Busy week

This was the last week before school begins. I put in some extra hours at the deli because I am a kind person. I also went in to school and worked one day. On Friday my sister and I went to Gettysburg Village, a factory outlet center and then on to Boyd's Bear Country for the Longaberger Basket Fest. The weather was oppressively hot and humid, but we had a great time. We each wove a peg basket with teddy bear tacks along the top. We each ordered personalized wooden lids that say Basket Fest 2007 and have pictures of bears on them. They had oodles of baskets there so we had to buy some.

Today my sister came and we worked on laying a peel-and-stick floor in the office. The floor that was there was probably the one onstalled in 1956 when the house was built. The lighter color floor make such a huge difference in the room. It really brightens the room. It also makes the paint look somewhat pathetic, so I guess we'll be painting. Make that he'll be painting.

I would so love to retire from the deli...

...but all but one of my sales have come from there. It also helps finance my addiction to Sworovski crystals. The time I spend there is time that I don't have to work on promoting my etsy site and nothing is happening on my site so I do need to work on promotion. It seems like there is never enough help so I end up staying past my time to leave so I can get finished. I'm trying to begin networking with other bloggers in the hope of getting more visitors to my shop. I have a few ideas for pieces that I just need to find some time to make the items and that's is where the time at the deli comes in. During the school year I work there about 10 hours a week, which doesn't sound like much, but it really seems to cut into my weekends. You may ask why I just don't resign there are several reasons besides the ones listed previously. I guess the biggest one is that half of my pay (off the top) goes into a 401k. Another big one is I've been there almost 9 years and I do have paid holidays, 2 weeks paid vacation, and a Christmas bonus. Also if I resign and decide I need a part-time job in the future, I'd have to start all over. Sorry to ramble so, but the deli situation is problematic for me.

Can you tell I was excited about posting a link that works?

Success!

I posted a link and it actually works! Can you tell that I am really excited. However, it is way past my bed time and I do have to work tomorrow so I'd best get some shut eye if I want ot have any energy left to work on some jewelry tomorrow night after work and whatever errands I have to do. I did sort through some of my new goodies that I bought on vacation so that I can see what I really have.

I'm practicing a new skill, I hope.

I'm trying to make a link. I would like to place links to other blogs on my blog, but I don't even know how to make a link (except where I copy and the paste). So I'm going to try a few.

Purrfectlydevine's Jewelry Designs

Sales, but not on Etsy

As much as I would like to quit my part-time job it seems that is the source of most of my sales. I just can't seem to get things moving on etsy. Of course nothing new was listed when I was on vacation, but I've only listed one item since I've returned. I need to get myself motivated (and to the bead store for a few things I need to complete a piece in progress). I did make a pair of earrings tonight (for someone at work), but I need to become more productive, and fast, especially since school starts next week and my free time will be limited.

Inservice

The school year has officially begun. I went to inservice the past 2 days. They are necessary, but very exhausting days. The good part is that I got to see some colleagues that I rarelhy see during the school year because we work in different buildings. The downside, is that I am too tired to do any beading. Tomorrow will be a shorter day, so maybe I won't be so tired.

Back to reality

Reality will come crashing back tomorrow morning. After a week of sleeping in and living leisurely, having to get up extra early for work tomorrow will be such a shock to my system. Vacation was wonderful. We stayed with relatives north of Atlanta, GA. On Sunday we went to the Georgia Aquarium and the New World of Coke. Since we wanted to be back at my aunt's house for dinner that was enough for one day. We used the mass transit system so we wouldn't have to deal with a car downtown. Because it was so hot and DH had to wear an aircast walking far was not an option. We went back downtown on Monday and toured CNN and saw Underground Atlanta. We had hoped to get tho the Hard Rock Cafe, but in the heat 5 blocks was too far for my DH to walk. There's always next year. On Tuesday we went to the Kangaroo Conservation Center near Dawsonville, GA. That was worth what we paid to go see it. Both DH and I thought it was the best tour that we did. If you want to go, be sure to check their website, http://www.kangaroocenter.com/ for ticket availability. They do only 2 tours a day Tuesday through Saturday and it is amazing how booked full they are months in advance. On Wednesday we met a friend from one of my message boards for lunch and had a marvelous time. Wednesday evening we went to Georgia's Stone Mountain for the laser light show.

I discovered a bead store near my aunt's house that seemed to specialize in Sworovski crystals. I spent lots of money and could have easily spent more becuase they had shapes and sizes that I'd only seen in catalogues.

I really don't want to go back to work tomorrow; I want to stay home and organize all my crystals.

Vacation!

DH and I will be leaving tomorrow for a trip to Atlanta to visit relatives and see the things I haven't yet seen. I have been working on pieces that I want to take with me. I've made an aqua necklace, bracelet and earring set, a "switch out" necklace (use one chain and can change a 4 or 5 inch section that would be in the front. I have another set I am working on. So far I have the memory wire bracelet done and dangles for the earrings done. The necklace is a "work in progress" because I'm not sure what style I want it to be.

My husband found the dock for the camera, still in the unopened box, that disappeared when we moved. I put the camera on to charge last night. At least I'll stop going through batteries like crazy. I end up taking so many pictures of my pieces to post on Etsy that the batteries weren't lasting very long at all. Now, if I could just take better pictures.

Continuing to move forward

Today I joined Etsy Bloggers. As I understand it we will promote Etsy and each other in our blogs. Etsy is the website where my online store is. Lissa73 held my hand to help me join Etsy and get my shop set up. Several people from The Dingleberry Patch have shops on Etsy in addition to Lissa and me. PinkPurl has one and so does Larissa07. I don't know what their motivation to open a shop was, but mine was that I enjoy beading and have made more jewelry than one person can wear of give as presents. The shop is to support my beading addiction. I also made my first purchase on Etsy today. I got some crystals at a good price from someone on the "shops needing a sale" thread. I have noticed a few more views, but no sales yet. It is hard to be creative when nothing is selling.