Zzzzzzzz Ramble

If I could sum up my state of mind today I'd probably end up swearing a lot so I won't bother, but I have had a frustrating couple of days... Made worse just now by a flippin robot calling my house again! ARGH! Does anybody actually fall for these calls??? Is that why after years that they are still going on tormenting people in their homes? That's just not right! Anyway! ... Sorry I've had a record number of calls of that variety today... need to VENT!

Anyways... yeah, I've been super busy which isn't any different from the usual but unfortunately it hasn't been because I have been the diligent worker on my Etsy store. Man I wish it was, but it's pretty much swallowed up days where I had motivation and now I suddenly don't. Anyhoo, I can continue getting bits done again and I will, sore back and fatigue aside, hopefully get somewhere with it all!

A few things I have managed to do that's been fabby doody the past few days is become a team member of POE (Photographers on Etsy) which put me in the best mood ever, and signed up to Indie Public too... I'm everywhere suddenly. Trick is now to keep on top of it all! I also made a treasury on Etsy full of wonderful artists that have wonderful floral work on sale in their stores. This is inspired from my own store of flowers in my garden, but I'll go on about that in a bit!

Also I have literally just been informed by CanadianRockies on Etsy that I have been featured in their blog treasury which is amazing, the piece photography that has been used is one that I adore from a small collection I managed to take at Ryton Garden Organics a few months back! I think this is the first blog feature that I've been made aware of so check it out!


Those familiar with my etsy store will know of my photo retouching services, well I have updated my listings with 4 types of service for those that are interested!

Enhance Airbrush	Rainbow Art Airbrush
Spotlight Airbrush	Softening Airbrush

Back to reality, for a few days I have been overjoyed at the progress of my first blooming sunflower! Absolutely EVERYTHING that I've planted in my garden has been grown from seed, and wow I'm amazed at the result now that the best weather of the year is beaming down on us here! It's one thing that I must make time for as I do have a tray with lettuce seedlings that need a patch to grow in, alongside my cabbages, broccolli and pumpkins. I was more faithful to my plants in the earlier portion of the year, but my lifestyle, particularly finding more time for computer work has made time generally seem non existant in my life. To be honest I don't think it exists anyway it's just an imposed concept of reliance to me, but presently that notion isn't going to tend to my garden! Lol! It's pretty easy once I'm out there, as it's the one thing that doesn't interfere with looking after my little boy. On the contrary, for him any excuse to get filthy and run around carefree without the need to climb furniture! Brilliant! I let him get on with it lol! He does love the outdoors, and I'm relieved and greatful really, what with society turning severely into nature fearers. I wouldn't be surprised if one day it's fashionable to don your child in bubble wrap for an outing! I'm old fashioned for my age I guess, and falling for fear mongering just isn't part of my persona. It's a blessing to know Yukio loves being outside and I can work on things out there knowing that he's happy, engaged and genuinely in awe of what surrounds him. I can't wait until he can consciously start tending to the garden with me ^_^


Phew! Right I'd better figure out what I should do next. I am seriously frazzled, I know I could get on with a lot, but I must be burnt out or something because the will just isn't there... Probably will be in an hour or so. My mind works pretty fast so that wouldn't suprise me lol!!!

My Ramblings... Plus An Etsy Update :D

Apart from today, I've been pretty busy tip tapping away on my computer. Today I was busy elsewhere so I didn't exactly break away from things but nevertheless, I have been doing a lot to help my mini empire along! (I wish... lol). Some people must think I'm mad, looking after my son full time AND trying to work from home, which takes up all of my other time and currently for zip whilst I'm still getting started. But I want to make it work because I believe I can do it and I have my son to think about. Nothing else to it. The other half was seriously saying to me today "oooh in the short term if all goes well, you can treat yourself to luxuries and go out etc...". This is assuming I'd be earning consistantly! But I just CANT imagine really giving a damn about going out when the opportunity arises. I don't know if it's the same across the waters, but in the UK (or at least with a lot of people in this country) it's so disturbingly vital to most to go out, get paraletically hammered, suffer the consequences the next day, then do it all over again on a regular basis! Is it weird for me to want to spend my money on enjoying myself without looking like a buffoon, with narcotic or booze fuelled confidence, and a monster hangover the next day? I don't see why it's "the thing" to do. I'm 24 and people seem to just expect it of me but I really do think that I can enjoy myself much more, remember what I've done in the process, and more than likely feel pretty good in the morning just by doing something random like I did a few weeks back as an example, and get myself my provisional motorbike license! LOL! There's a thrill for ya ;-) I have my son to think about like i say! and my life... even my dignity... man there are some horror stories about! I mean I'm not tee total, nor a saint, and to contradict myself slightly I do think that it's ok to have a drink now and again, but I'm just not a party animal anymore and definitely cannot do the things I used to do! I'm old already lol!


