SNOWMAGEDDON 2011

I think taking a sick day was a bad, bad idea.  Someone "up there" is punishing me with a blizzard :(

We'll see what it looks like in the morning.  However, it can't be good when the weather channel titles their posts with:  

COLOSSAL STORM for Midwest

I'll post a pic.  I'm supposed to go to the office.  Eek!

Monday = My Mental Health Day

Well, not really....but I am calling in "sick" tomorrow because I don't have any personal days to use at the moment.  Tomorrow is the last day of CHA, and I do not want to miss it! 

More time at CHA = a gleefully happy me (as represented through Jaiden)

I've had sooooooooo much fun participating in the webcast this weekend.  I've had the chance to put designer faces to their product lines, and I've been able to ask questions.  It's been great seeing what's coming to stores soon and getting the chance to try some of the products out ahead of time.  In fact, I have a wish list growing exponentially as I spend more time at CHA.  I'm trying not to allow myself to purchase anything, but I did cave on a good deal on adhesives.  Ha!


This weekend has really fueled my hunger for figuring out a way to craft full-time.  If only it were as easy as snapping my fingers.  Alas, that possibility is far in the future, and I just need to start planning and executing my plans.

So here we go!

Craft & Hobby Association - my version of paradise

If you've known me long enough, you know a few things are very true of me:

1. I love accessories - i.e. shoes, jewelry, purses
2. I love sales/coupons
3. I love crafts - every type imaginable, esp scrapbooking

So would it really be a surprise to you all if I told you that there is a trade show that is tailored to nutty people like me (in terms of crafting).  Well....that's the CHA show (Craft & Hobby Association)!  This weekend, it's taking place in California but lord help me in July when it comes to Chicago!

Anyway, through the blog that I have been writing for (Scrapbook Royalty), I was able to participate in a webcast that started this weekend.  My entrance fee benefited a great organization called Crops of Luv, which makes albums for families of terminally ill patients (originally started with terminally ill kids but they are expanding to adults and persons living with Alzheimer's).

I had a blast doing the make and takes today, and I'm eagerly awaiting what awaits tomorrow.  I was more tickled by the fact that my crafting idol, Crafty Chica came to say hi.  While they were talking to her, we were able to chat live with her.  Elena, the Executive Director of Charity Wings, told her about my paper tamales! and she was so excited about the very idea.  She wants to see how I did it?!  WHAT?!!!!!!!!

Hee hee hee.....I could not stop giggling at the fact that Crafty Chica wanted to learn from me!  Such a cool moment for me :)

I think I've been possessed!

So I am totally laughing at myself.....because I just looked into something that I would never, ever consider.  Yet I guess people would argue that my very "interest" means something.

I'm almost embarrassed to write about this...but I'm going to own this moment (even if I'm going to be teased endlessly by my friends!).

So.....tonight for some reason....I decided to look into e-dating sites!  You know the sites:  eHarmony, Highlife Adventures, etc.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

And no, I didn't sign up for one....the whole idea is kind of creepy.  I've always thought the concept of on-line dating was seriously disturbing.  I mean, how do you know these people aren't serial killers?!  I think I was momentarily possessed.

I guess I'm just finally starting to feel the itch - it's starting to feel like I'm never gonna meet my life partner...to get married....to have my own traditional family.  And I'm being surrounded by people who are happy and moving into the next stage of adulthood, and here I am, living like a 20-something year-old (which I'm clearly not).  Friends are getting married, friends have had or are having babies, friends are buying property, friends have high level positions at work....

Gosh....this whole post sounds so pathetic, but I promised I would own the moment of silly weakness/self-pity.

My life is exactly where it is supposed to be, right?  Why try to rush any of it!

I'm officially published

So last year I mentioned that I had agreed to take on two blogging/writing posts on the topic of scrapbooking.  One is with a great agency based in California called Charity Wings (formerly Scrapbook Royalty).  I've been humbled to see all the great work that crafters involved with this agency have accomplished and can only dream to be a part of such great work for the years to come.

The other post I took was to be a contributor to an on-line magazine called LatinWebzine.  I'll be writing about the art of scrapbooking and how you can specifically tailor it to your cultural heritage.  For the magazine I'll clearly be focusing on Latino centered projects.

Sooooo....I had submitted an item before I left on vacation but of course my computer died.  I completely missed the fact that my article had in fact published!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The best part is that my mom is part of my imagery for the article.  Ha!  She has noooo idea!

Please take a peek and subscribe to the magazine!  I'm so tickled right now.

Let my Martha Stewart empire building begin now....muhahahahaha!

Today's "How do you know" moment

As I delivered a long-overdue album to a client....I found myself wondering what it would be like to craft every day of my life to make a living.  Because I currently control the flow of work (partly because I do have a demanding 9 to 5), I use crafting/scrapbooking as a stress reliever. 

If I crafted every day....would I still enjoy it as much if I depended on it for my livelihood?

Hmmmm.....

I imagine that if I were able to make a sustainable wage from crafting, I would be at a point where my products were more than my custom albums....like having my own product line.

So today's how do you know question is:

"How do I know I can't be the next Martha Stewart?"

I mean, honestly....this woman now has a product line available in all major craft stores AND she has a new pet product line!  All things she loves....and she's figured out how to make a living from it.

So what's my first step in all of this?

Well, I'm going to have to take a step way back to the beginning --- to before launching my business....

I need to first actually write a business plan for my company!  Can you believe I never did this?  I literally opened my company for the tax incentive/benefit of being able to charge clients and write off business expenses.

I need to seriously sit down and figure out what my vision, mission, and goals are for my company.  I have a lot of ideas for things I want to do, but I need to really flesh out my direction and strategy for achieving them.  

During the month of February, I will start off by determining my vision, my mission and my top 3 goals.  Ha!  Let's see if 1 month is enough time to narrow down my thoughts.

This year's philosophy: "How Do you Know?"

Back in November, I was at dinner with my friends celebrating one of their birthdays.  Our dinners are always a blast....full of laughs, innappropriate conversations for a public venue, lots of drinking, and randomness.

One of the more random items took place on the car ride home from dinner.  My friend Rose and I were having a discussion about my fascination with people who go to work in Circuses.  I explained to her that the root of my fascination lies with one question....

"How do you know you can do that?!" 

This totally jogged Rose's mind as she had been having a similar conversation with someone else and had thought the same thing.

"How do people find out they are good at something obscure?"

So we officially declared that year 2011 would be the year of the "How do you know?" motto.

As silly as it may sound, my first how do you know question occurred to me while on vacation over the holidays.  While snorkeling, I was watching some divers and realized that I was absolutely transfixed by their underwater swimming skills.  They looked like mermaids (you know...that wave movement!).  I found myself asking....how did they learn to do that?!

Soooooo.....the first thing I did when I got home was to sign up for swim classes!  Because after all, how do I know I can't do that?!

Ha!  It's been two weeks now, and I'm in hysterics over the fact that my instructor has already decided to start teaching me the elements of the Butterfly Stroke.  Huh?  What?   I guess I'm gonna learn how to move my legs like a mermaid sooner than I expected!

This is gonna be fun.  Heck...I might even be your next Olympian ;)