New art at the shop plus...

Here are some new looks and new art at the shop. I had decided that I'm going to sell the new sofa. I'm hiding behind it as I type this as I know there are some of you who are not going to understand this decision. I had to go with the guys on this one, it's not as comfortable as the one we've had for 12 years-I know. The beautiful Victorian I rescued from going over the wall at the dump is sooooooooooooo fabulous but it really should be in a real living room. We have a family room; our formal living room is used for Paul's study as we knew we would not use it otherwise. And it's the one thing Julie B. would not have thrown me under the truck for grabbing! Sorry girl.

So I was bent on moving it UP THE STAIRS into my room at the shop-ha! Well I took some things out and moved everything around which, thank goodness, was due anyway but there's no way three normal extra-strong men could get up the stairs with that. And Jody and Tammy had just decorated the stairway walls so cute and I'da had to take it all off even if I found some group of generous neanderthals to do it (California needs its governor right now). No kidding, it's like a piano.

That's when I decided that the DC Big Flea was in my future. It's my best shot at selling such a nice, genuine antique piece. In the meantime the rearrange was a good thing and I got some new art made and in.

The Flea is weekend after next. As the time gets closer I'll share some of my new concoctions with you. Just like any good liberal, if there's a problem with something (eg., it's not selling) I just throw more money at it. There have been lamps in my past that had many different shades before they were accepted into a new family. I rarely give up, I just wait until I've put 4 times the amount of money into it than I price it then put it on 50% off.

If only some one could discover a way to make creating art and making money go together. Then we'd have to drop the "starving artist" handle. I'm ready to drop it like a hot potato. Oops, I almost forgot to mention the "plus". We've got a great old truck that pulls up to the shop everday now and sells fresh, local produce from our parking lot!!!! It's so great. I'll get some photos and share what the deal is. It's very cool. DID I MENTION LOCAL???????

Yikes...nail biting...don't tell you-know-who yet...

I gave Paul a slight hint yesterday that I was just thinking about doing this. Well, he knows I don't sit on ideas very long, right? It's just that I panicked when I saw the secret was out that it's Mary Engelbreit who is the guest speaker and book signer at the big luncheon. Last year I was just turning 50 and my family was coming and my mom wanted to go with me and show me all of my heritage so I had used my 50 year old card pretty much up.

So I did this just sitting here on the computer without actually discussing it. My suggestion of yesterday was that I sign up and Paul and Matt go with me so I can share all my family heritage stuff with them. I got a pretty lame response, which is normal, but here goes me at least. What's the worst he could do, pull my hair out? Whew, I suddenly need to take a really long money nap; spending not making, but we already knew that...at some point, "This is it.", needs to mean, "This is it.". h.......e......l.......p. I must ask for prayers for the DC Big Flea being a money-maker. The show house would not be bad either, I'm just saying...

Yahooooo, I'm going to the DC Big Flea!!!!

The DC Big Flea!!!! Gosh it's been over a year since we did our last Big Flea. In fact it was the one show they did in Fredericksburg, VA. I guess it was a little too traumatic for us. It was in February and Karen and I had to go down a night early to try to beat the sleet and snow. Loading in for the show was awful, in the sleet and snow and no heat in the building and it was freezing. It was the first show at a new conference center and I think the customers were thinking knives, big bags of $1 socks, t-shirts, and whatnot. It was a long, hard, not-too-fruitful show. It put us all off the idea of doing a show for a while and then one thing after another seems to have come around and here it's been over a year. I got it into my brilliant head recently that I should do it. I hope I'm not wrong. This is the first time I've done it alone but I've got some stuff I'm hoping folks will be interested in plus since we haven't been there for a while hopefully our good customers will be champing at the bit to grab some goodies. It's a good thing we don't go just for the money; we have a great social network there-great. It's so much work, so hard, but we always have so much fun at night that it's worth it. It's like any other travelling groups; the circus, gypsies, etc., there is a great cast of characters. Don't worry, I'll take photos and let you know all about it!

Well I think it's funny...

This is a true story and I thought it was funny. The names and other details have been changed to protect the innocent. I'm not sure you'll find it funny; maybe it's just because I know the parties pretty well...but here goes...A friend of mine, we'll call her...umm...Tiffany..., is planning to go see her family in...umm...Idaho soon and all plans have been put into place for a while-flights made for her husband, son, and her, etc. Tiffany gets a phone call from her sister...umm...Mallory, saying that Mallory's ex is getting married in Detroit and wants their son, Darren, to be at his wedding. The ex's name is Earwick. Earwick is a little compulsive but also controlling. Earwick has known his fiance, Nancy, for only 5 months (I'm not saying...Paul and I knew each other 5 months when we got married, too). An interesting thing, I think, is that Earwick and Nancy met each other at a conference; he lives in Idaho and she in Detroit. After several phone calls back and forth they decided they are soul mates and that they should get married. They have seen each other in person twice. Nancy's divorce from her 20 year marriage was finalized a week ago. So Earwick flys to Detroit to see Nancy and make wedding plans. They decide to marry immediately. Earwick calls Mallory and says that they want to get married and have Darren there smack-dab in the middle of Tiffany and family's trip to Idaho. Mallory is Buddhist and a good person so she wants Earwick to be able to have Darren there but doesn't want to have Tiffany's visit interrupted by something which seems so spur of the moment. In the end all is resolved and revolves around the wedding and Tiffany's visit. The most compelling reason Earwick had for having to have his son Darren there? "He missed my first two weddings". The End.