Shop progress and Vi's baby shower

Before up above......
And after.......below. Shane lowered the "counter" so that my office would feel more open. It looks great!

Nathan was in charge of painting my office. It wasn't until AFTER he left that we realized that he had used a different color of paint to touch up. Luckily we have the proof in this photo!
I took a break from the shop today to go to one of my best friends baby showers.
Vi and I were best friends in high school and still remain very close to this day. Her family owns two Thai restaurants here on the Island so we ate well today.
Vi's dear friend Suzanne threw the shower and I was in charge of games. We had a lot of fun. I even ran into some old classmates from middle school. It was just like old times.
Seriously.....Vi doesn't want me posting ANY photos of her because she thinks she is fat. HELLO, you are pregnant! Anyhow, I did tell the truth when I said I wouldn't post on facebook.
Beautiful mama.

The laughing is always at ME for something. This was for Suzanne trying to talk into my "bad" ear.

Grayson, Rach and I.
The gang, years (not telling how many) later.
Tu, Kk, Rach and Vi

Good times. The shop is looking great. I am so thankful for Sundays so that I can R-E-S-T.

T'was the night before leasing....

When Sandra (my godmother/second mom/big sister etc.) comes, she likes to get a hotel room here. This time she got a room with two queen sized bed in hopes of enticing me to stay the night with her and get a much needed good night sleep. Of course I didn't stay, that would involve me leaving my kids and you all know how I get about that. Anyhow, the plan was to get ALL the paperwork together, organized, and evaluated before signing the final lease on my shop today.
We (meaning she) got it all ready and we were able to soak in the hot tub for a little bit, eat at the buffet and enjoy each others company.
I have to stop and focus on Sandra as I write this. Since we first met when I was 12, we have always had this amazing friendship. She was that fun older spunky woman that understood everything I was going through as a teen and congratulated me on all of it! Here she is 22 years later and still in my life. Ready at the drop of a hat to drive the 4 hours it takes to get here, to pay upwards of 150.00 a night at hotels to help me look through my paperwork, get my business ready and have an arm around me the entire time to tell me how proud of me she is.
Today......this is my HAPPY!


PS- TODAY I am a store owner! I will be practically living at the store from today on (except Sundays), so if you ever want to come by and visit or take little Mae and Ry for a much needed walk, please please PLEASE feel free!

Happy Thoughts

First happy thought:
How much I love one of my best friends, Rachel. I feel so blessed to be able to live right where I grew up. So many familiar faces that have been through good times and bad with me. Rach and I have been the closest of friends since we were 13 years old. We have many many memories together. All silly and fun. I am so happy that she is on the Island and is a mommy to my sweetheart Grayson and is still in my life.
Second happy thought:
Today I met with the owner of our Bainbridge Blue Grass Festival for our walk through of the area. For those of you who do not know. Norm Johnson has been doing this festival for 6 years and it is his baby much like Indie Banditas is mine. I have tried to incorporate music into each one of my shows and I just haven't been able to put the energy into it like I would like to.
Cue Norm. From now on, Norm will handle the music. We had a moment today, standing in the rain at Battlepoint, looking at where the music festival will be which is next to where my bazaar will be. He put his arm around me and said..."my baby and your baby" and we got a little teary eyed. It is going to be amazing. Bluegrass bands from all over the West Coast and handmade art.

My third and very HAPPIEST are these amazing little women that are all mine for an hour every other week. What an amazing calling to get to teach these sweet girls what I know (or don't, but get to learn with them). Tonight we worked on babysitting bags to hold their informative but NONboring papers, fun toys and misc. to take on babysitting trips. These girls have the funniest sense of humors and I thank my lucky stars that I get to share their company.
Now, that's just three of my many many many happy's for today.

Team painting.....it should be a sport

I wish I would have taken photos of Gretchens new AMAZINGly fantastic new home. It is beyond huge and gorgeous. Some of us were able to make it out to help paint said ginormous home. It was a lot of fun thanks to Ralphs well stocked be it "anal" refridgerator full of diet cokes (all labels facing forward and perfectly placed) and Gretchens well stocked ipod full of good music.

We had fun painting the walls and each other. M painted an M on the back of my "I Love Football" tshirt freshly bought from Walmart for just this occasion. It made a perfect stamp afterwards.

This below shot would have been beautiful if I would have made sure that my flash was open.

Last attempt at a team photo. Go MK!

Next paint party.....my shop, Sat and Mon.

Karaoke night

Weyyllll.......the night started out mellow enough with a dinner to welcome home Nichole at San Carlos. Nichole used to be in our ward and came for a brief 2 hour visit en route to her family's in Sequim. I should have left well enough alone and stayed but.......
This.....woman (picture below) had been asking me for months to come to Karaoke night with her so...........

Off we went to Isla Bonita.....the BAR side. Um.....wow. I felt so awkward and out of place. Not only was everyone drunk at 9:30pm ( I know right!), but I was hit on (trust me, not very flattering given their state), ditched.....(yes, ditched) and ended up singing karaoke by myself.

I sang THIS. OH YES.......I did. I knew not a soul and still sang....yes, AWKWARD.

Luckily, there were a few friends from high school that I did manage to visit with, if you call visiting screaming over the music and pushing your way through the very narrow hall. Top that with drunks waving their drinks and pool sticks and I am lucky to have made it home in one piece.

Let's just say that I WONT be going back anytime soon . Lesson learned.....follow those promptings sisters!

Port Townsend and my BIG news!

Port Townsend today with Nonny and the kids. No, we didn't plan the matching red coats and shoes, but so cute!



Jenny, I saw this window and thought of you!
The Candy Shop.

The American Legion Hall where our big Port Townsend bazaar will be June 26th.
It seriously creeped me out. I felt that if there was to be ANY place in the world to be filled with ghosts, this would be it. Look at Mae's face!
LOVE Port Townsend. All the history and art is enough to make my head spin.

Love the shop below. I bought a lot of fun goodies. I love the colors.

My very first store! Indie Banditas on 130 Winslow Way E. We will be open sometime in March!

Whoa Nelly....they want to WHAT!?

I know...the title sounds so intriguing right? It's misleading. Tonight Nathan casually asks me if a girl (see this post) can come to church with him and bring her friend along too. "Excuse me", I say. "Since when were you a man, who has girlfriends that are THAT serious about you"? More importantly......let's get this out of the way...he is 14 (in two weeks)! I am not naive, I expected this, but I guess because of Nathans shyness and overall disdain for being like anyone else...I suppose that I regarded him as more of a late bloomer kind of guy. Weyyll (in moms Idaho drawl), I was, is, am wrong, again. I suppose as a mother, I should get used to this sort of thing, but I truly hate being wrong, especially about my children whom I have always known better than the back of my hand. So, here's what I'm a gonna do. I'm a gonna let these little girls come to church with us. They will not be sitting next to Nathan, but next to me. They will be required to go to their own classes and hopefully learn something. If you see them, please be sure to introduce yourself and embarrass them. Please, you will be doing me a huge favor.
In turn, I will duly do the same for yours.