Upcycled Vintage Finds ... it's not about what it was made for - it's what you need it to be ... plus I blame chemtrails

ruler picture holder - I use this for biz cards sometimes, too

This week has flown by - how did it get to be mid-October already??

Instead of an actual post which I would have to have some functioning brain cells to produce at this very moment I have grabbed my trusty Canon

(although it is not so trusty these days because I have to manually focus, which creates lot of problems for someone like me who's right hand can't remember what her left hand is doing ... )

and snapped a few quick pics around here of some upcycled goodies that may inspire someone, somewhere, someday to forget about that cute and colorful whoseewhatsee from Target and use what they already have in some of clever way ..

cork storage in vintage sugar bowls and barn sink - you
may not have this much cork - I hope for your sake
and the sake of your liver, that you don't have this much cork

Olive's Red Ryder porch bed - with her favorite wool blankie for fall

vintage microscope with family photos in the glass slides

Also I should report that I had to get my driver's license renewed this week (yay, I finally got rid of that crappy picture so I could get ... a slightly less crappy better picture) and I was chosen for a random eye exam (?) - at least I think it was random,

because everyone else went right to the "get your picture taken" line and I went right to the "get your eyes checked" line - maybe I was the only one in there who wears glasses - is that possible ... does anyone not wear glasses these days, or do I just know old people now -

anyhoo, a man who'd probably been filed under A for Alive at some point during the last century, I kind of thought I recognized him from the state seal, called me over.

He put on a pair of THICK eyeglasses that could double as a welding mask (at least someone else was wearing glasses now), picked an invisible thread off the J in his NJMVC patch, and told me to have a seat.

my license looks kind of like this -->

except for the picture and the name and the address and the driver's license number and also the fact that this man is smiling BIG

(because it screws up our state's facial recognition software -  
which I do not believe for one second we actually have - we are not allowed to smile BIG in New Jersey for our driver's license photos - which is surprisingly not a problem for those of us living in New Jersey)

After I have no trouble reading the ten-letter clump of nonsense on the eye exam he asked me to look at four different shapes through the view finder. "Tell me what each of these are," he said, his accent thick enough to join the cast of Jersey Shore if Snookie ever needs a really, really tired looking great-great grandfather.

"A red octagon, a yellow rectangle, a yellow circle, and a yellow triangle." "Well, that's a first," he said, picking another invisible thread from his shirt.

"What? nobody else knows what they are??" (I am thinking what the hell is happening to the brain cells of the people living in NJ ... I blame chemtrails)

"Nope. Nobody else ever just told me the shapes. You're s'posed to tell me what the signs are."

"Oh." I was less embarrassed than I was excited that I'd done something no one had done before.

"A stop sign. Um... maybe a warning sign? Or a children playing sign like in that one development, the one where all of the houses look like the red monopoly pieces .."

"And the next?" he interrupted.

"Uh, that one's a railroad sign, you know, my husband had a cousin who was hit by a train."

He blinked, almost audibly. "Continue."

"Well, he may have been drunk and fell asleep ..."

"With the signs. Continue with the signs."

"Oh. Maybe a Men Working in Trees?" (we do have such a sign, I'm not just randomly making stuff up here)

He said nothing, picked the last invisible thread from his shirt, took a deep breath, stared at his hands and sent me over to get my picture taken.

Which I did.

And it looks amazing actually (in a sort of attractive if you squint, slightly less crappy than my last driver's license photo kind of way).

I love New Jersey.

Christmas Upcycled Gift Countdown Week # 3 - Tray Magnetboard/ToDo Board

This is what I ask myself when prioritizing my day.

(yup it's pretty much the secret to my success here at Olive Bites folks, works pretty well for me - I do spend quite a bit of time napping, eating snacks and solving mysteries though, so it might not work for everyone)

This is a heavy vintage, enamel metal tray (a similar type of thing can be done with a smaller, lighter weight tray, too - see LOVE pic below),

some large adhesive letters from Lowe's ($1.50) and some magnets that read NOW, LATER and NEVER

(I can hook you up with the tops of these just email me and add your own magnets)

Now, you are probably thinking this does not need a step by step - you're right. It's pretty much cut and stick. I did have to take a few pics though so I can call this a TUTORIAL, otherwise it would be cheating.

(the LOVE tray has a little adhesive back hanger that I could hook you up with, too)

You could stencil something like this, too, if you are feeling very crafty and if your recipient might think stickers a bit .. tacky (stickers ... tacky ... get it) - the vintage green one above is a bonus gift for a special someone on my list. I do not think she minds tacky - especially when it is an awesome mint green circle of blooms and rust covered with hugs and kisses - who could resist that?

