Pug love

I can't get enough of him. And it seems he can't get enough of me right now. Pugs make life better.

Days off...

My days off this time of year are few and far between.  Working for a small company has its pros and cons.  And keeping a small payroll to keep cost down is def a con this time of year. 

We're getting into busy season which pretty much means all hands on deck at all times.  When we get big shipments (last week we got 23 boxes in 3 days and I'm not talking little ones... we're talking some 70 pounders) yours truly gets to skip her days off and tag the days away instead.  Oh by the way... all of our tags are hand written.  We are soooooo old school its not even funny.  In the 5 stores we own, only one of them has an actual register.  All sales are written by hand in sales books in the other stores. 

Let me give a little background on my work (cause I don't think I have yet)  I started working for this company when I was 13.  They basically scooped me up off the street.  When I started they had one store on the cape and one in Boston.  I started as a "back room girl".  Basically I was the backroom bitch.  When I started they had a lot of white cotton clothing that all need to be starched and ironed before it when out on the floor.  Guess who's job that was... yep yours truly.  What a pain in the ass!  On top of ironing I was in charge of tagging all the merchandise that came into the store.  This was my job for 2 years.  Hmmmmm maybe even 3.  By my 3rd year they did let me out on the sales floor a little more so I could actually see the light of day sometimes.  Anyone that knows me looks at me with shock when I say I was shy when I was little.  I'm talking painfully shy!  My boss says how I basically knew 2 words when I first started working for them, yes, and okay.  Hehe you cant get me to shut up at this point in my life!  So we'll say by year 3 or 4 they had closed the store in Boston and decided to open another store on the cape in the same town we were already it.  So I was moved down to that store to help down there.  It was wayyyy more fun!!  We started as a hat store.  Strictly hats.  And some VERY expensive ones.  And slowly morphed into a clothing and accessory store. 

In may of my senior year of high school my brother passed away (a story for another day).  Mid way through summer I decided I didn't want to go to school cause I thought it would be a waste of money cause I really didn't think I'd be able to focus on it.  My bosses suggested that I take some time and move down to New Orleans and work for the winter down there.  Hmmmm Great idea... I can escape with out the pressure of school to worry about.  So right after my 19th birthday I headed down to Nola to work in one of the 2 stores they had down here.  One they opened soon after closing the Boston store and the other maybe a year or two before I moved down.  From that point on I start my back and forth adventure.  We opened a third store in Nola in 03 or 04.  Then in 05 a little bitch named Katrina came along and knocked the stores off there feet a little.  We kept the three stores open for another year and then thought it best to close one cause it was just to hard to maintain.  So now we're down to 4 at this point.  Two on the cape and two in Nola.  Oh ps. also at this point I've started to do the buying for the stores.... that started in Sept 01.  Eventually we opened a third store on the cape.  (my baby)  This store is allll me.  I planned the layout, colors, inventory, staff, etc.  This was my baby and I love her!!  So now we're at 3 stores on the cape and 2 in Nola.  So on top of working a 40+ hour work week... during the summer its more like 70+ hours.  I do all the buying for 3 of the stores and help with the buying for the other 2.  On top of displays, keeping inventory, maintaining a happy and productive staff, and basically everything else that goes along with a clothing store.

Okay back to the actual reason of the post.  We are officially in high season.  Anyone that knows retail, knows what I'm talking about.  For people that don't know retail let me give you a little hint to what high season looks like.  You know that week before Xmas at the mall, where you pull in at 10:30am thinking, "oh the mall just opened at 10 I'll find a parking spot no problem" and then you actually pull in only to see 35 cars circling already cause the parking lot is already full because its the week before Xmas and people are trying to finish all there shopping.  I've never worked mall retail but to me the holiday season seems like there high season.  For me the high season starts right before mardi gras and ends labor day weekend.  That's a LONG ASS busy season.  Because I come from a busy time in Nola and jump right into set up on the cape and into another busy season there is no rest for the weary.  Now I know I said I'm going to blog more.  And I promise I'm really going to try.... but if they seem few and far between I just wanted y'all to know why. 

I have today and tomorrow off.  I didn't get called in today (modern day miracle).  We'll see what tomorrow brings!! 

xoxo
Becca

I fell off the wagon....

OHHHHHH HEYYYYYYYY!!!!

I'm back.  Not sure for how long.  But I'm gonna give this another go.  I'm feeling like I need somewhere to vent.  Oh my lanta have I been busy.  I feel like I'm going every which way and its not ending till September. 

