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Big News!

So it's been a really long time since I have posted (shocker!). I've been pretty busy with things and a lot has changed in my life. Someone I knew a long time ago (referred to as A in my last post) decided he needed a change of scenery and, after much talking and planning, decided to move here, to northern KY, from upstate NY. It's been a rough transition. He moved here permanently at the end of January of this year.  He lived nearby in an apartment from February until August and then moved in with my family while he looked for another place to live (he didn't like where he was living). He was only supposed to be here for a month, but ended up staying for 3 1/2 months. It was rough. At first, I thought that it would be fun since I wouldn't have to drive back and forth, but it turns out that putting two grown adults and a beagle in a tiny bedroom is not a good idea. We had to put his futon in here so that he had a place to sleep so the space in here dwindled quickly.  His sleep schedule is opposite mine and I was pretty much not allowed in  my room unless I was sleeping or getting dressed.  He FINALLY got another apartment (back at the same complex, but a different building) and he moved in this past Friday.  I'm excited for him because he's back on his own again and in his own space. More importantly, I'm excited for me because I now feel like my life and space is my own again.  I have big plans with my rediscovered freedoms.

On June 21, I became an Independent Demonstrator for Stampin' Up! It's something that I had thought about doing for a while, but had never jumped into.  My upline, S, has been a great support for me.  I did stamp-a-stacks at her house for a few years and got to know her and the other ladies a bit.  Another lady from the classes, L, joined shortly after I did.  We have both been getting our feet wet in this new endeavor together and I think it's been better that she joined, too.  It's nice having someone that is going through the same thing that I am.  We both got into it as a hobbyist demonstrator (basically joining just to get the discount on product), but we have both expressed interest in doing parties, classes, etc. I think it will be nice to be able to bounce ideas off of each other and help each other out as we work to grow our business. On that note, here is the BIG NEWS - I'm planning on growing my blog and utilizing it to help grow my business!

 I want to do tutorials, and videos and different posts for each day of the week.  There will also be a monthly post/video to correspond with the Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin product. I'm going to start slowly as I get my life back in order and work it all out, but I hope to do at least 3-4 posts per week by the beginning of next year.  My ideas are to do a technique day (showcasing a certain technique), a tool day (showing you how to utilize/multiple uses for a specific tool), a stamp set day (grab a stamp set and make a few projects with it), a Pinterest attempt/CASE day (pick something from Pinterest to use as inspiration for a project), a Paper Pumpkin post (showing the kit for that month), Ask Me videos and possibly more.  I'm working on clever names for them right now. There are so many Make It Mondays and Technique Tuesdays; I just want something that's original and unique, but still gets the point across.  I think that it will take a lot of work, but I'm hoping that it will help with my creativity, growing my business, and be a resource for other crafters in the world!

As soon as I get my Paper Pumpkin kit for this month, I will begin with that.  I may also be doing a welcome video with a tour of my craft room (aka my bedroom).

I'm really excited to go on this new journey and I hope you guys are excited, too!

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