Back in Action

Sunday - Coffee and Cake
weekly musings, articles and mostly babble...


Back In Action It's been a busy few days, and for a change I feel like I'm on track with things! Including doing some new stuff like furthering my web presence on the blog, getting more exposure for the Monday Magic-ers by bringing them into the Etsy Treasuries, even getting a few new prints on the go :) I also sold a copy of Coco Pink earlier in the week which brightened my spirits and a lot of my efforts in recent days have has really positive responses from all that have been involved (and especially the kind few that have returned kind gestures of their own!)
I thought to myself on Monday that it'd be great if I could bring more views in for the Monday people that manage to get featured and thought I'd see what would happen if I created an Etsy Treasury, themed on our newest stars to Etsy... and it has had a tremendous response, I have to say I am really pleased with the feedback so far and I have decided that every Monday Magic group will get inclusion in any treasury I manage to grab (you have to fight for the things!) from here on. I don't know how many people pay attention to the stats of sellers when they find shops and items through Etsy search, or even if anyone checks Etsy pounce regularly which I do try and do because you never know what little surprises you may find with the emerging talents as opposed to what is already known to be fabulous with the established Etsians. I think the treasury on top of the Monday Magic post, although only focusing on 12-16 sellers a week is a step in the right direction for giving the newbies a chance to shine and get acknowledged before they and their items get smothered under the increasing amount of items and sellers adding themselves to Etsy every day. It's something anyway!
A couple of people got in touch with me with lovely kind gestures of their own which I thought was very nice of them, and wanted to give them a shout out because they're so lovely!
TurcoArts, a fellow photographer may I add sent me a message thanking me for showing interest in their work and offering 10% off any purchases, not only for me but anyone that I refer to his store in the future. I told him I'd mention this in the blog which I know made him quite happy and to remind anyone that visits his store from the link on here that plans to buy a photograph, to let him know that you had a referal from moonangelnay! Also I wanted to share a gesture from Wintergarden on Etsy whom kindly included my print Against the Grain in her gorgeous spotlight on byhand.me which is well worth checking out, its a stunning collection of items as is her store of beautiful knitted flowers! Thanks ever so much for that!
So regarding the community my fingers have been very busy on my keyboard! In my own little world however when not chasing my son and being booted from the inside by the baby.. and housework, I have somehow found the time to get a couple of new prints and like I said earlier, get some further word out about things like the blog and also my store... Infact I made an interesting discovery earlier whilst checking out the vault on CraftCults heart-o-matic site and found out that my print Twilight Rose had made the front page on Etsy on September the 18th 2009!!!! LOL! I never knew! I wish Etsy would tell people when they make the front page! At least I know why it's had a zillion views!

Anyways I'll leave the rambling at that as I have a new week to focus on after this and more newbies to find!

moonangelnay x

SUNDAY... Coffee and Cake

Sunday - Coffee and Cake
weekly musings, articles and mostly babble...




Sinuses, Snow and Slipped Stiches Well I think I'll apologise to begin with as my poor blog, Etsy and general internet activity have been on a virtual standstill for over a month now. I have slowly began doing little things like last week as you are aware, Monday Magic is back in action and regarding Etsy, I have popped into the forums a couple of times as well as catching up with my relists (as opposed to them catching up with me!). I honestly thought it was bad when I was running around helping mum and getting consumed by Christmas and I can't believe how hard it hit me, only the week before the big day I had the worst chesty cough imaginable that literally stopped me from doing anything. Bless my other half for doing as much as he could to help me regarding my son. It was bloody awful, each cough threw me into long coughing fits and I won't even go into the amount of tissue boxes I went through lol!!! Funnily enough my best day was Christmas day itself, where to my relief I was able to cook our lovely Christmas meal, as well as enjoy all the fun that the day brought to our household! Then to my dismay, Boxing day I started getting jaw and face pains, couldn't breath most of the time and generally looked like the living dead. Diagnosis... sinusitis! I still have it mildly now!!! but back then I was lucky if I could make it to the bathroom without writhing all the way there... I have never had any sort of winter bug like this. So as you can guess that is why my usual Etsy and Blog activity had to stop!
The past 2 weeks I have been able to get on with things again, so my priorities have been housework and knitting... knitting because in the days where I could barely move, it was the one thing I wanted to do the most, that I couldn't!!!! LOL! So I'm getting that out of my system to treat myself! so far I have made 2 hats and about to start a beautiful blanket for our new baby girl who is now in her 24th week residing in my tummy :) Not long now before she's here!
Another joy recently has been able to make the most of the crazy weather we've been getting in the UK. Around Christmas time when we had a bit of snow, but I was unable to get out and be a happy snapper being so unwell :( So the past couple of weeks have been wonderful, and besides working on some gorgeous new prints I have been able to have the best snow wars with my little boy and other half! Well worth the wait if you ask me! When you're not able to do much for yourself for weeks at a time, things like heavy snow, despite how much everyone around you seems to hate it is a real special thing to enjoy!
Anyways! Here is to health, knitting and some blooming independance! Hurrah!

moonangelnay x

SUNDAY... Coffee and Cake

Sunday - Coffee and Cake
weekly musings, articles and mostly babble...




