It’s true. It’s a real, honest to goodness thing. And now there is a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AVWLYG6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AVWLYG6&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwpilatesfor-20″>book
It’s only 99 cents. And if you’re not sure if it’s worth a dollar, check out this interview. I haven’t read the book yet, but if this is any indication, that was a dollar well spent.
Long Sleeve Blue T-Shirt from Kimmchi
I make handmade jewelry. I want you to buy my handmade jewelry, even though I know you can buy jewelry at Target, Clairs, Afterthoughts and a host of other stores. I want you to buy mine because it’s mine. It’s often one of a kind, and it’s always handmade by me, right here in good ole Franklin, Tennessee by a little girl from Hill City, Minnesota.
What I make is a little more expensive than what you might find in stores, because it’s not mass-produced. I am a one-woman shop: I think up the designs, order the materials and wrap the wire, string the beads, crimp the metal, into the finished product. I do work with my uncle, he provides me with all of my glass pieces. He’s also a maker and takes great pride is his work.
The ironic thing in all of this? In the past, I haven’t bought a lot of handmade items simply because I could get mass-produced products more cheaply from chain stores. It wasn’t that I didn’t see the value in handmade, it was that I didn’t understand I could afford it.
I’ve been on a simplification quest lately. I have a lot of stuff. Most of it isn’t very high quality. It’s not hard for me to decide that I would rather give it away to Goodwill than continue to have it in my house. There is no value in it. In my budget-conscious way, I was accumulating things because I thought I wanted or needed them, rather than because they were amazing, valuable pieces that would enrich my life and that would last.
As I’ve simplified, there have been things that I wanted or needed to buy. I’ve been making a conscious effort to buy higher quality items, willing to spend a little bit more to make sure my dollars are expressing my values. Today, I am wearing the shirt pictured above, a shirt I bought while listening to its maker at The Maker’s Summit earlier this month. I love it. It’s a little more than I would normally spend on a shirt, but it’s beautiful, comfortable, and was hand printed. Also, it’s printed on American Apparel, whose business practices (not to mention their clothes) are in line with values I want to support.
I’m making a conscious effort to support smaller, local artisans with my money. Not because I’m rich or have a lot of expendable income– don’t get me wrong, I don’t– but because I want the purchases I make and the stuff I have to support and encourage other artists, people like me, who are just trying to do what they love and make enough money to live.
So- I do art. You knew that right?
That has nothing to do with today’s post.
We’ve had a fun-filled, very busy weekend, because on Friday we welcomed a new family member.
Meet Picasso:
Picasso
Picasso is a nine week old Golden Boxer, that is, Golden Retriever/Boxer mix. He’s awesome: handsome, happy, and playful. His name has very little to do with our love of art and more to do with keeping up the family tradition of naming our dogs after painters.
Van Gogh
Van Gogh is our 8 year old miniature dachshund. She got her name because she’s missing half of her left ear. Picasso got his name because he’s Van Gogh’s brother.
Next Big Thing
The amazing Candace White over at aintgotenoughgravy tagged me in the Next Big Thing Blog Hop. I am honored and excited to share what I’m working on. Normally, the way this works, is that at the end I tag five more authors to continue the journey. However, all of the authors I know have already participated. So instead, I’m just going to refer you to some great author websites that I love.
Home
A friend and I were talking about how, if we didn’t have to go to work, we might never leave our houses. The story started out as a way to explore what it would be like to actually be agoraphobic, and grew from there.
Ashley hasn’t left her house in ten years, but if she can’t figure out a way to leave, her sister may die.
Ask me in 2014.
The first draft took 9 weeks, I’ve been working on the re-write and edits in the 10 months since. I’m hoping to have it to readers by March 10, which will be a year since I finished the first draft.
8. What other stories would you compare this story to within your genre?
I don’t know! I need to figure that one out.
9.Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My friend Heidi, and the conversation we had about staying home. My family, for always being supportive while I tried to do everything other than write until I knew that this is what I have to do, and then for giving me the time, space, and copy editing I need to be actually do it.
Authors I want you to check out:
Joe Hart: Joe and I went to High School together. Most of my memories of him are from shop class, we must have had a woodworking class together. He writes horror, and is SO. GOOD. Check him out.
Charlotte Rains Dixon: Charlotte’s book, Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior
Linda Busby Parker: Linda was my first (and second, I couldn’t let go of her) mentor in The Writer’s Loft. Linda worked with me when my writing was a hot mess. (And my life wasn’t so hot at the time either.) She gave me supportive, but honest feedback, always pushing me. Linda was with me through the draft of Clouded. While I’ve let that stall for now, the closer I get to having Home done(ish) the more I’m ready to jump back into Clouded and start working on a publishable draft.
Morgan Wylie: Morgan and I met at Starbucks when her daughter, who happens to be the same age as my son, sat down and started talking to me while I was writing. Morgan just finished her first book and it will be out this spring.
Hope Clark: I don’t actually know Hope. But I’ve subscribed to her newsletter for a few years (thanks to Linda!) and I feel like she’s a friend.
The new and improved Spiraling Forward is under construction. Until it’s ready, please check out
on etsy.
Sorry I’ve been gone so long. I’ve been trying to decide how exactly to proceed with this, YPL and SpiralingForward and, quite frankly, got paralyzed There is so much I want to do, and so much I have to do (because those kids and husband, they expect things!) that I stopped doing much of anything except working on my novel. Well, that, working my full-time job, making sure my family is fed, etc. But you know what I mean.
Anyway, I’ve had a lot of time to think and plan and consider, and I’m ready to get going. Here’s the plan:
This blog is going to remain my personal blog, but I’m going to bring more of my writing into it. During the course of re-writing Home in third person, I got so tired up just changing pronouns that I decided to start working on a short story for the first 15 minutes of all of my writing sessions. This has been SO. MUCH. FUN! So I’m going to start sharing some of that with you, along with more about the book and the work that I’ve put into it. I’m excited about it and the possibilities it holds and can’t wait to share it. I’m also going to do updates on what’s going on with YPL and SpiralingForward, but they have their own online homes, so it will mostly be “go check this out” links.
Speaking of…
Your Pilates Life is done. Well, pretty much. It’s a formatted, readable, searchable e-book. I wanted to do exercise photos to go with it and haven’t done those yet. But I’m giving myself a deadline and a launch date. On tax day, April 15, YPL will be available for sale. With or without pictures. Between now and then, I’ll be updating the YPL website and preparing some exciting offerings to go along with the book. I’m not currently teaching, and with my schedule I don’t see that changing anytime soon, but I do want to help refer out to the Middle Tennessee Pilates Community. We’ve got some awesome teachers around here.
As for SpiralingForward, first off, I’m going to be adding a blog over there too! I don’t know the exact schedule I’ll be posting on yet, it won’t be daily, and might even be just weekly, but I’m going to be using it to offer how-to’s, highlight both art that I’m making and art that is inspiring me, and to feature other artists and makers that are doing great things.
In case you’re worried that this is a tease, and I’m going to disappear again, here’s some reassurance. My amazing friend, Candace White, tagged me in “The Next Big Thing” blog hop for authors. So I’ll be posting about my new book, “Home” exactly one week from today, on February 13. I’ll also be tagging other authors I want you to check out, so make sure you come back for that.
Heart bracelet
Today, I decided I wanted a new bracelet, so I took 10 minutes and made myself one. I have (finally) come to realize how important it is for me to have at least a little bit of creative time each day and I hope I can inspire you to do the same.
