Let's Catch up

Hello there, nice to see you.

I know, I know, I've be gone for quite a while. I doubt if any one still comes here, but if you do, please accept my apologies for not keeping in touch. I have been so busy, between Romy's and work that I haven't had much time for fun stuff.

Let's see, this fall we went to a couple craft fairs, sold a few things and learned a lot about presentation.

I'm pretty sure that I had the swine flu, since I had a flu shot and got sick, very sick, about a month later. Also one of my co-workers/friends had it so I was definitely exposed and got sick shortly after that.

I've done a couple of paintings and will get some pics up soon.

We moved Romy's to new host with a new look and feel, and are having a sale to celebrate, 25% off all of Romy's products except incense. Incense remains $1.50 for a package of 15 sticks. Romy's

We also added a bargain basement. Rob searches wholesale sites for products that you might be interested in and we list them in the bargain basement at a low price. Right now we are offering a radar/laser detector, a mini netbook and a gps. Romy's Bargain Basement

Hope life has been treating you all well. Now to go see if I can catch up with some of your blogs.

"Friends" (x12 soft pastel.

A Special Offer

Starting August 10, 2009 through September 7, 2009 Romy's is offering a special on a bath product set.

The set includes our shea butter hand lotion, shea butter body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, shea butter glycerine soap, liquid hand soap, and bath salts. All for only $33.20. With a regular price of 47.50 this is a savings of $14.30.


For more information visit the Romy's Store

Bad Hair Day (a pastel painting)

"Bad Hair Day" 9 x 12 soft pastel over water color pencil. Stitch is an Arabian stud horse. He lives in Colorado with his owner Carol.

Smooth Away

I don't usually buy "as seen on TV" products, however, I did buy the Smooth Away.

I was tired of plucking the inevitable chin and mustache whiskers that come with age.
I have to say, I am impressed. I used it on my legs, underarms, mustache and chin.

I have not had to shave under my arms or my legs for over a week. The mustache is gone. The only place that it doesn't seem to work well is on my chin. It removes the hair but it is back within a couple of days.

Business is going well

I have learned a lot in the last few months. The business is going better than expected for just starting it in March. I'm sure it will continue to grow.

We have added Ratepoint to the site for those all important customer reviews.

We added Clickyso that we can see our traffic.

We started advertising with Project Wonderful

I have submitted the site to search engines.

We have added new fragrances and product.

A friend is designing some new fancy new labels for us. Can't wait to get them.

We are getting more local sales due to word of mouth and online sales through advertising and word of mouth from satisfied customers.

All in all I'm rather pleased with the way things are going and looking forward to more sales.

Five Years Ago Today

Rob met me at the Manchester, NH airport. I was sooo nervous I didn't even see him standing there and started to walk right past him. I was here a couple of hours when his younger sister came by and interrogated me. Funny out of everything she asked the question I remember is "How long are going to be here?" My answer was "As long as he wants me here."
Later we went to see his father in the nursing home and his older sister was there and I got the second degree from her. I know they were just watching out for their brother. I wasn't offended, just very uncomfortable. I get along great with his sisters by the way.

Although we had known each other online since November 2001 and talked on the phone, we had never met. Both of us were aware that we may not be compatible. We were aware that the feelings may not be there in person. There are so many things against an online relationship working out in person. Was he/she honest about who they are?

We had to give it a try though, so I followed my heart to Maine and have been here ever since.

I'm not going to tell you that we have a perfect relationship. We have our disagreements. There are things about each of us that the other could do without, but we deal with those things because they are part of the whole person.

Being here with Rob has allowed me to grow. I was stifled by my ex. Since I have been here I have learned, if you want something go for it. He supports me with my art (my ex said it was a waste of time and money so I didn't create anything for many years). He encouraged me when I wanted to be a CSM. He encourages me in anything I want to do and I hope that I encourage him. Even my family which was against me coming here has admitted that it was the best thing I ever did and being with Rob has been very good for me.

When you find the right person for you, go for it.

Don't let fear hold you back

We had an idea, we made soaps for ourselves, we like them, other people that have used them like them, so why not sell them. Of course before we could do that we had to invest in supplies, more supplies than we would use for just us. When it comes to investing money to start a business you have to deal with the fear that it might not make it. You have to ask if you have faith in your product. We have faith in our product and took our savings and invested in supplies.


