Octopus Parlour is donating 50% of all sales made now through Thursday 3/17 to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts in Japan.
I've been so overwhelmed with sadness watching the news for the last few days. The disaster in Japan is just devastating and sitting here thousands of miles away, I feel so helpless. I've donated some money from my personal funds - since volunteering is unfortunately out of the question - but wanted to do even more.
If you've been interested in one of Octopus Parlour's handmade pieces of jewelry, now's the perfect time to shop.
Thank you so much for your support!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
First Food Shoot
Hope you had a lovely V-Day, regardless of your relationship status. I spent the (finally warm!) day with my fiancee. We cooked salmon, made chocolate pot de creme, and opened one of the last few bottles of wine from my sojourn in California 3 years ago. I vowed that I would not be in a restaurant on Valentine's Day since I've spent so many years past working in one.
We've done a couple food photoshoots since last I posted. Here's one of the images from the chili shoot that I styled that didn't quite make it as stock, but I love it nonetheless.
We ended up with about 30 final pictures from that shoot after 2 days of photographing chili. At least, unlike models, it stays rather still. I'm continuing to learn about lighting, composition and Photoshop. If I just keep working hard, hopefully I'll be able to do this on my own at some point. And pay the bills!
We've done a couple food photoshoots since last I posted. Here's one of the images from the chili shoot that I styled that didn't quite make it as stock, but I love it nonetheless.
We ended up with about 30 final pictures from that shoot after 2 days of photographing chili. At least, unlike models, it stays rather still. I'm continuing to learn about lighting, composition and Photoshop. If I just keep working hard, hopefully I'll be able to do this on my own at some point. And pay the bills!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Photos and Jewelry
Today was my first day shooting food photography with my fiancee. My new job is badass! Being your own boss requires a little discipline, but it is 1,000,000 times better than waiting tables and dealing with bitchy people while silently praying for decent tips. It was nice to come home with a pocket full of cash, but not with a mind full of drama.
Now that our heat/water/pipe troubles are over, more jewelry is getting made, like a restock for these Bloom Necklaces at Shana Logic.
Basil Bathbone and his 8-legged crew are pulling an all-nighter to get them finished by tomorrow. I, however, will be sleeping soundly in my bed.
Now that our heat/water/pipe troubles are over, more jewelry is getting made, like a restock for these Bloom Necklaces at Shana Logic.
Basil Bathbone and his 8-legged crew are pulling an all-nighter to get them finished by tomorrow. I, however, will be sleeping soundly in my bed.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Cold Like Death Part 2
When I awoke at quarter of 10 this morning and checked my phone, I assumed there would be a message saying our furnace had been fixed. Instead, I found 2 missed calls from the plumber and the landlord, saying the key to our apartment we'd left them wouldn't open the door.
So I angrily piled the layers upon myself, donned shoes and drove 1/2 an hour back to my ice box of an apartment to wait for the plumber to try again. An hour later, I barely hear my neighbor's doorbell ring through the wall. I run outside and catch the plumber just as he's getting back into his van to leave. He'd been trying to get into the wrong apartment all along.
So, he fixes the furnace and says, "If anything else goes wrong, call us Monday and we'll come back and fix it." Awesome.
I pile the layers back on and head back to the west side to pick up my fiancee, Nippers-Kitayziz and Juno. When we get back to the house, I hear him say, "Uh oh..." and my heart freezes. I rush up to where he is; there's water gushing out from under our neighbor's door and it sounds like a waterfall in her courtyard. We call the property manager.
My fiancee climbs on the roof, jumps over into our neighbor's yard and tries to turn the water off in her courtyard. He comes back in the house unsuccessful and soaked from head to toe. He goes on YouTube and researches how to shut your water supply off and heads back outside, to the street, shutting the main water supply off for both apartments.
The maintenance man comes. He fixes it. We're happy. He turns the water back on inside our apartment. We rejoice and hug each other. We hug the cats. We go to the Antique Mall to search for vintage dishes for a photoshoot.
Then we return home. The sound of more gushing water reaches us from the courtyard of our other neighbor, diagonally across. Another pipe has broken. We call the property manager. Again. She thanks us profusely, telling us she'll send the repairman out again. My fiancee goes out to the street and turns the other neighbor's water supply off.
