29 Months

Progress Progress

2011-10-25T09:31:00.000-04:00

I TOOK A LEFT AT THE FORK IN THE ROAD

2011-10-06T12:50:00.003-04:00

WOW! I can see down this road pretty well!

So, I probably still have thirty-six months to retirement, but the plan is coming together. There is jewelry and polymer clay and there are monthly vendor fairs in Delaware, Ohio.

All the education I have derived from reading on my own, both books and internet is starting to come together. Clarity is cool. My direction is clear and I am completely in agreement with it, although there is that financial side of things that I need to work on next.

My friend came breezing into my house one day and said that she had a venue and "Are you in?". Well of course! How exciting! How very exciting! We'll have one show in November and then, beginning in February 2012, shows will be monthly . We load our inventories into this basement during the First Fridays of each month and invite our customers to visit us and see what we've been doing.

This November, the theme of the show is ART. We sent out a call to artists to get seven additional vendors in order to fill the venue to capacity. The area is only forty feet square, so it's more of a store when we open. We serve iced tea and include a vendor who makes cake. Yum! There is a band of guitars who will serenade our shoppers and the Delaware Arts Castle will be bringing dancers who will perform what they've learned in their classes. As November 4th is less than a month away, guess what I am doing? Making inventory, making inventory and in my spare time, I will be > you guessed it! MAKING INVENTORY! Doing what I love, yes, there's a goal being achieved! (note to self, please temper excitement. thank you.)

The jewelry road has branched a bit. Although I love making beaded jewelry with natural stones and pearls, I've added Czech beads to my repertoire. In addition, since I can't seem to put down the polymer clay very often, I am now producing polymer clay bangles of my own design. I enjoy what I am doing so much that I spend lots of time practicing and practicing and practicing.

So as I look down the road, I see it glistening with faceted jewels, beautiful bangles and gorgeous gemstone jewelry. Income streams make the river.

More later.

Adornables By Lyn: On reflection and leaping

2011-04-27T10:25:00.011-04:00

Today, I've reached a new milestone or theory about my business.

It's coming into view.

Just like that water, though, it's a trickle at a time.

The good news about that is that it's the rainy season!

Having a positive spin on each day is very necessary.

So the business as I know it now is only a little jewelry making business on Etsy.com. That is something that has been a constant.

Having a business is a balancing act and it is also a project. There are jobs to be done whenever you have a business. Cleaning the toilet is one of them. Keeping track of inventory is another. Since I am the sole source for my inventory, my hands have to stay busy!

I had to teach myself product photography. I am the photographer.

I'll have to brush up on bookkeeping skills.

And the shipping department is going to need to be refined, to say the very least.

If I have learned one very valuable lesson so far I hope that it is continuity. One must continually make the inventory, photograph the inventory, track the inventory and supplies, post the inventory and ship the inventory. Continually. Re-posting is fine, but new inventory is key. Continuity! That's the key.

So as I reflect on where my business has been and the road it's travelled as it begins, I am ready to leap into the next phase.

More tomorrow.

Do The Walk of Life

2011-03-28T14:15:00.002-04:00

I heard this great tune today. It was such a happy tune and quite a way to start a Monday! Do the Walk of Life by the Dire Straits Interpretation helps me with ME. I like to hear a song and commit to the interpretation. I like to tell myself that I know what they're talking about. Bringin' all the nighttime into the day! Do the walk of life, yeah, do the walk of life. Everybody's doin' it, so it must be the thing to do! So have a happy Monday as you do the walk of life!

Polymer Clay: Rules and Regulations For Creating

2011-03-15T11:11:00.003-04:00

Maybe I'm my own worst critic. Probably. But last night I learned another lesson.

I was happy. I was creating. I couldn't stop. Finally, there it was! Another master piece, I swear! In my excitement, I popped it into the oven and ran to get things ready for the next day, so I could go to my real job. In the morning, just before I left for work, I grabbed the master piece out of the oven and looked it over. Very disappointing.

Never do this. Never bake anything that you made, until it has set and been observed for a while. Look it over. Smooth it out. Any lumps and bumps become permanent upon baking.

The cool thing about polymer clay is that you can play with it and play with it until you bake it. When you bake it, it's done! It's over! There's nothing left to do but light sanding and maybe a coat of clear polyurethane.

Master pieces require long and steady attention to detail. And no, you cannot create a master piece in a day. So I need my own rules and regulations for creating with polymer clay.

Have a project in mind when sitting down to work with polymer clay. No more playing, have an end result in mind.

Have instructions, even if I wrote them myself.

Never, ever, bake anything until it is ready to be baked.

I'll be posting these on my wall in front of my face and maybe, just maybe I will be able to show this much self-restraint.

Happy Mardi Gras!!! Finally I am prepared.

2011-03-03T11:24:00.006-05:00

Never ready. That's me. Until now. I have the Mardi Gras bangle complete and it isn't even close to Mardi Gras! (at least not in my book!) I have five WHOLE days! That's plenty of time.

Oh my. I have worked and worked this winter to learn and make bangles out of polymer clay. I didn't think I was getting anywhere until now. I think this is my SECOND group of bangles! I know, there are a couple that were also in the first group, but that's just the way it is. Maybe I AM getting somewhere after all!

Well in my future is one and possibly another ART show! Stay tuned for details.

Polymer Clay Bangles Lovely Weekend

2011-01-23T16:52:00.003-05:00

Well, I am so happy. I've had a wonderfully productive weekend and am ready to go back to the drudge that is my day job. It'll all be okay! Everything is beautiful again.

I managed to make four new bangles and finish the one I made for my sister. Now that's some kind of production!

A normal Sunday morning at my house means watching Sunday Morning and then switching over to ABC for Christian Armandpour, I don't know the name of the show, but I like it. Anyway, when Sunday Morning ends, I go upstairs and clay for a the duration of the show. It's been a very productive weekend, I tell you!

I am not only impressed with myself, I am excited about my future! I can do this!

Something Stuck! Bracelets Manufacturing begins in February! Or I am my own worst enemy!

2010-12-06T14:28:00.003-05:00

Hello.

So over the weekend, I managed to list four pinwheels on Etsy. They're probably gleaming over there to the right of this article.

I can make pinwheels. I should be making pinwheels. But then, my attention deficit disorder kicked in and I shifted gears. Imagine! Not again! Oh, NO! I am my own worst enemy.

As is always the case, my committment to one project waned and there I was with a new project on my hands. ...And now it's on my wrist! It's not even done, but it's so beautiful I am in total awe.

For the rest of the week I'll be trying to get re-focussed on pinwheels. If I am going to be CEO of a huge pinwheel conglomerate, I've got to focus!

WHY Can't Something Stick - Just Once??????

2010-11-22T12:58:00.004-05:00

There I was again. Waiting in line to go through the Route 745 intersection. Lately, I just get out my camera and start playing around taking pictures. Look! I managed to get an X on a tree. I keep hoping maybe, just once, I will take the perfect picture that will make some money for me so I can get out of this spot. Just once, maybe something will stick.

Over the weekend, there I was AGAIN! I had a farewell to polymer clay weekend. It is the time to put my toys away and concentrate on the holiday season. I've rationalized it and I will move forward as expected.

As I left my cozy craft room for the last time yesterday, I looked around to find some sign of production. Nothing but pieces and parts. No completed projects found. Oh, was I supposed to complete something?

I managed to carve out about six or eight hours, yes hours, of pure, uninterrupted clay time each day. It was wonderful! And yet, - no completed projects. No birthday present for my sister. No new and complete pinwheels. Probable cause: No Clear Focus on Outcome. Gasp.

Well I will regroup this week. I will have projects completed. I will keep trying to get items listed on Etsy. I will keep trying to complete my sister's birthday present. As I turn my attention to the holiday season and the real things that matter. Check back next week. Hopefully, there will be renewed optimism and strife!

The Pinwheel that says, "Merry Christmas!"

2010-11-16T14:11:00.003-05:00

In the weeks that wind down the year, I am rushing to get my polymer things finished and put away. It's a hard prospect for me to give it up for the season which is Christmas. I finally made a deal with myself that if I put them away this Saturday or Sunday, I could get them back out after the first of the New Year. Truthfully, they may escape their storage containers the very day after Christmas. I'll try to adjust but I might need a twelve step program.

The Merry Christmas Pinwheel pendant necklace is just lovely on a red ribbon.

I am looking forward to making many more in 2011. They've come a long way from the day I invented them back in February.

This original design was made for children. I was on the craft show circuit and had only beaded jewelry for women. The children who were with their mother's needed some eye candy, I thought. Something bright. Something that would be fun, and perhaps spin. Something to make them smile.

Christmas Pinwheels just blurt it out. Merry Christmas! There's joy and fun. There are bright colors and best of all, they SPIN!

Taking Chances

2010-10-25T12:49:00.004-04:00

The lull is deafening and yet, I continue to work at it. Creativity lulls are the worst. Beads no longer jump on the strings by themselves. The polymer clay won't get out of the package. And yet, I continue.

