Hurray for the New Year

We made it through another year! well, almost,...as the countdown is on.
I love this time of year, especially since my company gives me two days off with pay and that ends up making me have 5 wonderful days in a row of being OFF!
I had plans of using this weekend to create art or little clay people. Something I could put in my Etsy and ArtFire shops, but I really have a lot of research I need to do about the upcoming art retreat. And to make matters worse, or more delightful, however you choose to look at it...my girlfriend pointed out today that this is CANTON weekend! The largest outdoor shopping extravaganza in all of Texas and maybe the whole United States!
She may have to come down and spend the weekend so we can go browse through all the acres and acres of goodies, if for nothing else but inspiration!

I DID do a lot of interesting things tonite for my mother's Etsy shop. I have been studying up on what makes a successful shop and one of the articles told me about how to get your items listed on Google. The article was about a website that practically does all the work for you and will update your items you have to sell at different intervals you set up yourself. You can go see it for yourself at http://www.letsets.com/

Then I also found a really neat site that will let you see how many people "heart" or love your shop and also how many people have looked at your items for sale and who loves what items. What a great marketing tool to have! You can see the "Heartomatic" at http://www.craftcult.com/heartomatic.php?userid=

There is so much great information out there to learn about how to get your sales up, that I could spend the entire weekend just studying on all of that!
But for now...I'm going to definately do my art retreat research and I will be calling my girlfriend tomorrow so we can decide what time we want to get down to Canton! She better wear comfortable shoes or she is going to have a hard time keeping up with "superwoman" with the hormone implants!
Until later....I hope you have a wonderful and safe new year.

Monday, monday

So, today it was back to work. A typical Monday at my little office. The guys there are in the middle of remodeling our whole office, while I am tucked away in the "other room" which is actually an older office that we use as a meeting room. I have no idea where ANY of my stuff is...so most of the day I spent digging thru boxes or just standing there wondering....hmm....where IS it....??? But before I ever got to work, I had to go into Greenville, the closest BIG city! Errands to run, blood testing to get done (I'll have to tell you all about my new "all natural hormone implants" at a later blog!) and I had to run by the beauty supply house too. So naturally after all of that....I was forced to drive thru Starbucks and get a Vanilla Bean Frappucino to start the day off right!

I live in a very small town. One that everyone knows everyone else. The retired people sometimes just stop in to visit or to get some 'computer advice'. So, all in all, it was a typical Monday. I guess sometimes the residents think I'm a bit crazy. Like today..when one came in and the first thing I asked him was..."where are my envelopes!!!???" He just stood there looking at me, like maybe I thought he had stolen them or something. hahahah...oh well, a girl's gotta have a little fun!

I got a call today too, telling me that my new office furniture would be arriving next Monday! Yea...that will be a GREAT MONDAY! Then I will be able to move back into the finished remodel. New wood floors, new paneling, and a new dropped ceiling with lots of bright lighting!
Well, that's about all about my exciting day at work. Other than the "real" work..which you don't want to hear about anyway.

All of my children called today too. One daughter called as their plane was landing in Las Vegas, another called to tell me that she was nearly home from Mississippi and only about 2 hours away from being home again. And my son called from Branson, MO. He and his family are vacationing up there after the Christmas holiday. I also talked to my nephew's wife in Hawaii and to my neice in Forney, Texas.

Oh and another good thing! My sweet husband had been out shopping today and found a great new stainless steel outdoor grill. And to top that off...he had cooked delicious t-bone steaks for dinner! We raise our own beef on our farm and it is soooo tender and delicious!
What more could a wife ask for? hmmm...I'll try to think of something!

Ready for the New Year

Ok, I am making my new year's resolutions and this year, it's going to be to create something artistic once a week! I have read about those ambitious people that seem to be able to create something, however small, at least once a day, and that's not ME!
I have a bad problem about getting sidetracked by looking at what everyone else is creating on their etsy sites, so I'm going to work on that!
I like to set a few goals for the new year too, and so far, that is looking like a girl's trip to one of the great art retreats I've been reading about. I'm torn between Art & Soul and Art Unraveled.
Right now, Art Unraveled is winning, simply because it gives me more time to save up towards the week long classes. Also, I'm trying to talk another one of my girlfriends in going with me. Right now, a long lost classmate of mine from Washington State who had reconnected with me after 40 years, is going for sure. It will be a great reunion with her and a wonderful time of sharing in learning new crafts and methods. It's really funny how people are reconnected in different ways. Our connection was made thru "Classmates.com". I bet we have "talked" just about everyday since we found each other.
We are both so excited about going to an art retreat that we can't hardly stand it!
I received this partial list of the instructors that will be at Art Unraveled in Phoenix in August 2009.
Doris Arndt
Thomas Ashman
Traci Bautista
Bridget Benton
Jill Berry
Didi Bourbon
Rebecca Brooks
Alisa Burke
Josie Cirincione
Michael deMeng
Louise Duhamel
Lisa Engelbrecht
Katherine England
Katie Gardenia
Raina Gentry with Kris Kollasch
Sherri Haab
Marylin Huskamp
Tracie Lyn Huskamp
Mike Jennings
Cathy Johnston
Katie Kendrick
Kelly Kilmer
Cindy Kovack
Jane LaFazio
Stephanie Lee
Susan Lenart Kazmer
Donna Lewis
Leighanna Light
Jenn Mason
Juana Martinez-Neal
Barbara Matthiessen
Barbara McGuire
Jo McQueen
Joannah Merriman
Karen Michel
Kate Murray
Lisa Pavelka
Angie Platten
CR Radding
Ruth Rae
Lisa Renner
Gail Russakov
Richard Salley
Lorri Scott
Alex Shur
Carla Sonheim
Alma Stoller
Jacqueline Sullivan
Judy Wise
Jane Wynn
Thomas Wynn

Now if that list doesn't get you excited, then nothing will! Oh the choices we will have to make!
So many classes, so little time!