A Peek at Some New Work in Uncorked Shop

uncorked.etsy.com

stop by and have a peek

Manifesting for Makers - Introduction - the act of creating is the act of allowing

CREATE print by and at wallfry.etsy.com

The definition of manifesting is "to make clear or evident to the eye or the understanding - to show plainly" -

this is probably not the definition that most people are thinking about when they are trying to manifest (ala the law of attraction) something.

This is the definition we are going to work with though (the making clear and evident one) because it is a higher vibration and life is supporting a higher vibration now.

(the vibration is important because it works sort of like a key to unlock the higher paradigm within us; the thing we are reaching toward - this must have been what it felt like for people alive on the planet as the Dark Ages moved into the Enlightenment .. scary and exciting and unchartered and we are making it up as we go along and that is totally ok and more than ok actually because if not us who? )

I think the last few years has shown us that hundreds of thousands of people setting intentions to manifest specific things for themselves, the things we thought we wanted (the gimme more, bigger, better, best way of thinking that is born from the fear that there is not enough) can really muck things up

(of course, as with all mucked up things - it is just a mirror reflecting our own mucked-up-ness back at us - we are never really victims but just people being shown our weakness)

the real "Secret" may be that we have this manifesting thing ass backwards -

of course, we have also been brought to this point by hundreds of thousands of people taking their power back and setting intentions to manifest something else, something new and authentic and real - the very energy of which is totally supported because everything either evolves or becomes increasingly unstable until it breaks down - the new that is totally unstoppable.

We aren't here to figure out what we want and then manifest that.

The idea that manifesting is about figuring out what we want and then going for it, is the reason so many of us are stuck, sitting in this place of  indecision "well, what the hell do I want?" -

because we are thinking this with our mind (our soul is awesomely ok with any and all circumstances) - the part of us that can only offer up answers based on our past conditioning and often based on what we don't want - based on fear.

The difference between coming at things from love (think : soul/heart here) or fear (think : mind/thoughts here) is the difference between wanting to manifest a partner because we're uncomfortable being alone and afraid we will always be alone or wanting to manifest a partner because we see an old couple lovingly holding hands and whispering in the park and our soul cries out YES, I WANT THAT!

I saw just such a couple yesterday and they made my heart so full that I found myself drawn very near to them and I asked them how long they had been married and the old man looked at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and said "we're not married, but we've been living together for 4 months and 6 days" - I thought my heart would explode with happiness.

Anyhoo, I only wanted this to be an intro - a little taste of where we are headed with this series if anyone wants to come along - this journey to manifesting; the allowing = creating kind of manifesting that is what we makers are really here to make.

Next Week: Manifesting for Makers - Part I - how compassion can unleash our passion (plus an exercise in how to figure out what we really want ... within seconds)

Dish Towel Holder Tutorial - Upcycled Gift Countdown Week 2 - and a quick history lesson for lazy hubbies - LESSON: no hubby has ever been shot while doing the dishes

Anyone who reads my blog

(and is paying attention I know that leaves many people out ... I won't hold it against you)

knows that I have a little bit of an obsession with upcycling books - as in I have the need to drill holes in them and otherwise destroy them.

(I blame my Nook)

This is a very simple gift that is as usual easy-peasy to make. I made this for a friend's black and white kitchen.

(I am trying to show her how vintage pieces can add character to a space - for times when my actual old as dirt self is not at her house providing the vintage character personally)

You will need:

a book -

that you can bear to part with, preferably something a little kitcheny - if it has Julia's face on it that is a total plus -

vintage kneader/masher, pipe holders, screws, marking pencil, drill, hanging hardware

1. mark your holes 2. drill your holes - as always when drilling into a book - go slowly - this is a lesson from Smokey the Bear, folks 3. attach your pipe hangers NOTE - you have to add your kneader/masher - what the hell is this thing anyway? -  at this point - I had 2 screws in when I realized there was no way to add the kneader/masher without taking them out - luckily you have me to guide you through this and you will not make this mistake  4. add a sawtooth hanger (drill, glue, hammer) to the back - you can measure the placements of everything - I just kind of eyeball things (since it's not going in my kitchen after all - ack)

VOILA! now you just need a super-amazing dish towel - I highly recommend one by the amazing Xenotees 

For another towel rack featuring a vintage rolling pin see my other tutorial HERE and for something else to do with the kneader/masher thingamajig see my other tutorial HERE

time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana ... really

I have become a little obsessed with arrows lately

(I think it started with repurposing an old dart board as a message board complete with arrows in my office - will have to put up a pic of that soon)

so when I saw what the amazing Katie of BlackStar is doing with arrows  and color with her gorgeous jewelry I was totally inspired to paint some cork!

