Updated website!

You're welcome!

The show went really well... as well as one's first show could go, I suppose. I was almost immediately aware of things I'll do differently next time (ie- one extension cord wasn't enough to get my lamp where I wanted it, and lighting was a serious issue where my table was located). I sold 3 items, but pretty expensive items, and I saw many people take my card. I'm eager to see if/how the show changes the number of hits I get online.

Big, giant thank-you/shoutouts to everyone who came out, with honorable mentions of Lisa, Aron, Anna, Vanessa, Kim and Kevin. My sister Lisa and her boyfriend Aron have been an indespensible part of undeadclothingco from the very beginning; from it's inception as an idea, Lisa's encouragement and Aron's business-sense have put me where I am now, especially with regard to the website and graphics. Anna, Vanessa and Kim hung out with me at my table and kept me from going totally nuts (even though I came close a few times). Anna helped me decorate my doggy-bags, replete with bat-winged hearts and the words "thank-you!" or "merci!". Kevin snapped a bunch of shots of my display, which I'll have up here and/or on my website shortly. This brief list of things people did for me doesn't even cover the fact that their mere attendance meant a lot to me last night, as it did for everyone who bought their rather expensive tickets from me (including my parents, Kristina and Lizz). Hearts all 'round!

Now that the show is over and done with, I have to focus very seriously on my thesis. I received a rather ominous email from my supervisor the other day, which leads me to believe I have less time than I thought to complete a draft in time to defend this summer. Defending this summer is of such desperate importance... I can't even articulate.

As such, June will be the official thesis month with sparse smatterings of fun every here and there. I have roller derby tryouts, some birthday parties and some pretty serious Top of the World parties to attend. I also have a vacation to plan, which appears to bleed into July at this point... we'll see.

Show tomorrow!

I could stay up late and frantically make more stuff. I could go to bed now and get up early to go to the Glebe garage sale (I won't call it great- not yet). I think I'll take the middle path and watch a movie before hitting the hay. I'm allowed.
See you tomorrow

"womanhood" - mini-rant

We don't get cable at my house, but we do get a few channels off the antennae; most of which are french. As such, I'm often watching something I don't really want to watch. Today, for example, I sat down to my mac-and-cheese lunch (eaten out of the pot, of course) and watched that bitch* Martha Stewart cook something amazing in under twenty minutes.

After Martha Stewart, there was this new talk show called Steven and Chris. Steven and Chris are very obviously gay, and their show (which I've seen a couple of times before) centers on classic stereotypical gay/female topics such as interior decorating, hot new fashion trends (gag) and fitness.

Today, they were discussing the findings of a recent survey where women were asked what they would do to lose weight. Some reported that they would shave their head to lose 15 lbs, and others would go so far as to spend a week in jail. Still others would be willing to have a 6th toe or lose ten years off their life. These findings are repugnant, but it's not what this rant is about. This rant is about how Steven and Chris talked emphatically about these findings and discussed where they fit in with the findings as if they were women.

Straight women and gay men share two things: sexual attraction to men, and (only in some cases) identification with traditionally feminine gendered stereotypes. That being said, being sexually attracted to men and identifying with traditionally feminine stereotypes A WOMAN DOES NOT MAKE. I'm not trying to lynch these guys for their gender identification, or the fact that they are successfully hosting a show aimed at a predominantly straight female demographic. I'm more irked at how I'm seeing womanhood conceptualized lately.

Recently, someone close to me revealed that they were seriously considering getting breast implants. She had lost most of her breast size due to having children. When I expressed my concern as gently and un-judgmentally I could, she confessed that she didn't "feel like a woman" any longer... despite the fact that she has kids! To me, the ability to give birth is among the most fundamental aspects of womanhood! Not to say those who are unable/unwilling to procreate are not true women. I count myself among this group. The point is that if woman is defined in opposition to man (which is almost always is), that's the biological difference. That's it. I'd much rather see womanhood reduced to biological difference than sexual orientation toward men, or obsession with losing weight.

*- I love Martha. She's still a bitch.

