Dr. Chick had the sweetest neighbor while he was in dental school. Edith was about 75 at the time and very active. She mowed her own lawn, tended to her tomatoes, went to Home Depot and the grocery store weekly as well as had her hair done each Thursday.
It is tradition to spend the July 4th week in Hilton Head Island with Dr. Chick's family. Edith would collect his mail and keep an eye on things while he was away. One particular spring we had painstakingly filled his yard (by shovel and wheelbarrow) with 4 dump truck loads of dirt and then sodded the new yard. Edith kept track of the rain that July 4th week. One day she had written "Gulley Washer!" next her measurement in inches of rain. I'd never heard of a gulley washer and thought it was the cutest thing ever. Since then, we always call big rain storms gulley washers. Edith is the best and now looks after Dr. Chick's younger sister in the same townhouse.
I think we're in for a Gulley Washer this afternoon in the West Georgia Area.
Good thing I've got my new monogrammed umbrella! Won't I be cute with my wellies and preppy little rain deflector?!
April Showers will be here sooner than we know it. Make sure you're ready with your personalized umbrella.
Wow, 2 references to Jimmy Johns in 2 days. Pathetic? Perhaps.
While their sandwiches rock and there really is no other reason to venture in to your local sandwich shop, their wall signs are entertaining. We've eaten at the same location (which I hate to admit is about 45 miles from our house and anytime we are "in Atlanta" we make every effort to snag a sandwich) dozens of times but we've never noticed this sign.
For those of you that are Kenny Chesney fans (as a side note: he is not my fave but he does have a few good songs; I like songs that tell stories) you may know this song:
The Life
The other night whilst feasting on our Slim 1 & #2 easy on the mayo we were mezmeriezed by the sign on the wall and I knew that I had to post both it (as well as a legible version on the story) and KC's song taken from this story. Seriously chickadees, they both give me chill bumps.
How Much is Enough:
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, “only a little while.”
The American then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this take?”
To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”
“But what then?”
The American laughed and said that’s the best part. “When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”
“Millions?” asked the fisherman, “Then what?”
The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evening, sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos!”
I mentioned last week one of my new found blog addictions...Today's Letters. In no attempt to rip Em off (because she is the best letter writer), I thought I'd give it a go and post my own, Monogram Chick Today's Letter.
Dear Dr. Chick: Thank you for making me laugh everyday. I often ask you if I can put your witty comments on Facebook and you tell me no. In fact, three different times I nagged you last night and all three times you told me no. It's a shame that so many miss out on your quick wit, sure glad I don't! Dear Jimmy Johns & Your 36 oz Fountain Diet Coke: I love your sandwiches. Even more, I love the bread on which your tasty sandwiches are made. You have fountain Diet Coke & for that you get 2 thumbs up. However, I do not love your 36oz Diet Coke prior to bed. It was not your fault, Mr. Jimmy John, that I chose to consume a exorbitant amount of caffeine after 8:00 but rest assured I will not make that poor decision again so close to trying to get some shut eye. Dear Bib Supplier: Your lack of stock puts me in a pickle and I really hope you can round up some more bibs, my customers need them--pronto! Dear Dr. Chick (who, like Mr. Loerke, gets two letters): You really are the funniest person I know. And yes, when you buy $325 shoes, shoe "protection devices" are necessary. Guess that's who buys them.
After spending four years in the classroom as a seventh grade science teacher, I longed to change careers. Using my innate love for all things crafty and a new nephew as inspiration I began making burp cloths with fancy little fabrics, cute ribbons and finished them off with monograms.
Soon, I was traveling around Atlanta searching for the cutest fabrics, most unique ribbons and highest quality burp cloths. Before I knew it, business began chirping along and in a few short months Monogram Chick hatched! I strive to create an expanded selection of unique personalized items using the highest quality components, please check back often for new items. Thank you for visiting, come again soon, and tell your friends about www.monogramchick.com!
...Hard to believe that was 5 years ago! 2011 marks the fifth anniversary of the hatching of The Chick. We've grown leaps and bounds and continue to look for innovative and creative ways to (as Beyonce might say) "put a monogram on it". We are so thankful to our faithful, repeat clients and to each of our new clients. We know that times are tough; you have a million choices about where to purchase your gifts and spend your hard earned money. We're so thankful that you chose Monogram Chick.
I look forward to many more 5 year anniversaries and to continued growth and innovation. Thanks for making the last five years so great, I couldn't live out my dream without y'all!
***
We've "decorated" the website for our year long party. We are thrilled that we've been chirping along for 5 years and want to put our party hats on and celebrate.
I'd love your input...as a way to celebrate, each month a different product will be featured at a "celebratory price". We have some clear cut best sellers that we plan to feature at great prices but I'd love to hear what items y'all love and would like to take advantage of purchasing at our "celebratory" prices.
