Longing

I'm not sure exactly what triggered it, but I'm completely, utterly and most certainly finished with summer. The sweet boy and I went to Kansas City earlier this week to ride some roller coasters and eat some BBQ and just to get away for a bit. Perhaps it wrapped up summer for me and I'm ready to move on. Perhaps losing my mom last week has helped to have me ready to close off summer. Perhaps I'm just sick and tired of the heat.

Whichever it is, I do know that every time I start to go outside, I am almost certain that it's going to be a bit crisp in the air. I'm almost certain that I'll see an orange leaf drift slowly to the ground. I'm almost certain that I need to go back in and get some long sleeves unpacked for the season. However, after stepping foot into the mid-August mugginess, I'm almost certain that my earlier certainties are those of a mad woman (or at least someone who is longing for shorter, cooler days).

I think the beginning of fall will allow me to reset. I'll be able to clean out the garden, sweep off the back porch (something I should have done before summer actually got here), clean out my summer clothes and pull out my fall wares. Soups will once again make up most of my weekly menu and the late night sounds of crickets will fade away only to become a distant memory until sometime next year when they start back up again.

The craft shows will start up again allowing me to regroup and figure out which direction Idyllhands is going in next (something I've been struggling with for a couple of months). This is something I'll welcome with open arms. Idyllhands has sat a bit idle (no pun intended), patiently waiting for me to return to my beading table with new ideas. I had plans to retire some designs and overhaul others. All of those plans were well and good until I received two requests this past week for the same bracelet that has not been in my shop for months. Hmmm... a sign that my regrouping is as simple as restocking? Perhaps. All are things I need to figure out... all are things that will happen this fall.

But for now, it's still August. The days are still long, crickets still loud, mosquitoes still biting, and grills still grilling. For now I still have time to be lazy out on the front porch, to eat fresh tomatoes from the vine and to wear sandals without abandon. For now, I still have time to put off the resetting that fall will bring until, well, fall.

However, I still long for and very impatiently await autumn.

Big Return... I hope

I do believe I am done watching tv and am ready to get back to making things. I've been carding wool like it's going out of style for the past few days and have come up with quite a few new lovelies. However, I'm running out of room to store them all - SO - as a welcome back to crafting event for Woolyhands, I'm offering a free surprise batt with every batt or roving purchase. That means, if you purchase three braids of roving, you get three surprise batts. See my shop for details.

I'm not sure how long this special will last... I suppose until I'm tired making surprise batts!

I'm a bit in disbelief that July is very close to being over. As much as I love what summer brings (longer days, tomatoes, other veggies, herbs) I'm not so sure I'm a huge fan of the heat. However, It seems like summer just began the other day and it worries me that time is flying by like it is. I want things to slow down, I want to just relax and enjoy. Instead of trying to figure out where in the heck last week went. Perhaps I need to take some vacation days from work and actually go somewhere. Suggestions anyone? And be realistic, I live in NWArkansas and would need to get there by car.

Well, my drum carder is calling my name so I'm off to play with wool.

The Return

Red, Red Wine Earrings - found in my Etsy shop

It feels like it's been ages since I've had time to write a blog post. I've been knee deep in the largest event I plan at Walton Arts Center. We have a yearly fund raiser that we call "Art of Wine". It's a HUGE event, tons of wine, tons of restaurants, and an equal amount of set up and prep. It's fun, it raises lots of money, but it wears me out and keeps me from being a part of the human race for a few days.

But I'm back, and I'm going to be putting a bit of time into my shop over the next few weeks. It might not mean new items, but it will be cleaning up some things, making sure my pricing makes sense, maybe a sale item or two, you'll just have to check in to see what I'm up to. I'm hoping a bit of attention is what my shop needs right now.

Things are a bit slow in Etsy land which I might have originally thought was the economy, but I think it's also the arrival of summer. I've found myself sitting here less and less and wanting to be outside more and more. I even bought myself a cute summer tank top today. I can't wear that just sitting here, can I? I must get out, enjoy the warmer evenings, and enjoy life. Sometimes, that means not spending time shopping on Etsy. Perhaps the same goes for everyone else out there.

As I look out the window, I realize this evening will not be one to enjoy the summer, it's raining and the lightening bugs won't be out doing a show. Ah well, I'll find something else to do.