It Must be a Cold Day in Hell

To paraphrase Andi's comment when she discovered that I had done the unthinkable - I've become a member of Facebook.

Almost everyone I know, including my own parents, have a Facebook page. I have managed to be very happy while not being on Facebook. I will admit that I have occasionally felt left out of a conversation because I didn't see what "they" posted on their page last night. But mostly I've been happy to not know every minute detail of peoples lives.

I also consider myself a fairly private person. I really don't want a bunch of people to know what's going on in my life every day. I am especially not fond of the idea of re-connecting with certain people from my past - you know who you are. I know, I know, I can protect myself from all of that by ignoring their request to be my "friend". But maybe that's the crux of this whole thing - I really dislike the idea of having to ask someone if I can be their friend. It seems so elementary school-yard to me. It also doesn't feel right to deny someone who wants to "friend" me...even if I don't really want to be their friend. What if I bump into them some day and they say, "hey, I wanted to be your friend and you said no, what's up with that?" Awkward!!

Enough of the reasons why I don't want to be on Facebook, real or imagined.

Why did I finally cave in? Mostly because I'm looking for more ways to draw people into my Etsy shop. That's probably not the best reason, but it's the real reason. I make a truly beautiful handbag and I want the whole world to own one. The problem is, I am struggling to get people to find Sunshine Handbags. I need to live in a bigger circle in order to market myself to a larger audience, and Facebook could possibly do that for me.

There is also a little part of me that is intrigued by the idea of finding a few of the people from my past, just to see what they've made of their lives, make sure they're happy and healthy. Maybe I'll have the courage one day to track them down. Maybe they'll find me first.

Also, Aaron is going to want his own Facebook page, and I have to do the mom thing and eavesdrop on his life and make sure he is making good choices and his friends aren't punks.

So, I guess I'm jumping feet first into the land of TMI. I really don't want to know that my little sister might be partying a bit too much or that a family had a really successful restroom stop while on vacation, but I guess this all goes with the territory. If you want to be my friend, I'll say yes, and I promise not to bore you with the mundane parts of my life.

One Decaf Easy Vanilla Iced Latte To Go, Please

Last week I passed along my business card to the Barista at Caribou Coffee who admired the bag I was carrying, and while I was driving home it occurred to me that if this gal is nice enough to take the time to visit my shop, she is going to find absolutely nothing on the shelves.

How embarrassing!

Until that moment, I had been doing a really good job living in avoidance mode, not wanting to face the fact that I've been major-ly neglecting both my blog and my etsy shop for months. Yes, I've been busy enjoying the summer and the kids, but there has to be a way to squeeze in a little Sunshine Handbags time, too. So, I decided to try and make it work, and vowed to not get too stressed about the laundry, house cleaning and grocery shopping that will pile up a bit faster than before.

And wouldn't you know it, not 30 minutes after restocking the shelves, I had a sale!! Hooray for me!! Hooray for my customer!! Hooray for her friend who is getting the bag as a gift!!

I've added a couple new items this week and I've made some really exciting purchases of some gorgeous fabrics - I can't wait for them to get here!

So, thank you Barista gal, I owe you one for helping me get my groove back on, so to speak!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Goodbye Winter, Hello Lemon Drop Martini!

3 ounces lemonade concentrate
4 ounces vodka (preferably absolut citron)
1 ounce triple sec

mix in martini shaker with crushed ice. Pour into martini glasses with sugared rims. (recipe makes 2 generous drinks)

Let's Give This Thing Another Try

Yes, I've been gone for a long time. Yes, my Etsy shop sat empty for months. Yes, I have spent too much time in some kind of funk. But now I'm back, my shop is no longer empty and I'm promising to shake off the dust and get back on the horse.

What went on while I was gone? Well, the holidays sort of ate me alive and finally spit me back out sometime in the middle of January. Too many stories to tell for this small square, I'm just glad I made it out alive. The kids are growing and getting smarter and, in Aaron's case, more teenager-ish (not always a good thing). Steve is back to steady work (whew!). Consulting can be such a dog-eat-dog business. I've been spending a lot of my time in the pool, swimming laps and doing my best Michael Phelps imitation.

I've also been logging a lot of time with my sewing machine, working on a new bag design. I've filled my shop with the new "Bagllet", which is a small handbag and wallet combo. The wallet is permanently stitched to the outside of the purse, and the strap is long enough to wear across your body. It's the perfect bag to bring on long shopping trips, vacations, any time you need a few essentials but don't want to carry a big, heavy purse. I gifted several to family and friends at Christmas and everyone seemed to love them. I hope everyone else agrees!

Pumpkin Patch Pickin'

Last weekend there was a tiny bit of a nip in the air so we drove to the outside of town to our favorite pumpkin patch. My kids are almost to the age where this family tradition might not be so meaningful to them, so I'm capturing the moment while they're still happy to be there.

Kayaking Done Right

It just doesn't get any better!

Mary, Jill and I went on a little adventure in the kayaks this morning. It was a gorgeous Fall day in the Cherokee Marsh - perfect temp, crisp blue sky, calm winds...this is the day I will look back on when it's late February and there are inches upon inches of snow piled at my curb!

Jill surprised us with a lovely picnic including wine (she knows us so well!), bread and cheese. A little tricky to do in a kayak, but we managed to drift, drink, eat and laugh away the afternoon.