I started predicting it in March, but I was wrong – in March, April and May – and then I finally gave up.  This was living proof why I don’t bet on anything.  I tell people that I have made thousands of dollars in the lottery over the years – because I have...

I sat down to my computer at work this morning – going through the e-mail, one of the first items I saw wanted to know when the Tim Holtz Christmas Items that were on his blog yesterday were going to be on our site.  My initial reaction was “I did that back in...

Friday was Mom’s birthday.  Birthdays are always special in our family, but as the family grows it gets harder and harder to get everyone together at the same time to celebrate.  We ran into that this weekend – Ryan and Emily both work retail and had to...

No specific theme here – just random thoughts with pictures to illustrate.  If one doesn’t interest you, keep going – the next one might. Yesterday was the first day of school in my hometown.  So Facebook was awash with “first day of school pics” – how in...

During the summer, it seems I am always doing one of three things . . . getting ready to leave for a show, working at a show, or just getting home from a show.  Sometimes it seems like I am doing two or three of those things at the same time.  It’s hectic,...

Last weekend wasn’t all aprons.  There were a few other memorable images that are worth sharing. Friday afternoon – the first official booth update picture since about 2001 when we started building our booth out of video store gridwall. Friday afternoon during...

“Cooking Up a Great Weekend” was the theme for the Stampaway USA XXIII Preview Party on Friday evening – and the customers and vendors were encouraged to wear their favorite aprons.  Of course, this led to a variety of interpretations, and I took as many pictures...

The week between the Novi (Detroit) show and the Cincinnati show is the busiest week of the year in our store.  Customers coming in early, vendors doing the same (for many, it just doesn’t make sense to go home and then head back to our area three days...

The first weekend with the complete new booth layout is complete – and a success.  Thanks again to Rick and Kelley from Our Daily Bread for making it possible.  Pics and commentary follow – but this is the more immediate issue . . . This is the current view...

If the headline doesn’t ring a bell, you might want to read this post before continuing – I learned yesterday that the influence of the Trader Joe’s Bag Ladies of Grapevine, Texas reaches all the way to Novi, Michigan.  It seems that one of our longtime customers...