Deep Deep Breaths or There's nothing quite as exhilerating as jumping in with very little prep

Oh boy; so I went and gone and done it.

An assortment of snowflake ornaments

The Peanut's school's PAC sent home a request for items for a silent auction that they hold as a fundraiser every year. Last year the husband and I attended the event for a short hour and a half before heading downtown to see The Watchmen (one of our all time favourite Canadian rock bands) perform at a grey cup party. While we were there, we bought the Peanut's art pieces that she made for the sale and also a few other gifts for family and friends. This year we have no other obligations and are excited to be there all night long.

The Bean's Peacock ornament I made for her last year

I've been playing with the idea of approaching them next year to have a table at the sale. It's well attended and the people who attend are there to spend some money, it's a fund raiser after all and also an amazing place to get holiday shopping done and dealt with. So I thought to get my feet wet I'd dip a toe in and offer a set of three ornaments for their silent auction and perhaps inquire about setting up a table for the following year. They replied with an invitation to set up a table this year and now I'm awash in excitement and panic in equal measure.

This Year's ornaments for the girls; the first of as many
as I can put together over the next few weeks

We have about 60 finished ornaments sitting in boxes that can be sold right away and about 60 more that can be soldered if need be. Is that enough? should I include other things? The Peacocks I created last year? I have 5 of them in various states of finished; read all done to still needing a first coat of paint. The felt trees I've been making this year? I can make about 3 or four a day if I don't embellish them with stitchery and beads.

What do I have on hand to display with? What do I need still? What should I build my banner with? Should I have one? Should I price individually or use signage since all my ornaments are the same price across the board? A Float how much change should I have on hand? Packaging, business cards, mailing list, artist bio..... on top of keeping up with the laundry, feeding the family and making sure the Peanut is picked up from school and the Bean isn't drawing on the couch with permanent marker (true story) and also dealing with her recent habit of getting up at 4, 4:30 and 5AM. I have one pretty full plate.

One of my intentions for this coming year is to take any reasonable opportunity and keep up any momentum that builds so that I keep moving forward. I could have politely declined the offer of the table. I could have stepped back and made plans for next year instead. Instead I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and accepted. I've been reading up on doing shows, I've got a list of display items I'd love to be able to put to use, some that I can only dream of and others that I have on hand and or can put together simply and elegantly (I hope).

So the roller coaster is starting up that first big hill, the trick will be to keep those cars on track after that first hill. Any good advice out there?

First Day Jitters

I've decided to have them early so that we minimize the stress next Friday when the Peanut starts her first day of kindergarten. In fact in one week we go in for our first parent teacher conference where we'll find out which teacher we get and what her days are going to be like for the first few weeks before we dive right in to full days.

The Bean is going to be one lonely baby once that starts up, she adores the Peanut, beams rays of pure joy when she plays with her. We're looking around for some play groups we can join to pick up the slack.

We've got all our school supplies and new clothes and shoes compliments of Grandma's on either side and after a whirlwind trip made by my parents for my nieces baby shower last weekend the Peanut is also sporting a trimmed head of hair too.

I'll be posting pictures of her first day next week. Here's hoping that I keep the proud Mama tears to a minimum and that they happen after we've sent her off into class.

I shot at least 130 people yesterday

And it was so much fun.

I managed to snag a project for my husband's work last week and yesterday I went in and took staff ID photos for use in the company newsletter, on their web page and for their security IDs. So out of this I get to contribute to the grocery bill this month and also book another session at Blim to make more buttons and magnets.

It was the first time I've left the Peanut and gone off to work since she came along and on the one hand it was fun getting out and being with adults all day but on the other I missed her too. I've got one more year until she's school aged and then we'll have to decide if she's going to be home schooled or if we'll be sending her off to either french immersion or regular school.

I'm of two minds about the whole thing: I'd love to home school her; I have reservations about how learning systems are set up in schools and I'd love to learn with her in a self directed manner. On the other hand I some how think that she would benefit from taking instruction from some one other than me. I've got another year of sitting on the fence. Anyone else out there go the home schooling route first off? start with school and switch to home learning? What were your reasons?