I did it before it was cool
Don't you just love it when people say that? I try not to say it. Even though I've done practically everything Madonna has done before she made it big. Except record platinum albums, marry Sean Penn, keep fit and trim, model for Versace, marry a "Sir", ride horses, or steal African babies. But I was wearing vintage long before that ho made it all the rage.I've posted this picture before. I'm posting it again because it amuses me so much. I actually promised I wasn't going to post again today. I posted two posts yesterday with the idea that right about now I would be dressed and cleaning the house. But then I was doing my blog reading and drinking a fabulous latte that Philip made for me before he jetted off to the store... and I just couldn't help myself.
Anyway, this picture was taken when I was nineteen, on New Year's Eve. I am tossing my Philip Morris cigarettes into my Dad's trash compacter. I'm in my ultimate Swiss Miss outfit. Note: this was not worn as a "costume". See what I mean about having fun dressing up? Notice the apron wearing? See, I was doing it way back before there were apron exhibits in museums.
I would like to say that I have placed a couple of orders for the store that I had been putting off. I've been also thinking about classes to give in the store. I really love Lucille's idea of decorating Easter bonnets. I've also gotten some pointers on giving craft classes from Ulla, who does this all the time and posts about it on her blog. Sometimes seeing Lucille and Ulla's creativity and successful work makes me want to stab myself in the eye with one of the knitting needles I've got lying around collecting dust. That way I'd at least have a legitimate excuse for myself.
If you were thinking of telling me how immature I am...let me beat you to the punch. What a frickin baby I am. All I have to do is look at someone else's cool blog with amazing crafts and I get the urge to do a violence to myself and give up. Grow some balls for crying out loud! (Philip would really not appreciate this. We established many years ago that he is not going to suddenly discover he's gay and ditch me for a boyfriend and a life of cross dressing. Growing real balls would truly disturb him. But, I mean, is it even possible?)
I went to Posie Gets Cozy recently, even though I promised myself I wouldn't. So you all probably already got a copy of Romantic Homes, huh? I've been looking for one here in McMinnville and haven't found one. I can't help it. I want to read the article and see the photos. I can't tell if it's because I desperately need to torture myself with all the things I'm not doing, and how unpretty and uncool my house is, or if I will get a grip on myself and just be inspired. Which would be the mature thing, obviously.
Two out of my four Valentine aprons have sold now. I kind of didn't expect that. It makes me really happy though. It's still very slow in the store, but yesterday a woman bought a bunch of things like some oilcloth place mats and the Valentine apron. Sales like that make us feel so much better. In more store news, we're getting better signage up today. So that's one small thing to check off the GIANT list from last month. Inch by bloody inch we're getting there.
Oh, but a real disappointment was finding out that Boersma's (the downtown fabric and knit shop) is carrying the soak line of hand washing soap. They declined carrying it when the Soak rep showed it to them and so she sold it to us. Boersma's didn't bother checking out what we carry, or finding out if anyone else already has that line through her source. So while I am tip toeing around everyone on third street to keep them from stoning my store, not everyone is giving me the same courtesy. It made me incredibly angry. It also firmed up some resolve in me.
So for the last two days I have been coming up with ideas for T-shirts for the store. I have handed several off to Philip to work on. I am also looking up herbal companies because I would like to have a whole DIY bath section where people can come and buy bath salts and essential oils and create their own bath salts and herbal soaks. I will have containers and scoops and some recipes too. No one has anything like that here in town. Next up is sending out my letter to the contract sewing company I keep talking about. I will do that today. Right after I finish this post.
(In case you're curious, there is bagpipe music filling the air and making me prime for war on everyone who hasn't taken notice of Dustpan Alley yet. That's right, this is my battle cry!)
(OK, I admit that I'm too lazy to go put on actual bagpipe music, so it's just in my head right now. But as soon as the advil kicks in and my hip stops throbbing, I'm getting up to put it on.)
How do you go to battle against invisibility? You get loyal customers. You offer things no one else has but that people want. But most of all, if you're the manufacturing type, you manufacture cool things that no other store in your town can buy. Maybe none of this will work. No one has bought my cool pet gift set, but that might be because we've only had about six people in the shop since I put them out. But I have got to rely on our strengths.
By the way, if any of you need any graphic design work, talk to Philip. He can design logos, business cards, and do layout work.
On the home front, I've been cooking a lot more often which has eliminated the need to eat food from downtown which mostly isn't very good. Or if it's good, it's good because it's full of cheese. Home cooked food is just so much better. So we're saving money there. It's a real relief. I have more control over what I eat if I make it myself. Staying home most mornings is working out wonderfully. Except that I often get sucked into the blog world. Or spend all my time writing. Which isn't bad exactly, but it isn't likely to pay the bills faster than my store will.
It isn't working for me to concentrate on doing just one thing from my list of ten healthy things to do for myself. I like being able to choose different things. Three days in a row I've checked seven things off of my list of ten. I like it. If I don't get to bed by ten, I can still not eat any deserts and not snack after seven pm and be doing something good for myself. Not that it matters, but I've lost a pound of flesh. Which means I am so far keeping to my goal of not gaining a single pound. I feel pretty happy about it today.
I'm going to go accomplish some things before I think of something depressing to say.
Notice the rampant use of links? I've got it memorized now. Thanks Future Girl and Philip!
