custom cabinet girl

the story of knotty alder

2012-01-23T13:27:00.000-08:00

About eight years ago I came across a beautiful rustic looking kitchen full of cabinets that I just loved. I showed the picture to my unimpressed dad, "Hey aren't these cabinets great! I just love the knots!" He shrugs and says, "that's alder April, I don't use alder." I am thinking well why not, its rustic and knotty and kind of looks like knotty pine and sometimes can look like a rustic cherry wood. Well here is the anticipated explanation hopefully you can understand. (I really didn't but we will leave that for later).

Anyway, my dad says, "I hate alder, it furs up when you cut it, its always a hassle to stain because it comes out blotchy, and it doesn't take stain even." Well anytime after that I would mention using alder or a customer wanted to use alder he would say, no, no, no................

I thought that was an end to ever getting to use alder until necessity and invention came across our way.

The necessity was we wanted the job and that was the wood the customer wanted. Hooray!

And the invention was me trying to match the stain to the door they already had.

Here it is......

The door on the left is the sample I had to use and the drawer front on the right is the one I finished to match. I think I actually got it!!! And as you know I love distressed and knottty alder is a type of distressed natural looking wood which I love. I am so excited to finish this whole kitchen.
I will keep you posted.

your custom cabinet girl

my grown-up christmas list..........

2011-12-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

I know I am an adult and I should ask for peace on earth and goodwill toward men, but hey I am realistic.

Here is my humble little list of 10 things......

1) To have my own reality show called; "custom cabinet girl" and prove everyone wrong that told me it wouldn't be a hit!

2) That my Christmas tree won't fall over before Christmas is over.

3) Mr. Know-it-All will pick me up and carry me over the threshold just because he loves me or just because........

4) My goal setting and vision is not too overrated and my dad doesn't roll his eyes at me when I tell him what I want to do next.

5) That Jakob doesn't turn into a full blown "chip addict" like Mr. Know-it-All.

6) I can figure out a way to get on "The Nate Berkus" show again.

7) Did I say I wanted to have a reality show "custom cabinet girl?" Better put it in here twice just to be sure. Any producers read my blog? Anyone?

8) Our newest addition the "small version" of the chef board for sale in Williams-Sonoma stores as well as others, hint....hint......buyers I have contacted at Frontgate, Sur la Table, Crate & Barrel, & Neiman Marcus, call me ;)

9) Our cutting boards in the Williams Sonoma catalog. The C-A-T-A-L-O-G!!!!! Do I have to beg? Please.................

10) Ok, fine. And peace on earth and good will towards men.......

Let me know what you think, except for you Mr. Know-it-All I already know what you think. :)

your custom cabinet girl

can you believe this?

2011-11-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

When Mr. Know-it-All finds out I know he is just going to look at me and shake his head. I hate it when he shakes his head at me. FYI: don't shake your head at me. But really this is so mind blowing to me that I don't know how, well it HAS TO BE A MIRACLE.......

I drove around town with my keys on the bumper like this for two days! I drove on the freeway! I went all the way, (well I know its not that far), but ALL THE WAY to Stockton like this! And do you know how I found out where my "missing keys" were? My dad used the car to take Nathan to school for me in the morning and he saw them in passing.....

I know crazy, idiotic, I have no idea how I have even lived this long.....

your custom cabinet girl (psst: who doesn't always talk about cabinets)

perfect finishing day.......

2011-11-29T21:44:00.001-08:00

Most days the finish shop just plain sucks. When finish colors have to match the samples the formula has to be exact. I have to mention today because what happened in the finish shop was magical. The amount of stain mixture with the wiping stain base was perfect and actually sprayed onto the corbels really nicely. It depends on how I set I the dials on the gun to make sure the color sprays out the way I need it to. The weather outside also has an effect on how the finish comes out. These glaze colors spraying on hardrock maple are so tedious and time consuming but today they seemed to spray so nicely..........ahhhh.........it couldn't have been a better finishing day!

All day, every day, except today I feel like I am wasting time and redoing stuff, but not today!!!

your custom cabinet girl

thankful for my pilgrim, my little indian, & mkia....

2011-11-26T20:45:00.001-08:00

Jakob and Nathan are reading buddies at school this year. So my little pilgrim and little indian got to have a thanksgiving feast together at school and at Grammie and Grandpa's house! They are so cute and I could not be more thankful for these two.

