friday the 13th, mercury goes retrograde (yes, again) and finally a giveaway winner

In case you haven't heard, I am an amateur professional intuitive.

(yes, this is a noun, too - trust me)

If you tell me what is going wrong with you/your symptoms/what you had for breakfast/the shape of your poo ( I've studied with Dr. Oz ... from my couch) where it itches, etc

I will intuitively give you my take on what is really going on. It only takes me about 42 seconds because I am very uninformed fast and gifted.

As a professional  intuitive (I take payment in cork and dog biscuits) I like to pass along a little general information and some life lessons now and then about what is really going on in the world to keep everyone up to snuff.

Mercury Retrograde

What is it? Why should you care? Well, you'll have to google that stuff because it's complicated, sort of, and that's not the kind of intuitive learning you will pick up here at Olive Bites anyway. 

You probably already know that when Mercury goes retrograde it kicks up alot of delays and changes and mishaps and that things began when Mercury is retrograde have a way of changing later on (often radically and in unexpected ways). 


My insight for you is that Mercury is retrograding in a fire sign - this does not mean that it only affects fire signs, because it affects everyone - but because fire signs are fearless and creative and innovating big thinkers these are the kinds of skills and thinking we should be applying to any problems that might crop up now.

And because I am, at heart, a glass half full kind of girl I will remind everyone that this is the best time of year (it happens 3-4 times a year) to do all the re's - reconnect, redo, rethink, repeat, relax (it's summer, remember) - in business it is a great time to reconnect with old customers (as opposed to looking for new ones), go back over old projects, revise and redesign things, repair things or buy recycled (rather than buy new) - yes, I have a dog in that fight (literally, Olive is one tough cookie), but it's still true.

It is an excellent time to perfect things and then launch them later.

The winner of the Old New Again giveaway that everyone has been asking me about is #220 (chosen by Liz at Old New Again using random.org) - Mary!! Mary wants Old New Again's gorgeous turquoise wall hanger with mason jar shown here. Congrats to Mary and thank you to everyone who took the time to enter. I have a new giveaway starting Monday so check back then! Have a wonderful Friday the 13th everyone! xo

I have a new website! If you came in through blogger take a pop over to olivebites.com and check it out.

I still have some wonky links and need to add about 100 more items - I am also realizing that the wonderful zoom feature I loved is going to require me to get better photos.

(which I need anyway and I would advise anyone retaking photos this summer to be thinking of neutral and white backgrounds when possible - I have been moving in this direction anyway - it makes it easier to use pictures for other promo material, your website, etc and for blogs and stores that want to grab your pics, plus the items pop off the page)

Etsy's front page is focused exclusively on treasuries with neutral and negative space backgrounds these days (when did that happen - I bet if we could see where the sales dollars spent on Etsy are going we would see some huge category shifts from this never-ending wedding focus).

Their nonstop changes have us feeling like seals (or wait dolphins, I want to be a dolphin) - who are multiplying like rabbits - jumping through hoops that the trainers keep moving (I kind of picture pale hipsters in body gloves saying nah, nah) for buckets of fish that may or may not be empty anyway and are certainly not enough to feed everyone (or anyone).

(and you may need your Little Orphan Annie secret decoder to figure out what the hell I just said there - sorry - it is one of those mornings)

Anyhoo, I will be back tomorrow with Old New Again's giveaway winner announce. I sat down this morning to finish my pricing series and it has kind of been like pulling teeth

(not that I have ever pulled teeth, although my brother did once have a tooth pulled by a dentist who put his knee into my brother's chest and pulled hard, so I am guessing it is not an easy thing to do)

a sure sign that series needs to marinate a while. I am thinking everyone is out enjoying the summer sun these days anyway and not missing it too much.

Also I should mention that mercury is about to go retrograde, so start thinking re - as in redo, remake, reattach (huh?) - you get the idea - not a good time to start new things but an excellent time to go back over old things and redo them. More on this later in the week, too!

xo all - have a magical day!

this is your brain on july ...

I apologize for not finishing up my pricing series this week as promised, I haven't broken a promise in a day or two long time - unless you count the ones I made with my fingers twisted behind my back but we all know those don't count.

This week the heat got the better of me and I think my motivation melted along with most of my remaining brain cells

(I noticed some oddly shaped puddles of pantone's tangerine tango and sodalite blue around the studio - at least things melt pretty here at Olive Bites)

It took herculean efforts on my part to get the things I actually had to get done done if you know what I mean - and herculean is no exaggeration - every time I brazed a locket I felt like John Connor's mom in Terminator 2 - I had to resist the urge to drop my propane and start doing pullups.

So, have a nice weekend everyone - it's going to be another scorcher, but at least we have our water back
(did I say we had to boil our water last week because of a water line break ... and ... did I say that my normal distrust of authority figures telling me everything is now ok, has me still boiling it)

oh and here's a pic of Olive and Ruby trying to beat the heat - their awesomeness is abundantly evident. 
Hope your weekend is filled with same - the awesomeness part I mean. xo

we have the right to know if our food has been genetically engineered

Why the hell can't we get this? ->

The European Union, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Russia (plus 30 other countries) know what's in their food - why can't Americans get the same labeling.

(of course, anyone who is even half paying attention knows the answer to this one already)

Unbelievably last week, the “Consumers Right to Know About Genetically Engineered Food Act” was defeated in the Senate even though it was supported by over 90% of Americans.

Another bill is headed to the House of Representatives -

labeled the “Farmer Assurance Provision,” though special interests are the only ones it is designed to assure, this proposed policy rider would:

1. Eliminate fundamental and constitutional safeguards of our judicial review system
2. Undermine the USDA’s oversight and approval process and weaken consumer protections
3. Allow powerful chemical companies to dodge reasonable restrictions on potentially hazardous GE crops

There's a link to find your rep and let them know you want this rider defeated HERE 
Find out more about this issue and contact the FDA HERE
You can also see how your senator voted HERE and contact them