tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34536955450666472692024-03-13T11:54:52.709-04:00LittleAsianSweatshopLittleAsianSweatshopAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-88066845690923820152013-08-21T10:00:00.000-04:002013-08-21T10:00:38.734-04:00I'm on Heroes of Cosplay!!!Well, *I'm* not on <a href="http://www.syfy.com/heroesofcosplay">Heroes of Cosplay</a>...but my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/92823763/portal-glados-inspired-red-led-glow">GLaDOS Hair Flower</a> is!!! <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPn5N4pq-gI/UhTHBxKCSyI/AAAAAAAAAlo/0u5oNDBBUQw/s1600/HoC_portalflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPn5N4pq-gI/UhTHBxKCSyI/AAAAAAAAAlo/0u5oNDBBUQw/s320/HoC_portalflower.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">...and more importantly, she *rocked* it!</span></td></tr>
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Please excuse me while I scream like a tween at a Beiber concert!!!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-90558675018380785652013-07-05T11:56:00.002-04:002013-07-05T11:56:34.164-04:00Sweatshop SangriaIt's summer and we were heading to my brother’s place for
BBQ. I had been hankering for fruit,
which translates into “let’s make sangria” in my mind. Last year, <a href="http://aliciasquared.tumblr.com/post/7292805603/summerysangria">AG had a simple yet delicious sangria recipe</a>. Since I’m notoriously awful in the kitchen, I
figure, let’s go with something easy, tried and true. But since I was making this for 6 people (and
we’re all drinkers in my family), I decided to triple up on the recipe.<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
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I chopped up some peaches and strawberries. I started off with one of those little
plastic boxes of strawberries, and 4 large white peaches. Most of them made it into the pitcher. Excellent!
I think I was extremely smart in cutting up the fruit BEFORE the
drinking…errr…”tasting” began, otherwise, the <a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.blogspot.com/2011/07/sewing-with-one-half-of-aliciasquared.html">Hello Kitty bandaids</a> would
have needed to come out again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pg2iIXGDN0E/UdbrM8B7qmI/AAAAAAAAAbY/xJoou0HiCO4/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pg2iIXGDN0E/UdbrM8B7qmI/AAAAAAAAAbY/xJoou0HiCO4/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">There's fruit, so it's *healthy*</span></td></tr>
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Since I was tripling the recipe, I used three bottles of
white wine (pinot grigio, per AG’s original recipe). It was actually more like 3 bottles, minus a
glass. Well, because you know, I had to
taste the wine to ensure it was delicious.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCTWyn2o3BY/UdbrYr8VCnI/AAAAAAAAAbg/8z52nKvwsHA/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCTWyn2o3BY/UdbrYr8VCnI/AAAAAAAAAbg/8z52nKvwsHA/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Pro tip: "On Sale" wine will make it taste better</span></td></tr>
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And where is where things started to go south. I had nearly full bottle of Absolut Citrus, but
I couldn’t find my measuring cup (I only have one, and it’s usually used as an
emergency soup bowl or coffee mug). So,
to err on the side of caution, I poured the entire thing in. There’s one thing I’ve learned in college -
you can never go wrong with too much vodka, right?</div>
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I remembered that I had some peach nectar left over from NYE
(I love bellinis)…and since it was in the fridge the entire time, it was
probably still good, right? But once I
pulled out the box, I realized, there was only about a shot of nectar
left. That clearly wouldn’t make this
sweet enough. So I pulled out the rest
of my bottle of Ice Wine Slushie mix, which is basically concentrated ice wine,
and added that into the pitcher. It’s
deliciously sweet AND had the added benefit of more alcohol. Because, clearly, that’s what this sangria
needs. More alcohol.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In case you haven’t gotten the sense of where this was going…nope,
I didn’t have any ginger ale either. But
fortunately, I have a fridge full of champagne.
Hey, both are bubbly, effervescent and delicious. It’s practically the same thing, right? So I popped open a bottle…and again, because
I couldn’t find my measuring cup…the entire bottle went in. You know, just to be sure I got enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8H0FIv3rCQ/Udbrlu_bbCI/AAAAAAAAAbo/3OBZVTQzqhc/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8H0FIv3rCQ/Udbrlu_bbCI/AAAAAAAAAbo/3OBZVTQzqhc/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">This is only with the 3 bottles of pinot...sooo much sangriaaaaaa!</span></td></tr>
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<o:p> </o:p>Quick stir, and VOILA!
Sweatshop Sangria!</div>
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<b>Sweatshop Sangria Recipe:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li>4 - 5 ripe peaches, cut into small chunks. Use 6 peaches, of you plan on noshing while
cutting.</li>
<li>1 big plastic box of strawberries, hulled and cut into
chunks/slices. Try not to eat more than half of the strawberries while cutting.</li>
<li>3 bottles of Pinot Grigio…be sure to find the brand that’s
on sale – it’ll taste better. Trust.</li>
<li>1 bottle of citron vodka (or whatever you have handy)</li>
<li>1 shot of peach nectar…or whatever juice you have left in
your fridge. Totally skip this ingredient if you don’t…it’s not that crucial</li>
<li>½ bottle of ice wine or ice wine slushie…if you can’t find
ice wine, I think Riesling would work too…the key is not to overthink this</li>
<li>1 bottle of cheap champagne- if it’s more than $10 for the
bottle, you’re grossly overpaying for champagne</li>
</ul>
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<b>Instructions:</b></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Cut up fruit and throw in a large pitcher.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It’s key to do this step first, so you don’t
hurt yourself once you start “sampling” the booze</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Pour in the wines, vodkas, juice, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Save the champagne for right before serving, so
you don’t lose the fizzy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Stir</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Pour into sippy cups so that when it knocks you
on your butt, you don’t spill it over your brother’s new hardwood floors.</span></li>
</ol>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sD50pRmGlY0/Udbr7XJdcCI/AAAAAAAAAb0/3LB2x_7aBWg/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sD50pRmGlY0/Udbr7XJdcCI/AAAAAAAAAb0/3LB2x_7aBWg/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Sippy cups FTW!</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-74623552532894254812013-07-02T11:48:00.001-04:002013-07-02T11:51:31.711-04:00Heroescon 2013: Comic book nerds > political nerds<a href="http://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon/">Heroescon 2013</a> blew my mind in a very unexpected way. This is the show where I discovered that
comic book nerds are more polite and decorous than the NC GOP.<br />
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I’m not going to get into ideology, although in the interest
of full disclosure, I identify as an independent liberal. However, I live in DC, home to
both political parties, and at least half of my friends are conservative
Republicans. Besides, let’s face it, Republicans are really just political
nerds. They love politics and their
platform just as ardently as I do my <a href="http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/155613.html">X-men</a> and<a href="http://doctorwho.tumblr.com/"> Doctor Who</a>. I think everyone should be able to respect
that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So…with all that being said…<o:p></o:p></div>
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The weekend of Heroescon 2013, was also the same weekend the
<a href="http://www.ncgopconvention.com/">NC GOP</a> was holding their convention. AT
THE SAME CONVENTION CENTER.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You know, there is a booker out there that is still
cackling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After a grueling 10 hour drive (should have been 7…thanks
<a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/231557.shtml?tswind096">Tropical Storm Andrea</a>, you’ve been a peach), I head to the hotel lobby elevator
bay carrying two large bags and a small box.
There is a small line, but nothing too outrageous. I politely chat with the people in line, one
of them had on a terrific Star Trek shirt that I would have taken a pic of, if
my hands weren’t full. I get to the
front of the line when an elevator opens up and I start heading to it, when a
pack of young NC GOP delegates (they all still had their badges and ribbons on
their suits and dresses), come into the elevator bay area, looks at the line,
then looks at the open elevator doors, and ignoring the line, tries to cut in
front of us to get onto the elevator that we had been patiently waiting for!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before I could say or do anything, two fellow Heroescon
geeks, step out of the line, block the NC GOP delegates’ way and very politely
said “excuse me, but I believe these people were here before you”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I just about dropped my bags along with my jaw. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Comic book nerds, infamous for being socially awkward and
gawky, was more polite and understood the basic social niceties better than a
group of young NC GOP delegates?!?!</b> Was
I in <i>Bizarro world</i>???<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But there you had it, and that was the theme for practically
every encounter I had with the NC GOP that weekend. They prevented anyone from getting on an
elevator while they drunkenly argued over who’s room they should go to. They argued about some delegation seating
snafu/upset in front of my hotel room…at 11:30pm (hey, *some* of us have
to *work* the next day). But I
think my favorite incident was Saturday night, when I was wearing my vintage
Alfred Sheenan dress, when a very nice GOP lady stopped me in the lobby.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I love your dress,” she gushed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Thank you so much!” I gushed back because hey, who doesn’t
like to be told their dress is awesome, right?