These will be in my Uncorked shop soon along with lots of other new work for the holidays!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone - if you have a minute check out my post on working with the phases of the moon over on the EcoEtsy team blog HERE

xo all

10 More Things I Learned about Trade Show Selling from the New York International Gift Fair

I have a new series percolating on manifesting for our maker businesses, but just realized I hadn't posted anything about my exhibit at NYIGF last month!

(my bad)

So here are my top 10 lessons learned (most the hard way) that anyone considering a tradeshow to offer their handmade whoseewhatsee to industry might find helpful.

(I am all about being helpful after all ... and perky ... I am all about being helpful and perky ... or wait that might be what Olive is all about, but some of her habits have rubbed off on me over the years - luckily not her habit of trying to impregnate the beach towels)

NOTE - wholesale selling is not an absolute step for growing a handmade business (in fact it can put you out of business) and trade show selling is not an absolute step for growing a wholesale business - I am rethinking this myself.

1. Location is very important.

Your customer will not walk this entire show - it is huge. I had a good location - not a great one. Next time I will have a great one.

(now you get what you pay for with this and I have been told you have to pay your dues a bit- will have to let you know about that one - with smaller venues where customers walk the entire show this is less important)

2. Display your items the way a store would.

This is the first show where I set up display packages to show customers exactly how my makings could work and look in their stores and it made a huge difference. I am very sure it doubled my sales.

(also don't expect buyers to buy things you haven't displayed - they come to the shows to see the real thing, not pictures)

3. Buyers don't just want to hear how great your whoseewhatsee is - they want to hear how well it sells.

Wholesale requires a different pitch. This time I focused on my proven selling track record first before I talked about how cool and amazing my makings are. Buyers and store owners have almost certainly made buying mistakes with new sellers in the past and can be gun shy about placing first orders - you want to make things easy for them.

4. Brick and Mortars have different needs than our own retail websites. 

I sell picture jewelry. Online I can have hundreds of images - stores can't carry that kind of variety. They need just the right customer to come into their store to purchase my whoseewhatsee - things have to be a little more wide-appealing for them (they may not get a customer who just has to have an orange octopus on a cork walk into their store). You may need to think about this.

5. Your show neighbors are not your competition - play nice. 

I have done shows where it is obvious that everyone feels in competition with everyone else - this was not one of those shows. I do not feel the need to compete with anyone (maybe because I am old and tired - ack!) - I believe in setting up my business to draw my right customers to me and I do. I make jewelry. So do alot of other people. There is no store that is selling my jewelry that is not selling alot of other people's jewelry, too - we are not in competition with each other.

6. Get credit card numbers. 

Buyers do not want to pay until their items ship, which is usually weeks and sometimes even months after they order. I get it. I am OK with that for the most part. I still need to be more proactive with credit card numbers so I am not playing phone tag for weeks.

7. Follow up. Alot of this show is about connections - make the most of them. I believe in multiple contacts with the same store (rather then contacting a bunch of stores then moving on to a new bunch of stores).

(I know from my banking days we had much greater success with traditional advertising campaigns when we targeted the same customers again and again - maybe they got familiar with our name and felt more comfortable, maybe we just wore them down - I'm not sure, but I know it works)

At previous shows I got overwhelmed with my contact list and didn't follow-up like I should. This time I have and can already see results.

8. Be yourself. This is what branding is all about. I have been told my display is too busy (could be), that my banner makes people at a distance think I sell dog products (could be), that my display is too eco (as in eco-friendly) but since I am a busy, dog-loving, eco-friendly maker I stick with being myself. 

9. Lighting. You need great lighting. Next time I'll have great lighting. 

(Suzanne from Tanner Glass had great lighting)

10. Never take antibiotics on an empty stomach - I was on antibiotics during this show and knew this warning - always thought it had something to do with the medicine digesting probably - but running late one morning without breakfast I took one and found myself running to the restroom 15 minutes later and continuing to be very nauseous for about an hour - of course when you think about what antibiotics actually are this makes perfect sense. When I am old and gray (or maybe I should say older and grayer) this is the lesson that will stick with me best from this show ...

the nerds always win in the end ...

Everyone I know has had stuff

(often the stuff we thought our lives were made of, if only so we can find out that we are made of stronger stuff)

fall away in the last couple years and especially in the last few months - dreams, jobs, friends, marriages - which makes total sense since the energy on the planet right now is about all of us moving on and we can't move on without letting go of everything that can't go with us; everything that we think is holding us up, but has actually just been holding us in place.

Losing what defines us and moving into a space of finding out who we are without that work or that boyfriend or that group or that dream is a place where alot of us are sitting.

