Just Jot It January - 2019

Well, I'm here to testify that the last few weeks have been pretty crazy. January started off fairly quietly with my husband and my daughter out of the house and me having the place to myself.  I should have been smart enough to try to get ahead by prepping some posts so that when the month really got going I'd be ahead of the game but you know I'm kinda slow on the uptake sometimes.

I've written that I am juggling lots of transcription work right now and that's a good thing because we just got word that the dirty (relatively speaking) part of the construction is going to start on our shed.  They are scheduled to come out tomorrow to do the foundation forming and laying the concrete.  Of course, right now it is raining so if they are still able to do it, muddy might be a better word.

The whole reason for the shed is that our son will be moving back home for a while.  It is so difficulty to live on your own nowadays, especially where we live.  He has been living with some friends for about 2-1/2 years now and I know that coming home is going to be a transition for him - the whole, "our house, our rules" kinda thing.  I'm sure he wishes he could live in the shed but that would have required a different set of permits and a much higher cost so that's why I'm moving my craft room out there.  I think I'm going to have a bit more room than this.  Maybe I'll need to get more stuff to fill it - LOL not!

My one-liner is: 

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it and join the dance."  Alan W. Watts

Mr. Watts sounds like a smart guy.  To help keep me dancing through it all, during the month of February I'm going to be taking a class with Jamie Ridler called Awakening.  Awakening is a way to bring dance into your daily life.  Jamie is such a great creative coach and I have taken a lot of her offerings, like the Vision Cards I make at the beginning of each year.  She is always coming up with new and fun things to do.

The last prompt for #JusJoJan is to share your favorite part of last month or last year.  I'm taking that to mean the month of January, not December.  My favorite part of last month is that my picture was the first entry into Jamie's Winter Bulletin Board Art Invitational and so it gets to be in her video every Tuesday and Friday:

The theme is neighborhood and this is what I see when I look out our front window - minus the snow.  I made it using stamps and coloring them in and some stickers.  The train above the houses is really what I see since they elevated the platform a few years ago.  You can see that in the video I shared about the holiday train.

And that's the end of Just Jot It January.  I know I cheated a bit with the last two posts by cramming more than one prompt in but overall I think I made it work.  I know that February is going to bring a few new experiences and you know I'll share!

Thanks to Linda G. Hill for hosting all month.  She's had some trials of her own going on.






 

Just Jot It January - 2019 - Vision Cards

Last year I participated in #JusJoJan for the first time and it was really fun so here we go again.  The prompts for this project are coming from Linda G. Hill.  Come join us!

Today Linda suggests "Resolutions" so I'm going to Jot about the Vision Cards I made for 2019.  I've been doing this practice for the last five or six years now and I really find it helpful to keep me on track with my goals.  I don't say "resolutions" because those are easy to dismiss.  Goals are a better word for me because while I may not actually reach the goal, even if I take some tiny steps toward them I am succeeding.

As I did last year I made six cards and they represent:  Home, Healthy Living, Crafty Business, Money, Relationships and Adventure.  It's a little bit of a process as the first thing I do is get my pictures and words/phrases together and arrange them on the cards.  I use 8-1/2 x 11 inch cardstock and then cut it in half.  Last year I used them vertically but this year I'm trying horizontal. 

Once I am satisfied with the way they look, I glue everything in place and add a few touches here and there. 

I call this one "Go Places."  I've used Travel as a theme before and this time I'm concentrating on the things we can do around our own neighborhood.  There are many "tourist attractions" close to home that I've never seen.  After all, I didn't walk across the Golden Gate Bridge until I turned 60 even though I've lived in the Bay Area all my life.  Alcatraz Island and the Winchester Mystery House are easily accessible. 

Next is Health.  I'm not saying I'm going to lose 100 pounds this year, although if that happened I'd really like it!  Simple things like eating healthier, walking on a regular basis and doing some dancing will help me lose weight and get in better physical health.  I want to be able to go on those adventures!

Money!  With the crazy stock market the way it is, I'm worried about our financial future since both my husband and I are collecting Social Security now.  Our "retirement fund" is secure but it is not much and I'd rather see the market up rather than down.  We also need to get a handle on credit card use, etc.  I at least need to see where we stand at the moment so I can figure out the best course for us.

Connect - I am an introvert so big parties are not really my thing but that doesn't mean I have to live like a hermit.  We had a great evening with some friends having dinner and then going to the beach to watch the sunset in 2018.  I'd like to do more things like that.  I also need to connect more with the hubby.  Even though we are in the same house 24/7 most of the time I am working either at my typing or in my craft room and he is in the living room watching TV or in his garage.  We go to concerts together but I'd like to watch more movies with him or go for walks, etc.  

Crafty Work - In a month or so I will be getting a shed in the backyard to use as my workshop (A SHE SHED! - LOL - We are not calling it that though).  I really want to increase my Etsy business and I have a few other ideas for using my craft skills to add to our income.  Plus, it's just so much fun!  Making a buck or two here on the blog wouldn't hurt either.  Or maybe I can be a break out YouTuber with my how-to videos!  

Last but not least is our house.  We have done a few major things to the house over the last few years, new fence in the backyard, new roof and siding on the house, new bathroom.  When our daughter moved home from college we painted her room and when our son moves back home (hence the need for the shed in the backyard) we'll paint that room too.  But, not all the things around the house need to have such major changes.  A lot is just giving it a deep clean from room to room and making some small adjustments here and there.   

As far as I can see, all things tie together and if I start working on one area, it should benefit one of the others as well.  What do you thing of my vision cards?  Consider making some yourself.  I learned about them from Jamie Ridler and they have really been helpful for me. 

So, that's my #JusJoJan for January 1.  How are you doing today?  Make goals/resolutions/plans for 2019?  Share!

March Meandering - 2018 - The Studio Yearbook, Spring Edition and Tell It Collage

Call me crazy but I just can't get enough of this stuff.  I think that one of the reasons I gave my two week notice at Michaels is because I didn't have enough time to do my creative outlets and I was starting to feel frustrated.  (Yes, I have decided that working in retail is not my cup of tea and yes, I am still going to do my A to Z Challenge on Michaels - just in case you were wondering).

I am in the beginning phase of two new projects.  One is called the Studio Yearbook, Spring Edition.  It was developed by Jamie Ridler, a wonderful mentor and creative spirit that I have been following for a while now.  She is the one who taught me about the Full Moon Dreamboards and the Vision Cards so I was really excited when she said she had created a Studio Yearbook.  Unlike a regular calendar, this "yearbook" is seasonal.  The initial offering is the Spring Edition and I was one of the first 100 people to get a paper copy of this really cool tool.  It goes for the months of spring from March 20 to June 20.   

It comes with a blank cover and this is how I decided to decorate it.  I used the First 100 sticker that came on the packaging as the center for the top flower.

Part of the process of the yearbook is to make it your own and that starts with telling about yourself and where you are in this moment.  This is my "You" page. 

The daily pages are filled with spots for documenting life as you experience it during the season.  Each page has the date plus sections for documenting the day, what you want to focus on, your mood, inspiration, creation, insight, gratitude, words for the day, an image from the day and a place to give yourself gold stars.  Everyone deserves gold stars!    

You can fill out as much or as little of each section as you want and as you can see I have some blank spaces there but I can already tell this is going to be a great keepsake.  I am realistic enough to know that I am not going to be able to fill in every section every day but it is making me stop and think about things and notice what is going on in my day.  As we get further along, there are pages for the Full Moon and pages for you to write out 12 areas you want to focus on specifically.  There is also a monthly spread for each of the months so you can use that as a calendar if you want.    

Unfortunately there are no more printed copies of the Studio Yearbook but there is a digital format and you can get one and have it printed yourself.  It's not too late to start for spring.  I know I am going to try to be one of the first 100 again to get the next version for the summer.  

 
The second project I have is from the same wonderful woman who directed us in Tell It Color, Liz Lamoreux.  This one is called Tell It Collage.  Each day for the next 21 days I'll be getting a message from Liz with prompts and ideas for collages to dig deep into the person I am or want to be.

Here is my first page, the intention.  This picture is a larger version of the one I used in the yearbook.

The next step was to build some foundation pages (pages with pictures or backgrounds and colors) and then to take another page and write out words to describe who I am, how I feel, what I love, etc.  This is what I came up with.

Day 3 was to take one of the foundation pages and add to it with the prompt "I am," using some of the words from day 2.  I had the picture on the left and the blue background as my foundation page and then I added the rest of the embellishments.  Day in, day out be powered by dreams!  

