I am finding myself at a tough point right now. I am so anxious to get my own business off the ground, yet I seem to have no time to work on it, therefore making it impossible to get started! I spend most of my daytime hours in the office at my day job, and in the evenings, my time is filled up with cooking dinner, spending time with my husband, and/or going to the gym (which I haven't done often enough lately!!!). On the weekends I try to make time for my creative projects, but when the weather is so nice, I end up going out and doing fun activities with my husband and our friends.

For those of you who got your own business started while still working a full-time job, what did you find was the best way to force yourself into making creative time? My projects are so involved, it is hard to get out all of my supplies and make a mess, only to have to clean up and put them away a short time later. I like to have large chunks of time to work on my albums. It's just hard to spend an entire weekend working when I've already worked all week! I suppose it all comes down to priorities and motivation. Any tips or suggestions on how to motivate myself to work on the weekends?

...the color BROWN!

I really like brown. A lot. I have a lot of brown clothes and accessories. I think it's the naturalness of it, it's simple richness. I have been noticing lately that the things that keep catching my eye are those things that are brown contrasted with a light color, especially pink, blue, and/or green. Etsy is such a wealth of beautiful things. I collected a bunch of images that I have seen today...all can be found at etsy.com. You'll notice that a lot of them are baby-centric. I promise you I'm not pregnant...I just have had babies on the brain lately. Like, a lot. After looking at all these images and many more like them, I am getting several ideas for the colors I'd like to use to decorate my future child's room. :) Aside from the baby stuff though, I am loving the jewelry, handbags, etc. Such beautiful things! (Click on the images for a closer view!)

Based on the recommendation of my friend Erika at Delphine, I have been reading this book: Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby Into a Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco.I am loving it! First of all, I loved the shape of it - rounded corners on a book...I'm already intrigued. I opened it up, and just fell in love with the typography! It is printed in blues and greens, in boxes, with neat little borders, etc. It is a creative book about being creative!
I had started reading a couple of other books on starting a creative business, but they didn't really do it for me. They were full of good information, but a little dry. Now Craft, Inc. on the other hand just drew me in right away. I LOVE reading it! It's a simple read, but I am already gathering so many ideas from it. I can't wait to get started putting some of them into practice!

Product Description
Craft, Inc. is the hipster business primer for entrepreneurial crafters to turn what they do for fun into what they do for money. Pro crafter Meg Mateo Ilasco offers a step-by-step guide to everything from developing products and naming the company to writing a business plan, applying for licenses, and paying taxes. Chapters on sales, marketing, trade shows, and publicity round out the mix. Plus, in-depth interviews with such craft luminaries as Jonathan Adler, Lotta Jansdotter, Denyse Schmidt, and Jill Bliss provide inspiration and practical advice. Accessible, informative, and more than a little spunky, Craft, Inc. paves the way for today's creative minds to become tomorrow's trendsetters.

About the Author
Meg Mateo Ilasco is a designer, writer, and illustrator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was in grad school when she started designing wedding invitations for extra money, but the demand for her distinctive designs was so great that she eventually made the business full-time. Her company then expanded into stationery and accessories, and was featured on NBC's Today and in publications such as The Knot and Islands: Weddings and Honeymoons. She has since sold that business and is launching an eponymous housewares and gift company, Mateo Ilasco (www.mateoilasco.com). Meg is the author of You Can Wear It Again and The Space Planner, both published by Chronicle Books.

Stop over at Ashley's site to see what she's giving away! :)

http://drewashleyporter.blogspot.com/2009/02/secret-shopper.html

My husband rocks. So does the company he works with. Check them out.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and planning, and I plan to have some new art-related things going on soon. Stay tuned for updates!