A Needed Affirmation

I've been a vendor at three shows so far this month, with one more to go at the end of the month! That's the most I've done so far in one month. The first two were what I'd call small, less than twenty vendors and the last one was medium sized. The first two shows I sold a few things and made my fees and expenses back, but not much more. It would be ok if I was just trying to pursue my jewelry making as a hobby, but since I'm trying to make a career out of it, the shows were dismal. I would be eating spaghetti w/ no meat every night if that's how it went at all my shows!! I sure hope the next show isn't dismal too!!!

The show last weekend was different story! Thank goodness!! It was another show at a church, but it had a track record of 11 successful years behind it...not to mention the fact that a friend of mine had done it for several years and said it was a good show. Well, my friend was absolutely right!! I was busy pretty much nonstop for the first few hrs. I even sold two necklaces where I normaly might sell only one! The sales were also multiple pieces bought by each customer, not just a single pair every time. Even with a 15% donation to the church's youth group, I had my best show ever! Not only that, a couple of women, who organize another event the third week of every November, were there and asked if I'd like to participate in their show. I of course said yes, especially since my friend and some customers had mentioned it to me and said that show was very, very busy and very, very packed. They are supposedly very selective about who they let in the show, so I felt great that they asked and I now have a show scheduled for November!

I guess this last church craft fair showed me that I do have real earning potential with my jewelry. It was an affirmation that I am doing the right thing by trying to pursue my dreams. I just have to find the right shows to attend where my art will be appreciated and that of course is the proverbial 'rub'! I know I'm just starting out so I think I've done a good job so far, but I want to do better! Much better!!

Gallery Debut

Tonight was the grand opening of the B&B Studios Gallery in downtown Seattle. I was priveleged to be a part of it by being selected to be a guest artist! The owner John does great photography and so did the other guest artist Lyle. The grand opening was scheduled to be part of Seattle's 1st Thursday Art Walk. It was an exciting experience for me to have found my first regular venue for selling my jewelry.

My mom and brother came, as well as a few Seattle friends I'd made in the past few months and I thank them dearly for their support! I sold a few pieces, but I think it was good just for the exposure alone and getting my name 'out there'. I was able to hand out quite a few business cards and point out that my website now has a show schedule, if not any pictures! Hopefully that will turn into some future sales.

I think it was a smashing success for the gallery and for myself! Alot of people showed up and really seemed to enjoy themselves. With John having more time to advertise for the next show and the gallery, I have even higher hopes for the next 1st Thursday Art Walk!

An East-West Connection (aka My Big Adventure)

I was lucky enough to have the chance to visit a few places back East last week. I was able to mix business w/ pleasure so that I didn't have to pay for plane fare or any hotel and I got a great deal on a rental car!! How did it happen? I was able to work for a bead dealer at a big show in Baltimore, Maryland. He paid for round trip plane fare, hotel, rental car, and for my help for the 3 days of the show and then I paid for rental car for 3 days. Pretty sweet deal if I do say so myself!

After the show, I went to Delaware to visit one of my oldest (and I don't mean age-wise!! LOL) and dearest friends who (or is it whom? I never know!) I've known since seventh grade! It was great to be able to visit with her and we crammed some sight seeing in too! Since it was my first trip back East (and I didn't really ahve much time there), we did the 'history' thing and visited the sights in downtown Philadelphia. Independence Hall, where they signed the Declaration of Independence, and most recently of the movie National Treasure fame, the Liberty Bell where they have a whole building of exhibits about the history of the bell, Betsy Ross' House where I learned that Betsy never actually owned a house, she was renter just like James and I are now, the Quaker meeting house where I learned or re-learned (I vaguely remember learning about him in elementary school) about William Penn and how instrumental the Quakers were in establishing that area, Benjamin Franklin's grave where everyone throws pennies apparently in homage to his saying, "A penny saved, is a penny earned.'. We also tried to visit the US Mint, but they had a rule that if you had a camera, you couldn't go inside the building! You couldn't just put it away...it couldn't be in your possession at all. So we took a pic outside and that had to do.

