Baking Adventures With Cheryl and Ethan…The Sweet End of the Stocking Season.

Well, not really.  In fact, we had to sew up 10 stockings this morning.  However, most people have received the memo that their stockings run the risk of not making it in time for Christmas at this point in the year.   The people that order now are usually ok with that.  However,  by and large, the crazy rush is over…..Time for Treats!

It is a tradition now that the week following Christmas, and after the Stocking rush is over, that we make Thank You Christmas treats for all the people who were helpful during those crazy weeks of insanity.  And, as always,   Cheryl has to make this an adventure instead of just a “ho humm” experience.   I imagine I’m partly to blame.   I never can say no to a crazy idea.  Or Baking something we have never attempted before…..

Before I go down that road though,  We usually start with the known quantity.   That is to say…things we have done before and are familiar with..   Enter the White Star Cookie!

I’m actually not a fan of these as they tend to be a little too sweet…even for me!  However, they are fast easy and other people seem to like them….Or at least have never told us that they are terrible and throw them away as soon as they receive them.  I’m ok with that….it is the thought that counts after all.  And Our thoughts tend to be  over the top in sweetness…..Is that so bad?

Then there is the kiss cookies.   Have I mentioned we seem to have this love affair with chocolate and peanut butter?  Not in a Reese's peanut butter cup way,  but rather every recipe calls for some type of peanut butter foundation.   I blame Cheryl.   Who DOES have a Reese's peanut butter fetish.

My only role in these two treats is the mixer.   Cheryl needs my manly arms to dot he mixing.   And, if you ever had to suffer watching Cheryl Wrestle with a large bowl of peanut butter and flour…well…You would volunteer to be the mixer as well.  ( trust me…It’s painful to watch!)

And then it is finally time to begin trail blazing.   The part of ever Christmas where Cheryl has to fulfill her fantasy of being a top baker on the Food Network.  She reads these “magazines”  that tell her to buy these “books”   and they tell her to try there “delicious recipes” that we have never seen nor done before.   I have always known Cheryl has this weakness to for the unfamiliar.   Add in the power of suggestion that her magazines push on her and we have a recipe for adventure ( or disaster). 

The Idea is a cake ball.   Similar to a truffle,  only with a gooey decadent cake in the middle instead of a chocolate fudge.   Cheryl found a book, and, as usual,  asked me to figure out what the pictures mean. 

As any true man,  I never actually read the instructions.  I simply look at the pictures and go from there.   I think it is simpler this way.  My stuff always turns out looking exactly like the picture.   As for any “problems “ with the flavor;    well, that is the recipe’s fault, not mine.  

So:   Bake a cake…..a good one that is a little under baked. Then mix in the “binder/ frosting”  We decided to make the German Chocolate Cake ball….because I’m part German; I like Chocolate;  I like coconut; and it was the only recipe with a clear picture I could go off of….

The mixing was fun.   I should have snapped a picture of Cheryl getting all gooey making the balls with her hands.  Instead, I thought I would show how Cheryl had to roll the balls in melted chocolate.  Notice the clean white shirt she is wearing….

After the mixing, we had to cover them with a coconut/pecan topping and then let them cool.  Now for the Gift  Box assembly.  We already delivered several to the post office and the UPS guys. We still have a few left that we are thinking about giving to the neighbors and Landlord if we see them any time soon.   We shall see. 

In the end,  it was fun…as always.  We got messy, fought like cats and made fun of each others baking techniques.  My ego was damaged but, I think, made stronger by the whole ordeal.  in the end, we had a refrigerator filled with calorie laden treats that we must give away before I gain even more weight for the holidays.   And it’s all thanks to Cheryl’s adventurous spirit….and her Magazines.  Thanks!

Breaking Records at Allenbrite Studio.

I’m not sure about the year, but there have been several days we have broken the previous years record.  That is not saying too much.  We are not only slightly above last year.   Talk about a roller coaster ride! Started strong…then dropped below last year….now it is shooting to the top again!  I wonder how this weekend will pan out this close to Christmas.

