What does the dishwasher have to do with wholesale and retail soap? Well actually nothing except you do use soap to wash the dishes but not the kind I sell.
This is a confession blog entry about my love hate relationship with the dishwasher. This is an almost daily struggle.
I love the diswasher and how it cleans my dishes, the silverware well that can use some help.
I love the dishwasher because I can just dump them (dirty dishes) into the dishwasher and viola my kitchen is clean. The dishwasher is amazing and I wouldn't be without it.
But here's the problem, I hate to empty it. I really do and I avoid it like the plaque. Now this is really serious because I can look at that dishwasher with it's clean dishes and know it has to be emptied and I start to make promises to it and me that I'll get to it. Hmm when?
So at night I'm tired and I know that the dishwasher wants to be done but I'm tired and I just promise myself that tomorrow morning I'll do it cause I'm a morning person. So that night's dinner dishes sit in the sink waiting patiently to be put into the dishwasher.
Morning comes my energy level is high, I eat breakfast, drink coffee, walk the dog but decide that I'll just empty the dishwasher when I get home cause I really want to get to my business and that's way too important. So in the sink goes my breakfast dishes.
Nighttime boy am I beat I worked a good long day and I deserve this glass of wine and in a whisper I hear the dishwasher calling me. Especially when I see how dirty looking the kitchen looks with all those dirty dishes. "Dishwasher please I have had such a busy day, I promise tomorrow morning" On the counter goes the dinner dishes (cause the sink is full) with an I owe you to the dishwasher.
Morning comes with a resolve that I won't leave till the kitchen is clean. I keep that promise but first before I clean the kitchen I have to empty the dishwasher. I open the door with an ugh under my breath and just dig in. Not 5 minutes has passed when the dishwasher is done, cleaned out, empty, ready for the new batch. 5 minutes and that ain't no lie. All that promising and procrastinating for what? To get away without doing 5 minutes of work and it's really not work it's just putting dishes away I never broke a sweat or got achy joints or muscles from it.
I really can't figure out why I feel this way, so you might ask do I procrastinate putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher? Absolutely not I'm always ready to put in the dishwasher dishes that are dirty though except if the dishwasher has to be emptied.
So there is no rthyme or reason to this madness, I guess I'm just a bit crazy and have a phobia about emptying the dishwasher. How does that sound? You don't buy it, hmm me either.
Till next time
Linda
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Who Knew I Could Do Gift Baskets!
Being in the soapmaking business for the last.....8 years people would always ask me "why don't you do baskets". Then my mind would start wandering to all the attempts I made to come up with a good looking basket. I was willing to settle for good not great. But I have to tell you all attempts were horrible. Why you ask?
Well for one I HATE shrinkwrapped baskets. They look so cheesy and cheap so anytime I did one and did the shrinkwrap covering it was ugh. Plus have you ever felt that stuff? You know we are affected by all of our senses and feel is one of them and touching that shrinkwrap after it's be shrunk feels like brittle saron wrap now what kind of impression in your mind would that conjure up?
Okay so no shrinkwrap, NEXT I went on to cello on a roll from the local craft store. Have you ever tried to cut that stuff? Dear Cello On A Roll has a mind of it's own and hates the scissor. When you finally get it cut to fit, you gather it all up around the basket with products, add the ribbon and with all that work what does it look like? Folds and folds of cello and if you look really close you can see the product. Nope I hated that almost as much as the shrinkwrap.
Ohhh one day I came across some netting at Walmart for $1.00 a yard. Bought all they had went back to the store and did up some more baskets because I was convinced this was the way. Well this was getting better but I just wasn't happy, I didn't feel that zing when I'm totally happy with what I've done. These baskets reminded me of bridal or baby shower gifts and they weren't.
One thing I did forget to mention in my quest for the good looking basket was I wasn't placing my merchandise high enough in the basket. Actually all of the stuff should be up as high as the rim of the basket. Did anyone think to start a Gift Basket University for us people who need alot of help making baskets. This would save the trial and error period.
Gift basket creating is an art, and I didn't think I had it, which was depressing. With realizing one aspect of a good looking basket was to position the items way up and also using glue dots I was starting to get a bit hopeful that I might just get it yet. I wanted to create a basket that someone would be happy to give as a gift.
So for our Valentine push we decided to order some very cute stuffed animals from http://www.burtonandburton.com/. Even at my age (58) I still love stuffed animals. Now Burton and Burton is geared towards gift basket companies and they have some cello bags in sizes big enough for gift baskets. So I decided to try them. I am so happy that I did that I'm doing a happy dance. Now each bag costs about .20 each but they are so worth it. There are no folds that your merchandise is hiding behind. The quality of the cello is such that it's a crisp and clean look (remember creating for all senses) and most of all my merchandise looks fabulous darling.
