Viva Revival - Interior design, graphic design and crafts

My front page Etsy feature

2013-01-09T08:09:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! I know it's been a while since I've been seen in these parts. And I missed Christmas, my favorite holiday. Especially for crafting! I made absolutely nothing this year. However, we did get our tree up. But, it doesn't really count since we left it put up in the guest room all last year. So we just dragged it to the next room.

Well, I wanted to share some good news with you all! It was a crazy Christmas season, my best so far in my Viva Revival shop on Etsy. And here I was looking for a nice rest after the holiday season and come to find out I had the good luck to land on the front page for a week! Don't ask me how, I had no warning (nor did I pay, lol). But, it's the best thing to ever happen to my shop and I am so grateful for this wonderful blessing!

Viva Revival

That's my heart necklace at the top right. Check it out while you can. I have no idea how long it will be up for. I'm guessing today is the last day. Thank you Etsy!

The Trials of Handmade

2012-11-30T09:10:00.002-06:00

We've all been spoiled. We've been spoiled by discounts of 25%-50%-and up to 75% off by huge bigbox retailers. But, do you know something? These items have a huge markup. They are made to be discounted. These stores buy thousands of items and receive huge discounts in return.

My mom once owned a retail store. We didn't receive those kinds of discounts because we were a small fish. And that store doesn't exist anymore because we couldn't provide 75% off. It's the same with handmade. Except that we have to buy the materials and also spend our time making the items. We don't have the 'luxury' of sending our designs off to a country where their cost of living is so low that they can work for pennies. Or sending our designs off to sweatshops that in our civilized societies of 2012 still get busted.

The other day I received an e-mail from someone asking for a discount on one of my least expensive items. They wanted the 'starving student' discount. I offered them free shipping since my promotion had just ended that morning. And that wasn't good enough and they still continued to ask for more of a discount. And why? Because you're there? Because for some reason I've never met you-you've never bought from me-but I should make an item for you-but I don't deserve to make a profit whatsoever? I have more self-worth than that and so should more people in the handmade community. I see items on Etsy so often that are so low I wonder how they even pay for their supplies. Much less their time.

Well, I'm a 'starving artist' working 2 jobs, as many people are that create. And I don't feel that I should make less than anyone else at their job. Would it be okay if your employer asked you for a discount on your salary for the day? I like making jewelry, but I don't want to do it for free. If I did, I wouldn't spend the time taking photographs and listing items. I think some don't realize the work that goes into that as well.

Sales are great. But, there's a limit. There's only so much of a discount any of us can provide. All I'm asking is for you to think about asking for extreme discounts from handmade sellers, particularly on Etsy-especially when you've never even purchased from this person before. If you must have a sale to buy an item then like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter, etc. to find out when they'll be having a sale.

I've always tried to keep my prices reasonable, I don't want to gouge anyone. But, this week had made me feel that I should act like any other retail outlet, markup really high and then discount huge. But, that doesn't seem fair to me. It seems like a lie. I want to continue running an honest business and treating each customer fairly-not giving one 'special' person a discount, but not another.

I'm not Claire's, I'm not Forever 21 and I don't want to compete with them. I make my items, I don't source them from third world countries. Each items is made one at a time. And I deserve to be able to pay my rent. And so do thousands of other handmade sellers.

bubbyandbean.com

Happy Black Friday and Cyber Monday!

2012-11-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm doing a free shipping sale in my etsy shop for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. No need for a coupon, I've already put in the discount for you! Lots of new items added this week at Viva Revival.

vivarevival.etsy.com

Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll

2012-11-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving ya'll! That's a bit of my Texas heritage peeking through. Here's a little snapshot (literally) of our pumpkin patching extravagaaaaanzaaa! This year they had pink and blue pumpkins. We bought a blue pumpkin and as it turns out, it's edible. But, we haven't dared yet. I love any kind of squash so I couldn't help but taking home a few brightly colored specimens.

Our cheap and easy Thanksgiving door hanger

2012-11-19T14:20:00.002-06:00

David really wanted to get a fall wreath for our door. I was feeling crafty and said, 'I can do it myself! Why buy a pre-made one??' So we found this cute little door hanger basket at Michael's along with a lot of super cheap fall decorations. So after a few times of throwing this basket against a wall, David and I finished our little Thanksgiving door hanger.