Regardless,  Cheryl and I are feeling the pinch…Usually in our shoulders, after a long night of sewing on buttons and packing orders.  Our walks seem to take longer, our Date Nights are non-existent, and Sleep?  I can’t remember the last time I had a full night of restful sleep.   Most of the time I just lay awake unable to shut down…until I’m woken up by Cheryl asking me to fix the glitter on a name.

Ah, but it’s all worth it right?  The money, the happiness, the money, the Christmas wishes and the money.   Mostly the money.    Have I mentioned that the money is a powerful incentive for this self abuse?  If we could pay the bills with the smiles of grateful families who love their stockings,  we would do that….Until then, we are “forced” to accept their cold hard cash. 

I’m not sure if I ever mentioned the virtue of greed.   I love greed!  Seriously!   Greed is great!  I imagine there are people out there who think that this is terrible, however, I truly believe otherwise.   When you have nothing all year, and the money starts to come in…..Greed helps make those midnight deadlines possible. Are farmers greedy for wanting to get the most out of their fields?  The expression “Make hay while the sun shines” is one I use often. And you can’t take too many breaks during the day or you lose out on maximizing the harvest. 

Perhaps that is Iowa rubbing off on me.  The rainy season only lasts once a year for us so we have to gather as much moisture as possible.   So far, the universe is helping us along.   We shall see when the final numbers are in.  Cheryl already has lots of Ideas for next year.  I can hardly wait!

Ah, Stockings…..How we love you…

Over the last two days we have been putting in about 12 to 13 hours non stop.   We set a record yesterday and the day before.  Only now is there a brief lul in the fray.  It is difficult to form a coherent thought after working 10 hours let along 13.   but now things are getting back to normal ….a bit.

The felt is holding up…barely.   We ran out of Aqua blue and had to wait a couple of days for it to arrive.  When it did, we almost had to pull an all-nighter to catch them up.  In the end,  54 stockings!    In one day!  That might not seem impressive, but back in the day when 17 stockings would kill up and we were sewing on buttons by hand,   this is impressive. 

What would be even more impressive is if we had actually prepared better for the season and had ALL of the stockings made in advance.  But, I’m sure Future Ethan And Cheryl,   who are now reading this in 2014…some time,   have learned their lesson by now.  After all those rants. 

The weather is cold here in Iowa,  And snowy.   Subaru does not like being outside in this weather.  Add in the lovely country smells that come with agriculture and pig farming and you have a great reason NOT to go outside.  I would show a picture, but , seriously….there simply is not time to even take a picture of the snow.   And do we really have to be reminded what snow looks like? 

Hmm,  This is getting a little snarky.  Possibly from the lack of sleep.  In other news,  the people seem to be liking their stockings, and occasionally they will send pictures of our stockings in action.   This one,   sent by a customer that shares my name. ( ETHAN ALLEN!  YEAH!)  Shows our stockings hung up with Cheer.  I was so thrilled to hear of another Ethan Allen out there I had to reply.   Given my current mental state,  I hope I did not sound too creepy.

In the end,  supplies seem to be holding and people are happy.   So Christmas is turning out ok this year.   Cheryl and I just have to “white-knuckle” it a little while longer.  Hope everyone is having a great holiday season.   Including Future Ethan and Cheryl…..

Failure to blog in December means you are BUSY!

Why do I miss days blogging?  Why are there “gaps” in the postings?   Because we simply do not have the time.   I know….I’m blogging now.   But this is with HEROIC effort on my part as we had another long night tonight.   It is 10:00 pm and I still have to flick the names and tags the ones that have not been packed.  This posting is an attempt to remind myself on how things were in 2013…. I hope…future Ethan or Cheryl, you are paying attention. 

I believe we set a record in sales today.  I’m not sure what the final numbers will be or how it will compare to last year.   But we had to sew up a LOT of stockings ..AGAIN!.  I hope….future Ethan or Cheryl,  You are paying attention.

At least we have a handle on some things.   Our packing is easier, but still challenging because we are exhausted after a day of sewing.  Now I know it was only 33 stockings.   ( we had some that were already made) And it was 41 the previous day.  But  things like this tend to build up over time.   Add that they are random colors and designs and that only adds more time onto the already taxed 24 hours. 

