Not so morbid...

I used to think it was kind of morbid or perhaps depressing when people wrote down the songs they wanted to have sung at their funeral. Old hymns or worship songs that other people would be singing once they had passed on. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a song in my Bible that I want sang at my funeral. We were singing "It is Well," and one part of the verse really hit home with my life currently, and then I realized that it could very well be my life's theme song. That's when I got it: when a song means that much and speaks to every part of your life for the rest of your life, that's when you write it in your Bible. Because someday, when I pass on to heaven, I want people to sing this song at my funeral and "get" it. Maybe it will speak to someone there like it speaks to me today.

"Whatever my lot,

thou hast taught me to say:

it is well,

it is well with my soul."

Multi-tasking

I've realized that one thing women do exceptionally well is multi-task. I can't tell you how many things are going on in my head at once, sometimes! Men can focus on one thing, get it done, and move on. Not me. I will walk out of a room to another with one purpose and accomplish 3 other things on my way there!

On a larger scale, my multi-tasking abilities are being STRETCHED! Currently, we are finishing up some home remodeling (people in and out of the home regularly), I am working on our Relay for Life projects (coming up mid-May), running my little business, and contemplating the set-up of our office for homeschooling next year. Oh, and being a wife and mom at the same time. I don't write all this to toot my own horn. Just because I'm doing it doesn't necessarily mean I'm doing it well! But I am trying to do it all to the best of my ability.

As I sat finishing my lunch today, I realized that somewhere in all this, sometimes I just need a place to sit and write and share all that is going on. Writing has always been a good way to just let it all out! I remembered my blog that I had started who-knows-when and thought I would share it here.

Today is a day of laundry. Not terribly exciting, I know. But on the other side of things, this morning when I checked my email, I had a picture of a gorgeous baby blanket that my friend wants me to sell for her. I also had an email from a couple of ladies who might be interested in selling other items that I have felt were missing from the boutique. That was very exciting for me! It's as though God knew where the "holes" were in the boutique and is looking to fill them for me.

I looked at the calendar this morning and realized that Mother's Day is closer than I thought: less than 2 weeks away. Yikes! So I guess I'd better promote, promote, promote! There are some great custom creation that can be made, but the orders need to be made soon. (Towels, aprons, notecards, purses, flower accessories...) If you look on the facebook page, you can see some other ideas. If you are a facebook(er) then you simply type in "fruitful hands boutique" and you will see the fanpage for the boutique come up.

Now to continue on to laundry...

Learning...

So, here I sit, wondering why I am starting a blog and I realize it's because I like to talk!! And it's much easier to do on this blog than it is to do on the website itself. This I can figure out. The website has to be published by my wonderful (and patient) husband. I can work and create and add on to the site, but it won't be updated on the internet until he has a moment from his busy day to actually sit at the computer and publish it. This, I can do all by myself!

I think I will start with a little background on the website. Many years ago, it became a dream of mine to be able to sell my hand-crafted/painted/created items somewhere... but where? I thought about starting a little store all by myself, but the overhead seemed impossible! I wanted to bring in other people's works as well, but didn't think I could ask until I had a place to display their items. So, I sat on that idea for a while. My focus became my family: two children will do that to you. Then this summer, I gave etsy.com a try and found it so difficult to promote my own items and spent a lot of time posting items with no luck of selling them. Guess that way just wasn't for me. I finally decided to sit and write down in a notebook all the ideas I had that finally resulted in the website: www.fruitfulhandsboutique.com

Fruitful Hands Boutique was created as a place for women to share their amazing hand-crafted talents. Based on the Proverb 31 woman, it gives women a something to strive for (a woman that I will be striving to be for the rest of my life!!!). Proverbs 31:31 states: "Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates." It is my hope to be able to give women the opportunity to achieve this through my little boutique.

The essential details of the boutique are this: You create what you are good at. I do everything else. I will store your item, take pictures, post it on the website, and get it sold (at least I hope to!) and, if necessary, deliver or send it in the mail. I receive a percentage for my efforts and a percentage also goes directly to a charitable organization, which currently is Bethany Christian Services (www.bethany.org).

And that is the long and the short of it. Well, mostly the short of it.