Role Reversal

We seem to have an inadvertant social experiment going on in our home.

Mama (that's me) has had to return to the working world because of necessity. Coinsiding with the latest remission in my fibromyalgia was a job offer that I couldn't refuse, not only because it was a great job for a great company with a really nice salary for a desk job, but because my other half found himself the victim of the latest round of downsizing in his company.

So Daddy, for the first time he can remember, is unemployed. with construction companies either downsizing or filing chapter 11 or closing everywhere here, he can't find a job in his field, let alone at his previous salary. Which was more than twice what my aforementioned really nice salary is, even though my entire career has been in healthcare saving lives, taking continuing education to keep a license, college- oh, enough of that soapbox, I was on the box over here. That one is for another time...

So, Daddy is home now. And he is trying to look for a job. Really. But he is finding that he doesn't want to go back to work at a stuffy old desk job anyore. And he is overqualified for those local truck delivery jobs he seems to have applied for instead. And he keeps talking about staying home letting us take care of him for awhile. Uh, no, I don't think so. Not unless YOU want to run my store and make money with it while I work. And I have seen your color combinations.

Anyway, the kids now have stopped reminding me that this is Daddy's house, because he works to pay the bills. And tonight when my daughter asked me when I could take her to go get her hair cut, I remended her that I did not get off of work until 4 PM, unless she wanted to wait until the weekend. It was then she remembered that it was her Daddy that would have to take her to those personal errands like haircuts. I guess no little pedicures snuck in for her anymore. I'm not sure that Daddy will sit with her and get a manicure while waiting for her to get done with that. LOL

Here's hoping to the failure of this experiment, that Daddy gets a job and goes back to work. Then I can get back to my own little extras, liks hair cuts and buying new jewels to create with.

Smiles,
Carlotta

PS Check out the eSMArts showcase, good for another 24 hours. Mine is the Red Fossil coral and Sterling necklace pictured.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=9212

Of course Life's not fair; that's why they make bras in different sizes...

That's and expression I use on my daughter all of the time. Until recently she thought that I was making fun of her extremely curvaceous figure. Now she knows a little better.

This past month has been, shall we say, a little sucky. Although I have been feeling a little better and decided to test the waters and try for a part time nurse job, my husband was laid off from his job. The one with the nice income, the health insurance, the security. And it seems, with a mid-life crisis in full swing, that this is the perfect time to put off looking for a new job. His excuse is that he has some vacation and severance pay coming.

Uh-huh. I know how long that money will last.

So, I had to put job hunting at the top of my list, but with work restrictions that left me with some really interesting jobs. Pill-pusher at a nursing home (30 minutes away). Pill-pusher at a clinic (60 minutes away). Home visits to give bed baths (choose your city, lots of driving). Office visits to dental offices to draw blood and give vaccines to dental assistants (over 2 counties!).

This last one as an independant contractor, which means at your own risk, so in addition to the high cost of gas add in malpractice insurance.

None of these paid enough to make the mortgage payment every month. And they would all seriously cut into my jewelry creating time and money.

But, all of my karma points must have come in handy, because I landed a much sought-after position at a major insurance company as a specialty review nurse! Although there is a lot of training that I need to go through (2 weeks down and a few more to go), and I am a temp to hire, when I am done I will have a very good career with great benefits- which I will need if DH doesn't get through this midlife crisis soon.

So, now I am off to Arizona in the morning to Art Unraveled ( www.artunraveled.com ) with my daughter Amanda. I'll post the details here as I can, since I will be taking some jewelry classes from the fabulous Susan Lenart Kazmer, as well as others.

Fabulous artistic jewelry and a renewed spirit soon to come! And DH is home with the boys for a week.

So sometimes Fair is subjective.

Smiles,

Carlotta

Have a safe and happy Independnce Day

The 4th of July is just a date, and I refuse to wish people have a happy 4th of July this year, any more than I would think of wishing them a happy 23rd of October or something. After all, it's our Independance Day. No need to go PC and change the name or anything. So be proud and call it what it is.

On a related note of being proud, and Independance Day...

