Sunday, September 11, 2011

Mood Swings of a Professional Nature!

   We had a very full plate this weekend with Mathews Market Days and Bark in the Park in Williamsburg where we partnered with the Wiliamsburg chapter of the Parrothead Club to raise money for the Heritage Humane Society. Thank you Cindy Mikeliates for taking on the responsibility for manning the booth and taking orders for our Faithful Friends Santas (see website). We did have a very nice weekend except for the downpour in Mathews Saturday morning. We will be drying out for  awhile after that one...but over all it was a gorgeous sunny (although very sweaty!) weekend!
   It is nice to have today to recover before starting a very busy upcoming week. We will be executing a list that Shawnette and I made during our downtime at Mathews. It was a very long list with some very involved items that only took up a very small piece on the page but will take gobs of time to accomplish! We are now committed to the Swiss Cheese method of of accomplishing goals...punching holes in our list until it morphs into the next one.
    We do have some very exciting news that accounts for  a lot of our time management challenge this week and the next several. We got our first large order from a national gift chain for our Psalms in the Sand ornaments! We are venturing into uncharted territory and having to learn new things about distribution, UPC codes, and packing and shipping for a large retail chain.  Just getting out a very large order when we are going into full swing with our own retail craft show schedule is a challenge of a larger scale than ever before. We are in a kind of happy panicked state that is very confusing emotionally :) To stress or celebrate that is the question....so we will yoyo back and forth accordingly! Happy excited....panicked stessed....let's try to go with Happy and excited for now!!! I will see you in the morning Shawnette, my friend and partner...be charged and ready to go!!

Thanks for Reading...
Lynn

http://www.chesapeakebaychristmas.com/

Bringing a little bit of the Chesapeake into your Home and Holidays!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Laboring On... in Santas Workshop!

   Today is Labor Day!...for Chesapeake Bay Christmas that means that our labor will intensify exponentially from now until Christmas. We are on the fast track now and there is no turning back. We are presently preparing to release our new 2011 Chesapeake Santa...hopefully by late September ( we are behind schedule but working hard!). We will also be finishing up a Santa we have designed for  a group down in Bath, NC  to raise funds for their organization and another new design of ours will be coming out soon (an awesome  Pirate Santa!) Look for many new and exciting one of a kind Santas at our shows.
    We have shows scheduled almost every weekend from now until Christmas which you can check on our upcoming events page on our website http://www.chesapeakebaychristmas.com/. Shawnette and I are both having minor anxiety attacks regularly...but not to worry these are just fuel for our creativity along with the increase in coffee consumption and occasional 4 hour energys we use to keep the long hours ahead of us!
  Santas workshop is gearing up and we will not stop until all of our Santas and ornaments are finished and delivered into the homes of our  great customers. Look for our email announcing the release of our 2011 Chesapeake Santa! Hint...he has a feature that makes each one unique and different from all of the others! We know you will love him and cannot wait to get your feedback.
   FYI there are  only 112 days until Christmas!!! 
   Thanks for reading,
Lynn
http://www.chesapeakebaychristmas.com/
Bringing a little bit of the Chesapeake into your Home and Holidays!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Earthquakes and Hurricanes!

    We just got our power back yesterday after being without it for 5 days in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. Many of my friends and neighbors still do not have power, water or phone yet so I know that we are blesssed. Three days before Irene arrived  here central Virginia experienced a 4.9 level earthquake! Wow! How could two such random low odds events happen here three days apart? I think we Virginians... neighbors and citizens should feel proud for handling these events with calm, courage and perserverance. Our hearts go out to our friends that have suffered damage, or bodily harm as a result of Irene and quake. Eventually the hardships, and pain will pass but the stories will remain to be told and retold.  The kindness of neighbors will be remembered and built upon to form stronger communities.  We will go forward a little stronger and better prepared to survive whatever mother nature has yet to send our way.
Thanks for reading,
Lynn