My husband has been in Vegas this week at a convention and it's the first time he's been away from the Woog overnight. Needless to say, he didn't know how he was going to manage but I think he's doing ok. I was required to emails photos of her everyday though. I for one wimped out a decided to stay home with her since there was no way possible I could leave her. Maybe next year I'll tag along with him. I made this illustration to iron-on the nightshirt for the Woog to wear when he gets her ready for bed tomorrow night. I thought that would be a nice welcome home.

This week has been a hectic one and it's just Wednesday. I had 2 illustrations to finish up for Monday, a new niece was born Monday night, sketches for a project due Tuesday, another final illustration that was due today, not to mention the swap for Courtney I had to finish up, plus the constant stream of ideas for promotion, things to sale and illustrations to do that has worked myself up into a frenzy and I don't know where to start therefore I get nothing done and mope the day away. It's crazy how I'm busy but I would love to take on more and more work. That's the way I've always been. I'd rather have a full and overflowing plate than a trickle of things here and there.

I want to get into the promotional frame of mind again. I received my Artist and Graphic Designers Market and Children's Writer and Illustrator Market books in the mail the other day and have been highlighting names and doing a little research on the web about different companies. There is so much I want to do. I want to keep illustrating for educational publishers, start doing greeting cards, do magazine work, and the grand pooba of them all, picture-books. Each area requires different samples I think so I'm trying to come up with different concepts for each. There is so much I want to do but I have a hard time taking baby steps to reach each goal. I always want to dive in full force and then I end up overwhelmed and get nothing done. I just need to buckle down and get my schedule working for me again. I need to set aside times each week to work on something specific. Maybe Mondays are a "business/marketing day", Tuesdays client work and new portfolio concept days, etc. I need some kind of system that keeps me sane and flexible. What you you all do?

Well, I'm off to straighten up the house, catch up on emails, do 8 spot sketches for a client and organize my thoughts for a 32 page catalog I have to design. So why do I take on so much? I do all this to be home with my daughter and I wouldn't trade it for anything!