paperie

something i really enjoy doing in my spare time is making greeting cards. ever since i was in elementary school, i can remember making my own cards to give to family and friends for birthdays and other holidays. i recently bought some scrapbook paper and other fun crafty items to do a craft night with my bible study girls between studies, intending to use the leftover paper to make some cards. that night we made bookmarks to use with our study books. here's mine:i really admire (and maybe secretly envy!) people that have a unique hobby that they could potentially turn into a full (or part) time job. one of my friends, liz, is a talented photographer and started her own business, yellow umbrella photography. another friend, lori, makes beautiful jewelry and recently set up a shop online for simply idyllic. maybe one day i will sell my cards...i just imagine it being hard to earn a living on products that are essentially paper and glue! i think sometimes it's just fun to dream about doing something else when my real job is challenging or doesn't seem particularly fun.i think one reason i enjoy making cards is that it combines two things i truly love: creativity and encouragement (or words of affirmation, for you 5 love languages fans). i like having cards around because you never know when you might want to send someone a handwritten note.

passing the time

as i exhaust all job possibilities for counselors in the greater greenville area, i'm coming up with a lot more free time than i expected. i've gotten my daily routine down to about 15 minutes of checking various employer & career finder websites and following up with places. this week hasn't been particularly good - no new job postings, and i learned that the sc state dept of mental health has put a freeze on hiring new employees. (about 75% of new job postings in my field come from the state, unfortunately.) looks like i might need a hobby!

yesterday afternoon i felt bored out of my mind, and i realized i hadn't left the house for two days. two days! i didn't have a reason to. i haven't had this much free time since summers in high school. for those of you wish you had more free time, i'm sorry for complaining about having too much of it. sometimes it can be fun - like when i have a project to do or events to prepare for. other times it's a bit lonely, and most of the time it just requires a tremendous amount of patience - like when i'm waiting to hear back from places.

as for hobbies, i've been making good use of the library card i got a few weeks ago. you may have noticed that my blogging (and facebooking) has increased. i've been using the small gym at our apt complex (might as well ellipticize while i watch food network!). i'm trying out new recipes without worrying how long they'll take to cook. i also got a magazine subscription to real simple, which i like a lot. not only are they fun to read, but they're great for crafts. i've had three blank canvas panels for over a year now. i'm not great at painting, so i've decided to decoupage collages with cut-outs from the magazines and other fun supplies like ribbon, jewels, glitter, and maybe some buttons. chris' comments on my works in progress were that he liked them and thought that their style looked "very mary droddy-esque." i told him that was a supreme compliment!

so until i find a full-time counseling job, consider me a freelance artist, amateur chef, and reader extraordinaire.