quickie

i did a saturday earth day work shop for artscraps and had a fantastic time. being outside, with kids, crafting with recycled materials...how could it get any better than that? i'm so looking forward to my signatures camp this summer, i'm getting all sorts of ideas on what to teach the kiddos.

we are also planning an addition to the studio. a room for storage. i'm SO happy about that. my situation is OOC (out of control) and i know it's frustrating for my mom to not be able to use HER studio since MY stuff is in the way. over there is a studio board with the theme of 'wings', and with about as much yellow as i can stand to look at. HA!

i have an interview tomorrow, which i'm very much looking forward to, which i will tell you about at a later date because i don't even know if the job is actually open. we'll see.

Camera located! Worthy pictures taken, not so many.

The headline pretty much says it all.

Here though are some shots of Oscar the Octopus, made for submission to the One Yard Wonders 2 book. I thought the one in the 'cave' was especially hilarious.

On a side note, YMCA joining comes in the midst of a 3-month weight-loss plateau. I keep hovering around the same 3 lbs lost and gained. I know I could be tracking more dilligently for one thing, and that my clothing and measurements are really changing, I am able to walk longer, faster, and further, but darnit I want to get past this hump! Hopefully the return of the Farmer's Markets will help me to eat more fruit and veg. Our Chives and Asparagus and Rhubarb are being consumed almost daily.

this whole week has felt like monday....

not having a regular work schedule tends to mess up your internal clock a bit. this entire week i've had to check my phone, a calendar, etc. to see what day it really is because i was sure it was still monday. yes, i do feel a wee bit like garfield this week. that photo over there is of Katzen Ploofen, sold last year on ETSY.

had a shopping spree with my mom at the rosedale location of the Store-Not-To-Be-Named where i am currently part-timely employed. she helped me find all the black pants and tops in the plus-sized section. but.... i was SHOCKED to be buying clothes in a size 16. i am utterly amazed because the last time i remember wearing a 16 was early in college. or about 30 lbs from now. so either i was wearing WAY too large of a size (grunge was on its way out so i might have been ahead of the curve so to speak) or they've slid the sizes up again. you hear how marilyn monroe was a 12 blah blah but really she was more of an 8 by today's standards. or maybe a 6.

joining the Y today instead of in May. though spring has hit MN it's still chilly out there. and though i'd rather exercise out-of-doors it's just not going to happen when it's 38 degrees. they are remodeling the place and the pools will be ready in June. i can't WAIT! i love to swim. gonna need a new suit though my old one was a size 22!!!

one last tidbit that i feel needs commenting on: this monstrosity from KFC.
wow. 540 calories and 32g of fat. did the WW points on it and it comes out to 13. TWO slices of bacon, cheese, two patties, and sauce. ugh. it's like they let the stoners into the kitchen to make whatever they wanted.
this exhaustive list will tell you how much activity you need to burn this baby off.

Yah, spring has sprung!

Well it's officially, REALLY spring here in Minnesota. The 'last hurrah' snowstorm has yet to arrive, but I'm starting to doubt it will rear its ugly white head this year! Wouldn't that be a miracle? Speaking of miracles, Dorothy has lost all the hair she had at birth and is now bald as an egg. Appropriate, since this photo of her was sent to us on Easter morning. Betsy and David came for a visit last weekend and Dorothy got to meet most of her second cousins and great aunts and uncles that live here in MN.

I seem to have misplaced my own digicam so I borrowed my mom's for yesterday's trunk show at the Beeb. The coat I'm wearing came from last year's Halloween Costume and back then, I couldn't even button the thing. Now I can button AND zip it closed! And roll up the sleeves!
The best part is it came from Goodwill and cost only $6. I'm gonna get a lot of use out of it this spring. The dress and shoes were also thrifted and were very lucky finds. I know I don't *have* to buy clothes at the GeeDub but it feels extra awesome when I do.

Anyway. Back to the Trunkshow. I was pretty happy with yesterday's outcome, but I wish as always that I had made more lower-priced things that people would snap up. The plus side is that I now have a whole pack of giant pastel rabbits to put in my Etsy shop. Providing I don't keep them for myself.

The new job at a giant department store not-to-be-named* has gone quite well so far. My co-workers are all EXTREMELY nice and though I have yet to catch any shop lifters or buy anything new, I am getting excited about having a regular source of income. Since it's so close to work, I'm going to join the YMCA in May, and the first 5 hours of work each month will go towards paying for that membership. It will be my reward!
*In training they said I couldn't blog about my job and mention it by name. So I won't! I've learned my lesson from Dooce!

Tunk Show!!!

yesterday was SO much fun-meeting customers at the bibelot and seeing so many friends and relatives....more photos to come but I wanted to just give you a quick taste. Happy Easter to all, we are off to church then back for lunch. Photos of baby D coming soon!

Pop Fizz Trunk Show Article!

From PopFizzDaily.com

Talk about a bad start.

You overslept. Your boss shot you nasty looks all morning. And just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, the cute office manager caught you scratching your nose in a manner that might easily have been mistaken for picking.

You're inclined to reach for the chocolate, but why not try hugging a cat, a bunny, or a bird instead? The fuzzy types from Duckie Uglings, a collection of insanely adorable stuffed animals, handmade by artist Rebecca Jo Malmstrom of Hugo, should do nicely. They are more like art than ordinary plush toys, and they're perfect for keeping at the office as a source of comfort. Each features adorable details like button eyes, dresses with rickrack, vintage name tags and tongues sticking out. One look and the disappointments of the day melt away.

In other words, they're the best cheering-up you can get without a ridiculous number of calories.

Duckie Uglings, $10 to $50, available at Bibelot Shops locations and I like You (501 1st Av NE, Mpls, 612-208-0249). Trunk show on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bibelot (1082 Grand Av, St Paul, 651-222-0321). Special Easter creatures and bunnies, birdies and nests will be available. Plus, register to win one of her creations.