I got my business plan finished. That's a relief!

I got my business plan finished. That's a relief!

The only other thing on my agenda today is watering my plants. I'm gonna start that shortly.

I was talking to Shaun earlier about his Executive Dysfunction and why he never said anything before. He said he's here to support me, not burden me.

Bruh. Love. Motherfucker. That is not how this works. 😂

He's got a list of things (in his head) that he wants/needs to do and that he is not always able to work on. (Relatable). And having this list prevents him from relaxing and doing other things he needs or wants to do. (Also relatable).

Sometimes I need a "Jumpstart", like "Help me do this", but really all I need is for him to be right there while I start and then I'm good. Sometimes I need a body double. But in either case, I've been expressing my needs for years and he's always showed up.

I was like "Let me do that for you." Because really, it's not a problem for me to to help anyone... Except myself. 😂😂😂 Need me to walk you to the yard to trim the bushes? Got you. Need me to direct you because you're overwhelmed and don't know where to start? I can do it. (This is not the same as him not carrying his share of the mental load around here, btw. He definitely does that.)

He says he doesn't forget his tasks and that's why he doesn't write them down, but he's going to try it and see if it does anything. It always makes me feel less anxious to clear my head.

Meanwhile, we have made it sort of a goal to boost each other's productivity and see how we can shrink our to-do lists by the end of May. Not at an overwhelming, burn-out pace, but by steadily boosting each other with Jumpstarts or whatever is needed.

I hope it works like we think it will.

It's late, but class update:

It's late, but class update:

It was a 2 hour class. Zoom cut us off every 40 minutes. I had trouble bringing up my ServiceNow window even though I could see it minimized in my taskbar, so I feel like I looked really incompetent. No matter how much I prepared before, I still felt fumbly and like I had no idea what I was doing.

HOWEVER, the previous teacher was there with me and backed me up and helped out and answered questions that I couldn't. He told me I did great. The class was patient with me. And overall, it definitely could have been worse.

I don't know if we have an exceptionally talky group of students or what, but I felt really happy that everyone replied to me and asked questions and participated. I hate it when I'm a student and I'm the only one who speaks. So I'm really excited to see how this semester goes.

❤️❤️❤️

I teach my first class tonight...

I teach my first class tonight. I have NERVES. Wish me luck!

Also, I have just shy of 250 users on my app, and I got another subscriber recently.

I'm planning to get back to work on it next week.

I'm medicated and going to bed.

I'm medicated and going to bed.

At my last check, I had almost 200 users, plus that one subscriber. Lots of positive feedback, a few bugs found, and several requests for this to be a mobile app. There are already listings on the Marketplace. I've been told it's pretty intuitive and easy to use.

Honestly, it has gone better than the train wreck that I expected. I don't know why I thought it wouldn't be ok. But so far it is, and I'm happy. So happy that I'm literally sick over it, but that's ok.

Goodnight, y'all. Hopefully I'll be ok-ish tomorrow.

Someone subscribed to my app for a year.

Someone subscribed to my app for a year. I'm crying and trying not to puke. What is going on!?

Look at this cat in my puke bowl. She's in the danger zone. 😂😂😂🫠🫠🫠

This is my app launch release.

This is my app launch release. I can't write another thing because migraine, but let's see how it goes!

--------------------------------------------------------

Hey y'all! It's release day!

TL;DR:  app.polishallthethings.com

This project was started with the intent to be a collection management app, so it has core features like storing polish information, photos, wish list polishes, etc.  I have tried to make it easy to get started by adding spreadsheet imports with smart photo matching, AirTable imports, as well as the ability to add individual items.  There are some pretty comprehensive search/filter features, and a module to digitally swatch photos so that you can search by color, as well.

I tend to go hard when I decide to do something, so there are a lot of other things on the site, as well.  There is a marketplace for destash items, and under Explore > Discover, there is a Dupe Finder and Search By Color feature.  Those features are limited to items that are already in the collective database, so they will only improve as we add to the database and digitally swatch our items.  I've been so busy working on the app that I've only digitally swatched about 80 of my polishes, so please be patient with those features.

