Organization

No matter how hard I try I'm just not a very tidy person. Though I constantly am organizing things:  be it on my computer or within a room. Things have their place but that place keeps changing and evolving. And since I'm always crafting, I'm always needing to find new locations for things. As well as work arounds for on going projects.

For example I'm making a book right now. Not the novel kind like dear Uncle Ken but rather a construction. I had some pretty heavy duty paper and decided a book would be a good way to use up a chunk of my stash. So now I have a cover that's laying on my ironing board drying and a book laying on my desk waiting for it's cover to dry.

I've also got the rest of the same paper piled on my desk waiting to be turned into cards. Daniel's mother send me a condolence card and I needed to respond in kind so I made a thank you card in calligraphy. It came out so nice and it felt so good to work on my calligraphy that I thought to make a bunch of cards. Again hoping to diminish my stock so that I might go and buy more! Okay so really I just want to make room and feel more organized. Such tiny apartments are just not for me.

I'm definitely getting behind in all my crafts. At least the ones that keep popping into my mind that I'd REALLY like to do. In order to get more photography clients I need to finish my add and find places to post it. I've got a way to mail it out to all my neighbors, or really everyone in my town but I'm just not sure I want to go there. It'll feel too much like spam to me. So I'm struggling with figuring out how to publicize myself and that's got me dragging my fingers on actually finishing the design and printing it. At least all my pricing and packages are figured out so I guess there's really not much left to do besides layout and photo choice.

Then with the price of all my materials going up I'm struggling to keep my prices the same. Oh and man do I need to stop reading! I've got this book that my boss put in my locker "Handmade to Sell". It's got the same formula that I found when I first started to sell my wears but this is telling me that by not following the formula I'm undercutting my fellow artisans. It's funny really because it's just saying what everyone else keeps telling me 'Stop underselling yourself!' If only I had more confidence in myself. With an uncle like Ken I really shouldn't have a problem with this but I guess deep down I really don't believe what people tell me. Which hurts the most. Believing that the people I love and respect the most are lying! (Gah! Stop that Sarah! *Mental Slap*)

I think I've got my branding down finally. It's taken so much time since I wasn't sure were I wanted to go with this little biz. However, it seemed to work itself out with an old world feel. That's probably in part due to the name and my color choices. It's simple with a pleasing embellishment. The logo I wish to make for it however it way too detailed! I think it works perfectly except for the minor detail of simplicity and printing. Well I guess printing really isn't a factor but it's a good excuse.

I do have this simple watermark I've been using in some of my photos but I'm just not sure that's what I want the final to be. I wonder if I might use both? The logo would be the simple one but I'd have an elaborate store crest. Something to put on a sign perhaps if I designed to purchase that quaint little building in town or open for rendezvous. As of now I think the best for my shoppe is to use the simple logo for packaging since it's easier to read. My name with it's swirl is legible but not really a logo and I don't think it'll look good on any type of packaging save a box. Thanks to Daniel I've got a brilliant idea for packaging at fairs. Nope, can't share. You'll just have to come visit me at the next one!

On the side:  or rather my professional career!

I'm still hunting for another part-timer and/or a full time in multimedia but it's just not going so well. I've gotten a few offers but they were all part time positions that conflicted with my existing part time job and neither is very compromising. So I'm stuck looking for additional opportunities which can be challenging with a motorcycle as my only means of transport unless of course I wish to wake up at 6am and drive Daniel to work. It's a good excuse just work with it! There are a few places I would love to work at like these local coffee shops but they don't seem to be hiring. *sigh*

Which leads us to car shopping. Fun fun! NOT! Daniel's looking into a truck so I might just take the car off his hands if he finds one he likes. [hopefully sooner rather than later] I'm really not looking >.> since my current income isn't sufficient to getting a non beater of a car. Of course it's really not sufficient to getting a house either. Especially with my requirements but that's not stopping me from looking.

I'm desperate to get out of apartment living. I need peace and quite, not the sounds of my neighbors fighting/horsing around or cranking their music. I could also do without the sounds of cars driving by on a busy street but I got used to that when the city encroached on mothers farm. Which, have I mentioned the round about they're putting out there? No? Well it's made the street temporarily quite like it used to be growing up. Granted that might change once they are done building it and the road is useable again but for now we'll just enjoy the quite. Heavy equipment noises not with standing!

I did find this cute little plot with 5 acres. It had a quaint little home and quite a few out buildings and large barn. I was all excited because it was within my price  range and the photos made it look promising. However, upon real live snooping it was too much work. There was a phone tower at one end of the property which was work around able and the large barn wasn't in too bad of shape from the outside. But the house. Ouch! The porch was VERY homemade and not in a good way, it looked like it'd been broken into and the foundation was bashed in on the one side with the ice house. It also sported a propane tank which going by mothers heating bills in the winter ... yah, no thanks! So disappointing. If I had the money and the county allowed it I would nock the house down and put up a temp modular until I was able to build a proper home.