The place of uncertainty that is really our most natural space - but that we have been conditioned by society to fight against in an effort to control life, the very thing we are here to experience and not control - the place we need to be embracing instead of trying to work our way out of as quickly as possible. 

(astrologically speaking - as above so is below - October will be a things coming together month for lots of people, so hold on)

Since I am more of a Course in Miracles student than a Law of Attraction student I am not so much into manifesting stuff just because I think it is good stuff because often life's most amazing little golden nuggets are found in the very stuff I would never in a million years want.

When I was four years old I was burned over 30% of my body, luckily scars stay the same size as we grow (isn't that fascinating - I can't help thinking of the emotional and spiritual scars that also seem infinitely smaller as we expand through compassion and forgiveness) so 30% of a four year old's body is not 30% of my body today, but in a split second my entire life was changed.

The little golden nugget is that the grown-ups around me went from saying Cat's so cute to Cat's so strong - and strong is an amazingly, wonderful thing to have people thinking about you as you grow up and into that. Reflecting someone's growth back to them is very powerful - probably why counselling works for so many people.

(also why we need to use adverbs instead of adjectives with our little girls just as we do with boys, we tell little Morgan how pretty she is and then turn around and tell little Jack how fast he can run - girls need adverbs)

Anyhoo, back to the Law of Attraction. There is a kind of spell on the planet right now regarding scarcity, lack and stagnation - all having to do with money. Our "can't do that in this economy" speak helps no one. And in fact if you are a sensitive and awake person you will have to work at not materializing this mindset since it is so rampant.

The Course in Miracles teaches that prosperity and abundance are spiritual concepts, things we deserve just for being alive - they are not tied with money, unless we need money to do the things we are called to do in this lifetime (which often happens, so it is easy to get this mixed together).

The more of us who are focused on doing the service we are called to do in this lifetime, the things we love to do and that contribute to the lives of others, regardless of the money - the more and more the world will move in the direction to support this. We have to stay open to what life sends us when we work from this place.

Obama, Romney - no one can "fix" the economy because it's built on unsustainable things (like war and oil) and money is energy and needs to flow (and it's not) - but we can move ourselves into a space where prosperity and abundance can be untied from money - by doing what we love (have a passion for) that contributes to others. Why can't we have a world where everyone does this and everyone is taken care of - why do we have to pay to live on this planet? We are living in a world we created and life is pushing us to create a new one. More than the leaves are falling this season!

(p.s. also I should mention this week may be challenging for many of us because the New Moon in Aries next weekend is activating the Uranus/Pluto square - it is sort of a testing time where we are being called on to get through some kind of crisis without our usual back ups and it is giving us the strength to do it)

(pss - anyone out there with an active blog geared to makers or greenies send me your link and I will add you to my blog roll - xo)

julia is never wrong .... blowtorch yes - scissors no

I haven't signed into blogger in so long

(in fact I think it is my longest absence since I started this thing almost 5 years ago - even longer than my usual holiday rush absence or my exploding cyst absence or even my "I got a new Nook" absence)

that I forgot how to sign into this thing

(and actually although here I am, I never remembered how to sign in because I realized I was already signed in and just needed to find the little box that read 'new post' ... sigh)

I will be caught up with wholesale orders by the end of this week (yay!), just in time to have surgery on the 24th - (ugh) so right now I am just working the process and trying to stay sane - which for me means 

my goals have been reduced from Become a New York Times Best-Selling Author and Develop My Products for QVC to Don't Eat Peanut Butter With My Hands and Keep Metal Shavings Under Finger Nails from Getting in Eyes (and peanut butter).

Not that I actually had any such goals (the big ones I mean), but they do make me sound like the confident, little go-getter with the big, hairy, audacious goals that I sometimes imagine myself to be ... anyhoo, I promise to be back soon.

And as someone much smarter than me - which means everyone from Oprah to Uncle Jesse Katsopolis - once said " when you are hanging on by a thread, stay away from the scissors". Wishing everyone a scissor-less day .... and sending you all peanut butter hugs.

xo

come see Olive and Jane's Addiction in Seattle!

Heading to Seattle tomorrow for the annual Bumbershoot Music and Art Festival - I am looking forward to this amazing show and visiting my family in Portland this Labor Day Weekend

(also looking forward to getting back to normal and caught up afterwards!)

Have a safe and happy Labor Day everyone! If you are in Seattle stop by my booth and say hello!

(it's amazing the kind of crowds drawn to cork jewelry and car parts, huh?)

when the cat's away ...

This is what Olive does when I am away -

she waits

she waits on the front porch

she waits by the front door

she lays on the bed in our room and listens ...

Hubs does the exact same thing ... really ... it is just my imagination that he seems about to burst with joy when I leave and he will be home alone.

"Wait, you're leaving - what will I do without you?" - he pretends to be sad while his mind races through the million things he never gets to do when I am here, that he will now get to do as much as he wants to. I have no idea what these things are and I do not really want to know.

I know he eats alot of salad when I am gone - without me - this guy would be so much healthier.

He also sleeps. Alot.

He is kind of the MacGyver of sleeping (thank you Holly for reminding me of this awesome show) - he can sleep through anything - glasses on, boots tied, laptop lying crookedly on his chest - he is out within seconds. But he is a sleep-liar.

He will never admit he is asleep.

ME (quietly taking the remote)
HUBS (eyes closed): *snort* NO! No cooking shows! I’m still awake!
ME: No, you’re not.
HUBS: *snort*
ME: Are you awake?
HUBS: *snort* *snarfle*
ME: You are asleep.
HUBS: *snarfle* No,no I’m not… *snort* *snarfle* What? Who’s asleep? *snort*
ME: You’re sleeping. I’m taking the remote.
HUBS: *snort* Whaa? *snort* Who? *snort* No, I’m NOT! *snort*

NOTE: *snort* = imagine the sound a gigantic pig might make rooting in the mud (not that hubby is a gigantic pig, but if you come into our bedroom at night and close your eyes, you will totally believe there is one in here with us)

So, when I am away and call home - he always claims to be working on some project around the house when I can tell from his voice (snort) that he has just woken up.

He also continually uses the wrong question word - this is totally unrelated, but drives me nuts and I am feeling the need to document it this morning.

So, for example I say "so and so has a new car" and he'll ask "where?" or I'll say "it looks like rain" and he'll ask "who?" - this is obviously a listening to me thing, because I have never heard him do this with anyone else.

DRIVES .. ME ... NUTS.

I am leaving again. I am flying to Seattle on Thursday with Kella and Chris to sell my goodies at Bumbershoot and visit my west coast family for a few days.

When I booked this trip Labor Day seemed like weeks after New York Gift and I thought I would have plenty of time for everything I needed to do. UGH!

For me, the first stress of any trip is the airplane ride. The last time I flew I spent five hours and thirty-six minutes wedged into the middle seat next to a man who spent the entire flight coughing, sneezing, and being as aggressively contagious as he could possibly be without actually licking his hands and wiping them on my face. UGH AGAIN!

(note to self - buy airborne)

Anyhoo, I had better get to work this morning. I got something like 27 new accounts from New York Gift - YAY - but first have oodles to finish up for Bumbershoot.

I will try and post about New York Gift this week before I leave. It was an adventure!

xo all

Olive takes a bite out of the big apple ....

I will post all the details next week, but wanted to get these pics up for now! So happy to be home!

off to NYIGF ... have a great weekend everyone!

Off to New York International Gift Fair - Booth 5001!

Wish me luck - will let everyone know how this goes and post pics soon.

when a bowl of cherries really is a serious thing ....

Yes, I'm still alive

although I should state clearly here, since no one in my family listens to a word I say, and this should be written down somewhere that in the event of my actual demise -

probably in some "gotta get healthy, better eat some fruit" related mishap (which I will explain later) - I want Monty Python's "Dead Parrot" sketch to serve as my memorial, obviously replacing Norwegian Blue with Cat Ivins.

Anyhoo, I have been slowly pulled

(yes, like taffy - my legs are about 6 foot long now)

back into myself by 6 accupuncture sessions, the amazing daily weather - hot, with the most gorgeous blue skies and cloud formations I have seen since I was six years old and would lay in the weeds with my sister finding unicorns and goddesses in the sky and our imaginings -

frequent barefoot walks in the backyard grass

(I have been saying for years that Olive is so smart and conscientious she only poops in this one patch of ivy in the backyard .. I found out many times this week that this is not true, dammit)

- and the Olympic games which I have been crying over for days and days.

(are these not the most amazing people on the planet - good God I love them all - felt so terrible for those Russian gymnasts - wish everyone could win)

I should also say that since I stopped blogging, my blog readership has increased, just another sign from the universe that sometimes it pays to know when to just shut up.

I will have some answers tomorrow on some health stuff which remains unchanged - the accupuncture doesn't seem to have done much for that - it has helped bring back some motivation and focus that I had lost although I have to admit it is still determined to play hide and seek with me ...

I am preparing for New York International Gift Fair in a few days and have never felt so unprepared for anything

(with the possible exception of childbirth, my first driving test - luckily I was an old pro by my third and that time I interviewed for a job and forgot the name of the position I was applying for - note ... it was CASHIER)

The one good thing about dealing with anything health related is that it puts everything else into perspective and my goal for New York is now to "have fun", truly, truly I am going to "have fun"

and stay away from cherries.

