Arts and Humanities Initial Post

A new term began today in school and I want to share it with you.  The discussion involves asking ourselves what the term "infinite person" means to us and to name a person whom we think fits this in our minds.

Unit 1: Unit 1: Thinking About the Human Experience - Discussion

Professor and class,
My name is Ashley Jones and I am a single mother of three.  I also am in the process of starting my own bath and beauty products business.  Well, let's see, I enjoy bubble baths and long walks on the beach....  (haha).  I actually do like those things.  But I also love reading and music, I enjoy taking walks with my children and I love to learn new things.  I feel this class is going to be excellent!
To me, an infinite person is someone who sees "the big picture".  This man or woman encompasses all that it means to be human and sees not only the trivial, but the important parts of the puzzle called life, and does not judge.  This may sound loony, but other than Leonardo da Vinci (as notated in the textbook), I see my favorite band's front man Jared Leto to be an infinite person.  When I listen to his music, it is as if he is speaking directly from his soul.  I also follow his blog, and he is simply the most fascinating person I have ever had the pleasure to encounter.  I feel he sees the world differently than most people; he takes pleasure even in the mundane.  Yes, he is in a band that makes millions of dollars a year, but I don't think that even matters to him.  The lyrics to his songs are so simple, yet so complex, that it brings tears to my eyes.  I've never experienced this with a band before.  As it turns out, he is also an accomplished actor in television and film, which ties in quite nicely with him being my version of an infinite person. 
The traits I feel are most important in an infinite person are the ability to never overlook the smallest detail in life, and to apply that to their life, along with a goodness within their soul that can be seen even on the outside.  An infinite person will always be remembered, whether they become famous or not. 
Traits of an infinite person that I would like to learn and apply to my own goals, would be noticing every detail, applying these details, and always being empathetic to people, whether or not I have an impact on their life.  I want to always live like I have an audience; then I will never want to do something I will regret if somebody does see me doing it (hey, it's a great motivator!).

It's going well!

Hey everyone.  Just a quick update.
Things are going pretty well for the business, considering a month ago I had only 1 sale.  This month I have had 7 sales on etsy and a few random sales, along with lots of winners on listia.com (you give stuff away for free and get credits in return to "spend" on other things), so although I am giving my soaps away for free, I am getting a lot of exposure and getting other cool stuff in return.  :)
Check out how my etsy shop is doing and feel free to comment here on any improvements I need to make.  I do realize I need to upgrade my pictures, and add more products (a lot more).  But as to how exactly to upgrade my pics, I would like some advice because I really suck (LOL).  I'm thinking of getting more close-up to focus on the texture of the products.  But I also need some better labeling and packaging.  It's very amateur right now, I will admit.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/JeweledVixenSoaps
Thanks for reading.  I need to wrangle my kids into bed... they've been tracked out for almost 3 weeks and I'm ready to pull my hair out.  Unghh!!!!!
I love my babies though :)   <3

Just an update

Hello gang :)  Just stopping by to give a quick update.
I have been working regularly at my old bar; that's been a boost to my self esteem.  Making a little money again will really help with that.  Plus I've had a few good sales, really getting my name and my product out there!  I will soon be creating like a mad scientist again.  :)
I've been crocheting a lot, and started a blanket the other day.  Wow is that time consuming!  I think so far I have crocheted that blanket for a good 8-10 hours, and it's not even a quarter of the way done.  I know part of it is because I'm still so new at it, but also because it really just is that time consuming.  It boggles my mind to think of how people who crochet items to sell for a living do it.  Obviously they are experts, but it still has to take time!  Dang!  Kudos to them.
So my blanket is going to be deep red with some gold stripes to match my bedroom and bathroom :)  Sexy!!!  Lol. 
Oh, yeah, so my lease is  up at the end of May and I still don't know where I'm moving to.  I have a few places in mind but haven't taken the steps to contact the properties yet, and since it's Sunday today they are probably not open.  Bah!  It's just that my week is so busy from Mondays through Saturdays that it kind of sucks nowhere is open on Sundays.  Oh well, I will get it done :)
Take care until next time!