I managed to get the forth of four shelves mounted in my craft room. I am beginning to organize my chaos into three areas that are my expertise. My hope, as I continue, is that the new organization will lead to a burst of inspired creativity.

When creativity wanes, turning my attention to something else is imperitve. Adjust the sails into the wind and brace yourself. Maybe don't be as blatant as the squirrel in this picture, but damn, TAKE A CHANCE!

Big Finish August - Of Earrings, Pinwheels and Craft Show

2010-08-19T09:03:00.003-04:00

There I was in the dead of winter, totally consumed by needing a product for children. That is what I was missing from my craft show inventory. It wasn't all that was missing, but this was something I felt I could do something about. I walked around for days thinking, “What can I have for the kids?”

Suddenly it hit me! PINWHEELS! POLYMER CLAY PINWHEELS!

Well that was just great! I didn’t know anything about polymer clay. And I certainly didn’t know anything about how to construct a pinwheel from clay for a child. But in my mind’s eye, I could see my great-niece getting in trouble in school for spinning her pinwheel necklace and not paying attention. Necklace? Are you kidding me?

I am three weeks away from the first of two craft shows. I have beautiful beaded jewelry. And I will have pinwheels necklaces for children. So I am busy making pinwheels. I am busy getting ready.

That drive is still in me. It’s still pushing me. I have to learn so much about this polymer clay! I have so much to learn about craft shows!

Moving Right Along. Affiliate Opportunity from ImageKind. Photos Posted.

2010-07-16T02:39:00.002-04:00

So this is an update on my progress. I've found a new site to sell my photos on . It's called IMagekind.com and so far it's been great!

I posted photos yesterday and immediately got comments. That is really good for the ego!

So its the middle of July and I have been posting on three different blogs, taking pictures, getting my jewelry wherewithall organized and thinking about the fall craft shows I have scheduled. Wow! Good progress!

Imagekind has an affiliate program that I am reviewing right now. I am pretty sure I could get a few sales for them. Soon I'll be making big money, I just know it.

Twitter and Facebook are good marketing tools that I am using to increase my visibility.

Now for some momentum. Okay, GO.

On New Beginnings "I think I can, I think I can!"

2010-07-07T06:26:00.004-04:00

And therefore, I can.

I had to run out this morning and take a picture of the sunrise. I love the sunrise but seldom get to see it. The birds and bunnies were out as well. There was a new beginning in the air and I was part of it!

Now today, I will do better. I am on third shift for two weeks and the first night was gruesome! I went home and slept all day. I have things to do at home. I have time to do them today, when I get up.

There are just a few days left before my sister leaves for New York. My son's friend goes to the Army on the same day. It will be rough, but both have to follow their hearts and persue their dreams.

Happy Wednesday. May the sunrise help you begin again.

Making a Change, Altering My Life for the Better

2010-06-12T17:01:00.002-04:00

There is the problem of finding your niche and then re-thinking it. I've niched into my niche, niche-ing along. The walls looked like my niche. The materials looked like my niche. But something wasn't right. Something needs to be more nichey. I'm looking to change the niche until it pays the money I want it to pay. I've got options. I want money. I want my niche to pay me some money. I'm in a pinch and I need to make some money. Niche-ing along I go. There is another crevace with my name on it, in brighter colors and more richely designed. Not a flamboyant niche, just a better niche than the one I'm in now.

I'm moving my light box to a new location. The poor dining room is in such transition. I have my computer in the corner and the light box is going on a shelf right above it. We're gonna have a corner of the dining room business here at the ranch.

The deal is that I am going to blog just like my ol' pal, John Chow. I'm gonna follow his not so secret recipe and see if he has it as together as everyone thinks. I do love to blog and I've got a format. Really all I need to do is write every day! Not once a year. Every day. Because that is what will get some traffic and cause my blog to generate lots of money. John makes 40,000 a day. I will be happy with less. I can do it too.

So I am going to take pictures. I am going to tell you all about my new diet. Not everything! Hold the phone there! I plan to take pictures of my Super Model Cat named Flipper. I'll show you the garden. I'll tell you about my experiences at craft shows and why that life just isn't for me. Honestly I don't know why, and it is intriguing so that's why I keep at it. If you're gonna make jewelry, and I like to make jewelry, you have to be able to sell it. I don't like to sell jewelry. I am not a sales person. I am learning that I need to sell my jewelry in order to buy more beads. It's part of some continuum I guess. So you're gonna see some jewelry pictures. Some cat pictures. I hope you'll enjoy reading it. I hope there is something that I can teach to someone. I've got a lot of skills! Really!

Well that's enough for this first episode in the life of Lyn. Yeah, that's enough.

The Whole Jest of the Thing Is to START

2010-05-10T15:45:00.002-04:00

No matter what you dream. No matter how you plan. The best thing by far, that I have found, is to start.

Starting may be wrong. Starting may be right. If you don't start, though, you'll never know.

Winter was, for me, completely planned. Work feverishly during the fall. That work lead to our annual Christmas Fondue. Praise the Lord, it was soon over! Resting up between Christmas and New Years was indeed meant for catching my breath!

January and February should have been for taxes. I'll remember that next year.

February ushered in a few winter storms that kept us in the house on the weekends. That is when I decided to try my hand at pinwheel making. Oh, and by the way, I didn't know the first thing about polymer clay, so I chose it to make the pinwheels. It's not enough for me to keep it simple. I had to climb a mountain and learn it from there!

By March, I was a certified pinwheel-ologist. I decided to make a hundred! At least this was a smaller mountain!

Because I started, I had to re-assess. Sizes, colors, beads, supplies. Carefully re-evaluating what I started, if it was sustainable, how I would sustain it, and for heaven's sake,,,,,,,,,SELLING it!

Starting has caused me to learn more and more and more. A continuous cycle has come from starting - looking, evaluating, selling, packaging, photographing. See what starting does?

If I hadn't started, I wouldn't have "my own" product. Starting has brought me to another mountain that I am sure I will climb.

Enjoy a start! Learn from it; Prosper from it; Climb because of it!

Pinwheels Complete! Now Making Plans for Craft Shows on the Horizon

2010-04-07T11:11:00.005-04:00

I counted all my pinwheels last night. I have completed and have for sale, 104 pinwheel necklaces for children. One hundred was my goal. I don't intend to make any more pinwheels until next Winter. Therefore, it is time to clean and store my polymer clay stuff. I hope this will be a happy time for me and that I don't cry when I start missing the stuff.

My first craft show of the season is April 28th. I am looking forward to seeing if I can't just convince all customers to purchase something that they like on my table. You know, there is a lot to getting this portable table top store in motion!

I pulled out my table covers and I think I can make a nice table skirt to cover all the stuff under the table. I have a piece of drapery lining in the "not quite off-white but not pure white either" color to use for the skirt. I plan to use my dark, dark green for the top of the table. If all goes well, this should be complete by this week-end.

I read an article about bringing my display up from the craft table, to eye-level. I am starting to get the picture! I am going to make a fourty-two inch display out of wood to sit on top of my table. That might get to happen this week-end too!

I should have already had this organizational stuff done. I should have a box with my office supplies. Office supplies include business cards, price tags and table tents. My carefully stored jewelry needs to be unpacked and readied. Pre-priced jewelry is ready for a display rack. Once the display racks are full they are added to a staging table that I have set up in my home.

Gee, it looks like the next couple of weeks are planned just for me! I'll be gathering ideas and rearranging displays, adding to the displays, taking items off the displays, and tweaking the display. Like I said in the beginning, there is a lot to getting this portable table top store in motion! Stay tuned as we get closer to opening day!

I hope the twenty-ten craft show season is very enjoyable and profitable.

Presenting Pinwheel Art Jewelry for Little Girls

2010-03-16T10:27:00.003-04:00

I am thrilled to present to you my solution for the lack of beautiful children's jewelry at craft shows. I have beaded jewelry for adults. I wanted to add something to my inventory that could be sold to little girls.

The Pinwheel Necklace was born. It took some time to materialize and extracting it from my head was certainly a chore.

I consider myself "walking aimlessly in the desert" when I am hatching these crazy ideas. That desert walk was a good one on this venture!

Currently I am working on photographing them for Etsy. But here's a sneak peak of my fabulous Pinwheel Necklaces!

Pinwheels for All! FUN for All! PRODUCT RELEASE DATE: March 13, 2010

2010-03-12T11:43:00.002-05:00

Oh, my goodness! This venture has been very fun. On Saturday, I will hand over some of my pinwheels to the Nectar! The Nectar is in Delaware, Ohio. It's been there since I was a child. They have the very best chocolate. Chocolate Easter Bunnies have to come from the Nectar to be any good at all! As a toddler, my son got his first chunk of chocolate from the Nectar. He loved it! And now, I get to stock my pinwheel necklaces there! This is very exciting.

I have been working very hard to get a decent quantity made. Originally, I thought one hundred would be a good number, but now I am questioning that. On the other hand, I haven't made it to fifty yet, so having a goal is all I need right now. One hundred is a good number.

