Did someone say cupcake?

This weekend was the Alice in Wonderland-themed trunk show in Sioux Falls. I had such a lovely time! My family helped by baking mini cupcakes the morning before the show. Little did we know that two cake mixes would make 200+ cupcakes. My mom, aunt, and sister-in-law had a mini production line going that morning while I flew around the house trying to wrap up the rest of the show preparations. They were truly my lifesavers that morning! In spite of the fact that the cupcakes were a hit, we had LOTS of leftovers. I must have had at least 40 cupcakes throughout the course of the weekend. I'm still dreaming of cupcakes.



I love using vintage pieces in my displays. This sweet hankerchief box is the size and weight of an old wooden cigar box. My boss gave it to me for my birthday this year. Does she know me or what?

We served tea and pink lemonade. The lemonade was made with some kind of mix, real lemon slices, then strawberry syrup was added to create the perfect blend for a hot summer day. My aunt let me borrow this yellow tea pot, which was my great-grandma's.

I've been using lots of found objects in my jewelry this summer, including Scrabble tiles, dominoes, bingo pieces, typewriter keys, and metal numbers.

My neice visited me 3 different times throughout the weekend. She was sooo excited to visit the tea party that she put on her pink dress, put a bow in her hair, and had on her fancy shoes. When taking the photo, instead of "Cheese!" we said "Tea party!"

I drank lots of pink lemonade, my family helped me make (and eat!) LOTS of cupcakes, a friend called me to wish me good luck with my show, I got to take a road trip with my sweetie, and my sister and boyfriend took good care of our dog while we were away. A good weekend, indeed.

I was anxiously awaiting an order for 60 feet of chain today from the jewelry findings supplier I've been ordering from for 6 years. I opened the package, and much to my surprise, I received 5 feet of chain today instead of 60. Sixty inches.

I called, and they're supposed to be overnighting my order to Sioux Falls tomorrow, just a day before my show. I thought I'd spend some time on the drive attaching chains to necklace charms, but I guess I'll roll with the punches and do that tomorrow in Sioux Falls instead. I almost peed my pants when I first realized what was inside the box, then I laughed, because sometimes it's just humorous. I order spools of chain 10 times a year, but the ONE time a year I absolutely need it, the order is wrong. It's like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife.

In other news, Becki's coming by to watch Koda over the next 5 days. P.S. Here's our page on the Easter Seals website- please join our team! You can run as part of the marathon relay team- one person does 8 miles, and the rest break up into 5-mile and 4-mile increments. Spicy 2007 Relay team, anyone? :)

My sister Becki is busy these days scaling tall mountains, training for marathons, and working as the organizer the team running the Denver Marathon to raise $15,000 for the Easter Seals Day Stroke Program. Normally, you just run the Denver Marathon as a challenge to yourself, but when Becki started working with stroke survivors this past year, I could tell she was immediately inspired by the people at the program. The first story I remember Becki telling me was about a woman named Emily who had a stroke at 32, two days after she gave birth to her first child, a baby boy. After her stroke, one of Emily's first goals was to be able to hold her baby. Becki was in awe at the strength and courage Emily (and others at the program) held, and she soon started thinking about making this race about more than us reaching the finish line.

Becki made lots of phone calls and sent lots of emails, and after a lot of hard work, she finally got the stroke program approved as one of Denver Marathon's official Denver Marathon-recognized chartible organizations. She said that there are so many things out there that would improve the rehabilitation of the people she works with, but as is the case with many programs like this, there are always budget limitations.

In any case, my original purpose for writing this was because Becki came over to help me with my last-minute trunk show preparations tonight- in the midst of her busy schedule! Until I'd become a regular runner these past few months, I had NO idea of the time and commitment it takes to be active on a regular basis. I'm proud that she took on the job of being team organizer, and look forward to having more time to focus on the fundraising once I get back in town. Apparently I don't like relaxing, because I've decided that I'm going to have a Moonwater Designs jewelry auction to benefit the stroke program. Stay tuned!

Here's a sneak peek at some of the charms I've been working on for my upcoming Alice in Wonderland-themed trunk show in Sioux Falls next week.

Happy National Ice Cream Day!

In the photo below, I'm enjoying my favorite flavor, mint chocolate chip. What's your favorite?