Dear Nicole,
We are always happy when people use our stencils just as you are doing. Please enjoy handcrafting your creations in your card making business.
Best wishes for success and Mahalo for sharing your blog spot address so I could enjoy seeing them.
Kindest regards,
Lynell Harlow of Dreamweaver Stencils
So, is this it? I have permission?
I did a lot of research on Etsy today! Yeesh, setting up an Etsy store is not as easy as I thought it would be, especially for an overly-analytical person like me. Store names, sale price, shipping charges, paypal transactions, associated fees, etc.
About those fees, here's a breakdown:
Etsy
Listing fee: $0.20 to list an item for 4 months
Transaction fee for sold item: 3.5% of item sale price (excluding shipping charges)
For a $10 sale, that's $0.55
Paypal
Transaction fee: $0.30 (flat fee) + 2.9% of transaction amount (includes shipping charges, I think)
For a $10 sale (assuming shipping is included in that price), that's $0.59 for a total of....
$1.14 total fees for a $10 sale.
I hate that feeling of being nickel-and-dime'd. :P
Anyway, it's late and I'm Etsy'd out. Need to sleep. Gotta work tomorrow. I'm glad it's a short week. :) Have a good one!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Etsy
Etsy is "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade". It's a neat little online shopping mall that I had heard of quite a while ago. I browsed a couple of times, but it never really interested me.
Dior brought it up to me again last May (yep, went back and found that e-mail!) and suggested I sell my dry embossed cards on the site. I was deathly afraid and never acted on the idea.
Long story short, I ended up on Etsy again last week and became hooked! So many items posted by so many talented people! It's mind-boggling, really. Anyway, as I browsed, I began to think, "Hey, if these people can do it, maybe I can, too."
So, I'm now contemplating opening an Etsy store. I've actually taken a huge first step, one that I probably should have taken a year ago. Since the dry embossing stencils I use are copyrighted designs, I need to ask the company for its permission to sell any products made using their stencils. So, I e-mailed them on Friday and am awaiting a response. Dior, I took your advice regarding the content of my request and am hoping for a positive outcome. :)
However, I'm not quite sure what the tax implications are if I start selling stuff on Etsy...how to report the income, expenses, etc. Guess I should consult a tax person about that one. Perhaps I won't want the hassle and will scratch the idea altogether.
Regardless, here are some fun things I found on Etsy.
Cute zipper pouches by Etsy seller JPATPURSES:
Blue Buds Harmony Large Flat Bottom Zipper Pouch
(I actually bought this one!)
Sakura Dynasty Little Zip Pouch
(I also bought this one for a co-worker's upcoming birthday)
And of course, you know I had to search for chrysanthemums. I wish I had known about Etsy while I was planning my wedding. Although it's priced at $105, this would have made an amazing wedding day accessory:
Ivory Silk Chrysanthemum Clutch lined in blue silk
by Etsy seller Red Ruby Rose
Dior brought it up to me again last May (yep, went back and found that e-mail!) and suggested I sell my dry embossed cards on the site. I was deathly afraid and never acted on the idea.
Long story short, I ended up on Etsy again last week and became hooked! So many items posted by so many talented people! It's mind-boggling, really. Anyway, as I browsed, I began to think, "Hey, if these people can do it, maybe I can, too."
So, I'm now contemplating opening an Etsy store. I've actually taken a huge first step, one that I probably should have taken a year ago. Since the dry embossing stencils I use are copyrighted designs, I need to ask the company for its permission to sell any products made using their stencils. So, I e-mailed them on Friday and am awaiting a response. Dior, I took your advice regarding the content of my request and am hoping for a positive outcome. :)
However, I'm not quite sure what the tax implications are if I start selling stuff on Etsy...how to report the income, expenses, etc. Guess I should consult a tax person about that one. Perhaps I won't want the hassle and will scratch the idea altogether.
Regardless, here are some fun things I found on Etsy.
Cute zipper pouches by Etsy seller JPATPURSES:
Blue Buds Harmony Large Flat Bottom Zipper Pouch
(I actually bought this one!)
Sakura Dynasty Little Zip Pouch
(I also bought this one for a co-worker's upcoming birthday)
And of course, you know I had to search for chrysanthemums. I wish I had known about Etsy while I was planning my wedding. Although it's priced at $105, this would have made an amazing wedding day accessory:
Ivory Silk Chrysanthemum Clutch lined in blue silk
by Etsy seller Red Ruby Rose
Quiet Valentine's Day
We don't "celebrate" Valentine's Day. We did for a couple of years, but that stopped about 7 years ago.
