I met some rad people at the Holiday Bazaar last weekend.  Zac Andrews and Dersu Rhodes, are couple guys I was chatting with, they have a great blog, called Witness-This.com.   Their daily posts are an eclectic mix of music, people, and events.   A site definitely worth bookmarking. 

I'm looking forward to the holidays...friends, family, food, and relaxation.  Tonight is my last event for 2010, and I couldn't be more excited about it.  It's a Holiday Bazaar at the Green Flash Gallery in Cardiff tonight through Sunday.  I get show my Rais Cases alongside of amazing women at this event..check them out!

KELLY THOMAS: Kithi - South African crafts and home decor
MARTA KARWOWSKA:  Handcraft earrings, necklaces and rings
MAGGIE ORLI: Bahgsu Jewels - Beautiful handmade rings and necklaces with jewels mined in Bali
AMANDA MULLER:  Amanda Muller Art - Silkscreened graphic tees, fine art paintings, and prints

HOLIDAY BAZAAR EVENT INFO: 
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 12 to 9pm. 
 *RECEPTION  FRIDAY FROM 6 to 9 pm....food, drink, music*
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 12 to 6pm
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 12 to 5pm   *Meet and Greet the artists from 12 to 3pm* 
::: GREEN FLASH GALLERY ::: 111 CHESTERFIELD ROAD, CARDIFF, CA 92007 :::

Today marked 4 months since I officially launched Moxie Shop!   Most of the time I have spent on Moxie Shop has been developing Rais Case bags.  Here is a brief sense of where I'm at and where I want to go. 

I finally have a spread sheet, thanks my amazing fiancé Grant!  Up until tonight I have been jotting down sales from craft fairs and friends on sheets of paper and jamming them into a notebook.   Grant sat with me tonight and we went through those sheets and through Etsy.com to make an official spreadsheet.   Well, sort of official,  it is still handwritten.  Maybe in another month we'll make an Excel sheet. 

My point however, is that I gradually dialing in things such as spread sheets, making tags, evolving and refining products, packaging, and marketing.  None of these things happen over night, nor should they.    I still have lots of of things I would like  to dial in, such as sourcing hardware for my straps, experimenting with more designs + fabrics, as well introducing a couple of new products made by other artisans in Moxie Shop.   

For today simply...here is what I've been up to: 

This week I helped my amazing friend Jax with a grad school project.  She interviewed a very inspirational teacher in her life and  together we designed a newsletter based on some of the design elements I already use and Jax's content.  Below is the result.  

It's time for me to design a tag for my bags.  I want my design to tell a story and to be memorable.  Here are some pictures I am pulling inspiration from.  I'm participating in a holiday bizarre this Friday thru Sunday so I'll be working on the tags this week.  

Last night my friend Jackie and I popped over to "Kringle Mingle"...a holiday craft fair + party in Cardiff.   There were lots of creative holiday gifts from local artisans.  I met one woman, who makes beautiful hats, gloves and broaches...her company is called Off-The-Hook.  We started chatting and next thing you know we are discussing a potential collaboration between her broaches and my Rais Cases.  Below is one of her wool broaches on a burlap Rais Case.  This weekend Kel and I are doing a craft fair together, called Artisans Alley, in Coronado...I'm going to give the beautiful broaches a 'tester' down there. ;)' 

These days it's getting harder to keep up with posting on my blog.  I just got an inspiring voicemail from my life-long friend Caitlin...she lives 2500+ miles away and said she check my blog out almost everyday and is really proud of what I'm doing. It was a message that made me a bit homesick and gave me  motivation to keep the momentum going with my posts, thanks Cait! xox.  

Here are a few pics of what Thanksgiving was like for Grant and I this year. :)  It was a great day spent with my sis and special friends!