Fantastic Friday: Competing in Today's Home Accent Market

If you make/sell home accents, you will want to watch this video from Gift & Home Channel:

Fantastic Friday: Win American Country Furniture by Shaka Studios

Morning Musings

Almost every morning, after I put my nine year old on the bus, I grab the dog and head out for a walk around the neighborhood. I listen to recorded books and think up witty insights that would make perfect posts on this blog. I sure wish I could remember some of those witty insights by the time I return home and sit down to blog. Sigh.

In case you are wondering which recorded books I listen to... the last three titles are:

• Star Wars: Legacy of the Force #8: Revelation
• Lemony Snickets' - A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Wide Window
• Douglas Adams' - The Salmon of Doubt

Lest you think I only listen to Sci Fi, I am a business owner, so I also enjoy listening to Jack Canfield, Robert Kiyosaki, Suzi Orman, etc.

100 Things

An update to my list from last week.

REVISED 72. I cook on a gas range. WELL... I have a little extra cash right now and my oven has been "broken" for over 2 years. The broiler does not work. I did some shopping around for a gas oven. After having put serious consideration into this, I've decided that for now I am perfectly content with my ceramic top range. It's very easy to clean. Gas ranges do not appear to be as easy to keep clean. I don't like to clean. So... number 72 on my list can wait and I'm just going to repair my oven.

79. I have a lap pool and jacuzzi.

80. I have an amazing yoga instructor from whom I learn weekly.

81. I have tried scuba diving.

82. I make someone laugh each day. (During my early 2o's this was my mantra. How did I let this slip away?)

83. I am comfortable wearing a sexy black dress and occasionally I do.

Spot the Black Bat & Win!

FIVE lucky winners will each receive a $150 Gift Voucher towards the Shaka Studios product of their choice.Choose from one of our signature painted American Country classics or new Figured Maple or Cherry offerings.

Contest ends 10/31/2008. Winners will be drawn and notified on 11/1/2008.

Enter To Win...

BONUS: Save $25 on your internet purchase of $100 or more. Use code 311083552 in the "Discount Coupon" field under the "Voucher" header on the check out page. Shop Now...

Fantastic Friday: 10 Year Anniversay

August marks the ten year anniversay of my company, Wood Designs, Inc.! Under our brand Shaka Studios, we handcraft fine custom furniture using a traditional Early American construction philosophy.

As a special gift to our SuperWAHMz readers, I'd like to offer 20% off your internet purchase when placed using this link before August 3o, 2008.

Have a fantastic Friday!
Kandas

Talk About It Tuesday

I haven't seen the other ladies posts yet, so I don't know if there is going to be a theme this week. However, Lynn talked about her softball piggies... which made me think of watching sports... which led to plasma TVs... which of course resulted in today's talk about it topic: custom made plasma TV stands.

The nice thing about a custom TV stand is that you get to choose everything about it, from the height to the color to the hardware. Unlike when you visit a furniture store, what you see is NOT what you get. When you purchase custom furniture, you get exactly what you want.

The TV stand pictured is 55" wide with 2 sets of doors in a black on java prim finish. It features a component cubbie and a shelf behind each set of doors.

Here is what you need to know before you order your custom TV stand:

• Height x Width x Depth of TV.


• H x W x D of the largest component (usually the stereo receiver) and smallest component.


• Maximum H x W x D of overall unit. (Measure your wall.)


• Number of shelves and drawers needed.


• Additional features needed. For example, a pull out shelf for your turntable.


• Wood, glass,mesh or no doors?


• If the unit will have doors, does it need a component cubbie?

Other things you will need to decide on:

• Type of wood? Pine, Maple, Oak, Cherry, Tiger Maple, Exotic


• Finish Type & Color (Some wood species, like Tiger Maple, need to be dyed. Others can be stained or painted.)


• Hardware

Have fun shopping for your new TV and contact Shaka Studios when you are ready to design your custom TV stand!

Talk about it Tuesday, Too

In very loose keeping with the animal theme... I'm going to discuss my favorite Shaka Studios item, the Tiger Maple Pencil Post Bed.

Over the past 20 years, Shane has made hundreds (if not thousands) of pencil post beds from all sorts of different timber species. He designed and crafted a yellow pine version called the Jefferson Bed for Cargo Furniture Stores. The pencil post bed is very elegant, no matter what wood is used. However, tiger maple beds are stunningly beautiful. They simply take your breath away.

Tiger Maple Pencil Post Beds start at $3582. Since we custom make each bed to order, you have many options and upgrades available to you. Visit Tiger Maple Pencil Post Beds on Shaka Studio's website for more information.

From Shaka Studios: Compelling Reasons to Buy Custom Furniture

"There is a better way to purchase furniture that is better for the environment, better for our local economy, allows you to get exactly the furniture you want, and most importantly, gives you a better value for you dollar. How? Work with a local custom furniture craftsman. "

Read more: Shaka Studios: It's a Bargain: Compelling Reasons to Buy Custom Furniture

Fantastic Friday

Yea! I see Lynn figured out how to add our SuperWAHMz logo!

We have set a schedule and Friday is my official day to post to SuperWAHMZ. What shall I call my Friday posts? What else starts with F?

• Furniture
• Frenzy
• Fun
• Fish
• Funky
• Fantastic

Oooooh... Fantastic, that's a good one. Fantastic Friday.

Sidebars are in purple: My 9 year old just walked in the my office wearing a long pink skirt with silver sequins trimming the bottom, a camo cammy and a pink knit shrug. I'm glad she has her own sense of style. It shows she is comfortable with herself.

Let's see. What shall I chat about?

Since this is basically my introductory post, I guess I'll talk about myself.

I sell custom furniture. Unlike the other SuperWAHMz, I do not actually create and make the items my company sells. My husband, Shane, is the creative one. Before Shane, (a time I like to refer to as BS) I was a buyer for a chain of specialty ski shops. Before that, I was a Territory Manager for The North Face. (Yes, I belong to the TNF Alumni Club.)

Check out Plaxo. It's a nifty tool to keep my address book up to date. It also helps me reconnect with people I USED to know. All of a sudden, I have found all sorts of old TNFers and am amazed at what some of them are doing. I had one buddy, James, that was the only person that would eat Thai Food with me. After he left the corporate office and went into outside sales, we still made a point to eat one Thai meal together when we were at trade shows. James and I have reconnected and he is now a journalist specializing in "lifestyle storytelling." Check out James's website: http://www.theoutdoorprofessional.com/ and listen to his podcast interview of our mutual buddy, professional climber, Conrad Anker.

Uh oh. I stopped talking about myself. What else?

I've worked at home for over 7 years. Before that, I took my daughter to work with me. The company that I co-own with Shane is as old as our marriage: 10 years. Which reminds me, this is our 10 year anniversary, so I should be throwing a big hoopla over it on our website, eh?

We just have the one daughter. 2 dogs. 2 cats. We live in Texas. I've been in Texas for 12 years. Came here for the buyer gig.

The transition from working at a glamorous company like TNF - to a bankrupt 20 store chain - to a mom & pop operation wasn't the easiest. I have tried really hard to approach our business with corporate objectivity. It's not easy. Especially since Shane has never worked for anyone but himself. Yes, that's right. He started making and selling his custom furniture at 17 and has never had to seek other sources of income.

Two more things before I blog off:

1. I am a HUGE supporter of Girl Scouts.
2. Yesterday I achieved my Competent Communicator designation with Toastmasters International. I will post my speech here soon.

Smooches!

Kandas