Weekend!

Yes! The weekend is finally here...and I really have so much to do. The wraparound sweater is coming along nicely, I only have to finish the left side and then it's done!

But there's also cleaning to do...the job that never ends...

And I really should go for a run, to make up for all those crack-laced girlscout cookies that I've eaten...

And there's some new magic tricks I really want to work on (well, actually I don't want to work on them, I want them to be done and the only way that can happen is if I work on them)...

And to top it all off, the boyfriend has got a cold and the cat is breathing funny. I'm not as worried about the boyfriend as I am the cat...she seems a bit better this morning, but I'm keeping a really close eye on her in case it's time to go to the dreaded vet.

Hey, going to the post office isn't on my list yet, but it should be...maybe you could click here and make that happen.

Friday's Favorites!

This week I decided to pull from the talent of some of my blog followers. I wasn't originally indending to pick mostly jewelry, but there was so much pretty stuff out there, that's how it ended up.



None of last weeks favorites sold this past week, but 2 items from the week before sold...yay!!!! So check out this great stuff and treat yourself to something special.

Taxes Eeek! ...and knitting ...and books

Today I'm off to my accountant to get my taxes done. Since more than half of my income is on 1099's, I don't trust myself to do it. With me it's always a crap shoot on whether I get money back or have to pay...I'm really hoping I get something back this year, I really need it.

In other news: The wraparound sweater I've been working on is getting closer. The back and the sleeves are done and most of the front right side. I worked on it all day yesterday in between shows...I doubt I'll finish it today, but I'm hoping to get it up and listed this weekend.

In book news: I finished The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. It was wonderful! If you are someone who likes literature, you will find this book hillarious. It's really hard to discribe it, so if you're interested, you're better off going to amazon and reading the blurb...they say it so much better than I ever could...I've read one other book by Jasper Fforde and so far I haven't been disappointed.

Are your hands a little cold this morning? Some fingerless gloves might do the trick!

It's Sabotage!

As I posted last week (at least I think it was last week), I've been trying to eat a bit healthier in order to get my jeans to fit the way they used to last year...well, last night the boyfriend brought home some girlscout cookies! Or as I refer to them, crack in a box! What do those girls put in those things that make them soooo tempting? Even the box is like a magnet, pulling you uncontrollably toward it...and we didn't even open the Thin Mints yet.

In other news: I had a gig on Monday night at a nightclub called Tao. It was their employee party, they even hired a company to do the bartending and stuff so that everyone could come. Well, I'm not so great with the club scene, and the hours there seemed to drag on forever. Luckily by the end of the night, I had done a couple good magic sets that I was proud of, but I was really glad when the clock struck midnight and I could leave.

The gigs are slowing down quite a bit now, and with my other show on hiatus, it's going to be tight this month. I just submitted for a job dealing poker at a special event...I don't think I stand too much of a chance getting it because though I'm great with cards and can deal poker quite well, I don't have any casino experience...oh well, it was worth a shot.

Here's how you can look stylish while you play poker!

Tuesday's Tips for etsy

Another week has passed, and so quickly too!

This weeks tip is a site called Handmadeology. I'm sure many of you have heard about it already. It was created by Timothy Adam Designs and has a wealth of information in it. It has forums you can network with, how to videos about selling on etsy and much much more. He's adding things all the time, so you can sign up for his newsletter to keep informed.

I hope this helps your selling on etsy!

I'm off now to do some shows...and hopefully finish my wraparound sweater!

Scoot Scoot!

So the other day, the boyfriend was at the thrift store and saw this scooter for 30 bucks...He texted me immediately and said he found the perfect clown scooter. (For those that don't know, my boyfriend is a former Ringling Brother's clown and now performs in Las Vegas.) There was no plug or battery charger included (hence the cheapness of the price), but he's really good with wiring and electronics and stuff so he was hoping he could fix it.

He didn't want to spend the money without me seeing it first (I'm supposed to stop him from buying things), and when I saw it, I said that it was totally cool and he should go for it.

