Infinite Possibilities Week 4

Day 19 Imagine how those you love will benefit from your success. This one is easy, the kids will have been set up in their own businesses and will be little successes in their own rights. The hubs can spend more time with the kids as they build their businesses. We all get some toes in the sand time.

Day 20 Meet your peers. Make a list of those who are where you wish to be, add your name to list. Sounds like my screensaver :) 10 days left and I was already doing so many of these on a daily basis. It’s nice to hear I’m heading in the right direction.

Day 21 Have a chat with someone who gets your dream and speak to them as if it’s already reality. Make it celebratory …. for each of you.

Day 22 List 20 things you love from the simple to the exotic if you love to do it, list it. Just a little reminder of the wonder that is in your life or could be. *I love puttering in the garden and around the yard with a butterfly perched on my shoulder. *Feeling the sun on my face and shoulders. *Snuggle time with the hubs. *That he brings me my coffee in the morning. *That 25 yrs together feels like no time at all.  *Listening to the birds sing, *watching the sun rise in the morning and *set in the evenings, *being awed by the immenseness that are the stars and *the curve of he world. *I love the satisfaction that only comes from doing it yourself and well.* I love being goofy with my kids *I love toes in the sand, waves at my feet, salt air in my face *I love listening to the chirpy purr of the Siamese and the instant deep I love you purrs of the other cats. *I love no matter how many times you give the dog a biscuit he ALWAYS takes it and puts in in the kiddos shoe before he eats it….. no matter where that shoe is lol *I love that we built this house together to live our lives in and we’re creating memories on a daily. *

Day 23 List 10 things you are deeply grateful for.

Day 24 Write a letter to yourself from an admirer, what wonderful qualities/inspiration/talents do you have? Shower yourself with love and appreciation. I see the potential for a revamp of my about page here. Like several of these activities I think I’ll work this one privately. I think this one has a great amount of potential.

Day 25 set your intention for the day. I already do this daily. I have a little pop up reminder that is set to run when I’m reading my e-mail. It says what do you want today? Some days it’s to get something done, some days it’s to enjoy the quiet moments, some days it’s about attitude. It’s really a nice way to focus on the days priority, whatever it is. Today I’m going to schedule this blog post, download tax forms, and decide on this weeks YoJ piece. I have several UFO’s and a handful of ideas for refinishing some pieces. Sometimes the taking away process was ended too soon and sometimes the piece was finished too early, either way it was called finished but it niggles until you realize it isn’t truly finished, hence re-finishing. I believe all pieces have someone who will love them, and being properly finished helps that along :)

Speaking of Year of Jewelry:

This week I kept it simple with matching bracelets for last weeks necklace set. Red Creek Jasper with a Shell focal and brass. And a skinny bangle of twisted copper and brass.

Over on my Facebook page I’m sharing hearts and flowers everyday until Valentines. Giving you a virtual bouquet, pop on over anytime you feel you need a pick me up or a flower to make you smile. If you haven’t already. hit that like button and receive notifications to get those flowers on a daily!

See ya next time!

It's Still January

Whew! It's Been a Busy Busy Holiday Weekend

Week 3 Year of Jewelry = Coral    I had coral pulled I really did, paired it up with turquoise for a really pretty necklace but then this Red Creek Jasper said it wanted to play pretty pretty please. Isn’t it just a gorgeous stone?! At first I was going to weave a bail for it but that just seemed too plain. I’ve been trying to clear off my desks and found some small pieces of brass that I set aside and I had one just the right size for a bail. I’m pretty pleased with the results, and I kind of want to keep this one for myself.

*Red Creek Jasper* *Picture Jasper* *Black Lip Shell* *Cedar Berries* *Amber Heart* *vintage brass roll chain* *hand crafted bail* *hand crafted rosary chain* *hand crafted vintage style hook and eye clasp* *hand twisted jumps* *roughly six hours in the making including design time and where did I put that/where did it go now time*

I finally managed to wrestle the checkbook away from the hubs and was up to my eyeballs in doing bookwork, balancing the checkbook and having anxiety attacks over deposits not being written in even though the amount was added to the balance so I get to find a $2000 discrepancy because 600 plus 800 is 1400 not 3500 and blah blah blah I think he cut a year or two off my lifespan with that one sigh 

In the midst of all that I see in my e-mail I have a notice…..

	Stephanie Drapeau mentioned you.

	Stephanie Drapeau @stephanidrapeau Jan 18   Simply love these designs!❤️❤️ @MeiFaithStudio @DanasWindDancer@HeidiLee_Design @2LittlePs of @theartisangroup View conversation

ah, just warms the heart! She likes them, just made my day - and then I found the missing deposit in the bank statement and all was right with the world once again.

We've headed into Week 3 of the  Infinite Possibilities Project 

Here's what we've been up to with that.

Day 12 Plan the celebration for achieving your goals - sadly when this one came in I was pretty mad at the hubs, A Party was not anywhere on the list. Maybe I can revisit that one in a day or so.

