Day 264 - 286

This post is going to start with the most recent happenings and go backwards...just the opposite of what I usually do because that's the way I loaded the pictures.

My sister, Karen, and I just took a GREAT camping trip to southern Colorado...Durango, Silverton, Aspen, etc to see the fall colors. Spectacular...wow...awesome!! If you've never taken a fall vacation in an area where the leaves change colors, I urge you to do it at your earliest convenience. These pictures are VERY poor substitutes for the original.

We took the Durango/Silverton train...great fun. We went ATV riding...a first for me...sometimes fun...sometimes scarry. We camped out in my camper...roasted hot dogs over the campfire, laid on the picnic table and marveled at the stars, and played lots and lots of games. A terrific time and I will definitely be going somewhere next autumn.

Brianne had her baby September 16...Rilee Allen Simmons. I suggested that that spelling will lead people to think she had a girl when in fact she had a boy. Whatever...he's adorable and mom and baby are doing great.

The last French Nest in 2010 is in 10 days. My vacation burned up several of my "getting ready" days...but it was sooooooooooo worth it. Here are a couple of fall notebooks.

And here are a couple of new cards.

Day 221 - 228

My life is pretty much getting ready for the August French Nest. The frustrating part is how little I actually get done each day. I'm not sure why...it's not like there's anything else I have to do....a mystery.

First is a calendar kit. They'll get the calendar and over a hundred tags, die cuts and cut paper to put on their calendar pages as they want. It's a July 2010 to December 2011 calendar so I've used the July page as a sample to give them some ideas.

They also get a clothespin...just because they're cute!

The girls and I went to the Larimer County Fair...great fun! These teeny-tiny rubber animals were a free prize at a small hide-and-seek game put on by the 4-H.

They look a little unsure just before the ride starts, but were ready to go again when they got off.

Because my booth has the school theme, I feel like I need to have lots of choices for customers. These are pretty quick to put together and I think...I hope...they'll be popular.

Day 218 - 220

I think I mentioned that my August French Nest booth will focus on Back To School. After years in California, it's still hard for me to get used to school starting in the middle of August instead of after Labor Day...but start it does.

These are lunchbox notes. I've been making them for three days and have about 6 sets of 8 cards and envelopes. I think most of them are pretty cute...of course, I won't make any money because how much can you charge for a 3 x 3 card and an envelope? But I'm hoping it will generate interest in the booth and people will remember me as, "that lady that makes cute things."

Day 215

This is the last of the cigar boxes I altered. This one has an unattached lid and is really too small to have a decent-size pocket...so I made this insert. You could put in jewelry, doo-dads, $20 gold pieces.

Really terrible pictures...I should take them again...but I probably won't.

Day 214

This is what I've been working on for the last couple of days. Found a basket full of wooden cigar boxes at a garage sale...$5...and had an old picture of altering them this way...making an inset for the lid that has two pockets. Something new for the August French Nest.

This one fits into the back-to-school theme.

Day 119

Great day at the Card Shoppe!! Busy, busy, busy. Don't you love it when people gush over your creations? And love it even more when they open their wallets and buy something. I would say I sold about half the items...very good!

These are milk carton vases...you take a one quart carton, cut off the top, fill it with florist foam, water and flowers and...voila! I really think they're cute. Sold one today.

Day 116-117

Gee, I didn't post yesterday and didn't even remember that I forgot! It's getting worse!! Here's my picture for yesterday...these flowers are in my neighbor's yard.

These are all the post-it note holders I've made for the card show. I'm done!!! I could probably make more stuff but, no....what I've got is what I've got.

Day 35

Well, this was the BIG day...Grand Opening of the Four Season Card Shoppe. Some good, some bad. The bad...the newspaper did not publish my ad. Their explanation was, "We've been having some problems in that area recently." So, almost no one knew about the event.

I did put up some signs on influential corners and my first customer came by having seen one. The second customer was a neighbor...I passed out flyers on my street. But the BIG hip-hip-hooray was when Michele and 8 of her co-workers came...all together...and bought a big bunch of stuff. Very exciting!!

I'm supposed to be open again tomorrow, so I will, but don't have much hope for customers. The paper said "we'll try" to get the ad in, and I put a notice on Craigslist but not holding out much hope. But it was very encouraging that everyone who looked, bought and there were lots of encouraging comments.

As it happens, today is also my 72nd birthday...so the first three pictures are flowers I received from my wonderful family.

These are milk cartons. Cut them down, put in the floral foam that holds water and add fresh flowers. Pretty neat idea...can't remember where I saw it. People like them but no one bought one...yet.

Here's the table with the Valentines and Easter cards...and I sold twice as many Valentines as Easter.

Day 21 and 22

Yes, I am still making "stuff" for the card shop. There probably won't be anything interesting to write about except card making from now until February 5. Finished up the post-it holders and went back to making cards.

Please continue to ignore the paper clips...I still haven't gotten out to buy the magnets that hold the folder together.

Day 19 and 20

Busy, busy, busy! Remember I said I was learning to play the piano? Well, you wouldn't know it by listening to me play, but I do practice about an hour a day...not all at once but in bits here and there. I am also trying to learn to read music to sing. I want to try out for the Larimer Chorale in April and while I can read music to play the piano, I can't look at music and sing the notes...we'll see how that goes.

If you don't like yogurt...or if you do....here's a recipe I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy. Lowfat Greek yogurt...you can use any yogurt but Greek is a little thicker and creamier...to which you add honey (how much depends on how sweet you want it), cinnamon and sliced almonds...yummy! And you can eat a LOT with very few calories...always a plus.

These first two are more of the matchbook variety...the rest are the old type I've made before. The little red paper clip is NOT a part of the design but just holding them together for the picture...I need to go buy small magnets.

I love the two with the old vintage images.

Day 18

Okay...I'm tired of making cards. So something different today...post-it note holders. This matchbook design is new to me so it was fun to make.

This is what they look like inside...a nice little doo-dad to carry in your purse...you know, when you want to make a note so you don't forget something really important...and now that you're old you forget LOTS of important things.

Okay, I think this card is in here for comic relief. It started out pretty plain so I kept adding frou-frou and now it looks like something my grandmother might have put together...it probably won't make it to the Card Shoppe shelves....but in the spirit of full disclosure...well, you know.