baby, it's cold outside

you always know it's cold outside when pippi and satchmo curl up next to each other waiting for heat to come out of the vent...

amend the CPSIA - help us!

Via Etsy:

Many of our members are aware of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and the resulting sense of confusion sellers of children's items are experiencing. These sellers need to know how the legislation will impact their businesses and need to be informed.

The CPSIA is by no means a done deal. We are in conversations with the executive director of the CPSC, and they are listening to the micro-business community! Discussion is ongoing: makers and supporters of handmade and vintage items still need to voice concerns.

In light of this need for information, discussion, and feedback hinging on this important CPSIA issue, Etsy has launched a special temporary forum. Please post any relevant threads there.

Furthermore, for up to the minute info on the CPSIA, we would like to refer folks who are involved or concerned about the CPSIA issue to BuyHandmade.org's new blog, which includes resources and news updates. The Etsy homepage now proudly sports the new badge from BuyHandmade.org, reflecting the focus on this issue.

Please take the Buy Handmade Pledge and show your support for sellers of children's items by placing the badge on your websites and blogs.

Image from sweet pepita.

baltimore magazine again

my friends at BEST and CCCM had a sweet little party to celebrate the december issue of the magazine, and lots of nice people from the mag showed up and tya photographed it all... and surprise, when i got my february issue today, there was this sweet little spread. thanks again, baltimore magazine!

my favorite christmas gift

rick and i didn't do a whole lot for each other for christmas this year, but he did get me this wonderful pendant which is one of the best presents i have ever gotten. whitney at luckymebeads is just one of the nicest people to work with, she even saved a matching pendant for me so i can have another made when this little one arrives.

she'll do silhouettes of your pets, your significant other, anything! i would love to have that necklace above, but i really don't see us having that many kids... definitely check out whitney's shop, i'm sure you'll find something you love!

Obama!

oh, so proud of this country. hopeful, and eager to get back on track. thanks, President Obama.

necklace by blockpartypress.

business of craft meetup, this sunday

BEST will be hosting its first business meet-up at the Creative Alliance on Sunday, January 25th. The meet-up will feature roundtable discussions led by Cynthia Blake Sanders, MD Lawyers for the Arts; Rebecca Cason, former director of the Buyer's Market of American Craft; Jen Menkhaus (me!), working crafter and one of the founders of the Baltimore Street Team; Nita Gale, web designer; Ariella Levin of Baltimore's Best Bookkeeper; and Thomas Wynn, professional photographer.

Practical discussions will include legal and accounting basics; marketing, wholesale and pricing; and looking your best– on the web and in promo photos. Lunch will be provided (mouth-watering white bean hummus sandwiches!), a great time to get connected with other local artists and crafters to make new friends, show off your work, and share ideas. Come join us!

Come join us! Register through the Creative Alliance, here.

snow at last!

we had the snow pants, the boots, the gloves, the hat, the coat. we've been waiting for snow. when we woke up this morning to see snow coming down, the first thing the bean wanted to do was get out there and make a snowman. it didn't matter that there was barely enough snow to cover the grass-she was ready. now snow isn't nearly as fun to me now as it used to be. i mean, i don't get the day off "work", rick goes in anyway, and the bean's not in school yet, so snow to me just means snow. it's pretty and all, but it's cold.

we bundled up anyway, and got outside, and while the bean ran laps past me and threw snow in my hair, i tried my best to scoop up the little bit we had and make the obligatory snowman. he's about barbie-size, and the bean lost interest before i could go find mini-eyes, nose and a scarf, so there he stood, guarding our front walk.

then we got to go in and have tea and cocoa, which really is the best part about snow.

a very belated happy 2009

hope you all had a nice transition from 2008 - 2009! rick had the week off, so we had some much-needed family time. not restful, but good. we had a really nice christmas, then made it to cincinnati to see rick's family, eat some chili, and see the festival of lights at the cincinnati zoo. (that's the zoo in the photo above.)

we spent our typical quiet new year's eve, in our pajamas, playing games and snacking. lovely. since new year's i've been obsessively (between naps) trying to clear my house of all the clutter of the holiday selling season. you would not believe how much room felt can take up!

2009 has been a bit crazy so far. we've all been sick, had several trips to the doctor, one broken furnace, one broken camera, an almost-trip to the ER, and a bunch of busy-ness surrounding the event BEST is hosting at the creative alliance.

i'm super-excited to start out, i've got lots of new work swimming in my head, and lots made. as soon as i get my camera working, i'll have lots to share.

happy new year!