And done.
With an hour and a half to spare!

So today’s the day. One last chance to put any finishing touches on my taxes before I hit the SEND button tonight. Depending on how it goes, I may need to break into that “Emergency Caramel” in my cupboard. Trying to resist… hoping I won’t need it… but you know things could take a turn at a moments notice. Things could get ugly. Maybe I should pick-up some ice cream on my way home tonight???

Thanks to my friend Amy who gave me this “emergency kit” awhile back. Still at the ready… just in case!

After two days of being “all-focused” on my taxes, it felt great to finally get back out on my bike. Even if it was windy, cloudy and threatening rain! It was still fun… and it felt GREAT.

And it was good to see that I wasn’t the only crazy one out there so early in the morning!

With so many clouds… the sun popped up, and then promptly disappeared again!

This weekend has been two VERY long, arduous days of sorting, compiling, logging, listing, adding, and all of the other not-so-fun tasks that go along with doing your taxes! I “think” I might be done… but still hoping to find that one last receipt or deduction. After all, I still have one more day, right? Why hurry when I’ll again be sending money to the government?!

And after this year’s go at it, I think I might finally need to admit that an Excel spreadsheet or two might help?! Or better yet, an accountant?… or at least a better calculator!!!

Tonight I stamped the plates that I threw last night. Smaller details for smaller plates.
Then I drilled drainage holes in the berry bowls and set them off to dry. By then, the plates were ready to trim also.

So now everything is drying!

Tonight I trimmed all of the stamped berry bowls, but they were a bit too wet to drill the drainage holes. I tried one. It didn’t go so well. So instead, I threw all of the small plates that will go with them. Hoping to drill holes & trim the plates tomorrow night!

After three hilarious seasons, and a hasty cancelling by the FOX network, one of the funniest shows ever on TV is coming back for more! After a six year hiatus, “Arrested Development” is returning to continue the hilarity with fifteen new episodes only on Netflix starting May 26th, 2013. I can’t wait to catch up with the whole dysfunctional Bluth family… with Michael, George, George Michael, Lucille, Buster, Lindsay, Tobias, Maeybe… and my favorite Gob. They’re promising that all of our favorite characters are coming back – including Lucille Austero!!!

Mark your calendars. Update your Netflix queue. Get arrested.

One month from today I’ll be playing in Minnesota…
Surrounded by some of the best pottery by some of the country’s best potters at the
21st Annual St. Croix River Valley Pottery Tour. It’s the perfect place to meet the artists, visit with old friends, make some new ones, get inspired by cool pots everywhere… and most likely make a few purchases along the way!

With fifty potters all converging in the St. Croix area, there is sure to be some pottery that strikes your fancy. So many of the potters whose work you see in the galleries, as well as in all of the clay magazines like Ceramics Monthly. This is your chance to meet the artists, covet their work, and quite possibly take something beautiful home with you… including the wonderful clay memories. There are seven studio locations to stop off at. Each of the resident artists invite other potters to their location, setting up tents and displays all over to showcase the pots. It’s always a fun weekend to drive from studio to studio, see their working studios and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the St. Croix River. It’s always Mother’s Day Weekend… so bring along Mom for a fun weekend. I know I will be!!!

Our tour every starts out every year at the studio of Bob Briscoe. His location is incredible as it is surrounded by woods, and overlooks a quaint little pond. In his front yard are several large white wedding tents all filled with pots!!! Bob’s also done a great job of gathering some incredible potters to share his location… including two of my favorites Matt Metz & Suze Lindsay. Over the years, I’ve gathered quite a collection of these three.

We spend a lot of time (and money) at Bob’s location before we head out on the Tour to the other locations… and to see some of your other favorite potters like Steven Hill, Delores Fortuna & Silvie Granatelli. I’ve known Steven & Delores for several years. It’s always great to “play with them” while we’re on the Tour.

Plus this year, there are a few new names on the tour I’m looking forward to seeing like Ernest Miller, Dan Finnegan & Sarah Jaeger. I’m especially intrigued by the crystalline glazes that Ernest Miller uses to create such incredible surfaces on his pots.

Sadly, I’m not one of the “chosen” potters who show at the St. Croix Pottery Tour. I’m not quite in their league. Yet. I’m not “famous” in the pottery world. Yet. But it’s always good to dream right?… and shop in meantime!

My favorite metalsmith Sarah Chapman is going to be back in town this Saturday!
Sure, she might have moved away to Minneapolis, but she’s still making great jewelry… and a new holiday ornament every month! This Saturday 4/13 is her Trunk Show in the Gallery of Lillstreet Art Center on the corner of Montrose & Ravenswood in Chicago. Stop by Saturday between 10:00am-12:00pm to see Sarah and her incredible textured, patina’d & constructed metal pieces! I guarantee you’re going to want your own piece of “Chapman Wear”… or add to your already growing growing collection!

After teaching my class, it was back into the studio to finish stamping the rest of the bowls. Luckily, they had stiffened up just a little bit more so they weren’t sticky any more… and a lot easier to stamp! So it was a late night of stamping. But I was glad to get them done as they were in just the right state for some good, clean stamping… which for me, is on the slightly wetter end of the leatherhard spectrum. I’ve gotten to where I like a little squish in my stamp. Kinda like a little spring in my step…