This was my to do list today:

Orders (I HAD to get 4 done.  I probably have 15 more to do)
Grocery Shopping ( I haven't gone in 2 weeks.  During the summer I went 2 months without going)
Cleaning ( I vacuumed, still have a ton to do)
Unpack summer clothes
Pack up winter clothes
email all the girls who work for me during the summer
pick up some statues for my moms friend
email 2 people that are friends of the family with where to stay, where to eat, and what to do in nola
laundry

I'm sure there's more but my mind is mush so I cant remember right now.

I'm hoping there's a light at the end of the tunnel.  And I'm hoping this light comes as a vacation in September.  I figured out my last real vacation was in 2007.  What the fuck is wrong with me.

Any who off to try and check a few more things off the list... so far I've only really completed 3 things fully.  Is it September yet???  (I've never in my life wanted to skip over summer.  This year is really testing this matter)

xo Becca

Gettin' Organized

Only a few weeks in and I feel like I'm failing at this whole blog thing already!!  I know there aren't high expectations for me.  I mean I do only have 2 followers (Thanks Ladies!!!)  I think I need a blogging for dummies book or something.  I see all these pretty sparkly fancy looking blogs and I have blog envy.  I may have to seek the help of some of the blogs I stalk.... I mean follow. And seek out some advice on this whole thing.

Any who... In other news I am getting my life more organized.  Moving around so much I've realized is kinda stressful.  Just a few days ago I was denied at whole foods trying to buy wine cause my license is expired (didn't realize this cause the dmv never notified me.  Thanks so much state of Massachusetts)  So now I don't know what to do cause I tried to go online and renew... but of course I HAVE to go in and do it in person cause its been 10 years since I got my license.  Ugh looks like a trip up north might happen sooner then May. 

So I've managed to unpack everything (okay almost everything).  I pretty much don't fully unpack until about 2 days before I'm heading back north or south.  So I basically unpack to pack back up.  I know that I have two brown boxes in my kitchen on the cape that are full of clothes that I never unpacked.  Not even to pack back up and bring down to nola.  That's awful! 

I've also managed to get all my orders done.  I usually end up getting emails from my reps begging for orders that are now days late.  And not only do I have all my orders in, but I also have them organized in binders by store, alphabetical order, and by order date.  Gooooooo ME!!! I'll pat myself on the back now and maybe pour myself a big glass of wine.  Lucky for me my local neighborhood packy doesn't think I'm underage!!

Just found this puppy on Amazon for $.51 used.  Might have to invest for that price!!

I'll do my best to be better at my blogging.  Mostly for Amy cause I know she's probably checking it multiple times a day just wondering what Brady and I are up to.  LOVE YOU!!!  xoxox

My dream house come true!!!

I have found my dream house, thanks to my friend Amy.  (Thanks Amy)  This house couldn't be more me.  I LOVE grey.  Its pretty much what the color black is to most people.  Although I don't think people would paint there walls black... but when it comes clothes.  Add a stripe and its a done deal. I constantly get yelled at when my orders come in for work cause I always get TONS of stripes.  What can I say I'm from the cape... nautical is where its at.  So any way back to what my house is gonna look like.  Amy fb'd me one day saying I had to see a house that was on the Nate Berkus show.  It could legit not be more me.  Well maybe a few more stripes but the grey is me allll the way...

http://www.thenateshow.com/videos/detail/1209/house-proud-bungalow/

Not to mention the fact that the girl made one of the bedrooms a closet cause she wanted to be able to see everything she owns.  Soooooo wicked smart of her. 

In other news I was so pumped to go to kmart and see some of these

I'm not gonna lie when I say I bought 8 and only have 2 left and that was a day ago.  Opps!  I'm going to the gym tomorrow so I think its okay.  Speaking of the gym I might die tomorrow cause I'm going with one of my besties Katie and her trainer is a nut and might kill me.  I haven't worked out in a year and I would not be surprised at all if he worked me out so hard i puked!  Ewwwwww I know.  I'll let you know how it goes if  I'm alive after the hour session!!! Ekkkkkk xoxo

What a cute.....

So this past weekend I of course worked.  Something not shocking at all cause I work in the retail world and that's when we are most busy.  A lot people would HATE this.  Me, not so much.  It could be I'm just so use to it, having worked retail since I was 13.  But more so I like it cause when everyone's at work during the week I can get everything I need to get done without having to deal with mobs of people.

