Etsy Monday -- I'm in the Storque!!

So, I have so, so, SO VERY much to report about what has been one of the craziest weeks of my life (in a good way), but I'll start out with this announcement: one of my screen prints has been featured in an article for Etsy's blog, The Storque! I've known this was coming for several weeks now and am so excited it's finally here. Please check it out along with all the other wonderbulous, beautastic work done by the other featured artists that really puts mine to shame.

Redesign

I've been working on a new Internet look for myself for awhile and finally launched it tonight/this morning (it may have taken longer than I expected). Anyhow, check out the blog, the website and my Twitter page. Soon, I'll be updating the Facebook fan page (still feel silly saying that), launching a mobile site and providing an RSS feed for this blog, Twitter and Facebook updates on the homepage of my website. I would have done it tonight, but after trying out about twenty different widgets, I couldn't find one without a totally cheesy look. Alas, it seems that learning how to write my own widget is next on the to-do list unless anyone has any fabulous suggestions.

Have I ever mentioned how uncomfortable it makes me to constantly promote myself in such a manner? And yet, I know I need to do a better job at it. Consider yourselves warned.

When Legalese Kills

My sister, Mrs. Gee, has lovely hardwood floors throughout her entire SoCal home. In my new apartment, I have some lovely-enough laminate floors in the entry and kitchen. They're pretty slick--so slick that my little entry rug never wants to stay in place. When Mrs. Gee observed my rug problems on her recent visit up north, she couldn't say enough about this special rug double-stick tape that she uses to hold all her many rugs in place. I made a mental note to get some, but I think both Mrs. Gee and myself have little faith in my mental notes.

So, because she is thoughtful, when Mrs. Gee sent me a thank-you note for hosting her, she included a roll of the tape:

(Ummm, for the record, I have spent many nights at the Gee home and even treated it as my own personal hotel back when I had regular court appearances and depositions in the area, and never did I send a thank-you note. So... thank you, Gee fam.)

Mrs. Gee was right, the tape is a miracle. Why, then, is the packaging so lame? Not only does it not include any instructions for the tape (How much should I use? Should I apply pressure for a certain amount of time?), but it has one of the stupidest legal disclaimers I have ever seen:

If you can't make it out from my blurry photograph, it says "Decorative Items Not Included." Oh really? Because I thought there was an area rug and a wood floor stuffed into that 4"x4" quasi-box. Now I want my money back. Errr, Mrs. Gee's money back.

Did I mention this is a Wal*Mart product? I don't know if it says more about the average Wal*Mart customer or Wal*Mart's stellar opinion of the average Wal*Mart customer, but it surely says something and yet nothing about how to use the tape.

Also, does anyone know if Wal*Mart's legal department is hiring? Because I could seriously write these things. All day. While surfing the Internet, no less. And taping rugs to the floor. And wearing a blue vest.

It's official: I am a renegade

So, last year I attended the world-famous Renegade Craft Fair in Los Angeles and immediately thought, "I have found my people!" I made a goal right then and there to be a RCF vendor in 2010 and the resumption of cast-aside arts and crafts hobbies and the birth of my Etsy shop followed shortly after that.

This year, I started to have doubts when applications came due for the 2010 San Francisco RCF. The vendors at the Los Angeles show last year were established names like Jen Skelley and Poketo and I was wondering if I would fit in or if I was still a little too handmade for the "handmade" crowd. However, I remembered all that I managed to accomplish towards my arts, crafts and business goals over the past several months despite major family drama and life changes happening during the same period and figured I owed it to myself to at least apply.

Then the rumors started--Renegade had received twice as many applications for the SF show as they had booths available. I was sure a rejection letter was in my future but then I got word and the word was: I GOT IN!

So between now and July 31st I have plenty of work to do, but I have headed large activities and prepared for complex civil trials and therefore know that I am capable of putting together a good showing at RCF. I'm sure this won't be the last time I blog about it, but if you're in town during RCF, drop by the Fort Mason Center and say hi! And if there's one in your town, by all means check it out. You might end up selling at it next year.

Etsy Monday

Ruffled

Here is my niece, Miss Dub, who is three going on thirtysomething. I am positively ga-ga (I'm stealing it back, Lady G) over Miss Dub's Easter ensemble. Does that mean I'm thirtysomething going on three?

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

So my besties from Los Angeles came to visit this past Easter weekend. As it was the first visit to San Francisco for one of them, we hit the usual spots. When we were in the city and I was offering various options for getting around town, they suggested we walk from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf so we could pass through Chinatown and North Beach on the way.

Here we are in Chinatown. (You'll have to trust me on the "we are" part as I promised my friends I wouldn't post pictures of them, and then I succumbed to the peer pressure and didn't post pictures of myself.)

One of my visiting friends has been fortunate enough to spend time in the country of China, as opposed to just the town. When she goes, she fulfills her American tourist duty by picking up all sorts of kitschy souvenirs for her family and friends, including things similar to the bag pictured below.


Unfortunately, such was the bag she brought with her to San Francisco, and such was the bag she was wearing while walking through China (the town). Her friends from China (the country) have previously told her that, while such souvenirs are readily available to tourists, the locals are actually (and understandably) offended by things featuring Chairman Mao and communist propaganda. Since she's a sensitive gal, she hung her coat over the strap so it covered the image--no small sacrifice as it was in the forties while we were there.

We were also treated to an indie parade of sorts. When I could hear the drums and see dancing dragons up in the distance, I got really excited as the Chinese New Year Episode of Reading Rainbow made a lasting impression on me as a child. Unfortunately, it was not the best-organized indie parade and the tail kept having to confer with the head (see below). And yes, seeing this did kill the magic. Butterflies in the sky my eye.

Etsy Monday -- Crooked Vicki Prints