1. Snugglies in camouflage material. I just don't get it.
2. Credit card debt. Bad for everyone but the bank. So why does it continue?
3. Half frozen Lake Erie. At what point does it actually freeze. I love seeing frozen waves.
4. We seldom see critters in our yard, but when we wake up to snow, the critter tracks crisscross the porch, the deck, the driveway and the lawn. It is an animal super highway out there.
5. We attended an 11 year old boys basketball game this past weekend. There was a boy on the opposing team who threw himself onto the floor after every play. I didn't know little boys could be such drama queens.
6. CA Costco vs OH Costco. In CA there is a whole dance going on at the gas pumps to jockey into place. The lines are long to get the slightly cheaper gas. In OH, we seldom see more than 2 or 3 cars at the Costco gas station. In CA, the lines at the cash registers weave through the closer aisles as shoppers wait their turn. This morning at our OH Costco, we were the only shoppers ready to check out. John was disappointed that I did not have my camera to record this miracle.
7. I closed Small Studio Emporium in August for two weeks because inventory counts got all out of whack. Then things just started getting busy for us and I never reopened it. Now I have decided to just close it down for good after 6 years online. Selling online is not as much fun as selling in person. There is almost no interaction with customers. I don't get to hear or see what they are working on. It is just filling orders. We will continue with our Etsy shops and our room at the antique mall. If there is something you have been waiting to get, e-mail me and we will work something out.
8. Downtown Cleveland's skyline is lovely any time of the year, even when the lake is half frozen.
Happy to hear that you will continue to sell through etsy and the antique mall but will miss SSP!
Posted by: kelly | Tuesday, 18 January 2011 at 04:25 PM
We received a camo snuggie for Christmas...it was a 'White Elephant Gift'...hilarious! David loves it...he snuggles up in it on the couch...I have to just try to ignore the print ;)
Posted by: beckie | Tuesday, 18 January 2011 at 04:38 PM
Sorry you're closing the Emporium but I totally understand about the personal interaction.
Hope you're still considering a workshop series for 2011.
Posted by: Theresa | Tuesday, 18 January 2011 at 04:57 PM
:((( that you're closing the Emporium - but can only imagine how much of a time consuming thing it was - Happy New Year to you and John - xo reva
Posted by: reva | Tuesday, 18 January 2011 at 08:29 PM
Will you have a booth at Stampaway again this year? Really looked forward to seeing your booth there and I wasn't disappointed!
Posted by: kybarb | Tuesday, 18 January 2011 at 10:31 PM
Sorry to hear about the store, but I understand. Since I live in CA, I never go to Costco for gas, because of the crazies trying to get into the pumps for 3 cents a gallon cheaper. The cost for repairing the car after a cheaper creeper gas guy hits it is not worth the hassle! Inside? HA! Since I only went to look at books occasionally, I let my membership card expire this last year cause of the lines that sometimes go to the back of the store.
Posted by: Sharon Bennett | Wednesday, 19 January 2011 at 07:47 AM
Sorry to hear you are closing your on-line shop. I am confident you made the best decision for you.
Posted by: M Schrock | Wednesday, 19 January 2011 at 08:23 AM
Isn't living on a Great Lake just . . . well, Great?! I,too, love the wildlife in our yard. Winter is always the best time to spot the rare visitor, such as coyote or fox. Sorry you're closing the Emporium, but glad you're still on Etsy.
Posted by: Cynthia | Wednesday, 19 January 2011 at 02:00 PM
Life changes, and then we make life changes. It's always a flux, isn't it.
MD Costco, or at least the one I go, is pretty calm most of the time. No diesel sales so I don't even look at the gas pumps. I'm going to go to a Costco near a new Wegmans and it will be interesting to see if it 'feels' different.
Posted by: Maureen | Wednesday, 19 January 2011 at 09:26 PM
Snugglies in camouflage material!?! I use mine to hide from the Bibelbonse Mensen ... of course!
Posted by: Ingrid Dijkers | Friday, 21 January 2011 at 09:09 AM
I miss Costco! Since we moved there isn't one super close to us. Eventually we'll wander out towards Vegas and go to the Costco in Henderson and do some stocking up but for now...Costco withdrawal..I had noticed the lines for gas could be quite long, we usually just opted to get gas elsewhere.
Sorry that you're closing your online shop. If you're happy with that decision then I'm not sorry, if you know what I mean.
I love selling online, we used to sell at craft sales when I was still living at home but the stress and pressure of preparing for 2 days and the lugging of stuff around did start outweighing the sales etc. But still, nice memories. I like being able to make and sell stuff at all hours of the day to any body in the world. Since I never worked in a real store I can't really compare, but if that's what thrilled you with the selling, the face to face with people, I can see how an online store would be un-fulfilling. Me, I'm just glad no one can hear me do my chicken squack of glee when I sell something online...I can't imagine in real life...hahahahahahahahaha...Oh plus working in your pj's is pretty cool...
Posted by: Tace | Friday, 21 January 2011 at 10:09 PM
LOL at the camo snuggies, maybe those butch guys really do love to snuggle on the couch at the end of the day, and camo makes it manly enough to be OK :)
Posted by: Sue McG | Sunday, 23 January 2011 at 10:46 AM