I have also decided that it is time to start figuring out what my investment is and what my profit is. The business side is such a bummer. The business side is someone else's side....right? I know , I know, artists don't like the business side,,,but this is the down side to wanting to create and getting onto the craft show circuit to spread pinwheel love from town to town. You gotta take the bitter with the sweet.

My goals for this weekend also include listing some of them on Etsy.com. They're just so cute, I've got to get them out to the public! I'll post on Saturday with the link when I get my work done.

So I have to increase the quantity, take some to the Nectar, buy some chocolate, look at the business side of the pinwheel business and list some for sale on Etsy.

Okay, if that's all I have to do, I'd better get working on it! See you tomorrow!

Product Development: Part Deux Voila Les Pinwheels!

2010-03-03T06:28:00.003-05:00

Bonjour Bonjour! It has taken a month to perfect my pinwheels and they are selling!

Oh, my gosh! I had to learn how to use polymer clay. I had to figure out a process for making my pinwheels. I have a gallon baggie full of rejects! But it's been very rewarding. Very rewarding and only a few days old. Very rewarding and so much room for improvement.

The pinwheels really spin. I love them! I have been showing them off to everyone!

I guess that's what is called, "finding your niche". I found a winning product! It's mine all mine! I love it, as I twirl around! Twirl pinwheels twirl!

Room for improvement: should I paint them? should I glaze them? should I add shiney crystals? I've got options. I can try different methods and see what is appealing.

Pinwheel necklaces are for the little (and big) girls in our lives. They are a fun piece of jewelry. I invented them for little girls who go to craft shows with their mothers. They seem to just drag along and occasionally spark up when they see something of interest. These pinwheel necklaces are for you!

My path is also taking me to displays. Pinwheel necklaces need to be displayed! So as the calendar moves toward craft show season, I have to move quickly! I will be working on a display today that will match my recycled display board.

I'll be photographing and listing them on Etsy next. Stay tuned. I am so excited about them!

Product Development: "Well I got this IDEA again!"

2010-02-08T22:03:00.002-05:00

The mind is so amazing! I don't get this journey but I am willing to strike out into it! I keep going, just like the Eveready Bunny.....going and going and going...

So tonight, I have finally figured out the product in it's entirety. But there is so much room for improvement. At least at this stage of the game I can make the product and sell it. I can see that I can make it and sell it and next year, I will add something to the product to improve it.

The assumption is that the product will sell. The product is for children. I am going to enlist the help of my great neices and nephews for "product approval step one". If they like the product, other children will like the product. The age group is five to eight year olds. I think that's how old they are. They're so cute! I made them monster scarves for Christmas. I can't wait to see their faces when they see the next product.

So product development started with an idea. I had to learn how to use polymer clay. I invested my entire Christmas gift card on polymer clay supplies. Oh, gosh! I hope this works. Now I have to finish the product and send them out into the "field" and wait for results. Then produce one-hundred of them.

Set the goal. Set the price. Set the production line. Set the schedule.

Meanwhile, the housework is not getting done. I need to work on that too!

Snow and Creativity and ADD and My Plans to Snap Out Of It!!!

2010-02-06T15:38:00.003-05:00

Well I gotta tell ya that it has been a long time. Meanwhile, I've been thinking. I listed some silk flowers in January because I told myself last Summer that the best time for me to list them was right after the New Year and into the Spring. They're listed. My room is a mess! I haven't blogged. I haven't beaded and NOW I've decided that the best thing to do is use polymer clay and make something COOL for the Craftacular! Oh HELL, if that isn't ADD, then it doesn't exist!

Alright, my mind is occupied with, "I wonder if ___?" and it all has to do with getting a product to market by May! Crap! How did I get this gig?

I got this bright idea to make some money. The thing I've learned about making money is that you have to have something someone wants. You have to develop the product. You have to market the product. So I was studying marketing and discovered a product I wanted to develop. Oh, hell! doesn't everyone walk around in the desert and discover some fricken product that they think the world should have available to them? Don't they??????????????

I don't know a thing about sales. I keep trying to learn. I think that's why I am enrolled in Craft Shows. I keep reading about online information that will lead to great riches. Hell, I am just trying to pay my bills! I am trying to make a living. My mind doesn't stop looking for openings in the weave that is my life! Oh, mon Dieu! Qu'elle domage! Placing a backhand to the brow...gently!

I am thriving because I continue to find that NICHE. I don't hate the word, but the realization that it would probably be a long journey is ... more of a mountain on which I am surely climbing.

I love finding my NICHE! It is as if I have fallen into a crevace and continue edging my way down into the niche that is assigned to me! That's probably more to the point on why I'm really not keen about this NICHE thing. I know I'm not to the bottom of the crevace and I don't know where it will lead me as I continue to make the decisions that will determine my next road to adventure.

Blogs are so cool! This is my journey blog that shows the path down the crevace to the NICHE that is MINE!

Happy New Year! Great January Stay At Home Day

2010-01-01T21:55:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it is fun to stay at home and just do practically nothing. Lay in a chair and watch a parade and then a football game. Practically nothing! I am ready to begin the year. I am prepared for the year and I have lots of plans.

Number one is to add the flowers to my etsy shop. I have more silk flowers than the law allows, I am certain. I need others to share my wealth. They will be photographed and added to my shop within the week.

Number two is to get all my jewelry photographed and/or posted on my shop.

Number three is to get my adornablesbylyn blog updated.............at least weekly. I really think daily for some things. Maybe I will do the weekly posts and then announce and run daily posts as needed.

Number four is to figure out what I am going to order for the 2010 craft show season. Of course the merchandise must be listed in my etsy shop as well so it will need to be photographed.

Number five is to organize my studio. The sections are falling together. I need to have shelves right now so I'll have an area where I can store my beads. Another area for photography and one for shipping.

Number six is a few photography outings in the snow with my husband. I plan to sell notecards based on our expeditions.

Gosh, I suppose, I should get busy! Happy New Year!!!

2009 is Winding Down and I am Winding Up for a GREAT 2010!

2009-12-30T11:44:00.002-05:00

It's the big wind-up. Like a doll with a key in her back,,,,I hope I don't over-wind.

With the new year comes a spark of hope and promise and lots of deep breathing. I am looking forward to a great year. I am looking forward to monetizing my blogs and increasing my sales at my two favorite craft shows.

January plans include selling off my stock of brand new silk flowers and ironing out the kinks in the 2010 family budget. It's a big month. It'll be cold so that will give me the incentive to stay focussed.

I have a lot of plans. I have a lot of dreams. I need to push myself like never before. I must keep my eye on the target. The new year is wearing me out already! Oh well, that will happen. Focus, Lyn, Focus. That's the bottom line.

What Can I do today that will make Charlie Sheen Proud of Me?

2009-12-27T11:52:00.002-05:00

Ah Hell. What a title. I need to keep my momentum. It's Sunday and I need to get prepared for the week. After all, I've got goals you know.

I am trying to finish a pair of curtains for the front door. Doesn't everyone have forty-nine inch long curtains over their front door? Well probably not. When I was growing up, there was no window to cover on the front door. I keep envisioning a beautiful brass door knocker, but the vision always ends with hearing broken glass. But I digress. So I have to get upstairs and get these curtains hemmed. That should be easy enough. Then I am cleaning my bedroom and doing some laundry and I think I'll be prepared for the week.

My little craft shop needs a good cleaning. I want to bring my beads in from my work bench in the garage. I'll be working inside for the winter. I intend to make the best of it. I have an area for beading, one for sewing and one for photography. I need to also set up a shipping area so I can get the silk flowers out of my room.

Well no tarrying,,,,,,I've got work to do.

Merry Christmas Lyn! New Plans? Better Plans!

2009-12-26T10:50:00.002-05:00

That's right folks. We've been thinking about plan improvement. How droll! Plan improvement. That's right. Now suck it up.

The old plan was good but didn't have discipline and structure. I don't like either one of them but they do have some value. Value, more drollness.

I have been analyzing this past year. I keep trying to quit, but I made a promise to get this going and by golly, I am going to do it.

Well in order to get that big promise going, I have to commit to a few smaller promises...commit to adding discipline and structure.

I am pretty sure I know about internet marketing enough to make all this happen. I've been reading and analyzing for years. I think by adding discipline and structure to my motivation, that my blog will be monetized by June,,,IF.

Now I need to focus my energies on other matters. This year I think I should learn about books, keeping the books, bookkeeping. I didn't ever want to do that, for sure, but I think it's the next step to getting this project off the ground.

So I've got plan improvement goals which will surely lead to a whole bunch of money for which I will need to understand bookkeeping. Meanwhile,,,,,I have to make my jewelry and discover my 2010 style. Oh, I've got a lot to do this year! I hope I can keep my eye on the ball!

SHIT OR GET OFF THE POT DAMMIT!