Day 13 Share the Love, today spend a couple minutes and Pay it Forward with a Random Act of Kindness - That I can do

Day 14 Create a daily planner and fill it with all the things you wish you’ll be doing. - My first thought was I’m an introvert, the only thing I want is to hide away on my hill and make pretties.l Then I looked a little deeper into my hearts desires and realized Jamaica isn’t on my hill. Vacations are a blessing and toes in the sand is really quite necessary to recharging batteries, and since I’m not angry with the hubs anymore he can come too =grins= 

Day 15  send thoughts of love in small and meaningful ways, even if you don’t say it out loud think it. I love how you’ve read this with me, thank you! I like this one too. It fits in with my goal of being kinder and replacing those negative words that have crept in. This works for me. HEY!! We’re half way through already!

Day 16 Almost missed this one, notes don’t come on the weekend and I kept watching the inbox for it. Was in bed before I realized It was Saturday! lol Technically I did miss it lol But you didn’t know that! Create a pleasing ritual…… hmmm I was thinking 15 minutes on the Stairmaster every morning just to get the blood pumping, but maybe a gentler start that won’t be so tempting to brush off on off days would work better for my purposes. I’m thinking a morning stretch, or maybe a little bit of yoga that can be done even before getting out of bed while still warm and cozy. This I like! I need to do a little research to find what I can do but it sounds like a really nice way to start the day. I can hit the Stairmaster after coffee, once my eyes are actually open and my feet are no longer stumbling.

Day 17 acknowledging your amazing self. Another nice one! We say and do good things all the time without acknowledging the good we do in the world. Take time to look over just the last 24 hrs and take note of the kindnesses and good things you have done. They do make a difference in the world and in doing them so do you!

Day 18 Going back to the calendar, pick a day and visualize everything wonderful going on. From the moment you wake up on…

This really has been a fun way to start the year and I'm looking forward to the next 12 days. It's been really intriguing how well it ties in with my goals for the year. If you've been following along I'd love to hear how well it's been matched to your goals too. Please let me know in the comments!

Valentine's Day is coming up, I think I'll post some hearts and flowers over on the FaceBook page for the next couple of weeks, show you all how much I appreciate you!

See you next week!

Goings On....

I’ve been hinting at lots of things keeping my attention away from blogging and making. I’ll admit it one too many things in the air and something is bound to get dropped, I know my limits and while I do push them they always push back lol So today, I’ll tell you about a couple of those wonderful things that have been perking around and about.

One: College finances have had me running in circles. My youngest is about to graduate, he’s been on scholarship this whole time but one of the rules to his scholarship is you apply for a Pell grant. They want to be sure you have every financial opportunity to help you succeed. This year the rules have changed a little bit on the University side of things, they want a whole lot more paperwork and we’ve had to jump through hoops as we’re self employed and just don’t have the paper work they’re asking for. I have provided all the alternatives necessary but it’s a pain to have to go round and round (especially when it’s ALL on file already) and it’s just emotionally draining and pretty stressful when they start talking about making him drop because the paperwork isn’t in order. But, he’s graduating this year! woo! I'm so Proud of the kid! He’s worked very hard for this.

Paige's Pottery She's on Etsy too HERE

Two the kiddo, my middle, graduated last school year, has finally gotten her kilns (yes TWO of them!) and has been ordering all the goodies she needs to get up and running. We have boxes everywhere right now, it almost looks like Christmas has come and gone! I’m excited for her, she’s been a little down, not being able to play in the mud but her face is becoming full of happy again and that makes me very happy! — first firing delayed there’s a problem with the plunger that turns the kiln on/off and the second kiln has the wrong plug, both fixable just means a few more days until her first firing, and she has boxes of clay calling her name. 

Three, The Artisan Group. I joined nearly a year ago. I’ve sat back and watched how things were done. Felt overwhelmed at times, felt so not ready at others and I have learned quite a bit. Enough so that I  took the plunge and sent some things in to stylists for Bones and Mariah Carey’s newest movie project. I have no idea at this point if either will use what I sent, but it’s very exciting for me to even be considered.

Four Amazon! I’m thrilled to announce HandMade at Amazon is now Live! You’ll now be able to find me there as well as on Etsy. This has thrilled and scared me simultaneously and so far it’s a been very very good thing!  I’ve been contemplating Amazon for quite some time now, I’m thrilled they’ve opened Hand Made and that I’ve taken the plunge. I’ve made several sales already and I gotta say I’m really enjoying that! I get the feeling this is just the tip of the ice burg….. lots of good things coming!    My Shop:  Wind Dancer Studios

It is by no means finished, I’ve taken over 400 photos, edited most of them and have only managed to list a handful of items. But, now I want to overhaul my Etsy too. After 400 clean no prop photos, my Etsy storefront feels….. cluttered. So my mission is to continue loading Amazon with pretties I think will do well there and now freshening the look on Etsy. Eventually I think I may want them to be unified in look and that may keep me busy for quite some time! 

And now that we're mid-way through October I really need to get my mind wrapped around the upcoming holidays.  Pull together some wonderful handmade goodness to share with you.  I've been sharing my inspirations lately, I think holiday gifting ideas will blend nicely. I hope you've had a chance to see all those gorgeous photos I've been sharing on my FaceBook page if you haven't, why not? lol 

So that's just some of what's been going on around here, never a dull moment it seems. 

