Four year anniversary

milkshake is four years old this month! I've learned so much these past four years, like how to start a business from scratch, market the business, create products that sell (that I also enjoy making), how to set up a successful booth at a craft show, how to work my schedule around my child's (and then a puppy's!) and so much more. I'm grateful to all my friends, family and customers for supporting me and I want to thank you for making this past year my most successful yet.

Thanks to everyone who came to a show, visited the website, and purchased my work. I appreciate every bit of kindness you've shown me!

To show my appreciation, when you purchase something from milkshake from now until the end of February, you'll receive a free gift AND free shipping! (Enter code four years when checking out.)

After all that holiday shopping, don't you deserve a little gift for yourself?!

help!

2009 in pictures

Bye-bye 2009, hello 2010!

{January: Printsource in New York.}

{February: My last birthday in my 30s.}

{March: Snowstorm!}

{April: Showers.}

{May: Saying goodbye to a friend.}

{June: Vacation.}

{July: Lots of beach trips.}

{August: Watching fireworks on the Wildwood boardwalk.}

{September: First day of kindergarten!}

{October: Halloween.}

{November: Welcome Lola!}

{December: Happy birthday to my sweet 6-year-old!}

Happy new year!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

{Catching snowflakes.}

…but not really. Here in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania the snow has been coming down all day and shows no signs of stopping. Last I heard we had about 8 inches. The outlook isn't good for tomorrow – Malayna's sixth birthday party is scheduled from 2-4. I think we'll have to postpone that.

The good thing about this snow is that Lola gets to let out all her crazy energy outside, then come in and pass out. She absolutely loves it and tears around the yard sticking her nose in the snow and pouncing on it when Jimmy throws it at her. Malayna went out to play with her earlier, but that didn't last very long. All Lola wanted to do was jump on Malayna and knock her down. It made for some cute pictures, though!

Cuddly puppy

We lucked out with Lola - she loves to cuddle. Luco was the same way; we expect our dogs to want to be hugged, kissed and cuddled nonstop. She seems to be calming down a bit (at times), and when she and Malayna cuddle it just melts my heart. It just about makes up for all the puppy craziness. Almost. Malayna and Luco didn't do this - she only hugged him once in a while and never really chose to snuggle with him. This is definitely her dog.

(I guess my blog is becoming the puppy blog. Are you tired of the puppy pictures yet?!)

Wordless Wednesday

Keeping busy

{Me and my sweet girl, who wants one of everything I make.
She's wearing the kate pendant.}

It's that time of year: lots of craft shows, Malayna's birthday and Christmas. Every year I tell myself I'm going to decorate early, since I'm usually too busy with shows to be bothered until the last minute. Well, guess what? I just took down my cornstalk and pumpkins today.

I had three shows this past weekend, and the two I had on Saturday were fantastic. I have new work this year, and the response to the bird clocks has been great. Someone told me the other day that they like watching my work evolve. I love the fact that since I've been doing this for a few years (officially since 2006), people can see the way my work has changed. Remember when I said I going to stop making clocks? Pretend you didn't hear me. Turns out I just needed to work on some new designs.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by this weekend!

Crazy Lola

Holy moly. I may have mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating. Especially for those of you who are thinking about getting a puppy. I seriously forgot how crazy, time-consuming and exhausting a puppy can be. Oh, yeah - and fun, too.

Lola is nuts. She has so much energy, and if she doesn't get to use it in a constructive way (like doing laps around the yard again and again and again…) she will try everything in her power to get that energy out in bad evil not-so-constructive ways. I dread rainy days like yesterday. She was the perfect puppy all day until Malayna got home from school. Then she was stealing shoes (we really should put them where she can't get them!), biting baseboards, jumping on the coffee table, biting pant legs (and putting a hole in mine).

 She's like a two-year-old child - if she doesn't get her nap at the right time, look out. She has a burst of (negative) energy right before she falls asleep. Every time I see her sleeping or just lying around looking cute, I say to her, "Now this is the Lola I could get used to." I must say it often, because Malayna has started saying it, too.

Free shipping on Cyber Monday!

Shop milkshake today and receive free Priority Mail shipping in honor of Cyber Monday! Sign up for the mailing list to get sale notices in the future. Happy shopping!

