The Good News O-the-Day

Just when I was starting to think of Facebook, again, as useless for anything more than chat, this lil' nugget popped up while I was at work...

...and just like that, it turns out I will get to go "home" this year, and see my Momma and my Daddy, and my sister and her kids, and my friends, and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the James River, and the TREES, and the wide open spaces, and the museums in DC, and the best ever chile rellenos at the Guad, and the red dirt, and that little log cabin house on the side of Route 29, and the Downtown Mall, and the Super Walmart (it's a spectacle, believe me).

This is gonna happen...

...and this glorious remnant of my childhood...

...and I'll probably get to drive past this place.

I don't know if y'all realize how redneck it's going to get up in here, but this country girl is ready to rock.

Yeah, like chillin' out on haystacks and sniffin' daisies,

and hangin' out on rocks and stuff.

Right now I'm just too excited to think clearly, which is why I'm instead jumping around like a 5-year-old hopped up on too much soda and cake. It's one thing when I've planned a trip for months and months, but this was such a last-minute surprise, and it's going to be a whirlwind tour, but I'm SO EXCITED I can hardly stand it!!

Lovin' Autumn

So over the last few days, it's become obvious to me (although I really already knew) that I'm an Autumn person. To be fair, I get really excited about Summer too, but at least in Autumn you can be comfortable in the cool weather by throwing a sweater on, while being hot is a problem not as easily solved. So yeah, Autumn. :) I'm enjoying this very much.

I put the dogs in their pejammies last night, which was awfully cute and cozy, and then I made hot buttered rum, which was less cute but also very cozy.

Today I'm running down to Paperish Mess again, to drop off the magnolia slice keychains that I forgot in my bag last time I was there, and I'm looking forward to the walk in this cool weather. Sweatshirts and warm socks and maybe some tights if I'm feeling adventurous.

Magnolia Slice Keychains, available at Paperish Mess and in my Etsy shop

I hope you all have a lovely cool and cozy weekend!

Gettin' Stuff Done

This morning when I woke up... it was suddenly Autumn. I spent a bit longer than usual snuggled up with my dogs under the blankets, but once I woke up I'll admit, I immediately wanted to put on a flannel shirt and buy a pumpkin spice latte. I submitted to the flannel, skipped the latte, and hoofed it down to Paperish Mess where I dropped off a few items at their lovely little store (I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you haven't visited this little gem of a shop, you should), but also forgot a few items (magnolia slice keychains) in my bag. Oops.

But I really enjoyed walking around in the substantially cooler weather. I'm sure in a few months I'll be kicking myself for ever thinking that, but today it felt good. I found a few pretty spots along the way back, and it was a great answer to my homesickness about how much I really do love it here in Chicago.

This little window view, with all of it's books, was a heartbreaker.

A perfect porch.

This gorgeous painted door overlooks someone's spilled makeup bag.

It turns out, orange and mint green are a perfect color combination.

Now I'm enjoying cinnamon tea spiked with Evan Williams Apple Orchard in my oh-so-cozy living room, and hoping my "real" workday tomorrow goes by quickly.

Summertime Sadness

How did Summer slip away so quickly this year? Well, it's still hot outside, but the feeling of Summer has definitely left, and while I'm not ready to don my scarves and sip my warm drinks yet, its about time I get into the mindset that Autumn is upon me.

I've been having a bit of a hard time lately, a little bit of homesickness mixed with general restlessness and a tad of "is this all there is", punctuated by moments of absolutely wonderful beauty in the most unexpected places -- it's keeping me on my toes, to say the least.

Funny that, as things pick up at work, it's paralleled by things picking up for my lil' jewelry business -- things are going to be inordinately busy, soon, but maybe I need that to snap myself out of this little funk I'm trying to get into?

