Monthly Archives: December 2011

At Night by the Tree

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When Christmas was close enough on the horizon that I could see it, but still far enough away that I had time to plan, I told myself that this year was going to be quiet. Slow. Deliberate. Just me and a whole lot of hot chocolate, Christmas lights, and a stack of books.

And then I up and committed to the tour. And not only committed to the tour, but offered to hostess and promote the first show. And then I got asked to be the Choir director at Church–which meant I was in charge of the entire service on Christmas Sunday. So I had to pull a choir together (which is like puling teeth, don’t you know) and write the program. And practice it. (Holy Smokes. If it actually happens how I see it in my head, it will be a miracle. Please pray.) And then my sister told me that she, her husband, and their child–i.e. my pumpkin of a niece–were flying in to stay for a week over Christmas. And then there was the invitation for the work party. And then the Church party, that we hostessed a portion of at our house. The night after the concert at our house. (Oy vey) And then two TV appearances to get ready for. And a Christmas meal to plan and make for the family that was now coming.

And … well. All of a sudden Christmas is tearing around the corner and I don’t have any presents for the people who will be waking up Christmas morning at my house. I don’t have a turkey. Or stuffing. Or mashed potatoes. Or pie. I haven’t drunk any hot chocolate. And I haven’t read a book in months.

And while I’m so happy I did the tour–seriously. I love being on tour and I love Mindy’s music. And while I’m thrilled my sister and her family are here (even if my niece still doesn’t like me. What’s that about Laela?!). And while I’ve loved the bustle and energy of the last few weeks. I’ve just really wished, too, for that quiet holiday I saw in my head months ago.

And so at night. When everyone goes upstairs to their beds. I’ve stayed downstairs. And I’ve sat by the tree. And though I’ve been working my laptop overtime with all the “stuff” that still needs to be done, even past midnight. I’ve allowed myself to wrap up in the quiet. And the glow. And just. Be still.

p.s. I was on Good Things Utah again this morning with a little crafty for any of you last-minute (like me) gift givers. They’re these cute little tree pins that I hope I’ll have a picture of later today to post for you. So easy. And so inexpensive. And If you’re just finding me through Good Things. Welcome. I hope you’ll stay a bit. And I hope we become friends. If you want to know more … these are my favorite posts.

Worth the Drive

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I had a feeling it was going to be my kind of town when we drove in and saw a suspended sign over the two-lane road that said, “Happy Holidays,” written in sparkly green tinsel. And the drive up Main Street only confirmed my suspicions.

Business signs that certainly hadn’t been changed in decades lined the way to the city center. Beautiful brick buildings towered with history and painted billboards fading from their sides. Even the mannequins in the storefront windows looked like they’d been standing there since 1958.

We stopped for lunch at the Rainbow Cafe and our waitress called us things like “sugar” and “honey” and “sweetheart” as she took our order. When we walked down the street, people smiled and said hello. And the thrift/antique/junk shop around the corner was bursting at its vintage seams with dresses and hats and lace and bottles and LPs and china from citizens past. Spencer bought a sweet tambourine. Joe bought a ring for his lady. Mindy bought a painting.

There wasn’t much time to dawdle, but we soaked our fill and when I got home, one of the first things I said to Frit was, “A roadtrip to Pendleton, Oregon is in order. For the thrift shop alone, it’s worth the drive. We simply must go.”

And simply, you must.

Back From Tour, Must Clean Spare Room

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I’ve gone through my pictures about forty times today–the pictures I took while I was on tour with Mindy and the band, that is. And I’m having a hard time deciding how to share the awesomeness that was the Mindy Gledhill Christmas Concert Tour.

It’s been a long time since I felt the need to pinch myself and ask, “Is this really my life?” But lately, that’s how I feel. Life is so good. So fun. So fulfilling. So full—full of cool people, cool experiences, and opportunities that make me happy.

When I climbed into bed last Monday night (after our own house concert) I had a feeling it was just the beginning of a great week. Turns out, I was right.

[Media Appearances]

[Tuesday Night @ the Velour Live Music Gallery]

[Wednesday Night with the Teton Chamber Orchestra]

[On the tour bus ... i.e. Le Chateau]

[Friday Night during Soundcheck @ The Rose Room ... I am magic.]

[Saturday Night in Tri-Cities, WA]People sometimes ask what I do when I manage a tour like this and the answer is … I do details. I make sure the band is taken care of, that there’s food when food is needed, that the sound tech knows when soundcheck is scheduled for, that the set looks good, that hotel rooms are reserved, that email lists are passed around, that the baby is bounced, that merchandise is set up, sold, and accounted for, that backs are rubbed, that the promoters know our wherabouts and needs, that photos are taken, and that the media knows we’re coming.

