Five Things! And ten million to do.

Tonight I’m going to see Five Things, a really cool event curated by Miss Amelia Gray, local writer and badass. It’s only a dollar to get in, and trust me, you’ve never seen anything like it. Five creative people are given an object and their task is to make something about it. When Southpaw contributed, the object was a lightbulb painted like the American flag. I can't wait to see what's on deck.

http://fivethingsaustin.com/

Otherwise, I have ten million things to do. This Etsy thing has me BUSY. It’s a good kind of busy, believe me, but it’s kinda hard to keep up with if I don’t do some kind of work every day. It’s so much fun, though – exploring the world of online advertising, interacting with other Etsians, packing orders with love, handing out business cards, and basking in the validation that comes with people actually wanting to buy what I’ve made. I can’t believe it’s only been a month – a fantastic way to kick off a new year. I also can’t believe I waited this long. No, really, I can believe it, because I am a person who obsesses over details so much that I often find it very difficult to make decisions. With Etsy, though, I dove in headfirst, knowing winter (in Austin at least) would soon be over. I opened my shop bare-bones, with just great photos and product, and for taking that action I have been rewarded. Just goes to show that my favorite saying holds true – LEAP, and the net really will appear.

For now, I’d like to get a little ahead of the game so I can work on new designs. I’ve got the yarn – now all I need is the time. In just another couple of weeks I’m taking a class at Stitch Lab, where I hope to diversify my offerings even further. Aprons! Bags! Skirts! What would YOU like to see in my shop? Is there something you'd like me to make for you? Your comments, please.

Hearts for Haiti.

Aftershocks are sending people running into the streets. A man was found alive after 10 days buried in the rubble. The threat of chaos and spreading disease hovers constantly. As the magnitude of the situation continues to reveal itself, it is clear that Haiti STILL needs our help. There are elements of rebuilding that don’t even occur to the average person, such as what to do with the actual debris (I heard about this on KUT the other morning). Those chunks of concrete can actually be repurposed as productive things like artificial reefs to promote better fishing. I don’t even need to mention the enormous population of orphaned children, or that Haiti is now the largest country of amputees. Figuring out jobs is another issue, now that Port Au Prince is basically uninhabitable. The undeveloped countryside is filling up with tents, while food distribution is spotty and disorganized. It's all so much to digest, and it's not going to be over anytime soon. The world is standing by for this broken little country.

The idea to donate a percentage of my Etsy sales occurred to me the day after the earthquake, after I tried to lift weights at the gym and couldn’t tear my eyes away from the TV. I had already made a donation to Disaster Relief International, but I wanted to do something else, something more personal. When I sat down to update my listings, I found a long list of sellers who had exactly the same idea. Of COURSE Etsy cares, and in a major way. I mean, LOOK at this - just a search for the keyword "Haiti" brings up 5,368 results.

So far, my little baby shop has generated $100 for the Red Cross. Here are a few more cool sellers/items whose proceeds will go to the Haiti relief effort. I hope you’ll consider making another small donation, in some way, to the charity of your choice, whether directly or via Etsy. Your extra $5 or $10 WILL make a difference as these organizations pour all of their resources into the effort.

whatsallthisstufffor

modernbird

brehanclaire

sweetblue

annekiel

Come, let me read you a story.

This weekend I'll be participating in American Short Fiction's celebration of its latest volume. I'm really excited to be involved with ASF for this event. I first encountered this Austin-based, nationally recognized literary journal when I attended their summer reading at Cafe Caffeine. My friend Kelli Bland was participating, Owen Egerton was emcee-ing, there was free beer, and it was right in our neighborhood. It turned out to be an entirely engrossing evening, so much so that I subscribed to the journal right there on the spot. Inspired by both the writing and the performances, I made sure to introduce myself to editor Jill Meyers. I cut my teeth on performing poetry and prose at speech tournaments in middle and high school, so this is truly getting back to my roots. Something special happens when I have a piece of literature in front of me, in front of an audience. I absolutely live for it. So come, sit, and let me read you a story! It's about a magician with a very special trick. There may or may not be blood and guts involved.

Support indie publishing and the Austin literati! The new issue is FANTASTIC. And the cover has kittens on it.

American Short Fiction Winter Reading Redux

Saturday, January 23, 7pm

Space 12

Free admission, BYOB

Free appetizers from Xen Kitchen

Facebook event

More info on American Short Fiction

Welcome to the Domestic Rennaissance.

Well, hello there. It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? September arrived and I was whisked away from my burgeoning blog by Evil Dead: The Musical. I was never a fan of the horror genre, truly, but now I can say with certainty that I have been baptized by blood and guts. Evil Dead will be part of my seasonal Halloween viewing each year from now on. I played Annie from ED2 and had a blast saving the world from Candarian demons for four sold-out weekends in October. It was a fantastic bloodbath that kicked my ass every single night, and I loved every second of it. I’m not sure if I’ve ever worked so hard on a show. I'm fairly certain I’ve never been so creatively fulfilled. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented director, cast, and crew, in such an empowering and challenging role. How is it possible that I was turned on to both sci-fi and horror through the medium of stage musicals, all in the same year? Viva Bruce Campbell and viva Austin theatre!

So what have I been doing since then, you ask? Gosh. It’s taken me a couple of months to figure that out, but after much resting, nesting, and a 2-week holiday break, I started an Etsy store! Cue the fireworks! I taught myself to knit about 6 years ago while trying to survive a New York winter, and I think I can safely say it’s my craft of choice (a close second to performing). I make small garments – I don’t have the patience for sweaters – but I am endlessly challenged by the winding of yarn around needles in beautiful ways. There is a unique satisfaction that comes from making things slowly, stitch by stitch, row by row, patiently and attentively. I’ve made gifts for friends to great fanfare, so I thought why not give it a chance in the marketplace? After all, everybody’s doing it. By the way, in case you don't know, Etsy is AMAZING. Revolutionary. The great bastion of the Domestic Renaissance. A smart, progressive, robust platform for indpenedent artists to sell, network, and make a profession out of a hobby. Color me inspired.

Check out my wares, please, and stay tuned! I’m open to any feedback and/or suggestions you may have. We’ve got a couple more months of cold weather, so get yours already! Pet items coming soon...if I can just convince my cat to model some legwarmers.

www.missmaggielove.etsy.com

Huge surprise last week: my Cozy Cowl in Eggplant made it to the front page on Etsy! Talk about hitting the jackpot – that item got almost 650 views over the span of about 2 hours. What a thrill! I couldn’t have done it without photographic help from my unbelievably talented sis-in-law, Julie Wilhite. I swear, every time I look at her website, I cry. Her juxtaposition of people, settings, light, and form never fails to move me. Check it out. You’ll see what I mean.

www.juliewilhite.com/blog/