Motivation

So I've begun Etsy HolidayBootcamp.  I have fantastic buddies who are helping to keep me motivated with weekly brainstorming, and random messages of urgent persuasion and so far I've been extremely productive as a result!  Thank you to (in no particular order) Angela of Dolce Beada, Rachel of Exhausted Creativity, Jennifer of Thoroughly Modern Mommy, and my unofficial local cheerleader Meredith of Wild Woman Beads for your help, and creativity!  I couldn't do it without you all!!!  I'm slightly stress right now, the week 3 goals came out yesterday and I haven't even begun week 2 : (  more to add to the to do list I suppose.  Trudging ahead a little further everyday...  here's hoping this will be a productive holiday season for us all!!!

The Loss of Brilliance

The world lost a true visionary yesterday in Steve Jobs!  I find myself mourning the loss of a man I never met, but feel I know, at least a little.  As I type this entry on my MacBook with plans in the very near future to purchase an iPhone, I realize how much his body of work makes my work and life easier everyday!  As a very right-brained person Macs just make sense and anyone who owns one will tell you the same!  They come with a very small manual, which you really never need to open because all of it's functions work the way you think they should.  I find it interesting that Apple stock has been on such a roller coaster ride since his announcement to step down, how the thinking could be that Apple and it's innovative technology would cease to move forward without him at the helm!?!  Do people really think that such a genius would leave without first setting Apple's future in motion!?!  Steve Jobs was one man, one brilliant man who no doubt surrounded himself with genius to take his dreams to an infinite future of incredible advancements in technology!!!  Thank you Steve Jobs and all the minds of Apple for constantly transforming the world as we knew it for the better!!!

New Friends and Possibilities...

Yesterday was kind of rough.  I am realizing that I know quite a few people, but there aren't a whole lot of them that I would truly consider friends and that saddens me, a lot!  There are many reasons I can think of and I'm working on myself as well as my situation, but I also feel that one shouldn't have to change who they are to be loved!!!  So I am choosing to see today filled with possibilities and my future as being just as open : )  I have so much "new" in life right now that I can't see it any other way, so here's to tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that etc...  I too am on the edge of glory, if only for myself!!!

Me a teacher...

I have had several people not only suggest that I teach jewelry making and also ask me to teach them.  I feel as though I have only scratched the surface of designing jewelry myself, so the thought of teaching is a bit terrifying, I wouldn't even know where to begin.  However, when discussing this with a friend she reminded me that passing on my own knowledge will lead to learning from my students as well.  Needless to say, I am considering it, but I'm also not in any way closer to actually holding class and I know that the path will be laid in front of me if that is where I am to go.

Productivity

Although I have been quite ill for the better part of a month, first with food poisoning then a nasty chest cold, I have still managed to complete a few items on my ever-growing checklist!  The biggest accomplishment being my application submission to the 2010/11 season of local art & craft shows, with  5 entries and locations throughout Sarasota county, plus a confirmed date for the Stoneybrook at Venice FALL FESTIVAL (Nov. 5th for 11-3pm).  Now I must work feverishly to increase my stock of jewelry, not to mention focus on listing items on my sites!

Consumer Empathy

After several days of back and forth messages in the custom ordering of my art/craft show banners I can now empathize with my customers placing custom orders with me.  It is truly a leap of faith, going from the idea and picture you have in your head to the hope that your communications will convey that thought with the creator and the that the finished product will come out the same or possibly even better!  There is anxiety with wondering if it will in fact come out favorably, will I love the actual product as much as this picture in my brain.  It is quite the process, custom ordering, there are so many decisions to be made and the lovely lady I've been working with, Krista of the Girls mom, has been an absolute pleasure to work with making the process virtually effortless of my end (aside from my second guessing myself)!  This has been a learning experience for me, one that will most definitely make me a better seller : )

This week...

This has been an interesting week to say the least.  It's had its highs and its lows as any other and I've learned a few new things.  Today, for example, I came across another Etsy seller boasting 250 sales in 2 months and while I am proud to keep company with such an entrepreneur I cannot for the life of me understand how!?!  Just as in other facets of business, it doesn't seem to matter what your product is or how great the quality, no, it's all about the marketing!  I have to say this is very disheartening : (  And someone I thought was in my corner it turns out is not.  I was able to help someone else out though, so score one for me.  Here's to hoping this is a better week overall!  Cheers!

Happy Thank You More Please!

I recently watched a movie of the same name (recommended) and have adopted the mantra!  With the website up and functional and my very first sale complete and delivered, new orders on both etsy sites, and many other other blessings to count, I feel that it is very important to acknowledge all of the good in my life and give thanks regularly to keep the flow open!  It also helps keep my focus on the positives and away from the negatives : )  and so I find myself saying more and more HAPPY THANK YOU MORE PLEASE!!!

