Be Careful What You Wish For...

Resting in the Lounge Area at Accessories/The Show
Las Vegas 2/15/11

In case you might have noticed, I've been moving at the speed of light lately.  After my annual November holiday in France, I had a lovely holiday season (December) at the store.  It was fun catching up with customers and getting into the holiday spirit! 

It's lunch time!
Martinique, French West Indies
January 2011

In January, I took off for the Caribbean (Barbados and Martinique) to belatedly celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary.  (My actual anniversary is in August.)  And as much as I love to travel, getting back home for longer than a month was heavy on my mind.  There is, after all, no place like home.

So here I am on my last day in Las Vegas where I went to MAGIC (at the Las Vegas Convention Center), WWIN (at the hotel Rio) and Accessories/The Show (at The Venetian) to see what was unique, cute and new in retail.  In the picture above, I was pooped from shopping and taking a break.  So, yes, it's true.  A woman can actually tire from shopping.  *Smile*

Specifically on the lookout for new sunglasses, body shapers and a refund from a vendor that took my order and my money in August 2010 (!) and didn't send me my stuff (long story), I found what I was looking for and more.  I can' wait for everything to start rolling in...

2011 is going to be busy for me.  The store has turned into a part-time business (Noon-6pm Monday through Friday when I'm in town) because I spoke some things into existence by putting my desires out there into The Universe about more travel and my continued celebration of culture.  As a result, I signed a contract with American Airlines' BlackAtlas.com to travel and provide content for their site; I won a spot in a travel blogging contest with Wyndham Worldwide; I'm going to be a panelist at a big blogging conference; and I am actively marketing my travel adventure camp for girls.  All I can say is Be careful what you wish for.  You know the rest...because you might just get it!

Thanks for putting up with me!  I love my store and I love all of you for your support. 

See you tomorrow!

Tracey

Your Oakland Shop Girl

The Shop Girl in Paris 2010

My customer Tracy & I at Dom Perignon on The Avenue de Champagne in Épernay,
the Champagne capital of the world.

Wow.  When I stop and think about it, I've been here in Paris for 15 or 16 days and we leave next week on Wednesday or Thursday to come back (I don't remember the exact date and I refuse to look at the tickets).  How unfair that this whole vacay is going by far too quickly. 

Far too grand to capture in one image, this is the front of the Château de Versailles.
See  http://en.chateauversailles.fr/the-palace- for details about its brilliant history.



Inside view of Château de Versailles.
I wish the people would've moved. LOL.



Marie-Antoinette slept here.

Every day that I've been here, I've told myself "You need to write to your customers" and every day I didn't.  Instead, I wrote and posted pictures on my Facebook page, because it was quick and easy...and to be honest...I didn't know what to say to all of you.  Remember last year?  I gave you all a blow by blow and I thought it would probably bore you if I did the same.  So until I could figure out what I should say, I said nothing.  But that's my usual M.O.  I don't say anything until I'm sure I should.  I think that can be both good and bad. 

One of the magnificent store windows at Printemps Department Store.



Another window at Printemps.

Anyway.  I'm not really ready to come back to Oakland.  But then again I am.  (Oooo, I'm so contrary.)  You see, I bought some really cutesie stuff and tomorrow I'm going to pick up the rest of it.  The exchange rate is horrible (same as last year), so I wasn't able to get as much as I would have liked, but I at least bought as much as I did last year, so it's all good.  I want to come back and show it to you...but I want to stay and "be French" too.  LOL.  Clearly, I have issues. 

A really cool sculpture that uses negative space brilliantly.

The truth is...I'm coming back in July for a family wedding, so I really should stop whining like a big baby.  But blogging is a good way to vent...and I don't mind sharing my feelings with you.  =)  I'll just save the details of the trip for when I get back.  (Wanda and Tracy, my two customers from Oakland, are having a blast, by the way.  Hope you can make it next year.)

The magnificent Riems Cathedral which is 800 years old.  Wow.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Reims
(not to be mistaken with Notre Dame in Paris).



An inside view.

Guess I'll sign off now.  It's after midnight and I should at least lie down so I can be energerized for tomorrow's shopping.  I really do sorta kinda miss you all.  LOL.  See you on the 30th!

Tracey ;-)

Your Oakland Shop Girl



At Aunt Astrid's...acting silly.  LOL.



My horse encounter (today!) of the magnificent kind...