i decided i was going to attempt 10 days of the master cleanse.  that’s right, i said attempt.  and by that i mean i went to the grocery store, bought everything i would need for weeks of cleansing, began the cleanse, after 4 hours, i ordered jr’s. – chicken cheesesteak and chicken parmesan, french fries and brownies.  yeah… so much self-control right?!?!

then i watched food inc.  oh boy oh boy.  that’ll make you think twice about when you’re shoving down your throat.  instantly i thought back to the days of being vegan and remembered how “healthy” i always felt.  and i mean felt.  like from the inside out.  i thought about the reasons why i was vegetarian to begin with all of those years ago.  i thought about how on my brothers birthday i looked at the usually eye-popping goodness of a giant whipped cream cake and only thought of a (earmuffs) blistered nipple of a hormone injected cow pumping out the milk that became the main ingredient in this sheet-cake of disgust.  then i was vegan.  years later, on my sister jenny’s birthday, a trip to cheesecake factory, the three of us ordered chicken dishes and entered back into omnivory.  oh then i was on a binge.  forget chicken, forget milk.  i was instantly eating bacon wrapped, deep fried hot dogs with cream cheese on top, recipe courtesy of crif dogs in nyc!

and i wondered why i had high cholesterol and no energy.  hmmmm.

i grabbed a book.  eating animals by jonathan safran foer.  and now here i am.  a few months into quitting meat.  i ALREADY feel healthier.

so as not to bore the heck out of y’all… the brief update.  new job, new apartment, new hair, new lease on life!!!

after nearly 5 summers at the same salon i recently packed my things and moved over to Katie Arbus’s shop High Maintenance Salon on monmouth rd. in oakhurst!  what a change of pace!!!  the vibe is laid back, bright, uplifting and totally my speed!!!

katie made my dreams come true by BUILDING me a room to offer The Turquoise Pony’s spa services in her shop!!!  i think this partnership will really enhance both of our business’ and provide a great place for our clients to receive all of the wonderful treatments that we offer!!!

since i wasn’t going to be working in allenhurst anymore.  and i no longer needed the extra spa room for The Turquoise Pony.

i decided why not move my home as well!!!  all at the same time, literally, same week even… i moved to a fantastic apartment in asbury park!  i’m only two blocks to the beach and right outside my door is a beautiful park where i bring jack and sammy more than a few times a day!!!  i’m almost ALL settled in!!!

oh and the hair… well i had to go back to black a little while ago.  you know, give the hair a break, let it heal.  well, it got boring… so the other day i had gena and lindsey at the new salon give my hair life again!  i’ve got my turquoise back!!!  thank goodness!!!

so that’s the update!

much more to come… so many good things are happening!!!

anyway… if you’re in need of some marketing genius get in touch with jenna.  she is super creative, smart, friendly and i believe she may even be able to work miracles.  we’ll see about that last one this afternoon!

xo. mel.

Candy Cigarette Girl

in addition to shooting weddings and all sorts of other events… brandi does boudoir photos as well… oh if i ever have the nerve!!!!!!!

check out her website.  she’s really really fantastic.  this made my night.

p.s.  i don’t want to go to work tomorrow!!!  :)

ok back to painting!  xo.

lots of new items and still many more to come!

my favorite… the OOAK wooden bracelet!

let me know what you think of the new items!

xo.missy

so!  my etsy shop is open!!!!!!  i’ve had a couple sales.  i’m going to be working on a set of bridal jewelry for a wedding in october.  and my coffee table is covered with more projects that are in the works!!!  i’ll likely be listing some more items by the end of the week.

then shortly after, i will be hosting a give-away!!!  YAY!

i appreciate any and all suggestions!  i’m new to selling on etsy and new to selling any of my items for that matter!  so if you have something you’d like to see, maybe the batea-inspired earrings but a little smaller…

the loteria earrings on a round surface… different colors… gold or brass findings… let me know.  i’d be so thrilled to hear!!!

i’m just getting back into the swing of things.  my brother walt and i, took a quick weekend trip down to myrtle beach, sc.  so much fun!  we stayed at a great hotel on the beach with two pools, a lazy river, hot hot hot tubs!  so i’ve had a little bit of a vacation hangover!

please, comment, let me know what you think so far!!!

xo.  missy!

thanks jenny for sending friends my way!

today's work area

so i’ll be making some fun fun earrings and other jewelry items to list this week!!!

while some things were drying, i decided to make blueberry-banana-pancakes!  i picked up this wacky pancake in a spray can the other day and haven’t had a chance to use it.  i also had a bunch of organic bananas and blueberries just about to go to waste… voila!  so so good!  the trick with the spray-cakes is to use a BUNCH of it and treat it like an omlet not a pancake!  yeah i know, strange.  D-lish!!!

tastes better than it looks!!!

so, i decided to write about us.  the crafters.  this sub-culture that exists all over the world, including all different kinds of people, different ages, races, financial backgrounds.  i thought it much more fitting then a paper about how up until just a couple years ago i thought i was german but now my father is pretty sure we might be dutch.  haha, crazy.

so here’s what i wrote in my paper, enjoy!