Anyway... a few days ago I updated on Etsy... so check out the new photography! :D

Blue 8x12 Inch Print - Creative Fine Art Photography By Moonangelnay $25

Peace Garden 24x36 Inch Gallery Wrapped Canvas Print - Creative Fine Art Photography By Moonangelnay $345

Twilight Rose 8x12 Inch Print - Creative Fine Art Photography By Moonangelnay $25


Romance 8x12 Inch Print - Creative Fine Art Photography By Moonangelnay $20

That's it for tonight I think... Knackered, and another busy day tomorrow awaits! Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July over t'world like :-)

xxx

A Terrible Two! In The Nicest Possible Way :)

Whilst I'm waiting for my camera to hurry it up uploading 444 files onto my PC, I thought it was about time I caught up with the world of blogging. Or I guess it's the case of the world catching up with me lol! In any case, those of you that have been keeping an eye on my last posts will know why there would have been a delay this weekend just gone. My little boy Yukio turned two years old, and I can honestly say if there's anything terrible about it, he's been doing it for a long while already! Lmao! Hopefully we've been getting the tantrums in early, so shortly we'll have an easy ride of this apparently temperamental milestone lol!!!

We had a lovely weekend. I wish I could say that my weeks of planning and overspending (by at least £60 I reckon) were worth it for his Tiger party, but the last thing any of us expected was to be let down at the last minute by a lot of invited guests. Despite the month advancement, despite messages all through last week, and even a last minute check on saturday before buying an extraordinary amount of food to keep everyone fed. I couldn't believe my eyes when the texts started coming in, and felt worse when I couldn't express how I felt over it (Lately I just don't feel like there's any point to me doing that anymore...It's frustrating how it's ok for everyone else to). I can only say one message made absolute sense to me, with her lil baby being unwell and I've already chatted with my friend about that, but everyone else has pretty much let me down for pretty pathetic and annoying reasons.

I've not slept for about 2 weeks through trying to fit planning around work (and this is with knowing who was coming... the lot was based on the headcount). 2am-ers all the way for such a long time including the night before cooking for the confirmed guests, coupled with the usual full time mum thang, a friend of mine passing away, the most busy schedule I've had to cope with alone (other half was working) since I was in the best and most active job of my life, multiple family members being extremely ill ranging from angina to cancer including one surgery that was yesterday (better check on my brother actually), and still I managed to make it all happen as I don't see the point in halting movement in life because of circumstances. I can't really do that because I have my son to think about and when you're a full time mum to an energetic toddler, the last thing you could do is let them down by letting life get you down. That doesn't make me a strong or more capable person, but I can't afford to let my emotions or fatigue take over when I have things to do. But considering so many people let me down at the last minute, loads of excess food is going off with the heatwave, loadsa party games i bought (including the coolest tiger pinata) didnt get played, I'm feeling pretty much like a mug for believing that people would think the same way I would do. Co-dependancy creeping back into my life probably, but on a practical level I really don't see how hard it is to get on with life when you flippin have to. And believe me I've been through enough and going through enough to know what it's like to suffer inwardly, yet I don't let it stop me. Otherwise I'd be letting people around me down by expecting them to pat me on the back and try and understand it all. I don't want people to understand my problems, it's not fair to expect that, it's the reason I don't bother going on about them anymore! You just get on with it don't you? Personally, regardless of how I may feel I do try and do what I can when I say I will. I haven't always been like that mind you, but nowadays I'm a little more thorough than I was before I had my son. I wouldn't say I push myself to the limit, but I do think that when things need to be done, they need to get done unless something awful occurs. Moan moan moan. Well it doesn't matter, regardless of how I feel Yukio still had his little girlfriend over and enjoyed his day mowing the lawn... all day... lol. It's a shame that the party games are all still in packages and the one's I prepared are sitting staring at me across the room, but I'm chuffed my dad's generous donation of a bouncy castle went down well with Yukio and his little friend.

