Category: Miscellany

The Virus Chronicles

Or stories from quarantine…or pandemic play by play…or tales from behind the mask…

It seems like I’ve disappeared. I really haven’t. I just have been hiding from some forms of life since February. I don’t think I’m the only one. Let me go back and fill you in on what’s been going on.

Back in January and February I was finishing up a business plan for a brick and mortar creative store. Almost ready to commit to commercial space I found out my parents were having some health issues….and there was a deadly pandemic on the horizon. My dad turned 90 in February and that was the marker for his health decline. Numerous hospital visits and my Mother, in trying to take care of him, fell and broke her hip. They both went into rehab but my Dad never came out. All of this went on 3000 miles away from where I live.

Stay at home orders were in place when my Dad passed away. There are more things going on around his passing that effected me emotionally but mixed with the virus threat it put me into retreat. We stayed home. We only visited with each other. We did all the quarantine things. Creativity took a hike.

All of the spring and summer shows cancelled. Not surprising. I felt like my creative brain was cancelled. Don’t get me wrong spending time with family was pretty wonderful. We had lots and lots of quality time to chat, connect, cook, and bond. We dove headlong into a bunch of home DIY projects …like 20 different projects all at the same time. (no they’re not all finished)

My creative retreat took me back into lots of sewing. I dug out patterns, made some of my own, and spent hours alone at the machine. I made myself almost an entirely new wardrobe…that I have no where to wear. But it was meditative and allowed me to take my mind off all the other things going on in the world.

That pretty much brings me up to date. This is my first public and/or social media post since February.

Surprisingly there are a couple artisan shows that are going to go as planned this fall. This news has plucked me out of my funk a bit although I feel a little off course. Grieving different aspects of life takes you off course. But I’m finding my way back through creativity…and looking forward to doing a few normal activities.

See you soon,
Susan

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Trying to keep it all together…

the real me as a clown
Clowning around.

With all the things going on in the world I try to keep my home life on an even keel. We keep routines, stick together as a family, and check on each other every day for things going on.

So when I decide to take on a big dream and disrupt the status quo things get interesting.

No details yet on what this project may be. I’ll fill you in at a later date. Let’s just say I’ve been dealing with a thick layer of fear around the whole thing and trying new ways to work through it…step into it…try to get by it. It’s a big thing so I’m in no hurry to get to it without due diligence but I’m finding fear to be a big stumbling block.

A few random things wandered into my field of vision to make me realize I wasn’t just procrastinating but stuck. The first was a line from a FB post…if your dreams don’t scare you, you aren’t dreaming big enough. Ummm okay! Think about that for a minute. If you’re comfortable, and possibly bored a bit, with your life maybe it’s time for a change. Made my brain start firing…

Secondly I saw a post from another self esteem guru that I love which reaffirmed that the universe was screaming at me…and I better listen! All the things I want to achieve are on the other side of that fear…

Here’s a little video I put together about fear…and, also, sticking your face in front of the camera is scary too! So I’m going to practice doing some more of these videos…stay tuned!

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Busy Times

Burnt raisin toast

Ever feel like burnt toast? Well…I have and do from time to time.
Took this last weekend off for a mental break.

So what’s going on…

My blonde daughter at her first art show in front of her booth

My daughter participated in her first art show with RAW artists in Costa Mesa, California. It was a raucous night with about 50 artists, a beauty booth, fashion show, and a huge nightclub backdrop. She visited with throngs of people and collected, as well as gave away, a deck of cards.

cartoon portrait of my son

My son is on the fast track to graduation. First he’ll turn 18 then less than a month later he walks down the path in cap and gown. Where does the time go?

colorful hula dancing girls made into earrings

Last week brought to life a gaggle of these. Dancing Hula girls for your ears.

…and a couple of gals similar to this…

blonde gals with crowns and signs that say i am what i am made into earrings

Many other things took shape this past week or so. As did a complete inventory of my jewelry selection. I have so many things. Some fabulous and new but lots that I’ve been looking at for awhile. Three or four trays of stuff were taken apart and I still have lots for a sale table at my next show.

Which is over Mothers Day weekend, May 11 & 12, at the Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo, California. Mark the calendar and come say hello. My booth is in the back parking lot space #5.
Also my booth will be out next to Heritage Lake at the Irvine Fine Arts Center on Saturday June 1st. Come mark the day with music, ceramic bowls of ice cream, and lots of great artisan work.

Just for the record the shop is still empty. I’m still having trouble finding the time between shows to refill it and keep creating. So please come follow me on Instagram (@susanmwb) and if you see anything you like please message me and we’ll work something out. You can also find me on Facebook or Pinterest at Susan’s Charming Trinkets.

See you soon!

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And here we go…again!

Basquiat
A little Basquiat for inspiration.

Just a little reminder to let you know I’m at it again!

This entire site was very underloved, underused, and, well, ignored. This week I decided to change it up and make it work! You’ll notice lots of changes. Different home page and the addition of my own shop! About time!

I’ve had over a decades worth of angst over my Etsy shop. Spending time listing lots of things only to have a show and come back to de-list most of them. List them again, nothing sells, they expire, I re-list, do a show, and unlist all over again. It’s a giant time suck and pain in the wa-zoo not to mention the giant mental block I have with it.

So about ten days ago Etsy announced that they would be raising all their fees, adding subscription services, but no one’s ability to be seen would change. Paid subscription or not. Ummmm….let’s just say I am not inclined to believe that entirely. It’s unfortunate but they’ve turned from being a very supportive backer of the hand made movement into a publicly traded must make money operation.

That said it is still an excellent platform with over two million shoppers peeking at it all the time. I will keep a presence over there. But all of my collection will be found here with only a few bits and bobs over there. I have yet to make a decision on my supply shop. I let it go a bit to get organized and decide what direction to go in. Am still deciding.  The real upside is that it lit a fire under me to get this site moving!

As of today there are a few things here. But keep checking back as I am obsessed with getting as much in here as possible!

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Vegan In A House Of Carnivores: Definition From A Favorite

I was doing a bit of dinner research trying to find a vegan dish that my carnivores would also eat when I wandered into a post about the difference between vegan and plant based lifestyles written by one of my favorite cookbook authors.

Hmmm…I may have to change my food label for myself (she says while adjusting her leather purse). My diet is plant based…entirely.

But…I am not as conscious about things like leather for shoes or handbags, wool or silk items of clothing nor am I caught up in the politics of animal organizations. But do we value the lives of animals? Absolutely.

We eat a little honey albeit locally sourced and we still wear leather shoes. Most all our beauty or household products are free of any animal products and are not tested on living creatures. We donate to animal charities with our dollars and our actions. Everyday we strive to do better.

I love Lindsay’s recipes…we cook from this one quite often…

 

All “plant based” and EASY! Pumpkin biscuits, raisin muffins, Thai lettuce wraps, peanut sauce, salads, burgers….all kinds of things! (as of today 11/17/2016 if you have a kindle you can order this digitally for $1.99!)

Anyway…I’m off to cook something…all this talk of “plant based” food has made me hungry!

 

Until next time,

Susan

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