After a couple of grueling hours, success! He got it working! The rest of the evening, we took turns riding it around the parking lot...it goes about 15 mph, and with his height, it is really the perfect clown scooter!

Now he's painting it and tricking it out...Hopefully he'll be performing on it soon.

It was so much fun, I want to get one too! Here's how you can help out!

New Things

Ok! So I finally got my new items listed! I wish I could just create things and hand them off to someone else to do the rest...Oh well, until the Keebler Elves are not so busy making cookies, I guess I'm on my own.

Anyway, The first item I listed was a Blue Headband Ear Warmer! It keeps your hair out of your face and your ears warm too!

Sometimes in the winter I don't feel like wearing a hat, but my ears will get really cold if I don't. That's why I think this is the perfect solution!

Knit in super soft country blue yarn, this cable knit headband will keep you warm and stylish during those cold winter months. It's nice an stretchy and should fit most head sizes comfortably.



Then I listed a Pink and Grey Doggie Sweater! This sweater is perfect for your little one. It's knit in a baby pink with heather grey cuffs in super soft yarn. Bess, my lovely model, is a 7lb chihuahua, which will give you some idea of the size.

Wedding Shower

Today I'm off to a wedding shower/bachelorette party. My friend didn't want strippers or a big night out on the town the night before her wedding, so instead her sister combined the two...It's a suprise shower too which means I actually have to be on time.

I haven't bought a gift yet (if I'd had a wee bit more notice, I would have found something on etsy, of course> so I have to go out and do that today too. I have no idea what to get her...Luckily though, I live in Las Vegas where at least every other block has either wedding stuff or bachelorette stuff, so it should be too hard to find something. (fingers crossed)

And before I leave the house I really want to get one of my new items photographed and listed...I'm thinking of doing the doggie sweater first, because taking pictures of a living creature with her own agenda is a bit more of a challenge and then the headband/earmuffs should be a breeze.

Click here to see if new stuff has been listed, or maybe discover something you might have overlooked before

Friday's Favorites

Every Friday I try to post some of my favorite finds on etsy. Some weeks it's from my blog followers, some weeks it's from teams and stuff that I belong to, some weeks I ask for submissions, and some weeks I randomly search etsy for a theme.

This week, I decided to feature one of the BNR's that I'm in. For those of you that don't know what that is, it's a list that you can get on by buying an item from one person who's already there...their name gets knocked off and your's gets added on. It's a great way to network and I've met some really great people on the list.

Today's favorites come from the More Meaningful Gifts BNR



See something you like? Give it a click and spread the etsy love!

Out to Sea

I have a day off today, and though I was going to spend it photographing in listing a couple new items, it looks as if it's going to be a beautiful day and the boyfriend wants to go sailing...The wind (which is very important for a sailboat) should be at 5-10 mph (don't ask me to convert that to metric), and it should get to be in the low 60's.

Hopefully I'll get the stuff listed tonight...

I also had an idea for a new magic piece I want to try out at the Venetian, but something tells me I won't get started on it until this weekend...

I'm also waiting for some duck eggs (unfertalized this time...see the post about the fertilized ones for the back story.) I'm hoping to get them soon because I really want to get started on that magic piece as well.

Too cold to go sailing where you live? Maybe you just need to dress warmer.

New Halter Top!

On Monday, I finished and posted my new Halter Top

It's made from soft boucle yarn, and I'm really happy about how the colors turned out. Because it's not as stretchy as acrylic, it turned out a bit bigger than I had intended, but I think it will fit a size 8 to 10 quite nicely. Since the manaquin is much smaller than the intended size, I gathered it a bit, to show off the shape of the garment.

I also finished a headband/earmuff piece, but didn't have any time to photograph it...as it stands right now, by Thursday, I'll have at least two pieces done and ready to list.

And now I'm off...The magic world awaits.

Tuesday's Tips for Etsy

Hello everyone!

