The Nose Knows

Got another batch of fizzies made today and worked on figuring out new scents I can whip up. Need to figure out where to store the product once it's done . Have an idea, just need to figure out how to get the routine cleaning that needs to get done finished up so I can do some more of the organizing that needs doing.

It's actually a bit of work to get new scents put together. It's a multiple step process and it is a great deal of trial and error and figuring out what scents work well together. While you can use a single scent in the making of a product, it'll be a weaker smell than if you blend a couple of scents together. If you have ever wondered why things like bath salts and bath fizzies smell so strong (to the point of permeating whatever they are wrapped in), you have to remember that they will disperse into GALLONS of water and that will mute the scent quite a bit. That can also be why something that smells good in the store maybe smells "meh" when you put it to use.

I will probably whip up another batch of solid perfume soon, too. I've come up with a scent or two that is not "feminine" so I will have to see if there is a market out there for solid cologne. And for "dude" bath products. I am thinking that I may be investigating shampoo, shower gel and the like, as well, for future products.

The reality, right now though, is that the old saying of "it takes money to make money" is all too true and eventually my supplies are going to run out. After having to table what I had been hoping would turn out to be a pretty major project and losing touch with someone I'd been hoping to collaborate with in regards to website design and packaging, I am wondering what's realistic at this point. I honestly didn't start making this stuff to turn a profit, I started doing it because I found that I really love working with scent and since I enjoyed BUYING bath products it just seemed a natural way to indulge my bath product fetish and get to be creative at the same time. (And it makes a certain someone in my house a tad less grumpity if I make my bath stuff rather than racking up massive credit card bills in the bath shoppe).

I don't mean to be all Debbie Downer here, Internetz. But there simply hasn't been much joy here in the Little Lair in the Barrio lately. Except for the webcomics. Like Kids with Gas Eat Free, Tree Lobsters, Spud Comics, Off Campus, and But Not Really (which is a photo webcomic!)
And with the holidays rapidly approaching, I honestly don't see the mood improving at all. I'm gonna try not to vent my spleen here because actively driving readers away isn't the plan.

No plans for the weekend. Beyond making more fizzies and maybe getting a website operational. (Just got the billing reminder from my webhost. Can anyone tell me why this shiz always comes up at the worst possible time?) And hoping that I actually finally get the damn vacuum out this weekend. Goodnight Internetz!

The Sweet Smell of Success

I finally got everything together and made a batch of bath fizzies today. And discovered that having a dishwasher makes cleanup much nicer. The problem with the fizzies is that the colouring and the scenting plus the butter (shea and/or mango) can make things slick and difficult to get really clean if you are hand washing. I am hoping that I can keep up the productivity and actually have some product "in stock" by the weekend. Because, guess what? I have an order! No, I am not going to put stuff on Etsy. I have nothing against Etsy, mind you, I just have a website sitting there not being used and am looking forward to finally putting it to work. (Typing that reminded me to go add contact information to the site). So, the plan (at the moment) is to get more product created, do some photographs and get at least a very basic operational website set up over the weekend and then, of course, keep creating so I can actually sell some of this stuff!

There was, however, a weird moment today which sortve stuck with me as I was whipping up the bath fizzies. There was a multi-legged "something" on the carpet near the space I work on bath fizzies is located. It fled under the desk (not the desk my computer is on... the workspace is in another area... I find bath fizzie stuff near my computer keyboard is simply a recipe for disaster). So, everytime something even FELT like it brushed my feet (most of the time it was my skirt, I think once it was a cat) I was afraid it was the Unidentified Multi-Legged "Something" (UMLS?) Fortunately, it did not reappear but serves as a reminder to vacuum UNDER furniture when I vacuum. I don't mind most two-legged creatures (those that were created with two legs and intended to have only two legs). I am pretty ok with most four-legged creatures (I do, after all, have 2 felines, a chinchilla and a tortoise with 16 legs betwixt them) I am not a fan AT ALL of six-legged creatures. Eight-legged creatures and I generally get along ok as long as there is not the stingy tail of doom (scorpion) involved. Anything beyond eight legs and I do not want to see it or think about it. They are definitely on the DO NOT WANT list.

Well, the hour is late and Momma Weedy has come along to herd me to bed. Wish me well on my productivity. I'll let you know when the other site is "live" and ready to go!

Language cramming & more about webcomics!

Even as I type this, I am attempting to stuff the Spanish language into my brain. While I cannot get a library card for my current locale (because they require you to have a driver's license with your current address on it and I don't have my new license yet), I do have the library card from my past locale and can use it to access downloadable materials and so I helped myself to some Spanish language instructional materials. I'd still like to get my hands on something that isn't available only 7 days at a time, but I am all for making the best with what you've got. And gotta love it that they are teaching me the Spanish word for diarrhea. I can't tell you how often THAT will come in handy. Or maybe I COULD tell you and you really don't want to know. In any case, I am determined that I will eventually become at least functionally bilingual.

