What will 2011 be like?

In writing my 2010 post I realized just how much of last year I failed to document. A lot of it felt too personal, and some of it felt insignificant, but I did learn a lot and writing about things always helps that process. So goal number one will be to blog more. (Isn't it always the same goal over here?)

On a personal front 2011 will be about caring for myself on a holistic level. There is a lot that has been pushed aside for many years and a lot of self-sabotaging habits that I have picked up. Lately I have begun to examine my self and my life and I am working to find where I'm "leaking" energy and find ways to channel myself in a more productive direction, physically, emotionally and financially. I am looking forward to taking on the challenge of meeting myself again and seeing what I am capable of. I certainly have not stopped learning since graduating, and I'm looking forward to sharing with you all some of the exciting and engaging things that I have been reading and contemplating.

Business goals are also challenging, because I am at a point where I need to create another plan, another set of short and longterm goals. Certainly in the near future I will be completing the website. I am also going to be doing some close examination of myself and my own goals, and determining where they may lead the business. I think you will be hearing more about that later. Wherever it ends up there will be more designing and creating. That's a must.

Does anyone have any 2011 goals to share? Any resolutions?

P.s. Apparently I forgot about my 5 year blogiversary. It was in December. Wohoo!

Oh hi, it's Black Friday. You could be saving 15% off Soasa!

Bird Charm Necklace

Are you on my Soasa mailing list?
Are you a fan of Soasa on Facebook?

If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, than you already know how you can save 15% off your Soasa purchases this weekend!

If you answered "no", well, what are you waiting for!

The mailing list sign up is here: Soasa Contact
The Facebook fan page is here: SOASA

I hope you will join us!

P.s. I started using Artfire. You can still find some of my stuff on Etsy, but my Artfire shop will be better maintained and have a wider selection as I begin to wean off my Etsy shop.

On Paleo Eating and Tightwadery

I'm not sure how I end up getting myself into these situations, but sometimes I think I'm out to make my life difficult.

The problem is, I'm reading these two books simultaneously, and the result is somewhat confusing. You see, I am reading this book called The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet which has presented some convincing and intriguing science about why I should stop eating dairy, legumes and gluten, and instead revert to a paleolithic diet of animal protein and fresh fruits and veggies. Now, believe you me, growing up on a dairy farm, religiously eating whole wheat and lentils, this isn't what I wanted to be convinced of. In fact, I fought quite hard and still find myself twitching at times throughout the day. Never the less, Robb Wolf is one convincing (and funny) dude, so JusPup and I are slowly weening ourselves off these foods in preparation for a full on 30 day trial run in November (all bets are off for Thanksgiving day, though). I know, I know, it's counter to everything I've been taught, but JusPup is down 15 pounds, I'm down 3, and we aren't even totally on the diet yet!

Now, animal protein and fresh plants. Delicious! Healthy! NOT a good paring when in the back of your mind is all the tried and true budget advice from one Amy Dacyczyn (she swears it's pronounced like "decision", who's gonna argue?) of The Complete Tightwad Gazette which happens to be the other book I'm reading. "At every meal include at least one pantry staple" "Bake your own bread at least once a week" and on and on (there really are a lot of good tips in this book)! I love bread! In fact, I just inherited a bread machine! I love pantry staples! Give me rice and lentils any day! Of course, what I've realized is that I also get a tummy full of gas and pain. I sort of thought this was normal...

So, pair my tightwadish tendencies with a fresh-based diet (and a pension for locally, ethically grown) and what do you get? A headache. A budgeting nightmare. OK, that's what I get. (Also, some delicious roast chicken which became roasted acorn squash stuffed with chicken and then became some delicious chicken soup!) What you get is to read about my new adventures in the kitchen, trying to stock a pantry with everything except pantry food, while on a budget, in the soon-to-be-dead of winter.

Do you have a favorite cheap, grain-free, legume-free, dairy-free meal? Please tell me about it! (Also, if you know anyone with a lot of venison on their hands, I want it!)

Yes, these are affiliate links. I realized that a lot of what I write about is books, and thought that I might as well give this a shot. If it skeeves you out, just go to Amazon and search them yourself! I promise I will never speak well of a book that I think sucks. I don't have time for that. I hardly even have time to tell you about the books that I like!!

