It's the Weekend and It's a Busy One

Yesterday was the first of two days of our Inventory Reduction Sale. We had good numbers and saw some old friends, but all in all, I was a bit disappointed. Hopefully today will be busier and we'll have larger sales numbers by the end of it, but it seemed a bit too much "crickets" than previous End of the Year sales we've held. 

One more day of our End of the Year Sale. I'm frankly 
exhausted and very ready to call an end to 2025. I still 
have a few days of work left for this year, but we'll be 
able to have a bit of relaxation mid-week again before 
diving into 2026. 

Nonetheless, it was a joy to see some of our old regular customers coming over and being able to give them hugs and wish them well was worth everything to me. One thing that pleased me very much was Claire dropping by to pick up the other Connie Seabourn watercolor that matched the one Chickie bought for her months ago and just gave to her for Christmas. Claire now has the set - Dawn and Dusk - and they'll look spectacular in her home. 

Connie Seabourn is one of those rare artists who actually 
are able to make a living from their artwork. She's 
Cherokee, and specializes in watercolor. I adore her work, 
own a piece of my own, and I really loved the set of two 
small pieces I had of hers. Chickie bought one of those for 
her Mama, and Claire purchased the second one for 
herself yesterday with holiday funds. I'm glad the two 
pieces are staying together. 

Our long-time customer and dear friend Joyce dropped by. The last thing she needs is more beads, but that never stops her from buying additional tubes. LOL It was a happiness for my heart to see her again and hug her. We used to see a lot more of her until her husband retired and she had to pull back on purchasing. I also shared some classes with her at the Bead & Button Show while that was still in operation. Such good times. 

The Bead & Button Show was an annual event that I attended 
for more than a decade - closer to 20 years. I started out by 
attending the show when it was held in Arizona and then it moved 
to the West Coast for a few years, before settling into the 
Milwaukee Convention Center for more than a decade. It was 
my go-to show and my happy place. So many friends and so 
many wonderful things to look at and to purchase. I also took 
a lot of classes there to hone my skills. 

Tomorrow we have our family get-together at the Entertainment Room where my sister-in-law now lives. I've never been there, although the kids all have been (of course). I'll be relying on Google Maps to get me there - LOL. I'll take a quick drop by the grocery store on the way to the shop today to pick up some meatballs and a loaf of bread for DH. I'm bringing BBQ meatballs to the holiday get-together - easy to toss together and always popular. 

There are a lot of different ways to have BBQ meatballs, 
but it's one of the easier things for me to put together, 
and it's also very easy to transport (and I don't mind 
having leftovers either). It's a win/win for family 
get-togethers. 

So, that brings me up-to-date. I'm hoping my weekend will be enjoyable and not too stressful (although I do have to drop three Christmas pounds by next weekend - LOL). Have an excellent weekend with friends and family and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini.