Just Breathe

The auction is over and I can breathe again for a bit. As always, I wish things would have sold for more and I wish the crowd would have been larger, but everything sold and people got some great deals on original pieces. My feet were killing me by the end of the evening after playing Vanna White in heels, but I survived, as did my mother, who happens to be the treasurer for our organization. Kate was a blessing, helping my mom out, as was my step-dad and my awesome friend Patty. Don't know what I'd do without them lately. Even Amber got into the groove, helping Mom bid on Patty's garnet set. And the appetizers! Michele Espinosa and the gang at the Oak Barrel are incredible. I really hope the restaurant is a huge success.

I say I can breathe, but I still have quite a bit to do.

• Barktoberfest at the park today with Amber & Buddy
  
• Amber soccer game tomorrow
  
• Chamber lunch Wednesday
  
• update inventory
  
• Meeting with youth leadership member Wednesday
  
• Finish Halloween costume
  
• trick-or-treating with Amber 10/31
  
• My grant application for marketing materials is due 11/1
  
• I need to get ornaments ready for Lee's open house the second weekend of November
  
• I have a show that same weekend in Somerset
  
• repair work to finish for a customer
  
• the Maker's Mark pendants to finish and get out to the gift shop
  
• the Etsy-Beadweavers Challenge entry to finish
  
• coffee beans to order for the gallery
  
• catch up on my filing
  
• scrub the gallery
  
• Nude 2009 entry to think about (due 10/31) - Nope, not entering this year
  
• Painting series to finish (15 paintings)

Sometimes, to do lists give me an anxiety attack :)

Hop Hop Hop

Tonight is the Marion County Arts & Humanities Council 4th annual art auction. I always freak out when it gets close, but this year has been especially bad, with all sorts of other things going on with the business and in my personal life. I literally didn't finish getting everything ready until a few hours ago. I can honestly say that, even though I'm a control freak, I'm looking forward to just being a board member next year instead of the president!

I've got two pieces in the auction this year - a painting and a jewelry set. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so I don't mind donating more than one piece. I tend to donate pieces that I've had for a while or that I'm tired of looking at :) Sounds horrible, doesn't it? BUT - they're pieces that I've received lots of compliments on and that people have expressed interest in. It's just time for them to rotate out of my hands & into someone else's.

The sun has finally come out after a nasty, drizzly day. It's now 5:08pm and I'll be here til 7 tonight, then off to the auction at the Oak Barrel at 7:30. I only hope that people have started to think about the value of art. The economy isn't all that great, but there are some incredible pieces in the auction. There always are. I just wish I could get people to realize what an investment it is in both their own futures and the future of the arts in our community.