Earth Day Thoughts

The last five years for me have been so full of changes.  All good things, but most have been challenging.  On a day like Earth Day I feel really good about the type of business we have started.  Almost everyone from our generation has owned a record.  Most people walk in the doors of the store and admit they still have a box of records.  I always ask "Where is it?".  Usually the response is....they are in a closet, in the attic, the basement or garage.  I always encourage them to go home and get them out and look at them.   We were lucky, because our children had a real appreciation for our record collection and they pulled them out and played them.  They also decorate their walls.  Seeing this appreciation made me happy that they were being used again.  We also have people come into the store and say they threw away their record collection after trying to sell them at their garage sales. They are so sad when they tell me, but usually they are the one's that buy a clock of that favorite album that they miss.  So, I have made them happy, which makes me happy.  While we started making a lot of clocks we started to have a lot of covers and insides of records.  I couldn't throw them away.  Now, I make scrapbooks and the latest are these file folders.  If you place an Etsy order or an order through email, I will include a file folder FREE!!!!  And, I plan on making gift tags, postcards, magnets and bookmarks from the scraps cut from the file folders.   So, Happy Earth Day!!!!!

Party Favors for Light of Day

Light of Day is this weekend.  Many travelers started to arrive in town today.  Last year we were open at the store to see the excitement of a shore town swelling with some extra special visitors in the middle of January.  I knew this year I wanted to do something a little special for my customers.  So, what is a birthday party without party favors?   I made some labels to commemorate the year and encourage readers for my blog and likes on my facebook page.  It will be first come...first serve and we will give one per customer with any purchase.  The little bags are made from original bruce records sleeves and include some saltwater taffy from Criterion. Welcome LOD 2013!!!!

Asbury Park Public Art day 10

Bruce Springsteen/Soul Cruisers ~ Raise Your Hand/Knock On Wood ~ Video ...

September is like New Years for me.  I look at it as a new start.  Last year was a perfect example.  Every day was spent packing for a move from a house we lived in for seventeen years.  Every year for the last few years it is preparing the store for the holidays.  This year it is weight loss and healthy eating goals.  I have been on Weight Watchers for a total of a year.....I have lost 13 pounds...Yay!!!!  But, now I am going to get to goal.  This is the top of the mountain for me......but, these pounds are not easy....it will not be downhill from here......it will be an up hill BATTLE.  Yesterday, was a great meeting.  A 16 week challenge.....it will end on New Years....Perfect....Right????  I am also trying to post every day and share my successes and trials.  I know next week I will see a wonderful result because my meeting will be after I go see Springsteen.  We have General Admission which means we will be standing.......no I don't mean standing.....I mean dancing!!!!!!  I am getting Psyched!!!!!!  And, the reason I included this video is because JT Bowen and the Soul Cruisers will be playing at the Stone Pony tonight.  And, if you are having troubles......trying to reach a goal and frustrated.......ask for help.....just Raise Your Hand!

Don't STOP Believin'

Four ways to keep your dreams alive:

1.  Keep Positive.......always believe whatever it is you are dreaming of is possible!

2.  Stay inspired......take a load off yourself....go out and enjoy whatever it is that keeps you happy.....take a walk....listen to music.....take a ride....visit a museum.......enjoy nature......

3.  Keep Motivated.......always move forward and if you slip and fall....get up.... wipe yourself off and keep going!

4.   Find even the simple things out in the world that are affirmations and most of all.....Don't STOP Believin'

Wordless Wednesday

Endless Summer at Greetings from Geralyn

Customize a digital scrapbook

Where Bloggers Create 2012

I am celebrating a room of my own....I started participating in Where Bloggers Create a few years ago.  I showed how you bloom where you are planted.  And, now we moved to a new house. We were in a house my husband built for 17 years.  When we looked at this house and were almost through the walk thru and my husband opened the last door and said "Well here's your room"......I knew 

 everything would  work out and this would be our new home.  I thought a lot about how to decorate my room, but when it came right down to it....I just unpacked boxes and covered the walls with the contents.  Just like Art.....there 

 was the thought.....but, most of all there were hours spent just putting everything in it's place.....it is still a work in progress.  I love it....It is my own little corner....my own little world.