Now, my fiancee is taking a steamy bath, the cats are sleeping and I am finally warm. And tonight, we get to sleep in our own bed. Pretty happy ending if you ask me.
So I angrily piled the layers upon myself, donned shoes and drove 1/2 an hour back to my ice box of an apartment to wait for the plumber to try again. An hour later, I barely hear my neighbor's doorbell ring through the wall. I run outside and catch the plumber just as he's getting back into his van to leave. He'd been trying to get into the wrong apartment all along.
So, he fixes the furnace and says, "If anything else goes wrong, call us Monday and we'll come back and fix it." Awesome.
I pile the layers back on and head back to the west side to pick up my fiancee, Nippers-Kitayziz and Juno. When we get back to the house, I hear him say, "Uh oh..." and my heart freezes. I rush up to where he is; there's water gushing out from under our neighbor's door and it sounds like a waterfall in her courtyard. We call the property manager.
My fiancee climbs on the roof, jumps over into our neighbor's yard and tries to turn the water off in her courtyard. He comes back in the house unsuccessful and soaked from head to toe. He goes on YouTube and researches how to shut your water supply off and heads back outside, to the street, shutting the main water supply off for both apartments.
The maintenance man comes. He fixes it. We're happy. He turns the water back on inside our apartment. We rejoice and hug each other. We hug the cats. We go to the Antique Mall to search for vintage dishes for a photoshoot.
Then we return home. The sound of more gushing water reaches us from the courtyard of our other neighbor, diagonally across. Another pipe has broken. We call the property manager. Again. She thanks us profusely, telling us she'll send the repairman out again. My fiancee goes out to the street and turns the other neighbor's water supply off.
Now, my fiancee is taking a steamy bath, the cats are sleeping and I am finally warm. And tonight, we get to sleep in our own bed. Pretty happy ending if you ask me.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Cold Like Death
The last day and a half have been filled with weather drama. New Mexico is experiencing cold unlike it's had in decades. The governor has declared a state of emergency and it's expected that between 10,000 and 20,000 homes in Albuquerque will soon be without gas.
Two nights ago our heater broke. The temperature in our apartment dropped drastically as we tried repeatedly to reset the heater. I called the property manager and she said she'd get a plumber out to repair it today. We pack up the kitties, their litterbox, their special water bowl and head over to my fiancee's sister's house.
Today comes. I receive a call from our property manager at the ass crack of dawn saying the plumber will be in touch shortly. Three hours pass. I call her back: the plumber's not coming. People's heaters are breaking all over the city. The pipes in people's houses are freezing. It's a profitable day to be a plumber.
So, we're back at my fiancee's sister's house again tonight. They're going to fix the heater tomorrow. Supposedly. Then we have to keep our fingers crossed that we aren't one of the 10,000 homes that loses gas. Because our heater is gas-powered.
I really really hate being cold. But it could be worse. We could be dead. I'm thankful I have family that I can stay with. But if everyone I know loses gas or power, we're getting in our car and driving to a pet-friendly hotel in Utah. Or Vermont. Because strangely enough, it's warmer there.
(FYI, Octopus Parlour orders will still be shipped out the next business day until further notice.)
Two nights ago our heater broke. The temperature in our apartment dropped drastically as we tried repeatedly to reset the heater. I called the property manager and she said she'd get a plumber out to repair it today. We pack up the kitties, their litterbox, their special water bowl and head over to my fiancee's sister's house.
Today comes. I receive a call from our property manager at the ass crack of dawn saying the plumber will be in touch shortly. Three hours pass. I call her back: the plumber's not coming. People's heaters are breaking all over the city. The pipes in people's houses are freezing. It's a profitable day to be a plumber.
So, we're back at my fiancee's sister's house again tonight. They're going to fix the heater tomorrow. Supposedly. Then we have to keep our fingers crossed that we aren't one of the 10,000 homes that loses gas. Because our heater is gas-powered.
I really really hate being cold. But it could be worse. We could be dead. I'm thankful I have family that I can stay with. But if everyone I know loses gas or power, we're getting in our car and driving to a pet-friendly hotel in Utah. Or Vermont. Because strangely enough, it's warmer there.