The profile page is optionally public, as well as the information that shows on it.  It will display your collection data with stats.  There is a link near the polish stats that will allow you to categorize / auto-categorize your brands as indie / boutique / mainstream.  That is a feature that is also in progress.  I will be adding more brands to the auto-categorizer as the database grows.

There is also a WIP page that will show you Collection Health data, such as which items are missing data, what items need to be swatched, what names might be dupes, etc.

Brand pages / Brand dashboards are a work in progress.  Brands can upload collections / items and have verified pages, meaning that they are run by the actual brand.  Unclaimed brand pages will be flagged as "community" and will pull data from collections.  Brands can also use the Calendar feature under "Explore" to add releases / events that can be copied to user calendars so they never miss a launch.  Additionally, Brand items can be copied to a user's collection or wishlist.

To address this right off, on every photo there is a place to add swatcher credit and a link to their socials.  If a swatcher does not want their photos used on this app, there is a link so that they can report the photo and ask that it be removed or credited.  I will follow the DMCA process to address those issues if / when they come up.

From here, what this app turns into will be based on the needs and wants of the community to the best of my ability.  I am the sole creator and maintain-er of this project at this time.  It is a passion project that has been in the works in my brain for literal years.  I am so excited to share this with all of you.  Please, please, please, give me your feedback.  Report bugs.  Request features. (via Contact Us or on Discord)  It can't grow if I don't know what is missing.  But please be patient with me; this is my first solo project and I am learning a lot of things as I go.

There is an Announcements section under Explore where I will keep everyone posted on upcoming features.

Without further ado, head on over to the site and let me know how it goes!  Please expect bugs and for things to not be super perfect yet - it's pretty functional from the testing we've done, but without doubt there will be some hiccups and growing pains.

Thank you so, so much for reading! 💙

😂

😂

I got too excited last night. I had posted about my app in a nail polish group and the response was very positive. So I got a migraine about it. 😂😂😂😭😭😭

I went up to go to bed, in pain and nauseated, and my little old boyfriend, Scar, had thrown up and had diarrhea 3 times in my room. It was awful.

I cleaned the mess while trying not to contribute to it myself, then fell asleep with the windows open and the fan on high in this cold weather (in an attempt to clear the air). I also slept all night with the light on because I couldn't bother to move.

I'm finally normalizing a little bit now.

I gotta add some finishing touches on the app and hope I don't crap out again.

It would be super cool if I could just be happy without having a letdown migraine. 🫠

I'm planning to release my app on February 1st.

I'm planning to release my app on February 1st.  I could puke, I'm so excited.

I have this amazing discovery page where you can search by color.  You can also search for dupes of your favorite polishes.

I really don't know what to do with myself (besides stay busy and work on the finishing touches).

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

One of my beta testers...

One of my beta testers told me that my app is already better than Lacquergram.

😳😳😳

I could literally cry.

I'm probably gonna. 😂

Happy tears, at least. 😁😁😁

Putting indie/boutique/mainstream banners on my polish app like:

Putting indie/boutique/mainstream banners on my polish app like:

Just kidding. It was meant for the top left corner, and I'll get it wrangled over to there. That accidental placement just gave me a chuckle. 😂

Things are really coming along. I hope to have my first couple of Brand Pages being tested by Friday.

Also, I got my EIN today.

Exciting times!

Today is a big day! I'm super excited!

Today is a big day! I'm super excited!

I had an interview for a position that I really want, and it seemed to go well.

I've been building a PWA that I've wanted to build for years - the DeepDive Bootcamp gave me the tools to make it happen. I'm so happy I could cry! If all goes as planned, I'll start beta testing on Friday.

And finally, I can't believe the support I've gotten from everyone at Central New Mexico Community College, CNM Ingenuity. I reached out to an advisor for help with registering a LLC, and he got on a call and walked me through it. I got this in my email today! BluPrint Designs is the name I'll be working under developing websites.

I can't believe the moves I'm making. I am so grateful for the support of everyone I've met at the CNM Web Development DeepDive Bootcamp. I'm doing things I've only ever dreamed of doing. I can't believe this is real life.

The support from CNM is unreal.

The support from CNM is unreal.

I just registered BluPrint Designs as a web/application development LLC.

