With many THANKS!

  Well, lots of time has passed since my last blog… and oh so much has happened which is why I have not blogged ;) Let me see where to begin and what to say first???

  Let’s begin with saying how truly thankful I am for the life many have given me! My husband for having faith in me even when I have doubted my own self…who cheered me up when my heart was breaking and has driven me everywhere I have wanted to go and loaded all of my purchases with little to no complaints from him. He always has said “he has my back no matter what” and he has certainly proven it time and time over again! Now onto my great friends who cheer me on day after day and week after week! Thru this adventure I have certainly figured out who is a true friend and who is just a part of my life until the times are rocky!  I would never forget my family … they have all given me a push when I needed it the most… my kids are often left to “fend for themselves” and hardly never complain. To Mr. Wilson my very spoiled dog who loves me no matter what and is ALWAYS waiting for me to return to him ;)

  The shop has become the shop that I use to vision and now have! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE going to “work” now but one would have to ask them self if it’s work since really I get to go and chat with friends, meet new people who often times become my friends, decorate my heart out and on top of that do what I love to do the most in life and that is to own a shop that is so awesome! I say that because I hear it so many times a day from customers new and old… On top of that I get to shop for a living ha-ha what really could be better that this??

  It’s been a long 18 months getting to this point but what an absolute honor it has been to continue to grow and get better and better each month, week and day! I would never ever take all the credit for this and even for all those who made the decision that this shop wasn’t for them I even have to give them credit! Without everybody who has been a part of the shop since the beginning back in October 2010 the shop would not be where it is at now. I remember way back then having this dream of what I wanted it to be and trying to figure out what I needed to do to get it there… Well, recently I realized that I have it! This beautiful shop is probably one of my greatest achievements in life and I owe it to many different people that have walk along side of me from the beginning or joined me along the way and even to those who taken a different path along the way. Thanks everyone who made the shop what it is and to those who constantly support us and to my husband for having faith and love for me when I doubted myself!

WILSON.... the dog

I was sitting here thinking about my next blog and came up with a few ideas but the whole time I was thinking about it Mr. Wilson A.K.A Wilson the "shop" dog has been pestering me to play with him. Throw the ball, tug the rope, even scratch his belly anything as long as I pay attention to HIM! 
  Rick and I knew we wanted to add a dog into our world and we looked for MONTHS and MONTHS until one night Rick showed me a ad that had him on there as the RUNT of the litter that no one wanted. I took one look at the ad and called the number and sure enough he was still there! I didn't care that it was a Tuesday evening at 8pm and the fact that he was about a hour or more away ...WE WHERE GOING TO GET HIM!! We jumped into the truck and off we went! We got there and he was standing there with fleas, ticks, nappy thin hair and DIRTY but I swooped him up like a long lost child and the way he pushed his little body into mine told me he was needing us to take him. The conditions where not good to say the least! This Lil guy of 8 weeks had never had puppy food just counter dried apples because they had a apple tree in the back yard and that's all they could do. This family breeds the dogs as INCOME!!! Which is so wrong! There is so many unwanted animals in this world but that in it self is a whole different blog... We got Wilson in the truck and started home and suddenly realized that we don't have a single thing for animals in our home! K-Mart here we come! I got him everything I thought he would need plus some extras :) We finally get him to his new "home" and Rick and I look at each other like ... NOW WHAT??? We want to go to bed and he is filled with fleas and ticks ... Thanks goodness for Rubbermaids he he Wilson spent his first night laying in a blue Rubbermaid and a blanket... He seemed fine :) The picture shows him peeking over the top looking at us like "really"... The next morning we where off to get a total spa, flea dip, haircut, nails cut the whole nine yards and he DIDN'T like it!! but he looked better and smelt a whole lot better! Friday he had Dr. appointments and hmmm he really HATED this :) Over the next few weeks we had to work with Mr. W on his anxiety issues ... really the only issue is the he doesn't like me to leave him alone! He go INSANE to say the least lol I take him to work with me in the beginning and quickly realized this isn't going to work!! Now Mr. W goes to Dogie Daycare at Gone to the Dogs and he LOVES IT!!! He gets to play all day with his friends while we are at work...
  Over the few months this fragile little dog that was scared of the world has turned into a happy little fella who loved to go for car rides... heck if he sees me get my shoes on he opens the door and will be sitting out in the garage by my car waiting he he He loves to play ball and knows his commands pretty good. He use to sleep in his kennel every night and the words USE TO now reflect the fact that he now sleeps right between Rick and I almost every night and he seems very happy doing so!
 This Lil guy has had a few medical issues and the lack of care before we got him also became our responsibility which we where happy to do but this little $100.00 dog has become the $2000.00 dog in 5 months :) and we are blessed we are able and willing to give him the treatments and love that every dog deserves. I can say I don't know nor can I imagine my life without him in it! He has really filled a large spot in my heart and I know I can say the same for Rick.
 All though Wilson isn't the "shop pup" like we thought he would become...he has really become the dog of our dreams and I think almost everyone that knows us knows this to be true! My own kids joke and say they never been taken to the Dr's as much as Wilson and certainly never went to daycare nor have they had a spa treatment but the "DOG" has :) I really feel blessed to have him on my life and part of our family!
  Hope you enjoyed reading about my pal as much as I enjoyed writing about him...Now I have to go and throw the ball for him ...

