things and things

Remember last week when I was talking about being stressed and busy? Well, it continues. Its not too bad though... I am finally catching up to myself on things to do at work and at home. Jenn's still in town too, and One of those things was to upload pics of some things I have been working on this month. Man, I am way under producing compared to June and July, but hopefully that will get better.

In other news Jeff was in the paper yesterday... A full page spread on the Life section I might add! Go to: http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070828/ENTERTAINMENT/708280336/1005

Soooooo... I start grad school tomorrow. My class schedule looks like this: Tuesdays I head to the school counseling dept. for my GA hours under Debbie Bicket, then I have Foundations of Counseling and Guidance from 6-8pm. Then on Thursdays I do the same GA hours, then Integration of Christianity and Counseling from 5-6 and Professional Orientation and Ethics from 6-8.

I'm actually excited. I'm excited to pour myself into my profession and drink the fruit of my labor someday. I'm excited for the prospect of making more money someday. I'm excited to learn. yey learning.

I'll end with some pictures of my last month's work. It isn't much, but a few items here and there.


Joe's special order shirt


white shoulder bag


Flowery wristlet with rhino button


orange damask skirt with flower panels. On sale at Cider Days.

Ode to Joe and Jannah Swink

Jannah and I on a boat at my bachelorette party last year


A pic from Joe's last show this weekend at the Skinny


Jannah looking good as usual.


The girls get into the boy's costume closet at the Skinny.


In tribute to my husband and I's wonderfully close relationship to the Swinks, I would like to dedicate this post specifically to them. This week Joe and Jannah are off to South (or North?) Carolina for Joe's brother's wedding, and then they come back for two days to finish packing and then move to Virginia. Its incredibly sad that Springfield will be mmissing out on their presence here.

First of all--having a couple to share virtually every interest and hobby with is pretty amazing. Joe and Jeff do Improv at the Skinny, for one thing, but they also get together to explore, ride bikes, eat a funny Springfield Dives like Pappy's, go camping, and do pretty much everything together. Jannah and I have developed a wonderful relationship through our husbands this past year. We're together most Friday nights while our husbands are doing their show, we hang out with the same people, we live a block away from each other, and we both like to shop and sew. Jannah has become one of my best friends and I am both happy about her new future and mourning the crap out of her leaving.

To pay even a higher tribute, I would like to share a few funny things about this couple that you may or may not know:

Joe is the only person I know who will compete with me for building a fire whenever it is called for
Joe and I shared a deet-induced vomiting experience in the woods
Jannah is an amazing seamstress
I have developed a specific Jannah-inspired dog/baby voice when I say "you're a gooooood boy" to my dog Sam.
LOST is best experienced with the Swinks
I actually want to read Harry Potter some day thanks to Joe's enthusiasm about the books
Jannah is amazingly smart and intellectual--she has a masters degree in Communication
Joe finally gets to own a surf board when he moves to Virgina for good reason
Jannah has come up with the best darn cuss word to ever hit the planet (ask me about it sometime).

Anyway, Springfield will miss the Swinks. Jeff and I will miss the Swinks. We wish you the best of luck in the future and I'm stinkin glad that Jannah's parents live her so we can see them at Christmas.

oh stress!

I have hit the ground running since I got back from Colorado...

A new employee started under me at work
All new staff started in the program I supervise
Jenn's in town (a very good thing, but its been keeping me socially hopping)
Grad school starts this week
Joe and Jannah move this week
and...
Cider Days is just around the corner and I have so many more items I want to make.

I'm a bit overwhelmed. It came out today in a series of chores I did around the house. First it was mowing the yard, then raking the clippings, then working on the compost and watering flowers and so on. I started to get antsy when i came back inside and needed to sleep and do dishes and laundry and AHHHHH.

I think the big problem with my worries and stress is the looming busy-ness I am getting myself into with grad school and some possible new projects with KLASS at work. Am I going to survive? Will I continue to have a sex drive? Will I get giant bags under my eyes? Will I continue to have time to sew? Will Jeff and I still see each other?

I guess I can't know until I get into it. And you know--I know I'll be okay. I know I'll still make time for the things and people I love... More than anything I am excited about the opportunity to continue my education and to learn more. I am excited to become a better professional. I'm just a bit nervous.

As Jenn put it yesterday while dropping me off at new student orientation: Do you have your backpack? Do you have your pencils?

Winnie Wednesday!!

