I just finished making and eating two slices of the most heavenly tasting French toast with real maple syrup...Yum! While this may not seem very significant to you, it is for me. You see, I love French Toast, and while I make it several times a month for the 'boys', I almost never take any for myself. I would much rather watch their enjoyment in eating their fill, plus real maple syrup is pretty expensive, so again, I would rather give it to someone I love. I also don't eat many fat-laden egg yolks, so for me, today, the act of cooking something special 'just for me' was completely self-indulgent, too delicious for words, and extremely self-comforting. After the last few days, it also appears to be exactly what I needed.
Starting with March's update of the website, which introduced a lot of dramatically obvious changes (info. in the last few posts), it's been a super rough week. Details are unimportant, but I feel as if I've been trapped in a comedy of errors that was more of a tragedy, and since I'm someone who doesn't exactly 'blow off' my mistakes with ease, any time I fail, or fail others, I take it really hard. I know Jesus and time heal all things, but I still have to grieve.
I'm also feeling at a bit of a loss... After taking January 'off', then using February for tackling the stamp line restructure, adding the shopping cart, and having it all in place by March 1, I've lost all sense of time. The restructure and cart were literally overnight decisions made during the first week of February. After that, I easily logged at least 8-10 hours every day working on what seemed an endless list of necessary tasks, and the days all seemed to blend together... Other than four, one-line sentiments, I haven't stamped in over six weeks, and during February only stepped foot out my house maybe four times. (AND one of those times was to take a day trip with Mark and Eli during their February, school vacation -- an hour down the road I was hit with some stomach bug, and we all had to turn around with me lying on the back seat of the car, and upchucking in a plastic bag all the way home. I was sick for a week.) To sum it up, February was little more than a blur.
Due to the frantic pace I'd been keeping, I hadn't realized that when you stay out of touch for awhile, others might start wondering where you are, and could possibly perceive your absence as no longer caring. I am aware of that now, and think I'd better touch base, and let any of you who follow me know what's been going on, and what you can expect down the road...
January was an important month for me. God used the time away from the daily routine and responsibilities of business, to give me time to think, and pray, and really 'listen'. On many counts I was hit in the face, or should I say in the heart with things I need to change about/for me, for my family, and for smARTworks. Some of these changes you've already seen. Others aren't so obvious to you, but will still affect what you see. Of course, I can't always give a heads up on what's coming because I don't always know exactly, and I certainly don't want to sound like some kind of a wishy-washy, nut job.
Right now, however, other than what you've already seen, here's what you can start expecting...
I have been convicted that for me, the computer is a big thief of the real life experience. Maybe others can do it all, and fit everything in with balance, but I can't. I've tried repeatedly, but I can't, so am putting very specific, defined limits on my business hours and computer time. For the computer...only while Eli is at school, and after he is in bed. That means I won't have time for all the computer-oriented activities that have been included during the last couple of years. Daily, business-related tasks will come first, and after that, whatever can be fit in with ease. My blogging goal is once per week.
In the Works is going to be more a business oriented blog than a mixture of business and personal. I've been in a quandary for quite some time as to how much I should be mixing the two, and realize that over the last few months I've already been inadvertently, and gradually heading in this direction, and after concluding that if I want to share the personal, I could start a different blog, I had the answer... In the Works (at smARTworks) will be just that.
smARTworks is no longer going to have a design team. Several team members are in the process of working on a last batch of cards, and when the final batch from the last member comes in, we will officially be saying good-bye. I owe a lot to each of the talented ladies who has shared her artistry with smARTworks, and I thank each of them from the bottom of my heart. I have grown and changed because of them, and will always have mostly fond memories.
The smART-Word Challenge will continue at least for awhile. Without the input of an entire team, there will be fewer posts throughout the month, but for now, we'll play it by ear, and the challenge will be there. If you enjoy having it, please show your support by playing along.
Am I still emotionally invested in smARTworks? You betcha! Am I willing to let it keep sucking up my whole life. No.
I think Solomon said it best with, "There is a time and a season for everything." For smARTworks right now, it's a time for change... For me, a season for living.
Not pulling out, but pulling back,
Susan T.
Card Info: White ink on black paper. Black ink on white paper. Butterflies stamped and embossed with black, glittery powder a on sticky-back vellum, cut out, and adhered to card like a sticker. All images by smARTworks -- FS-014, and FS-026.