Today's tip I found is a neat site that a guy made for his wifes etsy shop...it can do things like run searches to find what page your shop would show up on and much much more...It's called etsyhacks.com.

I just discovered it yesterday, so I haven't gone through all the cool stuff it can do, but so far, I'm impressed.

Hope you like it...

In other news, I finished the halter top...Sometimes I suprise myself when I complete my goals...more about it tomorrow.

Life and Spaghetti...

Well, I've finally come to the realization that my pants are getting a little tight. I think this past year I've put on a little "new relationship weight". I don't really look different (yet), but I can definitely feel different. I think I can drop it (probably about 5 pounds, but I'm guessing because I don't really weigh myself)...just got to make sure I get more veggies in my diet and less desserts...I'm making more salads right now, so instead of having seconds at dinner (which I always do...mmmmm), I'll eat a normal portion and then have seconds on salad...I'm not going to stress about it too much though.

With food on the brain...here's a cool spaghetti video that I found:



In other news, I started on a new halter top...as always, my goal is to finish it today (it usually doesn't happen like that, but it's good to have goals). I'm using some boucle yarn that I got for a custom order, and so far, I'm really digging how it's coming out.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for "Tuesdays Tips for etsy"!

Click here to keep me knitting...it's good exercise for my arms...lol

New Scarf!

Now that my custom sweater is done and will be shipped off on Tuesday, I can get to work on restocking my shop. I just finished a Snow White Shell Scarf(the first crochet scarf that has made it to my shop).

Soft as a cloud, warm as a hug...that's how I would describe this scarf.

It's made from a very soft boucle yarn, and crocheted into a beautiful shell pattern. It measures 6 inches wide and 62 inches long and because of its length can be worn in many different styles.

Don't be sick of the winter, embrace your inner snow bunny with this scarf.

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Friday the Thirteenth!

I'd like to start off by saying that I don't believe that Friday the Thirteenth (yes I capitalized it) has any more significance than Thursday the twelfth...that said, yesterday was a very unlucky day for me.

It started when I left the house for work...I noticed some glass in the parking lot and realized that my boyfriends car had been broken into. They took the radio (it wasn't even a good radio). I could possibly understand this if he had a state of the art sound system, or lots of cool stuff lying on his front seat, but it wasn't and there wasn't...on his front seat was a lot of fast food wrappers, a true sign that there was something worth money in there (yes that was sarcasm). So he spent his day off getting his window fixed.

Then I get to the show and management had messed up the schedule, so I was stuck doing a dancing role (yes, I used to be a dancer, but the key words are "used to" and now I'm extremely out of shape). So by the time I was done I was so exhausted, I crashed on the couch and didn't get anything done the rest of the evening.

I know there should be a third thing...these things always seem to happen in threes, but that was it.

In my opinion, this would have normally been just a bad day, but since it fell on the infamous date...well...now I have something supernatural to blame...is that supposed to make me feel better or something?

Click over here to make Saturday the Fourteenth (yes I capitalized again) an extremely lucky day for me...lol

Friday's Favorite's (Items from Etsy)

Every month or so, I like to do at least one "Favorites" post featuring the Etsyknitters Team. So this week, is the week. I tried to find things that you don't see too much of...Things that you might not search for but when you see them you want to buy them, so here they are and enjoy!



See something you like? Go ahead and treat yourself...something good should come from Friday the Thirteenth!

Magic Audition

I had an audition for a show on Sunday, but I've been busy and haven't been able to write it up. It was for a small variety thing that would travel from club to club and put on a show. It went really well...

I got there a bit early and met all the people and got to watch the guy ahead of me go up and do his thing. He was a comedian. There's not much more I can say about him without seeming catty and mean, but I will say that I was quite confident when it was my turn.

