Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

Wow, time flies when you’re busy and have very little to share. I guess I’ll start with my birthday weekend which was very nice. One of my favorite activities that weekend was an afternoon with my mom. While I don’t normally like eating out for lunch, we shared a fabulous meal at Ocean Zen. My friend Sarah had suggested we dine like the French and enjoy a lunch of white wine, salad and dessert. Sounded good to us so we did! Mom wrote a better description on her blog so I’ll let you read more about it there.

The fun continued Saturday night with sushi at Umi with Valerie and Kevin and banana cake for dessert. Sunday I attended a class reunion at Chrishan Park, home of Shan Wilson, brother of classmate Chris Wilson. It was nice to catch up with my former classmates and the gang treated me to birthday cupcakes and a round of “Happy Birthday.” Then Brandon Carroll threatened to throw me in the pool and blamed the idea on Chris Dollar. Yes, I felt like I was in high school all over again!

Monday was another b-day celebration at work (whew! I was getting a little weary of this!) with delicious lemon cake and a nice gift from my boss. All in all, I felt very loved and pampered on my special day.

The festivities continued throughout the week as we had dinner at friends’ house on Thursday and the Smiths arrived from Des Moines on Friday. It’s always great being greeted by a chorus of “Aunt Tammy!” when I walk through the door. Those girls are so precious to me! It was great to see Ralph and Blair too. Of course, the weekend went by too quickly and they headed home on Monday.

A short work week means I only worked Tuesday and Wednesday so I’m trying to catch up today. Steve leaves for training on Saturday and things will be quiet around here for a few days. I’m sure the cats will demand much of my attention, but I have a lot of work to do. I’m going full speed on the catalog and trying to get it done and to the printer by August 1st. Oh, and remember the enamel piece I was trying to fix? Yeah, well, I used the leaded enamels and thought all was good. Then I etched it and a small piece cracked off the edge. So the damned thing needs to be fired again. No wonder it’s called “firing” when it comes to enamel – that’s exactly what I want to do to this piece!

Its seems like nobody wants to be the age they really are. I’m constantly hearing about how 40 is the new 30, 50 is the new 40, etc. But I think we should celebrate age. After all, the alternative is death and I’d rather be alive than dead. Today I celebrate 45, just in time to start my mid-life crisis. Thing is, I have no desire to have one. I guess you could say I already did that 11 years ago when I quit a great job to do nothing, then went back to school to learn metalsmithing. At 45 I might not know everything, but I have learned a few things and I thought I’d share. This list is in no particular order of importance.

I’ve learned that true love usually doesn’t come in a flashy car with money. Most real love is quite poor, but very rewarding.

My parents are much cooler than I thought. And they aren’t nearly as clueless as I accused them of being when I was younger.

My sister is actually very fun and not as annoying as I thought all those years ago. Actually, she’s my best friend.

A great fitting pair of jeans can give me more confidence than losing 10 pounds. And they are worth every penny spent on them.

Cowboy boots are timeless in the fashion world and are worth the investment.

Listening to my gut will always lead me in the right direction. When I start listening to other people and ignoring myself, I end up with regrets.

Having an office and a nifty job title are overrated.

Good taste does not have to cost a lot of money.

When it comes to fashion, decorating, throwing parties and life in general, a little whimsy is necessary.

A sense of humor is more important than good looks. Thankfully, I have been blessed with both!

Always be aware that everyone is struggling. Try to be empathetic.

Expensive gifts aren’t always the best. Sometimes a cheap pair of Converse sneakers can still make me smile years later (thanks, Steve!).

Great friends can disappear from my life for many years, but we can pick up exactly where we left off when we reconnect.

Having a lot of friends is good, but one or two really close friends who know me and love me exactly for who I am is much more important.

Quality is more important than quantity.

Shoes always make the best gifts. Jewelry is good too.

What goes around comes around. Treat people well and they’ll return the favor.

There’s nothing wrong with a college degree, but I know some really, really smart people who only have high school degrees. And some not so smart people with advanced degrees.

I’ve learned to admit when I’m wrong and to apologize genuinely. I have a big mouth and have never learned to shut it completely, but I have learned to admit when I should have kept it closed.

While I always want to improve my appearance, I’ve learned to like what I see in the mirror – flaws and all.

I will never, no matter how hard I diet and exercise, have a flat stomach.

Birthday should always be celebrated, regardless of age.