Are You My Target Audience?

When I first started selling my jewelry I didn't really think it would ever be something that I did full time. Even after completing my degree, it took a while for the reality to sink in. Jewelry. It's what I do. Somehow in five years it just crept up and became an all-encompassing part of my life.

The problem with starting a business so loosely is that there comes a time when you need to take a major step in order to optimize your time and energy spent branding, marketing, creating, and networking. The difficulty comes when you're not sure what that step is. Because my business has grown so organically over the past 5 years, it's hard to decipher exactly what I need to do next. I'm too close to it.

A friend of mine is starting up a new business (Stellar Sunshine Hoops) and I have a blast troubleshooting and coming up with ideas for her, but I can't always do that for myself. I really miss being at that stage where every step was a big one.

I mentioned earlier this week that one major project I have going on is my new website. It's finally much more in line with how I've always envisioned it but the research and development of it has led me to wonder about my focus. Up until now I've been sort of "throwing mud at a wall". Spread my work around and see who likes it, what sticks. This year has been especially experimental because I have so many new events going on and a lot of them have been complete failures.

What it comes down to is this. I have to finally ask the question "who is my target audience?" Who do I have something to say to? Who's life can I improve? Who's questions can I answer?

I need your help!

Why do you read my blog (or tweets, or facebook updates)?

What is it about me that interests you?

If you're a fan of my jewelry, why?

You can e-mail me your answers (robinmsills [@] gmail [.] com), or leave them in the comments. I'd really appreciate it if you'd take a minute to get back to me on this.

ANOTHER Updated Calendar!

This should be final, but of course, you never know!

June 25-27 Oldsongs Festival of Music and Dance, Altamont, NY
July 18 Nyack Street Fair, Nyack, NY
July 23-25 GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance, Trumansburg, NY
August 5-8 WOOL, Lake George, NY
August 28-29 Old Bethpage Village Craft and Gift Show, Old Bethpage, LI, NY
September 4-5 Eisenhower Park Craft and Gift Show, East Meadow, LI, NY
September 11-12 Bayville Waterside Craft and Gift Show, Bayville, LI, NY
September 25-26 Merrick Annual Fall Festival, Merrick, LI, NY

Slowly but surely...Ten on Tuesday

I'm going to ease myself back into blogging with this Ten on Tuesday. It's remarkably relevant to the self-study project I just started for myself.

In no particular order, 10 Things You Wish You Knew How to Do (or wish you could actually do. In some cases I understand the process but don't have the physical skill or simply suck at...)

1. Weld and hot forge steel
2. Ply yarn
3. Write a resume
4. Program websites
5. Take full advantage of Excel
6. Fix my car
7. Wire electricity
8. Can foods
9. Bake bread
10. Screenprint

There are still a lot more things to add to this list! I guess I'll never want for something to learn!

What would you like to know how to do? Maybe we can all help each other!

28 days, 1200 photos

I was hoping to have my photos sorted out by the time I got home, but the reality of the situation is that I took HUNDREDS. They all need a little tweaking and a lot of them just need to be deleted, but I have to be careful with them because they represent my Great Adventure and I don't want to lose or ruin any! That's my WIP for this week. I'm planning to spread things out and post a new location each Sunday so that you can travel with me.

I cooked our first meal in our new apartment last night! I made pesto with basil from my Mom's garden. It came out pretty well! We have a gas stove, which was just one of the many added perks of this place. Justin did a great job finding it. Once this is posted I'm going to head out to the backyard and hula hoop with the chickens and goats!

Finally, I just wanted to give a little cheer for myself as this is my 200th post!

Image borrowed from The Market Guardian

Want more WIP Wednesday? Click it!

It's a Giveaway, of sorts!

ETA: CLOSED. Thank you all for your participation and support!
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More like a lottery, except everyone wins!



Here's the sitch. I'm coming home in about 2 months and when I get home I'm jumping right back into the Craft Fair circuit. I need to start ordering supplies, and planning projects now so that when I get home I don't waste any time! What I need is feedback. I want to know what you like, and what you don't like. I want to know what I should keep working on, and what I should let go.

