Hello Tax Season!

It has been far too long since I have posted a blog but I have to admit I grossly underestimated how time consuming tax season can be. As of last week one of the partners at the firm announced that we are officially on "tax season time" and therefore are required to work a minimum of 55 hours per week until April 16th. I have planned to work for at least 10 hours per day and then 5 hours on Sundays before softball practice to get in my overtime but I have already worked some 12 hours days through the week. The funny thing is, I love it! I feel so accomplished at the end of every work day and, in spite of my original assumption, the hours seem to fly by and it feels like my tax season work days are half as long as my summer work days used to be when I had no work to do and blogged all day.
Sadly, I don't even really miss the pottery. I'm disappointed in myself but I'm afraid I'm one of those people who could never be a true studio artist because I feel like I've already lost my motivation to throw. I don't miss my time on the wheel or spending hours at work thinking about getting home to throw anymore. I do love it when I do get up the energy to throw, but I feel like I have to force myself to get going at it anymore.
I did, however, spend a good bit of time the week before last making glass bottom bowls Pura-Vida. I really did enjoy going down to the basement to throw some simple forms and I loved glazing them too, which is normally more of a chore for me. I've decided making bowls is my favorite thing because the more odd-shaped, the more unique and they're very simple, which leaves little room for error. And I love seeing my glass bottom bowls once they've been fired!
Charlie, the owner of Pura-Vida, wanted these bowls so badly I had to pick them up from Odyssey and bring them to him immediately, so I did not get pictures of most of them. There are a few I picked up the following day though, a few stragglers that didn't make it out of the kiln in time and will be brought to the shop at a later date.


He also took all of the "Sand and Sea Turtle" bowls I had made and loved them too! This was really exciting because I feel like now I have some of my signature pieces out there for people to see! Also, I've tried out a new design with a crab and it turned out so cute.


I've also done a little jewelry making, but all as gifts thus far. I took the beaded charm idea I used for my friend Chelsey's superman necklace and have done some other pieces.

This is a pin Tenzie asked me to make for his mom (her nickname is Bee). He bought the bee bead at Studio Stroll this past November and asked that I make it a flower. I really liked how it turned out!

My best friend Lizzie was going through a tough time recently so I decided to put together a care package for her. We had just talked about how we couldn't believe she didn't have one of my pieces so I made this cute little drink necklace for her and put it in with her care package. Her favorite drink is a Cosmo with lime so that's what I made!






And also my little sister, Michaela, is turning 13 this year. She was born on Leap Day so this year she has to celebrate on March 1st. I made her this jewelry set, with necklaces and snap on charms (like Tenzie's), complete with beaded guitar charm.