Whoot!

Sunday evening, after shlepping the last bin of stinky stuff to the car, lumbering home, and tottering up the stairs, I collapsed. I was completely done in. I had been holding up bravely to cross that final finish line and that was it. Face down in the pillow.

Monday was a day off to collect my sanity. And today is going to be a rather large day of digging out from under the tremendous pile of stuff here. Four shows of inventory were piled up in all corners and they need to be unpacked and re-grouped. Orders that have waited since the end of last week need to be shipped out lickety split. And little bitty tags need to be applied to another round of goods for the Allied Arts gallery in Bellingham. I'll be up there tomorrow morning to fill in any holes. So if you've stopped in there the last few days and I was out of your favorite item - not to worry. There is plenty more and it's on it way. If I can only find it here under the mountain of boxes.

I'm also trying to figure out if my method of always making my list too long, constantly biting off more than I can chew, etc. is helpful or really sinking me. It dawned on me the other night that this is really crazy making and I did it all to myself. If I made a short list, would I be blissfully happy because I was constantly accomplishing my goals and had time left over? Or would I just be accomplishing a whole lot less? If I made a truthful and realistic list, would I accomplish just as much, or more, and not be quite as harried? Is my reaching for more than is humanly possible motivating me to do more? Or just stressing me out?

It's just the season of madness, I guess. And nobody ever quite figures out how to do it all. In the end you do what you can do. Accept what you can't. Be happy with whatever happens. And just keep trudging along.

The Long View

I am really looking forward to next week. This last month of overwhelming work is sort of like getting caught up reading a gripping thriller novel. You find yourself so engrossed that by the time you turn the very last page, you suddenly realize that you've lost a whole day (or the sun is coming up), your muscles are so tense that everything is cramped and in pain, your eyes are twitching, and your knuckles are still white from holding the book for dear life.

I feel like I've been holed up, a hamster furiously racing on his wheel going nowhere. And I've been so focused on such small, bitty tasks that I've lost sight of the world outside, the big picture, the reality of it all. Once I get even the smallest of breathers from the relentless show schedule, I know I need to do a little perspective. Reflect back on what worked, what was a flop, what had value . . . and what didn't. There is a lot to sift through and it's a necessary step in making things better, more efficient, etc.

I might just need a few extra hours in bed staring at the ceiling and contemplating my sore toes. But that's not until next week. Today was a toughie. Barely keeping the balls in the air, dropping just one or two, but still going on with the show. And my excitement at the prospect of a stupendously prosperous weekend at Phinney Ridge is still alive and kicking -- even if my high kicks and rah, rah, rahs are less Rockette . . . a bit more Granny Pants. Just a few more hours of work left tonight. Must. pack. more. soap. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Buried under a snowdrift

Wild and wooly week! All this snowstorm and chaos certainly hasn't helped with my big week. The driving around to set up shows was no problem, but the customers haven't been quite as willing to brave the elements just to come out and shop.

So it's turned everything a bit topsy turvy from what we expected this week. The Allied Arts show in Bellingham has had the toughest time. I know they were unable to open up the shop early this week but things should be back to normal there after today. I won't need to make the trip up today to restock, but am planning on heading up early next week instead.

The Hilltop Holiday and Vasa Park shows had a tough opening, but are both open for business and eagerly anticipating a great weekend. The forecast is looking sunny and bright through Sunday, which is a nice surprise for both the Edmonds and Phinney Ridge shows. Edmonds starts tomorrow and we are putting it together today and early tomorrow morning. The big Phinney hoopla begins Saturday morning, and we've had lousy weather before but it hasn't stopped anyone -- so with a forecast of sun breaks and dry weather, this should be a super event this year.

This little unexpected snowball at my head means I have more time to catch up on mail orders today. And be even more ready for what comes next. I'm still hoping that all this record breaking will sort of spill over into record breaking sales too. One can dream.

Final Shows of the Year

And we have lift off!

This is the final week for shows. There are a total of 6 places where I'll be this week, which rounds up quite a year. Here's the rundown:

Hilltop Holiday

Hilltop Holiday Craft Show at
Northwest Arts Center
9825 NE 24th St.
Bellevue, WA (Clyde Hill area)

Dates: November 29 and 30, Dec 1 and 2
Times: Wed-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-5pm

4th & Madison Gift Show

We are taking over the lobby of the IDX building (4th & Madison) in downtown Seattle for a couple of days to showcase our handcrafted holiday gift items. It's a great way to get some of your holiday shopping done right downtown, especially if you are looking for unique, one of a kind things, handcrafted by local artisans.

Dates: November 28 - 29
Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 9am-4pm
Where: 925 Fourth Ave, at the corner of Madison

Vasa Park

Country Crafts at Vasa Park Ballroom
3549 W Lk Sammamish Pkwy
Bellevue, WA

Dates: November 29 - December 2
Hours: Wed 3pm-9pm, Thur-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm
Link: Country Craft

Christmas Flair

A craft boutique show in downtown Edmonds featuring a number of wonderful local artists.

Dates: December 1 and 2
Hours: Friday noon - 7pm, Saturday 10am - 5pm
Location: ArtWorks building at 2nd and Dayton, west of downtown Edmonds

Winter Festival at Phinney Ridge

Winter Festival and Crafts Fair at
Phinney Ridge Community Center
6532 Phinney Ave N, Seattle

Dates: Saturday and Sunday, Dec 2 and 3
Hours: 10am-5pm both days

There is a small admission fee ($4) which supports the Phinney Ridge
Community Center and its programs. Artists (115 booths) are present at their booths, and this is truly one of the highest quality shows with lots of holiday gift items.

Holiday Festival of the Arts

And I'll still be at Allied Arts' Holiday Festival for the rest of the month too in Bellingham. This is ongoing -- right up until Christmas Eve.

Hours: Nov 18 - Dec 24, 10am-7pm, 7 days a week
Location: The Whatcom Center (the old JC Penney building), 1310 Cornwall Ave, downtown Bellingham
Link: Allied Arts

Giving Thanks

It was a lovely meal. The turkey was so moist and juicy, the two stuffings both turned out great, yum the giant vat of gravy, and all the side dishes, desserts, wine etc. that everyone else brought were incredibly delicious too. And the clean up wasn't so bad either, with everyone pitching in to help with dishes and take little containers of leftovers. We've still got more than we can eat for the next few days, but that's the best part.

Black Friday. Bah. I've never been a big shopper and my gift list is fairly small. So waking up before the crack of dawn (or camping out overnight in a parking lot!) is so unappealing. I usually handcraft most of my holiday gifts or pick up items at all the sales I'm at. And while I'm nowhere near done, you could not drag me to the mall or department store on the day after Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately I spent the day working. And today I'm off to brave the threat of snow -- driving up to Bellingham this morning to restock and fluff up my display at the Allied Arts show. I'm trying to make this trip really quick before the roads get too busy. And be able to overhaul the whole table before the shop opens this morning. Then it's back to work again.

The weekend is almost over, which means the week I've been equally dreading and anticipating with huge excitement is almost here. The setting up begins tomorrow -- so ready or not, we're about to jump in. I want to post all the details to the shows, probably tomorrow when I can get a chance to type it all up and add links. This will be the last shows of the season, so if you're still hoping to catch me live (instead of mail/internet ordering) -- you'll need to put the finishing touches on your gift list and come to something this week. Cheerio!

You would not believe the piles

It's unbelievable how high the piles have become around here. And how narrow the little maze-like passage through them. It's getting harder and harder to navigate without stubbing a toe or dislodging a stack into an avalanche with a sashay of a hip while doing the little tippy-toe dance up and over the tallest, pokiest items.

I've got Thanksgiving at my house tomorrow. So exciting. I get to take a whole day off from even thinking about work, and do what I love best -- puttering around the kitchen and cooking a feast. Plus brunching with the parades in my jammies, cocktailing while wrestling with the (25 pound!) bird which is headed into a brine bathtub tonight. I've never brined the bird before. I'll let you know if all the extra work tastes any different than the usual Butterball. Two stuffings, yams, several kinds of veggies and salads, fresh cranberry sauce, buttermilk mashed potatoes, three different pies and a gooey butter pumpkin cake all piled with bourbon whipped cream. Yippee!