<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Did you get it in JA-PAN?” she asked loudly<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Excuse me?!” I was sure I misheard her. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“JA-PAAAAN. Did you
get the dress in JA-PAAAN?” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Fortunately, <a href="http://theartofpaigey.com/">Paige</a> and <a href="http://mariartist.blogspot.com/">Maria</a> grabbed me and dragged me into
the elevator before I could say something decidedly inappropriate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uTQn14LhHsE/UdL1jwbGoKI/AAAAAAAAAaw/_hi7ibSTJ-E/s1600/IMG_3613%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uTQn14LhHsE/UdL1jwbGoKI/AAAAAAAAAaw/_hi7ibSTJ-E/s320/IMG_3613%5B1%5D.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">OK, it's a *little* Asian looking. But still...please don't scream "Jaaa-paaaan" at me.</span></td></tr>
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On the upside, practically every-single comic-book nerd we
met that weekend was *<b>awesome</b>*.
Perhaps everyone was on better behavior because almost everyone I spoke
to had had unpleasant run-ins with the GOP delegates, but doors and elevator
doors were held open, people were kind and courteous, and well, it just made me
feel so glad to be a part of a community that may get mocked on TV and in the
media, but when it came down to it, geeks are just good people.</div>
<br />
I was going to say something about the growth of Heroescon and how differently it felt being a vendor this year over last...but honestly, I think <a href="http://www.theartofpaigey.com/2013/06/aftermath-heroescon-2013.html">Paigey captured it perfectly.</a><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also, this was the first year that I didn't leave the con on Sunday night, so I got to attend
the Dead Dog party! You know I
had a fantastically awesome time, when I didn’t think to take a SINGLE FLIPPING
PICTURE! Which is especially aggravating because I never took photo with my two favorite ladies – <a href="http://vivcore.com/">Vivian</a> and <a href="http://colorkitten.com/">SarahDyer</a>!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5fYGSZwKIQc/UdLzrxnVUgI/AAAAAAAAAag/MkwuAoOq_jk/s1600/IMG_3639%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5fYGSZwKIQc/UdLzrxnVUgI/AAAAAAAAAag/MkwuAoOq_jk/s320/IMG_3639%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">I also got to meet the fabulous Lorraine for the first time in person<br />(OK, we might have met before...I'm terrible at these things)</span></td></tr>
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Oh yes – and there was <a href="http://mrgeoffrey.blogspot.com/2013/06/heroescon-2013_13.html">Mr Geoffrey the Photo-Gnome</a> that we did
pictures of all weekend long…but note...we never got around take one with all of us. Total photo fail on our part, but again, seriously, the crazy amount of fun we were having made us forget...</div>
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See you next year Heroescon!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-24707089993967402612013-06-27T11:45:00.001-04:002013-06-27T11:46:18.598-04:00Discovered by Frauleinwunder Magazine!<div class="MsoNormal">
OMG! <a href="http://www.frauleinwunder.net/"> Frauleinwunder</a>, a totally gorgeous German
rockabilly magazine (but publishes in English), just featured my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/88076420/alice-in-wonderland-hair-flower-with">rhinestonepoker card flower</a> in the latest issue “Must Haves” list!!!</div>
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I'm so ridiculously excited (ha! I'm *international* now)! Order your copy of the <a href="http://www.frauleinwunder.net/shop/">"Glitzer and Gloria" issue</a> now!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IfqKGLf4D_A/Ucxd3Oh8BQI/AAAAAAAAAaA/v0m9OumaS08/s504/frauleinwundermag-closeup1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IfqKGLf4D_A/Ucxd3Oh8BQI/AAAAAAAAAaA/v0m9OumaS08/s320/frauleinwundermag-closeup1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">*squee*</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-69350272599835443172013-06-11T16:23:00.000-04:002013-06-11T16:23:15.448-04:00Not the big post-Heroescon post...this is just the appetizer!The big post-<a href="http://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon/">Heroescon</a> debrief is coming...but while brain is still trying to process it all...<br />
<br />
On Saturday, the most *super cutest* Robin came by our table - she was not only adorable and funny (and had a great costume), but she was a total trooper about taking pictures with <a href="http://mrgeoffrey.blogspot.com/">Geoffry the Gnome</a> (our tablemate, <a href="http://mariartist.blogspot.com/">Maria's </a>sister's blog).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CCEKYOU6HPY/UbeFm1js6NI/AAAAAAAAAZg/cSnbw2pp3RY/s1600/picstitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CCEKYOU6HPY/UbeFm1js6NI/AAAAAAAAAZg/cSnbw2pp3RY/s320/picstitch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">we were cracking up - she had the BEST faces and poses! holy crap!</span></td></tr>
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BUT WAIT, as if that's not enough...she then posted a <a href="http://merrycanary.tumblr.com/post/52556703818/a-good-hair-day-those-hair-scarves-i-got-at">tumblr with our cute head scarves to do a totally amazing 40's backroll</a>! Holy crap I adore her!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-9394824559410819402013-06-06T14:12:00.000-04:002013-06-06T14:15:15.027-04:00T-minus 17 hours to Heroescon!<div class="MsoNormal">
Because <a href="http://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon/">Heroescon</a> is an “out-of-town” show (i.e., I don’t
have friends/family living there, where I can ship things over early and crash
in their guest room), I tend to get much more stressed out than other
shows. Plus, as a comic book nerd, being
able to hob-nob with my favorite artists and writers ratchets up the anxiety
and the need to be perfect.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fortunately, I have a very understanding husband, and although the weather was just *<b>perfection</b>* this
past weekend, he quietly left me alone, so I could work on prepping as much as
I can for Heroescon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wi75VM7veRY/UbDQF9U-msI/AAAAAAAAAYw/OyVsYQT0vdM/s1600/793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wi75VM7veRY/UbDQF9U-msI/AAAAAAAAAYw/OyVsYQT0vdM/s320/793.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #999999;">Yes, I put the husband to work...it was very "Oliver Twist"</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It’s been 4 days, and the thumbs on both hands are still so weak and sore that I can barely pick up my water glass, I have so many burns and blisters on my hands that they’ve looked like they’ve been tortured, and I had been hunched over so much, that I can’t walk without a limp.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aKW1nkSqRrk/UbDQHkHdQVI/AAAAAAAAAY4/wNifgHGy-Kg/s1600/788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aKW1nkSqRrk/UbDQHkHdQVI/AAAAAAAAAY4/wNifgHGy-Kg/s320/788.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #999999;">I like to call this my Terra Cotta Warriors of Hair Accessories</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still…totally worth it.
Less than 24 hours before <a href="http://theartofpaigey.com/">Paigey</a> and I hit the road for Heroescon…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
(and I totally plan on sewing bags – by hand – the entire
drive down)<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-76170322685445440922013-05-17T12:48:00.000-04:002013-05-17T12:48:41.937-04:00Holy crap I’ve been busy!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Holy crap I’ve been busy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know, I know...everyone is busy. But seriously, this past year has
been ridiculously busy…in the best possible way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I love the Sweatshop but unfortunately it’s not my full-time
job. I have an awesome day job/career
that I love, but can get pretty busy. In
just February, there were two weeks where I logged about 100 hours at work. Then I come home, head into my workshop and
continue to create things for the Sweatshop.
