WOW

She said: Yes I know I haven't posted in forever....sorry. I actually have a new "baby" to worry about in my life and I'm trying to balance all of them!

YES! I am signing the lease for the space for the jewelry store in the next few weeks. I have an actual logo. I have 10 artists booked with orders to put in next week. I have made final selections on the furniture and feel of the boutique. Can this really be happening?

Every time I work on something for the boutique I am instantly happy. I can't help but smile and think, I am actually doing something I want to do. I know it is a risk, but with husband being so supportive (and basically giving me all the money) why shouldn't I try?

As soon as things are totally final (lease, logo, etc) I will start to post details. Even if there is no one who reads this now, who knows what it will bring?

Things are looking good!

She said: So things are falling in place with my new jewelry boutique. I think I've found a place. I have money to start. I have 8 to 10 artists wanting to show their work in the store. I've picked out some furniture. I'm meeting with a marketing guru tomorrow. WOW! This could actually happen.

So, I'm not sleeping much but that is because my head swarms with ideas. It just never stops any more. I am very excited but a bit overwhelmed by all of this. It is crazy how many forms, papers, etc needs to be filled out to start a business. I am preparing a budget (with the help of husband) and am actually looking forward to sticking to it.

I will post more when I get the place nailed down. After that things should move pretty quickly. Looking at an October opening? That would be GREAT!

Graffiti....what's the point?

She said: So we were driving West on 40 today to go to Sam's in Maplewood. Being city dwellers, there aren't too many times I need to venture on 40 since most of the places/stores we frequent are all accessible through back roads. God I love living in the city! As we came up to the Tamm overpass I commented to husband how great it looks. I can't believe they have that much done of the reconstruction already!

Then I noticed the HUGE amount of Graffiti on both sides of the inside of the bridge. WHY does someone do this? It looks awful and besides that we as taxpayers end up paying for it to be covered.

I also asked husband how do people get away with doing that right on 40? That highway is always busy all times of the day and night. He said people probably don't see it happening because it is taking place in the middle of the night. I think I would notice it, but maybe not. The whole scene just angered me.

Decision Time

She said: So here is the update on the jewelry boutique/teaching job. I know you all have been sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for me to write.

After the meeting downtown, I was very excited about my plan. The people in the know loved the idea and I even went to scout a few places out for the store. Wow! What an amazing feeling it was to leave that meeting knowing that I was not insane thinking this would take off.

I did go to my interview at the school for a 5th grade Special Education job later that same day. Needless to say I didn't want to be there at that point. I was too hyped up on ideas for the boutique and definitely not thinking about how I individualize plans for students struggling in the classroom. I did well in the interview and was invited back the next day for a 3rd interview.

So here is the decision: I called the school and declined the 3rd interview. I am actively writing, with the help of husband, my business plan and have already received application for business loans.

Now I know I am officially insane. Instead of taking an 8:00-3:30 job paying me 40,000 a year and having summers, two week vacations, and 10 days of anytime vacation, I have decided to take a 40,000 loan and make no money for 2-3 years and work my ass off. What the hell am I doing???

Very important advice

He said: Every Monday, I pick up a large ("Venti" is not in my vocabulary) coffee from Starbucks on my way to the train. For those of you who also frequent these types of places, I am sure you have experienced the dribble cup effect when you take that first drink and a few drops land on your shirt/pants/skirt/dress/cardigan sweater/etc. Ladies and gentlemen, dribble no more.

The key to dribble freedom is that after you add your sugar, Splenda, or other preferred sugar substitute along with the dairy of your choice, you put the lid back on so that the drink hole is at the opposite side of the seam on the cup. While I can not take credit for coming up with this nugget of wisdom, I do practice it regularly. Enjoy your coffee.

Take a look at the picture. See the seam? WRONG!

Dream

She said: So tomorrow I'm going to see if there is any possibility to make one of my big, grand ideas come through. I have always dreamed of owning my own store. I started this idea about 6 years ago when husband and I lived downtown STL. We were some of the first to move into a loft downtown and I quickly became involved in the neighborhood. I loved the vibe, rawness, and possibilities so much that I started thinking about opening a boutique downtown.

Needless to say that didn't happpen. I had toddler and we moved to South City. I miss downtown and I still have this longing to open a store. So tomorrow I am meeting with some in the know people downtown to get the lowdown and what is going on and how stores are doing downtown. I am really excited and my head has been working overtime with ideas, lists, etc. Hopefully everything will be positive and maybe I can really make this happen!

Just in case I have an awful meeting, I also have an interview at a charter school to teach Special Education. This is my background and what I studied in college. I do enjoy teaching, but I get bored with it after a while. We'll see what happens.

A Tale from the Tarmac

He Said: Suprisingly, my flight out of Chicago got out relatively on time this week. Typically, if there is a spot shower in Boise, all flights at ORD are immediately delayed 3 hours. This week, they kept on flying despite all the rain in STL. When I got to my seat, the seat next to me was already occupied and this guy made it perfectly clear that there was to be no armrest battle on this flight. He had every available inch of that thing covered. Fair enough.

The flight was no big deal but we landed in the middle of a thunderstorm. In the case of lightning, all of the grounds crew has to go inside which meant we had to hang out on the runway for about 30 minutes or so. Normally this isn't that bad. I pulled out my laptop and killed some time. Less than a minute later, however, a woman across the aisle decided this was the appropriate time to make the loudest phone call of all time. For the rest of our time on the plane, everyone from row 5 to row 30 got to hear how this woman is a big deal and how she obviously makes all the big decisions for what certainly is a major corporation.

Based on this experience, the thought of it someday being possible for everyone to use cell phones during a flight makes me want to barf.