2008 February » Manic Trout Blog

Inside my bag...

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Feb 282008

So the other I was reading a magazine and they had one of those…”whats in your bag” things, and once again I was all jealous that I have not had a chance to do that. I was moments ago reading Fashion is Spinach in which Ms. Spinach was giving a history of her blog and referenced to the same desire to have her bag contents shared…so she shared her own…and I thought…I can do that too! So we are now going to play the what is in my bag game…yay!

1. The bag itself is rafe…I love it!!!! Its as soft as butter, fits tons of stuff and has vintage brass all over it!

2. The wallet is Ferragamo and is exactly my dream wallet…you may read the whole story of the search here

3. Sunglasses are Prada…big and black with a funky silver wave on the sides and perfect to hide behind.

4. The one thing I no longer could live without…I am sad and addicted to my BlackBerry.

5. I always have business cards on me and found the perfect case from Baekgaard this fall…it matches my cards exactly!

6. ipod…its my second one, I actually wore out my first one!

7. More keys then a janitor…car, house/po box, office at work and a set for the restaurant.

8. Moleskin notebook and pen for doodling design ideas.

9. The coolest tampon case ever! My friend Sheryl gave it to me a few years ago and its perfect!

10. Altoids…wintermint and ginger, which are hard to find and I love!

11. A mirror I bought many uears ago in new york city, have carried it ever since.

12. Mac Pink Poodle lip gloss, so pretty and pink…I also usually have a tube of Clinique Juicy Apple, which is the most flattering lip gloss I have ever owned.

13. I always carry a book…and I try to have short stories…I have also read American and Irish Girls About Town…great books!

14. Requisite Bling from Manic Trout.

15. Burts Beezwax, I have tubes of it everywhere!

16. Kiehls Unusually Rich But Not Greasy At All Hand Cream, between the bar and manic trout I have very abused and dry hands.

17. Random hair do dads

That was so fun! I’ll check back in when I switch to summer!

Where I have been all week...

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Feb 282008

So most of the week has passed and I have yet to check in…where have I been? Well…my prep school alma mater (all of my sisters have also gone…and Thea is a freshman there right now) asked if I would be the guest designer for the week prior to spring break where the students choose one activity to focus on. They can choose such things as a trip to Guatamala, ball room dancing, a newspaper to cover the week and jewelry design…with me!

I spent the week with nine creative girls and a fabulous faculty member hunting down treasures and turning them into original and fantastic jewelry! We had a great time and I loved every minute of it, even waking up at 7:30 every morning. The girls were all so wonderful and terrifically productive. It was a bit surreal being back on campus…eating in the dining hall and walking through the quad and all, but in a good way.

Thanks ladies, it was awesome to meet you all and get to know you this week, I had so much fun!

Planning ahead

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Feb 232008

So I was just putting together some new postcards for shows…yes, i have finally smartened up and made a generic post card that has all of the dates for upcoming shows listed for the entire year…which means I just reorder when I run out, I already have shows listed in case you cannot come to the next one and…I am prepared ahead of time! I know, I’m waiting for the pigs to fly though my studio right now…I may be an insanely organized person…but I usually push right up to a deadline, I am never done early…I live for procrastination.

So anyway, while I was going though photo’s I came across this one form the photo shoot with the divine Tara Wing and had to share, its so pretty. I do have another shoot planned for this spring…which I may even star in myself…imagine that.

Because I love you all...

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Feb 222008

For the next 24 hours…which ends 4 est on Saturday the 23rd..you can save 15% at Manic trout with SnowDay at checkout! Woo Hoo!

Snow Day!

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Feb 222008

As much as it pains me to loose a friday night of bartending, I cannot help but be so excited that restaurant has closed and I have a free day! I need to take advantage of this and work on the web site updates, ugh…this is why I do not work in the field I have my degree in.

Here is a view of the snow fall from my studio door…its so peaceful and quiet out there right now…Faye and I were running around in the snow earlier, just enjoying the fresh, clean, fluffy ground.

ugh...too much candy...but big plans are being made

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Feb 212008

Yes, its Thursday and I had od’d on sugar…nerds and sour gummy worms to be exact…I have gummy tummy!!!!

I am working on some new color combos of the sweet little earrings that I posted about earlier this week, yay!

Also very exciting…I have ordered 14 new styles of lockets, ranging from normal in size to super big! Which means I will have a whole new selection of necklaces coming soon! Woo Hoo!

I have been working on some plans for a few big projects here at Manic Trout recently, I am excited, nervous, and a bit scared with these plans…and also not looking forward to some heavy duty computer time ahead of me. I am planning on doing an over hall of the website…the painting section will be condensed (and updated) and I am going to add two new major sections…I want to have the limited edition and one of a kind pieces to be highlighted a more…and I plan of focusing more design time on the one of a kind pieces as well.

I also am working on a paper catalogue, mainly to start targeting larger stores and markets…this will be learning process however, as it will be my first and as I create new pieces so often…it may be that I will start releasing collections seasonally…and adding on more frequent basis to the one of a kind and limited edition lines.

I am also looking into sales reps, if you are a sales rep and interested, please contact me.

I am of coarse also working on new designs tonight, we’ll see what comes of that…still on the red theme…and here’s a peek at one of the new necklaces from last week…ok back to working the sugar buzz!

Excuse me while I dork out...

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Feb 202008

Yes!!!!! I just got my new (well, not that new, its been sitting in silence for like three weeks and NOT working) Twin Turbo LabelWriter Thermal printer to work…now I can print labels and postage from my studio…I never have to stand online at the post office again!!!!! Finally I have made you spit out your pretty little lables you devilish printer, I have tamed the beast! ok…I think I need to be done with this now…I feel like Bill Murray in Caddyshack when he is about to blast all the gophers…I am cackling and giddy…

Delirium feeds creativity

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Feb 192008

During my last open studio it snowed all day long…this made for a slow day. I had the good fortune of scoring a great ad space in all the local papers in the area, so there was at least a trickle…but lets just say that I had some time to sit and design jewelry. I was also still recovering form my bout with the flu, so I was basically delirious…but I think it may have helped me to think outside of my normal design realm. Here is a peek at one of the new necklace designs coming soon!

I have been having a great time designing these past few weeks…I dream of a day (hopefully in July) when I no longer have to work full time and can spend more much needed time in my studio….I am so freakin’ excited for that day!

I made new earrings!

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Feb 182008

Along with new sheets, flowers have also been on my mind recently…and here are some delicate dazzling danglers to illustrate my point!

I think I may be ready for spring…

In addition to flowers, I have been playing around with vintage buttons, and I have created these dramatic danglers with vintage glass and brass jet buttons!

All of these designs should be available by Thursday!

I'm in Love!

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Feb 182008

Every year around the end of winter…yes, I am early, but its been rainy and in the 40′s here so my season clock is a bit off…anyway, I start to crave a spring makeovers for myself and my home. I know this is all extremely normal and everyone does this, but I specifically desire new bedding. This year is no exception, except I fell in love with a new duvet cover and shams about a month ago when I saw them in the new Anthropologie catalogue (which I should ban from my house, its like a store full of items marked “This is perfect for you Sierra, buy it now!”). I have always had a great bed, although I had to forgo the feather beds a few years ago, as I have enough problems getting out of bed at a decent hour, that made it excruciating to leave my nest…that and Faye came into my life…and dogs make the bed dirty really quickly. I still love a big white fluffy bed though, and I this bedding makes me think of sleeping inside of a big meringue pie…mmmm.