I've recently decided to go to Cosmetology School to become a Nail Technician. My aunt's been after me to go to Cosmetology school for a long time since high school to be exact and now with economic conditions the way they are and I can't seem to find a suitable job in the financial field at the moment, this is the best course of action for me. The fact that I love to decorate and design nails helps in this decision also.
I applied online with the Mansfield Beauty Academy and I received a phone call this morning with an invitation to visit the school and facilities. I'm extremely excited. I can't wait to start this new chapter in my life. I figured after 20 years in the financial industry it was time to make a change.
I think I would like to specialize in Acrylics and Gel nails because they seem to be the newest things in the industry. I am very eager to learn as much as I can and I calculated that if I take courses 40 hours a week for two months I should be able to get my license. Then I'll be able to either get a job through the school or with a few of my relatives.
My husband Scott has been the most wonderful support for me along with my family and friends. Everyone thinks this would be a great venue for me since I love anything creative. I should have realized from the very start that I need to work in a field that is creative. I loved the corporate world but really didn't belong there and I realize that now.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Thinking about the next step
Hello everyone, so I've been thinking about the next step to this process...selling the charms. I'm going to open an Etsy account and sell some there along with other types of jewelry I make. This will be a good starting point for me. I know there are plenty of these charm sellers on Etsy but hey everyone's got different styles and ideas so I figured what the heck I'll give it a try.
In case you're wondering what Etsy is...well, it's kind of like Ebay only for crafters and handmade goods. You can find pretty much anything and everything under the sun there that's homemade or hand crafted. I love that website and found it completely by accident years ago and I've always wanted to try to sell my jewelry there.
I'm also thinking of selling them at maybe school bake sales where all the money will go to the school to help them out. I spoke to my friend Kim, who is a member of the school fundraisers committee and she thinks it's a cool idea. I mean technically they won't be baked goods but they might sell pretty good.
My daughter suggested I walk around my neighborhood with them and go door to door lol. I said "what do you think? these are Girl Scout cookies or something?" Hmmm it might not be such a bad idea lol. But I'm definitely going to sell them on Etsy. I'm going to incorporate mine with jewelry I already make which includes gemstones, wire work and crystal beads. I think they'll be very nice and completely different from the ones that others are selling on Etsy.
So that's my plan of action so far. As I said to my friend Mai, if this takes off and these charms are a hit I might actually get somewhere. I mean think of it, I have almost no overhead, my supplies are cheap and it takes almost no effort on my part to make them so the rest is just profit, profit, profit!!!
In case you're wondering what Etsy is...well, it's kind of like Ebay only for crafters and handmade goods. You can find pretty much anything and everything under the sun there that's homemade or hand crafted. I love that website and found it completely by accident years ago and I've always wanted to try to sell my jewelry there.
I'm also thinking of selling them at maybe school bake sales where all the money will go to the school to help them out. I spoke to my friend Kim, who is a member of the school fundraisers committee and she thinks it's a cool idea. I mean technically they won't be baked goods but they might sell pretty good.
My daughter suggested I walk around my neighborhood with them and go door to door lol. I said "what do you think? these are Girl Scout cookies or something?" Hmmm it might not be such a bad idea lol. But I'm definitely going to sell them on Etsy. I'm going to incorporate mine with jewelry I already make which includes gemstones, wire work and crystal beads. I think they'll be very nice and completely different from the ones that others are selling on Etsy.
So that's my plan of action so far. As I said to my friend Mai, if this takes off and these charms are a hit I might actually get somewhere. I mean think of it, I have almost no overhead, my supplies are cheap and it takes almost no effort on my part to make them so the rest is just profit, profit, profit!!!
A Successful Attempt
Ok, so as you all know I started working on making my charms. I followed the instructions on youtube and made some clay. The first batch was a complete success!!! All the charms came out perfect!!
So I went on youtube to get some ideas for the charms and found some awesome tutorials. Of course these tutorials were done by teenage girls so it sort of drove me crazy listening to them go through the steps and processes lol. But nonetheless they were very helpful and I shall incorporate some of those things in my next creations.
