The end of a good thing!

Today was the official last day of business for It's About Time Scrapbooks & More. I have worked there for two years, all but the first weeks the store was open. It was not just a job for me. Far from it. I'm not even sure if I can describe the way I felt about IAT (short for It's About Time). It started with me and my Halls, going in to check out the new place in town. We cropped there a week or so later. I called the store later that day and told Mel they needed me. I remember her hollering through the store "Hey girls, Lauren says we need to hire her." Through the phone I could hear Lisa and Amy in the background saying "yes we do!" It was done. No application. No interview. No portfolio. I had been in the store with my work that day so I guess they kinda had a viewing of my work and my personality.

I never really thought of IAT as a job. I did really work there though. I worked, I taught, I even spent the last six months or so writing the blog. But instead of it feeling like work I thought of it as my little place of "me time". Whether I was "working" or not I just LOVED being there. I LOVED the people I worked with, the customers, the business. I LOVE the scrapbook world. I LOVE knowing about it all. I LOVE helping people to learn and enjoy the feeling of scrapbooking. I LOVE teaching people how to use tools, match product, even think outside of the box.(I found myself making the best creations when I had to make something like a birthday layout with Halloween paper. No, not a Halloween b-day, actually making Halloween paper work for a b-day page having nothing to do with Halloween. ) I LOVE looking at a piece of paper, or any product for that matter, and knowing who made it and what line it was from. I have a passion for it. I LOVED sharing my passion. I LOVE teaching scrapbooking. I LOVE the feeling I get when I see the little light bulb go on over some unsuspecting scrapbookers head when she realizes that I've shown her how cool a product, tool, or idea is. I LOVE everything about scrapbooking. I am sad. Sad for my own selfish reasons listed here that IAT is now just a memory for all of us that loved it so.

For Amy, Lisa, and Mel. You three were so great together. Thank you for "needing" me like I told you you did. I loved being a part of such a special season of your lives. I will hold all of our good times close to my heart.

Mel, good luck with the new life you have ahead of you with your new man and your two baby boys. I wish the economy would have not taken a dump at such a crucial time in the metamorphosis of the store and the new places you wanted to take it. You had a great way of making people feel welcomed into the store. I know in my life I always say everything happens for a reason. You know, with a door closed another will open. Cheers to a job well done and to the new doors opening to you and your family.

Amy, you are so sweet. Always so mellow and nice. I always liked working with you and chatting it up about all the craziness of being a mom. I know it's nice to be able to be home with Cameron and to have the time for scrapbooking because it makes you happy. Let's get together again and scrap.

Lisa, such a big heart and a loving soul. I missed saying goodbye in person those months ago and we still have only managed phone calls and a strange drive by run in since then (Joanns). I love how caring you are and I love your creative style. I'm gonna have to grab my stuff (and we both know how much that is) and hunt you down to have some good old play time. I miss you!

I LOVED teaching, although I didn't do as much of it as I would have liked. Still, my head swirls with "class" ideas and I always have project after project in my head. I will be getting my website up soon so that will help with my creative outlet. Matt is so much closer to being recovered and I will start to have my time back to do that kind of stuff, plus teach still at random locations and events.

I LOVED all the customers and seeing their creations, hearing their stories, loving over their most precious photos with them, and helping them to decide just what to do next when they were stumped on a project. I will miss that so much.

Mainly, I will miss all the laughs and the good feelings I had being an IAT employee. I wish I could change the way this story ends but I just can't. No one can. I know the girls, whether now or a few months ago, have been mourning this change no one wanted to see happen. I hope that everyone can keep Mel and her family in their thoughts and prayers and they begin a new journey together. Please think of Amy and Lisa and know that they truly loved being there for you and loved when you walked in the door.

I could go on and on about this subject but I have to know if I don't sign off I'll start rambling if I haven't done enough of that already.

So, for now, it's about time I get to bed. I hope if you are local, you had a chance to go in and say a proper goodbye to the store. I didn't really get the chance to do so as I had hoped but I do look at the pictures above and I feel very happy to have been a part of it all.

Still Scrapping Happily,

Lauren