Maybe next year?

How many times will we be hearing "maybe next year" come tomorrow? The answer would be a million more than I care to hear. Tonight was a very sad night, it was the final game of the Cleveland Cavaliers season. At the end of game 5 as Lebron gave Jay Z a high five after winning, I thought maybe just maybe they will pull this off. I mean really, we had Jay Z rooting for us? How cool is that? Who did they have, Coolio? Apparently TNT knew we would lose, they had a montage prepared of all our near misses(Jose Mesa screwing up the World Series, the Cavs getting swept in the Championships, whatever loser things the Browns have done over the years.) I love a good montage, but geez, we looked pathetic. Which made me think of the hastily made Cleveland tourism video:



and his second attempt:



Whoever made these videos is an absolute genius. We may have lost the series, but at least we're not Detroit!

Celebrate Good Times Come On!

I feel like blasting Kool and the Gang because the whistling has stopped!!!!! After weeks of trying to ignore it, I just couldn't anymore. I very nicely asked for her to please stop, that I found it distracting while trying to work. Her sarcasm almost knocked me out of my chair, I didn't know she had it in her. I endured her verbal tirade without flinching and continued on with my day. But it's quiet and I am loving it. Someone put the dance music station on the office muzak system, and I'm even enjoying that for some strange reason. A far cry from my usual metal, but I am totally digging Poker Face by Lady GaGa.

Whistle while you work....

I feel like such a slacker, I haven't blogged, posted anything new on etsy, or even crafted much all weekend. I intended to accomplish so much over this holiday weekend(yardwork I've been putting off all Spring like cleaning out the flowerbeds and pond areas for starters), but it just wasn't in the cards.

I did complete one of my final projects for the "Deck Out Your Outdoor Space" swap on craftster.org. I have an enormous amount of different types of pine cones in my yard, and have always wanted to craft something out of them. The girl I'm crafting for likes pine trees so I thought let's give it a shot. I bought a grapevine wreath, found some interesting cones and went to work. I sprayed the hell out of it with polyurethane, so if there were any bugs inside, they are now trapped forever. The finished product:



Over the weekend we watched "Taken" and "Bride Wars." The latter was as cute as was to be expected, a "chic flick" all the way. "Taken" was suprisingly good too. Not usually the type of movie I'd watch, I'm all for mindless fluff. It's not classified as a scary movie, but the idea of your child being kidnapped is totally scary in my eyes. But I gave it a chance and it was so suspenseful I had to keep watching. I won't ruin the ending but I'd definitely recommend it.

Puppies are the new black, check out this little darling:



No, I did not go crazy and buy another puppy, my two are more than enough! This little cutie belongs to my sister. She is a yorkie/coton mix, and about as big as Zoe's head. When I held her for the first time, I had to shout out my favorite line from "Raising Arizona", which would obviously be, "I love her so much" in a southern drawl a la Holly Hunter.

Now that the weekend is over, back to work. Things are going ok, so long as I don't ask the Queen to do any work. I will do everything, that is fine. I will even do it with a smile on my face, no problem at all. But what I cannot put up with is the whistling. Since all this nonsense started, she has been whistling. All day. From the minute she walks in until the minute I leave. It's neverending and it is driving me insane. She walks in whistling, sits down, takes a vitamin and then blasts the oldies station. The only time she stops whistling is when she sings. As an added bonus she also snaps her fingers when a song she REALLY likes comes on. I try my hardest to drown her out with a good radio station, but something has got to give. Ozzy said it best, "I'm going off the rails on a crazy train."

Don't stop believin'

I find it may be my mission in life to single-handedly bring the Kirby manufacturers down. How in the world I was talked into purchasing a $1000 vacuum is still a mystery to me. It comes with all sorts of bells and whistles, but in a nutshell it is a piece of crap. The carpet cleaning attachment is a joke, I used it once and swore to never use it again. Against my better judgement I thought why not give it another go? It can't be as bad as you remember. Yes, yes it was. I couldn't even hook it up the right way, and I pretended to be a man and refused to read the instruction manual, and it ended up in a pile in the closet. I broke out the old Dirt Devil, cleaned the carpet and called it a day. But for the past week I couldn't vacuum with it, because it was taken apart to put the carpet cleaning attachment on. I decided today either it was getting back together or it was going to the curb. I turned on the arena rock station, Journey came on, and I was victorious!



Did Steve Perry have anything to do with it finally working out? I'd like to think so.

So now that my rant is over, on to the crafty part of my day. I went into the studio tonight and the glaze fire started on Tuesday was complete! One of my sugar skull bowls was done, and I am totally digging it:



My toad/fairy houses were in there as well:



Hopefully my swap partner will like them!