Time management is a skill for successful people.   Namely, not us.  Well,  Success is really a perception than a reality.   You may perceive yourself as “successful” because you have money, time, power, a house, a car, a job…..But I digress.   Perhaps time management is a life skill that you learn as you go and figure out through trial and error.  If this is the case,  then this should be a lesson well learned….again.   Must I remind you that you “learned'” this lesson back in 2011?   And why where we so bored back in 2012?  

Ok,  these posts are becoming rather preachy lately because I have very few filters left when I work this long.  So let’s talk about other things.    Like:   We got Niampire!   From Japan!  Cheryl is in love with them.  We also got the Poyopoyo key fobs.   It would be so cool if we could get the full Poyopoyo pillows. 

Ok then,  Signing off.   I can’t wait untill tomorrow  with 2 pages of orders already open! 

Still Need a Reminder? Let’s Remember, Shall we….

Hello future Cheryl and Ethan.   Did you enjoy your day in 2014?  Did you reap the rewards of a well prepared Christmas stocking season?  Or did  you frantically attempt to sew up enough stockings just to stay caught up?    You probably need a little reminder on how this season was going…back here in 2013….just one year ago. 
First,  I would like to mention that Cheryl is not as kind to you future us.   She want me to address you as “Idiots” .   I’m going to assume that you have been preparing for the 2014 season and are advanced in wisdom as well as money.
However,  I’m also going to assume that your memories are not very good and that is why the 2013 Ethan is here to catalog our progress so a future me can look back and have a record of the debacle this year is becoming.
Tonight was an “ok” night.   We just finished the names at 11:00 pm.  They still need to be flicked and tagged and packed.  We are not even where we were compared to 2012…when we were “bored” because the sales were so “slow”  
Perception has much to do with how you see the world.  If you are prepared,  then the work is easy and you think that you must be having a crappy year because you are working so little.  On the other hand….I you did NOT prepare in advance….well,  then a crappy sales feel like they are swamping you because you simply can’t sew the stockings up as fast as you would need to in a 24 hour period.
This little rant might not make any sense to anyone who is reading this blog ..Other than the Future Ethan And Cheryl who ( hopefully) are reading this and chuckling to themselves as they reminisce about the year they were caught with their pants down.  Take a look at the pics and try to remember than pinching feeling in your neck because you had to sew up 41 stockings and pack up all those orders so they could go out before the weekend.    Enjoy!

Message to Cheryl and Ethan 2014….

So how are you doing so far?   Are you packing up orders and then taking the remainder of the day off to relax?  Or are you frantically making stockings as you go …again. It was another long day for us again…back here in 2013.  You probably have forgotten those long night and now the worry was not that there were not enough sales, but rather if we could keep up and not run out of materials. 

Today was out highest sale day by the way.  It is true that there was this dip after starting out with a bang.  But eventually people started logging on and our stock pile is almost gone now..   I have not even had time to post pictures.  So if you are reading this, future self,  then I would like to give you a bit of advice and hope you will take heed.  Make sure you have a portion of stockings made in advance.  And even if the year looks bleak…which it always will,   be sure to have some ground work laid so you can take those custom orders and large shop orders.

 

Ok,  I’m tired now and still have to flick the glitter off the names and tag them for tomorrows wrap attack. 

The Price of Lessons Not Learned…

Is that the Lesson is repeated!   This is a note to Future Cheryl and Ethan:   Remember WHY you made stockings in advance back in 2012?  To AVOID the 2013 scenario.  Making 32 stockings a night is taking ALL night now because we have exhausted our reserve and now are making them as the orders come in.  Not the best way to run a …Er. “hobby”

What used to take us 4 hours  doing 20 of the same stocking, is not taking us 10 hours because the stockings are all miss-matched and random. 