Several years ago, I tried running. Or jogging, as it was in my case. I’d always had an admiration for runners and wanted to try it for myself. I failed miserably but still kept my admiration for those who were able to pound the pavement and make it all seen effortless.

Recently, the morning crew at the gym started raving about a book entitled “Born to Run,” a book about athletes and running. Pavel sent me a Kindle version but I didn’t have a way to read it until Steve got one for his birthday. After a few weeks, he was kind enough to leave it at home on my days off so I could enjoy it. I started reading “Born to Run” last week and was hooked. I have never been so interested in a book in a long time.

It’s not just about running, athletes and a reclusive tribe; it’s more about passion, peace and love. I found myself thinking about it when I was at work and racing home to read another chapter or two before Steve got home. I finished it this morning and admit I love it so much I’d start it over again if it wasn’t for the fact my mom just gave me an excellent book for my birthday.

Rather than tell you more about this book, I would encourage you to just read it for yourself. You don’t have to be a runner, aspire to run or even be athletic to be enthralled by the unique cast of characters you’ll find in this book. If you read it, let me know what you think!

I’m a slow learner. Back when I first learned to enamel, I used unleaded enamels. Unleaded is what the school offers, they are readily available and they are safer to use. But, in the world of enameling, they suck. Unleaded enamels are ok, sure, but they are nothing compared to enamels containing lead. My friend and instructor Sarah had been telling me for years to use leaded enamels because they are so much better. I always used the excuse that I already had so many unleaded colors that it would be wasteful to switch until they were gone.

I have now changed my mind. Leaded enamels are awesome! In my last post I mentioned that I was going to attempt (for the third time) to fix my piece. Sadly, I had the same crappy outcome as before despite several changes in my technique. That’s when I knew Sarah’s next piece of advice would be to use leaded enamels. She had quite a few reds she was willing to share so I picked them up from her studio and started making samples. I was immediately struck by the weight of the enamels. Probably because they contain lead, huh? I found a perfect match for my original color and got to work.

Because I was wet-packing the enamels, I didn’t have to worry about airborne particles so I didn’t need a mask. Working with lead means taking some precautions, but most of my studio work requires careful thought so this wasn’t much different. I packed enamel onto the back of the piece and let it dry before firing. As I picked it up to move it to a trivet, I dropped it. In the unleaded enameling world, this would mean all the enamel would fly off and I’d have to start over. In the leaded enameling world, I only lost a tiny bit. I was impressed so far. I fired the back, let it cool and got to work on the front.

Red enamels are touchy because there’s a fine line between firing them completely and burning them. Once they’re burnt, they can become a real pain. Plus, the edges get black. I had made a sample of the red on silver and it looked good. Besides, I didn’t mind a little black because the piece was supposed to look old. The first firing was good, the second was better and by the time I reached the third, I knew I was going to be ok. I even handled the piece a little roughly just to see if it would crack. It didn’t.

It’s been sitting on my bench for two days and it looks terrific. All I have to do is etch it and place it on the front of the piece and it’s done. Again. Now I need to find a catalog and place an order for some leaded enamels. Of course, Sarah was right all along in that I should be using leaded enamels. I was just too dumb to catch on quickly!

Vitreous (or glass) enamel can be a beautiful thing, but it can be extremely frustrating too. Like all things glass it’s fragile and should be handled with care. Enamel is a great way to add color and depth to jewelry and I enjoy working with it. Or, I should say, I enjoy working with it when it works.

Remember my Identity Ring?

This little piece was selected to be a part of the International Enamelist Society Exhibition coming this fall. You know, the same show I’m creating the catalog for. I was so excited to be chosen. That is, until I unwrapped my little ring and discovered an enamel chip on the front piece. The record and the speaker (red section) are both vitreous enamel which means they are glass and fragile. I’ve always handled the piece carefully, but knew the red section was living on borrowed time. Well, time was up and it needed to be fixed. I had attached the piece with some clear silicone and was able to remove it and etch off the remaining enamel. My friend (and enamelist extraordinaire) Sarah, suggested I make a little curved stand for it so the metal didn’t warp in the kiln. All was going well and I thought I was done. I even took it out to Sarah’s to show her how well it had worked.

I spoke too soon. The minute I unwrapped it when I got home a corner chipped off. Argh! So today I fire up the kiln again and attempt this little #&$^%# a third time. And third time’s the charm, right?

