Are. You. Kidding.

Emails like this are one of the many pleasures of being a business owner:

Dear Ann,
I am sorry to inform you that per direct my activities for XXX Export / XXX are ending. A very unfortunate accident has happened within my family and I have to return a.s.a.p. The consequences of the accident result in me not being able to return in Peru this year. Hopefully in the beginning of next year.
I realize that this has also consequences for your business in the potential we were about to uncover. As I am the main person responsible for all export activities, I can not guarantee proper continuity for XXX Export in regards to our communication and agreements we have had and made so far.
However, I do not want to abandon you with the potential order we talked about and therefore offer my personal services in connecting you with the Roxana, if you are still intending to continue with the sample order. As she talks Spanish only, as do other people I work with, I would suggest to run communication between the two of you as personal favour – also ensuring there is no service fee from my side as I can not contribute in fulfilling export procedures and quality control.
I understand that you might not want to continue with this construction, and I will certainly respect that decision. If we do continue for f.e. the order specs we talked about, we need to make sure that you and Roxana have a signed order request (from Roxana and your side), that money flows directly to her (from your side) and that I ensure Roxana is updated on all export procedures (from my side).
Let me know what your thoughts are.

Would you REALLY like to know my thoughts? I can promise you they are extremely selfish in nature. Only speaks spanish? WTF. So, now our complete sample line for market is wacky, as we may be missing a few key items that would be extremely difficult to produce elsewhere this close to deadline. I'm sorry for your accident, but apparently it did not leave you unable to type emails. Buck up.

So, anywho, the store. On hold waiting on legalese (ish) to sign all of our paperwork. I despise legalese. I don't speak it, and don't care to learn. I understand the process itself in and out, have no problems writing up the business plans in layman's terms, but transferring all of this info into legal terms takes time, and time is not on my side right now if I want to open July 15. Again, buck up all, we are on Ann hyper-speed right now. :) Keep up.

Personal note: I am currently addicted to wearing flowers in my hair. I think my collection of flowers has now reached about 15 flowers (thank you, tootyfruitymonkeyluv). I'm all about hippie headbands and little bobby pin flowers. Love them. This Etsy seller has the CUTEST selection - and, is also, my neighbor (good and bad - very accessible). Oye.

Tutus - still filling tutu orders, but trying to slow it down a bit with both the store and market fast approaching. I finally finished the huge feathered tutu for the little figure skater (she is a total doll), and if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty amazing:

I'm loving our spring 2012 b&b fabrics - lots of jersey knits, some linens and lightweight denim and the pointelle. Hoping to still be able to release the hats and sweaters for holiday despite the snafu in Peru...

Jax is NAUGHTY. He's a boy-boy. He eats dirt and sticks. Logan's report card hasn't come in yet, and he loses his DS for the entire summer if there are any D's or F's. You can bet he watches the mail like a hawk.

The BBQ's and bonfire have started, and we spend most days outside...some random summer pics:

Jaxie playing in the water

The amazing and "special" job I did mowing the lawn for the first time

Jaxie playing peek

The new store...

A happy Mama...