24 goes crafty

The following events happened in real time...

5:00 PM:  I just got a call from my informant telling me that a top-secret-high-profile client of hers would like to have 3 of my cupcake aprons sent to them,  ASAP! I realize quickly it's going to be a long night, and a look at my fabric stash proves me right.  I am going to need to do some shopping!

6:00 PM:  While scouring the a local independent fabric dealer I get a call from my partner informing me that my informant has yet another deal going down with the same top-secret-high-profile client, obviously this client is burning the candle at both ends on this particular day. One can help but wonder, how many other deals are going down tonight?

I quickly phone my informant to get the low down, the skinny, the 411. Wow, this is defiantly going to be a VERY long night!  After a long phone call and a no score at the local fabric dealer, I find myself empty handed and deep in thought.  How can I pull these two deals off quickly and effectively?

7:00 I realize I am late for my meeting so I rush over the hide out and meet up with my mafia girlies to discuss legalities, an upcoming show down and our latest caper... the Spring Bada Bing.

Scanning the joint for intruders I notice an unsuspecting family with crosses upon their foreheads.  Ohhhhh NNNNNooooo, its Ash Wednesday, and that can only mean one thing it's my mothers birthday. I jot myself a note--call your mommy stat!

8:00 We get through business fast, and I am off and running to the big daddy fabric dealers.  On the way I call my mom and get a lecture on eating meat on Ash Wednesday and how Homeschooling the kids will only deprive them of going to the prom.  Really, prom??? That's your only problem with me homechooling? Shocking.

I make it to the location, only to find squat! Diddly. Squat. Even though they have nothing I need for this project I still manage to make a $70.00 purchase.  Who knows I might need some of this for the long evening ahead.

Once in the car I realize that I only have 6 minutes left, so I book it across the street to another big daddy fabric dealer. Let's hope I get lucky there, let's face it time is running out and I need polka dots and I need them now!

9:00 SCORE! They have what I need, I found both red and turquoise blue polka dot fabric! The dealer tells me I have overstayed my welcome, makes the transaction and kicks me out.

Next stop, local establishment for caffeine and a beef taco (to spite my mother, old habits die hard).

Once back at my crib I tuck the kiddos in bed and have a quick bite to eat while I send my informant a few quick pics of the fabrics I found.  We trade a few emails and I am off and running. It's finally time to get to the real work.

10:00 Did I mention that I haven't made these aprons in about a year? The patterns need to be worked over. I spend sometime tweaking the design, and whip up two new patterns. Finally, time to get cutting.

11:00 I have every thing cut, so I start sewing.

12:00 I decide it's time for a little shut eye, so I head up to bed. But here's the problem, I start problem solving deal # 2!  The top-secret-high-profile client is looking for "XYZ", the informant has a great idea for "XYZ" but I don't see happening for the amount of bills being discussed.  So, shut eye is all I getting.

1:00 As I lay here figuring out the dets and the math, I have one of those "Aha" moments Oprah's always having. I guess sleep is out of the question. I jump from my bed grab some scrap oilcloth and start patterning a new product!  Genius!  I have done it, I have found a way to make us all happy.

2:00 It's time to get back to my lofty goal of making not just the three requested aprons but an additional 2 more for the top-secret-high-profile clients approval. Welcome to Crazy Town, and the vain attempts over-achieving that happen in Crazy Town.

3:00 As I continue to sew, the bad boy iron strikes again. The spiting and spewing of water leads to serious scorch mark all over one of the aprons. After taking the iron out back and showing it who's boss I cut another one and start over again.

4:00 I am now at total shut down... Around 4:15 I realize I have passed my limit and need some sleep.  So it's off to bed... 4:30 I am still awake... 4:45 I find myself cracking up with laughter because I realize that I am going to have to shovel snow off my picnic table so I can take photos for the informants second deal. The absurdity of it all is just too funny.

5:00 Finally I sleep...

6:00 sleep...

7:00 sleep...

8:00 Up and at it! I start the day by emailing all my peeps, I need my posse today. For now I start sewing.

9:00 Oh yeah, there's that other job, "The Big Job". The one that includes teaching and parenting. This morning the kids become secretaries and stitchers. Lessons include taking dictation and sending emails, running out for breakfast and caffeine, and sewing class.

10:00 Sewing continues as the emails start pouring in. Then there it is, the email from heaven! My inbox now contains an email informing me that "my dream project" is one step closer to becoming a reality. I tell you it's best email ever. You know a girl has to have a few crafty tricks up her sleeve, well let me tell you what, this one is very big trick!  I quill my excitement, and keep sewing.

11:00 My peeps start rolling in! I get one of my Junies cutting placemats and cupcakes while I sew. I relieve the kids from sewing class and the computer takes over the school lessons. Things are looking good, even the irons behaves.

Once things are under control I take a few minutes to attend to "my dream project" and I shoot a few emails off to my secret agents and get back to sewing.

12:00 You will never believe what I am doing, I am still sewing. I have given up on the two extra aprons but I decide to create a whole new placemat for the top-secret-high-profile clients approval.  CRAZY!

1:00 As I finish up the placemat I assign the kids reading duty. Honestly the goal here is simply to keep myself awake and if learning happens so be it!

As I start photographing the new and improved cupcake aprons the phone starts to ring off the hook! Sorry, friends but I just can't answer, I am currently freaking out!

One number comes up on the caller id not once but twice so I figure it might be important. Important indeed! It's another one of my partners in crafty crime, the god father of my entire wholesale career, with dets on our next big score. I will be teaming up with him to decorate a booth for the Richmond Home and Garden Show.  As I fumble with my fatigue and the camera, I just can't chat, so I pull a Scarlet O'Hara and tell him that I will have to think about that tomorrow.

2:00 I am gleefully packing up the goods so I can overnight them to the informant, so she can then overnight them to her top-secret-high-profile client! I love wrapping up pretty packages but I love mailing them off even more.

Just then, another lovely Junie arrives and I get her working of the real work, the web orders that need making. And I am off to the post office.

3:00 I am back at the crib and rolling out two brand new products for deal number two.  I am cutting and the Junies is sewing. Product one is done in a flash and I am headed out to shovel snow off the patio table. Next, I shop my attic for picnic props as I chat with another Junie on the phone. I needed a pep talk!

4:00 I get the first round photos done just as my sweet Junie finishes up the brand new product number 2. For the second set of product shots I open a bottle of wine,  I insist on using really great props! I then spend the next 30 minutes taste testing the wine and shooting the product.

Once I am done I sit down for the first time all day and breath. There I sit for about 10 minutes wondering why the in the hell the camera won't down load my damn pictures.  Well let me a little trade secret, now don't tell anyone, ok? It helps if you plug the camera in.  Hmm... maybe the wine wasn't such a great idea after all!

Twenty minutes of downloading and editing photographs I am done!  I call my informant and tell her where she can find the photos.  I head back to the bottle of wine and toast to my Junies and a job well dones. I couldn't go 24 hours with out my Junies! xoxoxoxo