2009-12-16T20:58:00.002-05:00

Okay, okay, okay. Maybe I need to change my tune. Maybe I should change the title. Heck I don't know. It' s just that I've realized that it is time to make a jump. You know, making millions sounds good, but I don't need to take that big of a jump. I started this blog to document my 29 months to income replacement. Kick it in the butt and get moving!

So I am drafting my goals for January 2010 and so on. I am closer than ever to my goal of retiring early without worrying about a thing, because I have an income that I want to produce with. I know I can do it if I get laid off or something as awful would happen. Now all I have to do is get it in gear and get 'er done.

So that is where I am leaving this entry until next time. I don't know about all those keywords in the title....I hope it's keyword rich!

Posting Regularly will Come Eventually - Keeping a Schedule

2009-11-09T17:38:00.003-05:00

I am attempting to post regularly. Every day is my goal. Why? Because if you post regularly, your customer will read, regularly. They will be happy to see that you have updated your blog.

Happiness goes dancing happily across the internet.

Each day, I drive to work, I will recite this as I want happiness. I want to post regularly. I want you to know the steps that I am taking to get myself to self-employment. My dream of being self-employed means that I can travel. I want to travel. Right now, I want to travel home, but I will wait and work on this scheduling thing.

I guess if you are to post daily, you must keep a schedule. Hmm......there's something else I'll make a goal. Keep a schedule and all will be well with the world.

That's my goal. I am going to post. When I figure out how to package my jewelry, I will post. When I make a new necklace, I will post it. And furthermore, I'll give the link to my etsy shop. That's how ya do it! Make it easier for the next crazy person that wants to know how to package their jewelry. Make it easier for my customers to purchase my jewelry. It all adds up. It all works together.

I'll be posting regularly. Of course it's not enough just to say this. Action speaks louder than words. My new action item on my schedule is to post regularly. Your new action item on your schedule would be to read regularly. Okay,,,,,,,,,,,,,that all makes sense. Ready, set, GO!

GOALS - I has dem! THANK YOU DEVELOPER SHED!

2009-11-06T21:32:00.003-05:00

I just read an article about blogging in the SEO Chat newsletter that Developer Shed puts out. I would have made my comments there but you have to sign in and apparently I don't have an account. Their other option is to post as "anonymous loozah" and well, that's just not nice!

I will send them a link to this blog. They will thank me.

I read about Julia and Julie the movie. Julia Child and Julie the blogger who cooks her way through the Julia Child cookbook and blogs about it.

THANK YOU DEVELOPER SHED!!!

I have been reading and learning and studying about blogging for a few years. I have been learning because I am interested in this. If I wasn't, believe me, I wouldn't even know how to spell 'blog'.

One of the points made in this article was about setting goals. There's another one about writing regularly. I have finally put those two items together. So if I am going to get out of this full time job early, then I'd better get moving.

I know that the key to my success is in my room where my sewing machine and jewelry making supplies are set up. I know that I want to document my movement into retirement. What the heck, a blog is really a great thing to have when you want to document somethingl I like sharing this part of my life. There might be something somebody can use in one of my entries. It can happen.

So back to thanking the Developer Shed. Thank you because this is the first time I ever considered achieving my goal of retiring early by having to post to this blog regularly. I never thought of making "regular posting" a goal. So I will be posting regularly. I think every day is regular enough. I have a goal! I hope I can keep it. I have to keep it.

See ya tomorrow!

I THINK ITS TIME TO CALL IT QUITS

2009-09-29T22:14:00.002-04:00

I THINK I AM ALL SET TO MOVE ON! Yeah, that's it!

I want to post in this blog for a while longer but I think I need to change it. I'm going to have twenty-nine months for a little longer than twenty-nine months. As slow as I am, it'll take until I am retired from my job to have my dream business up and running any way.

CRAP! Let me just say that one more time.

I want you to know what I'll be doing for the next six or seven or whatever years. I'll be listening to the employees. I'll be training them and communicating with them as well, however I will be listening to them.

I find what they say to be very interesting. Today I had one employee speak to one supervisor and then to me for over a half hour before she went back to work. But it was only after she told me that there were "many many kinds of people". I said, "there sure are!" and she said, "just around here!" Well okay, I was thinking more globally.

Then another employee called me and told me that he was being "moved" back to his position under me. Well how fricking neat is that? No, it's more than that. He managed to fuss about another of my staff while he was on the phone with me. Hello? Who does he think he is? And why do I have to speak with him on the phone? Amazing! That guy's also the one that thinks he has a lot of comedy material right before him - in the workplace. So I said to myself, I said, self, go ahead and keep a little journal in cognito....and self agreed and it was done.

So if you come upon this rant, please understand that money only makes me so happy. It's good for money things. But sometimes venting about one's environment can cause laughter! Sheer wonderful laughter!

Black Onyx and Other Beads Will Arrive Next Week, THEN ITS ON!

2009-08-14T15:52:00.007-04:00

If you set out to do something, DO IT!

So my journey continues. And, because I love beads, I ordered a whole bunch of black onyx! I will be so excited to get my beads in the mail. I love getting mail too.

Fall is on the way and I plan to make many black onyx pieces of jewelry to sell for Fall.

Black Onyx goes with everything that is Fall. I hope my work will sell and I hope I'll be able to buy more beads. It's a kind of recycling. Get beads, make necklace, make money, get beads, and so on. I am looking forward to ensuring that everyone is properly accessorized.

On Sunday, I've planned to do house cleaning and beading. I have to jump back and forth so as not to get bored, with the house cleaning. I could bead all day - without ever checking the clock. This is my ideal job....as long as I don't HAVE to do it, I am happy!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I'll show you more of my work next week! Stay tuned!

There's No Turning Back, Lyn No Turning Back

2009-08-03T19:16:00.002-04:00

Well, maybe it's the moping period of Summer. Maybe that is it.

I have whined about this and whined about that and whined and whined and whined.

I need some cheese with that whine! Big Crybaby!

I've tried to stop making jewelry and anything connected with making money over and above my full- time paycheck. That's the paycheck that I can count on. That's the one connected to the full-time job from which I keep hoping to retire early. PHOOEY! On with the show!

There is no turning back for me. My fate has been cast and God knows there are enough bills to pay with any money, including the moolah that I earn from jewelry. Get out there and get it done!

So with that, I am to hop right back into full production. I will make jewelry and sell it and bank the profits that will eventually allow me to have a little nest egg. Perhaps a retirement celebration fund that we'll use to go to Jamaica. With that also, I am to stop whining.

I have achieved some success in that I can take macro photos now. I had to teach myself. That always takes much longer than it should. For me it was about two years. And it all came down to two words "close up". Two years, two words, whatevah!

So I'll be pushing along from this point. Pushing along on the jewelry front. I absolutely love to make jewelry! Little goals will become big goals. Big goals will become great goals! My new motto.

The Bittersweet Truth I May Have To Live With OR I"ll be Retiring in Seven Years Unless I Hit the Lottery

2009-07-21T20:20:00.003-04:00

In all my zeal to be retired in less than twenty-nine months, it's now obvious that it probably wont or cant or shouldn't happen.

So I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS AT ALL!

However I continue to hone my skills and hope.

I believe that my goal should be practical since that is how I was raised. But I don't believe my goal is impossible. I am forever the optimist. I know all that sounds crazy, but this is what I have to work with, (picture my father, rolling his eyes,,,,not saying a word.). Keyword=Crazy

Here's what I think I want: I want to be able to list items on http://www.adornablesbylynetsy.com/ that I have made with my own two hands and believe to be beautiful. I want to also list the enormous stock of silk flowers that I have. I want to make enough money to buy more beads and make more necklaces - support my habit. I have three blogs right now and have not attended to them well, however, I think they are my answer to marketing. Not the complete answer....I am not overly optimistic. Three blogs, two websites and the occasional craft show, until I get that out of my system, that's my goal. Maybe I'll retire early after all!

So here we go. A new direction to the niche. A new goal, a new direction. To the niche we go! Onward!

Visualizing My New Business Putting the Pieces in Place

2009-06-17T13:19:00.003-04:00

The visualization process of establishing my business is coming into focus and I am working to get the order right. Right now, it's all a big dream with a lot of organization and thought. I've been reading the http://www.ittybiz.com/ columns every time there is a new one. Johnny B. Truant is so inspirational! I have learned today that there is more to running a business besides doing the things that you love to do. Dang,,,,that's a heart-breaker. And yet I continue to persue my dream.

I know I have all the pieces. I only hope I can continue to motivate myself.

I have an office site picked out. I have a home office combination sewing room and photo studio.
I have an inventory. I have suppliers. I have a lot of knowledge. I have a unique "kwitchurbelliachin' plaque in my bead studio. I have my etsy store too! www.adornables.etsy.com And of course I have my blogs.

Can life get any better than this? I think not!

I SAW MY NEW OFFICE TONIGHT!

2009-06-15T21:35:00.002-04:00

In my imaginary office, I am seeing .......... oh my gosh!

As you know, I want to be self employed in less than twenty-nine months. I've been tempted to change the date, but that would be cheating!

