Holiday Mess

I have a real knack for getting overwhelmed during the holiday season. I mean really, who doesn't? But it seems to me that the time from Halloween to Valentine's Day is one big blur. Coincidentally this time of festivities coincides with scarf selling season. So being in business for myself makes this situation two-fold. I get busy, find extra things to do, get stressed, and make mistakes. Fixing these mistakes is the extra time that "frosts the cake", if you will.

I've started to consider the possibility that I'm not as busy as I think I am. An outsider (let's say my husband for example) might say that my "to do list" isn't worthy of a freak-out. But if reality is nothing more than your own perception of life, how do I rationalize myself out of this predicament? Do I simply not attempt to do all the things I want to do?

Anyway, I'm just here to admit that I'm getting in my own way. In just three weeks I've made three mistakes. They were all pretty minor. But with this most recent episode I've noticed they're adding up. If you don't mind, I'm going to elaborate on the latest issue so you catch my drift. Someone ordered an item online. I packaged it up for her and mailed it out the next day. The problem is that I packaged it while finishing up a few other pieces, baking gingerbread cookies, and getting ready for a holiday party. Due to this level of multitasking I forgot to confirm that I put the right item in the envelope. So, of course, I sent the wrong item. How embarrassing. What a ding-dong. Luckily I caught it before the customer did. Now it is just a matter of making it right, and trying to get the other piece back. In all this I have created three times as much work for myself.

Since this issue I have been harping on myself because I knew I would get busy and act this way. So I've made a list of holiday conduct.

1. SLOW DOWN!
2. FOLLOW STANDARD PROCEDURES  Don't rush and assume you've remembered item numbers, titles of pieces, or you house keys for that matter. Check.
3. ALLOW YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME TO WORK Be reasonable. Figure out how much time you have and then realize how much you can accomplish. Do the most important things first. Don't make up extra things to do.
4. DO NOT DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE No matter what.
5. BE CONTENT WITH ANY ACCOMPLISHMENT Everyday doesn't have to be record-breaking. Continue working. Don't cut yourself an unneccessary break, but stop trying to constantly out-do yourself.

Those steps that must be performed immediately are underlined. These steps must be performed without reference to the checklist. When the situation permits, non-underlined steps can be accomplished with reference to the checklist.

(I'm helping my husband study for flight school. I've modeled my list after his study guide. Typing it has made me laugh. I have obviously memorized a few things too. If it works for the army it should work for me too.)

By not following these simple steps I've created more work and stress for myself this week. In addition, I looked like a rookie. Not anymore. I'm shaving this mustache!

Does Color Make You Nervous?

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and have finally decided to voice my concerns. I think people are afraid of color. They like to look at it, but they don't like to use it. I'm going to list a few examples.

Since the beginning, black cars have sold the most.

Black, brown, and gray are the most popular color choices for clothing, especially jackets. But you can't argue against the fact that the man in the middle is enjoying his outfit the most.

People prefer to eat things that are some shade of brown.

Food is especially delightful when it is brown and topped with something brown.

 Raise your hand if this is you.

I could go on about houses, inside and out, jewelry, this list is endless. Personally I think it is time for a change. Read on and realize how much more appealing the rest of the post is.

Don't you feel rejuvenated from looking at all that color? I do. This is why I focus on color when I make art. I need color. When customers are shopping for a scarf they initially ask for something in black. If I always had a scarf that was all black they wouldn't be very unique, would they?

I work hard to make Florida Scarf like Art on Sedatives. (to stress this point I have chosen to randomly capitolize words) By this I mean that my focus is color contrast and texture. I want to make things that seem alive. Of course, the product needs to be wearable, so I also apply some rules of fashion.

The scarves and hoods are small. It's an easy way to enjoy color. It surprises me how many people are intimidated by even that. I spend most of my money on sale fabrics. These fabrics are the ones that are most outrageously colored. I take it and cut it into my little 5"x30" rectangle and make it manageable. People need time to process. A certain fabric may not stand a chance as a dress, but turning it into a scarf gives it potential.

The same reasoning can be applied to answering the question of why more people don't like salad. I think they see all the color dancing around the plate and assume it can't be good. You can however, get people to eat a single serving of carrots, or strawberries. Again, in small portions color is manageable.

Everyone needs to realize that color gives us energy and life. It can make you more happy to surround yourself with color. Take the holidays for instance. People like color then. They wrap their house in color. The purpose of the holidays is to spread cheer by decorating things. Wouldn't we all be better off if this was the intent year round?

So honk if you love color! Get your lighters up!

This is Sarah Geraci For Color

signing off