Today, we just bummed around the house after a long work week. I made spaghetti, Brian's favorite meal, and we enjoyed it with our favorite wine. Now, we're watching the UH Men's Basketball game. Brian is scaring Benny. Brian gets emotional when watching sports.
We were supposed to help grandpa pull weeds and clean up his yard, but ended up not going due to inclement weather in Pearl City. It was really overcast, drizzly, and gusty today. We'll try again tomorrow.
Today, we just bummed around the house after a long work week. I made spaghetti, Brian's favorite meal, and we enjoyed it with our favorite wine. Now, we're watching the UH Men's Basketball game. Brian is scaring Benny. Brian gets emotional when watching sports.
We were supposed to help grandpa pull weeds and clean up his yard, but ended up not going due to inclement weather in Pearl City. It was really overcast, drizzly, and gusty today. We'll try again tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
What's going on in The Bamboo Village?
Yikes! I'm really terrible at this blogging thing! My goal was to make it a daily (or at least, weekly) thing, but it's becoming monthly. Perhaps I need to increase readership. That might be added motivation to keep up...not that I don't appreciate the 2 or 3 of you who check here religiously. ;)
Like most of you, I've been in a funk since the new year started. I was hopeful for the first week of 2009, especially since I was looking forward for my boss to return to work. However, I've since been deflated and just can't get the motor running!
My boss was supposed to return part-time at the beginning of January. She showed up a couple of times for a couple of hours. Then, last Monday, she broke the news to me that she would be taking the rest of the year off...as in "See you next January!" As the only full-time person working on this shipyard-wide program, I am now the "Program Manager". O.M.G.
I could be coasting down the high road of optimism right now. However, I'm a closet pessimist and have been experiencing some selfish emotions. Afterall, I changed jobs with the understanding that I would be working for my boss, learning and being mentored by her. Now what?
Don't get me wrong. I understand why she's made this decision. I probably would have done the same thing. I think the way this was handled/broken to me just made the blow that much worse. Understandably, she was ecstatic that her extended leave got approved, but she never really acknowledged the impact this would have on others. It was kind of like, "Hehehe, see you, suckers!"
I'm not the type of person who values fortune and fame. Others would probably see this as a springboard for career advancement. I don't see it that way. I don't have those aspirations at this point. In case anyone is wondering, no, this is not a promotion of any kind. Same position/title/pay. That's fine. I don't want to enter the realm of "management"...not officially, anyway.
Like my wise friend, Dior, told me. It's okay to feel grumpy and selfish about it, at least for a little while. :) I'm not going to be in denial about how I really feel about the situation, but at some point, I need to accept it and move on. I'm still grateful and thankful that I have a job. :)
Okay, enough about that. What else...we bought a new refrigerator and are expecting to need a new washer/dryer in the near future. Last December, our water heater died. This year, the refrigerator started making some very scary sounds when the compressor shut off. I was afraid that the compressor wouldn't turn back on. I think the new refrigerator arrived just in time (this past Saturday). This one's Energy Star rated, which was another good reason to replace our ~15 year old Kenmore.
We also went to Kauai over the holidays. Ugh. Still need to upload photos and post reviews! It feels like and overwhelming task!!! It was a nice getaway for me and Brian. I think we'll only need to go back to Kauai one more time since we didn't make it over to the west side. Long story short, I had motion-sickness for most of our travels. It was a nice change of scenery, but I was happy to return to the creature comforts of Oahu!
We are also seriously looking into refinancing. Our current mortgage is with American Savings Bank. In all honesty, we used them because the loan officer was a good friend of our realtor and we didn't know any better. This time, we're shopping around and, come to find out (as a result of my grandma's passing), my 2nd cousin works for a wholesale mortgage broker (808 Home Mortgage). My gut is telling me to go with 808 Home Mortgage. They've already given us more personal attention (perhaps because I'm "family") than ASB ever has. I think ASB is just too big, whereas 808 seems like a smaller operation. ASB just operates differently. I'm still not quite sure how their process works, whereas 808 has walked us through everything as if we were 4 years old, which we really appreciate. Oddly enough, though, I think ASB might be able to offer us a lower fixed interest rate. We'd be dummies to pass that up, even if their customer service isn't the best, right?