I know that the schedule is pretty insane, and honestly, I don’t think I
could have kept up the pace if it wasn’t for my awesome husband and my super
amazing <a href="http://www.theartofpaigey.com/">BFF</a> that supported me when I needed support, and left me the hell alone
when I needed quiet to get everything I needed to get done, done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My friends (and many family) constantly question my sanity
and ask me why I do it. My day-job pays well,
and by nature I’m kind of a slug (which still makes me seem more active than I
am). So why do I work my high-paced
demanding day job and then come home to work on the Sweatshop?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could give the simple, but trite answer: passion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could give the answer I give my parents: because I’m Asian
and this is how you raised me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could give you the beauty pageant interview answer:
because I have a need to create, and I have the drive to live out a dream that
I’ve harbored since I was in high school, and that the Sweatshop is an outlet to
express myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And all of these answers are true, but the real reason I will
work 100 hour day-job weeks, and still dedicate time to the Sweatshop is this:
I can’t stop myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s funny. When I
first started the Sweatshop, my primary concern was finding the time to be able
to dedicate to the Sweatshop. I had a jammed-packed schedule of parties and
events and what-nots (plus, you know, that day-job). But then, around the third or fourth month I
was working on the Sweatshop, I noticed that the problem wasn’t finding the
time to dedicate to the Sweatshop…but finding the time to pull myself <i>away</i> from the Sweatshop to go hang out with people.
There is something soothing and zen-like about creating something. And at the risk of sounding completely corny,
it was something I’ve been missing. All
my life, I’ve loved making things and doing little arts and crafts projects, however,
the problem with doing arts and crafts projects is that unless there is a
distribution plan (i.e., giving them away as gifts), your house quickly starts
to look like a Martha Stewart Hoarders episode.
Plus, as an adult (and a slug) there are so many obligations and things
that you feel that you need to do, that taking the time to sit down
and create something is always on the bottom of the priority list. So by having the Sweatshop, I allow myself
time to create. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And all this creating stuff? It’s AWESOME. Despite the crazy hours, and the late nights
trying to complete rush orders, it’s actually ridiculously fun and relaxes me
better than a full body massage. I love
it, and I can’t imagine stopping this crazy ride! And I owe a huge thank you to all my fans and
customers that allow me to have this time to create something amazing. Because it’s a wonderfully addictive feeling.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, the TL;DR version of all of this: I’ve been super busy
this past year…and a huge thank you fans for letting me be this busy! <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-31517396719213246102012-03-12T18:26:00.000-04:002012-03-12T18:26:41.637-04:00CCRG's PenULTIMATE Showdown!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HOLY SCHMOOLIES…this past Saturday, </span><a href="http://theartofpaigey.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paigey</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and I shared a table and vended at the </span><a href="http://www.charmcityrollergirls.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charm<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>City Roller Girls</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Penultimate Showdown!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what a penULTIMATE showdown it was (yeah, clearly, I have no idea what "penultimate" means, but my! doesn’t it sound so amazing???)!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides the overwhelming support and awesomeness of the fans that came to see the show…the roller girls themselves were just…AMAZEBALLS and so much fun!!! Totally uber glad that we especially designed hair flowers to represent each team! WOOHOO!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could ramble on more…but seriously, if you live in Maryland and within a reasonable (or unreasonable) drive from Baltimore…check out their schedule and get your butts to their next bout!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m already maniacally clearing out my schedule so I can go back and vend again (it’s great, because I get to sell my wares…and watch the bout from the table…it’s pretty awesome!)!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TG5yUipyl24/T153imF0fII/AAAAAAAAANA/RyTck2Vbptk/s1600/ccrg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TG5yUipyl24/T153imF0fII/AAAAAAAAANA/RyTck2Vbptk/s320/ccrg2.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">penULTIMATELY AWESOME (I really have no idea what "penultimate" means)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hope to be back soon and see you all there! WOOHOO!!! GO CCRG!!!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-18861202127472927132012-03-05T14:14:00.001-05:002012-03-05T14:14:44.475-05:00The Sweatshop is in a MAGAZINE!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Sweatshop is in the Spring 2012 issue of </span><a href="http://www.playground-magazine.com/2012/02/our-spring-digital-issue/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Playground Magazine</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check it out (page 13 and 15)!!!</span></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cbo2583z45g/T1UQEeGZ2_I/AAAAAAAAAM4/lb7oBoh3200/s1600/playground_pg13_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cbo2583z45g/T1UQEeGZ2_I/AAAAAAAAAM4/lb7oBoh3200/s320/playground_pg13_1.jpg" uda="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*squeeeee*</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-62735726793176328062012-02-02T09:20:00.003-05:002012-02-02T12:52:51.923-05:00Oh Hai Interwebz!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been swamped the past few weeks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed that suddenly, the Magical Sales Fairy waved her wand and orders just started to pour in!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least that’s what happened the last two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which was totally amazing and awesome and I’m still doing the dance of joy over that.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this week?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week, my still-yet-unpaid-but-I-really-should-get-on-that-before-she-wises-up-and-takes-her-talents-elsewhere “VP of Marketing and Design”, (and BFF…errr…VP-BFF?), <a href="http://theartofpaigey.com/">Paigey</a>, waved *<b>her</b>* magic wand, and made the interwebz notice the Sweatshop in the most amazing way possible!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So Monday morning, I was greeted with this: </span><a href="http://fashionablygeek.com/handmade/human-centipede-fleece-hat-keeps-your-disturbed-brain-warm/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FashionablyGeek.com (whom I *<b>adore</b>*) doing a little shout out for my Human Centipede Ouroboros Fleece Hat</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">…which is a weird thing to squeal over first thing on a Monday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, there I was - my bleary and half-awake self, desperately clutching a scalding hot coffee mug, and staring at my computer screen, thinking “wait…is that…MINE?!?”</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If that wasn’t enough, a little later, </span><a href="http://fashionablygeek.com/handmade/papercraft-glados-hairflower-with-led-light/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FashionablyGeek.com decided to do the same with the GLaDOS Inspired Hair Flower</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (yes, the one that LIGHTS UP)! </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly, I’m through the roof with excitement…but my BFF (think: Don Draper with boobies and cuter accessories), wasn’t done yet…because the very next day, </span><a href="http://boingboing.net/2012/01/31/sweet-handmade-papercraft-hair.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BOINGBOING.NET DID A MINI WRITE UP ABOUT THE SWEATSHOP</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OMGZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…I’m not going to lie…I may have peed a little in my pants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So yeah…thank you EVERYONE (and especially to my crazy and awesome VP-BFF) for all the support!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m seriously overwhelmed and so giddy with delight and surprise that I don’t know what to do with myself!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QlnvqubJ8xc/TyqbDBQduuI/AAAAAAAAAMs/Grd5dklkzPc/s1600/IMG_4504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QlnvqubJ8xc/TyqbDBQduuI/AAAAAAAAAMs/Grd5dklkzPc/s320/IMG_4504.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">See what awesomeness you guys do to me? This was the 2nd load. </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I forgot to take pictures of the first round!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***EDIT*** </span><a href="http://sogeekchic.com/post/16915770451/glados-inspired-hair-flower-sold-by"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SoGeekChic.com just did a little thing for the GLaDOS Inspired Hair Flower</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> too!!!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-91862764984165524132012-01-27T16:07:00.004-05:002012-01-27T16:23:31.785-05:002012: Year of the Roadshow!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If 2011 was the “Year of Madness", then 2012 is definitely the <strong>YEAR OF THE ROADSHOW</strong>!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because my </span><a href="http://www.theartofpaigey.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFF partner-in-crime</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and I may be coming to an East Coast show/event near you!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far – here is our (tenative) schedule and is subject to change. This will be updated as we insanely add to this ever growing list!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HAHA!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Sunday, February 19<sup>th</sup></strong> – </span><a href="http://pinupsforpitbulls.org/events/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pinup for Pitbulls event at The Park</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in NYC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t be there vending, but </span><a href="http://enzsnyc.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enz’s NYC</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> will be, and LittleAsianSweatshop </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleAsianSweatshop?section_id=6643692"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hair accessories</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> will be shown/available!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Wednesday, February 22<sup>th</sup></strong> – </span><a href="http://chesapeakerollerderby.com/news/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chesapeake Roller Derby Auction</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in Westminster, MD – I won’t be vending, but LittleAsianSweatshop </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleAsianSweatshop?section_id=6643692"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hair accessories</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (and </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleAsianSweatshop?section_id=10090612"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">boutonnieres</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for the menfolk) will be available!