Obviously I have not blogged in quite a while and I’m sure you have all been drooling at the thought of a new entry. Well, hate to disappoint, but this one won’t be too exciting. Truth is, I’ve been swamped. Remember the catalog I’ve been talking about? Well, imagine your mailbox being filled with CDs containing photos you have to format, color correct, size and catalog. I’ve already done about 135 and have 15 or so more to do. Now, add to that mess emailing artists who don’t understand deadlines, send poor quality photos that can’t be corrected or just plain forget. I think you get the picture.

On a more positive note, I’ve already started the layout for the catalog and designed the front and back cover. I met with the printer last Thursday and was told my layout was good and all the photos were going to print correctly. One of my biggest fears is color issues, especially when I have no idea what the pieces are supposed to look like in the first place. My job is just to make sure everything is consistent. Here’s a peek at the cover art I designed:

The images are from the entrants in the show. I like it and hope the Enamelist Society does too. I admit I’m having some fun with it and enjoy being back in the world of print. Who knows, maybe this will lead to a new job. Hey, stranger things have happened.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband, Steve. As usual, his one birthday wish was to celebrate in Des Moines surrounded by his biggest (or shall I say, smallest) fans, Julia and Lydia. They think Uncle Steve is the greatest and I have to agree.

We arrived in Des Moines on Thursday night, just in time to attend Julia’s soccer game. She promised to make a goal just for us, but alas she didn’t. She did play quite well and we had a terrific time watching her and cheering on her team, the Dragons. After the game we had a very casual dinner of hotdogs and a fresh gourmet salad. Ralph declared no dessert for the girls and we put them to bed and the adults quickly followed. Friday Steve ate lunch with Julia at her school and I helped Ralph with the end of the year birthday party celebration in the afternoon. Later, we got a sitter and the adults hit the town for a real celebration.

Dining with Ralph and Blair in Des Moines is always fun. We all have the same taste and desire for adventure so we’re never disappointed when they make suggestions. We started out with a drink at The Royal Mile, and British pub in downtown Des Moines. It’s dark, dingy and has a great beer selection. The guys got a kick out of convincing Ralph and I Steve wanted to eat at a chain restaurant but they really planned to have pizza at Fong’s Pizza. Unfortunately, Fong’s was really busy so we opted for some great sushi at Miyabi 9. It didn’t disappoint and we were all glad we’d chosen sushi since we now had room for dessert. On to our third and final destination, Alba, an upscale restaurant known for their great food. We talked about after dinner drinks and I contemplated a simple glass on wine until the waitress informed me she had fresh lime syrup for gimlets. I’d never had a gimlet, despite being a gin lover, and decided it was time I tried one. Good thing this was our last stop because I might have gone completely nuts drinking these. It was so fresh and delicious! Ralph ordered a tiramisu martini and it was like dessert in a glass. Steve got his usual, an Old Fashioned, but it had a twist – literally – of lemon, not orange. He decided that was even better and declared he’s order his next one that same way. We all got a couple of desserts to split and went home with a nice sugar buzz.

Saturday, Blair and Steve took the girls bowling so Ralph and I could have some girl time. Julia stated that she didn’t understand why we needed to go shopping “all the time” when we had plenty of clothes. Blair tried to explain to her it was a social thing but she wasn’t convinced. That night, the girls had fun decorating the back porch for Uncle Steve’s party and we chowed on pork/chorizo tacos, fresh guacamole and excellent cheese dip. After the girls went to bed, we went to the basement where Blair became DJ for the evening and we played games, drank beer and talked music. Steve said it was the perfect way to celebrate.

Today I told Steve he could do whatever he wanted. I’ve made a cake (which I almost forgot to do!), his parents came over this morning and gave him his gift, he’s hoping to get a haircut and we have dinner plans tonight. It’s his day and I hope he enjoys it. Happy Birthday, Steve. I love you very much!

Last week while on vacation I finished my InDesign tutorial. The program is overwhelming, but I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on the parts of it I really needed to begin my catalog layout. I figured I’d design the first four pages (cover, back and insides) and take it to a printer to have them assess my layout. Then, they could give me the feedback I needed to continue. I opened a new document, chose the number of pages and freaked out.

