ma muse

You would think with all this time on my hands I would be blogging every day…. but the truth of the matter is, I just haven’t felt that inspired lately. I realize some of you have become my friends through this happy little blog, and don’t mind reading about my sad state, but the majority of the readers I know are searching for inspiring ideas, pictures and design tips. Of which I have had none to share these past few weeks.

My home construction has been at a stand still for the last few months and I’m afraid the work being done on it is few and far between these days. I would love to say it will be back on track soon, but with the money situation spiraling downward while my severance comes to an end, I’m not sure that would be the case.

This last week I have been job hunting everyday and applying every where I think I have a chance, and even some places I may not. It is boring tedious work, and I look forward to the day I can stop. No promising leads as of yet, but I will keep you posted. I think just about every company in Orange County has my resume at this point. :)

Here is one more picture (can’t have a post without a picture) to share from our open house.

When I need a break from all the monotony, I have been doing a little web design. I have my first "for hire" type job and I am pretty proud of how it is coming together. It’s a website for a potter who wanted a site to display some of her work. She had no desire for a shopping cart or online commerce, so it was right up my alley. She also has very modern taste, so it was a fun challenge exploring ideas a little outside my comfort zone.

I would love for you to take a peek… I could use some feedback. Just keep in mind, it is not complete as I am still waiting for her sign off and feedback. She uses some very vibrant colors in her work, so I love how the colors play off the black background. I also tweaked her photos a bit to provide a little more pop and sharpness. It’s a simple straight forward site, but I love the way it has come together.

I am playing a little with a "design" site for myself. I am not happy yet with how it looks, and it is still very much a work in progress, but I don’t mind sharing it with you. I still need to work on a "portfolio" page and make things a bit more fun… it’s very boring at the moment.

Those little projects inspired me to spruce up my blog a bit. I have been bored with the design but wasn’t quite sure what to do to it. I wanted my banner to be a little more decorated than just the store logo. I love the doo-dads I added to it; they are so very french. :) I have been admiring the blogs with the side bar image headers, like Tara’s and Kim’s, so I decided to give that a try. I am happy with the results, but man typepad is a lot of work! I also adore Amy’s store and blog, which she always updates with fun new designs. I would love to give my store a new look, but I am not inspired enough for that project yet.

Anywho, thanks for checking in with me. I promise I am still alive and well over here. Oh I almost forgot! I wanted to mention that I made a boo-boo about the Romantic Homes magazine mention before. While my ad did appear in the October issue that just came out, our friendship glasses are in the November issue. It is so confusing with how far in advance magazines work on things! I can’t believe I already have the October issue, and it isn’t even September yet… Any way, sorry for the mis-information. I was telling the truth before, I just got the dates wrong. :(  You believe me, don’t you?

p.s. Does the new blog background look better or worse? I can’t decide if it is to busy… it plays tricks with my eyes when I look at it. But it gets me in the mood for Halloween!