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Saturday, March 10<sup>th</sup></strong> – </span><a href="http://www.charmcityrollergirls.com/index.cfm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charm City Roller Derby</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in Baltimore, MD – there will be special CCRG TEAM FLOWERS so you can show your support for your favorite hard-hitting, fastball spinning roller girl!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Saturday, March 31st</strong> – </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tommy-Mcgee-The-Baby-Please/169500203114559"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tommy McGee and the Baby Please</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> CD Release Party at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, MD – the venue is great, the booze is delish, the band is rockin'...and we'll be there vending! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Saturday, April 7<sup>th</sup></strong> – </span><a href="http://chesapeakerollerderby.com/news/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chesapeake Roller Derby</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in Westminster, MD – and we’ll have special CRD Team flowers available!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*<b>squee</b>*</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Friday, June 22 through Sunday, June 24<sup>th</sup></strong> – </span><a href="http://heroscon.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heroscon</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in Charlotte, NC – come find us at the Paigey & Her Amazing Friends BOOTH!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, that’s right…BOOTH!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Friday, July 13<sup>th</sup> and Saturday, July 14</strong> – </span><a href="http://psychobillyluau.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Psychobilly Luau</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> – Paigey and I will both have tables (more gorgeous stuff to spellbind you with, my dears)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an incredible festival/event…I believe it’s the biggest rockabilly event on the East Coast!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Friday, September 7<sup>th</sup></strong> –</span><a href="http://theartofpaigey.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Paigey’s Solo Art Show</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “Thanks For Your Support!” at Ottobar in Baltimore, MD <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I won’t be vending…but I’ll be there to help out P’s merch table…be sure to come by to say “HI!!!!!!”)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Saturday, September 8<sup>th</sup> through 9<sup>th</sup></strong> – </span><a href="http://baltimorecomiccon.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baltimore Comic Con</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">…where again, come find us at the Paigey & Her Amazing Friends BOOTH (I just can’t stop giggling over having a booth at TWO shows this year!).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does this schedule sound as insane (and mildly exhausting) to you, as it does to me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope so…because our insanity hasn’t hit its peak yet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coming soon, we’ll be inviting some of your favorite indie artists to design special custom hair flowers!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working out the details – so stayed tuned!!!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1fDCxTPQosg/TyMRrK9zIKI/AAAAAAAAAMk/1sQZl019wHM/s1600/IMG_4264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1fDCxTPQosg/TyMRrK9zIKI/AAAAAAAAAMk/1sQZl019wHM/s320/IMG_4264.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">not even Wonder Woman can keep up with us!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-61505582614550527062012-01-10T17:19:00.004-05:002012-01-12T10:51:18.289-05:00Owning a Piece of History<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a year of procrastinating, J finally started working on our basement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had bought the house over a year and half ago, and the basement was unfinished and forlorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> However w</span>ith the new year, J found a new resolve and had been working on the basement steadily for several evenings after work. To expedite the work, he needed a sledgehammer to finish taking out the old walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he headed over to one of our favorite thrift stores, </span><a href="http://www.habitat-mc.org/restore/index.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ReStore</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which is the retail store run by <a href="http://www.habitat-mc.org/">Habitat for Humanity</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides that J used to work for Habitat and that we strongly believe in their mission, the ReStore often has "upcycled" fixtures and tools at rock bottom prices, and of course, the proceeds goes toward Habitat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Win win all around.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although I normally adore going to the ReStore, on this day, I opted to stay home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have very little interest in demolition or home improvement work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have tons of ideas of what I would like done to our house…but the actual work…yeah, not so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too much dust and grime and bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, I had a ton of orders to get out (thank you fabulous customers for giving me an excellent excuse to skip helping J with the basement…heh).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was merrily whipping out </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleAsianSweatshop?section_id=6654974"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hats</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleAsianSweatshop?section_id=6643692"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hair flowers</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and texting my </span><a href="http://theartofpaigey.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFF</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with ideas for new products, when J texts me a photo of an old piano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just the picture.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1UlzDB-2TZ8/Twy4fmHIcPI/AAAAAAAAAMI/-OvtKKOgdw0/s1600/IMG_3036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1UlzDB-2TZ8/Twy4fmHIcPI/AAAAAAAAAMI/-OvtKKOgdw0/s320/IMG_3036.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tell me that seeing this on your phone wouldn't excite you too?!</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Immediately, I call him, and J proceeds to read off to me the history of this piano. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he’s reading, I’m running to my car (my shoes shoved into my purse in my mad rush) to get to the store ASAP. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a nutshell, this piano was used in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Club"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the Cotton Club</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in Harlem before it closed down in 1940 (yes, *<b>the</b>* Cotton Club – not the imitators that came after).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was brought to DC to decorate the “salon” of a DC real estate agent, who then passed down to her nephew when she died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nephew in turn bequeathed it to his friend, who recently decided to donate it to a worthy cause…Habitat for Humanity…</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jesLUqxxUMo/Twy4u-BXf-I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/6dtRsMAchKs/s1600/IMG_6427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jesLUqxxUMo/Twy4u-BXf-I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/6dtRsMAchKs/s320/IMG_6427.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As if the amazingness of the piano wasn't enough, it came with a killer story!</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, J and I love many things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We love vintage, and we have a deep passion for all things old Vegas and Mid-Century, but the both of us hold a deep and holy reverence to all things Big Band, Swing and Jazz Age (basically anything from 1920 - 1940). So this piano is a marvelous piece of history that coincides with our passions - it's like kismet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the fact that it was used in the Cotton Club…!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, visions of Fats Waller and Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington using that piano had us writhing in excitement (I’m not going to lie, the ReStore staff was surreptitiously laying down newspaper under us in case we made a mess).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While J went to pay the nice ReStore staff, I was on the phone hiring piano movers, professional tuners, and looking up how to restore pianos. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The much better and well written article about the history of the piano from the ReStore (the retail store for Habitat for Humanity) can be found </span><a href="http://habititus.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/piano-from-famous-harlem-jazz-club-donated-to-restore"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WOW…just…WOW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, I am head in heels in love with this piano, and I’m just giddy with excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AWESOME way to kick off the new year!</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2dI9fO9G0Sc/Twy5LATM_YI/AAAAAAAAAMY/dgo2eE5k-wQ/s1600/IMG_1406.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2dI9fO9G0Sc/Twy5LATM_YI/AAAAAAAAAMY/dgo2eE5k-wQ/s320/IMG_1406.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-1400482413055352072011-12-21T16:44:00.000-05:002011-12-21T16:44:14.795-05:00Happy Holidays!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The holidays in my family was odd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My family is a first generation immigrant family, trying to adapt to this new American culture while retaining our roots and traditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They tried to do things like have a Xmas tree, but were decidedly vague on other Western traditions that should go along with the Xmas tree.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since we owned our own business, and was trying to get the rest of the family over to the US, my parents worked non-stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the few holidays they allowed themselves was Xmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Xmas for them wasn’t about roasting chestnuts and lovingly watching children open up gifts in front of a fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, for them, Xmas was a rare chance for them to not work a 16 hour day, an opportunity to get together with friends and having fun and releasing stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So on Xmas eve, my parents would host a large party with all their friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We kids would be ushered into my room, where we would have to entertain ourselves while our parents were getting progressively more tipsy as the night wore on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unspoken rule was that we could tease and fight and argue as much as we want, but any of us dared to leave the room to disturb the adults – we would all (including the tattletale) be in huge trouble that would result in practicing our Chinese calligraphy for the rest of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing that through nearly 14 years of these parties, we only broke this rule once (and my brother was the tattletale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t remember what we did to him, but even at 3 years old, he learned to never tattle again).