Creative Chaos

Stop Ruining My Songs.....Please

Dear Mr. Advertising Executive,

Because I know your time is very valuable, I will keep this short and to the point (or at least as short and to the point to which I am capable). Can we just discuss your stealing of songs and turning them into commercials (yeah, yeah...I know licensing rights...royalty purchase...whatever) As far as I am concerned you are stealing. It is nothing more than armed robbery of a perfectly good song from the recesses of my brain...... and, then, adding insult to injury - turning it into a Swiffer commercial. A duster teamed with Blondie is just flat out wrong. But, somehow, I think you already knew that. Come on people.....it's not fair that my 6 year old son thinks commercials came before the songs. It's not even remotely right that every time I look at The Office Depot, Bachman Turner Overdrive sing a resounding round of "Taking care of Business".   And, lastly, it borders on immoral that all my favorite (and even hated songs) are being hijacked by a commercial product instead of being what they were intended to be - Music.

Now, I understand, a good jingle is hard to come by nowadays. And, you executive types are scrambling under the siege of Tivo and cable. But, hey, that isn't my problem.  With all due advertising respect, aren't you PAID to come up with original cute and witty and/or touching and sentimental commercials that will keep us glued to our seat instead of going to the kitchen for more Dulce leche Hagan daaz with a bit of extra chocolate sauce, or, at the very least, pause our DVR. Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that these commercial involve nothing more than some $12 an hour college grad named Trevor hunched over his laptop scouring Itunes for the perfect rock song to compliment the new Nissan pathfinder. I'm mean, really, how hard can it be to slap Steppen Wolf's "Born to be Wild" on a SUV advertising campaign. Whatever happened to originality?!? Product identity?!? Good ol' fashion hard work?

So, let's get back to the drawing board people. I propose you invest in some new jingles and leave the music that has already been created for our ears and imagination alone.

Sincerely,

Me

Dear Mr. Advertising Executive,

Because I know your time is very valuable, I will keep this short and to the point (or at least as short and to the point to which I am capable). Can we just discuss your stealing of songs and turning them into commercials (yeah, yeah...I know licensing rights...royalty purchase...whatever) As far as I am concerned you are stealing. It is nothing more than armed robbery of a perfectly good song from the recesses of my brain...... and, then, adding insult to injury - turning it into a Swiffer commercial. A duster teamed with Blondie is just flat out wrong. But, somehow, I think you already knew that. Come on people.....it's not fair that my 6 year old son thinks commercials came before the songs. It's not even remotely right that every time I look at The Office Depot, Bachman Turner Overdrive sing a resounding round of "Taking care of Business".   And, lastly, it borders on immoral that all my favorite (and even hated songs) are being hijacked by a commercial product instead of being what they were intended to be - Music.

Now, I understand, a good jingle is hard to come by nowadays. And, you executive types are scrambling under the siege of Tivo and cable. But, hey, that isn't my problem.  With all due advertising respect, aren't you PAID to come up with original cute and witty and/or touching and sentimental commercials that will keep us glued to our seat instead of going to the kitchen for more Dulce leche Hagan daaz with a bit of extra chocolate sauce, or, at the very least, pause our DVR. Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that these commercial involve nothing more than some $12 an hour college grad named Trevor hunched over his laptop scouring Itunes for the perfect rock song to compliment the new Nissan pathfinder. I'm mean, really, how hard can it be to slap Steppen Wolf's "Born to be Wild" on a SUV advertising campaign. Whatever happened to originality?!? Product identity?!? Good ol' fashion hard work?

So, let's get back to the drawing board people. I propose you invest in some new jingles and leave the music that has already been created for our ears and imagination alone.

Sincerely,

Me

Thinking is so overrated.....

Here is a picture of a collage I did a couple months or so ago.  I love this collage.  Not just because it has my two boys in it; but because of what it represents - that I can produce craft in the midst of chaos.  This was done at the kitchen table with a 6 year old who wanted to do the same thing as me. And a 20 month old who wanted to do exactly the opposite.  Yet in the place that had once been my kitchen table I was able to create a little piece of art.  Well at least start it.  I have to be honest and say that it was completed when said 20 month old went down for his 2 hour nap.  The other thing that this project taught me was - speed is my friend.  I worked quickly, saving myself from over thinking the piece. 

