Tuesday, you would be so proud!

 I was busy yesterday. I worked hard and fast. I also said NO!!!! several times. I just told people I was 3-4 weeks out and they would have to wait to bring anything in until then.  I don't want more work in the shop.

I went and did my blood work this morning and as I was getting ready to get into a wedding dress I realized I had 3 more small projects Sissie cannot get to that I will have to get done today. This is why I am saying no!

When you have things crawling out from under the woodwork that you didn't know you had waiting for you it is time to put a halt on things coming into the shop.

Tuesdays are always my busiest phone and things coming in days. So, the phone has been a nuisance with me saying sorry, I am just too busy to take that in right now.

See I am learning, it is a slow process, but I am learning. 

The yard man that is doing my lawn stopped by and he said everything looks great in spite of the marmots. It is raining slightly today so I do not have to water unless it starts to heat up later today. I am now using the sprinklers system which makes things much easier on me.

Here is today's list:

1. get blood work done

2. put zippers in antique beaded leggings

3. bind a baby blanket

4. alter a mother of the bride dress

5. hem a pair of pants

6. hem and dart and remove lace on a wedding dress and call client for a fitting.

7. start another wedding dress

8. try and finish up a smaller job on a wedding dress.

9. pay a few bills

We will see how far I get. The wedding dresses need to be my priority and that has not been the case the last 2 days with all the extras that appeared.

But I know I can do this!

Here is to a calm Tuesday... Ha Ha that is never going to happen, but a girl can dream. BY the way said no twice while posting this, the dang phone.

God is good

Kim

Monday, busy week ahead!

 

I think I will be a warning. DO not be like me, do not cross me. Run away from me. Run fast! Faster!!!

I am a woman on a mission. This is almost never a good thing. I will strive to make it a good thing.

Of course, the shop is busy, and it is a short week. I am already a bit overwhelmed and I haven't even started. So, what am I going to do?

Well like all good elephant eaters, I will do this one bite at a time. I just looked at my calendar for fittings, and I have 4 wedding dresses coming in this week. So much for catching up.

I did get everything I need to set up the baby's nursery closet, and I painted the changing table this last weekend. It turned out so cute, but of course have I picked up a cord to download pictures? No! Just one of the many things Kim needs to add to her to do list that never gets to done.

Anyway, let's make a list. I feel like a list will help me today. After all the 3.5 hours of sleep I got last night is not helping my mindset. Sometimes I fight insomnia and it does not make me happy. But a list makes me happy so here goes.

1. put away dishes that are drying on the counter

2. unload the dishwasher and put away

3. fold two loads of laundry that are on the chair in the living room

4. hem three pairs of little boys wedding pants

5. iron three little boy's suits

6. alter mother of the bride dress

7. alter mother of the bribe dress

8. alter a bridesmaid dress

9. alter a bridesmaid dress

10. rip and alter a wedding dress, call bride

11. start on another wedding dress

 12. adjust dress side seams

13. alter a pair of pants and a shirt

14. get blood work done

15 pay some bills

16. call insurance office

That is enough....

 Say a prayer, Kim needs it!

 

God is good

Kim 

Thursday, Prices are going up!

 One of my readers showed me a link to a shop in Boise and boy am I undercharging. So, I printed out their list and then put my new prices up on the door.  I am still significantly lower, and I have the discretion to selectively lower for my clients on fixed incomes. But it is time. Wedding alterations are going up also, as they are the largest part of my income.

Kelsa is a great watch dog as she is constantly looking outside and running off the marmots.  What am I going to do when she leaves? Well, her dad will come fix the fence and that will help some. 

Had another dress picked up today and hopefully one tomorrow. Then I just have to press and call a bride for another pick up and go get a dress off the rack to start. By the way I thought I had 4 dresses for August and I have 5.  So much for Kim keeping track. 

I am going tonight to get paint for the changing table I bought on craigslist for B, and I am going to look for a small dresser.  Then I will paint them both this weekend.  I would like to go up to Moscow for a few days but with having to water every 2-3 hours that is out. By next week the lawn will be 3 weeks old and I can set the sprinklers. I am really looking forward to that; you have no idea. 

