This was supposed to be a simple Christmas, and I supposed compared to a lot of other people, it was. The budget and recession solved many of our buying issues, yet with a tightened budget comes acceptance and the welcome knowledge that Christmas really isn't about material things. There was family, food, love, laughter and as evening settles in, the kids "chillin" with their friends, my hubby practicing and me....well I'm settling into a mindless decorating magazine before beginning a short story by Anton Chekov. But is any holiday perfect? NO.....and with that said, I'll give you the highlights of the frustrating moments of our Christmas which when looked back upon, cause laughter.
Well being as forgetful as I am I forgot to get the dinner rolls. Not that anyone missed them, it's our holiday tradition that I burn them! Not one person mentioned that there weren't dinner rolls on the table.
This year, the kids got new phones. My 14 year old son tends to be a little rough with electronics and so I opted for the cheaper phone which is definitely NOT what he was expecting. However, the funny part is that due to the high volume of people activating at the same time, we were unable to activate the phone. He was panicking and it wasn't pretty. But the customer service rep said to keep trying the code he'd given us....we did...and shortly after, the phone activated....but the really funny part is that my son accidentally switched the language to Spanish! AHHHH!!!! So I got back on the phone and got THAT straightened out.
And what would Christmas be without the dog pooping under the tree? I suppose they get in the spirit of the season too and want to leave a present. Soooo THIS is one of the reasons why artificial trees are so great. Yes, there are no traditional tree skirts in our home. It changes yearly due to the fact that whichever animal either feline or of the doggy breed, there is some sort of confusion and belief that this is their personal toilet. Sigh.... I think next year I'll suspend the tree from the ceiling.
I guess the most embarrassing part is that they do it in front of guests! AHHH!! It's a bit difficult to offer dessert after they've seen you on your hands and knees disinfecting the floor.
Oh well....it all cleans up...our embarrassment turns into funny memories of Christmas past and we settle into enjoying company with people we love.
And so here are some pics I find beautiful. I hope you like them.
Namaste, God Bless and Merry Christmas.
Well well well......as the year comes to an end, what started out so hopeful has turned out to be such a learning experience. Yes the shop looked great. The compliments were plenty......however....and I really do hate to say it like that but here it is....there was no traffic. Well almost none. While the rest of the country was on fire for shabby chic items....the little shop I chose turned out to not only be a traffic dud, but people who have lived in this town all their lives didn't know where the place was...and I was on Main Street! Argh! Okay so I pulled out just in time to avoid having to pay out of pocket for the rent! Sheesh...Sooooo there's all my inventory....covered on the porch...until I can figure out what to do with it. Yeah sure I've had suggestions to take my items to Pine...and even SMALLER community but with several consignment shops...and yeah yeah...the familiar story about how THEY did soooo much better once moved to Pine...but I guess I'm just more cautious now...do I dare say scared? The items are beautiful...the items are reasonably priced even for this market...but how to market? The website needs to be revamped....and that is on my list for 2010. Woo hoo! Just doing the website.
Aaaaand on a much worse note....I've lost my eBay business. After researching, and researching and more researching, I got scammed by two different "suppliers" in China. The adage of two birds in the bush is very true! My business was really taking off and doing well....and I decided to "expand" by offering electronics...namely GPS systems...I researched a company on a well established business to business website. They had the upstanding reputation. They had the "trust points". They were a "gold" member. I contacted their references who praised them. I contacted the owner directly and he assured me his products were genuine and that he offered dropshipping. So I gave it a shot. I listed the products and they sold like hotcakes. I promptly sent in my order to my supplier and anxiously waited the arrival. I had them sent to me so I could be sure just one more time that these were indeed what I ordered. (again) HOWEVER....what I got were two fake Louis Vuitton wallets...that's it....I panicked! I emailed and he assured me this was some mistake and would immediately resend the goods...meanwhile my customers are wanting their products...and being still on the cautious side, I found another "recommended" supplier to make up for the first one. I went through all the same researching criteria as I did the first supplier...and he promised delivery of products...but he sent iphone clones! So the first supplier sent GPS systems, but the wrong model. He sent an old out of date model. And he only sent a fraction of what I had ordered. But by this time, it was too late...the negative scores were piling in, my accounts were drained, and both the suppliers stopped answering my emails. I contacted the websites and reported them, but because I was dealing with a foreign country, there was no hope....and absolutely no way of getting my customer's money back. As a result, eBay shut me down...as did PayPal. The lesson?....stick with what you have and master that....in other words, "do one thing and do it well"......sigh....
Now for the good news....this very trying experience has inspired me to follow another dream of mine...writing. I've always love writing....and have written for myself for decades...but I figured this was the perfect time to start writing. Why not? And the more I write, the more I love writing. Now LadyBugCreek is still in the works, but even the business greats know when it's time to regroup, revamp and restructure. And for LadyBugCreek, this is the time. So for now...this is a personal blog and also a place to find out the latest on LadyBugCreek the website/store. No projected "reopening" date has been decided yet. But it most assuredly WILL be posted, both here, on my other blog (which will be dedicated purely to "Angelica Mordant", the writings, articles and the darker side of things), and my facebook.
So, this blog is for LadyBugCreek, everything shabby chic, feminine, basic life stuff and whatever.
The other blog is definitely darker and macabre. A darker side of me? Perhaps...but being a somewhat multi faceted creature, it didn't seem right to include the darker thoughts amid pink and purple flowers. At the same time, I didn't want to hide the darker side from my LadyBugCreek readers just in case there were some who like me, have a somewhat darker side and may enjoy the macabre.
And just to wrap this up in the style of LadyBugCreek, I'm including some more of my favorite pics. A little shabby, a little romantic, a little glamorous......kinda like how I'm feeling right now!
Namaste and God Bless....
Angelica
