im back...for reals this time

hello hello!

life happens and gets in the way of things sometimes. days turn into weeks turn into months...i haven't written anything since October! my etsy shop has also been suffering from neglect...i miss spending time with my crafts.

things are going to change

what i want for christmas...

a couple weeks ago my mom sent me an email with a link to a store asking me if i wanted anything from it for christmas. that made me start thinking about getting and giving presents. i am allowing myself a little indulgence by making a christmas list. of 10 things.

For christmas, I want...

1. money towards a trip to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (i was there in April for my birthday and i am dying to go back "Best Friends Blog Post") This is what I want the most!

2. a beautiful yoga mat that is a longer length (Manduka 85 inches or Jade 74 or 80 inches)

3. these beautiful over the knee boots in brown

4. these weights...hand weights and whatever this is called (i might not use these on a regular basis, but i liked using them when i would work out in that way)

5. this Mad Men inspired dress and high waist pencil skirt

6. this prayer mudra t-shirt from ETSY seller ZenThreads (forest shirt with white ink)

7. Stila Lip Rouge in Pucker, Stila 24kt Gloss in Vintage Merlot and Stila Lip Stain in Cherry Crush

8. Rose Perfume (Moroccan Rose by The Body Shop, Rose 4 Reines by L'Occitane)

9. Essential Oil from Young Living (my faves are Acceptance, Clarity, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus)

10. a new white duvet cover (like this one from Target or Ikea)

Holiday Mission Statement for my ETSY store

I am participating in the "Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp" on the ETSY website. I would like to have more success on ETSY and sell more of my jewelry and accessories and I figure that doing something like this couldn't hurt. I think I do succeed more when I am accountable to someone or thing and this feels like a fun project.

My assignment for this week is to write a mission statement for the holiday season. Here is the written description..."So your second task this week is to write out a mission statement. Why are you working your butt off this season? What is your motivation?"
I am going to list some goals I have and reminders as to why I want to be successful on ETSY. I love lists, so obviously this will be in list form!

-I want to participate in craft shows this season. At least one small one and one big one.
- I have made 60 sales on etsy (and a few outside of etsy as well) I would like to be closer to 100 after this season is over.I am shooting for 20 more sales on Etsy and 20 more sales outside of Etsy (like at the craft shows)
- I would like to make enough money from Etsy to afford another trip to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
- I want to remember how much I enjoy creating. I want to carry this joy around with me even if I do not meet all of my goals.
- I want to feel happy with everything I produce and realize that my items are worth buying!

The Holiday Bootcamp Pledge

I, Carly Suzanne Westergard Dobson, pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers. I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I've learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread the word about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere!

update...

This is what I have been doing non stop the past couple weeks...




I passed my test and I am a certified yoga instructor. I will start writing on the regular very soon!

Day 16

"Someone or something you could definitely live without"


I could live without animal cruelty. I am so affected when seeing a dead or hurt animal or when I hear a story about abuse. When the ASPCA commercials come on TV I have to change the channel because I will be in tears in 5 seconds. The last episode of True Blood had a dog fight scene and I could barely watch it. It makes my heart hurt. It makes me feel angry at people. It makes me really really want to open my own animal sanctuary.

I think it was last year when I has sort of this realization about my relationship to animals. I noticed that whenever I saw and animal (primarily cats and dogs, but it extended to most everything else) I would get this feeling come over me. I would feel it in my gut. It was warm and exciting. I finally realized that it was LOVE. I have this automatic unconditional uncontrollable love for animals.

Day 15

"Something or someone you couldn't live without because you have tried living without it"

So there are obvious things I couldn't live without like air, water, food, etc. but I have not tried living without these things.


I don't think there is a real answer to this question. I think that human beings are strong enough to live without something they love (minus basic needs.) I thought that living a "normal" life after my dad died was going to be impossible, but I figured it out. I am living without my dad being alive...its not my first choice situation, but I can do it.


This question makes me think about people that have physical disabilities. I wrote my thesis on mixed ability dance, and focused specifically on dance companies that had dancers on legs and dancers on wheels. Throughout my research I came across many people with various disabilities who loved to dance and so they did. I wonder how they felt (if they remember) when they first met with their disability? I wonder if they thought that life was not worth living without my leg/arm/etc.? It makes me realize that people can live without things and still make it through life and not just barely.


I am going to say that there is nothing and no one that I couldn't live without. Again, there are things and people that I would be extremely distraught about if I lost, but I know I could make it. My yoga teacher told a story last night and the moral seems to fit right now...Its the struggles in life that let us know how strong we really are. Peace to all who survive the struggles.