There was such promise in owning land. I could have a real garden, my horse close by, and my orchard with all it's goodness! I'll just have to keep looking. I really should get cousin Denny on this and promise to get that second job if I have to work at Chipotle! Anything to get a piece to call my own. And yes it would be my own! I'm purchasing it myself, in my name and Daniel will just have to rent!

Well step 1 of my book cover is done so it's time to continue on to step 2. I plan to finish this book today. I've only got 3 more steps left until then. Getting photos is just an added bonus!

Ugh! I gotta go to Stacy's and update her pricing portfolio for her. I've made the portfolio and givin' her some basic skills in InDesign so that she might be able to do this on her own but it would seem that she's looking to revamp it quite a bit and walking her through these changes over the phone is not feasible. What with her constantly loosing focus to attend her wee bairns. I think after the book is done I might head over. If Daniel's home from work by then I'll at least be able to drive. Granted it's warm out today so I still might ride. [I really should invest in some leathers]

Well Wishes

 

... to all you well wishers out there in my time of bereavement!

Keeping Busy

This is how I show my depression to the world. By putting out crafts of all types and keeping myself very busy so that I might not have to think about that which is killing me inside. In the past few days it hasn't been helping but with time I imagine this pain will become as manageable as all the others. In light of my crying myself to sleep and waking up with those horrid crusty eyes I treated myself to a Starbucks Soy Pumpkin Latte and a warmed blueberry muffin after dropping Daniel off at work. He's driving my rental home tonight. Since I'll be heading back to Virginia in the morning with father and cousin Esther. My pumpkin cozy still fits Starbucks cups beautifully!

My quote of the day "You're really spoiling me this morning!" They got a kick out of that. The guy who rung me up said they try or always or something like that ... I can't remember (it's my alzheimer's kicking in).

So yesterday; my day off, I spent the whole time either in front of the stove or my sewing machine. I started by waking up really early (10am ;3), grabbed a backpack, and hopped on my Saoirse and took off for The Andersons. Totally without eating breakfast first. I warn you, don't try that at home! Lucky me they were making things all over the store so I helped myself to some samples ... watermelon, apple slices with honey peanut butter! So yum! Anywho, I filled both my backpack and saddle bag with Pint Ball jars, rolls, grapefruit (because I was freakin' hungry), some liquor, Darjeeling loose tea, half a gallon of apple cider and a large red bell pepper. Then tromped home!

My colors! Don't you love them!

Once there I put everything away, jumped back into my jammies and started cooking. I put the bell peppers in the oven (I had some green ones from mothers garden) and sat down to sew.

I made a lovely knitting/crochet needle scroll that I have been meaning to make for quite some time just never got around to. I realized after I was sewing on all the pockets that the lovely tan fabric with the brown reliefs is reminiscent of fall and the other two are more spring. In the end as long as one doesn't look too closely it still works. I blame the ornery children who were distracting me while shopping for these fabrics!

Once the peppers were scorched I put them into a calonder in a bowl and covered them for 2 hrs (which I continued to sew during).

1hr till time, I put the apples, cider and water on the stove to cook. After about 30 min I had to take them off and puree them then put them back on with spices and sugar. At which point I had to do some juggling. I had to make sure the apples didn't scorch and peal and seed the peppers. I actually was able to do all this with out making too big a mess. Since I was not actually thinking freely but rather concentrating on each task at hand I never thought to take photos so sadly there's no photos of my peppers or apple butter ... sorry! I did get photos of my peaches and Jalapenos from my other jam I made!

I'm sure you can guess what these are!

All in all I finished cooking at about 5pm. I didn't finish my scroll until 10:00pm. Then I had to take a damn shower! Oui! My day off went by super fast!  I clearly slept in too long!

I got 3 and a half pints of apple butter. The half I brought to work this morning for everyone to enjoy. & I got 1 jar of roasted bell peppers with garlic. I'm so getting ready for winter ... can ya tell?! Next up I believe is pumpkin butter. I just love pumpkins! Unless of course mother wants some roasted peppers.

I'm slowly adding to this span but in the mean time it's all paternal.

I found this on my jump. I made it a while ago when I was really board. It's my blood line following my for fathers, going back till I reached the bonny shores of England at which point it gets harder ... for me anyways. They were all listed as farmers which I guess is were I get my desire to have my own land to toil in. Slowly I will be adding their other children and making it look less like a tree branch and more like chaos!

