How’s your week going? Mine is pretty amazing – usually I work longer hours than I should, over six days but this week has been exceptional – on Monday Tim and I set up the pop-up shop at Southland Shopping Centre, and then on Tuesday morning I got up really early and finished the bump in and opened shop.

I’ve been there every day since, working up to 15 hour days and it’s been busy. I’m also at Circa in Fitzroy, but not as much as usual. Have I mentioned that I love what I do? I just may be a little bit of a workaholic too.

Amongst all the busy this week I received a very nice surprise – let me backtrack a little, to a day when Amanda Palmer came and visited Circa, and had afternoon tea and found a nice and surprising demure blouse. I wrapped it up, took a pic or two to commemorate the occasion and down Gertrude St she went, swinging her Circa shopping bag and leaving a Jack Kerouac water bottle behind (but that’s another story).

Believe it or not, that’s Amanda Palmer under the hat. Thank you to the lovely customer who took this shot.

Like many of my environmentally aware customers, AP was initially reluctant to take a Circa bag – but I get a great deal of pleasure out of seeing wonderful people walk out with one of the bold designs on recycled paper, so being a lovely person, AP obliged.

Then, the surprise arrives – AP is raising funds for the release of her new album, art book and tour with the Grand Theft Orchestra and has produced a Bob Dylan style video clip – and there, on three cards are bits of the Circa shopping bag! Cut out and repurposed – upcycled if you may. AP likes to recycle and reuse! Why am I not surprised?

Hopefully one day I’ll found out what she’s done with the blouse – it really was very demure and un-Amanda Palmerish so I’m sure she has something in mind for it. I can’t wait for the next surprise.

In the meantime, here is the link to Amanda’s fundraising project – it’s been very successful so far, and it’s great to see there are so many who want to support art and music. Warning: there are a couple of swear words (well, okay, one word that appears twice) and if you know where it was filmed, I’d love to know – my money is on Richmond.

Update: further validation.

nicole notices i butchered her bag for the kickstarter video: RT @nicole_jenkins Amanda Palmer likes to recycle&reuse. shar.es/2GzrA

— Amanda Palmer (@amandapalmer) May 5, 2012