Newsletter Hell

So... I have officially forgotten how much work newsletters are... I've put in about 6 hours this weekend and I'm still not done... Ugh...

 

This reminds me that, while I absolutely love to write, editing it into a newsletter format is NOT my favourite thing to do. Ugh... Trying to get a hold of people for things is also super not overly fun...

 

HOWEVER!! The weekend was not a total hair-pulling newsletter fiasco, I also finally got off my ass and painted!!! Yay!!! This does require a little back story though!

 

So, last Friday it was pouring rain... My bus stop is about a 10 minute walk from work, down a sidewalk that is RIGHT beside a very battered road (I'm doing a photo-series on this, stay tuned), so there's puddles EVERYWHERE. Now, most motorists where I live either can't drive well, or are complete jerks, so, not only was I battling puddles on the sidewalk, drivers were constantly splashing me. I was also only wearing a hoodie and my runners (my rubber boots cut off the circulation to my legs, and it wasn't raining when I left home in the morning half asleep). The only thing I really had going for me was the fact that I had an umbrella. But, if any of you live on the bald prairies in the spring, it was windy as sin so my umbrella kept blowing inside out; not much help.

 

At this point, understandably I think, I was soaked and incredibly cranky. Oh! It was also pretty much the only day last week that I didn't drive to work, and it was the only day last week that we had a torrential downpour. So, completely soaked and incredibly cranky, my mind turned to what I had to get done this weekend. I had been wanting to paint for WEEKS (as mentioned in previous posts), and since water was currently the bane of my existence, I decided I was going to paint a puddle with watercolour. I have never used watercolour as an adult. When I was super young we had little watercolour kits we would mess around with, but that was probably 20 years ago...

 

Raise Your Hand Say Yes right? So for accountability purposes, I put it up on Facebook for all my family and friends to see. Not too sure about the rest of the world, but this is super scary for me. I don't normally let people know when I'm doing creative things. Up on Facebook it went, my sweeping declaration that I was going to paint a puddle with watercolour paints. BAM!!

 

Well, true to form I put it off, and put it off, and put it off some more. Even though it was something a really wanted to try. Finally, after looking at my art kit thing (got it at Micheals a couple years ago, first time I've actually used it:P) for a couple hours, I found my multimedia sketchbook, got a lil glass of water, and went to town. What did I find out? I LOVE watercolour!! It's super fun and easy to mix colours right on the page. My technique leaves much to be desired, and if I didn't point out the fact that it's a puddle I think most people would have thought that it was a blue blob surrounded by brown with some blue lines on it (it was still raining when I was painting, so more rain seemed apt), but it's still something I'm super duper proud of. For my first try, I had fun!!

 

Now, because I very seldom do things halfway, not only did I tell the people of Facebook that I was going to do this, I actually POSTED IT on facebook (and instagram, but I do that with all my doodles and trials so I'm used to that). The reaction? Quite a few likes and some real support. What did I think was going to happen? The absolute worse thing possibly imaginable, because that's just how I roll. Hi there Inner Critic! How are you doing? Guess what? I just totes outsmarted you, and I plan to do it again in the future!

 

So, maybe doing something absolutely terrifying and new isn't such a bad thing. I now truly believe that everyone should do it:)

 

Peace out Monday!!!

Spring?? Where did you go??

I walked to work this morning in a parka, toque and mitts... It's April... Not that this is uncommon in the great frozen North, but still. Come on, enough already!

Alright, rant done moving into actual content now :)

So, I've been kind of away from the whole Social Media from a couple of days now, been feeling kinda bummed out and stressed. Why? Well, I kind of figured it out yesterday when I was telling a friend how tired I am. She told me that she hardly slept last night, and I agreed yes, I don't sleep super great. Then I started adding up all of the things I'm currently doing/just finished/are coming up... It was exhausting just writing it! Anyways, here they are in their glory:

• Marketing Director for the Manitoba Animal Health Technologists Association Board (having to meet multiple deadlines in the next couple weeks)
• Company Softball team
• Active Member of the Manitoba Living Historical Society
• Just finished a very intensive Certified Insurance Professional course
• Filling in applications and making content for Farmer's Markets for this summer (most are due by 3/30/16)
• Doing an application for an Artist Mentoring Program
• Just applied for a new position at work

Whew... Oh and plus trying to have a life at home too with my hubby and dogs... Wow... So yeah, needless to say I'm going to be making up a to do list today with deadlines for everything!

Anyways, on the brighter side of life, I might be having a few guest posts in the next little while on here! I'm super excited about that! I'll also probably (hopefully) be doing some guest posts on some other blogs as well hoping to get a lil foot traffic around here, and just because I love to write.

Speaking of writing, the first Letter to the Editor I submitted to a big local paper has been PUBLISHED!!!!! Mine is the first letter in the link. Operation Bombard Local Papers with Letters to the Editor until they give me a Job is well underway!! Yay!! On the writing side of things, I'm also starting to brainstorm ideas for a literary non-fiction (writing in 3rd person, not super great at that) to submit to another magazine competition. It's kind of ironic that I was so worried about how I would write two short fictions, when now I'm having even more trouble writing a non-fiction. But hey, once I start things kind of just write themselves.

I'm also working on my weaving. I'm now on creation #3 and loving every minute of it! I REALLY need to get some new and fun yarn though... I need more vibrant colours and different textures for my weavables!!

Well, that's all for now!! Things are looking up for the moment, even though it's cold as sin outside!!

 

PS - This is what I got from Starbucks today to warm up! Yay for winning work draws!! 

