I'm trying this out for a while:
http://graceacoustic.tumblr.com
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
a new direction
First of all, I do realize that I told you I had a surprise that would come after the last post once I'd given you enough time to watch the video. Well, I hope you watched the video - you've definitely had plenty of time - but my surprise didn't work out the way I'd hoped. I wanted to take a picture to show you, but it doesn't quite come out in the picture: I got a tattoo. A white one. It's on my left inner forearm, and it says "i am enough."
I've had many a conversation about tattoos with people. I've always been intrigued but there's never, ever been any single thing that has been important enough to me to put it permanently on my body... until I saw Brene Brown's Ted Talk. The moment I finished watching the video, I knew I wanted to tattoo "i am enough" on my left inner forearm, and the next day, I did! I chose white because it wouldn't stand out - I think some tattoos look super unnatural - but instead it blends into the skin like a scar. More like a part of me. It hurt less than I thought it would, and more than I thought it would. Corbin held my hand the entire time. And though I wish I had spent a little more time planning what I wanted to look like, I'm really happy that I got it!
p.s... I've already got an idea for my next tattoo.
Alright, now for another new direction! I've begun an adventure that may or may not pan out for me, but I am particularly psyched out of my mind about it (Elf anyone?).... I've started a business. On Etsy. Well, it's not on Etsy yet... it's still in start-up mode... but I've mailed in my Articles of Organization to establish Grace Acoustic, LLC under which I will do business as Acoustic Handmade on Etsy. I will be making and selling lip balm.
So, here's how this started. All of my life I've had issues with my lips peeling (ew gross, I know), so for years and years and years I tried chapstick after lip balm after lip gloss, never really finding that perfect product for my lips. I even got a lip balm-making kit from Martha Stewart and had an awesome time making it. The peeling problem has improved incredibly over the years, but I'm still very picky about what I apply to my smackers. So last week, when I spent a few days on Etsy and became obsessed and decided I had to be a part of it, I realized that the creativity I could contribute is in lip balm. I have the chance to make it awesome and then make some money on it!
So research mode started. Do I need to do something legal about this? What kind of taxes do I pay? How do I do this? I figured out that if this thing does blow up and I make enough money to have to pay taxes on it, then my life will be a billion times easier if I've already taken care of tax and business stuff. So I decided to establish a business and get a tax ID. I also knew that I would have to be super organized, keeping track of absolutely everything, so I bought the supplies I needed to do so (a filing box, folders, etc), made an excel spreadsheet to keep track of expenses, and opened a checking account exclusively for business.
Research on the lip balm itself commenced. I searched for recipes. I searched for supplies. I read blogs. I scoured Etsy for other people who sell lip balm and asked them questions (the people on Etsy are so ridiculously helpful, even to somebody who may be their competition!). I found a remarkable website where I was able to find nearly everything I needed - Majestic Mountain Sage (thesage.com). I purchased my first round of supplies - containers, ingredients - and broke down the prices of all the ingredients to figure out how much it would cost me in supplies to make the lip balm.
Now I'm just waiting for the supplies to arrive so I can start COOKIN'!! I'm so ridiculously excited to experiment with ingredients and flavors and scents. And then test them on people. I'm also in the midst of designing a label, which will be awesome and professional-looking.
New and exciting things!
Oh by the way. I got to talking with a client that I was shampooing today (I work in a salon, remember?) and, through our conversation, we realized that I am all over the map. I went to JMU wanting to be a theater major. Then I was a business major. Then a religion major, film studies minor, music minor. Then I decided I wanted to be a music supervisor. Then I decided I wanted to go to culinary school. Then I decided not to go to culinary school, but I still wanted to work in a kitchen. Then I decided I didn't want the fast-paced nature of cooking for money, so I looked for an administrative position because I like organization and tasks. And now that I'm in that position (which I love, by the way!), I'm starting a business selling lip balm on the side.
Who am I!? I'm crazy. But I love it.
I've had many a conversation about tattoos with people. I've always been intrigued but there's never, ever been any single thing that has been important enough to me to put it permanently on my body... until I saw Brene Brown's Ted Talk. The moment I finished watching the video, I knew I wanted to tattoo "i am enough" on my left inner forearm, and the next day, I did! I chose white because it wouldn't stand out - I think some tattoos look super unnatural - but instead it blends into the skin like a scar. More like a part of me. It hurt less than I thought it would, and more than I thought it would. Corbin held my hand the entire time. And though I wish I had spent a little more time planning what I wanted to look like, I'm really happy that I got it!
p.s... I've already got an idea for my next tattoo.