Not sure why I have had "Clueless" on my mind so much.........

After complaining there were no good swaps to join on craftster, the Mexican Kitsch Swap opens up. After deliberating for about 2 seconds, I sent in my questionaire. I just love Sugar Skulls and the pottery is beautiful, especially talavera tiles. On a semi-related note, if anyone is in the Parma area, go to Luchita's for dinner, margaritas, hey, why not both? As I've never been to Mexico, I can't really say what is "authentic" or not, but this is totally the best Mexican in the area. Or Marcellita's in Hudson is pretty amazing as well. Great, now I am totally wanting enchiladas....

I am in the swap, and cannot wait to see who I'm paired with. Hopefully they'll like pottery, because I have some great ideas. I started a few sugar skull bowls tonight out of the white porcelain clay, and a glazed spoonrest is firing in the kiln as I type. Hopefully I can see the finished product next time I go to the studio. Patience is not one of my virtues, so the whole lengthy pottery process can be frustrating! I want instant gratification!

On the sweet little puppy front, we are still trying our hardest to get potty trained. I never knew a puppy could pee as much as darling Zoe does. I mean seriously, every half hour practically? But she is just so cute, I have to cut her some slack.



The drama at work has been kept to a minimum thankfully. I did make the innocent mistake of asking her to make copies. She did put it on her job description, so I felt I wasn't out of line, asking her just to do her job and all. In a voice that sounded like she just smoked a carton of Kools, she blasted me with "NO!!! That's your job now!" (Ok, maybe the voice was just loud, but it sounds much better if it's all raspy and dragon lady-like, so lets just go with it.) I pulled a Cher(from Clueless) and said "Whatever." I wasn't totally juvenile, I didn't do the hand motion, it simply would have been wasted on her. Do I watch too many movies? The answer would be yes. Well, let's just add one more thing to my job....

Dance the Night Away....

I haven't posted in a few days because I have been BUSY! Saturday I attended quite possibly the best wedding ever thrown. When the bride and groom walk into the reception with "Nothing But A Good Time" by Poison blasting, you know it's going to definitely be an awesome time. I am a sucker for 80's music, hair metal especially, and the DJ did not disappoint. Dancing in 3 inch heels is not advisable, unless massive amounts of Vodka have been consumed.

I received my pillowcases from the craftster.org swap, so I am down to ONLY one swap. This has not happened in months, whatever will I do with all this free time? Maybe get on the ball and finish up my package for the "Deck Out Your Yard Swap." I need to craft a few more things to tie it all together. My theme is "Fairy Garden" and without any swap spoilers, I am pretty psyched with what I have crafted so far.

Only two more days of my free ad on craftster. I listed my newest sushi set on etsy today:



It was my first foray into double-dipping, and I am pleased with the results.

Ever since I watched "Clueless" many years ago, I have been completely enchanted by Paul Rudd. Not expecting too much, I watched "Role Models" on Sunday and was so surprised. It was funny and cute all at the same time. His rendition of "Beth" by Kiss was worth the price of admission.

But it goes to 11......

That has got to be my favorite part from "This is Spinal Tap." I've only watched the movie once, I think I need to watch it again to truly appreciate it. "Heavy, the Story of Metal" was on VH1 Classic tonight, so I have metal on the brain. I'm sure the night will end with me youtubing old hair metal band videos.......

I made it into another Treasury on Etsy!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=57957

My stoneware sushi set was picked. I don't quite understand how the whole Treasury thing works, but it's just so exciting to be featured. I have another sushi set to list, it has an "I Love the 70's" kind of vibe to it.

On the swap front, my pillowcases were received and liked. Mine are on their way, I can't wait to see them. I glazed some of my items for the "Deck Out Your Outdoor Space" swap at the studio on Thursday. I'm kind of stuck with what else to make, I'll need to brainstorm over the weekend. Or maybe the whole package will be pottery, who knows? :)

I'm just so pleased the work week is over. A: I need to sleep in and B: I just can't stand the drama of it all. My earlier posts describe all the sordid details, I just want to forget the whole thing for a few days.

Little Suzi's on the up......

I am excited for a few reasons. I may be having "The Best Week Ever." Firstly, my terrariums made the Hot Topics board on Craftster.org for two days in a row! This is only the third time that I can think of that one of my posts made it, the first was my bird Christmas stockings and the second was the first scarf I knit. That totally made my day. :)

I am also getting an advertisement on craftster.org for the next 7 days for my etsy shop. Leah asked for interested people, and I was picked! Sweets4ever made the banner for me, and she did an awesome job. Now I keep checking to see if it's on the site yet. I'm just so excited. :)

I went into the studio last night and unloaded tons of goodies from the kiln. Some will find their way onto etsy, some will be saved for gifts, and some will just be for me! My husband is in love with the floating blue glaze, so I will turn one of the bowls into a planter, just for him.