With the increased incidence of traffic accidents and the need for blood donations this weekend, my 20 year old son decided to donate blood for the first time this week. Today was the day. So, John, I dedicate this entry to you. Your father and I are proud of you. We know how much it took for you to do this. You did it, and you did not even pass out or get sick!

We love ya, John! You Rock!

Please drive safely, leave ALL fireworks to the experts (Safe and Sane are neither safe nor sane), and donate blood to your own local blood bank if you are at all able.

Oh, and I did try to read a bead magazine while I waited, but i just keep looking at my son and talking to my friend instead. But I do have a few days now to get some little stuff made, thanks to the Independance Day weekend.

Smiles
Carlotta

Poster of the Day on eSMArts Team Blog

Tonight you will just have to read my post on the eSMArts Blog, since I was the featured blog poster for this weekend. It was just my turn.

Why did I not want to post a new one for my own site? A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

I'm doing the same thing for all of my sites. So don't even bother looking.

Smiles,
Carlotta

A Beaded Affair: Larimar - Stone from the Dominican Republic

A Beaded Affair: Larimar - Stone from the Dominican Republic
One of my absolute favorite stones. I have a bag full of lovely Larimar myself and need to create some pieces with it. I actually have a few ideas, but I prefer to gaze at it and imagine diving into it's cool blue depths for a swim in the peace of it's calming color.

Please go check out my friend and eSMArts teammate Lois' blog at the above link to get a bit of an idea about this stone, and I will post a bit about it on my main blog, Carlotta Creates .

Smiles,
Carlotta

And another blog- this time someone elses

Taking time out from all of the artist stuff and the jewelry and stuff selling stuff and job hunting stuff and life in the crazy house my family calls home is a necessity. So I felt compelled to check out the blog of a friend of a friend of a friend. I needed the 10 minute vacation.

I originally went to Mindy's blogsite because she was having a contest/drawing for a little assortment of stuff from her trip to Hawaii. It included chocolate, of course. But, I stayed because she has some really great music playing on her site. And then because she has some really funny stuff on her site too.

Stuff like the sistahs at the Gap loving their ample bodies in not so ample clothes. And how we all should be like that. I am like that- until my brick you know what house daughter reminds me that I am fat. (I still look in the mirror and see a good size 16 body, it's my hair I hate. Besides I still dream skinny and I get they guy.) Go Sistahs!

Stuff like pics of Courtney Love and how she needs to have a sandwich or five. I think we can all agree on that.

The cowbell thing with Will Farrell and the dancing scene from Napoleon Dynamite? Well, they can grow on you, I guess. There is something for everyone. And it is G-rated.

I give this site five gems and a few snaps. And maybe some chocolate. Yum.

You can visit her site at http://wordtoyourmother-mindi.blogspot.com/

Smiles,
Carlotta

Another day, another Blog

Although this one is pretty, as blogs go.

As part of my marketing assignment for my Jewelry Design and Sales business, we are supposed to increase our web presence through blogging.

Although I have a perfectly good blog on Ning (and I will add the link here sometime tomorrow), it has become somewhat of a social gathering site. Then when I started to create a blog here I had a power surge and had to start over, losing the first attempt. After creating Blog v2 (this one), Blog v1 shows up on my profile page. So this one is going to be my other assignment- to relieve stress by blogging it out.

So watch out world. Because lately most of my stress seems to be setting up these darned blogs. As well as taking pretty photograph of jewelry with impossible to capture color, adjust the white balance on the computer with the help of a cat that thinks she knows more about the keys on the keyboard than I do (and who is to say that she doesn't?), crop out the tail of said cat from the one perfect photo in 40, write up a witty, concise, and non litigous description to post on the site for sale, find a perfect price point by taking time to detail every last item used in creating the piece in the inventory program and then picking myself up off of the floor when the computer tells me that I am way underpricing my work, posting the item for $30 under that price and then waiting for someone to buy that item. Or maybe write and tell me that they like the item. Or even just click a button to post a stupid little heart and validate my feelings, damnit! Grrr.

Maybe I'll just go scrub the kitchen floor to relieve some stress.

I hope that you have a nice day.

Smiles,
Carlotta