But today is still a work day, sigh. And I'm headed out with orders. Finishing off a few more things on the list. Making more sachets tonight and cleaning the house too. Duty calls.

Blowing Bubbles

Oh my GOSH! It's been days since I've had a spare second to post something here. My little blog was getting so lonely.

There is always a time in the calendar when I stop making soap. At least soap that I can sell this year. At some point I just have to draw the line, because soap takes 6-8 weeks to cure before it's officially ready for use. Well, that's how I like it to be. It can be used at 2 weeks. And in a pinch (like December) there is soap that is only 4 weeks cured. It's not bad, harmful, or dangerous in any way. It's just a little softer than I'd like it to be. I'd rather sell soap that's just a tad less hard than be sold out altogether and not have anything to sell for last minute shoppers and stocking stuffers. I figure that the soap isn't probably going to be dragged into the shower that same day anyway, but rather sit around in a box or closet or what have you for a bit of time before it's used.

Traditionally the cut off time for me is Thanksgiving. And if I'm truly efficient, I get started on a few batches late in December for the new spring soaps. There have been years where I've just given up until after New Year's. But this was the week when I threw up my hands and said whatever is here is here and I'll just have to go with it. I need to spend more time packaging and less time stirring the pot just in case I run out of something. So there it is. I've trundled the pots and bins and spoons and thermometers away to make space for the piles and piles of inventory being divvied up for shows next week.

And this week is all about making the stuff that doesn't cure or need waiting time -- sprays today, lip balm tomorrow, sachets and salve and foot balm over the weekend. At least that's the plan. I have to admit I'm pretty pooped and still quaking in my boots about how I'm going to pull off all the shows next week. But I'm not backing out. There will not be everything at every show. I've got to spread some things around. Solid perfumes at a couple. Vintage hankies vs dragonfly lavender sachets. Gift sets of various sizes and shapes.

Last night in the unbelievable deluge of rain that opened up just as I was headed to the post office with armloads of orders, I grabbed the incoming mail out of the box with my only free hand and the pole cracked, tipped over and the entire thing took a header down the front steps and landed in a mangled mess on the sidewalk below. I have no idea what to do about it now. I can't really re-set the post in concrete -- it's rotted through. Sheesh. Just what I needed this week. I'm hoping the mailman will take pity on me and still pry the damaged thing open to deposit all the new orders, bills and mountains of catalogs until I can figure out what can be done.

And by the way, again for those of you lovely readers not living in this soggy dark hole -- we had thunder, lightening and a barrage of hail this afternoon. Dark as night at 2pm. There is no way we are not breaking the record for most rain to ever fall on us in a single month this November. Such a fun and pleasant place, eh?

Has anyone called Noah?

To see how he's doing with that ark?

It's official, we've had the wettest November on record here in Seattle -- 11-1/2 inches already. And it's only the middle of the month. It's the 6th wettest month ever recorded, but If we stay on track here, we could certainly beat that. For those lovely readers not living in this swamp, yesterday and today have both been dry with little guest appearances by some bright yellow ball in the sky. It's been so long, but I think we used to call it the sun.

Opening night at Lord Hill was pretty white-knuckled I hear. So much wind and branches banging around that they were scrounging flashlights out of everyone's car in case the power suddenly died and they had to escort out the troops. But luckily it didn't happen. Almost everyone I talked with in Bellingham yesterday morning had lost their power and were still in the dark. We were all setting up the Allied Arts show (which looks great!) and they were wondering what to do next. I would have headed straight to a long breakfast. But instead I needed to race back here to finish up orders and get to Snohomish by mid afternoon. As harrowing as the day was on high speed, it all got finished, everything accomplished, and best of all -- it's over.

This is head down, eyes closed, dive in first and just get through it season. Barrel through to the other side and don't look back. A couple more weeks to go, but it's gearing up to a big finish.

I really love those cinnamon chip scones at Starbucks. Unfortunately, I'm boycotting Howard Schulz. I know he doesn't know it and it really doesn't matter one whit if I skip a couple of scones in his ginourmous global business of domination and greed. But it matters to me. So I was thrilled to see them at QFC. Schwarz Brothers Bakery makes all the Starbucks baked goods, and they've begun supplying the grocery stores with them now too. The iced pumpkin ones are quite nice also. Especially with a little splash of eggnog in your coffee to start the day. It's the little things.

The spread

Today's rain was so miserable. The entire day never got lighter than late evening. The wind pelted the rain straight into your face and ears while you dashed from the car to the door. And the puddles are really building up around here. More like Lake Michigan in some intersections. Yuck.

So I was fretting all day long about how there's never enough daylight, never enough time in the day, not enough soap, not enough lip balm, not enough not enough. And it's all because I've spread myself too thin. Again. What would it feel like to actually spread myself a bit thicker? Do only one show each week, maybe two, and really get to do it the way I would like to do it, instead of slap dash, mad dash, barely squeeking it in.

Deadlines and last minute scrambles usually produce some of my best brainstorms. Unfortunately, I can never take action on those genius ideas because I'm so busy frantically finishing what I've already got on my plate. And later on, it either doesn't matter any more, or things have moved on and it's meaningless, or I've forgotten all about it. It's a catch-22.

Gotta run, time is running out again this evening and I've still got a few hours left of tasks. Hoping to run out the door early tomorrow morning and head up to Bellingham to set up there. Zip back, pick up the missing caps and tins that somehow didn't make it into my order this morning at the bottle factory (forehead smack) and then rush back up to Snohomish for my work shift at the farm. Quick wave.

A sunny window

Really, is there anything more happy to wake up to in the morning? I'm dashing up to Snohomish this morning to set up Lord Hill. It's a mad rush of getting the rest of the stuff ready to set up Allied Arts in Bellingham on Thursday morning plus PLU which sets up Friday. There is no time to waste just watching the kittens mesmerized by their reflection in the windows, their wonder at the new world just outside, or napping lazily in the warm glow of a sunbeam on the pillow. Oh, to have the life of a kitten.

More Shows This Week

I'm setting up for a few more shows this week. Even though it seems like Christmas is a million miles away still -- I mean Geez! we haven't even started the Thanksgiving menu yet -- my show season doesn't last a whole lot longer. With the exception of Allied Arts (which runs up until Christmas Eve in Bellingham) I only have one more week of shows after this one. But it's a biggie -- 5 shows at once that last week of Nov/first weekend in Dec. Next week there are no shows, so I can prepare for the following week, and so I can spend a little time having turkey with my friends and family.

Of course, there is always mail order and the web site. But if you're looking to sniff out the full selection, you'll need to get your lists organized and plan ahead.

Lord Hill Farm

Lord Hill Farm is in Snohomish, a huge barn used for special events and weddings which we take over for a few days and make into a jam-packed display of crafts, folk art and antiques, all dolled up in a holiday theme. Details for the show, if you want to stop by:

Country Crafts Home & Gift Show at Lord Hill Farm
12525 Old Snohomish-Monroe Rd
Snohomish, WA

Dates: November 15 - 18
Hours: Wed 3-8pm, Thurs-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm.
Link to the show web site: Country Crafts

Allied Arts Holiday Festival

Allied Arts of Whatcom County features its 27th annual "Holiday Festival of the Arts." Featuring a wonderful selection of local artists and their work, it's the perfect place to find one-of-a-kind, handcrafted gifts for the holidays. This year is bursting with fabulous new ideas and promises to be the best ever. New this year is a vintage look harkening back to the holidays of the 40's, an on-site performance by the Radio Museum's Midnight Mystery Players, and lots of great events in combination with the Depot Market and other downtown businesses. There is also a "Meet the Artists" party on December 1st, Downtown Gallery Walk Night, with music, food and door prizes. We have a new location this year -- the Whatcom Center (the old JC Penney building) at 1310 Cornwall Ave, just a block away from Allied Arts' offices and gallery shop, in the heart of downtown Bellingham. With such a large space available, we're hoping to have more artists and bigger displays than ever before, and hoping to organize an Artists in Action area as well. Other plans in the works -- live music, entertainment, prizes, wagon rides and Santa himself will be there for pictures and gift list sharing! This is a must-see show, and with shop-like hours through most of November and December, there is no excuse to miss it this year.

