :)

half year in review

It occurs to me that since it is now June, this would be a good time to reflect on what i've gotten done thus far. This new year I opted to do a vision board in lieu of normal resolutions that I keep to until...let's be generous and say late January. I found that sharing my resolutions didn't make me feel any more prone to keeping them. I've never quite been one for following directions, even if they are my own. The idea of the vision board drew me in as it's more about attracting what you want & doing what you can to make your dreams achievable. Ugh. that's sounds so corny, but it works for me so shush.

funny

via someecards.com

this makes me laugh in a very genuine way. good times.

want.

I don't ask for much...other than bubble tea, green tea lattes (or lattes in general...or anything iced), or toys, or craft supplies...hmm. maybe i do as for a lot. ok lemme start over.

I ask for a lot. I know, I have wants. But in my best Morrissey impression, please please please let me get what i want this time. and this time it's this bike. Electra Bike's Gypsy 3i Cruiser. I mean, look at the basket!! That's how I want to cruise around town with the jellybean in tow. *le sigh*