Random, Yet Important Musing – Children & Adoption

Money comes and money goes; that is its design and purpose. It is our children that are an indispensable commodity that we should place a higher value and premium on. Is that extra dollar really for your childs’ future? How can they have a bright future if you didn’t walk with them into it and stood there, beaming with pride, appreciation, validation, and arms ready to catch them if they should need it (sometimes they need to stumble and even fall)? Our children need US! Not someone we assume we think is suitable to raise them. If you can’t handle your children, then don’t have sex. It’s that simple. I don’t plan to raise my child to believe that she shouldn’t have sex unless she’s married, but to not have sex unless she can handle having a child and having a child with the person she’s with. Maybe I’m wrong by many a people’s opinion and I know it’s a bold, left field, out of the blue kind of statement, but I have seen enough and been seeing even more, in various forms of media, that made me feel compelled to say this. It may make me unpopular with some out there, but I don’t really care. There comes a point (and I’ve hit it) where you just have to say what is important to you and stop keeping quiet, simply out of fear of not being politically correct enough, or having someone “unfriend” you on Facebook. We as a people and parents should not allow ourselves to be found in a position if hypocrisy. How can we tell our children “Do not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in.” when so many of us are? I know we do it because we want our children to be better than us, but I think standing up for what you believe in, by atleast saying/admitting what causes or ideas you hold dear to you, is one thing that we should allow to fall into the category of “Do as I say, not as I do”.

I’m tired of hearing about thoughts of abortion or follow-throughs. I’m tired of hearing about couples spending their life savings, money to support their hopeful existence of a child, wrought from their own bodies and/or genetics, when there are so many children being put up for adoption and bounced around through the system, through potentially horrific conditions in foster homes that are just out for the extra buck. Save your money, stress, and ever so precious Hope and love (our ability and capacity for Hope is so unfortunately undervalued and taken completely for granted) and adopt a previous little child, waiting for a good and loving home.

I always said, before my daughter was born that I would only endure two miscarriages and then we would adopt. I went through one – a blighted ovum, to be exact. What is meant to be, will be and I don’t believe that we need drugs to make our families whole. I’ve been pregnant. It’s a wonderful, mind-boggling experience of course, but after that beautiful, little baby comes into the world, it honestly doesn’t even matter that much that you carried him/her/them inside of you and delivered them into this world. In all honesty, it’s just baffling, really – I can hardly even believe it all happened. All that matters, is that child is your’s and if you treat it and care for it, as it deserves to be, no one can take it from you and it can change the world. Genetics aren’t everything; the child and it’s Guardians (really think about that word and what it really means) are all that matters.

My husband’s in the military and I’m a stay-at-home Mompreneur, as an artist – a very subjective field to be in. Not yet a very reliable source of income. Maybe it wasn’t the best financial decision, but my daughter most certaintly isn’t suffering for it. Times are tight, but the bills are paid – even if sometimes VISA does it – but she has atleast me. Always. Pretty good trade off I think. The big screen TV, we once had (it was a 50″ energy sucker) can wait ;)

Before I go, I do think it’s important that I state that I do not condemn people that have undergone fertility treatments or artificial insemination, I can understand the desperate want of a baby that is biologically yours, but I think people turn to these things to quickly and I don’t really think that it’s something that we should be tampering with. I just personally believe that if you can’t have a child “naturally”, then perhaps that’s just The Big Guy’s way of saying that you are meant to love and care for a child that has already been brought into this world.

On another note, I also do not condemn families with two working parents, or working single parents as a whole. I just condemn the ones where both parents are working and they don’t actually have to; the ones that are not working to pay for necessities, but are working so that they can amass frivolous crap. Stuff that means nothing compared to time spent with your child/children.

Alright, enough ranting, methinks.

Wishing You Well, Love, & Happiness,

~Amanda Ramey~

Useful e-Clutter & Behind-The-Scenes Of Guin

Hello, my Lovlies! I know it’s been awhile, but I’ve been super busy with gardening (the greenhouse is doing great, but I’ve been having trouble ridding myself of a Mephistophelean weed, known as “vetch” – more on that later *grumples whilst muttering unclassy-like vocabulary), landscaping, doing mummy things, and getting ready for some upcoming shows! Art & craft shows, that is – no operas or theatrical performances in this mompreneur’s near future – le sigh.

Anyhoo, I just wanted to pop by and share a little more of my, hopefully helpful, if not a smidgen inspiring e-clutter!

Today’s e-clutter is brought to you by, you probably guessed it! Craft Test Dummies! The following article is about working in a series, or creating your own one person assembly line, as I like to think of it. Here’s the link!

Now, I don’t imagine that all of this is a great revelation for many of you, but I tend to find things like this a nice reminder , as sometimes we can forget what we already know ;) I also wanted to share this because it seemed like a good way for me to lead into sharing one of my favorite methods of doing what I do!