The best part of the weekend though was taking him to meet Thomas The Tank Engine in Thomas Land yesterday at Drayton Manor Theme Park. Wow... I don't know what much else I can say about that! I managed to take what feels like a million pictures, and despite the stoney look on Yukio's face he had the best time ever I reckon. He LOVED it when he could see Thomas coming to pick us up to transfer our behinds to another part of the park. But everything about it was incredible. The staff were brilliant with the kids, waving at them and being all smiley (which is hard to come by in this country I swear), the rides were spot on in terms of entertainment for the family and being gentle enough for the little ones, and the Thomas Themed shop just has to be the biggest load of commercialised madness I've ever come across... whatever you can think of... with a Thomas theme... man I shoulda taken some pictures of that! Doh.

Anyways! That really cheered me up! I was close to tears a few times watching Yukio's little face throughout the day. He's going to be a little adrenaline junkie like his mummy ^_^ LOL!

So all in all... great coupla days. Like I say depite the let downs, I'm pleased one of my friends and her kids could make it and my friends without kids could do, as well as my mum and Elric's too. It was a lovely sunny day in the end, and the BBQ was great! At least we don't have to buy party stuff for next year with the overspend!

Right. Time to catch up with my Etsy Shop. Until next time x

Not So Busy Bee...

I think it's fair to say that today has been too much of a blur for my liking. I really do think that the people invented time to cheese me off because it seems to pass by so quickly nowadays. I do think time is speeding up but that's a whole other blog!

Right now though I'm feeling a bit flustered at the lack of stuff I have managed to do today, having been given the opportunity via a baby free house!!! I guess my only consolation is that my mum has been telling me to have a few hours to myself to try and get over this cold, of which I had a few... Not by choice really. "Relax" she told me earlier. In my life that's a bit of a myth lol!!!

Well my form of relaxation came in the form of painting the walls... and I think I performed a splendid display of 'live action DIY mum'! But all came to a standstill when a particular gloss my other half insists needs to go on the frames, COULD NOT be found anywhere. Yet, it's matt twin has been driving me nuts at the corner of my eye all afternoon. I was VERY tempted to use that instead, but Elric wants it all to look shiny. So a velvety room is out of the question, no matter how tempting it is to lob it at the wall. The can is still sitting obnoxiously on the windowsill, probably cackling at me in a parallel universe. The frustration comes from time yet again by the way. There is slight appropriateness to my desperation.

Anyway, ignoring that color entirely! I managed to improve upon his painting with the main wall ;) and started the lower wall near to our sofa. I was pretty chuffed when I was done with that bit, which was why I was ready for color number 3 but... I despairingly gave up after the gloss hunt and twiddled my thumbs ever since. I'm not normally this over dramatic LOL! But I just want the house in order before the stampede of toddlers on sunday! Not to mention all the food I have to cook the day before, and the decorations I need to put up... *sigh* I hate it when I'm on a role and something distrupts it. Really throws me off, particularly when I'm not doing my daily mum thing! So currently I'm contemplating a late night of painting once the boys are back from visiting grandad (gonna make Elric find the gloss he so insists is sitting by the matt equivalent lol!), because I don't really think my brain can handle much else today lol!!!

Infact, away from my wonderfully productive day I have updated a few listings on etsy which I have neglected to share. I made a point of changing some listings to reflect other prices for prints in my store, as even though print sizes and prices are written into my profile, I have a hunch people probably don't look at it, and therefore only see the default size and price for all photography on there (8x12). So now there are some 5x7 listings (although remember they can be changed if you wish for something larger! Convo me on etsy for that). Anyway here are the new photographs I have listed. Each photo will take you directly to the listing which should allow you to view a larger photo too :) moonangelnay.etsy.com

Violet Star 5x7 $10

Sketchy 5x7 $13

Frog 5x7 $10

Iris Munch 5x7 $10

A Sad Day For Many That I Know

It was partially a joy to wake up this morning to my little boy leaning over my head asking me if I would like porridge for breakfast (bless him), it was something else to realise that I am still unable to breathe out of either nostril because of the cold I brought home last week from one of Yukio's little friends! I have been trying alsorts of methods over the days to rid of it, besides yelling at it to go away. I'm not one to pop pills when I feel rubbish, because I hate the stuff and to be honest I feel they do more harm than good. But today I have caved from sheer laziness, and had an ibuprofen. Is it working??? no... I'm doomed for the remainder of the day then! I thought it would at least relieve some symptoms (whilst at the back of my mind I was secretly hoping for a miracle cure), but I feel no different so I guess this is the universes way of telling me to go to bed and chill out for once. Fat chance though!

