Self-portrait Advice?

So I felt like I needed a model for my necklaces.  I wanted customers to see how/where they hang, what they look like on an actual human... but having mostly male friends, and no money to hire real models leaves me with two options: my dog, or myself.

Yes, I did actually try to get my dog to model a necklace.  He wasn't too into the whole "sitting still" thing, or the whole "wearing a necklace" thing, either.  Imagine that.

So my only other immediate option was myself.  Oh, dear.

Believe it or not, this was the best shot I could get of myself.  I kind of look like I just discovered my boobs, or maybe like I spilled curry down the front of my shirt.  But my hair looks good, and you can see the necklace, so it's a go!

If there's anyone out there who takes their own "model" photos, please, some advice??

Dress Rehearsal

My last day at work is next Friday... of course, I didn't know that before I requested this Monday off, hehe.  Ah well, it's nice to have a long weekend either way.

I worked on the State Charm Necklaces this weekend, and although a few of them still need some polishing, I did list Texas and New York on Etsy.

Pretty cool, huh?  They are, unfortunately, terribly labor intensive... so next Monday I'll throw myself into making them 100%, get a bunch of them done at once so I'm not doing the painful parts of charm-making on a daily basis (threading with the jump rings leaves my fingers blistered and tingling).

I think I'm going to need to create something of a schedule for myself, too, because I've already notice how easy it is for me to slip into laziness, watching too many episodes of Hoarding: Buried Alive with the excuse that it motivates me to clean the house (well, it does).  I've already decided that 12:30 p.m. is "Cuddle Break" with Ike.  That wasn't too difficult to schedule...

I'm going to try to put in 6 hours of solid work each day -- which includes making the charms and pendants, photographing them, listing them, tweaking my keywords and descriptions, updating Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, and of course writing a little something on here each day.  I'm sure I'll get far more luxurious coffee breaks than I'm used to, as well as eating lunch on my couch with my feet up while reading Anna Karenina, but for the most part, I think it's really important that I treat this like a "real job".  That also means showering, putting on clothes (not pajamas), getting my cup of coffee, and not sleeping until 10 a.m.  All easier said than done, when that cold Chicago wind is rattling my windows, and all I really want to do is drink brandy and cuddle up in a blanket.

If there's anyone out there who has had the blessing and the luxury of running a business at home, however small or large, who has tips for keeping on task, please share them with me!  I'm going to need all of the advice and support I can get!