So this is just a quick post to well because I'm excited to have my creative juices flowing again.
So the other night I posted on Goodreads looking for Beta Readers for my completed short story. I had a couple people read it and I got some really good and honest feedback. So this weekend I plan on combing through all their comments and suggestions and getting to work on doing rewrites. I am going to go through some of the other stories I have started and post them for Beta Reads as well, a few chapters at a time. I haven't spent a lot of time writing but I've been feeling kind of creative lately so though I would see if I could get some words down on some of them.
Also I have started a few of the new projects for my Etsy page. This year I am adding magnets, wine glass charms and outlet/switch plates. All of which will be based around fandoms of a sort. Tonight I worked on some of the magnets actually. Last night I placed an order for all the charms and for a new bracelet/keychain series as well as charms and rings for the wine glass charms. I do need to find some small beads to add to them as well but didn't see any on the site I thought would go well. Here's to hoping it doesn't snow like it is supposed to so that I can make a trip to Hobby Lobby this weekend!
One final note...next month is the clean eating thing I was challenged to. It is also the start of The Weight Race which is a twelve week race through UPMC to help employees lose weight. Tonight I also placed an order to try a cleanse from It Works! which my friend just became a consultant with. So mesh those three things together and I will be working hard towards my weigh loss goal.
More soon because I do have other things to mention!!!
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Growing Towards the Future...
So far the year is flying by and I haven't done as well posting to this blog as I had planned. I am however slowly working towards my goals. Next month I will be doing a Clean Eating Challenge with my team at work (4 of us total). I'm not sure how that will go at all. I have only eaten out (fast food) twice and one of those times was a healthy salad. Sadly the other was Wendy's and I only went because I was beyond starving.
Anyways, last year between Black Friday and Christmas my Etsy store did really well. I did a few sales so far this month as well. So this year I will be growing that business. Right now I am selling jewelry and blankets. Over the next few months I will be adding magnets and outlet covers for sure. I am also considering coasters and a few other items.
I plan to add a lot more of the Gilmore Girls related items because they were my best sellers last year. I will also be adding to my fandom items with some Firefly, Doctor Who and Marvel related items. There will also be some older fandoms and items for younger kids such as TMNT, My Little Pony and Disney Princesses.
I have lots of fun ideas flitting around up there it's just a matter of taking the time to complete the projects. The coming weeks will be a great time to sit down and build my stock. I may even stop in at Jo-Ann Fabrics to grab some new fabric to make a different kind of baby blanket (I just don't know if I have the patience to hand stitch anything right now).
Here's to hoping that things on the store front get better. I am also hoping to get a second draft of my finished story done. I have a second short story that I plan on sending through the Beta process. I have a couple other stories that I am working on as well. I need to start trying to finish some of these half finished stories that I have so that I can start the next steps in the process and eventually publish at least one of them.
On a whole different front I have started a new apartment hunt at last. I have found quite a few prospects in various different places but where I go will really all depend on what kinds of jobs I find and eventually where I get hired. Obviously I will be planning on having two jobs to start but what's new there.
I have a few different savings goals going on right now. Instead of doing the 52 week challenge I am saving every $5 bill and every quarter I get this year. I can usually do pretty good on the $5 challenge however the quarter challenge is new to me. Also all of my Etsy sales money and about 5% of my paycheck goes into a high interest savings account. I haven't had to touch the account in a couple months so it's slowly growing.
Needless to say I have a lot going on right now and I am extremely happy about it. I need something to keep my mind off the fact that I am still here and the weather is about to turn cold again. The last week has been so nice not needing a coat and all. I'm hoping the weather changes and stays warm the rest of the winter but chances are low.
That's all for now and I will hopefully update you all again soon.
Anyways, last year between Black Friday and Christmas my Etsy store did really well. I did a few sales so far this month as well. So this year I will be growing that business. Right now I am selling jewelry and blankets. Over the next few months I will be adding magnets and outlet covers for sure. I am also considering coasters and a few other items.
I plan to add a lot more of the Gilmore Girls related items because they were my best sellers last year. I will also be adding to my fandom items with some Firefly, Doctor Who and Marvel related items. There will also be some older fandoms and items for younger kids such as TMNT, My Little Pony and Disney Princesses.
I have lots of fun ideas flitting around up there it's just a matter of taking the time to complete the projects. The coming weeks will be a great time to sit down and build my stock. I may even stop in at Jo-Ann Fabrics to grab some new fabric to make a different kind of baby blanket (I just don't know if I have the patience to hand stitch anything right now).
