DEADLINES, PRESSURE AND VACATION....A GOOD WEEK SO FAR

Well, I've managed to do every single thing that was on my 'To Do' list. I delivered the plates, sent out the photography order, did all the baking to take on our trip and I'm even packed.
Tomorrow morning we head to Ohio and we can't wait. My brother and sister-in-law are coming with us and we will have a blast and a lot of laughs.
Our friend in Ohio has even sent each of us an itinerary and it will be packed with things to see and do. Also, they have a pool and a hot tub so I see a few hours each day in the pool sipping a cool drink and maybe a few evenings in the hot tub once again sipping a drink of two. She has gone to so much work planning this, but then, that's what she loves to do and that's what she is SO good at!
We're just waiting now for my brother and sister-in-law to show up and we will have a drink together to kick off our five fun-filled days.
Won't be blogging until I return.

PROGRESS....YEAH!

Well, I've been slacking off when it comes to my blog as I really had some deadlines that took priority. I had a few personal committments that needed to be dealt with as well. I'm making progress, however. I have the shadow box finished, I have one plate finished and one will be finished by tonight. I doubt I'll get any extra plates made, but that's OK.
Yesterday, I spent some time helping my girlfriend's mother with a few errands.
All of us have those situations at times, when we overplan. You start with a list and as you check one thing off, you add two plus more. Well, I'm experiencing that type of thing at the moment.
The countdown is on for our vacation and I'm really looking forward to it!! My brother and my sister-in-law are coming with us and I'm SO happy about that. They haven't had a 'vacation' in years.We always manage to have a few giggles when we're together. Our friends in Ohio have a fairly busy itinerary for us, but all fun stuff. They all are teasing me as they're all morning people and I am not. They are being really good sports and telling me I'll get to sleep until 8 am. Wow!

'BUCKLE DOWN' GIRL!

I have some serious deadlines to meet for a number of things. So for the next three to four days I'm going to have to 'lock' myself away to get them done. I have a shadow box to get finished for my friend in Ohio, two custom plates to get done by end of next week, and I need to get at least three more plates completed for my webstore. I also have some new photography to do geared to the Tea Room.
In addition there is some herbs that need to get planted before they outgrow the containers they are in and get root bound.
I've been so busy with the Tea Room consignment.
Over the past two weeks I've had five medical appointments and numerous tests to get out of the way. Next week I've got a dental appointment to fix a tooth that bonding came off so I presently have some of the nerve exposed...not a lot of fun!
Today, I realized I may have another potential crisis. My camera has begun doing some really funky things. I'm praying it's fixable. Tonight, there was momentary panic as I couldn't remember where my receipt was located. I'd purchased the extended warranty and boy am I glad I did! When I finally found the receipt, my extended warranty doesn't run out until September this year. Whew! Monday I'll have to take it back and see what can be done.
This afternoon my husband and I planted new mini grasses along the garden edge by the driveway and we planted five creeping junipers between the sumac bushes we planted on the hill. Our goal is to get the entire hill covered so it doesn't need to be mowed anymore. That's tough work when you're working on a slant and digging up sod!
For most of the weekend, I'll be making a serious attempt to get all these tasks completed. Sunday, however, we're going to Lindsay to meet the daughter of my friend that died over ten years ago. She now has three children of her own, so we'll meet her family for coffee. Afterward, we have tickets to go on a garden tour of some homes in Peterborough. I'm really anxious to see what other people do with their gardens. Should be fun!
Then, back to work!

My EXCELlent friend............

I haven't posted too much as one of my best friends has come to visit me from New Brunswick. I don't think I have another friend in the world that I laugh so much with and can be 100% myself....what a blessing. My friend says the same about me.
My play on words is because she spent an entire day helping set up an inventory system and catalogue system on Excel spreadsheets for all my photography, my plates and then set me up a system whereby I can control and track what I have where on consignment. She knows Excel inside and out and then there's me...not one lick do I know about Excel...Thanks to my terrific friend for all the help! Gosh I wish she lived closer! It's when she's here and we're together that I realize how much I miss her! I forget about all the stuff going on in my life when she's around and we can just have so much fun. We are very different people, but have so much respect for each other and can be 100% honest with each other about everything. I love her for that!It's amazing to me, how many people say they are honest and want you to be honest, but they aren't and they don't. Sooner or later, lack of honesty comes back to bite you.

Today I finally got all my framed pictures into the Keene Tea Room and also put approximately forty matted and packaged photos and some plates in on consignment. I also framed one particular picture of a Tea Pot House I photographed while out west and gave it to the owner as a 'Congrats and best wishes' gift to say 'thanks'. She was SO happy and touched. We will now test the waters and see how well the sales go over the summer....fingers crossed.
It kind of sucks that tomorrow is the last day my friend is here and I have to spend most of the day prepping for a test at the hospital on Wednesday. We will make the most of it no matter what. We both hate saying goodbye as we never know when we'll get together again...so sad :(

SPECIAL NIGHT FOR MY HUSBAND!

Tuesday evening my husband's woodturning guild had their end of the year meeting and this year the wives were included. We went to dinner first with the outgoing President and the two judges invited from Toronto to judge the pieces each of the woodturner's submitted. Some of the items were on particular tables for the wives to pick our favourites and hand out small ribbons for first and second in various categories. There were bowls, spindle, useful, decorative, innovative, etc. I must say there were so many beautiful, amazing pieces!
The judges from Toronto judged the special pieces each turner submitted for the major contest.
WELL, it was my husband's night. First, he was elected the new President and then in the novice bowl category the judges awarded him first place. He was SO excited about that as he had worked so hard on this particular bowl both for style and the finishing.
At the end of the evening, the judges picked the best overall entry of the entire show and my husband was SO shocked when it was announced his bowl won 'BEST in Show'!
His piece won over approximately 65 - 75 pieces submitted. No one was more surprised than my husband.Good for him! Having won however, he can no longer enter contests under the 'novice' category as he's now considered 'Intermediate' The levels are based on the number of ribbons you receive. He had a ribbon from before and only is allowed three ribbons in novice level.

MATTES AND FRAMES ......... BIG JOB!

This has been a busy day and I'm still not finished! I'm printing different sizes of my photos and then the task of getting them matted, titled, signed, and put in cellophane envelopes. I only got about half finished and hopefully will finish tomorrow. I still need to price them, inventory them, and attach a business card.
I'm framing approximately eight pieces to be hung. These are for a local Tea Room where my work will be on consignment. I'm excited and yet a bit anxious. I now have a lot of money tied up in the prints, supplies, etc. so I hope this arrangement will be good for both the Tea Room owner and myself.
I have my shops on Etsy, but I've realized I need to get more exposure locally and begin to make a name for myself in my home area. I'm hoping to slowly get some of my photography in a few local galleries as well.
I truly feel this is something I'm meant to do and I finally have a passion that I will not give up. I appreciate there are many, many photographers out there, but I only need to find a few well placed venues to sell my photography. Local is good, too! My heart is telling me to keep moving forward and not to give up before I've really give this a decent effort.