The first batch of charms I made some cute japanese mamegomas (baby seals), mameshibas (soybean pups) and some kawaii (cutesy) charms. I also did a few hello kitty, pochacco and other Sanrio ones. I attempted a few chibis ( japanese anime figurines) and still sort of experimenting on the style and design I want to use.
I've only used about a quarter of the clay I made so this is proving to be a very economical project. I made two batches of clay as I stated in a previous post ...one batch I kept white and the other I split into four primary colors (red, blue, yellow and green). I'm thinking I may use a bit of the white I have left and make half of it black so I can make panda bears and penguins and cows lol.
Well, after I finished making the charms I took them to my parents' house for the weekend so I could test it on the kids. My nieces, nephews and daughters loved them!!! Considering that would be my target consumers it has proven successful. In fact, my nieces and nephews made up lists of stuff they want lol. I'm more than happy to oblige in that matter. So, now I will continue on and make batch #2 of my charms.
So I went on youtube to get some ideas for the charms and found some awesome tutorials. Of course these tutorials were done by teenage girls so it sort of drove me crazy listening to them go through the steps and processes lol. But nonetheless they were very helpful and I shall incorporate some of those things in my next creations.
The first batch of charms I made some cute japanese mamegomas (baby seals), mameshibas (soybean pups) and some kawaii (cutesy) charms. I also did a few hello kitty, pochacco and other Sanrio ones. I attempted a few chibis ( japanese anime figurines) and still sort of experimenting on the style and design I want to use.
I've only used about a quarter of the clay I made so this is proving to be a very economical project. I made two batches of clay as I stated in a previous post ...one batch I kept white and the other I split into four primary colors (red, blue, yellow and green). I'm thinking I may use a bit of the white I have left and make half of it black so I can make panda bears and penguins and cows lol.
Well, after I finished making the charms I took them to my parents' house for the weekend so I could test it on the kids. My nieces, nephews and daughters loved them!!! Considering that would be my target consumers it has proven successful. In fact, my nieces and nephews made up lists of stuff they want lol. I'm more than happy to oblige in that matter. So, now I will continue on and make batch #2 of my charms.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Getting Started on my new venture
Today I started working on my new venture...making and selling cute charms. I figured that if I started now I might just make the holiday rush. I could sell a bunch of them before Christmas and probably make some for my girls and my nieces as presents since money will be very tight this Christmas.
I went on youtube and looked up the instructions again to make sure I do it correctly. I gathered all my ingredients and headed for the kitchen. Well, the first attempt seemed positive but the second attempt I think I overcooked the ingredients so it may not work out as well...we'll see, there may be a way to salvage my second attempt.
I'm making cold porcelain charms. This is an idea I found on youtube the other night and thought it might be a great idea to make some money. My best friend Mai said she would help me market these charms so I'm really excited about it. She's probably going to see how cute they are and buy a bunch for herself :)
I've been thinking up some cool ideas that would attract the attention of teenagers and kids so they would probably be my main focus group but anyone can buy these charms and as I mentioned in an earlier post that they can be customized to the customer. I believe this would be a great venture for me since I enjoy crafts.
I've always enjoyed any form of arts and crafts. I also do cross stitching, knitting, sewing, beadwork and jewelry making. I've worked with ceramics and I can also do silversmithing. So, this new venture is something I could really put my heart and soul into and completely enjoy doing.
When I do find a new job, I can still do this on the side and if my business takes off and becomes productive, I will sell some on ebay and such. I do plan on opening an Etsy store so if anyone is interested I will post some pictures. Having an Etsy store could be a good business for me since I enjoy jewelry making too.
So, right now I'm extremely excited about getting started and making it work for me. I will update again after I start creating some items. This is something I really believe I could be great at doing.
I went on youtube and looked up the instructions again to make sure I do it correctly. I gathered all my ingredients and headed for the kitchen. Well, the first attempt seemed positive but the second attempt I think I overcooked the ingredients so it may not work out as well...we'll see, there may be a way to salvage my second attempt.