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Generally, we kids would tire ourselves out, and we would just all pass out in my room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Half a dozen of us sleeping on top of each other like a pile of puppies on my twin bed, the rest of us curled up on the floor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the night, as the adults realized that they were too inebriated to drive home, they would leave behind what I now call “The Breakfast Stocking”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unlike most American kids who would wake up to a tree packed with gifts and Xmas stockings filled with toys, we would wake up to a large Xmas stocking filled with food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things like stale muffins, a jug of soy milk, oranges and rice balls (hey, we *<b>are</b>* Asian after all)…and a note from “Santa”, telling us that if we woke up our parents that we would be in big trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if we eat our food quietly and don’t bother the adults until they woke up, we would be rewarded.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So instead of a loud and excited Xmas morning, we kids would all tiptoe down to the den, turn on the TV and watch whatever Xmas movie was on (generally, it was “</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047673/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">White Christmas</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">” which we loved, or “</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s a Wonderful Life</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">” which we hated) and in whispers argue who got the muffins and who got the rice balls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually the adults would wake up around 2pm, and stumble into the den with a raging hangover and the realization that they have forgotten to buy Xmas presents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeling guilty (imagine staring into the expectant eyes of a dozen or so kids on Xmas morning), the adults would dig into their wallets and start handing out cash.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My friends and I were the only kids that would roll into school after the holidays with $300 in twenties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That bought a *<b>LOT</b>* of ice cream sandwiches at lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, we were all intensely popular at school after the holidays.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s odd, because despite our rather weird and goofball holiday celebrations, all I remember was how much fun we had – Breakfast Stocking and all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We never felt a lack for not getting a pile of presents on Xmas morning. We kids had each other, our Breakfast Stocking, and the rare chance to watch TV uninterrupted with demands that we should stop wasting time and go practice our violin/piano/cello/harp.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn’t start giving gifts until I was in high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although we still received lots of cash for Xmas, my parents were reluctant to let me go out to the mall on my own (clearly, they knew me too well and knew the kind of trouble I would happily get myself into), and as they were still working non-stop, they had limited time to take me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I began figuring out how to make gifts.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most notable of which was in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a poor college kid, I didn’t have that much money but definitely didn’t have the time to make a lot of handcrafted gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, who gives someone a hand-knitted scarf in school?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I went over to Tick Tock (the local liquor store), bought several bottles of the cheapest vodka they had (I seem to remember it was something like $2 for a half gallon jug…basically, one step above rubbing alcohol), and decided to “infuse” my own vodka. Sans recipe (this was before the days of </span><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=infused+vodka&fnSearchType=site"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">foodtv.com</span></a><span id="goog_1022199586"></span><span id="goog_1022199587"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How hard can it be?” I remember thinking to myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the cafeteria I grabbed various fruits, cut them up and shoved them into these bottles of horrifically cheap vodka and just let them sit in the corner of my closet. After a few days, I poured them into old soda and water bottles that I had saved, tied a ribbon and gifted a bottle to each of my friends.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was the absolute most vile thing I ever tasted…and probably the most vile thing that we would ever taste again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the memory of that awful infused vodka still lives on with my friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although our little college group has drifted apart as our boring yet busy adult lives has pulled us away, I will always get at least one holiday card or email from one of them, reminding me of that horrific infused vodka and the hilarity we had drinking it (tasty infused vodka recipe </span><a href="http://aliciasquared.tumblr.com/post/14507744860/cranberry-orange-infused-vodka"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later on, after I graduated and entered the workforce, I got back into the habit of making gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One year, I thought it would be nice if I baked little gift baskets full of treats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember my inability to make infused vodka?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now picture that cluelessness as I attempted to bake a fruit cake (I thought frozen fruit was the same as candied fruit), and muffins (the recipe called for 1 cup of sugar and 1tsp of salt…not 1 cup of salt and 1 tsp of sugar), and cookies (the less said, the better).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, the amount of fun I had baking treats for an entire day was equal to the hilarity that we all had when my friends bit into these “treats”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heh.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m talented in many ways, but cooking will never be one of my talents.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just three years ago, I joined my in-laws for their Xmas Day extravaganza. While I love my two adorable nephews dearly; they 4+ hours of watching them open up gifts and becoming increasingly frenzied is definitely not the highlight of my holiday experience. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, one of the gifts that my nephew received was a </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-53557-Jenga/dp/B000GBA60W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324395117&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jenga</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> set. As my mother-in-law was preparing our holiday meal, we set out to play Jenga with him. The game was going well, and we were having a great time. Until the youngest nephew (I believe he was 3 at the time), came rushing to the table and wanted a turn. Before we could say a word, he wobbles and crashes into the already precarious tower of wooden blocks while roughly pulling out a block, then trots away...as we stared in amazement at the still standing tower! I belive our screams of laughter nearly brought down the roof. And I will never again play Jenga without picturing that moment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As everyone is rushing around trying to pick up last minute gifts for friends and family, and getting stressed out over the mall and holiday travel, just take a step back and take a deep breath and think back to past holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inevitably, you won’t be thinking of who got what present…but of the laughter and love and fun that you had with those you care about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For years, I’ve been pushing to go to a gift free holiday (my parents and brother heartily agree…we have a standing pact to go out to dinner on Xmas Eve, but not to exchange any presents) – not because I’m grinchy, but because I don’t want the stress of insane holiday shopping and expectations, get in the way of the fun that I know I will have with those I love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season with their loved ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to remember that no one will remember how many gifts they got, but they will remember those moments they shared with you.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4g60PBp5DjM/TvCrAGq-7rI/AAAAAAAAALw/NzHC70mNsxo/s1600/IMG_6019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4g60PBp5DjM/TvCrAGq-7rI/AAAAAAAAALw/NzHC70mNsxo/s320/IMG_6019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-33626020334950166982011-12-20T09:48:00.002-05:002011-12-20T12:02:02.174-05:00T-Shirt Quilt from AliciaSquared's Perspective<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't believe I totally missed </span><a href="http://aliciasquared.tumblr.com/post/13108813204/alicia-2-craft-corner-t-shirt-quilt"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this entry</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (I really do read your blog AG...I really really do!) about the </span><a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.blogspot.com/2011/07/sewing-with-one-half-of-aliciasquared.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">infamous T-Shirt Quilt project</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that I did with one half of AliciaSquared several months ago...from her perspective.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to say this now - AG is a lot nicer about writing about me then I would have been (seriously, I made pin for 2 hours, then caused her to bleed...and then had her sew the blanket in reverse!), and she's pretty magnificent...even if she steals my FTRs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ahN03ua2KRA/TvCgAOUim_I/AAAAAAAAALg/8KzlHZrcJ20/s1600/tumblr_luzptldiVL1qjzqh5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ahN03ua2KRA/TvCgAOUim_I/AAAAAAAAALg/8KzlHZrcJ20/s320/tumblr_luzptldiVL1qjzqh5.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-60626371657629771972011-12-16T09:22:00.001-05:002011-12-16T09:32:56.557-05:00Winner Winner! Chicken Dinner!!!I meant to post this up last night - but between cutting out over 130+ entries for the <a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-logo.html">"Let's-Celebrate-the-Sweatshop's-New-Fantastic-Logo" contest</a> so I could draw them out of a hat...then making said hat to draw the entries out of (because I'm also bat-shit insane at 2am)...and then rushing out the Xmas orders...I decided that no one was going to read this at 2am anyways. Plus, at that point, I was also mildly delirious from the lack of sleep and I'm not sure anyone would have understood what I wrote anyways. Heh.<br />
<br />
So...the winner of a free <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69768762/las-vegas-monte-carlo-poker-card-hair">Poker Hair Flower</a> is...<br />
<br />
<strong>SOOEY92!</strong><br />
<br />
I have just sent a message from Etsy, but if you are Sooey92, please shoot me an email (<a href="mailto:littleasiansweatshop@gmail.com">littleasiansweatshop@gmail.com</a>) so I can get your address and mail this out to you today! HURRAH!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T5_ZXWy_YMw/TutStJVZ-yI/AAAAAAAAALI/xKG49GOVVhc/s1600/IMG_0635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T5_ZXWy_YMw/TutStJVZ-yI/AAAAAAAAALI/xKG49GOVVhc/s320/IMG_0635.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Seriously Etsy...we need to talk about basic data exporting functions</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone! You guys have been amazingly awesome and supportive and retweeting my new logo and contest all over the place! Evidently - the Sweatshop also got a mention on paper.il! WOOHOO!<br />