Since property values have plummeted, we're going to have to put down some substantial cash to refinance. 808 recommended putting 20% down to avoid paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) and to avoid any hassle due to the fact that our townhouse complex owner occupancy ratio is only 60% (most lenders require at least 70% owner occupancy for 80%+ financing). This could save us $1,000 per month, in addition to what we're already able save every month, even with our current mortgage. However, this would probably require us to drain our savings and borrow some money from my dad. Draining our savings is a super scary thought, but it could potentially save us paying $8,000+ in PMI over 5 years. Aaah, decisions, decisions....
Anyway, now I'm rambling. Dinner is calling my name...homemade chili...yummm....
Like most of you, I've been in a funk since the new year started. I was hopeful for the first week of 2009, especially since I was looking forward for my boss to return to work. However, I've since been deflated and just can't get the motor running!
My boss was supposed to return part-time at the beginning of January. She showed up a couple of times for a couple of hours. Then, last Monday, she broke the news to me that she would be taking the rest of the year off...as in "See you next January!" As the only full-time person working on this shipyard-wide program, I am now the "Program Manager". O.M.G.
I could be coasting down the high road of optimism right now. However, I'm a closet pessimist and have been experiencing some selfish emotions. Afterall, I changed jobs with the understanding that I would be working for my boss, learning and being mentored by her. Now what?
Don't get me wrong. I understand why she's made this decision. I probably would have done the same thing. I think the way this was handled/broken to me just made the blow that much worse. Understandably, she was ecstatic that her extended leave got approved, but she never really acknowledged the impact this would have on others. It was kind of like, "Hehehe, see you, suckers!"
I'm not the type of person who values fortune and fame. Others would probably see this as a springboard for career advancement. I don't see it that way. I don't have those aspirations at this point. In case anyone is wondering, no, this is not a promotion of any kind. Same position/title/pay. That's fine. I don't want to enter the realm of "management"...not officially, anyway.
Like my wise friend, Dior, told me. It's okay to feel grumpy and selfish about it, at least for a little while. :) I'm not going to be in denial about how I really feel about the situation, but at some point, I need to accept it and move on. I'm still grateful and thankful that I have a job. :)
Okay, enough about that. What else...we bought a new refrigerator and are expecting to need a new washer/dryer in the near future. Last December, our water heater died. This year, the refrigerator started making some very scary sounds when the compressor shut off. I was afraid that the compressor wouldn't turn back on. I think the new refrigerator arrived just in time (this past Saturday). This one's Energy Star rated, which was another good reason to replace our ~15 year old Kenmore.
We also went to Kauai over the holidays. Ugh. Still need to upload photos and post reviews! It feels like and overwhelming task!!! It was a nice getaway for me and Brian. I think we'll only need to go back to Kauai one more time since we didn't make it over to the west side. Long story short, I had motion-sickness for most of our travels. It was a nice change of scenery, but I was happy to return to the creature comforts of Oahu!
We are also seriously looking into refinancing. Our current mortgage is with American Savings Bank. In all honesty, we used them because the loan officer was a good friend of our realtor and we didn't know any better. This time, we're shopping around and, come to find out (as a result of my grandma's passing), my 2nd cousin works for a wholesale mortgage broker (808 Home Mortgage). My gut is telling me to go with 808 Home Mortgage. They've already given us more personal attention (perhaps because I'm "family") than ASB ever has. I think ASB is just too big, whereas 808 seems like a smaller operation. ASB just operates differently. I'm still not quite sure how their process works, whereas 808 has walked us through everything as if we were 4 years old, which we really appreciate. Oddly enough, though, I think ASB might be able to offer us a lower fixed interest rate. We'd be dummies to pass that up, even if their customer service isn't the best, right?
Since property values have plummeted, we're going to have to put down some substantial cash to refinance. 808 recommended putting 20% down to avoid paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) and to avoid any hassle due to the fact that our townhouse complex owner occupancy ratio is only 60% (most lenders require at least 70% owner occupancy for 80%+ financing). This could save us $1,000 per month, in addition to what we're already able save every month, even with our current mortgage. However, this would probably require us to drain our savings and borrow some money from my dad. Draining our savings is a super scary thought, but it could potentially save us paying $8,000+ in PMI over 5 years. Aaah, decisions, decisions....
