Cookies have just come out of the oven for my workshops. Oooh, they look so good. Tomorrow is the first workshop and the other is on Saturday. I have found April is always the busiest time for my workshops; it is usually safe from snow and ice. And yes the grass is starting to green up and daffadils are out. We have students coming from all over the country! What fun it will be. The recipe came from one of my favorite cookie cookbooks, Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies. It is the first recipe in the book, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. I did, of course, embellish it a little with a couple tablespoons of Grand Marnier instead of the cream.....:) Hey, we'll have deserved it by mid afternoon tomorrow.
We have 7 students coming on Thursday and Saturday. That's as many as I can squeeze into my charming little cottage. And it's tight at that. I'm off in a few minutes to organize, make name tags, clean up, prep materials, and finish all the misc. projects on my desk.
I almost had a major crisis yesterday. I started tackling my front messy, shipping & custom order room. (always the one where stuff ends up where I don't know where to put it room, yikes) A big mess. I started pulling this big pile of fabric strips and odd ball trims into one of my baskets. Well, off toppled a glass lamp from my display window and wacked my hand just above my wrist and below my thumb. A scream was heard.... ouch. I must say I sort of baby my hands; they are all I got and if they go that's the end of my career... I tried finishing up a few odds and ends at the end of the day, oh, scissors were hurting a little. I headed home for a few rounds ice and arnica. It could have been much worse, but a scare for sure!
Speaking of hands. A lampshade maker or any of us artisans have to be careful of repetive motions. Our shoulders take a beating as well as lower back.... I always pass on my advice, get a copper bracelet or 2. I just got a couple of new ones on ebay. They have loads, one I got is brand new about 20 dollars and the other is vintage. I find they are best when they are all copper. Both my husband I and swear by them. I can't recommend the copper highly enough. I have so abused my hands by all the hard cutting and glueing. I do try to mix up my work projects during the day and have a wonderfully proper ergonomic chair.
You can see also one of the next books I am reading... The Bells, it is suppose to be great. But it will have to wait until I finish Unexpectedly Milo by Matthew Dicks. Saturday night I dragged a few friends to The Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT. to listen to an event they were hosting. It was in conjunction with a weekend long event for readers and followers of the blog, Books on the Night Stand written by Ann Klingman and Michael Kindness, both Random House Reps, but they write about all of their favorite books not just Random House. I have only just come across this blog and to be honest we had no idea what to expect on Saturday night. But we were treated to an amazing night and most likely the best one I have ever seen at the bookstore! Ann and Michael introduced 9 authors and they were all allowed to speak for about 20 minutes or so. Vermont's own Chris Bohjalian was one of the authors to speak as was my new book's author of Unexpectedly Milo. It was a great way to hear a group of novelists speak about their work and then have a chance to meet them over a glass of wine and handsome hors d'oeuvres. Many thanks to The Northshire Bookstore for taking a chance on a great night and obviously Ann and Michael's fans love them. I am looking forward to listening to their podcasts. I must say I did sneak the opportunity to introduce myself and say that I was a author of a book they they rep.... and please try to sell more books- I know it's a hard sell. This night was all about the love of PAPER, as in the real book not electronic! Which is just fine by me.
off to tidy up my shop! (and sneak a cookie)
xoxo,
judy