Opening Night: Friday, Nov 17, 6-9pm
Regular Hours: Nov 18 - Dec 24, 10am-7pm, 7 days a week
Location: The Whatcom Center (the old JC Penney building), 1310 Cornwall Ave, downtown Bellingham
Link: Allied Arts

PLU Yule Boutique

Pacific Lutheran University Women's Club - Yule Boutique
Olson Auditorium on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA

Date: Saturday only, Nov 18
Hours: 9am-5pm
Booth Location: Same location every year, smack dab in the middle of the gymnasium

This is a large one-day-only craft show, with exhibitors in several rooms. Artists are present in their own booth displays and there are lots of gift items for the holidays.

Keeping my fingers crossed that we all survive this next round of high winds and rain storm today with minimal disaster . . . stay safe out there!

Check!

Tossed the rotting pumpkins? Check! Raked the soggy leaves? Check! Packed up all the Halloween decor? Check! Made the soap, packed up the orders, labelled the sprays, stuffed the sachets, worked on so many little tasks -- it was a hugely productive day after all. Oh, the daylight and few sweet hours of sunshine was so nice yesterday, wasn't it dearies? I'm attributing all my success to the rays of sun shining on my head and into my little abode.

I keep thinking that maybe I really need to live in a sunnier climate. But frankly, I'm not really a whole lot merrier or more productive during our long, glorious, sunny summer months (sshhh, don't tell anyone that Seattle has nice weather). It's just the prolonged grey of winter that begins to drag, and a burst of sun puts me right back on track.

So since we're back to the incessantly dripping skies again today, I was doing a little searching for a pair of rain boots. Why does Japan have all the cutest ones?

Shades of Grey

I'm trying to plan out my day and I just realized that I'm bored with it all. It's more of the same -- show after show, order after order, work, work, work. Maybe all this depressing rain has me down. I really need sunlight again. Yesterday's peek-a-boo wasn't enough.

Anybody else still have rotting pumpkins on their steps and Halloween decorations still sitting around? I'd really like to rake leaves at some point too. Or maybe push the vaccuum cleaner around through this dust bunny farm. I just got the kitchen floor washed and 10 minutes later spilled a full can of soda onto it. So there's that too. The kittens have some kind of parasite which has resulted in a diahrea frenzy. I think finally today the medication is working. And I have a spot on my head where my hair hurts. Literally. I have no idea why, nothing happened, there is no injury or bump. It's just the clump of hair. And it hurts.

But it's not all bad. Two of my favorite gals have called this week to order their annual giant pile of soaps for everyone at work -- 50 bars, 60 bars. I am so honored that they have chosen my soap as THE holiday gift for all the folks they work with. And each year that it happens, I'm even more grateful. Plus, there's still Halloween candy in the bowl.

Vote!

Brave the rain and head out to vote today!

Monsoon Week's Shows

Could the weather get any wetter? There are two shows this week during the monsoon, one of them is just this afternoon and tomorrow, so it goes quick.

Meridian Valley Artisans Festival

Dates: Monday and Tuesday, Nov 6 and 7
Hours: Mon 4-9pm (invites only), Tue 9am-8pm (open to public)
Location: Meridian Valley Country Club, 24830 - 136th Ave SE, Kent

This show is a benefit for Children's Hospital. The gals who organize this show collect a commission on the artist's sales, which go directly to CHMC, which is nice for everyone. We get to contribute our commissions to a lovely cause (and get a tax deduction), the Kent Guild gets to raise some much needed funds for the uncompensated care programs, and you -- the customer -- can shop tax-free since it's a non-profit organization. Bonus all around. They are in the midst of a major construction project over there, but it shouldn't affect our building or the parking, and next year will be a fabulous new spot to set up shop.

Starving Housewives

Dates: Tuesday through Saturday, Nov 7 - 11
Hours: Tues - Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am - 3pm (note the early close)
Location: Echo Falls Country Club , 20414 121st Ave SE * Snohomish (Just off of Hwy 522 E onto Echo Lk Rd)
Link: Starving Housewives

This is another one of Cameron and Cindy's schedule of shows at Echo Falls Country Club. We have one in the spring here, a couple at Maltby Community Club and the one last month in Bothell. This particular show is sort of the queen of them all. It's the most chock full, the biggest attendance, the best vendors, and there will be busloads of visitors who stop in during the week, from all kinds of groups from senior centers to red hat ladies. So it's busy and festive and the perfect way to start off the holiday shopping.

Sunday Hangover

Ok, so yesterday was the marathon of three shows at once. I was working my little booth at Eastlake High all day since before the crack of dawn. And when the day was over, I ran out to the car and thought, "gee, it's really raining out here." And after about a dozen trips to the car, soaked to the skin, I drive over to Pickering Barn to tear down that show.

About 20 loads to the car later I'm thinking "Oh my GOD, I've never been so wet in my entire life." Mostly because I had so much stuff that I couldn't fit it all in the car and was doing the jigsaw puzzle thing, stacking the car within an inch of its life, and all the while the skies were dumping bucketloads of water down my head. So I creep out of the lot, the final bins stuffed so high under my armpit in the front seat that I can hardly steer, and maneuver across I-90 with blowing torrents of rain, and I'm thinking, "Holy HELL, I've seen so much rain in. my. entire. life."

Which brings me home. And having to unload that unbearably huge load of soggy mess from my car in the midst of the biggest typhoon I've ever experienced. Which has me howling "Holy SHIT! I've never been so freaking wet in my ENTIRE LIFE!!!! And mainly that I've never been so damned miserable in my entire life. And then change clothes right down to my panties and head back up to Woodinville to tear down the last show at the Hollywood Schoolhouse.

By then the rain had tapered off, and by the time I packed it out to the car, the skies were clearing up and a gigantic full moon was taunting me. All three shows were down in sales. Big surprise. Attendance was down at all of them. Because who in their right mind would go out in that mess to shop for crafty crap? I wanted to just quit the whole damn thing and spend my entire savings on lottery tickets.

But today's another day. I set up both of next week's shows tomorrow morning, so today is the big inventory and re-pack of everything. And a little bit of time playing with the kittens, who have had a steady stream of visitors to wiggle the string for them, toss the shmousie and watch them race and wrestle.

Oy

Totally pooped. Self-medicated with mashed potatoes last night. My furnace quit on me. I just handed over a whole paycheck for a new valve part-a-ma-jiggy. My printer is only working about every third try and no amount of sweet talk or kicking it seems to help. Nor does the screaming to any deities that may be lurking.

I did get the first batch of orders out. I must have answered the phone at least 30 times yesterday. And only a few of them were robots with political messages (Hi Robert Redford!) and one telemarketer who wants me to invest in the stock market or something. Ha. With what. Dust bunnies? I have lots of those.

When I'm really tired I inevitably throw myself a pity party and whine a lot. Today might include a pan of lasagna. Because Saturday will be a marathon of epic proportions. Send toothpicks for my eyelids for Sunday.

P.S. That picture of mashed potatoes is not mine. I'm too numb to even think of throwing cheese all over the top of them. But that's brilliant.

Adding Two Shows

I must be crazy. I've added two new shows to the calendar - just doing my part to bring the goods to the peeps.

Downtown Seattle Holiday Gift Boutique

We are taking over the lobby of the 4th & Madison building in downtown Seattle for a couple of days to showcase our handcrafted holiday gift items. It's a great way to get some of your holiday shopping done right downtown, especially if you are looking for unique, one of a kind things, handcrafted by local artisans.

Dates: November 28 and 29
Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 9am-4pm
Where: 925 Fourth Ave, at the corner of Madison (formerly IDX building)

Christmas Flair Craft Boutique

A craft boutique show in downtown Edmonds, organized by some of the board members of the Edmonds Arts Festival, and featuring a number of wonderful local artists.

Dates: December 1 and 2
Hours: Friday noon - 7pm, Saturday 10am - 5pm
Location: ArtWorks at 2nd and Dayton, west of downtown Edmonds

Winter Holiday Newsletter

For those folks that are not on my mailing list, or haven't happened to stop by the web site this week, the following is the text (with links!) of the new Winter Holiday newsletter that arrived in mailboxes across the country this week:

Winter. It’s almost impossible to imagine this season without the magic of holidays sprinkled throughout the next two months. Just the very word sparks memories near and far of treats and sweets, baubles and bells, packages and feasts, but mostly the time spent celebrating and catching up with family and friends. Fond memories of cozy times indoors with fireplaces crackling, candlelight glowing, and kitchens spilling their delicious aromas. Exhilarating days spent outdoors, bundled for the cold among the snowflakes on the slopes and glistening mountain peaks, stark black silhouettes of trees outlined in the dusk sky. Winter is such a delightful combination of quiet comforts and raucous pleasures, but mostly it’s time spent together with the people you love most.