Thanks for stoppin by!

We'll see you next time!

Today's To Do's

I had the idea for todays post, even had it partially written in my head. Then I had to head into town and run a couple errands. When I came home I needed to order a new printer to replace the one that died a couple weeks back. By the time all that was done I completely forgot what todays topic was.

POOF

GONE

I've sat and tried to remember what it was but it just isn't coming to me.

Oh wait! I think it was customer service and being in business means you need to be nice even though you want to be rude and sassy. It was a thought  I had while reading advice being given to a frustrated seller in a group on FB, boy that advice was full of sass!! I'll have to write that down for fleshing out later or I'll forget.... again!

So today then? CATS!

Not really, my oldest has moved out again. I rearranged the furniture (makes the living room feel bigger) and I need to make sure to get those things she had in my kitchen packed up so the oldest has them for her new apartment. My brain has just been a little preoccupied with other things.

It's not that the blog isn't important, it's just that sometimes other things are more important, like my family. That's the way it should be for all of us. Family first.

So I'm off to my kitchen today, packing up the things she left behind. I'll miss seeing her here but I'm awfully proud of her. She's going to do wonderfully I'm sure of it.

Have a great day, hug those you love!

Thanks for stopping by!
We'll see you next time!

A Little Bit of This A Little Bit of That

I've had the flu so it wasn't until just now that I realized I had no blog post! Yikes! Time to stock up on some posts again, I like having backups for just this kind of occasion.

She WON and Sold it!

News On the Home Front:

This weekend the kiddo was in her first Art Show outside of the University. She almost didn't enter as several of her friends whom she thinks are incredibly talented had entered and she thought she didn't have a chance. Good Mom that I am told her to knock it off, she is talented and she will never know until she tries just how talented she is. Well, kiddo took third! Yup she WON.  Insert Puffed Chest here, I am one Proud Mama! and may I say, the kiddo suddenly feels a little more talented, a lot more like a REAL artist (her words) and quite validated. Oh, the vase she entered also sold! Yup! Her goals for this semester are to make enough money to buy her own kiln, I'd say she's off to a great start!

Oh and on a completely sweet note.... kiddos BFF is getting ready to bring her little man into the world and welcome him into her arms. We're wishing her all the love in the world.

On the Desk:

I've been working away on the Year of Jewelry meeting my weekly deadlines. Some pieces I'm thrilled with, others are a learning experience. so all in all a good thing so far. This last week I doubled up, YoJ theme was squares and my first finished piece for B'Sue's Build a Line just happened to fit the bill. I like this piece a lot. I think it fits well with my existing stock and adds to my line beautifully.

Double Duty Squares and B'Sue Build a Line

speaking of  B'Sues Build a Line:

As you just read I've been working away. Lots of new goodies finding their way into the light of day. I'm excited about this new line. I love the style, I love the lines, I love how well it meshes with my shop and I'm excited for the cohesion and polish I believe it will bring with it. Two months is a long time to wait for unveiling but it gives ME lots of time to fine tune and write wonderful copy to go with.

In the Works:

I think it's time to have some professionally printed cards made up. I've been printing at home as needed and that has worked well but the computers update wasn't compatible with the software and the timing is serendipitous. I'm pretty sure I mentioned I've joined the Artisan Group. I'd like to have memorable cards to go along with that nice cohesive shop. New cards are officially on the To Do list.

Til Next time!
Thanks for stoppin by!

Come on Hitch Your Wagon up, I Know I Have

Wow! Posting early for the hop made me think I missed last week! I was scrambling to pull together this post lol I have pretty much loaded my wagon and you know what they say, time flies when you’re having fun!  and boy, Time sure got away from me.

It’s end of year so I have books and reports and paperwork to do for the bread and butter business. It’s beginning of year so I have goals and projections to get mapped out for both bread and butter and Wind Dancer. My component pricing/inventory needs to be keyed in again, I thought I had it backed up but apparently it was on the still need to do it list when the iMac died and I’ve been putting it off and looking up replacement costs instead. I finally got one of my cabinets in my studio and the shelves installed on the wall and the built ins in my closet put in….. no wonder I’ve been so exhausted! I’ve moved two rooms, twice in the last couple weeks and I’m not done! whew! Oh! and I think I have finally found the Dentist I’m going to keep. This wonderful guy fixed in minutes what the last two never could and my mouth no longer hurts. Good thing because it looks like I’ve got a bit more work to be done in the future, sigh.

More good news….

I joined the Artisan Group and have been giving my shop/FB/twitter/etc a facelift in advance of picking up some nicer business cards. The ones I have aren’t bad but if I’m going to put them in the hands of stylists or celebrities, I’d like a heavier card stock and some gloss.

I also joined the Year of Jewelry project. A piece a week for an entire year. It isn’t completely necessary to follow the suggested themes, so if I already have something going or a custom that’ll work just fine as my weekly offering. I think it’s going to be fun. I want to work on my piercing skills and this will allow me to do that while also honing other skills at the same time. Your creativity spikes when you’re working creatively, it just kind of feeds on itself. I’ve always liked that, you’ve probably figured that out if you've been reading my blog for any length of time. It’s also the reason I have so many sketches on envelope corners and backs of receipts! And the reason I have post its and sketchbooks all over the place. Speaking of sketches I still have several (or more) from my 25 sketches series that I know will find their way into light during my YOJ. I know this to be true, as Week number two has already done just that.

