Holiday Handmade Artist's Market

It is down to the wire. You have holiday gifts to buy, you know you do. Drop by the Holiday Handmade Artist's Market at 1412 South Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 December 18-19 from 11:00 am- 7:00 pm. You will find handmade goods that will wow your loved ones, and get to meet members of the Etsy Austin Team. South Congress is a great place to spend an afternoon get some lunch, and shop for the gifts that make people feel bad they didn't get you something better. Hope to see you out.

Dripping Springs Artist Tour

One of the really wonderful things about living in a city like Austin is the amount of artists who find their way here to create. Some of us end up a little further away from downtown than others but we are all part of the same wonderful collective. Each artist has their own space to create. This can be a little spot at the end of the kitchen table, or a fully fledged studio that is dedicated to their craft. In my opinion to be invited into this space is a real honor. To have the chance to see the handmade tool that might not look like much on the work bench, but in their hands it becomes this invaluable custom made doohickey. Something that no one has ever needed or thought of before, but that they could not construct their work without. This Saturday May 15th you will have that rare opportunity in Dripping Springs, Texas from 10:00-6:00. There will be 5 destinations, 4 art studios and 1 art show. The art studios are Sunset Canyon Pottery, Solstice Gardens, Wesley Gallery, and Carved Stone they are all on or near 290, and you can find a map of the tour. The show will be In the cul-de-sac at Roger Hanks Park and will feature over 50 artists displaying their handmade goods. I am excited to be in such talented company. There will be exhibits at the studios, and it should be an amazing day.

First Thursday on South Congress

First Thursday is one of those wonderful little things about Austin. The small business owners on that street have banded together to have a relaxed and fun evening for all their patrons. They all stay open late and offer music, and chance to meet and get to know your local entrepreneurs. My favorite part is that on this evening little tent villages pop up all along the street. They are filled with local artists who join the festivities to show their wares. I am lucky enough to share in all the fun this go 'round. About a dozen of us from the Etsy Austin team will be out at 1300 South Congress, next to Hey Cupcake, for the very first time. Now I may be biased but you really should come out from 4- dark. The Etsy Austin team has some of the most ambitious, and exciting artists and crafters around. You are sure to find something to tickle your fancy when we show up. I hope to see you out.

3rd Annual Springfest

This will be my fist time at the Springfest and I am really excited. It is at the Hill Country Galleria Mall, on April 24th from 11 am - 9 pm. There will be activities for kids including bounce houses, a dunk tank, face painting, a Velcro wall, and jousting. There will also be live music from great local acts like Two Tons of Steel, Dale Watson, and the Derailers. I think my favorite part will end up being the chili cook off, and the bloody mary contest. Admission is free, and there will be enough going on for a whole day of fun. I am working on a new design for stainless steel vases that I am hopping to premier, and I will have all of my other work as well. It looks like spectacular weather and loads of fun. Stop by and find your mother something amazing for her special day.

The 78704 Market

Here in Austin your zip code says alot about your lifestyle. One of the greatest to live in is the 78704. On any weekend you can head down to South Congress to find all the fun and funky that Austin has to offer. While you are there you will want to check out 1300 South Congress for the 78704 Market. It is sponsored by WeAre78704.com They provide the lot each week and local artists provide the wares. Where else can you have a meal, shop amazing art work, and find your new best friend? There is a crepe trailer, as well as a barbeque one, and a pet rescue. On the third weekend if each month you will get to meet some of the artists from the Etsy Austin team. On a recent weekend I made it out to see what amazing things these folks have come up with.

Merrit Gade makes jewelry for her shop MerrittGade.etsy.com. It moves as if it is alive, and makes you want to feel it. She also makes the most gorgeous tiaras I have ever seen. The kind that make you reconsider a simple lifestyle for the possibility of being a princess.

Jasmine Turner, of TheJasmineGallery.etsy.com has a knack for taking a simple item, like a domino, and transforming it into cool pendant.

I am excited to have a fun funky market like this so close to home. You can drop by any time between 11-6 for all the excitement. I hope to see you there.

You can check out the work of those who will be out this weekend.

ameliabeth.etsy.com

wildmoondesign.etsy.com

lindesigns.etsy.com

Lynnea Edwards

adornmodern.etsy.com

Stacey Samuels

Lynnea Edwards

carolbradleydesigns.com

gypsyharte.etsy.com

happybuddha.etsy.com

GemJunkie.etsy.com

maggie913.etsy.com

etsy.com/shop/ajthepurple

etsy.com/shop/TheJasmineGallery

lindesigns.etsy.com

Getting To That Age

My whole life I feel like I have been waiting to get to a certain age. I am almost 32 and I am not there yet. I consistently get carded to buy a lottery ticket. I guess I should be happy that people are not quite sure I look 18, but it is just silly. As far back as I can remember people have been telling me "wait until you get older" about everything from not wanting to have kids, to not liking asparagus.

So when exactly is older?

Do I have have gray hair? Well I found one just the other day. I think it may have fallen out because I can not find it now, but it was there. Do I have to have wrinkles when I am not smiling well I do there is one on my ear lobe, why on my ear lobe I have no idea. I have not worn a pair of earrings since the 90's but it is there.Do I have to crack and pop when I first get up? You can check that box.Do I have to dislike music made by people younger than me? That's a big 10-4 good buddy. I feel old. I think I look old, at least older than I did when I was 18.

