the best photo ever

This is so hilarous. I think Vogue or W might wanna take a look for an idea for their next fashion shoot. Boys doing jack knives in the pool. Very sexy.

Gah!

I got my first bad check! Crappers! It's my first bad check I've received since starting Freshie & Zero, so that's not too shabby really. What sucks, though, is that I now I have to track this lady down to get my $60. That's no fun. I feel like a mean old bill collector, but she did write me a bad check...

Another Gah! moment is that have to file my business tax. I managed to do it last year, and I think I took notes to help myself out this year, but I'm sure that will take at least a day to figure it out. Yuck! All I want to do is get ready for my trunk show on Thursday night, and my show in Blacksburg next weekend. Plus, my birthday is a week from today. Business tax and bill collecting are not what I want to be doing around my birthday.

I also had a goal to finish my wedding thank you notes this month - how embarassing is it that I haven't finished those? I think I only have 10-15 left but you should see the pile of crap I have to do on my desk... scary stuff.

yes, that's two computers on my desk.

I'm in the Rage!

Sweet!

I'm in the Designer Spotlight in the Rage this week (a weekly free Nashville magazine/paper about what's happening around town). It just came out today, so if you're in the area, pick up a copy! It took me five different stops before I finally found a place with the current issue, but I was on a mission. The article turned out great - you never know how you're going to come off in an interview, but the author, Jennifer Killerich, did a great job! Just click on the photo below to see the whole article.

Timeless Toys

You don't see too much stuff on etsy that is just classic, such as this wooden toy/jelly bean dispenser by Stump Pond Woodworks. I seriously want to buy one of these and bring it to work so I can watch our customers get all excited when they watch the jelly beans fall down its wooden slides. It's much more fun that our current candy offering of peppermints (we actually get reprimanded for the mints since we used to always have something Hershey's). Jelly Beans certainly aren't the greatest candy, but what presentation! I guess you could stick tic tacs in there but tic tacs are kind of gross.


This one is called Wilbur Woodpecker, and I had one of these as a kid, except it was a more girly bunny rabbit. Here you drag the little bird to the top of the pole and let go and then he shimmies down, giving the illusion that he's pecking the pole. Cute and simple, it's a timeless toy that every child should have, and should bring a nostalgic smile to every parent's face.


I don't know about this one - a Flipshooter. Looks like a fun thing to watch your friends play after they've had a few drinks. Their description: "Shoot the ball into one cup and flip it back to the original cup. How many times can you do it ??? Similar to a toy found in a Chinese child’s tomb and estimated to be 2500 years old. Suitable for 4 year olds and up." Maybe I need one of these, too...

Maybe it's my childhood spent in the country with my grandparents, where there was nothing to do but watch Lawrence Welk or play with hot wheels in the dirt but it doesn't get much better than classic wooden toys like these!

whew - I needed that!

Finally - I got some good news! I not only got into Strange Folk in Illinois, but I also got into the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago! Sweet!!! The craft show rejections were really starting to get to me, so it was so nice to get two acceptances in two days!

In case you are interested in the craft show application process, and what my morale is going through, here is a list of shows I received a rejection from so far this year: 17th Street Arts Festival in Atlanta, River Arts Fest in Memphis (actually I was wait listed), Virginia Highlands Summerfest in Atlanta, Decatur Arts Fest in Decatur, GA, American Artisan Festival in Nashville, , Grant Park Summer Shade Festival (they actually lost my app) in Atlanta, GA, three different sections of the St. James Court in Louisville KY, Woodland Art Fair in Lexington KY, Village Art & Craft Fair in Asheville, NC, Artclectic in Nashville, TN, etc etc. I was even rejected from one (Craftsmen's Classics) simply because I'm a jeweler - "We have so many exhibitors that show jewelry at this time that we don't feel like our shows can handle any more jewelers at this time." Sounds like they need a new copy writer, but I get it - there are too many jewelers!

I've only been accepted to about five shows this year up until yesterday. That's not a good ratio. And that's about $330 out the window, just to apply.

I'm now preparing my slides for TACA Fall show, but I'm not expecting anything there. Especially since I'm now committed to 3 craft shows in September and if I actually got into TACA, that would make four. My poor husband probably wouldn't be such a willing helper by number four... that sweet, sweet man. I wouldn't even apply if I hadn't already bought slides specifically for this application.

Ah, anyway. I'm going to go and celebrate with some guitar hero. Rock on!

sumBody makes some great skincare products!

I just found my new favorite sugar scrub - it's made by sumbody, and it is divine. I bought the "get lei'd" scent because it was slightly pineapple scented, slightly coconut scented, and slightly floral - an amazing combination! The sugar is ground up pretty fine and it's made with shea and cocoa butters instead of the usual oil, so it really softens your skin without making it feel greasy at all, and without feeling like you're rubbing pumice all over your body (which can actually be nice sometimes). Their description is: "There’s just something about getting lei’d that puts a smile on your face, don’t you agree? Wait a minute – we don’t know what you’re thinking about but we’re talking flowers, Hawaii and beaches! This little reminder of the scent, color and beauty of a lei will take you on a little Hawaiian vacation of your own." My only complaint is that the fragrance doesn't come in a lotion, because I want to smell it all the time! I guess I could get the perfume roll on, though...