Busy As A Bee

Geez... Long time, no write. Busy busy busy, as usual. Mostly just work, a little bit of creative time, more work, movies, and, oh yeah, more work. Man, having two jobs and a business is crazy. But crazy good, mind you...

The necklace to the right is one I listed in the shop a week or so ago (it's still up for grabs!). I'm super pleased with it and hope to do some more asymetrical designs in the near future (they always look so sexy on too). I've been debating whether or not I want to enter the Fred Flare Next Big Thing competition and I've decided to bite the bullet and do it. I'm so strapped with time, that I'll be entering a really simple design which I can duplicate lots of and not, well, kill myself doing so. Probably one of my signature charms strung on a chain for a simple yet super cutey necklace. I think my stuff could fit in quite well with Fred Flare, so here's to hoping I'm one of the lucky winners (and even if I'm not, I'm only out $5, which is fine too). And because I needed to actually buy some chains at wholesale prices, this means I'll have a lot of extras that I'll throw for sale in the shop as well so that you, oh loyal customer, can create your very own customizable necklace with one of my charms. I ordered some simple ball link chain for a nice retro look. Sweetness!

I'm totally diggin' my Netflix subscription as well. I've been watching lots of goodies: City of Lost Children, Marie Antoinette, The Prestige, Carnivale (season 1), A Very Log Engagement... Yeah, it's like Christmas every time I open the mailbox.

And yes, I loved Marie Antoinette. This came as a bit of a surprise. I remember seeing the trailor in theaters and nearly gagged on my popcorn. A butchered period drama set to an 80s soundtrack?! Are they INSANE?! Do they not remember that horrid catastrophe "A Knight's Tale"?! Ugh! I refused to see it. But because I was running out of flicks to add to my Netflix queue, I threw it on there. I don't regret doing so. Don't ask me how or why but the 80s punk/pop/rock/with a healthy dose of classical soundtrack really does work, and it works very, very well. The costumes are amazing, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the sets are to die for. We all know the plot, but it's done in quite a refreshing way here. Sure, as is the norm with Sophia's films, it could've used another healthy run through the editing machine. And the ending is a bit abrupt (I understand why, but I think it could have been handled a bit better). But I can sum up the entire film in one word: delicious. Lots of frills, girlyness, pinks, ruffles, sweets, and cakes. Once in a while, you just need one of those kinds of films. I bought the soundtrack last week (even if you refuse to see the movie, get the soundtrack. It's amazing.) and got the dvd today.

Oh, and what the hell is up with the weather? A couple weeks ago we actually had a freak snowstorm where we ended up with 2" of snow. And I live just across the water from Seattle, where we very rarely get snow. Rain, yes. Sleet, yes. Hail and snow/rain mix, yes. But snow, not much. I'm in the Pacific Northwest at sea level and it's March. How the hell did I wind up with snow? Bizarre.

Oh, I ran across Michael Samuels's work online earlier this week and am in awe. I have a deep passion for miniatures and dioramas (I used to build elaborate scenes when I was younger--lots of jungle temples and prehistoric scenes) and hope to build a bunch sometime in the near future when I can snag some more time (and space). Check this guy's work out! I love the deserted island tables and the neato table sculpture with miniature lit camping tents.