TWO MONTHS?!!?

Seriously, I've been gone TWO MONTHS?!?!?!

Holy crap.

Well, I guess I got some splaining. Here goes.

First things first: The computer died. Completely. I'd had trouble with it, then I had trouble with the internet... or so I thought. It was the wireless card. And then the video card died. And then the MOTHERBOARD died. It was just one right after the other. So there went my outlet to the world.

Then: I GOT A BOYFRIEND. Ahh, the typical excuse. Yes, I am just like a million junior high girls who ignore homework and friends in favor of a boy. I am twelve.

And then: I left my retail manager job. I am now working in a production studio, logging videos, and performing "assistant" duties. It's pretty sweet. I work with some great guys.

Theeeeeen: I got a second boyfriend. See how sexy??


That's about it. You're up to date. I am a ridiculous person. I actually had not even checked my primary email account for almost a month. Life is winding down and becoming more..... well, not managable. Calm, I guess. :)

So how are you?

back! life and blogs and stuff

Aha! I'm back!

Chicago was AH-mazing.

Um. You know, if you ignore the weather. I'm back in good ol mild Oakland. It was wonderful to scarf some pizza and see some friends though. Back to the daily grind at work here. Boo, hiss...

I want to get back in the swing and have a new featured shop; that's a fun endeavor. A lot of people coordinate and do giveaways... which.... that seems really interesting, and I like the idea, I just don't know what to do. Would anyone reading this be interested in hooking up on a joint venture? :)

Meanwhile, I will go troll the etsy forums looking for a new shop for the blog. I probably should do an illustrator or something, just to deviate from the jewelry kick I've been on. :)

Pretty neat-

VedaArts.etsy.com

Found this last night.... I really like her shop!


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So is the economy just sucking for everyone else? I was beginning to think my store wouldn't really have a problem... and then.... it had a problem. Missing goals by a LOT. It's disheartening to me and my co-manager because our DM told us on Friday that the cut-backs on hours won't be enough. Someone will have to go. I know he and I are safe but that doesn't do much for my mood. I like all of the people I work with! I already feel so crappy for cutting their hours down. I'd work less myself but I'm salaried. Doesn't make much difference.

Sigh.

Things may turn around though; I do hope so.

Site Of the Day: Trend Hunter

So, I'm back in business.

Clearly you know you're running on empty when you have to take time off from your computer.

I'm so in the wrong business! Retail management is not for me... I've worn myself down between all the long hours and the stress and the being sick and not giving myself enough time to get over it... and so on. SO not a big deal, but it's high time I just take it down a notch, so I don't get the darn flu next time.

Anyway!

This is a website I started watching and joined not long ago-- Trend Hunter. It's just interesting, it depends on 20,000+ members to feed it new trends, things that are captivating people's interests... maybe you already know this! I am always the last to catch on. :P


So, I saw this on the front page just a bit ago and it grabbed my attention, because anyone who knows me can tell ya, my number one dream would be to have pink hair. I think it comes from watching 'Jem' as a kid.


So. Cool. Love it!

double - yoo - tee - eff

I was gonna do a feature yesterday but guess who got sick! Again! For what, the fourth time in 2 months? I am a walking germ magnet. Lame.

I guess it won't be an EVERY Wednesday thing, eh?

Do I ever leave the store? Seriously, I feel like I wake up and go to sleep in the furnishings department.

One bonus is that inventory is over. We "hired" outside help... by "hired" I mean posted an ad on Craigslist and had a slew of college kids show up for a few hours of work at a measly hourly rate. But it got it done and I didn't have to stay at the store later than midnight more than once.

So, I'm kicking back on my day off.... idly playing on websites, half-heartedly planning on baking cookies or going to Ikea.

Am I the last person to know about this site, Sea of Shoes? It's this teenage-looking girl posting photos of shoes. She's a little fashion maven. It's simultaneously envy-inspiring and just gross. Some of that stuff costs more than a month's rent in my apartment.



I could neeeever wear those. Louboutins, for crying out loud! Do they really exist outside of the world in 'Sex in the City'? People wear them?

All the same, it's a fun blog. I do like looking at fashion photos even if I get jealous or annoyed by the pricetag that accompanies materialism...