What you need:
1. A bunch of fall flowers and picks. Remember: It's not fall without a pumpkin in there somewhere.
2. Some cute little owls with glue cobwebs hanging from their eyes (that’s how you know you got a good deal).
3. A twiggy basket that will poke your fingers 1,000 times.

What to do:
Step 1: Just throw everything in the basket. DO NOT cut the flowers at all. Just stick it all in there and call it a day. No need for glue or floral foam.
Step 2: Throw it against the fall a few times because you don't like it.
Step 3: Let your husband do it. He'll cut the flowers and place them like so. Ta-da!

Winter Wedding Magazine Shoot

2012-11-06T09:13:00.000-06:00

I recently got the opportunity to have my Viva Revival jewelry line participate in a wedding shoot for Bliss. It was a ghost town themed winter shoot in Texas. Beautiful photos taken by Cari Wible Photography. Here are a few of the shots from the shoot featuring my jewelry (all except the huge pearl strands at the bottom). And check out the video below!

Ghost Town Winter Bliss from 2nd Generation Films on Vimeo.

Our Couples Halloween Party

2012-10-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

We hosted a Halloween party for the first time this year. That means we had to start from scratch with decorations. And now I think we will probably be hosting from now on...now that we've got the goods.

This part was the most fun for me. I used a sparkly red decorators gel and just squeezed it out of the tube onto the rims. Let it dry and you can pour your drink over it without it smearing. I decorated the inside of the glasses, but the outside of the punch bowl. This stuff is sticky so I only did half of the glasses so guests wouldn't end up eating it.

This is my favorite section of our halloween party! We used cheesecloth dyed in tea to make my jewelry mannequin a mummy. And these cobwebs are fantastic. They are really improved upon them since I was a kid. This is just one long continuous piece. The chandelier I got from hobby lobby for everyday decor in the bedroom. And the branches are part of our winter decor.

I found this snowman's tophat at Michael's and was inspired to give our pumpkin a dashing makeover. Just paint.

Got this little tree uber-discounted at Michael's.

We had to kind of decorate two rooms. Here's our mantle. These candlesticks I got from Pottery Barn years ago on clearance from their Halloween section. I still love them.

This mummy was inspired by a recipe in Phyllis Hoffman Celebrate which I found on Hostess with the Mostess. I used my own recipe creation for this using cream cheese, goat cheese and spinach. It was better than I thought it would be for a made-up recipe! It was great!

Happy Halloween Everybody!

2012-10-31T08:54:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween! Here's our doxie Elroy posing in his devil costume this year. He's sooo bored. He has better things to do.

Later today I'll share pics from our first ever Halloween party. It was a very DIY affair of course!

Camping and canoeing at Turkey Run State Park Indiana

2012-09-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

Oh, how I was dreading the inevitable day when my husband would take me camping. I knew one day it would come. And who am I do deny him his inalienable right to the great outdoors and peeing in the woods? I want to be a good wife and occasionally let him do something he wants to do. Occasionally.

But, first up-canoeing:

A canoe looks like this. Mmm, brown water.

We're so happy. Not...pant...tired...pant...at...pant...all. Pant.

This shot says, "Please don't drop my camera in the water."

Fun trivia fact: If you look at this picture just right the light on the top of my head looks like I'm balding. I'm not. Plus, I sport the comb-over. Now you can't STOP seeing it.

And the dreaded (but somehow excited??) camping:

A shack/murder-house on our campsite.

I know it looks all cute and sweet inside with its tiny booths. I don't buy it.

David successfully made a campfire without starting a forest fire. Good job hon! But, I did suggest we cook our poptarts on the fire. Umm, for the record...don't do that.

Putting up and using a tent is camping. It is not making s'mores and then going back to a hotel. I was in there sleeping and freezing when this picture was taken. Maybe I should do a '10 things I learned while camping' post? For example, it gets really cold at night.

I actually had the most relaxing time of my life. And by doctor's orders, (Seriously, oh yeah!! Couch!!) I should do relaxing things. The bathroom was 200 feet away so I could deal. I'm very excited to go again. It's incredible the amount of light pollution that did not exist, the sky was beautiful at night. The campsite was off on it's own and no serial killers came out of the shack. I'm now an official camper.

Turkey Run State Park Indiana

2012-08-30T14:22:00.001-05:00

Last weekend my husband and I took the very long drive from Chicago to Turkey Run State Park in Indiana for two days of camping and canoeing. Oh fun...camping...my...favorite. The truth is, the term camping hasn't been in my vocabulary since a daddy long legs infested girl scout trip when I was 12. Or 13. I've mostly blocked it out. Except in my nightmares.

