Rocky's Most Excellent Year!

It was my intention to do an end-of-year post about the ups and downs of my little business, Rocky's Mountain Books. Somehow the Universe decided to cut me some slack in one area of my life, as Rocky's just keeps growing. In the past month alone, Rocky's shipped 70 ORDERS! This was no easy task during the holidays, considering the dirty looks and groans of customers in line behind me at the Post Office as they watched me dump 20 large envelopes on the counter

But by some happy coincidence, Rocky's also hit a DOUBLE in the last week. Drum roll please....Rocky's Mountain Books (the online store), hit 700 SALES! As if this news were not enough to go dancing into the aisles of the blogosphere, Rocky's Mountain Books (the blog), hit 800 PAGE VIEWS! For a blog that published its first post a little over four months ago, that is just incredible!

And, not to be greedy, but in a perfectly symmetrical world I could report 90 positive, five-star feedbacks for Rocky's store, but the count's been sitting at 89 for two weeks. Honestly, can't people take one minute out of all their holiday revelry to leave me positive feedback?

Kate Winslet

Seriously, it did take a lot of hard work and determination on my part to get here. But, as I humbly accept these two honors there are some people I really need to thank. So in typical award show style, big shout-outs and hugs to: my daughter, Kate, who gave me the idea; my good friend, Linda Morris, who is one of the smartest women I know and who kicked my butt in the right direction on more than one occasion; all my Facebook Friends who put up with my harassment and still supported me; Corey Colombin, author and friend, for allowing me to 'use' her as my first Featured Author.

Finally, a big thank you to my husband, Marc, for putting up with a household overrun by books and shipping supplies for months and still asks, "But are you MAKING ANY MONEY?".... Still not sure what the exact answer is to that, dear, but in case you haven't noticed I sure am having fun!
 

The Holidays Are Over...Now What?

We've begun the slow slide into that dark and dreary time of year when it's often a case of just hanging in and getting through it. As I'm writing this, my East Coast friends are hunkered down against the first big winter storm of the season, and most of the rest of us will soon be in the same position.

Rocky's wants you to know we care about your downtime and figured that this is a perfect time to remind you that you can go just about anywhere in a book. So you just stay where you are and read on. I've tried to assemble a few suggestions for activities by way of Rocky's books (providing links to purchase as usual), but to a great extent these are just some ideas to get you thinking on the outer side of the cubicle container when it comes to indoor activities. If you want to purchase one of these books, that's okay too.

PLAY WITH CLAY:

The Art of Jewelry - Polymer Clay, by Katherine Duncan Aimone
If you love making jewelry, you should give polymer clay a try. "Poly clay" has come a long way since the early days of tiny Fimo figures. There are several different brands now available, and it's possible to make some really stunning jewelry as well as functional 3-D pieces. In this book, Katherine Duncan Aimone not only provides a sound basis for understanding polymer clay and its properties, but she also walks you through several jewelry projects from basic to more complex. This tutorial helps you to understand the tools, equipment and other materials that can be combined to create treasures of all sorts.

TAKE A NEW TRIP AROUND THE OLD WORLD:

Travel Guide to Europe 1492, Ten Itineraries in the Old World

We all know what was happening here in 1492, but did you ever wonder what was happening there, in Europe? What was life like in the cities? How did people manage travel? Did they travel? And if they did, where did they go and how long would it take to get there?

Lorenzo Camusso, a noted Italian historian and author of this book, creates ten itineraries for travel in fifteenth century Europe and vividly depicts the sites, sounds, and characters you might have met on your journey.

SIT DOWN AND WORK OUT:

In preparation for your exhausting couch journey through the streets of old Europe, you might want to consider warming up with the ultimate in-home workout guide, The Couch Potato Workout, 101 Exercises You Can Do At Home. Joel M. Press, M.D.has compiled 101 exercises that will help motivate you and burn off a few of those Christmas cookies at the same time. Destined-to-be workout classics like, "Reading the Paper", the "Shower Neck Stretch", and "Toothbrush, Knees Bent" are not likely to turn you into a finely-tuned physical specimen, but they will show you that you have limitless opportunities throughout your day to strengthen your body and provide a greater sense of well-being.

There's lots more, so stay tuned. I don't want to overwhelm you all in one post, and I figured ending with Couch Potato Exercises is challenging enough. Lean forward, reach for the remote. Now repeat...

Merry Christmas to All...

For all my Friends near and far, a little Holiday silliness to say Merry Christmas and thanks for all the support and encouragement! (Scroll down a bit and click the 'Play' button)