 “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” 

— Walt Disney

Summertime

 We've been getting some good exposure, lately and it is greatly appreciated..........Felipe Rose of the Village People  has become a good friend and never passes by without stopping in to say hello.  I still keep pinching myself....yes this is a real thing........not just a fantasy.

Last night we attended a casino night for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties held in the Convention Hall and we were able to see our name in Lights!

Can't Stop the Music

YMCA........In the Navy.........Macho Man........Can you Say 1980????  We had a special order for Felipe Rose of the Village People.  We made him a Donna Summer clock and when he picked it up.......he was in full costume for the Village People.  The Village People still tour and they have a very current website. Please check it out and friend Village People on Facebook.  Felipe, when he is not touring, is seen and heard(he makes a special call......) in Asbury Park quite often.  We were fortunate enough to meet him last summer and spend some time with him last night.  He is very full of energy and sometimes I would flash back to the 80's and wonder if I would ever imagine this happening. Nope.....can't say that I could ever imagined this.  He is a lot of fun and he brought a lot of joy to our family by spending time with us.  He also autographed a cool concert poster from the late 70's for us.  So, go ahead sing it..............Y....M......C.....AAAAA.....you know you want to......it IS the 2nd most singable song........ever!!!!!

It's been a week......Foo Fighters

   Still trying to get over last weekend.  It has been a whole week.....but, there was just so much to take in!  Trying to share the best of it, so  you can idea of how amazing it was.  This video is of the Foo Fighters.  They had the most in attendance. I think it was over 40,000 people....but, I don't know for sure. I took this from the second level of Convention Hall.  Hopefully, you can get an idea of how spectacular it was for the performers and audience to be right on the beach.  Tomorrow night we have fireworks on the beach in Asbury Park again to honor Memorial Day.

Baboozle was a SUCCESS!

Bamboozle was a success.......the town....the transportation systems.........the boardwalk.......Live Nation.....the town residents......the hotels......the businesses.......the media......the concert goers......all I have heard so far is so far so good.  90,000 estimated concert goers came to the beach of Asbury Park c and enjoyed 100 bands play at 7 different stages this weekend.   All I saw was a sea of smiling and happy faces.   We had the best weekend ever as far as business.  I loved it because our whole family was together each day of the weekend.  We started every day with a big meal on the boardwalk and then just enjoyed watching all the people converge in front of Convention Hall.  Then the everlasting beat of music started and didn't end for us until midnight every night.  Now, it is all back to normal and it is quiet.......not for long.....Memorial Day weekend is here already.  We won't see as many people as this, but it will be another busy weekend.

Endless Summer

Our wall displays change very quickly. Today I decided to blog about the last picture I took. In one week.......the River Scrapbook sold.......the Southside Johnny scrapbook was signed by the keyboard player for the Jukes(it will be put aside to be used as a scrapbook for the store).........the Clarence Clemons album frame sold.......really not complaining......I am so grateful.....I have orders for scrapbooks to be filled. The sun is shining..........literally!!!!! So, when it rains now it is time to take a deep breath and try to keep up. I keep telling myself how great it is to busy.........it won't be like this all year. I have a lot of posts I want to do but, I have to have the links ready to share. I just didn't want a lot of time to go by before I posted. The days.....rainy.....or sunny are flying by. We get a chance every now and then to go out to dinner while the kids watch the store. Like everything else in life we will figure out how to juggle everything and it will be the end of summer. What I love most is how full of life I feel......all of my senses our full......the sounds of The Beach Boys blasted through the speakers at Convention Hall......the sounds of rain beating against the boardwalk.....the feel of the air changing from humid to a beautiful cool sea breeze......the sounds and smells of popcorn popping.....and the sights of a endless parade of people.........always happy.......and enjoying the Asbury Park boardwalk scene. A walk on the boardwalk could include a bridal party getting pictures taken, chinese acrobats preparing for a show, a drum circle, hula hoopers, guitar players, the cutest dogs at yappy hour..........the sights and sounds are endless. We are having the time of lives at our endless summer in Asbury Park........I will look up to the sky tonight and thank my lucky stars as I did last night.