The “one-person assembly line”, is something that I started doing the moment that I realized that I wanted to “mass market” Christmas Guin (the first thing and only thing that I created for the first few months of me getting into polymer clay) and I actually find it quite difficult to do it any other way (years if conditioning). What do I mean by that? Well, let me start off by explaining how my one-person assembly line usually goes down: First, I figure out how many of whatever version of Guin I would like to make, usually 5, or if it’s a first-time creation, 6 (one for me and 5 to sell). Then, I make all of the “bowling pins”, which is how Guin’s body starts (after seeing 10 bodies, which I had unconsciously arranged in such a fashion to be not unlike pins at a bowling alley – I’m a little OCD setting that way when I set up my bits – my husband pointed this out to me, while passing by and the reference became “proper” terminology). If I want 5 or 6, I usually make 10; if I’m not too pressed for time – although the over-whelming compulsion to make the 10 (something caused by years of doing the same process), usually takes hold and I’ll make them anyway ;p Then, I set out the white balls of clay (I measure all of my clay out for each piece. For that reason and practice, is why many people think I use molds), the pupils, beak, tongue (I usually have a stock pile, so it’s just a matter if picking one out), the wings, feet, stomach (if Guin’s not dressed up), tail, and then whatever accessories/additives that goes with him. The order if my process is typically the same, but some steps change order, except for the bowling pins – that’s always first. Then I make all the faces, wings, feet, tails, stomachs, and then the accessories. The order of this part of the process is something that never really changes, unless I get distracted, or an accessory or what have you makes it so I have to change a certain step. Trial and error, trial and error ;)

Now that I’ve explained how I go about making Guin and that this is how he’s been done for years, this is why I have yet to make just one. My hands just begin carrying out their own will and I find myself setting up my 10 pin bowling alley.

Well, that’s all for now. Hope you enjoy the article and the little behind-the-scenes sneak-peek of what I do!

Have a Guintastic day!

~Amanda~

PS ~ I actually started writing this on June 15th, had to take care of the Little Miss and forgot about it until now – sorry! Better late than never ;)

LKR Quote – “Doing You”

One of my core beliefs is when you run your own business you can, and should, shape it around what matters to you. You get to choose!

And I choose to create a business that is peaceful, enjoyable, and fun to run!…

…But while it’s important to me that my business is profitable, making as much money as possible at any cost is NOT my highest value. …

…Making your business align with your values is a HUGE component of Creating Fame. So whether you agree with this decision or not, I hope that it can serve to model for you the alignment between vision and actions. :)…

…The point is, do whatever aligns with YOU. This is YOUR business, and you get to shape it however you want. :

These quotes are excerpts that I took from her newsletter, referring to her “Creating Fame” program (she offers spectacular programs and A LOT of great FREE information and resources! Go and check her out!) and why she is not currently offering payment plans, which reading her reasons alone may just help you with your own personal debate on whether or not to offer such a thing, or affirm the decision you’ve already made.

Anyhoo, I just really felt inspired and like these statements really resonated with me and wanted to share them with you all ;)

Have a Guintastic day!

Wishing You Well,

~Amanda~

The Maternity Leave I Never Really Took

Hello, my Lovlies! I hope that everyone has a Guintastic Easter with all of their loved ones tomorrow and has been enjoying the weekend thus far!

So, in reference to this entry’s title, I have decided that it is in the best interests of myself and my family, that I take a bit of a maternity leave of sorts. While things are going great for the most part, I am beginning to feel that I have, with good intentions, tried a little too hard to do too much, too soon. Basically, I think I bit off a little more than I can properly chew. I can chew it, just not efficiently and me no likey. What I mean to say is that I feel as though I am on the brink of beginning to try and “half-ass” my way through some aspects of my business (the things that I create not included! I will never half-ass my creations) and that is not something that I am comfortable with. It’s not what I’m about, nor want to eventually become. I’m just a little too much of a perfectionist to be able to handle doing only half of what I am capable of for very long and that is something that I am proud (though sometimes my perfectionism really comes round and bites me in the ass ;p). I do honestly feel I am doing a pretty good job, especially lately, but I just have that feeling, ya know? That feeling that a person can get when they are being warned that “burning out” is in their foreseeable future and that is not something that I am willing to risk. I would have once before (because I was stupid like that), but not now. Not that I have my sweet Little Miss to take care of! Who by the way has recently decided to finally let go of Mummy and Daddy’s “security fingers” (for the past couple of months, we would bend down and slack our arms enough that, while walking her around the house, we weren’t actually offering her any support; hence, “security fingers” ;)) and is now toddling about the house! This is beyond fantastically amazing and inexplicably adorable to watch (and a little bizarre – she’s so short! There should be a height requirement for walking, then maybe it wouldn’t blow our minds and catch us off guard as much as it does *laughs* ;)), but this also now means that she is needing about 10 times more attention/supervision! Yeah, this is probably what initially gave the “Psst. Maybe you should slooow dooowwnnn!” noodge and fortunately, for all concerned, I’m going to try and listen ;)

Now having said that, I would like to state that this doesn’t mean that I will just stop making things, studying, or blogging altogether, but I’m really going to try harder to take everything one day at time, and stop pushing so bloody hard to create the illusion that I’ve been doing this for years, instead of only since December 9th, 2011 (that’s when I decided to officially become the owner of an online business, take things more seriously, and begin teaching myself web design, marketing, social media bittles, getting into school, blogging ;), and all the lovely stuff that goes along with starting any business). Essentially, I’m going to be taking the time that I need to do things right!

As my friend, Adam, once said “I am pacing myself for greatness!” ;) And things will be spectacular once I fully return, more educated (I made it through 2 exams in one night without studying, yay!), focused, and ready to rock ;)

Have a beautiful, Guintastic day, my Darlings ;) And don’t forget to keep checking back, as I still will be doing bits from time to time – I actually hope to still keep up my weekly feature “This Week’s Focus”!

Love & Hugs,

~Amanda~

PS ~ Honestly, I think, more than anything, I really just needed to write this all down for me, as I imagine that it will appear that little has changed, as the majority of all my efforts have been going to studying and teaching myself about my business, the online world, the Art of Refinement and how to make all of that work with my newfound family life. You know, all of things that can get overlooked by the passerby ;)

Take care, Lovlies and today, or any day, try and find your own little way to pay it forward!