40 While I Was 40

*note added on Aug 30*

With all the summer upheaval i never reported on my 40 While I Am 40 project.
Having a set of tangible goals that covered everything from art to hobbies to travel to health posted in the studio staring me in the face every day really inspired me to try harder throughout the year.
It was also a great learning experience in how to set goals for myself; NYResolution #3 Set reasonable goals for myself was a direct reflection of this project. In fact, upon examination i realize right now that all 4 of my NYResolutions for 2012 came from this project.
 In setting up the 40 i would make 1 goal something that would take 7 months to finish. That is great for long range vision, but it made the list impractical to finish. There are many goals that i worked on, but wasn't able to complete. I've come to the conclusion that the only way i could have finished the list was to not sleep or have a job.
But, with full disclosure, i have to admit that some of the goals that might have taken 10 hours didn't get done either because they were so small they got lost in the shuffle.
All in all, it was a valuable experience though i don't foresee a 41 While I'm 41 list in my future.


NOTE: in case you are curious here is the updated list, but it only reflects tasks completed; there are seven others (To Be Read shelf; visit siblings; volunteer hours; local see/do; blog posts; credit reduction; $ for bday celebration) that were worked on, but not finished.

ReWearables

The Soroptomist jewelry show over the weekend at Object Found was an unqualified success for me.
Item 3# on my 40 While I'm 40 list is to create a line of recycled jewelry. To determine the number of pieces necessary to define "a line" i did a lot of sciencey stuff - namely, guessing. I gave myself the following goals:
-20 necklaces
-20 bracelets
-20 rings
-40 pairs of earrings
which seemed easy several months ago when i picked the numbers, but seemed more and more ridiculous as the date approached. I was allowed to use new hardware and findings and new seed beads (often they don't survive through the decades), but everything else on the jewelry -beads, baubles, accents, chains, etc- had to be recycled from vintage or broken pieces. Plus, there could be similar pieces, but no duplicates.
(and this would be why one of my new year's resolutions is to set reasonable goals for myself)
The show opened Saturday at 11am and i had the following stock:
-20 necklaces
-23 bracelets
-17 rings
-53 pairs of earrings
YIPPEE! I made the goals. Yes, i was 3 rings short, but i ran out of ring blanks having experimented with several different adhesives. Plus, since i went over on bracelets and earrings i figured it was okay.
The six jewelry vendors were set up in the antique store amongst everything; it was a tight fit to say the least.
The pictures don't really capture the cuteness of my table (bad lighting), but here you go:

It was important to me to only use repurposed items for display; if the line is about recapturing the beauty of old and broken things it seems silly to have fancy new display pieces.

A pair of candlesticks was saved from my neighbor's spring cleaning and flipped over to hang necklaces.

This lighting fixture was taken out of the upstairs apartment a few months ago and salvaged from the trash. After ripping out the ancient electrical bits, scrubbing it, dremeling holes and applying several layers of glitter spray (cause who can't use a bit of glitter spray now and again?) it made a fabulous earring tree.

Glasses were flipped over to showcase bracelets

and bracelet/earring sets.
 (with my own amethyst chunk)

A vintage mirrored kaleidoscope reflected these bracelets while many pieces ended up just draped on the table, which worked out nicely because every time something sold i rearranged.
For some reason there is no picture of the ring bowl with which i was quite pleased; i took a vintage relish dish from my collection (yes, i have a collection of relish dishes; i love them for some reason) and filled it with flat pebbles and clear beads so that the rings could be stuck down in and they would stand upright.
I sold over 20 pieces which may not seem like a lot, but astounded me. Even after contributing 20% to charity, i made enough to pay for all of the supplies i've purchased in the last months leading up to the show. Breaking even on your first try seems like a win to me; selling any of my stock now is pure profit.
I am reconfiguring my Etsy store to include the jewelry. I called the line ReWearables. Someone already owns the website for a used clothing line, so i need to check if the different spelling means that i can trademark it.
I've been asked to participated in the community Spring Fling in May and Reggie -the owner of Objects Found- has already asked me to reserve the first weekend of February for the jewelry show next year.
ahhhhhh... let's call #3 done!

