Avenue Lou

I'm sure most of you have seen by now that me and Al have started a little side business! If you haven't been hounded by my Facebook status updates and requests then you can go to our Facebook Page or Website to see what I'm talking about! :)

So I guess I'll tell the little story about how this came about! - First off - I buy the cheap sunglasses - like the $10-$12 ones at Target, and I ALWAYS break them. I throw them in my purse, my car, etc. and they always get broken and scratched. Because I am not very careful with them I could never bring myself to fork out hundreds of dollars for a pair of shades that would just end up broken - even though those nice ones come with a case, I still couldn't do it, Im too cheap! So last Spring I found a pair of aviators at Anthro for a whopping $28 that I absolutely loved.

Fast forward a month or two and we were getting ready to go to California with my family - I knew that we would be going to the beach, Disneyland, shopping, etc. I wanted to bring my sunglasses but since I found a pair of pretty cheap sunglasses that I loved, I did not want them broken. So I looked and looked and looked and looked for a cute, hard-shell sunglass case - couldn't find one anywhere. Luckily my sister-in-law had an old one that she gave me because she knew how much I wanted one! Even in California I looked for a case everywhere and still couldnt find one! (Except for one Vera Bradley and that just isn't my style). So when we got back in town me and Al thought - Hey, maybe we could make these cases and sell them!

So that's what we did. After lots of work, hours, time, designs, materials, manufactures, mail going back and forth to China, etc. - we finalized it all and started up Avenue Lou!

I don't know if this will go anywhere, but even if it doesn't it has been such a fun project to work on and its been fun for mine and Al's relationship to grow through this - we really have had to become "business partners" and its been fun seeing him work on the things that he is good at, and for me to work on what I'm good at. This whole thing has also been helpful in taking my mind off of other things.

I really do believe in this product - if I didn't I wouldn't have taken on this project! I think they are cute and they are something that most girls need and make cute gifts. This has been a learning experience and not everything about Avenue Lou is perfect - but hopefully we will sell enough to be able to come out with a new collection and invest more time and money into making the product better, our website better, etc. So we'll see!

And for the name - long story short - I love the name Lou, Louise, Louisa, Lou Lou, etc. and its a family name. So I was just thinking of things that rhymed with Lou and Avenue came to my head.

So there you have it, Avenue Lou in a nut-shell! Thanks for all your support and nice comments about this, it really means so much! If any of you ever want one, or want one as a gift, etc. You can always just call, text or email me - especially if you live close and don't need shipping - I am more than willing to drop them off to you or you can pick them up!

Also - we will be at a few boutiques this weekend so look for our table if you go!

Oh Sweet Sadie is at SodaRow in Daybreak
Thursday night from 6pm-10pm
Friday from 10am-9pm
Saturday from 10am-5pm

And the Art Market at the Sugarhouse Garden Center

Friday from 11am-6pm
Saturday from 10am-5pm

new year

We had such a good new years weekend. I took my last 1.5 PTO days and it was so nice to have a loooong weekend. We had fun, went to a million movies, went out to eat, did lots of spring cleaning - taking down Christmas, cleaning out our garage and basement, slept in, stayed up late. It was perfect.

On NYE, we went to my parents with my fam for a hot dog roast and a special edition of Bagley New Years Eve Bingo with lots of fun prizes.

Playing Bingo

Making S'Mores

Celebrating at midnight!

2011 didn't quite start off the best - well actually it started off great announcing we were pregnant, and then a few weeks later the inevitable happened. But after all of that passed, 2011 was actually such a fun year. Probably one of the best! We did so many fun things, kept so busy, and grew so much as a couple an individuals. Ok, I'm starting to get cheesy!

In 2011....
We had not one, but two weddings in our families.
We got one, two, three & four nephews!
Al turned the big 3-0!
We went on a few trips: here, here, here, here, here, here, here
A tv show came to our neighborhood
Flew around SLC in a tiny plane
Celebrated FIVE years of marriage bliss :)
Went to the best summer party imaginable
You got to know me a little better
Started a new Christmas tradition with my cousins
and more!

We are now looking forward to what 2012 will bring! It's going to be a good year, I can feel it. Whether we get all the things we want, or not, it's still going to be fun. We have a lot of things to look forward to and some risks we are going to take that will hopefully be good and pay off in the end. Im excited to see what 2012 is going to bring us!

Here's to a new year!

Christmas Weekend

Ok people, this is my last Christmas post - swear!

Christmas weekend was sooo busy! Christmas Eve Eve we had 2 parties - one with Al's fam and one with mine.

After Al's party we went over to my Aunt Polly's like we do every year. We had Polly's delicious, homemade Chicken Noodle soup, rolls, my mom's amazing Raspberry Pretzel Jello, and more. We stayed all night chatting and playing the Name Game!

Christmas Eve started off with lunch at Alan's parents and then a little bowling!

Al's parents

Maddie & Jordan

That night we went to my parents for dinner and games.

Me, Bud and Katie in our "Christmas Reds" as we called it

Christmas morning we woke up and opened our presents - Al definitely spoiled me!

Then we went to church with Al's family, had an amazing assortment of food, opened gifts, and played with our new presents!

Then we went to my parents for more present opening!

Baby Joshy trying to figure out what was going on!

After my parents we went to Grandma Lou's with the entire extended fam for a huge dinner. I'm pretty sure I gained 20 lbs this weekend from all the good food!

Grandma and some of her grand-girls

After dinner, Katie and I made time to decorate a gingerbread house that had been sitting in my car for weeks!

The day after Christmas we got together with my high school friends for dinner at Brooke's house. We weren't able to stay long but it was fun seeing everyone, especially Kristin & Bryson since they were in town from DC.

There you have it folks! I'll stop posting about Christmas now :)

More Decemberness

December was pure craziness around here but I loved every second of it! I am borderline obsessed with Christmas so I love being busy and taking advantage of all the holiday activities. I am also borderline obsessed with taking pictures as you can tell - I'm thinking my new years resolution should be less picture taking??

I had seen like a million commercials for The Grand America windows and toy store so one night we decided to check it out. The windows weren't so great, but the hunt was fun and the cookie at the end was delish!

The lights and fountains made The Grand even more gorgeous.

On our way home we decided to stop by Christmas Street! I hadn't been there since I was little and I loved it just as much as I remembered.

On to the next event...

Note to self: either (a) actually get ready for work for once, or (b) have a backup outfit and makeup in my car in case the hubs decides to drop off a cute note to your work telling you meet him off the freeway after work for a surprise date night!

I met him there and we went to get our fav sushi at Takashi and then to the David Archuleta Christmas concert! It was such a fun surprise....do I have the best husband or what?! The concert was so fun, I love David's Christmas music and it was so fun being there when he announced that he is going on a mission! Such a good kid!

Last but not least....my mom's birthday!

The entire clan, all 17 of us, got take-out Chinese and the most amazing, delicious, cake from Daniel's Fine Chocolates in Holladay.

After dinner, some of us braved the snow and went to Zoo Lights!

If you haven't been to Zoo Lights, you MUST go. It's so cute and fun, I feel like a little kid running around oohing and awing at all the animals and colorful lights!

Even though it was freezing and snowing, it was so worth it!