Now the question was how to get customers. The answer was to give out samples, which we did. We took samples to work with us and gave them out to people that wanted to try the lotion. That first day we were in business we had 4 orders. Now we have repeat customers. I guess that says alot, people like our products well enough to buy from us again, and they are telling their friends and family about us. Word of mouth is the best advertising that you can get. A person telling their friend about a product that they have tried and really like. We had one of our customers buy two sets of lotion, shampoo, conditioner and soap to give as gifts. I can't tell you how good that made me feel, our products were good enough for gifts.


I'm glad that we didn't let fear hold us back.

Romy's

In Memory

It was a Friday, May 13, 2005. I talked on the phone with my mom that day. My mom lived with my brother, Willie, and he was home because it was too muddy to work. He worked for a drilling company. I almost asked to talk to him then decided I would do it next time because I was running out of time to get ready for work.

I got off work at midnight and Rob picked me up as usual. When we got home he poured me a glass of wine and said you need to call Chris. Right then my stomach leapt into my throat. It was 12:30 my time, 10:30 Chris's time. Chris tells me that Willie was killed in a car wreck that evening. After I talked to Chris I called my mom. She was...well, a mess. Not dealing well at all, which is to be expected. She kept telling me she needed help. I couldn't help her over the phone, I told her to call Kim, my ex sister-in-law. She did call Kim and Kim came to help her, Kim left a romantic evening with her husband to help my mom through that night and I am so grateful to her. It took me a long time to forgive myself for not talking to Willie that day. I wish I would have.

I couldn't get home for the funeral. I just couldn't raise the money. I did write the eulogy and I would like to share that with you.

If this is read as intended, it is being read by Mom, but it is my thoughts, my words, about my brother.

We all know that there were two sides to Willie. We prefer that his good side be remembered.

I remember when I was pregnant with Chris. Willie was 10. He asked if he could take the baby fishing when he was old enough. When Chris was 2 and Willie was 13 we lived in Arkansas and there was a stream behind our house. Willie took Chris fishing in the stream. Chris was so excited because he caught a little sunfish and Willie was so proud that he had taken Chris on his first fishing "trip".

Willie loved his family; Mom, Kari, me, his nephews and neices, his inlaws and great nephews and great neices. Most of all he loved his children, Tyler, Zack and Addison. I want you to know that you were always in your Dad's thoughts and heart.

I won't pretend that he was a saint, but for the most part my brother was a good man. He was loving and genuinely cared about people. He would give you the shirt off his back or his last cent, with no regard to how he was going to eat tomorrow.

Willie was mine and Kari's baby brother. He was my Mom's son, but more than that he was her best friend,
Whether you approved of him or not, my brother lived his life to the fullest. He worked hard and he was full of life. Because of this I have a hard time accepting that he is gone.

I don't know who said this, but I want to share this quote with you, "life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting....Holy shit...what a ride!!!!" That was Willie.

When you remember him, remember the love that he had to give, the help he offered.
remember his smile. Remember he loved you.

I hope he knew how much I loved him. I love you you baby brother, I always will.


If you read this post I thank you for your attention. Funny, after 4 years I thought I could do this, and it is something that I needed to do, but the pain is still there and I find myself crying. I didn't expect that.
I want you to know that if you have a chance to spend with family or tell someone that you love them, do because there may not be a next time.

The picture above is a pastel I did of Willie. I gave this painting to my mom.

Do You Wii?

My sister has a Wii and we had so much fun together bowling on it that mom decided I needed one. I have always loved video games, after all they came out in my generation, but I have to say that I haven't had as much fun with one as I have had with this one. What a great idea, play games and get some exercise at the same time. We love the Wii sports that came with our Wii. Of course my boyfriend seems to beat me most of the time, but I am improving. We did get a couple of games that were on sale that you can sit and play. I can't wait for my stepson to come visit. He doesn't know that we have it.

So do you Wii?

Away from home.

Hi all,
I'm in Wyoming visiting my sick mom. I'll be back home next weekend. Have a good week.

Tammy

Been Busy

Hi all,

Sorry I've been gone for so long. In February my boyfriend and I decided to turn our soap making hobby into a home business. We spent quit some time doing research and in March started making sales. My days off are no longer days off and most of our free time is being spent filling orders for lotions, soaps and shampoos. I will try to get on at least once a week and hopefully have something interesting to write about.