I had planned on getting to some fizzie creation today but it didn't end up happening because I was busy cruising job boards and discovering the depths to which I was willing to sink in order to become employed once again. I am still holding off on jobs that are over an hour (one way) away. I also find that I am having alot of self-doubt cropping up when I am looking at job descriptions and having to fight myself sometimes to apply for things that have maybe one small thing that isn't something I've done (I'm not applying for anything I am not qualified for, I am just applying for things that maybe utilize some software that I am not 100% familiar with)

As promised, I am going to share some more webcomics with you today. First, check out some Stale Bacon, then take a trip to Tiki Coladas, a little stroll over to Little Vampires and then swing round to Mint Condition, which rounds out today's offerings. I am also beside myself because apparently the creators of Two Lumps were at the Webcomic expo and I didn't get to meet them. I mean, how did they NOT wear "I create Two Lumps" in neon somewhere on their person? You'd think people want to have a private life or something. Sheesh. I suppose it was nice for them to attend and not have people acting all stupid over them. I know I was making enough of an ass of myself in front of Randy (creator of Something Positive). I emailed him after the expo and will note here, in front of the Internetz (or at least the slice of the internet that visits my blog) that he has not replied so I am pretty sure that I got filed away in the "People I Will Need To Check Into Getting A Restraining Order For" file. Or he got busy. Or he doesn't have time to reply to every yahoo who he meets at large gatherings who emails him afterwards. Sadly, there is a part of me that finds comfort in thinking that he probably thinks I'm a wacko and not that he's just busy or doesn't remember me. (There I go flyin' the freak flag again).

It's late and I should hit the hay. Goodnight, Internetz!

Gearing up again...

The chaos is calming down and while I need to be expending energy on job hunting, I am also determined to spend some time on creating some new stuff in the way of bath fizzies, lip balm and solid perfume.

My first go at the solid perfume turned out quite well, in my opinion, but I've not gotten the feedback I'd hoped to get so will be putting that particular fragrance aside for now. (It was a special project). So, one of the things I need to do is decide what the next fragrance I try will be. I am also in the catch-22 situation of needing more supplies but not really being able to afford them and trying to tell myself that if I order them, I will sell what they make and it will all be wonderful. I need to find a couple new molds as someone has suggested a couple shapes to me but I want to be sure I get the right thing and that the fizzies will turn out good. However, I will be doing some production this week.

Also need to do some market research and find my little scale so I will have a clue what mailing will cost.

Lots on the to-do list. But it's getting late and I should probably head to bed. Tomorrow I need to make up for the productivity that has been sorely absent the last two days. Sorry for the short post.

Non-Coffeehouse Sunday Post

Thanks to CharlieMixer, we now have a metric fuckton (bona fide farming term learned from Lawyer Greenjeans) of chocolate chip cookies. Other than the cookies, not a damn thing really got done today (well, my desk is pretty much cleaned off, so that's something, right?)

Speaking of Lawyer Greenjeans, I had a quick chat with him today and did a little work on some things we discussed. But looking through files made me realize that I have much organizing I SHOULD do with my electronic files and then I should make backups of things and next thing you know I have now talked myself into hours of work. But it needs to get done. As does my filing. I am bound and determined that one of these days I will be as organized at home as I am when I'm in an office. But someone else vacuums the office and the cleaning lady here is ME. I believe I have covered before that I really TRY to be a neat freak because I am so easily distracted by chaos. But the vacuuming and cleaning the bathroom... not my strong points (although I DID clean the bathroom today. Scrubbed the toilet and everything).

I found something else that I need (not WANT, but NEED) however, I believe Mr. POSSLQ's head would likely explode at the prospect of assembling it. And apparently it's very heavy and the driver wouldn't deliver it even to the door and there is no way Mr. POSSLQ is getting 200+ pounds of ANYTHING up our friggin' 15 stairs because he was nearly the dead over just getting our NOT 200+ pound shit up the 15 stairs and so until such a time that we move into a rambler and have STAFF to do things like move furniture, there will be no coolio armoire for moi! I really like this, too... however, it is 150 pounds and the 15 stairs haven't gone away from two sentences ago and so, I am still shit outta luck. Ok, so, moving on, I found this... it weighs in at 38 pounds and I could probably even assemble it myself which would keep Mr. POSSLQ from wishing (and perhaps engineering) my demise via a fall down the aforementioned 15 steps (which, I should mention, are friggin' concrete so you are pretty much guaranteed injury and pain should you happen to fall down them. Which is something I have nightmares about).