I'm making cold porcelain charms. This is an idea I found on youtube the other night and thought it might be a great idea to make some money. My best friend Mai said she would help me market these charms so I'm really excited about it. She's probably going to see how cute they are and buy a bunch for herself :)
I've been thinking up some cool ideas that would attract the attention of teenagers and kids so they would probably be my main focus group but anyone can buy these charms and as I mentioned in an earlier post that they can be customized to the customer. I believe this would be a great venture for me since I enjoy crafts.
I've always enjoyed any form of arts and crafts. I also do cross stitching, knitting, sewing, beadwork and jewelry making. I've worked with ceramics and I can also do silversmithing. So, this new venture is something I could really put my heart and soul into and completely enjoy doing.
When I do find a new job, I can still do this on the side and if my business takes off and becomes productive, I will sell some on ebay and such. I do plan on opening an Etsy store so if anyone is interested I will post some pictures. Having an Etsy store could be a good business for me since I enjoy jewelry making too.
So, right now I'm extremely excited about getting started and making it work for me. I will update again after I start creating some items. This is something I really believe I could be great at doing.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Taking on a new endeavor
I was chatting yesterday w/my best friend Mai whom I love like a sister. Anyways, I was telling her about an idea I had that could bring me a good income and she supported my idea. I told her I was thinking of making these specialized charms I saw on youtube and sell them.
She said she loved the idea and would help me fund it but the funny part is it cost almost nothing to make these charms and they're so cute. She said she would also be my first customer...she wants lots of them lol. So after our conversation, I went back on youtube and did some more research and I think by next week I should be able to start this and it would also be lots of fun for my kids to do it too.
I told Mai if this takes off and becomes popular then I could make some good money and supplement my income this way. She said jokingly that I would have a factory in my house. I told her if all goes well I just might.
There is no actual market for these types of charms right now so it may be a good idea for me. The people who made the videos on how to make these live in other countries where postage is ridiculous so they only sell their goods locally. I could open an Etsy account and sell mine all over the world and postage wouldn't even be so bad for me.
I also figured that if my daughter Jade ever had a bake sale at school we could make a bunch of them and sell them to the kids. I know kids would go crazy for them. I could make them big enough for key chains and backpack dangles or small enough for regular charms, earrings and cellphone dangles.
I went to bed early last night because I was really tired and excited about this new venture. This was the first time in a long time I was really excited about doing something I love that could make me a decent income. Maybe I could finally pay off all my credit card bills and afford to take care of my family again.
I'm still looking for a new job but if all goes well it would work out well for me in the meantime while I'm still looking. The best part about this is that I can customize the charms for whatever the customer needs it for (i.e. keychain, cellphone, earrings or just plain charms) and I can make whatever the customer wants if they want a specific cartoon character, a cute animal, a special symbol that means something sentimental for themselves or as gifts. I'm so excited about this I can hardly contain myself.
She said she loved the idea and would help me fund it but the funny part is it cost almost nothing to make these charms and they're so cute. She said she would also be my first customer...she wants lots of them lol. So after our conversation, I went back on youtube and did some more research and I think by next week I should be able to start this and it would also be lots of fun for my kids to do it too.
I told Mai if this takes off and becomes popular then I could make some good money and supplement my income this way. She said jokingly that I would have a factory in my house. I told her if all goes well I just might.
There is no actual market for these types of charms right now so it may be a good idea for me. The people who made the videos on how to make these live in other countries where postage is ridiculous so they only sell their goods locally. I could open an Etsy account and sell mine all over the world and postage wouldn't even be so bad for me.
I also figured that if my daughter Jade ever had a bake sale at school we could make a bunch of them and sell them to the kids. I know kids would go crazy for them. I could make them big enough for key chains and backpack dangles or small enough for regular charms, earrings and cellphone dangles.
