The itch...

I've been getting it again, the itch, the desire, the absolute need to create something... sometimes it can be so frustrating to feel this way, when I don't necessarily have to focus to even pick just one thing, or the means to support it once I do.  Thankfully, after a few experimentations, it ended up not being too entirely expensive, and I'm really excited to see how it turns out.  No photos yet, I'm waiting until I can hold a finished product in my hand... but, I'm really excited!  So get excited with me, and then look forward to pictures, in a day or so!

Countdown!

It's kind of funny how I start actually looking forward to being laid off toward the end of the Cubs season.  I mean, not the dirty reality of it -- looking for a temp job, being broke, having way more time on my hands than any human really should -- but then, this year, it's going to be a really great opportunity to work on my pendants (and other things! coming soon!) and maybe hopefully fingers-crossed develop this whole thing into a "real" (read: highly profitable) business.  I don't expect anything miraculous to happen over night, of course, but I think a lot of hard work this Winter might start to pay off.  The opportunity to actually work at a craft, as an artist, to be my own boss (because goodness knows, I don't like anyone else being my boss) is so great, and rather than hopeful, I want to be determined.  I really want to do right by myself, I owe myself a genuine solid effort.

So the countdown?  About a month, give or take a few.

Ugh... oooh...

I'm feeling icky-yucky, which means I have plenty of time on my couch right now to blog-blog-away, but no real progress to speak of or pictures to show off.  ;)  A catch-22, no?

Well, I am determined to make this weekend as productive as possible.  I really want to get to work on an update of my Sticks & Stones pendants.  It's amazing how difficult it is to find tiny little stones in this city!  All I really needed was an excuse to go to the Lake, right?  Excuse obtained!

I've also got a friend-date (I find this term almost unbearably cute) on Saturday.  I feel like I need to pick out an outfit or something, but I don't want to overdo it.  Strange how difficult or awkward it is to make friends once you become an adult, but at least I'm being proactive about it!  It's too bad we can't all just go up to each other and say "I think you look neat, wanna be friends?" without people thinking we're off-kilter.

Is anyone doing anything interesting this weekend?

Oliva will be reading this weekend... or at least hanging out on a book shelf.

New Etsy Listing -- Belmont CTA Pendant

An outbound train... toward the Loop... will be arriving shortly.

Belmont CTA Pendant

Belmont CTA Pendant

Click the photo captions above, or here: Belmont CTA Pendant.

Visit my Etsy shop here: the Big City Bumpkin on Etsy

Small Improvements

It's felt like a really long weekend.  We did go to Ikea on Friday, but I have to say I wouldn't recommend anyone else doing it the way we did -- in a snowstorm, without a car.  We took public transportation to get there, which usually isn't a big deal, but the two or three blocks we had to walk from the bus stop to the store felt more like two or three miles in the freezing temperatures and swirling snow.  Needless to say, the blue and yellow of Ikea's entrance beckoned to me like the gateway to paradise.

We ended up just getting a few things for around the house, & built the shelves ourselves on Saturday (well, Dave did, I just sat on the couch telling him if things looked level from where I was).

Ta-da!  Shelves over my desk/craft area!

I'm still in the process of finding the best places for everything, but it's a great start!  :)  It's such a relief to have the actual space of my desk open to work on.

I have a few pendants hanging on the cork board, & I just got some more frames & maps in the mail, so I'm pretty sure I'll spend Monday working on them.

I got frames for these CTA maps (previously they were just nailed into the wall, not cute).  I think they look pretty nice, now!

This whole area behind the couch is still "under construction".  I thought I would be building more shelves back there, for my books, but I'm not 100% sure yet...

Tonight I have a Yelp Elite event (yay!), and then I'm excited to watch Adele perform on the Grammys... I hope y'all had a fun weekend, and stayed warm!