Here's to hoping that things on the store front get better. I am also hoping to get a second draft of my finished story done. I have a second short story that I plan on sending through the Beta process. I have a couple other stories that I am working on as well. I need to start trying to finish some of these half finished stories that I have so that I can start the next steps in the process and eventually publish at least one of them.
On a whole different front I have started a new apartment hunt at last. I have found quite a few prospects in various different places but where I go will really all depend on what kinds of jobs I find and eventually where I get hired. Obviously I will be planning on having two jobs to start but what's new there.
I have a few different savings goals going on right now. Instead of doing the 52 week challenge I am saving every $5 bill and every quarter I get this year. I can usually do pretty good on the $5 challenge however the quarter challenge is new to me. Also all of my Etsy sales money and about 5% of my paycheck goes into a high interest savings account. I haven't had to touch the account in a couple months so it's slowly growing.
Needless to say I have a lot going on right now and I am extremely happy about it. I need something to keep my mind off the fact that I am still here and the weather is about to turn cold again. The last week has been so nice not needing a coat and all. I'm hoping the weather changes and stays warm the rest of the winter but chances are low.
That's all for now and I will hopefully update you all again soon.
Friday, January 6, 2017
A New Year and A New Dawn...
It's a New Year and while I don't make resolutions I do have a list of things I will be working towards this year. First of all I want to work harder on writing on this blog. I don't do it nearly often enough. So here are the things I plan to work towards this year and why in no particular order.
1.) Pay off the car loan. If everything goes as planned this will be paid off in just a couple short months (March or April). It is my largest payment of the month which impedes me having the money to pay rent and utilities as well as other debts. I am hoping that I can pay off the bulk of this debt with a tax refund but who knows what will happen this year. This is the most important step because with out it a few of the other things can not happen.
2.) Move out of Pennsylvania! I have never truly been happy here and I grew up here. Even when I was younger I knew I wouldn't be here my entire life. I have been thinking either Nashville, TN or the coast of any state from North Carolina to Georgia or New Orleans. The job searches in these areas will commence soon (maybe next month)!
3.) Pay off as much other debt as I can so that my credit score continues to climb! The last couple years I have been working hard to bring my credit score up yet I continuously increase my debt. It isn't a great way to work through anything but by paying off my debts I am increasing my score. I have however done well in the credit score aspect of this task if nothing else. A good score will help me get into a better place when a move does happen.
4.) Lose weight!!!!!! While I would love to get back down to where I was when I came home from Utah that isn't feasible anytime soon. So in place of that I am aiming for a healthier weight of the 160's range. We are only six days into the year but so far I feel like I have done well with my eating habits. I have been drinking lots of water or infused water and have not had any fast food yet. Instead of chocolate I have been turning to healthier alternatives as much as possible (this is harder than anything else).
5.) Then there is my reading goals obviously. This year I am stepping away from doing as many review tours so that I can catch up on all the many books I have in storage and/or on my kindle. I enjoy reading because it relaxes me and I need that more often than not these days. I actually get a lot of my reading done either in the car (audio books) or during work (using the text to speech function on my kindle). I have currently finished 6 books and am well into three others so far this year!!! I can't wait till I can get bookshelves built again and see all of my beautiful books neatly organized!
6.) Finally I am hoping to continue growing my Etsy store in order to grow my savings account faster. I did really well between Thanksgiving and Christmas but it has currently died down slightly. I expected this however and plan on working on some new items shortly! Because of my sales the couple weeks before Christmas my savings account is the highest it has ever been and that is a glorious thing.
So those are the things I am working towards this year. All of them will increase my happiness but most of them are financially related items. I will be pulling back my spending in other areas in order to complete these tasks. My December Book Outlet order was my last one until I achieve at least the first goal and then a small order will be my reward...lol. I tend to reward myself in books and movies. However, this year I will not do any major orders until the end of the year (hopefully) at least that's the plan. When it comes to clothes I will buy them only as I lose weight and only what is needed (basically it will be pants if I need to buy anything).
I look forward to making this my best year ever and with a little hard work it will be! I will keep you appraised of how things are going on these goals as often as possible!
1.) Pay off the car loan. If everything goes as planned this will be paid off in just a couple short months (March or April). It is my largest payment of the month which impedes me having the money to pay rent and utilities as well as other debts. I am hoping that I can pay off the bulk of this debt with a tax refund but who knows what will happen this year. This is the most important step because with out it a few of the other things can not happen.
2.) Move out of Pennsylvania! I have never truly been happy here and I grew up here. Even when I was younger I knew I wouldn't be here my entire life. I have been thinking either Nashville, TN or the coast of any state from North Carolina to Georgia or New Orleans. The job searches in these areas will commence soon (maybe next month)!