The way in which you can help me is simple! Check out what I've got in my shop, and tell me what you like. There's more than what you see above, so click on over and really look around. Then leave me a comment or a Twitter including the item(s) and what you think!

Why should you do this for me? Because each item has been assigned a random number, and each number relates to a discount, ranging from free shipping to %20 off total purchase. You don't have to use your discount for that item, you can use it for whatever you want! Of course, you don't have to use it at all, if you don't want to! Make sure I can e-mail you (if your address isn't on your blog or something, send it to me) so I can give you your discount code.


One last thing. Spread the word, and ask them to refer to you! The person with the most referrals by next Thursday gets another special surprise!

Some notes:
You have from now until Thursday the 18th.
If you have more than one favorite item that's great! I'll give you the most valuable discount code that applies. Just don't tell me they're all your favorite because that's no help! (Though it is very sweet)
If you don't like anything, or have constructive criticism, I'm always open to that as well!

Please, please help me out people! I need some feedback around here!

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Some comments I've gotten off-blog:

Vivbro tweets: "@Soasa Shine Earrings are gorgeous you should have a matching necklace..,Flight Necklace is beautiful too......."

SunShinePatchwork convo'd:
"Now these are unique and beautiful, keep this style up...: Orange Framed
Keep making these and all of your earthy designs....... this necklace is sweet: Earth Goddess Necklace: Flora
These are beautiful, I love them...but theres soooo many on Etsy, scared they are getting played out ya know." Orange"

Nobody wants to change their own mind...

Is Love Enough - Michael Franti and Spearhead

Usually Memorial Day is a family holiday, a day off, a day to spend with the people I love. This year it's different because I'm far away, in another country, and I've been thinking. I've gotten a range of reactions from people when I tell them that I'm from the US. Most of the positive ones are from people who think NYC is a magical place, and they imagine that I live there and ride around in a limo and drink champagne with supermodels. Not so. Most often I get sort of an awkward "ohhh". You really reflect on your own country when you leave it behind, even if it's temporary, because you have to learn to navigate in your new environment, with new cultural norms and new social laws.

I've been robbed twice now (as I've written about) and my initial reaction is rage. Rage at a government for not employing adequate security in a HUGE city, rage at an economic structure that causes so many people to exist with so little. After fuming and storming for a while I realized what I really feel is rage at this society in which so few people extend a hand, or a smile, much less any help. Two weeks ago I started buying cookies and juice for a family of children that sits at the corner near my Subte stop. I've made friends with the business owners on my street, the man in the hardware store, the guys in the produce market, the Chinese family that owns the supermarket, the woman from Peru who sells fruit in the market on Estado de Israel. Once a week or so I visit the used book vendors near my Subte stop at school to have a chat and see what they've got. To get robbed after making these connections, after finally building a little community for myself, was almost enough to make me pull back completely. It has occurred to me over the last few days that if I do that I'll only be perpetuating the problem here. I can't fix the economy, I can't make the city hire more police, but I can show people that I care, that I am interested in their stories. I can show them that I am human, and they are human, and we are all human together. We all have stories, in that we are all the same.

It was difficult to find a song that was appropriate for today because I wasn't sure how I was feeling about the day. I'm not a political blogger, and I'm grateful for that. I hesitate to share political views because so often they shut down opportunities for conversation, rather than opening them. I'm still an idealist. I support our troops as human beings, and because they protect the rights that I have as a citizen of the United States. I do not support the global social and political mindset in which guns and bombs are necessary to secure our beliefs. I do not support the decision to bowl through other countries on the basis that we know what is good for them, without allowing them to search for their own new way of life. I believe in human connections, regardless of how we name it in our churches and temples. I believe we should bring our troops home because if we really, truly respected them as human beings we would not ask them to die for us without first trying to resolve our problems in a human, non-violent way. We are distinct in the animal kingdom because we alone have the ability to chose how we arrive at our future. I believe we should exercise that ability and speak, in memory of all who have given their one, single, irreplaceable life.

Looking for more Music Monday? *They're usually not politically driven!*

Faith

I made my flatmate laugh today...in Spanish. Through her I am beginning to find faith. Faith in the power of human connections that erase all barriers of language and culture and make all things possible for those who are willing to open their hearts and minds.