It’s a ton of work and I’m utterly exhausted when I get home.

But then I think … is this really my life? How much cooler could it get?

(Apparently not much cooler at all seeing as how I now need to go change the sheets in the spare room and scrub the toilet. My sister, brother-in-law, and niece are coming tomorrow for Christmas. And I’m guessing they’d appreciate clean sheets and a clean toilet. It’s the least I can do.)

My New Favorite Boy

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I’m on tour this week with Mindy. Jumping from city to city as we make our way through the Northwest.

We’re all packed into an RV. And by “we” I mean Mindy, her man, her baby, the band (who might be the funniest group of men I’ve been around in a long time), all our suitcases, all the instruments, all the set, all the merchandise, and all the sound equipment. And by RV I mean Le Chateau. At least that’s what it says on the outside.

And by Le Chateau I mean the Griswold Family Christmas Tour Bus, straight from 1980-something, complete with brown and yellow curtains.

It is awesome. No lie.

We hit Boise tonight. Twas a great show and a great crowd. And who knew downtown Boise was so cool? I have to hand it to you Idaho. I had no idea.

Now, it’s bedtime and I’m exhausted. Like I usually am when I produce a tour.

But let me share my favorite picture of the day …

I spent most of the drive mugging on this fella.

Needless to say, he’s scrumptious.

p.s. We head to Kennewick, WA tomorrow. If you’re in the area, come say hi!

A Smashing Success

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(soundcheck)

I don’t know how we did it, but on Monday night we fit no less than 70 people in our living room for our first annual Christmas House Concert with indie-pop star Mindy Gledhill. I’m still reeling!

Frit and I were up past midnight two nights in a row decorating and baking and getting everything ready, and despite our bleary eyes, it was SO worth it. And even now … every time we walk in the living room, we smile–we still haven’t taken the decorations down. We love them too much.

Spencer Harrison (Mindy’s bass player) and Libbie Linton opened with some delicious tunes. (Check them out here, or here.) And I am, pleased to announce, that I am a new Libbie fan. And Spencer just might be the nicest guy with the greatest coiffure and coolest voice. Ever.

When Mindy took the stage it was like our whole house suddenly went electric. The walls were buzzing neon, I swear. It was palpable. And amazing. And so gosh darn fun! The kick of the bass drum pounded the opening beats of Whole Wide World (which, may I tell you, she dedicated to moi) and I wanted to jump up and down and dance and scream, “Do you feel that? In your gut? Do you feel that?” I’m weird, I know. But like I said. The house was electric and I was, in turn, electrified. Good live music gives me such a rush.

So anyway. Mindy sang songs from Anchor and Winter Moon and Frit and I danced in our seats the whole time. Side note: When Mindy sang the Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick” Frit dared me to run wildly through the crowd (run run reindeer, run run reindeer, you can hear it right? And see it?). She said she’d pay me $40 if I did, and I even got her up to $70 by the end of the exchange. But I just couldn’t do it. I was too shy. (Right.) Now I’m thinking I was crazy not to take that dare. It was my concert afterall, right?

So anyway. As if being able to hostess the event wasn’t enough, Mindy invited me up to sing the finale song with her. … One of my finest moments, I’m sure.

This next photo cracks me up every time. Apparently, I was really getting into it. And now I know … I SOO do not sing with a pretty face like Mindy does!

The only thing I’m kicking myself over, besides not taking Frit’s dare, is that I don’t have more pictures. I guess I was just too hopped up on electricity and meeting everyone that this is all the documentation I have. But I so wish I had taken a crowd picture so you could actually see all 70 people in our living room. I’m amazed that we actually pulled that off. But as Frit reminded me, I can fit anything into any space. And it’s true. I can.

So thanks everyone for coming! It was one of the highlights of my year to put this show on and meet so many of you. And just so you know … we’re addicted to house concerts now. So stay tuned for more dates and more artists in the future.

p.s. the morning after the concert, we had to be at Channel 2 and Channel 4 bright and early for some media spots I booked for Mindy and her puppet friends to publicize the rest of the tour. Check out the ABC segment here: (Buzzy Snowman kills me!)

And because I was so happy that the babysister and her lovely ladies came … one more picture:

Cute As A Button (and my thoughts on pantyhose)

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My brain is all over the place this week. I can’t seem to string a cohesive thought together if my life depended on it. Do you want to know how this post originally started? I had a whole paragraph typed up about how as I was putting my on nylons for Church, I was thinking, I sure hope no one walks in on me while I’m doing this. No one should ever be subjected to watching a woman put on her pantyhose. That is just plain cruel and unusual punishment. For all involved.