I am so thankful for the 40 chef boards that were shipped out on Wednesday on time going to the Williams Sonoma distribution center for online sales!

I am thankful for a wonderfully nice winery in town "Lange Twins" that is purchasing a smaller version of our chef board thus giving me a new idea for a new cutting board.

I am thankful that when we put Jakob's birthday present together that Mr. Know-it-All and I didn't get into a fight......

I am thankful for the wonderful comments and ideas I get from people who visit us at the shop, brouse our website, or read my blog.

I am thankful for reading, and being able to still

got my Nate Berkus segment on you tube!

2011-11-17T16:12:00.000-08:00

So I don't think I have gone this long with out blogging ever. I feel like I have been extremely lazy about blogging. Or at least putting it on the bottom of the list which means I don't get to it.

If you have not seen the segment from the Nate Berkus show my dad and I were on last year here it is below!

http://youtu.be/7Y__lKw2aKM

I can't believe its been a year already, and that it took me that long to figure out how to get it on youtube. You know you can ask and ask for people to send you something, but ultimately you have to do it yourself. So I took my flip cam and stood still in front of the TV and recorded the recording. I had to do something!

I have a lot to catch up with you all and what is going on at the shop, will fill you in on the details as soon as I can.

Love that Nate Berkus!!!

your custom cabinet girl

its nice to get snail mail when its not a bill.......

2011-09-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

It is so nice to get snail mail when its not a bill and especially when its a thank you note. I received a wonderful thank you note from a mom of one of the girls I taught this summer in our woodworking classes. This is her note;

Claire & Helen arriving at our Woodworking Class.

Woodworking Class that week.

I am so thankful for all the kids that decided to join me for the woodworking classes this summer. If your child is interested in taking a class during the break, please give me a call at 209.368.0703. We have openings for classes October 3-7, 2011 (1pm-3pm) or October 10-14, 2011 (1pm-3pm).

Thank you to Patti, Helen's mom who made my day!!

your custom cabinet girl

distressed vanity do-over

2011-09-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here are the final pictures of the vanity I finished distressed. My dad had to cut down the cabinet by length in order to fit it into a 1 3/4" inset in the wall on both sides. This is where I screwed up totally missing that measurement when I first went out. I still cringe when i think about it.

You can see the left side of the cabinet tucks right into the wall

inset. YES! My dad is my HERO on this job he saved my booty on this one!

Below is the final product installed. I was asked to add green to the finish color making the cabinet look like it came right out of the garden with moss on it. It's hard to tell from the picture because the green was very subtle. I really, really enjoyed finishing this cabinet! It turned out very unique.

until my next mistake,

your custom cabinet girl

Who do you think does Weber's Cabinets packaging?

2011-09-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

Its funny when you do work for a huge company and they have all the resources in the world and your resource is yourself, your dad, and Mr. Know-it-All who calls himself your resource. I tried to do an informational video today about how we package our chef boards but it just ended up being long winded with me out of breath at the end from being out of shape I guess? Who knows anything is possible at this point.....

your custom cabinet girl

love, love, love..... distressed finishings!

2011-09-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

I get so excited when I get to finish something and make it look like I beat it up! Don't ask me why but it just makes it so much fun when different pieces of the cabinet get to look different. The whole piece is all the same colors but you get to choose what parts look different and NOTHING looks alike.

I just love it! I made a sample for this client based on the tile flooring she is putting in her bathroom. My dad made this awesome vanity which you can see below. The door style looks like an actual shutter which is what the client was looking for in order to create a bathroom that makes you feel like you are in a garden.

My dad and I brought the cabinet to the house to install it and I was ready to congratulate myself on the great work I did measuring for the cabinet......well in April world what do you think happened?

We get into the bathroom and I see an indentation in the wall where the old cabinet was originally when I measured.
I did not see that indentation in the wall and I just wanted to shoot myself for the mistake.

Long story short, we brought the vanity back to the shop my dad cut it down and fixed it, and I refinished it this weekend. But I was asked to add a touch of green to the finish color which made it very interesting and unique. Now the cabinet really feels like it came out of a garden and got a little moss on it! So cool.

Here are the feet I redid adding the green. I will post pictures of the final install when its done.

Wish me luck cause tomorrow its going in! And I want it to be spectacular!

your custom cabinet girl

some reject me and some accept me..........