Argentina

Yes, so I realize that I've been mentioning this from time to time for several months now, but never formally introduced the big news!
ETA: Actually, I just read back through my posts and it looks like I never really did mention this, even though it's been consuming my life.

I will be studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina from the end of February through the end of July. It's an interruption from my regular course of study, but I'm going to take the opportunity to complete some credits towards a Spanish minor, as all of my courses will be taught in Spanish while I'm there. This is a wonderful (albeit terrifying) opportunity for me and I have to admit I'm freaked out. This is definitely bigger than anything I have ever done in my life!

Because I'm going to be away during the festival season, I am having a sale right now in order to give people a chance to do any shopping they might have wanted to do over the summer. From now until February 15th I will take 20% off of any order of two items or more, and shipping is free for all purchases! 11:59 on February 15th I will close my shop in order to prepare for my departure on 2/20.

This is a sneak peak, before I completely finish my uploads, and send out an e-mail to my mailing list, so if you see something you like you may want to snap it up now, because I won't be making more until next fall, and when I run out I run out!

Soasa Calendar!

Late Summer & Early Fall 2010

September 19 Van Houten Avenue Street Fair, Clifton, NJ
September 21-23 Fall Northeast Art & Craft Show, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY
September 26 Haverstraw Street Festival, Haverstraw, NY
October 2 Hudson High School Craft and Home Expo, Hudson, NY
October 3 Warwick AppleFest, Warwick, NY
October 9-10 Warren Fall Festival, Warren, CT (one of my favorites!)
October 23-24 Connecticut Renaissance Faire, Hebron, CT
October 26-27 Thanksgiving Northeast Art & Craft Show, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY

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Spring and Summer 2010


Edit 6/24/10:

This should be it. For real. See you there!

June 25-27 Oldsongs Festival of Music and Dance, Altamont, NY
July 18 Nyack Street Fair, Nyack, NY
July 23-25 GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance, Trumansburg, NY
August 5-8 WOOL, Lake George, NY
August 28-29 Old Bethpage Village Craft and Gift Show, Old Bethpage, LI, NY
September 4-5 Eisenhower Park Craft and Gift Show, East Meadow, LI, NY
September 11-12 Bayville Waterside Craft and Gift Show, Bayville, LI, NY
September 18 Pawling Art and Craft Fair, Pawling, NY


There will be more events for October - December!

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Winter 2009

Nov. 21st Valley Central School, Montgomery, NY
Dec. 4th Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Dec. 5th Hawthorne Valley School, Harlemville, NY

If you decide to stop by don't forget to print out this coupon and save 15% off your entire purchase!

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Fall 2009

I'm not quite as busy this fall because it was difficult to organize everything from abroad, but here's the plan! I hope some of you can stop by! There may be additional dates, so check back around the end of the month.

Sep. 19 Pawling Arts & Crafts Fest, Pawling, NY
Oct. 3 Hudson High School Craft Fair, Hudson, NY
Oct. 10-11 Warren Fall Festival, Warren, CT

Oct. 17 Hillsdale Farmer’s Market

As always, if you've got any questions or need directions don't hesitate to ask!

RobinMarie [at] Soasadesigns [dot] com

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Summer 2009

I'm currently in Buenos Aires, Argentina on study abroad. I will be back in the states on August 2nd, and hopefully geared up for a good fall season! I have jewelry available on my Etsy site RobinMarie.Etsy.com that my mom has kindly agreed to ship out for me!

Have a happy and healthy summer!

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The holiday season is here!

Nov. 21-22 Housatonic Valley Waldorf School Holiday Fair, Newtown, CT
Nov. 29 Jewelry Sale at Off The Beaded Path, Great Barrington, MA
Dec. 5 Bard Craft Fair, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Dec. 6 Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School Yultide Fair, Harlemville, NY
Dec. 13 Sheffield Market, Sheffield, MA
Dec. 20 Sheffield Market, Sheffield, MA

If you've got any questions or need directions don't hesitate to ask!
RobinMarie [at] Soasadesigns [dot] com

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Come find me this Fall, I'm going to be all over the place!

