A day of hope

Today around the world and especially here in America, people woke up with a feeling of hope. I was one of them.
This is me, right now.
 

I'll probably have more to say later. I got history to watch.

Shiny Island achieved

When the phone rang at 5:30 a.m. again today with a call from the school district announcing that they had a change of heart and were calling school after all I made the executive decision to just stay home too. I got up and checked the temperature on our digital thermometer and it read -25. There is just no sane reason to go outside when it is that cold.

I went in yesterday and had one sale ($3!) and spent the rest of the time on the computer and reading a book. I figure my gas to and from work and heating the store for 8 hours cost more than I'd be likely to make today anyway. When I left work at 5:00 last night my car really didn't want to start and drove funny all the way home. When a Volvo doesn't want to run in the cold and a Bernese Mt. Dog doesn't want to go outside and play in the snow, it is a good day for humans to stay in too.

My house has been sorely neglected for the past 8 months or more. Steve and the girls have done a great job of picking up most of the slack with me out of the house now but there some things that just don't get done. So today I cleaned the oven and deep cleaned the rest of the kitchen. I have these three shelves on one wall that were in desperate need of a scrub down. Frankly it was pretty disgusting! I also cleaned out the crumb tray on the toaster and scrubbed down the back-splash among a bunch of other things that no one but me will ever notice. I still have another 1500 square feet of house that could really use the same treatment but I'll have to be satisfied with this for today. Plus I'm really in the mood for a real home cooked meal and Steve will be more inclined to cook when he gets home if he can start with Shiny Island! I think it is a fair trade. ;D

COLD.

   
No school today. Negative temperatures. Icicles that resemble the Abominable Snowman's teeth hanging from the roof.

I hope all of you are staying warm and safe today. I'm here at the store doing computer work but will probably close up soon and go home. Most people seem to be fairly sane and staying in today.

I knew it was bad when Heidi my snow and cold loving dog wouldn't even stay outside this morning longer than necessary to get her business done!
 
This was taken on my drive to work yesterday morning at about 9:30a.m. It was much worse two hours earlier when I had to take the girls to school because they both missed their buses.

I get the feeling that this is going to be one of those winters that my children will reference when they tell their kids someday that winters were much snowier/colder when they were kids!

Snowy Day = Sewing Day

 
This is the view west on Main Street from my front porch just now. Saturdays are usually pretty quiet around here anyway, but when Mother Nature sends this stuff, it is down right cryptic around here.
 
These are the Spruce trees along the edge of my parking lot. Aren't they pretty?

Anyway, when it gets like this on a Saturday, I try to get productive. I've been doing so much computer work this week that I can't stand it anymore so I decided to sew instead. (It's only 11a.m. right now so I have a lot more time to find stuff to do!)

 
This beauty has been draped across the back of the pink comfy chair in the corner almost since I opened. Years ago I was really into fancy embroidery, silk ribbons and beads. This was an experiment in crazy quilting and embellishment. Today I decided to finish it up into something useful. I squared it up and put a back on it and now it is a pillow cover. The finished size is about 15x15 and I don't have a 14 inch square pillow form handy so I can't test how it looks completely finished. I don't know what I'll do with it. There is a lot of detailed handwork on it so I have no idea what to charge if I were to try to sell it. I guess I'll just keep it around to further illustrate that I have a lot of talents that really aren't very practical but sure are pretty!
      
Now I think I may go dig out those children's choir robes and see if I can get them finished up.

The straight poop

I'm not one for resolutions (who really is? honestly) so you won't find me vowing to be a better blogger, eat less of the snack sized chocolate bars from the store candy dish, or promising to not swear like a drunk redneck whenever I feel like it (but not at church or at the store, the parking lot doesn't count.)

I'm always telling myself at odd times, like in the shower or when I'm feeding the dogs, that I'll do this or that and then forgetting about it completely or putting it off so long that it no longer makes any sense. For instance, I had an idea for a personal "Best of 2008" blog post last week. I even went as far as to make a few notes on a used envelope next to my laptop. (Said envelope is probably on its way to the landfill in the never ending quest for "Shiny Island".) The main problem I had in compiling a list is that I came up with categories i.e. Best Concert, Best Movie: in theater and rental, Favorite Book Read, etc. etc. but when I went to fill in the categories I couldn't remember over half of the books, movies, etc. that I read/saw this year! (I will tell you that the last Twilight book and the Twilight movie were on my WORST of 2008 list!)

So instead of resolutions and best of lists I have been mulling things over and consulting the Magic 8 Ball trying to figure out how to proceed in 2009 in regards to My Eclectic Mess the omni-craft store. The last quarter of '08 sucked hard. I was looking forward to the holidays to boost me out of a very bad place and it just didn't happen. I know from talking to lots of people in other businesses across the country that I am not alone in my rat hole.

I have decided to circle my wagons and hold on until it is safe for a small business out there again. I can't continue to carry my rent and other fixed costs on what I've been bringing in currently. My lease on this location expires at the end of April. I won't be renewing it. I am looking for something else in the area where I can still be available to my local customers. I have some ideas and feelers out there. If any of you know of a small space or shared space for a (VERY!) small monthly cost I'm all ears.

I am also working on putting most of my inventory on my etsy shop. If I don't find an affordable local space I will put all my efforts into web-based sales. I am also working on another non-etsy shop and as soon as I get it stocked I will put up a live link here.

In the mean time the majority of my in-store inventory is clearance priced. I have a lot of fabric sale priced too. I need to move the stuff I've had for a season or more to make room for all the great new stuff coming in over the next few months. I'm shifting my focus to fabric and away from other crafts for the time being as well.

Depending on where I end up moving to I may also have sewing machines, tables and other fixtures for sale in late March and April. Check back with me on that one!

I would really like to get back to fun and informational blog posts. (You should just hear/read what I think about some of the current crop of television shows! Anyone else having a train wreck rubbernecking feeling about "The Secret Life of an American Teenager"?) I can't make any promises but hopefully my head will soon be back in a good place and I can put it use creating stuff instead of worrying and whining!

New Fabric: Basic Grey & Sandy Gervais

I started this post back on Dec. 16th and for some reason it never got published. Never mind, it is still gorgeous new fabric. ENJOY!
(Oh and tomorrow and Saturday it will be 20% off along with all my other new and hot fabrics!)

 
     
Urban Couture by Basic Grey

 
Tranquility by Sandy Gervais

 
Bird Panel from Tranquility.
I love the deep rich colors in this panel and the versatility. Each bird panel is 12x12 inches square. One yard has nine total squares plus a narrow border of matching quilt labels. There are a variety of ways this can be used. Each panel can be cut apart and used as individual quilt blocks, pillow tops or small decorative wall quilts. It can be used as straight yardage for home dec projects like a shower curtain or use a yard as a cheater fabric to make a quick and easy lap quilt.