I went up, adjusted the mike and went into my set. They seemed happy with it, and when I was done asked me to do something else...I was really hoping they wouldn't ask me to do a third thing, since anything else I would have done was locked in a dressing room at another theater and beaming technology is a far cry from what it is on Star Trek. Luckily they were happy with the two pieces and said that I would definitely be hearing from them (they didn't say that to the other guy)...

I don't know if a really great gig will come from this, but the important thing is to keep putting yourself out there...it's a numbers game more than anything else.

In case the magic biz slows down...you can help out by clicking over here

Don't forget, "Friday's Favorites" is coming up tomorrow...check back or follow this blog to see what I've found this week.

New Gloves!

I had to take a short break from the custom sweater I'm making, so yesterday I made some new Fingerless Gloves in Grey and Pink! They are made out of super soft acrylic yarn and are washable too!

I have so many more ideas for fingerless gloves that I'll probably make a couple more pairs after I finish with this sweater...only one more sleeve to go!

Also, my other sweater was featured on HerBlueSatinSahes blog! She bought it and says it fits perfectly...yay!

Tuesday's Tips (For Etsy)

Today's tip is going to focus on networking. Of course there are a ton of sites that network people over the entire world, but there are also sites that are meant to network etsy people. The one I found is called We Love Etsy...just like myspace you can make friends, post pictures, leave messages and stuff, but it's all for people on etsy.

It's also a great place to look for things to buy too...because it's all of etsy, and not just a crafting niche, I might look at jewelry over there (I don't make jewelry, I only knit), while someone who paints, might be looking at my stuff. It's really cool and I hope everyone has a lot of fun with it.

When you get there, look me up! I'm listed as "Joan DuKore"

And if you're aren't a knitter, but find yourself cold with nothing to wear...you might find something here!

Dishwasher and Knitting

The dishwasher is coming today! I'm so excited! I made a big dinner last night and all the dishes are piled up in the sink awaiting its arrival.

Before it comes, I do have to drop off my car at the mechanic...Yikes! Hopefully it won't be too expensive. It's an emmissions leak...plus, I need an oil change.

In other news: The custom sweater I'm working on is almost done! This is the first time I've worked with 100% cotton and I'm finding that it's taking me much longer than when I work with acrylic or wool. I have a sleeve and a half yet to do, and I'm really hoping I can be done with it by today. I have so many other projects I want to work on, and I haven't crocheted in a while, so there will be much celebrating when I can ship this sweater off to Canada where it belongs.

At some point, I will have to make another one since the sweater that this one is based on has sold and I've shipped it off.

There are still plenty of other things available in my shop, so don't dispare...if your a bit chilly this morning, give it a click.

Lastly, tomorrow is "Tuesday's Tips", so remember to check back...you can either follow my blog, or you can subscribe through google reader, yahoo reader, as well as a few more on the left column.

Sunday Finally

It's Sunday, my favorite day of the week. I do the laundry, which gives me an excuse to completely slack off while it's washing and drying. I know the whole purpose of having such an appliance is to get things done while the appliance is at work...but not me...If there is a load of wash in, I'm curled up on the big comfy chair, knitting and relaxing.

Though I do have a couple of things to do today. I have to mail off an order (yes in Las Vegas we actually have a post office that's open on Sunday) and I have an audition tonight.

I don't get nervous about auditions anymore...I used to be terrified...Now I just go up there and do my thing. If they like it, great, if not, it's not the end of the world. Though, every once in a while it's tempting to storm out a la "American Idol" style, but it's safe to say that I'll never do that...but in the back of my head I think it would be fun.

And finally I leave you with this really cute video:



Keep the boyfriend from doing the dishes by clicking here!

Everything's Broken

Why is it that everything decides to break at the same time? Do the cars and appliances all get together and have a meeting? Take a vote?

Well, my dishwasher is broken, so last night we went to sears to buy a new one. I knew what kind I wanted, and it was on sale so it was a pretty quick transaction...however, with all the extra charges and stuff, a $288 dishwasher ended up costing me over $500!