Hard Times

I quit watching the news, it seems that everyday they are reporting about more businesses closing or laying off, more jobs lost. My son has been out of work for awhile, luckily my daughter in law still has her job. My sister lives in Wyoming, she works at an auto body repair shop at a car dealership. She tells me that business has dropped enough that they are only working 4 days a week now. No one has the money to even meet deductibles.

So far I feel fairly secure in my job, the company's response to lower sales has been to cut hours but at least I am still working.

I sincerely hope that the President and Congress can come up with a solution that will fix the situation, but I know that anything they come up with will take awhile to work. I hope that people can hold on to what they have while we wait for a solution to take affect.

In the meantime, we cut down on what we spend, and buy only what we need.

How are you weathering this economy?

The Wine Taster

This little kitty is thinking of taking a taste of her owner's wine. Oil over acrylic.
I hope you enjoy it.

Daddy ... it hurts

I got the following from my son's myspace. I don't know who wrote it but I felt it was worth passing along, as it asks. I hope it touches you as deeply as it touched me.



My name is Chris,
I am three,
My eyes are swollen.


I cannot see.


I must be stupid,
I must be bad,
What else could have made,
My daddy so mad?
I wish I were better,
I wish I weren't ugly,
Then maybe my mommy,
Would still want to hug me.


I can't speak at all,
I can't do a wrong,
Or else I'm locked up,
All day long.


When I'm awake,
I'm all alone,
The house is dark,
My folks aren't home.


When my mommy does come home,
I'll try and be nice,
So maybe I'll just get,
One whipping tonight.


I just heard a car,
My daddy is back,
From Charlie's bar
I hear him curse,
My name is called,
I press myself,
Against the wall.


I try to hide,
From his evil eyes,
I'm so afraid now,
I'm starting to cry.


He finds me weeping,
Calls me ugly words,
He says its my fault,
He suffers at work.


He slaps and hits me,
And yells at me more,
I finally get free,
And run to the door.


He's already locked it,
And I start to bawl,
He takes me and throws me,
Against the hard wall.


I fall to the floor,
With my bones nearly broken,
And my daddy continues,
With more bad words spoken.


'I'm sorry!', I scream,
But it's now much to late,
His face has been twisted,
Into a unimaginable shape.


The hurt and the pain,
Again and again,
O please God, have mercy!
O please let it end!
And he finally stops,
And heads for the door,
While I lay there motionless,
Sprawled on the floor.


My name is Chris,
I am three,
Tonight my daddy,
Murdered me.


And you can help,
Sickens me to the soul,
If you read this,
and don't pass it on.......
I pray for your forgiveness,
You would have to be,
One heartless person,
Not to be affected,
By this Poem.


And because you ARE affected,
Do something about it!
So all I ask you to do,
Is pass this on!

IF YOU ARE AGAINST CHILD ABUSE!
Post this as 'Daddy ... it hurts'

3 shopping days left

Thankfully I only work two of them. I have an 8 hour shift tonight, I expect to busy but Wednesday will be worse. I only work 4 hours Wednesday because we close at 6:00 that day. And that is when the fun begins. We have to get the customers out, we have to set the front end for Friday (and all the returns), make sure all the reshops are put away and get out of there. Usually there are people that are trying to come in as we are letting customers out. Apparently they don't believe the signs that are posted all week saying that we close at 6:00 on Christmas Eve. They also must have very short memories because we close at 6:00 pm on Christmas Eve every year. It is the one night of the year that we close early.

I am not done. I get paid Wednesday and I still have one more gift that I have to pick up. Since my boyfriend works days this week, I will have to try and get it during my 15 minute break. Wish me luck, the store will be packed with last minute shoppers. It's weird too, because usually I am not a last minute shopper. This year it just worked out that way.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

This Year's Card

Last year I painted a picture and decided to use it for my Christmas card for the special people in my life. It was a big hit so I continued my new tradition this year.
Since you, my dear readers, are special people to me I am sharing this card with all of you. I hope you enjoy it.

A home full
of happiness,
laughter and memories,
friendships rekindled,
hearts filled
with joy . . .
May these be your treasures
at Christmas time.

May the Light shine upon you through the New Year.



Tammy

'Tis the Season

I used to love the Christmas season, picking out gifts for my loved ones, the lights, scents and music. I bought into the hype that people are happy and fun to be with.

