Make-Up and Mud Boutique

I Prayed. God Listened and Answered. Again.

2012-06-12T10:57:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken of Izzy and Me Goofing Around TWO summers ago... Where does the time go? Our lives have changed so much!

Good Morning Friends! The house is still quiet this morning, and I'm taking advantage of the calmness.

God definitely hears our prayers! Long story short, I was talking to Scott a few days ago and I was talking about fears about trying 150% to really make my jewelry business work. I told him about how stressful it was for me to list all of the changes I need to make to REALLY call myself "working" and how difficult it would be to work hard enough to keep consistent sales that are high enough to sustain a real viable jewelry business. I finally just laid it all out on the table for him: My Fears, My Insecurities, and My Anxieties about my recent decision to turn my Jewelry Designs from my current "Facebook Hobby/Shop" and Etsy Shop to a "Real Business" with taxes and invoices and consistency and insurance...and that's where my eyes fog over every time.

Alabama Glass Necklace and Matching Earrings Set: PRICE $35

Some of the topics we talked about included:

My fears about PHYSICALLY being able to actually PROVIDE the services I commit to offer and being able to rely on my body to not let me down.

This stems from my fears and past experiences with Multiple Sclerosis and worrying about not being able to control the symptoms of my disease. I hate to admit, but there have been quite a few delayed package shipments, unreturned phone calls, and procrastinating working on orders that resulted in low customer service in the past year.
While a lot of this irresponsibility can be blamed on the MS effects and my deep depression last year, I have to take appropriate credit for some of it on my "normal" shoulders. The honest truth is: my fears of disappointing customers or failing to thrive have ironically "paralyzed" my Creative "Side" many times. As a result, while I have received consistent positive feedback from customers that love their purchases, I'm sure they were annoyed with me for my lack of organization and unprofessional attitude. Honestly, I'm tired of doubting myself and dragging my heels, both of which cause my stomach to be in knots from guilt and worry.

How overwhelmed I am with the "Business Side" of starting a business. It seems like one thing leads to another.

For example, saying that I'm setting up my "Business Taxes" means that I'm having to learn all about sales tax, collecting and paying, how much to collect, paying unemployment taxes, when to pay the IRS, what I can deduct, Employment Identification Numbers (or if I even need one if I'm don't have employees NOW) but might in the future, and the list goes on and on... see what I mean?
Slowly but surely building an inventory of thousands of different types of beads is a great accomplishment for me, but using so many types of components is difficult to track. How do I manage my inventory? How do I track sales? How do I price each piece to track AND ensure that I'm not losing money. What software programs are recommended by other "beaders" and how much does it cost? Will I be able to afford it? How difficult is the software to learn to use to benefit my business, and how long will it take me to learn how to use it?
What exactly do I want to sell? Who are my target customers? I can't be everything to everyone, but what exactly do I want to be? What services will I offer? Should I sell exclusively online, or at craft shows, or sell wholesale to retail shops, or Etsy, or just Facebook?
What are my goals? I can't start out doing everything I have in mind right away, so what am I going to start with? How big do I want my business to be? Do I always want to be working from home or would I like to eventually expand to a physical retail store? If I want a physical store, what city would I want it to be in? Will I physically AND mentally be able to run a business from a new location? Can I rely on my body to work for me on a consistent basis? How will I build my business?
How can I plan NOW for the Christmas Rush to ensure that I won't run out of inventory like last year? What should I be doing NOW to be prepared for a boost in sales? Should I start to find someone that can work with me this year during the crazy Holiday busy time so I'm not scattered in 50 places like I was last year? Who would I find to help me, since I now live in a new city and I don't know anyone around me? How can I take advantage of the Holiday season and make the most of my holiday time, an opportunity to possibly reach my biggest sales for the entire year. How do I plan for slow sales after Christmas? What Craft Shows will I do next year?

Those are just a few random things that I spewed out when I broke down to Scott the other day.

Auburn Glass Necklace and Earrings Set: PRICE $35

Scott "did what he does best" and kind of looked through all of the "static" I was freaking out about and asked me two simple questions:

Do I use my time each day in the best way possible and work hard to sell my jewelry or am I wasting a lot of time? I had to be honest, and say that I waste a lot of time and I'm making horrible use of my time all day. So he replied, "Well, there you go. You only have yourself to blame for not selling as much jewelry as you would like to."
He said, "I hear you talk about blogging and posting information online, but are you really trying to "sell" your jewelry or just talk about it?" ... I didn't like hearing what he said, but I had to give it to him: He had a point.

This is my Business Accountant, Kim... who is also my beautiful Mama! (She really is an accountant:)

I stood there, running his reply over a few times in my head, and I looked at him and explained this to him:

When I worked my craft show booths a few weeks ago, my confidence soared, along with my productivity, my energy, and my outlook on everything in my life, both business and personal, was uplifted. I was getting a lot of positive feedback Face-To-Face, and I could study behaviors to decipher the negative feedback and make improvements. I learned more in three weeks than I have over the past year, just from customer interaction face-to-face, something I'm obviously lacking selling exclusively online. I have about a month between my last craft show and my next craft show, and in that downtime lately, my confidence has gone back to my previous bottomed-out state and I've started doubting myself again.

The good news is that my recent craft show experiences gave me a tiny taste and showed me something: I CAN sell my jewelry and there ARE people out there that will buy my designs. But if I don't put myself and my business out there, they're not going to come looking for me.

This is me, Chelsea, setting up for one of my craft shows!

After pausing for a bit, I said, "I have some jewelry from my last craft show that is still packed up in my bins, and I've never photographed it. No one even knows that I have these pieces, and I feel like if I list them on Facebook, I might sell a few pieces. I just have to FORCE myself to take the photos and then edit all of them, upload the photos to an album and take the time to price and describe each piece, respond to customer comments and replies quickly, and make necessary jewelry get my orders in the mail. And when that suffocating grip of doubt and fear starts to creep up and paralyze me again and again, I have to be strong enough to push it back." His response was something like, "Well, there you go."

I just told myself that "It's all or nothing from this point on."

I spent many hours for the rest of the day and half of the night pulling out ALL of the jewelry I had already made, took photographs, edited each piece, sometimes multiple photos for one piece, uploaded pictures to Facebook, Started Pricing, and just tried to aggressively be productive, probably doing more work in one day than I would usually do in one month. It was awesome for my body, providing me with a confident boost of energy to see myself being productive, and it also gave Scott an opportunity to see that the "Process" of listing items isn't quite as easy and fast as it sounds... and that doesn't include the design process, shipping process, or buying supplies process... or the business process.

I can't tell you how many times I've asked myself..."Can I do this?"

That night when I laid down and started to say my prayers, I was pretty frank with God. I asked for His guidance and asked Him to let me know if this was the path He had planned for me. While I have felt like it is indeed in His overall plan for me to start my own jewelry business, I needed a little sign of confirmation. It was more like, "God, if I'm headed down the right path, please let some of my new jewelry sell to let me know that I'm going the right direction. If I'm completely going backwards, I'll stop with this whole "Starting a Jewelry Business" deal and move on."

I have always believed that God answers prayers, but I'm still amazed at how specific He has been as He's answered my prayer this week, more than I could have ever imagined. In the past 3 DAYS, I've sold more jewelry through my Facebook Shop and through Custom Jewelry Orders than I did at all THREE of my craft shows combined! I even sold the Whimsical Little Tray below in my Etsy Shop yesterday. I feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I can smile in relief. Our Awesome Customers we've had so far this week just don't know how much of an answer to prayer they are! I really do feel like I'm blessed, and I just feel... Loved!

Am I still scared? More than ever. Am I going to give this EVERYTHING I can... and maybe a little more? I have to... for my own sanity.

You know that old song you hear in church sometimes... I think it's called "Love Lifted Me?" Well, that's exactly how I felt this morning when I woke up... and the tune is only playing louder in my head as the morning wears on! My confidence has definitely "Lifted" and I give complete credit to "Love" ...God's love, that is.

Memory Wire Bracelets: PRICE $8

Have a great rest of the week! (Oh, and if you haven't already, I'd love for your to browse through my designs and SHARE my Facebook Shop on your wall for friends and family to see as well! Thanks so much!)

-Chelsea

Trading Pajamas for Yoga Pants... One Step At A Time

2012-06-04T15:01:00.004-05:00

(I should add first thing that I am completely joking in some areas of this post. Ex: the yoga pants transition section. Just kidding around in a chaotic area of my life)

Goodbye May... Hello June! Can you believe we are four whole days into June already! If you're like me then you just want to pile on the Afro Sheen and bake in the hot sun for a few hours everyday in the pool. But then we would look like this:

Yea, this just isn't going to work for me...

The other solution is to go the Self-Tanner Route, which may work for you better than it has for me. Through past confidence wounding trial-and-error embarrassments, I have learned to avoid the foul-smelling potions as a result of my self-tanner test trials mostly ending with me looking like something similar to the ~~beautiful~~ mess below:

Doesn't she just make you want to give her a big hug while wearing a brand new white shirt?

On to New Shop News... (work must prevail in spite of tan line opportunities)

In the last blog entry, "Opening My Real Shop: Making the Final Jump," you gained a little insight into my BIG plan to shift from a jewelry hobby/shop, Make Up and Mud Boutique, to a real, legitimate, profitable, and legal BUSINESS. With Taxes. And a set steady sssss...schedule (I'm already having a hard time making myself agree to follow my own rules).

Rule #1 To Give Myself: No more wearing pajamas all day, even if you do work from home.

BONUS: If the change from pajama pants to actual clothing accepted in the "real world" seems to be a bit too exhausting and traumatic, take baby steps to make a smooth transition. For example, upgrade to Yoga pants.

Now repeat to yourself: (CALM DOWN... you do not have to actually DO yoga to wear these pants. Yoga is for people who are flexible and trying to be healthy, and that is not on your list at this moment.)

Formula Result of Enforcing Rule #1 On Yourself:

Sporting Yoga pants = You're totally going to be a millionaire one day, because you know how to take things slow and easy and take one step at a time. Making Progress!

Next week we'll move on to wearing shoes for at least half a day...

Do you ever start to simply PLAN a project and find that the more you plan, the more you find avenues and open doors to underlying areas that you never even knew existed? Then you find yourself in over your head with too many choices before you can even come up for air, right? Well, that's pretty much the situation that I'm "trying" to avoid in this "Business Planning" process. Notice the emphasis on the word "trying" as that effort is still a work in progress.

While forming a business plan and setting goals can be quite confusing at times, planning and guidelines are definitely a requirement when you actually want to make real progress with your business. And I'm ready to shift out of the "Random Craft Show" and "I-might-sell-a-few-pairs-of-earrings this month" mode. At this point, I'm seriously craving organization. What sets this situation apart from my past organization ideas and pseudo-campaigns is one important detail: This time, I'm actually DOING something to promote organization and growth for my shop, instead of just thinking about doing something.

This is Mrs. Bethany Loftin, owner/photographer of A Vintage Love Photography. Bethany not only takes phenomenal pictures (while taking care of THREE small adorable children), but she also offers her photography services at refreshingly reasonable prices. From day one she modeled her photography business plan, goals, and prices to be affordable and available while also providing a fun experience for everyone involved. She occasionally offers various package discounts, runs contests, and surprise price reductions on a limited time basis, and her the resulting pictures are always sensational!

