I'm loving this new website for accessories from independent designers and artisans... and I'm loving that they are carrying my work! AccessoryFoundry.com is carrying my new line of copper verdigris jewelry, so head on over there and check it out.

Imagine my delight when I opened the latest issue of Susquehanna Style yesterday and saw my name mentioned! The Watchmaker's Daughter was featured in the segment on local shops, and they named me as one of the local artists they carry. You can view the ezine version here on page 63.

As you get back into business-mode after your long weekend, it may be a good time to give some thought to where your business is heading and the impact it is having on the world. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Lori Webb, founder of "Indspark!", through the mastermind group I am a part of. She is currently working on a book that profiles entrepreneurs and the passion behind their work - "Entrepreneurial Profiles: Around the World and Down the Street".  I read the first chapter, which you can download on the website, and it was really interesting to read the reasons people started their businesses and the message they are wanting to send with the work they do. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book!

In addition to the book, Lori also has a coaching and consulting business - Thoroughbranding. She will help you create a cohesive and fully-developed brand or re-evaluate your current branding and work with you to improve it. Her energy is contagious, and she goes the extra mile to help get things in gear. If you're ready to be challenged and take things to the next level, she's your girl!

Today I began writing the rough draft of my plan. So far so good. One of my goals for the future is to have a working artist studio/boutique. Part of the fun of selling my own work is connecting with my customers. The internet is great because I can connect with people all over the world, but I also love to meet you all in person! The place that I'm currently interested in having the boutique will be sort of a downtown shopping center that will house various businesses. The building that will house the shopping center is still in development/renovation, so I'm just seeing how things play out from here. Even if things don't work out with this specific project, I'll have the plan in place to work toward a different location. I just want to know that I'm ready when the right opportunity arises!

It was a beautiful day today, so my sister and I held our weekly B&B meeting outside... could we ask for a better setting?

We somehow managed to get through the meeting pretty quickly, even with the kids out of school for Spring Break. Good thing we had the creek there to entertain them :)

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all of you mothers are able to spend it how you like. Here's a picture of my little baby... no breakfast-in-bed from her, since she's too short to reach the stove and she lacks thumbs.

I'm still plugging away at my business plan. I can't tell you how thankful I am for The Right-Brain Business Plan by Jennifer Lee. It is seriously making the whole thing a fun process (which I never thought I'd say). One of the suggestions she makes in the book, is to create a Big-Vision Collage to give a visual of your plan. So, basically, I am putting together images and words that have the look and feel that I'm going for, as well as things that I want for my business. It is really helping me get a firm grasp on where I want to go. I was surprised that getting a visual like this would be so helpful with putting the words together for my plan. Now, if only pictures of numbers would help me put together the financial aspect of the plan :)

I also have to share a picture of this cake. My sister did a tea yesterday at our parent's bed and breakfast, and I ended up helping since things were getting hectic. It was her first tea, and she got a bit frazzled, but everyone raved about it, so I would say it was a success. The plus side for me was getting to eat the leftovers - most importantly of which was this cake. I'm not a chocolate-raspberry fan (leave the fruit outta my chocolate!), but this was some kind of raspberry meringue buttercream something-or-other frosting that was just amazing with the moist dark-chocolatey cake. It also had a delicious white creamy frosting in the middle and chocolate ganache on top. T. D. F. 

Sorry for the lack of posting for the past couple of weeks. I moved last weekend, so between packing and getting settled, I've been a bit busy! I'm still getting unpacked and settled, but I'm, for the most part, I'm back in full-swing.

I'm also on a new journey with my business, which is very exciting, a bit scary, and will definitely be challenging, but I know it will be worth every minute. I've joined a mastermind group through SavortheSuccess.com. The mastermind group is 6 women entrepreneurs joining forces and being led by Janice Hoffmann, a career and lifestyle coach based in NYC. I'm so, so excited to have been chosen to be a part of this group, and I know the knowledge, support, encouragement, and growth I will get from it will be priceless. We are all spread out through the U.S. and Denmark, but we are planning an in-person meet up at the end of our year together. I can't wait to get to know these ladies better and see what all we accomplish!

Each month we will have a 30-day project, so my first goal is to create a business plan. Yes, I am already in business and have been for a few years. Unfortunately my attempts at creating business plans have always fallen short, because, quite frankly, it was boring, tedious, and I could think of 25 other things I'd rather be doing. But, I'm going to need one for some of the goals I have for my business (which you will hear more about later), so it's time to get serious, I suppose. This month's goal is titled "Painting My Picture", because I can now see that a business plan is basically just creating the picture of what I want my business to be... sounds fun, right?  I'm actually excited about it, so by the end of the month, I will have a completed plan.

I'll get into this more as I go, but I just wanted to update you to let you know what I've been up to. Also, if you've successfully created a business plan, I'd love to hear any tips that helped you with the areas you found more difficult.