I am absolutely exhausted.  I have completed a milestone.   It took me about 3 months, but I now have a shipping
department!  WOW! 

Besides having to research and purchase all of the necessary
materials, scale, hopper to hold peanuts, boxes, bubble wrap, and because each
piece in my gift line comes with a card and a note from the artists, I had to
purchase filing cabinets to hold cards, sales material, and create box
labels.  That was the easy part.  Our garage was filled to the brim with
things.  I moved everything out and
purged. We had to have AC/HEAT in the garage so when they put in the new unit
we had it run to the garage as well. A new garage door was installed and the
old rotten jams replaced.  (I have
lived in this house for 23 years and don’t think I have opened the garage door
more than 10-20 times.)  All of the
drywall needed repair and then it took 4-5 coats of paint, the last coat was
bed and bath paint to prevent mold. 
Every crack has been sealed. The floor spray washed, and then an acid
wash before it was painted with fancy little sprinkles added.  A threshold was added under the garage
door, and weather stripping to the sides. New plastic bins for storage and
plastic shelves for both storage of some garage stuff, and then the entire
inventory was moved in. 

We have not checked to see if the laptop and Internet
connection works in the garage. 
That would be ideal, with a small printer.  Then I could print off my labels from FedEx right
there.  But for now I have to run
to the other building and up into the offices, a minor inconvenience.  IT is so good to have my house back in
order. IT seemed like the garage just vomited into the house, studio, porch
etc.  I have not been in the studio
in a day and I kept telling everyone, “move this box into the studio, I’ll go
through it in there.”  I know I’ll
scream a bit when I see the mess down there, but for now… the house is clean
and I HAVE A SHIPPING DEPARTMENT!

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