The current result of her hard work: A Vintage Love Photography continues to thrive and grow steadily in an economy where "realistic thinking" says success right now is highly unlikely if not altogether impossible. So why am I including her in this blog post? Because while giving me a wonderful friendship, I'm also thankful to have learned a LOT about managing my business just by listening to her business advice, watching her own business tactics, strategies, and trying to form a similar model for my own business. She has kept my confidence up even when we both weren't making a dime. We started developing business ideas about the same time, and we have been friends and business confidante's pretty much since day one. We've experienced failures and made mistakes together, even as we both work to open a business in completely different fields, and she has provided precious feedback even when it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I've learned many valuable lessons by watching her own business success and studying her determination, wonderful organization skills, marketing success strategies and overall business outlook. I'm extremely thankful for Bethany and her guidance!

You should definitely Click on the link above to visit A Vintage Love Photography's business page, and check out the amazing images Bethany has captured, and while you're there, be sure you "LIKE" her page, because she has awesome contests and deals that you will not want to miss! It would be wonderful if you would tell her that Chelsea or Make Up and Mud Boutique sent you, because I'd be thrilled to see that you are being involved and helping to promote our businesses! As a result of so many of her satisfied past customers spreading the news about A Vintage Love Photography, Bethany usually books up pretty fast these days, so if you're interested in scheduling a photo shoot with A Vintage Love Photography, whether it be for Summer Photos, Fall Photo's, and even Christmas photo's, reserve a spot on her calendar as soon as possible... In the meantime, here's a link to A Vintage Love Photography's Most Recent Special: Monthly Birthday Club Entry!

Now, Back to Business Planning:

You couldn't even begin to count how many small business articles I've read, and how much knowledge I've gained from watching videos and reading articles at INC. And notes... well, I have an entire notebook full of lists, scribbles, ideas, drawings, crazy ambitions, and the lists go on. It's enjoyable to read through the notebook to see how much research and progress I've already made this far, and helps to motivate me on sluggish days.

Remember: If we don't set goals and makes plans for our own lives, no one is going to make them for us.
You have to believe in yourself before anyone else will believe in you, and that's what I'm trying to do by stepping out of my comfort zone and reach for what I want...still a little shaky! I just keep telling myself "I can do this. I have the drive and skills to make this happen. I will overcome ANY and ALL obstacles I encounter along this journey. and so on..." Then I work to make myself believe it (and the more I "pump up" myself, the more I am actually starting to get REALLY excited about future possibilities! Where is God taking me? :)

And this is Mrs. Kristin Moore, my lifelong best friend and partner in...well, just about everything and EVERY major decision I have ever made has had her voice echoing in the background. When you put us together, the left side of my brain shuts down and the right side of her brain shuts down, and when we combine our brain halves... we only make sense to each other. And that's the way it has always been. And although I don't like to form a habit of making assumptions, I'll go out on a limb this time and assume that we will always be this way together. From the start of our friendship (which began when we were 3 years old and in the hospital together for two SEPARATE accidents at the daycare where we both attended) until now, we've managed to create balance for each other.

Again, you're probably wondering why I've included Kris in this particular blog entry, right? Well, it just so happens that Kristin taught me how to make my first pair of earrings, AND she bought me my first pack of beads. She got this WHOLE plan started without even meaning to. She also deserves credit for designing the bridal jewelry I wore in my own wedding and the jewelry I gave to my bridal party and a select few other wedding party attendants.

Under Kristin's supervision, I clumsily made my first earring loop in the middle of the night, sitting Indian-style on a stage in the middle of a barn. Normal atmosphere for finding your calling in life? Not exactly. But then again, we've never really done anything the "normal" way, and I'm not ready to start now. So where does Kristin "fit into" my new Business plan? Well, you will just have to keep following this business progress project to find out :)

This process would definitely run a LOT more smoothly if YOU would give me your ideas, feedback, business advice, guidance, prayers, motivation, ANYTHING, good and bad, that could help me grow. (Yes, I'm talking to YOU, the person reading this blog!) I'm open to ALL marketing ideas, business ideas, and direction that you have to offer. And don't sell yourself short either (here comes my new-found advice thinking), you don't have to run your own business or even hold a "real" job to have useful advice that I definitely need to hear. Maybe you read an article about organization in the latest edition of Oprah magazine and you remember a few useful tips that I could possibly use... Please share with me!

(One definite area I need assistance with: WEBSITE DEVELOPING! If you know someone that could be helpful, please send me their way!)

This is the current "Reserved Listing" design for Custom Orders in Make Up and Mud Boutique's ETSY Shop. This definitely needs a major update and more cheerful change, so I'll add that to my ever-growing list of "a-whole-lotta-stuff-to-do"!

When I'm able to finally narrow the focus on the jumble of information and ideas randomly floating around in my head right now, I will fill you in on the broad "roadmap" I have designed for the rest of the year, the next few years, and my long term goals. If I could share more with you right now, I definitely would, because I'm more than anxious to get a little bit of this "info weight" off of my shoulders. In the meantime, I'll still keep doing a little soul-searching and necessary organizing. I'm learning to focus, and I just can't rush this process.

In the Beginning... Styles I was making this time last year, June 2011. The ONLY style I knew how to make! Thankful for my opportunities to learn and make progress!

I've realized that I can't keep making random jewelry and accessories without any constant style or focus, so I'm deciding what pieces, items, or services I will offer. Always changing without any real constant is not beneficial to my business and most importantly, it is not fair to my customers. This might be one of the most difficult processes I'm working through, because I do not ever want to become bored with the design process or experience "artist block." I don't want to make the same pieces over and over, so I'm trying to design a plan that works with my ideas AND reality. (which is harder than you think)

I would love to offer special "Collections" of certain jewelry styles for several target markets, but I'm learning to accept the fact that I can't just reach this goal overnight; I have to work toward and build my designs to fall into place, creating the combination of styles and types of jewelry that I one day want to be able to offer to customers. I definitely have a vision, or at this point, many visions, and I'm trying to arrange each element to create a whole plan and find a way to execute the necessary steps required to reach this success.

With business changes also comes personal and mental health improvements. While I like this picture of myself, I also find this picture to be a reminder of such a painful time in my life, therefore I channel that negative energy to motivate me to keep on climbing and trying to grow stronger in many different ways!

Unfortunately, unless you have been able to visit my one of my recent craft show booths in person, you haven't even been given much of a chance to see my new styles and pieces. And they are a LOT more sophisticated and cheerful than my previously uploaded work. (I took a few online classes and read a good bit of design articles... my work needed a "pick-me-up" to offer new styles completely different from my other craft show competitors...Refreshing!)

Previous Craft Show Post w/ Photos

Due to the fact that my Facebook shop and Etsy shop inventory hasn't been updated with the new designs and pieces yet, I can't share how much past styles have grown and evolved with unique style... I can't wait to slow down and take a little time to share with you some of the best-sellers we (Scott and I) have been selling regularly at our booth! Some of my latest customers were reached at craft shows, and the marketing opportunity has been exceptional!

The process I'm trying to create required building again from the ground up, but this time my dreams and plans will be built the right way and built to last. God has definitely been by my side during this process, and for His guidance I am thankful! For now, I'm keeping my eye on the prize, my feet grounded, my thoughts "somewhat" reasonable, and my dreams limitless... the best way to be!

On my To-Do list: Determine what sells and what doesn't. These earrings are a definite addition to the "What Sells" list of styles to keep making. I'm marking my milestones along the way, and the first sale of these earrings is still my most expensive earring sale to date...

I'll never forget: I was riding in the car with Scott last Thanksgiving, when I received an e-mail with the digital receipt of these earrings documenting the sale for... $28.00. That's almost triple what I usually charged for my other styles, but I had to get a little out of my comfort zone to price this pair. This design was far more complex than usual, and I had to price them higher to compensate for the added materials and time, which oddly enough made me feel a little guilty.

In the time since then, I've developed even more complex techniques and made many more styles along the same level as this pair, but I'll always remember my first big earring sale.

That's all for today! Thank you for taking the time to read and be a part of this unpredictable journey. Whether one day you ever see Jennifer Anniston sporting one of my designs or if my career path changes to carry us in a whole new direction, together we will achieve the ultimate success! YES!

Don't forget... SHARE your ideas, thoughts, things you would like ANYONE to offer you... the options are endless!

Opening My REAL Shop... Making The Final Jump!

2012-05-25T14:46:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone! Well, I have to tell you.... I've really been working hard to avoid writing this blog post. I mean, every time I think about writing this particular entry, I just change my thought subject to, well... anything besides blogging.

Why, you might ask, am I dancing around this particular entry? Because as a result of my recent failures to consistently keep you updated about our crazy life, there is so SO much news that I have to share with you, and well, it's a little overwhelming to piece together to be quite honest. Right now, I feel like my brain has been in running in circles for weeks now, because I have so many ideas and goals to organize and put down in paper.

Something about my recent trip with my mom to California for the Race to Erase MS Event changed my outlook on a LOT of areas in my life... I guess I gained a little bit more confidence to be honest! For the first time in my life, I was in a city with my mom, and I was the one who knew what to do, where to go, what was safe, etc... I guided my mom for the first time. And I was surprisingly prepared and successful, something I'd really secretly worried about for a while now. Two women alone in LA... a LOT could happen! By the way, we had a BLAST and more info coming about my trip soon!

As you know, I have been designing and selling jewelry and jewelry boxes for about a year now. I've had a few successful bouts of sales, but for the most part I've put most of my time and energy into studying how to make new styles, searching for inexpensive supplies and tools, studying the market for handmade jewelry, learning how to work a successful craft show, finding and painting all of my jewelry show displays, setting up my Etsy shop, experiencing a LOT of trial and error in every finance-draining situation possible, and the list goes on. Oh, and I've learned a LOT about wasting time, too. I'm working on that flaw as I write...

SOLD!

I've been going two steps forward, five steps back, and I feel like for the first time, I'm ready to start moving forward at a much faster rate. In the past year or so, I've had a weird cycle that keeps repeating over and over again. I'll be so determined and confident, I'll take tons of pictures, update my Etsy shop, post Facebook status updates, and market here and there. Then, when I get an order, especially if it's a custom order, I would completely start freaking out inside, second guessing myself, thinking "What if their necklace breaks?" or "What if they hate their new jewelry box in person?" ... I'll drive myself CRAZY thinking like that!

SOLD!

As a result of my hesitation, I feel like I've been putting one toe in the lake, testing the water, deciding that it's the perfect temperature, but never getting the courage to ever completely jump in. And then I end up sitting there, watching everyone else swim, imaging what it would be like if I had enough guts to make the jump into the water! In this scenario, jumping into the water = Completely starting a small business, with ALL of the bells and whistles. Being confident in myself. Holding myself accountable, Meeting my own goals.

But you know what? If I'm going to meet my own goals, then I have to actually set goals, right? I mean, up until now, I've had a mixture of jumbled goals and dreams in my head. I'll spout out a few things here and there that I would like to do in the "future," but I never really addressed WHEN in the "future" I was referring to. And at the rate I've been going and the work ethic I've had, I'm pretty sure I never will never reach ANY of my goals if I don't take my business attitude up a step. Or a whole staircase.

SOLD!

A lot of my hesitation comes from my own insecurity with my medical condition. Last year, I was a completely different person than I was the year before. And now I'm completely different than I was last year. And I actually like who I am now most of all! I had pseudo-confidence before I went through my medical horror story last year, because there was no foundation under my ego. When my spirit was tested, it pretty much fell flat. What I've learned is, the confidence I'm building in myself now may be a slow process, but I feel like I'm earning it for myself. I'm working to make myself who I am, and that makes me appreciate myself more and think about my actions, my choices, and my consequences a LOT more than before.

In January/February, I shared with you that I wanted to be more organized and get more control over my life. And while I still update and add to that personal list quite often, I'm proud to say that I have marked quite a few goals off that list. That adds a little strength to my spirit right there, and I trust myself and my abilities more now than I have in a while. Also, Scott has become much more involved in my business process, and I feel like I have his support and his advice more than I ever have. With his blessing comes a lot of much needed security, because I like knowing he has my back! It makes me feel a lot less overwhelmed.

Still for sale!
www.etsy.com/shop/makeupandmudboutique

So what is my "Make Up and Mud Boutique" plan? Well, that's what I'm working on. Trying to work on, actually.

In the past, I didn't have a real goal, so I've had no real direction as a result. I haven't been organized and rigid with myself, and my financial records look like a 5 year old arranged them. My receipts have pieces of skittles stuck to them from being crumpled in the bottom of my purse. I have 4, yes FOUR, receipt books with absolutely no order to either of them. They are all partially completed, each new book being the resulting purchase of the previous book unable to be located. And if I got really busy, I didn't write a receipt at all. My jewelry inventory is actually quite organized in plastic bins. As far as being organized on paper with my costs to reference for prices... I haven't done that either. I'm fortunate that I have put so much time into building my bead inventory, one sale at a time, and I can seriously tell you where each and every bead came from and how much I paid for the packs. And I have thousands of beads! That's great, but I HAVE to get all of this information out of my head and into my computer files!

To sum it up, I have goals and the opportunity to thrive at my own jewelry business by taking advantage of many different outlets, such as craft shows. So far, the main thing holding me back has been lack of motivation and confidence in myself to succeed. So, fear of failure to be honest. (Something I've refreshingly found to be the most common reason for people never starting their own business... which makes me even more determined to be successful and make that leap!)

So, what is my next step? Make a BUSINESS PLAN that involves and organizes EVERY goal, plan, dream, idea, direction, etc, so I can use it as a guide for me to use to stay on track.
I need to set daily, weekly, yearly, etc goals and determine exactly what I have to do and what needs to happen to reach those goals and plan my next steps.
I have to figure out where I see myself in the future and what I want to be doing.
How much money do I want to make?
What do I want to contribute to my family?
What do I deem to be successful for my own life?
What are my weaknesses, and how do I overcome them?
How can I work in Multiple Sclerosis and live around the hard times?
How am I going to market my items?
What am I going to sell?
Where do I need to focus the most of my attention?
How do I see my business growing?
What would I like to offer to my customers?
Do I need a website or continue to use Etsy?
What are my shop policies? Hours to work each day/week?
Will I always work from home, or would I like to strive to have my own shop out of my home in several years?
Do I want to change my shop name while I have the chance?
Do I really want to be accountable to REAL, SERIOUS orders and be held accountable by the IRS to pay TAXES? (That scares me to death!)
How can I make myself like going to the post office? (Threw that one in for laughs... haha)

The truth is, I desperately want all of those things. I'm so anxious to have all of these questions answered and down on paper, and have some direction in my life. One thing about me is that when I put my mind to something, I do whatever it takes to make it work. I know this will be very hard work, and it will get a tiny bit easier when I get used to a schedule. It's hard though, when you're "working for yourself" because you are required to have discipline with yourself (add that to my list of weaknesses). You have to be responsible enough to TURN PINTEREST OFF! (Yep, add that too!)

And trust me, I have a LOT of weaknesses to overpower, but I know I can do it. I'm stuck right now, pushing each day and wasting time, because I'm scared... of failing. But I can't let that stop me or use that as an excuse to do lousy business anymore.

Working craft shows with Scott really boosted my confidence level, because for the first time since I started creating, I actually felt legit. People were actually taking me seriously, and there were complete strangers complimenting my work and asking for my business card. I'm not going to lie... I worked my butt off before every single show, ALL hours of the night. And though I was so tired, it paid off at each show and I LOVED every minute of it! But it got me thinking about how much time I'm wasting and how, if I could be successful at each show by being focused and working hard, just imagine how I could do if I put 100 % energy into the other areas of my shop. What is I actually made this a REAL business with all of the bells and whistles? (GASP!)

There were two wake-up calls for me:

I was on the phone with my mom, and I was talking about one of my friends deciding to focus on her career before having kids. My mom caught me off guard when she said, "Well, that's something for you to think about, because you're not doing too bad yourself!" It might sound small but there was something about the way she said it that let me know she thought I had the ability to be successful at what I'm working for... and I needed that boost.
The next wake-up call came in one of those brutally honest conversations with Scott when I was telling him what my goals and dreams were, but I told him I was so scared of failing, and he said, "Well, you've already proven that you can make money." ... and simple as that sounds, it was my confirmation that he was indeed noticing that I had SOME ability to pull this thing together.

Those little instances are small, yes. But when you're battling with your own thoughts and standing on two shaky legs... those words mean the world! And I'm going to need something from you too... When I have everything up and running (You'll definitely know when I'm SET-UP for REAL), I'll need YOU to please SHARE this This Blog, SHARE my Facebook Shop, SHARE my Etsy Shop, TELL your friends about my shop, anything you can do to get my name out there! I'm considering selling mainly from a website, but you'll know more about that later!

I don't want to be working on my "crafts" forever...

If you were to ask some of my closest friends and family about my work progress, they would probably say the same thing... She's really SLOW at making things! (Ahem... Mrs. Leslie, Mrs. Tracy and Mrs. Shree and my cousin, Hannah... you've been so patient with me MANY times!) I hate to say this but, I've made a bad habit of putting my Etsy customers in front of my "local" family and friends, and I want to change that. If I had an actual schedule planned and organized for each day and week, I wouldn't have this problem, so there's something to fix right there.

I need to answer e-mails more quickly, and just pretty much re-structure almost every way that I've been operating, because not only does it make me look unreliable and possibly lose business, but it also creates so much unneeded chaos and stress for me... something I DON'T need to bring upon myself. I have control over my health and my life and my family time. Now I want control over my business. For me, to have an organized work space and have a consistent work flow and complete all projects on time, that will be HUGE for me! It will be the first time!

I need to focus on photographing and adding consistent new inventory a LOT more...Currently, I have about 150 pairs of earrings and 50 necklaces that I don't even have online yet! And a LOT more bracelets and rings too... I have SO many areas to organize!

My Christmas sales were good last year, higher than any other time, but I did not have enough merchandise made, and it was too late to make more when I realized what business the holidays would bring. This year, I refuse to let that happen again! I want to have ALL of my personal Christmas gifts that I will make for our family and friends finished before August, so I won't have to be worried about frantically making them two days before Christmas. We've already been looking around at Christmas gifts, because I can't wait until the last minute this year.

I've already started ordering a few supplies at a time and stocking them away to build my Christmas bead inventory and jewelry box inventory, so I won't have all of those new costs at one time. I'll share more info later, but some of the ideas we're (We meaning, Scott and me, because I've found that his ideas are essential to my creative process) tossing around include DIY beading kids for multiple ages, a few items especially for little boys, tossing around a LOT of ideas for stocking stuffers, participating in about 4-5 craft shows around Alabama, creating DIY journal kits, children's jewelry boxes and the list goes on.

Like I said earlier, I'll go into more depth later in more posts, because we're still brainstorming right now. I'm going to have everything ORGANIZED and will have decided on EXACTLY what we're going to sell and plan by August 01, so I can start making Christmas gift inventory early and avoid the crazy holiday hassle. If this Christmas is like last Christmas, trips to the post office will keep me crazy busy... and I PRAY that God blesses me with the GREAT health, the unending desire to create, and a HUGE amount of loyal customers to make this Christmas season an ultimate success for my business as well as for my customers!

As most of you know, my mom is an accountant. So, we're working together some in June to set up all of my tax information. Business License, Tax preparation, Expenses, State/City/County License/Tax, Self-Employment Tax... the works. I'm buying a bead inventory software program and taking inventory of ALL of my beads. Thousands of beads... Each kind has to be either weighed or counted, qty documented, photographed, given an inventory #, etc. Then, my finished pieces have to be inventoried, counted, named, organized, etc. THEN, my wooden organizers and craft boxes... and the list goes on. All the bells and whistles.

I'm going to be crazy busy. Or I'll just be crazy... I haven't decided yet. All I know is I want EVERYTHING to be organized, and I want to know exactly what I have, what to charge, what services I will offer, where I've been, where I'm heading, and how to get there. I don't want to just make earrings forever... I want to make beautiful jewelry, have beading parties, do craft shows... and the list goes on! I need to focus! And if I'm being held accountable by an accountant who just so happens to also be my mother, which gives her the ability to say what's on her mind... you can bet that I'm not going to slack with her seeing all of the ugly details!

I have a LOT of work to do, and I'm going to be a little out of touch for most of June. I've let a lot of my "tasks" pile up over the past few months, and I'm ready to add my shop to my list of POSITIVE changes! Please remember to include my new adventure in your prayers!

My first goal of business... July 02, 2012... Taking my first step as a REAL business in the state of Alabama. I can do this... :)

Winding Down For A While!

2012-05-10T23:53:00.002-05:00

I know, I know... I've been slacking in the "consistent blogger" department lately. In my defense, Scott and I had booth's at THREE craft shows in 3 weekends in a row. Have we been super busy? Yes. Are we thankful for a break for a few weeks? Sort of. Did we have an absolute BLAST in our booth and find an awesome way to connect and spend time together? Definitely!

Until now, my jewelry has been my "deal." I've handled everything alone: creating, buying, selling, advertising, marketing, promoting, online shops, craft show application, ideas, etc... and the list goes on! It's a little late right now, so I can't go into detail right now (more to come shortly), but it's safe to say that my husband just might have a creative bone after all!

I'm exhausted tonight, and I have to be up super early in the morning, so I'm going to cut this one short. All I can say is, when I have time to sit down and tell you all about out craft show experiences lately, it's going to be a long, hilarious post! Be sure to subscribe to my blog so you can receive updates when I post new entries! :)

Here's a sneak peak into our last craft show. Unfortunately, every single picture was taken before the booth was completely set up, so you can't see all of our new jewelry! (And there is a LOT!) I'll be sure to post a lot more photos soon! This will have to do for now... :)

Don't forget to check back to soon to read all about our crazy Craft Show stories!

Never Play With Scissors... Warning: NASTY Photo!

2012-04-27T17:40:00.003-05:00

I had a "Crafting Injury"... I accidently stabbed myself in the leg! I have this small pair of sewing scissors that I use when I have to cut small pieces of paper, mainly because of their compact size. The only thing is, they are REALLY sharp!

Well, today I was sitting indian style in the floor, pricing my necklaces for my craft show tomorrow, and I decided to stand up for a minute. Well, I must have been moving too fast, because as I started to rise up I felt the scissors go into my leg. And I froze. When I looked down, the scissors were hanging out of my leg!

For those who do not know, I can handle anything in a morgue, crime scene, gruesome stuff, just about anything you can throw at me about death... but I CANNOT handle live people bleeding and hurting! Especially myself.

Needless to say, I stood there for a few seconds, my body completely cold, trying to not pass out and work up the nerve to pull the scissors out, and finally I just yanked them out. And this is what I was left with after a few seconds of blood GUSHING out. (Ok, so it was more like a trickle, but that's not the point).

Needless to say, I'm giving myself permission to be a little dramatic about this. I was home alone, stabbed myself in the leg with miniature scissors, pulled the scissors out of my own leg, grabbed my phone to take a necessary picture for proof of my incredibly traumatic experience, and then cleaned my own craft battle wounds...

All in all, I think I'm going to live. Maybe.

MS Update: I'm Getting Better!

2012-04-03T12:41:00.000-05:00

I KNOW your prayers are working! I feel such a relief that I've had so many people praying for me when I couldn't find the strength to pray for myself! And, now I'm at a place where I'm confident enough to say that while I'm still climbing that uphill battle, I'm gaining so much ground and getting a lot stronger everyday. I'm almost a completely different person than I was this time last year. And I thank you for praying for that! So... what's changed for the better?

The pain in my neck is manageable on a daily basis, so I'm not holding my head crooked anymore. I still have issues with aches and weakness if I ride in a car or have to stand for an extended amount of time, but I have a neck pillow that helps if I rest my head on it from time to time.

The daily chronic migraines have shifted to regular daily headaches. Sometimes the headaches come every other day if I'm lucky! Now you may cringe at the thought of having a headache pretty much every day, but if you had a migraine almost everyday for over a year, you would feel SO blessed that the pain was reduced to a simple headache. The same kind of stress headache that every normal person gets from time to time. I don't even have to take migraine medication anymore! I take ONE goody powder either every day or every other day. I have to be careful taking Goody powders, because I'll get bleeding stomach ulcers and horrible heartburn if I take more than one each day.

Hmmmm.... What else has changed?

The pain in my joints still aches, pops, cracks, and wiggles around everyday, but one tiny muscle relaxer, Flexeril, helps me keep the pain manageable (such a blessing!). I feel stiff a lot of the time, but I could also contribute SOME of that to sitting a lot. I sit in the floor when I make jewelry, paint, upcycle my jewelry boxes, watch movies, write blog entries, etc... Pretty much just about everything I do is done sitting on top of a pillow in my living room floor, propped up on a huge lounging pillow. This isn't new, and I've been a "Floor Person" for months, since around November 2011 when I started having really REALLY bad upper back pain and dizziness. I wasn't nearly as nauseous when I was closer to the floor, and the room didn't spin as bad if I was "grounded." And the pain in my upper back could only be relieved if I was sitting in the floor, propped up on something.

The pain in my upper back was almost unbearable. It felt like someone was squeezing me as hard as they could right around my bra strap. It was hard to do much of anything without a lot of extra effort, even breathing.

Good news, it was just the MS Hug, (also referred as Girdle Band pain) and it is something that comes for a few weeks and then GOES away.
Bad news is it will most likely come back in the future.

I guess after the Girdle Band pain left, it just felt normal to do everything sitting in the floor. After all, having the Girdle Band pain force me to do everything in the floor MADE me learn how to adapt to doing a LOT of things sitting down. And I guess I'm just a lot more comfortable there now! Whatever works right?

Moving on...

Most of you know that I cut off all my hair last summer. And when I say "all my hair," I'm not kidding. The hair on the back of my head was shorter than an inch long. Maybe at one point it was half an inch, if that. I was having so much sensitivity on the back of my head and neck that I couldn't even stand my hair brushing against my neck. Finally, I just went in my bathroom one day and cut off all of my beautiful curls. I know I did what I had to do, and last year I wasn't in any position to keep my long hair fixed, washed, dried, curled, etc. In saying that, I am now growing my hair back out again! It's a long process, but I'm enjoying each inch I get back! About a year and a half, and I'll be back to normal "hair-wise."

My hair length as of March 2012

A BIG issue: My Weight has gone up quite a bit. When I got married in March 2011, I weighed about 93 pounds. Now I weigh about 125, give or take a few pounds. I struggle with accepting this weight, because I am making a conscious decision to maintain this weight instead of losing back to where I'm comfortable, which is about 105-110 pounds.

I'm really fortunate weight-wise, and Scott doesn't fail to let me know this (although I contribute it more to will-power than genes). Basically all it boils down to is if I wanted to lose 15 pounds, I have enough self-control not to eat sweets, drink only water, eat healthy, etc until I lose down to my goal weight. It's hard work, but it's doable and I've done it before many times.

Well, Scott and I still want to have a kid or two in the future. Not right now, obviously because our home is so small, the kid would have to sleep in a carseat on the porch. Maybe in a year or two (or three), not quite sure. What most of you don't know is before we got married, we planned on trying to have a baby as soon as we said "I do." Like 5 days after we returned from our honeymoon, I started to go downhill healthwise. Instead of thinking how hard it would be to take care of a baby AND me, we were thinking more like, "What if I only get worse from here and I can't ever have a baby because my body is so weak?" So, we just decided to keep trying. And month after month... nothing. I've had several female surgeries, so there is always the chance that it could take longer than normal to get pregnant. (It took Scott and his ex-wife about 18 months to get pregnant with Izzy, so he really wasn't as stressed about it as I was.)

In mid fall 2011, I was so weak, we were having a rough time dealing with the effects MS was taking on our new marriage, we weren't any closer to having a baby, Izzy and Evan had a lot going on, and the toll of my missing paycheck was REALLY starting to hit hard, and it all just built up and up. We had to deal with each issue one at a time. We decided to move to Valley to be closer to the kiddo's and their activities and save money on rent and gas each month, and we decided now was NOT when we needed to bring a kid into the chaos we were drifting through. I needed to focus on myself, my health, my marriage, and getting control over my own life back. I was disappointed the first couple of months, but I had an instant relief from the pressure off my shoulder each month.

Good news is my doctor said that when we do want to try in the future, I need to come see him about taking Clomid or a mild fertility drug to boost the "process." So how does this have anything to do with my weight? Well, I was really malnourished when I was so skinny, and my low weight made all of my female issues really "irregular" and "inconsistent," making conceiving a baby really difficult, if not almost impossible. That could have had a HUGE effect on why we didn't get pregnant (although I think it's nothing more than the fact that God knew that I would never have been able to take care of a baby the way I've always dreamed about. I was way too sick and far too depressed to have been able to be a good mom... I believe God will send me a munchkin when HE knows it's time!)

So, the way I see it is I'm at my ideal weight. I am not going to work so hard to get down to a comfortable weight only to have to gain it all back in a year or two when we start to try again... I'll just stay where I am to make it easier in the future, so if we encounter fertility issues no one will be able to blame it on my low weight. I can do this... (A LOT of books I've read talk about how the first year after a MS diagnosis is one of the worst you will ever have, if not the worst. Not only because of the pain and adjustments you have to learn to deal with, but because of the horrible depression a lot of people deal with as they grieve about their diagnosis. So true! I'm in my second year and I'm almost a completely different person, a lot of which I contribute to me overcoming a year of deep depression!)

Well, I've told you about the struggles I've overcome, the pain I've fought, the prescriptions I've chunked out, and how I'm getting stronger every day. I haven't told you about my most debilitating symptom that I will always have, due to where my brain lesions are located: Cognitive Dysfunction and Sensory Processing Disorder. This is the main symptom that keeps my "working shoes" still sitting on the shelf, because I haven't learned how to control it. I'll explain it in my next entry, so don't forget to check back for Part 2! It's pretty interesting. Well.. I'll try to make it interesting for you. You never know who you will meet in the future that has MS, and you would like to know a little something about it wouldn't you? I wish I had known about it.

UPDATE: Since I posted the information above, it has come to my attention that I may have been too vague or misleading in some of my words. Just to make it clear to everyone, we are NOT trying to have a baby right now! We are still trying to make sure my health is stable, we're still organizing and settling into our home, we're enjoying our special time with Izzy and Evan and focusing all on them, we're still enjoying our quiet times and loud crazy movie nights with each other, all of which cannot be done with a new baby. While we DO want 1-2 more kids in the DISTANT FUTURE, we are NOT trying to make that happen now. I'm sorry for those who I mislead or stressed out! I'll try to be more clear in my future entries.

Spring Brings In The Crafty Fun!

2012-04-03T00:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it's about that time of year when the weather is getting a bit warmer, and there is a fine blanket of yellow powder everywhere, otherwise known as pollen. The only good thing about pollen is that soon after we get our yearly dusting, we can see the whole world start to come alive with Spring Fever. And I LOVE Spring (My most favorite time of year!).

(Picture from techfilled.com)

I can't imagine living in some huge city like New York, where you kind of have to "miss" the joy of Spring each year. If you live in the country, during the Spring season, you can step outside early in the morning and hear the birds and creatures waking up with you. You can literally watch the flowers and trees bloom a little more each day, and slowly everything around you starts to come alive. It's bright. It's colorful. And best of all, it's completely nature at work. If you live in a big time city, when you walk out your front door, you just follow the concrete and asphalt to work, while all you hear is horns honking and brakes squealing. Same thing, day after day, no matter what season it is. You really do miss a lot living in the city.

I'm so so far away from the topic of this entry! (as usual)

Another welcome arrival with Spring and warm weather is... Craft Shows and Craft Fairs!

I. am. SO. EXCITED! I have two craft shows in April, on the 21st in Wetumpka, and the 28th in Auburn. I did my first show, sort of a CHRISTmas Holiday Market, in early December, and it was everything I wanted it to be. I get really excited when I have e-mails or compliments online about my designs, but there is something wonderful about having someone standing right in front of you, admiring something that you put your hard work and time into. And until you know what that feels like, it's hard to understand. After my first show, I knew that it wouldn't be my last.

I don't struggle with what to bring to my show. I don't struggle with trying to decide how to price things. I do, however, struggle with how to set up my booth. I don't want to be too boring, but I don't want to blind people with BRIGHT colors and take the focus away from my jewelry. I want to have a sophisticated flair, but I don't want to seem uptight. I want to cater to college age girls, as well as older women. It's just complicated to try to find a happy medium.

I did learn from my mistakes at my first show, and I'm trying to work on improving those rough areas.

I had to send in some photos of what kind of items I plan to sell, so I got to practice with some of my stands and props. It's a little difficult trying to find creative ways to display necklaces, and I'm still having a tough time with that. I'm sure I'll come up with a fun way to show all of them, but I have a lot more than I did for my last show. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Here's a peek of the type of things I plan to sell at my craft shows. I've already sold some of the pieces you will see in the pictures, but this will give you an idea of my "style"!

Auburn/Alabama Jewelry!

Charm Jewelry!

Make your own Charm Jewelry! 100's of charms to choose from! (I'm not sure if I'm going to have this at my booth this time. It might get a little hectic if I'm having to put together charm bracelets at the show. I'm might just make several finished charm pieces to sell at the show. Haven't quite decided yet...)

Earring Stand! (I still have to paint it white so the earrings will show up, and I'll probably have different styles than what's in this picture!)

Grab Bags! One for $6 or Two for $10 (Just a fun little basket to sift through!)

I just LOVE Turquoise Jewelry!

Necklaces, Necklaces, Necklaces!

Still have to make a few more lanyards!

I've got to figure out a fun way to hang these!

One of my risers... Just experimenting with color schemes!

Still haven't decided if I'm going to sell jewelry boxes or not...

Metal Stamped Jewelry! (I need more ideas!)

As for everything else, I have all of my earrings in a big storage bin right now. Next, I have to sift through them all and figure out which ones I want to sell at my shows. I don't want to bring too many, because sometimes too much is NOT a good thing. Too many choices to choose from and someone may not choose at all!

After I pick the ones to bring, I'll have to price them earrings. And I still have to price my necklaces. And my bracelets. Okay, I have a lot of pricing to do!

I have a few more pieces I want to make for both shows as well. I would LOVE to sell so much at my first show that I have to spend the next week making more for the next weekend, so we'll see! That would be wonderful! In the meantime, I'm going to be making more "Display" necklaces, cell phone charms, charm bracelets, and a few badge holder clips.

I went last week, and got some new beads and pendants. I still need to buy more pendants, but I'm good on beads for a while. I'm going to be a little busy for the next couple of weeks!

I'm going to try to squeeze in some more time to finish some jewelry boxes and wooden organizers that I've been working on. I have them all primed, and some are half painted. It's a long process, so I'll leave out all of the details, but I'll tell you a few. Next, I have to completely paint all of my pieces, drawer by drawer, side by side. After full painting, I distress the edges of EVERYTHING and decoupage the decorative papers to each piece. I cut out most of the pieces last week, but I still have a few more to do. And then I continue the rest of the process, and FINALLY I'll be able to list them in my Etsy Shop.

More to come soon!