Sep. 6+20, Oct. 4+18 Hillsdale Farmer’s Market
Sep. 14 Mountain Music Festival, Bethel, NY
Sep. 20 Pawling Arts & Crafts Fest, Pawling, NY
Sep. 21 Earth Day Festival, Bethel, NY
Oct. 4-5 Hudson High School Craft Fair, Hudson, NY
Oct. 11-12 Warren Fall Festival, Warren, CT
Oct. 18 Green Meadow Fall Fair, Chestnut Ridge, NY

As you can see there are a few dates that are doubled. In those cases my Mom will be working the Farmer's Market for me, so you should really go keep her company!

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It's going to be a busy one! I'm incredibly excited about how much everything has progressed in the last three years, and this summer is just a whole new level.

Every 1st and 3rd Saturday from June - October I'll be at the Hillsdale Farmer's Market in Hillsdale, NY
June 26-29: Old Songs Festival of Music and Dance in Altamont, NY
July 17-20: Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, NY
July 24-27: Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in Hillsdale, NY
August 23: Blueberry Festival in Ellenville, NY

I've also got quite a few events booked for the fall, but I'll let y'all know about those as the dates get closer.

In Which I Attempt to Catch Up - Ep. 2 - School

School ended May 15th or so, I stuck around to spend one more day in the studio, then headed home. I didn't see the final Grad show, or go to the end of the year party, which was kind of a bummer, but not worth staying until the end of the week for. I'm relieved to be home, that's for sure.

I pulled of some lovely grades, and here's the run down:
Ceramics: A
Metal Forming: A-
Enameling: A-
Sociological and Philosophical Foundations of Education: A
History of Jazz: A

I'm very pleased with myself, but my pleasure is heightened by the fact that I know for certain that I learned a lot this semester. The past semesters have been a bit of a let-down, but this one was both academically and artistically stimulating. I spent more time than ever in the studios, and my Soc and Phil class was the best course I've taken at New Paltz to date. So stimulating, in fact, that it helped me solidify some very important decisions that I've been unsure about.

I've decided to change my major from a BFA in Metals to a BS in Visual Arts with a Concentration in Metals. This will allow me to balance my academics and arts more evenly, and I feel will help prepare me more adequately for *drumroll* a Masters in Library Sciences. It will also give me the free credits I need in order to get a minor in Spanish. I'm very excited about all of this!

Photos top to bottom: "Flailing Soul" somewhat comical piece done for Forming - copper and sterling silver, "Stumpy" exploration of high temp brazing for Forming - copper, Earrings made last minute before I left for the summer, enamel and copper in a bowl I threw for Ceramics.

Terrorize me, please.

Yep...I'm finally seeing a Physical Therapist, fondly referred to in my family as Physical Terrorists. My mom, a PT of 25+ years, got me in to see one of her co-workers about my (allegedly chronic) knee pain. Turns out there's a very good chance that we can get me back on my feet! After more than 6 years of knee pain, weight gain and gym-fear it's possible that this problem I've been told is chronic can be manageable. My therapist is teaching me how to tape my knees, I've bought new sneakers (apparently I supinate and they make special sneakers for that...who knew?), and my mom has been working her (painful) magic on my poor muscles that have been pulling my kneecap off course for years. My next appointment is tomorrow afternoon, and I'm excited!

I could be in shape! I could exercise and go hiking again! I could play soccer with my brother out in the yard!

It isn't stress....

And this post is not professional, it's just honest. Really this blog isn't professional, because if it was I'd never write in it because I'm a human being, not a corporation.

I'm extremely busy. Unforgivably so, I think, though there's no one to forgive but myself. I've taken on the roll of Fundraising Chair for the New Paltz chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and we've just purchased 15 spring break plane tickets to New Orleans. The total was a bit over $5000, which really isn't bad until you realize that I've just signed myself up to figure out how to fundraise some $6000 total by early February or else we're all going to get stuck with the bill. And 14 other people are depending on it.

