Saturday, September 26, 2015

FRESH START, NEW NAME, BRANDING

Fall has always seemed like a "fresh start" to me..
Oh sure, January 1st is New YEAR! New YOU!
and usually a BIRTHDAY date is another beginning.
Even a Monday can be a good day to start something different.
I suppose it goes back to being a kid and going back to school.
A FRESH start.
(Although it never really was.)
God, I hated school.
Every. Single. Moment.
Thank goodness that's long gone.
But the season itself.
That I LOVED.
The cool windy air.
Soft sweatshirts.
The autumn colors.
Halloween.
The new premiere TV shows! LOL!
Coming home and curling up on the sofa with dinner to watch.
Feeling comfy.

So, I've been thinking about a fresh start on my Art blog and opening my Etsy shop, finally.
I've changed the name over on the blog, although not the header is the same,
mainly because it could change again.
I'm going to make sure to start posting Art in a more timely fashion.
It's been more than a YEAR since I posted a thing! Jeez.

I've also been trying to change my "name" on my blogs, Facebook, Instagram etc.
My legal name is Cynthia.
I started using Cynthia, because I always use it for "official" stuff.
Cindi is my nickname but it's also who I really am.
The only people who called me Cynthia are people who don't know me.
Actually when I was small,

my nickname was spelled in the traditional way - Cindy.
Then my mom died and in that same year I made a friend whose nickname was also Cindy.
I was 14 turning 15, a lot of things seemed to be going on in my life....
I was going from Middle school to High school
My Dad had remarried....
I just had a lot going on.

So, I would hang out at my friend Cindy's house and we would listen to records or she would play the piano as I would draw.
We had lots of DEEP conversations, as girls that age do, but most importantly we both wanted to be someone else.
We had things going on in our home lives that we wished we could escape from, but couldn't.
Since high school was a different school with new different people and
we both wanted so badly to be NEW people but couldn't,
we both just changed the spelling of our names. LOL!
I became Cindi and she, Cinda.
And now, a million years later, those are still the nicknames, that we go by.

Not too long ago, someone was talking about someone named "Cynthia"
and immediately an image of a person with that name popped into my head.
Not an image of me.
I think that a name can have the ability to instantly form an opinion in your mind
Or at least it does in my mind and "Cynthia" wasn't me.
So I've been thinking about this and then the other day I went to pay for something with my debit card.
I was wearing my work scrub top that has my name "Cindi" embroidered on it. 
The man rang up my purchase, looked at my card and then said
"Thank you, "Sin- thee- a"
I just smiled and took my card back.
Yep, not really me.

Then just the other night I was watching a new show, the premiere,
and a lead character was named "Cynthia".
Without going into deep detail, I felt like the name fit her, but she was nothing like me.
I'm Cindi.

Google my full name, CYNTHIA MYERS and a famous playboy bunny pops up.
I remember her.
I remember being a little kid and being over at an older relative's house.
He was a car guy and he made specialized corvette parts and
the whole family was in the basement.
A basement from the 60's, with a full bar and a pool table and
beer lights and car photos and such
and I remember him holding me up and showing me a calendar on the wall
and he said "She's Cynthia Myers too!"
And everyone laughed.
Except my mom who grabbed me away.
Yeah. I don't want to have someone Google me and see her photo first.

So, I'm Cindi
Yep, changing my name on just about everything.
Sure, I'm Cynthia to the government and such but to my friends, I'm Cindi with an I.

Unfortunately someone else already owns that tag of "Cindi with an I"
or I'd be going by that! LOL!
Someone else also has Cindi with an Eye.

So...that's what I'm working on now, the idea of naming my Art Business.
and maybe it should be Cindi Myers Art
but then I got to thinking about how some of my favorite artists
with Etsy shops that have easy to remember names.
Like "Red Cheeks Factory". God, I LOVE that name.
I adore her illustrations 

and even at this moment I can't think of her actual name!
See what I mean!

or 3 crows, ok, I do know her name is Sara Pulver.

and her work is fabulous!
and 3 crows is so easy to remember!
I think about the fact that I actually have relatives, friends of relatives and
co-workers who spell my name Cyndi.
WRONG.
and I've gone to stores, libraries and such and spelled my last name out and
they STILL put an E between the M and the Y.
So I'm trying to think of a name that's not misspelled all the time.