Kim Kardashian Flour Bombed... Impressive.

2012-03-24T11:25:00.000-05:00

I don't usually randomly post about celebrities, but I just had to pick at this one!

Did you hear that Kim Kardashian was "Flour-Bombed"? Literally, some idiot protester threw a bag of flour at Kim while she was walking down the red carpet to a West Hollywood Launch Party to promote her new perfume. According to findlaw.com, the woman responsible "detained by police" for something like assault and battery for the "unwanted physical contact" and later released because... GET THIS: Kim Kardashian is NOT going to press charges! Does that strike anyone as odd besides me? (I'm still wondering how this crazy lady got close enough to Kim Kardashian AND to the red carpet in general to even think about throwing flour at someone. It's not like it sails through the air easily... I guess security isn't all that secure everywhere.)

First of all, I would expect Kim to press the MAX charges to raise her celebrity status just a hair higher. Remember, we're talking about one of the most DRAMATIC stars in Hollywood, and she didn't just get Punk'd on her way to get her hair done. She was FLOUR BOMBED, in front of HUNDREDS, in an act that would soon be shared with the entire world. I would have thought Kim would have done her fake-crying bit, "accidently leaking" reports for the next few weeks about how traumatized she was from the incident and how her family is trying to recover from such devastation through therapy, yoga, and twitter.

Sometimes when I'm mentally thinking back on high school memories, I'll think, "I'm so glad I didn't do something completely humiliating in front of everyone and I somehow managed to go four whole years relatively free of bad memories." (I shudder when I read how bullying has exploded with the internet and web interaction... horrible. Anyway, this little "Flour Bomb" incident would rank up top on my list of "Things That Would Make Me Freak Out" on someone.

Second, I have to give Kim props for keeping her cool and coming up with some comment like, "Like I said to my make up artist, I wanted more powder!"

You know how earlier I called Kardashian dramatic? Well, you haven't seen dramatic until you see what I would do if this happened to me. I would have looked absolutely psychotic, because I know without a doubt that I wouldn't immediately think, "Oh, no big deal... It's just a little flour" but more like, "AAAARRRRrrrhggghhh, (SHRIEK), I've been COCAINE bombed."

A bit DRAMATIC... maybe, but you have to admit, it DOES look a little like what they use as cocaine in the movies. Would I be naive enough to truly think come coke dealer had just wasted a million $$$ bucks to cover me with gobs of cocaine just for the heck of it? Absolutely, because I wouldn't be thinking about the street value of cocaine at the time. I'd be freaking out trying to get the "drugs" out of my hair and off my skin before it miraculously seeped into my bloodstream and I overdosed or something.

Kim was calmly ushered inside so her mom could help her "brush off her jacket" and "flip her hair" to shake the flour out. I would look like someone who had a zillion wasps trapped underneath my clothes, moving all around, flopping and wigging out. I'm sure the paparazzi could get in a few priceless photos before someone realized that I thought I was covered in cocaine and they managed to calm me down enough to let me know that it was just a little Martha White not 5 pounds of Aunt Nora (yes, I had to google the "Street Name Of Cocaine" to find a similar slang word to go with the flour name. Again... I'm not up on my drug lingo.)

All in all... Kim K, you're a better trooper than I would be. I guess you're not as much of an idiot as Jon Hamm thinks you are. "Knowing the difference between flour and cocaine... You get an A+ in Narcotics Trivia. (Here's a quick video of the news report...KimK Flour Video.)

I'm sorry, but I just had to add this picture. Is anyone else surprised that they use such a dinky vacuum cleaner on the red carpet? I mean, I know they weren't expecting cooking ingredients to be scattered around, but I guess I would've thought they would have something a little less, I don't know, 1990's to maintain the shag. Bissell. Wal-mart. Look It Up.

UPDATE: I was just about to post this when I read another article about how Kim "is considering" pressing charges to let people know that this will not be tolerated and is unacceptable. I don't want to have to go re-write the above info, especially when no one really knows if she will or if she won't. Either way, Kim K got flour bombed (Now thought possibly to be related to PETA. Hmm...)

A Change In My Life and Blogging Style

2012-03-13T19:25:00.000-05:00

Until now, I usually write my blogs by writing what comes to my mind when I have my blog entry page pulled up. As a result, most of my blogs are random and stray quite a bit from the topic I originally held in my head when I started writing that entry. I've been surprised by how many readers I've gathered over the past year, and I hope the numbers continue to climb as I write from my heart. You need to know the true life this crazy girl lives... even if it's crazy in my own way!

When the new year started a few months ago, I wrote about how I was ready to have a new start. I wanted to make changes to how I was living, taking care of myself, taking care of my family, my job as a wife, and just my outlook on life in general. I was ready to have my old self back and regain some form of dependability again. Fortunately, I can say that I have almost done a complete 180 and I have really stuck to my goal to change. As a result, I'm learning new ways to adapt to MS and I'm also regaining control over my life. After pretty much living in a deep and devastating depression for almost one whole year, I'm thankful to say that I'm climbing out of that hole now. And it is so relieving!

Well, now Spring has almost Sprung, it's time for the famous "Spring Cleaning!" This year, I want to continue my "New Start" plan and incorporate this outlook into my Spring Cleaning. I guess you could call it Personal Cleaning instead of physical cleaning, although I do plan on actually putting a mega cleaning spree on my house as well.

The first goal for my personal spring cleaning is to continue to work toward more organization in my life. I've worked my butt off to get my house more organized as we moved, and I've tried to keep everything mostly in place everyday. This may seem like a tiny step, but when you let everything go for almost an entire year, it is really difficult to try to regain control and set new standards. Now I want to gain a better control over my Make Up and Mud Boutique shop.

Better control as in more organized records, inventory, faster shipping, consistent schedule, etc. I want to set goals for my shop and make myself stick to them. I know that I can work even harder to build a better client list, and I can accurately track my progress. As with any start for any goal or project, the beginning is hard because you don't see immediate progress. But if I have everything in line for 6 months, it would be much easier to track inventory and plan for holidays like the Christmas rush. So, being more organized with Make Up and Mud Boutique is on my list as well.

Last goal: more structured blogging. You know those bloggers that consistently post on their blogs, and you can count on their posts to be there by following their blog schedule. Yeah, I want to be one of those bloggers. I'm still trying to make my blog schedule, and I want my writing style to have a certain flexibility, so it's taking me a while to get it all straight. I don't want to have a blog schedule for a month, because I want to have posts about things that happen in the here and now, not the there and then. One thing... my life will be more structured, therefore my blog will be more structured.

I have a new blog notebook to help me keep up with my blog planning, and I'm excited to start that new journey. I always have the craziest thoughts and ideas, and I'll think, "That would be awesome to blog about!" and then I completely forget what I was even thinking about. Well, that's happened to me one too many times, and I now have a little notebook for jotting down ideas and notes. Then of course, they will go straight to you.

Beware... my random thoughts are crazy. They are unpredictable. But... they are honest. And I guess I'm at a point in my life where honestly is the most freeing quality in my life, even if it is on the web for all to see. There is something relieving about getting things off your chest, even if you do have anxiety right when you click the Publish button. In the end, it's worth it. So, stay tuned. Mrs. Organized is working her way toward productivity and as time passes, you'll see a change as well! Maybe someone will learn from my mistakes!

High School Memories and Kids!

2012-03-09T11:30:00.000-06:00

As I was trying to figure out what to write for this morning's blog entry, a million different ideas kept popping into my head. Honestly, as I scrolled down the wall of my Facebook page and scanned across the posts of my friends (and the posts from those people who are my Facebook "Friends" but I have no clue who they are, but I saw them on so-and-so's friend list so obviously they're not a killer-- you know, Those Facebook Friends!) I realized for the millionth time that my life is so drastically different from so many of the people I graduated with or knew in High School.

And don't act like you know every single person on your friend list... you may have heard of them, but we all have people on out Facebook Friend list that we keep on there just because their status updates are so amusing.

The other day, I was stalking profiles on Facebook (Yes, you do that too!) and I ran across this girl that I went to high school with. She was a few years older than me in school, so now she's not technically a "girl," more like a "woman" and wife now. Anyway, that's not the point. While I was browsing through her old photos, I ran across one that was taken in the past few weeks, and for some reason, I stopped and studied it for a minute or two. That's when I realized what my generation is now headed down that path to the big 30 and we are starting to morph out of that innocent stage to that "grown up" stage we've been chasing for so many years. Waiting until we were old enough to do this or old enough to do that. It's like we go through some kind of metamorphosis when we hit somewhere around 25 years of age that give a hint of what we will look like when we're 40 and turning into our parents. Some people don't look anything like their senior picture. It's kind of sad when you think of all of the time we've all wasted since high school. If you're like me, you will wish you could do it all over again and possibly change a few things or study a bit more. Maybe even drive a little better when you're handed that drivers license.

About that drivers license. I swore I would never say this, but I will anyway: I cannot believe anyone in the world would give a 16 year old a drivers license. I can't believe our parents actually let us drive alone at that age! There are so many dangers and hidden caution areas that come to any new driver and the only way to learn about any driving danger is to experience near-miss happenings and almost collisions. Basically, parents with a 16 year old have to cross their fingers and pray that their child comes home safe and makes wise decisions when they get behind the wheel. I'm sure my experience working with forensics and seeing some horrible car accidents that resulted in death don't help my view much, but I can't help it! I mean, I took drivers ed when I was in school too, but I was a junior. I was already 17. I had been driving alone for one year before I took the class. A whole lot of good that course did me.

On to the next topic:

I still haven't gotten over the fact that my friends are old enough to have children. What most teens don't realize is after you graduate from high school, you lose touch with so many of your "best" friends and buddies. As a result, the memory you leave with that person will be the one they put with you for the rest of your life. If you're a pothead during your senior year and six years later your old friends randomly see a picture of you holding your newborn, there's a good chance they're going to flash back to your old wild self and say a prayer that you found what it took to grow up somewhere between high school and parenthood. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at someone I graduated with and thought, "I cannot believe they're allowed to take care of a kid! What was God thinking?"

Then I have to remind myself that they are no longer that drunk senior I remember hanging out of a truck window, but now they are CPA's working his/her way up the business chain and a wonderful husband/wife. Funny how things and people change over so few years. I just wonder what people think of when they see my old face. My old skinny face. Right.

When I read the status updates on Facebook each day, I can hardly scroll to the bottom of the page without passing an ultrasound, baby bump, or baby shower picture. I lost count of how many of my friends are either having babies or just had one. It's a lot! There are so many babies that are going to be born this year between August and September, that I'm starting to believe there really was something in the Alabama water for a while there. As I said in one of my more recent status updates, I don't particularly like water, so I'm content on being Aunt Chelsea for a while.

Izzy and Evan come stay with us every other weekend, Wednesday nights are either spend the night or dinner nights with them, and they are with us almost half of the summer, half of spring break, and half of Christmas Holidays. After quite a bit of thought, we decided that it would be too crazy to have a Baby Belton right now, with all of the sports and activities the kiddos have every weekend. So, for now we're not jumping on that baby train. Maybe in a couple of years.

Well, that's all for today. I have quite a bit to do today, but I may write a little this weekend if I have some extra time. We have baseball starting on Saturday for Evan, so it's going to be a go go go weekend! Hopefully the weather will be pretty and fairly warm.

Children Living In Abandoned Bus: INFURIATING!

2012-03-08T13:20:00.000-06:00

Usually when I write a new blog post, I try to be a little upbeat and leave the whiny-ness at the door. Or at least I try to keep it short and get to a more cheerful point to write about. Unfortunately, this post is a more controversial topic, and I'm quite angry as I write it.