Pride and Accomplishment

I know that pride is one of the seven deadly sins, but damn it I am proud!!!  I feel such a huge sense of accomplishment upon the completion of my website!!!  MY WEBSITE, that I BUILT, just me, only me    : D  and it took almost a month, but I did it!  Blood, sweat, and tears went into the making of this site.  Well maybe not blood, there were definitely tears, lots of tears.  Now all that is left to do is fill it with my lovelies : )  They say that if you build it they will come, so come and have a gander, and maybe buy yourself a little something...  www.JewelryPersonified.com !  Enjoy!

Perfection

Most of my life I have trudged, blood sweat and tears, chasing perfection.  I know now that there is no such thing and consider myself a perfectionist in recovery, but like anyone in recovery I have lapses.  Most of the time they only affect me, however some days when I am at my most frustrated, I lash out at those closest to me : (  I usually take it all out on myself though and recognize that I say things to myself that I would never dream of saying to another human being.  I don't know why I'm so hard on myself, but I've heard it said that we are our own worst critics, I can certainly attest to that!  I was accused once by someone trying to hurt me of not being detail oriented.  And honestly I know to the core of my being that nothing could be farther from the truth!  For me the beauty is in the details, the little unexpected touches you may not even notice until much later.  But why is it that something you know to be false can have such a lasting effect!?!  I try to remind myself that you get what you give, and there's enough negativity in the world with out me adding to it.  So be good to yourself because no one else has the power to make you happy!

Victories

I had a much needed victory yesterday!  I'm feeling confident enough now in my techniques and design abilities to experiment and had this idea to attempt something that others have not been able to do successfully.  I'm not going to go into full detail here because I don't want to disclose my approach, but the photo is proof of my victory : )  The failures I've been dealing with of late have tested my confidence to continue, but in hindsight, that is simply the universe's way of helping us appreciate the victories.  And victories, no matter how small, can raise the spirit just enough to persevere!

Sometimes when you win, you lose

I had to eat crow today!  And what really sucks is that I know I'm right, but they have what I need and I can't find it anywhere else, so here I am asking for forgiveness when I am in the right : (  And just so you can see where I'm coming from, I stuck to my guns and requested a refund that I knew I deserved and after several emails I got it, but then the next day my full order that I spent an entire morning preparing was deleted by the company!  And the worst part is, with as many internet companies that supply jewelry findings I can't find a single other one that carries these parts, so I have to ask for a pardon.  Compromise... sometimes it works in your favor and sometimes it doesn't!

Craziness

Life has been a bit crazy this week!  My husband separated his shoulder in a watercraft accident on Sun. and can't do a whole lot for himself, my sister-in-law gave birth to a beautiful 6lb 11oz baby boy yesterday (10 days early), and my older sister is in town for a visit, plus the usual day to day that throws you for a loop!  So, I've been a bit lax with my posts this week, please forgive me.  I'm hoping this coming week will be more sedate : )

It's easy, yeah right

It's easy to say something is easy when you know what you are doing, but when you are learning something new and completely foreign the hurdles can be extremely frustrating.  As I said in a previous post, I am building my own ecommerce website with no prior training in doing such a monumental task.  And when I started whining in frustration about how stupid it makes me feel, my husband ever so sweetly reminded that "I'm not stupid, just ignorant".  Now you may be thinking what an a-hole, but he's right if you take a moment to consider the point.  We are all ignorant of what we do not understand because we have not learned the skill, technique, or language.   And before I started reading about and practicing html, css, and other internet speak I was ignorant, but now that I'm forced to study and learn it I'm not!  And while I can't say at this moment that I will ever truly be good enough to help someone else, it is making the process a little easier to create changes within my pages now that I possess the knowledge of the code.  Never stop learning, learn something new each and every day, even if it's something small : )

Independence

I am so immensely thankful for the freedom to be able to have my own business and be independent of the corporate world!   Independence to me is the ability to be myself, do what I want when I want, show my face, choose my own clothing, walk around anywhere I wish, and own my business, and these are only a few examples of the freedoms I usually take for granted!!!  "Independence Day" helps to remind me of what so many others only dream to have!!! And so, I say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of the men and women working and fighting every day to keep our freedoms!!!  Happy Birthday America, land of the free and home of the brave : D

