Today is the day

Well, it is March 23rd the day goimagine is to go dark, my mosiac should die by the end of today and I still really don't have plan. 😒 

I have looked into several newer marketplaces and honestly none of them have impressed me, from bad layouts, poor grammar, outdated stuff making it look like no one is actually managing the site. I find myself. . .disappointed. 

I am working on a square "Free" site, but I haven't published it yet. 

Currently setting my domain to redirect here for a while, not a good long-term option because . . .no shop/checkout, but not a bad short-term plan because I think will avoid the dreaded 404 page not found. 😏 

Decision time. . .time's almost up

Well time is running out on goimagine, but I still have not decided what I'm doing with my "business". 😒  I do not relish the idea of a stand-alone website I had one years ago and it was a total P.I.T.A. Although, I know a ton of stuff has changed since then, not all of those changes are any kind of improvement, while I think I can get away without the private payment gateway fees of old, sales tax has become a bigger complication, especially since the move I am not currently license to collect sales tax for any state. 😅 

Part of what makes marketplaces so appealing is the details they take care of like sales tax and security certs and fraud prevention and protections.  I still have my etsy although, it is currently down to 1 listing because I was letting them all expire.  I do have a shop on Micheal's MakerPlace that still has some jewelry listed.  I can resurrect either of those, the problem is neither of them was every that successful but at least I wouldn't have to file sales tax.  The question then becomes which one should the .com point to and sadly I'm leaning towards the etsy just because it has the longer sales history and reviews. 😏

I am currently considering a stand-alone through Square simply because I already have a square account and they offer a "free" website plan. 

Good bye. . .sadness

I am shocked, saddened, crying and feeling like I've been punched in the gut. Goimagine has announced that it is closing. 😧😢

I am a "Founding Maker" I signed up early in 2020 when the site was still in beta. I have remained the entire time; I have my domain directed to my Mosiac site which I am/was very happy with. 

I hate Etsy and distrust Micheals, goimagine was my favorite platform, now I don't know what I'm going to do. I had deactivated most of my makerplace listings over a year ago and I've let all my etsy listings expire because I had no plans of going back there. 

Honestly, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, many things are closing now, this economy sucks, everyone is broke, tons of people are losing jobs.  I have also been concerned for a while because plenty of people nagged and begged for a "free" plan on the notion that it would get more new sellers to sign up but I noticed after they announced the free plan that existing sellers were downgrading to the free plan instead of paying their memberships, even though the site was funded by paid memberships. 😒 

I am sad but also angry and disappointed.  I need time to process my grief and I have less than 30 days to decided wtf I'm doing or if I even bother to continue. It is possible that RainbowMaille will just become another victim of this shitty economy. 

Weekly update. . .Happy Thanksgiving

Ok, so the plan was to "take a break" but honestly not posting last week felt really weird, like I was forgetting something even though it was intentional. 😏 Not sure if it's the OCD or just habit but I felt like posting an update so here it is. 😉  

I did get my noodles made for Thanksgiving 👍

and not just one batch but 5 batches as a matter of fact 😎

my shoulder ached for 2 days 😒

I plan to cook the first turkey today.

In other news, slightly business related, I really do not like the shoving AI into everything, every browser, every search and now even blogger apparently. I have not used any of it, I don't let chatgpt write my product descriptions, I don't let it edit my photos, I don't use it to make social media posts, and I certainly do not plan to use it to write my blog. 😠😐

I do not need a G button to stick random references in my writing, because I am writing, ya' know a human with a mind and thoughts to express, no pop culture references needed. 

Weekly update. . . Holiday break

Well, it is November the holidays are approaching, and I think I'm taking a break from business, social media, etc.  I'm not closing or anything crazy, the shops will remain open, and any orders will get processed and shipped, but I'm not planning on advertising or posting (much). 