The studio will be open this Friday, for First Friday at the Flat Iron Arts Building, and I'm eager to see how my little rearrange of the space will go over. I moved the whole "living room" into another room, and the workspace into the studio where the couch/tv/bookshelves used to be. I'm hoping that in the future, this will really help with having more space for different artists to show their work (if they're interested) in the gallery, and it will also give me more space for when I eventually launch my other project (still top secret, of course).

The new living space (complete with napping dog) -- I've cleaned it up a bit since taking this shot, and the couch is covered in plaid blankets to make me feel like I'm living in a cozy cabin in Wyoming, or something like that.

The funny this is that my little rearrangement has made my living space so completely cozy and lovely, that I'm a lot less motivated to actually go into the other room and work on things in there... so hopefully at some point, having the studio open will kick me into gear.

So on that note, I have to leave my little cozy space to go to work, but hopefully some of you will be able to drop by this Friday, and I'll be happy to show off all the work I've been doing in here. I'll be dropping off more necklaces at Paperish Mess towards the middle of next week, so if you can't catch me here at the studio, you can definitely find my most popular pieces in stock at their sweet little shop.

Long Time Comin'

Has it seriously been over a month since my last post!? Well, that just goes to show you how much I stink at doing more than one thing at a time.

I've been working my job, and tend to want to immediately go to sleep when I go home (on the couch, with bad TV in the background). Now that the weather is finally warming up, I'm hoping I'll stop being so apathetic, and I'll actually get out an enjoy my free days.

Speaking of free days -- I've got a few of them ahead of me, including tomorrow (Memorial Day), so the plan is to set up a small table outside of the Flat Iron Arts Building with a few of my City Map necklaces. That also means that, yes, I'm awake at 12:20am, hoping that a few more Chicago Map pieces will dry by morning (thank goodness for humidity).

It sounds like a nice way to get a little tan, and maybe sell a few necklaces (but mostly get a little tan).

If you'll be in the Chicago area, the building is located at 1579 N. Milwaukee Avenue, so stop by in between your shopping and beer hopping (there's a lot of that to be had in the neighborhood).

I hope everyone enjoys the Memorial Day weekend!

What the Hell is Going On, Here??

I'm just gonna put it out there.

I'm feeling artistically/creatively blocked.

This is the feeling that usually launches something really awesome -- the last time I felt like this, I started making my map necklaces.  But the part that comes before that, the part that I'm having a hard time making peace with right now, is the trial and error phase.

I feel like if I don't start making something new, I'm going to explode emotionally.  I have this overwhelming need to work with my hands, to take something unimpressive and turn it into a masterpiece... and when it doesn't go the way I planned the first time, or after I spend some more money trying to fix it, and then the second time, and the third time, and I'm getting wary of spending more money, all of this crazy doubt and insecurity creeps in.  Correction: it doesn't creep in, it charges at me and smacks me in the face, hard.  It's starting to make me a little crazy.

I blamed it on my sloppy office set-up.  So I spent two days (and some nights) rearranging the entire working studio until it looked awesome, and was really workable... but it didn't fix things.  I was still bored, frustrated, confused, and just not working up to my full potential (or at least what I think my full potential is).

Then I blamed it on needing to try something new.  So I researched different ways of working with metals, silver and gold.  I researched working with clay.  I researched different ways of working with wood.  I went to Home Depot and had my boyfriend talk me out of spending every last dime I had on a full woodworking setup.  I wanted to make rings, make dollhouses, make Day of the Dead dioramas, make snowglobes.  Anything.  Anything new, anything I could make awesome.

Right now I'm basically back to square one, minus the money I've already spent on materials for projects that didn't work out quite the way I planned.

So what do I do when this happens?  What do YOU do when this happens?  Most artists and crafts(wo)men I know don't have deep pockets or all-access black American Express cards, so this trial and error phase can be super-frustrating.

I'm trying to remind myself that the best materials are hand made, or found in nature.  The best designs are all around me, I just have to open my mind to seeing them.  The best ideas come out of feeling like this, trying, trying again, succeeding finally.  But despite all of the encouragement I give myself and get from those who care about me, I can't help but feeling the panic, the need to create something that I might not yet have the skill for.

