Thursday, January 31, 2013

Bead, Read, Eat and Need

I realized this morning that it's been a whole month since I last posted.  Time sure flies when you're having fun, and I have been having way too much fun lately. 

Thought I'd share what's on my table today, and it just so happened to rhyme:  Bead, Read and Eat.  Four words just works better, though, so I added one more since eat doesn't rhyme quite as well with bead and need.



BEAD:  I realized how much I love working with Amethyst, and how quickly it seems to sell.  I have nothing gorgeous in Amethyst in my finished jewelry inventory so the next few days I'll remedy that situation. 

Last night, while watching The Juror I made an Amethyst necklace and bracelet.  I wanted it to be all amethyst, but decided at the last minute to add the lavender freshwater pearls.  I'm still debating what kind of clasp to add.  I SO love the facetted coin shapped beads.



READ:  What I'm reading lately is Torch Fired Enamel Jewelry: A Workshop in Painting With Fire by Barbara Lewis.  I love the look of enamel, and since I don't have a kiln but I do have a torch, this method is one I could easily do.  As soon as I buy some enamels!  I have to admit that I'm not at all into the style of jewelry created in the projects section of this book.  But I have some of my own ideas of what I'd like to enamel and how I want it to look.  C-Coop makes gorgous jewelry components (and the owner lives in Duluth, Minnesota!) and I'd like to try my hand at making similar pieces like the pendant on the left. 

EAT:  Not really a healthy lunch, but I bought some Cheese Curls (or Cheesy Poofs, as Cartman calls them) the other day when I stopped at Cub for my Cappacino.  This is why grocery shopping while hungry is a bad idea.  Oh well, once in a while we have to eat something bad, right?  I love the Cappacino that comes in a red plastic container.  I'd have to go upstairs to read the label so I'll leave it at that.  The French Vanilla flavor is my favorite.  I love it because I can heat some water in the microwave and stir it in.  No fuss, and no cooking, is my motto these days.  Yesterday I had a breakfast bar for lunch.  Yes, I'm lazy.  Not sure when that happened, but I can't deny it.

NEED:  There are so many things I could write about under this heading.  There are so many things I should be doing, like cleaning the house and cooking a decent meal.  But should is not Need, is it?  Lately all I do is what I WANT to do.  Sounds like heaven, right?  Except that I don't think we were built to be so self-indulgent. 

I get nothing done during the day except washing a few loads of laundry.  I do have my sales tax ready to file, and just need to run a few reports to get my business income taxes done.  I spend too much time on the computer.  Everything I need to do relies on using the computer, but when I turn the computer on, it sucks my brains out.  Even the laundry sits in the washer or dryer for hours at a time. 

So what I need to do is write a task list for the week or day and make sure those items get done before I can take any time for what I want to do. 

Of course, I've made this resolution many times before.


2 comments:

  1. Laurel, you're running an online biz -- I would imagine your entire DAY would be computer-filled!

    Just from what I've noticed recently, your online sales seem to be increasing in direct relation to your social media postings. You're workin' it, girl, and I'm proud of you. It'd be different if you (or I) were Mary Engelbreit and had a staff of people linking our products and updating our sites. But we're each just one person, doing it all.

    Speaking for myself, I have to constantly be reminded that if I want Mayfaire to be more of a moneymaking business I should be giving it at least an 8-hour workday. But, like you, I can't help but feel that laundry and dishes are a better use of my time....

    In the grand scheme of things, they're not. So please don't scold yourself for being online, 'k? The laundry will still be there after you've thanked your customers, penned your blogpost, and listed your new Etsy items.... :)

    Love you! And I can't help but marvel at all you're accomplishing.
    ...delayne.

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    1. Thank you, Delayne, for reminding me that a lot of my on-line time is dedicated to my business. I think I'm getting better at juggling my time, but there's still plenty of room to improve. For instance, I should limit myself to one or two games of solitaire at any one sitting. And I should sit down at the computer with a list of the things I want to get done, otherwise I forget to do the one thing I went online to do!

      Love you too!

      Laurel

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