As if all that wasn't enough, it's Big Hair Wednesday! The local radio station 100.7 WMMS plays all hair bands from 12-1 pm once a week, and I so look forward to it.

It's Callled Backbone, not Wishbone.

My 8th grade teacher, Sr. Aileen always used to say that. She ran a tight ship in her classroom, but I loved her to pieces. The older I get, the more I realize just how true that saying is. I definitely channelled her strength in the meeting at work today to "clear the air." It's still pretty smoky, but I stood my ground, and my points were valid and duly noted. Wherever you are Sr. Aileen, thank you.

On the craft front, so much is going on. To begin with, I am getting a free ad on craftster.org to advertise my etsy shop! One of the mods is helping me put the banner together, I cannot wait to see the finished product. Hopefully many things will come out of the kiln this week, the shop needs to be stocked and ready to sell.

I've wanted to make a terrarium for the longest time, why I haven't a clue. I decided Mother's Day would be the perfect reason to finally make one. After trips to 4 different stores, the finished product:




Why did I make four? Why not! The largest went to my Mom, and the other three are currently residing on the dining room table, waiting for a permanent home. They were really easy to make, and cost under $5 a piece to put them together. In the future I will definitely keep in mind the container opening, seeing as these were tapered, it was a little difficult to get everything situated inside. I have tons of moss growing around the patio, that will be my next project.

Procrastinators of the world unite......tomorrow...

I feel like such a slacker, but I am finally finished with my pillowcases for the "Embroider me to Sleep" swap on craftster. I usually send way ahead of time, because I'm a crafting over-achiever(ha-ha), but this time I'll be sending only 2 days before official send-outs. I chalk it up to the new puppy, I've been a little out of sorts trying to keep track of her puppy antics. She's really been doing great, no accidents yesterday or today. We did have our first chewing incident yesterday, but it wasn't technically her fault. My husband was watching TV with his feet on the ottoman and she was playing with her toys. Something got stuck underneath, she tried to get to it, but apparently just kept pushing it father under. After becoming frustrated, she decided to chew on the corner of it. Luckily I just walked into the room to stop her from doing too much damage. A small piece of black duct tape and it's all good, you can't even notice it unless you look for it. Why he was completely oblivious remains to be seen. Enough Zoe talk, I present the finished pillowcases:

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A bit wrinkled, but complete nonetheless. My swap partner asked for botanical/art noveau and this is what I came up with. The border goes the entire length of the pillowcase, and I decided to go with only one color so it would be easy to match with different bedding. I was going to do some flower accents but decided against it. Instead I embroidered "yours" and "mine", a modern day take on the whole his/her thing. I'll be sending out Monday, hopefully she will like them!

My last bird was delivered today for the bird swap. I think it may be my favorite, hence having it at the beginning of today's post. I love cardinals, they remind me of my Grandma for some reason. The eyes are really stunning, I just love it to pieces.

XM Radio, How I Love Thee......

The funk I have been in has lifted, thanks to pottery, XM radio and a little ingenuity on my part. I usually don't let things get to me, but this whole work nonsense really bothered me. I have a sit down with my associate and the boss tomorrow to "clear the air." The meeting was orchestrated by me, the girl who avoids confrontation at all costs. I did receive a copy of her job description, and it was far longer than I had expected. Of course it was double spaced and the font was enlarged drastically, but hey, who am I to criticize? I had an epiphany around 10 a.m., ran a few reports to back myself up, and am now armed with ample ammunition for tomorrow.

I put on Hair Band Nation as soon as I got in the studio. Any station that plays Knock 'Em Dead Kid by the Crue will immediately put me in a better mood. And as a bonus I heard Don't Go Away Mad(Just Go Away)which always puts me in a happy place. Aah, summer of 9th grade....

Pottery was a glazing fiesta tonight. I had so many things come out of the bisque fire, I glazed non-stop for 3 1/2 hours. I now have two sushi sets, a pig tray, many buttons, a few bowls and planters waiting for the final firing, plus a few custom Etsy orders. Opening the kiln after the final firing is such an awesome thing. Remember in Pulp Fiction, near the end, when he opens the suitcase? All you see is bright sunlight streaming on their amazed faces. The camera never pans to what's inside, but you just know it's awesome. Well, that's what it's like opening the kiln. You never know what awesomeness awaits.