It's New Year!!!

January 1, 2012 is a date that I have been thinking about for a few months. As we know this is supposed to be a date that we make our year’s resolution which I have to admit is something I really never did much over the past years of my life up until the following year. 2011 resolution was to be more forgiving of anything that bothers or upset me. When I say that I don’t necessary mean forgive others but rather forgive the feelings that have put in my heart in return makes a negative feeling that flutter in your mind like caged birds but by forgiving it... it frees the birds and they sore like eagles in the wind. It really works and highly recommend it but will say it is a task that is really hard to achieve but once it is done just one time… the second time you forgive a feeling it becomes the easiest thing in the world to do! I do believe that Rick probably gets annoyed when I say “just let it go” all the time but for me it helped me be the person that I always knew I could.

  This year I have thought about it and came up with a few resolutions and most of them where the typical lose weight, be a better mom, spend more time at home but all of which didn’t resolve inner feeling or uneasiness so this year I am going to find time to make ANGIE happy! I spend so many hours trying to make others in my life happy that I sometimes forget about me. I learned that some people are just NOT happy people at all and actually try and find reasons to wine and complain about the littlest of things which wears on a person’s heart and soul. This is exactly what I am going to fix in my life!!! I have made a pledge to myself to only allow those people who want to be happy little souls into my life as friends. I have also decided to be a boss and not a friend inside the shop and for all that knows me knows that this is something that I hate to do but I really can do it well. From this day forward I will be an awesome boss and a great friend but really I am going to be the truest person to myself but in return everyone that knows me will either welcome the new truly happy ANGIE or run and hide from the boss that I have to be J I don’t have a mean bone in my heart and will do just about whatever I can to make others happy and honestly many times I put my life on hold to do so but from this moment on…it will not be that no more! Now it might sound like I am just saying that I am going to turn into a mean witch who is all about herself but it’s not that way at all… A happy person lights up a room they are in, makes for an even truer friend, a better parent, becomes physically healthier and certainly a better wife, a more positive spirit and can go on and on about the goodness in being HAPPY…but in reality it is all the resolutions I thought about all wrapped up in a ball of happiness and that is what this is year is going to be for me! I am sure with this mental promise to me I will lose some friends but gain some REAL friends… and I am so excited to meet them!

Top 100+ things you may not know about me…but now do!