Also without a photo is the blanket I'm knitting for Bare Baby Photography. It's a chunky knit with i-cord edges for her newborn photography and a pair of fingerless gloves I'm making for a friend client. I'm slowly getting a lot of commissions, I think everyone is realizing I need the crafts to stay sane.

Thai Peaches Jam

So last night I made some Peach Jalapeno Jam with Thai Chilies. Long story! Okay, no twisting my arm! I started out with 1 Jalapeno pepper. Before I added it I sampled it for both freshness (not that I doubted since it came from Debbie's garden) and heat. Sadly they only had a little heat so I busted out a Chili from the same garden and cleaned it up. Wow did that hurt! As soon as I touched a sliver to my tongue it lit my mouth on fire. That one I dropped in whole about half way through cooking it since the Jalapenos weren't heating things up any. Even after introducing the Thai chili I wasn't getting any heat. I'm not sure why either. Very disappointing that.

Anywho, I cooked it longer than I should have. It didn't mess with the flavor or burn at all but I did mess with my quantity. I was hoping on at least 4 half-pint jars but only got 3. Sigh! I blame it on attempting to get some heat in there. In the end I even kept the Thai Chili in the jam rather than pulling it out after I got it hot enough. I still possessed 2 of the jars for later consumption or as gifts and kept the 1 with the Thai Chili out for sampling at work.

I can say at least that the jam looks pretty. I left the skin on since the peaches are from Lynd's Fruit Farm only scrubbing the fuzz off. So there's bits of skin and mushy chunks of peaches. Then there's bits of green jalapeno. The red Thai Chili blends in with the jams color a bit.

I should have picked up some peaches from Reverend Larry's garden while in Virginia for my straight up peach jam!

I've also been working on knitting ... no surprise there! I've got a nice purple cable beanie I'm working on and I'm going to make a pair of matching let warmers. It's all newborn size so it'll work for photographers or people with newborns who want them.

Self photography!

I've worked out a deal with my sister on this as well. When her clients chose the prop they want she's going to offer them the prop if they wish to have it. Obviously they'll be purchasing it but it'll be cheaper then if they bought it from my website and had it shipped.

I also had a meeting for a fair coming up. The lady suggested I hit up Boho with my jewelry. She said that it would benefit us both (the boutique owner and myself). I was flattered when she told me "this is quality work." as she was browsing my jewelry collection and that if she ever needs a baby gift she knows were to go. Even if nothing else comes of this meeting I'll still be happy knowing she likes my work. However, I hope I can scrounge up some artists and get in this show!

Labor Day in Virginia

Blue Ridge

Over the Labor day weekend some of my family went to Virginia to visit with my sick uncle. He's doing better than he was during the Rendezvous but unfortunately as we were leaving Monday afternoon he was heading to the ER. It was most unsettling!

However before then my cousin and I were taking my other cousins senior photos. It was such fun that I might attempt to do other senior photos if the opportunity arises. Granted I wont have access to such wonderfully majestic sights but we do have some nice locations to work with in Columbus. There are quite a few funny photos that bring out his personality and then the typical serious portraits.

Knowing that there were horses down the road I made an effort to walk there and get some photos. Little did I know that it would rain and that there would be a family of deer waiting when I got there.

Between my cousins and I we got a lot of photos. I wish the horses didn't have fly masks on but there was nothing to be done for that.

Gorgeous black horse and deer family

 There were 2 Tobiano Paint's and 1 big black beauty. If I had to guess I'd say Morgan but I'm not sure.

Raining hard

Among my cousin's photos was this fun shot of me taking the photo above. I'm all wet! My poor camera got wet as well but it wasn't too bad since I was hiding under a tree.

Me taken by Philip

We had some excellent food while in Virginia and I finally got to go to Sweet Things to enjoy there excellent ice cream and milk shakes. I got a Chunky Irish Girl Scout Smoothie and tried their Peach Habanero which is ironic since I'll be making that flavor in jam today. All in all very good! But sadly we never did make it to Michie Tavern. They have some of the best food on Earth. My favorite is their stewed tomatoes, to which I have the recipe and home styled fried chicken. Maybe next time.

 As I was skimming through my SD card I stumbled across this photo of little miss Evelyn. Taken a while back when I first got my new lens. I was really just the spotter but I figured that since I have a zoom lens I would just take some photos from the back ground. As you can imagine since I wasn't getting in Evelyn's face that I didn't get the best shots and I have yet to get any since my sister is keeping her all to herself. Unless of course she needs a baby sitter. I guess I could just pose here when sis isn't around but as a photographer who hasn't worked with babies much I would feel more comfortable with a spotter. So I guess I'm out of luck! All well it's still a cute photo! [I played with it in Photoshop a wee bit and smoothed out her face and darkened the photo some.]

Baby Evelyn