<br />
There will be more contests in the future...and hopefully, I'll be smart enough not to schedule them at my busiest time of the year! Heeheehee...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-5816746180385115492011-12-14T16:50:00.002-05:002011-12-14T17:00:52.133-05:00Dear Bed...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Bed,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You have a right to be mad at me. I have been ignoring you and I feel pretty low about it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have no excuse except to say that the Sales Fairy won't stop visiting me. Not that I'm complaining - you know how much I love the Sales Fairy (it does keep you, my beloved bed, in high-quality 800 count Egyptian cotton sheets after all), but it was really my fault to not having pre-made more of the more popular items before-hand.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I hope that you will be glad to know that despite being caught a little off guard, I have been able keep with my usual turn around of 24hours (although, in the past week, I've been able to get most orders out same day...hurrah!), so everyone's holiday orders will get to them with plenty of time to spare.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frankly, I don't know how the elves do it. Although, from all the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rankin/Bass"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rankin/Bass</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> specials, it looks like the elves automate their process...clearly, they aren't fans of quality, handmade good. Perhaps if they were, there wouldn't be quite so many citizens in the</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SH1j1luFOw&noredirect=1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Land of the Misfit Toys</span></a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I'm just sayin').</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I digress...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since it's not too late for people to order in time for the holidays (sidenote to my beloved customers - <strong>I ship USPS Priority Mail, so if you order by December 19th, it should get to you by the 23rd</strong> - giving you a day to gift wrap!), I will be up until 1am for a few more nights. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I plan on making it up to you! I am clearing my schedule and will be sleeping in until 3pm on the 24th! So fluff up the pillows and be prepared for some epic snoozing!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know that although we are apart...you are constantly on my mind...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*smooches* and sweet dreams until we can be together again...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. Have you checked out the new logo and the<a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-logo.html"> fun little contest</a> I'm running in honor of it? Yes, I know, just one more thing to keep me away from you, my beloved Bed, but just think of it as an awesome holiday present for one lucky fan of the <a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.etsy.com/">Sweatshop</a>!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-74868167445884979472011-12-11T13:21:00.001-05:002011-12-16T09:29:54.647-05:00NEW LOGO!!!YAAAY! Thanks to the amazing work by the incomparable <a href="http://www.ballsyart.com/">Phil Balsman</a> - I have a new logo and banner and all sorts of other awesome goodies!!!<br />
<br />
To celebrate - I'm hosting a contest! Go and "Favorite" the <a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.etsy.com/">LittleAsianSweatshop</a> on Etsy, for an opportunity to win a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69768762/las-vegas-monte-carlo-poker-card-hair">Poker Card Hair Flower</a>! <br />
<br />
If you've already favorited the Sweatshop - you are also eligible (yay for loyal fans!), so don't worry about having to do anything more!<br />
<br />
I'll do the drawing on December 15th! So GO GO GO "favorite"! YAY!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gcZVa0u0h-8/TuTzrvD3acI/AAAAAAAAALA/kp5xaiYja74/s1600/LAS_ICON_fnl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gcZVa0u0h-8/TuTzrvD3acI/AAAAAAAAALA/kp5xaiYja74/s1600/LAS_ICON_fnl.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>P.S. While I'm at it - quick social media plugs...heh!<br />
Follow me on Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/LittleAsianShop">LittleAsianShop</a><br />
Like me on Facebook - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LittleAsianSweatshop">http://www.facebook.com/LittleAsianSweatshop</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-2806606183155673312011-11-30T12:16:00.001-05:002012-01-11T15:28:01.629-05:00How to Throw a Kickass DIY WeddingMy BFF recently just got <a href="http://www.theartofpaigey.com/2011/11/call-me-mrs-ballsy-d.html">married in Vegas</a>, in a wedding that was uniquely them...and arguably one of the quirkiest, funnest, and *happiest* weddings I've ever had the luck to attend!<br />
<br />
Want to throw your own kick assed DIY wedding? Here's how to do it in 10 easy steps:<br />
<br />
1) "Elope" to Vegas on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_dead">Dia de Muertos</a> with your entire families and 25 of your closest buddies (it helps if your parents are pretty kickassed themselves...with a great sense of humor).<br />
<br />
2) Instead of traditional engagement photos, go for a retro/pinup themed photoshoot (courtesy of <a href="http://atomiccheesecakestudios.com/">Atomic Cheesecake Studios</a>).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VDTEqpGInjc/TteHdATQtPI/AAAAAAAAAJU/sDpdvQOK_jg/s1600/PaigeyPhil9web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VDTEqpGInjc/TteHdATQtPI/AAAAAAAAAJU/sDpdvQOK_jg/s320/PaigeyPhil9web.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Fez hat optional!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> 3) Design your own wedding invitations using those awesome pics (bonus points if you make the dress code "appropriate for Vincent Price's funeral").<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0Stkazusmw/Tte2Ag1WTtI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/96AOc5a3178/s1600/IMG_0251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0Stkazusmw/Tte2Ag1WTtI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/96AOc5a3178/s320/IMG_0251.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">OK, it helps if both the bride and groom are also professional artists</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">4) Put together your own wedding dress by purchasing your dress from <a href="http://www.vivienofholloway.com/">Vivien of Halloway</a>, a corset from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/louiseblack">Louise Black</a> (of ProjRun fame), and "jazz it up" by adding a little lace and rhinestones!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">5) Have an awesome kickass <a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.etsy.com/">Sweatshop</a> BFF (like...me!) who will happily make 30+ hair flowers for you to use as party favors.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-atN0c6KGCyw/TteyNshNKhI/AAAAAAAAAJc/CSoDDsxk3fQ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-atN0c6KGCyw/TteyNshNKhI/AAAAAAAAAJc/CSoDDsxk3fQ/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">All of those...in one afternoon!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
6) Have that self same BFF team up with your uber creative (and ex-seamstress) mom to design the perfect wedding bouquet and matching boutineers.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7XKeLsQ7GPI/Tteyo96w68I/AAAAAAAAAJk/xK1whV4mVTc/s1600/bouquet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7XKeLsQ7GPI/Tteyo96w68I/AAAAAAAAAJk/xK1whV4mVTc/s320/bouquet1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">With our powers combined, Mrs P & I are unstoppable!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">7) When the custom cake topper doesn't arrive on time (an issue I'm still fighting with the artisian on), instead of freaking out, calmly borrow the bride and groom sugar skull figurines that you had gifted to your grandmother, and have your mother paint them (bonus points if it's with glitter paint) to match your wedding outfits, and use those as your cake topper.</div><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NbNBEdEFDM4/TsxrajNDePI/AAAAAAAAAyk/RPSRqByKOWA/s1600/374049_10150519634327738_692697737_11428190_473053648_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NbNBEdEFDM4/TsxrajNDePI/AAAAAAAAAyk/RPSRqByKOWA/s320/374049_10150519634327738_692697737_11428190_473053648_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">It was the "something borrowed"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> 8) Get married by a rockin' Elvis (we're huge fans of Viva Las Vegas) with webcast so friends and family that couldn't make can watch the wedding live!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LvNjBpuPZ94/Tte0BjgHhgI/AAAAAAAAAJs/Ksda52rQa9Y/s1600/392118_10150561840843855_608978854_8637235_1979002401_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LvNjBpuPZ94/Tte0BjgHhgI/AAAAAAAAAJs/Ksda52rQa9Y/s320/392118_10150561840843855_608978854_8637235_1979002401_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">That's me on the left...let's face it, *I* was the real star!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
9) Instead of a traditional (and costly) reception in a ballroom, have a fun, yet sumptuous dinner at any of Vegas' amazing restaurants (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/nobhill-tavern-las-vegas">Michael Mina's Nobhill</a> in MGM was classy, delicious and had great service).<br />
<br />
10) Post wedding, get some extra milage out of all the work you put into your dress and bouquet by having a Trash the Dress photo shoot at the Neon Boneyard (bonus points if your maid of honor BFF gifts that to you as a wedding present...yes, I'm tooting my own horn).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3lOFo_D0nao/Tsn8D_yBNFI/AAAAAAAAAx0/9Me5jPcf0gE/s1600/DSC_0586.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" dda="true" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3lOFo_D0nao/Tsn8D_yBNFI/AAAAAAAAAx0/9Me5jPcf0gE/s320/DSC_0586.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Seriously, without any exaggeration, this was one of the best weddings I've ever been to. Everything was fun, low-stress (well, as low stress as a wedding can be), and incredibly fun to be involved in! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C1eQcLKMbeQ/Tte0dVrvwWI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/vk4F7UW992s/s1600/AmorEterno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C1eQcLKMbeQ/Tte0dVrvwWI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/vk4F7UW992s/s1600/AmorEterno.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art by <a href="http://theartofpaigey.com/">The Art of Paigey!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-57243147615436757722011-11-28T18:30:00.000-05:002011-11-30T18:06:36.446-05:00The Sweatshop's Holiday Guide!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know, I'm so behind on updating this blog - I swear I have 6 entries in the works! In the meantime...here's the Sweatshop's Holiday Giftgiving Guide! Cool</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, kooky, and most importantly – unique (yet not crazy expensive) gift ideas! Check out some of my favorite artisans (and friends) for some great gift ideas:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://paigeypumphrey.etsy.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Art of Paigey</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> – Looking for some cool, funky jewelry or accessories for that special pin-up goddess in your life? Check out Paigey’s store! Not only is all of the artwork original to her, but she also does commissions too!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LibbyTreats"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LibbyTreats</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> – nothing says “holidays” like yummy treats! But if you’re like me and have famously burned boiling water, then LibbyTreats is the place to go! I have *personally* taste tested many of her treats and believe me, if a fatty and a glutton like me (especially one who normally don’t like sugary treats) find them delicious…so will your friends and family! I’m still in shock that some of her items are vegan!