1.   Love to laugh…

2.   Hate to cry…unless it’s tears from laughing then its great!
3.     Love my Husband more everyday…
4.     I have 3 boys Trent 18, Kevin 17 and Darrin 14
5.     I have 2 step-daughters Kendra 19 & Jenny won’t tell J
6.     I have 2 step grandchildren Dylan and Addy
7.     I have never seen the ocean… but hope to someday!
8.     Turning 40 in 2012… and happy to do so!!
9.     Grew up in De Kalb…Moved to Central Wisconsin for 13 years & returned home.
10.  Love owning our shop”The Primitive Chick” with my husband!!
11.  Cherish my friendships deeply!!!
12.  Hate when people have road rage… it’s so unnecessary!!!
13.  Only have vision in one eye…happened 2 years ago this month and it doesn’t really bother me… It’s my daily reminder to be thankful of everything!
14.  I have a puppy named Wilson… and I loves him so
15.  I hate being “The Boss” but can do it GOOD!
16.  Have had 5 surgeries and hope to NEVER have anymore…THEY SUCK!
17.  My husband is 15 years older than me … and I don’t care
18.  I love to bake and cook anything
19.  I hate being SHORT!!!
20.  I have not been in a mall in YEARS… I don’t like them!
21.  I hope to someday live back out in the country… that’s where my heart is.
22.  I am always early to appointments… being late to anything just is rude.
23.  I don’t like being wrong… and my husband will agree!
24.  I am a perfectionist at everything and so darn proud of it!
25.  Love sheets hung on the line to dry!
26.  Love a long hot bath!!! And miss them dearly…
27.  My oldest son has Aspergers Syndrome which is a form of autism but you might not know it if you where to meet him… he’s just a bit quirky J
28.  My youngest son is Type 1 diabetic (insulin dependent) since he was 7 years old
29.  My middle son is a young reflection of me…but with a lot more attitude!
30.  Kendra makes life seem so easy… and I miss her so much!
31.  I have 8 tattoos and love them all but one is a cover-up from a long time ago…
32.  The 8^th tattoo I got when my oldest son turned 18…we went together to get the autism awareness signs with our own twists. Mine is on the top of my foot & it hurt!
33.  I love primitives of any kind…always have and always will!
34.  I have been self employed for 16 years and love it!
35.  I love a clean house!
36.  I love to plant flowers in the spring…
37.  I am deathly afraid of bees which leads back to one of my tattoos. It is the queen bee on my calf… she says bee “STRONG”
38.  I went thru a divorce a few years back but am now remarried to the man of my dreams!
39.  I believe fairy tales do come true!
40.  I don’t sleep without taking a sleeping aid…My mind just doesn’t stop J
41.  HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE YELL!!!
42.  I must drink coffee in the morning… to stop the sleeping aide
43.  I enjoy doing good deeds of any kind…they make my heart happy!
44.  Rick holds the key to my heart…literally and if you know us you understand this!
45.  I don’t go thru a day without CHOCOLATE… It’s good for me ha-ha
46.  Love a nice ride on my husbands Harley… going nowhere fast!
47.  I am a hands-on kind of girl… I know how to use power tools well!
48.  Good Mexican food is the BEST!
49.  Best time of the day is when the sun is down and the stars shine bright for me to see and enjoy!
50.  11708 are my favorite numbers!
51.  I hate when others are sad… so I do whatever I can to cheer them up because I know how sad…sad can be!
52.  can’t read a tape measure…I count the lines J
53.  I am not a girly girl at all… I don’t do the “hair and nails” thing.
54.  I always go over my cell minutes… because I have lots to say!
55.  Ricks got my back… literally!!!
56.  Fall is my favorite time of year!
57.  I don’t worry about money… Rick does!
58.  LOVES A HAPPY ENDING in ANYTHING!
59.  I love taking a risk!
60.  Don’t ask me if you don’t want the truth!
61.  I try to do the best at whatever I do…even if I don’t like it!
62.  I tend to be pulled in lots of different directions…all the time
63.  I love my ALONE time!!!
64.  I am cold all the time…even when it’s HOT outside!
65.  I suck at spelling…but great at numbers
66.  I dream of the home addition my husband talks about… it would grant me the warm bath I miss…
67.  I believe the meaning of Christmas has been lost!
68.  I love ALL music and sing loud when I am alone…
69.  I sing BAD!
70.  I enjoy sending Kendra “care packages” to Arizona!
71.  Did I mention that I miss Kendra
72.  My youngest son lives in Wisconsin with his dad… and I miss him dearly
73.  I love to give a hug!
74.  I find pain and suffering in movies disturbing!!
75.  People show too much skin and leave way less for the imagination!
76.  I am…kind of SHY!
77.  I don’t like or better yet I HATE crowds!
78.  I stop to let people cross the road…and don’t really care if others honk at me!
79.  My Wilson that I loves…goes to daycare
80.  My kids never went to daycare ha-ha
81.  I am a self taught computer person and suck at it!
82.  I love sweatshirts… and workout pants
83.  I get skin cancer spots removed almost yearly!
84.  I love to refinish or paint old furniture…
85.  The only jewelry I wear is the things Rick has bought me
86.  I am NOT patient…AT ALL
87.  Ignorance… annoys me!
88.  I hate to mow the lawn
89.  I don’t speed… it’s not worth the ticket!
90.  I wear my seatbelt when I drive but not when Rick drives…does this mean I don’t trust my own driving???
91.  I love to go for a walk but don’t seem to have the time anymore…
92.  Going to make more time for ME in the future
93.  Negative people … need to be more positive!
94.  I chuckle every night when Rick asks me if he locked his truck… even if I say “YES” he will check anyways…
95.  I love wildlife…especially the “deers” as I call them
96.  I think people should use the bathroom fan at appropriate times…RICK! It really isn’t funny to watch me walk into the bathroom after your done!
97.  I loved my school year memories…We where so bad but we had so much FUN!
98.  I don’t understand why fuel is so expensive…please explain to me why!!
99.  I love BIG trucks… which might be why I love my husbands so much
100.         Funny people are AWESOME!
101.         I went 10 years without a drivers license…and it wasn’t my fault but I did drive EVERYDAY anyways and found that it was cheaper... didn’t have to buy a sticker each year, car insurance, renew my license… ha-ha
102. Joshua Ray Woolbright is the best nephew in the world...He is in the Army & he makes me SO proud each and everyday... Be safe and Know I love you!
103.    I have so much more to say…but have to go to work now!

