by Tish MacWebber | Feb 7, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
Last week I wrote about the book cover design quest I started, in Treasure Seeker Tuesday. This week I can say that I have continued the work and asking for opinions. Which are very helpful in making changes, and getting ready to make a final decision. It is my first book cover, for my first book. It is a big deal.
I have been pushing myself in a few areas since the new year started. I already achieved a personal goal at my workplace. I sent an email, and what I asked for was granted. If I review my list of things that I want to get accomplished in 2018 to make it a SUCCESS, I am making progress. I launched the website. I am continuing to work on it. I am keeping up with my blog, writing consistently three times a week. I am happier at work with the lateral position change. I really needed a change.
I am forgetting something. I do enjoy all of the things I am working on. Yes, I do love writing and telling stories. I love being able to listen to my music lists on Spotify while I am at work. I am pushing my limits and keeping the momentum going. I am forgetting to just stop doing what I have to do every once in a while and just doing something for fun.
I am scared to stop. When I cut myself some slack, I generally go off the rails, and maybe I don’t find my way back. If I stopped writing and working on the website, I might just do what I do and stop. With every intention to get back to it, and never finding the gumption or the time. That would be a real shame.
Writing and being creative are the things that keep me going, with the coffee and vitamins. I enjoy writing and getting comments about what I have written. I don’t want to stop. But in a way, I did, a little. I have put down the book I started writing.
I stopped in December, and have looked at it once. I am in the part of the year where I sometimes do nothing because of the guilt I have about not doing what I think needs to be done instead of what I want to do. So I do nothing. It is not a good place to be stuck in and it certainly isn’t a place I can just walk away from.
It is inside my head. I know I am hard on myself, but it is a part of what makes me tick. I am my own worst critic, and that is not an easy standard to live up to. I strive to be the best at what I do, and when I don’t succeed, I am really hard on myself. Every once in a while, I have a good cry, release the emotions, and I move on. It is also a part of my coping mechanism. In the last year, it has happened a handful of times. It is how I deal. I spring a leak, and then I patch it up until the next time it breaks.
I am working towards finding a balance, and a way to do all of the things that are productive for me to do. In all areas. I think I need to give myself a break. I have accomplished so much in 14 months. I know I am doing well. I know I am finding my way. It all comes down to perspective. And sometimes, a person needs to take a step away from what they are working on, take a break, and think about it in the back of their mind to gain a different perspective before moving forward again. Even me.
I have taken a break from writing my first book. But you know what? It isn’t going to write itself, and it needs my attention. I am so excited about using my imagination to write this book, and when I share a little, people genuinely react well to what I do share. I am going to scale back on the social media platform and the website just a bit, to make time to finish my book. I have to prioritize it and make the time. That is how I will get it finished. I just needed to give myself space to get a new perspective. It is time to get back to writing the book. Starting tomorrow. It is late, and I still have that day job that pays the bills…
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 31, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
Treasure Seeker Tuesday is going to focus a little bit on a project that has taken over my free time the last few days. Someone in a writing group was looking for feedback on their cover. I shared mine, and I too was given feedback. It sent me on a quest. My first book cover design quest. This is something I never planned on doing. I had designed a cover that I was quite happy with a while back. Then someone offered an idea.
Well, 15 more covers later, I am still narrowing it down. Here is what I learned so far.
People will comment on things. I like this. It is how I ended up with the Logo I designed for the website. It is helpful to have the opinion of people in the industry, but also from friends and family. There are strongly positive and negative reactions.
Purple was the one colour that I knew I had to keep when I was choosing colours for my Brand. That was an adventure. I started with blues and purples. I was told it all looked the same. It didn’t to me, but that is how I ended up looking for the brand colours that you see today. I wanted purple, and other colours that were nothing like it. I spent hours on a website narrowing down my choices. One palette became the one I started comparing to the rest. I knew that was the one I wanted.
Exotic Fruits Color Palette – My Brand Colours
This website is where I found it. I didn’t create it, but it quickly became my favourite, and I am using it throughout my website and social media platform. I see choosing my palette as the first step in what you are looking at today.
Naturally, my book cover was going to be purple. That purple, right up there. I tried different colours and got a little help with my picture, and came up with this.
From Where I am Sitting A Collection of Cat Tales by Tish MacWebber
I was asked a few questions, and then I started playing in canva. I came up with several variations, with the picture, and the colours above it. Then I tried something I wanted to do, but I am still not sure that it will be practical. I added the tartan that I designed from the colours above at this tartan designing website. I am really liking the tartan.