I hesitate asking for suggestions, as people sometimes get offended
when I don't use their ideas.
I had a friend suggest that I name my booth space -
"A Bunch of Junk" and 
SHE was offended when I said no.
Sigh. anyway.
I know that I hate when people ask me for my opinion and then
after I've given it careful thought, they totally disregard it.
But I've actually done that recently myself.

I might be getting a new vehicle next Spring.
Maybe.
So, of course I've been researching it non-stop and asking opinions of everyone.
All the research and popular opinions have pretty much decided that it should be a
Toyota Rav4
Definitely the wise choice.
(but I think I'm going to get something entirely different and not tell anyone
until I buy it so that no one can talk me out of it, but that's for another post.)

Anyway.
If you leave me a suggestion in the comments
PLEASE, PLEASE don't get offended if I don't use it
even if it is truly the perfect name for me.

I want something short and simple
and something that won't box me in
or make me sad.
I was sure I was going to call it "Blue's Hilltop Farm"
because of Blue and that I live in the "Hilltop" area of my town and
that Beatrice Potter called her house, Hill Top.
And that I wished that I lived on a little Farm.
But what if I move? and I'm not in on the Hilltop?
or GULP, maybe some day I don't want everything to have Blue attached to it...
because it might hurt my heart too much???
Oh, I don't know.
Maybe this is all too silly to worry about but
everything is about BRANDING, they say.

So yep. just thinking for calling it something
different.

Even my boss, when he built the new clinic, thought about a name change.
The old practice name had a prior vet's name incorporated into the name. 
They thought about going with something new
except the original name had a good reputation built up and
everyone connected that name to my boss.
So he kept it, and it's easy to spell.

There's a little shop across the river and it's name is "Plaid Rabbit" and
another is called "Mint Green".
I love both of those names.
Easy to remember.
Maybe my name might even be called something Studio.
Oh, I'm over-thinking this.
Most likely, as with most of my dogs names. it will suddenly just pop into my head.
But I want to get an Etsy shop going soon.
I started to set one up in 2009, YES!
SIX years ago and then dropped it.
it was of course called Old Black Cat Boo.

This post is much too long.
Sorry.
I'm off to paint something now.
XOXOXO

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

BOOTH UPDATE and BAD DOG JIMMY

I've spent some time working on my booth.
Last month was my first month and I sold enough to make rent, pay the mall commission and to still get a modest little check.
So after picking up the check I promptly drove over to Michaels and spent it all on canvases and paper mâché pumpkins.
Sigh.
This last weekend's boarding schedule was the last "light" weekend for a while.
Possibly until after the New Year, so I decided to take the weekend PLUS Monday off, to do a few things.
Saturday I went to an Art fair.
I bought a metal owl for my fence.
I bought one last year that sits on a piece of a tree limb on a stake.
It's in the flowers at the front of my house and makes me happy whenever I see it.
When I saw that this year she had a single separate owl, one that could be mounted on the top of my fence I just had to get it.
(I'm still working on redoing my fence). 
Here's a close up of the owl.

Here's the owl sitting on top of the fence I made a few years back.
I made it from some new 2 x 4's and pieces of wood from my old fence.

I whitewashed the fence and it's faded now but I'll be taking it down next Spring when I get my new fence built.
I'm going to enclose a larger part of the yard this time but still leave the bottom of it wild and natural.
Here's another photo that I think is funny because it captures Jimmy jumping as high as he can and in mid "spring" as he tries to see me over the fence.

After the Art Fair I spent some time at the condo of a client of my sister's, doing their gardening.
I dead-headed and watered.
(My sister is on vacation in Vermont so I'm doing her some of her gardening side business while she's gone.)

Sunday I painted my fence posts. I think it's easier before putting them up.
Then I painted a base coat on the pumpkins and also dragged more stuff out to go to the booth.
As I was painting the pumpkins at the kitchen table and a light breeze came through the window,
I thought how nice and peaceful the day was.
Everyone was scattered about, sleeping or chewing on their bones.
When suddenly I thought I heard a different sound. I stood up and looked into the living room.
My beautiful Mid-Century Modern sofa.
I love that damn thing. 
It was such a rare find and a real steal.
I noticed some "cracks" in it from Blue standing up on it and circling before laying down.
I had been researching how to hopefully repairs the cracks and had been to several fabric stores and hardware stores looking at things.
Well, I heard this sound and I stood up and caught Jimmy Chew in the act!

I gotta tell you, I freaked out!
I was SCREAMING and having a real meltdown.
I went to swat his butt but he was too quick, so instead I hollered him and at most everyone else to go outside.
I went back to my pumpkin, finished the coat, washed out my brush , took a deep breath and let them back inside.
I was still mad but calmed down a bit.
Jimmy refused to look at me, I know he knew that he was in BIG trouble.