Start, stop. Start, stop. Start, stop…

{new chickadee clock in terra cotta}

This past Sunday, I took photos of all the new work I've done and started uploading the new photos to my website. I only got about halfway through because of a certain little puppy living here. Yesterday I attempted to create a new home page for the website, but every single time I sat down to work Lola got into something. And I'm not exaggerating. I would sit, she would run over to Malayna's dollhouse and steal something out of it. I sit, she steals shoes. I sit, she jumps on the coffee table. I sit, she barks at me. You get the picture.

{Huh? What? Me, bad? But I'm so cute!}

Looks like I'll have to wait until she collapses at night or when Jimmy's home and he can keep an eye on her. Also, I'll be calling the vet to schedule that puppy kindergarten class soon.

{By the way, if you click on any image on my home page, it'll take you to a page that doesn't exist. I'm hoping to have it working by Friday, so I can send a newsletter about all my new stuff! Wish me luck.}

Waldorf Craft Fair

Come see me today at the Waldorf Craft Fair from 10-5! (7500 Germantown Avenue in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.)

Creative ADD

How can I get any work done with these two looking so darn cute? My first show is in nine days. NINE DAYS! I need to get my butt in gear and get makin'. One of the problems I have is that I don't know what I want to make! I have some clocks, lots of wall squares, checkbook covers, cards, pendants and magnets already made. Predictably, I've got new ideas brewing. This happens every single time I have a show coming up. Should I ignore the urge to make new stuff, build my inventory of products I've already introduced and work on the other ideas some other time? Or do I listen to the inspiration and make some new things?

Remember this? I have all the materials ready for this project. Is it one worth pursuing?

I have creative ADD.

Squeezing in studio time

{Before the mess}

I've been neglecting my studio lately. That doesn't mean I haven't been making things - it just means that my studio is a big ol' mess and I can't find a spot to work in there. It's not a big room at all, just a little spot with lots of desk space (that is now covered with lots of stuff). Yesterday I really wanted to be up there (hmmm, maybe to get away from the energetic puppy for a little while?), so I just moved the piles around so I could sit down and work. What a difference it makes to have a dedicated space to work. It's just not the same as working at the dining room table, surrounded by Malayna's toys.

I can't seem to get started cleaning up. There's just so much stuff in such a little room that there's no way it can all fit. Guess that means I have to get some trash bags and start purging. Ack! I think it's a creative thing to want to keep everything and not throw things away. What I mean is that a lot of times when I talk to other creative people they seem to have the same problem. Why is that? Anyone else out there feel the need to hold on to things?

I'm sleepy…

 

Lola's here! I picked her up from her foster parent's house yesterday. It was a long ride - about an hour or so. She howled and cried for the first five minutes in the car, but then calmed down and fell asleep for the rest of the ride. I borrowed a travel crate for the occasion and I'm so glad I did (thanks, Tonja!). I picked her up by myself, so it would've been nearly impossible to make that trip without a crate.

We came home to Malayna and mom-mom waiting for us. Malayna was so excited to see her. She's a little wary of her, since Lola has tons of energy and likes to gives lots of kisses. She nipped Malayna's toes a few times, and after that Malayna decided she wanted to color and take a break from Lola.

After Malayna went to bed and Jimmy went to play basketball, Lola and I snuggled on the couch. We wound up sleeping in the living room because I was afraid Lola's crying would wake Malayna. I put the crate beside the couch, and Lola woke me every two hours with a little whimper. I would take her out, praise her when she was done, bring her back inside and back into the crate. She did much better than I expected (no crying and whining during the night), but I'm tired! She woke me at 12, 2 and 4 am. Tonight we're going to put her in the bedroom with us (in her crate), and see how she does.

She's got the sweetest personality and is very affectionate. Malayna sat beside her crate this morning while she watched a video and seemed much more happy with Lola. We took her to the schoolyard with us so all her little friends could meet her. I'll be taking her with me when I pick her up, too.

Wish us luck tonight!

Meet Lola

See that sweet little face? That's Lola - our new puppy! She's not home with us yet, because she still has to visit the vet on Wednesday. We found her through Petfinder - she is from the South somewhere and a rescue organization in NJ is taking care of her right now. I'll be picking her up on Thursday afternoon! Malayna is so excited; it's all she talks about. It's been a long time since we've had a puppy around here (13 years), but I'm sure it'll all come rushing back when she gets here. I'm expecting some sleepless nights, some carpet cleaning and, of course, lots of puppy kisses.