Marsbarn Designs...

In which I brave The Closet once again.

Today was spent excavating The Closet. I am one of those people who stash presents all year round with the expectation of having most of my Christmas list done by Thanksgiving, so that I can relax during December and make cookies. Of course what happens is that I unpack all the bundles and find out that I have a dozen things for one person (this person changes every year, by the way), and nothing for anyone else.. and that thing that I thought I had stashed away for that difficult person on my list? I gave them that thing for their birthday, and am back to square one.
On a separate topic the fabric paint for the Kindergarten art project came today... oh the pretty colors!! I can't wait to do my samples over Thanksgiving break. And, Sweetheart G has just handed me a notice from school informing me that she is to "Keep away from germs!" Ya. I'll get right on that... geesh.. as if most of her germ contact doesn't come from school!

Are your dice running amok?

Just a very quick note:
Those of you (yes, I know you're out there) who have been pining for a dice bag...
I am running a sale on my Etsy site. All pre-made dice bags are 2 for $22.

(Yes, I'll do a real post later today.. after I finish my chores.)

ya, I'm gonna go sulk for a bit.

I can cross another thing off of my To Do list.

I bought a new pair of jeans.

I didn't cry, but I did draw blood. (I skinned my knuckle on a rough rivet... )
The good news is that I wear the size I thought I did; that's also the bad news.
What is it about changing room mirrors? They are like a view into the Darkside. (If I really look like that, I just don't want to know.)
And, I bought the loose jeans, instead of the tight ones... does that make me old?

And, I got a letter from my OBGYN. He's retiring. Damn it. Sure he's been a doctor for 38 years, and he should be able to enjoy some time off.. but he's my doctor. He listens to me. He delivered both of my girls, and I really believe Sweetheart G would have died in utero without his care. Once, when I was in the hospital to have my appendix removed, he spotted my name on the surgical board. He tracked down my surgeon, informed him that I wouldn't take my pain meds properly, and then came to hold my hand while I waited to go under. How many doctors with large practices would recognize a patient's name out of context, AND tattle on them? Oh, and then there was the prenatal visit where I gained 10 pounds in two weeks, and he told me how wonderful I looked. And when he told me I really shouldn't have another baby after Little e's pregnancy was so dicey at the end? He was so sad.. so very sad. Damn it. I'm going to miss him.

...and with a bit of cat vomit the chores begin.

I stopped at the bakery on the way back from school to make my lists. (This was essential research people! Not just me being decadent!) I made three, and haven't lost any of them yet. Today is going to be about cleaning, and catching up on housework (oh joy).
Later this week I have to go downtown to run errands (Wince with me.. I need to buy jeans.. uhhhhgg!) I also have this wild idea that I'll have a moment of mental glory and come up with a kickbutt idea for Christmas cards, get them made, and be able to write them on the train this weekend. (No, this isn't really going to happen, but I'm good for a laugh... ) Hey, that's the sound of my cat vomiting.. nothing like cat yick to start a morning of cleaning right!

the necessary update

I've updated and reopened my Etsy shop. I sold all of my dolly crowns, but I will make up some more this week. I've listed a couple of my new "Necessary Pouches". They are for, you know.. those necessary things that you carry around but don't want to loose in the bottom of your bag... ya those things. Of course you could use them to carry other things like pens or those small reading glasses. The pouches are 6 inches long and 2 3/4 inches wide. (The pouch will hold up to three standard sized tampons)

market redux

Let me start by confessing that I took no photos during the sale. Not a single one, despite my camera being with me. Bad Blogger! It was a good show. There were tons of vendors this year; so many lovely things... I made some good trades, and was tempted to spend much of my earnings.

Highlights of the show... I heard from two different women about how much they had enjoyed the handbags they had purchased from me in past years. Yay! The lovely Birdstar (in her truly Fabulous jacket!) stopped by to say hi (So very cool... real life contact from Blogland!) and we cooed about our Moo cards. (My children have started to question my need to fondle my Moo cards... but they are just so Yummy!) I finally acquired my own Oh My Stars chalk board (I lusted last year.. and then pined, but now I have my own!). Big E ran my booth so I could have a break.. he shmoozes so well! I met the woman organizing Hip Happening (this is a My Space link), a new monthly market in the Sellwood neighborhood. I'll have a booth in their holiday show on December 13th at 7126 Se Milwaukie. (You know.. if you wanted to come and see me..)

I do have sewing to do for the next set of shows, but I have almost a month (ya, I know.. famous last words) so I'm a taking a bit of a break (lie), okay, a bit of a slow down. I have chores to do, Christmas lists to make, shopping to do, oh.. and a vacation to take. This coming Saturday I am packing my bag, taking my profits, jumping the train, and running away to Seattle for a Girl weekend with a sweet friend.

feeling pretty sunny

Oh, this is going to be short, my mind is tired and my belly is full. The sale was good. There will be no rolling in dollars, or even pennies. (PPG, I won't need a kiddie pool.) But, I was able to treat Big E and Sweetheart G to sushi dinner with some of my sale proceeds, and now I want to snuggle on the couch and watch some mindless TV. More details tomorrow!

back to the regularly themed posts where I make stuff

I am almost ready for tomorrow's sale. I will have brocade handbags in 4 different styles, plus children's totes, little wallets, necessary pouches (for pens or tampons.. whatever floats your boat.. not that those things are interchangeable!), children's crowns, dice bags, and Christmas gift tags. I still have a selection of dolly crowns and play capes sitting on the sewing table for their finishing touches. It will be interesting to see what effect the economy has on my sales tomorrow... Big E wants my sales to be okay, but not great... he's hoping that the stock I have will be enough to carry me through the Christmas season so I can work on other projects between now and the holidays. We'll see. Personally I could totally be down with selling out all my stock tomorrow and flaking on all my other commitments while I roll around in my vat of money... but somehow I just don't see that happening. Even if I sold everything, that really wouldn't be a lot of money.. and where would I find a vat large enough to roll in?

My own particular brand of intensity

You know when you have an idea and it glimmers a bit at the back of your mind until you make it.. and then when you've done it.. it is more than you thought it would be? I had two of those this past weekend.

I finished an essay for Raindogblue this weekend that I'd worked on for about a month. After I posted it, I thought I hadn't gotten my point across because no one responded.. then I found out that I'd disturbed people to the point that they didn't know what to say. Woops.

The other thing? I made a doll version (sized to fit an American Girl doll) of my fabric crown... Oh. My. Unspeakable cuteness! I tell you... Big E had to look away from the gleaming cuteness of it. I think I heard him gag!

Yep. This is the world I inhabit. I live somewhere between projects that wound to the quick and that inspire cute driven nausea.

Shake those taters

I was tagged by Ninjamedic to play the Bookworm game. Choosing the first book at hand (Rumford Complete Cookbook, Revised published 1936) I must turn to page 56 and transcribe the 5th sentence on that page onto my blog. This would be:

"Test with a fork and, if tender, drain at once, let the steam pass off and shake the potatoes in the pan to make to make them floury."

We should be glad that the first book my eyes lit upon was a cookbook, not the Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America (which sits on the other side of the computer).. because then I would be writing about the mandibles of silverfish (ugg!) not potatoes. (Phew! That was close.) Although the Insect book might have been ironic for a game called "Bookworm". I even found an apropos photos, what are the odds?