Weekends

I try not to work on weekends.  But I usually do.

We seldom have weekend plans, and I actually like to paint, so I, more often than not, find myself sitting at the kitchen table working.

Once in a while I think maybe I should find a hobby.  Knitting or something.....then I remind myself that I do like to paint, and I am lucky to be able to make money at what once was my hobby.  And so I go back to work.

I really could use a good book to read, but I haven't taken time to go to the library and browse.

Not a big movie watcher.  I really don't do anything to de-stress...

And I wonder why I start to feel burnt out.....maybe I should take some time to myself, huh?

Finally....

After a really busy holiday season, and weeks spent catching up on orders, I am finally working on orders that were placed in January.  Yay!

I am finally just about caught up.  Well, caught up in the sense that orders are shipping about 2 weeks after being placed.  And that's not too bad for hand painted to order items.

I saw a shop on etsy that has an 8-12 week turn around time!  Holy cow!  That is totally unacceptable.  Waiting 3 months for an order?  And yet they get orders.....

I start to stress when I am 3 weeks behind.   Anyway, I am getting caught up and have a few new ideas I want to paint.  So, when I have some time, I'll paint something new and get those creative juices flowing again.  Stay tuned...

Facebook & Twitter for your business

Please don't read this expecting advice on using Facebook and Twitter for your business.  I have none.  Not one iota.  I am writing because I don't get the whole social networking thing in connection to business.

I have a facebook page.  I haven't visited it in months.  I don't have time.  And I hear you can have a facebook business page, but I don't have time for that either.  Since I can't type well, I haven't even looked at Twitter.

I understand that you need to network to build business.  I guess that pertains to some businesses.  But as a one mom business who hand crafts her product, I do not see how it applies to me.  I spend most of my time painting, and packing, and various other business related tasks, where do I find time to Facebook or Twitter?

I am not bashing either network.....I am just trying to understand.  Is it because I am already busy with my piggy banks, that I don't have time or need for them?  Am I just behind the times and don't get it?  Am I missing out because I am busy painting?  Am I just Twitterilliterate?  Or Facebookphobic?

Someone enlighten me.....I don't want the world to pass me by.

I'm Back....I Think

Haven't posted here in eons....kept meaning too, but life got in the way.

Had a super busy holiday season.  Man oh man, it was scary.  Mostly because I got the majority of my porders the LAST day I was taking them for Christmas delivery.  Up until then, I was comfortably 2 weeks behind.  Then, on December 1st I recieved 23 new orders....that is a new record for me and my website.

I think I am finally getting caught up again.....it's been a long few weeks.  I feel like I am working ALL the time.  And I am getting tired of it.  Hopefully I am getting to where I am caught up and can take my weekends off again.  I miss the down time.....

This week has been one of those weeks.  I ordered some new piggy bank molds...they came on monday.  The boxes are huge and heavy.  This time, the boxes looked like they had been broken open and smashed.  So I took some pictures.  Then we opened them.

It looked like the boxes had been broken open, the contents droped in the mud, rolled in the dirt and then just tossed back in the box.  I took more pictures.

I emailed the guy I get the molds from and told him it looked like ups had a problem with the shipment.  For as dirty and disgusting as the molds were, they actually survived the ordeal intact.  But would require a good bit of cleaning up.

He wrote back and apologized, but HE had packed them that way.  He was out of styrofoam peanuts, and that was all he had.  The peanuts looked like they had been dug up out of the ground.  Really.  *sigh*

So I haven't written back yet.  I don't know what to say.  I am flabbergasted that he would send anything like that.  Yes, the molds are fine, but it took me over an hour to clean them up and get them ready for use.

My hands are tied....he has my master molds and I cannot get new molds anywhere else : (   I'm not really mad.....disappointed I guess.  We've done business together for years now and I can't believe he sent my stuff like that.  He could have at least let me know what was coming.  Or asked if I minded waiting for packing materials to come in.  I was in NO HURRY.

I don't know.....I am tired.  Tired of dealing with my business for now.  I think I need a vacation.  Or at least SOMETHING to look forward to......