Bella and Max

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Twitter

I like to think that I am somewhat savvy when it comes to computers, but have to admit Bella is probably better at navigating the web than I am. 

I did join twitter and am trying to figure it out.  What should be simple, is confusing me.  I think I am thinking too much about it and just need to go with the flow. 

Happy New Year!

Well, we made it through the snow.  I woke up extra early to take out the three weeks of garbage that accumulated here since the first snow.  Holy cow, I can't believe how much garbage and recycling a family of four can produce in that amount of time.  It didn't help this happened over Christmas.  Presents, boxes, food containers, diapers (a whole different food container that I wish we could get rid of all together, but that's another story) it all adds up and we look like a family of 10 lived here.

On a better note, the roof didn't collapse at the store (it's flat) and no one was injured or hurt trying to get around.  Whew.  I hear a windstorm is coming through now but with most of the snow melted off the trees so things should be ok. 

2008 has been an interesting year but we made it through our second year in business (almost!) and that feels good.  It was a hard one this year, especially the last few months.  But what is that saying?  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.... something like that.  But I'm sure things will change in '09, one way or the other.  Let us all hope for the best for everyone.

Happy New Year to all of you and I wish you all the best in health and happiness in 2009!  I think this may be the first New Year where I am fast asleep at midnight.

Not Only can Alison cut hair......

She made the girls the cutest pj's for Christmas!  I had to post a couple photos.  The girls wore them while we decorated the tree Christmas Eve (we got our tree really late this year!) and all yesterday. 

We woke up to it dumping snow... dumping.  It was nice to have a white Christmas after all.  We woke up early, opened presents and played all day.  The only bad thing was that my parents couldn't get here from Kirkland in their beast of a car because the roads are now slick as all get out from the fresh snow, melting snow and thick layer of ice below.  All these are a combination for a tough drive even on flat roads.  Hopefully we will be able to open this morning.

Hope you all had a Happy Holiday! 

 

   

 

 

Cabin Fever is Setting in..........

Oh my goodness, I need to get out of this house.  I am going to try and make it to work (if only for a few hours) so I can get out for a little while.  I feel like I need to get to the store before the next storm comes in tonight.  It is supposed to warm up by Thursday I think, Christmas Day.... but that's a little too little too late. 

My concern isn' t totally the shop, although we do sell gifts for the holidays it isn't our main big have to sell time of the year like it is for other kinds of shops.  We plug along on a daily basis and I am SO grateful for that.  I feel bad that I keep having to cancel hair apointments and move them though. I do not want our stylists or clients to get hurt driving in for a haircut.  That would be awful.  All wheel drive / 4 wheel drive is one thing but the roads can be skating rinks in places and there are so many hills big and small, it just hasn't been safe.  We are going to try today, but if it doesn't work out then we will take care of our clients when we thaw out.  Being safe is the main priority.

My big concern is that we didn't get our tree or most of our presents.  Santa arrives by sleigh with his reindeer and so I'm sure he'll make it to the house.  Hopefully he will have toys for the girls.  I've already sat down with Bella and explained that her presents from mom and dad will come later and she is ok with that.  I already know that between my brother and both sets of grandparents they will be fine in the present department.

Here's a few pictures from what we dealt with yesterday.  I took Mia out to get the mail with me (there was none) and mail our cards (one good thing about being snowed in, I got some of those done).  Her shopping cart she insisted on bringing out did ok on the ice, not so good in the snow.  We didn't fare too well on the ice or the snow!  A typical three year old, she didn't want me to hold her hand stating "I can do it" over and over.  So I let her try.

Our low cost snow measuring system.  Who needs double doppler radar anyway when you have this?  I know, these should have been brought in in October, but Steve likes to BBQ all year round. The cooler, well, ok that's just bad.

 

 

   

 

    

   

Ummm, the snow is DEEP here.... especially for Seattle!

 

Holy Guacamole, we're closed AGAIN!

Closed again.  I can't remember the last time the snow has been so bad here in Western Washington and I was raised here.  I can remember bad snow, but not snow that has lasted soooo long!  It just keeps snowing and snowing and layering over ice.  Unbelievable.  The area is at a standstill, they're telling people not to drive. We are rescheduling all salon appointments so if you have one expect a call.  The weather was so bad yesterday my cell service kept going in and out.  When I called to find out if it was my phone they told me cell towers in my area were damaged.  That's how bad it is.