I’m just a little cranky at the moment because it was a long day.  NOT as long as previous years, but still too long after learning the lessons of those years.  In the end,  each stocking sale is a blessing.   And I actually like doing names.   I’m more frustrated in myself as we should have had these stockings pre-made months ago.   But  last year was too easy and we had many stockings left over.  There was a reason which made sense at the time, for not making huge quantities of stockings in every color that people would not want to buy.

I imagine every Business faces this dilemma year after year.   ( Or “Hobby”)  What to make, How much, when to make the cut off.  The truth is we are still below last years mark, so even now, we are wondering if it is worth making as many as we can or make them as we go.  Time will tell.   In the mean time,   Future Cheryl and Ethan who are reading this in 2014…..here are some pics to REMIND you that there was a reason why you made the stockings in advance…and thank your lucky stars that you only have to pack them and answer questions instead of making them into the weee hours of the night.  

 

Ok…Sleepy time for me..

Hello Kitty Sewing Machine…With Bugs

Origami Bugs, that is.  A few days ago, my sewing machine had been acting screwy and Cheryl finally had enough of my complaining.  She offered to purchase another sewing machine..for herself….and gave me her old one.   Lovely!  Actually,  ever since we saw the Hello Kitty sewing machine at Target, we knew we had to have it.  I blogged about getting it in previous years, and now, it had finally become available again.  We just needed a little nudge to justify the purchase.

Cheryl loves it…it has more power than the old one with less lint build up.   Time will tell, of coarse, how it hold up under the grueling stocking sewing season.

In other news, I finished folding up a few bugs to add to mu shop.  There are cardstock, but I think they turned out pretty good.  Enjoy! 

Origami Bugs VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Oh!  And stockings are picking up…sort of.  Today was a rather long day. Probably because we took yesterday off and had to catch things up.  Perhaps not the best choice, but we pulled though and are now back up to par.  The thing is, sales are down from last year and last month..   I’m not sure what is going on in the world at the moment, but people are being a little more fickle with stocking purchases.  We shall see how the season hold out.  In the mean time,   More and more names are in the future. 

Folding Magazine Bunnies

1971 Life magazine to be exact!  I received a request from someone who wanted to have something that reminded him of better times.  I think anyway.  I don’t remember much about 1971.  I guess I do remember that the ‘70’s were a drag ( John Lennon) and I was just a kid at the time, so I was in the “Prison of Childhood”  I guess there was this war,  hippies, drugs, crime, and celebrities getting into trouble.  Pretty much what is going on now, just with different clothes.

Anyway,   I folded up a few rabbits out of the pages.   Much more difficult than I had first imagined. But, he liked it and purchased them.  Enjoy the Pics!

1971 Life Magazine Bunnies VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

In other news:  Cheryl and I are busy making stockings as always.  The sales are down from last year, which is deceiving, because October was better than last year.  It probably will all even out in the end.

Date Night, Thanksgiving,  Blogging  and most of our weekends have taken a back seat to the stockings….even though we are not selling as many as we want.   We ended up sewing most of  Thanksgiving and ended up eating fried fish with onion rings.  It was good, but took too long to get there.  The fun was supposed to begin at noon, but we did not even leave the shop until 2:45 PM!  I forgot to even take pics of the food this year.  But then again, we just at around the fryer and ate the fish as it was pulled out of the oil.  Yumm!   Hot and fresh is the only way to eat fried fish.  At least it was less of a hassle compared to the pheasant of the previous year. 

So that s it  I’ll have to post more often but as the season wears on, it could become more of a challenge.  We shall see

Origami Christmas Sleigh….again.

Ok this one is a little bit different.  I little more involved then the previous ones.  I guess I just wanted to see how far I could push my origami skills…or my ambition. 

I stopped at  four deer.  I could have folded up more, but stockings are cutting into my time so I don’t have as much to fold.  And my Chi is mostly gone at the end of the day.  So  just a quick post to put on the pictures of the latest addition to the Shop.  We shall see how long it lasts in the holiday rush.  Maybe I’ll be disappointed and it won’t see very quickly.   No worries!  I’’ just keep it up t show it off to the more people….if they actually come to my shop that is.   We shall see. 

In the mean time, enjoy the pics.

Origami Santa VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL