A New Account and Sales Tax (fun stuff here)

Thursday was productive. I knocked out some crafting, some household chores, and even had a 'business meeting' with my accountant (sister-in-law.)

After my meeting, I'm feeling a little bit better about all the mumbo jumbo tax and legal stuff I've been reading and trying to comprehend. To start things off, on Friday morning I opened a checking account just for the business (Pat graciously provided me with the initial investment money.) Next, will be linking my Etsy PayPal account to the new account.

I still need to figure out sales tax on purchases. I know that PayPal has a setting for that, but I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what amount of sales tax to charge. The state's is 4%, the county's is 3%, and my location (outside city limits) is 1%. I know all this adds up to 8%, but I don't have to charge the 3% to anyone outside this county . . . etc, etc, etc. That may be a task for another day. I'm boring you, I know. It bores me too, but this is the kind of stuff I'm struggling with before I can really start selling my creations.

I'm not even sure where to look to find the answers to these questions. Anybody else know?

What's on My Table

After the brain explosion yesterday, today's efforts were centered on e-mail, blogs, and actual crafting!! It was a pretty good day.

I'm not sure if I like what I produced, but I'm happy that I got the creative juices flowing. It made me realize just how fast time passes when you're doing something you enjoy. There just wasn't enough time to get a whole project accomplished. The fault probably lies in the fact that I took about an hour to sort wood pieces (taking out all the warped, broken, and just plain ugly pieces.) Then I got to collaging.

At the end of the day, here's what my craft table looks like.

And what I produced. Please take into account that they're NOT done!

I might actually get back in there after a bit. We'll see how the evening goes.

The First Steps and a Giveaway

So begins the first full week without a job.

Today has been spent going through some information on Etsy and how to set up my shop. I've been saving the links for over a year, so there's a lot of information to absorb. I think I got through a lot of the main points. Now it comes down to actually writing up my policies and profile, taking pictures, pricing items, and listing them. Yeah, THAT's all. Of course, I still need to figure out a few things regarding prices for shipping, tax information, and some of the finer points. I had to stop thinking about it before my head exploded with all the other tidbits. But, it's definitely coming along. I can see (in my head) some actual listing on the horizon.

For now, though, I want to share with you a giveaway from Denise Yezbak Moore. It's one heck of a haul if you win The Best Bead Give-A-Way Ever. Head over to her blog and check it out.

That's one BEAUTIFUL stash!!

A Word of Gratutude and A Roll-up Recipe

I felt a lot better about the new direction of my life after the last post.
There were so many of you who gave me support either here, on Twitter, or on Facebook. For that I thank you!! Stick with me and soon you might be able to buy some of the jewelry you saw yesterday!!!!

Yesterday was spent getting organized AND making one of the dishes I plan on taking to the marriage of Sara and Paul (the most talked about wedding on Twitter) this afternoon.

Since I'm fairly sure my organization is nothing to boast about (YET), I thought I'd share the recipe for the dish I made (that's kinda in the realm of crafty.)
It's one of those EASY things you probably already know how to make or have another recipe for it. An online search yielded a TON on different recipes. They go by many different names: pinwheels, rollups, spirals, meat-with-cheese-in-a-tortilla-thingies,and so on.
All they really are is a tortilla with cream cheese, layers of lunchmeat and cheese, rolled up.
Here's what you need (Ingredients)
Tortillas (any flavor and size are fine - I used garlic & herb ones for most of these)
Cream Cheese (softened)
Lunchmeat (I used both ham and turkey)
Cheese - thinly sliced (I used American and Swiss)
Aluminum Foil

Process:
Place a tortilla on a square on aluminum foil and spread the cream cheese.

Layer the meat(s) and cheese(s) (can just do meat, or just cheese if preferred)

Roll the tortilla with the stuffing as tight as possible

Roll the foil around the rolled tortilla and seal the ends

Chill in the fridge for several hours
Then; remove, unwrap, and slice so they look like this. (You can see I didn't get a tight enough roll on the ends, but the one in the center looks GREAT. In any case, they are TASTY!!)

So, that's as crafty as I got yesterday before I headed out for the "rehearsal dinner."
It should be an interesting and fun time today!!

The Beginning of a New Crafty Lifestyle

I'm at a loss for what to say or where to begin.
Let me announce: I was laid off from work this week.

