Red Shoes blog

Hello, remember me?

 
Wow!  can't believe it's been over two weeks since I've posted!
  Thanks to all who wondered where I was,  or thought I fell off the planet.
i'm A.O.K.!   just insanely busy,  but all in a good way!
  Time just seems to fly by doesn't it?  especially during this time of year,  everything seems so rushed and fast paced.
  We had our Open house and it was a great success!
People lined up outside the door,  and it just kick started our season in such a fabulous way!
  We have been wild ever since then! 
I have been busy with bookeeping,  re-ordering, crafting, blowing noses, and cooking and cleaning in-between.  not to mention a few dog-squeezes in there too.  Poor sweet neglected Pearl.
  I Also haven't had a chance to take any pictures lately either because of glitches in my computer!
UGH!  technology is both a blessing and a curse!
I spent most of yesterday burning 16 discs full of photos and backing them up on an external hard drive,  then of course dumping them, all 5000 of them,  I am not kidding.  I have 3000 more to go.   but hopefully I gained some space on my hard drive.  My computer has been incredibly slow,  which of course drives me nuts.
  I need it to be lightening FAST!
I also spent some time at the Apple STore in the Mall yesterday.
have you ever been there?  oh my.  it totally speaks to my inner geek in such a big way. 
I stand there mesmerized by all of the high-tech gadgetry.  totally in love and smitten with apple products.
  you will never get me to change from an Apple to a p.c.,  no way.
  I was checking out the new Ipod Nano's and other wonderful things,  ended up coming home with a new Ipod
and of course had to start downloading songs to it right away.   more time wasted.
  The wonderful thing about that though, is now I have one at the store,  AND my home,  it cleared up 2 shelves at the shop,  more room for boxes and tissue paper,  and less room being taken up by electronics!  gotta love that efficiency!
  Today I have parent/teacher conferences, and a dinner to prepare,  but Honestly,  my new schedule has allowed me to become more efficient with my time,  and I have been able to actually cook for my people EVERY day.
  This is quite the accomplishment,  since we usually are out in restaurants all the time.
  So Hopefully by next week,  I will be back on target with other things and able to produce more work. and be a better blogger, and friend.
  I also have been very behind in the craft department.
  I DID manage however to make a few of my snowmen,




and paint a dresser before the Open house,  but that's where it stopped.
I plan on making some ornaments next week,  and some more jewelry.  keep your fingers crossed.
  For this weekend we have an in store Book signing with Local author and artist Tracy Gallup!
  She will be here on Saturday dec. 1st from 12-2 to sign copies of her adorable books from the crazy little series,
snow crazy, tree crazy, stone crazy and shell crazy!  ADORABLE!  she will also have some of her small dolls for sale too.
NExt week we will be open late for Midnight madness
and for all of you local people with small children,  we have been so lucky to have been chosen to host Santa's Mailbox in front of our store!
  So come by and drop the old Jolly guy a letter if you wish!
  And lastly,  here is an example of time flying by.
I had my children's picture's professionally taken by my friend Myra Klarman a couple of weeks ago.
  I have NEVER had my kids photographed,  not even those J.C. Penny kind,  or Sears packages,  nothing, nada, zip.
  I figured I see them everyday, and I have some of my own from my camera.  (bad mom)
  well,  let me tell you.  this was the best money I have EVER spent on pictures.  She did such an amazing job of capturing them.  they were comfortable, casual beautiful pictures that make me want to cry.
  I still can't believe my little babies have grown up
so quickly!  I am So happy she was able to capture them and their spirited personalities!,  She was even so kind as to put them on her business cards!  how special is that!? 
I now have the arduous task of trying to choose a few photos to have framed.  very tough, would you like to help me?
I'll show you a few to give you an example of my huge task!  here are just a few,  I literally have 98 to go through! OH my!












  SO if you are local,  please call this woman and schedule a sitting,  you will NOT be disappointed.
o.k.,  I am off to twirl around in circles for a little while before I blast off to somewhere else.
  I will try and post more pictures in the next few days!
  Hope YOU are all well!  BIG HUGS!
xoxoxo
catherine


 

impatience and all that fun stuff.

