round up: ramping up

David and I joke about this. I'm round and sweet, and he's dark, bitter, and everyone loves him (including me).

There is very little balance at home right now. Our flat is a whirlwind of paper scraps and papier mâché from Sunday night through Tuesday afternoon when I do the majority of my work and then have recovered enough to straighten up. The One Kings Lane sale went so well that I have been asked to provide cards and ornaments for another artisan sale starting November 21st. I also just delivered a big order of ornaments to Rare Device and to the set of my online class coming up on Friday, and I am feeling really happy and extremely lucky to have stumbled onto this work for now.

Everything else is a little out of whack, though. I remember the days where my only goal was to get one donut post out a week while I was home with Oliver. Now I am in the mode where I can't stop anything I'm doing. Can't stop putting feelers out for more opportunities, can't catch up with what I'm doing right now, and feeling totally exhilarated. But boy is our place taking a hit in the cleanliness department. David has picked up the slack big time, but I am dreaming of the day (hopefully soon) where papel SF is getting so many orders that I can justify renting a studio space, preferably shared with David so he can enjoy it as well. Coming soon with any luck.

For now it's a conscious effort to make sure the kids get enough attention, that I bathe and that I am still home cooking most nights. I am putting my mind to all those things that suffer when I get in "work mode", because I know there is balance to be found there. It just takes the kind of effort that everything else does and it is important to take the time to figure out how all of it can work together harmoniously. I'm planting the seeds now which usually assures I'll have acted on it in a few months, because I always change at a glacial pace.

Below are few photos from the past few weeks. Not a lot to take photos of around here, besides the mess!

I received my copy of German Couch Magazine with a short piece on my braided basket.

Waiting for the bus with Oliver's preschool for a Dia de Los Muertos field trip to honor their fallen fish.

Persimmon time. I adore crisp fuyu persimmons, but here are my hachiya persimmon pudding donuts, which I love just as much!

Oliver is allowed to pick at and play with my eggshell casualties. Here, goose eggshells.

Stella's idea of an awesome Saturday. Mine, too.

Everything happens here, including a donut project up on the shelf that I may never find time to finish and share!

Oliver and his schoolmates.

Oliver's calavera. Look at the control on those teeth! Beyond is their altar for their beta fish.

That's all for now. I'd love for you tune in to watch my DIY Holiday Woodland Ornament class coming up Friday morning at 9:00 PST with creativeLIVE. Click here to register to see it for free (you can always purchase it and other great classes to download for use any time as well). If you watch it, PLEASE let me know. Any and all critiques are welcome! We had the pre-production meeting today and I'm still nervous, but I'm pretty excited as well.

Have a great weekend! xoxo