I took tonight off. I even designed the back cover of the book in my dreams last night. I have been immersed in this project. I am not yet done, so I will show a few of the favourites so far. If you have any comments, I am open to constructive criticism. If I am going to change it, I might as well have fun with the process!
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Whimsical White and Purple
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Creative Colour combo (Stories should be Tales)
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A twist on colour
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Pop Yellow
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Pop Peach
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Pop Pink
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Pop Green
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Peach on tartan
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Purple on tartan
That is what I have been up to this week. Trying new cover ideas. When I make a decision, I will share that with you as well.
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 11, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
Hello Treasure Seekers! I am writing this a little late this week. How ironic is it that I design a new homepage with a table set for five less than two weeks ago for this website for me to not get this story written on time because I have too much on my plate? Very. So I should write a bit about this.
I have joined a bunch of challenges, am working on the website, still writing the blog, trying to find time to write my first book, am training and integrating for a new position at work, and maybe just maybe, I am a little bit overwhelmed. I am falling a bit behind in some areas and struggling to keep up with the rest.
This is nothing new for me at this time of year. January for the last few years has been a busy month for me. What is different now? I am fighting. I am pushing my limits and my boundaries. I am not going to just give up. I am writing today because of that. The old me would have just tried to forget that I missed the deadline and maybe started slacking off with writing. Not now. I am writing this late, but the important part is, I am writing it. I didn’t just quit. I am still working on all of the things, and have every intention to figure it out. One thing at a time.
So what should you do when there is too much on your plate and none of it is edible? You should tackle one portion at a time. I am writing this tonight and since I have the next 2 days off, I will make a plan in the morning to tackle the rest.
In terms of the Jewellery Brand Makeover Challenge, I am working on it. I am gearing up for the 2nd part of the homework. I am thinking really hard about rebranding Tish’s Treasures. With this website, I am starting something new. I think it deserves a fresh name, and brand. So I am thinking about what the new name should be. I have written a cocktail line for the Jewellery business. Here it is.
My Treasures (or Bling, I haven’t decided yet-this depends on my rebranding) are patterned with symmetry, but they are whimsical, unique, delightful and quirky expressions of my creativity, made just for the client after a consultation, often being a surprise to those who receive them , whether it is for the client or as a gift for someone else.
I haven’t ever tried to summarize my Bling Business before, let alone rebrand it. I am working on this currently, and when I make a final decision it will be a quick switch. Once I decide on what it is I am going to do, then it just happens.
I am playing around with ideas, even changing the logo just on the bling page from Always Thinking… to Always Blinging…
I haven’t decided on the name yet. I am thinking about using my pen name. Possibly just the initials TMW bling or designs or treasures. Tish MacWebber has to be in the new business name, I am just not exactly sure how it will be used.
If you have any thoughts or comments about this, please feel free to share them.
Until next time…
#TreasureSeekerTuesday (on a Wednesday or a Thursday…it is late).
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 2, 2018 | Weekend Warrior
Hello Weekend Warriors! I know I am a little late posting this, but I am happily writing this for my new website location. My Blog has moved, and although I am in the process of organizing the new website, I am happy to be able to post my new stories from the new location.
OK. My weekend was busy, and I did more than just launch my new website, and close the old Blog with an invitation to join me here at the website.
Saturday started with a late breakfast out with friends. I like Skillets for breakfast. They consist of hashbrowns, grilled with onions, or deep fried, with scrambled eggs, sometimes veggies, choice of breakfast meat, and cheese. If you order one that is an Eggs Benedict style, then it will have Hollandaise sauce. I fell in love with them years ago at a Restaurant called Smitty’s. They no longer have a Smitty’s here, but there are other places that serve Skillets for breakfast.
A few weeks ago, I had breakfast with my husband at Cannon’s Cross Pub. Their Skillet pleasantly surprised me, and I quite enjoyed it. Since then I have had one at The Coffee Mill, and this past weekend, at Porter’s Diner. The last two did not impress me nearly as much as the first one.
If the onions are not cooked, it takes away from the meal. If the potatoes are fried and almost burned, it’s no good. I will not order a skillet at either of these two places again. They have other items on the menu, and I have liked other meals in both restaurants. I will not go back for a Skillet, though.
Smitty’s has a Texas Skillet that I make at home. It is like nachos on hashbrowns. I love it, and make it frequently for us as a supper, without the eggs-at his request. So there is taco meat, tomato, green onion, (eggs – I scramble them when I make it with eggs) cheese, salsa, and sour cream. It is delicious.
Saturday after we got home, we didn’t do too much. I worked on my website, and he watched tv and occupied himself on his computer. Typical night home for us, we do this a lot.