Day one was spent exploring the park itself. This word is used excessively in my opinion (especially by me), but it was amazing. What was especially amazing was the fact that they let you hike in such a rugged area. We're so used to "keep out" signs that we were floored when they allow you the chance to greatly injure yourself. And we loved it!

Ye Olde rickety bridge

I think something from Harry Potter.

You want me to use those? There may or may not have been tinkling on the floor at this point. Too much information?

Walking trees. I saw it. You don't know, you weren't there.

And an afternoon nap.

This park is a must-see and we can't wait to go back. Keep in mind there are trails where you will be scaling boulders and hiking on logs and soon to find out-waterfalls (although they're just babies). You'll need a map so you can figure out which terrains are rugged. I wouldn't bring a dog or kids on these.

Unless they have been bitten by radioactive spiders. Stay tuned for Monday's camping adventure!

10 things I learned from my first craft fair

2012-08-22T08:47:00.001-05:00

1. Always have a buddy with you at all times. This way you can have a way to deflect when someone starts grilling you on why you charge sales tax. And other various ways on how you should run your business to please them. My husband was out getting food at the time. I may never eat during a craft show again.

2. Bring extra finished chains in different lengths. Making chains from scratch kept me the busiest. Another reason why having a buddy is important. I would have missed a lot of sales while I was working on chains. I had no idea the demand would be so high for a custom length.

3. Craft show food sucks (Let's just make a sweeping generalization, shall we? I'm sure there's some good stuff out there...). But at this show, it was all greasy, fattening and not great on a hot day. It also takes half an hour to get those long chains of spiral potato chips. But, at least I've had my fill.

4. Not all craft shows are created equal. I was told dozens of times that I should go to an art fair, instead of a show like the one I did. I did very well, but there is definitely a different mind set. There were many sellers there with items mass manufactured and directly imported from wholesalers. Sometimes people don't realize there's a person making things by hand trying to make a living, rather than buying something wholesale and sticking it on a display.

5. You can never have enough change. I brought 1 billion quarters just to be safe (I am sooo rich!) and it still wasn't enough.

6. Doing a first-time craft show 2 blocks away from your house is an awesome idea. I could always go home if I needed or if I forgot something (or make hubby go get more quarters).

7. The ability to take credit cards was incredibly helpful. It was easy and I could e-mail or text their receipt. Saved paper and sales.

8. I will never take checks again. I got one check the entire show and it was fraudulent. This sweet little old lady also has a criminal record. What I don't understand about writing a check that you know will bounce is not only are you stealing something from me, but I'm also going to be paying my bank $15 for your bounced check. And that's what steams me the most. I'd rather you just stole it. But, I'd rather you not do that either.

9. The items that sell the best online don't necessarily sell the best in person. And I think that's because they get lost in the crowd. There's so many other pretty sparkly things to look at, sometimes things just get overlooked.

10. Sarah from zzouzivintage gave me the greatest tip. She suggested I write down the ages of everyone who bought from me and find out my target market. Well, I didn't do that...but I did make a mental note. And my customers are all over the place, but most of them are in the same age bracket.

Citizen's Arrest

2012-08-01T15:40:00.000-05:00

Well, sorta. We love our lake. Our lake is little ol' Lake Michigan. There's a park right by our apartment that we walk to most nights and sit on the rocks and just watch the waves. But, last Friday night, destiny happened.

I'll just tell you now. You mess with our lake and you're gonna get the boot. Or I'll make my husband call the police and I'll try to get him to run away with me.

Destiny was picking an unusual place to sit on the rocks that Friday night at 8 o'clock. And behold, a group of beer-drinking teenage boys hidden deep on the other side. I said, "Look hon, underage drinking!" And we giggled. Then one lit up a joint. Then one threw a beer bottle and smashed it on the rocks. Then another threw one in the lake. Then our blood starting boiling.

I felt the underage drinking was none of our business, that's for the parents. The joint bothered me because I'll move if you even light up a cigarette. I don't care to smell it. But, the broken beer bottles and the littering in the lake really set us off. So, we did something we never imagined we'd do-we called the police. It felt kind of silly at the time, but afterwards it was the biggest high! No pun intended.