  Who was I kidding thinking I could post pictures daily of themed colorful things.
  I don't have that kind of patience,  let alone time.
my open house is next Friday and we will be flipping the shop to christmas overload,  so the past few days have been spent buying trees,  leaf blowing the shop and ripping out the planters, printing invitations, labeling, and addressing,  pricing, flirting with the UPS man,  unpacking loads of boxes and dealing with tons of styrofoam peanuts....among all of the other minutia that goes into running a household.
  but to be honest,  I couldn't wait to show you some of these things anyways......there is NO way I could compartmentalize all of these things into colorful segments.. I know my self too well.
I want it ALL,  and I want to share it NOW......
so here's some pics of what's new,  what's coming, and what's being created.









modeled here:











Phew!  now that's just the tip of the iceberg......
because in reality this is what our basement at the shop looks like

with stacks and stacks of things we have to price..... and UNPACK! Ann is working overtime helping me,  wouldn't have been able to do this without my employee extraordinaire!  This woman keeps me organized like you wouldn't believe,  because this is how I work

you like my desk?  what do you mean I can't find that piece of paper that was very important!  ;)
oh well,  it's my method,  and unfortunately I'm stickin with it! 
  Side NOTE: now,  Mary Mumper,  if you are out there in blogland,  do you see that empty bags of wasabi-
whatever you sent me,  yes,  that is an empty bag,  it was delicious!  THANKYOU so much for taking the time, and being so kind!
O.K..... hope all is well in your worlds...I'm checking out for a little while
if you're local....come visit us at our
                   OPEN HOUSE
               FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16th
                from 5p.m.-9 p.m.
  come see the Shop magically transformed into a winter wonderland!  (or at least very festively adorned!)
          refreshments will be served
  we will be closed the day before to prepare!
As always  Many, many thanks for checking in,  I adore you all, 
now please pass the egg nog,  I need a stiff one!  ;)
xoxoxooxoxooxoxooxooxoxooxoxooxoxoxooxoxooxoxooxoxoxo
c.

BROWN

Growing up,  my mother always called me an "earthy Girl".....I was always digging in the dirt, smelling the flowers, and loving nature,  so it's no wonder that the color Brown is a favorite of mine.
Rich browns are so warm and inviting...
a cozy cup of coffee, a favorite pair of cowboy boots.....rich wood, ......rust.......
  These are some of the things that make me so happy.
so let's see here BROWN...hmmmmmmm.














So there you go, some brown things that have rolled into the shop,  and some private family photos and tchotckes that I love. 
the vintage photos are of my grandmother on horseback.  She also was a great lover of the circus, and rodeos and had many suitors, one of whom
sculpted those little cowboy boots out of wood for her.
I think they are absolutely adorable, if you can get past the dust that's on them!   My new camera picks up EVERY little thing,  but I LOVE it!
So on that note,  I am off to bed,  exhausted from a wild day at the shop and home,
tommorows post will be WHITE.
let's see what else I can dig up!
fun, fun, fun!
xoxoxo
c.

craftapalooza

  Today will be all about felt,  piles and piles of it,  making it into snowmen,  spirals for trees,  ornaments and little gingerbread men.
  I am a mouse on a wheel running for my life trying to crank out the goods in a short amount of time.
  I have been trying to post,  so much to say and show,  but lacking time.
Having a sick child at home really slows things down a bit,  thankfully she is on the mend and back to school today,  but she was off ALL week last week, and of course this also was the time my stomach decided to flare up in a big way.  so nice.  when things go wrong in our house we like to do them in  extraordinary fashion.
BUT,  the one good thing besides having our washer and dryer also both blow out the same week,  is that it kicked in some sort of domestic wild hair,  and I was cooking

and cleaning up a storm,  not too mention it was wonderful to hold and snuggle with my child who is always in daycare.
  These are the times that I second guess my decision to turn my craft into a business and shop.
  I miss my family, and the time I have with them is short and fleeting.
So,  to all of those people out there that ask me about running a store, and the glamour of it all,  these are the realities of it......

1.) you will lose a lot of your freedom
2.) you will not see your family much
3.) you will ALWAYS be working, even in your sleep
4.) you will be stressed beyond measure
5.) you will have to multi-task like never before
6.) you will never ever be the same,  but you will LOVE what you are doing,because it's what was meant for you to do, and your calling.

  PHEW!  now, this week,  I am going to try and do a daily post with pictures,
a sort of color-by-day thing with goods, and pictures from the store.
you know how I love color,  so I thought it would be a great way to showcase some of these things.
now,  saying that,  I will TRY< TRY TRY to do it daily,  but like most things in this wild life,  sometimes things happen.....so there may be a glitch in the system,  but I will finish my color series i promise.
  SO on that note,  I am off to throw a load into my NEW Washer and dryer

who knew that appliances could make a girl so flippen happy?!
YAY!
  .........Even though piles of laundry DO make GREAT dog beds!  :)

  o.k.
tommorows day will be brown.....
here's a preview

time to get crackin!
have a great day y'all!
xoxoxoxo
c.