A (good) Day In The Life Of Allenbrite Studio! ( i.e. Cheryl and Ethan)

Well what is there to say? I guess I have very little else to blog about and rather than side track on another tangent, I thought I would give the run down of a typical day at Allenbrite. I say "Typical, but it is actually a fairly good day today. We made a major sale that we were planning on for months. I guess "relief" comes to mind as well as excitement. There is nothing really like making a large sale! So to start things, we head out the door with our packages to the post office. We have three to choose from, but your local one has strange hours, so most of the time we head to Kalona or Coralville. Then it is off to the mall for Breakfast/lunch. Panera is there and today is Friday which means...SOUP! Clam Chowder to be exact. Nothing beats starting the day with a warm bowl of creamy goodness. (Except maybe making a HUGE sale!) Then it is back to work. Luckily, we don't have to move from our booth. We just sit back, log in and take note of the sales. Cheryl has to answer questions, while I make Origami. Actually I will be answering questions as soon as Cheryl gets so busy she can't be bothered with them anymore. Until then, I drink my coffee and fold paper....and blog. After this we will grab some Panda garden and head home to assemble the orders we received today. Then chillax with popcorn and an Anime. ( unfortunately we are still watching vampire knight.....but it is getting better now that we are in "guilty" season) Doesn't that sound like a great time? The best part is I get to hang out with Cheryl and the Cats all day long. ( well, we can't bring the cats to the mall) Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm sure we will be busy as well.

Eagles in Iowa

No, Not the Band! The BIRD! They have returned once again! We made a Possitive ID this morning. I thought I have been seeing them for a couple of weeks now, but I could never get a really good look. Finally we have seen this one between Wellman and Kalona. I'm sure there will be more. LAst year there were over 50 in this field. I heard they eat the pig farm cast offs. Well, they are very cool to see on our trips to Iowa City. I look forward to seeing more.

New Stockings with NAMES! YEAH!

I have to say...putting these names on the stockings is FUN! And they REALLY look cool! We sold another three today and two of them with names. I'm just happy Cheryl allowed me to put the names on this year. I was the one who had to answer all those requests and sadly tell them "no" on the names. We just didn't know how to put them on in a permanent and stylish way last year. But now....things have changed! It took a while to figure out the process. ( you would think is is simple, but actually, it is a multi step process that requires some fine tuning from time to time. ) I like the results. I know it is not embroidered ( I think that would look cool as well) but until we spring for a $800 machine....and besides, that would require a delay on the stocking because we would have to put the name on first...then sew it up....and hope it is adjusted so it is centered. But, I digress....In addition to names, Cheryl has been working an a few new colors and designs. They might not look that special, but they are just slightly different. The Purple looks GREAT! Hope everyone has a great week this week. Enjoy what is left of the fall colors!

Vampire Knight, One of those "Girly" Animes.

I usually don't like ranting about Animes that are not "bad" But This one...I just don't understand. Maybe it is a guy thing. It is obviously written for the female mind. ( not that that is bad...but if I live one million years, I will never be able to think like a girl.) Cheryl LOVES ( LOVES!) this show. It's baffling! I seriously do not understand the female obsession with Vampires. They seem like a disgusting creature from mythology. and then "interview with a vampire" had to come along and make vampires "cool". Well Vampire Knight tries to do the same thing. To be fair...it is not all bad. The guys are cool and always itching for a fight. I guess the HUGE problem I have is Yuki, The "PINK POWER RANGER" character that is ALWAYS getting cut ( drip drip "Oh! I'm bleeding in front of the night class") And is the most bossy yet HELPLESS character ever! Seriously! No one could possibly be this badly written and exist in real life. Oh! And did I mention she is CLUELESS! The only living brain donor. She lives with Zero for 4 years and has NO IDEA he was bitten by a vampire and is becoming one. Or why he hates Kaname, who is a pure blood vampire. Forget everything you know about vampires....this show breaks ALL the rules.....( day light, silver bullets, garlic, holy water...etc etc...)except the blood drinking...and even that is bent with "blood tablets". The only flaw the guys have is they have a thing for Yuki. Any REAL man would have dumped that drama queen years ago. The only thing she is GOOD at is getting the boys to fight and then taking the side of the loser. ( i.e. Zero...fitting name if you ask me.) Ok, Sorry about the rant. Cheryl hates it when I add commentary whenever she forces me to watch it...but, like I said before, she LOVES the show.. Anyway.....find out more here is you are interested.