I wanted to create something called Master Pages which allows me to create guidelines, page numbering, etc that will apply to each page. The user can create multiple Master Pages to be used inside a document. Since I was familiar with the concept, I wasn’t too worried. Then I started second guessing myself and I panicked. What if these pages were wrong? Why was page one off on its own? How do I turn off Facing Pages? Why in the hell did I take on an 84 page catalog when I have no idea what I’m doing?

I sent out the bat signal to my Facebook peeps and it seemed no one could (or would!) help me. I then called the very nice people at First Impressions Printing. I’ve known owner Danny Correll for many, many years and he’s just a great guy. The two designers, both named Cheryl, have always been very forthcoming with information and help. I didn’t want to take advantage of their kindness, but offered to pay for their time. Danny said he’d talk to the Cheryls and see what their schedule was for the day. Cheryl soon called me and said I was welcome to come by later that afternoon. When I asked about payment she told me that she doubted it would take long so I shouldn’t worry about it.

I arrived around 1 p.m. and told her how I’d started setting up the document. I know that pages are printed out of order, for example, page 1 and the last page are on the same sheet, but I told her I wanted to create the catalog in chapters and put it together later. She said that was fine. I also told her about how I was setting up my Master Pages and it turns out I was doing it correctly. She showed me an easier way to number my pages so I could add a design element and that was it. Basically, I was doing it right and I felt so relieved.

Since I’m also doing all the Photoshop work on the images, I asked a few technical questions about photo editing and it seems I was on the right page with that too. Sometimes, it’s just nice to know I have my act together more than I thought. I have a long road ahead of me with this project, but if I don’t try to eat the elephant in one bite (as Steve tells me all the time) then maybe, just maybe this will work. As for payment, the Cheryls and the staff at First Impressions can expect some delicious chocolate chip cookies later today.

Well, the vacation’s over and it’s time to resume my normal weekly activities. I started the day at the gym, which I did miss last week. I don’t think I’ve ever taken an entire week off from my workout routine, but I think it’s something everyone needs to do occasionally. It’s good to reset the mind and body. I told Pavel I wanted to start a new routine this morning, which I did, and I was ready for the challenge.

I also have to return to work – sigh. I really enjoyed my time at home, but I do like being around people (and I love a paycheck) so it’s not all bad. I had a nice long to-do list last week and I’m pleased to report all but two things got done. The two items that I didn’t complete I started so they should be done soon. It was nice having the time to work on projects without looking at the clock. I also enjoyed not showering until after lunch!

The weather was great, at least until Friday when a cold front arrived with some rain. Tonight we’re under a freeze advisory and I’m beginning to think my poor flowers are doomed. Sounds like another project for the to-do list! Have a good week, everyone.

Every Mother’s Day I ask mom what she’d like to do knowing she probably wants to take a long walk/hike somewhere. I don’t mind it at all. We enjoy spending time together and catching up on all the news (gossip) we know. Since she’s been living in Arizona all winter, we haven’t had the opportunity to have dinner or just hang out in a while so I was thrilled when she suggested a trip to Branson for a day of shopping and a late lunch.

We left Springfield shortly before noon and made the TJ Maxx in Branson our first stop. We do love our bargains. Mom scored some crop pants from Talbot’s and a great army green dress I encouraged her to try on. Don’t know if she’ll keep it, but it’s really cute. I scored a purse, because we all know I need another purse. Actually, I’ve been looking for a neutral purse in either gray, cognac or natural leather. However, like everything in my world, I’m very picky about my bags. Cheap too. They must be leather, one strap, hobo style (preferably), lightweight, etc, etc. I found a Coach bag that wasn’t covered in sequins or logos in their Ergo style that had sadly been discontinued a few years ago. And it was a terrific shade of gray! Thanks to my jewelry show I had some extra cash so I bought it and love it.

But enough about my purchases, this was Mother’s Day! From TJs we went to the Branson Landing so mom could redeem a coupon (mom? coupon? shocking!). We weren’t interested in any other stores at the Landing, but we were very interested in lunch at Cantina Lauredo, a great Mexican place. I’d called on Saturday to see if they had any late afternoon spots open and had been told they were completely booked all day and into the evening. I told mom we should just head over there and see if anyone had cancelled. Apparently they weren’t that booked because we were seated immediately on the patio overlooking the lake. We indulged in some great fresh guacamole and split the enchiladas. We skipped the margaritas, but made up for the calories with some great chips.

The whole time we chatted and laughed and enjoyed spending time together. Thanks mom for being a great mom and now, a great friend!