My Gears are OVERLY Grinded

first of all, let me start by saying...
I LOVE indie polish!!!
I loved it before I started my line, and I continue to love it, now!!!
I, HIGHLY, respect all makers!!! I do!!!
I know what goes into this business.. I know how cut throat it CAN be, but mostly it is just fabulous!!!
I have had 99% GREAT experiences on every front of the Indie scene..
From interactions with makers (before & after starting CCNP), to most product quality, to customer service...
I would NEVER, bad mouth another Indie ((p.s. there is a difference in giving an honest review, etc & "bad mouthing".. just saying..)).

Now, before we get to business (the main focus of this post), I would like to add one more thing...
Making nail polish may not be rocket science.. but, sometimes it may feel like it is. Honestly, most aspects are fairly simple!!! Sometimes it can be VERY frustrating (i.e. my adventures in attempting to make a glowing red, creme!!! 😒)!!!
NO matter how much you know, you are ALWAYS learning..
For instance, when I first started I only tested my polish for 3 to 4 weeks.. THEN, the "Vader Fiasco" happened (long red metallic bar glitters.. curling.. not good!! 😯)
After that, I began testing, a minimum of, THREE months, depending on what is included & whether or not I have used the ingredients before!!! (now a days it is closer to 7, mostly 6)
Well, most things that go wrong, will usually do so within the first month or so..
(ALL approximate)
Bleeding glitters will bleed immediately or within a week..
A polish will usually stain your nails within the first 24 hours..
Glitters will usually curl within the first month..
(BUT.. NOT ALWAYS..)
cue "Star Spangled Fiasco".. AGAIN, red metallic bar glitters curling.. NOT the same ones!!! NOT the same length!!! NOT the same supplier!!! They were fine for OVER 3 months!!! they curled a WEEK before release!!!!!!!!! 😒
**right then and there I swore off metallic, red bars, FOREVER!!!!!!!**
ANYWHO.. my point is.. THOSE are the tougher aspects of dealing with owning/operating a polish brand!!!
THOSE are the types of things that we should be trying to figure out, or have a small struggle with.. luckily, it's smooth sailing, for the most part lol

NOW.. down and dirty on what is grinding all my gears...

WHEN my customers are coming to me (let me point out that I have had SEVEN of them come to me, privately, about similar matters.. and not all about the same indie) and asking me for advice on what they should do, and if what is happening to them is a normal thing to happen... THAT is unacceptable... I just can NOT wrap my head around things like taking MONTHS to ship something, when you are shipping everyone else's orders of the same thing!!
OR lying about shipping a package out, KNOWING you haven't..
OR continuing to give excuses WHY you haven't been able to ship yet (AFTER lying twice about shipping it!!)!!!
OR accidentally forgetting an item (ok, understandable.. shit happens.. we are only human.) BUT, when you take SO long to ship, said forgotten item, that it becomes discontinued & is no longer available to be shipped.. THEN you promise something else & never send that either!!!

HOW HAD IS IT?!?!?!

1) order comes in..
2) look at order.. maybe even print out an invoice..
3) pack up order, carefully.. be sure you have included everything.. double or triple check if you have to..
4) print shipping..
5) attach shipping label to package..
6) drop off at PO OR, if you do like I do, leave out for Mailman..

THAT IS IT!!!!!!
this is the EASIEST part of our jobs!!!
ALL we have to do is package it safely & ship it off!!!!!!!!!

I shouldn't have my customers having to come to me & ask if this is something that happens often for Indies... NO ONE should have to deal with this & I have been getting so angry!!!
EVERY TIME someone else comes to me asking about something like this, it just infuriates me more!!!

I have kept quiet long enough!!!
and, even now, I doubt many people will see this.. BUT it is out & off of my chest!!!

THE WHOLE POINT of our business IS to sell a product & SHIP it.. if you can't even handle shipping something, THAT SOMEONE PAID YOU FOR, then you DON'T need to be in business!!!!!!!!!! & you DAMN sure don't need to be spending that money!!!!

I may not be perfect.. I've had my fair share of problems/mistakes, BUT I have ALWAYS owned up to them & compensated in any & every way that I could.. our customers are all that really matter..
if you don't treat them right, they won't stick around!!! sure.. you can always "find another customer", but you shouldn't have to.. you should value the ones you already have and earn new ones.. not dupe them into the same trap as the ones before them!!!😒😡

ok.. end rant..

thanks for reading.

*** no indies were named or called out in the making of this blog.. it is not my intention to disrespect another maker.. it is my intention to let my customers & everyone else know that you do NOT & should NOT have to deal with this type of treatment!!! it is NOT the "norm" for Indie Customer Service!!! most of us go above and beyond to make you feel loved & appreciated.. PLEASE, do not let one bad apple ruin this amazing world for you!!! ***

Family Vacation 2015

I am starting this blog post at 12:30pm, on Day 2 of our vacation. :)
I will, periodically, update this same post..
I will keep it updated throughout the week, and let you in on all of our (mis)adventures!!! ;)

Day 1: Sunday, June 21, 2015 (aka Father's Day):

We didn't do much, hung around the house, relaxing.. Went to Ale House for dinner, with Eric's dad.

Day 2: Monday, June 22, 2015:

Woke up at 5:30, got ready & hit the road to Cape Canaveral...

About half way there, a strange (just meaning we had never seen it before) dash warning light, lit up..

Google to the rescue... & pulling off of the highway..

It turned out to be the transmission temperature warning light... UGH!!!

So, we headed back... stopped at a Napa half way here, got a transmission dipstick to test the fluid...

I decided that I would pay for a rental car..
We are sitting at the house, waiting for our reservation to arrive lol..
We have decided to go to St. Augustine for the rest of today (after we pick up the rental lol).
We will do the Fort and just walk around.. have some dinner, etc...
Tomorrow will be attempt 2 for Kennedy Space Center.
Ty has no idea where we are going & I am hoping that he LOVES it!!!

On another note, I am still trying to talk Eric into doing Wild Adventures, too hehe

**p.s. it may be nothing serious with our car, but we are playing it "better safe than sorry" with the rental.. the warning light never lit back up on our return trip.**

Day 3: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 (8:20am):

St. Augustine was so awesome, HOT, but awesome.
We went to Castillo de San Marcos.  I took 108 pictures bahahaha.. uploaded most of them to FB.. (thinking that I may come back through here, and add a few of my faves from the week ;) we will see..)
Anywho.. it was my first time & it was really interesting, and SO beautiful!!!
After that, we drove to the lighthouse so Ty could see it.
Then, we drove to see if we could check out Fort Mantanza.. we saw it, across the water.. hahaha
Chili's for dinner.. then home.
Was a nice family day :)

I was so tired, last night, that I fell asleep, in my chair, in the living room a little after 9 hahaha..
Well, what that means is that I forgot to reset my alarm (for 5..).. LUCKILY, my internal alarm still woke me up a little after 7... My eyes opened & my room was not dark, I freaked a little..
We are on the road, now..
I am sipping on a caramel frappé, from Burger King, lol
Google Maps says we will arrive to Cape Canaveral around 10.. which is only an hour late.. Not too bad, I suppose..
I mean, do we really expect it to take the full 10 hours?! (KSC hours 9a-7p).. I don't think so, we should be fine! :)
Anyone who has ever been, how long did it take you to get through the whole thing?

Alright.. that's all, for now..

(to be continued...)