OberonSH's DFW Diary Thread - 1 Woman, 1 Toddler & A Whole Lotta Debt!

dottyanne

Hey You!! hope youve had a good day today - been mad at the shop here today - although its been a funny old day really - not fantastic money wise but busy if you know what i mean?? could do with a fantastically good month or so to get us out of the mire - all we can bith do me n you is keep plodding on - have PM'd you too!! speak soon hun, dotty xx

OberonSH

Hello ladies, gents & 'other', Business is still a bit slack, but then again isn't it everywhere? Had a rep to see me, one of my big suppliers, showing me all the lovely droolsome new yarns, and had to really stop myself saying 'Tell you what, bob me a pack of EVERYTHING on the order', cos that's how I got into trouble a few years back.

"Basics, Obi, just the basics. If it ain't white baby Double-knit, you ain't having it."
"Awwwww, but conscience - the lovely lovely new yarn! So soft, so snuggly -"
"So expensive. Put down the order form and move away from the pattern catalogue"
" I hate you conscience"
"I know, but you'll thank me when you don't end up with 60 packets of unshiftable neon coloured yarn that not even the Americans will touch"
"Still hate you......." [Cue the men in the straitjackets when a concerned customer reports me for apparently arguing with a ball of 3 ply]

But I was ever so good, just the basics, and some special orders. Shifting a lot of old stock right now - customers get a bit of a bargain, and I reclaim my loft. Brings people in too, so basically everyone's happy. Not long before the autumn crowd get their needles out for knitting the aran swetaers etc for the colder weather, and dare I mention Christmas? Yes, I know it's still 6 months off, but my girls start the stitching and knitting now in order to get done in time - am seriously considering going for an Xmas window in the next few weeks to get the stitchers going - record for earliest Xmas display?? People think I'm nuts, but the average cross stitch takes a fair few months, so people need to start thinking about it now really. Still, think I'll get a few nasty comments.

Right, I'm off to sort out a few spreadsheets for dottyanne - we will get her organised, damn it! Then I'm off to bed with Harry Potter (ooh err).

Nighty night DFW's!

QueenB.

I have to say i know just what you are on about, i do alot of cross stitching myself and i am already looking at what xmas designs i will be doing. I will be starting as soon as july hits and i also sell some home made cards and gifts so i will be getting my stock ready. It seems if you are into craft you are always at a different time of year to everyone else.

I get some very funny looks when i am out enjoying the sun with a piece of christmas stitching:D

Come October i will be starting on Valentines:rotfl:

OberonSH

Hey guys and gals,

Mixed bag today - good news in the Case of The OverCharging, Heavy-Handed Solicitors, in that the solicitors have sent a letter 'apologising for the breakdown in communications between the parties'- solicitor speak for 'Oops, we done wrong.' They apparently have sent the bills & letters to my old address, despite being given my new one. They then agree to drop the charges for taking action against me (too bl**dy right) and have also suddenly found an error in the billing, meaning I owe them £192, not £387. They also agree to my offer of installments. They are sorry for the 'inexplicable' loss of my letters to them ('inexplicable insomuch as we can't remember which filing cabinet they were dropped behind') and hope 'this is a no-blame resolution to the case' ('Please don't sue us'). Still like to know what I can do about my battered credit rating and the pure hell I had thinking I was going to be sent to prison.

Bad news in that I had an email from a freind back in Crewe, and it turns out that my disgusting wretch of a Soon-To-Be Ex hubby got ont he phone to his ex girlfriend with the intention of getting back with her 2 HOURS after arriving back in Crewe. Tackled the slime bag about it, and after 15 mins of 'I can't remember, Iain's a liar' I told him I'd get her number and ask her myself. Cue sudden memory gain, and he admitted to it. She told him to get bent, and then we get the Story of the Whoring Footpig (ask dottyanne). It's still a kick in the teeth though, cos he's always got upset at the idea of me seeing someone else, and he didn't even wait a day before waving it around.

Moneysaving wise a rubbish day at work, but it wa so hot everyone was the same - shoppers were at home in the garden. Bought in a jar of stuff for DD despite having something in the fridge, as she was mardy and hungry and wasn't going to wait for me to make dinner then the little madam didn't eat it.

Going to get some more stuff ebayed, have a bath and then get an early night methinks. Tomorrow is a new day, and brings the promise of my decree nisi. Is it illegal to post Anthrax to your Ex, and if not, anyone got a decent supplier?

dottyanne

Hi Obi - SH***y day here big time - ive PM'd you - crap day at the shop for me too - damn this nice weather!!

dotty xx

OberonSH

Curse you god, for sending us 25oC weather, d*mn this glorious sunshine! We want rain, d*mmit, bucketloads to send the unwary shoppers scuttling into our stores to empty their purses and scuttle out again, leaving only their cold hard cash and nauseating memory of their presence......

Do you think I should get my money back on that 'How to Befriend The Shopper' seminar I went to?

lynzpower

OberonSH wrote:

Hey guys and gals,
Tomorrow is a new day, and brings the promise of my decree nisi. Is it illegal to post Anthrax to your Ex, and if not, anyone got a decent supplier?

You can always try via Quidco :rotfl:

Best of luck with it. It sounds like you need it!

Why dont you and dottyanne pop to lidls and get a job lot of cheapo cornetto-stlye ice cream snacks give a free ice cream to all your shoppers and advertise it as such. You might do OK, if not you can always scoff them to cheer yourselves up !

OberonSH

"Just one cornetto-style-icecream-snack/
given away freeeeeeeeeee/
Just one cornetto-style-icecream-snack/
For spending lots of monnneeeeeeee"

Great idea, but knowing my council, they'd stop me on health and safety grounds. I'm not allowed hanging baskets (could fall), pot plants (tripping) xmas trees (falling/elecrocuting/offending non-christians - pointed out I'm not a christian but this got no favour) coffee for some of the girls who bring knitting to shop and sit & knit (& spend) all day (no food license).

If it's not the taxman it's the council. If it's neither of them b*ggers then look up, cos God himself is going to take you out.

lynzpower

good lord, you need a food license to serve free coffee? REALLY?

I would have thought a basic food hygiene cert would cover it.

Shame this council,name them

OberonSH

North lincolnshire council - they suck. Wanted to be able to serve slices of homemade cake, was told I'd need to allow them to inspect my kitchen and get registered as a catering establishment. Seeing as my shop is council building without hot water or toilet (they class us as part of market, and provide those elsewhere in the building therefore getting around the laws) I can't see them allowing even a basic food hygiene cert.

Still, I allow the girls to bring their own!!