sometimes a girl just needs a frozen pizza.

things have been really hectic for me the last few days. getting all the special orders finalized and getting more things made for the open house has been draining me. i usually stop working around 6, lately it's been midnight. and i think that's going to have to continue on through next week if i am going to get all the presents made for my family. yikes.
on a less exhausting note, my friend katie is in town from bend, oregon and is participating in the open house with me!! she makes super cool fabric/leather jewelry and wool hooded cowls. she has TONS of great leather earrings made. i figured if the i had a poor turn out for the open house, at least i wouldn't be sitting here alone. it will be a little less sad. :) plus, we haven't seen each other in over 2 years. so she brought her stuff over today and we rearranged some furniture and discussed things for tomorrow.

adella and katie mulling over the definition of a "trunk show."

leather earrings by katie.
r a k

these are about shoulder length, she has a variety of lengths.
r a k

my friend shannon has been perfecting her nut-free/vegan baking and she will be contributing some great treats. she is also trying to start up a little business, baking and selling her treats. she is starting to get some business, this will be her first big order i think. :)

on a whim the other night i fashioned up some hair clips and barrettes. i have been having these whims lately, and they have been like little surprises. another whim: making a big batch of the sugar scrub i have been using this winter. in four essential oil scents. 

it's getting a little crazy around here with all these projects! so yes i have been staying up too late. and no, i haven't been eating properly, or even taking breaks to drink water. the only breaks i take are to feed adella, or the dogs, or the chickens. and switch out an occasional load of laundry. so,when george scoffed at me when i requested a frozen pizza from open harvest, i said, "sometimes i just want frozen pizza!" besides, it was le quartier.....and it was good.

crowntastic.

i am finally done with the crowns that were special ordered. to be honest, i didn't have that many, but when someone wants something special, i take my time on it. it has been paying off, because i am getting great feedback from those who have gotten their crowns. in between the crowns i also made a dress, something AWESOME for adella for christmas and have 4 pairs of shoes ready to sew together at my dad's. now i have to replenish most of what i took to bodhi for my open house saturday! i'm going to have some smaller items for sale, and not just kid stuff, but i am having a hard time deciding what to go for. i need to pick one thing and run with it. but it has to be the right thing......

crown work space.

princess heart crown.

on a whim, to get warmed up to make a cat crown that had me stumped, i decided to try an idea i had been mulling over, a hot air balloon themed crown. it turned out pretty cool, if i do say so myself. i figured that the balloons were probably flying over lincoln, and added the state capitol building. i love it!

retail therapy.

no, this post is not about christmas shopping. ok. in a way it is. but it's not going to be about me shopping for gifts and such. i'm not doing that this year. i have been having a sort of existential crisis lately. i guess that's what you would call it. i don't think it's right to go and spend gobs of money on items that are made carelessly, or on some lump of plastic that will just sit around taking up space. i have decided to make almost all of my presents this year. for everyone, not just the children. i'm taking christmas back. i'm going to make it what it's supposed to be. it's a day to share with family, and give gifts from the heart. if i do go and purchase something, i have vowed to only patronize small, independent, LOCAL businesses.
speaking of local businesses, i took some of my wares down to Bodhi Imports this morning. the owner, jen, is a friend from high school (and beyond) and we had talked this summer about me bringing some items down. i saw her at the co-op the other day, and now my goods are on display! Bodhi is a lincoln staple when it comes to local shopping. they have something for everyone and carry goods made here in lincoln and goods from all over the world. i am so excited to have a way for more people to see what i've been making.

jen gave me a great spot to showcase my wares!!
thanks jen!!

oh, the cuteness......

a few random pictures from the last few days, sure to brighten anyone's day!

shopping at open harvest.

we love tired produce!

mini-crowns! more details on these later.....

pressure point massage.

"let the wild rumpus start!"

today i finished a project that had been on my mind since i started it last week. a crown for a boy named max. this was a special project for several reasons. it started the ball rolling on taking some special orders, it was very unique, and i knew it would be more difficult to pull off. but, i am always up for a challenge, and it's that time of year when mothers want everything to be perfect, so i knew i just had to make this crown. 

the theme of the crown? 

a childhood favorite, 'where the wild things are.'

this was a challenge and i got a refresher in the lessons "less is more" and "don't over-think things." i had a very elaborate plan in the beginning, but in the end, simplicity won. she always does.

i love how crowns look at this stage with pins in the embellishments.

front.

"and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for max"

"that very night in max's room a forest grew"

whiskers.

this was a fun project and i know that this crown will spend a wild christmas in a great place, with a great boy named max.

testing my skills.

i took a couple days off from making things for other people to make adella's winter coat. finally. i have had the pattern traced and cut out on top the fabric (an old wool army blanket) for weeks. it's been moving around my studio area and i just needed to make it and get it out of the way. and it's december. it's cold.

it was a more detailed project, that's for sure. a fully lined coat. as i get better at the simple things, i am trying to branch out and work on more difficult skills. and you know what? they always end up being easier than they look. to line a coat sounds ( in one's head, while reading the instructions) hard. really hard. and it's so hard to think in 3d, and actually SEE how the sleeves will be lined and turn right side out after sewing them, for example.  but, after reading the instructions out loud about 3 or 4 times, all of a sudden it clicked and it wasn't really that hard. it's just a little tricky to envision the finished product, which is what sewing is all about. the finished product.

adella's new (old) wool coat.

a little flare. 

the coat turned out great, save for a couple minor, superficial flaws. and it's a little too big, but still wearable. it could possibly fit next year. or, i can make her another one, in a bigger size, because now i know,  it's not as hard as it looks.

hi.

wolly pog.

this is wolly pog. she is an old lady and hisses like a camel sometimes if you get in her bubble. she likes licking feet and chasing squirrels. she also talks a little when the neighbor dogs get let out. she would probably love to eat our chickens, which is why they aren't free-ranging. oh wolly, we love you!