Obviously I have not been blogging that much there is a lot going on right now. A crazy amount actually, but most of it is pretty spectacular. I managed to take a break from work yesterday to go for a "hike" along the Greenbelt with Faye and Thea. I use the term hike loosely as we were on a trail mountain bikers use and spent most of our time jumping into the bushes to avoid a collision. Good times nonetheless!
Sierra
May 222012
I have found that in being self employed, I tend to take slow times personally. The result of this is that when I'm not working on a big important project, I feel like a failure. It sounds worse than is and is actually rather common among those of us who type of work comes in waves or seasons. My goal has been to either always have new projects coming up or if that is not possible, to use the downtime productively instead of wallowing in self pity.
However, right now I am in the midst of a string of one big project after another combined with an average of 2 shows a week. The projects are business, personal and philanthropic in nature and pretty varied but I'm still feeling exhausted right now. I understand that I can't go full throttle at all times, but am so afraid that if I loose the momentum, I won't get it back for awhile. Being busy and working on many projects effectively gets more projects going so I'm worried it will create a slump that I can't afford to be in.
Does anyone else go though this or something similar with owning your own business? How do you deal with the balance of full speed and rest, I would love to hear your thought!
1. Two hours into a show on a Saturday, acting on the thought: "I should see if there's still a spot in tomorrows S Congress market" is not advisable. You will curse loudly when the alarm goes off early Sunday morning.
2. Crawfish are yummy.
3. Ford was really onto something with the time saving aspects of assembly line production.
4. My designs have now been known to excite someone so much that they spill their drink all over themselves. Awesome...
5. Printers designed for small businesses are in fact really useful to small business owners.
6. Sarcasm and satire are not always "gotten" until people know you better.
7. Always trust your gut.
8. You never know the role a stranger may play in your life when you first meet them. (we're talking fortune cookie wisdom here!)
9. Girls nights are essential to sanity.
10. The salsa that you buy in a bag in the produce section of the HEB is Ah-mazing!!! Aka...don't judge a book by its cover.
May 132012
When I was little, I had really curly hair...obvs as I do now. Well, I get this hair from my dad (who totally had a white guy afro in the 7o's!) and my mom had no idea what she was dealing with so my curls remained hidden for the duration of my childhood. She would either put it in a tight pony tail after my shower to try and smooth it or blow dry it. When it was dry, she would brush it out, resulting in a very fluffy look. I was away from home one day when I was in the 7th grade and let my hair air dry after my shower and all of sudden...there were ringlet curls all over my head! As you can image, I never let my mom near my head again after that day!
Since none of my younger sisters had the same hair type, I think mom missed the fluffy results and insta-volume she achieved from a simple brushing. This is the only explanation I have for her obsession since I grew my hair long again to try and brush it out. Perhaps it has a great deal to do with my having had short hair for years which was most of the time dyed red or blond and once a bad choice of black. Now that its back its natural color and length from childhood, its like she gets to go back in time 30 years. Or she really does think it looks good all fluffy...and look at how much she enjoys doing it!!! I never will understand the joy she gets from this...I want to hide my head under a hat after its all done.
Either way, my mom will be at my house this week visiting and as its been a few years since I last let her do it...I just might let her brush it out again. Happy Mother's Day Mom, I love you!!
p.s. the pout in the photo was a result of my being smacked on the top of the head with the brush and told to stop whining. Ahem...that was 2 years ago...I was 33...I think it makes us both revert 
May 102012
Those of us who do outdoor markets chat about a certain topic often...that people try to shop/touch stuff/ask questions while we are in the middle of a very fast set up time. It's a downside of having a show outdoors where people feel there are no boundaries and a dilemma of how to handle the interruption. I more often then not gladly stop what I'm doing to pull out necklaces or help them find something so they can see what I design and make before I even have it out on the tables, as I know its hard to see part of something without wondering what it's all about. But sometimes, you know they are being nosy and are really just in your way...those are the days that you wish you had a door, with a lock. For example...last Saturday two young girls (around 12 I'd guess) cam running into my tent and grabbed at not the jewelry but a framed photo of press placements and were all excited over it. I had to explain that they were holding booth decor, not an actual product to purchase, that they were images of the press I've had, that's all. It was kind of an awkward moment for all of us, hahaha.