Puppies! Hello! Oh my goodness, I have had a mental couple of weeks. I don't know if I said before but I have had a partner in crime when it comes to pregnancy and 2 weeks ago she had her babies! SEVEN of them!!!! Thank goodness she's a doggy that's all I can say lol! but WOW! What an experience! I was out with my partner and son when I first heard the news. Specifically standing under a doorway in the middle of the city center eating a cheese and onion pasty when my mum called me to tell me "Sascha" was in labour! I had been asked to assist the birth you see so after wolfing down my lunch I had to speed back to the car and make a move, yet before we even properly got going she called me back to say the first had been born! We were so excited, and knowing how big Sascha was we knew we had to get to my mums as fast as possible so not to miss the rest although the boys weren't going to join in on the spectacle so they just dropped me off. Unfortunately after I arrived it was another 2 and a half hours before puppy number 2 was born! couldn't believe it! And to top it off she was still massive so we knew there were more.... 6 hours later and all 7 had popped out! What a girl! And I moan about the trouble I have carrying one! LOL! Well I must say I felt very privalaged that Sascha allowed me to be "midwife" and very hands on at her birth, considering dogs are very private and protective at that stage. Poor thing had a terrible life prior to being rescued by my mum. She's still a puppy herself, under a year old and has seen abuse no one should see so early in their life at the hands of her previous owners and who knows who else. I think that may be why she was glad of the support, which has been a moving thought for both myself and my mum. Bless her. Well this is the reason I've not been so attentive to the blog, as being the more dog savvy I have been making frequent visits to assist my mum and advise too when it has come to the pups and their mum! Anyways I'll post their progress over the weeks for those that are interested! For now I'm off to play with my lil boy :)

Moonangelnay x

SUNDAY... Coffee and Cake

Sunday - Coffee and Cake
weekly musings, articles and mostly babble...






Reflection on Inadequacy
Ahhhh, to think it was only a week ago that I was having the panic of the century over losing the internet... I have been thinking about it and to be fair as much as my Etsy work and Blog had come to a standstill, the fact I was pretty ill that weekend with the Rotavirus came at a good time as believe me there was absolutely no way I was going to get anything done whilst living in the bathroom for a few days! Yet it left me feeling insecure which is something I have spent the week trying to reflect upon. That tech guy was right about one thing throughout his non-discreet sexist insults. People do heavily rely on the internet, whether it be for work in my case or just for fun in many cases. Being a stay at home mum I really do find that my escape only comes in the form of doing my own thing, and being busy about it... and I do get that from trying to get my business working as I am passionate about being an artist, and also about the handmade community. I guess being the drama queen that I am, the loss over that weekend left me feeling helpless and ordinary which was amplified by having a nasty bug to contend with! But it's funny how I really did feel a bit insecure without that little bit of independance I rarely get in other forms. Shows how much I love what I do!
But it got me thinking like I say about the lessons being laid out for me. I spent one of the mornings this week, having being blessed with a lie in! chatting to the other half about it. For as long as I can remember I have felt pretty inadequate and small in such a big world... events as they do, happened to make it worse... Like never knowing my dad, going through puberty before I reached 9, having relationships that stripped me of my self esteem are but a few examples which could have been worse, but did unfortunately leave me feeling fearful of losing things that DID give me confidence in myself. Then god bless my fortune, I met my current partner and have lived a very happy life ever since. Surely I should just feel better about everything now! I guess it doesn't work as easily as that... However I do know that I really sould be feeling good about things now, and reached an epiphany when I finally said to myself that I was actually being an absolute retard thinking in any other way! The past is the past come on woman! Seriously, I think it is so easy to fall into the trap of inadequacy you forget to remember that when good things are around, you ARE actually allowed to recognise it and reflect it within! I see so many sad stories in the news about people taking their own lives, or murdering other people due to their own feeling of self loathing and it goes to show the extremes that can come out of true fear. I feel I have learnt a valuble lesson having my partner and son as my guides this week, that true blessings really are disguised if you're the one throwing walls up at every possibility. I think the reason I am an artist and developed an interest in photography in recent years is not just the idea of my soul trying to project the beauty I see in the world, but mirroring the beauty I have been desperate to see in myself for so many years. It makes me more grateful to be doing what I am, whether business can be slow like all of us handmade lot know and experience daily. I understand why i felt lost this weekend, and it has only made me fall deeper in love with art, nature and who I am.