2011-09-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

I am so thrilled that I finally got a hold of a buyer at "Crate & Barrel" and that they took the time to reject me. As my good friend Bob says, at least they took the "TIME" to look at your product and then reject it." I never thought of it that way. I am going to have to be the pest that I always am and keep contacting them until the end of time, or hopefully they take a chance on one of my products. Who knows?

But then an awesome email came to me this morning from Tayrn Scher who I sent a heart shaped cutting board to a couple of months ago. She was going to use it in her segment for TV and did! It was such a nice segment and you can see it here;

Couture Kitchens: Taryn Scher on YourCarolina

There are acceptions and rejecttions in life, and I really do like the acceptions. Doesn't everyone?

your custom cabinet girl

learning by example

2011-08-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Today I was back from three days away in San Diego. I got a chance to go to a conference where I could pitch my product to Wendy Robbins who is on HSN from time to time. I was a little disappointed because she didn't seem to like my cutting boards very much. She said they were not for HSN. I am still not so sure about that. She also suggested that I produce my boards overseas to which I actually said, "no no no, and no again." But I have to realize that my product is not a good fit for every brand.

I was so glad to be back home with the boys and Mr. Know-it-All who was tired and grateful he didn't have to take care of the boys all alone. He was thankful for what I have to do at home. Funny what a few days away can do for your esteem huh? Anyway I was back to work at the shop today and I had a really exciting day! No really....

I get a call from Masco Cabinetry and they need me to make corbels, finish them, and get them done by Monday morning so they can finish a house for a walk through. For those of you who don't know what corbels are let me explain. They are the stabilizers or whatyoumacallits that go under your overhanging countertop for stability. Anyway, my dad was out on a job and he obviously couldn't make the corbels so I had to look at myself and say; "Self are you going to try to build these corbels?" Oh yes I am!!!

So I had to find a corbel that was already made in the size I needed and get to work. I needed to find out the sizes I would have to cut the pieces in order to put them together. And YES I DID USE A SAW! A band saw, but nonetheless a SAW. This picture shows the pattern of one of the pieces I traced and then cut out.

I know it is so corny how excited I get about doing something new but that's me. I used to always be so excited when I could order root beer. I LOVE root beer.

Sorry off on a tangent so I had all the middle pieces cut already and all I had to do was cut 14 pieces for the backs of the corbels.

This picture to the right is where I said; "holy crap" because I didn't realize there was a knot in the piece I was cutting out and after I set it down realized I couldn't use it.

After sanding each piece and sanding some more I had to assemble all the corbels. Everything went together pretty good, I would have to say it took me waaay to long to do the entire process, but I know next time I will be more efficient.

So these are my first ever corbels made by me, my labor of love. They are definitely not perfect and I had to learn without an instructor, just remembering my dad's advice when building something.

Now all I have to do is convince Mr. Know-it-All that I need to go into work to finish them! That will be fun.

your custom cabinet girl

does the squeaky wheel always get the grease?

2011-07-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

So I've been working on getting our cutting boards into the Williams-Sonoma catalog. For about 8 months now I have been a real pest and the answer is still no, but that's ok. My dad keeps saying to "be a pest" and Mr. Know-it-All keeps saying "are you sure you're not bothering them?" Two completly different opinions one is from an enterprenuer and the other from a UPS driver. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and being "absent" from the catalog makes me more "fond" of being in it!

I just hate, hate, hate to be one of those pests that keep asking and being told no while the person who is telling you no is really thinking "its never going to happen" and I really don't want to be "that girl." You know "that girl" that thinks her product is the BEST EVER, and keeps asking and asking to have it put in the store or what-ever. But the board is already in the STORE, and ONLINE, it just needs to be in the CATALOG TOO!!!! Oh please please, with a cherry on top!

So I have been asking this same buyer for the chance to put our product in the catalog until she got promoted recently. So now I have a new person to be a pest to. Lucky for her, she already told me she KNOWS about my requests to be in the catalog and she will keep me in mind for the future. Promising? Or, "Oh crap the pest is bothering me?"

your custom cabinet girl

why is espn and sports so fascinating?

2011-07-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

So......today is Mr. Know-it-All's birthday and he is doing the one thing he really wants to do (according to him), and that is (drum roll please), watching ESPN. While I am at work teaching 11 kids in the woodworking class and daydreaming about the wonderful hair appointment I am going to have tonight, he is watching ESPN. I cannot imagine how sports can be so invigorating and exciting but it is for about 85% of the population. I have pondered this question for over 10 years while I sit on the couch and try to watch grown men throw themselves at each other and then try to catch a ball that I can never find. It just doesn't make sense to me. Or should it? I must be missing something but I don't know what it is. I think Mr. Know-it-All is missing out on great opportunities to curl up on the sofa with a good book and some red licorice.

