HAI AGAIN

I am so, SO unorganized.  It is really hard to juggle everything- the kid, the house, the husband, soapmaking, conventions, online media, things for me that make me ME.  It’s rather overwhelming.

 

I am trying to navigate the world of online stuff for my business- Arcane Bunny Society.  There’s webstores, social webstores, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.  A bit of a nightmare for someone like me.

 

I initially used Big Commerce to construct my webstore.  It’s okay.  But now that some time has passed. I am wanting to transition to Shopify.  Shopify has a nicer mobile app, better integration for blogs and mailing lists, and other features.  I need to get my domain from Big Commerce over to Shopify, unfortunately, and I am rather confused how to do that.  Maybe Shopify tech support can help me.

 

Then there are the “social” webstores like Etsy and Storenvy.  I admit that I have not tread into Etsy yet, even though that seems an obvious place for me to post products.  I think I am afraid of the listing and relisting fees… not to mention that you need to constantly be relisting to keep your product at the top of the searches.  I can barely keep up with dishes and laundry, much less be relisting all the time.

 

Sorenvy has been pretty awesome to me.  You list your items once, and people can “envy” them and add them to collections.  They featured my brand already and made me a nice page on their website.  But…… that’s all you can do with Storenvy.  I have about 200 people following my store, but I can’t TALK to them.  They will see if I post a new product, but I can’t tell them anything.  I guess I am missing the point of online sales, but I feel as though I want my relationship with everyone to be more than just monetary exchange.  

 

I FINALLY made a Facebook page.  FINALLY.  I think I wanted to feel “legit” before I did so.  I made the FB, an Instagram, and Twitter account.  And now I don’t know what to do with them.  I will post pictures of soap, but I want to do more.  I have PLANS.  I just haven’t executed them yet.  I want to take photos of my growing creepy bunny collection.  And I want to make soap stonehenges and stuff.  I have no intention of NOT being weird.

 

I am a little behind on soapmaking.  My problem is that I am never content.  I always want to modify and try to improve.  That means it’s much less fun making batches of old recipes than it is making crazy new test batches.  Worse, it means the temptation to modify existing, well-loved recipes is ALMOST UNBEARABLE.  For example… what if coffee fragrance X is better than the one I am using now??  I CAN’T STAND IT.  Also, the cutter my husband made me drives me crazy because the cuts are not perfect.  Yes, it is “BETTER THAN NOTHING” (that was for him!) but WOW, crooked cuts drive me bonkers.

 

I have also been wanting to get to work on liquid soap experimenting… and cold cream.  I’ve been dragging my feet a bit because I feel so overwhelmed with everything…. my brain is sort of closing itself off to new information.  I feel sad about that.

 

Gretchen is doing well, but I…..need a break.  A lot of long, long breaks.  It’s not her- it’s me.  I need alone time and I just can’t get it.  The house is always looming over my head- always something needing to be cleaned or bought or fixed.  It’s another huge weight on me.

 

As far as things for me…. I am dying to work with clay.  And I have no where to do it.  I really, REALLY feel as though I need that release, and it is the only way to get it.  And I can’t have it.  

 

Well, I need to get moving again.  Thanks for reading.