Oh yeah and the stuff animals holding my product in the gift basket doesn't hurt either. I'll post some pictures as soon as they are done this week.
So if you haven't thought about doing gift baskets in your store do try it and if you have and were like me and had problems with them just keep plugging away and if I can help please feel free to email me at Linda@firstinlinesoap.com
Well for one I HATE shrinkwrapped baskets. They look so cheesy and cheap so anytime I did one and did the shrinkwrap covering it was ugh. Plus have you ever felt that stuff? You know we are affected by all of our senses and feel is one of them and touching that shrinkwrap after it's be shrunk feels like brittle saron wrap now what kind of impression in your mind would that conjure up?
Okay so no shrinkwrap, NEXT I went on to cello on a roll from the local craft store. Have you ever tried to cut that stuff? Dear Cello On A Roll has a mind of it's own and hates the scissor. When you finally get it cut to fit, you gather it all up around the basket with products, add the ribbon and with all that work what does it look like? Folds and folds of cello and if you look really close you can see the product. Nope I hated that almost as much as the shrinkwrap.
Ohhh one day I came across some netting at Walmart for $1.00 a yard. Bought all they had went back to the store and did up some more baskets because I was convinced this was the way. Well this was getting better but I just wasn't happy, I didn't feel that zing when I'm totally happy with what I've done. These baskets reminded me of bridal or baby shower gifts and they weren't.
One thing I did forget to mention in my quest for the good looking basket was I wasn't placing my merchandise high enough in the basket. Actually all of the stuff should be up as high as the rim of the basket. Did anyone think to start a Gift Basket University for us people who need alot of help making baskets. This would save the trial and error period.
Gift basket creating is an art, and I didn't think I had it, which was depressing. With realizing one aspect of a good looking basket was to position the items way up and also using glue dots I was starting to get a bit hopeful that I might just get it yet. I wanted to create a basket that someone would be happy to give as a gift.
So for our Valentine push we decided to order some very cute stuffed animals from http://www.burtonandburton.com/. Even at my age (58) I still love stuffed animals. Now Burton and Burton is geared towards gift basket companies and they have some cello bags in sizes big enough for gift baskets. So I decided to try them. I am so happy that I did that I'm doing a happy dance. Now each bag costs about .20 each but they are so worth it. There are no folds that your merchandise is hiding behind. The quality of the cello is such that it's a crisp and clean look (remember creating for all senses) and most of all my merchandise looks fabulous darling.
Oh yeah and the stuff animals holding my product in the gift basket doesn't hurt either. I'll post some pictures as soon as they are done this week.
So if you haven't thought about doing gift baskets in your store do try it and if you have and were like me and had problems with them just keep plugging away and if I can help please feel free to email me at Linda@firstinlinesoap.com
Monday, December 31, 2007
New Year's And My Take On It
Happy New Year to all
I just recently read a note on-line from a woman business owner on her take on the New Year. It seems she always got excited crossing borders or having one foot in one room and one in another. I can see how that could be exciting but for me it doesn't do it. Her analogy was for the coming New Year and the possibilities it presents.
But for me the New Year is like a blank notebook. I love notebooks and it's very hard to not buy them whenever I'm in a store. A blank notebook holds so many promises, it could be a best selling novel, or possible some artwork good enough to be in a museum, maybe it will be the journal book that my ramblings in finally let me get it. So you see I love notebooks for their potential and that's how I see the New Year.
2008 holds fresh beginnings, a new accounting year with bigger and better profits, a new year for new relationships of friends and lovers. A new year where that new book actually shows me the way. A new year with more love from and to my family.
Now I always respected the beginings of the year but never did much celebrating. In fact I can only remember going to one big New Year's Eve bash and I must of been 19 years old at the time. I'm a home body at heart and just love to stay there. I also don't stay up to the midnight hour cause sleep always is calling and I just succumb.
New Year's resolutions, I stopped those many years ago cause I realized that it wouldn't be a week before I'd fall off the wagon so to speak. But this year I promise myself to write each day in my journal, bear my sole open up and see, inspect, dissect what's inside. It should be an interesting journey.
So Happy New Year to all of you who read my posts. Thank you!!
I just recently read a note on-line from a woman business owner on her take on the New Year. It seems she always got excited crossing borders or having one foot in one room and one in another. I can see how that could be exciting but for me it doesn't do it. Her analogy was for the coming New Year and the possibilities it presents.