One of my dilemnas if I were to have one, would be picking out an office. Oh my goodness! I cannot dictate what the furniture would look like, but I think it would be so cool to have an office at Al's. He's my friend and I love him dearly and he's the owner. So I was thinking that if I built my business to the point that I could afford an air card for my computer and also enough for rent, that maybe he'd let me rent space.

I could go there when the place opened and and leave in four or five hours and only get on the internet and retrieve orders. That's all I am interested in doing. Not in a bad way.

I would get up each morning and I could even walk down there to my office. I could log into the internet and look at my email. I could update my blogs, of which, I have three. I could update my etsy shop. Because, I would have already taken pictures of newly created jewelry. Oh!

The FOCUS keeps getting clearer and clearer. I want to go to my office and have lunch every day. I can work downtown and at my leisure. This could become very interesting. I will develop more as the time comes.

Necessities of Life and My Priorities

2009-06-07T17:22:00.002-04:00

I think that I am narrowing down what is best for me at this time in my life. I believe that with the knowledge that I am gaining each day, that I can get from point A to point Being Retired with the KISS method. Keep It Simple Stupid.

As I focus on what I want to take place in my life I have to remain in touch with the rest of my life. It's like checking the oil in the car and keeping gasoline in it as well. It's like making sure the household is functioning as it is supposed to. It's like making a necklace and a bracelet with matching earrings and not missing any days at my full time job. It's that balance that we all need to have as we go through life. Only when there is balance, can one have success....or something like that.

So with balance and focus in mind, I intend to continue making beautiful jewelry and selling it at my shop www.adornablesbylyn.etsy.com. Going to work at my full time job is a necessity, so I will comply with that. My blog will enable me to write about my life and goals.

I am so tempted to change my target date. I look at it and see less than seven hundred days until I can retire and I just think it wont be possible. But something sparks me to move forward just a bit. As I move forward, I get a little closer to the actual reality that it can happen. I can retire if I want to do so. If I don't make that goal, I will keep trying.

Meanwhile I will keep doing what I like to do,,,,making jewelry and I will keep doing what I don't like to do,,,,those damnable necessities of life. That looks like balance to me.

The Tarp Garden - It's Just Like the Tarp Fund on for the REST OF US

2009-05-29T14:11:00.003-04:00

The Tarp Garden is in my back yard. It's just like the tarp fund only it's a garden. I used to be the gardener but then my husband took it over. So he is the founder of the Tarp Garden. You will want to stay with us and watch the Tarp Garden grow.

Please go visit the tarp garden at www.tarpgarden.blogspot.com. You'll see beautiful pictures as our garden grows throughout the summer.

LESSON NUMBER ONE: Narrow Focus; Have a Fricken NARROW Focus!

2009-05-26T21:50:00.004-04:00

As I read the fifth installment of the FREE http://www.ittybiz.com/ marketing course for 'ARTSY FARTSY TYPES', I had already began honing in on my goals. I need a narrower focus, I said. I am not a fricken spring chicken I did not fricken say! Well maybe I did! Who knows. It's not like there's a guy up there recording my every move or thought. I am allowed to have any fricken thought I want to have, and you can't stop me!

Okay, so I asked Naomi for help and I've been reading her blog long enough to know that I must be one of her fricken future customers~ cause I am too damned poor to be her customer now.

I'VE GOT NARROW FRICKEN GOALS TOO, NAOMI!!!

So in very brief (while I am fricken sweating in my own home!) - here they fricken are!

Number one: Who the hell is my customer?
Number two: What is my fricken selling proposition - completely not related to Prop number eight!
Number three is about competition..................and from there, we'll just have to chat tomorrow!

Stay tuned for number's four and five!

GOALS AND BALANCE

2009-05-24T16:40:00.003-04:00

ON GOALS AND BALANCE

There I was, cruisng along, trying to get myself under control. Why I felt the need to mess that up, I'll never know!

There as been no secret about my goals. I want to retire and I want to do it quickly. I can retire in less than seven years and have a steady check for the rest of my life. What idiot would walk away from that is beyond me. So I guess my new more twisted goal of the same original goal is to be debt free by the time I reach 25 years of service. Then the next five years are profit. YEAH RIGHT!!! Well let me tell you that I intend to do just that. So I need to get used to it and I need to focus. I don't like where I am at right now.

So I have refined my goals. I will continue with my planned craft shows. I will quit the Outreach Committee and I may even quit the Etsy Team Colulmbus. I want to focus, though, on my life, my family and my goals. I want to persue my two blogs and my business on Etsy.com.

I can't retire because I have to be fifty-five in order to do so. If I quit I have to wait until I am sixty to collect my retirement. Or I can retire at age fifty-eight with thirty years service and I can go quietly. It's not really hard to make the choice. Go ahead and fucking say it, do the six years and ten months and shut the hell up!

I love beads. I guess the best thing for me to do is play with my beads. Enjoy making some beautiful jewelry. Enjoy selling some fantastic creations. No matter what the hell else you do though, remember to enjoy it.

So when you feel the need to reset your goals it is probably because your goals are out of balance. Mine were out of balance and as I look around my house, I have more confirmation than you could ever know! You won't be invited over for a while....until I can get my life, which includes my house, back into balance.

Balance is balance. If you can look back at the last three or four months of your life and see it calmly, you are probably in balance with your life. My last four months look like huge waves in the ocean! I need some calmness and regularity. I need some balance. I will be working toward that goal all Summer and I will re-measure at the end of September.

So my goals are set and I plan to see them achieved by the end of September.

Just two blogs, one etsy shop and a regular life. Just two mentors - http://www.ittybiz.com/ and http://www.learntobeyourownva.com/ and things will be good!

Of Craft Shows, Goals and More Goals - I love the jewelry that I make

2009-05-19T12:40:00.008-04:00

I am honestly reluctant to do craft shows. Somehow, though, I get pulled into them. I get excited about them, until the show is over and I have sold very little. I tell myself it's a waste of time as I am packing my wares and heading home. Then my disillusion will die down and before you know it, I am back on the circuit and ready for my next disappointment! I don't know why.

The Eco Chic Craftacular, as an event, was a huge success. It was a spectacular craftacular! I am proud to have helped organize it.

I loved the drive that I had leading up to the event. I got things done. I had self-direction. I made papier mache banks from recycled cardboard and recycled paper. I made a jewelry portfolio. I added an "L" - just like the one from LaVerne and Shirley. I can use the L because it's the first letter of my name too! I got a lot done in the months that preceded the Eco Chic Craftacular. I had a great amount of drive. I don't know where it came from.

Now that I have no other projects, I am back to focussing on the goals of my full time job. I have NO drive. I know why.

I do know that I love the jewelry that I make. I get very excited when I tell someone the name of the rock that is in the necklace! I am thrilled. I dug through a lot of resources to find out about these stones. It has been very intriguing. Polished and cut rocks make such beautiful jewelry. I know that I want to continue making beaded jewelry.

In the next few weeks, I am going to re-assess my goals. I think my conclusion will be that while craft shows are okay, they shouldn't be my main focus. I think there is something that I have to learn from them. I think my conclusion will center around earning my income from home. I could be dead wrong, but the bottom line for now is that I don't know. Period.

Recognize Strengths and Weaknesses: Farm it out to Johnny B. Truant!

2009-05-06T11:08:00.004-04:00

One of my most favorite emails that comes right to my email box is called, "Starting a Home Business" from http://www.ittybiz.com/ . I love the down to basics, "get off your bloomin' arse" style that Naomi uses to move me from point A to point B. She's knowledgeable! She knows her stuff! She's funny! She gets her point across very well.

Naomi has been allowing Johnny B. Truant to write her column every now and then when she is off doing the other things that she thinks need to get done for her business.

He offered FREE websites for a week a while back. I didn't need one. I struggled to learn about HTML and making a Blog of my own and you are looking at the result. If I had it to do over again, I would have farmed it out! Johnny can do the website and I can do the art. A match made in heaven, I am certain.

In today's IttyBiz post, Johnny said I should go out and get others to get him to make their websites for only 39.95. This is a really great deal! You get to continue doing what you are good at and Johnny gets your site up and running! You look great on the Internet, no matter who is lookin atcha!

Since it is really important to have a good website and since you aren't a website-ologist, let somebody else help out. This is a valuable lesson for me as I move toward my full-time home business. I'll start concentrating more on my artwork and less on my weaknesses. That Johnny is something else! He's got such importance in my eyes that I've added a link for him, right in the top right corner of my blog. Besides, with a cool name like Johnny, you know you'll be able to strut when he builds your site!

Goals for My Life; What To Do With My Life

2009-04-09T13:46:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite newsletters is from www.ITTYBIZ.com and today's entry "What Do I Do With My Life?" struck a cord. So I want to tell you my side of the story.

There I was at the beginning of the dot com boom and working with a mainframe. A mainframe is a computer. A really really big computer. I was a supervisor and one of my tasks was to evaluate various pieces and parts for a brand new local area network or LAN.