The holidays are just around the corner, and with all the extra activity in your schedule, simplify your life by having Soapworks Studio help with the gift giving. This year make it easy on yourself and shop from home. We can ship the order to you, or directly to your family and friends with an enclosed holiday card, saving you time, money and worry. We have a Santa’s Sack full of great ideas for special presents, stocking stuffers, teacher and co-worker gifts, or a special treat for a party hostess.

Holiday Seasonal Soaps

The upcoming holidays have sparked a bunch of new wintry wonderful soap scents for a little fun in the shower, or a special gift for someone (or everyone) on your list. ($4.00 each or 4 bars for $15.00)

Spiced Hot Cocoa – Three words: chocolate, cinnamon, orange. Ok, four – DIVINE. A mug of rich, creamy hot cocoa, stirred up with a cinnamon stick and a garnished with a curly orange peel. This chocolate colored bar is a heavenly treat.

Winter Forest – A bar colored a soft shade of olive green is filled with the scents of crisp pine needles, warm woods, freshly fallen snow, plus a squeeze of citrus and spice. It’s reminiscent of a magical walk in the silent hush of a Northwest forest.

Sugarplum Fairy – This iced pink bar is a delicate ballet of frosty snowflakes blended with sweet plums, ripe berries, a drop of vanilla and a tiny shake of spice.

Holiday Fruitcake – A delicious almond scented cake studded with jeweled fruits and a touch of rum. This cream colored bar is lusciously fruity and delectable, an extraordinary holiday treat.

There are two more scents I have resurrected from past years due to specific requests or custom orders, so I’ll mention them too. If these were your favorites from the last few seasons, don’t delay: Three Kings (rich, earthy frankincense & myrrh plus a bit of soft amber), and Santa’s Pipe (a festive honey orange tobacco scent).

Are any of those fabulous Autumn Seasonal soaps left you ask? Why, yes! All of them. Pumpkin Spice, Pear and Moroccan Fig are still available.

Winter Holiday Home Fragrance Sprays

Add a little festive spirit to your home with one of our winter holiday home fragrance sprays. Mist your house and holiday decorations just before guests arrive, or spritz your gift boxes, cards and stockings -- your family and friends will receive a whoosh of holiday scent when they open their presents!

Holiday Spice - this is our most requested seasonal spray, every year since the very beginning --oranges, cranberries, spices and greens all blended together for the perfect scent of magic and delight.

Spruce Garland - Evergreen sprays and yuletide garlands, this fragrance is pure, fresh, spruce greens. Crisp air In the forest, just-cut branches, and freshly fallen snow. Psst, hoodwink your friends into thinking it’s a “real” tree.

Holiday Cheer Bath Confetti

Super fun new bath treat -- these are dots of pink, green and red that look just like party confetti, but when dropped into warm bath water, dissolve into colorful bubble bath. Packaged in our delightful little plastic test tubes with the aluminum screw top, they are fabulous stocking stuffers, small gifts or little tuck-in treasures. ($4.00 each)

Spiced Hot Cocoa Milk Bath

Darling little plastic tubes of spiced cocoa scented milk bath powder. Never heard of a milk bath? The radiant Cleopatra herself soaked in tub-fuls of milk for that luscious glow. Science now confirms the wonders of milk for the skin: the lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid, which dissolves dead skin, exfoliating from head to toe for that rosy glow. Milk also soothes skin, cleansing down to the deepest layers, calming irritations, and moisturizing to boot. But who cares? It just smells heavenly. Who doesn’t want to lounge in a big vat of chocolate and spice for a well-deserved treat? (Single serving $3.00 each)

Festive Lip Balm

I’ve added a bunch of new lip balm flavors for stocking stuffers, little package adornments, or tiny presents – Eggnog, Rum Raisin, and Chocolate Mint. You gals know that you can never have too much lip balm. And it’s calorie free! Skip that plate of goodies in the office break room, you’re content with just your yummy lip balm. ($2.00 each)

Holiday Sachets

Again this year, I have those fantastically popular little holiday sachets. Small muslin bags, with a green and red holly berry sprig design embroidered on the front, they are filled with rosehip berries scented with our Holiday Spice fragrance. Perfect for little stocking stuffers, tying onto your presents for decoration, or tucking into gift boxes for an extra whiff of fun. As pretty as can be, and anchored with scent-holding grains, they will last for quite a long time, lending a decidedly jolly air to your household. Stuff one in every stocking! ($3.00 each)

Gifts Galore

Attention Holiday Shoppers! It’s the gift-giving season, and fun bath stuff is the perfect gift for everyone on your list. With that in mind, I gussied up an elfin mountain of new gift packages:

* Elegant organza bags with gold filigree stripes to hold a single bar ($7.00).
F Gorgeous metallic organdy bags with beads and tassels to hold 3 soap bars of your choice ($15.00),
* Gorgeous metallic organdy bags with beads and tassels to hold a single bar of soap plus the clever wooden soap dish and a charming hand crocheted cotton wash cloth ($16.00)
* The Terrific Tootsies foot pampering set, in a sweet little raffia tote bag, contains lovely lavender/peppermint foot soaking dead sea salts, a tin of foot balm, and the fabulous foot brush/pumice tool ($15.00).
* And finally, a raffia tote sack stuffed with a bar of soap and the cotton boucle soap sack, the perfect mini set for all occasions ($10.00).

Internet & Mail Ordering

Holiday shopping online or by mail saves you time, expense, and the headache of traffic jams and crowded malls. We usually ship within two business days, and can send your items directly to family and friends with gift enclosure cards too. Send in the enclosed order form, call during business hours, or for late night or 4 am brainstorms, order from our web site at SoapworksStudio.com. Spend more time celebrating and less time fretting. Let SOAPWORKS STUDIO be your answer for holiday gifts! One final note, my office will be closed from December 24 until the last holiday party is over on January 2.

Wishing you a season of peace and a new year of hope

Kittens

Here they are!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

I'm off to set up the Hollywood Schoolhouse show this morning. And it's so hard -- I got kittens yesterday!!!! Two of the most adorable little grey tabbies with long fluffy hair and the sweetest little faces you've ever seen. It's hard to tear myself away from the string, the shmousie, the Indie 500 track around the house. I want to post pictures here, but Blogger is acting up now. As soon as I can add them I'll edit here later today.

Rawr!

Three Shows This Week

It's the start of the Holiday show season and the first couple of weeks of November is about as busy as it gets. The first week of December runs a close second. But I'm at three different shows this week, all on the Eastside. Here are the details:


Red Ribbons and Reindeer Holiday Boutique
at The Hollywood Schoolhouse
14810 NE 145th St, Woodinville
Dates:Nov 1-4
Hours: Wed 4-9pm, Thur-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm

Pickering Barn Christmas Crafts
at Pickering Barn (the big red barn where the Farmer's Market is)
at Pickering Place, behind Costco, Issaquah
Dates: Thursday through Saturday, November 2-4
Hours: Thurs-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm

Eastlake High School PTSA Holiday Bazaar
Eastlake High School (in the cafeteria)
400 - 228th Ave NE, Sammamish
Date: Saturday, Nov 4, 2006
Time: 9am-3:30pm

Just a note, this whole week coincides with the mailing of the Winter Holiday newsletter which showcases all the new products. Most of them I will have at these shows, but not the new soap fragrances this week. Since the first two begin almost before people even receive the letter, I'm using these shows to finish up the Autumn Seasonal scents. I have a bit of the Pumpkin Spice, Pear, Moroccan Fig and Cinnamon Stick soaps left and want to sell them before the whole holiday hoopla begins in earnest as we get further into November. So for inventory control purposes, I need to make sure I have enough of the winter scents in December and not be left with only Autumn Leaves scented soap for last minute Christmas gift shopping. So I'll have them at shows next week and so on, plus bringing a good selection of whatever is on hand until they are gone.

