well, well, well...things have been busier here than i could even predict...i need more elves! the part that makes me the most nervous is that i think it is the calm before the storm. people are still telling me 'thanks for my item, i love it, and i'm going to order more for christmas!'...but i have only received one christmas order yet...i think i might have to come up with some fun incentive for pre-thanksgiving ordering. keep posted. in other year-long anniversary news, the the website has been updated a lot lately...and maybe it's new to you...so check it out my clicking here. it's also easier than ever to order a custom item online with secure ordering! just type in your specifications in the 'business' field of the order form (and some items even have a selection for choose your own!). and we'll be sure to let you know we got it in your confirmation. alright...that's the duct tape news for today!

it's a birthday celebration!

this week someone asked me how long vanessa jean * duct tape design has been around...i thought for a minute and realized it's been a year, an official year of this happy duct tape biz. it's hard to gauge a year since this all slowly rolled into being, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate. and we all know i like to celebrate, so check the website often for special birthday offers, promos, new items, and fun holiday gifts...cause this celebration will last for a full month, through december 7, which was the official launch date of the vanessa jean website. it's gonna be like one big party around here, so throw that funny, pointy paper party hat on and let's get celebrating! coming soon, a birthday sale on fun belts and some new bags.

and, as always, a HUGE thank you to the loyal duct tape supporters who have helped us grow so much in the past year!

cheers!!!

what do you do with a drunken sailor?

ahhh, just make him sell beanie babies on e-bay. a true gem if i ever saw one.

my hero.

welcome to my love/hate relationship with sleep.
am i tired? yes. exhausted after a long week of work, an amazing 48 hours in nyc, and 2 solid days of this week under my belt (ok, and snuggling under the covers while re-reading one of my favorite books and some leftover italian from friday's gala...i love leftovers, they feed me for weeks). ok, back to the point. i am tired, i am so tired. i am so tired that people who don't even know me well ask me if i am tired. maybe tired isn't the right word for it, just beat! and yes, dear old guy, i know a few good, hearty nights of sleep would cure it all. and i love sleep, those juicy good dreams and the cozy bed and a warm, happy quilt, i love it!

but sleep?! sleeping is like missing out on all the good hours of the day (especially the dark ones when i can craft around and feel so creative!) sleeping is like taking away that extra time for whatever crazy plan i'm dreaming off or trimming the new tree for christmas or working on a crazy new duct tape design (in the works... 'ally' and something black and pink... i thing black and pink will be the colors for the winter...get excited). anyhow, how am i supposed to sleep when there are so many incredible things to do? i just can't.

and there it is my friends, my problem with sleep. i can't really call it a problem...i guess it just means that i'm content asleep or awake.

and on that note...i think i'll try to sleep now...or read...oh dear! why do i have so much energy.

ahh, the velvet ribbon is finally in, and i can't remember to send it out to a few folks. must remember, must remember, must remember!

care of mr. squirrel who is re-doing his cozy nest and loves to send along sweet quotes...

"A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture."

i'm off to write 'i love you' on the furniture.

this has been a great weekend in the 'boosting vanessa jean's ego' department. i swung by the post office to drop off the second shipment of the clutches for the uncommon goods catalog order, and what did i find in my p.o. box? nothing other than the actual catalog itself. it was so exciting to see my stuff on the glossy pages of a real catalog, wowzer. i believe i showed it to everyone i know this weekend, please forgive me, it's just so exciting. and on the same note, i was actually recognized on the streets as 'the woman who makes the duct tape purses'. how cool is that? i was walking to the subway in grand central, and this woman and her accompanying fellow stopped me to ask if i was that vanessa. it was so cool, and i knew who she was because i just filled and sent off her order online. how cool is that?! she recognized me from the online photo and the huge orange duct tape liz bag i was carrying. whew, rant over, enough inflated headed-ness from me, but i just has to share the excitement with the ever dwindling number of people who read this.
post note the online clutch is now available online at uncommongoods.com...just click on this link. the coolest thing is that there is even an artist bio you can click to on that page. i'm feeling cooler than i've ever felt in my whole life!

