Life without my laptop is not so fun.
The Withdrawal:
It hurts. It is depressing how often I cannot get done what is on my mind, be it an email or contacting a customer or working with pictures of my recent work and getting things out there into the world, for sale and for publicity... I can occasionally check my email on various computers, but I try to keep it brief. Honestly it can take 1-2hours to simply check my email. This I know now, because its been 16 days since I was able to just hang out with my computer and remain on top of things. Frankly, even blogging takes some time, and I feel odd doing it on someone else's computer.
I cannot research things, I cannot watch videos instantly on my Netflix, I cannot peruse other people's blogs, I cannot work on paperwork, let alone advertising and accounting. I've completed a handful of show applications during this bruhaha - and oh let me tell you how much fun that was! I used my brother's computer to sit and take the hours to complete these online applications (why is it never easy!!) and my flickr account to procure pictures for the online applications and the motivation of a good friend to get the fire lit under my ass. The aftermath of this BS has left me lacking in motivation. But in the last few weeks I've applied for the OGG show, the Fremont Festival, the Salem Art Festival and the Local14 show.
So rest assured - I have had plenty of time to get things done in the last couple weeks... and I've been trying my best to take advantage of it, taking lots of pictures and teaching classes and doing prep-work (what better to do with idle hands - prep work! for me this means, cutting wires, making o-rings, making earrings... etc). But I also have had some down days of just chilling in my frustration.
I am addicted to having a computer. Its definitely a sense of withdrawal not having it. I feel a great sense of loss, anger and frustration. My fuse is very short lately. Very much so. The mood swings are unsavory and I generally am suffering from computer loss depression.
On Day 3 it all sunk in and I broke, realizing all the data that is lost. Oh it makes me sad and mad that I hadn't finished my new back-up plans. Have I mentioned that my thumbdrive with all my backups was in the computer bag with the laptop when it got stolen. I have a new external mega hard-drive that I had begun to back things up onto, but I had only completed my image files.
Its Day 16 now. I am in disbelief. If I weren't a poor artist I would just go out to BestBuy or some mega chain and purchase a laptop. Unfortunately this is not an option at the moment. I already bought this Dell deal(my stolen computer was on a payment plan that was $150 away from being finished paying off - after hours on the phone with Dell's customer service, I learned that I have to finish paying that off. I bought another computer thru Dell because they are cheap and I don't have the extra savings right now to buy a new computer - the payment plan will simply continue). So I am trying to be patient. Miserably failing at patience.
Seriously, sixteen days. Sometimes when I go on a small vacation I consider not bringing my laptop. But honestly, it just doesn't happen. So the thought has occurred to me (on a daily basis) that this experience might be good for me - or at least an interesting experience! Thus this blog entry. I am holding my breath that maybe the new laptop will arrive early (like today, tomorrow, puhlease!!!) and I thought I'd record my thoughts while I am still lost in the delirium.
I still have to wait 3 more till it supposedly arrives!!!
While waiting for my new laptop to arrive, I've received 2 emails now simply stating that shipment has been delayed. WTF. Tim also ordered a new laptop thru Dell on the same day,
after I had completed my purchase. His computer arrived today. WTF. The picture at the top of this email is from his computer arriving. Oh yes, I am bitter. When my computer finally does arrive I am for sure calling Dell and demanding a refund for this "expedited shipping". hmph.
I am busy making things today... and running errands... this is my last Sunday free for the rest of the year -!- the Portland Saturday Market opens next weekend. Wow.
I have been fusing like nuts. Turning scrap pieces into little gems. I was just washing a drying all these little bits... looks like candy on my kitchen table. All these pieces are becoming little crafty mobile making kits... so you too can play with them too!
The I Heart Art party at PNCA was fun! It was great to see so many artists all in one place! Big Thanks to Etsy and PNCA throwing this party for us! 
There were Etsy people there from NY (Hi Vanessa!) and crafting tables where you could Gocco print your own IHeartArt postcard (dates of upcoming professional development classes were on the back of the cards)
I took home some of the extra printed cards so if anyone needs one, I've got some :) I thought I'd put some at the glass studio and in my booth at the Portland Saturday Market
There was also a button making table - you could make your own IHeartArt button. I love button machines. Someday I would like to own a button maker. 
The food was good - we got enough to last the evening (Judi and and were the "food committee" and it was important there was enough food to last as long as the beer lasted, Oregon State liquor laws n' all)
big Thanks to Isaac and Leah B. for pulling this all off.
The 50mm 1.8lens is great for portraits and those ever-so desirable product shots where everything in the background is sorta fuzzy and sparkles with light. Let me not lead you to believe I am bashing my 18-135mm lens... because its awesome. For one thing, the above shots, the top one (with the 50mm lens) is just that, no cropping - the bottom shot has been cropped considerably, the lens took so much more picture than just me and Tim (it just didn't happen to take a very good shot of me and Tim!) with so much more focus on the background. It was such an incredible day, the weather was gorgeous and this picture captured the beautiful sky. Check it out in original form:
Okay - so product photography with the 50mm 1.8lens will follow in another blog post when I have better pictures to prove its worth... but seriously - the portraits, its just amazing. Check out this one I took of Oleo the cat - this lens is notorious for taking good portraits indoors with crappy lighting and no flash = better portraits ?!? with the 50mm 1.8 this is possible, check it out:
heres a link to my friend Laini's blog post that inspired me and taught me whats up!
"Sun Salutation"
Earrings
Yoga Card Sets
"Downward Facing Dog"
Oh and Jan and I have listed more plates in our Etsy store... check it out - there are so many designs to choose from! Check out these wonderful robots (I LOVE!) - the boy robot has tulips and the girl robot is holding books :)
Spring has sprung!! My daffodils are blooming (although the 100 bulbs I bought at Cosco are still sitting in the bag because I neglected to plant them in the fall - huge disappointment on my part!)
The weather is so beautiful here in Portland right now. Its been the most mild winter, with the East coast getting slammed on a constant basis, for some reason we are getting it easy over here on the West Coast. Its beeauutiful. Yeah, yeah, its rainy and drizzly and persistently gray here in Portland... but hey - when its nice out its really nice out. For shizzle.
After my last post I had to put in a little positive 2cents for the ol' Garden of Leah. (pink flowers pictured above are a valentines gift from Tim) I have been feeling a lot of negativity lately, but I cannot wallow when it is so nice out. The weather today was stunning. And we are supposed to get more this week!
Life without my laptop is not so fun.
This is sorta how I feel about Valentines day :) Its a flipbook too - heres a little video of it in action (its very simple)
I love tea parties. I love tea. I drink it all day! Etsy Tea Time started years ago as a way to meet other local sellers and help potential sellers get in the game. Its simple networking, but more-so its a chance to sit around and drink tea and chit chat about Etsy! Tim can only stand so much Etsy talk... he pretends to listen, but I know it must bore the crap out of him. So Tea Time has served as a great venue for this chit chat.
Check out this beautiful treasury that could be the front page of Etsy (if it gets enough clicks and comments!) - I love the champagne color pallet.
Ug. Heres the story: last night we went out to a movie (terrible movie by the way: A Serious Man) and left feeling all depressed... only to walk into the parking lot to find our car broken into. Both laptops were stolen. Ug. 
The Etsy Glass Artist street team is having a sale! Check out this link to see many of the deals the shops have to offer...