Sunday we got our candy wrappers together and cashed them in for 2 free admissions to go see a movie. We went to see Star Wars. I do not want to spoil it here, and it was good, but there were some things that didn’t seem to fit with the Saga. It was bittersweet, seeing it so close to the anniversary of the deceased Carrie Fisher, who played the iconic role of Princess Leia. It was nice to see it, but sad knowing that she is gone.
Sunday night we went to a house party to ring int he new year with friends. I had made deviled eggs, and we also brought cheese and Triscuit crackers to share. There was chili, but the chili there is always too spicy for my taste. There was a table full of food, and we ate, drank, and played Toto’s Africa almost on time to wish the Blessings of Rain to Africa (a line in the song) at exactly midnight. There was a 5-second delay. I hereby declare that it was an unintentional Broadcast Delay, like the one for Live TV. 😉 I really tried, but the whiskey caused a delay in me getting it to start on time. Yeah, that was it, the Whiskey Broadcast Delay. LOL!
I had the Gibson’s Finest Rare Canadian Whiskey ( there is an age verifier on their website…) which I mixed with both Pepsi (OK) and Sussex Golden Ginger Ale (amazing) which you can only buy here, in the Maritimes. Canada Dry is my 2nd favourite Ginger ale. I do drink Zevia Ginger ale when I am trying to be smarter with my choices, but not on New Year’s Eve.
I had also brought the bottle of Pollen Angels Scuttlebutt Mead made locally here. I brought that one to share, and a couple of my friends sampled it with me. Now I know that sounds like a lot of drinking, and I was a little wobbly after midnight. However, I have a secret weapon for surviving a night of partying. I make sure to have water, and an electrolyte drink before going to bed. That usually does the trick for me and since a hangover is basically a major case of dehydration, I have found this to be a trustworthy cure for the avoidance of a hangover. It is never good to drink in excess, of course, and you should be mindful of snacking while drinking of you are a diabetic like me.
We rang in the new year with friends, and as my husband is not as fond of drinking as I am (I am from Cape Breton, it is kind of a requirement) and also because he had to work on New Year’s Day ( I am so thankful that I didn’t have to!) he was my designated driver that got us home safely. I am also a strong advocate for planning ahead, to make sure that people travel safely. Better safe than sorry. It is too bad that people still think it is OK to drive after drinking, I don’t. If you ever wondered about it, try having a few and playing a racecar video game. Unless you are some kind of unique person, you will see why it is never good to drink and drive. On a video game, you can start over. Not in real life.
Monday was still the weekend for me as I had the holiday off. I spent the day doing laundry, running the dishwasher, and building my new website. I am happy to be able to share it with you all and look forward to watching the stats climb here like they did for the blog, on the old blog site.
How did you ring in the New Year?
#WeekendWarrior
by Tish MacWebber | Dec 25, 2017 | Makeup Monday
Okay. I said I wasn’t going to write in this category every week. I still stand by that, but today I had some free time, a new dress to wear, and that led to me playing with makeup today.
First of all, I am wearing the dress I bought during Black Friday 2017 that I had to take home after I tried it on. I love it.
My new navy dress
I love it so much I want to wear it for my Author Headshots, whenever I plan that day. I thought it would be warmer, being a knit dress, though. I will be changing in a bit to work in the kitchen, and I will hang it up for another day.
A tale of 2 lipsticks is what I am sharing today. A lot of you liked the pink one last time. I have worn that same pink, and also tried a bronzer and a different blush today. I used the Maybelline Expert Wear Mocha Motion eyeshadow palette. I did not use the shadow eyeliner. I used the essence one I used last time, and I also used the same Maybelline Mascara.
I watched some videos on the contour NYX palette I have. I learned to use salmon pink under my eyes. I also used green for red tones under my foundation. I used a little of the bottom left concealer on my forehead also.
Then I added Annabelle Perfect Bronze in Sunkissed after blending the colour correcting pink & green and then applying the QUO foundation I used last time. I then chose a pinker blush, by Maybelline. It is called Dream Bouncy Blush, and the colour is 45 Orchid Hush. It is more natural than my new winter blush I wore the last time.
SO I used the pink lipstick on the left side of the pic below, Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick (ZZ). The right is Lip Lingerie, by NYX. The colour is Lipli20 French Maid, and I was told when I bought it that it was one of the most popular colours. It is a less bold colour, so it is even a more natural look for me than the pink.
I am going to share the pics below, and then you can see the tale of 2 lipsticks for yourself. Which one looks more like a best selling Author look to you? I have not purchased my new glasses yet.
If you have a preference, please leave a comment below. Thanks for reading, and have fun playing with makeup. I do.
#MakeupMonday