imagine one of those hallmark commercials that makes you cry because it is so sappy, but so good. now imagine colin firth, keira knightley, liam neeson, emma thompson, hugh grant, laura linney, and many more all-stars featured in this hallmark commercial. now imagine that it's a full-length, feel-good movie, now go see love actually and you'll know exactly what i'm talking about. such a good movie, good because it knows it's off-the-wall unbelievable, but plays upon that to hit upon the wishing romantic inside each of us. it also has colin firth (did i mention that?) and portuguese, and even lisbon. i couldn't be happier to have seen it. it was so good that it even redeemed hugh grant in my eyes, and that says a lot. three cheers for 'love actually', go see it for yourself.

so i got back into the mtv watching mood last saturday while i was working. i was watching the show made and the episode was about this girl, andi, (with lots of checks, mind you) who really likes boys and duct tape and wants to be homecoming queen. she's actually known around her school as the duct tape girl. well, it was such a good show because she makes a kick-butt dress with the help of a new york artist, she gets the boy (who's a cutie and likes her too) and she wins homecoming queen and makes a great statement. i might have even tear-ed a bit. the best part is that three people called me to tell me this was on tv because of my duct tape interest. good friends and good tv! that's all.

let's play a little question and answer game...

Q: in the past 6 months, how many times has vanessa been blocked into her parking spot or driveway?



A: 4!
yes, it's true. only in new haven can you be blocked in by a firetruck that needs 1 hour to reel in its hose, a double parked 2-tier car hauling truck missing it's driver (i hunted him down and crawled around in his truck a bit), the power department fixing lines infront of my house, and (today, the kicker) some idiot who parked right infront of my driveway. luckily, there's an easy way to fix that last one.

sad news...mr. bun buns just lost his second eye. this is a sad, sad day for my childhood and for mr. bun buns.

yes, it's 4.34 and it's almost dark. wahoo for winter.

some of these cute halloween costumes for pets take a while to download, but they are very, very cute and i suggest checking them out.

some funny pictures care of mr. squirrel.

raised by a pack of french poodles? if you've seen mtv's newlyweds, i suggest you read this hilarious article.

all i can say is that life is good. after 2 weeks of stress and tons of work the cloud has finally lifted and i can say that it has some sort of correlation with my 23rd year of life. there's nothing like a birthday to re-affirm the love and caring other people have for you, and it's like lots of warm fuzzies ( that's a mrs. hermandson 4th grade term). anyhow, i'm just checking in with those loyal followers of vj.com to let you know that work is going well and finally back to that non-overwhelmed happily creative phase (i made an adorable pink mini erika with flowers today) and everything is under control and i am finally happy to work again...so keep those duct tape orders coming. joy to the world, and thanks to those fantastic support systems and kind friends i have been in touch with lately, from la to philly to portland to boston to new haven to new york to pasadena!

life is good!
and the 6 rule is in for the night.

oh dearest dears who read this...i can't even begin to explain this past week (er, 10 days)...but luckily and quite fatefully i have found myself safely back at home and in the studio and everything has worked out pretty darn well (minus the load of cash precision auto in sturbridge, mass now has from me). here's the run down...

dewey the cat wanted to take a trip to ct from md. sad i couldn't steal him. his brother mango was equally cute.


the first hundred pieces to uncommon goods gets out in time...just by the hair on our chin-y chin chins
yes, one hundred pieces takes a long time...but it's all made up by the cool new kitchen furniture set in the studio...funky 50's tableset flanked by a cool matching lantern. my favorite piece of furniture to date.


