From Trash to Cash: Dribbling a river

jo70mo

I just keep thinking about the Italian Job when you say that Mabel.
Dilli sounded quite happy on her blog over the weekend. would imagine she will be along here sometime this week and one of her usual catch up posts which I love reading.
Jo x

dillidalli

Morning all,
waves at Mabel... don't worry lovely I'm here... haven't run away to join the circus and become a merkin dancer yet!

I have been MIA this weekend it has been a real mixed bag surreal moments - so I am trying to decide how I feel about everything – it really has been one of those weekends!!!

On the Saturday my Father in Law who I love to bits - had to go to hospital over weekend. It is kidney related blockage so he went A&E twice. It was a bit scary as I have never seen him in that much pain before. He seems to be doing okay at the moment, but there is a family history with it. Went back to see him on Father’s day, he was improved... but still in quite a bit of pain.

The negative side of it other than him(FIL) being unwell is OH behaviour – he called me up after going out all night (again); to tell me that his Dad was sick... but he was off to the pub for a few beers as he was in a bad head space !!!!!!. Just trying to fathom how he could be so selfish tbh? What a !!!!!!! So it was up to me to hop on a bus and make sure that he(FIL) was okay... I then helped FIL with a few bits and pieces before his second A&E visit. I know everyone has there own coping strategies... but World Cup & pub before you father's health... you've got to be sh**ting me!?

The time away from the blog has been excellent – I did what Jo said and planned in reverse. I am deffo going to do the launch in September and I have found an amazing venue. And I even started making a list of people to thank in my presentation speech lol.

Also, I just wanted to kind of have some time out and think about what I want. Where do I want to be? Where do I see my business going? Am I still on the right path? Is this making me happy? What can I do to keep my motivation up?

Then got some amazing wedding stationary supplies to that took the edge off the job loss thingymejig... so like I said in a really weird headspace as it is a mix of worry, happiness, fear and excitement all at once. Have a few things to think about relationship wise too.. OH behaviour is getting to me more and more.

I think it is the chronic navel gazing and self interest he seems to have as my boss used to say a 'I'm fine, How am I?' mentality. I mean with regards to the job, which tbh despite the mention I have in context and have dealt with it best that I can his response was 'I might lose my job'.

It's a weak economy we all might lose our jobs, !!!!!!! It's a bit like saying to someone I got hit by a car, and their response isn't are you okay... is there anything you need but 'I might be hit by a car too'...***kiss teeth*** Jackass! rant over :rotfl:

Mabel – don’t beat me, but I still have to finish the pictures with A&E trips and losing my F’ing battery charger for the camera I have had a bit of mare. Will finish by the end of this week and really sorry for ballsing this up for you.

Babymoo – hugs and ignore the pm. Whoever it is must be a !!!!!!.

Mambury – been meaning to reply to your email for ages – the week caught up with me. Sorry x

Paulab – Hugs, you seem to be coping well babe. Just massive hugs to you x Love the new sulkie by the way.

Em – good to see you back hope that you had a good holiday. I went Agadir last year, we were meant to do a day trip to Marrakech... sounds like it was fun. Next on my list once I save some more money
: ) Hugs about the MIL.

Munchki – well done on the bingo Britain win! Glad you got some quality time too... always a good thing putting ghosts to rest.

Jo – yummmmy... apple curd sounds lush : )

2cats - good to see you around again... love the journal circle idea.
Got loads of work to catch up on this morning!

Nixi - got your email will send you something shortly

So that is my action packed, bizarre, and scary weekend... for which I need a medal made of chocolate... and I will get a chunk of Green & Blacks on my break.

nixinixi

Mornign all!

Dilli - no rush at all hon, get yourself and everything sorted first. Please tell me more about the planned launch too and I'll get my head into gear for you..... sounds like you are in a real good place for business, not sure about with the OH though......sounds like you need to talk to him!


Jo - love the Giant Jump , though need to spend some time looking at those links properly!

Just complained to Tesco's about an ignorant truck driver they employ who pulled out in front of my on an island, my right of way and I was indicating, I had to emergency stop and when I used my horn he looked down at me and mouthed an expletive and stuck his fingers up at me. My DD was in the car, jolted us both and all my shopping on the passenger seat fell into the foot well, luckily no eggs! could have been nasty, but luckily all ok but def. no need for his attitude....if he had just mouthed sorry I'd been shook up but ok, grrrrr to ignorant drivers! Sorry rant over!
I did get his registration though

mambury

blimey Dilli.... thats a weekend and a half. Please don't take offence but it sounds like you OH has been mothered a lot. I have tw relatives that have west African fathers (typical, one mum, three kids, three different dads) and they have been mothered like you wouldn;t believe.... They see themselves as better than women (their fathers influence!)..... Does he suffer from a bit of the 'black man syndrome' (please don't take it the wrong way, its not meant as an insult at all), I know my relatives certainly do!! Well, they are sort of my relatives, they are my adopted sisters half brothers.... another complex part of my family!! I would, personally, give him a massive kick up the @rse and stand back and watch. On the other hand..... it might just be he's a man..... I am training my DS to be independent and do stuff for himself. There is no way I would want to do to any future partner of his what OH's mother put me through.... she even used to get up and make his cornflakes for him at 5am.... when he was 20! MEN!!!