Patience.

Paris Map Necklaces, coming soon!

I just received my maps from Paris in the mail, thanks to a sweet lady who was in the space next to me at my first Randolph Street Market -- she lives in France, and picked them up in the transit centers for me.

I've got a Sacre Coeur piece in the works right now, and I'll be able to offer most of the landmarks of Paris pictured on the map.  The Eiffel Tower, of course, is enormous, and will require a slightly larger setting than my typical 1-inch diameter necklaces.  I'll also be able to do particular streets, with or without the little pictures of the nearby landmarks.

So in other news... that car I bought the other day?  It's awesome.  But also, cars are expensive, so in an effort to make some quick cash, I'm running a sale in my Etsy shop through Sunday.  You'll receive 25% off ANYTHING in my shop when you use the coupon code: SPECIALTHANKS453

Be sure to check out my new ombre dip dyed clothing pieces, as well as a few new titanium quartz necklaces, just listed yesterday.

Alright... stay cool, everyone!

Ombre Dip Dye

I'm going to start listing my dip dyed clothing pieces soon, here's a sneak preview!

I'm also thinking about a little bit of a sale, so add me on Facebook and Twitter if you want to receive alerts about that.

I kind of bought this thing the other day...

...and from what I've heard, it needs things like gas and insurance to keep it going.

The good news is that when it is going, it's taking me to shows -- no more crabby Vanessa getting off the CTA with two tables, a 40+ lb. tent, and a suitcase full of jewelry.  I'll be all refreshed, unloading my car like everyone else.  Oh, so fancy!

First Friday Recap

So apparently, good weather does not necessarily mean a packed house for First Friday.  Thank goodness Katie brought in her awesome friends, who kept me entertained throughout the night, and the visitors to the building seemed to really enjoy her work!  She also had free zines to give away (I grabbed one, and stored away another to send to a friend).

One of the more interesting things that happened involved Katie being asked to design a cane for MS patients in need.  It just so happened that the other woman in the room at the time worked with people with disabilities, and had a long list of clients with MS who were actually in need of canes, so it kind of became this awesome circle of people connecting to help other people.

(If you're interested in the program, visit Team Chrissy!  The winner of the 2012 People's Favorite Decorated Cane was Kevin Lahvic, another FIAB resident.)

Katie's work looked great, and I'll be a little sad when she takes it down tonight.  One of my favorite parts of hosting artists is that I get my own little art gallery, sometimes for a few days.

Fringe benefits.  ;)

It was a really fun night, that ended with an actual marching band (Environmental Encroachment) coming up through the hallway and playing in the Collaboraction theatre.  Anyone who knows me probably then knows that I just about peed my pants -- I've got a real thing for marching bands!!  They took the party back out into the streets, where we followed them and danced the wild rumpus, then back into the building again for more fun.

Needless to say, I love this place.

Thanks again to Katie Holland, follow her for updates and how you can purchase her work!

Slow improvements in the studio.

I can't believe how long it took us to unpack some of these boxes!  When we used to move somewhere new with my Momma, she was the absolute BEST at having boxes unpacked almost right away, the living room set up promptly, and dinner (usually home-cooked!) on the table that night.  In my very vivid imagination, that's how things always go... in reality, however, it apparently takes me a week or two.  I will blame this entirely on my 'fella, and leave it at that.  ;)

I've got my work desk set up, and knick knacks in the window

I've got a great view for smoking cigarettes/drinking coffee/eating cereal

I've got the "dream closet" (at least as far as size is concerned)

I've got the couch and the "wall of books" and my jewelry set-up

I've got a cozy place to sleep (albeit LOUD)

I've got my bike all fixed up and ready for the warm weather (if it ever arrives)

and, I've got places to get delicious vegan food!

I don't suppose a girl could ask for much more.

:)

Oh, yeah, and the Cubs are at home on Monday.  So life's good.

Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to...

Emily Purpura!