...and when it rains, it pours...
[note: it was actually raining]


i think i made it to boston (was it a dream? i think there was a prison break at the cracker barrel, and i was saved by 3 lovely souls) and we made sushi and had ice cream delivered at 11pm watched the first season of alias on dvd and i fell asleep on the floor. yes, a two day vacation from duct tape... was it forced? yes! enjoyed? yes! to the extreme, and amazing everything in life seems to work out just the way it should...and i even got to see some beautiful leaves falling in massachussetts.

and yes, a special thanks going out to brian, the gold star winner of the day. without him i would never have made it back to ct in one piece. i know he'll never read this, but i think it's just good karma to have it out there.

what a week ahead of us...the holiday season is in full swing all around, and i don't think i'll sleep until christmas eve...but then santa can come and visit. ciao!

this journal book, list yourself, came up as a topic of discussion between me and a friend this weekend. it really is the best and longest lasting journal i have ever had, and it's great for anyone who is a bit too compulsive in the list making department...a five star suggestion from vanessa jean!

can i tell you how glad i am that the new season of alias has started. i finally have something to live for again on tv. and the season looks so good!

i'm playing with crayons...these are the colors...in decending order of silliness...
midnight blue
shamrock
magenta
plum
bittersweet
and [the kicker]...
macaroni & cheese (which, oddly enough looks exactly like the manufactured cheesy color of a bowl of kraft mac & cheese, yet it doesn't make me hungry at all...

oh yes, it is winter...and time for all those comfort foods, like the entire pot of mac & cheese i just polished off by myself...and the candy corns...i love fall!

duck brand duct tape has re-done it's duct tape fan club site and vanessa jean is on it...wahooo....now i just have to get my act together and write them a little how too. dear goodness, the studio is so hectic i have no idea how the duct tape team is going to get everything done...and it's not even the holiday rush yet.

oh dear.

yeah, i think summer is over. we have a front warning tonight.

another great article about duct tape and it's uses...bears...atvs...duct tape...alaska. great!

i'm back from my 4 day excursion from wesport to philly to baltimore to college park to dc and back. i don't think i've travelled so much and seen so many special people in one weekend in my whole life. it's good to be back home, especially with the comforting knowledge that i am blessed with some terrific friends sprinkled throughout the eastern seaboard. i am such a lucky girl. cheers to that! time to finish an order for the store 2910 in baltimore, then off to catch some z's.

oh dear goodness, finally...i have internet back in the studio. so this means more frequent blogging and less sleep for me. all good things. and all of you loyal duct tape fans...once we stick and tear our fingers off with this first batch of orders for the uncommon goods catalog, i promise to send out a duct tales news update full of juicy tidbits, but until then, just scan the website, it's had a great overhaul from our dear friend b.p..

and keep your eyes peeled for some good quotes that i want to get up here...maybe creating enough impetus for those of you who still have my books to read them and send them back...you know who you are!

...oh dear, i am so tired and yet i feed my blogging addiction...

astrology and horoscopes have been the topic of the night...which reminded me that i have read rob brezneys free will astrology in the back of the new haven advocate for the past 5 years, tearing out most of the passages for us libras (and i am always sad because it usually runs the column break). being the genius i am, i just realized i could find it online, here every week, and if you want, you can read my horoscope for the week here. yay, this is so good it should go on the menu!

life continues to conspire to be good

i had a picture of a smalll weiner dog in a hot dog bun, but i deleted it.
it was cute, but now you all can't see it.

who likes getting up really early? i do! who likes duct tape? i do! who likes yoga? who is so hungry her stomach is eating itself? who is going slightly mad, but is excited to start her v-kend (a blatant theft from bri-kend) at 3 pm sharp tomorrow, maybe even sooner? me, me, me!

the old guy sent this to me by e-mail. i don't know where it came from, but it's funny. the funniest part is that he sent it to me because i am a terrible speller...

***
Birllaint....
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in
waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht
the frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl

mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do
not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

koffee?
yes, i said koffee?
koffee? is why i love new haven and why i love my neighborhood. koffee? is a wonderful coffee shop with delicious drinks and snacks and mango italian sodas. it also has a great atmosphere and a rotating art exhibit on the walls. the best part is that they have free internet access...so i have been a fixture here since the internet is not working at the studio...and they give away leftover bagels when they close. but the best part is that i live near the owner, and we run past each other a lot, and tonight i got the chance to meet him (and his adorable little baby!) and chat for a bit about the joys of the new haven community and about running a small business. it was just heartwarming and now i want to come here even more because i know there is a such a nice person behind it!
yay!

good things...
a real weekend
a finished 5 mile race
fun lunch with the distributor
and lounge time!

