ah, burger king is full of good times...

Today was a good day in general. I got a $1.00 raise at work and ended up talking to a super interesting man at Burger King.

This is his story...

So, I'm standing in line debating on whether or not to get the new seattle's best mocha iced coffee and decide to get it. The man behind me proceeds to tell me that it is really good coffee and that his kids forced him into drinking it. From here on out, the story gets better.

This mystery man (age probably 50 or so) tells me that he has 9 children (7 boys and 2 girls) and that he wants each of them to have 3-5 kids. At this point I tell him that I would like 6 (not an odd number because then there will be an oddball). He stops his story to tell me that he would like to "hook me up" with his son who just broke up with his girlfriend of 5 years because she didn't want kids. I showed him my engagement ring and he was obviously disappointed.

He continued his story, stating that the government is destroying kids' lives and that he wants to move out west, or to Ireland or perhaps get his own island. Furthermore, all of his sons have claymores and one of his sons almost died at war. Then he went on about how people should die defending their country like good southern men.

Nearing the end of our conversation, he informed me that he wanted 30 grandchildren total and he would homeschool them all because he is a last year retired ("thank god" he said) physics and math teacher and does not want them to have to deal with the political shite that goes on in schools.

To top it off, as he was filling up his soda, that the son he wanted me to meet is an ex-Marine and extrememly beefy. I suppose that was his last attempt to change my mind. =]

All in all, he was a wonderfully interesting individual and I am quite vexed by the face that I didn't get his name.

As a reminder, I am hosting a raffle and have sold a few tickets, but would love to sell more! Here are some FAQs and their answers. For more information, please feel free to contact me at laura.incognita@hotmail.com or see the raffle post .

Question: How much are the raffle tickets?
Answer: $1.00 for 1, $4.00 for 5 and $7.00 for 10. If you want more than that contact me and I'll give you a price.

Question: How do I purchase the raffle tickets?
Answer: Shoot me an email to laura.incognita@hotmail.com specifying your name, address, if you would like to send a personal check or pay with Paypal and the number of tickets you would like to purchase. I'll send you an invoice and as soon as I receieve payment, I'll mail you your tickets. But hurry! I will stop taking raffle orders on Monday, October 18th.

Question: When and how will I know if I've won?
Answer: Winners will be contacted first by e-mail and then announced on this blog (first names only) on Monday, October 25th.

Thanks for reading!
          -Laura =]

your saturday paper came late...

Sorry!

Yesterday was extremely hectic what with the craft show and work. Of course, I made up for it with a thin crust pepperoni pizza, cheesy bread and boneless kicker wings. =D

However, this morning I feel up to writing a "Saturday" paper. So the activities will now commence.

I am going to host a raffle. Three prizes from my inventory will be given away. The first ticket drawn will be given first pick of the three prizes, the second will be given second choice and the third will receive the final prize. Prizes are as follows:

A sterling silver peridot cat's eye and pink coral bracelet and matching earring set.

A framed 8x10 fine art photography print, entitled "hydrangeas."

A set of 20 hand-stamped blank cards with matching envelopes.

Question: How much are the raffle tickets?
Answer: $1.00 for 1, $4.00 for 5 and $7.00 for 10. If you want more than that contact me and I'll give you a price.

Question: How do I purchase the raffle tickets?
Answer: Shoot me an email to laura.incognita@hotmail.com specifying your name, address, if you would like to send a personal check or pay with Paypal and the number of tickets you would like to purchase. I'll send you an invoice and as soon as I receieve payment, I'll mail you your tickets. But hurry! I will stop taking raffle orders on Monday, October 18th.

Question: When and how will I know if I've won?
Answer: Winners will be contacted first by e-mail and then announced on this blog (first names only) on Monday, October 25th.

Thanks for reading!
          -Laura =]

Questions? Contact Laura at laura.incognita@hotmail.com .

british accents and boxes lead to brilliancy...

Hello again!

Today, whilst pondering how to make the boxes I package my jewelry kits in, I came across stamps. Not the collecting kind, the artsy fartsy kind. A little ways down the same aisle were blank cards and envelopes. Put me in the midst and WAHLAH! AN ARTISTIC IDEA OF EPIC PROPORTIONS WAS BORN!

