Summer is upon us and the heat has finally arrived! In June I watched, my oldest daughter, Alexa, graduate from Newbury Park High School. Do you remember the albums I was working on for her graduation party? Well... I finished! Thanks to help from Kelly-Anne, Melissa and Katie who put the final pages together for me and helped me create 25 little party favor boxes using the Cricut in the store. The party was amazing and I'm so proud of Alexa! It still shocks me to think I have a daughter going to college in the fall! But, I'm not going to dwell on that right now, I just want to enjoy the family cruise we're taking at the end of July and quitting my job!
Two is Too Much
That's right, after a year and half, I can no longer work two jobs, one of them being a retail business and the other as a sub-acute dietitian. My heart and soul are committed to Treasured Memories so I have resigned from my dietitian position. I finished up last week and to say that I am relieved is an understatement. With the economy slipping and scrapbook retail dropping dramatically, it was necessary for me to work to pull the store through the difficult times. Don't get me wrong, the scrapbook industry is still struggling but I believe in the power of this hobby to help others, change lives and provide a creative outlet.
I've missed being in the store and it certainly has been a challenge trying to get everything done. I am very excited to start fresh and have the energy to put into the store that it deserves. In the coming months look for a TM Customer Survey as well as a restructuring of events and services that we provide at Treasured Memories. My goal is to make Treasured Memories your FIRST stop when it comes to scrapbook supplies, classes and crops so we will be reassessing our priorities as well as what customers want and need in the way of products and services.
Kids + Scrapbooking = Fun and Free Time!
Our Kid's Class Series is going great! Beth and Kelly-Anne have been doing an awesome job with the kids. These young artists have no rules or hang-ups about their creative process - it's refreshing to watch each of them start with the same base materials and leave with a project that is unique to their style. There are two classes remaining in our series, "Stuck on You" Magnetic Board on July 21 & 25 and "Remembering Summer" Album & Tin on July 29 & August 1. If your kids are interested and you'd like a few hours of free time call the store and book a class or two.
We are also introducing our newest event, "Junior Midnight Madness" that will take place one Friday night per month. We are kick starting this fun night on Friday, July 30th from 5-9pm. Lisa Florence and her daughter, Bianca (age 11), will be hosting this event in which your kids (ages 8-14) can come and scrapbook, learn new techniques, meet new friends and be creative! While the kids are scrapping, you can escape and go to dinner or just have some likely needed down time.
We Didn't Forget the Mom's!
Don't worry, we haven't forgotten the Mom's in our community! Lisa Florence will also be hosting a "Girls Night Out (GNO) Crop. The first one will be Friday, September 24th from 6pm-Midnight. This is a step up from our low-key Midnight Madness crop. Lisa plans to kick-start the evening with a faux cocktail (how fun is that)! This is sure to be a great evening out as Lisa is fun, amazingly talented and is so ready to share her love and enthusiasm for this wonderful hobby. Card makers, that includes you too, as her techniques go across the board for all crafters! You can meet Lisa by attending her first TM class titled "Techniques with Lisa" which is this Wednesday, July 21st from 7-9:30pm, it's filling up fast so if you were thinking about taking it call today!
Don't forget we offer FREE Crop Time every day of the week. Call the store first to double-check availability. When the weather gets hot our air-conditioned Crop Room is a blessing for a few hours!
I end with wishes for you to have a wonderful, relaxing and creative summer.
Happy Scrapbooking,
Christine Mesko, Owner
Treasured Memories Scrapbook Store, Inc.
P.S. Summer 2010 CHA (Craft & Hobby Association Show)begins at the end of July. We've already ordered the new lines from Best Creations, My Little Yellow Bicycle (all!), My Mind's Eye (all!), Prima and Tweety Jill. Some of the collections are scheduled to arrive by the beginning of August. If you can't wait, check out our CHA Sneak Peak section in this newsletter and tell me what you like and truly MUST have!