I try to take news reports with a grain of salt. By doing that, I have to remember that most of the time the news has most of any popular story at least half wrong. I learned this while I was working for the Department of Forensics, and I can't believe how much stories can change from night to morning due to the media coverage. I know they're just posting stories they hear, but I wish there was some way to verify the facts for sure before some stories are published. In saying that, I'm trying to have an open mind about the story I'm about to share with you, but it's really hard to not see the whole picture. I'm praying that some new news will come out in the short future that will make this story seem a little less... pathetic.

In Splendora, Texas, two children, a girl age 11 and a boy age 5, have been discovered by authorities to have been living in an abandoned bus that was converted to a home. One of the bad points is that the kids have been living there since 2009!! Here is the story and information links, so you can see it for yourself. Make sure you watch the video and read the story, because they are both very informative. I'll write more about it after you watch.

Children Living In Abandoned Bus (VIDEO)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/children-found-living-abandoned-bus-texas-15874754#.T1kBgDE7WwA

When I first read this story and watch the video showing the outside deplorable conditions, I immediately had a lot of questions that I'm sure law enforcement officials are still trying to figure out. One could say that the parents are lousy individuals due to the fact that they are in jail for embezzling money from Hurricane Katrina victims. Lousy "Individuals" yes, but does that make them bad parents? No. What makes them bad parents is the fact that they hopped off to jail and didn't alert officials that maybe their two kids at home needed to be taken care of. I find it absolutely horrible that the parents are warm, dry, and fed 3 meals a day all the while knowing that their children are pretty much fending for themselves. How can you even sleep like that?

I commend the Great Aunt for providing food for the children and for working to try to support them, but I believe there comes a time when you have to admit that maybe there is a better place for the children to live while you work to secure a stable living environment for them. The children said they were home-schooled, but wouldn't it seem easier to send the kids to public school all day and know that they were warm and being supervised in a learning environment? And there was a neighbor that said the child told her daughter that she only showered twice a week. Where did she take a shower? And if the neighbor knew this, I wonder why she didn't alert the authorities before now about the conditions. I just know that if there was an abandoned school bus next door to my house and I knew that two little children were living there, running around without shoes, living with no adult structure or supervision, I would try my hardest to make sure those children were in a stable home ASAP. And I definitely wouldn't be on national television telling the police that I knew about the condition of the children and I did nothing about it. She admitted that she saw the kids running around outside at night with no shoes on...

I'm thankful for the person who secretly alerted authorities about this bus and these children, because at least now these children have a fighting chance of learning what the life of a child should be like. The 11 year old girl has so much responsibility for a child, caring for her younger sibling, and her years to be a little girl have been stripped from her. The filthy living conditions are probably the only place the younger child has ever knows, because the authorities believe the children have lived there since 2009, meaning the child was only 2 years old when he started living in the bus.

I just look at my own childhood, and I can't imagine how different my life might have been if I didn't have such a wonderful loving family to take care and raise me. They taught me about life to make me the woman that I am today, and that foundation is so essential in making sure I myself remember who I am. Who was going to teach these children what it is like to be a responsible adult? They're own parents didn't have that figured out. And talking in the here and now, who is going to teach them how to be children or help them learn how to have manners? Who is going to show them how you are supposed to treat someone that you love?

This is a story that needs to be wrapped in prayer. More than once we've all heard horror stories about foster homes and siblings being split up. I pray that these children are put in a loving home and given all of the love and compassion that they have been lacking. I pray these children are given a home with parents who have the necessary patience to guide these kids in their lives. Sometimes, it takes one person to make a difference in another life, and in this case there are two little lives waiting to be loved. I just pray that love is what they find!

Boring, Sleepy Day!

2012-03-03T20:41:00.000-06:00

Well today was a pajama day. It started out fine, got up early and... never got ready for anything. I stayed in my pajamas all day. Last night we stayed at my mother in law's house with the kiddos, so we've had a full house there this weekend. Evan had baseball pics this morning and then practice this afternoon, so other than that we've all been a bit lazy. I fell asleep around 2:30 and woke up around 5 p.m. Nice unexpected nap.

When the kids are here, they like to watch the Disney channel at night if we have time. We just had a little feud where Izzy and Evan couldn't agree on the words in a song. I had no idea what they were talking about when the song came on TV and we had the subtitles on to see who was right. The song, Meet My Mom by the New Boyz, was absolutely hilarious to me. Where in the world do people come up with the words for kids songs? You really need to have a LOT of a kid still in you, for sure. Here's the crazy song...

Meet My Mom by New Boyz

After I slept half the afternoon, I took a hot shower and now I'm back in a new clean pair of pajamas. Scott is already dozing off (He's been going full speed all day!) and I'm chilling out with Gran and the kiddos. We were going to play a game tonight, but that kind of fizzled out a little earlier. I'm going to cut this one short tonight! Have a fun Sunday and I hope you all go to church tomorrow!

Love,
Chel

I'm About To Go CRAZY!

2012-03-01T20:41:00.000-06:00

You know how I wrote about not having the internet at our new house? And if you look back you'll see that I haven't written an entry since then. That's because we still don't have the internet! A whole month with no internet connection. And I'm still alive. Barely.

At first, I was a little inconvenienced. Two weeks in with no internet, I was more than irritated. Now, one month disconnected from facebook and blogging life later, and I'm about to go crazy. The good news is that we can have high speed internet even though we live out in the boondocks. The bad news (or the slow part) is that the cable company had to come dig to put the cable underground, and because the Charter company is so backed up with orders, we had to wait until they had time to come dig. And they finally did come... yesterday.

So now we have to wait a few more days until the technician can come back and do the box and inside cable part. Grrr.... I feel like I'm living in another country! You don't realize how much we depend on Google and AOL.com until we have no access to them.

On another note, I've been watching the first season of a previous HBO show- HEROES. If you're looking for something to keep your attention episode after episode, then you should watch the season one of HEROES disc set. Basically, to sum it up but not give it away, the show follows each person as they test and learn about their unique abilities as superheroes. The best part is the show uses everyday people with everyday lives to impose the powers. Can you imagine waking up tomorrow with the ability to read your spouse's thoughts? Or finding out that you have the ability to fly? Just about any power you can think of is covered in the show. You should definitely check it out! The best part: No Aliens.

HEROES Info Link

Have you ever watched a show marathon or bought the disc set and watched episode after episode in one day? If you have, after about four episodes did you start to "feel" like you were part of the show because the cast had been in your head for so long? After I watch the same show one after another and then I turn it off, it seems to stay in my head for hours. Well, after you watch a show about superheroes with extraordinary powers for hours, life suddenly seems boring when you turn the show off. I half expect Scott to fly through the door when he comes in from work. If I could pick one super power to have, I guess I would choose to either be invisible or to hear people's thoughts. That would be so weird!

Due to our recent lack of cable television and no internet, I've had to resort to watching movies from our DVD collection, which is quite large might I add. Quite large until you spend a month watching them over and over. Now I've resorted to watching the bonus features and watching the movies with the director commentaries on. If you've ever watched a commentary with the movie director, you'll realize that's where you learn all of the tips and tricks of how the movie was made: special effects, stunt doubles, what/where each scene was shot, bloopers, etc. I now can watch "The Pacifier" and point out which scenes use Vin Diesel and which scenes use his stunt double. Once it's pointed out, it seems so obvious and I wonder why I didn't notice it in the first place.

The commentary can be a BIG spoiler for any movie so you probably don't want to watch one for your favorite movies, because it doesn't seem quite so cool to know that the actor was sitting in a fake car in front of a green screen, not driving 104 MPH down a windy road in the middle of the night. On the other hand, I feel pretty smart when I can pause a movie a million times and point out all of the bloopers to Scott when we watch movies together. I'm sure he loves that. Ha.

Well I think that's enough for today. No big news to report, nothing new. Just taking it one day at a time, really. Still trying to adjust to living at a new place where I only know 3 people. I'm sure I'll meet new friends after we find a new church and get more settled. For the time being, unless I meet my new friends at CVS Pharmacy, Wal-Mart, or the local Mexican restaurant, my "New Friend Folder" will remain empty. :(

I'm still trying to raise money for my Multiple Sclerosis Fundraiser and trip to the Race to Erase MS Gala in May. I've got to donate at least $1000 to attend the gala, but the best part is that the money will all go toward research to find a cure for MS. Trust me, that is a really important cure that a LOT of people, myself included, are praying for. All of my jewelry sales are going to this effort, so please visit my facebook store page to check out my new jewelry today. The link to my shop is:

Make Up and Mud Boutique

Hope to hear from you soon. I have some beautiful pieces listed now. If you're looking for anything in particular, I can make it to suit whatever your tastes are. Just please be patient with me while I'm waiting on us to get the internet at our house. I have to use the internet at my mother-in-laws house right now, so I may take a few days to respond back to my messages and comments. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for your patience. I just don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring them! Talk to you soon!

Love Always,
Chelsea

NO INTERNET!!

2012-02-16T14:17:00.003-06:00

So, all I have to say is, "AAAAaaaaRRRRGGGHHHHUUUGGGHHH!!!" (FYI: That's me throwing my hands up, screaming in frustration)

I have been without internet at our new house for two weeks. TWO WEEKS! When you make money by selling jewelry and other items online, TWO WEEKS without the internet is like two years. Even as I write this, we still do not have the internet, but I am fortunate to be able to use the internet at Scott's mom's (Gran) house when I drive over.

The Comcast guy came today to install our cable and internet, and I was so impatient awaiting his arrival (from excitement). Unfortunately, about thirty seconds into his visit, he said that he was pretty sure we are unable to hook up hi-speed internet or cable, because of how far out we live. He measured the yard with this little wheel counter thing, made a quick call, and said his technician would have to come back tomorrow and do his own measuring or something along those lines. Ultimately, the only thing I heard was that he would not be connecting my internet today. I think I could have cried.

I don't know why, but lately I have been lacking in the motivation department. Motivation to finish unpacking, motivation to paint, motivation to make jewelry... pretty much no motivation to do anything at all. I think it has to do with the medication I'm taking to keep me awake, because it is not strong enough to really do that effectively. Fortunately, tomorrow my new prescription will be arriving in the mail, and it will be for a brand new drug to try to keep me awake. I'm praying wholeheartedly that it helps bring me back to normal! I'm ready to be awake again, and motivated to be CREATIVE and PRODUCTIVE!

New news!! I'm going to be having a tiny little surgery in a few weeks. Nothing major, just a laproscopy through my belly button to snoop around in my belly and I'm having my bladder stretched to try to limit the pain from my Interstitial Cystitis, a painful bladder syndrome. The good news is I've had this surgery before, in 2004. I've actually had my bladder stretched in 2004, 2006, 2009, and now in 2012, and it only takes a day or so to get over the effects of surgery. The bad news is I'm having the laproscopy again, and this keeps me down for a few more days after surgery, but at least I'll be at home!

Most people have anxiety about surgery. Me, I actually look forward to it (or I have so far...). There's this moment when they have you hooked up to the IV and they say something to the effect os, "Now you're going to go to sleep, and we'll see you when you wake up." and every time I try my hardest to stay awake, but you just can't beat that feeling with you literally feel like you are sinking off to sleep. Then, "BAM!" this strange nurse is standing over you, trying to wake you up, as she tells you that surgery is over and everything is fine. And that's the point where I always lose all control and start talking out of my head from the medication. We're not even going to get into what all I've said during this part!

So, nothing major, just a minor surgery. And I think that's about it. We're moved. Still unpacking. Not quite organized, but I'm on the road there. Living in a tiny home with a lazy chihuahua and a feisty cat. Trying to figure out what to do next. Talk to you next time!

We're Finally ALMOST Settled!

