After the Disaster

It's amazing what some people can accomplish, floods and plagues of locusts notwithstanding.

The store has been rearranged, resorted, reorganized, and restyled. We've moved the classroom area so you can all be on display as you create your gorgeous works of art. We've freshened the product so you can discover some long-lost goodies as you sort through the new arrivals.

And we bow down to Tammy and her supporting cast of thousands. Why? Because it was really Tammy's vision that you see when you walk into the store. So please join me in thanking everyone:

• Tammy, her beloved DH, and Elsa, who worked into the wee hours to ensure the store would reopen. I never imagined saying these words, but thanks for trimming my floor.
• Gail, whose engineering expertise rescued the computer and lab at minimum, and everything else at maximum.
• Natalie, who came for support and conquered something, I am sure.
• Elle, who stayed late on Sunday to more fully organize lock, stock, and paper trays.
• Sara, who worked to inventory and organize the new with the old
• And Heather, our new manager, who started just in time to weather this new storm, kept her crown intact and was perfectly patient throughout.
• Shout outs also to Mindy, MaryLeigh, and Melissa, who worked around everything to take care of customers. It's nice to stay afloat.

Apologies to the one customer who came in and expressed her extreme dissatisfaction with the new layout of the store. We promise we did not make the water heater next door explode and leak onto our floor and then destroy things just to make it difficult for you to shop with us. We're just trying to maintain our sense of humor throughout a very trying period and get things in enough order so people can shop.

And massive thanks to all our customers who complimented the new look of the store, those who pitched in to help, and those who are continuing to bring in new customers who make everything worthwhile.

On a side note, we are bursting with new stuff:

• Melissa Frances glitter chipboard shapes, paper mache boxes, foldouts, music box frames, and magnetic shadow boxes
• Prima flowers in all kinds of containers and color selections
• Basic Grey Blush, just in time for your Valentine. Yeah, for all you overachievers who are making Valentines in December.
• Every single color of the Adirondack Dabbers. We tested, you loved, we responded in kind. There are 38 colors, in case you are counting.
• New Rusty Pickle papers worth a joke or two. Still not sure why they sent us 256 of one particular paper, but we know they'll fix it for us.
• PVA and Diamond Glaze, but not in the same container. Can you imagine?
• Snowman paper mache boxes and 12x12 storage boxes in paper mache, perfect for a shadowbox decorative gift
• Doodlebug papers in all their happy colorful glory

So come see the fun, take a class in the new work area, cut some shapes with our fabulous die cut center, and prepare for a fabulous crop this Friday. Natalie really needs some love, so step up and, oh wait, she's already carrying around enough love for us all. But the crop will still be awesome; trust me.