Turning over a new leaf

I wonder how they do it. You know, those amazing people that always have new layouts on their blogs and brilliant things to say. How do they do that?

Do they work at 2am?

Do they have a nanny and cook?

Do they not sleep?

Or I guess the better question is, why can't I? Why has it been so long to update my blog. It sure hasn't been because I took a vacation. (OK, I did take a little trip to Orlando in Feb, and then get snowed out of PA...but that's besides the point).

I started this blog because a) I wanted to answer all those questions about what it's like to run a scrapbooking store. So many people thing it's so cool, that I wanted to bring to light what it's really like. Also, b) I wanted to promote the store...simple as that. Get a following who would like to shop with me too.

But I fell into a trap. I didn't want to post about the bad stuff, the hard part of it. I didn't want people to see the struggle stuff because that would be a bummer, right? In these hard times, who wants to read about the hard part of life...I mean we read blogs to escape all that, right? So I was going to be one of those brilliant people who had awesome new layouts all the time, and brilliant things to say (how is it that they do that again? There must be some secret....).

I wasn't going to write about getting turned down for the Ranger school or how I almost decided to close my doors in January, or how a big crop in the area turned me away as a vendor...no one wants to hear that, right? No one wants to hear about what bums me out, nor I guess do they care.

But then it wouldn't be real. And I am here to write about real.

So I am going to write it how it is. I am not going to let Manufactures pressure me to take things down off the blog because it's less than flattering to them (yup, done that), and I am not going to sugar coat how much "fun" it is working with scrapbooking every day. I'm going to tell it like it is, complete with the good the bad and the ugly.

BUT, and this is a biggie... I am also going to share my passion. I've been in business close to three years now, and it's been harrowing to say the least. I recently joked, I am a stay-at-home-mom by day and a scrapbook store owner by night, and wondwe woman in between! I have three kids under 6, a husband and household to take care of and a business to run. A business that requires technical skill (website) business knowledge (taxes anyone?) teaching skills and artistry. Sunday I had 21 people for Easter dinner. Yesterday I balanced keeping my 1 year old happy while completing a new sample layout that was needed last week for a class I am teaching down in MD. Today I was crawling all over the floor building a geotrax train layout and tonight I am going to take another stab at the business taxes I've already invested about 16 hours into....

So maybe Harrowing is not the right word....."Karazeee" might be better! But one of the things I've learned is that people don't start this kind of business to get rich, it's because they are passionate about it. They simply love what they do, and so do I.

So I am turning over a new leaf. I may not have new layouts to show you every day... (seriously, how do they do that, somebody tell me, please) but I will share my passion with you.

Thanks for reading.