Well, where is that other 15%? Including me, am I missing out on something? I think they are reading blogs about woodworking, and chasing their kids around trying to get them to clean their rooms. Ok that's just me.

Any way I want to wish Mr. Know-it-All a Happy Birthday, you're getting older!!!!

your custom cabinet girl

moms in business unite

2011-07-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to announce that I will be at the "Moms in Business Unite" conference on August 3rd in San Diego! I applied over two months ago to see if I could bring one of my cutting boards to present to Wendy Robbins and last Thursday I got an email that said "YES." I am so thrilled to be one of 9 moms that get to bring their products and get a booth at the event to show my cutting boards to all the moms and Wendy for their input. I am asking to be one of those that get to pitch my product to her for possible submission to HSN.

Wendy Robbins is currently one of the coaches for the show ""Homemade Millionare" with Kelly Ripa as the host. On each show three inventor women get to pitch their product to HSN and then HSN picks one out of the three products that they want to start selling. What an opportunity!

I am just so blessed to have Jesus by my side every step of the way and I just want Him to use me as a vessel for his plan. My hardships lately have shown me that I should always Praise Him even in the storms of life. Storms that can even last for years are a blessing and I can only say that now, as I have gotten this far with Jesus by my side. I know a lot of people are hurting out there right now financially and physically, but all I can say is to ask Jesus for peace from His Holy Spirit and He will give it to you every time you ask. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this journey I will forever be grateful.

your custom cabinet girl

so excited about our Woodworking Classes!!!

2011-06-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

,These kids are soooo cute! I was so excited because this week we got more girls that signed up for the classes. Mainly its been boys (including mine) that are signed up for the classes. The kids are looking at how the band saw works and inside the bottom where the wheel is located that makes it turn.

This is little Kenna who is putting her tray together with a "dry fit" to make sure all the parts fit correctly before she glues everything together. She is the youngest of our group this week and at 5 years old is doing a great job drawing her plans, sanding, and using the clamps.

Next week I already have 4 kids signed up for the afternoon class, only a couple spots left for those who want to join us!

your custom cabinet girl

i hate maple toffee

2011-06-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Now maple is one of my most favorite woods to use in cabinetry but it is definitely not my favorite to finish. Maple is a very hard wood so hard in fact that it is not easily penetrated by stain. It doesn't have porous capabilities compared to cherry wood which soaks in stain.

My little Jakob, aka "little mini Mr. Know-it-All took pictures of me in the finish shop while I was working on some wood tops. I had no idea he was taking pictures but its funny because it reminds me of how I was feeling that day, simply irritated. Here I am taking a sample over to the table to make sure it matches with the wood tops.

And of course, it does not. I spent all day working on those wood tops. First try I messed up the color had to strip and refinish all three wood tops. And thinking like a business owner I am thinking it should NOT take this long to finish these wood tops and taking this much time is not making any money. Oh the joys of runnning a business......

your custom cabinet girl

i so don't have it together, but i want too so bad!!!!

2011-06-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Did I ever tell you how I LOVE to have a clean house but it seems I rarely do? It might have something to do with 3 boys who drop everything in their hands wherever they might be at the time. How do I change that? I lecture, I scream, I throw blankets, but no one takes me seriously. They just giggle and say, "Mom you are so funny!"

Did I ever mention that Mr. Know-it-All sees when I am overcommited and gives me a lecture? Every stinkin' time too. Probably not, because every time its a humbling experience for me and I don't want anyone to know I screwed up, even him. I want to do things the right way the first time, and I intend to, but life and I am not so perfect and I get to learn through the consequences of my actions.

I do need to ask for help more from Mr. Know-it-All, but shouldn't he know that I need help without me saying so in my whiney voice? I'm just saying......... and Mr. Know-it-All needs to get himself on facebook so you can all tell him to.

If you want to get in touch with him he is on Twitter @Greg2208. You will see his profile picture is of him standing on what he calls "God's favorite place" the Star on the field of the Dallas Cowboys stadium. Now I don't think he is dropping any trash just wherever in "God's favorite place." Maybe we should tell him that our home is "God's favorite place" too!

your custom cabinet girl

new chef board for sale on www.weberscabinets.com

2011-05-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

I figured out how to add new products to our website Weber's Cabinets, Inc. and the Chef Board was one of the first I wanted to add! I think it is so practical for a cutting board. Its actually almost too practical because I hate to prep for cooking, cooking, thinking about what to cook, etc. etc....and I love the thing! And I am not just saying that because we make it but I am saying because it is so accessible, easy to use, and beautiful on your counter.