The police asked us to stay there and against all my wishes we did. But, I'm glad we did because the park was getting busy and the boys decided to move further down the rocks. Who knew you couldn't drink, smoke pot and litter in private!? Then a few minutes later the police came. We told them everything we knew. Anyway, the police hopped the curb and raced through the grass to get to the edge of the rocks. It was AWESOME. I'm sorry to say I've never been much of a fan of the police due to an interaction with one I had years ago (you know and all those times I've been arrested since I'm such a rebel *snicker*---the anti-littering kind.) But, now I have an all new respect for them for racing across the park. They also took David's phone number and said they'd call and I thought that was pretty cool.

They immediately found those hoodlums with beers in hand. I wasn't hoping for an arrest, just a scare so they won't come back to our park and destroy it. And maybe a call to their parents and a grounding. So, we'll see. Still waiting for our phone call. Hint hint.

Adventures in food processing - vegan spinach pesto recipe

2012-07-25T09:56:00.000-05:00

I've never been much of a cook and I find myself having to cook a lot lately. Most of my life, I've actually been fiercely against cooking. I think it was some sort of feminist thing. I've found out you can still be domestic and feminist at the same time. Yippee. Now go do the dishes, husband!
So, this week I've learned to use the food processor. As part of our wedding registry we got a blender/food processor combo to take up less space. I've feared the food processor for over a year now. There's so many parts. I have to read the manual. I can't just shove food in there like the blender and then scream when it stops rotating.
The reason for my new foray into cooking is out of medical necessity. Don't worry, I'm not dying. But, basically vegetables (among many other things, including dairy) are my enemy for the time being unless they are cooked beyond sogginess or pureed. Yum baby food. And still I have to be careful. I'm contemplating whether to share my adventures into getting diagnosed and seeing a dietician with you, but I haven't quite made up my mind yet. It's not exactly something you brag about.
So, a sneaky way to get some vitamins and avoiding dairy is a recipe for my own little vegan spinach pesto. It smelled amazing and fresh and was so beautifully green! So much NOT like the jarred stuff. It may be vegan (and I know that term scares people), but tastes like regular ol' spinach pesto. The vegan Parm smells a little vile in the jar, but it's the best vegan cheese there is, in my opinion. The other stuff is quite sticky...and wet...

Vegan Spinach Pesto

4 cups lightly packed baby spinach

3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

3 cloves garlic

2 tsp. fresh basil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup grated Vegan Parmesan cheese

Place a 1/4 of the spinach leaves, garlic, pine nuts, basil and some of the oil in the food processor. Pulse until pretty obliterated. Then add more oil and some more spinach and repeat. Do this until spinach and oil are all gone, scraping down the sides in between. Add Parmesan cheese and 1/8 tsp. salt and process until mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I've always wanted to be in a comic strip.

2012-07-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

You know me, I hardly write about fashion. And lately, I don't even buy anything for myself. But, I came across the most amazing, mind-blowing bags I've ever seen. I'm so confused and I can't quite wrap my head around it. Normally not my style, but I want to buy one...at least so I can just see it in person and stop my brain from hurting. How do they do it? Genius. Ow...brain...can't...comprehend.

This is indeed a real bag. You can buy this hand bag from Jump From Paper. They also have bags for men.

My first craft show - Results!

2012-06-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Whew. I actually needed a bit of a vacation after that. My several months of hard work paid off and my first craft fair was a success! I'll share in a later post all of the things I learned dipping my toe in the craft show business. But, for now, here are the results of my sweat and tears and no social life:

I decided to got with a sort of rustic shabby chic look. I wanted a nice juxtaposition with my jewelry (it not being the shabby chic type). A special thanks to my sweet husband David who did 99% of the work on the displays! All in all I was happy with the set-up and was mostly what I had pictured in my mind. It was easy to set-up and take down. And everything fit into my little Focus. For our first time, we decided to rent chairs, tables and the tent. It definitely cuts into your profit, but for an experiment I think it's worth it.

It was really great to see the pieces people responded to and what sells online, but gets lost in a sea of other great pieces. I designed a lot of brand new pieces for the show and was very happy to sell some new items. I will definitely be listing these new designs in my Etsy shop. My favorite of which is in the fourth photo with a hand hammered and formed round shape with a wire wrapped stone in the middle. I sold the green one immediately!

My favorite part is the dress form. It was a great attention grabber. I'd been wanting one for a long time and I got a great deal on it ($40!). And my big beautiful bird easels were on clearance at Tuesday Morning. I found some really great deals and my mom donated a lot of the frames to me! My first craft show was really a team effort. Thanks to everyone who came by especially Justin, Kara and Jenny! It was great to see you all there to support me.