How I ended up in the computer field at all is still a curious question. My degree was in Human Development. I didn't even have a math class! Computers were something for really super smart people in the late seventies, not me. My friend's father always told us that computers were coming and that she and I should take a computer class while we were in college. I carefully avoided any math classes and didn't take any science classes that were even close to computers. Now I needed to learn about computers and figure out how to intelligently convince the powers above me that we needed to buy brand xyz.

As I was researching, programmers would tell me that I should go back to school. My manager told me to go back to school. Everybody said that I should go back to school and get my Computer Science degree. I thought long and hard about this and came to the conclusion that if I wanted to invest all that time in going back to school, why would I take computer science classes? My tiny brain told me that if I were to invest all that time, that I should take something I would love to take. Something that I would enjoy! ART!

What to do with my life had to revolve around ART. That is all there was and is to that. Why would I pay for anything else? What would be the point in learning something that I still have no desire to know about. These are the types of questions to ask.

If I could do anything in the world, what would it be? No barriers. If I didn't have to worry about money, what would I do for a living? What will drive me to get up in the morning and do something productive? What will make a positive impact on the world as it relates to me? How can I define and achieve my goals?

This is a process that you can develop over time. Define what you need to do with your life and then narrow it down until it is manageable - for you. Don't make hasty decisions. Learn from your mistakes. Get on the internet and explore some possibilities. Then re-evaluate. Then define your next step. Keep moving forward. That's the key. Move forward and do it for you.

Week-End Goals for Future Income

2009-03-13T17:29:00.002-04:00

Mountains are for climbing.

The AdornablesByLyn Mountain is pretty steep. I've got to set some goals and start pushing myself to make my dreams happen.

That's fine with me though, I'm an optimist. But I'll be getting some mountain climbing gear just the same. Preparation is key to achieving goals.

I will work diligently this weekend to get my business moving again. It's been a long winter and Spring is just around the corner.

GOAL NUMBER ONE
I have achieved the goal of photographing my jewelry. I now must re-photograph all of it and get it listed on my site www.adornablesbylyn.etsy.com .

GOAL NUMBER TWO
I have brought back my inventory of brand new silk flowers. I will photograph those next and get them listed on my site www.adornablesbylyn.etsy.com

GOAL NUMBER THREE
My "yet-to-be unveiled" project is close to being completed. I will need to work more on that project so I can unveil it!

GOAL NUMBER FOUR
I have a craft show on May 16-17 and I need to get my collection completed. I only need to make ten necklaces and ten bracelets and twenty pair of earrings oh and some eyeglass chains!

GOAL NUMBER FIVE
That reminds me - I'll have to get my craft table organized for that show too!

GOAL NUMBER SIX
Help my husband on the third week of our River Bank CleanUp project. He discovered tons of trash under one of our bridges - in our town.

This is my mountain for this weekend. Shouldn't be too bad!

Have a great weekend! Happy Spring!

Replacing Income So I Can Do What I LOVE To Do

2009-03-08T11:37:00.003-04:00

All the talk in the world about doing what you love has one little tag on it: IF YOU CAN MAKE A LIVING AT IT. IF IF IF.........................................

So here I am with 753 days and counting left to get this all figured out.

I love beads. I want to bead, bead, bead the rest of my life. I haven't mastered the art of selling which could probably put the big STOP SIGN on the project, but I do have 753 days left and I am an optimist.

That is the funny part about this whole venture, I am still optimistic that I can earn a living doing what I love. Right now, I believe I can open a little store downtown and sell hand-crafted merchandise along with my own. Of course I fully intend to have a viable internet business going by the time I open the store. I want to devote a space in my store to shipping, specifically for my internet customers. I want to include big ticket items too. My friend knows an artist with a gallery. I want a combination gallery, hand-crafted, internet business in a quaint downtown store.

So I only have to make about $100,000 each year in order to not feel THE PINCH. My more optimistic side believes I can settle for $50,000,,,,,,,,,but I don't want to settle. I did some calculations using just my necklaces. I have to make 166, fifty dollar necklaces an month If I want to make my ideal income. Not just make them, I have to sell them! I have to market them, and I have to store them until they are sold. And I'll have to package or ship them. Oh, and then there is rent and utilities on the quaint downtown store. And there will probably need to be security too.

I wish that money tree would appear again! I wish I could just make and sell my jewelry and not worry about the money. Where is the money tree??? I'll have to stop wishing if I can't find it!

Have a good day!

I'm Going To Have a Gallery! A Beaded Jewelry and Other Hand Made Art Gallery

2009-02-11T19:28:00.006-05:00

Alright, it's coming into focus. I knew it would!!!! Yay!!!

I think I know how to achieve my goal of retiring in less than 800 days. I'm going to have a business with an art gallery and a coffee shop or something like that. I've got another piece of the puzzle figured out. I want to have a gallery and rent some work shop space. I think I have enough to begin taking SCORE lessons.

If you ever want to learn about small business you need to go to http://www.Score.org. That's the place! I've got a whole lot more to learn.

It's amazing what I have learned from the internet. It's amazing what I've learned from listening too. I think it is uncanny that I continue to have this drive, but I love it.

So if I were to take the next stab at it, I may want to take a stab at the marketing end of things as well. On the other hand, I think we're going to need to lay out the whole thing. There is a busniness. There is a goal. I have a niche. I can develop things from here. I'll include marketing really soon.

I plan for now to make a list of things I am going to need in order to be ready. The business is continuing from here. Right now I am selling my beaded jewelry on etsy. My store address is http://www.adornablesbylyn.etsy.com/ When I get this part done I will have an online and a brick and mortar and in less than three years! That is pretty incredible to think about. That's a big-ass goal Naomi! That's a big-ass goal!

Dips and Turns in LIFE! I am in a DIP.

2009-02-05T14:48:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the DIP TIMES! I think this dip is going to be a little deep and long.

Oh great.

I came home last night with a car that was clattering and banging. My husband and his new found buddy the mechanic with his own shop have confirmed that it is the engine that will need to be replaced. Will it ever end????????

Oh great.

I can't believe that just when we think we are bottoming out, there is a new low with a new challenge.

My husband said, "Have some confidence! We have to get through it!"

So that is what I am going to do. I am going to have confidence we can get through this little hump in life.

We do have options. My old car, whose engine was also blown - by me - can be fixed and road worthy for less than a new engine. So maybe - just maybe - I can get the lesser amount of money and drive my old car. I loved my old car. I would be thrilled to have it back.

Now having that car back will put my husband in a dip in life as I gave the car to him once I got a new car. See I work about 35 miles away from home and have a tendency to go through cars. They are good for so many miles and then something ridiculous happens to them and I have to get a new one.

I have never had a new car. I always buy used cars. I wanted to keep my boring blue century for the next seven years in the event that I have to work at my full time job for the next seven years. It only had 68,000 miles on it and I killed it dead. I am a confessed car killer. I really need to retire and ride a scooter or a bicycle. It's in my best interest.

More tomorrow.

I NEED TO MAKE A HUNDRED GRAND A YEAR ON THE INTERNET, WHAT KIND OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLE GREAT LIFE BUSINESS IS THAT?

2009-01-28T18:25:00.006-05:00

I might as well confess, I've been dreaming again. But this time I've put a price on my future. I've determined that I need to make one hundred thousand dollars a year in order to quit my day job. That's not too bad!

So now I have to figure that out in terms of jewelry and the other things.

You know today I got a newsletter and it mentioned the Tuscon Gem Show. Wow, suddenly I have one of those lists of things I HAVE TO DO BEFORE I DIE! Crap! I have never had one of those lists!

So I have to go to the Tuscon Gem Show and I have to make jewelry. And I just noticed that I have about 792 days to get this ball rolling. And now I have decided that I need to make one hundred thousand dollars a year. We are narrowing it down. That's not too bad!

(Goes skipping off!!!!) I wonder what kind of business that is????

Well, I don't know but I have decided that I don't like craft shows although I am willing to tolerate them. My dream job also has me and my husband in a NICE recreational vehicle, touring the country and operating my (our) business as we go down the road. That's it right there. That's all I want. That and a lot of money to spend at the Tuscon Gem Show. For a lot of money to spend at the Tuscon Gem Show, I will make jewelry and sell it on the internet. For a lot of money to spend at the Tuscon Gem Show, I will tolerate a few craft shows. That's it right there. That's all I want. Oh, THAT has been my dream!

I have choices too. I can work to make this happen. I think I can. If I hit a road block of some sort, I should always recognize that I need to either get back on track or choose the other choice. I probably shouldn't look at it this way, but I wonder how many traffic lights I will go through just to get to and from work in the next seven years? Hmmmmm. I have choices.

You know, I think the plans for the next seven hundred ninety-two days are starting to come into focus. WOW!

My ITTYBIZ is the BESTEST! Or Defining The Next Step in my Retirement Journey

2009-01-17T12:17:00.003-05:00

First of all, I don't know if there is a law that says there can be no more words in a title than fourteen or not! I apoligize if there is.