…….. and I've joined a triple hop/challenge. As you all know I make mostly one of pieces and do a decent amount of custom work. You’ve heard me soul search my pricing and marketing all while comparing apples to oranges when it comes to production work. I have hoops and crosses that serve as production pieces in my shop but not a comprehensive line. This challenge and the corresponding hops will remedy that. This also goes hand in hand with having joined the Artisan group as a cohesive line is a more professional look than a shop full of one ofs, even if they are all my favorites.

The first B’Sue Build a Line hop date is set for the 23rd so be sure to come back around to see what we’ve got going on! In the mean time here’s week two from Year of Jewelry and the sketch it was born from.

Rose Quartz, Garnet, & Gold Filigree Earrings

These are so pretty in person the combo of Rose Quartz and Garnets is just perfect with gold.

Thanks for stoppin by!
We’ll see you next time, kids are back to college this week house is going to be really quiet.

What's on the Desk

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a what’s on my desk post, and thought I might share with you what I’m currently working on.

On my desk, as usual, are several UFO’s. More accurately several projects I have pulled beads for but have not yet begun making. 

Including leftover pieces to a refashion and two UFO’s, one of those in the midst of a refashion itself. I thought I had finished it but I never really loved it. I pulled the bird off it to send out with bead soup and have finally decided why I didn’t like it and what I need to do to fix it. I pulled beads and made a new bird, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten with it. Last of course that poor necklace that has been sitting on my bead board for well over a year now. If I didn’t think the finished piece was going to be beautiful I might scrap the idea and start over but I really do think it’s going to be beautiful …… when I do eventually get back to it.

Beads pulled for  #6

These are the beads I have pulled for sketch number six. I started with this wonderful little stone bead I received from my friend Anne on the Jewelry Making forum. She hinted the beads she sent might look wonderful in filigree and I have to agree.

I had drawn the sketch for the focal and then realized I already had a sketch in my “to do” pile. A couple very small tweaks to the sketch giving it a little more filigree and it easily became number six. I think this one is going to be a really pretty necklace once I get through the take away stage. I love the crystals and the picasso beads but I just haven’t decided if I want them together yet. I think I’ll use gold wire for this one, the gold section in my shop is still a lliiiittle light. In any case, I think those gorgeous soft greens and blues really really call for gold and I’m happy to listen.

On the home front….. jump up and down with me and do the happy dance people! We FINALLY have one room completely finished!!! Unless of course I decide to add crown molding lol It is such a good feeling to have one 100% done, no trim pieces waiting, no paint, no flooring, it’s all done! Here’s to the next one, whichever room it is!

Thanks for stoppin by!

We’ll see you next time!

The Countdown has Begun

This has been another fun soup. I've been turning out 4-5 pieces a week and the ideas just keep coming. The Bead Soup Blog Party is this weekend and I haven't run out of ideas yet - running low on soup, yes, but the ideas keep coming anyway! I think I'm somewhere around 20 pieces made and right this minute I have 3-4 ideas swimming and jostling for attention still. My desk is a mess, beads and wire and tools everywhere, I'm running out of room to work and I can't seem to stop.

But I have to stop. I have to stop long enough to get some pictures taken, long enough to write up a blog post and long enough to schedule it for this weekend. Then if I'm really smart I'll price and draft listings. I usually keep a piece or two for myself and this time I really like everything I made and would be more than happy to keep it all so deciding which I'm willing to let go of will be hard.

I should get going. You know how many pics you have to take in order to get one great shot, I have 20 needing one great shot lol I thought I was going to use my daughter as a model but as it turns out, it's finals week and it's been stormy outside so the photo shoot I had planned is not happening at least it's not likely to happen in time for the hop. Maybe one more cup of coffee first...... maybe the clouds will part just enough.....maybe I can sneak one more piece in...... gotta run!

Thanks for stoppin by!
We'll see ya next time!

Bead Soup Inspiration

I have to admit I'm a little weirded out right now. We live on a nice little hill with plenty of acreage all around, so I never felt the need to close up all my windows with curtains. With all this gorgeous natural light and beautiful views why would you? But we seem to have a hunter who thinks he has the right to go wherever he pleases and turkey season starts in 11 days.  Right out side my bedroom window was a pink flag and a small group of saplings with purple paint (for those of you who don't hunt - purple means it's a no hunt area). We didn't flag or paint. We have painted the property lines before but not in awhile and never in the middle of the property or in line with my windows. So great, someone has been hiking around on my hill marking out my house. While it is nice my house is marked no hunt, ALL of my property is NO HUNTING and the thought of someone lurking outside of my bedroom is definitely unsettling. It also explains why the dogs have been barking like crazy lately - thought it was payback from kicking them back outside now that its spring and warm again and there are lots of scary bunnies and deer out there. German Shepherds though, should not be cooped up in the house, no matter how big the house is, they need room to run and bark at scary bunnies. Curtains and window films now on the immediate to do list and it does not make me happy.