3.) Pay off as much other debt as I can so that my credit score continues to climb! The last couple years I have been working hard to bring my credit score up yet I continuously increase my debt. It isn't a great way to work through anything but by paying off my debts I am increasing my score. I have however done well in the credit score aspect of this task if nothing else. A good score will help me get into a better place when a move does happen.
4.) Lose weight!!!!!! While I would love to get back down to where I was when I came home from Utah that isn't feasible anytime soon. So in place of that I am aiming for a healthier weight of the 160's range. We are only six days into the year but so far I feel like I have done well with my eating habits. I have been drinking lots of water or infused water and have not had any fast food yet. Instead of chocolate I have been turning to healthier alternatives as much as possible (this is harder than anything else).
5.) Then there is my reading goals obviously. This year I am stepping away from doing as many review tours so that I can catch up on all the many books I have in storage and/or on my kindle. I enjoy reading because it relaxes me and I need that more often than not these days. I actually get a lot of my reading done either in the car (audio books) or during work (using the text to speech function on my kindle). I have currently finished 6 books and am well into three others so far this year!!! I can't wait till I can get bookshelves built again and see all of my beautiful books neatly organized!
6.) Finally I am hoping to continue growing my Etsy store in order to grow my savings account faster. I did really well between Thanksgiving and Christmas but it has currently died down slightly. I expected this however and plan on working on some new items shortly! Because of my sales the couple weeks before Christmas my savings account is the highest it has ever been and that is a glorious thing.
So those are the things I am working towards this year. All of them will increase my happiness but most of them are financially related items. I will be pulling back my spending in other areas in order to complete these tasks. My December Book Outlet order was my last one until I achieve at least the first goal and then a small order will be my reward...lol. I tend to reward myself in books and movies. However, this year I will not do any major orders until the end of the year (hopefully) at least that's the plan. When it comes to clothes I will buy them only as I lose weight and only what is needed (basically it will be pants if I need to buy anything).
I look forward to making this my best year ever and with a little hard work it will be! I will keep you appraised of how things are going on these goals as often as possible!
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Etsy Store Update...
It's time for another weekly post to prep you for the great deals you will be able to get over the next few weeks. Today I am posting a selection that can/or will be available in my store over the coming weeks. A few of these are completed and photographed but not posted as of yet. They will be posted by the end of the weekend however so you should check back often. Also if you see items you feel would make a good set feel free to contact me and I would be happy to create a customized set for you.
Without further to do here is today's selection of items that would make perfect gifts for Christmas. For the book lovers I am working on some projects over the next week but they will be posted before Thursday!
Turtle Earrings! I only have ONE set of these available right now but if you contact me I should be able to easily get my hands one more of these charms. They are not currently posted (should go up later tonight or tomorrow) but there are similar ones posted. They will be $12.50 per set + S&H.
Aren't they cute. There are gold Starfish earrings already posted on the store.
This is the newest Doctor Who blanket to grace my store. It is a darker blue that is almost (but not quite) a match for Tardis Blue. The back is blue and cream and depicts the Doctor Who log and BBC. The front is blue and black with an array of creatures and other things from the Doctor Who series. This one is kid sized or adult lap size being made from 1 1/2 yards of fabric for each side.
It is currently posted with a list price of $35 + S & H
Show some Harry Potter love with this fun keychain or the matching charm bracelet. There are even goblet earrings available. There is one charm for each book or movie. It has been a while since I read the books so it was hard to remember if what I was thinking was from the book or from the movie.
There are currently 4 of each the keychains and the bracelets posted. There is one set of Goblet of Fire earrings available as well (but they aren't posted yet).
Keychains = $12.50 + S & H
Bracelet = $15 + S & H
Goblet of Fire Earrings will be $7.50 + S & H
Steampunk has become pretty popular as of late so I created a set of earrings and a cell phone charm out of three of these awesome charms. If I had pierced ears I would be keeping the earrings for myself. Keep in mind that there is no way to attach these cell phone charms to the iPhone but you could add them to your bookbag zipper or a purse zipper pull too. Very versatile charms.
All cell phone charms are $3.50 + S & H
The earrings that match are $10 + S & H
Superman to the rescue. I have a whole slew of DC Comic related items. For Superman I have 3 sets of earrings, 1 locket necklace and this bracelet. I have Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Arrow and Batman related items as well. So check out the site to create your own set or purchase a single item. I am able to get my hands on more of these if I need to.
This bracelet is $15 + S & H
The others are $12.50 each + S & H
All earring sets are $10 each + S & H
All lockets are $15 each + S & H
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Black Friday - Cyber Monday Etsy Sale Deals!!!
