Upgrades!

Though some days it's really slow going, I'm feeling pretty proud of the things I've managed to accomplish lately! My Etsy shopfront is in the best shape it's ever been. I'm still learning how to photograph my work effectively, but they have much improved (especially thanks to Ray and the light box).
I've been working hard to get more products in there; it's mostly jewelry, though there are some tie-dyes, a few baby items, and a few garments. There are now just under 50 items in the shop! I had a few sales last week, and a few things are on hold now, so I'm just hoping to see some response to the amount of effort I've been putting in.
Today I got a custom banner for the shop with the name in it; I think it looks great! I searched forever before I found something I really liked - plus the seller was way fast and I had it up within a few hours!
Take a look and let me know what you think!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SachiIvy

Decisions

After much ruminating, going back and forth internally and in conversation with Russell, and considering responses to Facebook posts, we have finally come to a decision about what to do with ourselves next year!
And the winner is: Western North Carolina! More specifically, Haywood Community College.
Although we really really really want to move out to the West Coast, we had to consider the big picture - our goals, our dreams, and what we want for Orion and our family.
Though I might be able to find a similar program somewhere on the West Coast, the program at Haywood is damn near perfect for what I really want to do with myself. Besides that, committing to a program in NC will save us both time and money. Plus, we're hoping that Russell can find some courses in sustainable applications somewhere nearby, so that he can get his GPA boosted for future grad school applications once we do move out West.
Completing the professional crafts program will enable me to do several things with my variety of crafting abilities; I'll be able to focus my design aesthetic, learn about business (which I'm pretty clueless about), and it will allow me to successfully work from home or at least have a second income from craft work. If I decide later on that I want to pursue a Masters in Costume Design, the associates from Haywood will also give me a leg up during that application process.
Being capable of working from home/being in business for myself is an important aspect of my goals, because we're really committed to homeschooling Orion (and any other kid(s) we might have!) through the early years at least. I have been a victim of the public school system for too many years to subject my own children to it, and this is really important to us as a family. That consideration helped make the decision much easier; the West Coast isn't going anywhere, after all (unless, of course, California really does fall into the ocean at some point ((2012??)) and then we wouldn't want to be living there anyway). Once we finally do get out there, I'll be more prepared to support our family through crafting. I also intend on maintaining a good relationship with Trader Joe's, because it's a company I feel good about working for, and could possibly be hired into a new store out West when the time comes. At that point, Russell can start into a master's program, maybe at Dominican in Davis, and I'll be perfectly outfitted to teach our kids and bring home the vegetarian bacon (although I think that stuff is gross).
We feel like this is a solid plan for us, and for that matter Asheville and the surrounding area is about as hippie as NC gets anyway, so hopefully we'll find the community we're looking for there. At least the climate is a bit cooler, and there are a lot of outdoor activities and tons of music events to consider! I think it will be a good place to live for the first few years of Orion's life as a toddler... And if we live a bit out of town (Haywood is in Clyde, NC, a bit west of Asheville) we'll be able to find a cheap place to live with some land attached to it. I think we can all be happy with that!
So there you have it, folks! Weeks of wrangling over that one question has finally come to an end! We still long for the Pacific Coast, but in the meantime the Great Smokies are a nice place to aim for!
I guess I can start the official application process now... Fun.
We'll be looking to move after our wedding (June 11, 2011) and before the beginning of the school year (usually in August) so my best guess is sometime in July, 2011, we'll be heading west. Just not as far west as we had originally planned. Still, it's a step in the right direction literally, and several steps in the right direction figuratively!

Hello again!

