Jenna Lou Loves You

Disgruntled Employee

Monday. It's such a hard day for me. It's hard to get back in the swing of things after two wonderful days off of relaxing and thinking nothing of my email inbox or the 101 things to get done before yesterday.

And it doesn't seem to help that my body aches from the clumsy accidents that have been following me like a hungry dog. Not one day has gone by since last Wednesday that I haven't done something to hurt myself or wreck something. These things include, but are not limited to:

:: Breaking a glass pitcher on the counter by pouring too hot water into it.
:: As a result of the previous mishap; burning myself in an unmentionable place. YES... now I understand how this woman feels.
:: Breaking a glass drinking cup (no injuries this time)
:: Having my legs slip off the kick start of Stella so many times that they are covered in bruises the size of apples. AND Stella had to go to the shop for a tune up because she's not working right. Let's cross our fingers that she is alright because if I have to return her I can't get another (there aren't any more) :(
:: Tripping over the dog leash and falling flat on the cement. Luckily I only bruised my palm, but it's really painful to use (no yoga for awhile).

I guess you could say it's just been a bad week. The good thing about Mondays is that they seem like a fresh start. A new week with new possibilities. Here's hoping that it goes good and accident free.

xo,
Jennalou

Random Winner

Ops! The contest went an extra day. Not for any reason other than I've been a little lazy lately and it's been SO nice outside that it's almost impossible for me to get any real work done.

Thanks to Random.org for choosing our winner.... lucky number 21! Katherine L can you please send me an email and I'll send you a little wallet of your choice right away! Yey. Contests are so fun. It's nice to hear from all you quite voices and to confirm that there are actual people reading.... no offense mom, but you don't count.

As for the name the jury is still out. I really love how many of you thought it looked like a little man! And the snappy thing is starting to stick too. I'm going to think about it a bit more, but I'll be sure to share when I do finally make up my mind.

I'll be back in a couple days with some really exciting things to share! See you then! Here is a hint. One of them goes VROOOOOOOOM!

xo,
Jennalou

One More Day

I know.. I know. I've been gone forever. At first I was just enjoying surviving all those shows I did in April, but then I got sick. I've had the stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, blurry head and all. It was no fun... but now I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I refuse to be sick anymore.

I'll be back soon. Just one more day.
xo,
Jennalou

The end of a good thing.

I might be the last person to find out about this, but I just found out that Adorn Magazine has stopped publications. I went to the website to renew my subscription and when couldn't find a link to subscribe I emailed to inquire. Here was the response:

Dear Ms. #####,

Adorn Magazine has ceased publication on 2/11/2008. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If we can be of any other assistance, please let us know.

Sincerely,
Mark Robinson
Email Customer Service

???? What the heck is up with that?? I thought Adorn was doing really well. They had just upgraded their issues a couple months ago to a larger size and more articles saying that it was because of such a great reader response. And what about all those people who have subscriptions?? What a bummer. I really loved Adorn and am sad to see it go. The strange thing is if you go to the web site everything is functioning like usual... no notices that they are done printing or anything. Hopefully I'm under informed and they are just making some changes. If anyone knows let me know.

I'm now on the lookout for new magazines... any tips?? What are your favorites to go to for inspiration?

Love Ya Too!

The flowers were hand delivered yesterday with a hug and a kiss from my step-dad. He's so great. Took me out to dinner and gave me the sweetest card a daughter could ask for.

John and I aren't planning much for tonight.... maybe coffee. I don't like to do gifts for V-day... just hugs, kisses and time spent together. It's a great chance to remember how important friends, family, and loved ones are to our lives, and I am so grateful for each and everyone of them! I love ya too!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!!
xoxo,
Jennalou

Be the first to know *new feature*

If you're visiting the blog you may have already noticed a brand new feature over there to your right. A mailing list!!! Be the first to know about major shop updates, sales, pattern releases, and giveaways!! Sign up today :D

Just a note about my mailing list habits. I don't send many... so far my record is about 4 a year. NO SPAM... just the really good stuff :D

xoxo,
Jennalou

In 2008

Can you believe it? It's hard to believe that 2007 was here and gone. In the blink of an eye. Thanks for such a great year!

So in the past I've never been huge on resolutions, but I think I'm going to give it a try this year. I am, after all, a 'list-maker'. Nothing motivates me more than a big list of things to get done, so this should be a positive thing!

So here goes. In 2008....

+++++
I would like to expand my knowledge of knitting. I just learned to knit my first pair of mittens (thanks grandma) and now I'm itching to know much more. To help me along the way I signed up for a couple classes at my local yarn shop. I'm going to start by learning cables and then I'll be knitting my very first sweater!

I also would LOVE to step up my camera skills. I take TONS of pictures for the shop and blog, but I know little to nothing about how my camera actually works.

I think it's becoming clearer and clearer to all of us that we need to watch our lifestyles and try our best to live a healthier and greener life. We've been pretty good around here about recycling and conserving energy, but I know that there is SO much more we could do. So no better time to start than the present.

I would like to read at least 12 fiction books this year. Sounds a little lame, but I've been so busy with the business and life that I don't find time for this anymore and I would like that to change. So one book a month is a reasonable goal for me.

And lastly I would like to publish at least 2 more patterns this year. Hopefully a few more than that, but we'll keep it realistic.
++++++++++

Ok... sorry if that was a bore. I just had to get it out there, all official and everything. Thanks again for such a great year in 2007!! I've read and dearly appreciate every comment left here and can't thank you enough for reading! It's been so much fun to meet many of you via blogland and I hope that 2008 is just as wonderful!!

xoxo,
Jennalou

2007

As 2007 is coming to a close I'm really exhausted and ready for a new year to begin. So much has happened and changed in this year!

Last year at this point I had just quit my job to do Jenna Lou Designs full time. It was a scary time full of questions and dreams. With the support of John and my family I continued working hard and things just kept blossoming.

2007 was the year we bought our first home, and learned some of the joys and agonies of home ownership. We drove to Chicago for my first big craft fair. We flew to Florida for a wedding and vacation, I finished my first quilt, and rediscovered time and time again why I LOVE being self employed. I published my first sewing pattern of hopefully many to come. My mother married the most wonderful man in a hospital bed with a bouquet of white daises.

It was a wonderful year!

I'm taking the rest of 2007 off to take some personal time. To relax and enjoy myself, my family, and my friends. I hope you do the same and enjoy every minute of it!! I'll see you soon in 2008!

xoxo,
Jennalou

**I'm loving my new glasses and the hat I crocheted with this pattern :D I don't think mine turned out right because it's pretty loose, but it's still cute!!

You know you're a fabriaholic when....

You know you're a fabriaholic with a serious addiction when you are watching tv and you spot a fabric. At first your not sure, but upon a second look you recognize a pattern and wait... now just wait a second... I HAVE THAT FABRIC... I HAVE THAT!!! It's Denyse Schmidt's blue dots from the Katie Jump Rope collection

 See look... I was watching online and took a screen shot. I'm not crazy I promise... just an addict :D **screen shot was taken from ABC's Grey's Anatomy.

xoxo,
Jennalou

The Key

Testing Testing.... Things have been so slow over at the old blog, I've really run in a rut over there and it's just not getting better. So I thought a change of scenes would maybe be the key. A new motivation to post... and a new place to share my craft, my food, my photos, my dog, my life.

I've spent most of my morning figuring typepad out and setting up the blog. I know that lots of links are missing, but I wanted to make sure this was the right move for me before I moved everything on over. Hopefully this will open up many doors.

Jennalou