working [too?] hard

I loved number 5 on the advice list from a recent post. 

"Get ready to work HARD."

Ok, sure. Understandable.

No problem.
Noted.

Ha. 

I'm already feeling like an August launch may not be possible for my Etsy shop. 

There is just so.much.to.do. And remember the plan to work when the babies were asleep? While we're in Louisville and I have few friends and a very busy husband? That hasn't gone so well for me....

The kids are now pushing an 8:30pm bedtime, and our lifestyle here is very different than at home.
Long, busy days. Always out of the house, driving everywhere and for long periods. 

Meaning we scramble to get dinner in our mouths, and come 8pm, I'm exhausted. 

Oh, and all the stores close at 9pm, so the 30 minute drive to them would only leave me with 30 minutes of shopping. Thirty minutes...

To buy 24 onesies in each size that I'll be selling (and guess what? no stores even stock that many)...

To choose my dye colours and find stores that stock them (hint: not Michaels or Jo Ann)...

To find packaging that would suit my products and stay on budget...

To find out what paint brushes and paints will work best...

To talk to store employees about my numerous questions...

You get the idea. 

Then there's the technical side... I want a button/logo for my shop and business cards, so I'm on that...

And the tiny issue of having products to actually sell... I need to dye and paint all of the onesies and find the vintage treasures (already found a few, but it's not something you can rush!). 

Anyway, I have a lot on my plate and I'm trying to set realistic goals and boundaries and it's not easy.

I don't want this dream of opening my own shop full of things I love and believe in to take away from the FIRST THINGS: God and My Family (ok, and my sanity). 

But I also know that this type of thing requires crazy hard work and dedication and that not all hard work is bad. Much hard work is beautiful, as long as it's not in front of the FIRST THINGS, right?

But is it all too much right now?

When I'm not living in my own home?

When I don't have a co-parent to help with the kids as much as usual?

When my kids have just stopped going to bed by or before 7pm?

I'm really not sure. I'm figuring it out as I go. Trying to hold it all with an open hand.

I recently had a brief exchange with a woman I look up to. She has a blog and had a thriving online business. I loved her products and planned to buy one (or two!) when I was in the US this summer (she didn't ship to Canada). I noticed her shop had been "on vacation" since December 2011 so I asked her when she was re-opening (hoping soon because I'm only here for another 6 weeks!).

Her response was exactly what I need to keep in mind:

her: I don't think my shop is re-opening.

me: Oh sad! I was so hoping to buy one of your beautiful products...

her: Not sad at all :) My family needs me a lot in the season so I put is aside.

just like that.

Here's a woman who had done what I'm hoping to do: created a unique and lovely online shop from one of her passions.

And here's a woman who completely set that aside because she was putting FIRST THINGS FIRST when the time came (and could come for me too).

I love her joyful attitude about it.
And sidenote: I love how having your own shop can allow you to dig in and pull back when you need to. 
She inspired me in a huge way as I'm going hard at this.
Work really really hard (I know she did/does).
But keep priorities in the proper order.

Just a few thoughts whirling around my head tonight as I pray over my little future shop, plan designs, and consider that one day I may be called to set it all aside for greater things.
First things.