Over thinking is what gets me into trouble.  Once upon a time when I was designing and selling these cute little frames and my baby/layette clothing, all I did was overthink, over analyze and over exasperate myself.   It was all about what was going to sell.  Were my reps going to like it.  Were the stores going to like it.  Were the customers going to like it.   My first thought was never....was I going to like it.   That's why I am so glad that I have pulled back and gotten back to basics. Although I still find myself thinking in this way, I have been more concious of designing and creating for myself and for the love of it.  Not for my reps or stores.  Also, moving into an entirely different medium has helped.  Creating jewelry has always been about myself and giving as gifts.   So it has been easy to change my frame of mind. So onward I go.   Creating without thinking....too much anyway....

It always comes back to the snuggly bed.....

Now, I know as all of you are looking at this, you are saying to yourself......"Doesn't she know it's called Studio Friday and not Bedroom Friday?!? Maybe we should clue her in..."  And, my answer to that is yes (not yes, clue me in, but yes I do know!).  However, seeing as I presently don't have full use (ok, let's be honest here, no use) of my former studio due to the fact it is now storing furniture, bikes, cabinets and various kids toys, I really thought about what gives me comfort right now.  And that would have to be my bed & some Home Companion or Sommerset magazines. When the kids are both asleep I love to peruse through my books and magazines finding inspiration for my "studio to-be" and my crafts.   Although, I do have to be careful though.  Because there really is a fine line between chaos and crafts.  For myself, I sabotage my creativity in pursuit of perfect space and time.  As soon as my studio is organized.....as soon as the kitchen is clean......as soon as the closet is cleared out.......as soon as I repaint the den....As soon as I learn to speak Spanish.......THEN I will be ready to create and craft beautifully inspired jewelry and crafts.  There will be no end nor bounds to my creativity as soon as the rest of my life is organized!!!  ha. ha. ha.   Intellectually, I know that that is wrong.  But, creatively, it's simply nothing more than a good excuse to procrastinate.   I procrastinate and convince myself that the perfect time to create perfect craft is somewhere in the perfectly organized future.  When the reality is.....the perfect time IS the perfectly disorganized "right now"

Always learning something new.....

I am very excited as I have figured out how to create different categories in my photo album.  It took my forever to figure out that if I just simply looked to the right of the Photo Album page there was a spot where I can easily create a new category.  Sigh..... Anyway, I am going to start posting more pictures of my "baubles" as well as some other "crafty choas".   These earrings are called "Cotton Candy & Cavier".  Is that how you spell cavier? It's not like I eat the stuff; but I thought it kind of fit this pair. 

I want to thank everyone who has stopped by from Studio Friday.  And, thank you, to those of you who have left comments.  Please feel free to leave comments anytime!  It's like a little gift that I get to open when I see there is a new comment!  Well, back to the upload drawing board.   

Good Time Charley.......

Me:   You really can make Andres laugh alot.  You're a regular Good Time Charley for your baby brother.

Carlos: Yeah.....  But..... sometimes big brothers...Sometimes they can be Charley bad times for baby brothers too.

Me: This is true. This is true.  hee hee.....

Testing 1...2....3...

I am ready for my holiday parties in these earrings.  I will be posting some more but I wanted to see how these turned out. 

They Listened To Me!!!!

I thought this was kind of funny in light of my "Christmas is Coming" post.  I received this the day I did my little rant.   I thought hmmmmm...maybe someone listened to me.  Creative Chaos....Christmas Chaos.   Sheer coincidence, I thought?  I think not!  Then I remembered the magazine spreads are done months before hand.  Hrrrmmpphh.  Anyway....all in all, I thought it pretty funny.  I find it humorous that there is a "cure" for all the stress that is created by Christmas Day.   As an aside....doesn't that cake look scrumptious.  I think I have to make it. Tonight. And eat it. Tonight.  Mmmmmmmmmm......

On a creative chaos crafty note, I am taking some pictures of some of my jewelry and other crafty items to put up in my photo album.  Now, if I can only figure out how to "work" that photo album, I will be in business.  I honestly can't even remember how I set those other two shots up.   Joe help!!!!