BUT it's Tuesday and I need a blog post, sooooo How about I show off some of my favorites from my inspiration board on Pinterest?!

                                                   

 I believe in proper attribution and credit so please do click through to my Pinterest board if you would like to know more about any of these wonderful pics.

and I will get back to the grindstone - lots of pieces made already but I'm still not quite done yet!

Thanks so much for stoppin by!
We'll see you next time!

Socializing Social Media?

What’s on the Desk! My desk has been pretty empty lately between cleaning, assessing goals for the year, and miscellaneous end of year office duties, my Muse has sat patiently waiting for me to quiet and listen.

As most of you know I taught my son Alex how to weave a cross. He was in the process of weaving one and decided he just didn’t like it. I tried to convince him it was a very nice cross but he wasn’t having any of it. So I took it and attached it to a filigree and hung that from a choker I’ve had sitting here that I wasn’t thrilled with. Shhh No I don’t know where he gets it from!! Wait, it’s his father, yup that’s it he gets it from his father! Believe me? Stop laughing! HE is just as bad as I am! Poor kid, between the two of us he didn’t have a chance!

Getting back to the choker, I just adore the copper bale, found a pin on Pinterest and knew it would be perfect for this piece, I whipped one up right away and was not disappointed. While this isn’t a first collaboration for Alex and myself, it is the first one we'll be selling. It’ll be heading to the shop sometime later this week. Along with another piece that I’ll be telling you about next week - the first of my 25 sketches!

As I mentioned and you’ve been reading, I’ve been assessing my goals for the coming year. After looking really closely at my posting habits I haven’t been very sociable as Wind Dancer. I’ve been posting in groups and such but as myself not Wind Dancer….sigh

socialize verb

interact, converse, be sociable, mix, mingle, get together, meet, fraternize, consort; entertain, go out; informal hobnob.

ooooh hobnobbery! I like that!

One of my New Years resolutions/goals was to start using my social media in a more consistent and well, social way. I used to spend a lot of time posting to Twitter, Facebook, here and boy I could hang out on Pinterest! But then I discovered I could feed the blog into Facebook, and feed Facebook into Twitter, and Twitter into Linked in. Whoa what a time saver! But far less social and all duplicate posts, and it dawned on me I really wasn’t posting much about what I was doing as Wind Dancer anymore and I sure wasn’t being social. Oh sure my weekly posts here on the blog are pretty much uninterrupted but Wind Dancers Facebook page and Twitter have gotten quite dusty.

Rebel Mouse does a wonderful job of compiling what I’ve been doing out and about on the interwebs but I still haven’t quite learned how to use it to my advantage yet. I know it all feeds into my Mouse and I can post from it too. I’m thinking maybe what I need to do is unlink all the feeds and use the Mouse as command central to post to all my media so my posts aren’t identical anymore an SEO no no and I can hopefully become more social again. I considered Hoot Suite for this reason but the idea felt slightly off.

Next up on my list then is a regular media schedule, I already post to the blog on Tuesdays and was considering Treasury Thursdays. I still need the rest of the week filled out …….. photography Fridays? photos for the blog, Facebook and listings. Does Twitter still do Follow Fridays? Master Monday….mastery…. Map it out Mondays …mapping out the week, blog theme, what I’m working on , need pics of etc etc. Ok now I’ve got Map it Monday, Blog (talk lol) Tuesday, Treasured Thursday and Photography Friday. That leaves Wednesday…… Wow Wednseday? hmmm whatever wows me? Sharing something someone else has done that wows me? A color scheme, a photo just whatever wows me. I like that!

My media schedule - sounds too official doesn’t it?! ahem
My Schedule of Hobnobbery is as follows:

Map it Monday
Talk Tuesday
Wow Wednesday
Treasured Thursday
Photography Friday

I like that, it gives me prompts of a sort of topics to post on and a routine to follow so that you my awesome followers know you can peek in on any given day to see whats new on that topic. That way it doesn’t really matter if Monday provides a theme for the week to follow or if I’m being completely eclectic. Mondays will always provide a what to expect, Tuesdays will always have a blog post to read, Wednesdays will always have a little eye candy etc etc. It also allows me to post in whatever media I choose AND be social. Did you notice? I gave myself the weekends off. That allows me time to just be me, with the family or online. Or even get a little ahead from time to time.

It may take me a little to get the whole thing pulled together. New habits and all but I’m optimistic and off to a good start I think.

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to share your social media routines here too. Maybe together we can make it less trudge and more fun! I seem to recall a time in my life where social actually meant FUN not work and I’m sure you do too.

A New Year, A New Old Strategy

I read somewhere that you can only keep so many balls in the air…… actively keep up with x number of friends, businesses you like or hobbies, work, and family. I’d say this is the modern take on you can only keep so many irons in the fire. But I have to say I think it really is true. The actual number may vary from person to person but I know that personally, for myself, the more I use social media sites, the older forums I used to visit get less and less attention. The more groups on FB I become a member of, the less I use Wind Dancer’s page. And if by some wild miracle I do manage to keep up with all of that, my family misses my face.