            At first glance, it is one of those groups that you can only assume met at an AA meeting.  Such odd pairings, drastic age differences.  What else could bring such an unlikely group together?  I can only imagine the thoughts running through the minds of restaurateurs and shopkeepers of downtown Omaha, Nebraska.  In November 2007, the entire downtown area was taken over by women of all ages, all racial and ethnic backgrounds, all financial classes, for an annual event taking place over the course of 4 days.  The bond these women all share?  Mod Podge.  Vintage photos, fabrics and papers, ribbons and trims and glitter.  Crafting is what these women all love, and what brought them together in Omaha for a non-stop crafting extravaganza!

            As early as I can remember, my mother would bring my sister and me to flea markets and craft fairs.  We had regular visits to stores like Michael’s and Frank’s Crafts.  Then come home with all of our goodies to make things that would adorn the walls of our bedrooms.  Sit atop our dressers and desks.  So it is no surprise to any of us that over twenty years later, our love of creating things continues.  My sister, Jenny, has a business with her boyfriend of sixteen years doing just that.  Creating, marketing, and selling their art.  So much so, that over the years their work has been featured in a number of magazines and other publications.  A piece of their artwork is currently featured in this month’s New York Times magazine.

            I am personally working on opening my own shop on a well known Vintage and Handmade website called Etsy.  It is the crafters eBay.  Anything and everything you could possibly want or need purchased directly from the person who made it with their bare hands.  If they don’t have exactly what you’re looking for, shoot them over an email and they will do their best to make it especially for you!  Not only that, you can find any item you may need to work on the project you’ve been thinking up in your head.  In addition to my Etsy shop, like most other “crafters” I have a blog.  A website, where I can give updates about what I’ve been creating, purchasing, finding, and eating!  Full of photos and links to other sites, a blog is a portal to hundreds of ideas and other people’s creations, to inspire you and keep you crafting.

            So after years of emailing back and forth.  Purchasing each other’s items.  Participating in “swaps”, which is where a group of 20 or so women will all create an item or items, revolving around a chosen “theme” and by a certain deadline mail the package of goodies to their “swap partner”.  It was an amazing moment to finally meet these women at the now widely known event called Silver Bella.

            Silver Bella is a “paper arts event” run by a woman named Theresa McFayden.  It has been featured in Country Living magazine and has guest speakers to make any crafter drool, including Mary Englebreit.  The event is set up into daily workshops, where classes are taught by some of the “big-names” in the industry.  There are banquets, dinners, luncheons, trips to local antique centers, a night of shopping – the “vendors faire”, and of course shenanigans only a group of women ranging in ages 17 – 70 can have.

            When the event ends, we return to our homes, and craft rooms, ripe with ideas and inspiration.  We all create and blog and share photos and stories.  And talk about how we can’t wait till the following year and who do we think they will have as the guest speaker next time.  It is a lovely experience.  And throughout the year following, we will all keep in touch through email and our blogs.  Sending our well wishes when a loved one falls ill.  Our congrats on someone’s child’s graduation from high school or acceptance to a University.  Oohing and Aahing at the creations of another crafter.

            So what does it take to become a part of this arts and crafts sub-culture?  Not much, a love of old things and a desire to create.  You will likely want a blog of your own.  Personally, I needed a bigger apartment!  A craft room, where I can get lost in making things was especially important to me.  I am able to go in, put on some music, and spend a few hours working on an idea that I’ve been coming up with in my mind.  It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a master crafter as a sibling; my sister was actually one of “the big names” teaching classes at Silver Bella ’07.  Instead of feeling like I can’t possibly compare or come close to her wonderful creations, I have my own style.  I use the tools and materials I feel most comfortable with.  It’s a great feeling of pride, so wonderful to receive complements on pair of earrings or a necklace you’re wearing when you made it yourself.

While there is a certain hierarchy in this sub-culture, no one is left to feel unaccomplished or less than another.  Everyone is appreciated for their talent and enthusiasm.  There is always something to learn.  A new trick, a great website you’ve never happened upon.  There is a great exchange of ideas and information in this Craft World.  It’s a joy to be a part of!

And you know my cover page was vintage wallpaper with an adorable tag with the title.  HAHA!