And mail orders in the next two weeks may take an extra day or two beyond the 1-2 day turnaround I usually have. The moment the letter hits the mailbox the orders rush in at once. Which is great and fabulous! But I take them one at a time as they arrive and with the running around to shows in between time, have just a little less time to work through the stack. It should only be a day or so. If there is any real delay, I give people a shout. But I'm not expecting any of that.

So I'm off to the races, so to speak.

It's always something

Got the mailing back from the printer on Friday, a day later than usual, and after much confusion and panic when someone on the other end of the line told me it was not ready yet, but next on the schedule. Anyway, sigh of relief, it really was done. Started stuffing last night during a mini scare-a-thon of Halloween movies, only to find that I had been shorted a bunch of the letter part. So yeah. I think it's still all going to work out on either Monday or Tuesday to be mailed out. There will be a little flurry tomorrow.

It's always one step forward, two steps back, another three forward . . . mostly I just feel like I'm hopping in place. Like doing the hokey pokey. The last two days have been a lot of very frustrating backward, with a just a little bit forward. But at least there's the extra hour today. Don't forget to set the clocks back. This is the only day in the year that we get the little gift of extra time.

And lastly, these pics have been making the internet rounds - some people are so clever with their pumpkins!

Things that go bump

I'm fascinated by ghost stories and love to read other people's true experiences. I know a few web sites that have archives of stories people have shared, and occasionally I'll hang out in the evening and read a few. Shivering in front of my little screen, hair standing up on the back of my neck, and goose flesh on my arms, I end up scaring myself half to death. But it's fun! And the perfect weekend to indulge yourself with scary happenings, so I'll share some of my favorites.

Obiwan has tons of stories, broken out by categories, like classic hauntings, animal spirits, poltergeists.

Castle of Spirits has new stories each month, one of the largest libraries of true stories on the internet.

American Folklore has creepy stories for Halloween -- ghost stories, campire tales, goblins and creatures. Plus they've got podcasts, so you can listen to them too, which might be fun for the kids.

About.com has a library of scary ghost stories that readers swear are true and really happened to them.

Interested in specific places? There are a few sites which feature local hauntings. Moonlit Road highlights the American South. New Orleans Tours has over 500 creepy tales. Kentucky and West Virginia have their own ghosts. And if you're in the mood for creepy castles and haunted inns of Britian, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, Ghost Stories UK is your place

And finally, Angels Online has all angel stories. Personal encounters with guardian angels, which isn't quite so scary, in case you need a few stories about hope and inspiration before you go to bed tonight.

Happy Haunting!

Just a Peek

So as I mentioned yesterday (no I did not write that drunk) -- today is Lip Balm Day. Insert toot of horn. I'm making up a stock pile of the lip balms for the next month or thereabouts.

Since you haven't seen the newsletter yet, this is a sneak peek into something new. I've added a couple of new flavors, and one old flavor, to the Winter Holiday menu. The new ones are Rum Raisin and Eggnog. The old one, which I haven't had all year but did offer it last winter, is Chocolate Mint. I'm keeping the Pumpkin Pie for awhile too, what the hey. Pumpkin Pie season has barely gotten started. You can't have November and Thanksgiving without the pie! Lots of folks go right on through til Christmas with that pie. So I've made more and will still have it available for now.

And since there's probably just a handful of folks checking in here in the next few days, you got to hear it here first. And since I'm feeling so generous, I'm putting it up on the web site right now. Booyah! If you can't wait another second to lick your lips with Egg Nog or Rum Raisin flavor, they are yours for the asking.

Charmed I'm Sure

Hello fellow pumpkin heads. I love Halloween, but not quite as much as my friend J. who loves this holiday more than Christmas, New Year's and his Birthday combined. He's had his house full of decorations for a month now. I've only had the time to spread out a little bit of cheer, and a little haphazardly too. Never got around to the outside. A few pumpkins waiting for carving on the steps, but that will have to happen over the weekend. In the meantime, I've contented myself with a plate of pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting.

This week has been so full already -- so much work on the web site, which will be completely re-vamped on Monday to mirror the newsletter which will be going out. The printer is a little bit delayed, but I'm still hoping to have a stuff-a-thon over the weekend and get it out in the mail on Monday. We'll see if they come through for me - it usually hinges on machine breakdowns because they are in the middle of some ginormous job that just keeps getting bigger and my little piddly job comes after that.

Plus I've been doing little photo shoots of all the new stuff. Packaging, packaging, packaging. Lip balm day tomorrow. Each day is a competition to see how much I can stuff into the hours I'm upright. Well, now that I'm rambling . . . I got a crock-pot for my birthday a bit ago and since I've never had one before, I've been trying out new recipes in it to see what's good.

It made a nice chicken chile verde, excellent beef stew and stroganoff. I'll say that the pork roast I did Tuesday was a little dry. It fell apart into a pulled pork mess which didn't have enough sauce for that kind of thing. It didn't taste bad, but wasn't at all what I was going for. I would rather have had an actual pork roast you could slice. I've heard it does excellent roasted nuts, so I'm going to try that too this week. But if anybody out there has a to-die-for recipe for a crock-pot, please send it over. The other drawback to these things, is that they cook all day long (yes, I know that's the point) but while I'm home working, and not away at some office cubicle thing working, the cooking smell for hours on end is making me so hungry.

And I don't understand a lot of the recipes I've seen online. My impression was that it was a convenience for long, slow cooked or braised things that you didn't have time to cook when you got home. What's the point of cooking things like bread pudding and rice pudding in it? Those don't take more than a half hour on the stove or in the oven. Why do that in the crock-pot and waste electricity for a whole 8 hours or so? I guess it's just because people can. Like the tv grill guy who grills every single item on his huge super duper grill - including baking brownies. I'd rather just use the appliance that does the best job.

Also if anyone has a great recommendation for a space heater? Send that along too. I have a tiny little box with a fan that should just warm my cold feet in this chilly basement office. Instead it cooks my ankles to a crisp, even on low, and if you set it halfway across the room it does basically nothing. It seems to only heat a tiny little space right it front of it, but roasty hot -- like my ankles burn while the tips of the toes still freeze. Or the toes are warm and the heels are out of range. Dumb.

Almost as dumb as this whole random stupid blog posting with no news. My excuse? The goblins have gotten me.

Caution

I bought some groovy new dishwashing soap today -- all biodegradable, eco-friendly, lavender and tea tree essential oils. Ooh la la, right? But I cracked it open and was starting in on some sudsing and found myself staring at the label.

"Caution: may be a mild eye irritant."

Erm, yes? Has anyone tried squirting dish soap into one's eye and found that it irritated just a little bit? I don't know about you, but I find that almost any kind of soap suds directly into the eye smarts. Anyway, if I was deciding to wash my eyes out (well if they were dirty or something) I don't think I would reach for the dish detergent.

But has it really come to this? Caution: do not insert into mouth, may leave a foul taste.

Scaring myself

I got out of the house for a bit yesterday. Abandoned all my work projects and enjoyed the sunshine for a a couple of hours. Such a perfect, beautiful fall day. And I began to wonder why I was even thinking I should be working anyway. I guess it's just habit. I'm so used to auto-pilot thinking that I need to fill whatever time I have with getting ready for the next thing, I forget that I can just do nothing, or do something for myself once in a while. What a revelation.

I was sort of thinking back to what it was like before I started working for myself, and realized that almost all the "real" jobs I've had required more work than the usual 8 hour day too. And quite a bit of the time, I was working TWO jobs. Maybe I just don't know any better. Or maybe I really like working more than anything else. I don't know. I haven't ever realized this before now. Duh. I'll have to think it through a bit more. Was I doing it at first because I had to, and it became a habit that just stuck? Or am I always working because that's just my nature and what I get the most satisfaction from? Or is it deeper than that, and I work all hours to fill up a void, or avoid something else? Eeep, scary.

But today being Monday, it's back to being productive. If anyone had telephone trouble trying to reach me the last few days, I finally have my phone line back. It was a broken wire on one of the lines, and I still had the bedroom phone but I'm pretty sure I missed a few calls during all the hubbub.

Staring Blankly at the Screen

Twirling my hair. Shifting in my chair. Tapping a few words on the keys and then delete delete delete. The words won't flow. I need just a few more paragraphs for the newsletter. Or a little blog posting. Probably both.

