Sunday, February 20, 2011

One, two, three...

So my life has been crazy busy. Couple of notables that I thought I'd update you all on really quick:

1. I was number one in sales for a couple days, I'm still hovering around 1 and 2. If I finish out the month in the top 5 I will be beside myself with joy and accomplishment.

2. My boss will be pretty thrilled too. The new kid rockin' the house.

3. We've found a new house that we're moving to! Hooray!

4. There were a few bumps in the road.
    a. Boyfriend got momentary cold feet. At a poorly chosen moment: right when I got home from work. We all know how well I handle issues when I'm tired. Drama ensued. Poor boyfriend.
    b. A foreclosure notice appeared on the front door of the new place. Uh oh. We have since worked this out, and no worries, we're good.

5. We're moving the first week of March! We're moving in to Bend, which is pretty exciting. The last couple days it's been dumping snow like none other and every time I have to drive through it from home to town, I just think about how great it will be to not have to deal with such a treacherous drive every day.

6. I'm sure my mother will sleep easier for it, too.

7. I don't know why these are numbered, it just seemed like the thing to do.

Ciao,
kc

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The things in my life

First of all, my boyfriend is amazing. I think we all know that I'm madly in love with him already, but when he does things like make me coffee in the morning even though he doesn't drink coffee...well, it takes it to a whole new level.

Secondly, it's snowing again! Hooray! Though it does make running a bit more challenging.

Thirdly, I have a couple fun things to tell you, and show you!

Last Friday was the first Friday of the month, and ever first Friday, Bend has a First Friday Art & Wine Walk. It usually consists of bad free wine and some art. If I even get to see art. Thankfully, this time, I actually got to see some really beautiful pieces (we were a little more inclined towards the art part and less towards the wine part this time, considering the debauchery that had me laid low last week). I'm cursing myself right now for not taking pictures, but it felt blasphemous to do so at the time without the artist's knowledge.

One of the most memorable art galleries boasted some really beautiful bronze pieces. Very whimsical and gorgeous pieces of animals mostly. I really wished I could have bought one, but with ticket prices starting at $4,000 I could only sigh and hope that someday someone will pay that much for my work.

Anyways, that's not the point.

Our wanderings took us to a little boutique that specialized in consignment and used cowboy and cowgirl attire. After sighing over a myriad of cowgirl boots that I would probably never wear with prices higher than I'd ever pay for cowgirl boots, I wandered over to the $30 sale rack.

Lo and behold, I saw these.


Frye boots in a less-traditional style. A little stained and a little worn, which is why they were on the sale rack, but Frye boots nevertheless and in hardy condition still, as they're meant to last. Aiee! Totally an impulse buy and on the heels of what I'm going to show you next, I hemmed and hawed more than I'm prone to over them, but in the end, they're Frye boots and they're adorable and they were only thirty dollars.

Boyfriend is now under strict instructions not to let me shop for a while. Wish him luck. I may have a problem. At least I tend towards the thrifty though. Like, not spending full price on Frye boots.

Okay, next up.

This was not an impulse buy. The pros and cons were carefully weighed. They began when it was brought to my attention that we have a new quota on tablets at work. Meaning, if I don't sell them, I don't get paid. Well, as much, anyways.

Now, I have a hard time with tablets. Especially the iPad. I have a really hard time seeing the value in them. They don't have a USB port, so you can't hook them directly to a printer. They don't have a camera, but you can put pictures on them, which makes no sense to me. Basically, they're a very large, over-glorified iPad. But for some reason, everyone I know who has one absolutely adores it.  And Apple just released the statistic that 72% of people who handle an iPad in a store will purchase one.

72%!!! That seems ridiculous.

Then, one of my managers (the really nice one who let me leave a couple weeks ago) told me about how she just bought one because she was having issues seeing the value in it too, and as a salesperson, it's important to see the value in what you're selling. Also, now that she has one, she adores it.

I wouldn't sell a phone that I don't see the value in unless a customer refused to listen to all reason. So, with that reasoning in hand I will be welcoming the newest member of my family either today or tomorrow. Hooray, iPad.

Somehow, boyfriend thinks I'm buying it for him.

The money I am paying for it says, "I don't think so."

Ciao,
kc

TODAY: 4.68 miles
YESTERDAY: 30 min treadmill, 30 min elliptical

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Welcome iPhone

I'm sorry that I haven't posted yet this week. Tuesday consisted of nursing an ill-advised hangover and then my sewing group and yesterday was spent working on projects inspired by my sewing group. My bag is progressing ever so slowly as I spent my time at group using the rotary cutter and mats available there to cut the myriad of squares needed for a quilt I'm working on.

Rotary cutters make life so much easier when it comes to squares.

My bag now has pockets and the handle is sewn, at this point it's pretty much all about assembly. Just gotta do it! The top to said quilt is complete, and soooo cute. I'll wait to post pics once it's all done.

In other news, I'm trying to rest up as much as I can in order to fully brace myself (not to mention survive) the impending iPhone launch next week. Ugh. My next Thursday will see me leaving my house at 5:20 a.m. in order to be at the store by 6 a.m. Do you know what time I have to get up in order to be ready by 5:20?? The minimum would be 4:20 a.m. What should actually happen is 4 a.m.

THAT'S SO EARLY.

I don't think I've ever gotten up that early for anything other than a flight. It's ungodly. Inhuman. Disgusting.

Early.

Damn.

With that impending doom leering its ugly head at me, I approach my week with trepidation. Sales are likely to be slow with people waiting for that iconic gadget. I forsee a lot of desperate calls in my future. Wish me luck?

Ciao,
kc