Done!

Jewelry is done, tagged, bagged and packed away in my sweet styish carry on bag with wheels! Catalog is done and ready to go to print tomorrow..................

then a pedicure, can't be bopping around Playa Del Carmen with my troll toes! Last workout with the trainer of my 10 sessions tomorrow morning, home to pack, get bills paid and get things wrapped up. I am still feeling so overwhelmed about packing for 3 weeks of a trip......................One good thing is that by tomorrow night it has to be done!

What did everyone do this weekend???

Up to my eyeballs~

I am still here, I didn't abandon you all, I am just making my last hard push to finish up everything before I leave next week. I have been out opening bank accounts, working on Immigration papers, which are now done, approved and in my possession. I went to my wholesaler today (also my friend who I will be traveling with) and got some BLACK pearls.....they are oh so yummy!!!! So I am on my 10 minute break between bracelets and just thought I would say Hi!~ What are you all up to this week?

Turdtastic!

So Danny and I went to Galerias Mall just to buy him a new Blackberry, oh yeah he got new sunglasses too!

Dannys 4 year old Blackberry was Turdtastic and well, we are all glad he got a new one. We ended up having a 2 hour sushi lunch, then went back to TelHELL because the phone wasn't receiving emails............After another 45 minutes in TelHELL we got emails rolling in! Then well we went shopping.........I got these AWESOME running pants at 70% off~~! Oh yeah baby love me some MARTI!

Danny also talked me into a beautiful chiffon purple dress from (sfera) for Polo and Maru's upcoming wedding in Toluca. I had a great dress from Banana Republic, but when I told Danny it was cotton, he almost fell down and said in a Jewish accent "Oh HONEY, cotton reeks of poverty, you must by the purple chiffon dress" So I did!

We decided since we had been at the mall for like 26 hours that we should just go ahead and stay for a movie too................. Midnight in Paris...........wait for Netfilx~

What did you all do today?

Personal Trainer

So I jumped on the personal trainer bandwagon...........Now I am addicted! I love love love working out with a trainer! I love having someone there to push me to my limits! Tito at The Fit Club has whipped me into shape! We have 3 more sessions before I leave on my trip and he is going to give me workouts to do on the road! Here's to staying in shape while traveling!!! Thanks Tito!

Oh the places you will go!

I am so excited to get to travel!~ I will get to see these beautiful places in the next few weeks!!!!

Cancun

Playa Del Carmen

Cozumel

Mexico City

Cuernavaca

Taxco

Morelia

Last Day

Today was my last day on floor for the Real Estate office. I was the only one in the office and it was very uneventful.................So now balls to the wall, 100% here we go for the big 10 day push to turn out inventory!

On another note today is independence day in Mexico! Well the day before, tonight at 12:00 sharp we will celebrate and continue celebrating into the night and tomorrow!!

VIVA MEXICO~

In the early hours of September 16th, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest in the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato, rang the church bell to gather the townspeople. He called for the people of Mexico to rise up against the Spanish Crown, thus initiating Mexico's War of Independence. The country did not achieve independence until 1821, but it is this event, known as the Grito de Dolores which is commemorated every year in town squares across Mexico. The largest Independence Day celebration takes place in Mexico City's Zocalo, which is decorated from the beginning of September with red, white and green lights and Mexican flags. On the 15th, at 11 pm the President of the Republic goes out onto the central balcony of the National Palace (Palacio Nacional), rings the bell (the same bell Hidalgo rang in 1810, brought to Mexico City in 1886) and cries to the people gathered in the square below, who enthusiastically respond "¡Viva!"

The words of the Grito may vary, but they go something like this:

¡Vivan los heroes que nos dieron patria! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Hidalgo! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Morelos! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Allende! ¡Viva!
¡Vivan Aldama y Matamoros! ¡Viva!
¡Viva nuestra independencia! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva!

IT'S OFFICIAL!

ROCK AND ROLL.........It's offical, my FM3 work VISA was approved today, I am now an independent business owner in Mexico!! I was a little worried they would ask for more paperwork but I think becuase I have had my work VISA for so long, they approved me no problem! So one more thing checked off the LONG list of things to get done before I leave for Cancun and Playa Del Carmen in 10 days!!!

Yeah I am excited too!!!!

Overwhelmed...........

Today I simply feel overwhelmed. I can't really explain it all but I guess it's just part of the territory that comes with owning your own business. I have so many things to do that I don't even know where to start...........So I'll start with a blog. I can say that I have one of the best employees ever! Delphi is sharp. I have shown her how to do most of the work involved in making my jewelry and she picks it up quick the first time! She has even come up with some better ways to do things! She has a great creative eye and puts love into her work! I couldn't have made this leap without her! I am also very pleased that I can keep someone employed...........That is a good feeling!

I have 1 more day in the office.............YIPEEEEEEEEE
Can you tell I am excited to be done? I just found out that another one of my clients went behind my back again to do a deal............just more reason I am so glad to be done!!!

