Tangible Tidbits 2010 #20: This Is It!

Well, the deed is done. I am now a full-time entrepreneur, for better or worse. My last day at Registrar and Transfer Company was this past Friday. I will miss many friends and coworkers...I worked there just shy of four years. It will be a major adjustment for me not having to get up and leave the house to get to the office by 8:00 a.m. anymore, but I think this is a positive change for me overall. I'll just have to discipline myself to treat this new endeavor like a "real" job and not slack off like I'm on an extended vacation! :o

Speaking of my new endeavor, I delivered seven pieces today to go on display at the Oceanic Free Library in Rumson as part of the Bead Society of New Jersey (BSNJ) fundraiser for the Library throughout June. The not-for-profit Library will receive 20% of all sales, so if you are within traveling distance, go check it out! :)

There are quite a few projects I had put on the back burner due to time constraints, so my first goal is to get those completed. Anyone still waiting on me about a project that did not have a predetermined delivery date, expect to hear from me soon! :)

I just purchased a book called Beautiful Beaded Bags from Amazon.com...for only $4! It will be a while before I get to take a good look at it, but at first glance, it seems like there are lots of kewl projects in there! ;) I also have three DVD sets on wire jewelry techniques and a number of kits that I have purchased from guest speakers at recent BSNJ meetings, which I will be exploring this summer before school starts back up again. Be on the lookout for a bunch of new and different projects soon!

For anyone interested in learning more about steampunk, we've added the PowerPoint presentation I created for school to the website. You can click on the "What is Steampunk?" box on the Home, Artist Bio and Blog pages of the Something Tangible website. Not bad for my first attempt at a PowerPoint presentation, if I do say so myself! ;)

On the personal front, I'm coming out of a very emotional period...or at least attempting to come out of it. Lots of sudden changes, and not all pleasant ones. I still have some "unfinished business" to address, which I hope to take care of this week with a visit to the cemetery. I'm not a big cemetery goer in general...I kind of think I can talk to my loved ones on the other side from anywhere and they will (hopefully) hear me. However, friends from the "La Femme Nikita" fandom will recall that I went to a good friend's grave a couple of years ago with a few others. We "decorated" it with a bunch of items that represented our collective relationship(s) and had a toast with Mudslides, her favorite drink. It was a good way for us to say our own private good-bye, especially since we couldn't attend the funeral. Anyway, I feel the need to visit another friend, probably because his death was so sudden and very hard for me to accept. I came to learn a long time ago that I never really "get over" someone's death. I just learn to "get through" it and live with the loss. :\

On a brighter note, I hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekend! It's unusually warm again here in New Jersey. :p My two nieces are both in the Memorial Day Parade tomorrow in Warren, NJ; one with the Girl Scouts and the other with her Daisy Troop. Mom and I will go cheer them on.

Stay cool and be safe! :)

Tangible Tidbits 2010 #17: Happy Mother's Day...What's Left Of It!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day. My sister and brother-in-law took us all (the two of them, my two nieces, Mom, and me) to The Melting Pot for Mother's Day...part of their gift to Mom. The kids don't eat much, but they love putting everything in the fondue pots for us. :) I posted a photo of the Memory Wire bracelet I made for Mom in the GALLERY on the website and on the Something Tangible LLC Facebook Fan Page. I also gave her "The Thorn Birds" on DVD...something to keep her occupied after she retires July 1. ;)

Things are going okay with the business..."Slow and steady wins the race," as my grandfather used to say. I have three orders to deliver tomorrow. My presentation book made its way around the office last week. I kind of shocked everyone with my decision to take the voluntary layoff. Unfortunately, one of my colleagues must not have liked me being the center of attention, so he had to make himself the center of attention by dying suddenly on Tuesday. He was only 41 and we don't know exactly what happened yet. Such a waste! He was a good man and a good friend. I will miss him terribly...I already do. :(

So, with this abrupt change in personnel, I have extended my stay at Registrar and Transfer Company by a couple of weeks...until the end of May. They certainly didn't expect to replace both of us at the same time! :\

The final critique for my MSU class was this past week (the same day my friend died, to be exact). I've posted my school projects in the Non-Gemstone Items section of the Store on the website and on the Facebook Fan Page. Check them out when you get a chance! :)

Have a good week! And stay safe and healthy! ;)