(ok time for the gotta get healthy, better eat some fruit story if you are still with me)

I was home alone.

(well, Olive was here, but very determined to separate a toy mouse from its squeaker at the time and paying no attention to me)

I was eating a cherry (gotta eat more fruit) and had the entire cherry in my mouth (stem removed, of course).

I had separated the cherry from the pit and obviously what any normal person would do at that point is take the pit out of their mouth. But what did I do? I took the cherry out of my mouth and swallowed the pit. This all took place in about 2 seconds. I immediately realized my error - mostly because I couldn't breathe

thinking fast (I am a quick thinking Jersey girl after all) - did I try to perform some kind of kitchen chair heimlich on myself, well, no - did I call 911 before I lost the ability to speak? well, no - so what did you do Cat, you are thinking because obviously I am still alive, as I stated in my opening sentence.

Well, I grabbed a pen and wrote CHERRY PIT in big letters on a paper napkin ... so people would know what happened to me and sat down.

(luckily the damn thing popped out of my mouth a second later all by itself - acid reflux has its advantages I guess)

So, I am off to watch the closing ceremony of the Olympics - I love these kids!

(I noticed hubs brought home some cherries again today - kind of like tossing peanut butter into the peanut allergy kid's backpack, I think - I'll have to keep my eye on him)

xo all

... 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!

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

happy birthday america!

Happy Birthday America!

236, 237 (where's a calculator or a nine year old when I need one) years ago today our 13 original colonies approved the Declaration of Independence proclaiming our inalienable right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"- (well except for people of any color other than white and of course, women)

this was heady, important, amazing stuff and the world we know today literally formed around it.

Jefferson's masterpiece also declared "all men are created equal

(even as he owned hundreds of slaves who labored over his 5000 inherited acres)

And so America was born already doing battle with itself over what we know and what we do 

(I lived it this morning myself with a cinnamon bun)

and 236 years later we are maybe still as flawed and divided as we are inspired and connected - for everyone who is sure things are falling apart, there is someone else who knows things are coming together.

Maybe they are both right and maybe it is all a good thing.

For today, let's party like we're 236 - where's my sparkler?!
*pic stolen from suburbancampsite's blog - thanks K&C

Upcycled Table Legs to Picture Hangers Tutorial - when good legs go bad

I snatched up some amazing old table legs and spindles recently with plans to put them in my garden,

but I decided a couple needed to end up indoors so they would last longer!

These are super-simple - just add back hangers and cup hooks and you are all set.

(my camera has been very temperamental lately so my pics are kind of blah, but the spindles are actually pretty cool and simple and add a touch of handmade whimsy to store bought frames)

I think a simple picture grouping with these hangers over a couple frames (not too many) could be amazing. 

Note - I tested these with my lead test kits I use for vintage - if they test for lead you might want to seal with varnish or pass them by especially if you have small children ...

2nd Note - A good feng shui tip for vintage is that old things can carry the vibration of their previous adventures so it is always good to keep them in bright sunlight for a day or two before bringing them indoors

and definitely give them a good "salt wipe down" - rock or sea salt pressed onto a damp cloth and wipe all surfaces. A lot of time the energy around old things is very stagnant because the previous owners let the things sit and that energy needs to be wiped out before you bring them into your life!

Also I should add that I have brought my computer back to my desk today and am 'sitting down' again - I was a lot more productive last week, but not in the way I had hoped ... more on this later ...

received this note from the universe today and thought I'd share it ....

Cat , please help spread the word. Here are the top 10 ways people give away their power:

1. Asking others what they should do.
2. Thinking God decides who gets what.
3. Worrying about how their dream will come true.
4. Thinking they have dues to pay.
5. Attaching to unimportant details and outcomes.
6. Believing in soul mates.
7. Thinking karma or spiritual contracts are absolute.
8. Fear of anything, especially falling in love.
9. Waiting for their ducks to line up before acting.
10. Choosing to be unhappy.

Understand the truth, little bird, and you will soar.

Caw-caw,
The Universe

*don't shush your inner voice print by emily mcdowell draws

Pricing for our Skillset - Part II - why we had better be doing whatever it is we are doing very, very well

Skillset is the tricky part of a maker's pricing formula.

This is probably why no one talks about it very much.

(skillset can sometimes be offset with the uniqueness of the maker's makings and their presentation and, yes, I know that kind of offset can annoy makers with practiced skillsets over thousands of hours, but it is just the nature of business right now - unique trumps better but unique lasts about 5 seconds and then you had better get yourself some more unique - or some better skills)

If we are not continually improving our craft, even the best marketing and sales skills won't save us in today's competitive environment over the long haul.

