October 2008 Newsletter
Greetings all, Yes I’m still alive! And YES it’s been a really long time since I’ve written a newsletter. Life here has been crazy and silly busy but really really good.
A bunch of things have been going on for the Wilsons and for R&R sometimes when the overlap is bigger than we’d like things like newsletters just don’t get the attention that they deserve. Be sure to look for the links contained in this newsletter, saves clicks and a picture is worth a thousand words! Anything that is underlined you only need to mouse over and click to see what we’re talking about.
Thanks to everyone for your amazing support and yes tho I’ve been coined a “crack dealer “ the desire for me to keep on bringing in new goodies just doesn’t subside. This you see is the advantage to having your dealer also being a user! LOL She’ll make sure you get your goods because she too is on the take! Oh goodness how I digress!
Ok so what’s new you ask? Loads of new items are always coming into the store! I’ve loved the feedback that you all always email me, it’s easy to keep my finger on the pulse of what you’re looking for! I’ve always said I have the greatest customers on the planet and I still maintain that.
New goodies that you just have to try are the new coredinations cardstock packs, these are super kewl! We all LOVE the distressed look with sandpaper etc, well these sure step it up a notch. Now depending upon the pack you pick there are some that have black hiding behind the lovely textured papers, some have brown and some are the regular core papers, these are priced really well and have been a great seller. Don’t forget to try these with your Cuttlebug embossing folders, just run them through and then sand the raised parts, GORGEOUS!!! Add a bit of bling to the highlighted parts with a touch of stickles and you’re good to go! (we’re really low on stickles right now, we’ve been getting our supplier to hold off on our order as there are 2 NEW Lines being released and we want to get them all shipped together… ) please be patient.
The new and beautiful Big Shot machine has been awesome, it actually inspired me to aspire to change my craft room from the sunshiny yellow that it is to PINK, I’ve always loved pink but I’m ready for a change and one day here when all the stars are aligned I’m going to go out and get me some PINK paint! Ok and when my addition to my drug of choice, scrapbooking supplies stops making piles on the stairs to go up, just in time for me to put them away before the next load accumulates! I kid you now when I say one for me 3 for the store! ZOIKS I’m in a bad way.
Anway back to the machine, see how distracted I get? And you wonder why there hasn’t been a newsletter… ok so you know don’t you that everything for the Cuttlebug works in the Sizzix? And vice versa? Yes it does! And that includes the spellbinders, I love these, they are a great way for me to get an awesome “fix” for new tools (most of you know my scrapbooking nickname from way back was “gadget girl” totally ME!) anyway these store like a dream, they are wafer thin and work like a darn, LOVE them!! Tonnes of new styles being released in early winter and yes we have them all on pre-order, take a peek at www.spellbinders.us for more great ideas.
Umm did I mention that I have a “thing” for pink and bling? Well you just have to check out the new line from Die cuts with a view, the sweet stack is awesome and the stock pic that we have on the site just does not do it justice, take a peek on their site http://www.diecutswithaview.com/products.php?id=1 the other lines are in as well and to make room we’ve had to bid a sweet farewell to some older favorites by DCWV, be sure to check out the packs reg $22.30 on sale for $15! They are all on the same page just keep scrolling down and the deals will be well worth it J
Basic Grey, gee this line is just not slowing down, we hope to be receiving the new Christmas Wassail line hopefully this week, maybe next… the other lines that they’ve come out with this fall have been stellar!!! I love all the coordinating products, all about the matching!
While you’re looking for bargains be sure to check out the loonie bin, we’ve made all the sale items in there super affordable (not cheap, cheap is when you cut your own hair, never mind me, it was on a commercial I think for a car??) anyway, there is lots to be added to this section, keep your ear to the ground on that one, those looking for deals won’t be disappointed!
For those of you on Facebook add yourself as a fan of R&R Scrapbooking, you’ll hear it there first when we’re going to have a sale! Speaking of which….
I know it’s kind of short notice but we’re going to open up for the bi-annual “garage sale” we have tones of stock to clear out, this time I’m going to be setting up the garage as well, and there will be some fixtures in the store marked for sale as well, if there is still product on these selected fixtures you can pre-pay for them and pick them up once the sale is over and the stock is cleared off of them.
Things are changing at R&R, we’re re-doing the store completely, we’ve already started shifting our focus more towards the packs etc and away from the loose papers and cardstock, if you can make it in for the sale you will be in for a real treat! For the sake of simplicity we’re going to clear out what we can at cash and carry prices and then make the remainder available to our wonderful mail-order girls… gee that sounds almost naughty doesn’t it? (wink) can you tell someone is in a playful mood tonight?? LOL
OK note to self, must get more sleep…
Aaannnnyyyywwaayyyy…
Here is a sampling of what will be on sale:
All Loose patterned papers reg $0.70 on clearance 3 for $1.00
All Loose cardstock reg to $0.65 on clearance 25 for $8 (INSANE!)
My Mind’s eye die cuts reg to $0.65 on clearance 4 for $1
Tones of CK books cover price $23.25 on clearance $5
Doodlebug Albums 50% off
Shaped Punches Buy one get one free.
Stickers up the wazooo!
Much much more!
10% off everything not already on sale!
Garage Sale Hours;
Thursday October 23 10-8
Friday October 24 10-8
Saturday October 25 10-5
UPDATE
Can you believe that this July was 10 years for R&R?? How you ask? YOU my most amazing customers and friends, YOU are the reason that we have seen so many others come and go and we keep on keeping on. We have be so incredibly blessed with this business it has served us well and Rob and I are so thankful.
