I think I will

I think i am going to keep a log of things to do that make me feel better. Here in Get stuff done land, we are hitting the broke level and this time we are both on the same page, which really is a relief. November is going to be NO SPEND MONTH. And its all about earning and saving those pennies. Things are not great and they need a turn around. I shall be re reading the lovely Mondon Beyondo pages and re instigating a bit of magic into my life. Tonight we are off to a bit of a Halloween get together, at Kiddie level so its all about early evening dressing up and doling out chocolates to the other kids who some to the door. We will be eating pumpkin soup and drinking vino. Kind of could do with out the vino, but we are at least being sociable!

My Mondo Beyondo List from May

I haven't read this in a while. Here it is. I want it to inspire me. I have to note that it says nothing about Accountancy. However, doing something that earns money might help a few of them. Paris is looking unlikely in 2010 so far. And some of them really are not going to happen, like L's sale, I am not going to be doing it so I can't get 100 commissions from it. However I am going to be exhibiting at a thing in Brighton, which might get something going. Supergroups is not happening one a month. Maybe I need to get my MB work book out and put some effort in. Anyway, here it is.


reassurance from a supportive community
earning a good living from art
supergroups at least one per month
visit paris this year 2010
H gets loads of really well paid work
do yoga everyday
go on a yoga retreat
T sleeps through the night nearly always
I have £20,000 in my bank account on May 1st 2010
I do the sale at L's and get 100 commissions
I am size 10-12 losing inches of my middle
I am virtually cake free
visit venice
write a children's book with hub that gets published
play a tune on the uke by xmas DONE
H does Outlook
we own 4 houses outright
our mortgage is paid off in 2 years time
I get 100 commissions by word of mouth in Brighton
I am a successful artist
I have my own studio nearby
T is healthy always (bar minor things)
H loses weight
H has a washboard tummy and dances
I learn to tango
I have whitened teeth
parents holiday house is fully booked all year except when we go
M and M find peace and love and communication
my parents are healthy for years to come
we have another healthy baby and a nanny
I own a campervan / mobile studio
we go to several festivals a year
we eat vegetarian meals mostly
my house is fully done up
we have a loft room
our house is totally greened -eco - with insulation, energy efficiency and solar and wind power
I meet some splendid like minded souls who become true friends and great company here in Brighton
I can fly
I visit San Francisco
I go to Burning Man
Ted gets scholarships whereever he goes
Ted is the most popular boy in school and is very happy
I own a flat in Paris that gets rented out, apart from when I want to visit
our house is beautiful enough to for a swap
we have sash windows
we have a woodburner

next 10 mins
We live in a stunning eco friendly house in the centre of town but its not a pissed on street, its in a courtyard and it has high ceilinged kitchen and dining living space. My studio is nearby
My studio is beautiful and light and warm
we have enough rooms for Ian to have a TV room and Ted to has a
our house has beautiful roof terraces
we spend time living in Santa Fe and Italy
Every summer we go travelling
In winter we go to Goa
I have an amazing supergroup type job and I travel with that. Its to do with images and collages too. H looks after T when I do that
T loves nursery
We have a cleaner twice a week
We always live near plentiful supplies of food
we have no mortgage but we have 2 houses
I win 5 million in the lottery
I have private yoga instructor
T is happy, well adjusted brilliant boy and man
H does all the Outlook courses and earns £100 G a year doing part time work
i love my work and my life
I am passionately in love and have lots of great sex
I am a yoga teacher
I go to Brazil to buy a campervan and drive it back with T and I and we are safe and it is amazing
T speaks fluent French and fluent Spanish
I have regular pedicures
I have an amazing computer and hi tech equipment
we have no TV and never watch it
I have Frette bedlinen
I am very happy and very BIG in spirit and all
I inspire others
I am very rich
I am an artist
I am a creative thinker
I am sought after

party on

I have been suffering from a rather nasty hangover today. I went to a fabulous and much need party last night. I say much needed, because sometimes I just need to let my hair down, have a good old dance, and drink just a little bit too much. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and had a good old drunken chats mainly with ladies I usually meet at the playgroup I run. They are all so cool and such good fun. It was lovely.

