Cobwebs & Dust Bunnies!

BUSY....BUSY...BUSY

But I am back to dust the cobwebs and play with the Dust Bunnies!

Quick April update through pictures:

We started our Clay Building Classes this month. I am LOVING the new way to "Create It at Bisque It!!!"

We celebrated Grandma Teders's birthday with a couple of Max's brothers and families.

And of course there have been many "Miss J Moments" to catch you up on!

She LOVES Ellie Mae and was so excited to get to take her for a walk. Ellie Mae was so good, she just walked along...around and around and around...

Jaden has become a pro with handprints! She sees so many kids doing their handprints at the studio, and she has had more than her share of prints made. This is her "2 year print" to add to our collection!

This is one of her new toys at the studio. She has learned to build her little city! she can play all day with this. One piece is a mirror wall, explains the second picture!

I do have one more picture to share, but I am gonna save it. Shannon and Mike gave me an early Birthday present....It is the coolest....but I will save it for my "Birthday Post"! (Shannon, you can't show 'n tell it, and gonna keep the rest of you in suspense!)

I will finish with a reading....Jaden's story of Scooby Doo! (Be sure to turn up your volume and click the play for this video!)

Blessed are those who go in circles......

.....for they shall be known as WHEELS!

It has been crazy busy for me throughout the month of March! A good crazy though. We have been very busy at the studio with our regular pottery painting.
And then add to that.......

Our New Addition!!

From the day I opened the studio my plan was to bring a wheel into the studio at some point. Well 4 years down the road, we have it! Kristen will be giving lessons and we will also be renting wheel time. Right now we are "playing" and getting the space set for it. This includes shifting everything down that is "hung" on the wall. One bit of advice here: Do NOT put sticky velcro on your wall!

And speaking of busy.....time for me to get to work.....just had to drop in a few pictures to show what has kept me away from blogdom for so long!

Small Claims saga continues....

If anyone needs representation in small claims court......by the time I am through I will be a professional! Getting my degree from "School of Hard Knocks" (Ashley I would be happy to give you some help with your LSATS! ;)

I had my court date.....and as i figured, she didn't show. Heck, I didn't even get to see the judge.....all those hours watching Judge Judy....wasted!

Ok, so she is in contempt of court for not showing and I win by default! I figured this means I get the money, right? uh..yea...if only it were that easy! Let me tell you right now, if you are going to file a claim in small claims court you better be ready to invest a lot of time: paperwork, notification, tracking down info, and many trips to the courthouse!

Well if you know me, I finish what I start. I have learned to choose my battles wisely, but once the fight begins we will take it to the end! This one has become principle now. If I just let it go from here it ends....I don't get anything, she gets off the hook, and the court just files the paper away.
I choose to battle so.....I sent her a letter telling her she is in contempt, please pay, or I will follow the next steps the court allows. Court says I have to allow her 10 days. Those days have come and gone and then some! I decided to go to court yesterday and file the next papers....so I called the courthouse. No answer. hmmmmm....am I missing a holiday? It's noon so I figured being a government building they all just walk away from the phones for their lunch hour. (Not surprising they have no reason to be convenient for tax payers but that's another blog). I give up on the phone call....I'll worry about it another day. Then for the heck of it I decide to give this lady who stuck me for over 100 bucks a call....she never answers my calls but I figure I can leave a nice little message again!
Lo and Behold....she answers!!! Well to keep a story that is already long, less long......she says she will be in on Tuesday to pay! She gives me this song and dance about it was a bad time and by the time she had the money I had already filed. right....I gave her 30 days and several options. So do I hold my breath? heck no! But I can't help I am an optimist and I think she will pay up. I won't cry when she doesn't show up.....I will just go to the court house and be one step closer to the body attachment!

Grrrrrr....bound to happen!

I had a new experience yesterday.....one I could have done without. I went downtown to the Court House and filed a suit in Small Claims Court!
I have been in business for 3 1/2 years and this is just the second time I have gotten a bad check from a customer. Good track record, says something about my clientele, don't ya think?
The first bounced check was about a year ago, and the girl that wrote it called and informed me before I even got notice from my bank! She came in, made it right, and all is good with that customer. In fact she has been back since painting.

I wasn't so lucky the second time. Jennifer Butler bounced a $102. 39 check on June 1st. (It was almost 3 weeks before I was notified that the check didn't clear) Of course I contacted her, and she put on the whole "what??? that can't happen!!! I will be contacting my bank, I have over $1000.00 in that account!" and she promises to stop in and pay me. I don't hold my breath, but am hopeful.
Couple days go by, I don't hear from her so I go to her bank.
"Can you run this through again?"
They check, "sorry, still won't clear," the teller tells me.
So I go back to the bank the next two days. I said to same teller, "I was hoping maybe there was a payroll check deposited and this check will clear now."
Again she brings up the account. "No, and I don't think that is going to happen!" she tells me.
"Oh? no activity on that account?" I asked.
"Oh there is activity!" Then she says to another teller (loud enough so I can hear) "This is not the only bad check written, more than likely this account will be closed soon, won't it?"

