On the Road Again

On Tuesday, we left Wichita Falls. This is bittersweet for me. While I am beyond excited to be living with my husband again after 9.5 months apart, I'm saddened to leave my community and my new family here. I'm anxious about breaking into another market with the boutique, but I am excited at new opportunity and the prospect of being closer to my in-laws again!

Wichita Falls is the third place that has felt almost like home to me (Ukiah and Sacramento are the others, Madison briefly made the list, but it faded quickly). Truthfully (and genuinely), "home" is with my husband, but if he has to be away, Wichita Falls was the best place the original Little Bean and I could have been. We will miss our Sheppard AFB community.

We will miss our little Air Force family in general (the base in Wisconsin isn't as close), but we will have so many new adventures ahead of us!

My first show of the summer in Wisconsin will be Waunafest 2013 in Waunakee, WI!

Join me on July 27th at Centennial Park (901 Holiday Drive) in Waunakee from 9am-5pm!

All attendees who stop by my booth will receive a special coupon!

The Falls Gift & Trade Show

Today was my first trade show for Little Bean! I have done shows in the past, but for real estate and community service organizations. This was first trade show for my new boutique!

It was a blast!

I also picked up the marketing duties along the way and co-promoted the show with Latrice Brookins of Passion Parties! What a fantastically lovely lady to work with!

I think I found a niche in marketing that I had forgotten (it has been many years since I worked in marketing).

Summer Rascoll from Texoma's Home Page stopped by for an interview with yours truly and while I was very nervous, I'm extremely pleased with the coverage and the support she showed for the event! She was extremely easy to talk to and made it feel like a conversation rather than an interview.

Carmen Rentz of CR Photography graciously snapped photos of the event and our booths for us! I will post pictures as soon as they are available.

This was the event's first year and we hope to make it a thriving annual event for Sheppard AFB Spouses and the surround Wichita Falls community! The plans for next year include doubling the show size, cross promoting with local media and repeating some of the features that worked well for us this year! I may not be in Wichita Falls for the Second Annual Falls Gift & Trade Show, but I will certainly be invested in its continued success!

Today was a very exciting day for me and for Little Bean!

Updates, Exciting News & More!

Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me, encouraged me and supported me while I heal. My thumb is back to 70% function but may have permanent sensory damage. It's definitely usable again, though!

Today is my daughter's 1st Birthday party! I can't believe how quickly the past year has flown by! At 18 pounds, she's still my Little Bean, but she has grown and changed so very much. She is walking entirely on her own (although reverts to baby gazelle status every time she hits a growth spurt), she's starting to talk with words like "wah-er" (water) and "Dah-ee" (Daddy), she has learned to stack her toys to climb on the sofa or out of her pack and play, she picks up our new kitten and carries him around the room, she brings me things when I ask her to. It's so exciting and slightly scary!

Her first birthday isn't until Thursday, but we're celebrating a little early to avoid the conflict with Memorial Day weekend! I look forward to good food, good company and giving my amazing baby girl a fantastic day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE BEAN!

It's been an interesting ride being a full time Mommy, a stand-in Daddy, a Boutique Owner and Event Promoter for the past month, but it's fantastically rewarding. I couldn't do it without my incredible Air Force family! Thank you!

I am very excited about participating in The Falls Gift & Trade Show on June 15th! I just received my orders for earring stands, gift boxes, new earring cards, my logo stamp to personalize my packaging materials and I picked up some fantastic vintage style fabric for my table skirt as well as a perfectly matched metal tower with a bird on top for displaying my hair accessories. Once I finish hemming and gathering the material for the skirt and painting and antiquing the display pieces, I will assemble my table and post pictures!

 Hope you can join me on June 15th for door prizes, vendor raffles (including my own), and free goodie bags for the first 50 shoppers!