Tangible Tidbits 2012 #42: Five Weeks And Counting...

Hi, everyone! I think I’ve finally resolved the blog posting issue with Google Chrome...at least until that browser flakes out on me. :))

Late last week, I received an email regarding the National Art Honor Society of North Warren Regional High School’s Holiday Art Fair. It seems my initial inquiry resulted in the committee reserving a space for me, which was nice of them as registration is on a "first come, first served" basis. I decided to give it a shot, since the show is the Saturday after Jewels of New Jersey, so everything will already be packed up. ;) It’s a bit of a hike for me (I’m thinking about an hour away?), and set-up starts at 7:00 a.m. – I have to find out what time the show actually starts! – but if I can make enough money above and beyond the registration fee, I guess it will be worth it. :P Wish me luck! ;)

Here’s this week’s social media poster. I only have one left "in reserve," so I will have to make some more before next Friday. :)

Our October BSNJ meeting last Thursday was a lot of fun! We learned how to use a Kumihimo disk to create multi-strand braids. I’ve seen them before, but I’d never tried it. It’s pretty easy! :) I made a lanyard for my office swipe card and the November Focal Piece of the Month using the disk. It’s one of those portable things you can take with you anywhere without a lot of difficulty, so I will probably bring it with me to the craft shows I attend to keep me busy between customers. Plus, people like to watch you working on something as they pass by...and sometimes, it even makes them stop! ;)

Friday was the pre-baby luncheon for my sister, thrown by her stay-at-home mom friends. It was nice...she got a lot of clothes! I was the only non-mother there, but it wasn’t too uncomfortable for me because I knew a few people from attending my nieces’ various events and also two people who are her friends from high school. ;) Five weeks to go! Wow, it’s going fast...at least for me! :))

On Saturday, Mom and I attended my nieces’ travel team softball game in Warren. Their team lost 12-1, but they apparently haven’t done well all season. :-O This coming week is their last game for the Fall, and I know their team(s) usually perform better in the Spring. I give them a lot of credit for keeping up with it in the "off season." ;)

On Sunday. I had tickets to see A Chorus Line at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn. I have season tickets for four shows (the regular season is five, but Mom is taking me and the girls to the fifth show for her birthday). They are all Sunday matinees, but I apparently had the wrong time listed in my calendar and missed the first half of the show. :-O Luckily, I was able to exchange the ticket for the evening performance, which I did. It was a good show that I had never seen before. I knew a couple of the songs – and I remember the commercials from when it was on Broadway when I was a kid – so it wasn’t entirely "new" to me. ;) I’m glad I saw it, but I don’t think it’s one of my all-time favorite shows. They’ve dedicated the show’s run to its composer Marvin Hamlisch, who passed away in August.

I told you I had a busy weekend planned, didn’t I? :))

Until next time...take care and have a great week! B-)

Tangible Tidbits 2011 #47: Working, Workshops, and "One Life To Live"

Hey, everyone! :)

Okay, so let's start with last weekend. On Saturday, I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. pricing pieces for the Third Annual Jewels of New Jersey show on Sunday. Then, I got up at 7:15 a.m. to shower, dress, load up the car, and drive one hour south of me to the show. Business was not as good as last year, and that was also the general consensus of the other vendors I spoke with that day. There was a lot of work to put into it with not such a great return, but I made more money than I would have staying home and sitting on my butt. :p BTW, I have a few pictures from the event that I will post to Facebook when I get the chance. My sister brought my nieces for the last two hours, which was a nice distraction. However, I might have made a few more sales by focusing on the people browsing my table and chatting with them instead of keeping my nieces occupied. :\ Anyway, next is the BANG VI exhibit at 1978 Maplewood Arts Center. I have to decide what I want to bring and fill out the appropriate forms and labels this week. Luckily, I found pictures from last year (and also posted them to Facebook), so I know what items I had there already. :) No word yet on the events in Jersey City and South Orange. Fingers crossed! ;)

We had our December Bead Society (BSNJ) meeting this week, and I attended a workshop yesterday. At the meeting on Thursday night, Dr. Josephine Yeh gave a presentation on Chinese knotting. She's one of our members and a really sweet lady. There's a picture of the two of us in the Facebook album link I posted above. :) Her presentation was really enjoyable -- she's very funny! -- and she will follow up with a workshop in early December. The workshop I attended on Saturday was to learn how to make a Star Gazer Bracelet with internationally-renowned bead artist Laura McCabe. She's 35, but looks 10 years younger! LOL She's really very nice and patient. ;) We were there for six hours, and I think the most anyone accomplished was one flower our of the eight needed for the piece. :o I'd imagine by the time you get through making all eight flowers, you'd be pretty adept at it! Let's hope so! :)

Also, BSNJ's Autumn newsletter came out this week, and it included my Ten Life Lessons... article! I will paste it up and post it in the clips album on Facebook when I get a chance. :)

I was so wiped out from the past couple of weeks that I slept until NOON today! I guess I really needed the rest. After that, I baked cookies for our family Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. That's my assignment every year...bake Crisco cookies! They are basically butter cookies, but made with Crisco instead. The recipe goes back to World War II, when butter was scarce. ;)

