Whose Side Are You On?

As I continue to straddle the line between Army wife and new citizen of Germany it seems like the two sides will not combine. I was hoping my life would just start to flow, and black and white would mix together and create gray. It hasn't. At it's very best I can manage to turn a day into a zebra stripe, but never gray. This is true of my life and my career. I look at my schedule. As of recently, I am not so much at a loss for ways to contribute to my Army community. But, if I don't see any new adventures in Europe penciled in, then I make it so. My brain does a lot to assist in this divide also. When I need to shop I always think, “What do I need, and who has a better version of it?” I try to buy everything I can in Germany, as I will only have the opportunity for the next three years. Sometimes it's impossible though. Why are there no pinatas in Germany? I was forced to order them online. Also, the other thing that is challenging about shopping in Germany is parking. Their parking spots can be so tiny. If parking between me and my fellow consumers goes awry I can find myself climbing into my car from the passenger seat. I love American parking spots, and they abound on post at the PX. That being said, I have found a new, really fun, store recently. It's called ROFU, and it's a toy store combo'd with a craft supply store. Genius; I'd think so even more if I had kids. I'd liken it to Michael's, but less craft and more toy.

This weekend the families from my husband's Company are getting together to hand make Christmas decorations for a tree we are sending to the deployed soldiers. In it's balance I will also be attending a piano Jazz concert at a local gallery. This is just one example of my Yin-Ynag practice, but I hope to encourage it more for myself. I do enjoy however, the times when the two “zebra stripe” like when we (Army wives) went to the winery in Wurzburg and Katharina (German, not Army) and Melanie (German, not Army) came. The juxtapose only gets difficult when Army law, or German law, prevent the interaction.

This is no where more prevalent than with my work. As you well know I make things and sell them. As I have been finding German law sees me quite differently than American law. Getting legitimate can take a second. Selling is tough too. Many people in my position stick to only selling to Americans on base. Up until this point, that is what I have been doing. It has been very satisfying. My peers love my work and are very supportive. What I'm afraid of happening is the exhaustion of this sales outlet. I could travel to other posts and only sell to other soldier's families, and that would open me up to a larger market....but I want Germany. And as I've said earlier; I'm about to get it. I have my first local bazaar next weekend. The thought of selling in Germany, to Germans, definitely raise my blood pressure and makes my armpits sweaty. How much German am I really going to have to speak? Probably a lot. Are they going to enjoy my styles as much as the American girls? Who knows? Will they not want to buy stuff because I am not really a local artisan? Maybe. For support, both morally and culturally, I am bringing Katharina. I'm so thankful she wanted to accompany me. I think I'm even going to need her to help me figure out where I'm going on that day, how to park cheaply, and sign in to the event. The little details are as intimidating as the obvious ones. What ever the outcome I am happy for the opportunity; even if I'm too chicken to ever do it again.

The bazaar is 11/24, from 10:00- 16:00, at the Volkshochschule in Fürth, Hirschenstrasse 27/29, 90762. It's called the KreativMarkt. Anyone is invited to come and shop.

Just yesterday I had my final shopping event for the season on base. I went to our sister post, Illesheim, and sold my scarves at their Spouse's Club event. It was a fun afternoon. It's a warm, and welcoming community.I'm starting to recognize many faces and build a friendship with the other local vendors. I'm glad for this, since I will be here for a few seasons to come. I also met a new trio of vendors. They call themselves Sugar and Spice. They knit and crochet a barrage of accessories. I was impressed with their craftsmanship and creativity.I made a purchase from them. I enjoying supporting spouses as much as I enjoy being supported myself. It's an added bonus that these girls make their wares themselves. 
If you are interested Sugar and Spice has an FB page.

Hot Fairy on Fairy

It isn't every day you get to start out a blog post like that.

I know you're thinking, "what the heck?"

Without forcing you to read any further I'll tell you. It's shower art. If you click it, the link will send you to the Ugly Baby Etsy Shop, where you can peruse this fabulous shower art.

If you want to know why I'm posting it, read on.

This season, with Florida Scarf, I have begun to develope more of an internet presence. I have found that this is going to be neccessary since I will continue to be moving. constantly. I don't know if you're familiar, but when you spend a lot of time around here you begin to make friends. It's the strangest thing to me. I have a few people, that I know only through emails, convos, and reading their blog. These people all seem quite familiar to me however and I have no problem in reffering to them as "my friend" much as I would any of my real life friends. That being said I want to introduce you to my friend Rosalie...

She might be the oddest person I know. (without actually knowing)

I met Rosalie on the internet. She hosts a great website.

Unanimous Craft is a directory of resources for crafters, artists and indie business owners. Rosalie submits her favorite resources and encourages the rest of us to do the same. It's kind of like Yelp for the crafty community.
I encourage you to become a member. It's free!

Being a part of Unanimous Craft has been great for my small crafty business. It's been a lot of Bang-For-The-Buck. Even if you don't make stuff, there's plenty for you to get involved in on the site.

Why She Did It
Rosalie was inspired to build Unanimous Craft after seeing a huge list of links to different resources that The House of Mouse posted in the Etsy forums. She wanted to make a tool that our community could use to get organized and share information. The site launched in March, 2010 with about 100 resources that were featured in Handmade Nation by Faythe Levine and Courtney Heimerl. The rest of the resources have been created by our community.
this friend of mine is a waterproof Shower Art maker, stand-up comedian and blogger who is currently obsessed with German board games, Bikram yoga and embroidery.

Rosalie is also the brains behind bARTer Sauce, an experiment in trading for art and odd objects. I'm making it mandatory for you to hang around this site.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Rosalie. She's pretty neat, huh? I thought you two would have a bit in common. Check her out on the FB too, if you want, since, that's what friends do these days, especially internet friends.

Sharing is the Point

Florida Scarf went camping for the holiday. Boy, was it envigorating. It's been a while since I've been outdoors for 72 hours straight. Camping affords you the opportunity to really take it slow, stop and reflect on what your doing and what it means to you. While away this weekend I was reading a book to inspire reflection. I picked up a few ideas I couldn't put down. The author's intent is to make you realize that you are connected to everything that exists. The whole universe is played out inside you. Contemplation brought me to relate these large concepts to my small existance in society. I have these scarves that my creativity forces me to make. I am inspired by people that I meet, situations I am in, and materials I pick up along my travels. I take all of that information and turn it into something wearable. This piece of clothing is fashioned from new and old materials; blending history and the present tense to be enjoyed by someone in the near future. I will make a connection with a total stranger (most likely) through this art I produce. Imagining all of the life that goes in to just one piece is so exciting to me. This is why I want to make things for people, so we can all share the experience together.