January Update

So, I'm officially 22! I feel pretty old, even though I know that I'm not. I really feel like time is just RACING!! It's not so much that I am old, but I have this fear that because the last three years went by in a matter of minutes for me, that the next 10 years will for like a only a week.

I guess you can't stop it though right? If anyone knows how to immortalize yourself, let me know. 22 is a pretty good age for me.

So, birthday..I got MY VERY OWN CAMERA!! This may come as a shock, but I've been using Malcolms big Cannon something or other that is just big with lenses and settings. Needless to say, if you choose to use this, you choose to not take very many pictures. So, now I have one I can just put in my purse and snap, snap, snap whenever I want!

So, here is a pic of my camera:



Also, Jan has been good for Sole Envy. Its been really SLOW! But, we're making our goals and finding the breathing time a little relaxing. I did an AMAZING window display, if I am allowed to say that. I snapped some pictures, and I am very proud. I'm still not sold on the window with the large graphic so if you have a suggestion let me know!

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Three Kings Day??

I was at Walmart today getting my grocery shopping done, and apparently there is a Mexican? holiday that we are totally not celebrating--three kings day. It makes sense and all, but why would I want my picture taken with three creepy Walmart dressed up at the three kings of orienet?I was getting my produce, and a women with a camera kept asking me if I wanted to get a picture of McKay with these men.

I was so utterly confused because I didn't know what the holiday was until my smart husband informed later that day when I got home.I just think that maybe we are trying to drag the holidays out a little too long.

ANYWAYS...I've been doing some reflecting about 2008. It always seems to happen that way, I wait a whole year to realize how stupid I've been..Here are some things I've learned:

1. Relationships are better than jobs. No matter how much money you make, and how many things you accomplish at the end of the day its always nice to have someone to talk to. I'm not really speaking about Malcolm, I'm talking about friends. So--to all my long lost friends. (i.e. Sarah and Branigan) I'm sorry that I fell off the face of the planet with this SOle ENvy business! I'm going to try and do better.

2. You will always regret the mean things you say--even if it those mean things were well deserved. This year has been very stressful and eventful, and I only regret one day. The day I blew up at a friend. Man, she deserved it, but I feel terrible.

3. Kids are the shizzle BEST! I love my baby who is not so much a baby anymore. I love his hugs and his kisses and his smiles and his mischeif! McKay is a little hellion now, but I just LOVE HIM! I can't believe how incomplete my life was for so long. I'm so glad I have the opportunity to be a mom. I know that I will always have this urge to work work work and have a career, but you just can't replace the moment you have with your kids.

4. I HAVE THE BEST HUSBAND EVER! i know all the other women in the world think that, but I really do. How great is it to have a husband, a best friend, and a business partner all in one person!


5. There is always room for improvement. My birthday is on the fifth, and I'm so glad that I have another year to improve and become a better person. Twenty Two feel really old, and heavens I don't want to get older, but a wise friend told me in my despair, that "I'm not getting younger, So I might as well enjoy the young age while I can." So thats what I'm going to do!

So...you live and you learn! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Cards

Everyone--which I don't think is a lot of you, but I would like to send out some Christmas Cards. Please leave me your address so I don't have to hunt you down! This is my first year doing this, and I feel quite grow up and domestic.

Thanks you guys and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

UPDATES!

ok...first, as those to read my blog know, my store opened on HALLOWEEN. I fought it for so long, but now I'm really glad that we opened on that holiday. Halloween is one my favorite holidays, and I usually like to go all out. This year my costume was a little on the lame side, but I deserve a break, I didn't really have time to put it together. Mckay was absolutely ADORABLE though. Stephanie and I bought him a monster costume a little over 2 months ago when they first were available. On halloween I dressed him up, but lo and behold--it didn't fit him anymore! I was really bummed and stressed because we were opening that day. I decided to run to the Halloween store and buy him something, anything! The costume I got him was WAY cuter than the monster anyways, so it all worked out. We toke McKay trick-or-treating, and surprise surprise Malcolm and I ate all his candy! Hey, being parents has to hold some perks. We went up my street, and called it quits. We were so exhausted. That basically sums up the holiday, and I would have to say I've had better, but this one will always hold a special place in heart because it was my GRAND OPENING!!





















































Now, for the store. We opened with about 1000 things to do still. But, none the less we opened that blasted gate! I had NO IDEA what to expect. We hadn't done any advertising, we didn't have any big banner. We did have balloons though. I just held my breathe and waited. Amazingly enough, we have a lot of people come in. We had over 900 dollars in sales that day, and over 1600 dollars in sales the following day. This story should be more exciting and eventful, but that is basically it. We spent so much time and money and effort to get this going. We opened and it was just like any other retail store, busy like it had regular customers. I am so humbled by this experience. It is still very surreal to me, and I can't thank everyone that helped us enough. We are doing so well, and almost everyone that comes in pledges to come back because our prices are so low and our shoes are so exciting. So far we are doing better than expected, but we aren't fighting for customers, we aren't struggling to make our ends meet, we are just doing so well! I'll post the pictures from the grand opening party, and some from the day we opened! Thank you everyone for your support! I don't have that many, so I will try and retrieve them from the others that were there that night! I think I was just too busy running around trying to make it all come together!

