Wheatsville Arts Festival

Well, its almost here. I have a booth next weekend at the Wheatsville Arts Festival (Dec 6 and 7th from 10-5pm at Adams Park - 1 block east of Guadalupe on 30th). I am excited but still have lots to get ready. And I am a little nervous. I hope people come out and want to buy stuff. Its always a little scary to have a booth of your art and let people opinionate all over it. But the festival is usually pretty laid back with lots of nice people so it should be cool. And I am doing it with a friend from the pottery studio so I won't be all by myself all day.

I'll have lots of pottery and glass jewelry. The last load of pottery should be out of the kiln on tuesday. Cutting it a little short, eh.

Well, I am off to bed. Its going to be a busy week.

Jude!!

I am working on pictures this weekend and this just cracks me up. Jude is such a little brother! Here he is chewing on karina's dress - check out his expression. And right after this picture he tried to bite her rear! oh, brothers. The girls have quite a bit to look "forward" to. :0) he-he.

today's thoughts

• I am tired and its not even 10pm.


• I keep getting these emails asking where the best place to get Coyote/Wolf urine is. The people want to get dogs off their yard. Now, I have a feeling the way to get wolf urine to bottle and sell is not very humane. If you want dogs not to poop in your yard I suggest having a wolf or coyote live in your yard. :0)~


• It occurred to me a couple days ago that Thanksgiving is this week. Crazy. I've gotten used to not being with my family for Thanksgiving but it would be cool to be able to go home. I plan to do what I do pretty much every Thanksgiving morning. Watch the Macy's day parade and bake apple pie.
• I am working on getting stuff together for the Wheatsville Festival Dec 6-7. Half my downstairs is covered in glass. Not very kid safe. or really people safe. The kitchen is mostly glass-free though so I can make food without fear of eating glass slivers.
• There is something massively wrong with the pipes under my kitchen sink. Smells like something died and I can't seem to fix it. I need assistance.
• I am listening to the new-ish Coldplay CD. Good stuff. I skipped out on the concert last week but bought the CD instead. Not that its the same thing but atleast its something.
• I picked up some very cool pottery pieces at the studio today that I glazed last week. Groovy.
• I saw the specs and pics of the new 370Z today. Whoa. Quite cool. Looks better than last years Z.
• NPR/KUT seems to like Bold Folds. They play him quite a bit.
• I've really been enjoying NPR the last year or so. Esp in the morning. I start my day using a few brain cells. I used to listen to JB and Sandy but I just found what they talked about so stupid I felt like dying (overly dramatic). Plus NPR seems to tie in well with my wednesday night small group discussions.
• I am REALLY excited to have a 4 day weekend. But I know it will fly by. But then Christmas is right around the corner!

Freedom Bags Fundraiser

Here are a few pics from the Freedom Bags fundraiser last Saturday benefiting IJM.org. The rest of the pictures are on my website (http://www.mphotodesign.com)

Some of the jewelry and coin purses.

An artsy photo of a few of the bags we were selling.

Cecilia playing her pretty but sad music. I like it. (both the picture and the music)

Ashlynn rocking out.

Josie decided to eat the microphone.

Cute Jen and Ado

Thomas playing. Doesn't he look Irish?

Friends hanging out listening to the music in the backyard. It wasn't a huge turnout but we did end up raising over $1000 for IJM. Pretty good for our little (fill in adjective) group.

Lilly has arrived...

Baby Lilly Grace was born last night (11/21) after a really long labor. Everyone is doing great. She's 7lb 2 oz and 20 inches long. Everyone is wondering if she'll have red hair like her father, we'll have to wait and see! I am so used to white babies being all splotchy I was surprised she looks so good. I can't wait to hold her. Doesn't she look like a little doll?

life

• my body didn't like the flu shot I got yesterday. bummer. I don't know how B got all those shots last week. One little flu shot and I felt like my arm was going to fall off.
• i jammed a sliver of glass into my thumb while working on a fused glass project. i thought of going over to brook's to have her remove it and do wound care on my poor little thumb but figure the glass will come out on its own hopefully. If not I'll have Brook doctor it.
• tuesday in pottery I worked with glaze containing lead. I feared I'd die from the exposure but so far I am ok. I did end up smelling like a horse on fire though. I was doing some horsehair pottery tuesday also where you put horse hair on a hot piece of pottery and it smokes and burns. hence the horse on fire smell.
• I love the smell of cold. It reminds me of home.
• I made some yummy raspberry cheesecake bars for our OCC party last night. I've been eating the leftovers today.
• The Empty Bowl project, OCC, AND the LO potluck are all Sunday. And this weekend is also the East Austin Studio Tour. I am hoping to stop by a few places Saturday.
• Is the UT-A&M game always on Thanksgiving? For some reason I thought it was the day after. Oh well.
• 2 weeks til the Wheatsville Coop Arts Festival. I am so not ready. Its Dec 6 and 7 from 10-5 if you want to come out. I have a booth with a pottery friend.
• I got 4 boxes of Special K cereal last week for $4, that's $1 a box folks. Coupons rock.
• My allergy doctor told me I'd never get off the shots. I don't like shots. You know they are injecting cockroaches into me every week. I really don't think that's good.
• The Freedom Bags fundraiser was fun last week. Low turnout but we made quite a bit of money for IJM. And we are selling the leftover bags at the Liveoak Potluck Sunday.

this world

I walked into class today, sat down and noticed the girl who sits next to me wasn't there yet. She's usually there before me so that was slightly odd but I didn't think much of it. Then our teacher started the class and said, "(so and so) won't be coming back to class, she was severely beaten by an ex-boyfriend which put her in the hospital and her parents permanently moved her back home." I didn't know quite how to react. Lots of thoughts all at once. I was really sad for her and hoped she'd heal physically quickly and then started thinking about emotionally, how is she doing, will she ever really be ok again. She's young, I'd say 21 or 22. How'd she get mixed up with a guy who would beat her. And what was the guy thinking? Never hit a girl. And why would you beat someone that you loved at one point. I know it happens often but I am not usually around it. I have a couple other friends who were abused by boyfriends and I just don't understand it. Why is this world so messed up? Then I thought about her life. She seemed pretty happy, she was quite funny, she was doing well in the class. Now she has been moved a few hundred miles away. I'd find that really hard if it was me. But it seems her parents love her and want to protect her. I'd do the same thing as a parent. It feels weird that I will most likely never see her again. I hope/pray she heals quickly in all things.

IJM Fundraiser

A few of us will be hosting a silent auction/benefit concert this Saturday, November 15, featuring performances by Cecilia Vergara, Ashlynn Walker, and Thomas Q. Brady. (yeah!!) We will be auctioning off and selling bags from Thailand and Indonesia, as well as other fun journals, jewelry and accessories. Our small group pooled some of our money from our tax stimulus refunds and sent Liz with money to buy stuff while she was overseas this summer, which we are now selling to benefit IJM.

All proceeds benefit International Justice Mission, "a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression." (you can visit their website at http://www.ijm.org/) The benefit will be held at Blanca, Liz, and Renee's house - 1704 Winsted Lane - from 2-5pm. I encourage you guys to stop by, check out the cool items for sale, and listen to some awesome music!!

(click on the image to view it bigger)

Josie

Did a little shoot of Josie thursday night. Here's a teaser. A few more are on my photoblog.