Still working a lot this coming week, even with Thanksgiving on Thursday. We have early dismissals on Wednesday and Friday -- we cannot close the day after Thanksgiving, unfortunately. It has something to do with the stock market not being allowed to close for more than three days (meaning no four-day weekends) since 9-11. However, we are open a lot of days the Depository Trust Company (DTC) is closed, so that doesn't really make much sense to me. Anyway, my colleague is out again Monday and Tuesday, so I'll be working more OT this week. :p

I entered into an online discussion about Joe Paterno's firing from Penn State earlier this week. If you're interested, you can find the discussion here on The Maplewood Patch. I was in the minority, and decided to get out before things got nasty. I don't mind sharing opinions with people, but when they start to lecture me on morality I lose interest VERY quickly. :p

Well, I'm off to YouTube to catch Thursday's and Friday's episodes of One Life To Live, another ABC soap opera that's going off the air in a few weeks. I used to watch it in college, but I only really started watching it again when they announced it was being canceled. In actuality, I think it is moving to the internet sometime early next year, but it will be different than it is now, I'm sure. :\

Take care and Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it! :)

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Tangible Tidbits 2011 #44: It Was a Dark And Stormy Night...Emphasis on DARK!

Hey, all! Well, it was indeed a dark and stormy night here in New Jersey last night. We lost power again yesterday afternoon -- thankfully, it was not only us this time! -- got it back for six hours this morning, then lost it again for another 3+ hours! I won't be convinced we're out of the woods until we have it back for a full 24 hours! :p This snow/slush storm wasn't supposed to be that big of a deal, and yet driving around town today...it looks like it did in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene! My sister is without power until "sometime next week." Tree limbs and uprooted trees are all over the place, some taking power lines with them! The town tree on our neighbor's property lost another large limb, taking their cable lines with it and blocking their car in the driveway again. It didn't pull out our power line this time, but it is leaning heavily on it. With the added weight of snow last night, it is close to the ground now. It's still plugged into the house, but it has pulled out the industrial-strength hook it was on and the pipe connecting the line to the house is now bent at a 90-degree angle! The wooden shingles on that corner of the house have snapped, and are visibly separating from the house, too. It's a shame the town didn't get rid of that tree while they had the chance. In fact, I'd say about 99 percent of the damage I saw today was from town-owned trees lining the streets. They are obviously dead inside or diseased, and should be replaced. Looks like it's going to be a loooooooooooong, dark winter here!

Aside from being powerless most of the weekend, I tried to use some of the time to my best advantage. I sat at my work desk with a candle and played around with a few jewelry ideas I've had percolating in my brain. Unfortunately, some of them were severely hampered by the lack of light and my aging eyesight, so I had to put them aside and try something else. I was kind of hoping to stumble across something I could almost literally do with my eyes closed! LOL After a little more than three hours with moderate success, I decided to call it a night. I did manage to revamp two twisted bead necklaces that I made last year. I didn't like the way they hung on store-bought necklace frames I purchased from Michael's or A.C. Moore (I can't remember which off the top of my head), so I put one on thin black P'leather cord and the other on black braided Greek leather. I'm much happier with them now. ;) Anyway, I woke up to find power in the house! Alas, it was not to last. :p We're back up right now, and keeping our fingers crossed it stays that way! ;)

Last week, I sold a pair of earrings that I had "in stock" (YAY!) to one coworker, and I also worked on a bracelet for another coworker -- my second attempt. Since I haven't been able to be online much, I haven't priced out many new items yet. I'll have to play catch up on that this week, as well as fixing up and posting new pictures to Facebook. I'm bringing my photo binder to a friend next Saturday, so I have to get all of the photos print-ready and print them out! I can't remember the last time I updated the book...I think it was in the spring sometime! :o Being a one-woman-show, it seems that I often put off certain tasks until I run up against a firm deadline and I literally cannot put them off any longer! Not necessarily the smartest way to run a business, but it's worked out okay for me so far. ;)

OH! A new coworker -- she was hired within the past month or so -- at the office asked me for my business card! She'd heard me talking to some of the girls about different pieces they wanted or were buying. It turns out she works part-time for a gallery in Jersey City -- ironically, my father's old stomping grounds -- and said they are "always looking for new talent!" I like being put in that category. :D A couple of weeks ago, I connected with the owner of GAS Gallery & Studio in South Orange about their Holiday Art Days exhibit. He and I went to elementary school together. I'd heard about the exhibit last year too late to participate, but he said he'd let me know once they have the dates set for this year. :D In addition, I received flyers this week for the 3rd annual Jewels of New Jersey, and posted one to Facebook. There's also one on the half-wall next to my desk at the office. ;)

I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but I've been competing in our office's Biggest Loser contest since July. I came in SECOND for the THIRD time! :D No cash prize this time around for second place, but I'm happy I'm consistently doing well these days. ;) Of course, we ended this last round on Friday, as we are having a Halloween party in our department ALL DAY tomorrow. ;) Hopefully, I won't undo ALL of my hard work in one day (not very likely)! :p

That's pretty much all I can think of at the moment. Wherever you are, keep warm, stay dry, and have a great week! ;)

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