I’m hoping this works, I forgot my password yet again. I wrote it down and threw the paper away. Now that was smart!

If this works I’ll go home and write a better blog entry

Another week begins.  The shop is closed today for President’s Day so I am actually at home writing this. The mad dash for ordering begins tomorrow. I really have to get books ordered as well as some stuff from one of my favorite distributors, Norden Crafts.

Sunday I was going to go to the dog show, but ended up staying at home. The DH and I washed Dickens and then blew him dry as well. He did really well considering the last time we did it he was about 2 months old. Now he’s 17 months old. He should be starting his show career in April if he has enough fur. He’s certainly growing out wonderfully, but he might slow down you never know. I’m pretty sure we will be able to go in the summer months.  After we were done with him, he took an extended nap on the couch in the family room. Poor thing, he was tuckered out.

I was commenting to the hubster yesterday that there has been nothing worth watching on TV lately. How sad is that? If I decided to play hooky from the shop it would not be worth it because there is nothing on TV worth staying home to watch. There is actually more exciting things going on at the shop. For one thing you get to see about a zillion emergency vehicles going up and down Academy Blvd. Guess we are a popular area since the community hospital is just up in the next block or so. Then again I have my books on CD there and I get a lot of stitching done while I listen. Of course there are the customers that come in to entertain me as well. Now I bet you never thought of it that way did you? I sit there peacefully just waiting for someone to come in so that they can entertain me. Most of our customers are good at that. They have very interesting things going on and they get to go around places. I never go anywhere except Einstein’s, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s and the grocery store.  Now there is an exciting life to be led! Okay, maybe once in a great while I actually get to go to Best Buy but honestly that’s it. I cannot even remember the last time I was actually in the mall. Do they still have good shops in the mall? I do most of my shopping for other than food stuff on line. My dog food is delivered to me at my shop once a month. (My handler’s mom goes to Denver to get it for several of us down here). Actually I forget what I’m complaining about.

I do remember something about customers. I love our customers. I love the fact that they come in, sit down at the front table and talk to my mom and I. Sometimes they bring in their stitching and stitch with us as well. That’s really the fun part. I love seeing what everyone is working on.  I did get that Lizzie Kate completed on Saturday, now I am working on “Polar Express” by Pickle Barrel Designs.  Very cute design! I’m into the winter thing right now, no idea why. When I complete this one, I will go back to the Martina design “Alpine Seasons”. I want to get it completed or almost completed by the time St Petersburg begins on 1 March. I’ll get a late start on it because I have not ordered my fabric yet. That’s another thing I have to do on Tuesday, order fabric from PTP and SMF, as well as some stuff from Wichelt. (Picture This Plus and Sugar Maple Fabrics).

Well I guess I should go feed the critters and change out of my bagel clothes. I really need to do laundry today so I have something else to wear. I’m really glad the hubster got this going for me again, I’m going to be so much better about keeping up with the new stuff, maybe figuring out how to post photos and other great stuff like that.

Here I am at the shop today. I was supposed to be at the Denver Dog Show today exposing Dickens to the finer things in life, like dogs with tails, but I’m here because it snowed. I do not like driving the dog van in the snow. Could it be because it’s a big van and has bad breaks? Not sure but I’ll let you know.

I actually got a project completed yesterday evening. It’s the first thing I’ve completed stitching wise all year. It is by Little House Needlework’s and it’s called “Winter Wonderland”. Very nice piece and not huge either. (You can view these charts on www.hoffmandis.com, look under the designer’s name). My next one will be “Winter Wishes” by Lizzie Kate. I’ll get that one done today. Then I’m planning on starting “Polar Express” by Pickle Barrel Designs. I had to take a break from the Martina’s. They are so big, that I was getting bogged down.

I’ll also be ordering stuff next week. I love to order stuff! I like the way the fabrics feel when they come in and the way new fibers smell. I also like pillaging through the new books and trying to decide which ones I cannot live without. If I lived to be 180 I would never get all this stuff stitched, but once again that’s not the point. The point is that I like it, I want to stitch it and if we have enough snow days I might get most of them done. Provided I move to the North Pole where there is never any nighttime during certain times of the year so that I have lots of daylight. Then I could move to the South Pole and continue stitching in daylight. Or maybe just live north year round, and then I could design some things that have the “northern lights” in them.

Anyway, back to the ordering stuff, I have to order fabric, fibers and books. So when the new stuff comes in you will be the second one to know, right after my mom and me. We get to open the boxes. Have to have some fun being a shop owner.

Today was one of those days. I actually slept in for a Friday; I did not have to go into Einstein’s today because I was taking Dickens to the dog show in Denver. No he was not participating, he was there to observe. I wanted to see how he would react to the entire 3 ring circus. This way I will know if he will be able to be shown. More on that tomorrow as I have other fish to fry today.