I like my family, my kids are on that verge of taking flight and I don’t want to miss out on what little time I have left with them in our little nest. So I’m thinking a little streamlining is in order. Not so much a cutting of anything... I Like, REALLY like, the circle of friends, family and acquaintances I have managed to surround myself with.

I just need to get back into the habit of managing my time a little better. I had a pretty good routine going for awhile and I seemed to have slipped back into old habits - actually, I think I overloaded my plate a little and haven’t quite figured out how to juggle it all. I need to categorize and prioritize and schedule. Oddly enough (or Coincidentally?) I’ve had several e-mails arrive lately touching on this very subject. I know it’s January and I usually do this in late August or May, I’m either early or late but that doesn’t really matter. What needs doing, needs doing. And as evidenced by my recent e-mails, doing in January just means I have lots of company in the doing, right? Right!~

It wasn’t that long ago - or maybe it was - my morning was cup of coffee, get the kids off to school, hit the gym, second cup of coffee, quick pick up around the house and THEN e-mail etc. Book keeping and Errands before picking kids up. I could sit and make while they did homework and we could talk about our day.

Look at how productive that was! I’m pretty sure a very large part of all that productivity had to do with all the energy I had from morning work outs….. not to mention the set schedule.

The nice thing is when we built the house we included a gym - once I finish cleaning up my studio (I still have several items that need relocating) I am moving on to the gym! I've managed to fit in some morning work outs. It’s been awhile but it has really felt good to get moving again. As does that little burst of energy that comes along after a workout. I think I just might have it back on track in no time!

To reinforce what I had just typed - serendipitously, this showed up in my e-mail…….

5 Morning Rituals to Keep You Productive All Day Long

Most of us work long hours: 40, 50 or even 60 hours each week. But chances are, given distractions like online entertainment, office snacking habits and ill-designed time management, we're only churning out high-quality work a portion of each day.

Here are five practical steps to incorporate into any morning routine to optimize your time at the office and maintain productivity all day long:

7 minutes of exercise. Yep, not 10 -- just seven. Why? It's short enough that it won't impact the rest of your morning routine and long enough to shake off any residual sluggishness from the night before -- including that extra glass of wine.

There are endless fitness routines to turn to, but the one I like best is called the 7 Minute Workout (and yes, there's an app for that). In just seven minutes, it works all major muscle groups with 12 total exercises.

Start your day out green. Sure, we've all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it's pretty easy to reach for a bagel, bowl of cereal, egg sandwich or cup of yogurt to get your metabolism going.

While all of these options are fine choices once in a while, you'll be shocked at the morning lift you can get from a green smoothie. And healthy juicing requires less time in the morning than toasting a bagel and slathering it with low fat cream cheese.

I go quick and easy, blending (for about a minute): one apple, one banana, one orange, a handful of spinach, half of a cucumber, any juice or coconut water on hand, a few cubes of ice and some flax seed. It's cheap, easy and energizing.

Pick 3 wins for the day. While you're waiting for that smoothie to blend, get ahead of the evening's conversation with your significant other -- you know, the one that starts, "How was your day?"

Decide on the three things that you'd like to accomplish in the next 12 hours in order for you to feel like the day was a success. Sure, not every day will be an epic win, but strategizing in this way will help to move the ball forward.

Block your calendar to achieve wins. One of the most common mistakes people make at the office is not turning to-do lists into time-bound, effective project lists. I've found that people who have mastered this hack are far more likely to deliver tasks on time.

It's simple: For each of the big things on your list, block off the amount of time on your calendar that you estimate the task might take -- and then add 33% more time just to be sure.

If a project is multi-day or has dependencies, break it up into digestible chunks. Use one block to plan and a second or third block to accomplish.

This simple method will help hold you accountable and immediately help you refocus on the tasks you've prioritized when you do get distracted. Too often, we let one distraction steamroll an entire morning -- now you don't have to let that client email derail you from your winning plan for the day.

Power up after lunch. Take the 15 minutes right after lunch to refocus on the day -- a kind of professional meditation. Get away from your computer, turn it off, go sit in a conference room and determine what you have on tap for the rest of the day.

Think about how the list you set in the morning is shaping up. Are you ahead of schedule? Behind schedule? You'll find that these 15 minutes help you identify how you got derailed, what's causing you distractions and help you to rediscover a rhythm to be productive all day long.

Give this simple formula a try for a week and I think you'll be pleased with the results. Here's to a more productive 2014!

I don’t remember who posted it or from what group/subscription it came but here’s the link:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230734#!

Have a great day, Week, Month, and Year!

Thanks for stopping by today!

See ya next time!

Proudly Embracing my "Idea Hoarding"?

