Monday, February 8, 2010

No more office job

Well, I'm free. I will officially now be self employed and be employed by only arts programs and small schools. :) I love this. I am already making big plans to sew again, knit again, paint again, and make jewelry again. All things I love dearly that I haven't been able to do since last summer! I am so excited to have a life again, have time to spend a little time doing things I want to do, etc.!

I also am going to re-vamp my kitchen, decor/organization-wise and food-wise. We are eating low-carb foods only, and I am trying to balance food on a budget (diets are expensive!!!). We moved in here only a week before we went on vacation. A day after that, I started my job. Embarrassingly enough, I still have major unpacking/sorting to do! And if I don't do it now, I won't do it because for all I know, we may be moving out of this place as soon as May 2011.

My salary was very low anyways (understandably since it was a church position), and if we budget, we will be fine. We love playing games together, etc. so we'll be fine. The big thing for me is trying to do a low-carb diet on a very tight budget...that is hard!

Things I am saving up for right now: new strings and a violin bow...I have a so-so violin (it was "only" $1,000) that I have been playing dozens of weddings and teaching with my spare viola bow...believe it or not, I don't own a violin bow! I took violin lessons for the first time again my senior year of college, and now that is the primary instrument I use. It's so frustrating that I can't get a beautiful sound that I imagine in my head out on the violin. A bow would do a world of difference. Someday I will be able to buy a violin bow for my violin, but right now, that's not an option which makes it difficult to play (my viola bow is very heavy, skids, and sounds pretty rough). If I wasn't so in love with my viola, I would sell it and get two mediochre instruments, but that's not happening. My viola was a steal, and I would be losing an awesome instrument that I got for a great price. Plus, my mom helped me pick it out. These are things to look forward to being able to get in the future. It's hard being in the place that I can't save money because we need all of it. I know everyone has been there, and it's a good but hard place to be. I am sure someday I will play my viola a lot...in this small town, the viola is not needed very often. Most weddings call for 2 violins and a cello (and that's the trio music I own). There isn't a paid orchestra nearby, other than the Tupelo Symphony which I get called to do a gig once in a while.

I decided to keep my chops up, I am going to go through old books and find something I have never played (on viola and violin). It is such a great outlet for me. I absolutely love music, and love pouring my emotions into playing lots of different instruments..You could say Madison & I love instruments... ha ha! I have a red electric violin, my violin, my viola, an ibanez electric that I really need to sell, a fender telecaster, a baby taylor guitar, a piano, and Madison has an electric/acoustic guitar, a fender strat, and a violin (and soon, a mandolin!)...so that is 10 going on 11 instruments in our house...

I have a lot of plans, and I will be keeping myself accountable by blogging my progress on these things, now that I will be teaching part time and having time to do things once in a while! First on my agenda for the next two weeks is getting our awfully messy house whipped into shape! It's so messy, it's embarrassing!!!

1 comment:

Jana said...

Liz, I just want you to know that you are NOT alone on the whole not being able to save because you simply NEED all the money you are making now to make now work.

My husband and I lived that way for 5 years while he was in grad school. We had to live very simply and there were times I felt I would go crazy, but God was faithful and IS faithful still. Will be praying that you'll find creative ways to make your $ stretch, especially while trying to eat a certain way. Sounds like you all are doing well though and have the right perspective. One thing I always told myself was, "This is just a season". It will end, it will change, eventually. Remember that!

Graduation from Wheaton College

Graduation from Wheaton College

Us at an Ole Miss game

Us at an Ole Miss game

Our Wedding

Our Wedding

Madison's family

My family


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