We also saw some lesser known historic sites in Wilmington, DE. Grace Church, which is marked on tourist maps, was by far the most beautiful church I had ever seen! It was a large building with tall spires, many intricate stained glass windows and doors that were a muted shade of red that I absolutely love! The building was built of some sort of stone brick that had a very light green or celadon cast to them. The whole effect was very striking and I had my friend take a pic of me in front of the church! We also visited Old Swedes Church, actually called Holy Trinity Church, the oldest church in the US with continuous services. It was built in 1698 by Swedes who settled near the Christiana river (named after the Queen of the time). A few years ago, when stripping paint off the church doors, they came across something which I think proves that human nature hasn't really changed that much over the past 300 years...graffiti! Yes...graffiti! People had carved names and years, the oldest being 1711, into the church doors and also into stones surrounding the entrance. Amazing!

Lest you think all we did was soak up history, we mixed it up by visiting two contemporary art venues! One was for local Philadelphia industrial design companies and individuals, and the other was exhibits for local Delaware artists as well as nationally known artists, The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts. It was quite interesting.

One other happening of note during my visit to Delaware...I got to watch my friend 'break board' at her Tae Kwon Do class. It was exciting because it brought her one step away from earning her Black Belt!!! I am happy to say, the day after I left, she 'broke board' again, was presented with her black belt and is now a fully empowered, kick-ass, black belt baddie!!! I am soooo proud of her! Don't mess with her!! You can read about my buddy and her 'black belt' journey at: www.womanwarrior007.blogspot.com

All in all, it was a great trip, even though there were a few things I would have changed. It was nice to earn enough play money to visit my friend since most things were paid for through the job. I can't wait to make a return trip and get to Washington DC and more of Baltimore and who knows what else?

Some Comic Relief

I read this and I burst out laughing! It perfectly captures the nature of my dogs and cat. Hope you enjoy it too! (Not sure who the original writer is. If you know, please let me know, so I can give credit!)


"Excerpts from a Dog's Diary"

6:00am – At last! I Go Pee! My favorite thing!
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
6:00 pm - They're home! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


"Excerpts from a Cat's Diary"

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. ARRGG!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

Aaaa-choo!

So here I was, not two days ago, saying how great it was that I didn't have allergies in Seattle. After all, the city is on the water like San Francisco and I always got relief when there (in SF). Well, guess what? Of course I have them! Two sunny days in a row and BAM...ah-choos like there's no tomorrow!! Usually this time of year in Sacramento, I already have full blown allergies and I am a Benadryl junkie! I think I jinxed myself when I started telling everyone that I did not have to suffer this year. I guess an advantage of the rain was that it was washing away all the pollen before it had a chance to collect and bother anyone. Of course, the rain is also what makes everything green and to get green...pollen happens! Oh well, at least my allergies are not worse...hope I'm not daring the gods by saying that! So once again, I'll be singlehandedly keeping the Kleenex company in the black and sorry to anyone visiting or moving to Seattle and surrounding areas during spring...allergies are here to stay!

Just Checking In

Well, it's April! What a shocker! It seems like the past three months have gone by in a blur! I didn't even think about last Sunday being April Fool's day, and playing some sort of joke on my hubby! I guess I've been busier than I thought.....which is a very good thing. I've been busy meeting people and I've made several good friends with whom I'm on the way to becoming great lifelong, or rather 'half' lifelong friends (I am 41 you know)! :') I've been busy creating new jewelry designs and signing up for craft shows. I just ordered my canopy and some jewelry display items this week. Reading, emailing, researching, taking care of my doggies and kitty, and hubby, of course round out most of what I've been doing. Oh, and as always, I've been spending way too much money!