During the Bead Hoarder's Hop my dear friend Perri mentioned sometimes what we are hoarding is the idea as opposed to the beads. What? pshhh who isn't?
Wait…..
Jean has been encouraging me to write, to share my ideas. (outside of my comfort zone but I've been working on it Jean!)
Perri hints I'm hoarding those ideas. (oh look! there's my comfort zone!!)
Those two things do not usually go together. One cannot hoard and share at the same time. They are essentially opposites.

hoard : noun
1: A stock or store of money or valued objects, typically one that is secret or carefully guarded:

3: An amassed store of useful information or facts, retained for future use

share .verb [ with obj. ]
3: use, occupy, or enjoy something jointly with another or others:



I immediately took to Google and plunked in Hoarder of Ideas and found these:

"Freelancers are FULL of good ideas, and entrepreneurs are even worse. So I know you have all these little bits of ideas kicking around. You stash, you store, you fill up your hard drive with half-written files and snippets full of good intentions.
Just in case. Because one day you might need them. You’re planning to do something with them.

One day."

http://menwithpens.ca/hoarding-ideas/

I have been self employed my entire adult life, I have ideas for a second etsy store, ideas for this, ideas for that. written down, tucked away, filed for later - and I have started writing down ideas for blog posts so I can have something for later just in case I forget to write - you've even heard me plan that! I have stacks of post it notes filled with sketches of design ideas for jewelry, those I've made and have yet to make. Notes about colors of beads to use, which beads to use, their sizes and even on occasion the exact inspiration for the idea itself.

Certainly sounding like the shoe fits doesn't it? Before my computer died I also had lots of inspiration files hoarded err tucked away in folders on the hard drive - now I have Pinterest and probably have about the same number of files stashed away there. lol But I'm not guarding them, squirreling them away from others, all my boards are public, I freely share those finds and it makes me happy when I get the notifications that someone has repinned one of them.

and then this...

"But there comes a time when we should use them, donate them, share them, or toss them. We should stop treating the products of our research, observation, and contemplation as if they were precious objects. Let them go: Give them to your students, your colleagues, your friends, or anybody who might be able to make something from them.
Imagine what you’ll be able to do when freed from the guilt, the burden, the crowding, the clutter of your old stuff. What might the clarity offer?"

http://chronicle.com/blogs/conversation/2012/08/27/are-you-an-idea-hoarder/

hmmm……



Maybe it is time. Time to organize my sketches, sort through them. No need to keep the ones already brought to life. Could be fun for a look book, from concept to fruition, but would I actually follow through on that? <-- hahaha did you need any more proof??!
OK then! It is definitely time to sort and toss, maybe write out a tutorial or two so I can really share. Clean the clutter from the pile on my desk and brain so I can get back to playing, to creating a new stack of sketches, or even better yet pretties to wear!

So glad you stopped by….. if you've been hoarding ideas too, feel free to share in the comments!
Maybe together we can break the habit and start using our ideas instead of letting them get dusty.

Care to Dance?

As you know my poor old Mac died back in October ....sighs, I loved my Mac but it was seven years old and even the best Mac is still a machine and parts fail. At the time my younger daughter had just bought a new Mac laptop and so has been letting me share with her. In essence I broke in her new computer, she is such a good kid! well......... Guess what I just did??

If you guessed just bought a new Mac... you're right!! I probably could have saved a little money and bought another desktop - we know from experience they last 7-10 yrs. Longer if you don't mind the os being obsolete, my old 90's Bondi Blue still works, it just GROWLS and takes its time, freezes at will and is generally too old to do ANYTHING online lol But, having used a laptop for the last several months I have gotten quite used to being mobile and I like it! Judging by the length of time my kids have had their Mac lap tops I feel safe in making this Mac purchase and I am soooo excited!

Order confirmation estimates I should have my new baby in 2 or 3 days!! Happy Dancing with me yet? If not, why not??

Keeping this weeks post short and also apologizing for missing last week! oops!! Not really sure how I managed that, I was busy but not THAT busy, guess time just got away from after having prescheduled several posts before. I should write a few posts and keep them in draft for times like this. I think I've said that before, might actually be a good idea!

I'm off! Thanks for stopping by! See ya next time!

Blast from the Past

I'll have to come back and edit this post to add a pic later. Last day of finals so another short post from me again today.

Currently on the Desk:
*Forged hoops - oops! I misdrilled the hole on one earring for the latch so I need to recut the ends, forge, file, and drill again.
*Ribbon choker and simple pendant awaiting a rolled hem to finish. Probably won't take five minutes if I just pick up the needle lol
*A beadwoven necklace with a gorgeous lampworked focal first couple of inches have been started and it is going to be a pretty one! Day to day life has slowed me down on this one, these tiny beads need a clear head and I have had a head ache for several days now, hoping the cause goes away and soon!
*A bead embroidered set - gorgeous gorgeous colors in these stones! Beads are laid out and waiting for that first stitch! Seems like I've been planning this one for ages, but it's more about me trying to live up to the beauty of these stones and do them justice. I want all the details to be just right - I'm starting to think I may just have to dive in........

Remember this post from way back in 2011. It's when I created the first On The Desk post. I've finished all those projects (yay me!) except two. The one in the photo shown in the original post - it's still sitting on the bead tray, and the bead embroidery piece. This last weeks cleaning spurt prompted a let's get a UFO (UnFinished Object) done mood and six and a half hours later the bead embroidery piece is looking pretty darn good. I'm going to work up some chain while I decide whether it needs any more beading added to it before I begin cutting away the extra backing. I am very happy with it so far.

