Project Thursday

I really got in the Fall spirit today. At the nursery, we bundled corn stalks and dried flowers and then used them to decorate the store front. This girl from Kansas felt a little closer to 'home'. Sorry, I didn't snap a photo. However, I did take a few of the corn tassels and flowers home and will for sure be taking some pictures of them this weekend.

I am doing my first outdoor show this Saturday. It will be outside a little gift shop called Heartstrings located at 1572 Hwy 395 in Minden, Nevada. I am bringing my painted pine cones, upcycled clothing, retro racks, and a few paintings I snagged back from the Art Center yesterday.

I had just brought 2 of the paintings to the center last week, managing to squeeze them in by angling a couple of the big ones. Although a tiny bit of room was made because.... I sold my first painting to a stranger last month! You might recall that that was one of the goals on my 31 before 32 list. I only missed it by 10 days, but it's all the same to me. =)

Tomorrow I'm gathering all my goodies and setting up a mock table so I'll be all ready for the show on Saturday. I'll be there from 9am til 3pm. If you're in the area, come say hi! I'm using the corn stalk tassels and flowers to decorate my booth so you might just get into the Fall spirit too.

another Goal checked off my list

Although there is still plenty of snow, the ski season officially ended yesterday in our town. And I am so proud to announce that I made my goal = 30 days of Snowboarding! Actually, I went 4 times last week and ended up with 33 days... just for good measure ;)



Nick was also nice enough to video me a little. Hopefully I can figure out a way to edit them and make them fun for you to watch.

Other goals I'm working on right now include: making some spunky aprons from thrifted fabrics and sewing a dress from a pattern. Both are a learning experience for me. I have never used a pattern before. I bought this one particular pattern probably 1-2 years ago, but just finally opened it up and started reading through it this weekend. I don't even know what a lot of these words are, so maybe my mama will skype with me and help me figure it out :)

Here's a peek at the aprons. I'm giving them all yellow ties/belts.


And just thought this was a sweet picture I took today. A facebook friend invited me to Free Love Day: Draw a Heart on Your Wrist, Change the World. So if you are in need of some heart inspiration, there are over 4500 pictures of hearts on there now!


I also have a Media Monday post coming up right after this. So I'll brb with a little playlist.

31 before 32 update

I'm half way through the year (since my birthday, that is) so it's time to review how I'm doing on my

31 goals before I turn 32.

1. build spunkidoodle.com
2. redesign my blog <---- Yes! more like "finally custom designed." I will likely keep making improvements until I'm satisfied with it.
3. start selling on etsy.com <---- Yes! http://www.etsy.com/shop/spunkidoodle
4. sell a painting to a stranger <---- working on this one. *fingers crossed*
5. write and illustrate a children's book
6. be in a craft/handmade (ie Renegade Handmade)/art show
7. sew a dress via a pattern
8. grandma's cookbook/recipe cards
9. weekly dread love <---- work in progress

10. visit 3 new places/states <---- this is a yearly goal. I visited UT for the first time during the road trip back to Tahoe.
11. get a stamp in my passport/visit Niecey

12. make new friends and local connections <---- Yes. I joined TAL and have made friends through it and volunteered for V-Day and have made some new friends through that. Attended a local meeting for artists about plans for a coop. And attended an annual rotary club dinner and made some new friends and connections through that.
13. make an ear or neck warmer <---- Yes. I have made 9 so far. These 4 are still in the shop.

14. fill all the frames and canvases that left Asheville with me <---- in progress

15. reach day 30 of snowboarding <---- I have 24 days down so far this season. It didn't snow the whole month of January so I only went once that mth.


16. a snowboarding video, once I get better <---- started getting some footage, but it's hard to find a photographer on powder days :)
17. learn to sew a button hole
18. eat something new <---- cranberry sauce, frog legs, and (not battered or fried) calamari

(sorry, kind of gross. i didn't think to take the picture until after i had eaten it.)