Not exactly, seeing as I'm not the first to think of custom cards. However, it was an idea that I enjoyed the thought of, so here we are.

I have decided (with little thought) to start a card line. Greeting cards, holiday cards, get well cards, etc, etc, etc. I've already played around with my first seven or so and I've found that I enjoy it much more than I thought I would. (Especially since my fiance allows me to stamp up his arms.)

I have also contemplated changing the name of the shop (after I get married) to ehrmann eccentrics. Like? Just a thought if I can't have incognita. when I actually become a "business" instead of a "hobby".

Thanks for reading!
          -Laura =]

when 9 to 5 has got you down...

CRAFT!

Although I’m tired and my fingernail is threatening to fall off, I have managed to summon the energy enough to write.

This week is going to be filled with errands waiting to be run and things waiting to be done as I prepare for the 11^th Annual Grottoes Harvest Festival and Car Cruise-In and 2^nd Annual Chili Cook-Off. As I wait for Michael’s to restock bracelet displays so I can snatch one up (just one, I swear!) and for the UPS man to bring everything I ordered last week, I have been busy typing up flyers, getting jewelry and photography ready for show and doing 500 other things entirely unrelated to craft.

On top of this, I have been tossing around the idea of raffle tickets, contests and charity donations. However, I am stumped for prizes for raffle tickets; I have considered an item from my shop and gift cards to department stores. I think I will end up offering a donation box at my booth, giving a dollar for every 10 dollars spent and donating it to a selected charity.

Any ideas for prizes, any other ideas or tips along these lines are welcome.

This evening was spent making the dangle parts of earrings for my cup of earwires hath runneth dry. I also converted a pair of Halloween earrings into a darling necklace for my mum. On a side note, I found that the Pumpkin Spice Latte from 7-11 and the Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino from Exxon do NOT taste the same at all. Both are yummy, one just is not Pumpkin Spicy.

And...
on another side note, I find the British-American Culture Gap quite amusing.

Our story begins with John, a hard-working American man, and Marty (imaginary name for this man whose name I do not know), an equally hard-working British man, conversing over a watch brought in to sell for gold.

John: You should test that to see if it is gold.
Marty: It is gold. My father got it from a British nuclear factory he worked at for 25 years.
John: Just because he got it from a nuclear factory doesn't mean it's gold. I've seen people who got ash trays for their 25th year at work.
Marty: It's from a BRITISH nuclear factory.
END.

Turns out, the watch WAS gold. The Culture Gap just made me laugh a bit.

Thanks for reading!
        -Laura =]

it never hurts to try something new...

Hello and welcome to my new blog!

First of all, I have NEVER blogged and decided to wing it; it would be much appreciated if you just went with me on this. It never hurts to try something new. =]

This blog will be dedicated to the going-ons, roundabouts and shenanigans of my shop, incognita.. And be warned, I may thrown in a thing or two not at all related to the shop.

Our story begins with a young girl forced into Michael's wielding only her fiances' wallet. And you can assume what happened from there. HE had to file bankruptcy. The End.

Ok, ok. He didn't really go bankrupt, but he absolutely HATES going craft shopping with me now.

All right, down to business. incognita. is a smorgasbord of handmade jewelry and photography prints by me; hopefully one day I will be able to include many more craft items such as cards or decor.  I enjoy what I do and the fruits of my labor, even though not all my fruits are sales; compliments and suggestions are some of the nicest benefits I receive as a crafter.

My jewelry ranges in style as well as price; I have many eccentric, earthy pieces as well as some more modern, chunky pieces. I can't really pin down the styles of photography I offer because it has quite a range taking inspirations from macro and industrial to landscapes and abstract.

As of this moment, I only sell through Etsy and can be found at some craft shows around the Harrisonburg, VA area. I have high hopes for the future and hope to one day open my own shop, if not selling my art, helping other artists showcase and sell their own.

Question: How often will I post?

Answer: Twice a week at least. Most likely Tuesday and Friday. And perhaps I'll throw in a "Saturday paper" filled with random fun things, a contest here or there and some exclusive offers and discounts.

I also offer a monthly newsletter; if you are interested please shoot me an e-mail at laura.incognita@hotmail.com.

Thanks for reading!
             -Laura =]



Questions, comments or just want to chat about incognita.? Shoot me an e-mail at laura.incognita@hotmail.com.