Having a hangover though, it does bring on the 'I am never going to drink ever again' feeling and all of those, goodness me, things are all a bit of a mess and I really need to haul my life together, get healthy and sort quite a few things out. I did manage to clean the bathroom and hoover everywhere, which was pretty good going considering how I felt. I spoke to a good friend about my accountancy plans and its bizarre, but quite a few people are saying what a good idea they think it is. I am surprised. I used to joke to everyone that I would end up marrying an accountant. Like it was a real joke, so far beyond what I was into that it would probably happen. Ha ha. And now here I am thinking that I might become one. Me. On purpose. I wish I could just pour my heart out into this blog you know. But I can't. My name is too attached to it. I feel so strange and alien to myself. It is like an adventure into the unknown. And instead of finding my wings of creativity and diving into that, as was so my intention and idea for myself. I am doing the very opposite of that. I am finding my feet of clay. My foundations. My earthing. I have always had the plan of earning more and working less. Perhaps this is the way I am going to be able to achieve it. Who knows. I don't want to be sucked into some sort of suburban value system and keep up with those damn Joneses. I want my freedom. I am not sure that choices I have made have lead me in the right direction. Recently I have seen friends lose everything but the most very important things. One of my best friends is being made redundant on Monday. Probably. There is a slim chance of some sort of job being found for her. But she is the breadwinner and they have this nice big house and the suburban middle class lifestyle. And they haven't really planned for this. Things can change. I don't know if I ought to be writing anything. I don't know what I am doing or why I am writing it. This blog is meant to be about getting things done and achieving my dreams. I want to find the magic in my life again. Magic please. Magic. I am going to post my mondo beyondo list for some inspiration again. I feel like there is going to be a period of a lot of hard work coming up. Of knuckling down and grafting. And yet the days drift by. I need to find a way of priotising and finding time for the important things.

At least I got to do dancing last night. Dancing is so so so good for my soul. Mixing my drinks, however.... oooh, feeling it in not a good way today!

And Halloween tomorrow. The darkness before the All Souls Day. I am seeking a rebirth. And a warding off of evil.

a new plan

I have a new plan. Its kind of come at me sideways and it feels very strange to be saying this without feeling like the world is going to end. But my new plan is to study to become an accountant. That is, firstly, I am going to study to be an accounts technician. Which means I can become a financial temp and get better rates of pay than I would otherwise. And see how I go from there. My reasoning is primarily, how can I earn the most in the least time. And I have always been kind of 'into' budgeting and managing my personal accounts. So while I am not thrilled by the idea of doing this for a living (oh how I would rather be an artist....) I have to acknowledge our need to earn money - to eat, pay off the mortgage, pay bills and hopefully invest in our financially free future. My artistic ambitions are not put aside. The aim behind this is to earn as much money in as little time as I can, in order to create the space and time to pursue my art. It is still my dream to have my own artists studio and time to create in it. It is also my dream to be able to pay off our mortgage and do our house up. Hence. Big decision. Feels very odd to be saying it and not crying. But I have to do something and out of the options I can see.... it feels like the best one. Lets see how I can on with the study!! that might yet be a bigger hurdle than i currently imagine it to be.

affilliation works!

I am delighted to announce that my affiliation with Kelly Rae Roberts lovely e-course, Flying Lessons, has paid off! I got a payment! How lovely! If you are interested in finding out what the e-course was about check this button.

I am still very much finding my feet in this online world. I feel a bit odd having deleted my archives. It almost feels as if I lost my dreams for a while as I had put so much of them on here. But I had to clear the decks due to the fuzzy boundaries I had. I feel much clearer about what is and what is not OK for me to write here. Presently, I am admiring Amelia's blogging, over at 101 Bird Tales. I really like they way her blog is growing and has a real sense of purpose and identity. If I were not already a blogger, I would look at her example and think, I would like my blog to be like that. I am thinking of signing up to here journalling your dreams course. What a splendid idea to get back into dreaming big. I will also be posting up my Mondo Beyondo list (as it was in May) and keeping my eye on my future dreams come true! I have, like many, always written my dreams lists. I usually write them at new year, instead of a resolutions list. And each year I can look back and see how many of my dreams do actually come true. Its always a heartening experience to know that magic can actually happen.

Further to this, I am thinking about the power of story telling. Spurred on by Amelia's post and the comment I made there. I am looking to find some magical and traditional tales of Heroes and Courage and Love. What are your favourite fairy tales?

Procrastination

Am rather concerned that this entire blog might ought to be re entitled 'Diary of a Procrastinator'.

I am slowly moving through stuff. While evidently procrastinating by finding amusing videos posted on facebook...... et al....

THough I am very pleased to have gotten back in contact with my French exchange friend, whom I met while i was a student in Paris and I can almost whole heartedly say, was the reason I can actually speak French. She was such a large part of my life there and we managed to stay in touch for a good few years, but then lost contact. I sent a letter to the last address I had for her, that I found whilst clearing out my clutter. She either still lives there, or got the letter sent on to her and she found me on facebook. It warms my heart. Not quite as much as it did when I thought that the incidence of me sending the letter and her finding me on facebook were totally unrelated. But never the less I am glad to have found her.

I have made £63 so far this week on ebay. Which is good for my clutter for cash quest. But still a long way to go in the realm of earning £1000 a month mission. With that in mind, I am considering studying to become an accountant. Not to give up on my art, but because I really want to find part time work that pays better than minimum wage.

Bub and I created potato print 'works of art' to cut up and make thank you cards with. My next mission this evening.