Don't Forget to hit SAVE

Hello all!

As the title dictates, I was about halfway through an entry last night and I had to get up to do something else. Not thinking, I simply locked my phone and walked away. When I came back I had received an important email from a Board of Directors I'm in, so naturally I minimized my blog screen to deal with the email. Then, when I came back to it, all that was left was the title... I almost screamed, because at that point I had no clue what I was writing about😢

So, this is kind of a take 2 in that respect. But it will also probably be totally different.

This past weekend I've been weaving (see the pic for my first product), prepping to sew another dress (1812 this time), and giving my submissions to the Grain Magazine Short Grain Contest a final once over. I don't think I've ever been more terrified hitting the send button on an email, because, unlike this blog, at least one person will actually be reading my writing. My work has been published before, but on a much smaller scale (newsletters). However, now my new philosophy on life, go big or go home, is demanding more. But what's the worst they can say? We don't like your stories so we're not going to publish them. If I don't win (won't find out until August, 2016) I'll just submit them elsewhere, or publish them here on my blog. It's something I love to do so it's not even a chore.

That and I LOVE to be heard. I'm a rather loud and opinionated person once you get to know me😜 I'm also trying to come up with a literary non-fiction for another contest, but that one isn't due until November (it's the end of March now), so I've got lots of time. I'm thinking about using the time I was attacked by a feral cat in clinic, but we'll see what I actually end up doing. My stories kind of write themselves.

And like a boss, I remembered to hit save this time (I had to go back to work midrant😜).

Anyways, back to before. I'm also coming leaps and bounds in the weaving department!! I completed my first product (rope/tie/belt thingy), which is not perfect, but I love it anyways😜 I'm now starting on my second project (forgot to take a pic of it last night to post here), which is a lot wider then my first project, so I'm learning all over again. I, being a person with multiple thumbs, am finding it particularly difficult. That's how you learn though!! This one is pink, white, and gold. Super excited to start growing my stock so I can start selling.

That's all for now!! Yay creativity!!

Cooking with Grease

Hello again!!

I'm cooking with grease now!! ...that's a saying right? Anyways, things are slowly starting to go my way😜

My course is over in 2 weeks (FINALLY!!), so I'll actually have some time to work on all my projects. Not to mention I finally sat down and figured out my new inkle loom, so I've almost got my first woven creation finished!!! It's very basic and kind of woky in some places, but for a first try it's not too shabby!!! Pretty excited about that one. I'm also getting a bit more of a following on Instagram, which is totally awesome, thanks to my doodles of the day.

I'm super excited to get going on my loom again tonight and to post some pics!! Not to mention getting some wild and wacky wool and make some loud creations.

Also, since I went out to my parents this past weekend, I raided my old/my mom's fabric hoard and found some goodies in there. Should probably cut out that 1812 dress pattern and actually get that going too... Yay hand sewing... I have a short attention span😜 In case you couldn't tell😜

Anyways, my journey continues in an uphill trajectory and I'm really starting to enjoy myself😊

OH!!! Almost forgot!! I also just submitted my first writing for a magazine short fiction contest. Super nervous, but also really excited😊

Things keep on looking up!!

Ramen Noodles for Lunch

Hello again to myself and to those who breeze by my blog page😜 We are now about to enter the weekend and WHEW what a week it's been!!

On the plus side it seems like I'm going to get to do a lot more writing in the near future, as I seem to have taken over the main role of Marketing Director for the Manitoba Animal Health Technologists Assoc. This should be fun, figuring out social media and tech swag😜 Gonna be a good year!!

On a different note, I am still studying for my exam (ugh...) and as luck would have it the 2 hour evening class seems to be the time when my creativity goes all unleashed on the world. I get far more done (discreetly of course) in that time then I do most of the week. No one tell!! lol😜

I've also decided to try and make my #dailydoodles on instagram a daily passion project. I'm getting at least 1 like per doodle now, which feels pretty darn good!! This may seem like small potatoes to some, but just starting out it feels pretty darned good!!

I've also submitted another letter to the editor (planning to do a lot more with that once school is over), and am just touching up my two fictional stories for a contest submission!! Busy busy!! ...and I may have just joined a work baseball team as well...

I have to eat now before my lunchtime is over, so have a great weekend everyone!!!!

FRIDAY!!!!!!

Hello again!!

So, recently I had to turn down the chance to get in on an AWESOME business start up program, It's Business Time, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm still pretty bummed out about it... The part I was most looking forward to was figuring out exactly WHAT I want to do for my creative entrepreneurial dreams.

A couple months ago I thought I had it all figured out, I was going to make up a bunch of crafty type stuff and sell them at farmers markets this summer. But, fate can be cruel.

I also started writing and drawing again, which are both long time passions of mine that I had completely forgotten about. I mean, I've wanted to write a book for a while now, but wasn't really doing anything about it. And I always knew that I liked drawing, but I just didn't have time anymore. On that tangent, I also didn't think that they were any good before, but thank you Instagram for proving me wrong on that one😄 Not perfect, but improving.

Anyways, so now I'm all stressy about what I want to do... I still want to do the farmers markets, but I'm not really sure if any of my drawings or paintings would sell, and you can't really sell writing at a farmers market... Ugh... LIFE!!!

First world problems right? I'm starting to figure out this whole blogging thing, even though I'm pretty sure no one's reading it... That's ok though, I talk to myself lots anyways😜

Until next time, enjoy one of my random doodles and check me out on instagram @hobbitgirl25

Have a great weekend!!!!