 While I wasn't too upset, I was surprised and a little sick to my stomach. The thought of "what next" gives me a mini panic attack each time I think too hard about it. Yet, it also opens up the door to all the experiences and chances I've been wanting to take, all the things I've been wanting to try. Without a silly old job, now's my chance. . . right? But, where do I start on this new adventure? What's the path I should take or should I just blaze my own trail?


Pat and I are fortunate enough that he makes a good living for us and has a stable position at the company.  As such, I don't have to be in too big of a rush to jump back into full-time employment. Yet, he would prefer that I don't spend my time sitting around the house and 'playing in the craft room.' He wants to see some effort on my part and a real attempt to bring in at least a little income. [And, no. . .he's not bossing me around or acting like my father or anything like that. As my soul mate, he really does know me. That means helping me find a direction. Otherwise, I'll just flounder around without ever making a decision. His encouragement is really a blessing!]

I don't have a full-blown plan yet but rather a running mental list of what I want to do with this OPPORTUNITY.
 Obviously, I'd like to (1st and foremost) CRAFT more. Thus, I'll need to (2) start selling my wares to meet Pat's "monetarily-productive" request. Of course, being the neurotic I am, I have to (3) start with some 'training.' As well, having the opportunity to (4) blog more often and share this process is definitely in the cards.
And that's where I stand right now.

What do you think? Any suggestions, tips, ideas, etc. . .

I'm excited, I'm nervous, I've got to be out of my mind [I.have.a.degree.in.psychology.what.the.heck.do.I.know. about.making.selling.and.marketing.ANYTHING]

Just had to get that out of my system. . . okay, here we go!!

Busy, Busy Me (a nice long, bulleted list)

Oh so much going on lately. . . OH.SO.MUCH!!!

I've been REALLY lousy at the blogging game (as I'm sure you can tell) and I've got all kinds of excuses, but those can just be rolled into this bullet-ed post (in no particular order, just as it comes to me.)

• First, formost, and most importantly; Pat and I decided at the beginning of April to jump headfirst into the real estate market. We've put our home on the market and are now looking for another place. We want something a bit bigger (not too much), with some land (at least 2 acres), and hopefully a pool (or some kind of waterfront.) With all of that comes the FRANTIC house cleaning, organizing, packing, and staging of the house for sale.
• It's simply a busy time of the year for me- the end of April-beginning of May consists of BOTH nieces' birthdays, Pat's birthday, AND Mother's Day. I have no complaints about honoring ANY of the people on this list, it just makes for a hectic time for me.
• It looks as though Spring in the South is OVER and the heat wave has begun. I think Spring lasted all of a week and a half (give or take a day or two.) I know this has nothing to do with what's kept me busy' just a general observation.
• Another observation- Peace signs seem to be HUGE with the elementary school kids. Both nieces (especially the older one) have been WAY into anything with a peace sign. During their birthday parties, I saw a ton of them. It was just odd, that's all I'm saying.
• The iPad came out last month. Pat went ahead and pre-ordered one. We love it so very much. In fact, I now have my own... Which I WON thanks the generous and Funny ladies (yes, with a capital F) over at Southern Fried Snark. Check out their LIVE shows and chat on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9pm CST! As well, there are blog posts there too to keep you entertained.
• I just got a pair of some of the coolest earrings... For free, kinda. Lori over at  lorelei1141.blogspot.com had an "earring swap" of sorts. She made 18 sets of earrings, which she swapped for beads, buttons, and the like. I played along: picked my favorite pair, commented, and sent off a package to her. Now, I've got the kick-ass earrings!! How awesome is that? Of course, it took me almost a week to decide what to send to her. . .I had a good time sorting through my vintage buttons, miscellaneous beads, and some of my own handmade items to find the perfect mix to send out to her.
• I've been an avid 'TrueBlood' viewer since the series started on HBO, but hadn't delved into the books...yet. Almost three weeks ago, I ventured to the book store and bought the first three of the series. I've sped through them, reading about three books a week. As such, I'm just about done with them. . . I'm LOVING them. I'm also loving the whole being fully encompassed by books. Anybody got anymore reading suggestions?
• As most of you know, I live VERY close to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and also that Pat and I are very much water-babies. This whole oil spill/leak thing has completely affected our mood and the need/want to enjoy our coastal region while we can. We're not dealing with it well, at all.
• With the getting the house on the market, I've gotten quite a few home improvement/home decor projects completed. In fact, I even took pictures to share with you later. . .LATER!
• Even with an amazingly, wonderfully, eerily clean craft room only steps away; my time in there has been limited because of the many abovementioned issues. I was able to complete one necklace which I donated to a silent auction for a good cause. I failed to get a picture as I was rushing to get it done, but I hear there was a bidding war between three ladies to get my creation! That's so nice to hear!

