WendaONeill

"The universe is made of stories, not of atoms." -Muriel Rukeyser

Professional Life

Cricut Craft Corner

Trip to France

Family

so.... Cancer

Latest Craft Craze

Education

THICKLEWICK

Wordpress Websites

Pets

WendaO'Neill

Click the Magnifying Glass to Learn More

www.wendaoneill.com

I graduated high school in 1983 and earned an AA from my local community college in 1985. Over the next 40 years, I often felt that my career prospects were limited without a four-year degree. Life kept me busy—I got married, had three children, got divorced, and needed a job that paid the bills while giving me the flexibility to be there for my kids’ day-to-day lives. When my youngest became a senior in high school, I realized it was time to remove the barrier to a better job sooner rather than later. In 2021, I returned to school at William Paterson University, where I earned my BA in Leadership & Professional Studies with a Minor in Psychology, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Now, I’m pursuing a Master’s in Instructional Design & Technology at Walden University to gain the credentials employers value and align with my passion for instruction.

Finishing My Degree to Change My Future

Education

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+ abandoned

+ keeping

Websites are so easy to build and optimize with Wordpress, that I frequently purchase the domain, create the website, but then get busy with life and completely forget about it. I realize this about myself and try to stay focused on ideas and websites that will move the needle forward.

I am addicted to buying domains and making websites

Blogs & Websites

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+ resume

I've been at my current job 18 years. Now that my kids are older, I am ready for a new career. I’m looking for a position where I can focus on instruction and training others—whether I'm providing live instruction or creating instructional presentations.I enjoy helping individuals save time, increase productivity, and reduce mental load by showing them what’s possible.

Working Towards Something New

Professional LIfe

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+ Etsy Shop

In 2019 I received a Cricut Explore Air2 cutting machine for Christmas. I didn' t open it for 2 months because I was scared. I could never have anticipated how my life would change. I learned that I could create my own files for the cutting machine and I learned that I could sell those files on Etsy. Now, 2024 I have 4 successful Etsy shops providing various digital products to crafters and creators

Etsy Shops and Cricut Cutters

Cricut Craft Corner

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Visiting my daughter in France during her semester abroad was an unforgettable experience. My sister and I discovered we make a great travel team—her cautious planning balanced perfectly with my "throw caution to the wind" spontaneity. Together, we explored, laughed, and made memories that reminded me how much fun adventures can be.And we are busy planning more!

Travel & Adventures

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Being a mom to my 3 daughters has been one of the most important roles in my life, requiring me to help my children grow into thoughtful, capable individuals who understand more than just themselves. Now it’s time to turn that same focus inward and continue raising myself. Just like I’ve guided my kids, I’m ready to embrace my own growth, learning, and possibilities, proving that the journey of becoming never really ends.

What's After Raising Kids?

Mom LIfe

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Rosie the wonder Dog was amazing. She was a rescue and we got her right after my divorce, when it was just me and 3 kids under 5, in the house. I always thought she helped me feel safe with that extra pair of eyes & ears.She was so people friendly, even though she looked so intimidating. Joey has helped fill the void of Rosie's loss and is a different kind of amazing. (also rescue)

We Lost Rosie, but Gained Joey

Our Dogs

Rosie the Wonder Dog2006 - 2021

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Joe-Star (Joline) 2022 - current

In 2020, I was diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma, and it became one of the most difficult times for both me and my family. For me, everything moved so quickly, but for my kids, it was terrifying and full of uncertainty—a stark reminder of how much was beyond their control. Already grappling with the sudden shutdown of their high school education, they now had to watch me grow increasingly frail, eventually unable to walk. I stayed laser-focused on recovery, with no room to consider any other outcome. After six months and six rounds of chemotherapy, my cancer went into remission. That experience taught me to focus on what we can control and to find the strength to keep moving forward. It was a year that changed us all in ways we are still discovering.

2020 - more than covid for me

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Youtube

Earlier this year I walked into Micheals and saw they had kits for miniature scenes. Think diarama on steriods. Of course, I said... "Oh, I think I can make that!" and here we are 6 months later, and I've designed, cut and assembled my own take on the new craft craze. Yes. I know. I might have a craft problem too

OMG I am obsessed with these

paper cut miniature book nooks!

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spotify

podcast

Another hobby of mine is picking a project, figuring out how to do it, then creating a course. This is my latest project where I am using ChatGPT and prompt engineering to create the stories, and Play.ht an AI text to voice narration program to narrate the stories. I'm almost ready to start creating the course, as I've now had more consistent success with the tools I'm using. You can listen to the beta versions of the stories on Spotify or the website.

The Unlikely Adventures of Horace Brindlebaum

THICKLEWICK.COM

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Even as I go to my hosting account to view my abandoned ideas, I am struck with new and more ideas!

The abandoned projects

Digital Author Academy - click to visit

Being Social Media - Click to Visit

Car Stories for Commuters - Click to Visit

These are a few of the projects that I've started and abandoned.

For Crafters and Creators

Etsy Shops

My Etsy shops only sell digital items. That's great for me because I don't have to ship anything and great for my customers because they are instant downloads. Click the links below to visit any of my shops

Cricut Craft Corner

Lightbox SVG

Stained Glass Art

Font Essentials

Moving the Needle

The Cricut Craft Corner - Click to Visit

Booknookly.com - Click to Visit

wendaoneill.com - Click to Visit

These are a few of the websites that I update regularly. I'm trying to bring my Etsy shops to their own domains, but it's hard to create organic traffic.