New is Good

I admit I like vintage, I Love antiques and there's nothing like a story that reminisces about the "good ol' days" but this week is true testament that new is good too.
I don't think it any longer needs to be said that my week was busy. By now, that's pretty much understood. This week has however been full of new. New customers, new listings on etsy, new adventures being planned and even some new "old" music being played.

My Studio Open House was not new. It's been around for about the last 7 or 8 Februaries, at least. However, it did have many new customers visit and that's a great thing. It took many a year and much prompting to get me to host such a show but I must admit I do enjoy it. More for the enjoyment than the sales, I think. I love the less hectic environment and being able to show all my customers just how much I appreciate them by providing refreshments and opening my house to them. I think it is important to take the time to really get to know them and spend time listening to their stories is inspiring.
Preparing for the Open House while working and juggling a multitude of other tasks left little time for new listings on etsy or handmadefuzion. Suffice it to say, this led to a slow storefront. Finally, with the arrival of some great NEW beads, this week saw some new creations and some new listings. Well, booya! sales followed and I did a little dance (privately, of course).
As if this wasn't enough new for one week or one month for that matter, I finished plans for a new adventure. It seems to be the right time for a family trip to our nation's capitol for so many reasons. A new era, a new president, a new hope for a better future (eventually) coupled with a graduating grade schooler and a budding middle schooler just seemed to scream road trip. I worked on DH and scoured more travel websites than any one person should and there you are. A trip for 3 of the 4 of us to see new things for the first time. Mark may not be thrilled but for a museum guru, he has no idea what lies in wait. It's only a matter of time until he stops referring the The Smithsonian as just another museum.
This sounds like a pretty full and exciting week, doesn't it? Well, let me tell you, the best tale is yet to come. An utter surprise that brought me a joy I would not have imagined in a really MOM kinda way. and yes, I'm gushing. and yes, I'm being nerdy and sentimental, and yes, I have no life but at least once in a while I have the little things. So, hold on to your poncho, have a seat in your over sized papisan chair and take off the huge, cushy headphones! I fostered a musical epiphany in my meanager! It was stupendous! The best President's Day I've ever had. Can you say that?
Kids off school and me at my workbench left the day wide open for possibilities. Seeking inspiration, I reached for the CD player, of course. A few discs and one saxophone practice later, Alex was looking to hear the entire Sgt. Pepper album from which his concert music stemmed. Low and behold, the deep dark depths of the basement coughed up not one, not two, but 3 large cassette tape holding briefcases. (the cornucopia of destroyed LP's by DH will have to be its own post someday). 8 hours later, my meanager, the one that barely speaks to me and definitely struggles to believe I am/could be cool found it in his heart to applaud my taste in music. Everything from Warren Zevon and Elvis Costello to U2, the Beatles and some Talking Heads. I would have to say, he lost his music virginity that day, possible to Chrissy Hines, or maybe it was Stevie Nicks. It doesn't really matter. I knew I had reached a common ground. A sacred ground in my book. We definitely have a common interest in our love of music. He thinks I have good taste and he looks to me for advice on a good tune. Hell, what more can I ask from a 14 tr old angst ridden stomach that walks