Random Thoughts - Quotes & a Journal

I have been listening to some podcasts the past week, while working on so many other things.  As I listen I jot notes, quote really that stand out for me.  I have also been catching up on all the blog reading I got behind on while we were traveling.  I also jot notes while I read.  I thought I would share a few of the notes from my journal:

• Not now doesn't mean not ever.
• When you're interested in everything & everything seems interesting it can be rally hard to focus.
• Put your self up, not down.
• Do the best you know how and that all you can expect.
• Step up and take a risk, no matter how small.  Step out of the box and build your confidence. 
• Get out of your own way, get out of your comfort zone.
• If you want to win the race your can't be concerned with what is behind you.
• Adapt to meet your customer's needs.
• Make sure you surround yourself with people who will tell you there is spinach in you teeth.

Some of this may seem a bit odd, but that's what always sticks with me.  The odd things are the things I remember and try to play over and over in my brain.  If you are a Fan on Facebook you will notice that a couple of times a week I am trying to post creative and motivating quotes.  If you're not a Fan on Facebook, stop by and like my page.  Get the extras that you might be missing out on.

Let's take a minute and visit the aforementioned journal.  First of all, shake the notion of Diary from you head, this isn't that kind of journal.  I happen to love all those pretty little books you can buy and I found myself buying them and never using them.  Why?  Mostly because I had the notion of using them as a diary stuck in my head and try as I might I'm not a diary writer.  I love to write, but not in the form of a diary.

Okay, moving on.  I also had a bad habit of making notes on all sorts of slips of paper.  Then piling them everywhere, Never being able to find that specific note I wanted.  On a side note, I might also mention that I am not a planner kind of person.  Enter the "AAAHHHAAA" Moment.  Those pretty little books now have a use, are small enough to tuck in my purse and are ideal for making all sorts of notes. 

The first step of this process, was me getting past the fact that these books were "pretty."  This was important for two reasons - one I would be packing this around in my purse, and it would be getting banged up; two I would be making all kinds of mess notes on the pretty pages.  

Now, this beautiful little book is a big part of my life.  I'm the girl who looks all together when we're somewhere and I want to make notes, out comes the book and a pen and I look like a well organized woman.  It also serves as a planner of sorts, giving me the ability to jot a to-do list as I need it. 

Want to know what I put in this journal?  Quotes & Notes from podcasts and things I read.  Ideas for building products for my shop.  Notes for blog article I want to develop.   Things I need to update in my shop and on my website.  Ingredients from a dish I had for dinner somewhere that I want to try to recreate at home.  There's even a couple of logs of photos I have taken while we're on road trips.  Last but not least notes that I take when I'm on the phone with my creative friends. 

This journal lets me be more organized and look pretty at the same time.  What girl doesn't want that?  Sometimes simpler is better, especially in this case.  My notes are now all in one place and it couldn't be simpler.

Monday Morning Musings - Getting Back on Track

Getting back on track after a major move such as ours can be a little more difficult than one thinks when setting out on such a journey.  It's really starting to hit home that we have no normal, no routine.  We are starting over from scratch.  This affects everything from the little things like remembering to take your vitamins every morning to paying bills and planning dinner.

The long and the short of it all is we went from being 8 to 5, Monday through Friday employees to a month off to a 12 hour shift schedule and one home executive.  It's a whole new ballgame in Alaska.  Hubby and I had a discussion over dinner on night this weekend about this very thing.

Our new life is a schedule of Hubby working 3 (12's), 3 off then 3 (12's) and an 8 and 4 off.  I currently am the house executive - running a blog, an online shop and the house.  Planning dinner varies depending on what part of the schedule where in whether it be a 12 or a day off.  

I had a routine in El Paso, when I was working part-time.  Now I have a full day to do as I wish and trying to use my time well and not waste this time between jobs can be daunting.  It's so much easier to hang out on the web, wear jammies all day and drink coffee, but I really need to focus.  I am making myself shower and get dressed in the morning.  I'm trying to build in the habit of going to the PO for mail at 1pm everyday.  I am making progress with these new habits and forming a new routine.  However, the vitamins get forgotten about half the time and some times I get lost on Pinterest. 

This week is going is my first week back with my blog planner, so I am getting back to writing ahead rather than on the fly.  I write better when I can plan things out.  This is one routine that desperately needs to be put back into practice.  

Have you made a major change in your life that requires a whole new routine?  Do ya feel my pain?

Product Review - Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal

I'm not a huge cold cereal eater, but every now and then I go through a phase.  It's easy and I don't have to think about it.  Usually my cold cereal selection is limited to granola (that I make myself), frosted mini wheats and the occasional wheat chex.  All that aside, a bargain is a bargain. Right?  Well maybe, but I'm not sure every bargain is worth it's weight in food.

We stopped in the store the other day to pick up a few things, one of which was cereal for me.  Small store, means limited options and so the story progresses.  On the sale shelf there was a box of Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal.  For $1.69 a box I thought I'd give it a try.  

