getting stuff done: creating my life

Sometimes everything isnt so rosy.  Today is one of those days.  Nothing is different to what it was yesterday (other than we disagree about some things) but a big wet blanket has descended on our house.  Hub is in bed sleeping it off.  I have overspent on ebay AND in a second hand store and I KNOW it is because I am annoyed and upset.  I can't really figure out what to do about it.  I have an urge to stuff my face with cakes.  But given that the new (second hand) coat and the ebay purchases haven't made me happy, I doubt that a face stuffed with cake will help.

I am struggling with the portrait commissions and though I have done 2 which are acceptable, I have managed to do them both on the same sheet of paper.  DOH! how did I manage that (one on the back and one on the front I hasten to add)

Handing it all over to the universe.  I don't know what to do.  Perhaps the universe does.

I did have a good meeting regarding sales for PWD.  So that was good, and challenging and therefore exciting.  And something I see I can do, I am sure of it. 


For my part
I will continue with the portrait commissions until I have something I am happy to show off
I will have  a nice hot cup of tea


Things I need to do
Yoga homework
Yoga practice
Start set up of a yoga class (Sundays?)

I have often wanted to have some sort of business called Hearts & Stars.  Maybe this could be the name of my creative art camp?  I'd like that.  Don't steal it, anyone! I said it here first!

I am in the midst of several portrait commissions.  It is hard at this point.  I have to keep going until I have something I like.  I have bought a brush pen and also a chinese brush to try drawing with pen and ink in a caligraphic kind of way.  Its all experimental.  I feel out of practice with my drawing.  I need to draw more often.

I taught a yoga class today.  It was cold in the room though and my lesson plan didn't really account for that.  I need to learn more lesson plans off by heart for different situations.  A cold room needs more action and more standing up.  Heat rises and so lying down poses aren't ideal.

Hearts and Stars
yes.

I had a very inspiring meeting with a new friend yesterday.  Crim did a mono printing workshop at the same event that I did my first art workshop.  I went and it was brilliant.  And we both bonded over how exciting it was to be creating art again and inventing workshops.  We met for lunch yesterday and discussed all sorts of things, but mainly plans to create more art workshops and do art business together.  And apart from anything else we really got on, and get excited about the same things.  She even had an idea for a supper club! We talked big talk about art retreats and magic and how amazing it is to create art.  Carnival and goddesses and music and dancing.  And creating wealth too.  We are going to do a Christmas crafts workshop, then trial a  luxe art workshop in Hove next year.

Definitely a new member of my tribe.  And in Brighton (well, Hove actually!)

ah, I so love pinterest.  you gotta watch it though or you would never do anything.  Am currently seeking some inspirations for Christmas.  But I found a load of other inspirations.  Randomly an anonymous authors novel written all over an abandoned house in china somewhere.  I had to create a new board just for that.  Weird beauty.

Weird Beauty.  OH I like that combination of words.  I like it a lot.

I have some stuff to do this week.  Some of it is Portraiture.  SOme of it is Yoga.  And some of it is financial admin.

What I really really want to do is play in ART.  I have ideas around creating icons.  I want to make them on wood, with collage and paint and lots of gold leaf.

And my itunes has survived the shift to this new life of a computer.  And I have just discovered and am listening to this over and over.  I do believe it is my new jam

Its been a tad odd, not having my own computer for a while, and doing everything via ipad.  One that isn't mine.  I have a new computer now, and a cheque promised from the insurers.... ha! lets hope that comes other wise I am a little in trouble!! I did at least gain from the buying of a new apple piece of kit on 'black friday' which is some sort of American equivalent of the boxing day sales I think. 

Now I have a mac book pro.  All seemingly uploaded with everything and all the settings and  - well everything.  I need to check my accounts are all there, and if they are, send them to myself in hotmail or something.

I still need to work out this cloud thing and syncing with my phone and stuff. But otherwise I have a spinky spanky new computer.  Which is the same but better.  I have to pay a £150 excess.  Its kind of weird given the whole necessity of me being able to work from home, how important a computer and back up is.  I am thinking I may investigate seperate and better insurance on this issue.  SO glad I had accidental damage on it.  AND that I had backed up.  And that was thanks to my Productivity course, where I had to list any tiny thing that I 'should' be doing but hadn't yet. I got my back up sorted. 