Custer's Last Stand Tomorrow!

2012-06-15T08:16:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is my very first craft show! It's Custer's Last Stand in Evanston, IL. We set up tonight at 7!

I woke up this morning feeling pretty calm. But, I can feel a little anxiety slowing trickling in. I feel a little like I've had a few cups of coffee even though I'm a recovering caffeine junkie. It's been about a year now, they should give me a token. It's a hard habit to break. And it's possible I may break it tomorrow.

I think I'm pretty prepared. It's been a tough couple of months. I've been working nonstop. We had to make all my displays from scratch, being my first show and all. So, the next show should be a piece of cake. The next couple of weeks I'll have lots of pictures for you of my booth and how-to's of some of my displays. Wish me luck and have a great weekend everyone!

Custer Fair

Don't worry about me, I'm still here!

2012-05-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

Oh I feel so far and distant from the blogging world. As I've told you, I've got a craft show coming up in less than a month now! And all my spare time is spent making jewelry. I work all day and then come home and work some more. I'm a little exhausted, but what is really helping is getting up at 6am to go jogging. As bizarre as that may sound...

I can't wait to get a little free time so I can catch up on everyone's wonderful blogs! For now I just wanted to say hi and let you know I'm still here! I'll be back as soon as I can. As for now, here's a run down of what I've been up to:

• Daily Mail: This is my new favorite news/gossip site. There is so much information and the most bizarre and interesting stories.

• Oh and speaking of if you haven't read the articles from the marvelous Samantha Brick, it's a must! This is just gold.

• I chipped my front tooth. Yes, right in front. While eating salad.

• Target has some easy flavor packets for mixing frosting like Cherry Vanilla and Bubble Gum (yuck!). These frosting colors make me want to bake cupcakes just so I can look at them.

•I also bought these sandals at Target in Cobalt. That is my new favorite color. I'm obsessed with sandals with a backing. They are the most comfortable sandals ever. I now have 3 different pairs and I think I need more colors.

Have a great weekend everyone! Talk to you soon.

Free Mother's Day printable gift tags

2012-05-08T10:39:00.001-05:00

In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, I designed some spring themed dandelion gift tags. I designed these to be used with a circle cutter or punch in three sizes: 2", 1.5" and 1". There is a little wiggle room for the punch so you don't have to cut perfectly or have a white border. You can even use scissors if you want! Then punch a small hole for your ribbon or string. Use this link to get your free Mother's Day printable gift tags in a pdf. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Honey Bear!

2012-05-03T08:29:00.000-05:00

So today is my husband's 34th birthday (I know, yikes!). I know he will want this cake:

recipegirl.com

But, you will not be getting this cake. This is only if you want heart failure in one bite and I can't have that. Also, I have utterly failed as a wife. But, I tell you it's not all my fault. First, you didn't even know what you wanted to do or what you wanted me to get you. The only thing you want right now is to get your door lock fixed on your car. That is not so fun for me. And it's not cheap either, so that's all you're getting. Second, when I make this much jewelry the fumes take some of my brain cells and I can't think of any good free surprises.

I did get you a card though. I just hope it's still in a bag on the dining room table and you haven't found it. I haven't written anything in it yet. That is what 5 minutes before you get the card is for. It's not a funny card either, it's kind of sappy, but I thought it'd be fun to make you tear up on your birthday.

Also, I do have a super secret plan to stop by Cold Stone on the way home at noon today (since I'm going to a bead show, yay!). Last time I saw some cupcakes there and thought I could get a small package of them. Hopefully somewhat less life threatening than this kit kat and m&m birthday cake. If they are out of cupcakes I don't know what I will do. I know you'll like the Cold Stone cupcakes, but you'll also give me a slight look of disappointment for bringing that much sugar in the house. However, you did drool and audibly moan when we passed by Cold Stone the other day. You also mentioned it, which I take as a hint.

So, in conclusion...Happy Birthday my love! I'll get ya at Christmas.

Clever minimalist graphic design

2012-04-30T08:39:00.000-05:00

As a graphic designer myself, I truly appreciate clever minimalist design. You've probably seen the famous minimalist posters for Little Red Riding Hood and The Princess and the Pea, for example. Well, add to that some similar ones put together by Disney. But, these are even above and beyond minimalist. How little information can you give someone for them to get it? I love that.

Have fun with it and guess the titles at www.graphicdesignblog.org
or see the originals at reramble.wordpress.com.