I wish this started next week instead of this week just for the sake of business.  I mean, it is the week before Christmas.  I haven't even done my own shopping yet.  I'm sure a bunch of other people are in the same boat. 

To make matters worse we are running low on toilet paper.

  

 

Our front steps are gone.....

 

 

  

 

 

We will be closed today

In case you are planning on coming by, doing a little last minute Christmas shopping.... we won't be open.  Well at least I don't think we will be.  If I'm brave, which at times I'm not, I will just hunker down and do some crafts at home with the girls.  Or clean the house.  Or watch football.  Certainly won't be going outside if I don't have toas I have discovered that in my old age I don't like the cold all that much.  Plus I don't own flat boots, I justhave heels.  I pulled out my old Doc Martens yesterday to make do and go to work but they're like 20 years old pretty slippery. 

Here is why I am staying in and not getting on the roads...... I'll post better pics (uh, maybe) once the "sun" comes up.  I can't figureout my camera enough to take photos well in the dark.

 

 

  

Well, it finally snowed

Oh my goodness, they kept saying it was going to snow and it never did, until about 4:00 yesterdy afternoon.  I went to work in sweats thinking I'd only be there about an hour and was just cold.  No snow, just freezing temeratures.  Then all of a sudden, freezing rain, not snow.... icy rain that made the roads slick.  We only live about 5 minutes away but up and down VERY large hill.  It took me 45 minutes to get home.  This is what I woke up to this morning.......

Needless to say, the store will be closed today.  Hopefully we will open again tomorrow, but it isn't supposed to warm up and the roads are sheets of ice.  It is supposed to snow again Saturday / Sunday.  Perfect, the weekend before Christmas.  I haven't done any shopping yet.

Elf Yourself ~ I couldn't resist

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

This was SO fun to do... and easy!  More choices from jib jab this year.  If you go to their website you can actually get all different kinds of eCards and videos where you can add faces.  Brilliant.

Spore

Last night my husband made me watch a show on the Discovery Channel about how the world will be in 100 million years (something like that) and the making of the game Spore. 

First of all, I hate watching shows on what the future of the world will be like when there are no humans on it.  I don't know, everytime I do I get this icky feeling in my stomach for about 15 seconds because I realize I won't be here for it.  That I won't be alive forever and most of the time I feel like I will be.  Then when I realize I won't be during some show like that I feel kind of weird for a little bit.  Although, after watching that show, I wouldn't want to be here anyway.

On the flip side, I like watching the parts about the making of the game Spore.  My previous job was at Suckerpunch Productions and when I was there it was during Sly Cooper and at the start of inFamous.  I was the office "mom", taking care of about 50 people.  Anything that wasn't art or programming related I did... shopping, travel and event planning company morale... you name it, I did it.  I loved that job and all the people I worked with.  When I left to open the shop it was bittersweet I think.  Some of my close friends had left to start Loose Cannon Studios but one of my good girlfriends, Karin was still there (check out her work at Stumpytown she is so talented) but I always wanted to own my own little shop and I was torn.  They gave me the COOLEST Motley Crue / 80's themed surprise party for my 40th birthday where they tortured me all day to the point I wanted to go home by noon and when I came back from lunch they had covered my desk and everthing on it in foil, black helium balloons were everywhere. When we got back the elevator doors opened Motley Crue was cranked up, my family was there and everyone had changed into black.  Oh my gosh, I've digressed.  I was talking about that game Spore.

It looks like a really cool game and I actually may go buy it and create a little world and little creatures.   Becaues I have a lot of time to play video games.  I guess the same people who made the Sims made this game and although I can't really explain it, it looks fun.   Before working at a game company I had no idea what it took to make a game.  I just went to the store and bought it.  It takes many people, many years to make one game.  One.  From what I read it looks like Spore took about 8-10 years to complete.  I may be wrong about that, maybe it was longer.  It's totally interactive and your results are based on the choices you make, much like life..... but without humans.