A whole paragraph!

Anyway. Did I tell you I have a new part-time job? It’s true. I’m the new marketing specialist for a business travel agency. It’s only a couple days each week so I still have time to work on the magazine (!) and schedule photo shoots and consult here and there. And, piece by piece, I feel like life is coming back together again.

Speaking of the magazine. Y’all—it is going to be so amazing. I have bitten off way more than one girl should chew (what’s new?) but it makes me so happy. So. incredibly. happy. And slowly but surely it’s coming together. I’ll have more news later this week about that.

And then there’s the concert … My first annual Christmas House Concert featuring the ever-lovely Mindy Gledhill. Tickets are selling and my house is filling up! I’m finishing the designs for the decorations today and getting a head start on refreshments. But most importantly, it will be so fun to see you, especially you readers I don’t know! (Tickets still available here.)

Now, if you’re just finding me through GTU (I had a craft segment this morning) welcome welcome. I’m Krista, a magazine publisher/photographer/marketing consultant & teacher/quintessential pisces/lover of crafties/single, 32-year-old Southern transplant with a fetish for words, hand-written letters mailed with a stamp, Valentine’s Day candy, cheese platters, the Bachelor(ette) when it’s not stupid (oxymoron intended), and Ryan Gosling (as of late. loved this.).

The last couple years have been a maze of discovery, emotion, grief, and understanding as I’ve sought to make sense of a substantial job loss, singledom, and the intersection of my life and my faith. And I’m realizing this blog is where my “becoming” plays out. I suppose  you could say, that that is its purpose–its theme. And I’m happy to have you here.

By way of announcement, you can also find me

on Facebook :: on Pinterest :: on email

I also have an email list (over there on the right near the top) but, FYI, I stink at sending consistent email. I have grand plans for said list, but alas, I procrastinate. (That’s the polite way of saying I’m lazy.) But do sign up if you want an occasional email with delicious words, easy tutorials, and cool stuff. And it’s also the place you want to be when the so-called grand plans roll out. And grand they will be, I assure you.

Today in my segment I showed how to make customized fabric button earrings. They’re a great gift for the long list of ladies in your life. And inexpensive too–each set costs less than $1. Here is the tutorial if you missed it. And the video is at the end of this post.

Customized Fabric Button Earrings

Supplies:
craft cover button kit * scissors * fabric (small prints are best depending on the size of buttons) * any glue that will adhere metal * earring posts (or pins, magnets, etc. depending on the type of accessory you are making)

Steps:
1. Place button kit template on fabric and trace circle following directions in kit.
2. Cut out fabric circle.
3. Center fabric wrong side up, over the mold (comes in the button kit), and press button shell into mold.
4. Tuck fabric into button shell.
5. Place button back over tucked fabric, press down firmly with pusher (comes in the button kit) to snap into place.
6. Glue earring post to back of button.
7. Repeat for second earring.

Variations:
1. Use these fabric buttons for the center of a fabric flower brooch.
2. Glue magnets to the back for a set of matching of customized magnets.
3. Use computer printer fabric to print designs, words, or pictures straight from your computer for even more personalized accessories.

Cute as a button indeed. Much cuter than me putting on my nylons.

Song for Saturday [Wham! Last Christmas]

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This morning I woke up so happy. So totally happy.

So I got out of bed, went to see if Frit was awake, (she was), and told her I was making a Starbucks run (in my jams & slippers, bedhead and all) to get us some necessary deliciousness to start this cold Saturday off right–a caramel apple spice for her and a hazelnut steamer for me.

When I got in the car and turned the ignition, the very first thing I heard were the very first notes of the awesomeness that is Wham!’s Christmas hit, “Last Christmas.”

This, only made me more happy. If that was even possible.

And now, I’m sharing that fantastic-ness with you.

Trust me. It will make you happy.

One of the best things about this song is that just when you think it should be over, there’s still four more chorus to go! And as for the video … I don’t even know where to begin … classic and awesome all rolled up in some seriously styled hair.

After bedhead and Starbucks, the rest of the afternoon included a new washing machine, a lot of photo shoot editing, and a matinee showing of The Muppets (GO see it!).

Happy indeed.

P.S. There’s just one week and a day until the Mindy Gledhill concert AT MY HOUSE! Have you gotten your tickets yet? CLICK HERE. They’re only $10/person until Dec. 12, and $15 the night of.