Our latest road trip....TOGETHER!

I must write about our latest adventure in picking inventory for the shop…I am excited not only to go & get stuff but also I am gifted with the presents of my husband who hasn’t been able to join my with the shop stuff much lately. For reasons I don't understand he quite working for the shop and all us “CHICKS” a few months ago & went back to work for Caterpillar...This adventure was yesterday 12-6-11 & we are on the road by 8:00am heading south first to the Peoria area…Wanted to arrive by 10:30 because we have a big day planned and many miles to cover! I get the direction and to my surprise we find this place without any problem! Have to admit me and direction are like water and oil…It just doesn’t work well together but we go on every adventure knowing that there will probably be a moment that I won’t know where I am at. Yesterday wasn't like that! We pull into B & D’s driveway and I am SUPER excited to see all the stuff they have for me ... like a little excited kid on there birthday I swing open the truck door & go to jump out and run to there front door…but it DIDN’T work this way…Really it went like this … I swung the door open went to jump into the sprinting run to get a total surprise … the driveway was icy and extremely slippery…so you know what happened next right …. I landed on my …..BUTT!!!! & HARD J… I did jump up and still sprint inside not caring too much at that moment if I was hurt or not just wanted to see all my new treasures that are waiting for me… The pieces are BETTER than I even thought so now I am trying so hard to control my excitement but like you all know if you know me this is a very hard thing for me to do. I look at Rick and he has the look of “holy crap she’s going to buy it all and how am I going to get it all in my truck” but like always he does! Now if any of you knows my husband he is … shall we say rather picky about his truck and I well am not as picky...  He cringes when I throw old “crappy” stuff as he calls it on his leather seats and I look at it as you buy a truck to USE IT! But this is beside the point or maybe another whole blog upon itself. So back to my trip…I end up buying and whole truck load of the old pine furniture! We even filled the inside of the truck and Wilson had to ride home inside of a bench but I have to say he didn’t seem to mind much!

