The Un-Mundane

Indie-Family Friday - I've missed a few, yeah?

2008-07-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

One thing about being an Indie-mom is that you stay busy. So busy, in fact, that you forget to blog? Maybe? Just me? Hopefully, you'll forgive me.

I have thrown myself into Etsy full time, leaving little room for anything else. So you can imagine the state of my kitchen. And livingroom. And pretty much everything around me. Other than my jewelry goodies, which stay immaculate! My daughter loves it because it's been a virtual free for all, or at least it feels like it to her. She gets to do lots of "grown up" things now and I think it's getting to her ego. Let me give an example.

I took her with me to the local gem and bead show on the 4th of July. I have to admit that I expected her to act out but she really surprised me. She was very interested and had something to say about everything we saw. And she racked up a few goodies from vendors. So much so that at one point I had to remind her that it was not Halloween because she would open up her little shopping bag whenever a vendor approached her. Hey - they started it...

What I loved best about that day was sharing my passion with her in a way that could also teach her. We had an opportunity to see strand after strand of lava rock, and so we could talk about "igneous rock" and lava and she made the connection to volcanoes right away. She asked why it wasn't red, because lava is always red in the books that she's seen and on television. Isn't that a smart question for a four-year-old to ask? That's scientific reasoning and artistic reasoning all in one. I loved that she asked that question and it sparked an entire conversation about the different reasons why objects might change colors. All from a trip to a gem show. True that it isn't your typical way for a family to celebrate the 4th of July, but then again, we aren't a typical family.

And that's just how we like it.

Stuff I Bought and Totally Loved - Tuesday!

2008-05-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

I have to come up with a more succinct title for Tuesdays' blogs. Any suggestions?

While you're thinking, let's talk soap.

Specifically, black soap. Even more specifically, http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12008429 Traditional African Black Soap by Astridanaturals. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5719971

Can I just say how awesome this stuff is? No, I can't, because there just aren't enough words. It has been so helpful in clearing up my daughter's skin - it's the only soap we've tried that hasn't aggrevated her excema. Every ingredient is pronounce-able which is a big deal for us. It's unscented, meaning no extra chemical fake-ocity, but it has a lovely natural fragrance all its own and it leaves you smelling like yourself, only cleaner. It lathers terrificly, too - I've used it to shave a few times quite successfully. All in all, one of my very favorite purchases on etsy to date. (And oh my, have I made lots of them!)

And in magicouture-news, I've got a few new things in my shop worth checking out. My own personal favorite is this: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12030703 I've got several of them in different styles and colors. Aren't they fun? To borrow and twist a phrase from Marilyn Monroe, I always love finding new ways to wear jewelry.

I've also been having a great time with papercrafts. So far, I've added Color Coordinotes to the shop and people seem to like them. You can see them up to the right in a color scheme that I call "Citrus Fizz." I've got other color schemes, like Strawberry Social, Modly Blue, Limacado and Bubble Gum Brunch available now, with others available soon in gift sets! Whee!

That's all I've got for today. I'll see you Friday with an update on indie-family life!

Indie-fam Friday

2008-05-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

So we went camping last night at a nearby lake/recreational park. I should preface all of this actually by saying that I am not... actually... an "outdoorsy" chick. I am a creature of comforts - I love things like running water and the internet and stove-cooked food. It's not that I don't love nature - I just don't want it biting me, you know? But my husband has been wanting to take us for ages and so we went.
And it wasn't that bad, actually. Not too hot, not too cold, and best of all - we got the campsite right next to the bathroom facilities. Who knows- maybe he'll make a camper out of me, yet!
However, it did give me yet another perspective on how different life has become for us as a family since we've jumped into this Etsy enterprise. Our campsite was so much more simplistic than many of the others we saw and it took me a few minutes to realize the reason why: we think like crafters think. My husband and I were constantly looking around for things we could rework and use for other purposes. No need for elaborate campfire tools - my husband had a knife and a stick!
Of course, the inevitable happened and we realized that we had underprepared and I was sent out to return to civilization to buy extra gear. Specifically, my husband wanted me to get something he could use as fishing bait because I wouldn't let him use the frogs that we found around the campsite. (Our four-year-old daughter was naming the frogs - how could I let him send them to their doom?) So I drove for about 10 miles until I found a store - a SuperTarget. Sighing, I stopped and went in.
And it was so weird!!! We avoid big box super stores like the dickens so it had been months since I've been in one. And they haven't changed, but boy, I have. I see the mass produced, machine made everything for exactly what it is - everything seems so soul-less, lacking a history or story. Certainly things were cheap but I found that I wasn't even looking at prices. I was looking at how bored the other shoppers were. Isn't shopping supposed to be fun?
I'm so glad I've found a way to buy and sell handmade and share the experience with my family and my friends. True that now we're the "weird" family on the block but chances are, we were the weird family to begin with!
Take care - I'll be back on Tuesday to brag on something awesome that I bought on Etsy!

Fantastic firstie!

2008-05-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

My first blog post! Whee!

If you take a look around, you'll see that there's not much here yet other than well... me! But don't let that stop you from bookmarking this page. I've got a big mouth and that tends to translate well through the keyboard, so there will be lots for us to talk about in the days ahead.

As for now, I'd like to lay out a little plan o'action so you'll know what to expect from my blog. I try not to be an obsessive blogger - I think that twice a week is fair, don't you? Tuesdays and Fridays shall be my blogger days. You can find me on myspace on Wednesdays and Sundays, and around etsy every day. If you need more of me after all of that, I'll be maintaining a mailing list so let me know and I'll sign you on.

So about today, Tuedsay - I designate Tuesday my official I Love This Thing That I Bought From Etsy day. It's a product review by me of something that I actually bought because I wanted it and not because the seller sent it to me hoping for a review. In other words, I bought something and it's so awesome that I have to tell everybody! Here it is: Pain relief cream by Heidi's Handmades.
http://http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11915694
If you are a person who has any sort of chronic pain, (like fibromyalgia, arthritis, muscle injury, etc.) you have no doubt used a great number of different creams and balms to try and get some relief and they almost always feel disgusting on the skin and quite often, at least for me, they burn but don't actually help. Heidi's cream is so different. First of all, it doesn't burn or sting at all but you can feel it - it's very subtle. It doesn't make pain disappear just to come back later but rather helps to relieve it a little at a time the more you use it - it helps you make pain more managable. The aroma is very, very soothing and pleasant - it's a very natural scent that's not too medicinal. And the way it feels on the skin? No grease - just pure heaven. The skin on my "bad arm" feels like satin now after only using this for about two weeks. I love this product - love, love, love it, and will definitely buy more. But if you're still skeptical, she offers it in a trial size for only $.50! : http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11886101 You just can't go wrong with it!

Wow, that felt good. I've been wanting an outlet to brag on my purchases for a while - now I see why everyone loves blogging!

I'll be back on Friday to talk about life as an indie-design mom. Until then, stay out of the big box and don't buy the blood rocks!