I am just sitting in bed typing away at the late, yes very late hour of 7pm. I know I am a loser but I just do not feel good today. I got home at 4:30 and just went straight to bed. Mr. Know-it-All thinks I should call in sick to myself, but I don't think that will work very well. I really feel like I am coming down with something, my body just aches. I have been sore every day in a new area in my muscles from working on different jobs out in the shop, but this is something different, probably caught it from the boys. Maybe Mr. Know-it-All could call in sick for me tomorrow! J/K

your custom cabinet girl

does Weber's Cabinets refinish cabinets?

2011-05-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

As a matter of fact yes we do! A lot of people want to know if they can keep the current cabinets they have and refinish them. The answer is a tricky yes and I will tell you why. For example, when you decide you want to redo your kitchen cabinets you start to think about all the money its going to cost and how you can save, and yes the cabinets are the most expensive part of the kitchen. So if you can save them it should save you money right? Well, maybe......

Every person has a unique situation and it might be the perfect thing for you to save your cabinets, but on the other hand it might not. If you decide to put new countertops in the kitchen and you want to just reface your cabinets with another wood and finish, it will cost just as much to reface as it does to put in new. On the other hand if you decide you just want to "freshen up" your cabinets and sand down the doors and frames and put on a new coat of the existing finish then that will save you a HUGE amount of money to do it that way. Its all in a matter of whether you are happy with the wood and finish you have or not.

Give me a call at (209) 368-0703 at Weber's Cabinets and we can figure out the best situation for you and your kitchen!

Right now I am sanding and refinishing the doors for a kitchen in Lodi and making them look brand new. Take a look at the video and see what you think!

your custom cabinet girl

my kitchen project in process.......

2011-05-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here is an update on how its going on my kitchen. As I may have mentioned before or not I HATE living in messes and this is one of those projects that causes a mess. Hopefully it will be all over soon and I can enjoy a nice newly painted kitchen with new doors!

your custom cabinet girl

my first video post....and i am in the finish shop.....go figure

2011-05-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

This is my very first video on my blog and its a little harder for me to do, I really like to write. So tell me what you think. I need feedback.

your custom cabinet girl

do you remember my kitchen project?

2011-04-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well its been too long since I last posted and I have had a lot happening good and bad. But lets just focus on the good shall we....Firstly I am going to document my kitchen project with my new FLIP CAM! Woohoo! Mr. Know-it-All decided to butter me up and buy me one for my birthday today! I am so excited. It is so easy to use and now I can download video really easily, well I shouldn't say that before I actually do it but it "looks" easy. So instead of just writing I am going to do video on my blog too!! And now we can start doing more videos for my dad's blog http://www.askthecabinetmaker.com/ and get some more traffic on his site, since he knows more than I do he should be blogging more.

Secondly, I found out on Thursday that I will be featured in "Glamour" magazine about my unique job as a custom cabinet maker girl person! Now, I don't know how detailed it will be hence the mention of it as "secondly." I gave them the information they asked for and they did ask for my picture and a couple extra questions. But you never know, and as soon as the writer gives me more information I will keep you updated. I just can't believe it, me plain April in Glamour magazine. I hope they photoshop the picture and make me Glamourous!!!

And thirdly, its really coming along with the new classroom area for all the kids we will be teaching woodworking this summer! I have a lot more to do, but since I have a due date it helps make it go along faster. I want to have everything organized and ready for those little guys to be able to learn and build!

You should see some video of my kitchen process very soon, like tomorrow!

your custom cabinet girl

reinventing ourselves again........

2011-04-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

I cannot get any credit for any ideas whatsoever I am just the vessel of God's perfect plan. And He is in control. I am just grateful for the ideas that Jesus brings to me at the most unlikely of times. Like when I am asking for an answer to a prayer for something else completely. Last Thursday I asked Jesus to please "let the phone ring off the hook with new jobs, please!" The next day came and the answer was "no." But that is OK, because as I was cleaning out the cabinets in the office I came across an article about a guy who volunteered his time to teach kids woodworking skills. Now first I wish I could volunteer my time, but for now I need to help feed my family. So with a great idea from a special friend and coworker and a little article I came across I thought why can't we use this space of ours for woodworking classes for kids? And when I looked up the concept there are fabulous companies out there to model from.

