How to Vacation When You're Running A Side Business

[Well, I was going to write about the yummy things we ate this week, but turns out I want to write about what a vacation is like when you also are trying to start a business on the side.]

Oh, you guys, I am really trying to keep this blogging thing going, because I do enjoy it. But - when I get busy (which you know is often) it is hard for me to find the space in my brain to decide what to write about, and then get the chunk of time needed to actually write it. Some of you know I'm on vacation from yesterday through Sunday, and you might be thinking - of course she has time! And, yeah, I sort of do. The thing is, though, I think our little business is really starting to take off, and that has to be a priority.

So far on my "vacation", I have:

• Slept in until 7:30 or 8am!
• Written & revised our custom garment contract
• Worked on dress design sketches
• Hashed out some details for another wedding, including scoring a great deal with a vendor
• Set up a meeting with another potential client
• Actually started the Great T-Shirt Project of 2010
• Installed new operating system on my computer, and then new money software, and am currently in the midst of transferring all our data over from the old program and setting up our budget.
• Cleaned the house.
• Had happy hour with WhiskeyTime and some improvised Amaretto/Pear martinis. (ok, this part is like actual vacation.)
• SPENT TIME WITH MY WIFE. (Who is being the sweetest lady ever by pretending I am really on vacation and planning a weekend of fancy dinners that she is cooking for me. Boy do I love her. Last night, we had Roasted Chicken with Spiced Figs. OMG. Yum. On Saturday, she is planning some awesome thing where she cooks whole fish. She is the best. Sorry to all the rest of you who don't get to be married to her.)

Additional things I have scheduled to do on my vacation are:

• Hit the fabric store for swatching and inspiration for our client's wedding dress
• Meet with the aforementioned potential client
• Finish putting together sketches and estimate for the wedding dress
• Flesh out all the details of the wedding coming up and distribute them to vendors
• Maybe continue working on the Great T-Shirt Project of 2010 (which I guess I should write a post about, huh?)
• Write a guest post for a wedding blog
• Write a why having babies scared me before being a nanny vs. why they scare me now post for another blog
• Attempt to write something of substance for this here blog, that is not about how busy I am, and thus will not bore you to tears like this post
• CELEBRATE OUR ANNIVERSARY. Yeah, I know it was a month ago, and we did celebrate. But I think I mentioned we had been planning to go to a big fancy dinner only to find out that the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed. So. We rescheduled our anniversary for 'one of those upcoming weekends when we might have some time' (HA!) and here it is. We've got a reservation at Chalkboard for Friday night, and I'm hopeful we will be able to schedule some massages tomorrow or Saturday as well. Yay!

And, let me say, I am NOT complaining. I love doing all these things. Not that I wouldn't love just sitting at the beach all day, in some semblance of what I imagine normal people do on vacation - I would love that. But - the reason why we're making this business happen is exactly because we LOVE doing these things and want to eventually do them full-time. Or at least enough of the time that we can pick and choose what shows or other work we want to do the rest of the time.