By the way hand sewn hems on the Boise shop are 1 dollar an inch. We hand sew all our dress trousers, so that would run 30 a hem for pants. I think that is overkill. But I went up some. When I was in South Carolina, we stopped at an alterations place, and a starting hem was 30 dollars. Then again, these people have to pay rent and maintain a separate residence for their work. 

God is good

Kim

Wednesday, Fighting the marmots

 These little critters are eating my new baby grass. It has been 4 or five now it is about 20. I am constantly outside yelling and throwing rocks and now they are just about ignoring me. Of course, Roscoe is no help as he has been trained to not chase anything, I am about at my wits end.  

I can see where they are coming in and I need Nate to come over and fix the problem. He can't get here fast enough. They are cute little creatures, but they are losing their allure.

In the meantime, Kelsa is here and will be until tomorrow. I am almost done with the last July dress and Sissie is sewing away on the piles.

The shop just seems to be getting busier, and I am thinking of raising my prices. I will keep prices the same for seniors, but these people that bring in piles of expensive clothing, can certainly afford more and everything has gone up so much.  I don't know it is hard for me. Money has always been an issue in my life, like never enough and I hate to see people struggle. I guess what I am not seeing out of so many clients is the struggle.

Watering 4-5 times a day is exhausting, but the grass is coming in great, well what the marmots are not eating. I keep telling myself it will be worth it.

I put all the new yard lights I bought on sale out in their respective places, and it really does light up the yard. I had 6 leftover and I put them over the fence for my neighbor to put out.  She was thrilled.

Lil sis is here baking cookies with Kelsa and her granddaughter Melia. She is taking Kelsa back to her house to go swimming and this grandma will get sone work done!

Hey you guys, Have a great and productive day.  I know I will be chasing marmots....

God is good

Kim

Tuesday, Equipment problems!

 I will have to say most of this is my fault for not slowing down and taking care of things as I should. My white serger needs new blades and has for some time. The black serger decided it would not thread last week, and we just had to punt. Took it in and they could not get it to work either. It is new. I have only rethreaded it once.  SO, I will not have to pay for repairs, which is nice, but I still need another serger as I cannot get by without a dark and a light.

So, I purchased the only one they had available which is not a brand I like, and the machine is schanky. It is hard to thread and just not good quality, but I could not wait any longer.  When the other serger comes back hopefully working I can take in the serger that needs new blades and then will have three working sergers.  The poorer quality one can be back up.

Now I could have dropped the serger that needs new blades off when I was on one of my vacations, but did I? No! So, this is what I am stuck with, a mediocre machine.

Poor Sissie is behind on her work.  We have had so many alterations come in and I am primarily doing wedding stuff. She cannot keep up.  So, after I finish pressing the dress I did yesterday, I will alter the last July dress and then spend the rest of the week just doing alterations on pants and coats and things. Once that is caught up, I can go back to the wedding attire. 

Sissie and I went to Hobby Lobby where they had their yard lights on a good sale.  I needed new ones so badly.  But now I have to unbox and put them out.  Sorry no time for that between sewing and watering. I also need to go out and spray again and I need to fertilize the pots.  Just nothing to do here...

Sissie is really frustrated right now with a pair of pants that someone else tried to alter and they really messed up. Nothing is worse than altering an alteration of someone that did not know what they were doing. It is the worst.

Anyway, that is my sad story for the day, although I am still feeling really blessed if I was truthful.

God is good

Kim

Monday, New week!

 I had a great 4th celebration.  Lots of people and food, my goodness the food. Way too much food!  It was fun and exhausting. To the point I did not go to church on Sunday as I was just not feeling well. I was not sure why, just dizzy, headachy and over tired. Sissie came up and cleaned up the last of the kitchen mess which was quite the chore, and I took a long nap. Bless her.

I continue to water 4-5 times a day which is a lot of work. The grass is coming in nicely along with the weeds, but they say to ignore the weeds they will take care of those later in the process.

Nathan came over last Thursday and Sprayed the new fencing with stain.  It took him 4 hours to do both sides of the 180-foot cedar fence.  I was bid 2500 to do this and I just called Nathan and asked him to do it for 1000. He came through in a heartbeat.  I would rather give my hard-earned money to my son in law than a contractor who is overbidding by a long shot.