I guess that's the bulk of what's been consuming my time and many of my thoughts. I just wanted to peek in and share for a bit. I apologize for the lack of pictures, but if I waited until I could get my pictures uploaded, I might never get this posted. . .

Organizing the Craft Room- Closet Completion (FGF)

I just wanted to share this view from my window this morning. (it's my big, old, oak tree in the fog if you can't tell) I LOVE the wispy, fuzzy, quiet feeling that fog brings. Though, it's not the best way to start the day, as it seems to slow things down (especially traffic.) As such, I wasn't as active as I have been in the mornings lately. So, I took my time to take my shower and get dressed (then rushed outside to snap some pictures) before heading to work. As the fog begins to clear, my head does as well.

On the craft room front, I was able to accomplish QUITE a bit last night. I got the closet done!! (with the exception of the top shelf.) If you didn't see the craft room closet pictures yesterday you should do so now. . .I'll wait. . . Because, here are the pictures of how it looks now.

While many of you may not think it's a big difference or even that it's not really THAT tidy. I disagree. It's a HUGE IMPROVEMENT. It no longer scares me. That's a good thing!!

What's left is just some miscellaneous stuff scattered on the floor that needs to find a home. It really shouldn't take too long, hopefully. I would love to have the room done by the end of the weekend, but with Easter being Sunday and that being a day of visiting family- I've been skeptical that it would be possible [since Pat and I tend to take at least one day each weekend to spend TOGETHER (me cleaning the craft room does not fall into this category.)] Yet, this morning I realized that we'll be waiting around the house tomorrow for our iPad delivery. . .so I might actually be able to knock it out!! Wouldn't that be WONDERFUL?! A clean, organized, functional CRAFT ROOM!? I can't wait!!

That's my feel-good thought for today (other than the iPad)
Here's some "Feel Good Friday" loveliness for you:

• National Wildlife Federation's Nature find to help you find outdoor/ nature locations to visit. How fun!!
• Fitness and weight loss sites (list
• This may night make others feel as good as it makes me feel - but check it out - a world of BEADS!!!
• I'm Possible (via wordboner.com)
  
  
  
  

So that's all for today. Have a fantastic weekend!!

Craft Urges and the Craft Room Closet (ThTh)

I'm starting to go a little bonkers waiting for my craft room cleaning stint to be over. (Yes, I recognize that's up to me - but there's only so much I can get through at a time.) I'm not allowing myself to 'craft' ANYTHING until I'm done. Why make a mess until I get it all cleaned up first? That makes perfect sense, doesn't it.

In the meantime, I'm still daily reading and looking through craft blogs, going through jewelry and craft books and magazines at the bookstore, and listening to craft podcasts. Do you have any idea how much those tasks get my creative fires burning? It's torture. . .that's what it is. Painful, creative, crafty TORTURE! On a related note, in case you haven't noticed - I added a new list of blogs on my sidebar - these all have to do with BEADING. They are GREAT! But, at the same time, they are some of the main sources of torture for me.

Fortunately, LOML (whose name is Pat - which I will be using from now on) has band practice/recording/something-or-other tonight so I can slip into the Craft Room and knock out some more of the mess. Of course, the living room floor is rapidly DIS-appearing under all the stuff I'm ready to get out of my life. Eh, that's the price I'll pay (for now) for the relief of finally getting back in there and letting the creative juices flow once again.

While there are still some bits and pieces still laying around the actual craft room, it's the closet that will be my major task, as I mentioned yesterday. Wanna see what I'm dealing with? Don't be shocked ...
WARNING: if you can't handle the sight of huge messes, just scroll on past these pictures.

Now you see why I'm so afraid.
Wish me luck!

Before I go back to daydreaming about crafty projects I've got some thing for you, for now . . some "Thrifty Thursday" links:

• The man who builds recycled houses
• 50 new uses for old things - my favorites: storing chalk with silver to slow tarnishing, twister tablecloth, shower cap shoe wrapper, window decals to mark drinks, rubber bands on clothes hangers, ketchup bottle pancakes, glasses case for storage, and paint chip place cards. - Check out those and others from Real Simple.
• Bizarre hotels made from found objects (this list leaves off the igloo hotel in Sweden, which melts each April)
• Drink Tumblers made from Beer bottles - SO WANT!!