I love snow, but I really HATE the wind! It’s not snowy today, it’s very windy. The wind has actually warmed it up outside so it is now in the mid 50’s. Not bad, but I still hate the wind. One of the things I dislike about it is that it messes up your hair. Now I do not have the best hair style on the planet, my hair is usually pulled back in a ponytail to keep it out of my face at the bagel place. So I just keep it that way most days.  The wind makes the little short hairs whip around my face making me look like some crazed wild woman. Could be an apt description, but let me live my fantasy, ok? Then there is the thing with wearing contacts. I really have a problem with the huge boulders that end up in my eyes when the wind is blowing. Now I’m sure that the mere fact that Colorado Springs has this thing about building on every square inch of land, and that the area is usually torn up in some fashion could be why a small amount of wind makes this place look like the Wizard of Oz is moving in. Today it was one of those huge winds that makes the wizard want to stay in Oz and forget about the whole wind thing. Ugh! The cars actually move from side to side at the stop lights. Small animals and birds do not stand a chance. I think I saw a hawk moving backwards today while trying to fly forward.  So I have the hair thing, the contact thing but what really gets me is that dirt thing. Forget breathing through your mouth, you’re going to end up with the grit from hell on your teeth. I never ate dirt as a kid that I can remember, but I got a good case of mouth grit today. So if you see me walking down the street and I smile at you do not be surprised if I look  like a wild mud pie eating woman that’s winking at you.  It’s the wind. Just remember, it’s the winds fault.

Now for stitching related topics that I just have to touch upon here. Well ok, we are a needlework shop after all. I have this deal going with the Needlepoint Inc. silks. They raised the price starting in January and I got this really cool idea. Since the new price is $3.70, our shop will sell it for $3.00. There is a catch, you might have to wait like 10 days or so, because I will place orders as I get them. There is no minimum for the customer and I’ll place an order once a week. Then if it is for mail order, I’ll only charge the exact shipping. I think that’s a pretty good deal. I’m actually taking myself up on that offer since Martina uses so much of that silk. So if you want to place an order just let us know. This will be the ONLY silk floss weight that I do not sell by the strand. We will still do strands for Au Ver A Soie, Silk Mori, Caron Soie Crystal, Waterlilies, Gloriana, Thread Gatherer and Dinky Dyes. If you want to know prices for strands I will be more than happy to let you know that as well.

Now I had best get upstairs to see what the 4 legged monsters are doing in my family room. I think there is a t v show I need to watch as well, something about cleaning your house and getting rid of the dust. I bet that person never lived in Colorado Springs on a windy day. I’m laughing all the way to the couch.

I’ve got to tell you I love snow. I love to sit and watch it snow. I love big fat flakes and delicate tiny flakes. I think seeing the snow land on your windshield is an amazing thing. To see the little arms of each flake as it falls and adheres to your car is one of nature’s miracles. One of the things I like to do is sit in the kitchen at the eating bar, with the shade on the big window up drinking tea and working with clay making Nutz Puppies. I even like sitting in the family room with all the dogs laying on the floor asleep the curtains open so that when I glance up from my knitting I can see the snow falling. For whatever reason, watching the snowfall is very relaxing for me.

Now living in Colorado we really do not get tons of snow, well they do in the mountains, but not down here in Colorado Springs. Except for this year. We have had lots and lots of snow since right before Christmas. If this were any other place besides Colorado the snow would be here till May or June. Like in Connecticut, where the snow sticks around almost through the entire summer. We are so high in elevation that even if the temps are below zero, we still have snowmelt. Which makes for a very interesting drive to work in the morning. This is one of the reasons that I don’t complain about the snow when I’m driving. I go to work at the bagel place so early that I’m about the only one on the roads. The snowplow guys and me are battling it out for domination on the road at 2:30 A.M. Ok, they would win because I’m in a smaller vehicle and they would plow right over me, but that’s not the point.

Another thing that’s pretty amazing here are the sunrises. Oh my gosh, to stand in the window of the Einstein’s Bagel shop and watch the sun rise. It’s a sight to behold. This morning, it was truly amazing. The clouds had cleared up, the air was brisk with the newly fallen show, the trees are covered and here comes the sun. Making the entire area sparkle. Not to mention that the remaining clouds in the sky are these wonderful shades of pink, lavender, and peach. Thrills my heart to see this sight in the morning. Then it clouded up again and snowed some more. Well it really was a pretty sunrise.

Today here at the shop we are not beading the wedding dress. I’ve done that now for 3 days. I think I need a break. I might actually get to do some cross-stitching, but I have got to clean up my area first. I swear, I clean up my “nest” and the next day it’s worst than it was. I guess the stuff just congregates around me. I never realized what a pack rat I am with my stitching stuff. But I need all that stuff close at hand so that my stitching life is easier.

Ok, now I really must try to do something like work today.