It's Saturday!

Which means I'm going to do some work at the bar I used to work... lol.  Hey, it's some income and I've always enjoyed myself working there.  I can't wait for my tax refund to put some money back into the soaps... I have 8 million ideas running through my head!  What do you think of a line of epic movie-themed soaps?  And alcoholic drink-themed soaps?  And of course there are the normal seasonal soaps, and the normal year-round soaps.  I love making them, but gotta get them selling.  There is a place 5 minutes from my house that is for lease (a brick n mortar type)!  They probably want more than I could make at first, though.  I know I could work up to it but for the first 2-3 months I couldn't do it.  I might still look to see what they want, though...

I've also been slacking about the gym.  I went the other day with my son, but the childcare was closed for lunch!  ARGH!  I guess it's time to get my happy butt out and just walk there with him in the morning.  I gotta at least take advantage of what I'm paying for!! 

Ok, gonna get back to work trying to promote my soaps.  My lease is up here in 3 months and not sure where I'm moving but I want it to be in the same vicinity to keep the kids in the same school.  Hopefully the new place will be larger so I can have some more room for my soaps.  They've kind of invaded my bedroom.  Haha. 

Good night... gonna go to work and make some money.  The only thing that sucks is I won't get to sleep til 6 am and that makes for a not-very-happy-mommy in the morning :(  Maybe my mom will keep an eye on them for a few hours?  Hmmm...  :)

Hey! My soaps are on the Hot List :)

We're going places, baby :)

www.madeitmyself.com

Check out the Hot List!  The Pine n Mint soap is mineeeeeee.  Lol!  I hope that translates to sales.  I had a decent week last week but this week is not looking as good.  Hmm.  Time to kick it up a notch!

Just 1 click feeds a hungry person (and it's free)!

I found this great website I want you to check out!!!  All you have to do is click on the button on the site and 1 cup of food is donated to feed someone hungry all over the world.  It's free and totally worth it!!!  You can do it once every day.
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces

I love this!

::eerie sound effects:: I've been going to ..... the GYM!

So I've been going to the gym since December.  I sort of want to keep a few blog posts about this, as I tend to be really lazy about actually going.  I have not lost weight since beginning, just because it's sporadic. 
Honestly, the biggest problem is the fact that I need to get my car fixed, and if you read my last blog post, you'll see the bar I was working at went out of business and didn't bother to tell me, so I had no time to search for another job.  That being said, I can't fix it right now but am working on it!  So, since it's winter time, I would much rather drive to the gym than walk there (I'm not a fan of cold weather).  And since I can't, I don't go.  I borrow my mother in law's car when she's home, but she works her tail off at 2 jobs and sometimes isn't home before the gym closes for the day.  Kind of sucks, huh? :(
soooooo
Here's to my weight loss goal.  I'm gonna be accountable.
Sunday, February 20, 2011:  No exercise (LOL). 
But tomorrow it is supposed to be WARM!!!!  Like, 76 degrees!!!  I am so stoked.  I plan on being outside a lot tomorrow.  I am gonna go to the gym, clean off my front porch, and plan my container garden.  Also I am going to take lots of pictures of my products in the natural light and ship some packages out.  It's shaping up to be a fabulous day, and it's not even here yet!  I think I will post weekly about my excursions to the gym.  Daily would be too much, lol.  I would rather talk about other stuff.  :P
Take care, until next time!
Ashley

Been pretty busy lately...

