Stress + Lack of Motivation = Disaster

Do you ever have those days/weeks/etc where it seems like your To-Do list grows at a rate at least triple that of your ability to actually accomplish those things? That is the stage I am at now - I feel like I have far too much on my plate to handle at this point, and I have so many lists floating around I can't keep them straight. Some days I look at my calendar and want to say "Screw this, I'm gonna lay on the couch and play video games" And then there's the occasional day when I DO lay on the couch and play video games instead of getting things done... Then I spend the next day stressed beyond belief and mad at myself for not getting anything done. And now I'm getting myself to the point where I am fairly certain that there is no possible way for me to ever get caught up with everything that needs to be done - even looking out to November/December, it seems like I just have too much to do and not enough hours in each day to be every play I need to be...

So, my question to you -- what are some good ways to deal with stress, get yourself motivated, and try to avoid procrastinating?

A little organization (finally!)

After the past few weeks of craft shows, school starting, and a hectic schedule in general, my craft area (and living room...) began to look pretty messy... It was getting to the point where I couldn't find much of anything when I needed it, and I was afraid to walk in my room in the dark for fear I would step on something sharp or breakable... SOOOO, I decided that it was due for a thorough cleaning. The cleaning itself took me about 3 days of on and off organizing, and a few trips to the store for some plastic containers, but I finally have it organized and acceptable.

Here's a few before and after pictures for you to enjoy...



< --- This is the disaster that I had before I started cleaning.











And here's my cupboards, nicely organized and clean:
It is SOOOO much easier to find things when they're organized!












And my clean desk!! I can't really guarantee that the whole area will stay clean like this for very long, but at least I know that it CAN be clean/organized :)

Making the most of the rain...

I was at SCMN Pridefest earlier today, with my little booth all set up and pretty, and customers searching through my baskets of buttons and pendants, when... rain comes. And wind. And some more rain. So after about 30-45 mins of sitting behind my booth watching customers walk by because everything of mine is covered in a sheet of plastic, I decided that Iwould probably be more productive if I came home. It seems I wasn't the only one that felt that way, as the lady next to me was packing up as well, and on my way out I saw several empty tables that had once been occupied.

Since I am home and have the remainder of the day completely off from anything else, I figured I would use the time to my advantage and get a few things accomplished. With that said, here is a little list of what I would like to do, both for you to look at, and for my benefit as well!

1) Clean out my craft show tote and dry off things that got wet.
2) Finish cleaning up my craft area (it's a disaster -- pictures to come later)
3) Make more buttons
4) Photograph 10-15 items
5) List 2-3 new things on Etsy.


I believe that is a sizeable enough task for one day. Perhaps I'll even find some time for a little nap and work on my current puzzle for a bit :)

Rock Bend, and some new items!

This past weekend was spent at the Rock Bend Folk Festival in nearby St. Peter Minnesota, sitting under my tent, braving a little bit of rain, and seeing the first reactions to some of my most recent creations.

For starters, I finally got the button maker I've been wanting for ages, and it has been a constant source of amusement for me! Since I got it, I think I've made over 100 buttons :)
I've also jumped on the bandwagon for scrabble tile pendants (cliche, but they're fun!). I'm also working on glass pendants as well, which I like the look of better. And coming next is some of those little glass marble magnets that seem to be common on etsy.


Here are some pictures of my little set up at Rock Bend. You can see some of the new pendants I've been working on, as well as my little basket of buttons. My table is a little empty and sad -- that is the result of my excellent procrastination skills....


I sold out of almost all of my buttons the first day, so I had to make more in preparation for the next day. I had to scramble to make more earrings as well, to fill in spaces on my table that had been emptied.It was a good show, and I made about $250 (which is really good for me, although it seems like a small amount to a lot of people who do craft shows) If I am in the country next year at this time, I will definitely be at this show again. The music was nice, and minus the booth next to me that was selling imported items from Thailand, I was happy with the atmosphere. People were extremely helpful when I needed assistance setting up my tent, and even more so when I was scrambling to take down my tent and load up my car when the rain started pouring... I also made a few good contacts, got info about some other good shows, and even got invited to a show the next weekend. If I wasn't already prepared for Pridefest this coming Saturday, I would have accepted the offer.

I will have to say that my craft area is in a sad state of affairs after all the intense/stressful/last minute crafting that I did in preparation for this weekend. That mess also spread out to the living room quite a bit... But more pictures and explanation of that will come later...

Until then, check out some of the new listings in my shop, and keep an eye out for more things to be listed all week (as I get the time and energy to photograph and list things...)