We had so much food left over.  Sis and I wrapped it up and took it to the kids that live across the street from her. It is a sad situation as the mother of this lot is in a state mental hospital and the father is a shadow of a man.  He works nights trying to keep the 5 kids afloat. They are nice teenagers and very close together in age. They are always happy to take leftovers.  I know they get some assistance, but not enough for 5 growing kids. Sweet family.

Dan is in Missoula with his older sister who is having a heart procedure. So Sissie is with me, as she is carless. Last night little sis called as her pet sitter reported that her pool was not functioning right.  So, she called us and we were over there twice to rectify the situation. Thank goodness for relatives as the pump would have burned up without intervention. I know nothing about pools, so this was a learning curve.

There is plenty to do in the shop and I plan on getting those last two July dresses done asap.  I want to start on the August dresses and have at least 1/2 of them done before the 17th of the month when we leave for our reunion. 

It is hard to believe; my new grandbaby will be here in less than two months. I have much to do in getting ready, as in completing some kind of makeshift nursery. I need to get sandpaper and paint for a changing table I bought second hand. That is a project to complete this week.

I always have something to do, don't I?

Anyway, what is happening in your neck of the woods?

God is good

Kim

Thursday, Only 2 left!

 

I only have two dresses left for July!!!! Then I think 5 dresses for August. But still a total of 13 in the shop.  It is never ending, but I am making progress.

We have a big 4th of July bash here on Saturday. Lots to prepare.  I will be busy tomorrow getting ready. Sissie will help.

Gaylord and Nate cleaned the north 40 yesterday and sprayed it well.  There was a lot of thistle that they took down, and I am so happy about it. 

The lawn people checked on my hydro seeding and said it was doing well. I hope so for the cost and the work involved. In fact, I need to go out now and water.

I have been hitting the meat sales for the 4th and doing a little stock up. Still prices are so bad. I did have a 7-dollar credit at one store that I used. You have to look for those bargains to survive anymore.

Please have a Happy 250th Celebration! Stay safe. I can't believe it has been 50 years since high school. Wow time flies, I would like to say when you are having fun, but I really can't.  I can say while you are surviving...

I have a hard scrub top to do this morning, and I am not quite sure if it can be done. Have to put on my thinking cap, which is always a little rusty.

Here's to a great holiday weekend!

God is good

Kim 

Wednesday, A Day can make a difference!

 This is what the marmots look like that sun themselves on a large rock outside my house. They are so cute, but when I do this the family makes me put on clothes!

I did get two very hard dresses done yesterday and a wedding dress, but I am still behind. Today I am going to finish two wedding dresses and then take a good look at what is to be done next. 

Work for Sissie is almost out of control as there are things she does not feel comfortable doing and I will be picking up the slack.

I feel so much better today about everything as I think I have gotten enough rest and have actually done something in the shop. I do believe if I can get the two wedding dresses done today, I only have 2 more for July but I really need to get started on August. I don't even want to count August as I don't want my good mood deflated. 

It looks like it will finally warm up here as we have had rain and cooler temps for the last 5 days. It has sure saved me on hand watering, which has been a blessing.

Nathan and Gaylord on working on the north 40 as I call it. Last week I had two more rattlesnakes making the total for the year 14!!!! The one I had last Thursday was huge! I usually just attack with a hoe, but this was beyond hoe. I went next door and the neighbor was not home, so I called Dan to bring up a gun and shoot the bugger. Then went back and of course the bounder had crawled off.... Now I don't know where it is in the yard and I am out watering every two hours.  Finally, neighbor came home and he hunted it down and shot the snake. It was 14 years old with a huge rattle and very old snake. Then we had another small one in the garage the day of the shower. I think Gaylord is much more worried about the snakes than I. They are coming from the overgrown north 40.  It is a perfect place for them to hide. In fact, we are thinking of taking down the one small, variegated pussy willow, and the grape vine as it seems the snakes like to hide beneath these. What a year.

Anyway, I need to get busy and get my quota done for today and I also need to pay bills. My favorite thing let me tell you.

God is good

Kim