Anyway, now I'm rambling. Dinner is calling my name...homemade chili...yummm....
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Randomness
I feel so "blah" lately. I'm hoping it's just hormonal stuff.
I realized today that I have many amazing online friends. I've met a good number of them in person. It's funny, but some of my best friends are long distance. I miss them so much!!!
I'm watching "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman" right now. He's in the Philippines, sampling all of their funky foods. He's a brave/insane man.
I'm still researching/finalizing plans for our Kauai trip. I'm so indecisive. I am a bit worried about all the rain the island has been experiencing. I saw the flooding and damage done by the storm last week and I heard another storm was supposed to hit them tonight. Oh well. What can you do?
I recently reconnected with the chapel coordinator from our wedding. She was in Japan for a while after our wedding, but recently returned to Oahu and is working with Best Bridal once again. She said that they would like to include some of our wedding photos on their revamped website! I'll let you all know what happens.
We bought some throw pillows to match our new couch. Need to post some photos of them later.
A sink full of dirty dishes is calling my name....
I realized today that I have many amazing online friends. I've met a good number of them in person. It's funny, but some of my best friends are long distance. I miss them so much!!!
I'm watching "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman" right now. He's in the Philippines, sampling all of their funky foods. He's a brave/insane man.
I'm still researching/finalizing plans for our Kauai trip. I'm so indecisive. I am a bit worried about all the rain the island has been experiencing. I saw the flooding and damage done by the storm last week and I heard another storm was supposed to hit them tonight. Oh well. What can you do?
I recently reconnected with the chapel coordinator from our wedding. She was in Japan for a while after our wedding, but recently returned to Oahu and is working with Best Bridal once again. She said that they would like to include some of our wedding photos on their revamped website! I'll let you all know what happens.
We bought some throw pillows to match our new couch. Need to post some photos of them later.
A sink full of dirty dishes is calling my name....
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Been playing some video games
Brian started playing Lego Indiana Jones on the PlayStation 2. I thought it was so cute and fun-looking that he encouraged me to join him. We are hooked!!! It's fun because the characters go on missions together and there's a lot of problem solving involved. I like that it's not a competitive game.
We've also been playing Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy and Brian just got Lego Batman. I hope we can try that one out tomorrow!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
New Job and New Couch!
I'm so behind. Gee, I've been saying that a lot lately. I've been putting my online life on hold. I'm just so worn out when I get home from work and would rather spend my usual online time with Brian before he leaves for the graveyard shift.
Work has been a toughie. I broke down in tears twice today...with a couple of trusted, close co-workers...not in front of any bosses or anything. I feel so overwhelmed, hopeless, confused, frustrated. I know I shouldn't take things personally, but I do. I'm a perfectionist, in a new position, suddenly the manager of a high visibility program in the shipyard. How did this happen?! I think people have unrealistic expectations about what I'm capable of doing at this point, being new and all. One day at a time. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better.
I've been staying at work later than I'd like. I'm kind of upset at myself for allowing it to get to that point. I told myself I'd never put work before family. My time with Brian before he leaves for work is precious. I need to stay true to my word.
Anyway, in light of us not being able to buy a house anytime soon, we opted for some retail therapy this past Saturday and bought this new sectional sofa for our living room.
We don't have it yet. It was supposed to arrive with a shipment on October 30th and still hadn't arrived by November 1st. It should be here any day now! After 4-1/2 years of living with hand-me-downs (which served us well, btw), I can't wait to relax in our townhouse with some "real" furniture!
I was told the color is "mocha". It's kind of tan, with what I interpret as a tinge of pink. But not too pink. When it arrives, I'll get a better photo of it.
Anyway, that's it for now. Need to shower and head off to bed. I think I need to get more sleep on a more consistent basis. I think my lack of sleep is affecting my ability to cope with things.
Tomorrow is another day. I'll be hitting the polls after work. Should be an interesting evening....
Work has been a toughie. I broke down in tears twice today...with a couple of trusted, close co-workers...not in front of any bosses or anything. I feel so overwhelmed, hopeless, confused, frustrated. I know I shouldn't take things personally, but I do. I'm a perfectionist, in a new position, suddenly the manager of a high visibility program in the shipyard. How did this happen?! I think people have unrealistic expectations about what I'm capable of doing at this point, being new and all. One day at a time. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better.