There are few straggling things that have been on my list for a while. 

Get our gadgets listed on our bank insurance
See if our car insurance covers us for loss of keys and whether this is less than the cost of our excess
Sort out a will
Keep some sort of master file that Hub knows or can easily find out about so he can access all our money if the worst happened to me.
Teach Hub household budgeting
Firebox for important docs?? 

Euw. Some of that is hard to think about.  But.  yes.  n'est ce pas.

So now I have a new computer.  (shall I say that again?) I should be able to post pictures up in my blog again.  Maybe.  OH and put pictures on the FB group pages for my next Nearly New Sale of Baby & Kids stuff.  A community resourse. 

AND I feel a new wish list coming on.  Given that I have seriously achieved stuff this year already.  Bring it!!

some playful jottings in that wishing area to get me going
Ideas for bigger goals in the areas am already working with
Artist
Creativity
Yoga
Making my fortune
Travel
hmm.  not feeling very wishy or dreamy yet?  Maybe another round of Mondo Beyondo? ooh thinking thinking!

AND just now.  addendum.  Iphoto is not playing ball.  My photos and iphoto are being weird.  Not accessible yet.  oh wow.  better go check everything out.  innit.  

So this year, I taught my first yoga class, learnt how to lead productivity workshops and now I can add, 'taught my first art workshop' to the roster.  Woo hoo!  I am really happy.

It was for an event called Big Sunday, organised by a friend of mine for the mothers of Brighton.

The day had 3 art workshops, creative writing, performance, pampering treatments , a trade fair and lunch.  I managed to attend the first workshop with a lovely lady called Crimbo (which does make me think of Christmas) who did mono printing,

And in the afternoon I lead a group of 8 willing ladies through a process of dreaming and wishing and manifesting, and creating beautiful little canvases, some of which were portraits,  and some were
Imbued with a little extra help from the goddess Yemaya.  Due to my computer breaking, I had to improvise a way to deal with the fact that most people would forget or not know to bring photos with them,  so instead of lugging computer, printer and scanner with me, which had been my initial idea - for which I even borrowed a MacBook from my lovely pal Shilpa (very giving I thought ).  Anyway, it was rather fortuitous, because with Shilpa, I had been discussing the idea of creating a goddes portrait.  So I discovered Yemaya, who it turns out is the patron of mothers everywhere ( very appropriate for the day, as it was for mums ) and she is the goddess of the seven seas, (very appropriate for a seaside town) she grants wishes (very apt for the nature of my workshop) and she is the embodiment of the female creative spirit.  Yes.  She rocks.  And so I think next time she will make an appearance without the need for photos and all. 

Ah, it was great.  And a big dream. For me.  

It's all been big big big,  and the thing is I need to keep it up.  It's easy to think, oh ok I have done it now, because it feels like a big hurdle over come. But it's on ly the first step.  All of these things are not something I intend to have done once.   I have to keep reaching outside of my comfort zone, and on to the next missions.   More yoga teaching, my own yoga business, art workshop business, and helping to grow and be part of People Who Do.  Onwards!!

PS.  Sorry for the crap typing and many typos,  I am using an iPad and it is just HARD not to.  I am very lazy and too hasty to go back and correct it all.  Sorry!!  

I don't even really know where to begin.  It's been a while.  My computer is at the damage assessors who are working out whether it is truly broken or can be fixed.  As far as I can tell it is properly broken.  Bub spilt water on it.  Yup thats the last time he gets to watch DVDs and drink a glass of water at the same time.  And the track pad went.  So I got a mouse, and the mouse worked,  but the keyboard is also buggered.  I could only type an f or an h.  Hmmm.  Anyway, we will see how it all pans out,  I do hope I have it backed up,  I did buy a back up thingy.  So it should be.....

It's funny to be with out a computer.  It's got so much of my life on it.  This, what I am using now, is my work iPad.  Thank goodness I have it, for many reasons. (not least doing work!)  ah. Well.  We will see. Am hoping for a glorious payout and to get a fancy schmancy new mac.  And have it all backed up and rinky dinky do.  But we will see.

I taught an art workshop,  that was huge.  I mean it was huge in that it has. Been something I have been thinking of doing for ages,  and ages. And ages.  And I finally did it. I real ly really enjoyed it.  And I really want to do it again.  I was so busy in it, and immersed that I forgot to take photos.   I think that at some point there will be photos available from the event.  But I don't have any myself.