My boyfriend talked me into getting the warranty, and then there was delivery, and the hoses that don't come with the new dishwasher for installation, and getting rid of the old dishwasher...ARRRRRRG!!!...Thank goodness for Discover Card.

I can live without most of my appliances, but not my dishwasher...

Now Monday I have to take the car in...Something is wrong with the emmissions, and even though my boyfriend is a mechanic, he doesn't have the tools and stuff necessary to fix it...

If my washing machine breaks next, I'm just going to wash my clothes by hand.

On a lighter note, I have a magic show today at Harrah's for a special event. I worked for them once two years ago, and they remembered me and asked for me back! Yay!

With everything breaking, there's one thing that would really cheer me up...

Friday Favorites

So another "Friday's Favorites" has come around again...wow! This week flew by!
Today's theme is "Jewelry from my Followers"...
I went through my list and found some really gorgeous jewelry...If I had the money, I'd be wearing it all right now, but since I don't, maybe some of you guys can get in on the action:



Don't forget, you can also visit my sponsors by clicking on the ads in the right column

Update

Sorry about yesterday's post, I over slept and things just got hectic from there until I went to do my shows at the Venetian.

I did finish the book I was reading called "Perv-A love story". My friend Pete told me it was funny. I told my boyfried, "How can he think this book is funny? Everyone's killing themselves!"

He replied, "Remember baby, Pete's a blues musician...he probably find suicide funny."

Oh well, I've started on a new one right now...The White Tiger. I'm only 7 pages in, but so far it looks really promising.

Also, my red and green diamond scarf made it into a treasury!!! If you have time please give it a click or two to help push it to the top.

Late!

Running late today...check back later this evening for updates...

Got to run!

Tuesday's Tips!

For today's tip, I'm going to focus on blog stats rather than shop ones. Everyone is so excited about Google Analytics, but for my blog, I really do prefer Blog Tracker. When you go to recent visits, it's much more complete about where people have found you, and much easier to click upon to discover what on that page led people to your blog. When someone does a search for an image or something, it tells you which image was being searched, while Analitics just seems to tell you that an image has been searched, and not necessarily which one.

It's really easy to install on your blog and you can also check it as often as you like because it's constantly updating.

Hope you guys like it!

No tips at this link, but there still might be something that interests you!

Random Things

Well, I lost my Superbowl bet. It was to be expected, of course...and I had a bit of hope towards the end. Will this put an end to my sports betting career? Probably not...I always put a bet on the Kentucky Derby as well...I'm a total dork, though, I pick the horse with the coolest name.

In other news: I finished The 50 Minute Hour. It was really neat. In some ways psycology has come a long way since then, and in some ways it's very much the same. Each case was unique which made it that much more interesting.

I've started a new book now called Perv-A Love Story by Jerry Stahl. Though many might be put off by the title, a friend of mine recommended it to me and swore that it was great...And really, there's only one way to find out if he's right.

And lastly, in the crafting world, I had to restart my custom order sweater I was making. I thought I had the guage right, but I was a bit off, and it was turning out huge! I know since this one is made out of cotton it will shrink a bit, but I couldn't count on it shrinking from a large to a small, so I started over...I hate that, but I'd rather start over and have something good, than ship it too her and have her return it.

Super Bowl Sale!!!

I'm moving my Saturday Specials, to Sunday...and it will now be called Sunday's Sales! And what better way to "kick it off", so to speak, than the Super Bowl!

Today's sale: Buy anything in my shop and receive a 20% refund via paypal!!! As always, there is FREE SHIPPING to the US and Canada.

Simply type "Superbowl Sale" in the buyers comments to receive your discount.



As for myself, I've been invited to 2 Superbowl parties, but I think I'm going to relax at home. I'm going to send the boyfriend out to put in a bet for me at the sportsbook. I don't bet on sports except for $10 on the Superbowl, to help me care just a little bit about the game. It's kind of a tradition for me, and also, I think I'm going for a record on how many years in a row I can pick the losing team...we shall see.