I've been staying at work later than I'd like. I'm kind of upset at myself for allowing it to get to that point. I told myself I'd never put work before family. My time with Brian before he leaves for work is precious. I need to stay true to my word.
Anyway, in light of us not being able to buy a house anytime soon, we opted for some retail therapy this past Saturday and bought this new sectional sofa for our living room.
We don't have it yet. It was supposed to arrive with a shipment on October 30th and still hadn't arrived by November 1st. It should be here any day now! After 4-1/2 years of living with hand-me-downs (which served us well, btw), I can't wait to relax in our townhouse with some "real" furniture!
I was told the color is "mocha". It's kind of tan, with what I interpret as a tinge of pink. But not too pink. When it arrives, I'll get a better photo of it.
Anyway, that's it for now. Need to shower and head off to bed. I think I need to get more sleep on a more consistent basis. I think my lack of sleep is affecting my ability to cope with things.
Tomorrow is another day. I'll be hitting the polls after work. Should be an interesting evening....
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I'm so behind....
I've been in a bit of a rut lately. I've spent the last couple of weeks adjusting back to reality after having way too much food and fun in Las Vegas. My appetite was voracious upon our return. I think my stomach had expanded from stuffing myself at the buffets. I'm trying to get it to shrink back to normal. :P I still need to upload pics & video, too.
I haven't been very connected. I've fallen behind on e-mail, Knotting, and Facebook. I owe replies to so many people!!!
Right before we left for Vegas, my Dad decided to buy himself a funeral plan. Yipee! I ended up buying him an urn plot at Mililani Memorial Park. It's much cheaper than a regular-sized plot, but it's literally footsteps away from his parents. I'm happy that he'll be nearby when that time comes.
I've been having dreams about my Grandma. She appeared in a few of my dreams and it didn't seem odd. What was kind of odd was that she looked like how I remember her from maybe 10 years ago. Strange. I don't recall talking to her in my dreams. She was just kind of there.
Work has been great. Wow, never thought I'd hear myself say that. Sadly, though, my awesome boss will be going on maternity leave starting next Friday. I think I'm going to kind of be "in charge" since she's our Program Manager and I'm the only other full time person working on the program. She's shielded me from a lot of the political B.S. I feel like it's too soon for me to be thrown to the wolves. I've only been on the job for 2 months and I feel like I'm still kind of "recovering" from my last job. I still feel a bit fragile, I suppose. My boss is such a strong person with iron-clad ideals. I'm not sure I can fill her shoes. I'm not sure if anyone is expecting me to while she's gone for 3 months.
I'll leave you all with a corny tid-bit: Brian proposed to me exactly 3 years ago today. Yes, I remember the date. I don't think he does, though. :P And tomorrow is our 18-month-a-versary. :) Time sure is flying by....
That's all I've got for now. Need to start heading off to bed....
I haven't been very connected. I've fallen behind on e-mail, Knotting, and Facebook. I owe replies to so many people!!!
Right before we left for Vegas, my Dad decided to buy himself a funeral plan. Yipee! I ended up buying him an urn plot at Mililani Memorial Park. It's much cheaper than a regular-sized plot, but it's literally footsteps away from his parents. I'm happy that he'll be nearby when that time comes.
I've been having dreams about my Grandma. She appeared in a few of my dreams and it didn't seem odd. What was kind of odd was that she looked like how I remember her from maybe 10 years ago. Strange. I don't recall talking to her in my dreams. She was just kind of there.
Work has been great. Wow, never thought I'd hear myself say that. Sadly, though, my awesome boss will be going on maternity leave starting next Friday. I think I'm going to kind of be "in charge" since she's our Program Manager and I'm the only other full time person working on the program. She's shielded me from a lot of the political B.S. I feel like it's too soon for me to be thrown to the wolves. I've only been on the job for 2 months and I feel like I'm still kind of "recovering" from my last job. I still feel a bit fragile, I suppose. My boss is such a strong person with iron-clad ideals. I'm not sure I can fill her shoes. I'm not sure if anyone is expecting me to while she's gone for 3 months.
I'll leave you all with a corny tid-bit: Brian proposed to me exactly 3 years ago today. Yes, I remember the date. I don't think he does, though. :P And tomorrow is our 18-month-a-versary. :) Time sure is flying by....
That's all I've got for now. Need to start heading off to bed....
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