Organizing in the Craft Room - Toggles

Let's try this again. . .

While this was written a few weeks ago, I’m STILL working on the Craft Room organization and purge. I’ve made it through the beads and some other large areas, but I’m nearing the closet and that’s a BIG task. It’s definitely intimidating. Yet, I know I’m making progress as I see the pile in my living room of items to be donated grow and grow. It’s MASSIVE!!

So. . . . as I went through the beads, I found myself to be a bit more ‘ruthless’ with the sort. I even started to wonder what frame of mind I was in when I bought some of them. I know I was younger but so MANY of the beads were just. . . juvenile. Really! What in the world do I need star and butterfly-shaped iridescent glass beads for? What was I thinking? I know I wasn’t 12 when I bought these, but looking at them, you would think I had been. It makes me realize how long ago it was when I first started beading and how limited the choices in this area were. It was all too easy to bag up some of those types of beads without hesitation and toss them in the ‘get rid’ box.

The beads that did cause me to pause; I was able to pick up, examine, and get a feel for them. If after 30 seconds or so I couldn’t think how to work those into a design, I knew they were goners. Easy enough.

BUT!! Let me get to the purpose of this post. While I was sorting and organizing, I was able to come up with a really great way to make some of the containers look a little neater and help me locate items at the same time.
A little background: All my toggle clasps were jammed into one of the sections of a clear, plastic container. When I wanted a toggle, I would root around in that section for one I liked and then begin the search for its mate.
To remedy this, I pulled out a book ring and some large jump rings. Basically, I just hooked the two matching pieces together with a large jump ring and slid the pair onto the book ring. EASY PEASY!!

I did the same thing for earring wires too.

They fit in the container much better now!!

I've been saving this picture for so long I don't even remember where it came from. With Easter creeping up on me, I need to go ahead and share it. I'm sorry I don't have the credits to give. In any case, this answers the long asked question of where Easter Eggs come from. . .he he he

The Internet Ate My Blog Post (TRT)

So I had a whole blog post written, pictures inserted, and EVERYTHING about how my bead sorting/craft room organization is coming along. . . and then it just DISAPPEARED!!! Seriously!!

Since I'm not in the mood for going through all of that again, I'll just give you the links I was gonna post for "Totally Random Tuesday"  and maybe try again tomorrow. Wish me luck!

• Have I mentioned my Grammar Correction Tendencies? Written statements like that make me cringe!!
• I've always loved Annie Leibovitz's photography and she's apparently taken some Disney-themed pictures with actual celebrities in them. Some are from 2007, while others are newer. In any case, they're really cool.
• Tetris dress = geeky by all means; but I WANT!!
• LOML and I are CONSTANTLY trying to open the front door to our house with our cars' key fobs. Now, here's a DIY front door Key Fob opener! Awesome!
• 886 palindromes, really!

Now, wasn't that random?

Bead Sorting Coming Along (ThTh)

Just peeking in here for a minute to let you know that while I haven't been able to DAILY work on the craft room/go through beads. I have been able to get some of it done. Above are just some of the MANY seed beads I've bagged up. I've separated them into the ones I'm getting rid of and the ones I'm keeping.

Here are some of the other beads (mostly plastic) that will be leaving my house by some means.

This is how most of my seed beads have been stored. With the beads being so tiny, I feel that it's unnecessary for them to take up so much room in these type of containers. AND, it's a lot easier for the beads to get mixed with other beads (an aggravating event.)  As you've figured out, they've been bagged for easier storage (if being kept at all.)

So, without further ado - here are some links for "Thrifty Thursday"

• Some ideas for the batch freezing of foods. This one's called the 5-day freeze. In general, it's a great idea. I just don't use enough peppers or zucchini to freeze batches of them. I do like the idea of having these things on hand though.
• Don't rebuild that tired-looking wood deck, just flip the boards. What a great tip!
• Did you know you could buff out dings in wood with a walnut? I didn't, but it's worth a try.  
• Weird dutch site that gives ideas for how to re-use/re-purpose some items. Some of them I don't get or think they kinda weird, but the rest are pretty neat ideas. Click through the gallery. 
• One dollar designs. . .simply beautiful.

I've already gotten one whole BIG tackle box cleaned out, but still have a bit more to go. Wish me luck!