The Saga of the Carpet......

The day of the carpet installation dawned bright & early for me.  I dressed for scrubbing the walls of my office while watching the workmen install my new carpet in the shop.  I cranked the heat up to sauna-like proportions to assure the glue flowed smoothly and the carpet relaxed into its new home quickly.

The workmen arrived, they were excited at how well my husband had prepped the floor the evening before, this was going to make their jobs so much easier and the carpet would lay perfectly too.  They rolled out the huge roll of carpet and stepped out to let it warm up before glueing it down. 

I was excited, it looked wonderful laying there on the floor....the colors looked fantastic against the walls, I could picture it with the racks set up...it was perfect!  Then came the dreaded voice saying I need to talk to you, there is a problem.  I felt my stomach drop....I knew this was not going to be good.  With measuring tape in hand he showed me that there wasn't enough carpet to complete the job.  Doom & gloom set in immediately.....what? why? how come? now what?

After a few phone calls and a meeting with the flooring company owner a new plan was decided upon.  My carpet was going to be delayed into late next week while we waited for a new roll of carpet with the same dye lot to arrive.  Not what I wanted to hear....my grand opening would be delayed....but was it the end of the world? 

In the scheme of things it will probably be humorous someday.....but right now it is an irritating delay that just has to be dealt with the best we can. 

New Year's Day 2013......A Fresh Start

A whole year has gone by since I posted to the blog.  It isn't because I didn't have anything to say, no just the opposite....I just did all my "saying" in person not in cyberspace.

Many exciting things have been happening around here! 

All summer we looked for a building to house Club Vintage Fashions....a dream of a brick & mortar store had been in our minds for quite some time.  We found a grand old beauty, built right around 1900 practically under our noses, but boy oh boy did she have some problems.  But for all of her problems she had great bones, she deserved another chance to shine!

Downtown Clio, circa 1930...our building is the 4th from the left

We signed on the dotted line in mid-October and immediately the work began.  The basement had been flooded with dirt....and more dirt.....and more dirt.  Bucket by bucket it was carried up the fun house stairs that lean a little left of center.  When it was finally done a 10 yard dumpster was so full of dirt that the trailer it was on had flat tires.  Thanks to the bucket brigade of family & friends who trudged up those precarious stairs over & over again!

In the meantime, carpet was torn up, walls were washed and washed again to carry away years of grime and dirt.  Then came the twenty new windows upstairs. The boarded up windows were gone and so were the birds that thought the broken, ill-fitting old windows were an open invitation to come on in and make yourselves at home, there was light!  The upstairs was once home to three apartments but that was many eons ago as evidenced by the layers and layers of wallpaper clinging to the walls and ceilings.  There is no electricity, heat, plumbing or running water up there but that will all be rectified in time...lots of time.

Last week new windows arrived for the windows downstairs, wow what a difference they made!  We also have a new furnace, new ceiling tiles and an area all set up for taking pictures for the web shop.  We have more updates planned but they will have to wait until spring & summer as Michigan weather is not conducive to outdoor work in the winter.

Now that the windows are in, the new carpet is coming tomorrow.  Then the real fun begins as we fill the shop with all of the vintage clothes we have been saving for years just for this occasion.  We have traveled the country buying the best vintage fashions for the ladies, the boys and the kiddos.  I can't wait to set it all up! 

 
The last big step before this becomes my daily reality is my retirement from the high school that I have worked at for the last fifteen years.  Friday is my last day of work there and it will be sad to leave but exciting to take the next step in this wonderful adventure.  If you ever get to Clio, Michigan come look us up at 131 W Vienna Road to browse the vintage fashions and other goodies!