Habits...

Habits... Hard to form easy to break... Kind of like trust:P

 

Anyways!! I say anyways too much:P I figured that I would touch on habits a lil bit here, because that is my current uphill slog... I recently got a job as a marketing admin (YAY:D), so now, not working ANY evenings or weekends, is the time to build up some good habits!

You never realize how long evenings are until you work an evening shift and go back to days. They just kind of yawn open before you, and usually I just end up going to bed early:P

Do I have things to be doing? You bet! But, being the procrastinator I am, I just piddle around with things and waste time until it truly is crunch time!

 

So I'm trying my very hardest to form some habits, and try to say no to things people ask me to do just because I don't have time, or if I do what they want I won't have time to do what I truly need or want to be doing! Wow that was a run-on sentence!! But anyways, I'm trying to form some habits to give some sense of calm to my life.

 

First off, I didn't sign up for a CIP (REALLY hard courses) class this year. At this point there are other things I would like to prioritize. I'm hoping to sign up for some Winter Craft Sales, so I need to start working on those applications, as well as making more product!! My loom has sat vacant for the last month:(

 

I'm also training for a marathon. Not to race in a marathon (not yet anyways), but to do it just for me! Just to prove that I can do it! And also in preparation for something called The Canadian Death Race. 125km through the Rockies. Oh yeah! Because that's totally happening!!!

 

So basically, the habits I'm working on right now are running and sewing/weaving. Is it going to be easy? HELL NO!!! Will it be worth it in the end? Only time will tell!!

Is there something that you're super passionate about but just can't find the time?! In the words of Nike, JUST DO IT!!!

 

Vanish into the Mist... NOT!!

I am still here!! I have not vanished into the misty morning, just, as I mentioned earlier, been very introspective, and I've realized that I have a lot of work to do on that too! Don't worry, I'm not going to go all hippy-dippy on you:P That's not really what this blog is about. But it will probably be mentioned from time to time because it's really inspiring me to do something creative (which has mostly been journaling up to this point).

Anyways!! Creative-wise, I'm still looking for my people and waiting to be discovered... I think I need to be more pushy maybe, but that annoys me SO MUCH when people do it to me I just can't bring myself to do it.

I have big plans for more products, and I FINALLY got a new needle for my sewing machine. Things are just kind of chugging along with the little funds that I have. This REALLY limits what Markets I can apply for, or the promotions that I can do.

Ugh... I hate money... So, my next big move is pretty much to just create as much as I can, and keep an eye on the horizon for other places that I can sell my product! Etsy isn't working out super great either...

So, instead of getting super down on myself I've ended my Farmer's Market year early, and have decided to really work on the basic bones of my business. I've realized (introspection!!) that I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself to make lots of money and stressing about it when I should just be focussing on enjoying my craft...

Something I really plan to work on this long weekend!! And I REALLY need to improve on my online/social media presence. It wasn't going too bad, bbbuuuttt summer has been a lil wild:P

Anyways, look for some awesome stuff from me in the near future!! Ciao for now!!!!

The Big Four Oh!!!

Holy Moly!! When I started this blog I had no idea I'd be hitting 40 posts!! This is exciting!!!

Content though... Hmm... I guess I could reminisce about previous posts I've done... But I did that on the magical "Where has the time gone?" post. So what shall I do today...

 

Well, my plan here is to talk about my creativity of the weekend!! Since I live a way up here in Canada, I had last Friday off for Canada Day!! aka LONG WEEKEND!!!!! So, what have I been up to? Well, I think the better questions is what HAVEN'T I been up to!

 

Friday, Canada Day, my MLHS (Manitoba Living History Society if you don't do acronyms:P) was doing a demo/set up at a small museum in the city called Ross House. SUPER COOL!! This is one of the original Red River Settlement houses/museums that I had yet to go to, so I was super pumped, even if it was in a... Let's say less than reputable part of town? Didn't realize how bad a part until I got there, but we'll stick with the good, with this being the 40th post and all!!