But for me the New Year is like a blank notebook. I love notebooks and it's very hard to not buy them whenever I'm in a store. A blank notebook holds so many promises, it could be a best selling novel, or possible some artwork good enough to be in a museum, maybe it will be the journal book that my ramblings in finally let me get it. So you see I love notebooks for their potential and that's how I see the New Year.
2008 holds fresh beginnings, a new accounting year with bigger and better profits, a new year for new relationships of friends and lovers. A new year where that new book actually shows me the way. A new year with more love from and to my family.
Now I always respected the beginings of the year but never did much celebrating. In fact I can only remember going to one big New Year's Eve bash and I must of been 19 years old at the time. I'm a home body at heart and just love to stay there. I also don't stay up to the midnight hour cause sleep always is calling and I just succumb.
New Year's resolutions, I stopped those many years ago cause I realized that it wouldn't be a week before I'd fall off the wagon so to speak. But this year I promise myself to write each day in my journal, bear my sole open up and see, inspect, dissect what's inside. It should be an interesting journey.
So Happy New Year to all of you who read my posts. Thank you!!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
I'm A Wanna Be!
I'm a wanna be collage artist. I love this form of art. I became conscious of it about 2 years ago from a collage artist on line and I just knew I wanted to do it. This woman was holding classes to teach collage but the only problem was she was in California and I was in Florida. I wrote her and she just said to do a collage journal and just get started sort of teaching myself. Hmmmmm didn't work because I always want to go from here to perfect without anything in between. Yup that's a pretty good description of me. So my first project was a large canvas and it was suppose to be a self portrait. In it would be the depressing beginnings of my life onto my growth etc etc. You know it didn't work and the 1/3 finished piece is sitting in my closet as a reminder that perfection doesn't just happen.
So I kept looking at that piece wondering what is wrong with it and I came up with a few things that I could of done differently plus my son the art college graduate also helped me see what some of the problems were. So because of that piece and it's failure (my description) I became stuck and look for inspiration from all my collage books. I love the work of the artists in these books but I just didn't feel a personal connection to creating collage like them. So feeling this way I just thought I didn't have it. Hmmmm that was a bit upsetting. So because my first piece didn't come out right I went off in a direction that really wasn't what I'm inspired to do with collage. I learned that now.
So I looked on line at other collage artists and finally came across a woman who's art inspired me to just do my collage my way. I was so focused on doing it like the others that it didn't feel right. I want to do pieces that are totally obstract and that maybe someone would stand in front of it and want to try to understand what I'm saying.
Here's the link to the artist I found.http://thisjoyofart.blogspot.com/
So I still don't want to do collage journal work I want to go right to canvas and I'll just play around with it till I get where I like what I've done.
Till next time
Linda
So I kept looking at that piece wondering what is wrong with it and I came up with a few things that I could of done differently plus my son the art college graduate also helped me see what some of the problems were. So because of that piece and it's failure (my description) I became stuck and look for inspiration from all my collage books. I love the work of the artists in these books but I just didn't feel a personal connection to creating collage like them. So feeling this way I just thought I didn't have it. Hmmmm that was a bit upsetting. So because my first piece didn't come out right I went off in a direction that really wasn't what I'm inspired to do with collage. I learned that now.
So I looked on line at other collage artists and finally came across a woman who's art inspired me to just do my collage my way. I was so focused on doing it like the others that it didn't feel right. I want to do pieces that are totally obstract and that maybe someone would stand in front of it and want to try to understand what I'm saying.
Here's the link to the artist I found.http://thisjoyofart.blogspot.com/
So I still don't want to do collage journal work I want to go right to canvas and I'll just play around with it till I get where I like what I've done.
Till next time
Linda
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
It's Finally Over!!
Hi Folks,
Christmas 2007 is behind us and we can start thinking of other things like Valentines Day.
I'm getting ready!! To redo my window of course for Valentine's Day. My goal is to create a fun funky place to shop. I want fun I want people to come into the store to love what they see and smile and be happy. Isn't it wonderful when someone says to you "you have such a great store, I love it" That really makes my day and it keeps me going to make it even better.
Because most of my Valentine soap products will revolve around chocolate I'm doing a brown and pink color scheme especially for the window. Brown and pink is popular right now and I think it will draw passer-by's eye. A visit to Joann Fabric yielded me the perfect fabric to do the back drop, brown. Which will hang from the ceiling. I haven't done this before for the window. It will block you being able to look into the store but I think that might be good, you know curiousity!! So as the brown not to look drab and depressing in front of that will be some type of curtain of hearts. (hearts on strings or ribbons)
www.orientaltrading.com and www.funexpress.com have some great things but still I'm not sure.
