Still working on it

It seems my struggle with well-lit indoor photos continues. I'm beginning to wonder if it'll be a never-ending war, but hey, I think I won this battle at least.

I think the problem was I didn't have the right bulbs. Home Depot does have a 100w equivalent daylight bulb, of which I bought 3, but after spending some time Googling and browsing eBay, it seems like people use a 150w equivalent daylight bulb. To compensate, I switched the lights from shooting through tissue paper (like this one) to bouncing the lights around a box lined with white paper (like this one).

Aside from the dance I have to do around the lights, it seems to have solved the lighting problem for the moment, so now I'm just trying to play around with backgrounds. A lot of people have said they like the white, and I agree - basic color theory states that putting color A next to a color B background will change the way the color A looks. But I want more freedom when it comes to taking photos, and doing it outside limits me to a very specific time frame, one I can't always meet. And when you've got 20-30 pieces to photograph, with 5 photos each, sitting outside in 105 degree weather with the bugs and the wasps for a couple hours isn't fun.

I think I'll still do the Artisan Lampwork Series outside, but the rest I'll keep playing around with. I'm really liking this taupe-y brown paper, and overhead shots lately. I seem to get some good macro shots with it. Lookit:







What do you think?

10 Things, Part B

10 TV Shows I Adore (in no particular order):

1. West Wing
2. NCIS
3. Eureka
4. True Blood
5. Warehouse 13
6. Firefly
7. Ghost Hunters
8. That 70's Show
9. Fresh Prince of Bel Air
10. The Closer


10 Places I'd Love to Visit:

1. Rome
2. London (again!)
3. Dublin
4. Athens
5. Cairo
6. San Francisco
7. Japan
8. Hong Kong
9. Seattle
10. Boston


10 Things I Value Most:

1. Honesty
2. Laughter
3. Being an auntie
4. My family
5. My friends
6. My collection of books
7. Sarcasm
8. Intelligence
9. My hands
10. My mind

Oh, and before I forget

For the jewelry designers out there, if you're having a sale this week or next, I'd love to feature it in a blog post on Findings Found this Friday. Email me the details!

10 Things, Part Uno

My friend Meri did a blog post a few days ago where she shared 100 facts about herself. I thought it was interesting, but I honestly couldn't think of 100 facts about myself without a theme. So, I'm breaking it up into lists, since lists are a little satisfying.


10 Things I Learned About Myself This Week (roughly):

1. Despite my original assumption, I can actually function with only 3 hours of sleep.
2. I really like calling "zeros" "ohs". Bite me, grammar police.
3. I don't like using hangers.
4. I really really like Lay's Sour Cream and Onion chips. Like, a lot.
5. I have a problem not voicing my opinion.
6. I'm in love with my pillow.
7. I'm in love with M.A.C.'s Carbon eyeshadow.
8. I don't like unpacking from a trip.
9. Despite my original assumption, I can actually save money.
10. I like coupons.


10 Things I Didn't Know Before This Week:

1. I didn't know so many people liked free shipping.
2. I didn't know how far I'd go to avoid leaving my house.
3. I didn't know that I started my quarter life crisis a few years late.
4. I didn't know how freaking smart my niece and nephew are.
5. I didn't know that I didn't actually get a C in Psychology 101; I got a B.
6. I didn't know that I actually got said C in Intro to Christian Ethics.
7. I didn't know how many times I actually visited Etsy a day.
8. I didn't know how far I'd go to avoid talking on the phone.
9. I didn't know that I could pull all nighters anymore.
10. I didn't know how tense my shoulders really are.


10 Things that Relax Me:

1. My niece and nephew's laughter.
2. Getting lost in a good book for half a day.
3. Walking into a bookstore.
4. Sleeping on a plane (I'm serious).
5. Sleep in general.
6. Splurging on a massage.
7. Beading.
8. Watching one of my favorite shows uninterrupted.
9. The sound of the keys as I type.
10. Chili cheese fries.


10 Things I'm Not Able to Say With a Straight Face:

1. "Sure, I'd love to visit the lady doctor!"
2. "I LOVE cleaning!"
3. "I'd love a salad." (In case you're wondering, I hate lettuce.)
4. "I could really go for a nice grilled salmon." (I'm also not into seafood.)
5. "I like tax preparation so much I'd love to do it professionally."
6. "Something new and different for us!" (If you can tell me what movie this is from, you get a gold star.)
7. "No cake for me."
8. "I've given up cookies for Lent."
9. "I think orange jumpsuits are hot."
10. "I'd love to make you dinner." (And I don't cook, really.)

Weekend Wrap-up

Holy toledo, what a weekend!

So, it was my Etsyversary, right (in case you couldn't tell by the last post), and I had the house to myself. My plan was to kick back, read a little, putz a little, veg a lot, maybe hopefully get a sale or two.

And then... I get contacted that my little sale was going to be a part of the Etsy Find's Weekend Deals email that gets sent out every Friday.

Wait, what? That's so awesome! I have no idea how many people actually subscribe to the daily Etsy Finds emails, but my guess is a lot. So, as I'm doing a happy dance thinking about how many people my item will be in front of, it sells. And then another. And then another. And then another. And then I realized the Weekend Deals are also published in the Storque (Etsy's blog), and that this weekend, Etsy tried out a Gift Guide for their Weekend Deals. The Gift Guides are also on the Front Page, too. Score!


I happily threw over my original weekend plans as I packed up each item to go to a new home, the way I often throw out a diet for Tex-Mex and margaritas or chocolate cake. It felt sooo good, for obvious reasons, but also because for the last few months, I've had a major depression going on that I couldn't shake. I had been feeling really vulnerable and my confidence had taken a major beating; and while this weekend wasn't a magical cure-all, I feel better than I have in months.

I feel... inspired.

Thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate my 2 year anniversary!

It's my Etsyversary!

July 4th is my Etsyversary, so I'm having a sale!

Get a free pair of earrings with each order, one pair per order. No special code needed. You can choose your free earrings from a special section that will be in my shop from July 1st to July 5th. Go ahead and add it to your order, then wait for a revised invoice before paying.

New Thank You Cards!

I ordered 4x9 inch rack cards, then cut them down myself to 3x4 inch cards. I love getting the most for my money. And, they now match my business cards! Woot.