So when I walked into the HEB on Tuesday afternoon and saw this...
...which was just the biggest collection of balloons that I have ever seen in one place!! I looked around and saw that two women were filling them up and this was their make shift staging area. I couldn't help myself though!! I walked right over and stood in the midst of all of the ribbons...and even though I was perhaps in the way, they didn't seem to mind as it was the middle of the produce section. It made me smile thinking to myself as I gazed up at the awesome display before me that sometimes, you just can't help yourself, you just have to jump right into the staging area.
Why do I have three pens in front of me???
1. Even though computers and spreadsheets are incredibly useful, I still like making my own charts on graph paper to plan out projects.
2. Live music makes every event better.
3. Life is too short to wear boring colored shoes.
4. Black grapes are ah-mazing!
5. The older I get, the more non-fiction I read.
6. Everything IS bigger in Texas, including thunderstorms.
7. The more you dread doing a task, the better it feels when its done (laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning).
8. If I could I would eat only fruit (it is natures candy after all).
9. Its incredibly motivating to be an inspiration to other designers.
10. Any thing is possible with focus and determination.
May 062012
Part of me wants to feel guilty for not blogging much these past few weeks, but the more logical part of me realizes that my posts would all read something like: I am sooooo tired, I'm working an unhealthy amount, what was I thinking taking on so much this month....all the shows, two huge projects and two new boards...ai ai ai ai ai. So I think we're good on a bit sporadic.
Have you noticed that I have been trying really hard to only use my own photos on the blog? has done an excellent job of being the place where I post my inspiration and allowed me to focus on sharing what I'm actually seeing with you here...yay for that! I though that when I was really busy I could just post some snaps of what I've been seeing. However, in reviewing all of my recent photos, I realized that they are all of shows...the one above at least includes something other than my jewelry table...well something in addition to it anyway.
I am really excited abut today as I don't have to leave the house all day (the only day ever, it seems) so I plan on doing a bit of cleaning and then I have to spend the rest of the day making jewelry...ah so exciting! Who am I kidding, its the perfect day. Enjoy your Sunday!!
May 022012
the shoes I've been rocking recently are a rainbow of colors!
Things are crazy busy in the Manic Trout studio this month, its just amazing how much is going on!! I wanted to pop in for two minutes to share that I had a very exciting day yesterday when an interview I did with Tammy Powley for About.com came out! You may check it out . Thank you Tammy!!
At the Austin Social Affair on April 26th, 2012. Photo by SteveDeMentPhotography
1. Having a display for outdoor shows that is wind resistant can make you feel god like.
2. One mosquito can bite you 7 times in under 2 minutes.
3. When going through a stressful situation, it can be AMAZING to talk to a friend who's been through something similar.
4. When you live in Texas, you can somehow become very tan, even though you work inside all of the time. Think outdoor shows...those tents are penetrable!
5. Rereading a book you've read before can feel like constant deja vu. Accept defeat and move on.
6. Avocados are way better in Texas than they are in New York.
7. Cupcakes make everything better.
8. Busy breeds busy. Similar to "it takes money to make money"
9. Too much bee pollen (in a smoothie) is NOT a good thing.
10. Taylor Kitch is hot. I know I've had this deep thought before but I've been watching Friday Night Lights in my studio again and I feels it needs repeating.
Apr 272012
Currently on my bedside table...
It's no secret that I read alot...I average a book a week. I also buy my fiction at places like goodwill by the armload because I just can't resist a stack of books for under $20. The only problem is that when books are $.50 - $2, you tend to sometimes grab fast and ask questions later. This sometimes results in the following internal conversation 30 pages or so into a book..."wait, have I already read this? I think I did...although I don't remember the ending...or any of these details apparently as I just read 30 pages before I realized it...do I keep reading?" This time, I opted to keep going, but sometimes I toss the book on the floor with a sigh and just pick up another one from the stack.
