After a depressing week of dealing with unpleasant things, it feels wonderful to have some good news. My stores now will be carrying Wrapping Paper! May they sell well this upcoming holiday season. I'm deep in production mode, spurred on even more by the $1000 repair bill for my car (payable in rather large installments) matched with a paycheck that is a solid 2/3 less than normal, due to Zazzle's policy changes and cutting our volume bonuses. It's going to be that way for awhile, if not permanently, until business picks up or the big promoters who once promoted us come back and promote again. It's very complicated and confusing, but sales are still coming in, and I will keep working. It wouldn't be so much of a bother if I didn't have to pay $200 per month for repairs to a car that still is giving me some problems (will have to take it back to them next week, to get more help with it). The mechanic told me the car is good, so it may just need an adjustment. I need to find out. I'm tired of stress. Will be so great to get it all ironed out.
It's feeling like Autumn now, cool and comfortable. Sweater and jacket weather. This morning I went over to my parents' house and had breakfast, then conquered the massive jungle of overgrown vines on the side of their house.These wild roses aren't pretty, they have too many petals and look "dirty" so they needed to go. Mom cut the giant climbing thorn-covered (ugly) rose stalks, growing up and into the house and trees, and I took them out, then I had to saw off a bunch of dead trunks and branches from one large bush/tree. And the clematis (very aggressive, already growing up the electrical wires from the roof of the house). Yikes. It's not good for either of my parents to be doing things like that so it's best to just get it done. So, it's finished now, and looks much brighter, and cleaner. My parents' kittens were nearby, watching everything we did, they are so precious. Mom just turned 73 recently, and is doing really well. She's enjoying her time gardening and playing with the kittens, along with doing her projects in the house. I just want both my parents to be as happy and healthy as possible. They have stresses of their own, and so it's nice to get together with them and for all of us just to enjoy eachothers' company. Dad was busy paying bills and mom got tired, so I left and came home. A good visit.
Here at home, I made some sugar cookies before launching back into product production. I will be busy with that for the rest of the night, but thought coffee and a cookie or two would be good for a cool night like this. I'm losing weight, and now fit a pair of new pants that before didn't fit at all and have been sitting in my dresser for a year or so. They fit fine, yay for me. I don't diet, just cut back food content very hard, and drink lots of fluids (water, coffee). I'm sure that the dietician (that Cleveland Clinic kind of made me go to awhile back) would be horrified with my diet, but it has always worked for me in the past. Getting my fruits and vegetables, taking my vitamins, I'm not THAT off base in my eating. Must stay healthy, to get rid of the dental infection and get my physical strength back. Being anxious/depressed is hard on me so I take naps if life gets overwhelming, and it does at times. I hyperventilate when overstressed these days, being me isn't easy. So much to do, to remember, to fix (car), etc. My laptop stopped working, and I'm on the desktop now..another issue to fix. When it rains, it pours. Taking it all one task at a time, trying to be organized about it all.
Looking at the tallies of people who shop in my stores from around the world, I am humbled by the scope of buyers from places like Dubai, France, UK, Japan, China, Russia, Brazil, Australia, etc, etc. It warms my heart to know that people like what I do, and in hard times that really gives me strength to keep going. Thank you, dear customers! In the upcoming holiday season, I'm having faith that sales will improve again. It's only a matter of promotion, from what I can see..losing the big promoters for not just me but all other ProSellers for Zazzle, we're all in this together. I love Zazzle and am still loyal to it, but am going to broaden my scope, the store at CafePress is slowly taking shape but Zazzle is still top priority. I'm stretched between both of them, and will a wrapping paper designing factory tonight.
If you want to see my wrapping paper done so far, check out this link here: http://www.zazzle.com/mcfann+wrappingpaper
If you like what you see, feel free to share the link with your friends. Thank you, I appreciate it.