I scheduled a pretty ambitious day for myself. Lots of things I want to get accomplished. And I have a list longer than the hours in the day, but that's because I knew I wouldn't actually want to do some of those things. I sort of have to be in the mood for a few of the tasks, or in the flow. And if it ain't there, it ain't happening. Like the writing. So I move on to the next one. When that item is done, I'll either try again or go even farther down the list. Sometimes the momentum of getting other smaller chores out of the way will inspire action on the bigger ones. Sometimes it just doesn't happen at all that day.

I don't know if that is very efficient or not. But just sitting here staring at the screen again for the last hour, distracting myself with internet treasure hunting is not helping me get any other items off the list. So I'm giving up here. It will come later. Eventually. And when the spark is lit the fire glows like magic. I guess I'll wait for the magic and busy myself with something else for a little while.

Umbrella Weather

The gray and rain has finally settled in. It's kind of comforting to look out the droplet splattered windows and see the grass and garden just drinking it all in. The dust of summer all rinsed away, it feels moist, fresh and plump again. What I do miss is the daylight. It's dark in the morning until my day is well under way. And then it pretty much stays dark and cloudy through the afternoon, until it gets dark again in the early evening. Dark, dark, dark. Flipping the light switches in every room no matter what time it is. Sort of cave-like around here.

The Vasa Park show opened last night with quite a flurry of activity. Char is there painting eggs. Francesca is there with her lovely hand-decorated glass ornaments. A bevy of food giftie things. Wreaths and arrangements. Little mounds of pumpkins and witchie poos. Rebecca has her incredible hand-stitched baby blankies and wash cloths, plus new tooth fairy pouches. Hopefully the parking lot will stay packed for the next few days, and all the hard work of these gals will be carted off to a new home.

I'm working ahead all week on stockpiling what I think I'll need for the next few weeks. All the little pieces too, like price tags, shipping supplies, labels. Getting all my orders in for packaging supplies so they'll arrive in time for the mad rush. And putting the finishing touches on the mailing so it can be trotted over to the printer in the next few days. So many details to hold onto at once in my little old swimming head. Ooof. I think I've got it all under control and have written list after list so I don't forget anything. But I'm sure there will be something to panic about later.

Diane Sawyer is in North Korea all week. The only American journalist allowed in the country. She's been doing little reports on Good Morning America every morning, split into about 2-3 segments between 7-8am. It's fascinating. She's done interviews with military and government representatives, but mostly she's talking to the everyday people -- kids in schools, visiting homes and showing us what they have in their fridge and bedrooms, chatting with people on their way to work and university about how they feel, stopping in the beauty parlor and showing them Elle Magazine. It's so alien, so foreign - the brain washing and isolation of an entire nation would be unbelievable if I hadn't actually seen it myself through her eyes.

Random brain emptying after only half a cup of coffee. That's that. Shrug. A little peek inside my stew -- dark vs light, whether lavender oil causes young men to grow breasts (NY Times article 10/16), craft shows becoming dinosaurs, brainwashing, bling, reinvention, nuclear disaster, Jeffrey winning Project Runway (total ugh), competition healthy or no, taxes are due again, can man survive on cheese chocolate and wine alone . . .

Vasa Park Week

Yep, this is the week that we have our splendid autumn and harvest themed show at Vasa Park Ballroom on the shores of Lake Sammamish in Bellevue. It's a boutique style show, which means there is a central cashier and artists are not "working" their own booths.

Come during the week while it's raining so you can enjoy the pretty sunny Saturday weather doing something outside. Well, that's what I would do anyway. Lots of gift stuff and decorative home stuff for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Autumn occasions, plus little bits of Christmas stuff too, although the November and December shows are more geared towards actual Santa Claus and Rudolph styles. But it's chock full of great ideas to get you started on the holidays

Country Crafts Home and Gift Show
Vasa Park Ballroom
3549 W Lk Sammamish Pkwy
Bellevue, WA

Dates: October 18 - 21
Hours: Wed 3pm-9pm, Thur-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm

Link: Country Craft

I've made up some special gift bags for this particular show --

little foot treat sets in green raffia sacks,
and handmade brown paper bags stuffed with the popular pumpkin spice soap and one of the clever little wooden soap dishes,
there is more of the citrus splash bath confetti,
and little black "beauty" sacks decorated with pumpkin gift cards and filled with the confetti and luscious bath salts

-- all items that haven't been made in large enough quantities to appear on the web site. Just little special somethings at this particular show.

Topsy Turvy Day

Today is upside down and one giant mess. I'm packaging, packing and gathering the Vasa Park show items (for set-up tomorrow, more on that later) - in one big pile. Or maybe several piles. I've (finally!) gotten out all the fall and Halloween decorations for the house, and that is strewn about in little piles in several rooms, because I started it and then got distracted and then distracted again.

I've gotten phone calls and emails this morning about adding two new shows to the holiday schedule, which I'm going to try to swing but just don't know where I stand at this moment. Well, I know I am standing in a mess of piles. But I'm not sure where I am in the holiday hoopla. I'm just worried about having enough inventory of everything to cover all the bases I've already committed to. I'll get details posted as soon as I get it all settled.

And the bathroom is being painted all weekend. The stuff is all in little boxes and tubs and more piles, standing around the dining room while the trim is finished and the caulk dries etc. Paint cans, screwdrivers, hooks and fixtures. All in more piles.

Plus somewhere in the middle of all this, I decided that my closet needed to be fixed -- the fall and summer clothes flipped so I could actually get dressed for the weather again. My bedroom looks like it's exploded. And it's laundry dau to boot. All of this upheaval and disorganization is a little hard to maneuver around and keep focus. Maybe that's why it feels like I'm running in circles.

e.e. cummings

I'm not a poetry buff per se. I've always wanted to understand the whole artistry of the word placement and cadence and such but it's often lost on me. In an effort to "educate" myself a little bit I subscribed to Garrison Keillor's The Writers Almanac from American Public Radio. His little snippet of a radio program comes in your email box in text form, or you can click on the link to listen to it. Sometimes I just like to listen to his voice for a moment in the morning - the familiar, gentle sound of his speech a quiet comfort to start the day with.

Each day there is a little blurb about several well-known authors whose birthday falls on that date, plus a selected poem. Today is the birthday of e.e.cummings. I usually find myself drawn to his work. The poem that arrived today is no exception. Childlike, simple, with traditional rhyming patterns, it's just fun.

Poem: "87" by E.E. Cummings from 100 Selected Poems

87

o by the by
has anybody seen
little you-i
who stood on a green
hill and threw
his wish at blue

with a swoop and a dar
out flew his wish
(it dived like a fish
but it climbed like a dream)
throbbing like a heart
singing like a flame

blue took it my
far beyond far
and high beyond high
bluer took it your
but bluest took it our
away beyond where

what a wonderful thing
is the end of a string
(murmurs little you-i
as the hill becomes nil)
and will somebody tell
me why people let go

Garrison Keillor goes on to describe the man and his life - which made me smile and appreciate him all the more. So to borrow that little excerpt too . . .

"It's the birthday of poet E. E. Cummings (Edward Estlin Cummings), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts (1894). He was a man who wrote joyful, almost childlike poems about the beauty of nature and love, even though he was actually a conservative, irritable man who hated noisy modern inventions like vacuum cleaners and radios. He spent most of his life unhappy, struggling to pay the bills, ostracized for his unpopular political views.

He had published several books of poetry, including Tulips and Chimneys (1923), when he traveled to Russia in 1931, hoping to write about the superior society under the rule of communism. He was horrified at what he found. He saw no lovers, no one laughing, no one enjoying themselves. The theaters and museums were full of propaganda, and the people were scared to talk to each other in the street. Everyone was miserable.

When he got home, he wrote about the experience, comparing Russia to Dante's Inferno. Most of the publishers at the time were communists themselves, and they turned their backs on Cummings for criticizing communist Russia. Many magazines refused to publish his poetry or review his books. But the attacks only made him more stubborn. He said, "To be nobody-but-yourself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."

He tried to write a script for a ballet, but it was never performed. He tried writing for the movies in Hollywood, but found that he spent all his time painting humming birds and sunsets instead of working on screenplays. He had to borrow money from his parents and his friends. He said, "I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart." A few years later, he decided to make some extra money by giving a series of lectures at Harvard University. Most lecturers spoke from behind a lectern, but he sat on the stage, read his poetry aloud, and talked about what it meant to him.