Thrown Under The Bus

Finally! Every day since we have had Zoe(our "bull in a china shop" American Bulldog), I've had to put eye drops in her eye. First for an infection, then to try to "fix" her cherry eye, and then for the past week after her eye surgery. She is all healed up and a pretty girl now:



Athena is on the left, she is my sweet Toy Fox Terrier. They have become great friends, I was a little nervous in the beginning. Especially because Zoe will be every bit of 100 pounds full grown. I am thinking she probably should not be a lap dog then.....but right now she is just so cute I can't help but let her sit with me. She has outweighed Athena for weeks, and she is only 3 months old. She has learned to sit, and actually sleeps through the night(OK, until 6 am but I'll take it.) Potty training is going pretty well, there have been quite a few accident free days. Or maybe I'm just trained and know to take her out all the time!

On the swap front, I started crafting for the "Deck Out Your Outdoor Space" swap. I was in the studio tonight and started a hanging bird feeder and toad house. Not sure a toad will actually live in there, but hey, maybe. I have some more ideas in mind, I'm going to need a ton of tiny pine cones........

Tuesday is pottery night, and I was in a bit of a funk. Last week my boss(at the "real job" I'm forced to have so I can keep crafting) asked me and my associate to write a detailed job description for his upcoming meeting with the president. Well that is the kiss of death, is it not? Obviously there is only room for one of us, so in essence that description may seal one of our fates. I was concise and to the point in my description, but as detailed as necessary. 2 full pages and I emailed it off. On the other hand, I reminded my colleague on the due date to get hers done. Why? Because I am either really nice or a sucker, there seems to be a fine line between the two. So that was last week, on to the drama of today. Apparently she had a private conversation last week with my boss, explaining how much work she does while I do nothing. To quote the fine film Clueless: As if! I would be blogging from now until next week if I went into detail here, but suffice it to say I do at fair estimate 65% of the work on any given day, if not more. Not to mention the fact that she took off 40 DAYS last year, and who do you think picked up the pieces when she was unable(or unwilling) to come to work? Right now she is at 14 days and it's only May? She took off today as well, hence the time to privately discuss the matter. My boss and I did come to the conclusion that with the other issues she is dealing with, just chalk it up to her having a bad day. I just don't like being thrown under the bus. Now that was cathartic!

On the etsy front, my camera is garbage. Apparently I am in the mood to be blunt! I have been frequenting the critique boards on etsy, and it always comes back to my photos. Prices are good, inventory is good, overall a great shop. I was told today to "get a better camera to do your beautiful items justice." Also, "what a cheap camera!" Points well taken, I will be purchasing a new camera this weekend. To achieve my lifelong dream of crafting full time(and avoiding the above office drama), I owe it to myself and my craft to purchase a new one.

Spring Cleaning Sale!

I have decided to liquidate all sewn items from my etsy shop to make room for more pottery. I am also offering $1 off any of the items for the remainder of the month. I still have a few of my Happy Housewife aprons left, two purse/wallet sets and a pair of market bags. The market bags match with one of the aprons, would make a really cute housewarming, shower or hostess gift. Convo me before placing the order and I will adjust the price for you. Click here to check it out:

http://www.craftygurll.etsy.com

Now if only I can get my garage cleaned up! :)

Why must I watch this movie every time it is on?

I have no idea why Manequin is in heavy rotation on Encore Love, but I am loving it! I watched it this afternoon for the billionth time while starting on pilllowcase 2 for the embroidery swap on craftster.org. Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Estelle Getty, does it get any better than that? I just watched a Lifetime Movie not too long ago with the lovely Mr. McCarthy in it. I tell you, he has aged pretty well!

Last night was the MS Fundraiser, and this was my contribution:



I was entirely pleased with my "Sushi Set for 2" contribution. It included bamboo placemats, napkins with bamboo napkin rings, chopticks(purchased from an awesome etsy seller), wine goblets, candles and a serving platter with bamboo holder. The piece de resistance was the handbuilt stoneware set:



It was made from dark brown stoneware clay and glazed in teal. The design was achieved by gently impressing the clay with a vintage piece of lace. The pattern showed through the glaze so nicely, it really was a stunning set. It quite possibly was one of my favorite pieces made to date.

Where's the Rock?

Music just doesn't seem to be as good as it used to be. I can't think of any recent bands even worthy of a "Behind the Music." OK maybe Amy Winehouse, but purely because of her tabloid quality insanity. But I am really loving Killswitch Engage as of late. Especially their cover of Holy Diver:



I love covers, and this is one of the best I've heard in a long time. The original Dio version is totally awesome, but this one comes in a very close second place.