Winding Down 2013

This year is finally coming to a close.  I picked up and packed up the last show yesterday.  And put it all away today - finally getting the mounds and piles of stuff that I've been dodging around the last few months all back in place and organized.

I just didn't want to start off the new year in an office and studio that was a complete tornado, full of left over bits and bobs cluttering my space.

Later this week I'll still have to do inventory and counting it all up.  And January is a full month of bookkeeping, accounting, analyzing - trying to figure out what went right and what went wrong.  There is all kinds of work ahead, making plans for the new year.

But for the moment, right now, this afternoon, I am done.  Done with the lists.  Done with the endless tasks and chores and bits of work that are always nibbling at my heels.

To be honest, it's been a tough go the last couple of months.  I know it's just that I'm tired and haven't gotten it all past me yet, but it feels longer and harder each winter holiday season.

I am very much looking forward to a few days of rest and recuperating.  No deadlines.  No wagon loads of mail orders.  No shows to prepare for.  Just quiet solitude at my desk.  Catching up on everything, but at my own pace.

Creativity and new ideas sometimes come out of challenges, but the bigger picture ones, for me at least, come from a place of peace.  I hope January is that place.

Just to catch you all (regular readers) up on how it ended - the kitchen project was almost finished in time for Christmas.  It's gorgeous and I'll post a couple of photos soon.  The windows were delayed, like most things, and didn't arrive until last Friday, so we are doing trim now, and I still have a day or two of painting ahead.

But we had our huge Christmas Eve feast cooked in the new kitchen, with a dishwasher this time!  So much more light and space.  Everything is so shiny and pretty and new.  I sometimes just stand there and stare and sigh.  What we waited so long for, and worked so hard for, is finally finished and perfect.  Feels good.

Deep breath.  A place to stop.  Hope for a better tomorrow.  That's what New Year's Eve is all about.  Collectively we all mark a spot to say "check", "done".  And begin to dream about what's new and what's next.  It's a beautiful space to be in.  Cheers!

Wishing you the merriest

and brightest Christmas!  May you all have marvelous celebrations with family and friends, no matter what kind of holiday you are celebrating this season.

I'm so looking forward to a couple of days away from the hustle, bustle, and to-do lists to enjoy the most important things in life, and appreciate what I have rather than focus on what I do not.

May the peace and wonder of the season last the whole year long . . .

Oh yeah, my last show of the year

Ooops!  I forgot to stop by and let you all know that I was at Phinney Ridge last weekend.

I guess it doesn't matter now.  Plenty of people already knew, and a gazillion others showed up.  It was a crazy busy show this year.  Not a record, but close.  I sold out of so much stuff - both days.

And then Monday I worked like mad to send out a thousand mail orders that had come in over the weekend.  Ok, maybe I exaggerated a little bit on that part.  But it certainly felt like a thousand.  And I barely made it to the post office and UPS before deadline.  Racing like mad with my heart pumping.  But it all worked out.  And then I skipped dinner and face planted in bed.

So Tuesday I worked like a crazy person once again to get ready for this week's show at Group Health.  I have a little bits of everything, but it's the last of the last.  And again, I forgot to stop by the old bloggie-poo to let you all know about that too.

Tonight, I have just a few short minutes to catch up on the blog.  It's total pandemonium this time of year.  Barely time to breathe.  Ok, that's an exaggeration too.  I still have time to breathe.  And shower.  But not much else.  The rest is all work, work, work at a ridiculous pace for ridiculous long hours.

The point of all this is that I am set up and selling my last bits of soaps at my (semi-regular) pop-up shop space at Group Health in Capitol Hill this week.  I'll still be there Thurs and Fri from 9:30am to 4pm.  It's located at 108 E 15th St - kitty corner from the big Safeway store there at John St intersection.  Well, actually closer to the new Bakery Nouveau spot across the street (yowza! sugar buzz!).


Warm Beach goes on til Christmas, and so does Allied Arts in Bellingham.  I'll try to restock a little there, but I don't have much left.  And we're running out of days to mail order in time for Christmas.  I'm trying to keep the site updated with what's available.  Today, it's almost everything.  But it's just a few of those everythings.

If somebody orders 2 or 5 of something, it's gone.  There are a couple of batches curing. And I keep thinking I can squeeze in the time to make another batch or two.  Sigh.

Anyway, come see me at my pop up shop!  I've got holiday tunes!  Gift sets!  A full bonanza of lip balms that I made the other night into the wee hours.

What time is it now?  9:30pm?  Oh yeah, plenty of time to make more sprays and pack a few more orders to go out tomorrow.  plunk.    zzzzzzzz