(i've had battered and fried calamari before, but never this way)

19. find & try new healthy recipes...e.i. vegeburgers, beets, <---- black bean and acorn squash enchiladas, black bean salsa, pineapple pancakes, spinach hummus,
20. keep up with what my business/life models are doing/accomplishing <---- yes
21. create something in flash
22. alter clothing <---- yes. so far in addition to legwarmers and headbands, there's Nick's patchwork hoody
23. try some new dread do's <---- yes. Pippi style braids, yarn-bound braids, pinwheels, and a few others i haven't shared yet =)
24. a fun photoshoot <---- yes. they were product photoshoots, but there are some fun photos of me too.





25. make a bag <---- starting to plan
26. make a plushy <---- Yes! 2 sleeve monkeys
27. make some spunki aprons <---- in progress
28. checkout some local bands <---- yes. went to see the Jerry Garcia Band, and Mamma's Cookin'
29. get involved in the local art scene <---- yes. joined Tahoe Art League, have some paintings hanging in the Art Center, and involved with the development of an artist coop. Plan to also start volunteering with BATS (Bringing Art To Schools)
30. do something scary <---- YES! performed in the Vagina Monologues

as the 6yr old girl

31. create a schedule. tweek it as i go, but use it none-the-less <---- yeah, I use it sort of :)

Looks like I've completed half of them so far and quite a few others are in progress. That's actually better than I thought I was doing. woohoo!

31 before 32

Last January, I posted 30 before 31...although my birthday is in September. I did however review that list in September in case you missed it. I have carried over most of the 'in progress' and 'nope. didn't do it" goals to this new list. here we go.

31 goals before I turn 32.

1. build spunkidoodle.com
2. redesign my blog
3. start selling on etsy.com <---- Yes! http://www.etsy.com/shop/spunkidoodle
4. sell a painting to a stranger
5. write and illustrate a children's book
6. be in a craft/handmade (ie Renegade Handmade)/art show
7. sew a dress via a pattern
8. grandma's cookbook/recipe cards
9. weekly dread love

10. visit 3 new places/states <---- this is a yearly goal. I recently visited UT for the first time during the road trip back to Tahoe.
11. get a stamp in my passport/visit Niecey

12. make new friends and local connections
13. make an ear or neck warmer <---- Yes. I have made 5 so far.

in the shop

14. fill all the frames and canvases that left Asheville with me
15. reach day 30 of snowboarding <---- I have 2 days down so far this season
16. a snowboarding video, once I get better
17. learn to sew a button hole
18. eat something new
19. find & try new healthy recipes...e.i. vegeburgers
20. keep up with what my business/life models are doing/accomplishing
21. create something in flash
22. alter clothing
23. try some new dread do's
24. a fun photoshoot <---- yes. they were product photoshoots, but there are some fun photos of me too.
25. make a bag
26. make a plushy
27. make some spunki aprons <---- in progress
28. checkout some local bands
29. get involved in the local art scene
30. do something scary
31. create a schedule. tweek it as i go, but use it none-the-less

Another Year

Another year older. Another year of goals.
Yesterday was my 31st birthday so I'm looking over my list of goals I set this past year. I actually didn't write and post these goals until January, so this year I want to get started on them right away.

Although I didn't accomplish all my 30 before 31 goals, I am going to review them here anyway.

30 things before I'm 31

1. design/launch my website <---- I bought spunkidoodle.com! I have 'designed' it but have not BUILT it yet. The technical part is what I'm working on now.
2. redesign blog and make it public <---- I made it public in March. I have designed my website so the blog will probably look similar.
3. start selling on etsy.com <---- man, I was really hoping I could say 'yes, I am' by now, but I have just a few more things to do before opening it...such as product photo shoots, etc.
4. sell a painting to a stranger. <---- hmmm. well, I was commissioned to design an illustration for someone, does that count? :)
5. write and illustrate a children's book <---- nope. didn't do this one.
6. be in a craft/handmade (ie Renegade Handmade)/art show <---- I was not 'in' one, but I did get to attend Renegade Handmade for the first time and meet this awesome lady!
7. sew a dress via a pattern <---- nope. still on my list.
8. grandma's cookbook <---- nope. didn't do this one.
9. learn to snowboard <---- Yes! but I'm still not very good
10. get dreads <---- Yes!!!!