So the question is this how old do you have to look before other adults believe that you know what you like to eat, what temperature you are comfortable in , or if you liked a certain movie?

Good Advice

All my life I remember my great aunt giving unsolicited advice. It was often good advice, although sometimes I was much to young to really understand it. She and my Grandmother were very close sisters and would have dinner once a week for decades after they were married and had their own families. I hope that people look at my sister and I like I looked at them. She was the sort of woman who could say "your head looks too big with that hair cut sweetheart", and there was nothing you could do but grow it out again. I want to be her when I am older. I think that when you get to a certain age you have earned the right to say whatever you want simply because you have survived. One bit of advice she gave me when I was about 12 only just last night made real sense to me. She looked at me in all honesty in a silent room and said "Find a man that you can stand to look at over a meal. You can't just not eat breakfast the rest of your life, and make sure he is funny. You can't just have a man that looks pretty, you will get bored." My fella is pretty and I have to admit it was the reason that I ever talked to him the first place. So I am good there. I have always found him amusing but after 10 years together he can still make me laugh. Last night he was looking for a DVD he wanted to watch, and he asked me "have you found that movie yet?" To which I replied "Have you kissed my butt yet?" Then he proved to me we really are compatible by saying "Honey I like to do that when you are asleep so that you don't know about it." That made me laugh for more than one reason. The first reason is it was funny. The idea that he really does like me enough to do that, but he does not want me to know about is just hilarious. The second reason is that I know my great aunt is somewhere smiling that I am lucky enough to be one of those people who could spend 40 or 50 years with the same person, laughing the entire time.

Solar Panels: The Final Chapter

Well it is complete. After almost a year of getting the permit for the tree, the energy updates to the house, the tree removal, the installation, and all of the inspections it is done. The system is screwed to the roof, turned on, and making power. I hope this is the biggest project we have to tackle as home owners. It has taken a very long time. I have to say it is worth it. We have made a true improvement to the home and its value. It was not always easy to see to the end of the road, but we had the good luck of working with really good companies.
Our tree removal company Austin Tree Surgeons were professional, and promptly brought to our attention and repaired very minor damage done to our fence when removing the tree. I will absolutely use them again when we need them, and would recommend them to anyone. What they did for us was no small job. It was two solid days of work getting that mammoth out of the yard, and they did it for a very fair price. href="http://www.austintreesurgeons.com/images/middlehome_leftpic.jpg">

The folks at Green Collar Operations were great every step of the way. You will have to do this evaluation if you want to sell a home in Austin. When you get the evaluation done it will be good for 10 years. They told me that in Austin homes can lose as much as 30% of their cooled and heated air in the attic or through poorly shutting windows and doors. They sealed up our duct work and put in a heck of a lot of insulation for us. Which we really needed. the house is much more comfortable, and I think it was worth more than what we spent. There are city and federal rebates for this work that you should look into as well, and they will be happy to help you with the paper work for the rebates from the City of Austin.
And finally wonderful folks over at Texas solar power. They stuck with us through all of this. They came out on the weekends to meet with us to go over proposals, and they were there through all of the inspections. The best part, which I could not guarantee to everyone, is they came in significantly under their original price, by keeping an eye on the price of the panels, and having a really great master electrician who found that we did not need an electrical upgrade. They could have easily stuck with their original price and we would have never known. If you choose to work with them you will be getting a great group of professional who know their stuff.

53rd Annual Zilker Botanical Garden Festival

I am so excited about this weekend. The weather forecast is beautiful it should be 80 on Saturday, and 72 on Sunday. You can not ask for better weather to hang out at an art show. This show is unique in that it is in the Botanical gardens. You get to stroll through an amazing array of plants and flowers, which in itself is a great way to spend the day, but on March 27th and 28th you also get to buy plants, and visit with artists. And we have three Etsy Austin Team members who will be presenting their wares this weekend.

Bandy of PigseyArt.etsy.com makes the greatest journals out of rebound recycled books. It is so fun to watch people find a title that they loved as a kid or one that their grandmother used to read to them. You can see that happy memory wash over their face. She spends hours at book stores looking for titles that may have been thumbed through too often for people to want to read them, and gives them a new life with a new author.



Amy of CraftChi.etsy.com works in lots of different mediums, that all stem from her great ability to draw. She screen prints house wares, accessories, paper, and t-shirts. She also makes rubber stamps, and can create a screen with your design that you can use at home. The organic cloth she uses for her tea towels and pillows make you want to touch them. Her crisp graphics still have a soft flow to them that feel light and bold all at the same time.



You will also see me Megan of demiduval.etsy.com for all of your functional metalworking needs. There will be plenty of new plants you will not be able to leave without. If you need a stainless steel flower pot to put them in please look for me at booth 700.

Solar Panels (almost there)

Well we have come a long way, and are almost there. The panels are on the roof, and it has all been wired. We just have one final inspection from the city to make sure everything is correct. I am sure it will be. The folks at Texas Solar Power have been great. Brian Burke has met with us on the weekends, and has kept us invloved in every part of the process. If this is something you have ever thought about look into it. Even if you have not thought about it look into it. The Federal Government is offering rebates for these types of updates, and depending on your city untility they may offer incentives as well.