(FYI, Octopus Parlour orders will still be shipped out the next business day until further notice.)
Friday, January 21, 2011
2 More Days
I recently discovered I sold another painting! It's "I'd Rather Not" (the blue one at the top of the photo from my show).
I am leaving the service industry in 2 days. 2 more days. I never thought this would happen so soon. I was driving yesterday as sunset began and the Sandias were lit up, pink and glowing. For the first time in years when I looked east toward the mountains, I actually saw them. And they were beautiful.
It made me realize that since pursuing my goal of being a self-employed artist, I've been in this tunnel vision world where I've had to let so much around the edges slide away. I've lost touch with friends; mostly stopped traveling and exploring, eating out and drinking. I don't need to go into everything here, but at some point I did something I promised myself I'd never do. I stopped appreciating the beauty around me; I stopped seeing. I was so focused: I had to be...or maybe I thought I had to be.
Whatever it was, I want to see everything again. I want to remember the things I love about living in the Southwest. I know I have a long path ahead of me just to make enough money to survive, but I honestly believe you don't need money to be happy. Now I'm going to have to live my words.
I can't wait. =)
I am leaving the service industry in 2 days. 2 more days. I never thought this would happen so soon. I was driving yesterday as sunset began and the Sandias were lit up, pink and glowing. For the first time in years when I looked east toward the mountains, I actually saw them. And they were beautiful.
It made me realize that since pursuing my goal of being a self-employed artist, I've been in this tunnel vision world where I've had to let so much around the edges slide away. I've lost touch with friends; mostly stopped traveling and exploring, eating out and drinking. I don't need to go into everything here, but at some point I did something I promised myself I'd never do. I stopped appreciating the beauty around me; I stopped seeing. I was so focused: I had to be...or maybe I thought I had to be.
Whatever it was, I want to see everything again. I want to remember the things I love about living in the Southwest. I know I have a long path ahead of me just to make enough money to survive, but I honestly believe you don't need money to be happy. Now I'm going to have to live my words.
I can't wait. =)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Strawberries! ...and a donation debacle resolved
The Vintage Strawberry Earrings I mentioned a few posts back are now available for sale (only $15!) at Shana Logic.
I wanted to share with you all about some of the issues I've been having with the donation Octopus Parlour had sent out to the Castle Rock Collaboration. For a good chunk of 2010, the Parlour was collecting 10% of all sales to donate to this organization to save the red rocks of Utah.
Back in December, I sent a check off to the Castle Rock Collaboration which was never cashed. After a good deal of research, I discovered that this organization had been disbanded because they had raised all the money they needed to preserve the beautiful rock formations of Castle Valley. Apparently my check is floating in some sort of postal limbo from which it may never return.
I'll be honest: I kind of felt like a fool, donating to an organization that didn't exist. But if you check their website, they are still asking for money to save the red rocks, so it's fairly confusing. Anyway, being that I loves me some red rocks, I spoke to the other organization that participated in the conservation efforts: Utah Open Lands. They still need money to continue the upkeep and maintenance of Castleton Tower and the surrounding trails and campsites. So, I'm going to take the money Octopus Parlour raised and send it off to them.
All's well that ends well.
I wanted to share with you all about some of the issues I've been having with the donation Octopus Parlour had sent out to the Castle Rock Collaboration. For a good chunk of 2010, the Parlour was collecting 10% of all sales to donate to this organization to save the red rocks of Utah.
Back in December, I sent a check off to the Castle Rock Collaboration which was never cashed. After a good deal of research, I discovered that this organization had been disbanded because they had raised all the money they needed to preserve the beautiful rock formations of Castle Valley. Apparently my check is floating in some sort of postal limbo from which it may never return.
I'll be honest: I kind of felt like a fool, donating to an organization that didn't exist. But if you check their website, they are still asking for money to save the red rocks, so it's fairly confusing. Anyway, being that I loves me some red rocks, I spoke to the other organization that participated in the conservation efforts: Utah Open Lands. They still need money to continue the upkeep and maintenance of Castleton Tower and the surrounding trails and campsites. So, I'm going to take the money Octopus Parlour raised and send it off to them.
All's well that ends well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)