I opened the box of cereal a couple of days ago and have eaten it the last three mornings for breakfast.  I can honestly say that this is not the cereal for me.  I will finish the box, but that's as far as this one goes. 

What I have found is that this is a grown-up version of frosted flakes.  There is a slight flavor of vanilla and sliced almonds added to the sweet flakes.  The cereal is crisp and doesn't get soggy as quickly as some other flake cereals.  The flavor is average at best, nothing stands out.  If you like sugary cereals, this might be the perfect answer for your breakfast desires.  I think it's a bit too sweet, especially for a cereal that is supposed to appeal to adults.

Would I buy it again?  No. I found myself being glad that I only paid $1.69 rather than the $5 regular price.  I would try other Special K cereal, as I do like the original.  As for the box of frosted flakes I have in the cupboard, I won't be tossing them, but I won't be buying them again. 

Things You Learn Along the Way

When you were every hat in the business, sometimes ya gotta learn the hard way.  While my little dabblings  might not be much to others they are my handmade business and I'm trying to turn over a new leaf and find the right way to fly when the wind blows.  So keep that in mind while I tell you the tale of yesterday's lesson.

Yesterday Morning I made the bright decision to merge my website and blog into one (or at least I thought it was bright at the time).  I was going to close the web site and then redirect my blog to my domain name.  Easy peasy!  YEAH, RIGHT!  

I read a lot of things found a lot of answers and set our on my quest.  I deleted my Google site.  I followed the steps that were supposed to fee up my domain name.  Only to learn that that would not work.  In order to have my domain name to use for my blog redirect I would have to delete all of my Google account - which would mean a new email address, the loss of the calendar feature I love so much and countless other issues.  In the end, it would mean a price I wasn't willing  to pay.

What's that?  Oh you wanna know what happened to the site I deleted?  Yeah, about that... I am currently rebuilding it - from SCRATCH!  Yes, I am aware that there are number of you scratching your heads, wondering what was she thinking.  She's gonna have to start all over with traffic and SEO and....  Yes, yes I will.  Am I mad?  NOPE!  

I did put a little thought into this matter of a mess before I started out, so all the pages were moved and built on my blog, all of the posts were move to the blog.  All is not lost.  Actually I think I am found.  I now have a clean slate to build a fresh new site, with a fresh new look that's a bit more me, and I have learned a lot.

Since my site had basically been down for the last 3 months, due to the move and just plain neglect, there wasn't much happening on there any way.  I wasn't happy with the way the site looked, nor how I had it set up.  

Right now SLMPetersen.com has 2 pages and I get to spend the next couple of days designing and building the pages they way I want them to look.  I get to do some research into some new apps and gadgets for the site so that I actually get what I want out of the site and maybe, just maybe I'll walk away with gold. 

Wordless Wednesday - Back Yard Views

Just a couple of shots from our living room windows.  Enjoy!  More of Alaska to come.

Look at that View! (Alaska March 2012)

Moose Tracks (March 2012)

Random Tuesday - The Destash

It's Tuesday. I slept in.  I didn't write last night, like I should have.  I'm still adjusting to Hubby's Work Schedule, it's not 8 to 5 any more.  Okay, enough of the crazy round up....moving on.

We finally have internet in the house, so that will help things along a little bit.  I'm still working on getting settled in to our new house and trying to settle into a schedule.  Yesterday I began work on some Graduation Announcements for one of the Nieces.  She graduates from college in May and asked me to make her some beautiful announcements.  So the rest of this week will be devoted to those.

I've spent the last week crocheting at night, doing some serious stash busting.  As a result I have 5 1/2 dish clothes finished.  I should have a total of 15 when I am done, that will be put into sets and sold in my shop.  

Truthfully I have to say there is nothing more motivation about stash busting than a big move like the one we just made.  Yes, we've moved before, but not like this.  When space counts you really have to take a deep soulful look at what you have and ask yourself why you've been packing all of this stuff around if you aren't using it.  I'm a saver, not a hoarder.  I am given supplies quite often, especially yarn and fabric.  I don't toss things if I see them as useable.  I find them new homes or I save them for a project.  

That leads me to the soulful stash busting mission that I am embarking on.  I have 100s of yards of fabric, who knows how many skeins of yarn and we'll not talk about the paper crafts stash.  It's time to create those projects I bought that stuff for.  It's time to face it down and narrow the playing field.  The crafting stash was a big part of what we moved and it's time for it to be a bit more streamlined for friendlier use.

This also brings me to the soulful portion of this project.  I need to find my crafting passion again, and that's not going to happen while I'm caring around all these supplies for so many hobbies.  I will always be a survival crafter, I will always have a little of everything, but some projects just aren't for keeping any more.

So, off I go to create, craft and find my passion.  It's all apart of letting go of my fears and facing those who doubt me, those who push to hard and those who think I'm a loon.  My focus is to bust the stash and find what I really love!  

Back to how it was, building and filling my Etsy Shop with quality handmade goods...

That's my Random.  What's Yours?