Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Early Morning Chores



I had my alarm set to 3:30am so I could take Caitlyn to the airport yesterday and forgot to turn it off, so here I am. Caitlyn made it safely to Boston for a fun stay with Nana so now I have to do the laundry and dishwasher. Just kidding. I'll have to get some other kids home from summer play to do chores! Yeah Right! If I get some work done around here I think I will head to the Ozarks to have a relaxing week with John's Mom and Sisters. I just learned how to knit a 2x2 rib so I am going to take the beginning of the scarf I learned on and knit till my eyes bleed. First I have to finish a bunch of shipping and the painting I started in the dining room.

John wants to cut business expenses and move the business to our home, so that means no more vintage furniture sales from our office building. I was pretty heartbroken the first few days but decided I would feel better if I got everything organized at home. So I started with fresh paint on the walls I have been meaning to paint and moving some of my etsy furniture over and get some shelves up and organized. I have decided this will be a good thing and it will be nice to have everything in one place and my sales were all online so it made the building added overhead. It will just kill me to take the Environmental Service Signs off the front though. Here is a picture of the backyard with a storm rolling in.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Friday Morning Coffee


What a week! And as my life goes, the weekend is usually busier. It looks like I will be getting a plane ticket to go to New Orleans to help drive the bucket truck and car back home. I am not really looking forward to it. I have a lot to do here. I spent the early part of the week being Chainsaw Charlie after Drexel and Paola were hit with 100 mph straight line winds. It wore me out! I thought that my pink hard hat was about to get its 15 minutes of fame when I was doing a large tree removal after the storm in Drexel and the news helicopter was overhead and the news crew was there also. The removal went well and it fell exactly where I wanted it, then all the neighbors around cheered and a woman handed me a Gatorade and 6 men sawed up the tree. I watched the news for it that evening and sure enough, they showed my jobsite, but only the people dragging my fallen tree to the curb. Ugh...

Last night I went hunting in the Treasure barns and got another load of amazing vintage stuff to paint, list and put in the shop. I sold all the metal toolboxes from the first round so that was my goal. I did find 2 more, but also some really neat other things. Like the scale in the picture. I better get to scrubbing this morning. I have a tree bid at 9am and the shop open at 10am so off for some more coffee and get my day rolling.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Friday Night



I am missing my husband terribly. Wow, didn't think I would type that. Just because I'm really ok with being independent and having time to do the things I need and want. I have been painting furniture like crazy to get the shop open. I stayed till about 10 tonight and an amazing table with a gorgeous amber finish will be dry tomorrow. I love listening to my music in bed and being on the computer at all times, but I realized today that it has been just over a month since he went to New Orleans for this job. Not only painting but still getting tree jobs done here at home. I had a great crew today; John's brother and a neighbor that has worked with John in the past. I had a plan how I wanted it to go and told the guys and let them figure out how to make it happen. It was perfect, they took care of getting the trucks there and they had a great system for getting the bigger trees down, so I did the fine pruning and headed to the back pasture for some clean up. My chainsaw was running so well I did the removals back there and had it in piles and all the hangers out so they just had to come pick it all up with the skid steer. Then I headed home, knocked the sawdust out of my hair, changed, washed the dirt off my arms and headed to the shop to turn the open sign around. Here are a couple things I finishe yesterday and today.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Vintage Vault on Main



Today is the first official day that the brick and mortar shop will be open to purchase items. I am not ready of course! But that is just like me, last minute. I have made some decisions in the last couple days after talking to the city and thinking some things through. John mentioned that people should be able to peek through the front windows and see a display, so I moved my super cool office that was up front. So now the front and main part is all showroom. Tasneam that is the City Manager encouraged me to get a separate business license and I think that is a good idea because the products are different than the environmental service. So, I did all my Missouri Applications online and picked a DBA; Vintage Vault. Then I purchased a domain; www.vintagevaultonmain.com. I was hesitant to have a different business name because my etsy site is jennifergoode and I have cards that say jgoode and we have everything linked, but I think it is the right decision if there is going to be any longevity. I think I will still have everything linked through the jgoode website and be able to use the cute jgoode cards for craft shows with gourds and a cute catchy descriptive name was important for the shop.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Bug Spray and Cat Lovin


I have been bragging about my new bug spray for a couple weeks now. I keep it in my truck to do bids with. Here is the email I sent her to tell her how much I love it; I just want to tell you how amazing this stuff is! I was a little hesitant to think it would work but I had to find an alternative to the store bought chemical filled bug sprays because they give my youngest daughter hives. I have a tree service so I am constantly getting out in peoples backyards and in brush and I just leave this in my truck and spray it on; Love it! Also, I think it is extremely effective against poison ivy. The other day I did a bid and I had to get back into a row of Cedar trees and the ground was a carpet of poison ivy. I had on capri pants. I got back into the truck and didn't have anything to wipe off my legs and as i was driving I started to get irritated and itchy. I sprayed this on it and I really think it neutralized it. I have been using it to prevent poison ivy before i get into it and I haven't had a splotch of it. Oh and last night I took my 6 kids to a bonfire and field party and I didn't get a bite and I was wearing flip flops. My youngest 3 who let me apply it to them didn't get any bites either, and we have chiggers and mosquito's here in Missouri. The oldest 3 were too cool for bug spray and they are digging and itching their ankles today! I guess I had to learn the hard way when I was their age too. I just wanted to let you know how wonderful your product is and how much it is in my daily routine, I use it more than makeup now! LOL and my daughter doesn't have any reaction or irritation now. Thank you so much. And now I am going to order another. Keep up the good work. You are doing a wonderful service for our family and the environment. Sincerely, Jennifer Goode Certified Arborist

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7177489 it the link to her shop called Lilyessential.

Well, then I went to do a bid and the woman had a kitten and a grown cat. The cat was curled around my leg and playing with me and lovin on me. She said she had never seen him like that before. I am walking and practically dragging the cat with me. It was so funny. I told her maybe he is wanting extra attention with a new kitten just coming home. Then we looked at the label of the bug spray. It had Catnip. It was so funny. The picture is Shannan and Chris, the couple who's reception we went to this weekend.

Headed Home


I think John is headed home today from New Orleans! I am excited to see him home, and it is getting a little busy! I have been doing about 2 bids a day so our job board is filling up. I can do about 1/3 of them and the rest needed him there. I was getting worried about when to do the jobs and how to open the shop up. The plan is still to open up this Thursday, Friday and Saturday to sell our vintage stuff and I have a few people that are already planning on coming. I had a chair featured in the Alfresco Gift Guide on Etsy yesterday and it was in the first position so it was shown on the front page over and over. It then sold last night. I'll show it off here. It was fun. I have another folding chair like it about to be finished this morning. Can't wait!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The Tree Huggers Coffee Hugger



Available at www.jgoode.net and at our store 


I just learned to knit so I could make scarfs for my snowman gourds this winter, but I am enjoying it.  Our small town of 600 people is trying to make a city park, so they are doing things to raise money like an aluminum can drive and volunteering to get the site in order.  So I thought I could help a little too by giving the proceeds of my knitted coffee sleeves to the Cleveland MO Park Fund.  I am also going to take my equipment and volunteer time, but I thought this might help with building items.  


My coffee sleeves are made from cotton yarn and can be washed, but hand washing is always best because I am adorning the sleeves with vintage items.  This sleeve is made from a soft cream and brown yarn and is wearing two very cool vintage white with green rose buttons.  


You may not live near Cleveland, MO but the trees we plant will help all of us and a great place for kids might help build future earth friendly leaders!