Life....

This might be depressing, it should be happy, but it's not.

Life...well, life is life right? My shoe store opened on Friday and it is doing sooo well. I'm so grateful (and I promise I will post some pics), but then monday rolled around, thats today, and I had about 2,000,000 million things to do. I thought (silly me) that the hard part was over...ON NO WAY HOSE!! the hard part is just beginning. Lets just list this out

1. We still don't have our real sign! LAMO sign company is taking there sweet time, meanwhile I have to buy a temp sign that doesn't look as good.
2. I still haven't got our employee work organization up! i can't find there W2 stuff and I have to write them check tomorrow
3. They don't have badges
4. I can't get all the price tags off the computer and malc went back to work this week
5. I can't figure out how to put my filing cabinet together!
6. We were so busy that I have to reorder shoes, but my four suppliers all work on their own schedule
7. We have to borrow more money because we have to order like 20,000 more dollars of shoes...how do I find 10,000 more dollars? any suggestions?
8. I don't have enough seating, So i have to find the time to drive to Ikea and return/exchange, drive back to provo set it up...all with Mckay
9. I have to order gift cards, set up a gift card machine, or make an executive decision on gift cards in general
10. I still don't have cute bags with our names..because I don't have enough to time to design and order them..seriously
11. I have to buy more display shoes thingy things
12. I have to get the keys copied
13. I have to get our advertisement contract set up with the mall, then order and design our displays, then buy them...the money factor here, then set them up, then monitor them
14. I need business cards
15. our phone still isn't set up...
16. that means our Internet isn't set up.....
17. I have to process our credit cards the ghetto way..its not so bad, but time consuming
18. I have to buy our store music...its expensive
19. I have to make these price things for our picture frames in our window displays
20. I have to get our window display up for christmas
21. I have to manage all employees and andrew and malcolm..etc
22. I have to answer the phone ever 5 mins because I have so many people y calling me
23. MOST IMPORTANTLY BE A MOTHER!!


ok, thats a short list of things I was supposed to do today! I WANT TO DIE!!! I THINK I'M CRAZY AND I WANT TO DIE!

I hope this pays off, but for those who are thinking about starting a business..beware, you eat dirt for a VERY LONG TIME! I should be sleeping, but I can't because my brain is going to explode because I'm thinking about one million things and trying to figure out how exactly this is all going to come together.

well, I'm so grateful for every ones support, and I really need some prayers...please...

wish me luck, my dreams are all going to come true at some point

FINALLY!!!!YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN! ITS OUT OF CONTROL!!!

TODAY IS THE DAY THAT I GET THE KEY TO THE SPACE IN THE MALL! IT IS OUT OF CONTROL. I'M GOING TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT IN ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS. I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO THINK, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO ANDREW WHO PULLED STRINGS AND CALLED THE BIG GUYS AND GOT THE GUNS OUT AND SHOWED THAT STUPID MALL WHO WAS BOSS...AND APPARENTLY ANDREW IS, NOT ME??? I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS, CAUSE REALLY I'M THE BOSS. BUT, I THINK I'M STEPPING DOWN FOR A DAY, BECAUSE ANDREW REALLY DID THE JOB!

I'M SO HAPPY AND EXCITED!!

OUR SPACE IS GOING TO LOOK FANTASTIC, AND BEAUTIFUL, AND YA'LL BETTER COME BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T...YOU'LL BE OUT OF THE VIP FRIEND LOOP. I MEAN, HOW MANY OF YOU CAN SAY THAT YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO OWNS A STORE IN A MALL.

...OK, I'M NOT BOASTING! I'M JUST SO EXCITED!!!!

I LOVE EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED US GET HERE, ALL THE PEOPLE I'VE HIRED, AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US!

PLEASE PRAY FOR US AS WE EMBARK ON THIS GLORIOUS, FRIGHTENING, CRAZY, OUT OF CONTROL ADVENTURE.

I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED, AND LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE ARE GOING TO OPEN OUR DOORS!