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/theghostgirl"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost Girl Fine Arts and Crafts</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - looking for something that is perfect for a Poe fan? Someone who likes things a little dark, creepy, or spooky? I highly recommend the amazing stuff made by Ghost Girl! Super cute gothy stuff...that appeals to even the non-goth set (like me!)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/anilineblack"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christy Sawyer</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - her super famous (and most sought after) cupcake eating Batman (and assorted snack eating crew) is again available on her Etsy site! But you better hurry because it looks like she’s having a sale on her necklaces – and her stuff sells out quick!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Mariartist"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maria Danalakis Art and Design</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - craaaaazy adorable prints and cards! What makes it better? There’s currently a 25% off coupon code – just check out her page heading!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://atomiccheesecakestudios.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atomic Cheesecake</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> – Trying to find something for your special girl…that’s also a gift for you? Get her a GC for a pinup photo shoot with Atomic Cheesecake! They will provide the outfits, makeup and hair…she just needs to show up and look pretty! It doesn’t matter if she’s never modeled, Stacy (owner and photographer) will have her giggling like a little school girl and giving her posing tips!</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-49542614962296044442011-11-11T16:17:00.000-05:002011-11-11T16:17:21.761-05:00Silent Auction for TC Williams Marching Titans<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Want to buy a </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69167172/luck-be-a-lady-poker-card-fascinator"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">playing card hair flower</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> while supporting a local school? Head down to TC Williams this Sunday (Nov 13th) at 5pm for their "Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction" to raise money to buy new band uniforms! $10 a ticket, or $20 for the family - you can purchase tickets at the door or at the </span><a href="http://www.alexchoralsociety.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alexandria Choral Society</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Sweatshop has 2 hair flowers available for bid at the Silent Auction...and there are tons of awesome other items as well!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So go support the arts, a local school, and pick yourself up a lovely hairflower from the Sweatshop...all in one night!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More details </span><a href="http://tcwilliamsband.wordpress.com/support/uniform-fund-raiser/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-30953431561196130452011-10-14T11:36:00.000-04:002011-10-14T11:36:22.964-04:00Retailers and Line Sheets!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you a store or retailer and interested in selling </span><a href="mailto:littleasiansweatshop@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweatshop</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> at your shop? I've got great news - I am finally set up to take wholesale orders! YAY!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please email me at </span><a href="mailto:littleasiansweatshop@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">littleasiansweatshop@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> if you would like a linesheet with my products, and information about my wholesale policy (it's simple and painless, I swear!).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you thank you!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-2628123467497920472011-10-13T16:46:00.001-04:002011-10-14T12:17:16.317-04:00My schizophrenic Muse<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I love talking about the </span><a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.etsy.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweatshop</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, my products, and my process, I become completely flustered when people ask “how did you come up with that idea?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creativity is such a weird and meandering path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The leap that took me from watching “</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062711/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Barbarella</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">” (for the 398<sup>th</sup> time) to making a Japanese Flag circle bag is hard to explain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would involve a long story about how much I love Barbarella, the Xmen Morlock storyline that was completely based on Barbarella (seriously – watch the movie, then read issues 169 - 170 and you tell me!), which then lead me to think about the whole Wolverine/Mariko story line (which was so silly), and…voila!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My brain gave birth to the Japanese Flag bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the story behind how I came up with the </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/36910728/terrifyingly-cute-monster-fleece-hat"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">monsters hat</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is just as convoluted (and involves a blizzard!).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So by the time I’m done explaining how I came up with my idea, the questioner has a confused yet blank stare in their eyes, as they try to follow my “logic”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I guess, creativity doesn’t really follow logic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it did, it wouldn’t be so elusive and magical and rare.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The thing that drives me the craziest is that my inspiration comes from all over the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Various materials, styles, and methods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m so envious of those who have a set medium and style and can stay with it consistently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s aggravating to come up with a retro Rat-Pack Vegas inspired hair piece while working on a soft romantic feathered birdcage fascinator for a client.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not enough that my muse is fickle…but she also has to be schizophrenic to boot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is why the Sweatshop is filled with boxes upon boxes of various materials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I never know what will inspire me next – the workroom is filled with all sorts of odds and ends, waiting to be made into something different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like the Land of Misfit Toys, only they are all wanted…just not right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I complain, but I’m really thrilled that I am fortunate enough to give voice to my creativity – and to have fans of my work!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s always wonderful – and humbling – to hear the exclamations of amazement and delight.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wonder if I bribed my Muse with Chipotle burritos, would she be more cooperative?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How to you rein in your muse?</span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-29309599997401159452011-10-07T12:59:00.001-04:002011-10-07T13:16:05.519-04:00Not dead yet...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know it's been a month since I updated and even my twitter feed (</span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/LittleAsianShop"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">follow me</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> #shamelessplug) has been eerily quiet, but I swear that I'm still alive...just insanely busy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know, I know..."I've been busy" is the worst excuse in the world, but this has really been beyond madness!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In just the past month, I've started a new day job (YAY day job!) so that's been taking up a lot of my brain time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I had the awesome opportunity to go see "</span><a href="http://www.sleepnomorenyc.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sleep No More</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">", which is this amazing immersive play based on Macbeth. It's basically Hitchcock and MacBeth had a love child...it would be this experience. If you haven't been, and you were thinking about visiting NYC in the next month or so...definitely make the time to go see it. It's worth the $100. It's like being trapped in a dream or a video game. Only without having to worry about dying or monsters killing you. Insanely surreal and utterly amazing!</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1puWtF30OVs/To8utJyfJPI/AAAAAAAAAIc/QGywLLCVKyU/s1600/snm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1puWtF30OVs/To8utJyfJPI/AAAAAAAAAIc/QGywLLCVKyU/s320/snm1.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Plague Doctor (skull duck) mask that you wear during Sleep No More!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then my inlaws came up to visit for a few days. While I adore them and love hosting them, right when they visited, was right when my </span><a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.etsy.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Etsy</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> store decided to go crazy with orders! So I had to juggle being a gracious hostess, with the madness of family get-togethers, with fullfilling orders as fast as my little Sweatshop fingers could go (PSA - glue guns are capable of inflicting 2nd degree burns...be careful kids!).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This weekend, my </span><a href="http://theartofpaigey.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFF</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is coming down, and bringing me some minions so that we can whip out 40+ <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleAsianSweatshop?section_id=6643692">hair flowers </a>as party favors for her wedding...and also making a very special wedding bouquet! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Basically every weekend has been madness. So my normally pristine house and Sweatshop looks like a tornado blew through it...and I haven't had time to clean (I've barely had time to do laundry)!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And despite how busy I am, I'm just so grateful that I get to be so joyously busy. Yes, I'm tired, yes I just want a weekend to curl up and sleep and veg out...but I'm glad that this kind of busy is the fun kind of busy - the kind of busy that is really tons of fun and better then the alternative. I just wish it wasn't happening all at once! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So...long story short...not dead yet! I'm here and pushing out products with as little sleep as I can get away with! I promise, lots of fun bloggy updates coming soon. In the meantime...GO SEE "SLEEP NO MORE". It was seriously worth the angst of having to work double time to make up for the loss of a weekend of fun!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-9937317738445517152011-09-05T14:28:00.030-04:002011-10-10T14:46:46.622-04:00Failed plans, tantrums, and rhinestone madness<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had planned a trip to NYC to see </span><a href="http://sleepnomorenyc.