Registration will be open throughout the course so there is still time to do this one too if you like.

While these specific practices aren't going to make me any money per say, I am practicing new techniques and gaining insights and I think that will translate to more production with my cards and such.  The more you work with the ideas of your dreams, the easier they are to bring to life.  Plus, I am connecting with a great bunch of people who are very supportive of the craftiness of life and that is always helpful. 

We still have about a week left for me to meander in March, getting ready for the big A to Z in April.  What are you working on this month?  Share!

Just Jot January - Vision Cards

On Wednesdays and Saturdays the Just Jot January follows "Wordless Wednesday" and "Stream of Conscious Saturday" prompts but I think I'll use those days to add posts about other things.  Today I'll share my vision cards for 2018:

I made five of them again and kept the same basic focus areas on each:

I'm calling this one "Smart Money Matters."  With my fluctuating income it is more important than ever that I get a true handle on our money and where it goes and how I can better use it to make sure that we have money enough for us to live a decent life in our retirement.  

This one is "Home Clean Home."  We have a lot of cleaning and decluttering that could easily be done around the house and none of it will cost a lot of money.  The biggest expense I can see for this year would be to clean out and "landscape" the backyard.  Cleaning out the garage and other "catchalls" around the house would go a long way to making things better.  We might even make some money if we had a garage/yard sale.  I think I'll try to plan for that when the weather warms up in spring/summer.

Healthy Living is this card's focus.  I did well last year but toward the end of the year I let things slip by.  I know I do better when I plan meals in advance and when I get some extra walking in.  I really enjoyed walking by the Bay and I think I'm going to give the beach a try.  I live so close there's no reason why I can't get there once in a while. 

My Crafty Life.  Of course with my word of the year being Create, this one had to get some attention.  Making more things to sell on the Etsy site is one thing but I would also like to try making some videos and of course blogging consistently.  I may not make a million but I think I might be able to help increase my income if I do better with affiliate sharing and exploring YouTube possibilities.  I don't want to be one of "those" people who bombard you with the "buy me/try me" type emails though.  I'd like to find some more craft fairs to do throughout the year instead of just at the holidays as well.

Last but not least is "Going Places."  We had such fun with the Big City Hunt last year and going to see the Summer of Love expo that I am sure we can find some new things to explore this year.  I've also seen a couple of train trips that look interesting.  One is called the Amtrak Starlight Express and goes from Seattle to Los Angeles along the coast.  The cost does not seem too bad and it looks like a fun ride.  Visiting Monterey and Carmel also is on my list.  

On the back of each card I have written my intentions and initial "goals."


As I looked at these cards and did some thinking about the year ahead and what I want in my life I realized that I had left out a major component...Relationships.  I made another card which I am calling Heart to Heart:

I have mentioned before that I am an introvert so going to parties and being with a lot of people is not exactly my forte but I do have some really great friends and I do love to spend time with them.  I also want to be conscious of being a good wife to my husband, mother to our children, daughter to my mom, sister, aunt, neighbor, etc.    

How fortunate the first full moon of the year was on January 1 so I was able to send these intentions off to the Universe right away!

I've been doing these cards for several years now, starting with the guidance of Jamie Ridler in her Vision Cards class.  You can check that out if you want to make your own set of cards.  I'd love to hear about them if you do!

No - It Can't Be November!

Here we are already at the end of November!  I am finding it harder to get my new routine under control than I thought.  I wrote last month about starting to work outside the home for the first time in 17 years and while I am enjoying it for the most part, there are things that I could do without (cleaning the restrooms and working until 11 pm to name two).  I have just adjusted my availability so that I am a little more in control of when I am scheduled and I did have to say to my children (for the first time) that they were right and I was wrong about what it is like to work in retail.  I may make it through the holidays, although I did have to work Thanksgiving day from 5 pm to 9 pm and then the following day from 6 pm to 11 pm.

I participated in two Holiday Boutiques this month.  One was a two-day affair to benefit Foster Children.  Here I am behind my table.  Another chance to wear my spiffy hat!

I did pretty well at that show, selling two of my scarves and some cards and mini albums.

