Munchkin's Fuzzy Advice for a Happy Life - 1/3/11

"When you have things to do, just yawn and roll over...they'll go away eventually."

Welcome 2011 - I solemnly swear to write more

Hi all -

My poor, poor, poor neglected blog.  Well, here we are just 3 days into 2011 and I have decided to write.  And to start off, let me beg forgiveness for the absolute thoughtless behavior that led me to ignore you for these last 3 long months.

So here I am, early on a Monday morning...up before dawn (crap), first cup of coffee downed in 2 minutes flat, first load of laundry in, and bleary-eyed in general...I am attempting to type some love to you fine readers.

Plans for the year -

1.  Blog at least 3 times per week - more living, more laughter, pics and Munchkin's advice on life.

2.  For the love of all that is pretty and shoes, I WILL organize my studio!  More than just shoveling things from one side of my table to the other.  Shoveling doesn't count.

3.  I will continue to let Munchkin bully me with his fuzzy demands.

4.  I will share the idiotic movies I watch, and the music I listen to throughout the day, as well as my trials and accomplishments.

5.  I will dance like an idiot, sing too loud, and bounce up and down and act like I didn't know you were watching.

Plans for today -

1.  Editing Etsy listings on winddancerdesigns for my destash section of jewelry supplies I have sworn to give up/pare down.

2.  If the freaking sun EVER comes out, catch up on product pics for headbands and french barrettes.

3.  Make something yummy for dinner with salmon that my husband will actually want to eat without staring at it like he's never seen a fish before.  (I miss CA...all the fish live there)  Although his cholesterol count is working in my favor on that - fish oil pills are icky.  I'm thinking grilled salmon with baby corn and sweet potatoes.

And now with all my plans (well, the ones I could come up with on that first cup of blessed life-giving caffeine) written down and the sun actually up now, I will call this first entry done. 

Please forgive its awkwardness and babbling...off I go to fold some laundry, make that 2nd cup of life giving sustenance and to actually get my ass to work. 

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is queued up.

Books on my shelf these days....

Some books I've been reading lately...thought I would share.  Of course I do not get to read as much as I like.

I like the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and this companion graphic novel was a fun read.

       














And the Dragonrider Series by Anne McCaffrey which has been continued by Todd McCaffrey.    















Still awaiting the last of the Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts - which looks to be out FINALLY on Nov. 2nd.

New website design is DONE!!!

Woohoo - came home from a show on Saturday to the new, and much improved Reyna Red website.

My older bro Matt, my web master and designer extraordinaire, has done some really cool things with the graphics and site tools.  Bigger, brighter pictures!

Check it out here!  Reyna Red - the NEW design

More new product to come this week as I add in all the new designs that I have been working on in the midst of Fall shows.

Favorite hot Fall colors:  navy, teal, emerald, smoke, warm burgundy, deep chocolate brown, garnet, and amethyst.  All aboard for those lovely jewel tones.

I should be...

I should be working.

I should be working.

I should be doing something.

Instead I am still in my pajamas, watching a movie,  and feeling generally like crap.  I think I am coming down with something.  So am drinking tea and Airborne, and waiting for Thor to come home with Theraflu and Ricola, zinc and anything else he can toss in to that kitchen sink of ick-fighting glory.

I have so many shows this month - I need to be working.  Tried to squeeze out a pair of earrings to match the kynite necklace from yesterday - but that didn't happen. 

Maybe I will feel better tomorrow so I can really buckle down and finish some of the new designs floating around in my head.

I should be working...but I am headed back to the couch instead.

NEW Diningroom - more tales from the home improvement phase.

As promised - here are pics of my completed diningroom.  This was the last room completed prior to my husband returning from deployment, and by far, the WORST project.

Started with absolutely horrifying vomit green walls...the kind of color that can only be conquered by gallons and gallons and gallons of heavy covering primer.  Walls and ceiling.  The geniuses that lived in this house before liked to live in a drab, dark cave it seems. 

So about 5 gallons of primer and two coats of paint later (nevermind the drama of clinging like a spider monkey to the ceiling and ladder to paint around the ceiling fan, since the previous owners puttied the fan cover to the ceiling.) and a lot of new accessories, I finally had a diningroom I wanted to eat in.

I updated my antique mahoghany sideboard with a little copper

foiling and some new hardware, it absolutely glows in the late

afternoon sun!

The stenciling on the pushouts came out great and it was super

easy to do.  I used the darkest color of the three on the stencils to give it some contrast.

And found these amazing enameled wrought iron wall hangings at Gordmans, which I used to accented the casing wall, as well as over the inspiration piece; the Felix Mas seriagraph.  We picked the picture up on our honeymoon and the framing is very Art Deco.  Looks amazing with the new linens and rug.                        

I was able to extend my dining table to its full length (can seat 10), and couldn't believe how large the room really is.  I guess that vomit color threw off my spacial recognition.

Such a brighter, happier room.  Even if Thor thinks it looks "pinkish".  hahaha.

And in my looooooong absence....

Hi there!  I know....I know....where have I been?  What have I been doing?!!  Why haven't I been posting about anything.

Well, as with most things...life kinda snuck up on me, got extremely crazed for awhile, and then if by miracle...suddenly cleared.

Top news tidbits -

1.  My house is done.  Finished the diningroom up a couple weeks ago.  Look for a separate post on that coming in the next couple of days.

2.  Fall shows have started in full swing.  Am booked up solid until beginning of December.  Check out here for a list of my shows until the end of the year.  Am adding a couple more soon...who needs to sleep?

3.  Hubby is HOME!!!  After many months deployed in Afghanistan, he is home safely.  *happy wife dance*

4.  Mini- vacay planned to KC next weekend.  Will be sure to post pics, etc. from that.  Possible Ren-faire action too.

5.  2 weeks until my next show which is incidentally my LAST outdoor show of the season.  Pray for me for good weather.  And rejoice with me that my special helper (hubby) is back to help with the heavy lifting.

6.  New web design is coming SOON!!  I will post some mock ups if I can (in my limited computer brillance) figure out how.  May need to send up a "I'm stupid, HELP!" SOS to big bro to help out with that, dear readers.

And that's all I can think of right now.  Hopefully that will tide you over for a bit whilst I get the pics in order for the separate post on my diningroom re-design...which I promise will be up by tomorrow.

Thanks for hanging in with me during my absence...and feel free to pimp me out to all the cool people you know.  haha...

Toodles,
Leah :-)