 

Anyways, after a mild panic attack at being one of the first group there and not knowing exactly what was going on, I settled under a nice old tree and started to set up my Inkle Loom. Now, I couldn't weave with any of the super amazing yarn that I'd bought last weekend (pretty sure they didn't have fluorescent pink acrylic yarn in 1819), but I just did some more white & red for Canada Day. Worst comes to worst I just use it as part of my weaving demo in the future (it's actual wool). Other than socializing and listening to bagpipes for the next couple of hours, nothing really good came of that (did I mention NOT a good part of town?).

 

So, Ross House. I don't know the whole history of it, but I do know that it was Western Canada's first Post Office, and it was built in typical Red River Settler style. I mean you could still see the axe marks on the outer walls from where they were shaping the trees. Super cool right?! And some of the write-ups inside were also pretty cool. Would I go back? There's a possibility of no (NOT a good part of town), but it was an experience.

 

The next two days I was supposed to go and sit and weave at the 50th Annual Highland Games in Manitoba, but I was feeling a bit under the weather and didn't really think that a day of sitting in the Sun (NO trees or shade of any kind) would really help the situation. So Saturday I focused on more cleaning up in the house, and spent some quality time with our paper shredder (we had cable bills from this time last year... UGH!!). I also did a run by the Salvation Army Thrift Store and donated a whole bunch of my old school books and various other heavy as HELL things on Saturday. I think I may have broken something at the bottom of the donation bin with my textbooks and empty binders, but OH WELL!!! I'm helping the less fortunate with the added bonus of getting rid of a bunch of crap that's been sitting around in my house for the last... 4ish years?? Oh and I overflowed my recycling bin again:P Take that!!

 

Sunday was pretty much the same in regards of cleaning with one amazing added bonus... I FINISHED MY HOME-MADE WHITEBOARD/EARRING HOLDER!!! On Saturday (forgot that part), I found my old bathroom window (we re-did all our windows this Spring), cleaned it all up, and went on a cruise to go find some spray paint, steel wool, and various other stuff needed to make my ugly old bathroom window fit into my new sanctuary. Then I got busy sorting through the small forest of old papers and whatnot everywhere in our house (and I mean EVERYWHERE, it was like a treasure hunt), then played with our paper shredder. Hence filled up recycle bin.

 

Anyways, back to my creation!! It's amazing!! Half of it is a pane of glass (like oldschool glass) and the other half is screen. So, my plan was to paint the border and hang all my earrings (all 5 pairs:P) from the screen side, and then spray paint the back of the glass a light colour (I went with Ivory) so that I could use it as a white board (and maybe stick some of my power words up there:P). This was my first excursion with spray paint, and I have to say I did pretty good. There may or may not have been some mild guidance from my hubby, but I actually did all the work:D That was VERY exciting for me!! The border is like a sky blue, but a little brighter? I dunno, there's a pic of it hung up below (I'm writing this on lunch, but won't post until I have a pic of it:)).

 

I've also made some plans for when I can FINALLY paint my whole room (it's kind of a sickly yellow right now:()!! The actual walls are going to be Ivory (same shade as my white board), and the trim is all going to be the matching (or close to matching) colour of my screen thingy:D I'm so excited!!!

 

That won't be for a while tho, so I'm still trying to work out a colour scheme for everything else that I'm planning on putting in there. I'm thinking I'm going to use some Chalk Paint for my wardrobe/closet thingy and MAYBE drawers and desk (these were both my hubby's from WAY before we met, so I have to tread lightly here:P). But if not no biggie, I'm just excited to have my own space for the first time pretty much ever (came from a family of 6).

 

Anyways!!! This is all super exciting for me! I got to try spray paint, I'm going to get to try chalk paint, and I've managed to find floor space in my house that I haven't seen probably since shortly after we moved in!! The garage may be a bit messy (lots of random boxes I wasn't allowed to throw out...), but that's not my domain so who gives a bibble?!?

