Inauguration Day

In no particular order, here are my thoughts on this momentous day:
l.  I watched it on the flatscreen while walking on the treadmill.
2. I did not trip or fall off of the treadmill.
3. I really like the music and the choirs every time.
4. The pageantry is impressive.
5. There is much to be concerned about from this day forward.
6. I believe Heavenly Father watches over this country and guides it's leaders.
7. Faith and Fear cannot exist in the same space at the same time. (Mark 4:35-40)
8. The sun will rise tomorrow and there will be another day.

Not and eloquent post to be sure for today, but it has been a day of many words from many directions.  It is yet to be seen who has the correct perspective.  Hang on for a wild ride.

Sunday

Somewhere I have heard that Sunday is a day of rest. I wish.  I am tired and it is 5:41 right now.
Sundays at our house are as busy as any other day.   We just have a different schedule.

5:30 1st alarm rings
6:00 Hubby starts to get ready
7:00 Everyone up. 
7:30 Hubby out the door to first meetings.
8-9  Get Sunday lessons ready to go
9:30 Teens begin to whine about not want to go to church.  Much more whining from the parent.
10:00 Shower and dress to set a good example for the teens
10:30 Hubby back for breakfast
11 Hubby leaves for next meeting
11:15  Spend the next 90 minutes strongly encouraging teens to get ready.
12:30 leave for church in two cars for four people.  Church is 4 blocks away.
1:00 Nice service.  Teens are quiet.
2:00 Sunday school. Class of teens.  Need strong control on frustration and temper.
4:00 Everyone is Home and GRUMPY
5:00 Fabulous dinner is on the table and everyone is GRUMPY
5:40 Blog about being GRUMPY after church

Can we do this over??? Time to  nap now.;

Tribe

The people who visit make my shop hum.  They are the life blood of the place.  They are some of the most creative, loving, fabulous humans in our community.  It's one thing to start a business to make money.  It's quite another to develop a group, a community, or a tribe.  These folks are a tribe.  They come from vastly different backgrounds and perspectives.  They have vastly different skills and materials preferences.  But they love and support one another through thick and thin.

It's one of the unintended consequences.  Who sets out to form a tribe?

A little more than a year ago, we almost lost a member of the tribe.  She broke into a bazillion little pieces but somehow managed to survive.  This pic is one of her first times back in the shop.  Feel the joy in this pic.  There were a few tears that night and a lot more laughter.  Her best friends pulled off a massive surprise that night and found a way to bring her sister in from California.  A surprise party from the tribe converged at the shop. 

The past year has seen the tribe change and stretch and grow.  Two members moved, a beloved parent died, pipes froze, serious illnesses were endured, children were born, teens rebelled, and lovers left.  The tribe listened to it all and provided support in the most loving of ways. 

May you all have a tribe like this.

Why?

When you visit the post office in our small, small town, you are recognized.  It goes with the territory.  In a town of 5000 people, the postmaster and anyone else knows you, your family, your address, your frequent mailings from businesses and a lot of other details.  The same 2 people have dropped off my mail for the last 30 years.  As I visited the post office earlier this week, the person behind the counter asked about the packages I was mailing and how things were going at the shop and then asked the question that has been asked a thousand times. 

"Why did you start a business?"

I don't know.

Did I want to be a fantastic knitter?  Did my grandma instill a love of knitting?  Do I really love yarn?

Maybe to all of those things, but...  I wanted to do something really different and way out of my comfort zone.  When your reach a milestone birthday, sometimes things shift.  There are flashes of things to look back on and anxiety of how the future will unfold.  There is the realization that many, many people never reach the milestone you are facing and enjoying.  All of those things happened that summer. 

Someone I thought I would know and grow to have other adventures with passed away suddenly.  My oldest kids were leaving the nest.  A career that had been exciting for decades was too easy. It was time to do something else and starting a business was a really logical choice at the time. 