So I have till January 2 (that's decorating day) to come up with my idea for Valentine's day decoration. Something a bit more than just hearts and flowers.
Mail just came in and with it my www.burtonandburton.com catalog. They aren't just a balloon company and they have some cute things I might use for my decorations.
Well till next time and would love to hear your ideas!
Linda
Christmas 2007 is behind us and we can start thinking of other things like Valentines Day.
I'm getting ready!! To redo my window of course for Valentine's Day. My goal is to create a fun funky place to shop. I want fun I want people to come into the store to love what they see and smile and be happy. Isn't it wonderful when someone says to you "you have such a great store, I love it" That really makes my day and it keeps me going to make it even better.
Because most of my Valentine soap products will revolve around chocolate I'm doing a brown and pink color scheme especially for the window. Brown and pink is popular right now and I think it will draw passer-by's eye. A visit to Joann Fabric yielded me the perfect fabric to do the back drop, brown. Which will hang from the ceiling. I haven't done this before for the window. It will block you being able to look into the store but I think that might be good, you know curiousity!! So as the brown not to look drab and depressing in front of that will be some type of curtain of hearts. (hearts on strings or ribbons)
www.orientaltrading.com and www.funexpress.com have some great things but still I'm not sure.
So I have till January 2 (that's decorating day) to come up with my idea for Valentine's day decoration. Something a bit more than just hearts and flowers.
Mail just came in and with it my www.burtonandburton.com catalog. They aren't just a balloon company and they have some cute things I might use for my decorations.
Well till next time and would love to hear your ideas!
Linda
Monday, December 17, 2007
Location Location Location
Christmas is almost upon us and the holiday season will just be a thing of the past. I'm in a tourist section of Florida so we don't experience much Christmas shoppers.
I wrote before about my Christmas decorations and I finally got some pictures to show you.
This one has Santa in the tub surrounded in bubbles. The actual construction of lthe wreath was made with nylon scrubbies opened and threaded thru a wire wreath. So now I've decided that Valentine will be so much fun to decorate for. I'm not one for decorations for my home but for the store I think it's great fun. www.orientaltrading.com will have some of my money this month. They have many cute and inexpensive things for Valentines that will create that Valentine feeling in the store. Can you imagine the store all decorated and then CD's playing of all romantic songs. The mood is set and customers are entertained.
Stay tuned for more details about decorating for Valentine's Day, plus my Valentine Party info
Linda
Friday, December 7, 2007
What I Learned From This Season!
What I learned this season for retailing is the importance of a well dressed window.
I've done my windows before , well barely, but this season a very good friend of mine decided I need some help. So armed with ribbons, ornaments, snow blankets, train set and trees she came and conquered the window. After about 7 hours we had developed a Christmas window that would give Macy's a run for it's money. Oh what fun it was!
Previously the window decoration were just a little of this and a little of that. This Christmas the window is full and you get to look at so many things.
So now the Christmas window is done and it's bringing in customers, a very creative window is the invitation into the store. Customers think creative window, creative store!! I hadn't realized that before and I left the window for the last thing I thought about and it showed. Plus I always thought about spending unnecessary money. Well I didn't realize the money spent for that window already paid for itself with new customers drawn in by that window. I calculate that the cost for that great window was maybe $50.
So with the success of our Christmas window I'm looking forward to doing our next window VALENTINE'S DAY Oh the ideas I have for that one.
So if you are like me and think the window of the store doesn't matter, think again.
I've done my windows before , well barely, but this season a very good friend of mine decided I need some help. So armed with ribbons, ornaments, snow blankets, train set and trees she came and conquered the window. After about 7 hours we had developed a Christmas window that would give Macy's a run for it's money. Oh what fun it was!
Previously the window decoration were just a little of this and a little of that. This Christmas the window is full and you get to look at so many things.
So now the Christmas window is done and it's bringing in customers, a very creative window is the invitation into the store. Customers think creative window, creative store!! I hadn't realized that before and I left the window for the last thing I thought about and it showed. Plus I always thought about spending unnecessary money. Well I didn't realize the money spent for that window already paid for itself with new customers drawn in by that window. I calculate that the cost for that great window was maybe $50.
So with the success of our Christmas window I'm looking forward to doing our next window VALENTINE'S DAY Oh the ideas I have for that one.
So if you are like me and think the window of the store doesn't matter, think again.
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