This is my 5th year working retail and every year I become more disillusioned. People are mean and rude. I know that no one has much money to spend this year, please don't take your frustrations out on the cashier, we don't have any more than you do. When you yell at us because you spent more than you anticipated, or because an item didn't get put into the system at the price it has been marked down to (not our fault, by the way), because you are on a tight budget, or any other number of reasons, that can ruin our whole day. We are there to do a job, just like you do at your place of work.

How would feel if someone that you don't even know came into your office and started screaming and cussing (yes, in some instances there has been cussing) at you for something that wasn't your fault? How would the rest of your day go? Would you be able to keep on smiling and being pleasant all day? Now, how about if it happened over and over again?

We are aware that we are short handed, and we are trying to get you through the line and out the door as quickly as possible. We do not do the hiring, nor do we make the work schedule.

I have had cashiers call me over because a customer was yelling at them because their credit card, debit card, or check was declined. I know that this is embarrassing for you, however, it is not or fault. Debit cards and checks are declined if there isn't enough money in the account to cover them, our checks are automatically deducted just like a debit card. Checks are also declined if you have a returned check somewhere that uses the same check system that we do. With credit cards, the most common reason is that the card issuer denies the charge. We really wish that we could help you, but there isn't anything that we can do in any of these cases, so please, don't take it out on us.

I am asking you to please, let those of us that work in retail enjoy the season too. Please remember that we have to deal with the same frustrations as you. We also have families that we need to shop for, we have to wait in the same lines. We may look like someone to take it all out on because we are just a face at the register but we are human, we have feelings.

Don't get me wrong, there are some real nice and pleasant people out there. They are a joy to wait on, and when a cashier is lucky enough to get one it really helps them get through the day. So I thank those of you are nice to the cashiers, your friendly smile and kind words helped someone more than you know.

For everyone, please take into your mind and hearts, 'Tis the Season to be Jolly.

Fur and Feathers

Our furred and feathered family members can be a source of comfort, a reason to laugh, provide entertainment and at times bring pain.

Of course you've met the degus before. After several different name changes we finally settled on Speedy and Rocky. They are not afraid of the cat and if they don't want him near them they will make a hissing type sound and stomp their feet at him. Speedy is still unsure about us but Rocky is getting friendlier. Now when I feed them he will come up to me and sometimes I can actually touch him. They love to rearrange their cage, and they are strong. We have their pellets in a heavy ceramic dish and they often move it to the center of their cage. Their sweet potatoes go into a small blue plastic dish, it is also fairly heavy and they throw it all over the place including putting it up on top of their house. They sing to each other, they cuddle up and make this noise that sounds like they are singing.


Meet Squizzels and PJ. We didn't name them, they came to us with those names. They were 4 and 5 years old when we got them and we have had them for 3 years. When we got them I went online to learn about cockatiels, the websites said that they like fruit and vegetables for treats. Well, our's don't, they do however like scrambled eggs and kix cereal. They also know when it is Saturday and are extremely noisy until their shows are turned on. They really seem to enjoy That's So Raven and Hannah Montana. They are quiet the whole time those shows are on and sit in their cage and listen to the t.v. PJ and Squizzels love to have a spray bottle shower (not the same bottle we use on Winston).
This is Winston. He looks nice and sweet and when he wants to be he is. The trouble with Winston is that most of the time he doesn't want to be. He can go from giving a cuddle and purring to holy terror in 30 seconds or less. Sometimes I swear he has a split personality. Winston has his own toys, but his favorite things to play with are straws and small toys that he steals out of my stepson's toy box. He is sure that he is king and all the rest of us are his subjects and if he doesn't get what he wants when he wants it (which is often) he tries to punish us with his claws. Of course that is when we reach for the spray bottle with water and vinegar in it. We tried plain water but that didn't work. He's pretty sure that part of his job is to check on the birds and degus. The birds tell on him when he gets too close, one will squawk and the other will hiss at him. They could bite him but they don't.

Well that's about it for our furred and feathered family members.

Red Barn

I finished this piece just before I did the butterfly, it just took me awhile to actually take a photo so I could post it. 9x12 soft pastel and pastel pencils, on Kitty Wallis paper. Hope you like it. The reference photo came from Wet Canvas reference library.