work and sister

I mailed 1500 copies of the most recent newsletter to my clients last week, so this week I am swamped at work with finalizing the events and registering participants. I use junky old excel spreadsheets that I formulate - which are fine for your basic stuff, but don't do half the things I need to do (for a very simple example: print mailing labels, make payment invoices, etc.) Anyways, so it's a busy time for me at work, plus I am co-in-charge of our holiday party which is TOMORROW, so my office looks like drunken frat boys broke into Santa's workshop and went crazy. Not to mention, this is piled on top of birthday decorations that I just haven't had time to take down. I haven't checked my phone messages yet today either. Yikes.

My dad sent me a few photos from the turkey tournament from this weekend. They're pretty spiffy. Ladies and gentlemen, my little soccer playin' sister Rosie:

etsy bloggers team carnival for November

This etsy carnival post the topic is Veteran's Day - I am either to post about my favorite Veteran, or what I am going to do with my day off!

Sadly, sadly, sadly, that day is not a holiday at my place o' employment. Know what I'll be doing that day? I'll have a meeting with one of the interns I supervise, and probably go to karate that night. I'll be getting more and more excited about Thanksgiving, and my birthday (which is the day AFTER Thanksgiving) and... in all other respects it will be a normal Tuesday.

Speaking of Veterans - the only one I know also happens to be one of my favorite people in the world, and luckily, I get to be related to him too. My Uncle Timmy - married my Tia Julie when I was....12 or so, and who I thought hated me for the first year - is one of the greatest people I know. I thought he didn't like me because he has that habit of teasing you INSTANTLY as soon as you meet him. Now I understand that it's all from loooove, but man, back then, I wasn't so sure. Now I tease back.

Politically he is incredibly different from where I stand - he'll be the only person in our family voting the way he votes on Nov. 4, that's for sure. But in my life, he's the person who makes me stop and realize that people who believe different things than I do also have valid opinions. (I tend to think I'm the rightest righteous person of all time, can you tell?) I've never really stopped to talk to him about his experiences in the armed forces, but this blog topic sure has inspired me to do just that. Maybe in a few weeks I will do a follow up post, and talk more about the specifics of my uncle tim's experience.


on a slightly different topic, I do get a day off tomorrow (well, half a day off) due to the fact that I am working on Sunday. Tomorrow also happens to be Halloween - and I have NOTHING planned! My cousin still works at the daycare I used to work at, so I think I will go visit them - it's hard for me to visit since I work during the hours they are open, but I miss the kids and would love to see them all dressed up. I also have my first test in my online abnormal psychology class, so I am going to make sure I am prepped for that, annnddd maybe I will go hang out with my dad and have some low-key halloween handing out candy to the 5 kids who show up at my parent's door.

Saturday, Adam and I will be getting up early to go to the APPLE ORCHARDS! I am so excited. This is where my family and I used to go in the fall when we were younger. Its up near Oak Glen, and it's sort of like wine tasting, except it's in orchards not vineyards, and you can get out and hike around in all the fall leaves and go eat different types of apples and press your own cider and pick chestnuts... when Adam and I first became friends, I wanted to go there with him, but he said no, on the grounds that it was too much like a date. So now, since we've been In A Relationship for two years, we are finally going!!

I live in Huntington Beach - land of the large sunglasses, the day spa and the 24 hour fitness. We've got ocean - but not past 10pm - and we've got...yeah, we've got ocean - but we don't have much in the way of green. We don't have that air that hits you when you get up high, the cold that gets in your lungs, the smell of greeeeen. I miss green. I want trees. I cannot wait to go to the apple orchards.

Holidays

Alrighty - perusing etsy.com just now, I was reading an article about preparing for the holidays. This will be my first holiday season trying to sell things - and I want to make sure I am at least a little bit prepared.

1. I am looking into the Holiday Art Show at Edison, where my dad works. I am hoping it's not too late (or too expensive) to sign up for a booth.

2. Maybe I could make hand made christmas cards to include with every purchase for the next couple of months as an incentive.

3. Someone on some post had the idea of "drop lifting" little business card/gift/coupon things everywhere -grocery store, hair dresser, library, etc.

4. Start a mailing list, send postcards or newsletters.

5. Do christmas/holiday themed photo shoots of my products

6. Use my new gift book and create gift baskets with my handmade presents

I am chomping at the bit right now, wanting to hurry up and EXPAND but I can also only go as far as I have products to sell. I have a lot of different directions to go in - and I am not sure which one to pick and follow first.

I guess I'll start with this new camera, and take some better photos. This weekend I should really devote to making a plan of action!