To market, to market.

Thank you all so much for the encouragement and kind words on my last post! My new found freedom is rather exciting, although when I checked my bank balance....also a little terrifying!

My first batch of Keep Cozies were due to be dropped off at Lucky Rooster today, and quite to my surprise I had them all done and ready by last night! There was a minor hiccup with the hang tags, our computer was both out of coloured ink and internet explorer wasn't working so thank goodness for the Muji alphabet stamps I'd bought for Richard awhile back.

Armed with those and a wooden stamp from our printing stash I was able to come up with the above tags for the time being. Possibly the best part of the hang-tag project though, was watching 'Sixteen Candles' on our laptop that would for some reason only play it in German with Icelandic subtitles, 'Fred, sie bekommen ihr bossom!'
I was really happy with how the Cozies turned out, but at the same time have learnt a lot about what I might do differently next time and what stitches I have come to be obsessed with/love. I think Heather was really pleased with them too, so now we'll just have to wait and see if customers feel the same way. It was a bit of an odd feeling carting them over there, never having sold any of my own work before, and so strange no longer having them hiding in little nooks and crannies all over our house. Also a pretty vulnerable feeling I guess, creating something involves so much of yourself and now people get to walk past a window display and critique that.

Aaaanyway, I am excited about tonight and this weekend because a) I found Jane Eyre with Timothy Dalton at the Library b) I also found other exciting movies like The Red Balloon, When Harry Met Sally and My Fair Lady c) I am going thrifting with Holly d) the Parade of Lost Souls is tomorrow where I will be either Annie, Lucille Ball or Annie Hall (depending on what costume I can make and if I can find a tennis racket) and e) Julie and I are watching movies, eating and knitting under quilts and after the markets on Sunday. Oh the treats!

Time to go eat, knit and be merry. I hope you are all having a treat of a weekend, also.

xx

Goodbye Porpoise Spit!

This is officially my first day sans full time work. I handed in my notice at the art gallery a few weeks back, and after working my last day on Monday I am finally free of my windowless office, sleazy business deals and insane (to the point of not really working) filing system. Walking out of there and going to drink mexican beer with R was my 'Goodbye Porpoise Spit!' moment (for those of you who haven't seen Muriels Wedding, please rent it immediately).

Now I get to spend my time in here, the little nook R helped me to carve out for myself. It was the closet in our den, so we took the doors off, found a desk and then I got to play at organising my sewing/crafting stuff. Lets see how long it will stay that way....

My head is so full of ideas as to what to do with my new found freedom, I am afraid I will become overwhelmed and end up on the couch with chocolate and movies all day (really not such a bad idea) so I think after this week I am going to make myself a wee schedule to keep me on track with knitting and crafting projects. Of course time will also need to be made for baking, thrifting, midday movie-ing and walks in the fall leaves.

Right, I am off to climb under my quilt on the couch and finish my knitting order for Lucky Rooster (due this Friday, eep!).

So here's the thing.

the lovely Camila Engman, art and blog that i am enjoying at the moment

Another alone day at work, and of course this leads to various blog following....and wishing this wasn't my job. Of course, there are aspects of working at the gallery that are good. I get to be surrounded by amazing art all day, and stare at the giant Riopelle mosaic we have on our wall. I get paid pretty decent, and obviously have a lot of free time on certain days!

In my free time, I've been browsing the Women's Workplace Wednesdays flickr group, and seeing all these amazing studios (especially Camila Engman's studio, swoon) and spaces where women get to work from home, be creative, enjoy what they're doing, and have cool desks. I know its not all about that, and that maybe not all these women are happy with their jobs - so really I am being a little facetious, but the thing is that some of them are doing exactly those things. And surely, so can I.

Here is the thing. The thing is this....well. Ideally, I want to doula and create. I want to be at home when Richard is at home (our schedules are almost opposite at the moment) and chat, and create, and hang out. I want to have the free time to become involved in my community, because heaven knows my community in particular needs people to become invested in it. Hmmm.

This was not at all supposed to sound like I'm whingeing. Because, really the fact is that I've been inspired by so many people who have chosen to work, or really live, in a way they feel is authentic. Authenticity, huh Kate? It's what we come back to, every time.
So I bought this book recently, and I'm loving it ( I also love their blog too, which is more than worth a look). I'm loving the fact that it is not at all your classic business-y book, and that they're not all about making money and nice guys finish last, etc. And (never start a sentence with and, I know) they're women. Brill. I'm gonna do it! I'll still nanny (because I love them, and I love that they give me money for playing). I'm going to make Keep Cozies, get involved in the community garden, make from scratch more, support women, love my neighbours, drink tea, sleep in, advocate and resist the repression of the DTES, and sit in the sun. Not in an office with literally no windows.

The other thing is, I realise and want to make a point of noting, that I am in a pretty privileged position to even be able to contemplate this move. We are by no means wealthy, but we're comfortable and I have a stable, supportive husband. I also have a very supportive family. I am completely aware that this is not a reality for a lot of people, and that not only do they not have the support of their families, they also do not have the support of their communities or society. Obviously, having a beautiful craft blog, working from home or being able to create the perfect studio space is not the be all and end all - but having the chance to live a fulfilling and authentic life you love, is. It is so important to me, that people get to experience this freedom, so all the more reason for me to do so myself. And change the system I guess (crazy communist/anarchist/feminist/socialist/'insert leftist label here' that I am).

Am I making sense?

On a side (but related note), my lovely friend Julie and I have completed our website for our doula business, Blossoming Bellies. You should all check it out, and thank you THANK YOU to our lovely husbands for doing so much of the hard work for us (art work and website making). Bring on the mamas!