Jenn (Winnie) came home yesterday. I'm so excited, you have no idea. She's just PERFECT for me--- well, she is my twin. We've already been having tons of fun. yeyeyeyeyeyey.

Things at work have stepped up a notch--things are pretty busy. Good busy though. Moving forward busy. Make me cry busy b/c the kids are getting better, going back to school--SUCCEEDING.

What should I make sure I do with Winnie in Springfield this week and next? Leave comments and suggestions please.

The smell of flowers...

So I LOVE flowers. LOVE them. I love to grow them, smell them, water them, plant them, touch them, draw them, look at them, and take care of them. I like living flowers or plants though--not dead flowers someone brings you in a vase. I want to watch them grow and thrive... to pick the dead heads off and see new growth within a day or two.

So while out in Colorado I was not only impressed with the wonderful always-springlike weather, but more about how that made the flowers thrive. While walking in Frisco with Jeff I decided to take some shots of the lovely things. Here are the ten best. Tell me which ones you like the best--and also, what is your favorite type of flower?

Chicken

So I chickened out on the 14'er. That's okay, Jeff went and said it was super hard. I did a 12,000 foot mountain instead and had a great (and haaaaaaard) time! More on all of that later as I get pictures ready and such.

Tomorrow is WINNIE TUESDAY!

Colorado dreams

Well, forget that post a couple of days ago about Springfield being really awesome--- Colorado is REALLY REALLY REALLY awesome. I forgot. Needed to get that off my chest.

Its not that I think that Springfield sucks, or that Colorado is the best place, but it might be. Seriously--why don't I spend more time here (stupid salary job with two weeks vacation!)? Right now I am sitting on a deck overlooking the mountains with hummingbirds all around, I am wearing jeans and a long-sleved shirt, (God bless 70 degree weather in August!) I am hanging out with family---and l-o-v-i-n-g it.

Today we went white water rafting on the Arkansas close to Buena Vista. We went down all threes and three plus rapids. I guess I didn't know--but those are pretty technical. The first time I went about three years ago we went down Sunshine Rapid close to the Royal Gorge, which i guess is a class 4 rapid. We almost tanked it. I didn't know until this trip how close we were to serious danger. (And if you haven't ever heard the story--ask me sometime how my butt made an appearance to a bunch of tourist-strangers on that trip... but that's not suitable to post on the internet).

Tomorrow I am officially going to climb my first, and second, 14'er. Annie, Scott, Jeff, and I are climbing Gray's and Tourries peaks in one day. I have done a 13'er and a 12, but never 14. I hope I don't die of altitude sickness.

TO end on a not so rub-it-in-your-face note: I have only gotten to be here two and a half days. I need more. God has some stuff to do in me that I could use a little more time off to get. He's bigger than that though.

I WANT COOLER WEATHER (or at least a break from the heat)

And I get a break starting tonight! I get to head to the beautiful mountains and spend time with the lovely Houghton Clan in Frisco. As a tribute to the mountains, I will post some pics of things that make me think "wilderness" "cold" "mountains" and "vacation"---


Fabric from Repot Depot



Gift tags that seem oh-so-woodsie and modern at the same time by Kate Sutton



cute cards from pinecone and chicadee.


A very cute fall-ish necklace from glitteryblue etsy shop.


And of course--what favorite woodsy things would be complete without an owl? (of course, you're talking to me). I LOVE This little baby hilbert owl by redmag on her etsy store...

which makes me think, two of my WONDERFUL employees went out and got me COFFEE, Dark chocolate, and OWL COLORING PAGES for a stress-free present today. Gotta love people who know me well and give good gifts. God I love Espresso Malta coffee from Kaldis--and they gave me a whole bag! yes!

Ode to Springfield and cool people

Alright friends, its time to name-names and get to know each other. Last night I went to 1984, a cool downtown arcade where you can play amazing 80's video games. (I would highly suggest making your way down there if you haven't). The reason I was at 1984 on a Tuesday night was b/c a very cool Ozarkian Darren King was in town and decided to get all his friends together. Darren is the drummer for the band Mute Math (good music peeps) and is in the middle of some heavy blowin' up the indie/cool kid music scene. Recently MM has been on David Letterman, TRL, and has been at some pretty amazing music festivals such as Bonnarroo and Virgin.

