I feel like I am in a cycle- I work really hard for a couple of weeks and then I slack off- then I speed up, then I slack off. Although this isn’t anything I have planned (must be my biorhythms), it seems to be working well for me. Except for the fact that the schedule I made for myself was based on a steady work pace (therefore I keep running “behind”) I feel physically healthy, and that the typical doldrums of winter have been kept pretty much at bay. C will be away next week- so I will be working exceptionally hard when he is gone (I just can’t sleep so I might as well work)- and I am hoping that catches me up on this elusive self imposed deadline that I created back at New Years.
What is stressing me the most are some rather big things that I still have hanging above me- taxes, a new web site, new product labels, a trip to Florida with my dad that I need to plan, and just some random paperwork that just isn’t getting done.
Taxes will be done within the next two weeks if it kills me. B and I made a bet that we would get them done by 3/25. If we both get them done- then we plan a day away- a trip- and we go dutch and use “house” money to pay for it. If one of us doesn’t make the deadline- we can still go, but the looser needs to pay for both trips. And if we both miss the deadline- well then, the businesses need to pay for our respective husbands to take a trip together. All I can say is that I’m not paying for C to go anywhere, and I’m not taking the chance that she won’t get hers done too, so I have to get mine done.
As for the web site- I have the designer lined up- and if I can ever get my e-mail working properly, I may even be able to get some of her ideas and suggestions, etc. Not sure why I am having so much trouble with my e-mail lately…
New product labels are coming along- two are done and I have three more that are “hot” and three more that I would like to have, but I can make due without for now.
As for the trip: Dad, C and I STILL have a storage unit in Florida, from like 4 years ago. Time to clean it out and haul what we want to PA. Oh what fun…
So what did I get done last week- not a whole heck of a lot-
Monday I got up and did school stuff and a little paperwork. Then C and I went to Atlantic City for the night after he got home from work. Borgata keeps sending us free rooms, and we keep taking them. We actually won a little (which we spent on a really nice dinner).
Tuesday: We left Atlantic City early in the morning so C could go to work. I ran errands and just spent the day doing things I wanted to do. I went to a few book stores, a few craft stores, a cool yarn store, things like that. When he was done at work I picked him up and we went home.
Wednesday: I finished making up some samplers, stained a couple of new displays I have and tried (unsuccessfully) to put together a few more I bought. I even tried the “bigger hammer” rule and I still couldn’t get them together…and I did paperwork (where dies it all come from)- research for the UWBW meeting- school- etc.
Thursday: I woke up really groggy- and proceeded to spend the day watching episodes of X-files- season 2. About 7 in all. I am still amazed that this show after all these years can creep me out so much, and how many story lines they approached back then for one episode I have seemed to see lately (in the last few years) used to make a whole series out of. They were so ahead of their time.
Friday: I ran errands and attended the UWBW meeting. I noticed on D’s blog that she may be coming back to selling a few books- I hope she rejoins our group. We really covered a lot of ground.
Saturday and Sunday: I did homework for the week, finished cleaning my closet, went to a local craft show to check it out, went and looked at more houses, cleaned the living room from top to bottom, and even got a chance to watch the NASCAR race.
3.15.2006
3.06.2006
February 27- March 5 Week 9
A week of lots of soap making. I finished a few fragrances just this week alone, and if I can keep this up I may actually have my inventory complete by mid April- just in time for heavy show season to begin. I made my new gardener’s soap- so it will be ready in time for the Hofstra Flower Show. I also made Olive Oil Castile- since it takes forever for this stuff to cure well. I also made 10 batches of basic soap during the week. This allowed me to figure out what supplies I needed and pick them up on Friday. I may actually have what I need for the year, although I hope sales are so brisk that I am totally wrong and end up to my ears in soap all year.
I started making samplers. I have 30 of them almost done. These things fly off the shelves. I always have trouble making them up. Some people find it important to have fragrances that they know in the samplers, some don’t care because it is just a quick and easy gift. So I try and make sure 3 of the 6 fragrances are something that is recognizable and that can be reordered this year, and the other three are left overs from last year or from special orders that I fill. But no matter what I do, there comes a time that I make some filled with 6 fragrances that can no longer be had, because I just plain run out of the recognizable ones, which is fine. But this year I plan on making some of each right off the bat and try and extend my supply of the samplers that include the most popular fragrances as much as I can.
I bought my books for my next few classes. This school being over is finally getting more and more real. I can’t wait to go on with my real life. I feel like the classes I have left are just bogus and a waste of my time. I know I am learning and I know some of it is good stuff, but I want to jump into the business head first and I feel like the time I am taking with classes is holding me back more than it is pushing me forward now. I think this feeling will end in a few weeks when I have a few more web design classes to do- two more to finish my minor. Then I have summer break, and just four more till graduation. It will be a great Christmas present to myself, and I will be bored as heck on Jan 07 I’m sure..
B went with me when I went to pick up oils in Friday. It is so much more fun going with someone than going alone. We had lunch at Shady Maples- I just love their food! Then we went to CDM wholesale, it was her first time there and I think I bummed her out. It is this huge wholesale craft store and there were tons of stuff that we see at shows throughout the year and are told that the crafters “make” them- liars! I think it should be mandatory for every craft show producer in the are to go to this store and look at its contents before jurying their shows- it would cut down on the buy/sell junk for sure!
Friday night J came over. She was stressing about life and needed a reality break. Saturday we worked in the shop, making soap and bath fizzys. I think pounding on the bath fizzys helps her vent some anger, LOL! She left much happier and I think a little more confidant that everything is going to be OK.
Sunday C and I went looking at houses. We saw another one with potential, so we really need to think about it some more. Once we got back I worked on some homework and we rearranged the closets again- but I think this time we can actually see what we have, and I know I can finally reach everything without a step stool, which is way cool!