2012-02-08T19:42:00.002-06:00

Over the past two weeks, Scott and I have packed up one house, moved almost two hours away from my hometown, and half-unpacked into our much smaller new house. To me, no matter where you live, it's always called your "house." Whether you live in a brick house, a mobile home, a travel trailer, or a tent, I always refer to it as your "home." So to be clear and honest, we moved to my new house, which is actually a teeny tiny 2 bedroom mobile home.

When the idea to downsize was first thrown around, the only thing I was throwing was a tantrum or a hissy fit. I did NOT want to downsize, and I did NOT want to live in a tiny mobile home. I, for one do not have an issue with living in a mobile home, as I've already lived in two myself. The real issue I have is the way mobile homes somehow manage to not allow you to really do much cute decorating. They are all pre-made with flower wallpaper in the kitchen and paisley in the bathroom and some speckle kind in the bedrooms and den. Lovely, yet totally not the cutest in the world. And in this world of mansions on pinterest, I wanted our new place to be one where I could make the cutest decorations and craft my way to an awesome house. Unfortunately, I've been unable to make my paintings match the flower wallpaper in the kitchen (I think I may paint over it in the near future) as of yet.

Once I gave in to the actual "idea" of moving and I agreed to move to this tiny place, I felt my anxiety rise daily. We lived in a three bedroom, two bath house and we were already bursting at the seams! How was I going to downsize my precious things? Well, even now I really can't tell you how I did it, but I know that I did give away a LOT of my things and clothes, but I can also lend you the keys to the TWO storage places we rented to hold all of OUR junk we refused to part with. The plan is to continue to unpack and rid ourselves of even more junk, and hopefully we can downsize further to only have one storage unit.

Then, moving weekend(s) came and went and I moseyed around the house packing this and that. The final moving weekend came and we were down to crunch time, and I didn't have nearly enough packed. Needless to say, things were thrown into boxes, a million trips were made to drop off boxes, empty most of them, only to bring them back and refill them again with more stuff. And when you're emptying boxes in a hurry, you kind of fling it here and there just to get it out. And Scott was my not so neat flinger.

Once most of the stuff was moved out of our old house, my mom drove to our new house with a load of stuff to help us out. When she got back, she explained that our house was extremely messy and that they just had to dump things out of boxes to get them to re-use, so I shouldn't freak out when I finally go to it. I prepared myself for WWII and that's pretty much what I got. I couldn't get the mile high pile of clothes on the couch into the closet, because I couldn't even get to the closet for the boxes and piles of stuff on the way and blocking the door. It was like walking into a Hoarder's Hell. Boxes and junk piled higher than me. And this was where I was going to live.

Needless to say, my crippling anxiety about the situation and Scott's mother graciously allowing us to stay with her for a few days to escape allowed me to determinely unpack one box at a time. It was like, "One down, a million more to go." Slowly, I started to see a little progress. Then a little more. Now, I'm happy to say that I'm fully stretched out in my living room floor typing this, and if I look ahead, I can only see one half empty box (now we're not going to look behind me...) I still have several good days worth of unpacking, sorting, throwing out, and organizing to do, but hopefully we will knock out a lot of that this weekend.

Last weekend, Scott helped me clean out one whole side of his mother's shed, and that is going to be my new workspace! (I am SO so excited about having an "office" away from home.) My fingers were getting antsy to create something, so I made a napkin holder and a jewelry box in about an hour just to get my feet wet a little! I will finally have a place to use my tools and to get away from the house for a little while! I am really anxious to have this house unpacked and just to focus on what the day brings.

All in all, my house doesn't look so tiny. I've seen it empty, I've seen it filled to the ceiling, and now I'm watching it unfold into a real home. I'm glad we downsized, because I was able to rid myself of a lot of useless clutter, and we both needed to do that! Would I do packing differently and start earlier? Of course. But this move was needed, and we're closer to the kids and Scott's work. He gets home earlier, and I have him with me earlier, which we both enjoy. Downsizing is scary and it still makes me cringe... but I'm learning that sometimes it's for the best and a great way to have a fresh start. We won't live here forever, and we're not sure how long we will stay here, but for now, this is home.

Still Unpacking!!

2012-02-04T10:31:00.001-06:00

Yes, ANOTHER Unpacking post. I promise, only one or two more, because TA-DA... I'm actually making progress in our new place! We're not quite ready to move in, but I'm not at the point where I want to run crying in the other direction. And trust me, I was ALMOST there. Unpack Week #1= SUCCESS!

Today, Scott is going to help me move a few heavier items in between the kiddo's ball games and playing outside with them. I just need a few "Manly Muscles" to move two bookshelves, because my puny little arms aren't budging them.

I took a picture on my phone the first day I walked in, and I took another one last night. Luckily, there was significant improvement, and I'm thankful that God has given me determination and patience to tackle each box one at a time. That's kind of difficult for me, because I get distracted so easily!

Anyway, week #1 went well... now pray for week #2 to go just as wonderful!

So I Keep On Unpacking...

2012-02-02T08:28:00.000-06:00

As I saw on a fellow facebook friend's status, "I think I can, I think I can." Unpack our gazillion boxes, that is. I wrote yesterday morning about how many boxes there are and how it looked like a hoarders house right now with so many boxes, and it was really like that. (See, I said "was".) Well, now it looks like half a hoarders house... because I cleared quite a few boxes of junk out yesterday. That means my method of decluttering before we moved was only half successful. Let's just say that FEMA isn't considering moving in anymore, but we may could still qualify for OCD hoarders if they were desperate for participants.

I've really had to learn how to throw things out and now feel that nagging guilty feeling. You know the one where you find things that you KNOW other people would like, and you PROMISE that if you keep it you will get it to them, but you also KNOW that it will just sit in your floor for the next two years until you finally throw it away when you should have done that in the first place. And I would rather donate "things" and "clothes" to an actual shelter than to goodwill, because at the shelter those people don't have to pay for them. And Goodwill has some steep prices for other people's stuff sometimes, which I find repulsive, because it was GIVEN to them in the first place. And aren't they supposed to be helping people? They have shirts for $4.99... A LOT of people are shopping there, because they can't affort to pay $4.99 a shirt. G-O-O-D-W-I-L-L... hence the name.

There's a homeless shelter around Prattville, and they meet once a month to distribute clothing and items to those in need. My mom and brother, Micah, decided to go work there one Saturday, and they have been collecting clothing to carry back since! They said there wasn't nearly enough clothing to go around to keep people warm, and these were real families like we all have! Imagine if your child was freezing cold and someone handed you a jacket their own child had just grown out of... what a blessing that would be! So, please remember the homeless families who have been struck hard by the devastation of our economy and misfortune, and when you do your spring cleaning on your closet and the closets of your family members, remember to bring those clothes that you don't wear to those who will. For more information, please contact me through my facebook page by clicking on the link below.

www.facebook.com/makeupandmudboutique

Just Breaks My Heart!

On to my next subject:

Today I have a BIG goal, and I'm almost hesitant to write it, because what if it's like a birthday wish? Like if I actually say it out loud or in this case, write it to the world (or my 5 blog followers in this situation), then what if it doesn't come true, because I "told someone?" Oh well, here goes:

Today I want to unpack enough boxes, organize enough junk, throw out enough old stuff, and rearrange neatly enough so we can spend tomorrow night in our new place.

Notice how I wrote the black words on top of BRIGHT yellow? Well, Yellow is supposed to be a "stimulating" color, instilling optimism and energy and it has been said to "carry the promise of a positive future." Now that may just be a lot of junk, but I'll take what I can get... anything to "stimulate" me to get ahold of my BIG load of junk in our house.

Have you ever downsized? Magazines and specialists say that if people effectively downsize and rid themselved of things that do not bring joy to their life, they can live much more happily than the person in a 3000 square foot house with plenty of room to hold those meaningless items. I do believe that I do better if I have less choices. Like when half of my craft supplies were packed, I made a LOT more progress actually, because my choices were limited and I had only a few things to work with, therefore the time I would have spend pondering over what to make was practically eliminated. I have either A or B, not ABCDEFGHIJKL to choose from.

In this new place, I want to be organized and I want it to look CHEERFUL, COMFORTABLE, and WELCOMING. I want people to walk in and feel like they're right at home and not have to step over boxes or see my latest paint creation drying on the coffee table.

On a good note, Scott's mother, Dianne, has so gratiously allowed me to use half of her outside shed as my "workstation" to sand and paint, create and embellish, and I can't wait! I'm excited about getting my shelves in there and organizing my craft glass to paint and sanding on my jewelry boxes to make them beautiful.

I'm going to adjust, but it will take a while.

We're Moved Out... But Not In!

2012-02-01T09:16:00.001-06:00

NONE of these pictures were taken by me or of my house. They were downloaded from the internet search.

Well, after a while of hearing me gripe and moan about packing and moving and packing and packing... we're finally OUT of our house. Now, notice that I did not say that we are moved INTO our new house, yet. Currently, I'm writing as I sit in the middle of Scott's mom's king size bed, because we had to stay the night with her last night... and probably tonight too. Thankfully she allowed my parade of pets to stay here too as long as they stayed in the bedroom.

Did I mention that when we moved, we also downsized. A LOT! I mean, we went from a from a 3 bedroon, 2 bath, walk in closet, decent sized laundry room, about a 1400 square foot house to a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, teeny tiny closet, walk-by laundry room (as you walk down the hall, about 800 square feet at the most. It's like a minature model home. I keep telling myself that we're just here until we save more money and get my medical bills and stuff more affordable. That's what I Say over and over.

We moved here to live closer to Scott's kids, so we could attend school and sport activities much easier. We were living about 2 hours from them, now we're 20 minutes. So that should tell you that we moved 2 hours away from home. My home anyway. Needless to say, I spent most of the day yesterday bawling my eyes out because I had to leave my family and friends. But, I will see my family and frends the same amount of time as I did when I lived in Tallassee, because no one really drove that far very often either.

Our family and our marriage needed this move and the extra time it will give us to spend together by cutting down on driving time. It's for the best, but I'm having a rough time adjusting during this time of transition while we're moved out, but not moved in.

The last few days were really hectic, so we moved things without having the time to go through them. And as you can imagine, I've accumulated a LOT of craft supplies in our old house, and guess where they are... in our tiny new living room. It looks like a moving company came and threw up boxes all over our house and turned it into a hoarders space. I can't put anything on the couch, because all of our hanging clothes are on there and I can't get to the closet to put them in, because so many boxes and bins are in the way. It is totally suffocating, and I would give anything for a professional organizer to come in and help me.

But with that not being an option, I'm about to set out in my Alabama Pajama Pants, Old gym t-shirt, and my just woke up Bruno Mars hairstyle (because we didn't pack any more clothes and mine are buried on our couch), and I'm praying for a miracle as I go sift through and unpack. I'm not kidding, I actually said a prayer this morning that God would help me today and give me guidance, patience, and the perseverence to keep unpacking and not quit when I'm exhausted... It's that serious.

I would love to make enough progress that could actually stay there tonight with Scott... please say that same prayer for me. PLEASE!

New Jewelry Piece Coming Soon!

2012-01-30T08:54:00.000-06:00

When you are a designer, or like me, an "Up and STILL trying to come" designer, ideas seem to block themselves out of your head sometimes! For example, get a blank piece of paper to draw on and a pencil... what are you going to draw and make it look wonderful? Any ideas. Now do that 30 times... there's when the mental block comes in!

Fortunately, I have a pretty cool new item that I will be creating as soon as we get this stinkin house moved out of and cleaned... which will be today and tomorrow. I will be making... dum dut da dum...... Painted Pendants. Not just any painted pendants. Pendants the size of scrabble tiles, with teeny tiny watercolor paintings that will be miniature yet EXPRESSIVE! Sometimes we all want to expressive our inner passions, but the retail world seems to be constricted in a box. A box that I, for one, do not live in nor do I ever want to. Why have constrictions on your passions? (and yes, you can have more than one passion. I'm proof of that!)