I am continuing to be addicted to Pintersest.............I just can't get enough. To whoever created it THANK YOU!

Ok enough be overwhelmed, I need to get to work now, I can hear the bon bon spoons calling my name, there are a lot and they need to be finished!!

Saludos
Chantel

The Creative Process..........

So Delphi (my amazing friend and employee) spent 6 hours Friday cleaning my house. We moved beds, cleaned drawers, I got rid of 3 huge boxes of "stuff" it felt so good~! We then moved my jewelry stuff from my living room into the spare bedroom. As the season is coming upon us, I need to be more organized and be ready to produce a lot of inventory. It's not totally organized and it's not my dream craft room but it will do for now.

I have also been the QUEEN of the spray paint this weekend!~ Thank you Home Depot Puerto Vallarta for having chalk board paint, I finally fixed my C and have gotten it outlined! All of that stuff is for the gallery in Sayulita and for the markets.

I will be doing 4 markets this winter and I Couldn't be more excited!!!

I am going on week 2 with the trainer I am down 8 pounds, my eating is clean, basically no carbs nothing processed. Fruits, veggies, protein, fish, chicken....... and lots and lots of water! I hope to see more weight loss this week as I have 11 pounds to lose and I get to buy myself a Ipod touch!

I have floor time at the Real Estate office tomorrow and then Thursday is my last official day!!! Yipee!! I can't wait to be done and not have that responsibility. I leave for my sales trip to
Cancun and Mexico City on September 26. I have 5 big whole sale orders to fill mid October and my markets start at the end of October. So basically I am enjoying myself now, getting organized and getting ready to hit it hard!!!!

Self Employeed

So just what does this mean?? I have to say, already it has some great perks! Like I can workout with my personal trainer at 10 am instead of being in the office..........yeah that's pretty cool! I can take the day off when friends are in town to take them to the beach for lunch!! Yeah that's pretty cool too



..............But today I am a little freaked out, I feel overwhelmed and I am not sure I can do this.........how will I get inventory here? Who will bring it? Will I have to go get it? Will they make my clasps right? Can I get the right gauge of wire? Since the beginning all of the questions, fears and worries I have had, have been put to rest by everything falling into place. A lot of hard work from my side and a lot of help from a lot of people (THANK YOU TO ALL MY MULES WHO HAVE BROUGHT ME STUFF!!!) So I know that things will continue to fall into place. Just as I was wondering last week what other outlets there could be to sell my goods I got this email last night.

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to trade at the new Farmers and Artisan Market of Bucerias which will take place at the Bucerias Artwalk Plaza located at 62 Lazaro Cardenas. Space is limited and we invite quality vendors who are committed to making the market a success.
The market will be promoted and sign posted. The location is already very well known. Onstreet parking is plentiful.

Time and Day: Monday mornings from 0900 to 12 noon PROMPT. First market Monday 3 October 2011. Table price $50 pesos per table/week. One table (approx 2m long) per trader. Please bring with you . Bring your own chair(s) and table & sun shade/parasol as some areas of the courtyard are not shaded. Set up MUST be complete by 0845 hrs.

This will be a great market and Mondays are the BUSIEST days on this street as tourists have arrived on Saturday and are now ready to purchase food and gifts.
We are starting at the beginning of the month of October so that we are installed and totally ready in good time.

Spaces are limited to a maximum of 25 traders.

Alison
Organiser.

So that's a slice of good news to wake up to this morning. Also my distributor is out and about in Guadalajara today selling our goods.......I hope. I have texted her 2 times to ask how sales are going and she hasn't answered back, not sure if this is a good or bad sign. Anyhoo...........the festivities are coming to an end, the bachelor party is over.........Antonio is still hungover......Torres is still staying with us (until we take him to the airport in 2 hours) Basically things here on the bay are moving slow..........the heat is brutal, it's humid........basically exactly as it should be in September. I Have EXACTLY 20 days until I leave for Cancun........yikes.........that is scarry considering I don't even know until the 12 th how much inventory I need to get made..........ahhh the crazy life.

That's all for now, hope you are all staying cool today!

Saludos
Chantel

Here I go on a wild RIDE!

Well it's official, I registered my business this week~!! Eeek.......My work VISA is in process and hopefully everything will go smoothly.........I will know more next week! Say a prayer that all goes well!! I sent my second whole sale order this week as well. I am starting to wrap things up in Real Estate...........We have a close next week and one in October then I will go on to my full time job Designing and selling jewelry! I am really looking forward to traveling around Mexico! Since moving here 10 years ago I have wanted to travel and now I have my chance to both work and travel and I am so EXCITED! Here it is finally done!!! My craft project for displaying rings in the gallery!!! All recycled for from the dollar store.........I did it for less than 10 dollars!!! I cant wait to see what it looks like in the gallery!!!