Small Business Saturday

Did you know that last Saturday was Small Business Saturday? 

Well I found out on Small Business Saturday that one of my favorite small businesses is closing.  

There is a darling little gift boutique in my home town called Confetti.  They carry fantastic gift items and lots of personalized things {which we know I love}, including my calendars.

I have often wondered how they have managed to stay in business, knowing that the rent in our town is outrageous.  It seemed that with the economy in its current state... it was only a matter of time.

Well, it looks like time ran out.

My heart aches a little for Confetti, and for all the Small Business Owners that are having dreams squashed across America.

So please think about where you are making your holiday purchases this year.  I greatly admire those of you have that taken the Handmade Pledge and trying to go 100% handmade this season.

While I would love to commit to 100%, I just don't think Nathan would appreciate a hand-sewn work shirt to wear to his suit-and-tie office environment.

But I am definitely making an effort, and shopping with my fellow home-business owners whenever possible.

I hope you will too!

Cyber Monday

It's Cyber Monday!

Here's are the 

Top 10 Things I Think you Should Buy on

Cyber Monday

1.  A Modern Pearl Rosette Statement Necklace from Allora Handmade

2.  A Checkbook Cover from The Pleated Poppy

3.  A Turquoise Vintage Chalkboard from Funky Vintage Kitchen

4.  The Oh Christmas Tree Greeting Card from Sweet Pea Baby

5.  The Home Sweet Home Address Stamp from Letter Girl

6.  A Baby Book from Spunk & Love

7.  A set of Christmas Stockings from Gussy

8.  A Single Tag Keychain from Lisa Leonard

9.  The You & Me Pillow from Heidi Devlin Designs

10.  And of course a Personalized Calendar from Much Ado About You!

Twice in a Day!

Whoa... look at me!  No blogging for nine days, and then two in one day.  Watch out world.

I have never shopped on Black Friday.  I find the whole idea ridiculous, overwhelming, and thoroughly unappealing.

But this year, with every store trying to beat the next to opening... I seriously considered Target at 4am.

Then I reconsidered.

Anyway, for my brothers and sisters out there that would rather enjoy a leftover chicken sandwich than fight with some crazed bargain hunter over a pair of pink fuzzy earmuffs that for some reason seem like a must-have at 4am... I am bringing Black Friday to your computer!  And it's lasting til Sunday.

From now until Sunday, November 28th at midnight PST

Save 10% off all orders from Much Ado About You

You can save 10% on this:

or this:

or these:

Bookmarks make a great gift for your favorite reader!

Tell someone you really care by getting them a personalized gift.

Personalized says... I thought ahead.  I knew you would like this.

Just enter the code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout.

Remember, this sale only lasts until Sunday, so don't delay.  This is your last chance to save on Much Ado About You purchases before Christmas.

We are guaranteeing all orders placed before December 1st to ship by December 15th.

December 1st is the last day to place an order for Christmas delivery.

Now. Go. Shop.

9 Days

It has been nine days since I last blogged.

Right after I posted my last blog, Mego's husband called me and asked if he could fly me out to Denver for the weekend to surprise Mego for her birthday.  

Who could say no to a free weekend away from the insanity, spending time with your bff, and getting to read an entire book???

So, in the last nine days I have:

Celebrated Beau's football team, who made it to the playoffs and lost in a heart-wrenching triple overtime {and am now not sure how I will ever survive being a High School Football Mom}

{Cupcakes, of course, courtesy of Once Upon a Cupcake}

Helped at Beau's Thanksgiving Feast at school

Flown to Denver

Participated in a, shall we say interesting Craft Fair

 

where we mostly sat here:

{I don't know why I can't get this picture to rotate, but you get the idea.}

Visited the "beach" with Cora

Read two entire books {oh, how I love Francine Rivers}

Tried desperately to catch up on a mounting stack of orders

Gone to see Tangled with my family

and

Hosted my very first Thanksgiving Dinner

So there's the breakdown. 

Busyness

If you are wondering why I have been sparse with my blogging lately, it's because Much Ado About You is currently experiencing our busiest. season. ever.

Last December, our highest sales month of all time, we sold 120 calendars.

This month, as of today, with only half of the month behind us, we have sold 135 calendars!

That is why I have not had time to blog.

It is also why I have not had time to do laundry, clean up the house, put away dishes,  unpack from The Queen Bee Market {more on that later}, or finishing putting up the Christmas decorations that Nathan and Beau started while I was gone.

I've been busy.

We released the new line one month ago, and we are now sold out of 5 out of the 24 designs:

If one of these is the one you had your heart set on... you should have bought it already!  Just kidding.  What I was really going to say was that we may end up with a few more... we just went through all of our pending orders yesterday, and based on our highly sophisticated counting system... we believe we are sold out.

