Happy Pictures

I've been having fun learning to use my new camera and taking photos for my Etsy shop. It's been fun to experiment with different backgrounds and angles and I've been pleased with many of the results. I'm getting better at cropping and making adjustments for the light. Even though I take the photos outside, I try to take them in the shade to avoid shadows so they usually need a little lightening. I made a new banner -- I like it a lot but I haven't had much input from others and I don't know how objective I can be. Taking all the photos has been difficult because of the weather -- one doesn't think of FL as anything but sunny. Not the case! It's also supposed to be the dry season but it rains several days a week, is very overcast at times and it gets pretty breezy. It can actually be difficult to find the right time and the right weather to take pictures. The camera is great -- a huge improvement over our old one!

Saturday will be another day at the flea market. It's been going so slowly, I'm not really looking forward to it. To add to the slow sales, this week it may be raining Sat morning. But we'll get up at the crack of dawn and go. I'm so glad Keith has been going with me -- it's nice to have the company and spend the time together.

Our chicken is gone -- someone caught her and took her home.

Being an old movie buff, I'm looking forward to February on TCM -- they always play movies that won or were nominated for Oscars. So they're the best.

Wow! It's been quite a week!

I started with a cold. Bummer. Didn't go anywhere, didn't do anything, it was downright boring (boring almost NEVER happens to me!).

Then sad. We learned that our friend, Ray, finished his 1-year battle with brain cancer. He's gone home. He will be missed. Our comfort is that we will see him again someday when we get to heaven.

Then rejoicing! My friend, Anna, has been away visiting her daughter, awaiting the delivery of a new baby -- Nathan arrived! He's happy, healthy, doing well ... and Mama is feeling really good. We're praising God!

Then creative. I made a dress for my granddaughter this week -- and made a matching dress for her cabbage patch doll. What fun!

Then excited! We bought a truck! We got it on Ebay and my husband will go to get it next week. It was a little scary buying a vehicle without seeing it -- but we feel pretty comfortable.

Then reasonably satisfied. I took my jewelry to the flea market -- it was an absolutely gorgeous day! Sales were not all I would have hoped for but I still learn something every time I do something like this. One of the things I offer is custom earrings -- customers can choose their colors, their styles or create their own -- and I make it for them. That can be really fun!

Then happy! We found out that our daughter-in-law got a promotion at work -- she really loves her new job (it's just what she's been wanting to do) and the raise is nice too!

So I didn't meet all the goals I had for myself this week ... but it's all good! I also did a bunch of little things or parts of jobs -- hopefully next week we can get some of them wrapped up. I want to make a new banner for my Etsy shop -- have an idea, just need to make it happen. Also need to take photos of jewelry. The only time I had available this week, the wind was really blowing and outdoor pictures were not possible. So, tomorrow.

my flea market day

It's been a long day. We're both quite tired. We spent the day trying to sell jewelry at the flea market and it was mediocre. However, we are still optimistic that next week will be better. On our way home this afternoon, we saw signs for a big craft show only a few miles from the flea market and today was the start of a big state fair not far away -- so people had some major options to choose. This was my first of 6 weeks. Apparently, I should have started last week -- other vendors praised it as the best week of this season (from fall to spring). The day wasn't a total loss -- I connected with a customer who has a friend getting married. She felt this friend would LOVE my jewelry and be very interested in buying for her wedding party. Several other people asked if I would be vending again and indicated that they would be back. So we still hope for some good weeks ahead.

As I was sitting there, waiting for something to happen, I also came up with an idea for a new style of earrings -- so in the next few days, I'll be working on it. I have several different lines of jewelry styles, including one I call "Big Band Baubles" which use names of songs popular in the 30's, 40's and 50's. My daughter recently suggested the song "Sway" (shortly after she suggested it, it popped up on a commercial with Antonio Banderas...yummm) -- this new style would be perfect to go with that name! So I'm excited at the prospect! She's anxious to see what I do with the name, too. Note to self -- I should also plan some occasional time to just sit and think. I don't get time to do that very often, but if it's going to result in new styles, it's worth working into my schedule. Normally, the creative ideas bounce around my head as I'm trying to go to sleep or when I'm doing something "mindless", like doing dishes (which does not require a great deal of focus or concentration).