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sleep No More</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with my </span><a href="http://theartofpaigey.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFF</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had bought tickets months in advance and the two of us spent weeks planning our outfits (something fun and outrageous, yet comfortable and easy to run up and down 5 flights of stairs in).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then that week…we started getting storm warnings for </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Irene_(2011)"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hurricane Irene</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Irene moved closer, we started to get nervous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not because we are actually scared of the hurricane (I grew up on a monsoon and typhoon prone tropical island…anything less than a Cat 3 doesn’t even warrant buying extra food and batteries), but because we were afraid that the hurricane would mean rain…which would impact our outfits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, we’re hilarious that way. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still, to be sure that we would be able to go see this show, I cancelled my bus plans and instead made the decision to drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I had to drive through PA and into OH to get to NYC…I would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s how badly I wanted to see Sleep No More.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then Mayor Bloomberg shut down the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to lie…at that point, if I saw Mayor B crossing the street, I may have “accidently” hit the gas pedal instead of the breaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My BFF wasn’t too far off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and I spent most of Friday afternoon on the phone with each other, trying to console each other, only to get all worked up again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a crazy cycle of frustration, tears and disappointment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly, I wasn’t going to the city…and I wasn’t going to see Sleep No More.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I did the only thing that would keep me from being a whiny, tantrum throwing mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to the craft store and loaded up on supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just any supplies…but rhinestones.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a while, I had wanted to start enhancing some of my hair flowers with feathers or rhinestones to make them fancier for special occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, being so busy with orders and just everything else, I hadn’t had any free time to devote to this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, with this unexpected free weekend, I had nothing but time.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mRdR1kvUZrQ/TpM7wa2_yzI/AAAAAAAAAIk/-LJCzaX9e1k/s1600/LAS_RHF2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mRdR1kvUZrQ/TpM7wa2_yzI/AAAAAAAAAIk/-LJCzaX9e1k/s320/LAS_RHF2.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Better then I envisioned!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday night, after dinner, as my husband was trying very hard to stay out of my way (he really deserves a medal), I started to play with the rhinestones on the flowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, my heart was still filled with rage over missing Sleep No More and the wonderful weekend we had planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few times, my eyes started to tear up (I *<b>really</b>* wanted to see this show), but I doggedly applied rhinestones, one by one.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps it was the repetitive nature of applying the stones, or perhaps I was so emotionally exhausted from throwing tantrums all day long, but before long, I was in a zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mind shut off and I was almost in a trance-like state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I could see were the sparkliness of the stones, as I placed them, methodically, one after another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time I came to the end of applying rhinestones to a petal, I got a little thrill of exhilaration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I knew it, it was past midnight and I hadn’t snapped at my husband once in the past few hours!</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wPi6nrF-qMA/TpM7uJFFZpI/AAAAAAAAAIg/qzwLcwYO-2Q/s1600/LAS_wine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wPi6nrF-qMA/TpM7uJFFZpI/AAAAAAAAAIg/qzwLcwYO-2Q/s320/LAS_wine.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The wine may have contributed to my ultra calm state...heehee!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The next morning, instead of sulking, I got up bright and early to rush to the store the moment it opened…and bought 1200 more stones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sounds like a lot, but they go quickly!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent the majority of the day, alternately glaring at the bright sunny day, and going back into my craft and rhinestone induced state of serene euphoria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By dinner (when we would have been on our way to see Sleep No More), I was fully relaxed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still a little miffed about missing the show (we were able to reschedule our tickets for a later weekend), but alternatively excited by how much I accomplished and how I finally perfected my rhinestone method.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, </span><a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.blogspot.com/2011/08/craft-therapy.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">craft therapy</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is the best therapy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although, the glue fumes may have something to do with that as well. Heh.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-twq3Z8_7SXI/TpM7yuLVm7I/AAAAAAAAAIo/w2up74WpC6Y/s1600/LAS_RHF1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-twq3Z8_7SXI/TpM7yuLVm7I/AAAAAAAAAIo/w2up74WpC6Y/s320/LAS_RHF1.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now available on my Etsy store!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>UPDATE:</strong> Rhinestoned hair flowers and fascinators are now available on my </span><a href="http://littleasiansweatshop.etsy.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Etsy</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> store!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453695545066647269.post-11277945532123871442011-08-23T22:38:00.000-04:002011-08-23T22:38:19.946-04:00Thank you BCC 2011!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</i></b></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A <i>HUGE</i> thank you to everyone for being so incredibly awesome! We had such a great reception and so many great people stop by that I just don't even know where to being...so I'm going to just say...WOW!!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/">Baltimore Comic Con (BCC)</a> was held up in Charm City this past weekend, August 20 - 21, and I don't think I've ever gotten such a warm fuzzy glow from so many perfect strangers...that didn't quite seem like strangers by the time they left our table. It's odd...I'm an old pro at conventions (oh cosplay), but the overwhelming welcome that we received from everyone this past weekend far outdoes any convention experience I've ever had. I'm just so excited that everyone was so excited by our stuff (yes, that's a lot of excitement going on!)!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My BFF <a href="http://theartofpaigey.blogspot.com/">Paigey</a>, was kind enough to share some of her table space in Artist Alley with me, so that I could sell my hair flowers. Since the great reception from <a href="http://theartofpaigey.blogspot.com/2011/07/aftermath-nyc-psychobilly-luau-2011.html">Psychobilly Luau</a>, I was hopeful...but not really expecting too much.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IJ6m5X2NCMw/TlRfPY13DCI/AAAAAAAAAH8/W3BhnScOErY/s1600/IMG_9046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IJ6m5X2NCMw/TlRfPY13DCI/AAAAAAAAAH8/W3BhnScOErY/s320/IMG_9046.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paigey also made the signage...heh...I <3 her so!</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday morning, I was running a little behind and arrived at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://theartofpaigey.blogspot.com/">Paigey's</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> table at 11:15. By 11:20, I had already sold two flowers! Then all day long and for the rest of the weekend, people were walking past my table saying "WOW! Look at those flowers!"! All the positive vibes and compliments had my head spinning!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it wasn't just my flowers! Paigey's table was also going <i>bonkers</i>! Heeheehee...although this was a comic book convention (which is dominated by guys), we definitely had the advantage over all the other artists and booths by having the "WAGs" (Wives And Girlfriends) table full of sparkly girly (yet comic and pin-up art related) stuff. It seemed that every girl at the convention must have stopped by our table at least once...a few of them several times! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-gf3JdZlnU/TlRfkYh_T8I/AAAAAAAAAIE/nGOpQ6lRcC8/s1600/IMG_2066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-gf3JdZlnU/TlRfkYh_T8I/AAAAAAAAAIE/nGOpQ6lRcC8/s320/IMG_2066.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">The colors! The sparkly! The cute!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I especially loved the one girl who came and bought one of <a href="http://www.spookee.net/">Aniline's</a> (another friend whom Paigey was vending for) <a href="http://www.etsy.com/transaction/51978127">"Cupcake Eating Batman"</a>...then dragged her boyfriend back to our table ten minutes later so that he could buy her the matching bracelet. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BDmNOx8c6io/TlRhlQUtmdI/AAAAAAAAAII/1-P-etJwi1Q/s1600/IMG_7262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BDmNOx8c6io/TlRhlQUtmdI/AAAAAAAAAII/1-P-etJwi1Q/s320/IMG_7262.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We may have publicly shamed a few boyfriends into buying prezzies for their uber cute girlfriends...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surprisingly (at least, to me!), all my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76789135/kawaii-otaku-manga-fascinator">manga</a> and <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76790572/dramatic-comic-book-fascinator">comic book hair flowers</a> sold out halfway through Saturday! So instead of hanging out and grabbing dinner with Paigey after Saturday's show...I rushed home (an hour away from the convention site), to earn my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleAsianSweatshop?ref=si_shop">Sweatshop</a> moniker by staying up and whipping out more flowers. And those also sold out halfway through Sunday! Lesson learned for next year...make a metric butt-load of comic book and manga hair flowers for the convention! Holy schmoolies!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I originally wanted to do a quick shout out and super thanks to all the wonderful friends who came by to say hi...but the weekend has quickly turned into a blur and I don't want to forget anyone. So instead, I'm going to just give a big, huge, loud <b>THANK YOU</b> to *everyone*...friends and fans, old and new. Thank you for being so supportive and so wonderful. Just...thank you!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCD8mv4SXes/TlRiZS8lh5I/AAAAAAAAAIM/j3ZhgIafM7c/s1600/IMG_2554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCD8mv4SXes/TlRiZS8lh5I/AAAAAAAAAIM/j3ZhgIafM7c/s320/IMG_2554.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">See you next year BCC!!!</span></span></td></tr>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603037364154328522noreply@blogger.com0