 

I'm also still working on all the amazing stuff that I mentioned in my last post!! I've been researching (thank you Youtube!!) a bunch of outdoorsy stuff, as well as FINALLY gotten my hubby to agree to letting me and my biggle (my 70lb dog Leica) go for a hike through Birds Hill Park. Not what I had in mind, but it works for now!!! I've also been looking into Etsy, and now all I really need are some good pictures of my works!! For that I need models... With long hair... Hmm... Maybe it's a good thing that I come from a big family:P Free labour!!!

 

TTFN, ta ta for now!!!

Taking Life by the Horns!

Have you ever experienced a soul crushing boredom? Like you feel like your life is on hold for one reason or another, and all you do is the exact same thing every day?

Yeah... This is completely me right now. Don't get me wrong, I love my life, and creativity is definitely an outlet for me, but I can't help but notice that all of my sketches lately have been about wandering off and having an adventure.

As a kid I was an avid reader of JRR Tolkien. I mean AVID!! I read The Hobbit and The LOTR so many times I lost count (it's WELL over 10). When I was a kid I didn't see why I enjoyed them, as I could have adventures every day. I could go out my door and disappear (I grew up on a LARGE farm). I had, relatively speaking, no responsibilities.

Now, as an adult, I look back on those books and seem to be waiting for my hoard of dwarves to come banging at my door, or for one of my crazy Uncle's to give me a ring that would require a llooonnnggg journey far away from here... Just waiting... Waiting... Like a caged bird... Waiting...

Well you know what?! I'M TIRED OF WAITING!!!! WAITING IS FOR THE WEAK AND I'M DONE!!! So you know what?!? This is a public statement to the internet!!! I'M NOT WAITING ANYMORE!!! I'm getting a business license for my little adventure at the farmers market!! I'm looking into winter Farmer's Markets!!! AND!!! I'M MAKING AN ETSY SHOP!!! That's right!!! AND I'M MAKING A WEBSITE!!! Not just mooching off google anymore, but my own legit website!!

I started listening (because I can't read a book at work I listen to them) to "The Big Leap" by Gay Hendricks, and he talks about the upper limit (look into it, it's a thing!). Well I've been upper-limiting the crap out of myself and I'm DONE!!! And not only in my business life, but in my personal life too!!

I'm KonMari-ing the hell out of my house this weekend (even though I'm already insanely busy) and getting all my crap from my in-laws house and I'm putting it in my room at home and organizing it and probably donating most of it, because man, do I have a LOT of crap!! And I'm GOING TO BE AN ADVENTURE GUIDE!!!!! If I can't do it in the mountains, then BY GOD I'm going to do it in Manitoba, the province where dreams go to die (mine do anyways).

My hubby is an outdoorsman (he's been there, done that, done pretty much everything I'm now interested in), BUT he hurt his shoulder and can't do much right now. Like much at all. And he's worried that I'll get hurt if I go out to the Canadian Shield and go on a DAY HIKE!! WELL YOU KNOW WHAT!!!! I WANT THIS!!! So I'll even start smaller!! I'll walk down the freaking boring-ass trails at Birds Hill Park!! Can't get much safer than that!! It's pretty much freaking paved!!!!

So I'll start with that!! Then when I prove that I won't trip over my own feet and fall to my untimely death (but what a way to go right?!?), I'll move up to something else equally boring and safe, and I'll keep on going until I've proven myself to the rest of the freaking world, I'm going to go on the whole crap-in-the-bush overnighter because that's what I want!! And I do what I want when I want. GRR!!!

...sorry about that... But really, what I was getting at was basically life is short! Do what you want! If you can't jump in head first right off the high-dive, then maybe try wading in. This burns me to the very core, because it's not my way, but you know what, if it's what you truly want, why not give it a try. Why not do the dinky ass little trails and work your way up to the awesome, climb a mountain in the middle of no-where is that actually a trail or just a part in the trees trail!!

Whatever it is, get uncomfortable!! Get to it!!