Busy Day

This morning I was awoken by a screaming neighbor.  I don't think that quite gets across what I experienced.  It was a S C R E A M I N G neighbor.  Well, the neighbor part might be a lie.  It was either the neighbor's babysitter (which would be really weird), or the person who lives under them.  At any rate, apparently this young lady was very irate with her (now) ex-boyfriend for waking her up during her very limited sleeping time.  Also, he was a selfish in the way he loved her.  And he didn't get rid of his cat.  Mark, how many times does she have to tell you, this is all your fault?*

So there was that.  At least I woke up in a decent mood and found it more amusing than annoying.  It was early for me, so I read Shades of Grey until I fell back asleep and had a little nap.

On to the busy part.  After waking for real, I made my way to the post office to mail an SGC order to the Netherlands.  I did a lot of laundry.  Okay, that's not very exciting.  I made brandied cranberries, which are delicious and made from our CSA cranberry batch.  Then I made butternut squash soup**, also from our CSA stuff.  I've really been into making soups lately.  I worked out, including 4.5 for real pull ups.***  Currently, the dining room table is set up as a mini photo studio, and I'm wading through 144 new product photos.  (Not 144 new products...)

Copper and Crystal Hoop Earrings by Sleep Goblin Crafts

I'm trying to spice up my product photos.  My stuff never gets picked to be in Treasuries or the Etsy Finds e-mails, and I just don't see where the items themselves aren't good enough.  That leaves the photography.  I'm happier with this new set, but it's still not amazing.  I have photo lights on my wish list, and that should help.  What do you think?  Give me some feedback!

Button Pearl and Garnet Earrings by Sleep Goblin Crafts

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*I lost count around 15.


**I just realized I forgot the butter in that soup.  Eh, I added a bunch of spices, and I really like how it turned out anyway.


***Not all at once.  Though the first round was two, which is a new record for me!

Rewards

Today I got the most rewarding message via my Etsy store. A previous customer was writing to tell me how much they loved my pen dangles, and wondering if they could get any more. The note then devolved into some extended ramblings where they touched on various things they loved about my other products. This part was in many ways better than the first. It reminded me of how I might write to someone if I were feeling like a fan girl over something/someone I loved. It was without a doubt the most flattering message I've ever gotten from a stranger regarding my work. I would make anything for them! It was very inspiring.

I had the pleasure of watching two movies yesterday with some friends. One was born and lived the first 12 years of her live in Colombia, and I felt as if I were providing her with an important cultural experience. I mean, Robin Hood Men in Tights was a significant part of my childhood! And who hasn't see Monty Python and the Holy Grail a hundred times? She had seen the first movie before, but this time she watched it with earnest and found many things in it to love that she hadn't seen before. Both movies helped her understand some of the sayings we all use without thinking about it. It was a lot of fun watching them with her and seeing her enjoy them.

Did you know that Stargate SG-1 is available for viewing on Hulu? Currently 7 seasons, and they're adding the rest. I had never seen this show before, but I had noticed it on Sci-fi a lot, and decided to give it a try. It's actually pretty good, though of course it has an element of cheese to it. It's hard to find good sci fi that doesn't have an element of cheesy, so I'll over look it. You should give it a try.

On a Roll!!

Man, selling things is AWESOME! I always thought that I would love living an artist's live, and now I know for sure!

This morning I had a special request to ship to Canada, and now I am happy to say that I've made my 3rd "stranger" sale. Woo-HOO!!! That's two in a row! I feel like, just maybe, I can actually do this when DS gets a teaching job.

I can't really explain what it's like to put your time and love into making something, and then have someone say, "wow, that's really cool, and i'll pay MONEY for it!". Sometimes it's hard to let the thing go, but I know that if I really want to keep it, I can make another. It's such a gratifying experience. I can definitely see why people opt to make things rather than go out and work for the man. :)