Write it Out

Here's a little jewel I learned during college. At the end of the day - or, really at any point in the day - write down 5 good things that happened that day. They don't have to be big things, something as simple as 'I'm wearing my favorite tshirt' is enough, or 'Made an artichoke for dinner'. I'll tell you what, you will be shocked and amazed at not only the amount of events that happened since waking, but also how many positive things are occurring in your life. Shocked and amazed, I tell you. So sit your little self down for 3 minutes every night, and pick up your pen. I often practice this exercise when I feel like I accomplished nothing, and I find that by the time I'm done writing the first item on the list, I've already thought of numbers 2 and 3.

Suddenly, everything seems to be going well.

Last Chances

I discovered yesterday that the huge annual Catlin Gabel Rummage sale at the Expo Center is ending! This is the last year, after 65 consecutive years, that they will be having this event. Apparently Craigslist and Ebay aren't helping their cause. So make sure you go this year! Here are the hours:

Thursday, November 5: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (35 percent markup on all items)
Friday, November 6: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 7: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (25 percent discount all day)
Sunday, November 8: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (50 percent discount and bag sales all day)

Also, here is a little ditty about my stuff jumping into Splurge: Click This!

Well, it has been a rare, challenging week for glass; I've had two full kiln loads not turn out well. They will each have to be re-fired. Things haven't been heating evenly, or for long enough, plus I've been doing a little experimenting which is always tricky. All of these things added together have put me a little behind this week. Oy! But I suppose things can't always turn out perfectly. Next week will surely be better!

Can You Move Your Horns, Please? They're, like, totally in my way

Okay, I realize this has little to do with anything, everything to do with nothing, anything to do with something, ...but check out these long-horned cattle! The photo above is from a recent trip to Texas -- the Fort Worth Stockyards. Imagine waking up in the morning and having to pick up that much weight just to lift your head off the pillow -- er, sawdust.

Playing Catch-Up

Oh dear. I see now that I haven't written much in the past month. Let me fill you in.

The beginning of October was filled with surprisingly good weekends at the Saturday Market. My display racks have been less than full for a little while and I find myself constantly playing catch-up to restock my wares during the week.

I put a batch of jewelry into Splurge, which happens to be one of the most adorable little gift stores in town. It was started by a bunch of market vendors a few years ago and houses a significant amount of market products. Check it out!


Quickly, I sped through 'The Time Traveller's Wife' which was rather phenomenal. I had a difficult time putting it down, which doesn't happen that often for me. Highly recommend it.

I'm planning on switching over from my website to etsy. That is, if I can just. get. started. on it.


Took a trip to the Tacoma Glass Museum in Washington; we had beautiful weather, free coffee and cookies at the rest stops, and were able to see some pretty impressive artwork. It's fun to try to think about how each piece was made.

Now I'm off to a wedding in Dallas at the end of the week and will get to see the fam!

Love the Rain

Just took a fresh load of glass out of the kiln - I finally did some larger pendant pieces. I rarely use brown glass but...why?! It looks great with the reaction that happens between the silver leaf and white glass (the brown swirl around the clouds in photo). This piece has a nice amount of reaction - and I love using silver leaf! All I need to do now is find a heavy chain to put it on -- my dinky snake chains simply won't do.

Swift Magic

It's September! Go watch the Swifts funnel into the chimney at the Chapman Elementary School downtown at NW Pettigrove and 25th-ish.

The New Rummaging Schedule

One of the very worst things about being at the Portland Saturday (&Sunday) Market, is that I miss all of the rummage sales! Imagine all of the wonderful, cheap-as-dirt housewares and clothes that are only available on random weekends through the year, which I am missing out on! It drives me a very particular kind of crazy. My one saving grace, to which I anticipate with immense excitement all year long, is the Catlin Gabel Rummage Sale which is held every November. It is gigantic in a way that you can only comprehend by attending. So big, in fact, that it fills the Portland Expo Center. Believe it.

And it is a mere 2 months away.

Escaping the Burn (of both theft and heat)

Considering all of the drama and events that went on in Seattle, I find myself with a very short version of the entire story.

I drove to Seattle for a wholesale show, had all of my jewelry and supplies stolen out of my car, and then the next day I got it all back. The End.

Some good things came out of it; some bad things came out of it.

This is what my jewelry looks like if you are standing on a picnic table and wearing really cute 'avocado shoes'.

Fortunately, I returned to a good weekend at the Portland Saturday Market, went out for some sushi with friends, and started a bikram yoga class. It is amazingly hot in that yoga room, and my very calm instructor confessed that lately he has been taking "window hits" from the one open window in the room, so that he can get some cool fresh air. I wonder what kind of person he is outside of class.

Until next time, I'll be in spot #201 under the Burnside Bridge (weekends only). Oh! And I'll be attending the Belmont Street Fair a week from Saturday. Later, kiddos.

Little Things

There are few things in my life more refreshing than a clean new 10"x10" sheet of silver leaf...

Procrastinatio-......

With a wholesale show coming up in less than two weeks, and a stream of wonderful weekends at the market that have depleted my stock of jewels, I find myself on Monday morning doing exactly what I always do when I'm overwhelmed with the length of my To-Do List. I start cleaning. I crank the music on my computer and start organizing things that I didn't know existed; I go grocery shopping; I lock myself in the bathroom and pluck my eyebrows; I write emails. Suddenly I live in a neat and tidy apartment, my cupboards are stocked with meals, there's kombucha in the fridge, and yet... no glass is made, no pens have declared progress to the items on my project list.

Why don't we do the things that we know need to be done?

The new tree necklaces are still consistently selling, which makes me incredibly happy. AND a suprising thing happened this morning: I thought of a COMPLETELY new design for a necklace. Truly I'd thought I'd have a hard time coming up with a design that would trump the trees, and maybe this one won't - but maybe it will! Either way, it's going to take several firings, lots of glass powders, and will involve some techniques that I've never attempted. Nevertheless, I'm entirely excited.

Here's hoping for a productive and happy week!

A Magical Encounter at the Shopeteria

After lunch today I took a walk over to the 'Shopeteria' - a brilliantly named little convenience store which happens to carry Ben & Jerrys. I snatched up a pint, a bottle of iced tea and plopped them both down at the register. But just then one of the most amazing things happened; something that I have been secretly wishing for many years. So secretly, in fact, that even I hadn't quite realized that I'd wanted it.

I caught a glimpse of a cardboard box of new Coconut M&Ms.
"Coconut M&Ms?!" I said this aloud. I yelled it. I yelled it at the cashier; not even to him, but at him.

I was so taken by this new discovery that I'm not even sure what the poor chap mumbled in response to my outburst. The value of that little package of candy far exceeds the 89 cents that you part with at the register. They're even printed with little palm trees next to the 'M' on each one. I have never known a love quite like this.

The Promises We Don't Keep

Finally. Someone who takes a photo at the market and actually sends it to me!