And the chicken? It's still floating around the area, although it's branching out and finding other yards to play in. What's a girl to do? I'm thinking ..... BBQ!

Renegade Chicken

Sunday morning went well -- my music came out all right so the butterflies in my stomach are silent. When we got home from church, we discovered that we had a visitor -- a stray chicken! I think one of the neighbors has some chickens in their yard, so undoubtedly, this is an escapee. But it's been with us all week! I'm not quite sure why it's adopted us but it sticks pretty close, roosting here every night. It's tried to fly into our living room (hitting the window) and this afternoon, we had our door open and it tried to come in through the screen. Last night, for dinner, we had chicken on the grill (legs and thighs from Winn Dixie). In the night, I heard a funny sound outside, and when
I investigated, we had chicken on the grill (!).

This week, I've been busy gearing up for the flea market this Saturday. I've also been working on a massive project in excel to track costs, pricing, etc for my jewelry. Tomorrow I still need to get my display stuff dug out and ready to take to the market. I have about 500 pairs of earrings ready to go but still need to make about 30 or 40 more pairs -- if all goes well, I should be able to finish those soon. I have a few necklaces -- just need to tag them. Keeping my fingers crossed for a good sales day Sat!

Recap the week

Tuesday night was our dinner -- everything went well and it came off great! I think everyone had a good time. After our guests left, I was feeling a little creative so sat down and played with my beads -- came up with a couple new earring configurations. In my creative process, I make something, then leave it laying around for a few days so I can look at it and think about it, then I decide if I REALLY like it. One design is a keeper, the other still needs work.

Wednesday, I had another creative day. I've had 2 necklaces started (the pretty front parts of the styles) for several months but have had the equivalent of writers block for how to finish them. Wed, I figured out a finish for one of the necklaces. Thursday, I figured out a finish for the 2nd. They are both still in my consideration days to see if they're keepers, but it's looking positive. I also have ideas for a couple more necklaces -- but had to order components so hopefully next week I can try them out.
Wednesday, I also signed up to sell at the Flea Market in Stuart, FL -- will start on the 19th and am signed up for 6 Saturdays. I'm excited at the prospect! And maybe a little overwhelmed.

We are working to get ready to build Grace Fellowship Baptist Church in Port St Lucie, FL. It's been a good week in the planning and some things are starting to come together. We've found some terrific local people to work with and they've been a huge help! We also found a fabulous deal on some close-out floor tile -- it's a little early to be buying but someone in the church has some storage space in their garage and finding this stuff at 75% off is too good to pass up!

Thursday was a blue day for me -- the anniversary of my brother's death. It's so hard to believe it's been 30 years. He was only 18 and died suddenly. It may seem odd, but I've missed Dave more in the past few years than I did back then. Maybe because of all the events in my life and family that he's not sharing with me. I look forward to heaven.

Today, my friend, Anna, flew to VA to be with her daughter who's about to have a baby. It's going to be too quiet around here! ;)
Tomorrow morning, it's my Sunday to play piano for church services -- and I'm singing special music. I always have butterflies before that but tonight, I'm thinking that they're B-17's!!

My first attempt

Well, here I am. My first attempt at posting a blog. It's going to be short tonight -- I have a very busy day tomorrow. In fact, I have a very busy week.

Tomorrow, we are expecting guests for dinner -- I'm making Italian. I'm even making appetizers -- Prosciuto & Melon and Bruschetta & Crostini. We're grilling Italian marinated chicken and serving it over homemade Fettucine Alfredo. Put green beans and homemade breadsticks on the side and it sounds like dinner!

I make jewelry -- and this week my head is FULL of creative ideas. It's going to take a couple days of "research and development" just to sort out what is going to actually work and what won't. I also need to make some new pieces and get them photographed so I can list them at my shop at Etsy (www.bjeweledbysusan.etsy.com). Here's hoping it's a successful week!