Paula - glad you like the plug!! Just tell everyone where you got it!! Sulkies are looking FAB!

Mabel - morning.... shall I drop the kids off on the way through on Wednesday??

Jo, Nixi, Rosie, Munchki and anyone else I have missed HELLO!!!

Can I ask your advice please? I had my meeting yesterday which I think went really well. The studio has basically said that in return for a plug on the website they will promote me to their customers as they don't really stock a lot of jewellery, just the basics. They will also hand out flyers for me at events they do in return for an exclusive listing on the directory (ie no other studio from North Devon) AND if I can match the prices from their current supplier then they will buy through me. I think this could be massive for me but on the other hand I;m not sure if they are going to try and take the !!!!.... I'm not 100% sure that I trust the guy I spoke to, but there is another partner in the business that I haven't met yet. So it won't cost me anything to start with, but could be massive too...... I know I won't make anything on the jewellery supply to start with but it will help the turnover, and once I start buying larger quantities from this particular supplier then the wholesale price will drop so slight profits to be had....

So I guess I just want to know what you guys think.... Helps to have another opinion!

PM is officially on holiday too!! Packing, cleaning and getting kids sorted for Wednesday.... GLasto baby, here we come!

jo70mo

Hi Dilli
Knew you'd be back soon.
poor you dealing with FIL. kidney pain is excruciating as Cagne will vouch for I'm sure.
rolling my eyes about OH. whatever next. particularly the bit about your job. I kind of get the stuff about his dad cos my relationships with my parents are quite odd so I understand people don't always react the way you would expect. I tend to but know people who don't because of their family history. however expecting you to pick up the pieces is a bit much.
love the I'm fine - how am I? quote.
sounds like you have been doing loads of planning and sorting out. hope you get some clarity on the relationship front soon.
What a rollercoaster of a weekend.
Hope the week gets a bit easier for you.
the launch sounds exciting . hooray!!
Jo x

moneymabel

Yay hello Dilli :-) sorry to hear about your FIL and that OH is being a !!!!!! :-( need Joprah with some advice I think!
Hurrah for the new supplies sounds good!

jo70mo

Hmm - not sure Mambury. will think about it. are there any/many other studios in North Devon?
Will the directory have different categories of listing at different prices? are you going to do it as a national directory?
are you wanting it to be a resource for customers or purely paid adverts. ie will you compile a list of studios and include them in the directory or will you purely include people on a paid listing basis?
Jo x

mambury

the idea was a national directory, as a resource.... I realise that this ties me in to this studio, but I wonder if I make it subtle.... eg the listing for this studio will be the same as others, but they would be the only ones in this area. THere are a few other studios but they tend to be tattoo studios too rather than pure piercing.

I hadn't even thought about using the directory as paid advertising.... I was asking for recomendations from customers rather than sourcing them myself. THis studio had been recommended to me by several people that I know and trust.

Ooohhh.. too much to think about!!

Off to bottle champagne and sort out some washing!

Pop back later...

jo70mo

so how about offering them an advert or deluxe listing within the directory and saying that you won't offer that to any other studios in the area but to be a comprehensive resource for your clients you need to include other studios in the bog standard free listing. just worried that customers may think you are not very comprehensive if you only list one studio for the area and you want them to have faith in you.
If you do offer them a free advert/ deluxe listing than what about asking them to display a small display box for you with a selection of jewellery in and clearly marked with your logo and url. you could provide it for them and ask them to display it clearly as well as flyers and leaflets.
what about doing a permanent promotion via them where you put a code on the leaflet that offers the customer 5% off when they enter the code and then you pay the studio 5% too for all the times the code is used. that gives them an incentive to actively promote it. but means you would lose !0% on all those sales. I don't know what your margins are.
Just my initial thoughts.
Jo x

paulabear

Really loving the journal idea, I'd say I'd do some but I can't commit to anything else would love to see pics though!

Mambury, I will when I get it in, it seems a tight fit so gonna try the shower thing, then walk around waggling my ears with the plug in one and Mabel's earrings both in the other! Wearing a tshirt with your web addresses on lol. I'm getting OH to share the Pierced Monkey link with all the students on his Facebook so hopefully get some more interest! I don't really understand the directory thing though sorry...you're going to bottle champagne?? and I'm proper jealous about Glastonbury

Jo, the giant jump is fab, I love the idea of the boards - the example has two pics of Oprah on it which made me laugh! I also found this
http://christinekane.com/blog/you-say-you-want-a-resolution%e2%80%a6/
-which is a brilliant idea too. Now I need lots of magazines, or in actual fact I might draw it like she says

Dilli, really sorry to hear about your FIL and OH too, ugh, men! Bet your FIL appreciates it though, poor bloke, hope you enjoy your chocolate lol! Big hugs to you too

Nixi, glad you got his reg, what a !!!!!!, hope Tesco give him grief for it. Hope DD is OK too.

...well I've finished the groom and some flowers off, been having a look at different sites for toppers and there are a few, one especially is amazing! but tbh I think I can compete with some of them, especially since my techniques are improving as I go along. I need an angle, do you think? I think my ones are quite cartoony compared to some of them... I dunno. Have got a friend's sister offering to do posters and business cards for me, yay hugs to everyone I've missed xx