I went to bed early last night because I was really tired and excited about this new venture. This was the first time in a long time I was really excited about doing something I love that could make me a decent income. Maybe I could finally pay off all my credit card bills and afford to take care of my family again.
I'm still looking for a new job but if all goes well it would work out well for me in the meantime while I'm still looking. The best part about this is that I can customize the charms for whatever the customer needs it for (i.e. keychain, cellphone, earrings or just plain charms) and I can make whatever the customer wants if they want a specific cartoon character, a cute animal, a special symbol that means something sentimental for themselves or as gifts. I'm so excited about this I can hardly contain myself.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Waiting for a chance
Still waiting desperately for companies to call me for an interview. Hoping to get something soon. I'm not losing hope this time I have two little girls depending on me.
For the past week now I've been at my computer filling out job applications online with companies I know and also filling out applications for government assistance. I should get some help from the government I mean there are so many out there that abuse the system and get more than they need all I want is for my kids to eat and have some heat for the winter is that so much to ask?
Like I said before, I never imagined I would be one to ask the government for assistance. I was always good at saving money. I never really splurged on anything even when I had money except on my kids of course but not really for me. I've never been selfish. Growing up I had to share with my two sisters and brother and many times I rather they had something and I didn't.
My family is great. We've always been there for each other financially, physically and mentally. We've always been hard working people. My parents owned a laundromat and worked day and night to put my sisters, my brother and me through college. We grew up understanding that money doesn't grow on trees. My dad always said that hard work always paid off which was why going to college was so important to him.
Ok, with that said I've always found ways to manage my money but now it's almost impossible. I have to make sure we have enough to pay the mortgage and a majority of my bills. I feel bad for my husband because he's working so hard to try to make ends meet but it's just impossible without my contribution. I pray every day and night that something will come along for me and everything will be almost normal again but given the state of our economy it doesn't look all that great.
I am very hopeful though because I keep hearing people getting into new jobs every day so maybe with some perseverance and hard work I might be lucky too. For now I will keep applying for jobs online and keep checking in with my employment agencies. I will also continue to apply for any government assistance I can possibly qualify for without looking too needy which unfortunately I am. But I believe there will be a light at the end of this tunnel and I will find a new job to help support my family.
For the past week now I've been at my computer filling out job applications online with companies I know and also filling out applications for government assistance. I should get some help from the government I mean there are so many out there that abuse the system and get more than they need all I want is for my kids to eat and have some heat for the winter is that so much to ask?
Like I said before, I never imagined I would be one to ask the government for assistance. I was always good at saving money. I never really splurged on anything even when I had money except on my kids of course but not really for me. I've never been selfish. Growing up I had to share with my two sisters and brother and many times I rather they had something and I didn't.
My family is great. We've always been there for each other financially, physically and mentally. We've always been hard working people. My parents owned a laundromat and worked day and night to put my sisters, my brother and me through college. We grew up understanding that money doesn't grow on trees. My dad always said that hard work always paid off which was why going to college was so important to him.
Ok, with that said I've always found ways to manage my money but now it's almost impossible. I have to make sure we have enough to pay the mortgage and a majority of my bills. I feel bad for my husband because he's working so hard to try to make ends meet but it's just impossible without my contribution. I pray every day and night that something will come along for me and everything will be almost normal again but given the state of our economy it doesn't look all that great.
I am very hopeful though because I keep hearing people getting into new jobs every day so maybe with some perseverance and hard work I might be lucky too. For now I will keep applying for jobs online and keep checking in with my employment agencies. I will also continue to apply for any government assistance I can possibly qualify for without looking too needy which unfortunately I am. But I believe there will be a light at the end of this tunnel and I will find a new job to help support my family.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Unemployed and miserable
I've been unemployed for over 2 yrs now...I became a stay at home mom as soon as I was laid off and became miserable. This isn't me. I've been out working since I was 8 yrs old and I've never been the stay at home type.
Don't get me wrong I love my kids and love spending time with them but this just isn't me.
This is all my fault. If I had started looking for a new job when I first got laid off I wouldn't be in this predicament. Unfortunately I like many others went into a depression only I didn't know it was a depression.