Coming away from having man-flu, I had some tragic news today about an old school friend of mine whom I was in the same class with for about 7 years had passed away yesterday from cancer. It's been a bit of a devestating blow really, as despite the wonderousness of global connection via social networking, I had failed to make more of an effort to catch up with her. I didn't know she was suffering from cancer, but at 24 I never would have expected anyone I know to. But I do feel bad. My childhood involved her presence, and moving to secondary school despite us all being put into new classes and losing a decade of growing up with her I still feel extremely down at the news. Particularly as she was an added "friend" on facebook, you know there was my opportunity to catch up with her, and even though I send the usual how are you? well wishing message, I never did reply with anything further. I know I've never been heartless in that sense because the whole point of me bothering with social networking is to try and find the people I grew up with and to keep in touch with them, a far cry from the friend-adding syndrome you catch people doing on the likes of myspace. But having a young child, for any parent that is full time and as doting and I try to be, I don't spend hour after hour on my PC so in that sense I have become complacent, but you know that doesnt excuse the fact I coulda asked for a phone number, or arranged to meet and "network" like a human being should. My heart goes out to her family, I really do feel for them. Such a tragic loss, and I really do empathise having knowing what my other half is going through with his dad's battle with cancer. It's not right when someone whose lived a quarter of their life loses it to a disease like cancer. it's not right for an older person to or anyone, but for someone as young as my friend you can never really imagine just how this will be effecting her family and closest friends. I wrote a message to her sister with my condolences. I am only glad that she isn't suffering anymore, and that her last moments were apparently happy ones spent talking to her loved ones. I'm glad that my memories of her, despite them being lost in time are through a child's eyes. I always loved my classmates at my primary school. I will carry those memories of all of my friends forever.

So that was the bad news of the day. Nothing great has happened other than a small harvest of fruit from my strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrent plants in my garden. They look beautiful. Thinking about it, it's been my biggest harvest so far this year which is nice. Not that it'll do anything but the harvest of something as beautiful and food from your own garden, handreared from seed is very special, and I want to associate the beauty in what I have received today in my memory of my old friend.

Pretty In Pink

Whilst I am updating a few photography listings, I thought I would quickly post a new mandala I incorporated into the shop earlier this evening.

So far I have to say it's my favourite one. Stunningly pink and strikingly beautiful. It's one my other half couldn't help but notice upon passing me on his way to the kitchen after waking up from his night shift. I'm glad he had to take a double take, it means at least it's eye catching! I designed it from a photograph of a pink flower growing in my mum's beautiful garden, and I really do think I have captured the spirit of the atmosphere there with this one, rather than just the plant itself. I love her garden, I only wish I was in a permanent property to be able to work on ours the way I want to! One day though :)

moonangelnay xxx

Frog ^_^

Well, I said I'd go to bed last night but actually... well I didn't. Lol. It was another 2am-er and I have pretty much spent today in complete zombie mode which hasn't been good for anyone, let alone myself! To be fair though I think that if I didn't begin working the way I am doing, I'd be sitting in the same position I've been complaining about for months in a weeks time thinking that something is out to steal my time away from me. When ultimately I have the choice to make time, and considering I do get little time being a mum n all, the late nights are necessary. It won't be forever. I just need to keep reminding myself of that! So yes, today... I barely remember it that's how tired I have been. I vaguely remember watering my vegetables, and the usual getting grumpy with my computer, oh and having to scold my little boy a few times because he's been hitting a lot today. Dunno why though, he had a good nap. Probably mirroring my mood! But yeah it's not a good thing that the portion before the other half's return from work is a blur. After however it has been a little more productive. Boring things like research, housework, cooking... but then the FROG appeared!
We have a tortoise called fluffy who has been missing in the garden for a few days, and whilst the other half was looking for her, he found the cutest little frog, whom Yukio befriended and was SOOOOO good and gentle with it. I was just amazed at how sweet he was holding him and gently popping him on the lawn to let him go free. He's not even 2 yet but he has this nurturing concept down to a t. Incredible little boy, he never ceases to amaze me, even when he is a bit of a grouch (i guess he's entitled to this week, head injury n all)!
enjoy the pics!

moonangelnay xxx