Tomorrow is my first art show since 2005. It's currenty 12:30 a.m., and I got done pricing my items over an hour ago. Anyone who is close to me and has been through art fairs with me knows this is a HUGE feat. I usually get to bed no earlier than 3 a.m. the evening before shows.

For those who have not been through the art fair thing with me, I should mention that I make each tag by hand. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to have a friend or family member- with a really kind heart- who offers to help me out. First, I print out sheets of tags and cut them into lovely little 1/2 inch by 3/4 inch rectangles. 100 lovely little rectangles, to be exact. Next, I take my hole punch and punch away. Next step involves cutting 100 pieces of 4-inch ribbon, then winding that ribbon through each tag. I recently got a small hole punch, so while it looks better, it probably took me twice as long to execute this step today! Finally, I tie a knot at the end of the ribbon. Then comes the printing, cutting and attaching of each price tag. I'm certain I could figure out a double-sided tag that would help expedite the process, but some part of me- a twisted part of me- enjoys all the little steps. I'm not sure if it's the sense of accomplishment, the fact that each tiny tag is made with sweet, sweet love and I hope it shows, or that I'm just insane. After 6 years of this stuff, I'm learning that it's much more fun when done prior to midnight.

I decided tonight to get a hotel room tomorrow night in Fort Collins. I have to be there mid-morning for setup, so I have all afternoon to hang out. I'm afraid after a long day today and tomorrow, me driving my aging Escort back to Denver at 10 p.m. might be dangerous for a variety of reasons. So I'm opting to stay in Old Town and I'll wake up Saturday morning and grab a coffee at my old favorite place. I might even hit the flea markets and thrift stores on the edge of town. Denver has just about everything a girl could dream of, but I've not had any luck finding good thrift stores. There is a nearby Salvation Army that's just stinky, then there are antique shops where I find neat things, but then realize they're asking $50. I'm bringing a book, some new magazines I haven't had time to read, and am hoping to have time after the show to relax. It's been a crazy week- one with very little sleep and lots of last-minute fun, so I'm looking forward to winding down a bit after my show tomorrow night!

stop & smell the roses

My mom and dad are coming to visit in June, and Becki and I can't wait to take them to the Kolache Factory restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado! There are also several restaurants with authentic Czech cuisine.

I'm back! I got a new power cord, although it's still not working perfectly, I'm able to charge by computer again.

I'm having computer woes, so am borrowing Brandon's computer right now. My power cord on my laptop appears to be having issues, so I officially ran out of battery power on my laptop a few days ago. We're hoping it's just the cord and not something more significant.