steve and i took the day off yesterday for a quick trip to gettysburg, pa. we’ve decided to start taking a mid-week day trip once a month to have some quality time with each other away from the usual sights and sounds. we are so lucky to be able to do this. i think the next trip will be to d.c. to see the cherry blossoms!

here is the only photo we took in gettysburg

 let me just say that up until this last election, i have been very suspicious of our government’s purpose and intentions.  while i have become a bit of a softie for our new president, my guard is still up.

i spent my lunchbreak today surfing itunes for a new audiobook or podcast to entertain me while i work.  to my surprise, the president’s weekly address is available as a video podcast.  i appreciate the efforts of the new administration  to keep us in the loop.  i think. . .   there are my suspicions again.  anyhoo, i watched the video and. . .  it was slightly creepy!  very . .  dharma projectesque.  though, i have no idea what the dharma project is . . . any LOST fans out there get what i’m saying?  oh well, back to the bench.

after my emphatic opposition to twitter almost half a year ago, i’ve had a change of heart. see you there!

for those of you reading my blog though google reader, i apologize for the horrible spam showing up embedded in my posts!!! i was shocked and appalled to discover this just now. we are trying to fix this problem at this very moment. if you have any advice, please let me know!

remember that one giant magnolia flower? guess what lizzy and i saw underneath that magnolia tree today? GIGANTIC mushrooms! i mean on-the-verge-of-scary mushrooms!

when we got back to the studio, we did a little research and found some more information on these guys here. apparently, this mushroom is commonly referred to as the “giant puffball”. no joke.

miss. whitney, i know you must have more info on the giant puffball. do let us know!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
xoxo

i’ve got alot on my plate today.  i’m in serious production mode for crafty bastards coming up in just a little over a week.  aside from making pieces for crafty bastards i hope to accomplish the following before the show date:

1.  send out a newsletter using a program i just enrolled in called constant contact.  it’s a little harder to use than i thought it would be.  i think once i roll out the first one, i will get the hang of how to compose newsletters.

2.  get stickers printed.  i’m going to retire the postcard swag and introduce stickers this season.  i’m also thinking about bookmarks . . .

gosh, i’m so happy that lizzy is coming in tomorrow to help me!

i couldn’t concentrate at all yesterday because of the excitement of BOB, so i thought i’d make myself a piece of jewelry to commemorate the special day.  here is a progress shot:

oh! and one last thing before i get back to work- i saw this at the market this morning and my curiosity got the best of me- chocolatemint water.  it’s tasty, refreshing, all natural and calorie-free- what a treat!

this article ran in the baltimore sun yesterday. i found it so charming! i think all you ace of cakes fan will like this one. i wish there were more light, humorous and well written pieces like this in our paper.

image by glenn fawcett (baltimore sun)

yay! i’m awaiting the arrival of this:

i finally decided on this bike. i’m trading in my crazy heavy, vintage panasonic road bike for a lighter, more comfy city cruiser. i’ve faced the fact- i’m simply not built for road biking around these parts. have you seen the roads in this city? (baltimoreans: please report a pothole near you by clicking here). inspired by my trip to amsterdam, all the avid bikers i know (thank you steve, rachel, jenny, megan) and a commitment to a create a more fit community, i’m hopping on the bike!

i love to treat myself to new books.   two of my newest reads:

i enjoyed unaccustomed earth so much that i picked up another book by jhumpa lahiri, interpreter of maladies.  can’t wait to crack this one open.  have you read either of these?  i’d love to hear what you think.  i am especially fond of lahiri’s representation of the young adult lives of first generation americans- so honest and relatable.

in other news, i’ve decided to run the baltimore half marathon in october! i’m using this book, marathoning for mortals as my coach.  my official training started yesterday and am i EVER sore today. what a great feeling! the last race i ran was a 5k back in 2006, so i know this half marathon will be quite a mental and athletic challenge for me.  i’ve found that i have a hard time staying fit/excercising if i do not give myself an end goal.  in this case it will be to complete the race!

i also picked up this fun book titled running made easy (to negate the seriousness of “marathoning for mortals”).  it is full of fun motivational tips  for the running woman.

thank you to everyone who came out to pile of craft yesterday! i especially loved meeting all the blog readers. hello, guys!

thanks also to my amazing charm city craft mafia buddies who work so tirelessly to put on awesome events. there is already something new in the works (non craft fair related), but i’ll leave the details for another time. - stay tuned! after artscape, i will no longer be a member of the charm city craft mafia- i just can’t keep up with them and prep for my first wholesale experience at the same time! i’ll miss you and will always be your biggest fan!

today is all about kicking back and relaxing. i got to sleep in and have a delicious japanese lunch topped off with some iced coffee. yummm. also, i’m in the market for a new bike, so i’ve also spent the day doing some research. here is my dream bike. really, could they possibly make them ANY CUTER? but alas, this is simply not in my budget.

now, back to season 3 of the simpsons and finishing up that baby blanket!

xoxo and happy sunday!

many things on my mind today.  i’m feeling pensive this rainy monday thinking about the future of indie craft shows for jewelers like myself.  (did you see 12linden and megan auman’s account of their weekend?).

i won’t get into it right now, as i’m trying to lighten up a little.  so onto other things. . . like this:

that’s right-  i’m a loyal subscriber of cute overload.

this week, i’ll be holed up in the studio prepping for the upcoming shows with some new strategies- like bringing back the oldies but goodies- the bird necklace, tree necklace, and experimental pieces made from my vintage bead stash!

as always, thanks for listening to me. i always feel happier after blogging

on the way to the post box today i saw this.  you might be thinking, “what a pretty flower that is!”

i was thinking HOLY COW- THAT IS THE BIGGEST FLOWER I’VE EVER SEEN! check this out.  that is my hand RIGHT NEXT to the flower!:

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