I've contacted you by email about how to get your season pass -- I hope I'll see you there this year!

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Better than I expected.

There came a point last night, probably around 3am when we were still moving in boxes and shelves, that I thought "I've made a horrible mistake".  I felt pretty awful, but there it was -- we had so much stuff, we didn't have a kitchen, we had spent a small fortune (by our standards) on the U-Haul and new appliances, and I was really afraid.

What if this isn't at all what I thought it would be?  What if I was going to fall asleep crying for my old bedroom?  What if Dave was unhappy, too?

But this morning, all of those feelings of doubt faded away.  I stepped out the front door of my new building, onto a busy, bustling, loud sidewalk packed with people from all walks of life.  There were cabs honking their horns, and bicyclists defying death in the intersection, and I realized that when I had pictured moving to the "big city", this had been what I'd had in mind all along.  Chaos and noise.  It was like music to my ears.  I thought "this is all mine", and I smiled.

This is my little corner of the world now.  An office with a view, high ceilings, at least a decade of dust caked onto the windows, and a man outside picking through the trash and screaming at nothing or no one in particular, while I sit at my desk and listen to Charlie Parker.

I'm so immensely proud of where I am today, and so grateful that Dave is on board for this journey.  This is going to be a hell of a time.

Don't forget, I'm still running my giveaway for a season pass (for TWO!) to the Randolph Street Market here in beautiful Chicago IL!

Enter here!

Ah, what the heck!

Wanna hear a funny story?  Well, okay, it's not really a story, and it's not all that funny... but today I started packing up the kitchen, and was getting SO frustrated!  Where does all of this stuff come from, anyway?  I have three different kinds of flour?  I even found a stick o' lard.  Seriously, lard.  So I called my sister, and she assured me that this wasn't unusual (she is a fellow frequent-mover), that the kitchen is always the most difficult room to pack.

But the best part?

Our new place doesn't actually have a kitchen.

I've dramatically named this the "dedicated cooking area".

Yeah.  I'm going to spend at least 2-3 days packing up a room with nowhere really to put the things once I get them to the new space.  I find that moderately funny, anyway.

We've got kitchen-esque plans, of course.  Shelves, Mason jars full of dry goods, a fancy-schmancy new mini fridge (with an adorable little freezer).  But seriously, I might have to really start cutting down on my kitchen supplies, because this is starting to look a wee bit crazy.

I feel like I've arrived.

We signed the lease and got the keys today.  I'm still in a bit of a state of disbelief -- about the space, about the gallery, about the new neighborhood -- all of it is so overwhelming in the best way.

We went to lunch at Native Foods (god, I'm going to go broke with this spot only a short walk away), and took a walk to the park that must be the neighborhood's namesake (Wicker Park).  It's so exciting to have a whole new neighborhood to explore!

I'm so relieved that the waiting is over, even though it means that the packing and cleaning is starting.  So I'm pretty tired, and I don't know if I'll be posting a lot this week (out of excitement) or not posting at all (out of exhaustion), but when the time comes, I can't wait to share more pictures of the space with y'all.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a free season pass to the Randolph Street Market HERE!  I've extended it to the end of the month, because I know I'm going to be busy this week.

Okay, time to be lazy on the couch.

The time has come, the walrus said...

Can't wait to post this: This post has been on my MacBook for a few days, just waiting to post.  The power of positive thinking, people!!

I've been waiting for what feels like forever, but realistically has only been two weeks, to say this -- I'm excited to announce that I will soon be part of the great community of creators in the Flat Iron Arts Building in Wicker Park!!

That means I will be opening the doors to my studio for the First Friday events, and will also have open office hours for anyone to come meet me, visit me in my studio, see how I work, and purchase items on the spot.  I'm also looking forward to hopefully starting some sort of "social club" where other artists in the Chicago area can gather, talk about their art, discuss marketing and all of those un-fun aspects of creating that need to be talked about (and get tips from others), and drink lemonade and eat berry pies on my couch.