See? Fun to look at. Mostly because the pants are LOL worthy, but hey, fun.

Annnnnd I'm back! Hullo internet!

Running ragged!

I have seriously been nuts lately, working everyday, and TRYING to do shopping afterwards. My parents just booked their tickets and they'll be visiting me this year since I can't abandon the ship at Christmas. Awesome!! I haven't seen them in a few months. And who am I kidding? I am a total kid still; I need my parents! They're thankfully checking into a hotel with kitchenette in the suite so... what THIS means... is... CHRISTMAS COOKIESSSSS.



Seriously, in the bleak horror that IS the retail industry DURING the holiday season... this is something epic to look forward to.

I managed to bargain with my co-manager and he's gonna work Christmas Eve so I can have the 24th and 25th with the fam. Niiiice. We are considering driving out to Monterrey or Carmel on the 24th, but that may be a bit of a trek with holiday traffic. Dad likes to hike... maybe I'll just deposit him on the mountain and watch mom bake the cookies.

I'm totally missing out on wtf is going on with blogs and etsy and boooo. I think what I may do to get in the swing of things again is to ***feature*** an etsy shop here. Just to keep things lively. Keep the blog from disappearing down the drain along with my social life in December.... ;)

I mean, honestly, it's 7pm on a Saturday night. ALLLLL I wanna do is give myself a pedicure, watch 'The Office' on dvd, and sip some hot cider.







It's been a long week, and they're just gonna get longer. Slow economy who!?

Sick again!

I feel terrible.

El terrible.

Blarg

I want very badly to paper my bedroom in this gorgeous Orla Kiely wallpaper.

in which our hero looks for blogs and grills

@ work.

Thank goodness we have internet access back here. I've just been here since 10am and I'm already on break. I am staaarrrrrving. I'm just clicking through art blogs while I simultaneously research indoor grills for the kitchen.

If anyone has a link to EITHER an awesome illustrator's blog or a grill that doesn't suck please leave a comment. My sanity depends on you.

Yep

So, here's a recap of the week...um......Obama won. And everyone went insane. Maybe you heard! I definitely celebrated..... the next day though the celebration waned a bit when it was clear that Proposition 8 was passed here in California. I'm pretty stumped on that one. I am ALL FOR religious freedom which is something people are citing as reasons to vote for Proposition 8, but pleeeaaaase. People of all religions, all races can marry. Atheists who reject the idea of the church and its decrees can marry. Why on earth can't homosexual people? It just comes down to love, and I don't think any human on earth should pass judgment on that kind of thing. It is to take away basic, human rights.

It upsets me! My godmother and her wife have been together for 23 years. They're so dedicated to each other, and the community. They're such good people, and it angers me that their lives can be dictated by others' close-mindedness.

Anyway. That's probably enough soap-boxing for this blog. Blah!! We'll get it together someday.

My mom emailed to say she needed a Christmas list from me. It's that time of year, where I try desperately to remember all the things I kinda wanted all year but never got for myself and try to convince family members to buy them for me.

I'll start with this:


That table rules. I love West Elm with an unexplained passion.


And I love skincare by Aveda but am so thrifty I just stick to whatever I can buy at Sav-On or Target. Tis the season to try your luck!

I should start checking out gift guides. Or maybe even make my own! Or just post my whole wish list here. Maybe I'll get something from one of my adoring fans (jk). ;p

VOTE '08

My first time voting was 4 years ago, for the Bush-Kerry showdown. I was 22 and totally clueless when I went into the booth about how to physically make the lever thingy work.

This time, I was even more nervous than I did when I first walked in. It was easy to figure out of course, but seriously, it's not just BS what they're saying... that this is one of the most important, historic votes in our nation's history... it IS one of the most important and historic votes, if not THE most important and historic.

Potential firsts-- Obama the first black president, McCain the oldest, Palin the first woman VP-- and the country can go one way or another entirely. It's exciting. It's nerve-wracking. Ack. We were going to a bar to watch the election but maybe Owen and I will just get some pizza and stay in. But wow, I can imagine the party that'll erupt here in hippie Berkeley should Obama win. ;)

Anyway, blah blah blah. I'm saying just what everyone else has been saying! I'm gonna wrap up some stuff at work and then head home. Maybe I'll share some art or something. Just you wait!

