My Weblog

I promised myself to stay off the internet, I have much to do and it just sucks me in. BUT I got these AMAZING photo's from Amanda.  You must check out her blog, she's so damn cool.  I don't get how you become cool, you know the X factor.  My friends for the most part are cool, I just can't seem to get there. I think it must be that I get so nervous around folk that I don't know.  David calls it "nervosa tongue" which is when info starts spilling out and people are like "HUH?' 

See, she is mighty good, huh? Shoot, I thought I had some pics on my computer, okay now you HAVE to go to her blog.

Yup, I am all talk and no show.  The story of my life.

Sometimes it rains, Sometime it pours

The only question is , "Do you need the rain?"

Huh? For some reason that seems to describe where I am with my business right now. It is so tough being a one man show. Yes, I have oodles of help, but technically, I hold the umbrella.

So I must tell those of you planning to come and shop at Fall fest in Frankfort, Illinois that I had to cancel.  It sucks. I begged to get it and we do fabulous there BUT one can only do so much and right now I need to stay home and get a balance.   Our trunk shows are pouring in and everday we pack until we can no longer pack.  It is crazy, wonderful, but crazy.

Okay, so I went to work on some real cool stuff this weekend.  A bit of a secret.  You'll all soon know, but it is in the works and it is wonderful and I do not want to jinx it.  But I do get a Mac out if it.  Whoo hoo...

In  my email box was some more fabulous pics from Shannon. Damn, that girl is talented.  There are a lot of great photographers out there, but some of them just have it.   Amazing.   Just like the good 'ol Matt Kelley who I am going to have to beg to help me with my new gig.  But then again, I am getting a Mac! Ha, no one could ever out do Matt.. (Yes, I am sucking up so maybe he will please, please help me.  I'm telling you the guy oozes of talent. But once again he is only one soul, though it is quickly oozing onto all his talented staff. )

So here's  a bit more of Shannon's magic.

Sometimes I am right but most of the time I am wrong.  Ha, in all reality I am usually always right. I'm not sure why, I just am. Before the season started we all had our favorites and our not so favorites. I seriously thought no one was going to buy the Zip up Zippy.   We didn't even cut them for production until the shows started.   HOLD UP, I was way wrong.  It is one hot little number.

I guess that is what I get for designing girls clothing and not having a girl. I tried it on Joe (5) he looked cute in it, but not this wonderful.  Check it out, it is so stinkin' sweet.  No wonder everyone wants it. Or maybe because I never put my boys in sweatshirts ( though this is a much dandier alternative to the typical hoody) I though no one bought them, same as jeans.  Yes, I am trying to figure out how I could possibly be wrong.

  You know what? Now that I have really looked at these pics, Zippy is pretty darn cute. And Kim, either you are a photographer or a damn fine picture taker.

Okay, please let the Beast stop crying for 2 seconds before I lose my mind. Does he not understand it is bedtime. Arghhhh..

Whoa, hold up..

Wow, I got comments. Whoo hoo.  Trust me, this makes my day. It is almost like getting a letter in the mail. The only problem, I didn't realize you left comments, it never notified me.  So do know, I am not rude and not responding, I just didn't know. I don't look at my blog often.

Oh, and Kimberly, mother of 10 you are my super hero. I met Kimberly in Minnesota and she does have 10, for real, and she's sane and ever so wonderful. We loved chatting with you.

I'm on the comment kick tomorrow. I promised Joe we could watch a movie together. Oh, how I love him. 

For the Love of Work

Yup, it is quite hectic here. The sweet Kari (our beloved intern) has left to go back to school. And I am at the office to fend for myself, well, wait.. Chirs is now working 3 days, and more will join soon.

It was a great day at work.  I had my list and plugging along when the lovely freight truck arrives. Yes, unannounced with 3 palets full of fabric.  Nothing like throwing a wrench in my schedule.  Three or so hours later, I got it all put away. Remind me, an overhead door would be a nice option in my next workshop.

The Beast lost my keys at the office the other day. David went to load up for UPS and voila', keys in the bottom of of one of the trunk show boxes. Whew.  Yeah, not much to say. I am on stress overload and just want to get caught up at the shop. Tomorrow is the day. PLease, let it be tomorrow.

Oh and look, Gabe, the beast, is finally learning to watch TV. I don't think he has watched TV for more than 3 minutes at a sitting. Yes, I know many of you say, how wonderful. But I say, sometimes, I do need a break.

Do you think Joe wears those blue pants all the time? Kind of. They are easy to pull up. What is with all the zippers and buttons. We are a big fan of "easy pants" around here.

My beautiful new painting. Lovely, eh?

Lastly, my new office assistant who is soon to be FIRED. Sorry, no fancy desk, just a phone and a calculator to take your order. We like it simple. Ask the sweet Susan. When she first called to order,I was like " What do you want Nancy?" Nice first impression, huh?  See, Nancy is a Trunk Keeper in IL and on my caller id Susan and Nancy appear to be almost the same.  (they have the same last name)  Okay, I'll shut up while I'm ahead. I make no sense.

