emmy-ray misses you!

And I haven't heard from some of my most loyal readers lately.  I hope you're still out there, so come visit me at my new home.  There's a lot going on, it's like a house party:

http://handmakerofthings.typepad.com

See you soon!

I'm moving...

Don't worry, not in real life!  Just in cyper-space.  My new home has all the techno bells and whistles that a blog girl could ask for!  Visit me here: handmakerofthings.typepad.com

Hope to see (or hear from) you soon!

The Wedding Hive: January Meet and Greet

Last night's Wedding Hive event was such a success, I was thrilled with all the vendors and couples that attended.  There are some really great businesses in Kansas City that I had no idea about, and hopefully, after meeting us, they'll consider joining forces!

See more photos from the Meet and Greet on the Wedding Hive's website.  TGIF lovelies!

Hibernation kills Inspiration

Good morning lovelies.  I've been feeling a general lack of inspiration lately, mostly due to the doom and gloom weather we're having.  Working at home at your desk all day doesn't provide a whole lot of inspiration so I decided today would be run in a question and answer format.

First let me start by saying thank you to everyone for your comments.  I've been getting a ton lately and I read every single one of them.  However I'm unsure of the best way to respond so that people see the answers.  Any suggestions?

Second, I'm looking for inspiration for Your City Thursdays.  Anyone have favorite places to shop, restaurants, coffee houses, or artists, crafters, designers, etc.  If you are a small business owner, don't be shy, suggest yourself.  I'd be glad to do a feature on you, I'm up for anything!

Third, I went ahead and bit the bullet by setting up a formspring account, just for fun. Don't know what formspring is? It's a forum where people can ask you anything either anonymously or using a profile. Have a question for me, don't be shy. I'll post answers to your questions right here on my page.  Lets see how this goes...


Alright everyone, have a great Thursday, the weekends almost here!

QUIRK: First blog entry!

Today I did my first entry for QUIRK Magazine.  I certainly hope they like it.  I chose to feature some of my favorite gals, here's a hint:

Pop on over to the QUIRK website to read the full article.

Also don't forget, if your engaged, a wedding related vendor, an indie business in Kansas City, or you just want to see my smiling face, come to Harry's Bar and Table's in Westport tomorrow (Thursday January 21st) for the Wedding Hive's Meet and Greet.  Starts at 5, goes til the fun ends!

The Money Pit: Chronicles of a Brookside Home Owner, Guest Room Preview

I decided to break out the camera yesterday and give you lovelies a little preview of the new guest room.  It's not finished yet, but it's coming together quite nicely:

and of course Ollie had to model for some shots, just to add in the cute factor

More to come, happy Tuesday!

Back to Basics

Confession time: running your own small business is hard.  Staying confident in what your doing can be even harder.

As someone who is a formally trained metalsmith I started off emmy-ray creating detailed and intricate little works of art for your finger, ears and neck.  Problem was they took a lot of time to make, and therefore had to be sold for a lot more money.  I personally have come up against the frustration of loving someone's work and not being able to afford it.  So I started making simpler pieces which equaled lower cost.  When your work is "flying off the shelves" so to speak it's much easier to be confident in what your doing and consider yourself a success.

But I miss it.  I miss the hours of painstaking construction and experimentation.  I miss creating beautiful things that someone is willing to invest money in, and that hopefully they will have forever.

I think it's time to get back to basics...

Your City Thursday: QUIRK crew...

It happened unexpectedly.  I thought I was just going to a happy hour to meet some new peeps.  Little did I know that it would end with me and a few other gals being recruited officially (or rather unoffcially since these girls are so laid back and awesome) as a contributor for QUIRK and it's blog.  QUIRK is an online magazine all about Kansas City (and the surrounding area).  It features articles on fashion, the arts, food, small business, and everyday life.

Since it would be my first entry to the blog, I've been obsessing over trying to come up with something REALLY good to write about.  But either way I can't wait to work with these girls.  Thanks for bringing me on board!

The Money Pit: Chronicles of a Brookside Home Owner, Office Before and After

I've finally taken some pictures of our new little, cozy office.  I've been tweaking it here and there, and didn't want to post pictures til I was done.  However I realized that could go on forever.  So take a look, and as always I love feedback from you lovelies!

Just a refresher, here's the before:

Here's the after:

(I'm going to paint the deer head white)

 One down, seven to go.  Next on the list, the guest room:

(and no, we don't usually have extra TV's and furniture lying around.  We're trying to move things and re-organize.  Out with the old, in with the new so to speak.)

I got a fever...

It's called wedding fever.  It's that time of year again and seeing as this is my second season doing weddings I am already starting to fill up.  I am excited of course, especially since quite a few of these new clients are also friends.  It's such a great feeling to know you've taken part in making someone's wedding day special.  My favorite is always the bouquet for the bride or her maids.  Here's a few I made last season:

I've spent hours pouring over magazines, books, and the internet, the amount of inspiration out there is endless.  I can't wait to get to work!