Hey :)
I've been pretty busy lately trying to get my head back on straight... the bar I was working at went out of business and didn't tell me until the day they closed.  So I had no time to find another job.  I've been really trying to get my soaps into people's hands.  :)
I'm going to put the websites I sell my items on.  I have so many things to share :)  Oh and I started crocheting and have been practicing.  I knit hats and scarves and want to crochet outfits and accessories.  I'm pretty excited about learning all of this!  Ok, here are the sites I sell on if you're interested in looking!
http://yardsellr.com/yardsale/Ashley-Chamness-90372
http://myworld.ebay.com/jeweledvixensoaps
http://www.etsy.com/shop/JeweledVixenSoaps
http://icraft.ca/jeweledvixen
http://www.madeitmyself.com/user/jeweledvixen.aspx
Woo!  That's a lot, huh?  Hehe.  Thanks for checking it out.  :)
<3 Ashley

Holy hiatus!

Hey gang.  I'm back after 3 weeks or so.  I've had a lot of negative things happen since I've written, one of them being my mother's ex boyfriend assaulted us on my front porch.  Been involved with the police and courts and all that.  I'm really tired.
Anyway, no need to be such a downer!  My babies are in bed, the doors and windows are locked, and the heater is turned up.  :)  I'm about to crochet while I watch Law & Order.  After that I will try to do some business-related work.  I can't figure out why I have no sales on my etsy.  Or ebay.  Maybe because I don't have enough listings, but I just can't afford to list anything when I don't sell anything.  One of those things.  I keep renewing my things hoping somebody will just buy one so I can list 10 more :)  Lol.  I am really trying not to invest anymore of my day job money into the business.  But I think I'm going to have to.  Bummer!  Gosh, somebody buy something!  LOL! 
At least things are back to normal with my personal life and the kids are excelling at school.  I am pleased.  I have a few other sites I will be selling on and will post them here.  I have one already, here it is...
http://www.madeitmyself.com/user/jeweledvixen.aspx
Also, my schoolwork is going well.  I have 2 more weeks until I get a 1 week break, which will be nice.  Microeconomics is actually a big PITA!  It has a lot of technical jargon that if you don't study until your eyes pop out of your head, you'll never remember them all! 
Sorry for the pathetic post!  It will be better next time, promise.  Lol.  :)

One of "those" days

Have you ever had a day where you simply felt completely inadequate?  Today was that day for me.  The kids had a snow day today (actually it was an ice day)  I don't really feel like talking about it, but it has to do with my natural skill as a parent.  I don't think I really have it.  I feel better just saying it out loud.  Isn't admitting something the first step to recovery?  Hehe.

I did manage to get the majority of my homework done tonight.  There is one assignment I just have no idea how to do, so I am going to completely re-read 2 chapters of my microeconomics textbook tomorrow and figure this stuff out.  Bah!  Lol...

Last night I knitted a new hat for my nephew Wesley.  I uh, think I made it too small, though.  Haha!  I used my smallest loom because he is only 1 year old, but really, this thing looks like it's meant for an infant.  So I think I will send it to LiAna since her baby is due in April.  I do have a loom that's a size larger and I think it will end up making a perfect hat for Wes.  His big head!  :)  Hahaha.  He is just so precious.  <3

I'm off to knitting land!  Along with some decent television I don't get to watch during the day, and especially on snow days!!  My kids have been home for 4 days and I am ready to pull my hair out!  Lol!  They are my life though, and wouldn't trade them for anything.  Love my bebes!  Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the Mama bugs bite (that's what I say to my daughter right when she goes to sleep, and she says Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the baby bugs bite!  Then we proceed to bite at each other)!  Goofy?  Yes.  Adorable?  100%. 

Hola, Bonjour, Hello!

Hey everybody.  It's been a few days since I've written anything.  My work week is actually the weekend, so that's where I've been, add to that the fact that the kids are not in school on the weekend, that makes for a very busy me!

So my mother in law and I have been talking because we are concerned we aren't really making enough money that we need to be.  This is due to our lack of 401(k)'s and health insurance, which is so darn expensive!  We've decided to win the lottery.  I'll tell you about it when we win. *crickets*......

Anyway...

The kiddos go back to school tomorrow and luckily I did enough laundry to last them about 4.5 hours.  Heck I even washed the dishes.  Which will also last about 4.5 hours.  