I never told the kiddo what my inspiration was for this piece, but my Art Major daughter nailed it! I asked how she liked it and what she thought of it. The kiddo immediately rambled off the exact inspiration I had used and the feel I was going for with the piece. It brought a tear to my eye, so happy I was able to convey what I wanted and so proud of her for being able to define the period and styles so easily.

With things getting cleaned up and UFO's getting finished up it feels like May is on the verge of being a very productive month around here! Maybe I'll even tackle finishing up the laundry room and the weight room {grin}

Thanks for stoppin' by!
We'll see you next time!

Spring Cleaning

The weather has been beautiful lately causing a small "I need to do some spring cleaning" urge. Being as it was so nice, I thought I might do a little weeding but it hit 80 a little faster than I thought it would and ended up mulching what I weeded the other day instead. I shred old catalogs, junk mail etc and use it as a weed mat, when I ran out I headed into the studio and started shredding the stack of last years and older catalogs. Once I had a full bag ready to go I wasn't quite ready to stop the cleaning up effort and well - I mentioned a couple weeks ago I had decided I needed to reorganize my stash, that's just what I did! It feels so much cleaner in there and I can actually find my beads again! Want to hear something funny? Had I cleaned when I said I decided to, I wouldn't have needed to buy any seeds for the corsage!! lol I already had the colors, but my seeds were in three different spots and I couldn't see what colors I already had. Oh well, I have a very nice range of soft pinks now!

Quickie post today, those finals are stressing Paige and I don't want to add to it by monopolizing her computer for too long.
Thanks for stopping by!
See ya next time!

PS the roses are starting to bloom!! Paige and Elena picked a small spring bouquet of wild Verbena from the side of the driveway too and it smells heavenly! Take time to smell a spring bouquet yourself, doesn't matter if it comes from the garden, drive way or florist. Flowers can always brighten up your day.

Soup Sneak Peak.....

It's Bead Soup time again!

I have been assigned the first reveal and have been paired with my neighbor!
Well sort of, she lives just across the state line to the north by oh several hours drive.
Who? Oh! My partner for this round is Jennifer Lavite. She is the owner of Dry Gulch Beads and judging by her blog a lamp worker.
This is Jennifers Blog stop by and give her a little love! In case my link tool didn't work :) http://www.drygulchbeadsandjewelry.blogspot.com

So think you're up for a sneak peak of what I sent? I mailed my little package of goodies off yesterday and since she lives so close Jennifer should have them by Monday......

I'm really excited to see if Jennifer likes what I sent and I can't wait to get started cooking with what she sends!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peak!
See you next time!

Sign Ups for Bead Soup Seven are under way!

and YES I did sign up! It is ALWAYS a blast!

On the HomeFront: I still (yes still) need to finish the face of my mural. She is looking beautiful but had to take a back seat while the tub was installed and then the sink. I waited for the support wall to go in on the front of the tub but it hasn't happened yet - I think I might just have to start painting again for that to happen! I've uploaded the in progress pics I have to my daughters computer. I can at least give you a couple in progress photos, right?

On the Desk: I actually finished a UFO this week! I know!! The pieces have been sitting in that little triangular tray for over a year. I am so excited to have it finished, it's such a sweet little bracelet. No pics yet, I only finished last night and have been playing on Pinterest today. I know bad me. Not really I love iron work, I have pieces of it all over my house (you see it in my pics all the time!) it translates into wire so well that I decided to create an inspiration board of just iron. I think I blogged about actually cleaning off the desk - maybe that was a FB status update oops any way I said I had actually gotten it cleaned off and of course already had a couple projects ready to go. I had a custom order I needed to finish, then the UFO and now this piece - HEAVILY inspired by the iron. I have another UFO I'm really ready to get to and I want this piece finished up before I begin so my desk can be devoted to what I'm working on.

But Dana, Bead Soup is on the counter waiting for a sprinkling of inspiration. Yes and I have a dead computer that needs to be boxed up. I think it's safe to say after four months it isn't going to spontaneously turn back on. I know, I've been trying. Once it's boxed up my computer desk will be - an empty surface. Since I have decided I like the mobility of Paige's laptop and do believe I'd like one for my own, I don't think the desk is going to fill back up with computer. I'm also looking at rearranging the furniture in there just a hair to free up even more space. So no worries, I got it covered! Huge grin!

Sneak Peeks at the mural these are IN PROGRESS shots NOT the final thing....







Wraps around three walls with no stenciling all free hand. I did use the painters tape as a straight edge - I can paint but I can't draw a straight line lol Even with the tape I managed to get it crooked. Still needs a couple touch ups and her face and hair need finishing. I forgot to put her other arm in - it is in my sketch but somehow didn't make it onto the wall. Debating whether she really needs it, would be something of a pain to tuck in to the white of her gown and match skin tone at this point.

Thanks for stopping in and listening to(or reading) my ramblings. If you liked the in progress shots I may consider doing more - we still have a few projects to finish up around here. Cabinets and tiling, pine flooring, etc etc
See ya next time!