Nearly birthday time again

When I started this rad, rambling blog back on FreakinAsheville.com so long ago that I had dial-up internet, I was an angsty, wordy single mom looking for love, chocolate, and a place to pay me to write. As I creep up to another birthday, ummmmm, I’m still kinda in the same spot I was, what, 15 years ago, but I’ve certainly located the good chocolate about 7000 times over and I have speedy internet, so hey, that’s progress, right?!!

Yeah, yeah, I’ve accomplished a lot of things in that time, but some of those big things like true love and getting paid for words have remained evasive. I am cautiously optimistic as the biological odometer clicks over to a new year…you never know what good stuff lurks just around the corner.

Here’s what I’d like for my birthday in 2016:
1. If you’re a dude wildly in love with me, ‘fess up. That’d be super. Let’s make out until we have chapped faces.
2. Pay a creative person for their work. It doesn’t have to be me. Buy a book or a painting or some music from a local creative entrepreneur. Sprinkle a little love on their dreams.
3. Do something nice for a stranger. Doesn’t have to cost money. Offer a genuine compliment. Hold the door open. Let someone go in front of you in line at the grocery store. If you want to spend money, pay for a stranger’s meal or buy a gift card at whatever store you’re visiting and hand it off to someone on your way out.
4. Cake. Chocolate cake. SOOOOOO much chocolate cake that I feel obligated to eat chocolate cake three meals a day for a week.

That’s a good start. 😉

What Would My Personal Ad Say?

I haven’t gotten to the point of placing a personal ad, but I’ve considered it.

What would mine say?

Reclusive Introvert Seeks Independent Beau Who Will Mostly Go Away; Preference Given to Men Who Live Far Away, Work Really Long Hours, and/or Train for Marathons.

Pet Mom Seeks Dude Who Will Make Me Laugh Until I Snort Soda Out My Nose.

Halloween Should Be All Year Round; Message Me If You Agree!

Alpha Female; Delicate Souls Need Not Apply. Seriously. I Will Crush Your Spirit.

Here’s My Number, But, Like, Don’t Call Me; I Don’t Use My Phone For That.

I dunno.  I guess I shy away from all that personal ad business because I’m just not sure the people I adore could be summarized in 50 words or less.  I wouldn’t have picked them based on only their hobbies or their line of work.  I’m also highly dubious about selecting people like you would food off a menu.

I like road trips and great food and laughing, but, man, I gotta be by myself often so I don’t flip out.  I’m not one of those people who gets all immersed in coupledom; doesn’t mean I’m not interested or not incredibly loyal, I’m just not cut out to be joined at the hip with anyone 24/7.

Sigh.  Let’s see how the year shakes out.

 

Gettin’ My Crafty On

I haven’t been writing or working on some of my other entrepreneurial ideas as much because an opportunity popped up to share my cameo pendants at a craft show…and I also got a couple offers to consign my jewelry at local shops.  Say what?! Crazy cool.

cameosatcraftshow

I hand pour into the mold for each cameo, I hand paint each one and add shading,  and then I assemble the whole shebang.  I have some traditional cameos of women in profile, but I prefer to make the more gothy ones with skulls and fairies.  Cameos for your inner badass.  Cameos for the rock n roller at heart.  I’m pondering putting these on Etsy, too.

The interest in these is so exciting, because I freakin’ love making them.  We’ll see what happens next!

Another Christmas Behind Us…

Another Christmas behind us. Another Yule gone. Santa still sucks as far as I’m concerned…no winter wonderland jewelry commercials came to life, no magical surprises. That bites, ya’ll. I want magic, sprinkles, fairies, dragons, jewels, laughter and amazingness. I want all this and more in 2016. More hammocks. More naps. More books. So let’s make it so.

In 2016, I will have the following amazingness and MORE:

delicious naps with no alarm clock, a great book in hand and another waiting in the wings, intuition on overdrive, coffee with friends, dessert with friends, cuddles with the critters, allowing people to adore me, unexpected opportunities to earn money, wonderful concerts, love letters that arrive via snail mail, snail mail that has happy notes in it, generosity, more of those naps, bubble baths without interruption, time to write, time to craft.

I am ready to let more good stuff in, 2016. Let’s overflow 2016 with awesomeness.

craigslist buyers are nuts

I listed something on craigslist.  What it was doesn’t matter.  I listed the thing at less than half what I paid for it; new the thing was $240, and I listed it at $100.  Posted photos.  Description ripped off directly from the manufacturer so no detail was spared.  Cash only.  Meet up in West Ashevegas only.  Serious inquiries only.  Blah blah blah.

Emails came flooding in…”will you take $30 and some candles?”  “I could buy this in like two weeks maybe.”  “Would you bring it to Tennessee?”

Ummm. No.

“I’ll meet you Sunday at 6 pm if you’ll do $80.”

Ok.

Fine.

No show.

“I’ll meet you Monday at 5.  Would you take $75?”

Uggg, after loading the heavy thing up and having a no show, fine.

…aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand…no show.

Next person sent SIXTEEN emails of questions before agreeing to buy it on Tuesday.

…and texted me about 15 minutes before the meeting time to say he’d changed his mind.

WTF?! Are people just insane? Do they just want to be email pen pals with someone so desperately that they’ll correspond with craigslist sellers with no intention to buy?  I have never replied to a craigslist sales ad without the intention to buy that day, so this transaction has annoyed the hell out of me.

When someone messaged me on Wednesday about the thing, saying he really wanted the thing and it was just what he’d been looking for at a price he could finally afford, I was so skeptical because at that point, I was thinking if this dude doesn’t show up, I am not selling anything else on craigslist ever again.  But he showed up! So eager to buy, in fact, that he beat me to the meeting place.  SOLD!  Thank goodness for a few normal human beings amidst the crazies.

pleasing others less

Pleasing others less is working well.  Now, I don’t mean willfully displeasing people.  I mean not caring if my choices make other people happy, only caring if my choices make me happy.  When I care what others think or will say, I am not saying/doing/writing/being what I want.  I am not being real when I put the concerns of others high on my list.  Again, not being willfully mean or harmful to others: I mean just not caring if they approve or not.

Examples include: wearing my yoga pants to the grocery store without caring if anyone thinks it’s appropriate attire; working on my new business site without worrying over who will like the content or the business and who will think it’s dumb; writing this blog without censoring my thoughts; planning my next ebook(s) without concern over negative comments or approval.  It feels lighter, freer to do things for myself.  Sure, I’d love it if the world applauded my every choice, but that will never happen, so might as well just enjoy the moments.

Was it Dita Von Teese who said something like “you might be the ripest juiciest peach in the world and there will always be someone who doesn’t like peaches?” Yeah, so I’m gonna be my ripe juicy self and to hell with those that don’t like peaches.