We are now on the road and the reality of my fall start to hit me as I am getting uncomfortable in my seat… My arm is starting to sting so I pull up my sleeve to see scraps up my arm and some slight bruising starting and the palm of my hand has a cut but I have to say my back and BUTT are really starting to hurt! I turn on the heated seat and take some Tylenol and try to forget it as I am still so excited about the wonderful items they got for me! We head straight for the shop to unload and get back on the road. We arrive at the shop and I get out and suddenly realize the pain in my back side is really BAD! I hobble along helping my husband unload fast to get going again. We are on the road to Wisconsin now and it’s about 2:30pm. He must know I am really hurting because I am rambling about anything & everything not that this is a clue because I do this all the time but he does ask me how I am feeling and I do admit that I hurt but that I am fine to continue north. We arrive in Wisconsin

Even I have to admit that sometimes it's overwhelming but I wouldn't have it any other way. I will say that I have the best job I could ever wish for and in all reality it isn’t a “JOB” to go & play all the time finding things that you know will make your friends and customers happy! It’s not a “job” when I have the best husband in the world that helps me anytime he can! What it really is … is a true blessing to be able to have the life I have with the perfect husband, greatest friends inside the shop and the best customers anyone could be blessed with! With all this said…I must take some more Tylenol and hobble to the garage to scrub the heck out of the cupboard so that when Rick gets home he will help me load it up and take it into the shop...But first I must say a huge THANKS to my husband who is my best friend for helping me, putting up with me and supporting me in anyway you can...Your the best husband anyone could wish for and I have!!!

getting to know 5 of the "CHICKS"...

Many of you think the shop is all me and my items but in reality it's not just me but rather a group of "chicks" that makes the shop as you know it.  I never call them "vendors" but rather a group of my dear friends...and this is why...
  First there's Cally who I got the chance to meet a few years before I opened my shop and who has been a part of the shop since the first day we opened...I have learned to love her not only as a great addition to the shop but also her great eye for the smalls and her cleaver way of displays. When she runs the shop I call it being "cally-fied" because she arranges stuff in ways that I just can't explain any other way as simply awesome!  BUT... really she is the friend that everyone wishes for but few get. She is as true as they come and all that know her will say the same! She has a way of making me smile and laugh even when I am not in the greatest mood. She is one that if she can help...SHE WILL! If you need someone to talk to ... she's your gal!
  Then there is Marie also know as Olde Lady Morgan who sews her heart out and is one of the best prim doll maker I know. She tells it how it is and that is why we all love her so much. She doesn't just sew but she also hunts for the good ole' primitives for the shop as well. If I am in a bind and she can fix it she will! She is well known by many and have to say she is a great addition to our team.
  Next is Cheryl who is so well known for her Industrial & architectural items. She finds a way to blend the true primitives with the industrial and slaps a architectural  item in there and it flows like it was met to be together. She adds many outdoor elements in her space that sets herself from all the rest. She is the soft spoken, level headed, avoids all drama then add down to earth to that and you have the definition of Cheryl! She is a awesome addition to our team and a great friend to me but I knew she would be from the beginning!!!
 On to Sandy which you all know as Poppyseed Primitives. Many of you know she has a shop in downtown Genoa. She also has a spot inside my shop. She is the one I tend to turn to when I have to talk business to someone. I think we would all agree that we wish we had her energy. She comes in and redoes her area way before many of us are out of bed... She is always out and about getting the next great must have item for our homes. I have never seen her anything but happy & that is just one reason she is so dear to me.
  Now onto the Queen of the shop....Jane! I have talked about her before in my blogs but really she bring a calmness in the shop that is so welcomed by us all. She is the go-to "chick" when I am not around. She know everything and probably more about the shop than I do... She also does have a area inside the shop and is extremely good at buying and displaying her items. She walked into my life right when I needed her the most and I am so blessed to have her in the shop and as the QUEEN and in my life as the friend that she is. I can't imagine the shop without her that's for sure!

 So the next time that you walk into The Primitive Chick take a good look around and remember what I wrote .... I bet you will be able to pick out who's items belong to which friend.