Now I am going back to bed because Nathan is home sick and kept me up most of the night with his moaning.  {Fever of 103... no good.}  So, goodnight.  Zzzzzzzzz.

Once Upon a Cupcake Giveaway!!!

My friend Kelly from Once Upon a Cupcake is having her first ever giveaway!  She is making these darling cupcake toppers, that can be shipped anywhere in the US.  

One dozen of these bad boys could be yours!

Check out Kelly's blog to enter.  Also, become a follower because you will definitely want to be updated on all the amazing things she does with fondant and icing.  Amazing.

And in case you were wondering... her cupcakes are to die for.  I am not a sweets person.  I am a chips and salsa kind of girl.  But I crave Kelly's cupcakes.  Crave.  They are yummilicious.  If you have any excuse for ordering cupcakes, you should order them from her.  You won't regret it.

Queen Bee

The Queen Bee Market is finally here!!! WOO HOOOOO!

After the week I have had... I am SO looking forward to getting away with three of my favorite gals, and having a fantastic weekend in San Diego!

If you are in the area, come visit us.  This is going to be an amazing handmade market, and a great place to check off most of  your Christmas list.

Tell me you follow my blog and I will give you

$5 off your order of $40 or more 

{good for purchases at the Queen Bee Market only}.

Silence

Sorry for the silence this week.  It has been a very trying week.

One with high highs and low lows.

It has made me keenly aware of the fact that knee jerk reactions are usually not Emmy at her best, that I have amazingly loyal friends and customers, that perception does not always match reality, and that expectations can disappoint.

It has made me grateful for loyal and loving friends, family that picks me up and backs me up, and a church that I adore and appreciate.

It has renewed my passion for my business, prepared me for the future, and reminded me that growing a business will be full of painful lessons.

But mostly it has made me grateful for God's abundant provision and amazing blessings over my family.

Football

Today I am thankful for football.

Can you believe that???

Beau has played golf, soccer, and t-ball, and been on the swim team, and I have enjoyed cheering him on at all those sports.

But today I almost passed out screaming for the Ladera 49ers... and we're going to the playoffs!!!

Today I got really excited for high school football.

A Time for Thanksgiving

I have to admit... Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday.

Don't get me wrong... I love the food.

I am a big fan of food.

Especially any meal that includes gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.  But to me, Thanksgiving is just the speed bump you have to go over on the way from Halloween to Christmas.

Now, don't get me wrong again... I do not love all things Halloween either.  I am not a fan of witches and spider webs and scary movies.  I am however a fan of the Annual Blakely Chili Dinner and Trick or Treating Night.  We have all the neighbors over, we eat yummy chili {without beans, of course}, and we head out into the thing of beauty that is Ladera Ranch on Halloween night.

Christmas... that is my favorite.  For many reasons, but starting with the birth of our Savior.

The day after Halloween I start listening to Christmas music.  {I am listening to Silent Night sung by Martina McBride as we speak.}  I go from Halloween to Christmas.

Thanksgiving often gets brushed under the rug for me.  I am not a fan of fall colors, and I do not own any Thanksgiving decorations {except one very cute "Thankful" sign that I purchased years ago from Joy's Hope}.

I was just on Facebook and saw that a friend of mine had on her status: "is beginning a month of daily thankfulness" and I thought that sounded like a great idea!  This Thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for.

So starting today I am beginning a Month of Thankfulness on my blog.

Today I am thankful for sisters-in-law that I love.

One of my sisters-in-law came down today to be Beau's Beary Special Guest for his Beary Special Person week in his classroom.

Aunt Jackie came and read Beau's class a story, and made the year of a certain 7 year old who thinks she hung the moon.

Is it legal to marry an Aunt of no blood relation?  Even if she is already married to your Uncle?

Sorry for the out of focus picture.  Dang iPhone.

A Letter

It has been a while since I have updated you all on our adoption process.  It's not because I didn't want to share, but just because I have been stuck in a Birthmother Letter Rut.

The last step of the process on our part was to write a letter to the birth mother, and make a scrapbook bio of our family.

I have sat down to write this letter many, many times.

I have stared at the keyboard many, many times.

I have typed and erased sentences many, many times.

And I have decided that this is the most difficult part of the adoption process.

How do you summarize in one short letter six years of yearning?

How do you explain what great opportunities you can offer a child, without sounding elitist and entitled?

How do you ask someone to give you their baby?

This was hard for me.

But today... it is finished.

Somewhere out there right now there is a young woman pregnant with my baby, and soon she will read my letter and choose me to be her baby's mama.

Today is a good day.

Tomorrow I will start the scrapbook.