Craft Show and sticking with it . . .

I took two well deserved days off after a very successful craft show (my first in years) on Saturday! It was so fun to talk to people all day about building my business and why I love creating designs for note cards, notebooks, fridge magnets etc. It was helpful for me to clarify for myself that as long as I'm making images (it doesn't really matter in what medium) I'm happy...and also that I'm in it for the long hall this time.

I've had several businesses over the years (jewelry design, graphic design) but I always ended up abandoning these businesses after a year or two and that was always the reason they failed...because I got bored and/or impatient and wanted things to move faster or something (?). This time I feel like I'm mature enough and I've been on this entrepreneurial ride enough times to know that sticking with it was always the part of the formula I left out and the one that I'm willing and able to give my business this time around!!

300,000 birds . . .

I was thinking the other day how humans can work together to make beautiful things much like the birds in this video do, but we haven't (all) figured out how to yet.

Douglas Coupland quote . . .

“We are confronted with a bombardment of information and the only tactic for survival is pattern recognition, connecting the dots or whatever – but refusing to be overwhelmed by it.”

— Douglas Coupland

New Gift Tags {Thimble, Geek Glasses, Fingerprint} . . .

All of these new gift tags are available at my etsy shop Artlife:!

Geek Glasses : Pin-Back Buttons & Fridge Magnets . . .

Geek Glasses Fridge Magnets

Geek Glasses Pin-Back Buttons

Guess it's enough of a reason as any to show a picture of Ryan Adams:

Fingerprint notebook and Hemingway kicking a can . . .

Click here to buy this notebook at Etsy.

The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day. That is real freedom. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default-setting, the “rat race” — the constant gnawing sense of having had and lost some infinite thing. ~ David Foster Wallace

Butterfly Notebook - Love, joy, peace, Bliss, Hope . . .

One of my new notebooks on Etsy:

Adding New Fridge Magnet Sets to Etsy! . . .

I've been quiet lately but busy . . . It is Christmas Present Time again!!

This set of fridge magnets has sewing spools on them in different bright colors!

Doctor is walking from Chicago to DC for Health Care . . .

Dr. Ogan Gurel is walking 700 miles from Chicago to DC aiming to draw attention to the very real stories of hardship and inequity that persist in our health care system. He arrives in DC on 7/26/09. Please show your support in any way you can; spread the word on twitter, facebook, write a letter to the editor of your local paper, call your Representative or Senator and ask them to meet with Ogan when he reaches DC, help with donations or a place to sleep along his route or anything else you can think of to help spread the word about what Ogan is doing!

Here is a good story and video about Dr. Ogan Gurel's walk.

Thai Coconut Milk with Chickpea Soup - Easy Recipe . . .

Here is another delicious and pretty easy recipe:

~ 2 1/2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil (you can also use Canola or Olive Oil)
~ 1 Med/Large Onion - chopped
~ 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
~ 4-5 large Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
~ 2 cups Chicken Broth
~ 1 (14 oz.) can Chickpeas - rinsed and drained
~ 1 (8 oz.) can Diced Tomatoes - drained (add liquid to the soup at the end)
~ 1 tsp. Curry Powder
~ 1/2 tsp. Salt
~ Freshly Ground Black Pepper - to your liking, or 4-5 grinds
~ 1 (14 oz.) can Light Coconut Milk
~ 1 cup Cooked Brown Rice
~ 2 Tbsp. Parsley - chopped

Preparation

Begin by preparing your rice which you will add in at the end. In a good sturdy Soup Pot, heat the Coconut Oil over medium heat. Add the Onion, Garlic and Cayenne Pepper - cook, stirring about 6 minutes. Add the Chicken Broth, Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Curry Powder, Salt and Pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated thoroughly, about 5 minutes. Serve warm. Yummy. Enjoy!

"Every American should be able to get the same treatment that U.S. senators are entitled to." --Ted Kennedy . . .

I'll repeat that:

"Every American should be able to get the same treatment that U.S. senators are entitled to." -- Ted Kennedy

No pretty picture. No links.

No wonder senators want to put Health Care Reform off again because THEY have excellent health care from a large-pool public exchange model.

A few statistics about the "gang of six" senators who want to delay action on health care reform:

Sen. Susan Collins raised $1,559,446 from the health and insurance sectors over the course of her career.

Sen. Mary Landrieu raised $1,676,353 from the health and insurance sectors over the course of her career.

Sen. Joe Lieberman raised $3,593,771 from the health and insurance sectors over the course of his career.

Sen. Ben Nelson raised $2,257,165 from the health and insurance sectors over the course of his career.

Sen. Olympia Snowe raised $1,147,630 from the health and insurance sectors over the course of her career.

Sen. Ron Wyden raised $1,414,911 from the health and insurance sectors over the course of his career.

And last but not least:

The health sector is spending $1.4 million a day on lobbying.