New Stocking Ornaments on Sale!

I just listed some new stockings, please take a look!  More to follow, in the meantime we're off to the Pacific Northwest for Thanksgiving.

Also, new dolls in the works.  Here's my latest inspiration ....(sorry, can't remember where I found this)

Happy Turkey Day!

Photography Woes!

Good Resolution, Not so Good color

Decent Color-Bad Resolution

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I suck (sorry, there's no alternate word that conveys such frustration) at taking pictures.

The only C grade I was given at UCSD was in photography.  And the sad thing is, I actually tried, and honestly didn't know what I could have done differently.  It just doesn't click in my mind.

So taking pics for Etsy has been rough.  I read through my camera manual the other day, figured out how to change the white balance and EV and actually in the last few pics the color came out much better than the first round.  However, somehow I'd adjusted the pixel size so everything came out blurry. It wouldn't be so bad, except that the best light I get is right before sundown, so it's race home, get everything set up and shoot, shoot shoot.  I hate being in a rush to do things.  But I have tomorrow morning too, so hopefully I'll have some decent pics posted by tomorrow afternoon.

Sidenote, we're going to family dinner tomorrow night and it's a costume dinner.  I haven't gotten to truly dress up for Halloween since Erik and I started dating, and consequently working at the Halloween store, 6 Halloween's ago.  We're so excited.  I've decided I'm going as Amy Winehouse.  It would be weird to dress up super hot & sexy since it's family dinner, and if you're not going hot and sexy, you've got to do something fun.  Can't wait!

Sign of things to come.

I hate, hate, hate admitting this, because I really despise the idea of fashion and things being "in" or "now", but unfortunately that's how the world works, and I caught myself carefully scrutinizing all of the fastidiously fashionable OC housewife Halloween clientele this weekend, to see what I am missing out on hiding in my seen by few breathing mammals hermit recluse I call an office.

What I noticed was plaid shirts. Really?? Wasn't it only the post-Nirvana midstream acceptance about 1994 that these went out? And they're back already? Mind you, not the grungy, I stole my hunter dad's flannel shirt because I don't care what you think plaid. They're more of a preppy, ivy league, catholic school, tailored plaid shirt. And long jean shorts. They look like skinny jeans, cut off at the knee. Ironically, I had just made some of these for the last back to school doll, without even really thinking about where the inspiration came from, I kind of just had them in my head. Now I realize how they came about.

Regardless, both look horrible on me. Another thing I've realized, I have a tendency to make the dolls clothes that I would love to wear but just aren't going to happen for me.

So, I found myself at Joann's on Sunday morning ( I snuck in an hour before the Halloween store opened) buying 3 different plaids and 2 new denims. I should have pics of completeness by Monday. I have 2 days off this weekend! A real weekend! So excited! I'm opening my etsy store Monday, regardless of what I have done. I have to get it open before October.

On another note, completely unrelated, I was reading this post today, and decided this is the book I need to read now. I had to drive to Fountain Valley & back today to deliver something for work (a 3 hour drive) and realized a couple of things. 1) I haven't had any completely indulgent me time in a long time. 2) The lack thereof has kind of made me feel like I'm losing a part of my identity that I really like. Like I'm actually losing good, unique parts of myself. 3) I enjoyed the day so much more than normal because I was OUTSIDE. It's beautiful here in the fall. I completely missed out on the summer, and I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to start being more selfish and do things I enjoy more whether it seems responsible or not.