But before I get carried away on all of these ideas, big and small, I need to go do a happy dance!  An extended, arm-flapping, foot-stomping, twirling happy dance!

The main living area, with the studio space to the left (through the French doors).

Those are our windows!!

My absolutely amazing new building.

Right now.

I've always thought the best part of falling in love was the part right before, when you're not really sure yet.  Is this love, do they feel it too, what will happen?  It's the part I always wish, once I'm fully into it, I had enjoyed for a little bit longer.  The possibility of it all disappearing in a fleeting second, the insecurity, the worry, the constant thinking about them, the not even being able to sleep for thinking about them.

Don't worry, I'm not falling in love with a person (I've already got that covered).

But a place... oh, what a place.

I don't want to say too much.  I don't want to share it all, and then see it not go through.  What I really want is in three weeks to look back on this day and remember it as the moment as I should have savored a little longer, the maybe-what-if part of it all.  The exciting part before you know for sure that something you have wanted for a really long time is going to happen.

So until then... bits and pieces... with the utmost confidence (okay, it wavers a little) that I will have some very exciting news soon, and pictures, and stories, and so much to share because I just can't contain myself.

Just give it up to the universe.  Expect it to be exactly as you want it to be, and it will.

That's what I'm going with.

What to do...

I've wanted to write something for the past week, but I've been at a total loss on how to start it... I haven't really got anything to say, because this thing I'm thinking about hasn't happened yet, but just the thought of it is getting me all riled up.

I went to see an art/living space.  I really liked it, and as I am prone to do, I got a little... obsessive.  I think about the place almost constantly, and I've made more pros/cons lists than I care to admit to.  All of them come out the same, with the pros outweighing the cons.  I've also made quite a few hypothetical budgets.  Oh, how I love making budgets.

But at this point, I'm having way more anxiety about it than it's worth.  I want to get on here and tell you how excited I am, how it's totally going to work out, and post pictures of this beautiful space, but for now all I can do is wait.

I'm awful at waiting.

So if there is anyone out there reading this who believes in positive energy, please send some my way, because I could really use it right now.  I want this to work out so badly, but not at the cost of my sanity, or my boyfriend's sanity more likely.

I appreciate you in advance.  :)

Snow, snow, snow, and soup.

Usually when it snows, I start roasting a squash.  It's my thing.

But last Tuesday, I had run out of squash.  So I made soup instead.

I made it in a cast iron pot, just to be fancy.

Vegetable soup with rosemary dumplings -- divine!

Announcement // New Items Coming Soon!

I'm so excited to introduce my new Nature Girl // rock 'n roll jewelry line!  These pieces, as well as several others, will be in my shop this week!

I've been working on them for a few weeks now, I wanted to premier them at the RAW Showcase (which went really well, by the way!!).  I got a great response, and now I'm excited to share them with everyone!

I like to make things that I would wear.  That's actually how this whole jewelry thing started with me, and these pieces are really my heart, right now.

They're natural with modern elements, raw and feminine, rugged yet still delicate.  They speak to both the tomboy AND the goth-hippie in me.  They're extremely versatile, which is great when in one day you could go from jeans and an old band t-shirt to a sequined dress.

There are a few more pieces that aren't yet pictured, but I'll be listing them throughout the upcoming week, so stay up to date on my recent listings through

Facebook

Twitter

and

Pinterest

These pieces will include necklaces and bracelets made from bone, raw amethyst, quartz crystals, coral, and polished agate geodes.

In Need of Fresh Air

Does it look like someone wants to go outside?

This is one self-conscious dog, in his reflective rain coat, and orange rubber snow booties.

I think he looks like a little puppy traffic director!

We took a walk around the neighborhood, admiring the beautiful houses (mansions!?) on the surrounding blocks.  Some of these places are just stunning!  I actually didn't get a shot of my favorite house, because it was too big to fit the whole thing into the photo frame.  Anyway, it deserves a full post of it's own.  ;)