So my commute to work is pretty sweet.  (On both the Cape and in Nola)  I walk about 2 blocks to work in nola and probably even less then that on the cape.  This is perfect for my little man cause it means he can get a nice little walk mid-day to go do all his business. 

So Saturday I come back to my apartment to take Brady out and eat lunch.  We go our normal route and are in the home stretch back to the apartment. I'm dreaming about my delicious chicken salad sandwich I'm going to be making when we get back inside.  About half way down the block I see a little thing run out of the parking garage that's around the corner from my apartment.  So I think in my head awwwww what a cute little chipmunk!

Then I realize something.... I'm in a city.... with not a lot of trees... and none even close to where I am right now... so that only means one thing.... its a....



That's right!  It was a RAT!!!  Eeeeeeeek!!  Now don't get me wrong, I really don't mind rats, mice, hamsters, etc.  I had a hamster when I was younger named tri-pod cause he only had 3 feet and I felt soooo bad for him at the pet store cause I figured no one else would take home a deformed hamster.  But a rodent on the street is completely different.  The little/HUGE guy ran under a car that we had to walk by and I almost had a heart attack and ran faster then I have in years!!  We made it safely by and I haven't seen him since, and really hope we never cross paths again!

Other than that the weekend was pretty uneventful.  I'm just getting back into the swing of things trying to unpack and get settled again.  The gas is shut off in my apartment and I'm not really sure when it will be back on (long story).  So for now I've been cooking with my George Foremen.  I haven't used that puppy in years and totally forgot how handy it can be. 

In breaking news I just got a TMZ News Alert on my bberry thats says 'Jersey Shore' Cast -- We're Goin' to Italy!!!  This sounds scary and ohhhhh so amazing at the same time.  Can't wait to see if this is true!! 
xoxo

Off to the Shore

I'm very excited for another night of these people

I think its really funny when people say they can't stand the Jersey Shore.  Come on people its mindless television.  Its something to laugh at for an hour and forget the rest of the problems in the world and laugh at Snooki.  I sware that little muffin makes everything seem better. Never mind the rest of the cast!

In other news I went grocery shopping today.  I've decided that I'm not very good at it and should probably start making a list when I go.  I always end up spending wayyyyy more then I need to.  And come home with the most random things.  And if i can't find what I want at one store I'll go to 3.  Yes that's what I did today.  3 different grocery stores just to find the chicken salad that I LOVE.  I guess you could say I went to only 2 stores to find the chicken salad cause the first whole foods I went to didn't have it.  Thank god the second did, otherwise I would have had to throw myself in the Mississippi!  And that would just be gross!!

Tonight I plan on trying to unpack cause my apartment looks like this

But In my apartment all the boxes still have stuff in them.  Ugh sometimes I hate moving.  Then I realize that if I was still up north I would have to be worrying about the snow storm that's suppose to drop a couple inches of snow on the cape.  Instead of the high of 50 we're going to be having in New Orleans tomorrow.  I'll take the 50's thanks!

Hope everyone (which is really no one cause I don't have any followers yet, Amy where are you!?!) is looking forward to the weekend.  As of right now I have no plans other than work.  Ohhhh the life of retail.  But I'm sure I'll end up doing something that involves a little vino and the ladies!!  xoxo

Here goes nothing!!

Ohhhh where to start.  If I really started from the beginning I think I would be writing for months.  I guess everything will come out in due time.  So I'll start with today... I just got back down to New Orleans from the cape after driving for 2 days with a stop in Troutville VA. Hmmm you say you've never heard of it, pretty much no one has.  But its basically the half way point and they have a Red Roof Inn (they take pets!) so thats where we stop.  Brady and I spent two solid days in the car.  He's really not much of a co-pilot.  He wont help with directions, change the music on the ipod, or even get my redbulls from the backseat!!  What a BRAT!  But he's soooo damn cute so I guess I'll let it slide.  (Older pic... he's a little more gray on his chin now... but still such a handsome)

Its good to be back down south.  I'm ready to get into the swing of things down here again and am looking forward to the busyness that comes with it.  I'm ready for lots of eating and drinking and being wild with my ladies!!  I of course already miss all my norther girls and can't wait till summer twenty-eleven with sooooo many things to look forward to... nights at the squire, sleepovers at my apartment, and maybe a few cocktail parties and bbqs.  And by a few I mean a TON!!  And of course my bestest girls engagement party!  So many exciting things to come.  Well I must be off to take my little man for a walk.  Much more to come... so check back often!! xoxo