Things I love tonight even tho I'm sick

I still love Charlie Brown; hot chocolate and the ol' Peanuts gang made me feel tons better tonight.

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I love this plate from dolamakes.etsy.com



Isn't that friggin cute? It'd be great for a photographer friend. If only I had one of those. Bah! I added this shop to my faves yesterday or so; they had some adorable owl salt & pepper shakers featured on the front page. Nice stuff <3

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I also love anything fox-related. This necklace for instance, from the aptly named citizenfox.etsy.com



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Anything vintage. I can't even begin to link all the dresses and stuff I found thru the simplest searches on etsy. I do have to say I should really stop trying to buy on ebay; I hadnt thought of looking at the vintage stuff on etsy before tonight and there's a ton more stuff than I expected.

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Hulu.com. It's kind of lame in the movies categories but I'm thrilled to have a way to keep up with any episodes of 30 Rock or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia that I have missed.

omg are you serious???

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is on tonight??? squeeeeeeee

I kick myself every year for missing it. It brought me extreeeeeme joy as a kid. My bro and I would dress up in our costumes and sit and watch it; it was the heralding of the Halloween Season. I didn't think I'd say this but what a great night to be sick. Owen scored points with me by bringing some godiva hot chocolate mix so I think ordering in some greasy dinner and drinking hot chocolate tonight is necessary. Can't wait to curl up and watch Linus and Charlie Brown.

blearghh

I have a cold.....or an ear infection....can't tell. My right ear feels so full and achy! My head hurts...I'm sniffly...sneezing...

It's a gross night here in Manor Trin. Stella is keeping me good company tho. I'm just glad I have tomorrow off, I hate dealing when I'm sick. Customers and employees just suck when you feel off your game, you know?

Anyhow, here's some stuff..... speaking of webcomics, here's something I recently started getting into: Anders Loves Maria. As the "about" page warns, it's not for the casual reader. It's one of those things that you gotta dedicate time to, but the art is great, and the story's pretty great too... it's a pretty decent character study.

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In Etsy news, here's someone from my favorites... thedreamygiraffe.etsy.com



Cute, right? I really like finding originals for sale on etsy. I like prints and I like ACEOs (i have a collection starting to cover one whole wall) but something's super nice about an original painting or drawing. Also I like the titles of all these. Straight and to the point, eh?

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I wonder what I'll do with myself tomorrow....if I feel too bad, the doctor. Plus sleep. But if I feel better I may see a movie. But what? I feel like there's something I really wanna see, but I also feel like nothing good is coming out until Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll just watch 'Iron Man' for the 50th time since we bought it.

sleepy, michelemaule, xmas, etc

Whaaaaaaaaat am I doing awake right now.

Okay, true that it's almost 10am. That's as good a time as any to be awake. Except... I love to sleep in on my days off. And to top it off, I was up incredibly late last night. Cy decided dropping by at midnight with six tons of energy would be the greatest idea evar. And maybe it was! But I didn't hit the hay until almost 5am. So that's why I'm still so bleary eyed. Bah.

Anyways before she showed up I'd bookmarked an etsy shop I wanted to mention here... and here goes-- I found her pretty randomly the other day; I think I was checking someone else's favorites and then that person's favorites (that's an oftentimes tedious yet rewarding method of snooping for new shops that I like to do). I really like this girl's stuff...

michelemaule.etsy.com




Dude, they're so cute. I love the newsprint paired with the bright colors on the collage illustration.



And this titmouse is great. I love stuff like that, so simple.

I was also thinking last night that I really need to get around to Christmas/Hannukkah (i know like 80million ways to spell that word; 77 of them are probably wrong) shopping but I'm so terrible at narrowing ideas down. I may make my own gift guide and post it here in hopes of helping myself make up my own damn, fickle mind... :p

Oh man, I'm hungry. I don't think there's anything left in the apartment but oatmeal.. and my dog. I don't feel like eating the oatmeal... or the dog. Better go find some sustenance.