I'd love, love, love to hear from y'all. Pretty please, leave me a comment with the item(s) you'd like to see us "celebrate" with.
It seems that lately we've had a fixation with drink-ware. These water bottles are no exception to our fixation. Read this, y'all! I filled this water bottle (of course mine has the monogram chick logo plastered on it) with water and ice around 4:00 one afternoon last week. I was a good girl and drank all of my water but there was still ice in the bottle when we left the studio that evening. The next morning I returned to the studio and it was probably close to 10:00 by the time I had finished my coffee and was ready to start on my water for the day.
Seriously. I tell you no lies. The bottle still had ice in it!! From 4:00 the day before. If you can't love our personalized water bottles because they are so stinkin' cute, you gotta love them because they are so stinkin' functional!
We are busy, busy at the chick this afternoon. I popped back to the shipping department and snapped this pic. Check out the personalized tumblers we are working on {and take a sneak peak at our newest vinyl colors and designs!} Happy Friday chickadees.
i'm a blog junkie. laundry piles up around me while i pour through the lives of others as written on the internets. it is somewhat cathartic, i think. i am especially excited when i find fabulous new weblogs that speak to my heart. it is funny how God uses the writings of others and their life experiences to teach me and mold me. lately, i have been engrossed in 3 new blogs. the women {and their families}who write these diaries are amazing. simply...amazing. i pray that i am more like them each day; that i would be as faithful to live this life He has given me as they are, praising him for the highs and lows.
i will list the three below and let you click and read because i am sure that any description that i give will be grossly inadequate.
what blogs are you loving right now? i always enjoy new reading material and there is always room for just one more on my ever expanding list.
i wish i were a little more tech savvy--my goal was to have the above image clickable so that you could click on the screen shot of each of the blogs and be directed there...that was a big, fat fail. i will figure it out, i'm determined.
Alright chickadees, most of you know that I did my time in the midwest....Iowa to be specific. Iowa City, Iowa to be more specific. The total population of the entire state of Iowa is close to 3 million, the population of the metro area of Atlanta is something like 6 million. (all you fact checkers and number geeks can check my deets) I find it interesting, in light of those statistics, that Flavor Flav choose Clinton, Iowa (yes. yes, you certainly did read that right Flavor Flav & Clinton, Iowa) as home to his newest business endeavor....restaurateur. Guess no one told him that they eat pork and corn in Iowa....
Next time we're in Iowa, we're making a visit, kay, Dr. Chick?
Does anyone else find this absolutely hilarious? Check out the full story here.
...and there is nothing cuter than a little one toddling around in a monogrammed diaper cover as the warm weather overtakes us. We've added 2 new colors to our seersucker collection of little girl's bloomers. The aqua seersucker bloomers and the brown seersucker bloomers are ah-dorable.
In addition to the warmer temps and cute little baby behinds covered in seersucker, some of my favorite things about spring are (in no particular order): playing ball with Bailey, breaking out the flip flops, hyacinths & tulips, and longer days.
There are some things this chick can pull off with flying colors and other things at which I am desperately inept. When it comes to anything having to do with fluffing my nest, I am the later. It is a good thing I have an uber talented friend that just so happens to be an amazing decorator. She is adding blogstress and webstorestress to her already accomplished resume.{as an aside; we like to make up words, these are apropos, don't you think hivestress?}
As a kick off to her foray into the web world, she is hostng a giveaway....check it out here, chickadees! Visit her store, check back often she is adding and re-vamping daily. Pinkie swear you won't be dissapointed.
As we've been clearing out the studio in an effort to make room for the fabulous new products, I came across this: an oops! From time to time I have a mental lapse shocker, right? The result of one particular mental lapse is this cade dot burp cloth in fuchsia and green. Be the first to comment with "who's your Addie" and your email address and the burp cloth will be on it's way to you via the postal service.
Its no secret that we here at the Monogram Chick studio love our fur baby, Bailey. He has been by our side many a day and night as we feverishly stitch, wrap and ship across the country. It is about time that we do a little something for him. I am so excited that we added pet water bottles! Seriously, pet water bottles. Just like the hamster water bottles with the little ball that releases water when they lick it. They are too cool and too cute with a paw print and puppy's name. Bailey couldn't wait to test it out.
The Monogram Chick mascot, Bailey, is a miniature Australian Shepherd...what kind of four legged child do you have?
Let's face it brides, you spend hours shopping for the perfect bridal party gift and here at Monogram Chick we feel you should be rewarded for all of your hard work. Receive a free tote with your NEW monogram when you send a photo of your bridesmaids with their Monogram Chick gifts. Email for more details--it's easy!