Day 21! I Made It!

Tonight is the last night of my 21 Day Challenge to do something every day for my blog and hoped for new photo stationary business. Some days I did more than others, but each day I did something toward my challenge- and I learned a lot- about myself, my software, my goals, and my at home working habits.

I have now cleaned up my office after getting my first stationary order in the mail and have spent time making notes about what I learned during my challenge. There is still a little more to process so I'll share my notes soon. One thing I can tell you is I need to continue to set a schedule of work and to honor it.

 Although some days I probably could have done a little more for my challenge, I am very happy with the progress I have made and my challenge met it's goal of developing a working habit at home. Next, is to fine tune that habit to better fit with the rest of my life.

Over the next five days I will be taking a break from blogging while I spend time with family. I am on vacation from both the 9-5 and from blog and business. So until then, ...stay tuned.

Day 17 & 18

My time on Day 17 was spent taking a few photos for marketing and trying to figure out what to charge for the stationary I just finished. There is SO much involved with trying to account for supplies, timing, equipment, etc.  AND, we have the flu in our house so the mom in me was doing mom things. So much for Day 17.

Day 18:  I just got back from shipping out my very first stationary order! YEA! 
The rest of today will be spent cleaning up the house from the fall out of me being absorbed with getting the order done.  AND  of course, with doing something each day for my 21 Day Challenge.  I sort of plan to take a computer break for the next day or two though, so if my check-ins are short, or absent, I am here to tell you that I am working on my challenge. I need to read, write down some post-order notes, and generally regroup.

I feel really good about this challenge right now.

Day 16- is over...finally.

Does anybody else have a love/hate relationship

with technology? 

Tonight has been one of those nights. I thought I was going to be done with my stationary order on time last night. That didn't happen....and I don't even remember why.

And tonight all I had to do was one set of 20 notecards; 5 each of 4 photo designs. But nooooooooooooooo,

my computer graphics program had to disappear. Yes, that's right, GONE!

It took a lot of searching around through computer files, a couple visits to Serif.com for a patch and a few times of restarting my computer and TWO HOURS later, I was back in business again.  UGH!

I love what computers can do, when they work. I hate the time they eat up and the frustration when they don't work. I must say, I was afraid I was going to have to take it in for repairs or that all of my past two weeks work was also lost. So overall, I am pleased it is all back safe and sound. And I am really pleased that I figured it out myself!  :0)               I'd say that is progress.

And yes, I am now officially finished with my order! YEA! The only thing left to do is take a few photos for my files and marketing, tie it up in pretty bows and box it up for shipping to be taken on Saturday morning. 

Now, to put a different focus on

days 17-21 of my challenge.

I hope you enjoyed the colorful post tonight. I had to do something to get out of this computer techno "why does it have to happen now" funk.

Day 14 & 15

Phew! Last night I was crusing along making notecards and didn't post.  I really had fun with the artistic editing of the photos I was working with.  I am very pleased with how things turned out and once I "regroup" I will post a few photos of the completed sets.

And although the artistic creating took a little longer than the simple touches I was making on the notepads, the whole process was much easier! Well, once I got the layout and print figured out correctly.  There is a lot less cutting with the notecards than notepads. 

I am happy, very happy, to say that I will complete my order on schedule by the end of this evening. I have 1 1/2 sets of notecards to finish up-and then....Done!  The only thing that will be left is a few finishing touches of few ribbons to tie the sets together and get them in the mail.  YEA!

This has been an awesome learning experience in time management, efficient work flow, and use of my software and I hope to take a little time tomorrow night and recap those lessons a litte for myself. When I have given that a proper thought, I'll share what I learned.  Then, it's back to focusing on blogs and other things for the final days of my challenge.  Although, I have been looking into different website design things....it hasn't been all stationary making over the last couple weeks.

For now, it's off to the 9-5.

Day 13

There are stacks of stationery piling up in my office. Someone might think I am in business. This is also my first ever mobile post. I turned off my laptop before I posted. I might even try to download my calender. Oops. There is no picture icon, oh well.
Major success as i finally figured out note cards on this software. Well, long day today and this post is less than creative....I'm off to sleep! (posting by testing is awkward!)

Day 12

It seems sort of silly to write that I am not going to write tonight.  This is just a check in post for my 21 Day Challenge to do something everyday for blog and hoped for new business. 

I have spent a lot of time focusing on getting a stationary order ready.  Tonight is no different.  There is also some reading in Problogger in my future tonight.

Then, to be honest- it is time for a little popcorn, something refreshing to go with it, and a little TV.

Back to the 9-5 tomorrow and

tonight I get a little time off.

Cheers!

Day 11

No calendar, no post.  Busy, busy, busy. And yes, it's all challenge related, well mostly.

You just gotta love livin'

a full, happy life.

I have to wonder though,

what do you do when you have

36 hours worth of things to do

in a 24 hour day?!