Thursday, Staying on track, Thrifty doings!

Do you ever feel like a tulip in the middle of the mass of bluebells?  I know I do.  But I can tell you one thing.  I stick out, that could be good and that could be bad, it's up to you to decide.

It is turning to a lovely spring here and I wish I could spend more time outside. I get out in the morning to feed and water the chickens and then water plants and I just want to stay out.  Instead, I am back in the house and sewing up a storm.  

The last few days while hubs has been gone I have sewn through the dinner hour into the dark. But I do feel like I am at least staying on top of things.  Well maybe.  It is at that point that more is coming into the shop than I can do an a daily basis. I am hoping I can convince my Sissie to come out here for a few weeks later this spring or early summer to help me. Slugs work on her and also why don't you come too!  The fun we could have.  Lil sis's pool is open and after dinner we can go over there for happy hour.  You and Sissie can get happy and I will be the designated driver. I think that sounds like a plan.  Anyone else want to join the club?

I want to get the bed sheets changed and the floors done before Hub's comes home on Saturday.  I actually put the ironing out in the family room along with hangers, hoping to inspire myself to get that done this evening.

Maybe if I have to look at this tonight while I am watching junk TV I will get moving.... Well it's worth a try anyway.

I sewed until about 7 last night and got my whole want to list done and then went and had my nails done. I am always scheduled the last client of the day and then my nail lady and I talk business.  Good and bad as our busy seasons are the same.  She had a crazy client yesterday that they had to have removed from the shop.  She just had to unload.  It is like we are each other's therapist. We understand one another and it is just nice to talk.  She always makes sure we are alone in the salon.

I had the owner of a secondhand clothing store that just opened downtown, come by yesterday. She wanted a stack of business cards.  She also said that she had taken over the Princess project.  

This is a nonprofit that allows girls to come and get a secondhand dress for a prom, for very little money or just free.  Sometimes they come in with a broken zipper, or need some mending.  I told her to give these girls a card with a PP in the corner written by her and I would do alterations accordingly.

I have done things like this in the past, for say a grandmother raising her daughter after parents' death, or for bridesmaids that lost their mother to covid last year.  Sometimes people just need a break.  But I also warned shop owner I could be easily taken advantage of and to not let her employees, give everyone a card. Also, the girls given the cards would not know why, just that they could bring the dress to me for alterations.  I think that will somewhat protect me.  We will see.

I have already started to clean up my shop.  I still have to clean off the sewing desk and vacuum and then I am onto fixing my Lil sis's mother of the bride dress. I have two bridesmaid dresses for niece's upcoming wedding.  One of the bridesmaids just ordered the size she thinks she is which is a 12.  Lil sis said the dress is way too small and she is falling out of it in front.  Now we have another dress purchased for my great niece that came in way too big it is a 14 (the last one they had so no choice).  Well, the bridesmaid absolutely refused to even try on the 14.  You all know people like this.  Fixated on size and not how something fits. Or are just too plain vain to admit they are larger than they are. So Lil sis in her frustration just brought the dresses to me and said how do we handle this?

I switched the tags inside the dresses and when we get to St. Louis I will alter the two dresses accordingly.  Bridesmaidzilla will never know.  What to you think of my deceitfulness? Hey there are two ways to skin a (I just can't say cat) but to skin something.

Today after I get the dresses done and the shop cleaned, I am going to start on the ribbon skirts. I also have to go give a private lesson this evening at the studio.  Then Lil sis and I are going to the tanning beds to soak up some rays.  This really helps my joints and her skin condition. 

Thrifty things I did this week:

1. Put 31.65 in my penny can for the month of April.

2. saved all my spare change in coin bank

3. saved all my $5.00 bills.  $95.00 this week which is high.  So far for the year $735.  I swear every $20 bill I cashed gave me three 5's for change.  Plus many clients paid in 5's.  Which sometimes make crazy as I have to save them and then I cannot spend them.

4. saved a $1, $5, $10, $20 bill

5. went to Walmart for zippers as they are $1.87 there as apposed to $3.99 at Joanna.  Even with a 50% off coupon Walmart still beats Joanns, they just do not always have what I need there.

6. Transplanted herbs and flowers that survived the winter to new pots and soil.

7. did not cook all week as hub's was gone

8. Picked up loss leaders at Albertsons last week.  Yogurt, asparagus. 

9. froze apples for pies that were turning mealy

10. fed all food scraps to chickens

11. Used things taken off other wedding dresses to fix another dress. saved customers money and made some for myself.

12. accepted hangers from a client that was getting rid of clothes after she lost weight.

13. helped Lil sis with wedding things to save her money.

14. downloaded all recc'ts  to fetch.

15. helped daughter sew up some costumes. Actually made poodle skirts out of old curtains. Did not have to buy material.

16.  found bird suet marked down to .80 a tray.  Bought it all for my birdies.

Did you do anything to save money this week?  Do you have a regular savings plan?  Share some of your saving secrets with me.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.  

Kim