Well now, it's been a while, hasn't it?
I can't imagine why! Actually, I am about to explain why I've taken a bit of hiatus from blogger-land. I even took a few days off of Facebook (gasp!). All of this is due to my recent re-direction of energies. "Toward what?" you may be asking...
Of course if you've been keeping up with us and this little blog of mine you know that Orion is now almost 4 months old - amazing how times flies! I went back to work this week, which was sort of a bummer. I was so sad the day I had to go back. I've never been away from him for that long! But he's at home with Daddy while I'm at work, so at least we don't have to leave him in expensive child care! And the best part is that we live so close to Trader Joe's that Russell can bring Orion to see me on my break, therefore limiting the necessity of me pumping breastmilk at work and keeping everyone happy!
The return to work deadline motivated me in other ways, too, because there was a lot I wanted to get done before so much of my time was taken up with groceries. We are still researching schools, jobs, towns, and options for our move next year. We don't know where we're going yet, or what our plans are; we just know that it's time for the next phase of our lives and there is a lot to do to accomplish it. In order to facilitate that, I've spent a lot of time searching, but there was still a lot more to be done. Both Russell and I need to get our focus narrowed and our ducks in the proverbial row. This includes but in no way is limited to: reworking resumes, creating on-line portfolios, and marketing ourselves. For me, specifically, I have needed to get my ass in gear in regards to my creative work. I have a ton of supplies, a smattering of skills, and a fair eye for design - but very little motivation when it comes down to it. Why? I don't really know. I need to figure out "who I am" as a crafter/designer. I need to develop certain aspects of my skills/talents. And I need to get my work out there, stat!
So I've started working on my own stuff as much as possible with lots of breaks for baby time. This includes working on a wedding dress commission that I'm excited to see completed. I've also started doing more jewelry work, since that's something that is fairly easy to do while nursing (since sewing definitely isn't). But that's not enough - I need to get this work out there. Clearly I need to build a stock so that I have enough items to sell to shops. I'd like to even vend at a festival or two in the Spring, which also means collecting the materials to create a booth, which will then need to be set up and photographed in order to apply to most craft fairs. That requires money up front... And right now we're pretty broke, since I just returned to work. In order to support my craftwork, I need to get it working for me!
So I've tried hard in the last few weeks to update and revamp my Etsy shopfront - it's still in the works - but I have re-shot a lot of the jewelry photographs. And I've been working like a madwoman on a line of hemp jewelry to add. I also finally photographed the line of baby tie-dyes, and actually managed to get the one adult piece of clothing, a corset, photographed and posted. Whee! This effort lead to several sales in the first week. Hopefully that will continue!
If you'd like to see my work (and I sure hope you do!) please check out my Etsy shopfront at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SachiIvy
You can also find me on Facebook under Sachi Ivy Designs - I love all the "likes" I've been getting! Please pass on this information to anyone who might be interested in my work. Word of mouth and support from friends is the best advertising I could ask for!
And now it's time to get back to tying some hemp....

The Varsity Theater

When I was in high school (and even middle school, really) my favorite movie theater was the Varsity on Franklin Street. It's right in the middle of the main drag off of UNC Chapel Hill (home of the Tar Heels, that's right!) It's a small independent theater with only two screens and a vintage feel. I almost always went there rather than the big theaters. It was cheaper, they had real butter for the popcorn, and it was fun to cruise around Franklin St. before or after a show - maybe to hit up one of the ice cream joints.
I saw Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (yes, the Kevin Costner film) there when I was all of 12 or 13 and LOVED it! I can't remember how many times we saw Pulp Fiction there when I was a teenager; I know we snuck in at least twice and paid for tickets numerous times. There's a convenient door in the back of the theater that was just too easy to prop open... However, going in with a ticket meant getting to walk down the cool hallway with the fairy lights around it like a sci-fi spaceship tunnel.
Over the years the place fell into some disrepair; the seats were pretty worn out, and the house isn't large enough for stadium seating. Of course fewer people ended up going there for movies, and sadly, it closed down.
In the past year the owners of the Chelsea theater bought, refurbished, and reopened the Varsity. They now play old school movies for cheap ticket fees ($3) and have good concessions, including bottled beer!
Last week we went to see The Goonies, my favorite movie from childhood. This week we went to see Dazed and Confused, my favorite movie from my high school days. We over-watched that film just as much; it was constantly on in the background and we listened to the classic-rock soundtrack until it barely played anymore (ahh, the days of cassette tapes).
It was great fun to once again see an old-skool favorite on the big screen. I laughed a lot and it put me in a great mood. It's also been really nice to get out of the house with Russell for a little date night! Kevin came with us the past two weeks, too. He'd never seen Dazed and Confused before, but he enjoyed it thoroughly!
Another aspect of this night that I found kind of exciting (even though Russell finds it kind of annoying) is that school started yesterday and all the students are back. There are people all over Franklin St. and that 'back to school' excitement is in the air! One of my favorite things about school is that giddy feeling at the start of the year, before you get all bogged down in work, and there are new, fun people everywhere. We saw Freshmen catching the bus with huge bags from Target - outfitting dorm rooms, no doubt. The freshmen are really my favorites because they are so balls-out excited about being at college, away from home for the first time. I just love their wide-openness! It was fun to see that as we went into a movie about the last day of school before summer vacation in 1976... Fun, youthful energy all around. It also made me excited about the possibility of being in school again soon. I do enjoy the environment.
This of course means that Jo Ann got some more quality time with our little Star Man! He did really well with us being gone for a little while again. He laughed and played like the good little goober he is, took a bottle with no trouble, and napped until we came home. He's a great baby, and we really appreciate Jo Ann's loving care for him while we're out!
And so, another good night!