I have been dawdling around this winter. My cash flow is tight. My sitting in traffic is incredibly time consuming and the sky is gray! I know it's a contributing factor. I've even been thinking that I should reserve winters to be in the tropics doing nothing when I retire. Gee! I gotta snap out of it! This is ridiculous!

Well I got a boost yesterday and then I read the Ittyiz column today and got GIGANTIC boost!

The smaller boost was an email from a customer who wants to see my jewelry in person! Wow! I immediately started thinking of how my presentation should look! I'll use this, and I'll use that! I should have taken that cardboard home from work! I'll stop to get fabric tomorrow. It's what I do. My mind goes into gear thinking of every feasible idea that can possibly be used to accomplish one little sale that may never take place. That may sound a bit negative but it's not because that hasn't stopped me yet!

Today, I await my husbands waking process to complete so we can take a ride in the country. It's been a couple hours now and the shower hasn't taken place. I have computer time.

I read my email and found that the IttyBiz news had been delivered and I had to stop and read the new entry. Oh my gosh. This is the perfect time in my life to learn a little more about business so when I do jump off the cliff, I will have wings to soar. Yeah that's right wings!

Run over to IttyBiz if you want to take a five-week business course called the School of Seth.
Here's the link: http://ittybiz.com/ The article is Skip School and Learn What You Need to Know Instead. It's gonna give me wings!

I NEED SOME DIRECTION AND SELF-DISCIPLINE FOR THE NEXT TWENTY-NINE MONTHS

2009-01-05T17:36:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well. That is all I have to say about this new year.

I am lingering.

I am closer to being in neutral when I should be at full throttle. I think, however, that now that I am back to work, I will start gaining speed - possibly all the way out of neutral.

You know I have to say that I am NOT lacking drive. I think that as long as DRIVE is around, I might as well figure DIRECTION and SELF- DISCIPLINE will follow. They need to come as a team.....a better team than they are right now, that is. My gosh, if I had all three of them at the same time, I would be up there with Donald Trump! Okay, well maybe if I had that kind of business knowledge too, then I could be up there.

I found that after being off work for the past five days, that I actually missed my full time job. I actually missed it! Do you know why I missed it? Because it is obligating. It obligates me to be some WHERE at some TIME. Because it obligates me, I don't have a problem performing the tasks that have to be performed in order to avoid a reprimand. And since I don't want any problems at all, I make sure that I do my job to the very best of my ablility. All this is bringing me down, let's move on.

My major problem is wondering if I can be self-disciplined enough to get up in the morning and maybe work at what I LOVE to do instead of what I HAVE to do. I wonder if I will get the direction that I need but I have to figure out WHAT the direction is in which I need to move. And finally, I pray that I CAN maintain the DRIVE long enough to make some money and prove once and for all that I can make a living doing the things that I love to do. Oh I am so confused.

I think that the first item on my list is to look at the DIRECTION I can take. I need to SELL my jewelry. I need to LIST my jewelry. I need to PHOTOGRAPH my jewelry. And I need to learn HOW to sell and HOW TO LIST and HOW to PHOTOGRAPH! My tasks are complex, I need some self-discipline.

Merry Christmas Crafters and Beaders and Mormon Tabernacle Choir

2008-12-22T11:24:00.001-05:00

I wish you a Merry Christmas!

My fellow crafters of the world. I have learned so much about crafting this year. I have learned so much about the crafting business this year as well. I know I still have untested waters that I will soon be stepping in. I hope they are a little warmer with the coming year.

I believe I can wrap up my 2008 crafting year with hope and diversification needs for the next. I am again reminded of one of my college professors. Back in 1979, I was to have an internship with a local clothing store. I was going to learn every aspect of the business. I was excited. My professor questioned the store owner about his future inventory. He was of the "preppy mindset". He believed whole-heartedly that the classic style, the preppy style, would continue into the future without problem. It would never die. Nearly thirty years later, I am reminded that, just as the market did change for his classic style, it has changed for my beaded jewelry. I've remembered her question and his answer many times since 1979, but I haven't lived it like I did this year. I've recognized the need to diversify in order to survive as a crafter.

I wilsh you a Merry Christmas!

My fellow beaders of the world. I don't regret a single solitary minute I have spent learning about beads! I love beads! I love beautiful stone beads from the earth. That there is so much inside the earth continues to amaze me. How awesome is it that you can find the most beautiful gems or the most beautiful green rocks! Maybe it's because I live in an area where there is mostly limestone that makes it so fascinating to me.

The methods that have been invented to manufacture Swarovski Crystals and Pearls is quite spectacular. Crystals from Swarovski continue to be some of my favorites! I work with them and re-order them and sell them and re-sell them. And I haven't ever tired of opening a package from a bead supplier that sends me Swarovski Crystals or Swarovski Crystal Pearls. They are splendid.
Daniel Swarovski did real well when he invented their process!

The last but by no means least favorite of mine are the freshwater pearls. Can there be no end to Mother Nature's beauty?

Finally, if I were to zone in on what keeps me beading it is that beaders don't bead the same ways! This is the very fact that propels me to continue beading. Creations are always spectacular and there are so many methods that anything is possible and the possibilities are endless! If you were to give the same identical beads to ten different people and asked them to make a necklace, there would be no duplicates! That is so stunning!

I wish you a Merry Christmas!

As my cold and laryngitis are finally going away, I extend my deepest sympathies to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I am so sad that I couldn't join you for the Christmas concert. I was so looking forward to performing a solo with your group this year. Perhaps, next year.

As the year is coming to an end, I am filled again with great dreams for success. Merry Christmas to everyone, may this season be one of renewal for you. And may PEACE prevail in 2009!

Making a Living With My Jewelry

2008-11-15T18:22:00.000-05:00

Have you ever tried to lay down and take a nap and suddenly determine where a piece to the puzzle goes? Oh yeah. That nap was more of a doze. If I am going to make a living by selling my jewelry, how many pieces do I have to sell? Well that's what shot my nap! That is the key ticket for making a living on my own. Oh, selling is so hard for me!

I have plotted this mighty question on my road as I go through the next twenty-seven months. I'd imagine it's twenty-seven or twenty six months. I think that this time is going a little fast right now. Sometimes I'd prefer that it went fast and other times I wonder what the heck I was thinking.

So for my to-do list I have to continue to focus on the conversion equation. I must convert jewelry to money. I must be able to bring it in and translate it into something that can be useful to someone else when purchased and then sell it so I can translate it into something that I can use.

Oh! Is that all there is to it? Piece of cake! Piece of cake!

Becoming More Goal Oriented and More Focussed on My Etsy Shop

2008-11-04T10:56:00.000-05:00

I am attempting to refocus my sights, as they have drifted. I know I need a calendar and I need it quick. Okay, I need to find my calendar. It should be full, afterall it is November! I should have written on every line in it to document every day!

I find new blogs every day and I sign up for updates. Then I go to my email account and say, "Hmm, I wonder where this came from?" Eventually, I figure it out.

Refocus refocus. I have to get back to taking pictures and posting my jewelry in my Etsy shop - www.adornablesbylyn.etsy.com . One does not get sales from letting the shop sit. Dust gathers even in an e-shop. E-Dust is not good dust.

I mis-stepped when I thought I would take up tote making. I love to sew and I thought that it would be a simple enough transition for me. It was not. I didn't like the fabric because it collected my white cat's fur! I just stopped. Everything is in plastic tubs awaiting the time when I begin again.

Refocus refocus. I have a new digital camera to use. It's a nice Canon A590. It won't be long before I will be listing jewelry regularly. When the tote bags get made, they will be listed as well.

My calendar will soon have regular entries. I need to document when I list pieces of jewelry. I need to document when they sell. I need to document my goals. There is a lot to running a business. I don't know if I'll ever get it all together, but I still have the drive to do so. Hopefully that drive will pull me through.

Thanks for reading and commenting my blog.

World Famous Opera Singer Buddy Succombs to Bone Cancer

2008-11-02T20:08:00.000-05:00

Ace Ventura Cat Alias Buddy Guy, my favorite black kitty is gone. Bone cancer is suspected. He was a great cat, the kind you wish all cats were like. But I've never met two cats that had the same personality. I guess what I mean is that he was a great cat and not a cat you regretted taking into your home.

My heart is very sad.

Flipper Adams is walking around looking for him. It's interesting to see how another cat reacts to loss. They were good friends. They were more like father and son but hell, they were cats for God's sake. They were good friends. Buddy taught him to fight. He taught him to cross the street as well. We live on a state highway, so this is an especially good skill for a cat to have.

Anyway, there are lots of good memories that we'll cherish for many years. Buddy was a side winder. I suppose I should let you know that a side-winder is the cat that stays one foot ahead of you and controls your gate, or winds his behind around your legs while you are trying to walk. He was great at it! He was such a strong cat that he could take your sudden tumble type save. That's when you get tripped and catch yourself before you go crashing to the ground. You hit the cat somewhere in that process, and you know you'll have to check to make sure he's alright, as soon as you recover. Buddy was always unshaken. He acted like it never happened. That only makes you madder about being tripped. He was a sweetheart.