Anyway, so I went downtown to say hi to my hubby and I's friend Darren and started realizing something as the night progressed: We have some pretty freakin' cool people living in Springfield. Not to name names (but to name names--ha!) I got to talking to Jaime Layne from the recently broken up band The Social, Jeff Smith who has a kick-a recording studio, Some guy named Roger who works for NPR in St Louis, Darren's amazing mom (she does intercessory prayer just like Winnie), Nate (the NEW host of the SKinny Improv--clap clap), Jeremy Larson, and several other fun peeps I am starting to get to know.

All of this rambling is to say that there were probably 40 other people in and out who do great things for Springfield and it made me proud to be from here. With all the talk of friends moving it makes you wonder if you want to stick around the place you grew up---but there is a lot going on in Springfield, a lot to be happy about. Culture is finally starting to thrive here, and I feel lucky to know and continue to meet many of the people who make that happen.

Shout outs to other Ozarkians I know well who make this such a great place to be: Jeff J., the Swinks, the Dockerys, Kesha and Charlie, Mary Helen and Dave, the Infamous Todd Williams, Nora Cox, the Todds, The Kitchens, Skinny Improv awesome people, Leah Hamilton, and all the many students I know through KLASS.

Favorite Springfield places (I'll throw this in b/c its on the topic): Greenways trails, Mudhouse and Mudlounge, Electric Newsstand, Marshalls, Target, Discovery Center, Galloway Station, the Nature Center, Phelps Grove Park, Imos pizza, Tea Bar and bites, MSU, Drury, Evangel, the Moxie, South Ave. Pizza, and Andys.

Ouch!

Been watching lots and lots of HBO lately... mostly Flight of the Conchords b/c they are a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I mean, have you HEARD "Its Business Time?" Please if you haven't go look that song up on YouTube... you won't be able to get it out of your head, and that's a good thing.
So all that fun inspiration of getting my tattoo to look better landed me at Hearts of Fire, a downtown tattoo shop on McDaniel street. Met the guy who owns it, Ethan, and had a GREAT (leaps and bounds better) experience getting the owl touched up. It looks great now, I'm super excited. It even seemed like it didn't hurt as badly... maybe it has something to do with the two benadryl I took earlier in the day after finding out I had to spend 5 hours in a house with two giant roaming-around-my-feet cats. (I am soooo allergic).

In sewing news I made another bag tonight that is pretty cute. Its similar to the "good conversation bag" I made around three weeks ago. No pics yet b/c Jeff has the camera in Colorado.

which by the way I am headed to Colorado on Thursday. I am so excited... going to climb a 14'er and go rafting. I use to be more of an outdoor girl spending my summers in the beautiful mountains, but since I got a full time job and such I can't really head out to the mountains every time i want... this will do. I'm excited.


-Mitch

New hair!

Okay, so the cat is out of the bag... i have changed my hair color... drastically. I didn't tell anyone b/c I was excited to run into people and them not recognize me, or even better, they'd freak out. But if you read this blog you have a leg up on the others. Its like you have your own special prize for being a good friend and giving a crap about what I am making and what I spend my time on.

So I actually had a lot of fun Saturday morning at the salon. Sorta suprising b/c I got there at 9am on a Saturday, but there are several girls who work with my hair stylist (at Image One Salon) that are all around my age and are pretty cool. One of the girls, Emily, has a pretty amazing group of sleeve tattoos up her left arm that made me motivated to get my owl tattoo touched up some. I think I'll change my tattoo artist (the guy I went to at Miller Cotton was sorta a jerk). I have one person in mind, but if you know of any artists worth going to let me know.

Lets see--what else about my weekend???? Joe and Jannah have decided they're probably moving. To Virginia. ITS SO SAD. They are Jeff and I's closest couple friends and now they'll be moving. Who will I spend time with on Friday and Saturday nights when Jeff has his shows? Oh sadness, I can't even type about it anymore.

K, well, enjoy the pics. These are things I spent yesterday and Thursday night making while hanging out with Jannah. (sniffle, sniffle).

-Mitch

OH YEAH--and the only way i know if you stop by is if you leave a comment, so tell me what you think about the new hair, the new items, whatev.

Red Cauliflower Wristlet


Guy's size L Owl and Branch Shirt


Size Small Grey Owl on Branch Shirt



Size Large White Pink Deer Shirt


Weekend Sunshine Purse

Cider Days!

