What to do with an "extra" hour?

Spend it doing something I don't get enough time for these busy fall days! Since we get to "fall back" in time in the wee hours of the night here in Ohio, going outdoors to enjoy the colorful scenery wasn't an option. Instead, I opted to play with lots of colorful beads, paper, and fabrics for that extra hour last night.

 

 

Today I did get in that lovely autumn walk just before the sun began to set. There is just something so stunning about the orange, red, and yellow leaves against the dark clouds and occasional patches of bright blue! I've never quite captured the glow on camera, but not for lack of trying.

 

 

 

 

 

Lions and tigers and...paperwork! Oh my!

So there I was, all excited about my new artistic venture, happily making jewelry, painting scarves, and designing my own fabrics for some future projects, when my creative train was suddenly derailed by cold, hard bureaucratic reality...aka the Taxman!

Etsy has some great tutorials to help new Etsians (love that term...sounds a little Star Trek!) get started so I felt pretty certain that I was on the right track, and for the most part, I was. This past Wednesday, I went to the credit union to open my business accounts. Simple, right? No, not so fast, my little pretty!

I had my federal EIN in hand (Employer Identification Number- necessary even if I have no plans to employ anyone but myself) , but was totally in the dark about the need to register my business name with the Ohio Secretary of State office before I could qualify for any business banking services. So back home I went, to log on to the proper website, download the proper forms, write my check for $50, and send it off to John Husted's office.

Now, I am in creative limbo, waiting to learn if my business name has already been taken by someone else first! According to the website, I should be go to go, but in these days of electronic communication, who knows?

Thanks to the advice of that very knowledgeable gentleman at the credit union, I am now signed up to take a Business Start-up workshop through the Ohio Small Business Development Center! 

Setting sail in a new direction...

The winds of change are blowing! For the past several years, I've tried to find time for my own art, all while teaching art full time. Ironically, I created more of my own art while working as an assistant principal than I have while working as an art teacher. After eight years in the art classroom, it's time to make time for myself!

When I first started this blog, my intent was to create an online journal for sharing thoughts on faith, family, and friendship, as well as ideas for long-distance grandparenting. I started a second blog, Thoroughly Artsy Mimi, for my creative, artistic efforts. It didn't take long to learn that managing both was a bit of a stretch!

So, in the interest of my sanity, my "artsy Mimi" will be joining my "modern Mimi" here on this page. I guess I will now be somewhat of a Thoroughly Artsy Modern Mimi!

Artsy Mimi