I was so lost, but I reached out to one of the amazing advisors from the school, and we got on a call and he walked me through it.

I'm now just waiting to see if my business license is approved.

I'm planning to start beta testing my very first app on Friday. 🤞🏻

This all feels so unreal.

Ooh, I went to the city today! By myself!

Ooh, I went to the city today! By myself!

I checked out the Web Development boot camp in person. I spoke with one of the instructors, and then sat in on a class.

We talked one-on-one for about 45 minutes. He answered all of my questions and I really feel like this would be a good move for me.

They start with HTML and CSS, which I've been familiar with since I was on MySpace. Then they move onto JavaScript and focus on that for a while. I have some familiarity with it, but it's not my strong suit and I'd love to improve. Then they move into a project - creating a website from scratch, which I've never done. This is where it gets exciting and really starts to fill in my gaps.

So I sat in the class for a bit and there was 1 group working on their project in week 11 of 12. These guys were communicating so well about the code and trying different approaches and troubleshooting and I was honestly really impressed. They were pushing and pulling from git with detailed notes, etc.

After a while the instructor asked me what I thought and I said that they were doing great and that I was curious about their backgrounds before starting. All of them said they had no previous experience! I was gobsmacked! Like... This seems like exactly the hands-on experience that I need!

Don't get me wrong:  I love and appreciate my education from JSU, but I feel like it was focused on theory, like this is what a for-loop does and how you write it. This is this language, etc. But nothing actually taught me how to put it all together or what programs to use. I feel like I just need help putting the pieces together and I'll be 💯.

So, I'm pretty excited. I wanna be like the guys I saw working on their project today. Wish me luck!

I still don't have a job.

I still don't have a job. I was laid off in April. The market has been terrible. I put in applications every week, and I'm getting rejection letters and no call-backs.

When I started college in 2015, my plan was to go for something well-paying and in-demand. I really took to Math and Computer Science, and I have no regrets about choosing those paths, although I never imagined that due to the economy and AI it would be so hard to find work. It definitely wasn't like this a few years ago.

Anyway, I've been looking around for a path forward and I think I have a plan. There's a program under one of the local colleges that offers a certificate for Web Design. I have some years of experience, but I also have some gaps in my knowledge since I am self-taught. I would feel much better applying for jobs doing that if I took this boot camp, so I'm about to apply.

I also didn't really think through the whole "moving to a new place where I knew no one and then working remotely so that I have no local network," but that's exactly what I did. I just didn't realize it until it bit me in the ass after my layoff. 😬 So going through this program would help me start the process of building a network here on top of honing my skills.

I'm still also really interested in learning Spanish, so I'm considering (perhaps next year, hopefully after I'm working) taking Spanish here. Living in New Mexico, it would be super useful to have more under my belt than what I can get from Duolingo. And if I have a major in it, I would feel confident in my competency.

I don't know. Spanish is more of a long-term goal than immediate, but what is clear to me is that I'm probably not finding a job soon, so I need to be improving myself. I will continue to apply for jobs, but I need to make myself more marketable while doing that. So I'm going to do my best.

Also, in the meantime, I will probably re-open my Etsy shop and list all of the jewelry I've made. I might also start making press-on nails since I have so many nail art supplies. I don't know how popular press-ons are, but I know you can buy unique and even custom sets on Etsy, so I might as well throw my designs in the ring, too.

I hope y'all are doing well. Aside from not having a job, I'm actually doing pretty ok. I've been doing a lot of self-care, which I needed.

Local friends, if y'all have time to hang out, please let me know! ❤️

Life update:

Life update:

Me and Shaun lost our health insurance at the end of April.  We have too much in savings to be eligible for Medicaid here, so we'll have to pay out of pocket for other state insurance.  It's going to be about $750/month to get ourselves covered, which isn't ideal since I'm unemployed.  But I'm grateful for the option.  Btw, the kids still have their Medicaid, so they're fine.

I haven't been to therapy since mid-May because I can't afford to pay $250/week for it.  But I'm doing ok mentally.  We will have to purchase insurance by next month because I won't have enough medication left to be normal if I don't.  I have a supply of my antidepressant and antianxiety, as well as the hormones I need.  I will check in with Shaun tomorrow and see where he is with medication.  Also, I'm going to push him to go to urgent care if his sinus infection doesn't clear up.