To make tiny watercolor pendants, you have to paint a miniature painting on watercolor paper, seal that for protection, decoupage it onto a blank bezel, and cover it with a hardening glaze. Then, glue a bezel on the back, attach it to a chain, and VIOLA! Then, you have a beautiful painted pendant necklace that expresses you! Here is an example (I did NOT make this one!)

Those were painted by some pretty talented artists, because you can imagine how challenging it is to paint on something smaller than a quarter and make it look like anything other than a blob of paint!

For Christmas, I received FOUR amazing art kits, and I love them all. In one of the sets, I received a full set of watercolor paints and pencils, which I've grown to love! It's hard to manipulate the water to create exactly what I want, but the challenge is the fun part!

I painted one pendant myself. Here's how it turned out... but it was with acrylic paint.

That's like my third one... but we will leave out the other two that I "practiced on" before I got a set of tiny model car paint brushes. Blob of paint... that would definitely describe them!

I've been searching for ideas to paint on the new items, and here's what I have so far:

1. Monogram/Initials

2. Baby Bump/ Pregnant Mommy

3. Chef/ Cupcake pan

4. Snake dangling from a tree

5.Anything Awareness

6. Medical Alert

7. Flowers with falling petals (like my big painting)

8. Polka dots

9. RIP/ Memory

10. Just Married

11. Bride/Bridal Party

12. Cake on a cake stand

13. Rainbow

14. Colors for Christ

15. High Heel Shoe

16. Chair on beach

17. I'm a Christian

18. I'm a Child of God

19. Mom/Grandmother/Sister

20. Pink Browning Symbol

21. Chinese Symbols

22. Foreign Language Sayings

23. Animal Print

24. Mustard Seed

25. Whimsical Theme

26. Damask Print

27. Camera

28. Occupations

29. True Love Waits

30. I'll Wait For You

31. Military

See, I need more ideas! And I'm not talking about writing those words... those are merely theme ideas. I want to paint symbols and pictures of something that represents those things. I really need more suggestions, and more than that, I need you to buy one! Remember, ALL of the profits go toward my "Race to Erase MS" Fundraiser that I'm holding right now, so you will be helping out a great cause! Each necklace will be $20 (the supplies are kind of expensive... and I actually want to be able to raise money for MS). For more information or to submit ideas of a necklace you would like to see (NO obligation to buy, Ideas welcome!), either comment at the end of this entry or go to my facebook account and comment by clicking on the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/makeupandmudboutique

I LOVE to paint, but my house is being overrun with paintings! So, I'm going to start doing mini's! Here is my most recent painting!

NEW SYMPTOMS!

2012-01-29T17:44:00.000-06:00

I'm being a whiny-baby in this entry... and we're going to go through to together with pictures and videos that acknowledge and represent that... Here we go:

Crybaby Video

You know you love watching Steve Urkle still, and MAN, can he dance or what?

So, want to know what my latest MS symptoms is? The MS HUG. Also known as the Girdle-Band Sensation. And... it stinks.

Yes, that's the little boy peeing... the same little boy that used to grace the back or 4x4's all over town. Just when you thought he was gone, I brought him back! Little Whizzer.

You know the "F*rget You" by Cee Lo Green? (And yes, I know there's another version but I'm NOT posting that on my blog, just in case the preacher reads it or something. Use your imagination if you must.)

Anyhoo... That song reminds me in a strange way about how I feel about Multiple Sclerosis. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to be like, "Forget you, MS!" and I think I actually said it out loud a few times. So, here you go with that, too!

Forget You Video!!

Another thing that's really creating a damper on packing and moving is that my sleep medication isn't strong enough! I have another medicine I could take, Nuvigil, but my insurance has delightfully declined to back me up (or cover it, if you have no idea what I'm talking about). I want to call them and be like, "Listen, just because my tests aren't turning out just perfect according to your stupid little list, I NEED to stay awake!" In other words, "FORGET" your stupid list!

When about 6 p.m. hits, you can hang it up on me being in the "Normal Functioning Department." That's about the time that my second dose of the day wears off, and I start to go downhill. All I know is, I am so incredibly sleepy, even right now. I go back to the doctor in March (yes, I have to last until then), and hopefully he can switch me to Adderall on a higher dose... although I have to learn how to control the "edgy" feeling it will give me. It's worth it if I will actually stay awake!

Enough whining... I need to go pack. Sleepy packing... this will be interesting!

Race to ERASE MS Event FUNDRAISER

2012-01-27T09:52:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone! I am trying to raise $1000 to attend the Race to Erase MS Event in May of this year. Each ticket is a minimum of $1000, and it is submitted in the form of a donation to help fund research to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis, which most of you know that I have. This is a "Once In a LIFETIME Opportunity," and I really an trying so hard to collect the money for two reasons:

1. I have MS, and I personally REALLY need someone to find a cure, so why not try to help them fund it?!
2. I think it would be awesome to spend an evening eating dinner and mingling with celebrities who are also there to support Multiple Sclerosis.

I usually don't use this word, but I will now... Having Multiple Sclerosis Sucks BIG time. Meeting the stars would actually bring me a small positive in this awful situation!

The link to the website with information for you (to make sure this is LEGIT) is below.

Race to Erase MS Website Link

Some of the stars who have attended the gala in the past are below... (But SO many more actually go!)

So, $1000... That's quite a chunk of change, huh? I just know we can raise this money! To help, ALL of my jewelry profits are going toward this effort, so please go "LIKE" and "SHARE" my facebook shop so you can check out all of my jewelry and albums. Please pass this on to friends! And if you buy ANY jewelry from now until the end of January, I will throw in a free pair of surprise earrings, so YAY!

To put it into prospective: If I sell 100 pairs of earrings at "around" $10 each, that will be $1000! Come on guys... 100 pairs can fly off the shelf ( I'm trying to be OPTIMISTIC... can you tell?)

The more people who "like" my shop, the more people who have the opportunity to support my efforts, so please share it for me! And Share this blog entry as well, so they will know what they're looking into, please!

The link to my shop is:

Make Up and Mud Facebook Shop

All you have to do is comment on the item you would like to buy, and I will respond to you! Please help me in this effort to raise this money, and know that you will he helping SO many people! Please message me if you have any questions! And remember... pass pass pass this on!

The Real TRUTH About How I Feel

2012-01-27T09:12:00.000-06:00

You want the truth about how I really feel about this awful disease? Well here is the honest truth:

One thing I struggle with is accepting this fate: Multiple Sclerosis. For the most part, it appears to be going well, but I have nights, like last night that come out of no where where I fall apart. I lost everything in less than a year, my job, my friends, my Multiple sclerosis mentor and dear friend that died unexpectedly, my future, and all of my plans... they were all taken within a year. So, without even realizing it, I pushed away everything that I REALLY wanted, because it was like I unconsciously thought that if I didn't really want it anymore, then it wouldn't be taken from me, but if I wanted it, like I wanted my job, then it would be taken.

But you don't have these thought processes and realize it, until that night when you put two and two together, OR when your husband does. He's right... When Bonnie died, it absolutely killed me, because she was not only one of my best friends, but she was the only person I confided in, because she had MS. If I told her about something that happened or something I felt, she had been through it too. So we formed a bond that couldn't be shaken... unless one of us died. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of her, and I can still cry at the drop of a hat. They say over time that it gets easier, but it hasn't yet. I can't even really think about her without falling apart.

Things with Scott and I are good, but I've selfishly kept him at an arms length away. It's like dying... for almost a year, I've been ok with it. If I were to have not woke up the next morning, I've told myself over and over that I would be ok with it, almost to convince myself. But the truth is, I WANT to be ok. I want to beat this. But what if I really try to fight it as hard as I can and then I find out that there's nothing that I can do and it's going to kill me? Something is a lot easier to take if you convince yourself that it's what you wanted in the first place. It's confusing, but you may understand.

The worst symptom about this is my inability to manage my moods and my emotions. My doctor said that it is an effect of my lesions, but the depression has been awful over the past year. And I never hid it from my family or Scott or my best friends... I was taking an anti-depressant that I had a really bad reaction to that almost made me hallucinate, and I took it for months. I would cry all day every day and just almost watch myself from somewhere else. It was the worst thing I have ever been through in my life. I was diagnosed as being bipolar, but I wouldn't accept it, so I ignored the doctor and quit the meds cold turkey. After the effects wore off, I allowed my body to go back to normal for a few weeks. I wasn't bipolar anymore... it was the other meds! So, I started a different anti-depressant, and it works pretty well for the most part! If I had accepted the bipolar meds and taken them, I would be on another medicine that I don't need, and my doctor agreed. It's just trial and error.

I think that once I accept this fate, then I will work on rebuilding. But I can't accept it overnight, or even in one year. I'm still in denial about it, and I hate it everyday and I want to go back in time. I used to be so responsible in control, and I feel like I lost my entire identity and now I'm trying to find the other me. And I don't want to. As soon as I'm able to get out of this funk and start rebuilding my life, I will start my new chapter. Until then... it's day by day.

BEST book ever!

Izzy's Fashion Drawings

2012-01-24T10:46:00.000-06:00

I have to say that when I was leafing through Izzy's Fashion Notebook, I was very impressed with some of her creations! She said she wants to be a designer when she grows up... I have to say that she definitely is well on her way!

Morning Rambles...

2012-01-24T08:18:00.004-06:00

I'm currently uploading pictures to the Facebook Yardsale page right now, and if you have done this before, you know each upload takes an abnormally long time! So, I'll ramble to you for a bit! Some of the things I'm uploading are:

Let me know if you are interested!!

Make Up and Mud Gift Basket NEWS!

2012-01-21T19:52:00.000-06:00

First of all, this may be a little short and sweet, because I have a very full schedule today... (Even if it does consist mostly of "At-Home" activities.

I've been a little spastic lately, because we've been trying to pack up our house so that we can move out by the end of the month. Packing is one of the most horrible tasks... but I've already complained enough to you about that lately.

Due to being crazy busy, I haven't had a lot of time to devote to Make Up and Mud Online Boutique. My Facebook updates have slackened and my pins on Pinterest are getting a little dated. *sigh*... What in the world did we do before Facebook and Pinterest? We played outside!

Moving on...

I have three gift baskets that I out together that will be perfect for anyone who is moving into their first apartment or house, maybe right out of high school or college. Due to the BRIGHT colors in each basket, I think they would be better suited for a girl (but who am I to say?) These baskets are filled to the brim with bright, cheery colorful kitchen items, such as measuring spoons, "to-go"container, regular and mini rubber spatulas, toothpick holders, ice scream scoop, potato peeler, a few colorful plastic cups, hard "durable" plastic cup, water bottle (maybe for class?)... the options are endless.

This is the smaller version of one, without all of the cups and extras!

And to top it off, the "basket" isn't like one that that big bunny drops on your doorstep... No, this basket is a rubbery container, definitely suitable to get wet, and would be a perfect bathroom organizer. So, you don't have to stow it away at the top of the closet, because you can find uses for it all year long! Clutter Control... YES!

I'll wrap each gift basket up and tie it at the top with ribbon and add a poofy tulle bow to make it absolutely adorable! This would be a wonderful Graduation Gift, and Graduation time is right around the corner. (It would also be a great Easter Bunny "basket" for that hard to buy for your high school age daughter!) I've put a LOT of items and a LOT of time into each basket, and I really hope you enjoy them!

I only have three left (I started with four), so if you would like to order yours today, just let me know! The link to my Facebook shop is:

https://www.facebook.com/makeupandmudboutique

I hope to hear from you soon!