Off to do the laundry, dishes, knit some more of my scarf, try to relax, maybe watch a show I have on the DVR.  Probably all of the above, at the same time.  Mothers are professional multi-taskers, after all.

Good night!  Much <3

I wonder if people realize?

I wonder if people realize just how unhealthy and full of yucky chemicals our bodies are?  I'm really sad to have recently found out my ex husband's sister has stage 3 breast cancer.  And the thing is, she's probably one of the healthiest people I know, she's a pharmacist, everything.  But in this day and age, it's amazing any of us live to not get cancer because of all the unnatural garbage we encounter just to live on a daily basis.
That being said, I am going to make part of my soap line organic.  I don't think I can afford to make my whole line organic *right now* but maybe in the future.  As it is, my entire line - with the exception of my lip balms having organic beeswax - is vegan friendly and I know that's important to some people. 
I just have so many ideas in my head and on paper and not enough time or resources to complete everything I would like to.  Ugh.  I need more space to really create and I just don't have it.  It's funny, too.  I am a creative person.  But I can't seem to use my space wisely and creatively.  I pretty much rely on some shelves you screw into the wall, and that's it.  My apartment doesn't have any storage space in it.  Again, ugh!  My lease is up at the end of May, thank goodness for that.  I need to upgrade a little bit. 
Thanks for listening to the vent.  :)

Good day! *tips hat*

Today was a good day.  Unfortunately I didn't get to make anymore product but I did get a lot done.  Got to the dentist appointment for the little one on time, my sister Kelli and I went to lunch, then got shopping done.  We got little Wesley his birthday present.  I can't wait for his party later (technically) today.  We're going to pick the kids up from school and go directly there.  It's gonna be a good day.  I didn't make it to the gym but I got all of my homework done.  I will definitely go to the gym later!
One bad thing is I didn't really get any chores done today.  Ok so that's kind of normal.  :)  I'm hoping to be really productive tomorrow during the day.  I want to make some lotion or soap for Valentine's Day.  I think gift baskets will do well for Valentine's.  What do you all think?
This year I want to really nail my packaging and expand the line to include liquid hand soaps and shampoos/conditioners.  I could probably move slightly into makeup, but I think that might be for next year since I am still fiddling with the products I would like to be considered "specializing" in.  Yeah!  This year is going to be really fabulous.  It's my New Year's resolution to make this my best year yet. :)

Today was dull, yet momentous. Weird, huh?

I had a lazy day today physically.  But I was mentally stimulated.  Ideas were flowing through my head faster than I could write them down!  I had to take a nap, haha.  I have all these business ideas and resolutions I would love to accomplish.  Becoming an actual vendor is my #1 priority.  I thought it was supposed to be fairly easy to get a tax ID but North Carolina is making it kind of difficult.  I just don't know the proper steps I need to take, and in what order.  Bah!  But not to worry, this did not derail me at all.  I signed up for a few new sites in which to sell my soaps and bath products.  

I am going to tell you about the last half of my day, even though it might be kind of boring.  My daughter missed the bus HOME.  Not sure how, and neither does her teacher.  Uhh?  Soooo anyway my (ex-... kind of unnecessary to put this in I guess) sister in law grabbed her and brought her home for me (she lives so close to the school).  We had snacks, did homework, and watched t.v.  Then their grandma came home (she stays with me, long story) and we ran to the store.  Did some shopping and I got some moscato.  Came home, got kids cleaned up and in bed, then I went to the gym.  I've been sick for almost 3 weeks and did not want to get anybody sick so I haven't been going.  Tonight was my first night back.  Ahhhh it felt so good to work out again!  Anyway... now I'm back at home, doing laundry and trying to convince myself to go to bed since I have to get up in 6 hours.  Oh, man.  :(

Well, thanks for reading!  I need to get my comforter out of the dryer.  That might coax me into dreamland :)  Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!  More mundane-ness tomorrow, I promise!  Maybe I will get some new soap or lotion made???  I'll let you know!  I have a dentist appointment for the little one and some major shopping to do so we will see!!!!  

xoxo,

Ashley