Alright, now for another new direction! I've begun an adventure that may or may not pan out for me, but I am particularly psyched out of my mind about it (Elf anyone?).... I've started a business. On Etsy. Well, it's not on Etsy yet... it's still in start-up mode... but I've mailed in my Articles of Organization to establish Grace Acoustic, LLC under which I will do business as Acoustic Handmade on Etsy. I will be making and selling lip balm.
So, here's how this started. All of my life I've had issues with my lips peeling (ew gross, I know), so for years and years and years I tried chapstick after lip balm after lip gloss, never really finding that perfect product for my lips. I even got a lip balm-making kit from Martha Stewart and had an awesome time making it. The peeling problem has improved incredibly over the years, but I'm still very picky about what I apply to my smackers. So last week, when I spent a few days on Etsy and became obsessed and decided I had to be a part of it, I realized that the creativity I could contribute is in lip balm. I have the chance to make it awesome and then make some money on it!
So research mode started. Do I need to do something legal about this? What kind of taxes do I pay? How do I do this? I figured out that if this thing does blow up and I make enough money to have to pay taxes on it, then my life will be a billion times easier if I've already taken care of tax and business stuff. So I decided to establish a business and get a tax ID. I also knew that I would have to be super organized, keeping track of absolutely everything, so I bought the supplies I needed to do so (a filing box, folders, etc), made an excel spreadsheet to keep track of expenses, and opened a checking account exclusively for business.
Research on the lip balm itself commenced. I searched for recipes. I searched for supplies. I read blogs. I scoured Etsy for other people who sell lip balm and asked them questions (the people on Etsy are so ridiculously helpful, even to somebody who may be their competition!). I found a remarkable website where I was able to find nearly everything I needed - Majestic Mountain Sage (thesage.com). I purchased my first round of supplies - containers, ingredients - and broke down the prices of all the ingredients to figure out how much it would cost me in supplies to make the lip balm.
Now I'm just waiting for the supplies to arrive so I can start COOKIN'!! I'm so ridiculously excited to experiment with ingredients and flavors and scents. And then test them on people. I'm also in the midst of designing a label, which will be awesome and professional-looking.
New and exciting things!
Oh by the way. I got to talking with a client that I was shampooing today (I work in a salon, remember?) and, through our conversation, we realized that I am all over the map. I went to JMU wanting to be a theater major. Then I was a business major. Then a religion major, film studies minor, music minor. Then I decided I wanted to be a music supervisor. Then I decided I wanted to go to culinary school. Then I decided not to go to culinary school, but I still wanted to work in a kitchen. Then I decided I didn't want the fast-paced nature of cooking for money, so I looked for an administrative position because I like organization and tasks. And now that I'm in that position (which I love, by the way!), I'm starting a business selling lip balm on the side.
Who am I!? I'm crazy. But I love it.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Were you ever really listening like I want for you to listen now?
1. That line is from an Avett Brothers song. It's beautiful. And I have a deep love for the Avett Brothers despite the fact that I haven't even heard all of their music. Please love them also.
2. A few weeks ago I decided that the culinary career path is not for me. I love to cook, but I do not want to cook for a living, so culinary school is off the table (and I'm totally happy and at peace about that!). Because of this decision, I also decided that working at Liza Jane's was no longer for me. It's a good place, but I think it was the combination of my recent decision and the fact that it was start-up -- not steady, no system in place yet, still feeling out the market -- that made me feel like it wasn't for me. So...
3. I found myself a new job. Given that I didn't want to work in food anymore, I looked for administrative/receptionist/office positions. It took little to no time to find myself a position as the receptionist for La Bella Hair Studio, a small salon in west end Richmond (corner of Patterson and Three Chopt for you locals). There are three stylists and a receptionist (me!) so it's a small operation, which I like. There's something I love about the organization of it - the list of tasks that need to be completed, the computer work, the schedule/database upkeep. I really like it a lot! I'm about to finish week two.
4. I have discovered that I need two days off per week. Period. I worked six days a week at Liza Jane's and it just did not cut it. At La Bella, I get Sunday and Monday off. It's awesome. And my schedule is still such tha tI can go home and cook dinner -- and, better yet, I have the energy to cook dinner. Like.
5. I have something very important to share with you. Please watch it, because it's important to me and important in general. And once you've watched it, I have a special surprise, to come in the next week or so... once I've given you all enough time to watch the video! :) FYI, it's 20 minutes and worth it.
She changed me.