More Names, Stockings, and Pencil Pouches!

This weekend Cheryl has been working on a few designs that have been bugging her ever since she thought of them. I know what it is like having a design in your head and just HAVING to make it. I actually think they turned out pretty good. She wants to add some contemporary designs in the mix, but the animal prints are easy to kick out at the moment. Even the plain one looked pretty good. While she was doing that, I was putting names on the stockings. I have to say, Charlotte really pushed the limits of the area. I had to move it up a Little so it would all fit. However, I think it turned out really cool. IN addition, Cheryl was finally able to get the purple felt that she has been desiring all summer. Our local store had a huge supply...until we needed it. ( it always happens that way!) So we had to wait to order it online. Well, I think it will be a hit. People are already requesting purple stockings so I can't wait to see what else we will be able to show them. Hope everyone has a great week! The weather has been fairly nice this weekend. And Autumn is going by really fast for us. Enjoy it!

Panera New England Clam Chowder

Seriously! What more needs to be said. It's cold outside and there is nothing better than sipping coffee and eating clam chowder. Panera happens to have a pretty good one! I would not be surprised if it was Campels or Progresso just dressed up in a bread bowl. What ever! The flavor is still AWESOME! It's thick and by far one of the WORST soups for you ( calorie wise) on the menu. It would be only slightly better if you did NOT have it in a bread bowl. ( That is from a diet and exercise perspective. If you don't care about such things.....BREAD BOWL IT UP!) Cheryl and I come here so often that we usually get a free soup every other week or so. And when we do, we splurge on the Friday Clam Chowder. We ARE trying to watch our waist line, so we share it with an extra baguette ( for dipping) And no bread bowl....I think the better value is without the bread bowl because you get more soup. Just my opinion. Anyway, Enjoy the cold weather! Its the BEST for Hot Chocolate, Hot Apple Cider, Coffee, and New England Clam Chowder.....Stay Warm!

Anyone know who Gilbert O'Sullivan was?

He is the guy who sang this song! I have been looking for it for years, but finally found it while trolling around on You Tube. Anyway, I have always loved this song, and perhaps the '70's songs are bringing back certain nostalgia. ( I'm not even sure when this song was written!) Anyway, Enjoy the song. And remember the past with fondness. http://youtu.be/D_P-v1BVQn8
I can't embed the video, so you will have to follow the link...enjoy

Electric Light Orcestra. I turn to stone....

A flash from the '70's! I heard this sond at the Local Ben Franklin on an all 70's week and it stuck with me. I found it on You Tube. ( Hooray for Youtube!) I never knew the Electric Light Orcestra sang this song,, but it has a hint of Doo Wop ( at least I think so) Anyway, here is the song....enjoy!

Stamping more tags...with Stickers this time!

Yesterday I worked on more of the stocking tags. I snapped a few pics because these ones were done with just stickers. No fancy glue, no fancy glitter fonts, no special layering of paper. Just the paper, stamp and some special stickers Cheryl bought. I actually like them and think they look nice and simple! Go figure! Ah well, sometimes my creative mind is its own worst enemy. The lighting was not very good but I decided to post them anyway. I have to keep reminding myself that each tag represents a stocking....and I want to sell a LOT of them. As the resources and ideas run out, we have been simplifying our designs and ideas. But things are going to pick up here very soon. Just wait and see!

Outside Fun with Hiro! And Celebrity Panera

The Cat, that is. He likes to talk ...a lot! And harasses me to take him outside all the time. So, Every now and then, I humor him .( Usually everyday) And we hang out outside where he can chase squirrels, rabbits , and the one chipmunk that hangs out by the side. Usually he just hangs out under the shed or climbs a tree. The animals tend to disappear after he has been outside for a while. The neighbor has a Ginko tree that is rather cool to look at. It is one of the only trees that still have a few leaves that have color. Anyways, I have found out where the Hollywood celebrities hang out when they want to disappear from the world. Iowa! Here in Panera, We see Steven Spielburg just about everyday! He's a regular. IN addition to him, We ocasionally see Meridith Baxter, Jason Robards, and John Belushie! It's funny, But everyday we see familiar faces right here in our little corner of Iowa and some of these people end up famous! Ok not really, Just because Cheryl and I identify them as these people, they are not. In fact some of these famous people are dead so it is impossible. But I'm sure some of you reading this have seen people that are dead ringers for a famous person. Perhaps I'll post pics so I can prove it....but it would be creepy asking total strangers to pose for a picture.