So I gave up on the idea of collecting the money this way. I called her again, of course she is avoiding my calls. So I try her a couple of times from my cell phone (not leaving a message in hopes she would answer an unknown number). I guess curiosity got the best of her because she called me back. She was shocked when I told her who I was.

I asked her again, "When can I expect you to come in make this right?" She gives me some song and dance, says she will be in in the next couple of days. I told her at that time that if I didn't get it by end of week I would be forced to take it to small claims court.
And of course, I don't see her that week. She doesn't answer my calls from my cell phone now. I take one last ditch effort using Shannon's cell phone. BINGO! she answers!
Again, she is shocked, and this time has a terrific story to tell me: "I am in the hospital with my daughter, she just had surgery! We will be home tomorrow, but I won't be able to leave. I will have to send you the money."
"That's fine, I'll hold off one week." I am only prolonging the inevitable, I know, but I just don't want the hassle and cost of filing in small claims court.

Funniest thing she says to me (with an attitude), "I am not that kind of person!"
I said, "I don't know what kind of person you are, all I know is you owe me money!" That is the last time I talked to her.

Which brings us to yesterday...Max went with me since this was new territory to both of us and not to mention I don't like driving in downtown Fort Wayne. The one way streets get me every time! (But that's another story)
I was surprised to find they have moved small claims from the court house to an annex building. Sad to think that a separate building with a separate court room is needed just for small claims!
I knew there was a fee to file, but had no idea it was $76!!! This made me think twice about filing....no guarantee I am gonna collect even if I win the suit. There is another fee of $13 if you want sheriff to deliver the notice of suit. So we decide lets go all the way with it so we pay the $89 and file the suit. Of course we are suing for court cost and an additional $25 service fee that I charge for returned checks.

Bottom line, Jennifer Butler now owes me $216.39!

And now I wait until August 25 for my court date. (Amazing they are booked this far back!)

Now that I have been burned twice I am thinking about getting the machine that clears a personal check immediately....you know like running a credit card. Guess I will look into the cost versus what I have right now.

There's more than PAINTING at Bisque It!

I don't know if you are going to laugh or throw up after reading this!!!

You know I do birthday parties at the studio......and for the most part they are manageable with parents that are responsible, loving, caring, helpful, etc.

The following names have been changed to protect whoever needs protecting.

Today's party was a bit different to say the least! Now I am not saying this parent was not responsible, loving, or caring. The birthday girl "Mary" was very sweet and she had two VERY active siblings. (one boy and one girl, about 6 and 7 yrs old, i am guessing, we'll call them Susie and Johnny.) Only one of her friends showed up for the party, but that seemed to be ok with Mary. The two young siblings were not extremely interested in painting. The have more funny beating up on each other and screaming "MOM!" She finally sent them outside to play! (Who am I to judge responsibility?)
At one point Susie runs in and says Johnny is in the dumpster!!
Mom laughs.....doesn't phase her. I am thinking, "this dumpster is about 6 feet tall and GROSS!!"
Next thing I know they are both inside again, beating on each other, running around. I tell them, loud enough that mom can hear, that they need to find a chair, and not be running!
Back outside they go....and this time birthday girl, the one friend and her little sister go outside with them. That leaves mom inside painting along with the friend's mom who is also painting.
Ahhhhhh...it's quiet....we are all enjoying it! I figured they knew where their kids were, they let them be outside, they are the parents.
(If you have a weak stomach you might want to stop reading now.)
Five minutes later...........3 or 4 of the kids come running in....."Johnny is in the dumpster again and he is EATING A PIZZA!!!!"
WHAT?? I say!
Mom's comment: chuckles, and says, "He is my wilderness child!"
At this point I have to say something. "Do you realize that is a huge dumpster with all kinds of garbage from the pizza place? I am not even sure how he was able to climb in there!"
She kinda shrugs and tells the kids to go tell Johnny to get out of the dumpster!
At this point I think maybe it is time to finish the clean up....painting is done, presents opened, birthday cookie ate. (Oh, another note about Johnny, he helped try and blow out the trick candles and ended up spitting all over the giant cookie!!! I don't know if anyone saw this but the mom was sure to announce it to everyone! Wasn't hard for me to turn down their offer to a piece of the birthday cookie!)
Well this was my entertainment for the day.....fortunately no other customers in the studio at the time!
Don't think this is the norm for our parties......99% of the time they are a great time for all and not a disruption to other painters. Guess we have to throw in the outrageous on occasions just to check our sanity and patience!!