2. A few weeks ago I decided that the culinary career path is not for me. I love to cook, but I do not want to cook for a living, so culinary school is off the table (and I'm totally happy and at peace about that!). Because of this decision, I also decided that working at Liza Jane's was no longer for me. It's a good place, but I think it was the combination of my recent decision and the fact that it was start-up -- not steady, no system in place yet, still feeling out the market -- that made me feel like it wasn't for me. So...
3. I found myself a new job. Given that I didn't want to work in food anymore, I looked for administrative/receptionist/office positions. It took little to no time to find myself a position as the receptionist for La Bella Hair Studio, a small salon in west end Richmond (corner of Patterson and Three Chopt for you locals). There are three stylists and a receptionist (me!) so it's a small operation, which I like. There's something I love about the organization of it - the list of tasks that need to be completed, the computer work, the schedule/database upkeep. I really like it a lot! I'm about to finish week two.
4. I have discovered that I need two days off per week. Period. I worked six days a week at Liza Jane's and it just did not cut it. At La Bella, I get Sunday and Monday off. It's awesome. And my schedule is still such tha tI can go home and cook dinner -- and, better yet, I have the energy to cook dinner. Like.
5. I have something very important to share with you. Please watch it, because it's important to me and important in general. And once you've watched it, I have a special surprise, to come in the next week or so... once I've given you all enough time to watch the video! :) FYI, it's 20 minutes and worth it.
She changed me.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
The Ballad of Love and Hate
Love writes a letter and sends it to hate:
“My vacation's ending I’m coming home late.
The weather was fine and the ocean was great.
And I can’t wait to see you again.”
Hate reads the letter and throws it away.
“No one here cares if you go or you stay.
I barely even noticed that you were away.
I’ll see you or I won’t, whatever.”
Love sings a song as she sails through the sky.
The water looks bluer through her pretty eyes
And everyone knows it whenever she flies
And also when she comes down.
Hate keeps his head up and walks through the street.
Every stranger and drifter he greets
And shakes hands with every loner he meets
with a serious look on his face.
Love arrives safely with suitcase in toe.
Carrying with her the good things we know.
A reason to live and a reason to grow
To trust, to hold, to care
Hate sits alone on the hood of his car
without much regard to the moon or the stars.
Lazily killing the last of a jar
of the strongest stuff you can drink.
Love takes a taxi, a young man drives.
As soon he sees her hope fills his eyes.
But tears follow after at the end of the ride
Cause he might never see her again.
Hate gets home lucky to still be alive.
He screams over the sidewalk and into the drive.
The clock in the kitchen says two fifty five
And the clock in the kitchen is slow.
Love has been waiting patient and kind,
Just wanting a phone call or some kind of sign
That the one that she cares for who’s out of his mind
Will make it back safe to her arms.
Hate stumbles forward and leans in the door.
Weary head hung down, eyes to the floor
He says, “Love I’m sorry” and she says, “What for?”
I’m yours and that’s it, whatever.
I should not have been gone for so long.
I’m yours and that’s it, forever”
“You're mine and that’s it, forever”
“My vacation's ending I’m coming home late.
The weather was fine and the ocean was great.
And I can’t wait to see you again.”
Hate reads the letter and throws it away.
“No one here cares if you go or you stay.
I barely even noticed that you were away.
I’ll see you or I won’t, whatever.”
Love sings a song as she sails through the sky.
The water looks bluer through her pretty eyes
And everyone knows it whenever she flies
And also when she comes down.
Hate keeps his head up and walks through the street.
Every stranger and drifter he greets
And shakes hands with every loner he meets
with a serious look on his face.
Love arrives safely with suitcase in toe.
Carrying with her the good things we know.
A reason to live and a reason to grow
To trust, to hold, to care
Hate sits alone on the hood of his car
without much regard to the moon or the stars.
Lazily killing the last of a jar
of the strongest stuff you can drink.
Love takes a taxi, a young man drives.
As soon he sees her hope fills his eyes.
But tears follow after at the end of the ride
Cause he might never see her again.
Hate gets home lucky to still be alive.
He screams over the sidewalk and into the drive.
The clock in the kitchen says two fifty five
And the clock in the kitchen is slow.
Love has been waiting patient and kind,
Just wanting a phone call or some kind of sign
That the one that she cares for who’s out of his mind
Will make it back safe to her arms.
Hate stumbles forward and leans in the door.
Weary head hung down, eyes to the floor
He says, “Love I’m sorry” and she says, “What for?”
I’m yours and that’s it, whatever.
I should not have been gone for so long.
I’m yours and that’s it, forever”
“You're mine and that’s it, forever”
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