Still Alive

Hey guys!  How's it going? Are you all done with your shopping/baking/decorating/wrapping etc?  I'm getting close... still have a few things to buy.  The gifts are boxed and stashed, but not wrapped.  The Christmas bins are still in the foyer, half full.  The ingredients for baking are here.  Thankfully, Patience is really into baking! : )

You probably guessed what I've been doing.... yep, jewelry!  But, I've just gotta tell you how amazing this all is.  I just made over 100 sales!  Made enough moolah to pay for Christmas for our family.  I'm exhausted but so blessed!  Been working 18 hour days for three weeks straight--I take off Sunday morning, and that's about it!  But, gosh, it's been so cool.  I've gotten to talk with people from allll over the country.  And everybody has been so kind and friendly on Etsy.  I hardly ever get on Facebook anymore!  I love getting feedback from customers telling me that my jewelry has been a blessing to them.  Wow!  What a blessing to me!  This is the first time since I've been married that I've ever gotten a legit paycheck.  I know it's all just the Lord's blessing.  It feels like co-working with Him!  And also co-working with Captain--since he's been so supportive and helpful (he even shops at Hobby Lobby for me after work!!).  My kids also have an opportunity to earn money-- they get paid to smash pennies.  It's so neat to be able to pay them out of somebody else's money rather than our family budget.  They are such good helpers around the house, too.  (Especially when they're getting paid)

I'm thinking that this will all slow down after Christmas.  That's good, really, since I actually have to do laundry and make food, oh, and homeschool.  But for now.... it's the perfect amount of work.  Sooooo amazing, right??!!

So, that's where I've been.  Out in the garage and up in my jewelry studio/schoolroom.  Getting some pretty stunning calluses on my fingers.  But....I'm still alive!


Hope you all are having a merry Christmas season!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ 

Hitting the Wall

Yep, that's exactly what happened.

I was cruising right along, week after week, in my manic inspired state.  Barely sleeping.  Barely eating.  And every time I heard the cha-ching of my beloved iPhone, my heart would beat a little faster.
It was strange.  I've been expecting a crash any day.  Well, yesterday, after filling a ton of jewelry orders that I had been up til late the previous night making, I drove to the big city with my littlest boy to do some emergency craft supply shopping, grocery shopping and a little Christmas shopping.  Oh yeah, Christmas.  Gotta start on that!  And after we shopped and drove and ran around for multiple hours, while driving home... it happened.

I hit the wall.

I came home, curled up on the couch in my coat and boots, covered up my head and went to sleep.

There wasn't a thing I could do about it.

It's an old track and field expression we used to use in distance running.  You'd be cruising along, thinkin' you're winning this race for sure, finish line in sight... and then you just hit the wall.  There was no more gas in the tank.  You could not possibly keep it up.

Sooooo, I have spent the entire day out in the garage pounding coins.  But my mind it fried.

I think I need to go on a cruise.  Yes, that's what I need!!!

As soon as I finish all these orders.... and clean this house... and buy a couple hundred presents.... and wrap them.... and .....

Maybe I just need a nap.

zzzzzzzzzz.

A Cute Cheap Craft

OK, well, TODAY I'm gonna solve my photo/blog dilemma... but right now I'm going out to the garage to hammer.  I have so many cute, cheap crafts to share with you guys!  But for now, I'll just share a link to one that I'm def gonna make with the kids this year...

Have you ever heard of "One Good Thing by Jillee"?  Well, you're gonna love her!

And these salt votives are so cute!

Now I know why I felt compelled to save every single blessed jar I ever emptied!

Adios Amigas.

: )