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]