Here is a link to another great cause ~ http://operationtankyou.blogspot.com/

Persistence

Persistence does pay off!  I finally found a great source for rose cut stones after hours and hours of searching the web!  Now if all of my time (what probably amounts to weeks) searching for rose gold filled bulk chain could pay off, I'd be golden.
Update, I figured out how to afford the purchases I need to make to get these new design ideas going    : D YAY!!!  Ordering today, assuming silver and gold don't go up again : p 
And please learn for my mistake and always do your research first!  I've decided to build my own website and I am not tech savvy, I know just enough to get by.  So I had to do a lot of reading before and during the process of creating this blog, so I know the same is going to be true for the website.  If you are considering your own blog and/or website, believe me when I say cutting corners is not beneficial, your time is better spent once you've learned the ins and outs.  I thought I had made a decision on the site I would use to build my ecommerce shop.  However, yesterday morning I discovered a company whose prices where less than half those of the company I've been reading such glowing testimonials about and being the frugal person that I am, my interest was peaked.  I got so excited by all of their exuberant claims and flashy tricks that I jumped right in and started creating without a second thought!  Basically, I wasted a whole lot of time yesterday by not checking reviews on them before I began!!!  Because after reading reviews, it sounds like their service and ethical practices leave a lot to be desired : (  Guess, I'll have to bite the bullet and pay the extra cash for a reputable company!  Back to the drawing board...

Ranting and Raving

***Warning ~ I'm about to go off!!!***
I am a pretty passionate person and while some view it as endearing character trait of mine, some see it an annoyance!  Again, I am who I am, so with that said...  every day I scour the web in search of the gemstones and findings for this project I have in my head that's just clawing to get and out and be "real"!  I am so inspired by what I find!  I've been jabbering on about it for some time now to anyone who would listen, when what I really want to do less talking and more doing!  But where do I find all of this money!?!  The saying goes, if you build it they will come, well the plans are drawn and the permits are secured, so to speak, but I just need the capital to start!  I search, and I search, and I search, for grants any kind of help that doesn't have interest, but the road blocks are everywhere!  Just when I think I've found it, the deadline for submissions has already passed (in most cases by only days or weeks,  it's so infinitely frustrating)!  But I'll find the money somewhere, I won't stop 'til I do!  I just truly hope it's sooner, oh please make it sooner!?!

I am quite the conundrum...

and always have been!  When I was a child, I can't say little as I've never been a very large person standing only 5'2",  I liked to play dress-up.  I'd put on my frilly fluffy Easter dress, add my mom's Candies and grandmother's old fashion jewelery making myself look as glamorous as possible. Then I'd prance around the neighborhood inviting everyone I could to the back porch for a play I'd put on with my younger sister and next door neighbors, dancing around to Madonna's Like a Virgin record (and yes, they were actually vinyl in those days).  But looking back, I think it was more about the drama and spectacle of it all rather than the clothes.  Most days you'd find me playing in the ditch behind the house fishing for crawdads, climbing the neighbors giant weeping willow to see just high I could climb (I did make it all the way to the top eventually), or hiking through "private property" to monkey island always sporting the little rompers my mom so lovingly handmade.  These days I'm pretty darn girly, always!  I adore pink and flourishes, I don't like to be hot, I don't really like to get dirty but will if it's for a good cause, and I love to get dressed up both for the way it makes me feel and for the spectacle : ) However, if I thought I wouldn't get arrested, I would climb the huge banyan trees at my favorite place in Sarasota, the Ca' d'Zan!  I imagine most people are like this too, but would never admit it, not out loud anyway.  But I don't care who knows, I am what I am, and I only aspire to be the best version of me I can be!!!

Getting to know me better : )

So this weeks posts will be a series of snippets on getting to know me better.  I have added Pandora (in the sidebar, lower left) so you can sample the music I'm listening to as I'm creating.  I've also added a video section, so you can enjoy the antics of my silly kitties.  Hula, the baby is a purebred blue point ragdoll we adopted at only 4 months old (now 11 months and growing fast with the sweetest demeanor) and Kona a 6 year old chocolate bi-color ragdoll (spastic and slightly schizophrenic, but a love when the mood strikes).  Both are rescues from a local shelter where I volunteer http://www.stfrancisarfl.org/  I strongly support adopting from a local non-profit shelter.  You'll not only be gaining a fabulous new member of the family, but helping your local community/economy as well!  They have animals of all ages, breeds, and personalities, even pure breeds and all have incredible stories to tell : )  Clearly from their names I adore Hawaii!  My husband and I took our 10 year anniversary vacation there and I fell instantly head-over-heels in love!  We explored The Big Island's coffee plantations and Kilauea, Maui's road to Hana, and lush wild chicken inhabited Kauai each is very different and extraordinary in its beauty.  I am captivated by every facet and will live there, at least part of the year, as soon as I can figure out how to swing it!

Fishing for Hula Monsters