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Goodness we are almost there! I have only 15 more to be ready for Brookings Summer Arts this weekend and Fargo Downtown Street Fair next week, July 15-th-17th.   It has been the a whirlwind this last couple of weeks but we survived.

I want to thank you- all my fans- again because you are what keep us going.  I think of how much people enjoy our products and look forward to seeing what’s new and I know that’s all of you who continually drive us to be better and bigger. 

I took a much needed break this evening and made spaghetti and then went for a walk on our farm.  Boy do I love my life.  We have the prettiest farm that my husband’s family runs and the weather this evening was just so beautiful, God really delivered a masterpiece.  So Gus , Ivy and I made it to the swing set and played for almost an hour. I was really conscious about staying present with the two of them while we played. I didn’t think about work or getting things done once they were down for the night, I just watched and soaked in all of them and the night air. I smelled and kissed Ivy’s head right below me in the snuggly, I listened to Gus’ giggles as he pretended to be a super hero flying on the swing and I touched the grass beneath my bare toes. All the while thinking, my God, my God you are amazing, THANK YOU.   This is my life, this moment- this precious moment, be here right now I reminded myself– it was amazing. 

So here we go, Brookings  Arts is going to be fun and exciting.  I can’t wait to see how the grand debut of the Ivy Toes goes and the new styles and fabric are bought up.  Hope to see you all soon!  Now back to finishing up ;)

I thought I would blog about what Sarah and I consider show “must-haves.”

We always get groceries to have in the booth because we can no longer smell the fair food without getting a little nauseous after all this time.  I can’t eat another corn dog or Indian taco.   But maybe someday the aroma will allure me!  So for groceries we get bagels, grape jelly, peanut butter, grapes, apples, water, some form of chocolate and Sarah’s latest trail mix concoction.  (She likes to do it, makes her feel domestic or something ;). 

We always pack her laptop for blogging, a people magazine for a hot bubble bath after the show and usually a hair dye kit for Sarah, (we like to experiment!) We also have a camera, the breast pump, the I-pod, and the infamous tally sheet for fanny packs. That’s right, we tally fanny packs and mullets, if there is a certain number too many, we rethink the show, seriously , the fanny pack was the worst invention ever, who wants to add weight to any part of that region, and the mullet died in the 80’s, let it go, not let is grow! 

Sarah’s usually has her lesson plans for her full time job as a pre-school teacher and I have my design pad to sketch anything I see that I think would be fun to add to my line. 

So there you have it, the must-haves, now back to tallying mullets and fanny packs—-

First Adventure:  My twin sister and I do all the shows together, and she is the best adventure partner ever!  We are always running into some kind of trouble with cars, trailers or load in or load out.  Well this trip delivered a lot of fun. It’s five hours to Grand Forks so a long trip considering.  About 14 miles outside of Watertown we realized we were out of gas, not just like 10 more miles and you will be empty, but the fuel economy on our van just had stars, not even a zero for us.  So we didn’t panic but we certainly laughed and coasted for like 14 miles.  When we could roll into a gas station, by the grace of God, we filled up 16.8 gallons, the tank holds 16 gallons…..oh my. 

Second Adventure:  We get to the hotel at 11pm after we set up and go to check in under Rebekah Scott.  The attendant looks at us funny and says, a Rebekah Scott just checked in,   So yes, two Rebekah Scotts were signed up, which meant she gave our room to the other really cool Rebekah Scott (at least I assume that because of her name ;) 11pm, and no room, and the town is booked solid because of the arts fest and a soccer tournament.  The attendant says I have one room open; it is a smoking suite with a Jacuzzi tub.  Well we need to smell it first and then decide, and then she says “It will be free.”  Sold!  We stayed in it and showered to make sure the smoke didn’t soak in…crazy us. 

Third Adventure:  We are traveling home and singing at the top of our lungs to Sarah’s ipod music and then I break down into  tears like I always do, praising God for this lifestyle I live and allowing me to thrive when Sarah hands me Kleenex to dry up.  I always have that moment, and I know it is God reminding me of my blessings.  I reflect often in my life because I just can’t take for granted what He has given me.  So that’s my third adventure, this life!

Well I made a very scary but good decision this week.  I have been filling inventory for all the art shows and the trunk shows and still running short on them.  If I am doing my figuring right for how many I need to support all the shows, I am 90 short.  That’s right, 90 short.  I have never been this busy, I have been busy but I have never been this busy.  It’s just crazy, and I love it but I had to sit back and evaluate some things.  So because I need to fill about 90 bags in about 3 weeks, I have been working and working without a lot of sleep or sanity.  I work at home with my children right next to me. We take lots of breaks and I meet their needs like any mother would, but I was letting things slip and it started to get to me.  I have always been very “domestic,” meaning I like to have dinner every night at the table with my little family unit and do the dishes together and pray together and catch up our days with each other.  We don’t do this every night, but at least 4 nights a week we do eat together.  I was getting so busy; I was staying up till like midnight and then back up again at 5 to sew.  Well it’s a good thing I love what I am doing so I don’t get tired of it but I do get stressed by it at times.  So when things starting slipping with my family and my little ones needs weren’t being met, I knew I had to make a decision. 