Culturally, Hub and I just watched Wall E as part of film club. Its a heartwarming sweet and clever little film which says so much with hardly any dialogue whatsoever. Its late again already. And I feel as if I have watched a lot of TV today. Procrastination?

feeling positive is a good thing

I loved loved loved, this post from Jen Lemen, this morning. I woke up feeling ill. Its always hard to fight the blues when the viruses are at work. And I awoke with the blues as well. In a way its a relief to feel a real headache and achey shoulders. And as the day wore on, and the flu tablets kicked in, things seem all a little bit better. There are some jobs out there, that I do actually like the sound of, for a start. And all is not at all lost for my creative business and other plans. I still have to collect the monies from one of my commissions, and I have a good feeling that once hanging in her home, it will generate more. I am going to make some cards this evening. And some ebay sales are garnering some interest. feeling good.

spending cuts

Ah, cutting the debt is all the rage in Politics today. I think we are in for an *interesting* ride in this country. Doesn't detract from the fact that I need to bring some money in to this household! I am on the hunt for paid work. Please god let it be through my creative work. I find trawling the Reed website so deeply dispiriting! C'mon Etsy give me a commission!! C'mon Brighton!

I realised today that I had sunk into a bit of a funk about it all. Which really doesn't help anyone, and makes me feel a bit pants. And probably anyone who is around me. And who wants that! So the old adventure begins again. Roll on the money! I mean, its all very well, being brilliant at managing the money, but we do need some money to actually manage! I will be rolling out the lets have a personal spending budget each week thing again. Luckily Granny gave Bub some cash for spending on his swimming classes and so on. So those activities will go on. Life's the adventure! ONwards!

a get stuff done list

OK here's a good Get Stuff Done list. And some personal finance stuff too.
1. find and apply for a new ISA
2. cancel the Premier Account we have at Barclays and arrange for an over draft facility there
3. Pay Pexel
4. Go to the job centre and ask them about jobs
5. Go to 2 agencies and find a job
6. Get the bedrooms sorted
7. list Bub's old shoes on ebay
8. arrange a Baby Sale at Hanover Centre - or investigate Lewes Road Hall
9. Do some posters using fabrics and collage as per my sketch book
10. Take some cards to the shop
11. finish the book keeping (mine and Ian's)
12. thank you cards for Bub's 3rd birthday presents

stuff is not life

I have just spent the weekend with my good friends, who have just gone bankrupt. Or their business and house is being taken off them by the bank. Whatever that is called. They did a cash bar at their hotel on Saturday night to raise rent money as their bank accounts have been frozen. On Sunday they held a sale to sell as much of their stuff as they could before the house and hotel was taken off them. Again to raise cash for rent money. It was all a sorry sort of affair. I mean they had masses and masses of gorgeous stuff for sale. I bought a lovely Joseph coat (I don't need) and there were chandeliers, and bathroom fittings and vintage furniture, works of art, fridges, designer clothing, a piano..... And they did raise a good deal of the rent money they need to survive til May when they both start working again in Ibiza. It was just the way it was their life, being picked over and sold off, almost as if they had died. We all bought stuff and gave over the asking price so as to help them. But it was just weird. Like a lesson in how you just can't take it all with you. They have been having enormous sales for a while, trying to get rid of stuff and raise some much needed cash. But this was brutal. Today the remaining stuff was being farmed out to friends garages and attics as much as is possible. I helped pack up about 10 boxes of vinyl records. They don't have time to sort out what they want to keep or not...... and it really made me think that we just keep all this stuff we don't need or even want, when push comes to shove, what do you really want to keep in your life? Boxes of maps from places you have been? vinyl records you never play? Books you have read and will never read again? Clothes you wore when you were thin and young and a gal about town. A hat you wore to that wedding? They had to give so much of it to charity. WHich is not a bad thing in itself, there is a lucky charity shop out there today. But I am renewed in my purpose to sell off all the stuff I don't want or need any more. Not because it is likely that the bank will want to repossess my home. At least I hope not. But you know, you never know what might happen. And I am of the opinion that it is better to travel lighter on this earth. I think that my dear friends are now also of that opinion. They are off to live a frugal winter in a little finca in Ibiza. Reading and recuperating after the monstrous stress of the last few years of trying their damndest to save their hotel, house and livelihoods of others from the bank (who are calling in their debts because of the credit catastrophe).

tentatively starting up again

This is my Get Stuff Done Blog. Its going to start again. As I found it really useful to help me keep track of what I was doing and some sort of monitoring of progress. As some sort of writing down of my dreams and a day to day check list of my progress! I am still waging a war on clutter. Though to be honest it seems to be winning dammit. I still need to find a way of earning money and keep looking after my son. And I still want to be creative. Keep being creative. Perhaps it was the summer that took me off the rails and made me wander. Anyway. Here we go winter. And here we go goals and lists and getting stuff done.

Lots of love from me.