I say so much has happened and now I can't even remember what it all has been!!  Bub had his hair cut short, which I am still getting used to.  No,  can't think of anything else that has been going n, am on hubs diet again in an attempt to reduce my waist to hip ratio.  It's slow going.  Hub seems to lose weight really fast on it, but today it appears I have actually put weight on,  which is harsh because I have had no sugar, not even fruit, and no grains, or bread, or pasta, or potatoes, etc etc for  erm.  Days. Dieting is really really hard.  Hats off to anyone who can do it.  I am honour bound to complete the week.  I may give it two, just in case there's something to do with water retention and all.

Make stuff.  Believe in magic.  Believe.

I have had a slightly dark few days. I got myself worked up and slightly stressed.  Oh ok very stressed.  I was stuck.  Problems seemed insurmountable.  I did try and just sit with it.  I didn't do anything rash.  And then this morning, when I woke up I felt a dead weight of responsibility as if the world were mine to sort out alone, and I had no idea how to do anything about it all.

So I gave up.  I decided to surrender.  Not in a sod it all kind of way.  Or a depressed slump under the duvet kind of way.   But in a, 'I am going to give this one up to the universe to sort out' kind of way.  Hey, because I sure as hell didn't know what to do.  Perhaps the universe did.

Transpires that a couple of prayers were answered.  And the day proved to be full of exciting plans about things that are truly in line with my dreams.  And so I also forgot about my troubles.  Stuff happened.  Life happened.  And tonight nothing seems as bad.

Thank you universe.  You rock.

PS this evening I did 25 mins mediation and then took out my sketchbook.  It went very well together.  It's the same mindspace.

One sale of nearly new kids and baby stuff.  Done and successfully.  Plenty of punters plenty of sales.  Still loads to get rid of, but successful enough to run it again.

Visitors came, we well fed and watered, trips to the beach, pier and shopping in the lanes done.

Am at work in the shop.  Tonight it's time to tidy up my work room.

All doable.  Done.  Tick tick tick.

You know there is nothing quite like sitting down, looking at the facts and working out a plan of action for calming everything down and making a tight situation look better.  Our handyman is coming over tomorrow at 9.30 to (we hope!) deal with the increasingly bad smell emanating from the sink area. Our guests are going to be treated to fish and chips for dinner, and I have done all the shopping necessary for them (and for a mahoosive clean up) already.  I have tonight and tomorrow morning for baby sale prep, and house cleaning.   Guests will breakfast with us, then I am off to work.  And then I have Sunday night to clear up my office, and prepare for the next two work days.  I have an iPhone and the work iPad to cope with until I get my laptop fixed or replaced.  As the case may be.   All is going to be ok.  I hope!!!!  Not looking forward to the gunk cleaning and stench of sorting the pipe work out.  But am convinced it is not actually a major issue.  Fingers crossed there!

My computer is dead.  The new fridge doesn't quite fit because the oven door has a large handle which I forgot to measure.  I tried to get rid of an old plastic pipe which used to be the outflow for a washing machine.  It was filled with rank rank rank water and gunk that smelled like death and vomit mixed together. It spewed out and despite epic cleaning and lots of bicarbonate of soda, there remains a faint whiff around the area.  It makes me feel sick.  I am behind in everything.  And tomorrow is jam packed with activities and there is a yoga test I am not at all prepared for.  The weekend sees hus having visitors.  And while I am totally looking forward to the visit, it means no respite until the week starts.  And it starts with aplomb.  London on Monday and Manchester on Tuesday.  Son and the Nearly new sale of baby stuff, which I am organising on Saturday.  And work in the gallery on Sunday.  There is evidently no rest for this wicked lady.
Defrost fridge freezer. And get rid of it.  By tomorrow or Saturday am
Get load of baby stuff out of loft.
Put up shelves in Bubs room and clear it up
Tidy and clean house for visitors
Shop for visitor food
Collect keys for hall and check table situation
Send m my bank details
Send email to chap in manchester
Invoice PWD
Get float
Make signs for baby sale
Call C re cakes
email I re PWD
Wash hair
Prep outfit for London and Manchester
Tidy workroom
WR
Call insurance re fix laptop

Lists do make me feel better