Moonangelnay x

SUNDAY... Coffee and Cake

Sunday - Coffee and Cake
weekly musings, articles and mostly babble...





I have had a pretty good week for a change when it comes to getting things done, so you've probably noticed already i finally have new prints in my store... 6 infact!!! go me! I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself up until i managed to fashion organisation into my head at some point about 6 days ago, and since I have been on fire! I've even managed to get a tonne of housework done!

At the same time I have been celebrating reaching the second trimester this week, managing to get a hospital appointment for a dating scan after all hell broke loose last week with my GP and chosen hospital since my referal had magically disappeared weeks ago, which frighteningly left me with no place to have the baby! A million phone calls later, and I am now looking forward to my first appointment this week *sighs*. yes! and yesterday I had a Halloween party with my other half, son and his lil friends. That was a good end to a busy week. All in all I am happy... OHHHHHHHHH and to top it all off yesterday I was also asked if I wanted to showcase my work in a shopping event at the Warwickshire Exhibition Center which left me elated at the prospect!!! Emphasis on prospect... my only downer... that I may not be able to do it, but I am awaiting more information to see if I can because, OMG my own little stall in an EXHIBITION CENTER... WOOP!!!! Also I have previously turned down 2 other opportunities this year like it and I REALLY dont want to have to for this one because of the usual money issues... short term ones I mean, as obviously longer term it would be a good spend as I would sell the work and make up for it, but unfortunately the short term really does leave the whole idea in question so I need to think very hard and carefully about it... and HOPEFULLY, I'll be able to do it! I'm so chuffed that I had been found on Etsy and asked to take part. I guess even if I can't it's a nice feeling to think that event organisers 3 times this year have liked what I do enough to go out of their way to find and contact me!

So whilst I'm puffed up with pride and achievement this week I think I'll leave this short entry here for this Sunday :)

SUNDAY... Coffee and Cake

Sunday - Coffee and Cake
weekly musings, articles and mostly babble...



I'm currently in the process of discovering the classic joys of pregnancy as most of you probably know from my previous Sunday post, and so far this week I've been under the hopeful (yet very naive) belief that because I am approaching the 2nd Trimester, all of the lovely things that have been happening to me lately will cease to plague my days. However I am wondering if I'm going to be one of the lucky ladies that lives in the 1st trimester throughout the entire 40 week period, as so far I haven't noticed any let up in my pregnancy symptoms. Only that they appear to be getting worse! Eek!

When I was pregnant with my son I loved the fact that despite having physical trauma towards the start, and the need for chiropractic care 4 times a week for many months I was pretty fortunate to not experience morning sickness, nor the loss of appetite thing and the like... but bloomin heck, I dont know what's worse at the moment. It's pretty frightening actually, as I'm sure highly amusing for anyone that watches me heaving 100s of times a day, but I have completely lost my desire for food, and because my sense of smell seems to be amplified, any food stuffs I approach sets off this uncontrollable need to be sick. It's terrible and I don't know what to do about it. If it was just the sickness that's fair enough but to loose my desire for food and find every smell I come across physically unbearable worries me a lot, particularly as it seems to be getting worse. I hear a lot of women get this problem but I never imagined morning sickness to go as far as this. I look forward to the day that I dont have to retch all the way through my cooking and spend millions of years trying to get through meals, I only hope that it lets up soon!


Despite the fun and games, I have been back on form all week enjoying finding lots of newbies to help promote and making the necessary alterations in my store (slowly but surely). Glad to have successfully managed it all too in amongst all the goings on at home too, but I have felt that despite the changes something feels a bit empty. The great things I think have been making more time for myself on top of my usual duties, but for some reason there is this feeling that with the blog in particular there is a need for something more. I have been considering adding a new weekly post, which I thought could involve linking to helpful resources, focusing on the arts, design, marketing, business... you know, the generally need to know's for I guess a lot of people trying to work from home as there is SOOOO much that I have found to be handy myself, and not enough venues that list all the need to knows in one place. I personally have 1000s of links bookmarked in my browser and most of the time I'm driven nutty trying to go through what I find to be particularly helpful to me, as my internet habits normally involve me coming across these kind of things then bookmarking them for later reading (lack of time factor). As I do have a lot of good one's (that I have managed to check out) I know for me and anyone that's interested, to have them all available in one place will be handy for future reference. This will all need planning though as I still havent worked out how to make this idea an organised idea, nor how I plan to catagorize topics on the blog to keep things minimal yet accessible. So this one is one that'll come in time. I'll keep ya posted :)

I think maybe I'll end this one for today, as the week has been more of an adjustment to changes than interesting things to share that have occured so hopefully next week I'll have a lot more to talk about, now that I'm back into the swing of things!

