Cabin Fever and the Mini VaCa....

Soooo ready to go on an outing with the spouse and Lacy. We had to keep the length to a minimum being that there was still work to be done but.......... we all needed a break.

Set out in the sports car (the bumble bee) and once Lacy was tucked in her nook by my feet, off we went, top down on a summer day crystal clean and deliciously sunny. Headed north taking a leisurely scenic route and ended up stopping in Stockbridge, Mass. for lunch. The first place we tried, was the patio of the Red Lion Inn where the matre'd apologized and said that it was a Massachusetts law--no dogs allowed where food is being served. So, we walked half a block and found another little place called "Once Upon a Restaurant", tucked in from the main street, that had outdoor seating. The owner was very accommodating as far as Lacy was concerned. Hmmmmmm......I guess he didn't know about the "Law". Lunch was tasty but sparse and it was nice to sit outside with Lacy, though Jeff constantly moaned about how difficult it was to do anything with the dog. (He turned out to be the least dog friendly of those we encountered in our travels.)

He barked at me "They won't take dogs", as I walked toward Cafe Lucia, a nice Italian restaurant on Church Street, in Lenox with outdoor tables. I went inside, dog in arms, and proceeded to make a reservation for 7 o'clock. I was told that people always bring their dogs there. Hmmmm.....she didn't hear about the "Law" either and Jeff was finally mute (grin).

Where to stay the night? Jeff checked with the local chamber of commerce who suggested places that were$300 a night and up. They were not pet friendly anyway so the astronomical rates were a moot point. I called a B&B, the Cornwell Inn right on Main street and the person I spoke with was very chatty but vague. Yes, no, not sure, so we took our chances and it turned out to be a very nice place, though they don't advertise as being pet friendly. We convinced Lisa at the front desk that Lacy doesn't bark, doesn't pee on the floor, and will be with me at all times so she found us a room without a rug. (as if.......) and everything I said turned out to be true. Lacy was her usual well behaved self. (after all, it's only my rug she likes to pee on).

Breakfast was fine, nothing outstanding, organic this and that. The people who ran the place (it's owned by the bank since the previous owners skipped town) were Israeli and seemed a bit disturbed by our having talked Lisa into letting us stay though they were uber-friendly at breakfast, with all the other guests present. Aran, the husband, showed up at the room as we were checking out, "to make sure we didn't forget anything". Really.

So it was a nice little getaway with a few thumb tacks tossed in. Final determination........Stockbridge and Lenox are NOT 100% dog friendly places but if you're pushy enough, you can find something unless you like your adventures to be serendipitous like we do.

Two giggles to start off the week

Giggle No. 1 - We call this "Scootshi". Or "Scooter roll."
He does like to be surrounded in a safe cocoon
whenever he rides in the car. Travel anxiety. And that really isn't a mournful look of sadness on his face, but the heavy lidded, drooping eyes that go along with his relaxed Yoda ears. In two minutes he'll be sound asleep. My baby grand dog helps me start the day with a smile.

Giggle No. 2 - is the sort that comes from giddy, squeeking excitement. All four packages of the production order arrived from Peru today. Easy peasy. I picked them up at the post office and am now sorting through them, getting them ready to sell. The new button samples also arrived and they look great on the Lucky and Tigger scarves so I have to order the dozen I need of each since the other buttons I bought don't look half as good. Lesson learned once again-- stick with first instincts. Color always looks great! It wasn't a major expense but I'm trying to keep any additional cost to the scarves as low as possible. Gladly though, the wholesale pricing is 40% less so that will be a nice savings.
In the "any day now" catagory, the hangtags should also be ready this week after having approved the layout last Wednesday.....and finally (and happily) the website is finished. WHOOT!!
It's really terrific and will get better as we update it. Erika is quite the geek (saving me a bundle in the process). Then there's the cost of advertising. Holy Hannah!! Here's another major decision I have to make as I try to stretch the meager remainder of the seed money to accomodate print ads. Like Doggie Aficionado and Modern Dog.
I think I have to forget about the advice from my mentors and get a loan after all. To wait till the sweaters start to sell would just be wasting valuable time that could be spent on
designing, advertising, sending out press releases (for free publicity) and all those other good things that go along with start ups. Still.........I'm feeling pretty good about how things have progressed and if I find the right selling venue, I could get this whole thing up and running in time for the holidays.......which was my intent all along. Good job Patricia! On time delivery is a huge plus.

Elegant yarns are spinning around in my head

Spin Expo, the premier fiber and yarn trade show is taking place at the Altman Building on 18th Street in NYC, July 19, 20 and 21. The yarns I've seen are luscious, especially the ones from Italy and though expensive, I've found several vendors with small minimums (which is the first question I always ask) They are very gracious and helpful and will be sending me style cards and even a ball or two of my yarns of choice to work into the new sweater designs. It's so exciting really because I can visualize what I originally wanted to do with Lollypups from the onset and now that I know who produces the yarns that would work for me, I feel a freedom that had been stiffled before, now opening up with new possibilities. Another thing I'm realizing, that in order to make these elegant, high end garments, although the crochet ones will be the bread and butter collection, with additional styles done by Peru, I may have to consider creating something for to be made by knitting machine. Stoll has a wonderful set up here in NY, with an online library and capabilities to create custom swatches. It's making my head spin.