Things are shaping up nicely for the Saturday show. Kevin shot photos of everything I've made over the past week and a half; those pics should be up on my website by the end of this week. He photographed me as well, which was an interesting experience; I discovered that I'd rather sit in front of a gun than a camera. I felt absolutely rediculous sitting there trying to look nice with my buddy hovering over me. Any effort to look "natural" only made me feel sillier! Fortunately, Kevin was able to snap a shot of me glancing down to see if my toe tag was still on, and it turned out to be a really nice shot. I'm quite fond of it.

Yesterday I was literally dumped upon with a metric fuckload of leatherwork tools, findings, and whatever-else have you. I walked by my office today and gaped at it for a while. I believe I'll have a creative cadiac arrest when I get over my intimidation and dive in.

My friend Ben commissioned me to knit something as a gift for his baby niece. The thing about hand-knitting stuff as gifts for non-knitters is that if it's a plain piece, they may not appreciate the labor that goes into the item. As such, I try to find really different patterns to use so that they at least appreciate the uniqueness of the item, if not the fact that it's handmade.

Behold! My ego captured and displayed in true airbrushed, pixelated form!



FYI- the toe tag reads

"Name: Living Dead Girl
Cause of Death: luck
Remarks: undeadclothingco; nurture your dark side"

Another good weekend, I hope

Because this past week, not so good.

I've been as productive as I could with my limited supplies. Tomorrow, Kevin is going to shoot the new products for the website.

One week till the show!

A good weekend

It's funny; when you're sick in bed you become desperate to do all the things you didn't feel like doing when you were well.

I fell ill immediately after moving, so I was sick in bed with packed boxes surrounding me. When I felt a little better on Friday and actually got out of bed for awhile, I quickly became overwhelmed at how quickly May is flying by. I knew it'd be a busy month for me, but I hadn't accounted for two weeks in bed. The Basement Artists show is less than two weeks away, and I started to panic that I wouldn't be ready in time; that I couldn't even if I worked night and day.

However, in one day (yesterday) I managed to set up my office ("studio") and work on my thesis! All this, and I still had the time and energy to have dinner with a friend and go to a coworker's birthday party afterward. I was pretty impressed.

Today I slept in, and spent most of the afternoon at my parents house (mother's day, after all). When I got home, I got to work on the incomplete wallets I had started last December. Having been seperated from my sewing machine for four months, I was actually nervous to first turn it on. It's like hanging out with your childhood best friend after ten years... familiar yet somehow awkward. Once I got going though, both my hands and my heart immediately remembered what to do and why I was doing it.

I can't even describe how much I love to create. There's nothing like getting into a creative groove where every finished item is better than the last. As you feel your skills improving and refining, your aesthetic options widen and you can do more than you thought you had the skills to do. I worked for hours until I realized that I was incredibly thirsty and that my back hurt from hunching over my machine. I am no longer worried about having stock for the show.

Now, my only worry is what is known on etsy and craftster as "seller's anxiety"; is my stuff good enough to sell? Following this question is an equally stressful but more urgent one; how much to charge? The rule of thumb is to factor in the cost of your supplies and a decent hourly wage for yourself. Thing is, I spend HOURS on every piece. If a seam comes out even slightly crooked, I rip it out and do it over. Often times, I throw away something I've been working on for an hour or two because it has a tiny flaw that I can't accept. For reasons like these, I can't even afford to pay myself a measly $10 an hour; my products would be too expensive. But what can I do? I refuse to lower my standards of perfection. I guess I can only hope that I will eventually make less mistakes and pump through the more technical sewing parts faster and more efficiently.

I have a lot of work to do this week; I have an appointment with my photographer for this Saturday to shoot products for my portfolio and website. I hope to make exteriors for all the wallets tomorrow, and work on clothing Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday... I have some ideas stewing. We'll see.

In other news; website updated with my snazzy new logo. Like it?

Survive, I did

Barely.

The nasty flu I had been battling before my move made a comeback that has had me on my ass for the past 3 days. I went to the clinic today and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection... I suppose the "upper" has to do with the fact that a lot of the pain and pressure is in my head, not my chest. The doctor literally grabbed my skull and squeezed to see if that was it. Vulcan mind-meld style. It was really weird.

to-do

(in order of urgency)

- mark exams and enter grades
- paint new room
- finalize moving plans
- pack what little has been unpacked
- work on website
- work on thesis
- remember to attend staff meeting
- move
- survive this weekend