Staying at Home

While Chris is deployed, we decided that I would not work. It just didn't seem fair to me that we would both miss so much of her first year of life. Granted, the job market here isn't that amazing anyway so I doubt I'm really missing out on much. It's been hard to go from making more than Chris to not making anything but we do okay and the deployment money helps.

I've really been trying to find a way to become a stay at home mom permanently. I would love to work from home and be at home with the Bean and our future children. So, I've bought a sewing machine and I just ordered another lens and some more camera accessories. I am also going to pick up writing again. I am extremely determined to find a way to make money and stay home.

I have never sewn a thing in my entire life. Well, that's not entirely true. I made a pillow once in 7th grade Home Ec but I don't remember it turning out too well. But, I will force myself to learn how to sew and see what I can come up with to sell on Etsy. First, I have to take the damn thing out of the box but you know, baby steps. Does anyone have any favorite online stores they like to buy fabric and patterns from? I need to get some practice on some easy peasy things first. What did you guys start with? Below is what I got to start. I haven't bought anything else yet.

I lived in the dark room in high school. The dark room is probably one of my favorite places in the entire world. Digital photography is relatively new to me and while I still prefer the dark room and traditional photo processing, I don't have the means to have a dark room and I probably won't for a very long time. I do have my Canon T1i and a few lenses and flash and Adobe Photoshop and I do pretty well. Bean has been my main subject but I took photos for K and her daughters and they turned out great. I figured why not try to make money at it? I'm going to do some free photoshoots to build a portfolio, create a website, and see if anything happens. Even if it doesn't, I still plan on taking pictures of Bean and it's a fun hobby of mine so no loss. I'd love to get a better camera but that will have to wait until I can justify the purchase!

I can't tell you how many stories I've started writing only to abandon and delete them because of sheer laziness. Now, I have real motivation.

I'm hoping at least ONE of these things pan out for me. If not, it's back to the drawing board. What are some ways that you guys make money from home?

FUTURE FWAIL!

I figure I should write down some resolutions for 2011. You know, so I have a list of goals to feel bad about next year because I completely didn't even make a real attempt to achieve them.

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1. Take more pictures.
This should be done considering how much I spent on camera equipment last year to prepare for the baby's arrival.

2. Stop wasting money.
See #1.

3. Learn to use the KitchenAid mixer I received as a gift in 2009 and has never been outside of its box.
Maybe this should really be labeled, "Stop being lazy."

4. Learn to bake some cakes and cookies and other shit from scratch.
Please do not eat everything you make.

5. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.
Especially since you probably will eat everything you make with the KitchenAid mixer.

6. Work on my temper.
Xanax or Valium anyone?

7. Stop hating on the dogs.
Maybe there is doggy Valium somewhere out there...

8. Try to be all Stepford Wife by decorating, cleaning, cooking, baking, and all that domesticated bullshit.
Or... pray to all the Gods in existence that I get hired somewhere and I can pay someone to do this for me.

9. Be an awesome mom.
You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

10. Survive the upcoming deployment.
Skype? Check. Vibrator? Check. Cookies, Cakes, and Chocolate? Check.

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I guess what it all boils down to is... try to be slightly less neurotic than last year. 

Setting myself up for failure... it's what I do.