Family

Uncle Colie and Laura get some good face time with nephew Orion!

What are those crazy kids up to now??

As if having a baby wasn't enough, we're also getting married in June. But that's not the big news - the next big step after the nuptials is to figure out what we want to be when we grow up!
Both Russell and I love Chapel Hill and the surrounding area. We both grew up here (him more so than me, but you get the idea) so we're invested in the community and we have a fondness for the territory. However, we both feel like we're spinning our wheels here. Not stuck in a rut so much as just not moving forward like we want to. We both have undergraduate degrees that we're not using, we both want to further our education (and maybe make a bit more money in the process), and land jobs that are more career-based, or at least centered in doing that which we love.
We're also both feeling a lack of community. We have some friends here and there, and so many people around who we love and love us, but when it comes to the day-to-day we need more people around us who have similar interests and find themselves on a similar wavelength to ours. Basically, we need to find us some more hippies!
So the research into our next big step has begun. We're getting married in June, 2011, and plan to leave the Chapel Hill area shortly after that. The question is, where to go?
Both Russell and I really want to move to the West Coast - somewhere between Santa Cruz, California, and Seattle, Washington. We want to be close to the water, of course, and somewhere that at least one of us can go back to school. Here is the list so far:
Davis, California:
Centered in the Sacramento Vally, and close to state capitol Sacramento, Davis is a cool town. And when I say "cool", I'm referring to personality only. It's HOT there - hot and dry - which sounds great to us! It's not too big and has a vibe much like Chapel Hill. It's a very bike-friendly town with a great farmer's market. It's about an hour from the Bay Area and super convenient to Burning Man. It's the most expensive place we've looked into living, but it's a lot cheaper than SF.
There are two colleges there: UC Davis and Dominican University. Russell is interested in an MBA at Dominican in Sustainability Applications. This degree would allow him to continue working in the construction industry, but instead of doing the rough work he would do more consulting and design work, helping new projects be more 'green'. At UC Davis there is an MFA in Theatrical Costume Design for me.
Next on our list is Arcata, California:
Arcata is so far north it might as well be in Oregon. Located on the coast and in the redwoods, it's a very beautiful spot. The town itself is a bit grungy and is as 'hippier-than-thou' as it's possible to get, but I suppose that's no surprise since it is in Humboldt County. Humboldt State University is perched on the hill overlooking the town, and the school buildings are interspersed with redwood trees. The school offers an interesting program for me, called an MFA in Sceneography. The program offers a triple-threat focus on lights, scenery, and costumes for theatre, with a concentration in one aspect. I've already toured the campus there and met with the head costume professor, and I liked the feeling of the department. There are also two completely unrelated programs there that I have some interest in: Environmental Education and Native American Studies/Language and Literature. I've had some experience with Environmental Education in the past, and I really enjoyed it. I've said many times that if I were to go back into teaching, I'd like to be an environmental educator. This is basically like being a really professional camp counselor (usually called a co-leader instead). I'd be working with kids, outdoors, through various environmental/parks & rec/centers through the US. The jobs would offer lots of fun experiences and are generally flexible with a lot of concentration in the summer months. The NA Lit degree is another one that would lead me to teaching again, likely at the community college level. It is also an MA that is supported by my English Ed BA, so there's a good chance I could get in to the program. I also took a class on NA Lit with an awesome professor at UNCW, and taught a whole section on NA Lit in my Junior English classes at CCHS. So Humboldt State has a lot to offer me; I might be applying to them three times over the next year!
Fortunately there are some interesting programs there for Russell, too; most of them are involved in some sort of Environmental science, like Natural Resources Planning and Interpretation. There are several degrees that he is looking into there which I can barely tell you about. However, it's awesome that this one place has a great list of opportunities for both of us. It may well be where we eventually end up!
Traveling further north, the next place on the list is Corvallis, Oregon:
Corvallis is a small hippie town with a lot of arts activities. It's close to the coast and just south of Eugene. Oregon College is based there, and they have an interesting program called "Design and the Human Environment" which includes design, textiles, sustainability, and marketing all balled into a social package. It's a neat-sounding program which would allow me to work in the design industry on a higher level, perhaps working to create more sustainable fabrics in America or something. There's also a wood science degree there that Russell is looking into. Though these degrees are attractive, Corvallis is a bit lower on the list.
Next is Eugene, Oregon:
I drove through Eugene on my big road trip a few years back, and don't remember much about it except that I stopped for lunch and had the best sushi that I'd had on the whole trip. That alone recommends it to me! The cost of living there is also pretty low - lower than Chapel Hill, even. The University of Oregon, Eugene Campus, is located there. There is another MFA in Theatrical Costume Design for me, and a couple of architecture programs (one interior, one landscaping) for Russell.
An added bonus in the Eugene option is that our friend Eric is planning on moving back there around the same time we were planning to trek west, so we might be able to help each other with the cross-country move. Not only that, but having a local friend who knows the ins and outs would be a great resource!
Finally, there's Portland, Oregon:
Portland is far enough north that it borders Washington, and is quite close to Seattle. It is a fairly big city, which isn't really our style, but it is a cool town with a lot to offer, including several colleges. There's an Oriental Medicine college and a Naturopathic Medicine college, both of which are of some interest to Russell. There's an art and craft technical college as well, which has program in textiles for me and one in wood for Russell. Again, not high on the list, but certainly an option!
The big hitch-point for both of us in this is that neither of us have exactly what we need to get accepted anywhere. Russell's last year in college wasn't the best for his GPA, and it's the last 60 credits or so that most programs look at. For me, I lack the professional experience that most MFA programs look for. Both of us struggle to get recommendation letters, and I constantly have to re-work my resume while Russell is trying hard to develop his. I also need a portfolio, and though I have one and I think it looks pretty good, I had to pull every last thread to fill it up, which also means that it's a little unfocused.
This is not to say that I don't have hope! We both do; we really want to make this happen, and we are trying our best to pull it together and focus on our goals. We're supporting each other in our endeavors and we're leaving the plan open-ended until we know what our options are. We think it would be best to switch-hit anyway, with one of us in school at a time, which would allow the other to pull together more experience before applying again. Russell believes that my chances of getting in somewhere are higher, and I tend to agree - but who knows if I'll get in to the program that is right for me? We're just going to have to be patient and trust the universe.
And of course, there's always Plan B:
In the mountains of NC, west of Asheville, there's a technical college by the name of Haywood. The school offers programs in professional crafts, with concentrations in fibers and jewelry. I'm interested in both of these. They also have a wood working program and are developing sustainability programs as well. I've been looking at the courses, and there's so much there I'd love to learn. They don't offer masters courses/programs of course, so we'd be looking at associate's degrees or even just certifications. Though it's a bummer to not have the "M", these programs might actually get us closer to what we want to do. I'd love to be self-employed and making art/clothes/jewelry whatever, and Russell is so taken with biodiesel mechanics... Not to mention that a tech college in state is going to be a million times cheaper than an MFA anywhere. And it's closer to home. But it's also further from the ocean and nowhere near the West Coast or the Burn... But it's an option, and a good one. So we're pretty happy with our choices!
Now comes the hard part, which is gathering the goods to apply. This means toiling over portfolios, resumes, entrance exams & essays, gathering recommendation letters, traveling for tours and interviews, and making some big choices about the rest of our lives. Fortunately, we both feel much more ready to make those choices than we did when we were 17 and had to make them about college. It's no wonder so many people like us aren't using their degrees; who the hell knows what they want to do at the ripe old age of 17? I didn't even know some of the things I'm interested in existed back then. We're much better prepared now!
Wish us luck on this next big aspect of our journey. I'm sure we'll figure it out, one step at a time!

Super Baby!

Flying through the house in his tie-dyed cape!