Wait- what the hell are we hauling? Forget I said it. Let's just call it building a sustainable business - no long hauling here - I am way too lazy for that.

We need to stay on top of our craft and be learning new things - this means taking courses, reading books, experimenting, exchanging ideas and best practices with trusted peeps.

Skillset matters. Producing something of quality matters. Producing something that matters matters.

And lots of other stuff that goes into crafting a successful product and creating a successful business matter, too, but we need some maker chops for people to take us seriously.

We need to know what you are talking about. We need to know what we are doing. We need to be doing good work - no, we need to be going great work (not flawless work - because where's the soul in that) - and we need the skills to do it.

(And yes, we also need to pay attention to developing trends - where is the market heading? Are customers' budgets shifting? What are we being asked about the most? What's being talked about? This is not always something we need to take action on, but we do need to be aware of it and a huge plus to being a small business is that it allows us to be fast on our feet and pivot and change direction and even move backwards if we do want to take action)

Now at a certain point our skillset will start to matter less than our reputation and the uniqueness of our offerings because life is a giant circle after all or a spiral really, bringing us back again and again to the same place at a different level - a place where we bring our experiences to bear on a similar situation allowing us to choose differently. It is no different for our businesses.

With a maker business our most important asset is us. So making a commitment to invest a reasonable percentage of our energy (time and money) into improving our skillset will sustain us over the long haul (I can't seem to escape the pack mule verbage - ugh).

Back to tie this in with our pricing models in Part III - for the maker who needs (ie heartful yearning) to make stuff and Part IV - for the maker who needs (ie heartful yearning) to use certain skills

* surrender print by the talented jessica grundy of solocosmo

getting off my a$$ - the true story of a crafty solopreneur's adventures standing up for herself

this is my chair ---->

this is the chair that sits in front of my computer ---->

this is the chair you will not find me sitting in for the next 7 days ---->

You may be asking yourself -

Is she going on vacation?

(I wish, but dammit, no)

Did she get a new chair?

(no again, although this one does have some rips - they don't bother me though)

Well, fo' sure she's not going to stand up for a week, is she???

(because in my mind you all talk like Eminem)

YES, I am getting off my a$$ (the dollar signs are my way of not cursing at you) for the next 7 days.

I have a chair at my work bench of course, but the rest of the time I will be (cue the Jaws theme song) STANDING UP.

I am determined to cut down on unnecessary web-browsing time (why does checking one little thing turn into a 30 minute distraction for me) and get myself into a more active position with the goal of working smarter

(I always stand up for important phone calls - and now I will get to pace again, like I used to when I had a real job and an office and a door so no one could see just how much pacing I was doing, in fact I hardly ever sat down to work and now I am mostly always sitting down)

I'm going to put my computer on a higher cabinet - I'm not going to be all scrunched up over my keyboard, don't worry - I will be standing tall - in fact I plan to be 3" taller by the end of the week.

(kind of picture Brooke Shields printing paypal labels - without me actually looking anything at all like Brooke Shields)

Desperate times call for desperate measures folks- I will let you know how this goes , but I have to go now - my back hurts.

what's in your wallet ....

A few years ago I took some feng shui classes and when cleaning out some boxes of clothes yesterday

(our bedroom closets are finally finished - yay - I will post pics soon)

I came across some of my notes.

Feng shui is the 3000 year old Chinese art (science?) of balancing the energies in a space to assure the health and good fortune for the people using it. It's based on the idea that the world is alive and filled with chi or energy.

During the class we used a compass and made a Ba-Gua of each room in our house (an octagonal grid containing the symbols of the I Ching). It was fascinating and has made a big difference in my life and especially how I look at the things I surround myself with.

One of my biggest aha moments from the classes

(you have to picture Oprah for this)

was about the way I cared for and carried money.

I used to have a wallet crammed with cash and notes and receipts - I was buying a bigger messenger bag every year and could never find what I needed when I needed it anyway.

Anyhoo, some of the changes I made from this class that I think have helped change my financial life are:

1. Carry your cash in order with the biggest bills on the top, always face up (I did this instinctively from my banking days) - you want to see the large bills when you open your wallet so you tell yourself - I am prosperous and always have more than enough money.

2. Have a large enough wallet that the cash is not crammed in there and separate the cash and coins.

3. Do not carry receipts in your wallet because they represent money going out

4. Do not carry photos in your wallet or notes, etc - your wallet is about attracting money and taking care of yourself with your money and nothing else

5. If your wallet is falling apart or is hard to close (money will be flying out of your life) or hard to open (you will be too tight fisted with your money) - get a new one. Buy one that you love.