Woohoo! My mother's day jewelry is featured!

2012-04-18T13:56:00.001-05:00

I love it when I get such a happy surprise of being featured somewhere and my views skyrocket! This year I made it my goal to add on some sweet and thoughtful personalized Mother's Day gifts and mommy jewelry for new moms. I'm very excited to have Etsy feature me in the Kids section with the Mother's Day jewelry! I'm the tiny photo in the last row.

Check it out on Etsy here.

Personalized Son Necklace / Personalized Daughter Necklace

Mommy Necklace-Girl /Mommy Necklace-Boy

I've been busy making these Mother's Day and new mom pieces for a few weeks now using hand stamped initials, birthdates and birthstones. Coming soon: an all sterling silver version of the Mommy Necklace.

Instagram for Android

2012-04-18T11:48:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited! I just found out about Instagram for Android. I had just replaced my broken iPhone for a sparkly new Android when Instagram became all the rage. The new Android version came out just a couple of weeks ago. I've been trying it out with some of the photos I've already taken. I'm soon going to become a phone picture taking machine! I have a feeling Instagram will become my life.

/\ Don't let him fool you. /\

http://followgram.me/vivarevival/

Gas masks and goggles

2012-04-18T09:46:00.000-05:00

This is what I did this weekend, /\
I enameled until I thought my brain might explode. Birds, hearts, dots. And it is why I haven't came up with any DIY's lately. I'm just itching for a new project though. And I haven't finished my bedroom end tables. I think I will be doing that next weekend.

But, you should see me with my special respirator mask on. And goggles. Super cute. Snicker. I do this right in the sunroom which has 7 windows. I'm just waiting for someone to see me and police show up at my door to try to bust my "meth" lab. And then they find out I'm just making jewelry.

I was held up at my work space for 3 days straight. I figure I'm probably making -$1 per hour. I hammered, stamped, wire wrapped and enameled. But, now I have about 12 pairs of earrings. Right now I have 2 pairs in my shop and that'll never do.

So, how much to bring to a craft show? What is the magic number? My goal right now is 2 of everything. I'm having trouble getting one of everything at the moment. But, I still have almost 2 months left. I need to just breathe.

Anyway, here's a sneak peek at what I've been working on. Yes, birds. I just can't help myself.

Viva Revival

Feeling Empowered

2012-04-16T10:51:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we feel we have to please everyone, especially us women. We want everyone to like us and want to be our friend (but of course still be jealous of our good fortune, silky hair and flawless skin). I'm extremely guilty of this. Especially at work. I want to have a peaceful, friendly work environment. But, not everyone does. And I've realized, you can try to be nice until your face turns blue, but sometimes it doesn't make a difference. For the first time in...well, I can't even remember when, I stood up for myself. I did it for me and I did it for a friend at work.

It's a hard task-working with all women. There are some special ladies that can bring us together and others that can tear us apart. Unfortunately, those special women don't work here anymore and our department is crumbling.

Today I'm feeling empowered because I stopped taking crap. There comes a time when you reach your breaking point. I was unprofessionally (and a bit middle school-y) accused of being a person I am not. And I stood up to her and I most likely made a new enemy. And I'm okay with that because I'm on top of the world. It feels great. I have the confidence I thought I'd lost. I didn't go shrivel up in a ball at my desk, which is my first instinct. After all, I hate to offend. But, why is it okay to let ourselves be offended? It's not and we should take a stand. We need to take a cue from men. We need to stand our ground and realize we're worth standing up for and then shake hands and all is well. Men can argue and share their opinion and go back to being friends again.

You should try it. So come on ladies, put someone in their place that deserves it. There's no greater feeling than standing up for yourself and defending your own honor. It's likely no one else will do it but you.

*Steps off soap box*

I'd love to hear from you guys on this topic. What gives you confidence?

When's the last time you stood up for yourself?

I bit the bullet and I think I may be sick...

2012-04-11T08:16:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it. I signed up for my first craft fair last night. Without being too graphic, I think I may be sick. Especially when I found out how much it cost to rent a tent.

So, I'll be at Custer's Last Stand in Evanston, IL on June 16-17, 2012. Hours are 10am-9pm. I'm gonna be tired! Well, we're going to be tired. You're not getting out of this, David.

I'm having a bit of a freakout moment. There's a little more than 2 months before and I feel like that's not quite enough time. I'll keep you posted on the displays I'm working on. For more information on the fair: Custer Fair