I am feeling pretty frustrated and burnt-out and have other things to worry about. This has literally been the worst year of sales for RainbowMaille in its' decade of existence. I'm pretty sure I said that last year but with the move this spring and months of being closed on top of zero in-person events. . .yikes. 😒 Aside from the existential "what's the point?" spiral there are other things in life like my health and my husband. 

I know I don't usually do many details on either. 😅 However, I did mention last week that I had a "minor medical procedure" that was the removal of a Nexplanon implant no big deal really that's a tiny incision that healed well, I'm fine. Ok, as fine as a woman menopausing can be. 😣 Are hot flashes supposed to come with gut-wrenching nausea? How about dizziness and vision changes? Is this frozen shoulder thing normal? Why do I gain weight when I don't eat?  If you are a man, be glad you will never understand the hell that is a woman's hormones. 

Circling back to the point of the post I'm taking an extended break for my health, for my mental health, and oh yeah, we are likely moving again soon. 

So that art photography project is never getting finished, which is fine my cat killed part of the succulents I was using as photo prop so the continuity I was going for in the photos was going to be impossible anyway.  

In the meantime, I have noodles to make so. . . .

Happy Thanksgiving

Merry Christmas

I'll see y'all after New Year 😇

Weekly update. . .time change

Welcome to fall, the time has changed, the leaves are falling along with the average temperature, and my desire to do anything. 😏 

I had a small medical procedure on Monday and basically got not a single thing done this week. 😒 Well at least nothing business or creative wise, I did go grocery shopping and bought Halloween candy and cooked and cleaned, ya' now household stuff. I'm actually kind of surprised and a bit disappointed that we have so much candy left, this subdivision is very "neighborhood-y" there are a lot of children, and I honestly expected more trick-or-treaters. 

Since I have no business news, I think I'll use this week's update for Merlin. The tiny (1.2lbs) orphaned baby kitten my husband found in a car in his work parking lot 2 years ago. Merlin was so tiny and in  terrible distress when we found him, his first vet visit they used an entire tube of ear mite drops on each tiny ear because they were full. 😔 He was too small for the flea drops and they could only give him 1 dewormer medicine at a time, we later found out he had 2 types of worms. It took multiple visits and more than a little $$$ to get him healthy. He lived in "quarantine" for the first few weeks until we got rid of the parasites. 

He was so tiny, and I didn't like having him locked up alone, but we have other cats who didn't need fleas or worms so no choice really, but he would cry so loud and I felt terrible

I would go in and play with him and cuddle him until he fell asleep, so he didn't feel all lost and alone 

He has grown but he is still small compared to our other cats, I think he may have been the runt of his litter and that may be why he was lost/left. He is now health as can be, but he does not have the best vision, and I think he may always be on the small side. His attitude may be what has grown the most, he walks like a lion and thinks he's much bigger than he actually is. 😅

He has learned to drink from the faucet, although there are water glasses and fountains around the house, sometimes he just likes to play in the sink

In spite of his willful independence, he is working his way to becoming a lap cat very slowly. You can't pick him up and force him, it has to be completely on his terms and time, but he does occasionally come nap on my lap. 

It doesn't happen super often, but it does make me really happy when he chooses me, because he's just so cute 😍

weekly update. . . no luck

I have tried to take photos of the new dragon, but I can't get them to look decent. I tried on the photo table, I tried selfies wearing it, every photo I took looks like crap. 😒 I know you're probably thinking "oh it can't be that bad" but I assure you it is. 

The angles are bad, the lighting is bad, the color looks off, I mean I know I suck at selfies but damn 😞

honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do about it either, I don't have or own a mannequin, the laying flat really doesn't do anything for the look of the piece display wise

I guess should not be surprised that she continues to be the most frustrating dragon to date. 😅 Awkward at every stage, frustrating on the bench and now impossible to photograph, I think I shall name her Mondragon. Funny to me because of the "dragon lady" librarian from high school, but also because it has caused me a month-long case of the "Mondays".