Blog Love

My headband was featured in Cassandra's blog today. Looks like turquoise will be hot this year.

J.D. Salinger...

...died yesterday. I was given one of his books by my 7th grade History Teacher. He was the first adult I had ever met that didn't talk down to me like I was a child, and the first adult to give me anything outside of my family.

I asked him to be my "Spirit Teacher" during spirit week at school, and while other teachers gave their spirit students bags and baskets of sodas and snacks, I got a book. While totally unorthodox, I wasn't too surprised. He was always a bit quirky, but then again, so was I; especially at that age. He explained that spirit week at our school happened to land in the middle of "Banned Book Month" and that this particular book was on many banned book lists throughout the country since it came out in the 50's.

I read the book, and liked it a lot. It was a paperback copy of, The Catcher in the Rye. While all of that angst of not fully being understood, and questioning the validity of the personalities all around me hit very close, my 12 year old Latina brain couldn't help but think, "Wait a second... this kid is an upper class white boy that is able to travel freely. What the hell does he have to be bitter about."

A big part of me still thinks that about, Holden, but nevertheless, Salinger's words did have a big impact in my adolescent life. The words seemed to have met me at the crossroads between youth and young adulthood, naivete and the burden of knowledge, and conformity and self awareness. Thank you Mr. Alexander, and thank you Mr. Salinger.

Held Captive

It is amazingly pleasant outside today! partly cloudy, clear blue skies, 67 degrees and nearly no humidity. The large windows of my shop keep reminding me of how awesome it is out there, however I am cooped up here... working, updating, posting, etc.

My hubby bought me a cool vintage cruiser yesterday, and I would love to take it out and have a picnic somewhere. sigh...

If tomorrow is as nice as today, I might have to take a "sick" day.

Hello, Goodbye.

Hello to my 1st sale of the new year from my Etsy store. Here is a look at the new lucky item:

If you like this scarf too, then don't worry, I've still got more available. Click HERE to inquire about a purchase.

But just as I made the sale online, my sister was getting ready to leave my store. She will be leaving tomorrow afternoon to go back to San Fransisco, after a nearly month long stay of helping my family out during my grandma's passing. It will probably be a while before I see her again. I do like having her around though, because she is one of the few out there that thinks on the same creative level as I do.

Adventures in Stitching

I do a lot of crafts, but needlepoint and embroidery stitching isn't something I am too familiar with. Last night, I decided to get a few supplies and books on the craft, and this is what I came up with.

All of these were done free hand and keep in mind that all of these are rough drafts of what is soon to come, but for my first stab at needlepoint, I don't think the designs came out half bad.

A cute little birdie silhouette.

My ode to Frida. That's her brow in the middle.

An old timey bicycle.

boys, boys, boys.

Valentine's Day is about a month away, and while it usually marks the time of year when retailers looked like they've been vomited on by a bottle of pepto bismol, clearly appealing to the female market, I ask, what about the boys? Here are a few items your male valentine may appreciate.

This awesome belt is made from old bicycle tires from julienjaborska.

This great long sleeve tee is by elementalshop.

And this is one of my "Boyfriend" scarves.

Crafting on the Road

Right now I am heavily thinking about taking my show on the road at some indie craft shows. There are a few I am heavily considering... one in Dallas, and another in San Francisco. I've got friends and family in both towns so I figure it may be pretty convenient. Now that my life has simmered a bit, hopefully I can get my act together and apply for these events on time.

Contest

Here is some info about a contest up for grabs by a fellow Etsian. Her photos are quite beautiful. Click HERE for more details. A fantastic way to spruce up your domicile for the new year!

Here is one of my favorite photos by Sara Norris:

New Year.

In the past month... I've gotten married, entered the last year of my twenties, and experienced the passing of the woman who helped raise me, my grandma. Yeah, a lot to take in, in less than 21 days, however it is time to start working again. I haven't made much of anything in nearly a month, let alone posted anything for sale, but all of that is soon to change.

This past year was a real eyeopener in terms of how to run my business, and giving me an idea on what direction I would like to see it go into. It has also given my a clear idea of what my style is, and more importantly, what parts of my style people are interested in buying.

This month also marks the one year anniversary of my Etsy store (www.blinkdesign.etsy.com), and as part of commemorating this event, I'm offering free shipping on all items until February 8. While I have done a clean sweep through my online store, many, many more items are to come in shortly, so stay tuned. Also, don't be surprised if you see me at random craft shows all over the country. Here's to the new year!