... not extinct ... but definitely evolving

You might think that since I haven't been blogging I have been getting all kinds of things done -

(crafty projects I never had the time for, dishes washed and neatly stacked in those open style cabinets that are so trendy now - cabinets that I made myself from rehabbed wood, floors sparkling, closets organized - of course none of this actually happened although I did cut out pictures of things like this one afternoon which is kind of the same thing in my world)

and I did have a goal of having certain things completed before the full moon yesterday, but forces beyond my control

(control is a slippery little devil - once you set your intention to release it in one area of your life it somehow finds a way of releasing itself from others)

seemed determined to slow me down and change my direction and of course, things are never really done after all, but maybe there are times when things are more complete than other times

(note- this is not one of those times)

Some health stuff hit me very suddenly or maybe got to the point where I was forced to take notice and because this is stuff I dealt with almost 10 years ago, I have been trying to find a better way to deal with it now than I did back then.

(back then it was loss of fertility hopes, followed by loss of my mother, followed by months of pain followed by surgery with two different doctors, followed by never really looking at how this all connected together)

I have needed a few hours a week to devote to accupuncture (first time evah, more on this another time) and journaling and getting ready for New York International Gift Fair and the only place I had to pull those hours was my blogging, so my blogging has been napping in the backseat.

(mouth open at times and snoring, but just loudly enough to stir me awake once in a while and not so noisily to jar me into action)

It is getting a little antsy back there, so I'll have to make room for it in the front seat again soon.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is taking some time to enjoy this summer, which is not over until September 21st, no matter when your kids go back to school.

(you still have plenty of time, so please, please get out there and savor it)

And I do not think it is a coincidence that we get a 2nd chance at a full moon at the end of the month - the expression "once in a blue moon" is speaking to the rarity of the occurrence of a second moon happening in the same month, so things in August will definitely be interesting for all of us ....

step away from the mouse ....

The shop owner whose giveaway was going up this week has decided to postpone a bit since she will be away so I am taking the opportunity to step away from my blog this week to find more pics of George Clooney get ready for my upcoming shows - which I have never been so unprepared for - triple ugh!

Have a great week everyone ...

also here's another picture of George for your walls - you're welcome.

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!