Have a boost of good vibes today.

“I vow to let go of all worries and anxiety in order to be light and free.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Image from http://tinybuddha.com/blog/6-tips-release-anxiety-feel-calm-free/

Today has been a bit too much and I read this from my favorite inspiring blog Tiny Buddha thought I would share the thought. If you get a chance give the blog a read too. This image is what I needed to get back to that ah feeling. How about yourself?

 

Lost in endless speculation about life.

“It’s easy to get lost in endless speculation. So today, release the need to know why things happen as they do. Instead, ask for the insight to recognize what you’re meant to learn.”– Caroline Myss, is a best-selling author and medical intuitive.

Yesterday I found myself in thoughts whirling of doubts and speculations about what is going on in this life I am living, at least trying to the best I can navigate. My mind was spinning with what if’s and I found myself jumping from one thought to another only to find myself more and more confused.

Vermont Landscape Oil Painting Woodland Birch Trees

It is not an easy job to navigate a business, a creative business none the less, along with everything that is involved in maintaining and improving my business and then I add selling this home/studio, moving to another state. I think you can get the picture. I know moving the business and myself to New Hampshire is exactly what I need, to grow and expand. What I don’t know is how I am going to pull all this off. When you cannot totally invest your energy knowing you are working towards something better and creating a home, business, or life you intend living, you become fractured and a chaotic whirlwind in the mind spins. You get lost in speculations.

I have been very thankful lately for the few people who have come to browse through the house. Some serious and others, well I got to meet some very nice wonderful people. Because of  the house situation I cannot spend the money on the high commission fees for realtors but feel very comfortable offering any realtor a 3% commission. Fair right? I am doing all the marketing and showing the house. All a realtor would have to do is think about the house when showing perspective buyers the houses in the area. This is not happening. Instead I find I am ignored and passed over which is something I really cannot understand the least bit. This leads to part of the whirlwind of endless speculation and then a neighbor decided to stop selling their house on their own informing me they are meeting with a realtor. Doubt hits hard and I find myself jumping the ship or house boat, was I wrong have I put myself in jeopardy again?

It is a core value of mine, I believe everything happens for a purpose, a lesson to learn or to find the truth of a situation. Last night I was gratefully reminded of this when talking to a dear friend about what was happening with the house or not happening. This week I got hit with a series of disappointments, big ones and I will leave it at that. The why’s not important the effect is. I was reminded to look from another perspective.

When I woke today I looked at the entirety of this life altering situation I placed myself in and found if you break it down into little portions you can see answers.  First the house will sell when it is ready to sell and not a moment sooner because the person who is out there in the universe is not ready today, but maybe tomorrow, to buy. I need to stay ready and do the work keeping it looking great. The business is growing and ideas are flowing, seeds are being planted for when I do move to New Hampshire and I will, I will be that much closer to opening a wonderful new shop. Above all else I have discovered strength faith and courage to stay the course and believe in the universe and in myself.

Yes I released the endless speculations and keep an eye on the insights the universe is showing me to learn.It would be so easy to stop and give in, not sell and make do with the life I am living. There is one huge problem with that thought or solution. I would not be living the life I am supposed to live. It is the very reason why it is messy and chaotic because I am not in the right place doing the right thing and creating what is intended for this remarkable life. For myself the easiest road has never been the right path. The hard not so traveled way has always proven the most amazing spectacular road to travel.

Keeping up with shipping costs for my etsy shop.

Today after much research into the recent increase in shipping costs by the US Postal Service I have readjusted my shipping charges in my Etsy Shop Between The Weeds. International charges went up the most at USPS but I think they are within reason though people who have shipped small things may feel a bit of a pinch. What I liked was I could drop it off at the USPS office as a shipping options for larger items or items over 12 inches, for international packages sending packages out regular post gave you a discount on the pricing. If you want to do the research and not just take an easy approach you can offer a fair price to ship out your packages to your customers still.

Etsy has a wonderful way of breaking down your shipping profiles to match your needs. For myself I ship a wide variety of items from art to furniture and just about anything in between. I have weight and size to consider when figuring out my prices for shipping. A blanket charge usually will not work and I deplore seeing them when I shop online. I use many different profiles and I have devised new shipping charges. An example is for my art I use envelopes and flat boxes but the weight is under 1lb. so I established the pricing for non bendable flat boxes leaving the weight under 1lb. giving me a realistic price. I could now send out my small art at an affordable low cost worldwide too. Next I established a weight and size of box for painted farmhouse items. Large items will still ship carrier of best option for the locality. The pricing is accurate and as usual if I overcharge my clients by 3 or more dollars I issue a refund immediately. I have also added a shipping charge for Canadian clients which is separate from the famous everywhere else option. My everywhere else option is based on shipping to the UK which works the best for me.

I ship everything wrapped up in brown paper and add a card to the twine which is tied into a bow. I tuck another card inside with a thank you and can easily add a gift card too.My goal is to give you a one of a kind shopping experience without leaving where you are at the present moment in time. Today you can order something in my shop and be sitting on a beach enjoying a tropical drink and I will busily wrap it up and send it to whom ever you need to send it to. Talk about a personal shopper.

Let me end with being a creative business entrepreneur running an online shop and keeping everything cohesive and up to date is not easy but I would not have it any other way. If you have not made it over to etsy.com or to my shop at Between The Weeds you are missing out on a gorgeous one of a kind shopping experience. I have not met one etsy shop owner who is not willing to do anything to help their customer find what they need. I personally have pointed people in another direction because I could not help. Great product from very good people. Try it today.

 

Discovery.

I just found out from a wonderful client her beautiful trunk arrived damaged. My first thought is how can I help make her happy and what can I do to fix it. As I pondered what had happened I realized it was not my error and not my fault that a shipper was so reckless. I packed the trunk carefully and when the driver picked it up asked if he thought it was wrapped correctly, he agreed and off the trunk went. My only concern at that time was my client would like it. I never thought I would hear about damage. I have researched and discovered a wonderful decorative artist that might be able to help and repair the chest.

the other corner

One corner

chunks out of leg

and another leg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though I found this a gut wrenching experience, as any artist who has sent their work, their babies, out to a new home can contest, I also know there is a valuable lesson to see. First make sure you always insure your work, I did. Secondly, the shippers is the one at fault not you, so stand up for yourself and your work and fight for what is owed to you.  I saw myself the damage trunk as my self  reflecting faulty work I created. Yet I knew I took great care in wrapping the trunk. I did not want to shake anyone up or call them out for blatant carelessness. I saw how this experience showed me how I viewed myself as someone not worthy of being treated with respect and protecting my gorgeous work. How many situations whether in business or personal life do you shrink back and feel your gut being twisted up in a ball? Why? Let me say this much it is not the situation but the feeling you need to see.

In times where every penny counts I sold something I cherished because I thought maybe I was being materialistic in holding on to the trunk. It was made to be sold and I think it was time for the trunk to go but also time for me to see the value in my own self. Through experiences we grow. It was not materialism that was the cause it was how I valued myself. Discovering the truth I held a higher love for my work than my own true self released me from the guilt of thinking I was the cause of the damaged trunk. Why do we love and cherish things over our true selves is bewildering and when you discover it inside you? Awakened  enlightenment. The big breath of knowing you got it. Lesson now learned and the light fills the spaces around you. I still have to battle and defend my work and recover what is due me but now I can stand loving respecting the deserving me.

Before it all happened.