As long as I am talking furniture, I'll let you in on something. I want a rolltop desk. I've wanted one for years. I know with the 15 steps that it isn't going to happen where I am living now (have I mentioned that there is no way in hell Mr. POSSLQ and I can ever move out of here without hiring professional movers? Because I am very sincere in saying it simply cannot and will not happen without professional movers).

Lastly (for tonight), when I saw a news story earlier entitled

"Crazed kitty cat attacks owner, prompting 911 call"

(a story from New York), I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Not A Dingo (found HERE) had gone off the deep end. Fortunately, that wasn't the case.

That's all for now, Internetz!

Something Positive Saturday

A few months ago, Mr. POSSLQ and I spotted a link to a Webcomic Expo that would be held in the place we've now moved to. I was really excited because the guy who does the webcomic Something*Positive was slated to be there. I'm not ashamed to admit that I follow him on Twitter and my one big worry was that I was going to squee like a fangirl (unbecoming for someone my age) when I met him. I managed to contain myself but got a really cool sketch and some Christmas cards and stood around talking to him for a really long time and I am pretty sure he now thinks of me as "Stalker Chick with the Chinchilla". And I really wish that I was the hot chick with the "I has a flavor" button who was also hanging around his table. But, alas, I am still frumpy ol'me.

AnyIamsoawedbytalent, there were many artists there and I probably could have easily spent a couple hundred dollars (which I am really sad that I didn't have...) but now have a bunch of new comics to read online. I love Webcomics! There's Death by Bunny, Life's a Witch, HiJinks Ensue, Easy as Pi.... Ya know what? I'll add more over the next few days so you can go and take a look.

I'm not sure if I schmoozed Randy into wanting me to help him with some projects or if I scared him by hanging around... I think I might have come off as creepy and the chance that he's even going to remember me when he had tons of people at his table today are really pretty slim. But I got to go and I got to meet really cool people and I hope they do it again next year and maybe I can find a way to help out at the thing next year. Plus I had one artist do this neato little sketch of Batman and I really, really want to learn to draw. Not that I think I could ever be a webcomic artist or anything but it would be cool to be able to do something a little better than the work of your average 1st grader.

The other thing today was that I think I have found a degree that it would make sense for me to pursue. Now all I have to come up with is the $50,000 tuition plus the cost of books. (No sweat, right?) But at least I have an idea now of what to pursue.

Tomorrow is errand day but I really, really need to do some cleaning, too. Because... yeah... the place is lookin a lil rough around the edges. And the middle.

Time for bed now. More tomorrow! Go look at the webcomics now! (And think positive thoughts about me getting to work with a webcomic guy!!)

F-Word Friday (with NSFW pic)

Hello Internetz and welcome to another F-Word Friday. Today's F-Word is FLOP. Did you ever have what you thought was a brilliant idea for a blog post because you were talking about something and it was funny but then when you put it in writing it turned out to be not so funny in writing? Such was my idea for part of today's post. I'm gonna try it anyhow and see how it goes.

Mr. POSSLQ and I were out driving today. We passed a place that had a sign that said "Pansies, 99 cents" and out of my mouth popped "Hell, the pansies are cheap 'round here". Now, I knew that they were talking about the FLOWERS called pansies, but that wasn't what I was referring to when I made the comment. (There, you see, not funny in writing but it was funny in the truck, I swear... ::SIGH:: Total FLOP!) But not long after that, we passed a park and wondered if the parks around here have Woodland Gays like they do up by where Crissy lives. In fact, we've noticed that there are LOTS of parks around here and every time we drive by one that has a lot of trees we wonder if it is where the Woodland Gays hang out or if maybe being a Woodland Gay is a hangin' offense in these parts. I gotta believe, though, with all the cowboys and cowboy wanna-be guys that there is some Brokeback action going on SOMEWHERE.

Which reminds me that there was a job advertised a while back for an Assistant Manager at a bar and I fit all of the qualifications except that to work in a bar here you need a Server's License and I have no clue what that is. (Takes a break to do some internet searching, finds THIS and even though I have no desire to work in Food Service, there are some certifications I would like). AnysorryIgotdistracted, the bar was a Western themed gay bar and if I had known that the server's license was only $20, I might have applied for it. (It strikes me that I was totally willing to do a web search for the license information for a blog post but blew it off when it could have possibly lead to a money-making endeavor. I'm such a dumbass sometimes!!)

I need to get to bed early tonight because the Webcomic Expo is tomorrow and I have to schmooze a webcomic artist into letting me work for him. (Sortve half joking about that but really pretty serious...). Only, I could argue that 2AM is not "early"... again, there are times when I am clearly not the sharpest knife in the drawer!

Weekend will be busy. I am going to try to get everything in line so next week in between job hunting stuff I can get back to work on the bath stuff. Time to kick it up a notch!

YeeeeeeHawwww!