stealth disco. really really worth checking out. as usual, much thanks to ben.
and why are these people such and such good dancers at the same time?

what a fantastic real weekend! i say real because this is the first weekend i have stayed put and finally let go of the vanessa jean work for a couple days. i wrapped it up with enough time to get to the post office yesterday, and then i played for the rest of the day! yay. the best part is this totally relaxed sunday! this morning part of the crew ran in a 5 mile race (yay again!) and then the distributor and i went out for a fantastic late lunch at outback, both of us worn out by our activities. wahoo, what a good day. it's rainy sunny here too, and beautiful, and i get to play on the computer for fun, what could be better!

check out the names of these two beauty salons i drove past today on dixwell avenue...
yes, they are across the street from each other...
* FLAVA IN YA HAIR
* your hair and my hands in GOD'Z GLORY
(note: caps, bold, and italics are original. also note: the stores are part of the city-wide competition for the longest salon names in new haven).

no one leaves shout outs anymore. don't y'all know that's the only reason i keep this blog? as a shameless way to maybe have some people that read it should back at me with a hello? ok, so maybe that's not true, and maybe (ok, surely) the quality of my posting has gone downhill tremendously, and ben has a job now too, but still, can't someone just give one, little comment?

yes, my shameful cry for blog help.

why i love the kitchen cabinet.

yeah, i have reached the apex or dorkiness. i am searching friendster in my almost-pj's at a coffee shop on a saturday evening. the best part is...i'm as happy as a clam!

why in the name of all things good am i getting spam from escorts.com? i think it's hilarious. and if you look at the page, i think their disclaimer is hilarious... "Escorts.com is NOT an Escort Agency and does not directly provide any Escort services. We are simply a mode of service to help our Members connect to participating, qualified Escorts, Business Enterprises, and Clients. " sure you're not...you're just the middleman.

drumroll please...
here's the big news you've all been waiting for...
the vanessa jean * duct tape design large clutchin pink and kelly green will be featured in the holiday issue of the uncommon goods catalog. yes ladies and gentlemen, this fine & fun catalog has picked up on the joys of duct tape design and will be selling this colorful custom-esque piece through their mail order and website. that's good news for people who haven't been exposed to too much duct tape yet...and good for me too!
yay yay yay!

our dear friend ben has sent out of work. out of school. out of control. to its final resting spot. that may be because he is no longer out of work or school (well...) but he may still be out of control. thanks for what you gave us dude.

our dear friend ben has sent out of work. out of school. out of control. to its final resting spot. that may be because he is no longer out of work or school (well...) but he may still be out of control. thanks for what you gave us dude.

don't get the wrong idea and think that i am going to be posting regularly now. i just happen to have a free minute while i am still at koffee. so, some exciting news...i will be having 133 pounds of duct tape delivered to the studio in a week. that's a lot of duct tape (that's a lot of yellow tape!). good things good things in the work, and they will be unveiled soon. and i just heard pharell and the neptunes will be in central park soon, ooh la la! i might just have to treat myself. and really, check out vanessajean.com for a new look!

the kitchen cabinet has the sweetest 'quote of the day' for yesterday.

the author of the book 101 female uses for pink duct tape just alerted me to her cool uses of duct tape. i'd suggest checking it out!

news! news! news!

good news. a) light at the end of the internet-less tunnel...in house internet will be returning in less than two weeks (which will seem like an eternity), so look for new posting then. yahooo. the even better news is that the vanessajean.com website is getting a much needed overhaul. well, some perks in fun-ness and some much needed informational info...so check it out in the coming weeks for some new pics, and lots of new info about styles and where to buy in a town near you. alright...i have misguided dreams of getting up at 5 in the rainy weather to go for a run (riiiiiiight.)
sweet dreams little blog readers and duct tape lovers...may you have good nights and even better days.

oh geez. i'm a bit overwhelmed. more big things in the work. must get back internet at home. must sleep. oh joy of joys, so much joy. and rain too, which is great. btw, i like boston, what a nice place. i am clearly not coherent right now, and need to sleep. ahhh, the joys of duct tape are endless. more to come, maybe.