Monday, I went out and spent a lot of time rearranging my stuff in the booth.

I crammed it full. I prefer a more sparse look but I need to get this stuff moving!

I am also running a 20% off sale on everything in my booth for a limited time.
(I noticed that a lot of the other booth vendors do that too)

I just want the stuff to GO, so that I can move more STUFF out there!

After that, I went and watered my sister's client's flowers and then drove to her house and watered all her flowers.
Finally I went home, feed my critters, did a couple loads of laundry and then my weekend was over!
Wow! Those 3 days flew!
So, how was YOUR weekend?

Thursday, September 17, 2015

STILL LEARNING


Many of my dogs need to be groomed.
On one hand, that's a good thing.
Dog hair that grows and needs to be groomed usually means no shedding.
But on the other hand, there's the expense of taking a dog to a groomer.
Not to mention, finding the proper groomer who is both talented and kind.
So... I got to thinking that I'm artistic, I'm kind and I've also been told by more than one hair stylist that I make my own hair look better than they do.
(Although I no longer go to any of the people who have told me that. I think they should be able to do my hair better than I can) anyway I digress.
I had bought some "people" clippers from Target and while I was able to cut my dogs hair, it took me forever and never looked good.
After much research, I bought some actual "dog" clippers for a reasonable price on eBay.
After doing 3 of my dogs myself, I was ahead monetarily. 
I then bought a metal "arm" with attached nooses that clamps onto the side of any table.
One noose holds their head ( like a leash does) and then the other one goes under their tummy to keep them standing.
I also purchased a pair of long curved scissors.
After doing 2 more of my gang, I was money ahead again.
Everyone had gotten very shaggy, so I just shaved them all down.
Once the hair starts growing back out I'll be able to "fluff" it out with the dryer,
I just ordered one off of eBay, another bargain!, and trim it into a "style" with my special scissors.
This is going to save my some real $$$ and also I know that they are being treated the way I want them treated.
But, for now, they look kinda pitiful.
I've found several dog grooming YouTube videos online that I'll be able to watch on my TV and learn from.
So I'm happy, although not everyone  (Jimmy) is as thrilled as I am.
Other news, still playing around with blog format. Once again this is just a temporary fix.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

WHY I WORK WHERE I DO and other stuff


Yesterday Twinkle had dental surgery.
She's 9 and her mouth was a horrible mess.
I noticed her breathing like her nose was congested and when I opened her mouth, it was much worse since the last time I had looked.
Most of her teeth were so loose that they wiggled.
Besides it being painful, it could/would increase her chances of infection,
spreading to other areas of her body.
So she went in for a full mouth extraction.
Ultimately, she was left with only 2 teeth. 
Both are towards the front on her mouth and on the same side.
One upper and one lower.
They were firmly in her mouth and in good shape, so they didn't need to come out.
To pull them would not have been necessary and also there was a big risk of them breaking her jaw if they tried.
She's home now.
She's doing well and she's on pain medication and antibiotics.

Last Thursday my 15 yr old cat Raini went in for her second ear operation.

She's been suffering from a reoccurring ear infection that refused to clear up. 
A little more than a month ago it was bloody and had pus.
And that was after she had just finished 2 rounds of medication! 
Then it came roaring back with a horrible odor.
3 weeks ago she was put under anesthesia and Doc removed growths and filled her ear with an antibiotic treatment.
I left her at work afterwards, in the cat room.
I wanted to keep her away from my little dogs who would want to "clean" her ears.
So 2 weeks later the smell was still awful or maybe even worse.
Everyone that smelled it would gag, it was really that bad.
                          (Here Raini is, giving Vera Wag a massage.)

So last week Doc did surgery again and removed more growth and cauterized inside her ear canal
and treated it again with special antibiotic ear ointment.
A week later, I smell nothing but I'm leaving her at work until the 2 weeks are up again
and she has had her recheck.

Sometimes people question why I stay at the clinic
and sometimes I wonder why I do too
and then something  like this happens...
Yep, in a house full of so many senior pets, I don't see me going anywhere else too soon.
Not yet.

In other news, I'm working on a few projects and I am also going to spend some time fixing up this blog site.
Now that Labor Day Weekend has passed, things should slow up enough for me at work to allow me the time and energy to spend time on some projects!
Stay tuned for that....