I've been selling locally at markets (kindly alerted to me by Sally Ann, thank you!) and it's been helping me get rid of some excess clutter and put more money in the bank. I missed outdoor markets, you miss out on that interaction with customers face-to-face when you sell in local shops or online. And it's just nice to be outside exhibiting your wares. A couple of customers were long-time fans of my local antique mall booth.
My mom, AJ, and mom's dog Pete were my companions for the 2nd market. I love mom's family of chihuahuas. Pete's the runt of the litter and he's terrified of everything yet he managed to growl at a friendly great dane that day. Pete's not even the size of his head! Get 'em, Pete, you body dismorphic'd chi-lala.
I'm sharing some unedited photos taken with my phone for Instagram of business and life lately. (I desperately wanted to edit them into a fun collage...maybe next time.) Sometimes it's refreshing to look back at swift snaps of uncurated happenings. Above: AJ sitting at my set-up at the Jacksonville Landing for Earth Day. I previewed some more from the body care line we're testing, this time the bath bombs and bath scrubs- the bath bombs nearly sold out!
I really loved being set-up at a The Jacksonville Landing, it's one of the first places I visited Jacksonville, Florida before we moved here (while we were living in South Carolina and our house was being built) and it's always fascinated me. I still love all the Sanrio goodness at The Toy Factory, where our table was set-up.
I've been writing and researching at my desk here at the homestead, trying to create a big blog buffer and cracking at some creative business eBooks slowly. I have some client work to finish up before I can put time toward the books fully. I always have 1 million ideas and many blog posts started ahead of time, but it's tough for me to post anything. I like to let it marinate and edit over time. I've been re-doing my business plan and reading business books and eBooks, it's been very helpful at helping me reduce tasks and work smarter, not harder.
I've continued consistently going to spin class and absolutely love the progress thus far. My strength, form and endurance have improved. I'm excited to cycle more "in the wild" and keep pushing myself in all ways with fitness. Numbers have not gone down on the scale, but I can see the changes. Weight; so arbitrary.
I'm still witching it up at Green Lotus Studios. I've been playing with the idea of selling herbal protein/energy powders and beautifying teas. I'm testing them on myself and enjoy the results, but the powders are especially pricey for a start-up. Experimentation mode carriers on. At least I finally have the exact vision for what I want the brand to look like in-mind, tasks have been delegated better to boot.
I have one week left of Beginning Aromatherapy. Next, the more advanced plant medicine course work. I shall be in school forever, and I'm finally content with that! It used to be an mental finish line for me, but now I know life is best lived when you're constantly learning.
After I get my Master Herbalist certification, my heart wants to go back to college for digital media for the updated knowledge, practice, and legitimacy- then a bachelors of fine arts so I could be an art educator if desired...but my mind's telling me, no. "You're going to hate it, you're doing too much, you don't need it, knock it off," says the brain. I'll work toward it all one step at a time. I finally know I can't pile it all on at once anymore. There's no rush.
I'm still teaching raw vegan cooking classes. This was my first one on making raw vegan fruit leathers (basically, all-natural fruit roll-ups), corn chips and flax crackers. E-mail me if you'd more information on attending a class.
I refreshed my Southern Crossing booth! Right when I feel like I've finally got a knack and many ideas for curating my little booth exactly like I've envisioned...I'm quitting. I love the connection with locals and I've resisted getting out for years, but the fact remains, I make more money at markets and online. Time to put my time and money where it will return better.
I'm now AJ's official lawn care biz helper. We pressure washed a drive way and I mowed a front and back lawn. There would have been a point in time where I would have been too weak and pathetic to do that, I let my muscles atrophy into sad t-rex arms as a comic-reading, website-making teen. It was fun, I finished it all and craved more! The photo are some native wildflowers I picked. The rest I was paid to mercilessly mow down! Horrors.
I've been outside whenever possible and stopping to stop and touch every plant possible. I love that the flowers are in bloom (the fragrant jasmine bushes are exploding everywhere, love!) Mmm...plant therapy. I included the quick selfie to document my already crazy deep tan. I get dark fast as hell. I can put on loads of sunblock (and do, plus hats) and hide in the shade but that sun loves my tropical-ass. I had to break dress code and wear spaghetti straps in high school gym class to avoid dramatic tanlines in that short span of time. This is one reason why you will rarely see my wear sleeves or anything other than small sundresses.
Hope you don't mind the phone photo dump! I thought I'd try a new style of posting, I'm missing my staged SLR shots right now, but sometimes it's good to mix in some spontaneity for diversity.
/comments off. I'm off to lather myself in sunblock and protective gear to mow another lawn...