This on top of a whole lot of school work that came up quite suddenly. (None of us, professors and students alike, quite realized it was midterm)

I love projects, and generally I'm thrilled to be busy and not have time to think about my emotions but this week they're creeping in when there's nothing I can do to stop them. I'd forgotten how it felt to be lonely, and now, surrounded by people ending relationships (seriously, 5 in the last week and a half) the reality of it is coming back pretty quick. On one hand I'm wishing I could lock myself away and not face it, cry a lot and mope about, but on the other I know that I'm too devoted to my life to stop doing what I love, and I would only hate myself more if I neglected myself.

What's getting me is the anxiety. Am I capable of another relationship any time in the near future? Will I ever stop being anxious about being capable of another relationship? Will my anxiety about being anxious about being capable of another relationship prevent me from being capable of another relationship and thus will I forever be anxious about my abilities? Is Caleb okay? Will I always be scared of men? Why do I care if Caleb's okay? Realistically I know that it will all be okay, but anxiety doesn't work that way, it doesn't follow logic, nor does it respond to it.

Where do you find energy in a time like this? How does one overcome anxiety without the meds? That's the point of this post. Not to angst and whine, I just genuinely need some advice.

The Interweb!

So I've got two folks on my side, a graphic designer, and a programmer, and between the three of us I'll hopefully have a sweet website in the very near future! My biggest responsibility is photos, which kills me. This is all way over my head, but really exciting none-the-less! I'll be premiering my new, very tax-official name, Soasa, and a ton of new jewelry, I hope. This means new business cards, new signs, new everything!

Right now I'm looking for examples of simply designed product websites you feel are especially effective. Any ideas?

What's Really Happening...

With my Etsy shop?

It's not dead, at least, I don't think it is. It's been resting for a while now.

You may or may not have noticed but I'm destashing pretty hardcore right now, and it's excellent! You should all check it out, and pick up some stuff for dirt cheap!


Why would I sell awesome stuff? Primarily because I own such a ridiculously large amount of beads that I'm feeling suffocated by it all. I need to slim down a bit in my bead-hoarding. I'm a binge-buyer, and I'm not proud of it. I buy in excess, and often. PLEASE take some of these beads off my hands! There'll be free gifts for anyone who lets me know when they purchase that they came from this blog! Seriously...I don't even know what to do with all the beads I have.

As for what I'm selling, it's really a mix of things. I have tons of brassy-toned lobster claws, focal pieces, and delicious semi-precious chips.


The future is a bit uncertain right now, meaning I have no exact dates for when I'll be posting new jewelry, but once I get a sense for how much time I have I'll try and work out a plan!

One of those moments that makes you say "whoaaa"

Are you ever walking a walk you've walked a hundred times when the reality of your existence in that place hits you and you have to stop and say "whoaaa"? I live for those moments. Those are the moments when I realize a shift has happened. The Robin Marie that used to walk that walk is gone, and in that moment I recognize a new self. It may be the most minute shift, but it's a shift none-the-less, and that means adventure!

The biggest reason this shift is exciting is that I've been really down, and this may mean an end to that, for the time being.

Additionally, someone should really buy me a copy of Be Here Now because it would make me exceedingly happy.

New Beginning

It's been some time since I've actively participated in the blogging world. At one time the popularity of LiveJournal was thrilling, and keeping track of my high school buddies was a great excuse. LiveJournal was always a load of crap though, we all knew it, and now we've got MySpace and Facebook to do that for us, and they don't need constant attention! My little working knowledge of this system is owed entirely to the genius of the one and only J. Farber and his Intro to Web Design course that I took...a million years ago.

I'm running a small business called Soul of a Starving Artist. I make jewelry, and for the most part it pays for itself, though not much more. I am a Metals major, at SUNY New Paltz, but I'm stuck in the foundation requirement BS that apparently everyone has to go through. It hurts, let me tell you, to know that I'm paying good money for professors who haven't graduated, and don't want to be there. This is not the standard of education my prep school pampered brain is used to. My farmer's daughter work ethic isn't happy either. What am I supposed to do with my time if I don't have anything to study? This is currently my biggest gripe.

I have a great passion for art, and I am utterly impatient when something is holding me back from accomplishing my goals. I am stubborn as a mule, or my father (we are two of a kind in many ways.)

I am generally a happy person.

Cheers!

Robin Marie