Mid-Year Resolutions

I'm not a big one for New Year's resolutions. Too much pressure, and besides - I'd rather stay up late sipping on fancy booze and wearing ugly hats than make some unattainable list of goals that I'll forget by the time I'm downing that entire heart shaped box of Valentine chocolate. Whoops.

But lately, I've been feeling the need to set some goals, and it dawned on me that I could make some mid year resolutions. So much less pressure this way. And somehow goal setting seems so much more exciting in the midst of summer rather than the dead of winter. I'm sharing these here with you partly for your entertainment and partly to make myself accountable! I'll report back here on my progress.

So, here goes:

Numero Uno: Get a calendar that fits in my purse.

Ok, that sounds easy enough doesn't it? Read on. I've been having a major calendar issue for about the last 5 years. Do you want to know my problem? I can't find one that has 'good enough' typography. I'm serious! So, because of this I live in an overshceduled world full of forgotten appointments and general anxiety. So, like a good designer I designed my own day planner, and it worked for a while but the darn thing didn't fit in my purse. So, back to the drawing board. Still not sure how to solve this one. Make one or just buy one, even though looking at it will probably burn Times New Roman shaped holes in my eyeballs. Any thoughts on this one would be appreciated. Because right now the system I have going on makes about as much sense as this lego calendar. 

 2 Send birthday cards to all of my relatives and close friends

This is anther lofty goal. I have a huge family and a lot of friends I love - and that is a lot of cards. But recently, my brother in law commented on how much it meant to him to get cards in the mail and it really struck me. It is such a simple gesture that really does mean a lot. So he'll be getting something like this lovely letterpress "you are rugged and manly" card from DudeandChick.

3 Give only handmade gifts

Yep - I'm setting the bar super high right there. I'm still not sure how committed I am to this one, but if I can pull it off I think it would be awesome. I've already started planning for Christmas and I think it is doable. My goal would be to start with Christmas gifts and go from there,  working ahead of schedule (so unlike me) and stockpiling home made goodness for birthdays that fell after Christmas. Maybe some of you will be getting gumdrop lollipops.

4 Sell more stuff & embrace marketing my work.

Pretty self explanatory. If I want to keep bringing home the crafty bacon, I need to find a way to market my work that doesn't feel like drudgery. I will be looking for ways to get my work out in front of people, and will be sending out that newsletter I promised to send out monthly! Yes. I. Will.

 5 Start the process of designing our outdoor studio.

We are having a big 'money talk' this week, and I think one of the budget items that might be slashed is renting my studio. I'm a bit sad about it, but saving that money and building something on our property would be beyond wonderful. So, I need to bust out my high school drafting skills, research building permits, and start pricing materials. This design by Modern Shed will be a jumping off point. 

Wow. I think I need some fancy booze now. More tomorrow.

Giddy Up

Hi everyone! Just a quick hello from blog-town. It seems like summer has finally (finally!!) found my corner of the globe. Unless you live in the Pacific Northwest you probably won't understand why this makes me so giddy. I'm so happy that my brain is doing a stupid dance like Bobby and Elaine here - hey, I never said it was pretty to look at. Nothing could make me combine super fringe with disco track pants, however.  This is just crossing a line.I do like the way Bobby's head gets completely covered in fringe at the end. Sexy.

More tomorrow, peeps.

Favorite Things Friday!

Time again for another Favorite Things post. Here are a few things that made me feel happy this week:

1. Fresh Strawberries. They are in season in my part of the world, and I helped polish off an entire flat of them this week. We got ours from Spooner Farms.

2. Professional House Cleaning. I treated our house to a day of pampering, and wow. I never thought paying someone to scrub your neglected showers could feel so liberating. Thank you, Joyfully Clean. 

3. Russell Wright Pottery. I scored a few vintage pieces at a large antique mall last week at ridiculously cheap prices. I love the way the cup feels in my hand.

4. Grandmothers. Both of mine. I got to see and visit with one last week in my hometown, and this week, my other grandma turns 93! Happy Birthday Grandma! I love you. (The wonderful grandma doll is one of Mimi Kirchner's wonderful creations, visit her etsy shop here - someday I aspire to own one of her amazing pieces).

5. Hostess cupcakes. Which I used to make the three hour train ride with my little kid a success. Bribery, people - works every time. Lean how to make your own Hostess knock-offs here.

Happy Week- ending! See you next week!

Get Away

There are a number of reasons this song has been running through my head in the last week:

1. I took a little break for the cold, bleak, lame excuse for summer weather in Sea-Town and headed east, to my childhood hometown.

2. While the weather in my hometown was awesome - the music on the radio was not. I listened to my fair share of songs like this one.

3. Which took me way back in time to my first ever live concert - Chicago - in 1985 at The Gorge, that pivotal summer right before I started public school. Yikes.

4. And like the song says " Even lovers need a holiday / Far away, from each other". I needed a break from you, dear blog. But today I sing this song to you, in my cheesiest Peter Cetera voice - "I will make it up to you! I promise to!"

5. And finally, after watching this video - I think the song will be stuck in my head for a good long time thanks to all that crazy neon, the plasticine look of Peter Cetera, and the huge paintings of ladies flipping off the camera with their Virginia Slims. 

Adventure Girls, part one.

A few weekends ago I went on my first hike in three whole years with a lovely group of moms I met this year through my kiddos co-op preschool. Back in May during a meeting it came up that many of us were wanting to bust out and have more adventures - so we scheduled this hike to Wallace Falls.

It was a wonderful time, and I think our voices got as much of a workout as our legs did on this beautiful trail - we chatted the entire 5.5 miles. The falls were roaring and provided a lovely mist that cooled us and turned my hair into a wild, unruly mess (yikes). We ate some junk food (ok and a lot of healthy stuff), took lots of water breaks, and enjoyed just being "alone" in the wilderness - well, without kids anyway. By the time we were done we were sweaty, a little muddy, and thoroughly relaxed. I felt like I was 100 miles away.

The day ended with a trip to an awesome diner, The Hitching Post Cafe where we ate huge sandwiches, told funny stories, and shared a few slices of pie under a mural of a cartoon cowboy and a flying seagull with a belly button. Yep.

I loved getting out in the woods and leaning more about these amazing ladies. It was a perfect day.

Favorite Things Friday!

Happy Friday, readers. The sun is out in my town and I am finding that yesterday's Funk is lifting. Thank goodness. And thanks for the sweet comments yesterday, they all really helped.

Here are a few favorite things from this week.

1. The SUN - captured here on an awesome Alexander Girard Tee from House industries. 
2. Star shaped sunglasses, just like Bootsy Collins! I'm totally getting these for my next funk.
3. Pre de Provence soaps. Bought a small bar of the pomegranate, and it totally cheered me up. 
4. Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham. Giving this to my girl as a b-day gift tomorrow! Can't wait to make the Girard heads out of wooden spoons.
5. Art Supplies. How excited am I that my kid wants her own art supplies? Very. I shopped at Discount School Supply and was so happy with everything I bought. Totally addictive site - beware!
6. Cupcakes, of which I will be stuffing my face with tomorrow!

Have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Give Up the Funk

Ugh. Today is one of those days. I totally have THE FUNK, and probably not in the way this Parliment song is describing. Luckily I don't have it too often - but sometimes a big old case of The Funk lands right on my head - leaving me in a grumpy fog. The past few days have been this way. I really have nothing NOTHING to be feeling this way about, but there it is. 

I just can't seem to find my enthusiasm. If you've seen it hanging out somewhere, please let me know. In the meantime, I'm going to get some sunglasses with star shaped lenses.

What do you do to Give Up The Funk?