I feel like I really needed the deep rest, so being laid off was kind of a relief at first.  Now I've been sick for the last week or so, and I've needed a bunch of rest to recover from that.  I'm feeling mostly better, though, so now I'm just feeling really untethered; but not in a good way.  I guess "aimless" would be a good word to describe it.

There is so much I could be doing.  I could finish swatching my polish.  Work on my database.  Try to sell some of the jewelry I made since I don't have an income.  Try to sell some of our extra stuff from around the house because I love to declutter and money would be nice.

I could clean.  I could do the laundry I've been meaning to do for more than 6 weeks.  I'm down to wearing nightgowns day in and day out because I am literally out of clean clothes.  😆  I could at least make myself some healthy food, but I've been living on soup and pizza rolls and rice pudding for weeks.  I have no willpower to do anything except for water my plants.

The one positive from this downtime is that I have actually started gaining some energy back.  Not enough that I want to use it yet, but it's harder to lay around and that's a good thing.  For the past two nights in a row, I've dreamed about roller skating.  I feel like that's a good sign.  I've ordered a boot stretcher so that I can stretch the toe of my skates and hopefully wear them for longer periods.  They fit toe-to-heel, but I have wide feet and the toe box is so narrow.  It's hard to wear them for long.

As much as schedules feel like prison, I'm far more productive and stable when I have one.

Anyway.  I know of several people who were let go from my previous company and no one is having luck getting hired anywhere.  I'm pretty sure it's the job market and not us.  I have degrees in Math and Computer Science, as well as certifications in ServiceNow.  I feel like I should be pretty marketable.  I had been looking for work involving ServiceNow, but I'm starting to think I need to widen my search and see if that helps.  I'm also considering looking into Salesforce.

Other than that, I have some friends visiting soon and I am so excited about it.  I feel like I need it and I think we all will have a great time.

I hope y'all are doing well.  ❤  I'm not 100%, but things will get better.

I'm having a little ramble. Feel free to skip this.

I'm having a little ramble. Feel free to skip this.

I've done literally nothing for weeks except put in job applications. I haven't gotten any calls back, so I am going to have to change my strategy. Fun.

Other than that I have rested. Like, deeply rested. Like, "slept 12-15 hour days, laid in bed even awake, done not a single chore" type of rested. I felt like I needed it. It's only the last couple of days that I've started to feel like a person again.

Unfortunately, Shaun is sick. I think it started with allergies, but it turned into a sinus infection. Now he's coughing a bunch. He says he's starting to feel better, and I hope he is. I'm still getting up tomorrow to watch the baby (Bear), so Shaun can hopefully get more rest.

When I went out to water plants the other day I almost lost my wedding band. I guess I've lost enough weight that my ring is slipping off. This is the smallest I've been in at least 7 years. I'm not complaining.

Physically, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm low-energy, but I'm not eating much, so that's probably why. Maybe after the next 15 lbs are gone I'll switch to a maintenance dose of Semaglutide and see about eating more and walking/lifting again. I should probably exercise now, but I don't want to and I can admit that, so... 🤷🏻 It just is what it is. I guess I'm trying to build my willpower back up.

I really miss skating. I need to get myself to go do that again. It's a lot more fun than walking.

I haven't had a haircut in a while. For years I had kept at least part of my head shaved, but here I sit with my scalp covered in hair. It's about down to my armpits now. I keep it bunned up most of the time, so it's not a lot of trouble. I have a silver streak in the front just like my MaMaw had. I think it's actually kind of pretty, but it could probably use a trim.

Scar is so cute. He needs his inhaler 2x day, and since I give him a treat after he breathes his meds, he reminds me now to do it. It's still not his favorite thing, but half of the time when I hold him to give it to him, he's purring and the little valve flap is fluttering, so I'm glad he doesn't hate it. 😂 Forget old dogs - I taught my old kitty cat a new trick! ❤️

I still haven't done Shaun's nails. I am so terrible. He's been tempted to try doing gel himself and it's honestly not hard, but he'd cure it on his skin and give himself an allergy. Maybe when he's not coughing all over the place I can finally get it done.