You know he was just a cat but cats have such a great affect on us. They are there when needed. They are there when you would rather be alone. But they are so cute that you have to let them curl up with you. They sing too. Buddy was a member of the kitty opera. He was a tenor soloist I am sure. The kitty opera is where kitty's go when they go outside. They all get together and sing. They might even have kitty beer and kitty lemonade. I know Buddy was a soloist and a crowd pleaser as well. He sang at home and was always there to comfort you.

I told my son that God only allows us temporary custody of his creatures. I thought that to soothe his hurt. Then I thought that it was a good explanation for me as well. Well it's a good explanation but it's not very comforting right now. Right now, it just hurts. We had that cat a long time. That's another story that I'm sure will be written. Well good night.

I HATE CANCER JUST TO LET YOU KNOW

2008-10-29T20:56:00.000-04:00

You know, yesterday, October 27th, David and Christopher took our seventeen year-old cat to the vet. He looks like he's hurting when he walks. He's limping on his left back leg. It looks like his left back leg is hurting him. This was the second time David had taken him to the vet for this. They think is bone cancer.

I just want to share with you that I hated cancer before it affected my Buddy Guy, Ace Ventura Cat. It killed my Mother. She had lung cancer. She found out and called us all on March 14, 2007. She died on November 16, 2007. She told my Dad that she wanted to be as old as he was. He turned 74 on July 27. Her birthday is November 15. She was 74 when she died. They were in love.

I hate cancer. I would like to tell you more about how much I hate cancer, but I don't want to get kicked off the internet.

You know I have had a wonderful life. My parents never raised their voices. I grew up in a wonderful middle-class home with my three sisters in a middle-class neighborhood. I went to college at Ohio Wesleyan University. I married a man from my home town. I'd never had to deal with death until late in life. I was twenty-six when my Uncle Jesse died. I was forty-nine when my Mom died. It's the absolute worst feeling in the world.

I hate cancer. I'll be fifty as Buddy passes with bone cancer. I hate cancer so bad. I know others have many more reasons to hate cancer, but for me, taking my Mom and now taking my cat are my reasons for hating cancer.

Looking for TOOLS for Goals

2008-10-18T13:58:00.002-04:00

My goals this week include looking for tools that will assist me in obtaining my goals. I need a to do list that I can type out and post on this blog and then print them so I can walk around with the hard-copy list in my hand.

I think the blog is the best goal identifier that I have right now.....soon though it will be fancier. I like "pretty". I will need to print a list that is pretty.

Perhaps on Sundays, I'll post an entry about the goals that I want to accomplish this week. Then on the following Friday, I'll post again with the results. This may go a long way for keeping me on my toes and achieving my goals.

1. three listings on Etsy
2, compose ten questions for the Score Representative at the Chamber of Commerce
3. post again on Friday with my goal achievements

On Saturdays, I want to fit my goals into my plans. I want to post an article about working toward my goals and fitting them into my ultimate goal of working from home in less than 900 days!

I am glad I have a count down timer to keep me focussed.

Stay with me! It won't be long.

Looking for TOLS

2008-10-18T13:58:00.001-04:00

Keep Your Eye on the GOALS

2008-10-09T18:08:00.000-04:00

Goals are great. Writing down goals yeilds further commitment to them. Reviewing goals daily helps to gain a sense of direction so you can stay on track. This blog may be more useful for me in that respect but it is always nice to share experiences. Experience is key to the learning process. Referring back to my blog entries enables me to remember and keep my eye on my GOALS.

The other day there was an article in the newspaper about Mac Worthington. He is an artist. He is a sculptor. He lives relatively nearby and his yard is full of his work! It is excellent and shiney! The collection is a beautiful display of his art. The interview with him revealed that he spends fifty percent of his time on his artwork and fifty percent of his time on marketing. Wow, fifty percent?

With this in mind, I can establish a goal to achieve in twenty-seven months. I will work up to the marketing part as time goes along because I know I need some work in this area. I need lots of work in the marketing area. Marketing is selling and networking and letting others know about what you have to offer. I know what I have because I make beaded jewelry. I hadn't thought of how to sell it when I started making it, although I knew I needed to sell it in order to order more beads. I love beads. I can't have beads unless I recycle the money that I make selling what I make out of the beads that I already have. So added to my other goals is to learn about marketing enough to get the beads sold so I can buy MORE BEADS!

Booting the Bootee - Re-Focus on the Goals

2008-10-05T16:05:00.000-04:00

There is nothing like reaffirming ones goals. This weekend has been an eye opener. I wrote down all our bills and made sense of them to me. They make sense, however, I have been very spoiled in that I never had to worry about them until now. My sweet David has always taken care of the bills. The minute I took over the department store bill, I was a mess. I still am. I don't know how he has maintained all of this, but I am certainly appreciative of his efforts. So I am adding this necessary awareness in my goals as I move into this realm of getting to retire early.

I really have been questioning my ability to get this done. But you know what? I have some kind of internal drive that is pushing me along and I know I will succeed. I KNOW I WILL SUCCEED!!!

I think I need to get a handle on what I can do and how fast I need to move in order to get to where I need to go. There is so much for me to figure out and not much time, and I've got to get it all moving soon.

The blogs are going well. I think I am learning to post on a regular basis and am now moving into the area of search engine optimization and key words and getting my message out. One of my favorite tools is Feedjit which shows visitors to my blog and how they got there. This is great information.........although I don't believe anyone has seen this blog yet. That is fine with me as I am just starting to get my balance.

Goal for this week: Three Blog Entries. Three Etsy Entries. Start sewing a tote. These goals will move me toward my goals to be retired in now less than 29 months.

The Learning Curve for My Goals

2008-09-30T20:34:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday and Wednesday! As I have established this goal of retirement and sworn to document it, I wish to inform you that today's block of time has been pre-empted by normal realm tasks which include assisting with family bill paying. Bill paying is the Man's job! That's all I got to say about that! Well, I guess sometimes I am needed. I am starting to understand that I have to help. So I'm working on it.................I swear!

Okay, so I need to carve out a chunk of two hours each day to devote and I do mean devote to my business future. So this got interrupted by - well shall I say events beyond my control on the last day that the payment could be made.

I went to the library and found out that I needed my check book. I went home and thought perhaps Christopher would like to drive to make the payment. He said he would. David started the, "well couldn't you do it?" Argh! So I thought I should rush to a site, with a bar!!! Take care of business and enjoy it! Yeah, that IS what I am talking about.

Note To Self: All billing must be done online securely within the twenty-nine months.

See ya in a couple of days.

GOALS for Retirement

2008-09-28T16:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday! Today I thought I'd tell you about goals. Not that I have any but I hear that you are supposed to have some in order to retire in 29 Months. Well I do have a few, but they skirt the goals that I have to accomplish every day. I guess my job here is to slowly and methodically move them into my normal goal realm. Ah! Does that sound like a technical term or what?! My normal goal realm.

My normal goal realm includes getting up every morning and going to work for eight hours. During that eight hour period, I have work related goals. Lets go ahead and span that out a bit. I have the worst time in the world, just waking up! So let's say that during a normal work week my first goal is to get up on time in order to be at work on time. That's the bullseye of the normal goal realm.

There are outer circles of the normal goal realm. They include all the tasks involved at work. Trying to focus on them and not think about what the wind is doing outside. As the day progresses and I get to go home, my final work related goal is joining thousands of commuters head back to Delaware from Columbus, Ohio. When I first started working in Columbus, it took thirty minutes to go to work and thirty to go home. Now it takes at least fourty-five minutes each way and God forbid that ODOT should attempt to confuse the drivers with all those funny orange barrels and gorgeous men in flourescent green muscle shirts.

Okay, lets get back to moving new retirement goals into the normal realm goals. I have recognized that like the typical eight to five work day, I have to reserve chunks of time for my retirement goals.
I've begun by setting a two hour block of time for retirement goals. As I work around those goals and merge them into my day, I will add some more. I don't have too much spare time to work with but when you want something bad enough, it gets under your skin and motivates you from the inside.

Thanks for stopping by.

Template Search Complete For NOW

2008-09-23T15:11:00.000-04:00

Wow-Wee!!! I have looked and looked and looked and finally I have found a blog template that I can work with. It took a lot of help from others.

Discoveries along the way include www.jackbook.com and www.bloggerbuster.com

I downloaded and downloaded and downloaded templates. Finally I got this one. I think I have the skills to edit it into a nice template for ME.

I can't get over the amount of information there is on the internet about anything that you care to learn about. I continue to be amazed. I've been reading about blogs for almost a year now.

I want to be a blogger that makes money. I have lots of knowledge that I've gathered. I can help out somewhere, I am sure.

This is my blog about getting ready for retirement in twenty-nine months. I have three things I want to use to get this done. I sell beaded jewelry on www.ETSY.com. My site is www.adornablesbylyn.etsy.com. I intend to add purses and totes to this site as well. I intend to describe how I am doing this, in order to generate some income so I can retire.

I hope you will follow me.