Hi Gang, Here's the scoop on holiday shipping...orders by December 17th will make it there in time for Christmas. I'm upgrading my $2 shipping to Priority Mail for everybody, so we can all sleep well knowing your gifts will make it there on time (I hate having to worry about that over the holidays!) Custom orders...we'll want to get the ball rolling on those by December 12th. Happy shopping!
Yikes! Open studios is just around the corner. So much to do, so much to do.
The Portland Open Studio Tour is a really cool event they have once a year here. Over the course of two weekend in October, 100 artists open their studios to the public so you can watch them work. Dave and I have been asked to join them this year.
So, if there's any way for you to make your way to Portland the weekend of the 17th & 18th of October, I highly recommend it. You can watch Dave make beads (which is mesmerizing!) and see my workbench in it's semi-annual, semi-clean state, which won't surface in this state for another 12-24 months.
Here's the event's site, where you can see the other artists involved, purchase your tour guide, and generally plan your attack. I think you can also buy tour guides at New Seasons Markets too. Hope we see you there!
Ok, I've had enough!
Don't you hate it when you add something to your cart, and when you go to check out, the shipping ends up costing as much as whatever you're buying?
Well I'm fighting back...shipping for all orders is $2. Take that! If you're in more of a hurry, Priority Mail shipping is $5.
So, ship away!
Ok, for those of you who have been reading this blog for a while (thanks, Mom and Dad :), you've read about my trials and tribulations trying to fit exercise into my life.
So I found a class at my gym that's exercising with hula hoops...I figure, I've strapped stupid contraptions to my legs, walked around with a rubber ball between my thighs, all in the name of exercise, I might as well try hula hooping. At least that's kind of fun.
So...I go to the class, who's there? A photographer from Portland Monthly Magazine to take photos of the latest exercise craze. And there weren't that many people in the class. I was completely mortified when I thought of all the people I know who read that magazine.
I'll post the article here if it comes out (please no, please no!) and we can all have a good belly laugh. I only knocked over the person in front of me with my hula hoop once...that's pretty good, isn't it?
This just isn't meant to be an easy thing for me, is it?
I just read that a new 1/3-ounce, 18-karat gold ring creates about 20 tons of mine waste. Holy cow!
So, I hardly ever throw a sale, like I hardly ever throw a party. But when I do, it's a doozy!
This Friday, July 17th I'll be holding a secret sale on this site. What's so secret about it? You've got to be on my mailing list to get in on it.
I'll be sending out an email Friday morning with a link to the secret sale, a special section of my site where only people on my newsletter can get in. Hiding in here will be all sorts of new pieces that will be premiering on my site on Friday, as well as some pretty steep discounts on some of my favorite designs.
How do you get in on the action? Sign up for my mailing list:
Thanks for helping pick out pieces for my Open Studios application. It's all wrapped up and in the mail. All's left is to wait to hear back. You guys will be the first to know. (Dave's jealous that he didn't think of putting together a poll...he had to wrack his brain to figure out which 3 pieces to choose...well, I ended up looking at all his photos too, so I guess I lost out too - fun looking at all the beads he's made over the years!) Thanks again! You rock.
I'm getting ready to apply to be an artist in the Portland Open Studio Tour. If you've even been on one, it's really fun, both as an artist and an attendee.
Part of the application asks you to submit 3 photos of your work. Aaack! I've got about 3,000 photos to choose from. That's where I need your expert opinion. Can you take this little poll for me and tell me which 2 pieces you like the best?
Ok, here are the pictures to choose from:
Ok, so I overdid it with the 8oo pounds of chocolate over the holidays. And maybe the weekly batches of banana bread might have had something to do with it to. Well, and yeah, the three dozen gingerbread cookies that didn't have a home. I guess you're right, I think I overdid it. So this is the first diet I've ever been on...I'm just not a regimented person...counting calories and that stuff. Too much high math. But I found one that's really yummy, the Sonoma Diet. You have to love to cook to be on it, but the food's amazing (Dave said he felt like we were eating restaurant food the first couple things I made). The first 10 days are HELL...no sugar. WHAT!?! But it's been a good gut check (I guess in more ways than one) to remind me what a realistic plate of food should look like...that living on pasta and garlic bread and chocolate croissants and hazelnut lattes...I guess that wasn't going to work for me in the long run. At least I can think of those days lovingly...they tasted so good!
Here's everything you wanted to know about holiday shopping but were afraid to ask:
Here's the biggie:
Free First Class Shipping for all holiday orders.
Here's the one to make you feel good:
10% of all sales from now 'till Dec 31st will go to Habitat for Humanity
Here's for all you procrastinators:
Shipping Deadlines:
Free First Class: Order by December 15th
Priority Mail: Order by December 17th
Overnight Mail: Order by December 20th
If you have any questions...give me a holler.
Have you seen the latest National Geographic Magazine? Well, they've found Superman's Lair.
Those are giant gypsum crystals that they found in the Crystal Cave in Mexico. The photos are just phenomenal. They're as big as telephone poles...I was watching the documentary on it last night...super cool. Well, maybe not cool. It was like 115 degrees in there. Amazing, huh?
Hi Guys,
I just put up a page for tobyDESIGN on facebook.
Better late than never, right?
Become a fan, or even better, add me as a favorite, and I'll send you a discount code for your holiday shopping.
Happy Surfing!