Starting a business is a lot like falling off a cliff or sky diving or downhill racing.  The first two activities I can only imagine.  The third I have done, but not well.  You prepare with skills and equipment.  You talk to others who have done it.  You get your nerves together and then there is start day where it's either "do" or "do not".  The right shop front, the money and the right people came together at the right time and a shop was begun. I didn't know what it took to run a business prior to this.  I learned by reading and doing.   Six and a half years later, I am still learning and doing.  That is my "Why".  I need something really challenging to do and learn about.   If it ever becomes easy I will do something else.

Visit the shop online at juliayarnshoppe. com
Visit our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/julias.shoppe/
Tell me what your thoughts in the comments.

Pinterest

Our shop has a Pinterest Page!

I have added patterns for yarn, consigning ideas and loads of other goodies that will spark ideas for you and your family.  Go check it out.

How Consigning Works at Julia’s

With a consignment shop the process is as follows:

We have a section of the shop for selling clothing and handcrafted items on behalf of other people .

You select your items in good to excellent shape and bring them in. The first time you visit the shop, we will talk about pricing items and bringing them in in “Ready to Sell” condition. You set the prices and get them ready for the racks. In follow up visits, you can use “drop and run” procedures and we will hang them, price them and get them ready for you. As a consignment shop owner, I then take your items, display them attractively in the shop, post photos on the shop’s webpage, Instagram and facebook pages.

We strive to give our customers a great deal on a gently loved item that would otherwise cost much more in retail stores and our seller a convenient way to clear out clothing and toys to generate a little cash. Many stores have different policies and ways of doing things so make sure to ask as many questions as possible when you are consigning with anyone. I do a 40/60 consignment split on clothing items and a 30/70 split on handcrafted/boutique items, which simply means whatever the final price of the item sells for we split it with 60% (or 70% for craft items) of the selling price going to you. We keep most items for a 90 day period. The items must be in good to excellent condition, no rips, tears, stains, pulls of any kind. The items are all washed, dry cleaned, pressed and ready to go.

Now as a customer walking into a consignment shop some might feel that prices are too high in general, while others are brand conscious and see the great deals they are getting. As a seller, you can be assured that we market all of your items consistently and we strive to take the stress out of the selling process for you. Any items that are unsold and in turn donated after the allotted time period then go out to local places or people with the need for them. Most consignment shops are very friendly and their goal and purpose is to help you dress your family for less.

You can always find some great deals if you are a bargain hunter like myself! In most cases all sales are final and there is a no return policy in effect. Never be afraid to ask any and all questions. I feel there are never any stupid questions. You don't have to spend a lot of money to look like a million dollars!

Summer Clean Out Challenge

Summer Closet Cleanout Challenge

Most of us have more junk/stuff/clothing/knick-knacks than we need or use.  This week I am proposing a simple challenge for each day of the week to clean out those items we don't use/need.  The weekend is a holiday, so let's get this done before the big celebration and then we can celebrate our cleaning efforts too.  Each day I will tackle a room or area of the home with you.  At the end of the week, you should have 5 boxes or bags of stuff that was great once but not loved now.  Collect all of those gently used items and recycle them into vacation cash at the shop.  We can help find another home for those items and you can use the cash to have a great time with the family this summer.

Here we go:

Day 1 challenge:  The Master bedroom and closet

Find these items and put them in a box or hang them near the back door:

1.  The fancy dress you needed for a color coordinated wedding/anniversary party/ball that you will never wear again.

2.  Those great shoes that were a great buy but have a spot that rubs your foot the wrong way.

3.   That wool sweater with the great buttons that is too warm to wear to the office or around the house.

4.  The wonderful candle set that you hid in the closet but will never use.

5.  The books on the nightstand that were a great read once but you probably won't read them again.

6. The shirts that were on sale and a great color but just didn't get worn last season.

7.  The slippers your auntie gave you for Christmas that just aren't your style and are too nice to throw out.

8. The necklaces and earrings you wore with a work wardrobe that is long gone.

9.  The colorful scarves that went with that same wardrobe.

10.  Any other item that was a great buy at the time, but just didn't get out much.