Christmas Lights Gone Wild

One of the things on my Local See and Do list are the Christmas lights on 34th St in Hamden. It is unbelievable that i've never been to see them, as i love, love christmas lights and all things odd.
This year, after our 5th annual Elf Night at the Salvation Army, co-workers Jami and Will took me to experience the insanity. I feel like i need to let the pictures do the talking.

looking down the block

one side of the street

and the other

There's traditional mixed with salutes to Maryland and Baltimore.

Jami can join the holy family in the Robot Nativity while Will in his elf ears gets cozy with a random Christmas palm tree.

At the pet shelter house you can buy treats for humans and pets along with hot chocolate to sip while you explore the wide world of winter sculptures made from recycled things:








including this awesome Crab Sleigh and the infamous hubcap tree, along with the slightly less-well-known vinyl album tree

and Natty Boh angel tree
Some houses had so much going on
that you had to walk up onto the porch to get the full effect:


there were things in every window
or else!
It really embraces the full-on quirkiness of this town and has to be seen to be believed!

back to class

One of my 40 While I'm 40 is to take a class at the community college and since another one is to make a line of recycled jewelry, i signed up for a 4 week beading class. It was the first time i've been in a formal classroom in almost 15 years and it was an interesting experience.
Now that i teach classroom programs, it is hard to sit there being the student without considering how i would be teaching the subject. My instructor knew her material, but didn't seem to have much of a plan. The quality of the sessions was vastly different between the 4 weeks.
I went in with 3 specific learning goals in mind and through a lot of questioning (yes, i am THAT kid in class)was able to accomplish all of them.
Here is a quick break-down of the beading we learned, with my projects:

- first we learned about tools and findings so i made these straight blue glass hooks to go with my uniform and these straight hematite and purple hooks;

- next up was chain work where we had to create hanging bead hooks to attach to a bracelet; i of, course, went with uniform colors and made matching earrings;

- crimping is a way to secure beads to wire and i did both a long necklace and a set of reverse drop earrings;

- these are jointed for extra movement;

- lastly, we touched on spiraling and wire work; i had time to finish a set of uniform colored earrings and this drop pendant that i am still searching for the correct chain to finish.






It was a worthwhile experience and i feel much more prepared to create my jewelry line.
Plus, that is another thing checked off of the list!

Operation Beautiful

My beloved BFF is working on a 101 things in 1001days list (which is amazing, but way too long of a commitment for me) and one of the items was to leave Operation Beautiful notes. I had no idea what that meant so i looked it up and fell in love with the idea.
Basically, you leave inspirational and encouraging post-it notes in random places. The intention is to brighten the day of random strangers and get them to appreciate themselves. A lot of the notes are left in women's bathrooms because that is were some of the most destructive self-talk happens.
I was inspired to include this on my 40 List and have done about 30 post-its so far.
For anybody visiting the Nikiverse today:
You are truly unique; embrace who you are, not who others want you to be.
I really appreciate you spending time with me.

being 40

This month i celebrated my 40th birthday.
I've been alive for 40 years.
I've reached middle age.
Shouldn't i feel different?
Aren't i suppose to feel different?
Cause really, i don't.
In fact, 40 doesn't bother me a bit.
The only milestone birthday that ever bothered me was 18.
Yes, 18.
18 made me nuts, made me question everything i believed about myself, made me act reckless; basically, i had my mid-life crisis at 18. By that logic, my life-span would be 36 years so honestly, every year after 36 is a bonus year. There is no reason, in my mind, to be upset about The Big 4-0 because it is a right sight better than the big dirt nap.
I was talking to a friend who had been working on a Things To Do Before I'm 30 list and it got me thinking. It seems like a lot of the fun life experience lists are about getting things done before you turn a certain age, like you expire at that age or something. I think that it helps reinforce society's construct that we all have a Best By date stamped on our butts.
Screw that.
I don't accept that.
To celebrate that i am 40, i have constructed a 40 Things to do While I'm 40 list that can be found here. Some of the items i can finish at anytime, but others will take me the whole year. A few items might earn me gold stars, while others expand on resolutions. They all will help me focus on being present in my own life this year.
What do you want to accomplish between your birthdays this year?