The faculty members were embarrassed by his earnestness, but the undergraduates adored him and came to his lectures in droves. Even though he suffered from terrible back pains, and had to wear a metal brace that he called an "iron maiden," he began traveling and giving readings at universities across the country. By the end of the 1950s he had become the most popular poet in America. He loved performing and loved the applause, and the last few years of his life were the happiest. He died on September 2, 1962."

His unusual way of mixing up words and yet painting such a pretty little picture is truly a gift. Like the beginning of one of his other poems, "anyone lived in a pretty how town":

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did
Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

You almost want to sing it like a children's nursery rhyme, or dance around the room with it while making musical accompaniments with made up instruments like forks for castanets , or march in time to the lines, banging your imaginary drum.

Wanderlust

Been watching a bunch of travel shows on the teevee lately while working on my little evening tasks -- like getting envelopes ready for the mailing, cutting the little cardboards for the soap, snipping up ribbons, etc. I also need to get a brighter light for the living room. It feels like a cave in there and I can't see anything, especially my knitting, which I've had to rip out a couple of times because the stitches look like a kindergartner got ahold of it. But I digress. So I'm having little daydreams about sipping espresso at an outdoor cafe on the piazza, or hot air ballooning over Stockholm.

Maybe because I'm facing the next two months with a little trepidation about how much work I have ahead. I've decided that this year will be different. I will at least TRY to actually notice the experience and find something each day to enjoy, rather than just ducking my head down and trying to get through it to the other side. Take a few moments here and there to look around at what is whizzing by, take a deep breath (or any breath at all besides the usual hyperventilating) and enjoy the so-called "holiday season." That's my challenge for myself. I'm making the statement here, out loud, and so be it.

The starlings have finally arrived. Wow! When they flock over to my little corner of the block in the afternoon it's a cacophany of chaos. All of them chattering, swooping from tree to tree, corner to corner, little bunches circling and dropping. We had to make a quick errand downtown the other evening and the real population is hanging out there on 5th Ave between the rooftops of Macy's and the trees across the street at Westlake. It's unbelievable. Sort of makes your heart skip when you look up at the thousands of birds packed into the little treetops, the sheer volume of noise (and poop). It's almost impossible not to feel fear -- flashbacks of the film "The Birds" running through your head, visions of the apocalypse or something. But also awe, at how organized and coordinated that huge number of animals are together. Magnificent.

Hmm, well the bird thing doesn't count today, since it was a few days ago. And the weather. Good heavens, it's so warm and gorgeous. I can hardly believe it's mid-October. Feels like the first week of September and that summer was just a week ago or so. How can we possibly be receiving Thanksgiving cooking magazines in the mail? The pumpkins and squashes seem so out of place. I haven't even needed to don a single sweater yet! What? There is snow in Buffalo? So what, they probably get snow in July. And today looks like another 70 degrees and sunny. The leaves are beginning to turn such pretty colors. I need to get over to my favorite little row of burgundy and gold maples and take photos this afternoon, see if they've gotten close to their peak of color yet. Maybe I can squeeze that in as my "moment" for today.

And yes, I made more patchouli soap last night. For all of you "patchouli only" fans. Where do you all come from? I'm not complaining. It's just curious. I've never had this many loyal fans of patchouli before. I'm guessing it's not a "trend" because then it would be a bar of this, a bar of that, maybe 2 of the patchouli . . . that sort of thing. This is "4 bars of patchouli," "I'll take 8 bars of patchouli - that's it," and "a dozen bars please, just the patchouli." No worries. I've got you covered. There's enough for everyone.

Messenger

Poem: Messenger by Mary Oliver
from Thirst by Beacon Press


My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird --
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.

Starving Housewives

Cute name for a craft show, no? Cindy and Cameron put on a series of shows throughout the year, and this week we are in Bothell at the 302 Union Hall near the Seattle Times Facility. It's quite a lot of harvest and autumn themed items, craft and antique vendors, lots of great gift items.

Dates: Tuesday through Saturday, October 10-14
Hours: Tues-Fri, 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm
Location: 302 Union Hall, 18701 120th Ave NE, Bothell
(Two blocks north of Woodinville Home Depot next to soccer fields)

Link: Starving Housewives

With the banks and post office closed yesterday (who even knows what Columbus Day is any more?) I had a reprieve from all the money chores and order packing, which gave me a free hour to shop for shoes. Or groceries. And throw in a load of laundry. After commiting to doing this show yesterday morning, all of a sudden it seemed much easier to get moving on all the things that needed to be done. And it turned out to be a productive day. I feel so much better -- I just hate to cancel anything.

I'm only two weeks away from that huge first week of November when the Holiday newsletter goes out, and I've got 6 shows going at once. There's mountains of work to be done and I need to get crackin'!

Breathe

Another big day at Salmon Days yesterday. Lots of crowds trying to catch glimpses of the huge chinook salmon jumping up the fish ladder at the hatchery -- having a family outing. The folks behind me with the birds got quite a lot of attention too, as I mentioned yesterday. They are a group called Hawk Quest, who primarily travel around to educate people on not only the wild birds, but a respect and an appreciation for all wild living things and their natural environment, and the importance of preserving the world in which they live. Excellent work and very nice people.



I packed up, dragged myself home and collapsed last night wondering how? if? I can possibly get enough product together before noon today to set up the Starving Housewives show in Bothell that happens all week. I'm still wondering that same thing this morning. But I just hate to cancel on my commitments and can't stand to disappoint any of my customers who are expecting me to be there, so I will do my best. It doesn't look quite so dire at the moment after a good night's sleep. But I will really need to burn the candle at both ends for the next few days, so I'm off to light a bonfire. And take my vitamins. And a few more deep breaths.

Drive-by

I meant to take my camera to Salmon Days yesterday and forgot it. I'm hoping today to get a good picture of all those HUGE fish crammed into the creek -- it's spectacular. So are the beautiful birds on display in the little info area behind me. A wild bird rescue group has brought a giant owl, a beautiful bald eagle and lots of hawks too. And they are giving little talks about them, doing a show and tell sort of thing, and drawing tons of crowds -- it's fun to watch.

Very crowded yesterday. The soap scraps sold out by afternoon. Last night was a big birthday bash for one of my bestest friends, and I raced home from the show to get a couple of quick things thrown together before I had to leave. Of course I have oversold what I had ready for this show. And spent the early hours this morning packaging up more bars and making another giant pile of lavender sachets. If you're doing the math, that means maybe 4 hours of sleep. And I'm still suffering from the margarita and taquito fiesta too. So today should be a hoot. Headed out . . . hoping to grab some good photos of the fun!

Soap Scraps $1

Yesterday morning, as I typed out my blog-o-rama, it looked like I had a fairly light day of work ahead. And I was looking forward to a chunk of time in the afternoon puttering around in my garden. That flew out the window at about the same time I clicked "publish." First there was the sort of extended version of my daily waltz around the internets. Found a couple of totally cool linkie poos, and an hour later looked up and decided I hadn't even had breakfast yet. So there was food, and well, maybe I can squeeze in a round of that obsessive computer game. Another hour of losing. Again. Wow, it's 10:30 already? I haven't even showered. Then a round of email duck-duck-goose, which means the slow version of instant messaging, by email, back and forth with a few folks over the course of another hour. A little shuffling of priorities and tasks -- time is beginning to run out. Then a quick half hour of work and it's lunch time, isn't it? Another quick game, because really, I can win this game. I know I can. I've done it before. Then I get back to work. Since I've already lost my focus and am spinning in circles, I decide that I can add on a couple of extra things that don't really need to be done today, but are at the bottom of my list and why not? By late afternoon I'm rushing around trying to get the three really small things I really, really needed to accomplish finished. Racing out the door to the post office to meet deadline. Missing out on all the other stuff I could have done and feeling like a pathetic loser. (Picture my fingers in a giant "L" pressed up to my forehead.) Am I the only one with this problem? Chronic time fritterer extraordinaire. Note the cosmopolitan "extraordin-aire." I'm an expert in avoidance, procrastination, wasting time with escapist activities that have no bearing on meaningful goals.

Er. So, here's what did happen. I scrounged up all the little dings, dents, leftover bars that were laying around and will have another one of those hullaballo soap scrap sales this weekend. Every bar only one dollar. There seemed to be a number of casualities during the Fair. Soaps that leapt off the edge of the cliff and made a run for it, only to dent their little tushes on the floor.