I was busy sewing and my son Gus needed something and he was saying, “mommy mommy mommy” over and over again, (like we all know so well!) and I just snapped, I yelled and I will never forget the look on his face.  It is permanently impressed on my brain.  I realized things had to change.  So I bent down to his level told him I was sorry and promised him I would play some ball right then and there.  He hugged me back and was busy getting his ball and bat, while I reflected on what just happened.  I stood back up and read the sign I have printed above my ironing board, it says, “wife, then mother, then designer”.  It reminds me of my priorities and the order of importance.   I got it from a really good book called, “A Woman After God’s Own Heart.”  The book changed things in my life drastically.  It explained to me how to serve my family joyfully and how to use my gifts from God.  So that being said I asked myself how I can fix what just happened? 

So I decided after prayer and talking with my husband, not to do Aberdeen Arts Festival.  I HATE even thinking about canceling the show but I have to think about it like this: It may not be the best decision for my business, but without a doubt the BEST decision for my family.  Iversyn, my daughter is only a baby once, the art festivals are every summer, but she is only a baby for a very short time.  This way my quality and purses remain at top notch.

So there I said it.  Yikes, still makes me nervous, but we will survive. 

I would like to still offer our 10% off show special for anyone within 50 miles of Aberdeen. I know I had some customers coming and I feel terrible, but you can still redeem your 10% off coupon through email and our shopping cart online.  I am sorry,  but my family and I thank you. 

Here’s to a busy summer and being a mom— the best job I have.

Weird title perhaps? No, it really is how I feel right now. I am losing sleep thinking of all the cool ideas I have in my head.  I always say if I wasn’t designing full time, I would be a professional brain stormer, I just love it!

I had a call this week with another start up company from Windom MN and they wanted to brainstorm on some ideas to get their product out there and how to get started.  As soon as they emailed me to see if we could chit chat I started brainstorming on how to market their idea and get it going, it was so fun, I couldn’t stop, I just spewed about 100 ideas at once at them and I can’t wait to see where they go with it. The company is called “Pillow Portraits” at www.pillowportraits.com and they have the cutest products, great for Graduations and Weddings coming up this spring and summer, check them out! Good luck ladies, I will be cheering you on all the way!

Then last night, after a really great trunk show in Sioux Falls, thanks Mel Keegan! , I had a great idea for another company. Wouldn’t it be cool to create a little “workshop” of designers and seamstresses where you could go with your ideas and they would help develop them and sew them up for you? I think it be would be so cool! I have heard numerous times people wishing they could sew because they have all these ideas but don’t know where to start….so wouldn’t it be cool if there was a warehouse/workshop you could go to and develop your idea and see it made up?  That would be amazing, so maybe someday I will own and operate that little workshop, sounds cool huh? I have a few ideas myself I would like to see made up and develop, but where’s the time? Ha!    I think I will brainstorm on that some more!

We are filling and making orders like crazy–gearing up for the summer shows. We have heard back from all the art fairs and we made into all the ones we were in last year and a few more. Our calender of events is updated on the website and also on facebook, check it out and mark your calenders!

I am hoping to book my first show with our sales rep Alison this week.  I have gal and some of her girlfriends who just can’t wait to have a party and want their purse for summer now, so I directed her to Ali and she will do the show for me. It’s hard to let go a little since the business is so much a part of me, but I feel really comfortable and confident in Alison and her representation of Rebekah Scott Designs.  I tell myself, “Rebekah, here we go, let go and let God, feel the wind under your wings!”  Well- we are flying- but not without a little parachute and googles (for safety reasons only you know! ;) I know I know, let go and fly!

I am sewing up the baby booties as well, one at a time to make sure we get it down pat on how they will look.  I will say this- they are adorable! I have loved putting them together so far, can’t wait to see how they are received.  Pictures soon! They will be available only at home shoes and art shows, not via the website because they are too difficult to update, so they are a little  exclusive. You will be able to see them online, just not add to shopping cart.

I better get to sewing and loving on my children.  And a side-note, my husband turns 30 today!  His golden birthday, we are going to celebrate big!!!  Nicholas- I love you carelessly and without any hope of ever giving up.  You are not the wind behind my wings, God is, but you are the guy pushing me out the plane and flying with me to success, thank you honey!  I love you, and Happy Birthday.