Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I checked out a couple websites that list craft shows.

www.craftlister.com This website charges, and the price put me off a bit. Two months $37.00, a year for $127.00. Because of my lack of funds, I could only sign up for the free email list. I can only see the shows for this month. The first email arrived in my box this morning. I found it confusing, and annoying because of all the requests to become a full member. I will say, however, that there are ways to earn free membership time, but that also seems like a hassle. Perhaps I can look into this website after I make a few more sales.

www.craftmasternews.com This website also wants money, but the $48.00 gets you 6 issues mailed to your house, which seems like a much better deal to me, but again, I can't afford it.

www.artfaircalendar.com I like that this one is free, and there is a blog where members discuss issues such as what to do about old ladies pocketing your products at the craft shows. I will definitely go back to this one to learn more.

Much more research to do. Obligatory smiley face. :)

H.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Coupons

Sometimes I get Target coupons in a little booklet in the mail addressed to someone else and I get all excited. I love Target coupons. I recently found out that you can print Target coupons from their website on www.Freebies4Mom.com. Just go to www.Target.com, then look under See More, and click on Coupons. There's a good one for children's clothes that I think is still good.

Short and sweet today. Obligatory smiley face. :)

Monday, March 29, 2010

A Plan

It's Monday again, and I have lots to do. :) My items on etsy are about to start expiring and I have a new plan for how I want to present my regular items. I'm a bit excited about that. I am focusing on building my inventory for the time being. I also have a few ideas for maybe doing a few craft shows here and there, which also means I need to build inventory.

Blogger sent me an email with templates on it and I picked the one I liked and I didn't even need Mike to help me. Ha, ha! Now I just need to get a haircut and take a new picture. Then I'll be all set for now I think. I've decided to try again on posting everyday. Maybe I should just take a week long break every couple of months or so.

Easter is this weekend. I'm not really religious, in the Christian sense, but we have introduced Molly to the Easter Bunny and our families like to get together off and on for the different holidays. I think though, that this year, I might make some cupcakes with jelly beans on them and have Molly decorate some eggs this week. We'll see if I get it done. :)


I have two followers now! My husband became my first follower of course, and now my friend Jamie has added me. Yay!!!!! Thanks guys. My friend Ellen also posted a comment on the Facebook that she liked my blog, so maybe people are reading it. :)


Well, I have dishes to do.


I'll be back tomorrow.
H.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

HCR

I still haven't decided what I want to do with the blog, but I had to write today.

I am so excited that the president signed the health care bill. I only hope my stupid state legislature doesn't succeed in blocking it. There are so many good, good ideas in it. I admit I haven't read the thing, but I am so excited that children will not discriminated against because of pre-existing conditions. (It's all about the chillun'.)

I also have to say that after many, many emails to Mary Fallin, I find that she was not listening to me. I plan on campaigning against her with all I have. Drew Edmondson and Jeri Askins both look like good candidates, mostly because they don't spout mindless rhetoric. And actually, I emailed Mary Fallin about renewing the funding to children's nutrition programs and she emailed me back saying the issue was very important to her. But I guess children's health care is NOT important to her since she never responded to the emails about how my child needed health insurance.

I have finally reached the point in my life where I am confident that I know what is right, and while I accept that other people will have differing opinions, I fail to see how denying people access to health care for ANY reason is the "right" thing to do. Anyway, I'm glad that things are going to change. Thank you for all your hard work, Mr. President.

I will see if I can figure out where I want to go with my blog. I want to get my husband to help with the template part and stuff like that. It seems like, sometimes, that every time I have a thought it's interrupted with comments like, "I'm thirsty."

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Uggh!

I'm feeling discouraged, paranoid, and emotionally weak today. I do not want to turn this blog into a rant page. I'm tired of that stuff. I want to leave a more positive mark on the world. But alas, everyone gets discouraged when they live in a world full of bullies. Plus, I've been having sinus headaches for a week now, or two I can't remember. Even the days I don't have an actual headache, I feel worn down.

It's not like anyone is reading this anyway. (Now I'm just being dramatic.)

I'm going to do some regrouping for the next week. I will come back next Wednesday. (I mean it this time!) It seems weird to use parenthesis for something other than a smiley face or a winking smiley face or whatever. But for some reason lol makes me feel homicidal. I don't really know why, but it does. No offense, if you use it, because it's not rational and I know it's not rational. But it makes me angry.

Wait I'm off topic. I am taking a blog vacation and I will come back with some kind of plan about what it is I want to do with it.

Monday, March 8, 2010

I Want My Daddy

It's Monday again and my stuffy nosed child wants her daddy. And she wants to know how people make toys. It's raining and cold. I just don't have it in me today. I will return tomorrow with some kind of inspiration. I promise.