Last weekend was Thanksgiving and this year we were more thankful than ever, our lives together are so rich with friends, family, Ryley and most of all each other. I’m amazingly lucky to be married to my best friend, someone who sees the value in the 19 years we’ve been together as well as being a terrific husband and the Love of my Life. We’re loving life, taking ballroom dancing at Arthur Murray where we go almost every Friday, we’re spending loads of time together, vacations, lots of date nights and movies and dining out, kinda like when we were first dating. I have to say this having a 13 almost 14 year old is fantastic, it sure has afforded us some freedom that we didn’t have say 5 years ago! The thought now of going back to toddlers, babies and diapers… well makes both of us kinda queasy. And when we hear the song “still the one” that’s pretty much our theme song, Shania Twain does a lovely rendition of this song on youtube, take a peek on you tube when you have a minute. Our hope for you is that you find happiness with your “one” as well. That is the song that I’d like to dedicate to Rob for all his hard work, dedication and Love to me over the last almost 2 decades. Thanks Sweetheart! PS and Yes Rob does look that HOT getting out of the tub and YES I do look that HOT in a slinky dress (only to each other but that’s what matters right?)
So what else is new you might be asking?? Why selling off fixtures you query? Might you be closing Rhea?? Ahh I love you girls and your inquisitive minds!
Well lots has gone on this year, I for one have lost a lot of weight, yes yes it’s a very bizarre concept but eating less and exercising more does indeed work… odd you say? I too never would have thought it possible but alas, I’m down about 120-125 lbs! My surgeon said that If I could lose 100 lbs he could put in writing that my recovery would be shortened by 4 months… 4 months that’s a long time! Eeewww did I mention surgery?? Yes it’s inevitable and has to be done, the second part to my first surgery, for those who don’t know I fell Very very ill in Dec 04 and was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Hospitalized for 2 months and had my entire large intestine removed, fixed up with an ostomy and sent on my way, about a year later was starting to feel human again. At the time I was too sick to do the bottom end, for the benefit of those who don’t want all the gory details, but alas if it’s not done it will indeed go cancerous. SO here we are, I see my surgeon again Monday and have a tentative date in January…
Now back to the fixtures, the store area is going to undergo a makeover, and be cut about in half… Smiley Ryley is a big fella now and wants the space downstairs for “the man cave” and a spanky new Clavinova Piano! To say nothing of all the games systems, music, warhammer battle grounds, band stuff and some talk about taking up the base guitar! Oh heaven help us! The other advantage of having Ryley downstairs is that my nursing staff and overnight help can stay on the top level with me, my hospital bed will be set up again and when Rob is away at work etc my nurse or family or friends will be able to be close at hand.
So Rob and Ryley are going to undertake the framing and walls etc, installing doors and beginning the transformation. For the record I opted for hiring the job out but my darling hubby says it will be a good father / son bonding time, a time of learning and teaching. I’m so proud of him (them), they really are quite the pair!
Which leaves me to condense the store and liquidate in about 6 weeks what I can. Ahh you smart cookies with your calendar brains, why just 6 weeks Rhea? Well you see I think having about 55 staples in my guts and tubes everywhere will look SO much better if I have a tan! See the logic, so what better way to prepare for a surgery that will lay me up for months on end than to go to Hawaii for 3 weeks??? I dare say a good idea! So we leave December 17 and come back January 6th, we’ll be there for Christmas, Ryley’s birthday and New Years! KEWL hey? So when I’m layed up I can think of being Leid (almost funny right) ok work with me here…
My other logic is that since we went to Mexico in August we should go again before my tan completely fades. Oh tanning you say is bad… tisk tisk sure it can be but here in the great white north we call it vitamin D! Good for us ;) And um this summer also had my eyes fixed so no more glasses or contacts, much easier post op, with so many tubes etc glasses are a pain!
Again I digress! SO the long and short of it is this, I might be closing as
early as the first week in December and not re-opening till possibly the fall
of 2009! ZOIKS! What about staff you say? Well see as the owner basically the
buck stops here, and stress is stress is stress, as I’m the only one who does
the ordering and that kinda makes things run around here, it’s pretty tough,
that and the drugs are going to be really good... I’m planning for the worst
and hoping for the best. Best case
scenario I’m back up and running for Easter.
It will be determined greatly by the success of the surgery, because of
the weight loss I’m now a candidate for a reversal, it can be a more
complicated recovery but the possibility of no ostomy is appealing. Being a normal-ish weight for the first time
in my life opened up a great many aspirations for me like scuba diving and
skiing and gee you name it Rob and I are even planning sky diving!
So after 10 years of a skewed focus on my business I need to look after myself, my marriage and my family. I can’t plan too far ahead but hopefully I’ll be up and at em and with all the development around this area I’ve even toyed with the thought of going storefront when I’m well! Neat hey? Know anyone who might be interested in THAT? Tee hee I’m bad I know.
I’ve always been a positive person and this year with the new me its wild and exciting, my ladies group at Church is studying a book called Captivating by Staci Eldridge, it is changing my life and my focus. It’s amazing! I’m eager to take on this new challenge with trepidation and amazing anticipation. You girls are such a strength to me again I am so very thankful, God has blessed me beyond words.
Thanks everyone!
Ohhh I thought you might want to see a before
and after picture of me..
This is Ryley and I Feb 2007 in Punta Cana
This is the 3 of us in Mexico in August 08, as we were doing our Canopy Tour, YES ziplining through the jungle, over the river the whole works! AMAZINGLY cool, for sure going to do that again J
This is a basic update, I’ll keep ya posted not to worry, I’m like a junky on Facebook and so that’s a good place for updates even when I’m in the hospital and post op recovering at home.
Take care for now you great and wonderful Scrapbookers thanks for reading along!
Love and Huggs
Rhea & Rob & Ryley
R&R Scrapbooking
780-489-6713