I used to work 40 hours a week, plus lunch and commute times. It's funny but I always wondered what it would be like to quit my job and now I know! I do miss the steady paychecks but as long as I have a handle on the money situation and the support of a very wondeful and understanding hubby who has a decent job...it's great! Well, that's just my situation. I love having the freedom to do what I want even though it's a change in lifestyle...meaning clamping down on spending. I also wondered if I had it in me to be self-motivated enough to follow my dream of becoming a jewelry artist and I have found that after a bit of a slow start, and a bit to my surprise, I do.

I'm excited to be doing my first show later this month. It's a small one that didn't cost very much and will probably only have moderate traffic but it'll be good practice for me. I hope to work out a routine and all the kinks of what to bring, setting up my tent, how to pack the car, etc before I do any really big shows. Hubby will be along too for heavy lifting and reaching high places for my displays. He's really looking forward to the show too! heheh NOT! But I can't say he isn't supportive!

These past 3 months have really been a time of upheaval, change, and adjustments, but I think I can say it's been a very good experience thus far. Being new here really forced me to take stock of my life and think about what I've really wanted, made me consider how to achieve those things and then given me the time to really pursue those goals. The thought of leaving my job, hometown, and my friends struck fear into my heart before we moved, but looking back over the past 3 months, I realize how irrational that fear was and I remember that now when I'm in new situation. I'm learning alot about myself through the experience of this move and I'm liking it!

A New Attitude

Woo hoo! I got another special order of my jewelry and it's because I finally got up the courage to do something new...talk about myself!

I have always been the quiet sort, ever since junior high school. Before that I was a chatterbox...one of my elementary school teachers even wrote in my report card that "Susanna has a tendency to talk too much in class". It's funny, I guess at that age, I had alot to say and apparently said it. I spent my elementary school years in a nice lower middle class neighborhood. My best friend was African-American and I had a lot of Caucasian friends, there were just a few Asians. I had friends I'd known since I could talk in whole sentences, and the security of knowing my place in the universe, although probably on a subconcious level, I was young after all, so I felt ok to express myself. Of course none of us ever thought about race, that's just me writing it all down now. There were hardly any Asians in my neighborhood or school, but although I looked different, I never felt out of place. Also, I guess no self conciousness had worked it's way into my psyche yet and I felt perfectly at home talking to my teachers, classmates, friends and complete strangers.

The traumatic experience that changed that talkativeness and lack of self conciousness was moving in the middle of 6th grade to a new nicer middle class neighborhood that was about 20 miles away. It may as well have been 2000 miles away. I finished off 6th grade at my old school, but when 7th grade rolled around, I was on my own. I remember the long walk to the bus stop and being alone. Seeing kids who had known each other for as long as I'd known my elementary school friends chatting with one another and not me, and feeling sad and out of place. The first day of school, there was a big gathering in the gym for all students to attend...that was when I got the biggest shock of my life...I had never seen soooo many Asians gathered together in one place before! I had a rude awakening, I did not look different anymore and I certainly didn't know how to talk to 'Asians', other than my family. I also got an education in snobbery. I had heard whispered comments about my clothes and my 'highwater' pants and my mannerisms...things that were perfectly acceptable w/ my old elementary school buddies. Alot of these popular girls wore makeup and nicer, more fashionable clothes and came from 'rich' families, whatever 'rich' meant to a 7th grader. I came to a realization that if I could just be quiet, not call attention to myself, and pretend to ignore those comments, I'd feel better and these people would leave me alone. That was the first layer of the hard shell I spent a large part of my life building. Don't get me wrong, I did have a small group of very nice, good friends in junior high and high school who accepted me as I was and I am happy to say, some of whom have remained very good friends to this day. Quality, not quantity!

So enough of the deep, introspective stuff! Moving from my hometown of Sacramento has forced me to come out of my comfortable shell. I am happy that I've realized that in order to be happy up here, I must be open and non judgemental to all new experiences. My nature is still to be quiet and I have to make a very concerted effort to talk with people I don't know, but I'm finding that a little bit of my old elementary school self is making an appearance and that is a good thing! My attitude now is that strangers are just new friends I don't know yet! And if I just talk and share a bit, who knows what great places it will lead?