Things have been beyond crazy here. I had no clue, when it rains it pours. We have been getting so many orders and I'm just trying the best I can to get some sort of system in place so things run more efficiently. We'll get there.

I know that you guys all love pics.  Here's the best I could do. With all the craziness, you'll have to enjoy the uneditted, unstaged pictures. Yes,  I would love to stack the fabric neatly and place pretty things on it but guess what? There's now filing to do.

So here is where I go to work every morning, afternoon and just about night.

This is what I walk into, till the postman visits

And here's what I trip over all day, yup, this x20. Yes, I know Heather Ross is for non-commercial use, I abide by it. I just loved it so much, I had to buy some of it. No wonder I trip over this stuff, cuz I can never use it! Sucks.

And here are the handsome lads I come home to

Lastly, Gabe. He is so darn cute but so beastly, He is just nuts. Joe never climbed on a thing. And guess what gabe does now? Throws a crying fit till he near passes out. Yup, 3x now he's screamed so hard that he cant catch his breathe and falls backwards. NUTS>?

And there ya go. As soon as I get caught up wwith things at the workshop, I'll post more. I have actually talked on the phone to many of you. And you all so schocked when I answer. Excuse me, I'm not some fancy chick with a receptionist, just a intern who is soon leaving, a neighbor who is learning QuickBooks and a friend who will learn to process orders.  We're pretty low key, and kinda nice, too.

Clarify

You guys are so darn swell. That now I think I have mislead you. I am really not all that cool.  Trying though. I just type like a rock star. Underneath it all I suck. I am cranky and a true workaholic. Just think of Devil wears Prada.  Glenn Close ( oops, I have been told it is Meryl Streep) reminds me much of myself.  She's just a bit more stylish.

Also, I confused a lot of you.  Our clothing is still made here in Fort Wayne. The stuff we had made in Peru is simply the pieces we were buying from, say, American Apparel. We just cut out the middle man. I am too much of a control freak to let it all go.

Okay, so my good 'ol customer/stalker Jenn says I need to post some pics of my workshop.  I'll see what I can do tomorrow. We have about 6 inches of orders to comb through.

BUt here are some oldies but goodies

Word to your Mother

Never do a show without your side kick.  So this is the first time we went solo without our lovely Chris and what didn't go wrong, went terribley wrong.  But we won't dwell on that.

On a good note, I met a wonderful gal with 10 kids.  Yes, I said 10 kids and she even has time to read my blog. Loved her. I met a few other blog readers all the way out in Minnesota. Small world. I met a wonderful lady with 3 beautiful kids who had on darling outfits that I was in awe of  at 3 blocks away.  And she came in and got some of mine. Yee haw. (Did that make sense?)

I also got a beautiful painting from my friend Marjolyn.  And did I tell you that Minneapolis is so darn cool. The people, the downtown, everyting is so freaking cool. They even had a DWR store  near my booth.  I love that store.

So check out this pic  Kim sent me. See,  some people do love our stuff.  It is so nuts...Wait,. look at the pic, then I'll finish

OKay, so we got our shipment from Peru.  David and I were talking and in the thick of all this craziness I didn't even realize everything I have been working on from day one is becoming something. 10 years of painting furniture to meeting Kristine to designing my own line, to having a small little workshop outside my home, now this stuff fromPeru. It is nuts. So nuts. This is just our 3rd year.

And it all  sounds fantabulous, but remember everything had guts, the ewy, gooey stuff that stresses you out and oh, the debt. Yes, someone has to pay for it all.

Favorite Things

It wan't until I tried my hand at photography that I realized, "Wow, these people have a natural talent," and yes, I suck.  If you're good, you're good.  Seriously, I thought I could be taught, nope.

These gals have got it. You know, the X factor.  The edge, the ability to see something through the lense that I am blind to.

Before I forget, I have to add that it was not until I had a HUGE 24x30 photo made of my sweet Joe that I saw photography as art. Everyone needs a huge @^s picture of their child. Trust me, I'm a gal with good taste.

No excuse, I am sure one of these talented chicks live near you.

Shannon Stewart of Los Angeles

Leah Profancik of Indiana

Amy Porter of Detroit (area)

Kellie Hierholzer of Austin, TX

Kathy Wolfe of Southwestern PA

And once again, the gal who makes me look cool:

I just read this, no, that's not me above.  I can only wish. But I am saving up so I can go all the way to see Shannon in LA.  I just need the good excuse to talk everyone else into it? Hmm, it could be a business expense, eh?

But if you do not live here or there or anywhere try:

My new friend, Jenny Helmuth of Atlanta and Amanda Keeys of Australia ( great excuse to travel)

More to come.....

On that note, I guess I better get packing for Minnesota. No, I do not have to go over that bridge.  I've got everything possible to pack for Joe, even the bikes.  We had a CRAZY day at the workshop with the phone ringing non-stop and me in a crazy frenzy didn't help much. 

Off to finish up the trailer.... Whew.. good thing I am not a photographer, competition is tight.