Live! And In Person!

So here's the exciting news. There are a couple of big events that I will be participating in within the next couple of months. And if you are in the area, I would love to see you there! The first is Indie Emporium, which is a craft extravaganza in downtown Tulsa. It's October 26-27, and will include crafting stations, a fashion show of handmade clothes and accessories, and craft vendors. I'll be there with both Project 8256 and amelia mae goodies, so there will be pah-lenty of gift tags, banners, prints, greeting cards and a few originals as well.



The second event is a gallery show at Dreamer Concepts Studio and Foundation in Norman. Some of the details are still being worked out, but what I do know is that it opens November 30 (which coincides with Norman's downtown art walk) and will also feature Amy Baldwin (of Curly Q Mosaics) who does amazing, amazing mosaic work. I think it will be such a fun show (and certainly colorful), and am, honestly, still a little floored that I am being included in this.

So, certainly, the next few weeks will be...busy. But in a really good, exciting way. If you happen to attend either event, please find me and say hello! I'll be posting a coupon of some sorts for my Indie Emporium booth that will just be for blog readers, so be on the look out for that. If you want.

xo,
amy

I just finished reading Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco, and it honestly couldn't have been published at a better time. Unless, perhaps, that time was, oh, three months ago. I know that if you read the same crafty/design blogs as I do, you have certainly stumbled across this book, as it has been popping up all over the place. On the off chance that you have not yet heard of it, and you are, like me, trying to "turn your creative hobby into a business", then let me assure you that this is a MUST READ. It was really so, so helpful and I am sure I will refer back to it many times.



Completely unrelated to books and such, but equally important: I was updating my blog profile (i.e. adding an email link should you need/want to contact me without having to set up an etsy account to do so. whoops!), and noticed that it had my "industry" listed as ACCOUNTING. Now, you probably don't know me well enough yet to know how absolutely ridiculous that is. I don't think there are many other professions that I could be less suited for. So my apologizes if you had been visualizing me crunching numbers day in and day out. That vision is untrue.

If you feel the need to visualize me doing something, you can picture me making hundreds of little sets of gift tags, because that is all I have been doing lately. Why, you ask? Well, keep your eyes peeled for an update later this week with one, maybe two really exciting announcements. But definitely one.

xo,
Amy

sometimes i miss this city

( "millennium park chicago" from kellyhafermann on flickr)

I do. And sometimes I miss it tremendously. It's been just over a year since I moved back to Oklahoma after living in Chicago for two. And as much as I thought I grew as a person while living in Chicago, I really feel like this year back in Oklahoma has been such a season of change, and of enormous growth. I am doing things now that I never dreamed would even enter my vocabulary. And I'm loving it. But sometimes I still miss Chicago. I loved living there--especially this time of year. And late Spring. I miss the great restaurants and beautiful storefronts. The architecture. I miss the solitude of walking to the train each morning--just me with some great music. (This, of course, was only enjoyable when the weather was nice. Walking back from the train at 1:00 in the morning in the snow is not missed. Not at all.) I miss going to art museums and to the theatre. I miss my friends.

And, of course, it must be said that while I have a very long list of things that I miss, I probably have an equally long list of things that I don't miss at all. And a list of things that I missed so much while I was in Chicago that I don't have to miss now. My family, being the most important of those. And so it's worth it, certainly. And I am especially thankful that I can experience this time alongside my sister. I know that we will look back on this with warmth and joy and gratitude. And that we will have such an amazing story to share with their child--of how so many people wanted them to finally be together.

I'm really quite excited about what this next year will bring. I'm not quite sure what's in store, exactly. And I'm surprisingly okay with that. I am not someone who likes having things up in the air. I'm not that patient. And I like to feel like I have at least some amount of control. But I'm slowly beginning to realize that if I just sit back, and let it unfold as it is intended to, it's really so much better, so much more exciting.

.........................................................................

My (very Swedish) neighborhood in Chicago. The great thing about living in an exciting place is that you get a lot of friends and family who come for a weekend visit. I would always take them to Ann Sather for brunch. Unbelievably delicious.

( "andersonville" from mroczknj on flickr.)

My favorite storefront. The entire window reads, " For the person who has everything, say it with concrete." They sold concrete lawn decorations like cherubs and ladies. It's so completely ridiculous. But I loved so much the pride they took in their work.

( "chicago-andersonville" from like, totally on flickr.)

I hope you had a lovely weekend. All the best.

xo,
Amy

Pink is not everyone's favorite color.

It's true. It's not my favorite, really. Although I did go through some very distinct phases where it really, REALLY was my very favorite. I go more towards green these days. And gray. But I have to admit that I was a little surprised when I was (very, very nicely) asked if I could do the "All the Songs They Sang" print in a color other than pink. I like the print in pink, and it's sold very well. It hadn't really occurred to me that some people just don't like pink. So, just on the off chance that there are others, the print is now available in the very gender-neutral, yet sophisticated colors of light blue and tan:

So there it is. I will take them to Blue 7 tomorrow, should you live in the OKC metroplex and want one for yourself. Or for someone else. I am told they make excellent presents.

xo,
Amy