TTC: Some thoughts about adoption and babies

As many of you know we have decided to try adopting as my body is not really up carrying a baby right now. We want to start forward with our plans to make adoption a reality. One of the ideas I had was to dedicate some lines of fiber, yarn, and other random items to raising money for adoption. These are ideas right now but they will be finding a way to reality in my new shop line up next year. The thought there is any money made from those things will go into a separate account that we are setting up to save for adoption costs. I am feeling pretty excited by these ideas and wanted to share some happy thoughts with you all. I had a dream a few nights ago about me and Tom and a child. In the dream we were just a bit older and the dream was happy this time. I woke up feeling hope for the future and that is what I want to take into the new year. I am thinking about setting up one of those goal pages that shows a sort of fundraiser type thing so that we can keep track of where we are with our adoption goals. If anyone knows how to do this I would love to hear how. Best of luck to anyone else out there on their trying to conceive journey.

Magical Memories

Today I found myself thinking of some of my favorite holiday memories. I remember when we were very young that moment of waking up while it was still dark and creeping into the living room with my brother and sister to try to catch Santa. It was always magical when we saw the tree all light up with lights in the dark and presents were under the tree, proof that Santa had come! We would be so thrilled to rush into the room and best part was the Stockings. Momma was usually sleeping and we would jump on the bed telling her that Santa had come. She would usually move to the couch to nap a while longer and tell us we could open our stockings.

the stockings were these wonderful red velvety things that were literally stuffed to the brim and over flowing! Inside there was always an apple, an orange, mixed nuts and some sort of chocolate, a candy cane and a surprise. We would pour our stockings out and start on the chocolate while we looked for the surprise inside. I miss those times and the magic of being a kid seeing things through my young eyes. There was so much magic in the world then. I hope this holiday season we can all see something magical in spending time with people we love.

Help me improve my business!

I got a message from an unhappy customer today and honestly I do not blame her one bit. Her batt club is late (they are all late) and she is understandably upset by this. This is really part of why I am trying to sell out and then take some time to regroup. I need to change some of the way I do things. I know that a lot of us do not want to say anything that could be taken as negative but I think you all know that I am really wanting to redo my business into something that makes me and you happy. In order for me to do this I really need to know about the things that you think I could improve on. It would especially be great if you had ways for this improvement to happen! So if you have any ideas at all on how my business could be improved please let me know here, or by message, I would love to know your ideas. Thank you all and happy holidays!

More markdowns!

I really want to start out next year with a fresh shop so I have made some final markdowns on the fiber and yarn in my shops. I have yarn from $8-$16.25. I have batts from $15-$17.50. I also have combed top for $10.50-$13.50.

End of Year Clearance Sale!

**I am having an End of Year Clearance Sale!** Just about everything in my Artfire shop & my Etsy shop has been marked from 25-45% off. I figure I will get all of my older (& some of the newer) stuff out of the shop by this years end. I plan on having all new stock next year! I want to start out the new year with a whole new shop! What you see is what you get and once they are gone there are no more!

A Thank you and Giant Hug!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone! You are the reason I keep going sometimes! I swear the world for me at least is brightened by being able to get to know you all! I know that sounds cheesy but its true. There are so many times when life sort of beats us all down and I see time and time again how everyone on here reaches out to each other and helps to lift them up. I tell people about Ravelry everywhere. A few times I have had people ask if I worked for them laughs and then I tell them no but its just a terrific community. I invite people everywhere I go to join Ravelry or come to a local knit/spin group, or even to visit a LYS. There are just too many people who are working hard and need to find some friends and have some fun. I think the yarn/fiber communities are perfect for this. I hope you are all doing well. I also hope that you are all taking some time out for yourself right now because I am sure you are all going full speed ahead with your own working & living! Please just enjoy some fun time!

I also want to tell yall that I am really enjoying the people that I work with. I think this new job will be a good one that I can do for a long while. There seems to be a very supportive management so that right there is great because we have all had those managements that is not so supportive. Also my coworkers are very sweet. I honestly have not met anyone who was really not pretty alright. The last day of classroom training was on Friday so I brought cake for everyone. Tuesday I start my Nesting which will start getting me on the phones. Then Sunday I start my actual work schedule. I will be working 10am-7pm which are good hours for me to have family time. Its been a bit hard not seeing much of Tom the past few weeks. My days off are going to be Wednesday & Thursday so Thursday will probably be my new shipping day. For now I think it will only be the 1 time a week for certain (though I will also probably be able to ship here and there at other times). Big Huge Hugs & much Love to all of you and everyone else out there in our cyber neighborhood!!

Appologies, Explanations, & Business Overhaul

Its fessing up time for me. You all know if you are a regular customer or even an active forum looker/talker that despite my best efforts I am usually running late. I am really behind now (again) and I have to let yall know what all is going on. I feel like its only fair and honest to do this. So here it is. This past year has really sucked all the money from my business. I don't have a lot of back stock or a lot of stuff in the shop and I am sorry about the lack of variety and speed when you purchase. To help with this situation I have decided along with Tom that its in our best interest to get a full time job.

This job is at a call center and I honestly believe its good for me as I need stability right now. Some of you know about the heartache we have been through with our miscarriages. We have been to the dr many times and we have had many tests done. That has also taken its toll on my business, my spirit, my life.. everything really. I have found it very hard just to maintain a semblance of normal and happy in life and on here. That is why I don't post as often as I should and I haven't really kept up with my threads or or my posts. Its just very hard to post happy things when you feel so depressed and unhappy. That is sort of the world I have been living in for about a year now. I am finally at the point where I have made some positive changes in my life and I believe they will have positive effects in my business as well, though it will take time.

I started seeing a dr, and neurologist again to help control some of my pain and depression. Its not been long but I am already feeling so much better. I believe I am able to go to grief counseling now to help move past this and we are taking some time to try to heal, the both of us. Its still a rocky road and not all days are good or even ok. The call center job is helping me to find some stability in life which is also helping. The job is from M-F, 3:30pm-Midnight right now. I am finding it hard to get many orders shipped out or made up so that is a bit of struggle still. If you have orders that are do please understand that I am doing the best that I can to get them to you. This weekend I plan on working to get a lot done. You may wonder why I am even telling you all of this. The reason is that as a self employed home based business owner my personal life drastically effects the state of my business because its all me. I am the one who dyes, who makes batts, who chooses colors. Tom helps as he can but he is just not able to do the creative stuff for me. He is more of a talented musician.

Moving forward from here on out I am changing some of my shop policies and some of how I do business. It is moving to a part time business for the time being. I will be shipping out only a 1-2 times a week as I am able. I will figure out which day/s these will be and post them. If you have any thoughts or suggestions that would be of help I would love to see them.

I also want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me through the past few years either by being a customer, a friend, an acquaintance anything really. You are all very special to me and I hope you know that. I hope in your own lives you know what a difference you make daily. The power of love is tremendous and I hope we all know how to wield it. As to having babies we are looking into adoption seriously now that we are in a place we believe we could do it. This next year is going to show many positive changes in our personal lives and my business life and all the places it mixes together.