Oh, where do I begin? It isn't a matter of having nothing to say, but rather a matter of what do I say first? ;) I had a blog a year or so ago, but found that I could not keep up with it. I'm wondering what will happen this time around. I've started blogging again because I'm bombarded with advice to blog, blog, blog as a way of promoting Simply Smitten, and I never have a shortage of things to talk about! :)
This past summer was a time of intense creativity for me, it was crazy really. I found I had different, new ideas every day, so my shop became a mod podge of all my favorite hobbies. Finally, in the late autumn, I had room to breathe again, and began to assess things. First thing I decided was that the handmade cards had to come out of my shop. I was virtually making nothing on them (maybe a dollar when everyone got their piece), and they demanded large amounts of time. It was time to move on.( The great thing now though, I have tons and tons of cards left, and am never short when I need to send out birthday greetings!) So, I systematically went through my shop and settled on the things that carried the most importance to me. I went from 9 pages to about 4. My Inspiration Earth products were at the very top of my list, because that is how I can affect change in this lifetime. It is a passion. A very close second were my personalized clipboards, they may have even tied for first. I simply LOVE to make them. To sit down and create them brings me great joy, and I always look forward to a chunk of time when I can work on them. So, I went with that, earth friendly products and clipboards. I renewed something(s) everyday, listed new items often, and watched as the sales began to trickle in. I'm not bombarded with sales, but at this point, I know I couldn't handle that. I am still homeschooling my girls, doing massive amounts of cooking, caring for way too many animals... but, steady business is what I'm aiming for. I haven't had a sale in about a week, but then sold 6 clipboards to a lovely woman in California 2 days ago. So, I was happy. :) I know that the only way I want to move through this life is doing things that bring me joy. It doesn't always mesh with what others desire of me, but I can't live my life based on the expectations of others. I've also discovered that when I follow my spirit voice, I am joyful, which spreads joy to those around me. It may seem selfish and self centered, but it in no way feels that way. It feels connected, balanced, peaceful. I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and it is a very good place to be.
This past summer was a time of intense creativity for me, it was crazy really. I found I had different, new ideas every day, so my shop became a mod podge of all my favorite hobbies. Finally, in the late autumn, I had room to breathe again, and began to assess things. First thing I decided was that the handmade cards had to come out of my shop. I was virtually making nothing on them (maybe a dollar when everyone got their piece), and they demanded large amounts of time. It was time to move on.( The great thing now though, I have tons and tons of cards left, and am never short when I need to send out birthday greetings!) So, I systematically went through my shop and settled on the things that carried the most importance to me. I went from 9 pages to about 4. My Inspiration Earth products were at the very top of my list, because that is how I can affect change in this lifetime. It is a passion. A very close second were my personalized clipboards, they may have even tied for first. I simply LOVE to make them. To sit down and create them brings me great joy, and I always look forward to a chunk of time when I can work on them. So, I went with that, earth friendly products and clipboards. I renewed something(s) everyday, listed new items often, and watched as the sales began to trickle in. I'm not bombarded with sales, but at this point, I know I couldn't handle that. I am still homeschooling my girls, doing massive amounts of cooking, caring for way too many animals... but, steady business is what I'm aiming for. I haven't had a sale in about a week, but then sold 6 clipboards to a lovely woman in California 2 days ago. So, I was happy. :) I know that the only way I want to move through this life is doing things that bring me joy. It doesn't always mesh with what others desire of me, but I can't live my life based on the expectations of others. I've also discovered that when I follow my spirit voice, I am joyful, which spreads joy to those around me. It may seem selfish and self centered, but it in no way feels that way. It feels connected, balanced, peaceful. I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and it is a very good place to be.