Fanfare Please

This post has A LOT of pictures. Thanks to Kate and her genius that I am finally taking advantage of.
So the Grand Opening Party was yesterday and it was quite a party. I worked my butt off - though it still seems to be following me around - in order to get ready for this thing. The shop looked great. My good friend Dana came on Friday night and helped me for hours with the final preparations and her anality (please everyone add that word to you dictionaries) really paid off.
The Friday weather was crap. I was very nervous but Saturday was sunny and beautiful and I must say that I think God loves me.

This is the half of the spinning wheel and equipment room that we didn't get to but look at that really nice 8 heddle loom.

I know this one's kind of dark - but clean looking.

Anyway, Jillian and Carla came up the stairs at 3 minutes past 10. Jillian wasn't kidding about hurry to get there. They were both lovely and fun as usual. Tracey came soon after that. And then came Kelle.

Then the floodgates were opened and it definitely was a party.

This is one of the paintings I have in the shop by local artist Carolyn Kinnison. I want to take it home myself.

Here is another clean shot of the newly organized choas.

Did I mention we had snacks? They were enjoyed by many. That wheel I was telling you about on Friday? Gone. A new spinner took it home with her. It will be perfect traveling companion. I was happy to have the enlisted help f ALL of the spinners in the shop to help that lady make her choice. Ashford Kiwi? Taken home by a 13 year old girl who has spun one other time and she just sat down and she was a natural. Fantastic! Fiber? Out the door by the pound.

Shelly Lampshire showed up after 1 and stayed for hours talking to people coming in about her needle felting and the exciting class we have coming up. She's going to teach us her method of needle felting in the end of February or early March. We're going to pin down a date this week. It'll be a Saturday for most of the day.

(Yes that's a Kromski Harp behind her. It's an 18 inch one and I do ship.)

This cute little doll has a molded face from clay and painted by Shelley. Many of them have magnets on their feet so they can stand on these little bases.
This one is all sculpted by needle felting. The eyes are glass but all of the rest of him is wool!

Finally at the end of the day and things were quieting down in came these two lovely ladies who wanted to learn everything. I think they art going to start with spinning. They already knit.
Tuesday night is Fiber Free For All so I invited them back to try all of the wheels left in the shop, make a decision and rent one to take home.

Now, let's talk about contests. We have already made our choices for the drawings and the in-store contest. I will post those names later after I get my changes to the Website together. That is the link to my new website. Over the next few months I'll be moving. I like the new clean design better and although it is still in the process of being built I can see a huge improvement already. Check it out and tell me what you think.

I want to talk about you guys. The guesses I'm getting here are all hilarious. I need another plan. Contest guessing will close today and I will make my decision and tell you about the new plan tomorrow. I'm cooking it up in my noggin as we speak - o.k. really not we since you are all probably still getting your rest or working on your Christmas knitting - so, as I speak. It will be good and I think more than one of you will be happy.

Thank you for sticking with me through this. I know it hasn't been the most organized post but now you can see that my brain is all over the place lately and I'm writing how I'm thinking. Only with a lot less swirls and dips - the writing I mean.