renegade!

So, those of you who know me know that I am super-psyched to have been accepted into the Renegade Craft Fair Brooklyn this summer. What is the Renegade Craft Fair you ask? Well, a few years ago these two super cool crafty chicks from Chicago were looking for a fair to show their handmade goodies, and couldn't find a decent one. Only kountry krafts and funnel cake to be found (not that there's anything wrong with funnel cake...). So they started their own! This Fall will be the third Chicago fair, but this summer is the first time they will be in Brooklyn! In that short time the RCF has already established a reputation for quality, cool handmade goodness from crafty ladies (and gents?) around the country. I am so thrilled to join in!

Anyway I am in the midst of planning my inventory. And panicking, because this is my first show and I have no idea what to expect. Or how many bags to bring. Aaaaiieeeee. Then I had the absolutely insane idea of attempting to debut a variation on my classic handbag at the fair. Luckily I scrapped that idea...who has time for developing new patterns when I have to sew non-stop throughout May, *and* keep up with regular orders from the web site?

No worries, it sounds worse than it is. In fact, what I'm really worried about is that I may not be as worried as I should be. Does that make sense? Anyway, I'm thinking I will save my devious plan for the classic handbag for late in the summer, after the dust has settled from Renegade.

If you're in NYC the weekend of June 25-26, come by and see me! :)

happily handmade

I'm so excited! My first time participating in the Happily Handmade Giveaway is going really well - I donated three of my envelope clutches, and have gotten tons of traffic from the HHG web site and the web ring of participating indie shops.

Even better...I'm going to do it again! There's going to be a Summer 2005 Happily Handmade Giveaway! Bookmark my HHG site at http://www.hollandcox.com/giveaway.html to get the news, or just read about it here. :)

This time around I'll be contributing my new skinny wallets. I've only made two (a test one for myself and a custom one for my friend), but people ask about them every time I whip it out. I'll definitely be posting a pic when I have a new one finished!

inauguration

Hello all. This is my first time officially "blogging." There was a time, long ago, before the kool kids came up with the term "blog," that I used to post my thoughts online regularly. But it was less about my thoughts and more like a narrative of my amusing social life, so readers could feel like they were *there* with me and my pals.

Anyway do not panic: this is not going to be a boring "Valerie has such deep thoughts, come and read them" blog. If you want to read my deep thoughts, well, you can't because my diary is in my underwear drawer. If you want my analysis on important national issues, that's too bad because I won't tell you where I work or how to find the weekly updates on federal issues I write for my day job. However, if you want to know what I think about craftiness, fashion, independent business, creativity, and things along that line, well then go ahead and bookmark away!

Why is my blog called "insatiable need?"
Am I some kind of crazy collector? Am I a shopaholic? Do I have an addictive personality? Not at all. Back in my immediate post-collegiate years we had such drive. For everything....work, school, play. Nobody ever sat still, there was never any need to relax. We were always DOING something or planning to do something. One day I said we had an insatiable need to keep moving. The girls and I decided that was a catchy phrase and when we opened our own club one day, that's what it would be called. The name also became that of our future event planning firm, our future Kentucky Derby-winning thoroughbred, our future all-girl band with male lead singer, and many, many more futures.

Anyway, none of that has happened yet. But now I have a blog, so here we are.