So this year I started an Etsy Store that revolves around various different craft like items. At the moment the items are mostly jewelry and fleece blankets but I have the supplies to make a few different things as well; such as magnets, switch plates and bookmarks. But this post is about just some of the items (not all of them by far) that I currently have up for grabs and the coupon codes that will be available for use.
COUPON CODES:
FANDOMPRIDE gets you 10% off your purchase of $20 or more until 11/23
Starting on Black Friday you can use the code BLACKFRIDAY16 to get 15% off your purchase of $20 or more until 11/28.
Blankets:
Okay out of all my blankets I think I like this one the most. I almost didn't list it I like it so much. I just love the colors so much and how well the front and back work together. I mean look at how awesome this looks!
The price on this blanket is $40 plus S&H and it fits perfectly on a twin sized bed. It would definitely brighten up a dorm room.
This blanket is also pretty awesome. It has all the prominent Hogwarts teachers and the castle on it. When I bought the backing for this blanket I thought it was silver in the store. While I started making it I realized it looks more like a greenish grey color. Still looks really good in my book though.
This blanket it $50 plus S&H. This one would also fit well on a twin sized bed.
Bracelets:
This bracelet was inspired by my recent Gilmore Girls binge watch on Netflix and the fact that the new episodes are coming out in just a few short days. That's right it is a Gilmore Girls inspired bracelet and it is expandable!
The price for this is $12.50 plus S&H
This bracelet was inspired by the more recent seasons of Supernatural with Cass and Crowley. This one was inspired by not only the show itself but the great work that Jensen and Jared do to support great causes. I enjoyed their shows and movies before they ever became a part of this show. They are such great people and it's a great show!
This one is $15 plus S&H.
This one was also created after a marathon of Teen Wolf. It was also one of the first bracelets I ever made. I tried really hard to incorporate all of the characters in this bracelet but it was hard, very hard (especially with Lydia). I had so much fun picking out the perfect charms for this bracelet and it is such a great show.
This bracelet is also $15 plus S&H.
That is all I have for you today! I will post more soon. I have some book inspired items and a ton of comic book related items. There are earrings, necklaces, bracelets, keychains, magnets, blankets and even some ornaments up for grabs. I am spending today creating even more great items for you to grab! I will post more in a few days!
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Creativity and Etsy!
So recently I have started using my creativity to make some of the many things on my Pinterest page. These items have all been placed for sale on Etsy. I have enjoyed making these fun items and look forward to adding more as things start moving. I have several different items listed on the page already and have a few items I plan on creating over the next few weeks.
I plan to do a blog post of items on my blog at least once a week on this page. I plan to start posting items next week and it will be an every Sunday post. I am always looking for new ideas for fabrics and bracelet ideas. My goal is to base every item in my shop around books, fandoms and well older looking items.
I have an array of blankets, bracelets, cell phone charms and magnets listed right now. I have a ton of other items I am preparing to finish this week and post. If you want to check out my store before I start posting on the page then feel free to check out the store here:
Life...
So I know this blog isn't as used as it used to be, but I haven't had much to say as nothing out of the ordinary has happened to me in years. But I wanted to share with you some of my goals for the rest of this year. First a few things I have been up to lately.
At the start of June all of my things went into storage and I moved back in with my family in order to pay of debt. Not gonna lie that isn't going as well as I had hoped. However, I can't make my next move until at least one of the debts are paid off, preferably the car loan. I am working hard to come up with ways in order to pay it off sooner than the 23 months that my statement says it will take. I did have one of my credit cards paid off but then I used it again...lol...but it is almost paid off again so that's okay. Not to mention I had some medical bills pop up and I have been paying those off.
I have been getting a lot of writing in this year so far. I have finished a couple books and am now in the rewrites stage of them. I am on a second rewrite of one of them. One day soon I might actually have one completely finished I think.
In other news, I have started working hard on expanding my book blog. I have tickets to a book con next weekend in St. Louis but I don't know if I will make it as I should be spending the money on bills instead of hotels, gas and food. I do however have a ticket to the Fierce Reads event in Pittsburgh at the beginning of October. All the tickets were free so I am not losing any money on the tickets for St. Louis. I also have my name in for a ton of ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies) from several different publishers. I hope to get copies of them all, but this kind of thing is hit or miss. I am being more focused on my blog now that I am in need of more things to help me relax when I get home.
I am still struggling to get used to having people around 24 -7 I can't stand it. I used to be able to sit in silence and relax when I got home after being around people all day. I am one of those people that needs her space and I haven't had that since June, so I am getting more and more aggravated with life as the days go by.
Now for my goals for the rest of this year:
Pay off debt (as much as possible as quickly as possible)
Figure out where my next move will be
Find a job in said area I want to move to
Make the book blog great again
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