Studio Friday

In my meanderings on the web, I have found some incredible web sites with some incredibly talented women doing their thing.   I feel as though I have wandered into a different neighborhood peeking into people's creative windows.  One of the windows I looked in on is a place called Studio Friday.  I even had the courage to knock on the door and say hello.   I hope I'm not intruding....but I feel that this is a perfect spot to step my toes into the creative water. 

The this picture represents a a small piece of who I am.  Because I had no idea how to do the picture collage thing, I just set up a still life.  The one huge piece of me that is missing in that picture is chocolate and a cup of hot coffee.  Anyway, thanks for letting me into your "neighborhood". 

Baton down the hatches....Christmas is coming

I am actually feeling pretty jolly about Christmas these days.   I even began some Christmas projects that will be used as gifts for family and friends.  My typical M.O. is waiting until about 9 days before Christmas at which point I am inspired to make the most intricately complicated yet heartfelt and adorable Christmas gifts for all friends, relatives, acquaintances, postman, water delivery guy and meter reader.  Unfortunately, each said complicated and adorable handmade gift usually will average about 10 days to make. Thus finding myself repeating the same thing to everyone during gift giving....... "I was going to make the most incredible, beautiful and personal gift for you.  You should get it sometime around Easter."

Throughout my adult years, the holidays have brought about a complicated mixture a feelings for me.   And, frankly, the last 10 years has found me to be bit of a scrooge. It's not even a day.  It's a "season". It has been stretched out to cover the entire months of September - December.  I feel the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the media.  All media.  You name it; I blame them.  Magazines. Commercials. TV shows. The News. Overeager children.  Every last one of them. I am deluged with all things helpful on how to "Save my Sanity during the Season"......."Relieve the stress with a doable plan"....."Save your nerves and not get frazzled"...."Get everything done and still have time for caroling"......"Get it all done with out injuring or maiming your loved ones".....OK I made that last one up.  But still.  It's ridiculous how Christmas has somehow risen to the level of stockpiling and preparing for an impeding hurricane.  I mean for the love of everything in a box and a bow, am I preparing for Christmas or Armageddon.  Because at this point I am not sure anymore.  But one thing is for sure, having kids has definitely brought the magic back into Christmas for me.  I keep it simple for me and simple for them and let the "season" flow onto me instead of chasing it down.   

So with that said, I am going to go back and finish the glitter infused ornaments I am creating.  Complete some designs for some jewelry. And let vision of sugar plums dance in my head.

Dating My Blog

I'm so sad.  My entire post just got lost because I clicked on the design tab. Gone. Poof.   

Oh well.  Apparently, these are the harsh realities of blogging.  I guess I better get used to it. 

As I said so wonderfully and eloquently in my other post that is now lost forever.......I decided that I want to slowly start designing & crafting and generally become a creative person again.  That was something that just wasn't happening the last few years of pregnancy and baby time.  The last couple years I've been wandering about; contemplating becoming creative, but not actually doing anything about it. My main motivation for getting through the day was my wonderful, glorious and comfy bed that called my name every night with the beckoning song of slumber. Beautiful slumber.....

Just before I got pregnant and just as my then 4 year old was entering preschool, I felt ready to get back in the groove.  Starting with a 10 hour New Year's Day Clean Sweep Marathon and ending with drywalling and painting my studio, I found out I was pregnant. Pregnancy got the best of me and sucked every ounce of energy and motivation from my 40 year old body. However, this past year, each day  has found me with a little more energy.  A little more motivation.  I'm not only at the stage where I am planning projects, but actually completing them.

I love the blog.  I had no idea what a blog was until Joe introduced our crazy little group to it a couple months ago over at Blogspot.  At first, I was resistent to a new form of communication.  Who is this blog and what does he want from me.  Then I was smitten.....He's everything I want. Immediate gratification.  I can talk all I want.  I can post gratuitous pictures of my stuff.  What's not to love.   I had contemplated starting a web site.  But felt like I'm still not ready for that kind of commitment right now.  Too much pressure. Too many expectations.   The blog is casual dating.  The web site is marriage.  I just want to date right now and see where this leads.

I'm off to "WUAP".....I told you I wouldn't abandon you guys......K