Goodnight, friends. I hope y'all are doing well.

It hasn't been my best week.

It hasn't been my best week.

Almost 2 weeks ago I switched my ServiceNow certifications over from my GlideFast email to my personal one since I'm no longer with the company. I got a message that it would take 3-5 days for the switch to take place. It wasn't working after 3-5 days, so I thought I'd give it a few more days (so that it would be 3-5 business days) to get right. That didn't work...

So I opened a case with ServiceNow on Monday and they gave an auto-response that wasn't helpful. I gave details why it wasn't working, then got another response a few days ago. It gave some instructions on what to do and how to log in, so I tried that. I tried it on a couple of browsers, but it just kept refreshing a log in loop. I replied to the help ticket to let them know, but I'm still waiting.

So... I still don't have access to my own certifications, and they're not coming up under either email address, according to a recruiter I spoke to. So even if someone wanted to hire me, they couldn't verify my credentials. 😕

I've had 2 weeks of "free" time, but both of them have felt awful. The sudden scramble to make sure we have health insurance, dealing with unemployment, trying to update my resume on top of the ServiceNow mess...

I don't know what I did wrong on Indeed, but all it's showing me is Senior TC work, which is above my head. Also, I'm having pretty major anxiety about getting hired anywhere. I worry that I won't be able to do a good job and it's not great for my mental health.

It's all been pretty stressful. No wonder I had a migraine day today.

I hope y'all are doing well. If not, tomorrow is another day.

I didn't really feel like talking about it on Friday...

I didn't really feel like talking about it on Friday and I don't even now, but I'm not a secretive person, so:

I was laid off at the end of last week.

It's a bummer because I had no idea it was coming. I was billing, I was meeting my goals, and I thought I was doing well. One consolation is that it took my coworkers by surprise, too. At least I wasn't doing a bad job with everyone but me knowing that I'm next.

I'm pretty sure it's just an economy thing, but it still hurt.

Anyway, I'll be ok. I have my Math and CS degrees, I have marketable skills, and I usually figure things out. So I'm not in panic mode, but putting myself out there again is giving me a bit of anxiety. I think that's normal.

If y'all know anyone looking for a ServiceNow dev, send me their way. ❤️

Today started rough.

Today started rough. EARLY meeting, my first demo (got pushed from yesterday), I said "uh" too many times, and I had such a bad headache that I took some meds and went back to sleep. I unfortunately slept through an alarm and missed a meeting (thankfully not a client meeting). It ended up not being a big deal, but I was like "I'm really messing up big time today."

Thankfully, I usually feel like I'm doing well at work. Yesterday when I got off I told Shaun that I had done a good job, and I usually feel like I do. But today was NOT IT.

I'm heading to bed early. No super early meetings are scheduled for tomorrow morning, thank goodness. I am feeling all kinds of frazzled and my self care is slipping, so I gotta get back on top of things.

Goodnight, friends. ❤️ Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

Today wasn't 💯, but...

Today wasn't 💯, but it really wasn't bad considering how terribly I slept due to how anxious I was about work.

I kind of bit off a lot to do on Thursday and the rest of my team has to wait for me to do my part before they can do theirs, so that's no pressure. /sarcasm 😂 I worked on it some Thursday and Friday, but I knew I'd feel better if I just had some quiet hours to dedicate to it today.

I slept late today because of how bad I slept. I finally texted Shaun to come get me out of the bedroom in the afternoon because I was just so anxious that I wasn't moving. He got me up, and I ended up getting most of my work done today. I didn't make any actual changes to the client's instance, but I have everything documented and linked in Excel so that we (as a team) can go over it on Monday and knock it out quickly. I just didn't want to be in there making that many changes without a second set of eyes.

Anyway, I feel good because I got so much done. I'm also really happy because usually when my anxiety is up and my sleep is bad I get a migraine. That didn't happen today - thank goodness. Testosterone is supposed to help with anxiety and migraines, so that may be why I didn't. If all I get is a little stuck and needing a nudge, I am fine with that. I usually know how/when to ask for help.

Well, it's 1 in the morning. I'm heading to bed. I hope I get some good sleep tonight. Hopefully I will since I don't feel worried about anything at the moment.