Perhaps I should do some yoga....

Friday, March 5, 2010

Tax man

The other day I found a thread on etsy where one of the members said he would give out tax advise. I read some of it, and I'm a little nervous now about, mainly the sales tax. I need to find out what the state law is. It sounds really confusing and I don't know what to do. The income taxes look pretty simple to understand, but it's the local stuff that I don't know what to do about. Oy!

There were several links to the irs from all the questions, but he said he didn't know about sales tax. Just another thing I have to research. I will add it to the list. But I might be able to buy stuff tax exempt when I register? Anyway, this post refuses to find coherence and I should just end it with a question. Does anyone know anything about the sales tax rules in Oklahoma?

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Bookmarks


My husband helped me design my banner for etsy, and we created a bookmark as well. I read about it on etsy as a way to hand out business cards. I would like to do cards as well, but this will work for the time being. It's cute and fun.

Speaking of business cards, I found my sister-in-law, Beth's business card. She sells Scentsy, if you're interested.
www.allgood.scentsy.us

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Bus

My husband and I got the Mrs. Goodbee dollhouse for Molly for her birthday in November. For Christmas she got twenty dollars from one of my aunts and she decided she wanted to save it (with a little prodding from me of course) and she said she wanted to buy the camper that goes with the dollhouse. The bus costs $30, however, and I knew she'd have to earn a lot of 50 "centses." Then her Grammy Mary sent her ten dollars for Valentines Day and she only had to earn the sales tax.

Anyway, Molly and I finally went to Toys R Us yesterday and bought the bus. I was pr
oud of her for keeping the same objective for so long. I felt compelled to ask her yesterday, "Are you sure that's what you really want?" Then I realized where I had learned to second guess myself all the time. So, I didn't ask her and she played with the thing all afternoon, and again this morning.

I took pictures of her in her pjs this morning. She's been a little sassy this morning because I wouldn't let her sleep with me last night after she had a nightmare. She wanted to make funny faces. How do they make you feel so guilty? :) I can't believe how angry and joyful she can make me feel at the same times sometimes.





Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tuesday

As I try to learn to navigate my way through the virtual world, I find websites that I find interesting and wish to share. Actually I have a long list of websites that I intend to look at in order to find ways to reach more people. There was a blog on etsy about it. However, besides the list that I copied down, I run across interesting ones that I think I should look up.

Today I took a look at a few.

Freebies4mom.com is mostly a lot of coupons. My grocery store doesn't take downloaded coupons, but I think I might be able to use a few at Target and/or Walgreens. There are also lots of links to other money saving advice blogs and there is a plethora of info. (Yes, I used the word plethora. I apologize.) There is information, also, about sweepstakes and other ways to get free things and money. This one needs further research from me when I have more time and patience.

Indiepublic.com seems to be a lot like etsy. I have joined up and I am waiting for approval. I feel a bit weird calling myself a designer, since I just use other people's patterns, but I suppose I could argue the point. There are forums, groups, articles, and the market. The market relies on bidding, so that is something I will have to look at more in order to understand how the system works. I'm sure it's like ebay, but I've never bought anything on ebay, so there you go.

ArtFire.com is also a lot like etsy. You open up a shop and sell your goods. I didn't sign up yet, saving that for when I have my other shops and my blog the way I want them and I have a larger inventory. It looks wonderful.

I went on Twitter today and a friend mentioned 43things.com. I went there and signed up, but I'm not completely sure what it is. I think you make lists of things you want to accomplish and read about other people's experiences with similar accomplishments. It seems sort of silly, but I think it might be fun.

Also if you are on Twitter, I highly recommend that you follow momlogic. I clicked on a link and read an interesting article about addiction and an even more interesting review of a book called Side by Side by Dr. Charles Sophy. It's about communicating with your daughter. I think I'd like to read it.

I like looking up fun stuff on the internet. It's not nearly so scary as I once thought.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Catchall Mondays

I have so much left to learn and understand about how to create a business online. I have lists and lists of stuff left to do. One mountain at a time. Each time I look up at the next mountain, I feel both overwhelmed and determined. I'm not trying to become a millionaire anyway, so I can still go at my own pace.

I would like to put more effort into my blog. I think I need to plan my days out a little more. I'm also going to try and build up my inventory of the stuff that I have already sold. I feel like I already spend all my time making stuff.

You know what though? I'm enjoying it. Indeedely deed, as Ned Flanders would say.

I just don't know when I'm going to get a chance to make my garden in the back yard. My mind is so cluttered that's what my problem is I think. And I tend to procrastinate. :)

I also need to call my friend Jamie. If you're reading this, sorry we didn't hang out again last week. I'm blaming the fever. :)

I will sit down make out a plan for the rest of the weeks blog so that they are not just random comments like this one. Another :)