  My life isn't about "the shop" but rather filling my shop with good friends that love the same kind of things just in different twists. You put all them different twists together and you have one awesome shop with the greatest team and best friends I could wish for! There are a few more "chicks" inside the shop and will blog about them next time but for now I hope that you enjoyed reading a Little bit about them.

This week is for the memory book!!

This has been one of "THOSE WEEKS" to mark down in my book of weeks to remember and this is why...
We have to back up one week to start from the beginning of "MY WEEK" I really thought that life was hectic to say the least but GOOD...NO GREAT to be honest!! The shop has been making changes to try and improve it and make it run like a "well oiled machine" as many like to say. With any change comes a bit of confusion in the beginning until it becomes what eventually will call "normal." To get there requires nothing more than time and patients to workout any "kinks". Some people know this... and others don't! People will either will run from change or embrace it with open arms.
About now your probably wondering why is she babbling about this...Well, because for one I like to babble but honestly because this change inside the shop (although these changes has proven to be a GREAT thing) did pushed someone away from me that I supported and cared for deeply. This friendship for me was deeper than any friendship I have ever had before but the person simply walked out of my life like I didn't matter. It hurt so terribly bad and still does and probably always will! Although this happened I can't let it STOP my life! I must continue to hold head up, and march forward!
This happens to be the week of the "HOLLY days" for downtown De Kalb which is a huge event so I must NO I have stay focused! As the shop is cleared of her things this means that I MUST fill in the huge voids with inventory that I have stocked piled for this winter. We work for 3 days loading, unloading and displaying the shop and I have to say it looks GREAT...SAD without her but GREAT! Many of the vendors inside my shop have also been working non-stop cleaning, stocking and getting ready for this huge weekend! We all put in MANY long days and plenty of over-time to say the least. All the while I remember the year before this one as me and my "friend" who just walked out on me worked together to get ready for the weekend...We had a blast and now she is gone and it feels so different! I know that I have to continue forward!!!
Friday morning I am at the shop by 8:30am hauling in trays of cookies and the final boxes of inventory to be put out... Jane pulls in by 9:15am will her arms filled as well and we are both hustling NO RUNNING back and forth inside the shop nearly trampling each other over from time to time! The crowds are forming outside and taps on the windows from customers wanting us to open a bit early... We are NOT ready so we cant! Finally 9:58am we unlock the doors and I don't think I looked up from the desk or made eye contact with anyone until 9:15pm that night! It was totally amazing! By time I got home I was so tired and sore I didn't know what hit me! Saturday came and to be honest it made Friday look SLOW! We had so many people in there that you couldn't walk from one end of the shop to the other without asking people to kindly move. I have never seen the shop be so busy! Customers started coming in and asking if I have been online yet to see the local chronicle?? I said "NO" so as soon as I got home I went straight into the office and pulled it up and ....THERE I AM!!!
I am SOOO happy with a smile from ear to ear!!! I just simply can't believe that my shop and ME made the front page! It's not a good picture of me at all but I don't care!!! I am simply doing the "happy dance" inside my heart and it fells GREAT! We have all worked so hard over the past week and it was truly a roller coaster ride for me & one that won't be forgotten for a long time. Maybe one that will go down as the worst then best week of my life! The shop went from filled with goodies to suddenly a huge loss to filled right back up... to FRONT page chronicle! Started out the week SAD and ended HAPPY!!! Life is good... NO GREAT & not because of the chronicle but because I might have lost a friend... but I didn't quite realize how many other friends I have that want to be a part of my life regardless of what is going on inside or outside the shop.... until this crazy week happened!!
So I guess this meaning of this blog was to say no matter how bad you think life is... you just never know just how great it can be in a few short seconds, minutes, hours, days or even a simple week until you take the time to look back! A very special HUG to all my friends, family and especially my husband that continues to support me and guide me through my life... I love you all and thanks for wanting to be a part of my life!
If you wish to checkout what was in the chronicle here is the link ..http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2011/11/19/hollyday-open-house-draws-shoppers-to-downtown-dekalb/ac5tgis/