There's a Spanish supplier I found who has the purple lurex yarn I had searched high and low for to use in the Misty style. Ofcourse it's too late now and Misty is a bit more subdued than the original, but for future reference, his minimums are low and they would send product (as was the case with all the vendors) to Peru.

It's been a fruitful couple of days. I wired Patricia the balance for production so she will be sending out the 4 boxes tomorrow. I've made some mistakes which I know is part of the learning process, but am excited to see the first collection and what the outcome will be.

I'm down to my last thousand dollars so I hope I can start replenishing my funds soon!

And finally, Patricia sent the picture of the Tigger scarf! Looks good. I'm convinced though that I must do the Candy and Misty styles as well. I'll work on the specs and let Patricia develop the samples since she has the yarn . Once I have the funds I can place another order or maybe by that time, I'll have gotten a loan. Back to work.............

There's something just wrong about trying to sell sweaters in 97 degree heat!

I sit at my computer, air conditioner humming, attic fan sucking out the hot air in the attic above my studio ceiling, and my portable fan is clipped to the edge of the desk, turned toward me, blowing. That's how hot it is today.

Lacy has been feeling under the weather for the past 4 days (I thought it was the heat which it was , partly) but it seems she got that stomach infection again so I started her on the rice and chicken diet as before. She sleeps beside me on the floor, not even interested in the nice soft pillow beside her. Then she gets up and slowly moves toward another spot, I never know where to find her, but she sleeps. It makes me realize how old and slow she's getting and I shiver, even in the heat.

On to the business at hand. Patricia is shipping everything on Monday the 19th as promised. In the end I think things were handled kind of sloppy on my part and on hers. In our anxiousness to get things resolved so as to keep the shipping date, I've let a few minor things slide with the scarves. I asked if I could have a picture sent of the Tigger draped on the mannequin since I never got one. Patricia said she can do it on Monday when they're ready to be shipped because one of her ladies is working from her home not with the workshop and so she hasn't seen it. That scares me. If she hasn't seen it, who's minding the store? Next time, I don't want to do development of stock before finalizing everything first when I'm in Peru. Sample development is one thing, production is another. I do have a lot of confidence in Patricia, she's been on target most of the time but my funds are running dangerously low and I can't afford any mistakes.

I finally heard back from Fair Trade Knitters. My last contact with them was back in January!

They work with Ecuador where there is some beautiful wool production so I'm anxious to see if they will follow up this time and give me color and quality information. At least they're local and it might be easier working through them from here. I do need other sources, that's for sure!

Erika is doing a great job on the website. I'm truly in awe of my first born and her tech capabilities. I thought I was pretty website savvy but she has been constantly coming up with little bits and pieces that make the new site look good and much more clever than I can. She does get short with me if I don't understand something after trying to explain it to me umpteen times. Like how the hell does Twitter work?? I can't help it if I'm slow.........hmmmmm........Lacy and I may be "old dogs" but we're not incapable of learning new tricks ;(

I think I'll play my fiddle now.......I know I'm better at it than she is::::hee hee:::

Dog days of summer and petwear progress........

After a glorious and restful 4th of July weekend at our friend's magnificent home in Southampton, and two of their canine visitors Macy and Jack, it's back to work with last minute preparations for the mid month delivery of my first collection. It's been a rocky road, (see earlier entries) filled with frustration and disappointment, but all of that adds up to the satisfaction that comes with hard work, stamina, a touch of stubbornness, a bit of humility and an enormous amount of moxie. I knew I could work hard (always did), and all the rest, but the moxie surprised me. Self esteem was always a struggle, and just like the other qualities needed to achieve one's goals, seems that it was buried somewhere in my insecure psyche just itching to get out....I am woman, hear me roar...........::sorry::
The Lucky neck warmer is in production, Tigger neck warmer has been approved, and the kinks were ironed out and perfected on the Maxine (cotton) sweater and everything looks good.

I just this moment received the pictures of the Pepper neck warmer and was a bit nervous about that one because of the complex button closure but, leave it to Patricia to absolutely "get it". With a few tweeks, that one will be approved too! All I can say is "whew". I'm only running the three for now, to see how people respond to them. The Misty Heart and Candy styles, though my personal favorites, are a bit more complex and might end up being more expensive so, I'll hold off for the time being.


Now the focus is on getting the Lollypups name out there. The label is perfected and will be ordered this week as will the hang tag. Brochures and press releases are being sent to newspapers and magazines, and my friend Christy, a journalist, will be doing a lifestyles write up some time soon. She also keeps me abreast of any pet events she hears about where we can attend and I can push the product. I've already donated a sweater to Dogs In Danger, for their online auction to help ...........well..........dogs in danger, a not for profit organization that I've become involved with. Their goal, to rescue soon to be put down dogs in animal "shelters" across the country. (I use the term loosely since what kind of sheltering are they really doing). Anyway, Dogs In Danger and all similar rescue organizations need money in order to keep going. As soon as I have the link, I'll post it for anyone who may feel the urge to save one of these little guys.