Kettle And Me

I had a bit of fun earlier with a kettle and my camera whilst the boys were out and figured it was internet worthy. What could I possibly do with my camera and a kettle? (ho!) To be honest I don't even know what sparked the idea, but after the morning coffee I suddenly felt inspired to pull faces and take pictures... i love the way its distorted my head in all the pictures. Either completely over or undersized lol!!! Yeah I know I can be pretty basic! enjoy!

Frog ^_^

Well, I said I'd go to bed last night but actually... well I didn't. Lol. It was another 2am-er and I have pretty much spent today in complete zombie mode which hasn't been good for anyone, let alone myself! To be fair though I think that if I didn't begin working the way I am doing, I'd be sitting in the same position I've been complaining about for months in a weeks time thinking that something is out to steal my time away from me. When ultimately I have the choice to make time, and considering I do get little time being a mum n all, the late nights are necessary. It won't be forever. I just need to keep reminding myself of that! So yes, today... I barely remember it that's how tired I have been. I vaguely remember watering my vegetables, and the usual getting grumpy with my computer, oh and having to scold my little boy a few times because he's been hitting a lot today. Dunno why though, he had a good nap. Probably mirroring my mood! But yeah it's not a good thing that the portion before the other half's return from work is a blur. After however it has been a little more productive. Boring things like research, housework, cooking... but then the FROG appeared!
We have a tortoise called fluffy who has been missing in the garden for a few days, and whilst the other half was looking for her, he found the cutest little frog, whom Yukio befriended and was SOOOOO good and gentle with it. I was just amazed at how sweet he was holding him and gently popping him on the lawn to let him go free. He's not even 2 yet but he has this nurturing concept down to a t. Incredible little boy, he never ceases to amaze me, even when he is a bit of a grouch (i guess he's entitled to this week, head injury n all)!
enjoy the pics!

moonangelnay xxx

Ho Hum...

I'm at a standstill today. It's been a few days since updating Etsy last (or maybe a week???), and I feel befuddled and fatigued to the point where now that the lil' one is napping and I actually have some time, I can't work out where to begin with the mountain of tasks I know I must do at some point. Is this normal in the land of toddler mums? LOL I only know a few people with kids the age of my son but man!!! I just seem to be someplace else right now. I'd love to curl up with a coffee actually, although I think that's the ID in me doing the tempting thing, as I know yestrday I completely over did the coffee and spent the day jittering and being grumpy!

I love my son to bits despite the fact he's been mr night owl for the past few days. He's fab at sleeping through the night, and I'm pretty lucky really as I still confront gaping mouths when I tell my friends that he's been this way since way before his first birthday. But I'm starting to think that maybe he's doing the sleepless nights thing to me in reverse LOL!!! Ahhhh but he's so cute, I still shower him with kisses even if my eyes feel like they are about to hit the floor :D
So probably the only organised and sensible thing I have done so far today is to cancel a dinner date for us both with my mum as I could do with the early night, and I doubt motorists on the street would appreciate a dancing car waving past them. I'm a bit gutted though as I hoped to take Yukio to Hickory Dickory (a big ol' jungle gym type place)... always tomorrow though! Instead I may see if some fresh air will rid me of my headache and keep young mr entertained this afternoon.

In the meantime I'd better crack on with some work whilst I can! My latest update due on etsy in the next hour is a new fave of mine. I'll have to make one for myself I think! I'm bound to post a picture of it by the end of today so keep an eye out for it, and in the meantime take a peek at my other items if you have the time. Love to all xxxxxxx moonangelnay.etsy.com

Timing!

I havent really had much luck with this but it seems there's a knack for listing stuff on etsy and getting the correct time of day to do it so your stuff is acknowledged! It's a pain but it really is a disadvantage being here in the UK unless I list stuff in the wee hours of the morning! Not practical with t'little one on board! Well... Anyway, I have a weekend of me time to crack on with much stuff so I'll have a good opportunity to work it all out, and maybe read a book or two! :D