I got a response back from the Cider Days jury and I got into Cider Days (An Arts and Crafts Fest in Springfield September 15 and 16) to have my own booth! I'm uber excited... means I better get to work, huh?

heat wave work

Today it is HOT outside. Crazy Hot. 97 degrees hot... and tomorrow is supposed to be worse. Thank god for air conditioning, right? How did our grandparents do it? geeze.

So after the show this past weekend I have been inspired to make more applique shirts and bags, b/c that is what sold the most. (plus i need to re-plenish!) So I went to target, bought about 6 girls and guys shirts in different sizes, and have been going to town with that and some decorator remnant fabric I found the other day.

Life has been about much more than sewing recently though. As you know, last weekend was super busy, and these next couple weeks are shaping up to be more of the same. Next week is one of my employee's last weeks at work, and I have to (get to) transition her replacement in starting the 20th. Also that same week I have new interns starting, and the following week I go down to 30 hours at Burrell and start grad classes at Evangel. I have been actually pretty stressed with all the changes coming up: haven't been sleeping well, and I have knots the size of Texas in my neck and shoulders. Advil is my friend. Winnie is coming home for a couple of weeks too starting the 20th... oh yeah, and somewhere in all that I am heading to Colorado for three days to be with the Houghtons on vacation.

So, sewing more items has been getting me through. Its so relaxing for me, and such a reward. Honestly, I want each and every item I made this week... maybe if they don't sell soon I will keep one of them (or all!) We'll see after I put them on the store.

mucho love,
Mitch

new things..

I have new things to add to the store tomorrow. I am excited :-)

Sword Fighting with Yakov

Yep, my husband officially is part of the Yakov Smirnoff show in Branson, MO. Today was his debut... I was very impressed by the show, actually. Yakov is a very funny guy, it was well produced, and my hubby being in all the sketches, dancing, and sword fighting with Yakov gave me the giggles.

First Friday = SUCCESS!

So last night Tessa and I hit the street to sell our handmade items. It was a blast! I met so many fabulous people, talked to a lot of friends, and sold a pretty fair amount of my work! It was very exciting to be a part of the growing art community downtown.

Because of our experience, Tessa and I plan on continuing our set up in front of Gailey's each art walk. Hopefully we'll continue to do well and get the handmade option out there for fashion in the Ozarks.



In other news, tonight's Mystery Hour is going to kick some major A$@! I am super pumped... he is going to have a new intro video done by the fabulous Nate Black, and some hillarious comedy bits to share. (And I get to wear my fabulous new Tessa Huckaba shirt I bought off her last night. sweet action.)

Well, enjoy the pics, stop by the store for new updates and merch.

love,
Mitch

Tonight's show

So, the show of my work is tonight. I'm getting pretty excited. I took off work this afternoon and tried my hand at men's polos and applique. I think it looks pretty good... (although i cant seem to post them on here upright so you'll have to go to my flickr site to see them). I also have two pillows I made this week and one apron. Thought I'd show them off in case they fly the coop tonight. More updates manana.

-Mitch

Green, Thick, Grass

So it seems as though I am the mowing "B@#%!" this summer. I got the brilliant idea in early May to "fertilize" the lawn (before learning its BAD for the environment, for real) which ended up turning our lawn into a constant headache for the rest of the summer. Mind you, its gorgeous (and weed-filled, but oh-well), but we have to mow it every week, like clockwork. And the grass clippings! I could go on for a long time about that chore.

Do many of the readers know that I am into "gardening" except we don't really have a garden, yet? I really really really like flowers. a lot. I like plants and flowers and anything I can watch grow. I get really stressed out when a plant isn't doing well. So recently I have been working on this flower bed in the front of the house (should I keep going, or are you bored now?) and its looking a lot better these days. Lots of yellow and pink and purple. sigh.

In other news I have officially put up the posters downtown. I'm not sure that posters actually do anything, but it was sorta neat to do it. More than anything the word for the "show" (Titled: A Little Bazaar") has been spread mostly through facebook, god love it. I've been suprised by how many people say they're gonna stop by and check out the merch.

I have priced approx. 17 items for the show. Of course I don't think I'll get a smidge close to selling that much, but I read in Adorn Magazine that you should bring everything to see what sells the best. And yes, I am taking everything from the ETSY store off for just that afternoon/evening, then putting the remainder of what doesn't sell back on the site.

Well, sorry no pictures today folks. I have new items I made but haven't had daylight time (thanks to the DARN GRASS!) to take pics of them.

have a great day!
-Mitch