6. Carry credit cards that feel good to you - if you have cards that represent debt to you keep them somewhere else. If you have a credit card that means abundance to you in some way put that on top so you can see it when you open your wallet.

(debt has gotten a bad rap the last couple years, but if you can look at debt as society's belief in your future earning abilities and are not afraid of it, it doesn't have to be a bad thing - it is always your belief that makes something good or bad)

7. Take care of your wallet. Know where it is.

8. Do not keep stagnant money in your wallet. Use it. Bring in new bills. It needs to flow.

9. Don't be all - "this cash is dirty I have to wash my hands" - there is a money exercise HERE (I haven't tried it yet, if you do, let us know how it goes) that you might resonate with.

Now, life is all about paying attention to your intention and our money doesn't work any differently.

* beautiful handmade wallet by Tanya Ivanova of Tizart

Pricing for Our Skillset - the piece of the pricing puzzle that doesn't get talked about enough Part 1

When I was a bank manager

(yes, I was a bank manager, please don't judge me)

there were salary ranges for different positions within the bank.

So, if a bank teller's hourly salary range was $10-$15 an hour, a total newbie would get $10 and a teller with say 5 years experience would get $15 and a teller with 20 years experience would get .. well, $15.

There was a certain dollar value attached to specific work and at some point more experience just didn't translate to better, more valuable work - to make more money the teller would have to develop new skillsets and transition into a different position; one with a higher (perceived) value.

As makers things are different, but the final say in our perceived value is determined by our customers (some would say "the market" but I do not believe so much in large homogenized things like "market" right now, so we will just say customers).

And the skillset we bring to the table greatly factors in too, until it doesn't anymore.

Let's say you are a person making necklaces who buys a charm and a chain and strings them together and if you are working with certain materials - either one of a kind findings or precious metals or stones or if you package or market your necklace in some very clever way you can charge more than someone who goes to Michael's and buys a charm and a chain and puts them together, but ....

this is because you have expended more energy (in the form of time or money) into your makings to increase their perceived value

you have taken the time to either search out those one of a kind findings, or make that special packaging or do that branding and marketing establishing yourself as an expert or you have put additional money into the metals and stones you are working with

this is not because you have a greater skillset and often when you factor in the additional energy expended - you are not really making more than our Michael's shopper because for makers in a crowded marketplace - skillset matters.

Many online shops were likely started with a 'what the hell' - let's throw it up there and see if anyone buys it

(and I know this pisses off a lot of skillset focused makers and the only reason it doesn't piss me off is because it is pretty much exactly what I did with my shop Uncorked in the beginning)

and I don't think this is something to be totally discounted as a jumping off point

sometimes the best way to start something new is by making the earliest conditions for success very, very easy - of course if this "easy" isn't followed by "more challenging and skill growing" we are in for a whole heck of a lot of well ... nuthin much.

There are also makers that start a business with a skill set that has been developed over time (which is how I started Polarity) and sometimes many, many years of time and this has to be factored in - until it can't be anymore because this increased skillset cannot be recognized by the customer as increasing the item's perceived value (and then lots of things other than skillset come into play).

There has been so much great info out lately about pricing for makers and hopefully talking about skillset (and raising of standards and challenging ourselves) will contribute to a fuller conversation.

As makers wanting to be paid what we are worth - which for many people means enough to quit our day job or pay our bills without actually factoring in whether we are doing the kind of work and have the kind of skillset to justify that yet -

well, if we want to earn what we are worth and if we are working from our hearts we are worth a hell of a lot - well to pay us for that we need to be thinking about just what we are doing to produce well, magnificence

yes, magnificence let's go there - even when there requires us to stand on our toes and stretch out our arms and fingers all the way - and to be attuned that when our skillset reaches a certain point (maybe someone who has been knitting for 2 years has the same skillset as someone who has been knitting for 10 - or maybe she doesn't) we probably need to be adding value in other ways.

So, anyhoo - will continue this series next week and if you want to know what the hell I am getting at here (which is multiple things actually because life is messy) you will have to stop back (please don't hate me, but I miss you when you're not here).

NOTE - the new moon on Tuesday in Gemini was exactly conjunct Polaris the pole star - Polaris is on the tail of the great she-bear constellation, Ursa Major.

It's known as having great spiritual power, since all the stars appear to revolve around it. Many legends associated with the star Polaris and the she-bear Ursa Minor are about women and spirituality and I have been obsessing about Polaris for a long time (I even named my locket for her)

and since all signs above are pointing to a new empowerment of the feminine down here it is worth reading about. There is a little essay here that supports all my feelings about this new moon.

* may the odds be ever in your favor print by cloud and clover