I started making samplers. I have 30 of them almost done. These things fly off the shelves. I always have trouble making them up. Some people find it important to have fragrances that they know in the samplers, some don’t care because it is just a quick and easy gift. So I try and make sure 3 of the 6 fragrances are something that is recognizable and that can be reordered this year, and the other three are left overs from last year or from special orders that I fill. But no matter what I do, there comes a time that I make some filled with 6 fragrances that can no longer be had, because I just plain run out of the recognizable ones, which is fine. But this year I plan on making some of each right off the bat and try and extend my supply of the samplers that include the most popular fragrances as much as I can.
I bought my books for my next few classes. This school being over is finally getting more and more real. I can’t wait to go on with my real life. I feel like the classes I have left are just bogus and a waste of my time. I know I am learning and I know some of it is good stuff, but I want to jump into the business head first and I feel like the time I am taking with classes is holding me back more than it is pushing me forward now. I think this feeling will end in a few weeks when I have a few more web design classes to do- two more to finish my minor. Then I have summer break, and just four more till graduation. It will be a great Christmas present to myself, and I will be bored as heck on Jan 07 I’m sure..
B went with me when I went to pick up oils in Friday. It is so much more fun going with someone than going alone. We had lunch at Shady Maples- I just love their food! Then we went to CDM wholesale, it was her first time there and I think I bummed her out. It is this huge wholesale craft store and there were tons of stuff that we see at shows throughout the year and are told that the crafters “make” them- liars! I think it should be mandatory for every craft show producer in the are to go to this store and look at its contents before jurying their shows- it would cut down on the buy/sell junk for sure!
Friday night J came over. She was stressing about life and needed a reality break. Saturday we worked in the shop, making soap and bath fizzys. I think pounding on the bath fizzys helps her vent some anger, LOL! She left much happier and I think a little more confidant that everything is going to be OK.
Sunday C and I went looking at houses. We saw another one with potential, so we really need to think about it some more. Once we got back I worked on some homework and we rearranged the closets again- but I think this time we can actually see what we have, and I know I can finally reach everything without a step stool, which is way cool!
2.26.2006
February 20-27 Week 8
Monday: Blogged, paid bills, sent out my dad’s taxes, worked on schoolwork, registered for my spring classes, cleaned, put up items on eBay.
Tuesday: More schoolwork (I should just think this is assumed as being done each day), edged soap, cleaned up the workshop some getting ready for March, laundry, set some soap to cure, made olive oil soap (still need to make more), caught up on my January accounting (yes, I know February is almost done), knit a hat for my dad, planned my garden for this year.
Wednesday: UWBW meeting today with B. I miss having D with us…updated my web, but messed up my FTP somehow so I can’t upload the changes- need to get that fixed pronto, laundry, and school. I really woke up feeling quite under the weather, no fever, but I felt as though I had been in a car wreck, so many things I wanted to get done, just didn’t get done. C thinks I am pushing myself too hard trying to get so much work done the first few months of the year- I think it will be nice to be able to relax and just do shows come May. We’ll see who’s right…
Thursday: Blah…I felt blah.. I cut up some soap and put it to cure, measured out oil to make basic soap, laundry, school, sleep…
Friday: Errand Day! Post office, drycleaner, groceries, BJ’s. Got back and did homework, cut basic soap and just generally procrastinated toll C got home. We left for Baltimore a little after 4 and it too forever to get there it seemed.
Saturday: Day in Baltimore- perused the American Craft Council Craft Show, walked around the inner harbor, had a nice dinner
Sunday: Came home but tried to stop in Wilmington for lunch first and couldn’t find anything open near the riverfront (so weird!), so we decided to stop at IKEA and pick up some drawers for our armoire and have lunch there. Once I got home I immediately put on my PJ’s, caught up on e-mail and stuff, and watched the NASCAR race while I worked on my statistics homework (both were about as equally interesting this week)…Now I pay bills, blog, and try to catch up on paperwork before starting next week.
Tuesday: More schoolwork (I should just think this is assumed as being done each day), edged soap, cleaned up the workshop some getting ready for March, laundry, set some soap to cure, made olive oil soap (still need to make more), caught up on my January accounting (yes, I know February is almost done), knit a hat for my dad, planned my garden for this year.
Wednesday: UWBW meeting today with B. I miss having D with us…updated my web, but messed up my FTP somehow so I can’t upload the changes- need to get that fixed pronto, laundry, and school. I really woke up feeling quite under the weather, no fever, but I felt as though I had been in a car wreck, so many things I wanted to get done, just didn’t get done. C thinks I am pushing myself too hard trying to get so much work done the first few months of the year- I think it will be nice to be able to relax and just do shows come May. We’ll see who’s right…
Thursday: Blah…I felt blah.. I cut up some soap and put it to cure, measured out oil to make basic soap, laundry, school, sleep…
Friday: Errand Day! Post office, drycleaner, groceries, BJ’s. Got back and did homework, cut basic soap and just generally procrastinated toll C got home. We left for Baltimore a little after 4 and it too forever to get there it seemed.
Saturday: Day in Baltimore- perused the American Craft Council Craft Show, walked around the inner harbor, had a nice dinner
Sunday: Came home but tried to stop in Wilmington for lunch first and couldn’t find anything open near the riverfront (so weird!), so we decided to stop at IKEA and pick up some drawers for our armoire and have lunch there. Once I got home I immediately put on my PJ’s, caught up on e-mail and stuff, and watched the NASCAR race while I worked on my statistics homework (both were about as equally interesting this week)…Now I pay bills, blog, and try to catch up on paperwork before starting next week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)