So how’s that working-at-home thing working out?

Oh mah gawd, y’all, I don’t even know where to start.

Last time I was working at home, I was also working outside the home; and I felt I had three different “me”s… that I was being pulled in three different directions. There was The Office Worker Me, who spent four days a week, between 15-30 hours, at an office. Although I had a set schedule some days I would come home early due to no work and some weeks I would stay late or come in on my day off and I felt that even though my heart wasn’t in that job that I should be, because it was a paycheck. There was Writer Me, frustrated with sharing my office with the cat box room, a good portion of my reference books boxed up, and feeling that because I was working at home I should have all this free time to do stuff at home like chores, and was surprised that I didn’t. Then there was Homebody Me, who couldn’t be crafty because the kiln was turned off due to electricity renovations, who felt like I should take on the lion’s share of the chores since I was home so much and at the same time frustrated at taking on the lion’s share of the chores because when was I supposed to write?!

This time I am 100% home and 100% crafty. I have not one, but (bless Tim’s heart) THREE rooms in which to be crafty; my ceramics room, my dye bar, and my office. Not to mention bringing ceramics into the living room to watch TV while I paint, or firing the kiln on the back porch… the whole house is my craft area. And as such I find myself taking better, or at least quicker, care of the house. Because the kitchen is right by my dye bar, I find myself putting the dishes away when I walk through; not because I need to but because I walk by it seventeen times a day and it’s unsightly. I clean out the cat boxes daily; not because I need to but because I am walking barefoot by one seventeen times a day and I don’t like cat litter on my feet – and if I’m cleaning up one, I might as well clean up the other three at the same time.

It’s almost pathetic, how excited I am to start working at the start of my day. I crank up the crock pots for dyeing while I’m having my coffee, if there’s yarn to be dyed that day. Or I start pouring molds while I’m having coffee. I start working before I even shower, because I’m just that excited to be doing what I’m doing. I’m trying to get a good number of ceramics either finished or ready to step up and be finished for the launching of Haldecraft. Same thing with soap. I just made some yesterday, and didn’t have nearly the amount of stock on hand that I thought, so I placed a huge order with Brambleberry – the largest order I’ve ever placed. Today is… July 22nd. I’m hoping for an opening of my shop around August 15th. A friend of mine is working with me on logo, typeface, and packaging, and y’all… her ideas are so fabulous I wish I could give you a sneak peek… but I won’t! I want everyone to be surprised and impressed!

Some things at home I am still not on top of. Folding laundry when it’s done. Weeding the front yard. But I’m ok with where I am. Those other things will come, I will have time for them later when I’m at in-between, waiting times for the shop. It’s all good.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go turn on the crock pots, and take a shower. It’s time to start my crafty day!