I will have a bin of them on Saturday morning. The good stuff goes pretty fast, and I don't have nearly the quantity I had at U District or Anacortes this year. But there's a full bin of them. So it's worth shlepping them out and letting the bargain bin hunters have at them. There is no way to do this on the web site. It's a bonus treat for those who come out to the shows. You kind of have to decide for yourself if the ugly is worth buying.

Happy Friday!

Salmon Days

The Issaquah Salmon Days Festival, presented by the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce, is the annual celebration of the returning salmon to our lakes, streams and downtown hatchery. This two day event held annually the first full weekend in October draws crowds of more than 150,000 people. Salmon Days features a weekend full of salmon and free fun, including more than 300 artists, the Foods of the World (50+ food vendors in Depot Park), a Grande Parade, 5k and 10k runs, four stages of live entertainment, the Field of Fun (tons of great kids activities), salmon viewing at the Hatchery, and much more.

Salmon Days prides itself in being an event the entire community can benefit from and enjoy. As a result, the Festival partners with more than 60 local non-profits operating out of, or significantly impacting Issaquah. They are on-site raising awareness, operating pay parking lots to raise funds or featuring activities that raise both.

The Kiwanis Salmon Bake -- yum. For 35 years (as old as the Festival itself) the "world famous" Kiwanis Salmon Bake has enticed festival goers with the wafting smells of fresh fish grilling on an open flame. As the Festival has grown so has the amount of mouth-watering salmon served, now totaling over 2,000 pounds each year. Located at Gibson Park on Newport Way, the feast is just a short walk from the hatchery. The first fillets come off the grill around 11:30am on both Saturday and Sunday.

Sounds like fun, right? And the weather is supposed to be great this year. Not like the pouring rain, thunder storms and what looked like a funnel cloud! hovering over us last year. My booth is located on W Sunset Way, a beautiful corner spot just at the entrance to the Hatchery and the Salmon Bake.

Come early because traffic and parking can be frustrating at the peak of the day. Check HERE for all the information about parking lots and shuttles.

Dates: Saturday and Sunday, October 7 and 8
Hours: 10am to 6pm
Soapworks Studio Booth: #318, W Sunset Way, corner spot at the driveway entrance to the Hatchery and the Kiwanis Salmon Bake

Link: Issaquah Salmon Days

I've got a lot of my stuff packaged up and packed up . . . mostly ready to go. So I think I might actually have a couple of free hours today to do a little gardening. Happy happy joy joy. I really want to chop out a couple of huge, overgrown, ugly, bushy things. Work up a sweat.

Snappy Story

Okay, after all that ranting yesterday, I am starting to get used to the giant orange house in my back yard. I think I yakked it all out. In the sort of cloudy, grey light we 've been having, and will have for months now, it doesn't look quite so garish. Maybe I'm hallucinating, but it actually felt a little cheerful when I glanced out there again with my cup of coffee. I think I can live with it -- at least through the winter. It's the sun shining on it, and the bouncing reflection, that made it worse. But by next summer, maybe some of the glare will have worn off, and there will be more leaves in the trees and I'll let some of my bushes grow up much higher to block out some of it. Anyway, today I am ok with it. And it definitely makes a good story - I can get a lot of mileage out of this one.

Anyone watching the new tv shows? I'm not a big tv watcher, but was intrigued by a few of the trailers and decided to watch a little bunch of new shows for the first couple of weeks to see if there was anything interesting happening besides more reality tv crap. Two of them are "Jericho" and "Heroes". Jericho is so darn scary that I've been watching with one eye closed, all tensed up so that by the end of the hour I have a giant cramp and heartburn. Heroes is fascinating. I'm still not sure I get it all, but I'm interested enough to keep watching. Super Hiro, the Japanese guy who teleports himself, is so amusing. But the end of last night was another major nuclear disaster. And I have had nightmares about the end of the world for two weeks now, over and over. It's clearly getting to me. Last night was a doozy, and I'm still a bit groggy -- sort of lost in all that space/time continuum mumbo jumbo.

All caught up on orders, paperwork and bookkeeping, so today is full-on preparations for Salmon Days this weekend. It's the final outdoor festival for the year. Gotta get the tent together and drag it out for one last outing.

Who does THIS?

This is the color of insanity.

The guy who owns this house, which sits in my backyard, is insane. There is no other explanation. He doesn't even live there. He has spent the last year or so teaching in India with his brand new wife (#3). And the poor renters are beside themselves. They have had to deal with so much craziness this past year, I don't know why they are still there or how they have escaped becoming lunatics themselves. But that is all a much longer story.

Without any communication whatsoever, the owner, N.J., decided the house needed paint. It did. Badly. He hadn't touched it for the entire 12 years or so since he bought the place (and which sat empty for years before that). It was such an eyesore in powder blue peeking out from all that mold and dirt. The renters had no advance warning when the team showed up to start power washing and papering over the windows. That was a few weeks ago. It was really slow going, with just one guy showing up every few days to work like a snail on the window trim. In the meantime, they lived in a cave with no light -- the brown papered up windows a cruel joke.

So I went on a long weekend getaway. And came home to Ronald McDonald's hair. A traffic cone orange edifice that you can probably see from space. The poor neighbors on the other side are just finishing up painting their new home a lovely shade of hunter green, which now looks neon orange instead. As does the interior of their entire home due to the heat lamp-like reflection which glows off this ridiculous circus tent. I'm a little farther away, and the reflection doesn't really color my back rooms, but the back yard will never be the same. You won't even notice that there are flower beds or grass -- because there is no way to not be riveted by the gigantic 4-alarm blaze that rises over everything. This is beyond inconsiderate. Beyond rude. Beyond artistic statement or just being "fun." It's insane. Nobody does this.

The painters apologized. They double and triple checked with him. He meticulously chose this color, and even opted for paying extra for the third coat it took to get the proper coverage. It's obviously a statement. And what bothers me the most? Is that he did it while not even living there - so it's not his artistic expression of the place he resides. It's an "in your face" way to blatantly oppose the norm while not dealing with the consequences, like a coward. It's one thing to stand for something loud and stand behind your words or actions. It's something else to spray paint it on somebody else's wall in the dark of night and run for cover.

All the neighbors have commiserated. There is nothing we can do. He doesn't return calls or emails anyway. Some day maybe he'll want to re-rent it? Or sell it? And have to change the color because nobody in their right mind would move in. I wasn't planning on moving in the near future (not that I haven't thought about it a lot in the last 24 hours), but now I couldn't possibly sell my house with that kind of thing in the backyard. It's so awful. I can't walk past a window here without glancing out and shuddering, shaking my head and rolling my eyes, all at once. If anyone saw me, they'd think I had some kind of nervous disorder. I'm not against color, really. But when I approached the front steps, and saw close up that it's the actual paint used to paint curbs and construction projects, true day-glo orange, I almost cried. It's 2 stories high!!!! And my little, low, one floor bungalow is dwarfed in its radiating nuclear shadow.

I'm going to have to come to terms with it. Accept it. I honestly like the fact that he chose a bright, non-conformist color and had the courage to do something not beige and boring. I usually like to support people who push the norm a little and poke at boundaries, because I often feel we are slowly beginning to lose some of our freedoms to express ourselves. So I'm faced with the internal struggle, literally, of "not in my back yard." Brick red would have been cool. Even burgundy. But this feels more hostile. I have been told it will fade, more quickly than a lot of other colors. And the siding will have to be replaced within 5-10 years anyway. Which pretty much means that N.J. won't think about it for another 20. Or decides to sell -- even longer.

The painters said you wouldn't believe how many people stopped, pulled over, asked questions. I said I would believe it. It just begs for some partying kids or angry thug to spray junk all over the side. Or maybe we should make a giant jack o'lantern face on it? And use it for a Halloween decoration all month?

And maybe I should just quit bitching about something so petty anyway. Seems like there is another major shooting at some school almost every day, and there are much more important things to get my undies in a wad over. But damn, the shock of this ORANGE is going to take a bit longer to fade, I think.

I'm imagining a big spotlight now, with a black construction paper pumpkin face taped over it, directed right at that great big monstrous thingie over the fence.