My husband saw it but decided to say nothing he figured I'd get out of this "funk" I'm in and be myself again.
Well I guess his plan didn't work because it just kept getting worse. I didn't want to do anything.
I think if he had stepped up and said "honey I think you should start looking for a new job" but instead he left me alone to stew in my own depression.
I can't really blame him for that...no, really I can't. I just didn't know I was depressed I mean I didn't feel any different than I usually did.
Anyways, now we're in a predicament. We're struggling to pay our mortgage and the bills.
It used to be so easy when I worked I paid all the bills and the mortgage and whatever my husband made in his business paid for entertainment and fun. Well, now that's all gone. We've exhausted all our savings just to keep up with the mortgage and bills because he's the only one with an income now.
I just applied for Masshealth and got approved for it so we have free healthcare. That's a load off my mind I mean everyone needs health insurance sometimes and I just wanted to make sure we had some just in case.
I never thought I'd be one to need government assistance but here I am begging for help.
Today I applied for food assistance so I can feed my kids. I feel ashamed to do it but my kids need to eat and we just don't make enough to pay for the bills, the mortgage and food. I'm also working on getting some fuel assistance for the winter because last year we spent so much heating the house that there's no way we'd be able to afford it again til I get a new job. My husband actually suggested we try to clean out the fireplace and use that to heat the house this winter but unfortunately I don't think it would heat the entire house so once again begging for government assistance. I mean if the government is giving money out to people who don't live in this country then I shouldn't have trouble getting help right? Yeah, right...do you know how hard it is to get government assistance? It took almost 4 months to get approved for Masshealth and who knows how long it's gonna take to get food assistance or fuel assistance.
So anyways, I've been applying to jobs online like crazy hoping to find something soon. I also work with 3 employment agencies and so far still nothing. I'm not giving up though because I have two beautiful little girls who are depending on me.
Don't get me wrong I love my kids and love spending time with them but this just isn't me.
This is all my fault. If I had started looking for a new job when I first got laid off I wouldn't be in this predicament. Unfortunately I like many others went into a depression only I didn't know it was a depression.
My husband saw it but decided to say nothing he figured I'd get out of this "funk" I'm in and be myself again.
Well I guess his plan didn't work because it just kept getting worse. I didn't want to do anything.
I think if he had stepped up and said "honey I think you should start looking for a new job" but instead he left me alone to stew in my own depression.
I can't really blame him for that...no, really I can't. I just didn't know I was depressed I mean I didn't feel any different than I usually did.
Anyways, now we're in a predicament. We're struggling to pay our mortgage and the bills.
It used to be so easy when I worked I paid all the bills and the mortgage and whatever my husband made in his business paid for entertainment and fun. Well, now that's all gone. We've exhausted all our savings just to keep up with the mortgage and bills because he's the only one with an income now.
I just applied for Masshealth and got approved for it so we have free healthcare. That's a load off my mind I mean everyone needs health insurance sometimes and I just wanted to make sure we had some just in case.
I never thought I'd be one to need government assistance but here I am begging for help.
Today I applied for food assistance so I can feed my kids. I feel ashamed to do it but my kids need to eat and we just don't make enough to pay for the bills, the mortgage and food. I'm also working on getting some fuel assistance for the winter because last year we spent so much heating the house that there's no way we'd be able to afford it again til I get a new job. My husband actually suggested we try to clean out the fireplace and use that to heat the house this winter but unfortunately I don't think it would heat the entire house so once again begging for government assistance. I mean if the government is giving money out to people who don't live in this country then I shouldn't have trouble getting help right? Yeah, right...do you know how hard it is to get government assistance? It took almost 4 months to get approved for Masshealth and who knows how long it's gonna take to get food assistance or fuel assistance.
So anyways, I've been applying to jobs online like crazy hoping to find something soon. I also work with 3 employment agencies and so far still nothing. I'm not giving up though because I have two beautiful little girls who are depending on me.
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