We’re moving slowly at our house today.
And it’s a good thing.
Taking it easy.
Because it’s snowing outside.
That just slows everything down, doesn’t it?

Our city has been anticipating a big storm all week.
And most of you, who really do get snow,
Would laugh at what we are considering
“WINTER STORM 2011.”
We’ve got about an inch.
And the schools are closed.
I’m not kidding you.
But we are thankful at our house.
And I am not complaining.

After rising early to check the news and the school status,
I crawled back under my warm covers.
And I turned the alarm off.
No need for it today.
That right there is a wonderful thing.

But a Mom can’t stay in bed forever.
Pretty soon I had more kids in my room than in their own.
That’s when you know it’s time to get up.
By the time I reached the kitchen,
It seemed my course had already been set.

Hope, my 8 year old,  had decided how things were going to go.
She had set a few things out for me.

So…I guess it’s pancakes for breakfast!
I’m pretty sure some day Hope will either own her own business
Or run a small country.
I’m just saying.

It’s days like today when I’m so thankful I work from home.
Because a little snow day doesn’t shut down Bonbon Charms.
In fact, we have a new Anniversary Deal today.

Today and tomorrow the featured sale is on our sugar drop charms.
These original charms are fun.
And chunky.
And you might need one.

You can choose a heart.
Or an initial.
We have a bird.
And a crown.
You need to take a look, because they’re great.
They’re two-sided, and the back of each charm is vintage sheet music.

Sugar Drops normally sell for $16.
But for the next two days they will be…..
$10.
That is a GREAT deal!

So come on over to our shop.
And while you’re doing that, I might have to get another pancake.
And change out of my pajamas.
Or not.

Here’s a story for a Tuesday.
Once upon a time in 2005 there were three sisters.

Susanna, Erica (me!), and Jenny.
This is us in 2010.
But back to the story.

In 2005, we spent a weekend together.
And had some fun.
(This goes without saying when the three of us are together.)
At the end of our time, we decided we needed an excuse to get together again.
A project maybe.
Maybe something where we could be together and even make some money.

Jenny’s church hosted a big holiday sale every year.
We decided to rent a space.
And sell some stuff.
And make some money.
So we schemed and we bought product and we made a few things.

I found a magazine with a “how-to” article on soldered ornaments.
My husband owned a soldering iron, so I borrowed it and started soldering.
I made a bunch of ornaments and then started making some intial charms as well.

The original charms looked a little something like this.
Kind of rough, but cute.

The weekend of the sale came and we went to work.
And I mean WORK.
Hours and hours.
Setting up, re-arranging, selling, packaging, pricing.
And on.
And on.

Boy, were we tired at the end of those three days.
We had worked ourselves to the bone.
We had sold a lot of stuff.
And had a lot of fun.
I think we each made about 37 dollars.
Oh well!

But the hot item of the weekend?
Those little initial charms.
We sold dozens of them.
And it got me thinking…maybe some other people would like them too!

When I got back home to Oregon,
I talked my husband into building me a website so I could sell them online.

What a good husband!
He had never built a website before, but he is a quick learner.
We took photographs and wrote text and designed pages, and a few months later,
Bonbon Charms online was born.

That was February 2006.
So you know what that means?
This month, Bonbon Charms celebrates our 5th anniversary.
Happy Anniversary to Us!

I got to thinking.
What would be a good way to celebrate 5 momentous years?
To thank you, my wonderful customers, for your business?
Well, a SALE always seems like a good thing to me!

So, starting today and continuing through the end of the month,
We are going to offer some of our original bonbon style (soldered) charms
At never-before-seen-prices!!!
Doesn’t that sound exciting?

This anniversary sale will begin with our very first initial charms.
They are now called “Descriptives.”

You can choose an initial for the front
And a descriptive word for the back.
Or a name.
Or a date.
Or just about anything…totally customize-able!
(I think that’s a new word)

 These cute charms are usually $15 each.
They include a free stainless steel ball chain.
A pretty good deal any day.
But, since it’s our anniversary,
For the next two days (Feb. 22 and 23),
We are offering them at a huge discount.
Only $9 each…that’s 40% off!

So come on over to the shop.
Don’t waste time, because this sale is only on for two days.
And keep checking back, because a new item will go on sale once this one ends!

Happy shopping to you!

Since I’ve been feeling all Valentine-y lately,
I’ve been thinking about romance.
And how lucky I am.

Because my husband is very good to me.

He showed up with these after work yesterday.
Tulips are my favorite.

And of course, there was candy.
A day isn’t really a holiday if there isn’t candy, right?

But the best thing my husband got me wasn’t flowers.
Or candy.
He got me a library card.
And I love it.
Seriously love it.

It wasn’t actually a Valentine’s Day gift.
It was a birthday gift.
But since my birthday was only a few days ago,
I’m still thinking about it.
And how much I love it.

We’ve lived here in Eugene for 16 years and I’ve never had a library card.
We live outside of the city boundaries and so you have to pay to have your own card.
And I’ve always just thought it was kind of an unnecessary expense
and I would just use that money to buy my own books.
Which I have.

But I love to read.
A lot.
And I can’t afford to purchase as many books as I would like.
So I read and then I re-read.
And I borrow from my friends and my Mom and my sisters.

But now?
Now I can go and get books whenever I want.
An unending supply.
Up to 999 at a time, if I want.
Seriously.
That’s what they told me at the libraray.
And I believe them.

We took our two younger kids there for the first time this last weekend.
They thought they had died and gone to book heaven.
Or maybe that was me.
I’m not sure.

This might be the most romantic gift I’ve ever gotten.
So now, quite possibly, the jig is up.
My husband knows he doesn’t really ever need to buy flowers.
Or candy.
(Although I would never turn either one down!)

All he needs to do it take me on a date.
To the library.
*Sigh*

I have the best Valentines.
Hands down.

First there was this cutie.
He’s been my valentine since we were babies.
Okay…teenagers.

Then came this sugar bear.

And this one.

And this little punkin head.

And finally, this one.

So…what does a girl do when she’s got so many wonderful valentines?

Heart pancakes seems like a good place to start.