The following week I was at a one-day sale.  This one I did not do too well at and I heard from a couple of the other vendors that they had done less business than last year and they attributed it to the location.  It was held in the local gym and was more difficult to get to than the Senior Center where it had been held in the past.  My setup looks similar:

But this time I had a snowman sweater to go along with my hat :)  Oddly enough, while I was there I got an order on my Etsy shop for 10 cards and I had to make sure to remove them from the table so they didn't get picked up. 

I did read two more books:  "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie and "The Final Summit" by Andy Andrews... 

and started a third, "Pure Heart" by Troy Ball, which will be #20 on my challenge this year.  Not quite the 25 that I wanted to make but pretty close.  

Some of the pictures I got for the 365 pictures include:

Our Family Thanksgiving

Really neat lighted golf ball for night golf

Pretty true and I have to start noticing more

Snowman Poop looks kinda like white rabbit pellets 

One of the new bicycles that are popping up around town.  You can rent them by getting the app on your phone and using them, then leaving them for the next person.  This one is from Spin.

One more reminder of my word of the year, Believe.

When I get in the car to go to work, my phone not only tells me how long it will take to get there but also what is on sale!

Another fun thing sold in the "drive aisle" at work.  This is the spot near the check out line so you can pick it up while you wait in line.

And of course, the full moon for November.

On Thursday I will be doing Planning Day with Jamie Ridler to try and get a handle on what I want to do for next year and in December I will be participating in Susannah Conway's December Reflections again.  Here are the prompts in case you want to play along:

I've also gone to several doctors appointments with my husband who is having some heart issues and my 94-year-old mom who had an infected toenail.  Sheesh!  It's no wonder I haven't been able to post more often!    

But blogging is one of the things I really enjoy so my goal is to post as much as I can in December and to get a schedule down for next year.  Hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving!  Have any plans for the end of the year?

In Tune With June - 2017 - Vision Card Update

Every year for the last few years I've been making Vision Cards, as introduced by the wonderful Jamie Ridler.    Half the year is gone so it's time for me to check in and see how I'm doing.  Here are the ones I made for this year:

The first has to do with self-care.  I have done pretty well with my Hungry Girl eating program and have lost about 18 pounds since January (44 total since last year).  Not a huge amount but at the same time I don't feel like I am depriving myself or starving.  We eat out occasionally and I certainly don't kill myself exercising but for the most part, I am happy with the way things are going.  In the last month I have really stepped up my walking, taking a walk around the neighborhood almost every day.  I have set myself some weight loss goals and so for the next six months I am going to make a more focused effort in that regard. 

Next has to do with my creative life.  My goal is to be able to increase my income by either selling the cards and mini-albums I make and/or earn some money through affiliate programs.  I haven't really worked very hard in this area yet, although I am now an affiliate for both Blitsy (an online craft store) and Creative Live, an online education resource.  You can see both of those on the right side of this blog (if you are seeing it on Blogspot - I haven't added them to the WordPress site yet).  I have been taking some of the free courses offered on Creative Live about how to utilize my Etsy site better and be found in search engines.  In the second half of the year I hope to put all the research I've been doing into practice.  I do have one craft fair scheduled in November.   

Travel and Adventure is the next card.  I think we really covered that well with the Big City Hunt that we went on last month in Reno.  We have the voucher for one in San Francisco that I want us to do now that the weather is getting nicer.  I'd still like to hit Carmel and Monterey but I'm not sure that will happen this year.  












Finances is something that is a never ending battle it seems.  Just when I think we are getting ahead, something happens to stall us.  I'm not giving up though and will continue to work toward making our retirement less stressful.

Finally, we have our home.  The makeover it got last year did wonders and I wanted to continue the trend.  We used up our financial resources for the most part so the things we do now need to be at minimal cost.  We have made a great start in the last month in two areas.  The backyard, where I have started to detangle the jungle that has grown there and the garage where my husband has really made huge improvements on cleaning out and organizing.  It is a tricky area because I can only offer my opinion when asked as the things in the garage are mostly his.  I wouldn't want him to come and organize my craft room though, so I totally understand. 

Not too bad for half a year.  I really find making these cards more helpful than just making New Year's resolutions.  I know I am not going to get everything accomplished in every area, but having the cards and checking in with them periodically keeps me focused.  

How about you?  Make any vision cards?  New Year's Resolutions?  Have plans for the next half of the year?  Love to hear about it.