I didn't fall off the face of the earth!

It has been pointed out to me that I have not updated my blog in quite some time....my life has been pretty much consumed with a book store! I have some really cute Easter pics to post but no time to do it tonight but I did want to share a very cute little girl who seems to be growing up way too fast! It seems like just yesterday Ellie was a little baby, mobile only in someones arms...now she is quite the little girl and quite the mover, it is sometimes pretty hard to keep up with her. Yesterday I had a customer at my desk and she put her bag of books on the floor while she was talking to me. When she went to leave her bag was gone, Ellie had it over her shoulder and was trucking down the aisle! It was so funny! The lady felt bad taking it away from her! Anyway, before I go to bed I wanted to share these cute pics of little Ellie.

It's looking like a book store!

Well it is finally beginning to look like a book store! The hard work hopefully will start to pay off soon. We have only taken 2 days off since January 27 but we have promised ourselves we will take off this coming Sunday. I am truly looking forward to that! We have gone through probably close to 300 boxes by now and have about 500 more to go. We are not going to fit all our books in here so we have boxed up a lot of duplicates for later. We have a bet going...I think we will fit about 400 boxes in the store and Michael thinks we will fit about 500! All I know is I am getting very tired of going through the boxes.The one thing I am absolutely certain of is that without this little helper we wouldn't be having any fun at all! Ellie thinks all the aisles were made for a constant chase and hide & go-seek day! Our opening is March 14! Hope you come see what we have been working on.

Help...I need a bigger building!

So we finished building the wall shelves and the floor started to get cleaned off and it felt pretty spacious! Today is the day the free standing shelves will get delivered.

Where am I going to put all these shelves? I can't even see the front of the store from the back!
We started spacing them out and I guess it will work out...I don't like these shelves at all, they are ugly, and way too tall! Michael is going to build me pretty shelves out of pine as soon as we get the store open. They will cost a bit so we will do it one row at a time and the new ones wont be so tall! But these came with the books so we will use them for now!
We are starting to get there! Probably by Monday I can start scanning the books and getting all the new bar codes on them! It is getting way closer!

Update on The Book Shack

It feels like we work and work and never get anywhere until I look at some pictures...then I realize we truly are getting something done. It is just getting so hard to work these 10-12 hour days, 7 days a week. I would give anything to take a day off and stay in bed with all these achey muscles! I am getting way too old for this hard of labor! But I know the rewards at the end will be worth it! So here are some updates on pictures....

First pic...Jen & Ellie came to visit us and Ellie was learning how to color!
Workers replacing one of the three broken windows!
One full wall of shelves completed! only a million more to go...ha ha!


Front desk/counter...we have begun to bring boxes of books into the building...this is about 125 boxes and we have over 800 boxes total! These were just out of the small storage which is almost empty. (It was mostly lumber)
I made new windowsills....the old ones were so rotted away you couldn't even touch them. These turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!
A book on A Shelf! Ta Da!

The Book Shack

My daughter said I needed to do a blog on the new shop and how it is coming...so, interested or not, here we go!

This is the building on the day that we found it....broken windows, old, and in need of some major TLC!

This wall had 3 windows that we boarded up so we could have more shelf space. We also had to rip off a bunch of faux wood paneling, so we have tons of patches that we had to mud, now it is almost ready to paint!This is "The World's Ugliest Bathroom"! We cleaned it up and decided we will wait until we are open and making some money and then we will do a renovation on it! Put in a tile floor, new sink, and paint a lighter cheerier color.

My front desk/counter was delivered on Monday!

My front door signage....for all my scrapbook buddies, I am doing all my own signs with vinyl and my Cricut!
My side window sign....old peeling siding on the side walls....it is an old building but the rent is great!

This is the smallest of our two storage units...we are ready to start hauling lumber up to the store to start building shelves.

Lumber in the store, getting sized and organized.
So, that is my store so far! It seems like we slave away day after day and it doesn't feel like we are getting done, but I know we are getting somewhere. We are still thinking of the grand opening for March 5 & 6! I hope we can make it!

Dear Utah Autism Advocate!
Autism Speaks is pursuing autism insurance reform in over 20 states across the nation including Utah!
Yesterday, an autism insurance reform bill was introduced in the Utah State legislature. Senate Bill 43, "Clay's Law" sponsored by State Senator Howard A. Stephenson (R-11) will require private healthcare policies to provide coverage of the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Clay's Law will cover early intensive behavioral therapies and other medically necessary, evidence-based treatments prescribed by an insured's treating physician or psychologist.
There are currently eight states that have passed similar bills across the country, including five states during last year's legislative season: Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Illinois. This is a hot topic in states nationwide and Utah should be proud to be a part of such an important movement!
We need your help to get support for Clay's Law from your State Senator...
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
1. SEND AN EMAIL TO YOUR STATE SENATOR! Let them know that you support Clay's Law (SB 43), that you need them to support Clay's Law, and that passage of Clay's Law would mean increased access to critical autism therapies and treatments for thousands of children in Utah. We've already written some of the letter for you. All you need to do is add in your own words (optional) and click send. It's that easy!
2. STAY INFORMED ON CLAY'S LAW! Check out the Autism Votes website and sign up today to receive alerts and information pertaining to the autism insurance reform bills. Stay on top of the latest developments throughout the legislative season and get involved!
3. FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW! We need everyone's help. If you know other people in Utah that would get involved on behalf of your child, forward them this email and ask them to sign up at http://www.autismvotes.org/. This is the perfect answer for anyone who has ever told you, "If there is ever anything I can do to help just ask!" Send to extended family members - aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. Send to coworkers, neighbors, therapists, teachers and friends! We need all hands on deck!
For more information on the autism insurance reform initiative in Utah, visit www.AutismVotes.org/Utah.
Thank you!
Brittany RecaldeChapter Advocacy Chair, UtahAutism Speaks
Leeann WhiffenChapter Advocacy Chair, UtahAutism Speaks
Steve MichalskiChapter Advocacy Chair, UtahAutism Speaks

I have either totally lost my mind or I am working up to it very quickly. We have been playing with the idea of opening a used book store....well, we fell into a deal we couldn't pass up! We purchased the complete inventory of a used book store for a fraction of the cost! Now, until we find an actual building to open in this is what my garage (and two very full storage units) looks like! We packed over 800 of these boxes full of books! When I think of moving it again and organizing it all it totally overwhelms me!