11. visit 3 new places/states <---- Since my birthday last year.... I was in the Outer Banks, NC for my birthday. Lived in Asheville, NC for 3 months. Visited New York City for the first time. Checked out Charelston, SC. Moved to Tahoe (Stateline, NV) in January. On the drive out there, I got to spend some time in NM and AZ. Did quite a bit of thrift shopping in Sacramento, CA. Shouted out Portland, OR (it was suppose to be Portland, Seattle, and BC but I broke my hand in Portland and had to cut the trip short). Went on a road trip with my cousin to San Francisco, Paso Robles, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo. Camped at Yosemite National Park for the first time. And then I lived in Nevada City, CA at a summer camp for a month. So not only did I visit way more than 3 new places/states, I lived in 4 states this past year (yeah 4, 'cause I also lived in Kansas for a month during the holidays).

12. get a stamp in my passport/visit Niecey <---- This trip was cut short. We made it to Portland (less than 5 hrs from the border), but a couple factors changed our plans. Niecey was sick and thought we should plan the visit for another time... plus I broke my hand and needed to get home to find someone to put a cast on it. So this one is still on my list.
13. handmade Christmas (& probably bdays) <---- Yep.
14. collect cool glasses and vintage fabric <---- oh yes.
15. make new friends <---- awww. I sure did. Some Indie Biz friends. Some Tahoe Friends. And my Camp Augusta friends/family. And a few others.
16. make an ear or neck warmer <---- no, but I made this instead.
17. fill all the frames and canvases that left Asheville with me <---- ha, ha. I gave them a run for their money. Here are some of the paintings I've done.
18. visit Sarah G. <---- I met up with her at Yosemite, but it didn't work out to go see her place in Mendocino.
19. reach day 30 of snowboarding <---- I passed the half way mark and then broke my hand. So sad to miss out on the second half of the season and my chance to get good at it, But it was super fun while it lasted.
20. me on video -----^ <---- Yes, from the beginning, but I was waiting to get a little better before I did another one.
21. learn to sew a button hole <---- the need never came up so I didn't even try.
22. eat something new <---- I tried quite a few new foods this year, with my favorite being beets!
23. find 5-10 mentors and keep up with what they are doing/accomplishing <---- Yes. I made a lot of new friends through the Indie Biz class I took. Plus the 3 teachers are so inspiring. Plus I even got to meet my #1 mentor/model.
24. learn flash <---- I read the e-manual and worked through a ton of the tutorials, but I dont feel like I have really learned flash. I need to be using it to feel like I know it.
25. make some promotional clothing <---- no. not yet anyway.
26. decorate my snowboard &/or jacket <---- I didn't bother because I realized that it could decrease their performance.
27. a fun photoshoot <---- oh, probably. right now, I'm looking forward to a photo shoot with my friend in exchange for this painting.
28. write up my business plan. <---- yes. it's evolving
29. make a grocery bag <---- no. I might still do this, but I actually received a few free ones already that I didn't 'need' to make one.
30. volunteer to design/paint, etc. <---- Yes. I volunteered a whole month of my life at Camp Augusta. I got to design and paint and be crafty! Plus I got to teach others those things, too.

A few other things I did this year that I am proud of...I did the high zip line in the dark. I survived the Canoggan. I road the Amtrak for the first time (actually 2 times...and by myself...and the first time was with a broken hand.) I found and had the best tenants ever. I took an online Indie Biz class from one of my business models and stayed on track with the assignments even though I had a broken hand the entire course....taking notes and doing assignments left handed. I finished a painting with my broken hand and was contacted the next day asking if it was for sale or trade. I learned to fly a kite. I completed some respectably long hikes at Yosemite. I'll probably think of more later.

I am in the process of accomplishing some current goals and consolidating a master list of them all. I also have some cute birthday photos to share, some garage sale finds, and more.