Catch Up

This is what my desk currently looks like.  See that tiny little space where my scissors are? That's the tiny little space I'm working in.  Yesterday I was thisclose to stopping what I was doing and cleaning it all up but I knew if I stopped I would not get back to the making part. I have several markets this month and I feel like I'm in a race with the clock to get lots of new things made.  

Here are some pics of my in-progress work to see while I also catch you up on... my running routine.  The last time I wrote about it I hated its guts.  Lots of folks were quick to give me great advice or share a "hang in there" which was awesome and made me feel motivated to keep at it. Someone told me to run really slow even if it felt too slow.  I liked the idea of being given permission to do something slowly so yesterday and today that is exactly what I did. I didn't mind that the people passing me were running harder and faster. I was running and that was all that mattered.  And I didn't hate it. And I honestly am not dreading it.  Tomorrow I will do it again and I will run soooo slow. I will run like I am being chased by an actual zombie. Not the new kinds of zombies that seem to have the kind of strength and endurance that makes no sense because they are... a zombie.  I will run like I am in the original Night of the Living Dead.

 Also there is the budgeting issues.  I think we are doing well. You may have read the post about my first big mess up when I ordered an expensive glass of wine at my book club and my bill ended up being more than my week's allowance!  It's now a month later and I attended book club where we luckily met at a cheaper restaurant and I ate like I had never eaten before (french fries are now a luxury item) and I drank the cheapest beer I could order.  My bill was right where I wanted it!  It has been a challenge to stay on budget but I am pretty good at being frugal.  The hardest part is clothes shopping. My friend Courtney once went a whole year without buying clothes.  I think about that a lot. She loves clothes as much as I do so that was a huge commitment to make. You can read about her reasons here. I haven't bought a single dress since all of this has started. The grey area for me with the budget has been arts and craft supplies. I need them to help grow my business but I'm not sure if the money for them should come from my paltry allowance or from our "community jar."  Right now I waiver back and forth. I suppose I could just discuss it with my husband but I don't know if I'll like his answer!  Lets hope my next market goes well. Fingers crossed.

I want to end this with this beautiful painting I just discovered in my friend Julie's etsy shop, Joyful Studio.  It's titled Feeling Druzy and I love it because druzy jewelry is my eye candy crush right now and everything about this painting reminds me of so many gorgeous pieces. Check it out here and just so you know my birthday is in November. ( ;

It's work time for me now. I have some exciting scheduled posts coming up this week so check back in to see what's happening. Here's a hint... it's pretty dreamy!

Happy Tuesday.