This new venture for teaching woodworking is really a full circle for me. When I first started doing all the books for the shop I will never forget my payroll accountant asking me if I took "accounting" classes in college. Nope, I took a little math course called; "how to teach elementary students Math 1A and 1B." I guess I didn't get my degree for nothing!

Here is the plan for what is coming up so far;

Weber’s Cabinets Introduces Woodworking Classes

For Kids Grades K-6

6 Week Class or Summer Camp Only 98.00

Call to Reserve your child's spot *209-368-0703* http://www.weberscabinets.com/

6 Week Saturday Program

      June 4-July 9, 2011
4 Class Times to Choose From;
          9am-10:30
         11am-12:30
         1:30pm-3pm
         3:30pm-5pm

Summer Camp Program #1

       June 13-17, 2011
2 Class Times to Choose From;
          9am-11am
               Or
          1pm-3pm

Summer Camp Program #2

      June 20-24, 2011
2 Class Times to Choose From:
          9am-11am
               Or
          1pm-3pm

Our woodworking classes will teach the safe use of hand tools and basic woodworking skills. With a series of projects the young wood workers will gain knowledge in measuring, fractions, design, craftsmanship, and much more!

Now lets book out the classes people!

your custom cabinet girl

30 days of waiting.......

2011-04-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Submitted my cutting board to HSN. Yes I did and its been 30 days since, and I am hoping to hear good news! I would love to be a vendor for them. I am really excited to find out what my email will say, it just needs to NOT have the word "unfortunately" in it. I don't like that word very much lately, its a nice way to say "sorry about your bad luck" as my dad always says.

This week is going to be so exciting I just know it! I am going to try and talk to a producer tomorrow about my show idea. I am then going to help finish ironing edge tape on the maple melamine pieces for drawer boxes we need to put together for an island cabinet. What a time consumer that is (ironing on edgetape is unfortunate), sorry dad. I will just have to suck it up. Next I am going to try and get a groupon set up for people to buy our beautiful cutting boards, and I want to feature one in particular. I will have a poll set up for voting. And then I need to get some quiet time and finish the paperwork I need to get done as well as the financial crap I have to do. Did I say crap? So sorry.

I am going to try some new selling points, and thank you so much Jocelyn for the information! I really appreciate all of the comments I get on the blog its encouraging and helpful.

your custom cabinet girl

can i sell one cutting board a day?

2011-04-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

Population of the world; 6,775,235,741
That is almost 7 BILLION PEOPLE!

Can I sell one cutting board a day from my website? I have looked at SEO, adwords programs, adsense programs, blogging alliances, conversion analyasis, and every other thing you can think of to get my website out there, and I am stuck. I have no idea how to do it. And it takes a lot of time to go over all this stuff, its a full time job! Any suggestions?

I got some fresh ideas about how to market my cutting boards and I took some new pictures of our chef board on my counter top. I bought some great homemade bread (not made by me, which makes it even better), cheese and tomatos to cut up and I really like this board a lot. I don't think I will be bringing it back to the shop. I shipped out 90 of them to Williams-Sonoma stores last month so lets hope they sell out!

I want to list this board on our website to sell at Weber's Cabinets, Inc. along with a few others we have made recently. I need to get some better pictures though, which I will soon. I also need to figure out how to get one person in the WHOLE WORLD to purchase a cutting board a day. Can I do it?
This will be my challenge.

your custom cabinet girl

P.S. Thanks for all of you who voted for me instead of Mr. Know-it-All the TiVo control freak!

i need your votes.............

2011-04-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

So we have Direct TV and we record our shows on TiVo. And in the normal world you would decide what shows you want to watch and then set them up to record. But, Oh....NOOOO.......not in my house, not on my TiVo. Mr. Know-it-All has to monitor you and make sure that you are actually watching the shows you set up to record. And if you are not watching your shows in a timely manner, he has a conversation or should I say "lecture" with you about using up too much of the TiVo "memory." Did I say; Freak!!!

Now he opens up the list of recorded shows and goes over each one and asking; "are you going to watch _______? You are taking up all the memory in the TiVo and you aren't watching the shows you recorded." Now I feel guilty if I ask to record a new show.

So here's the deal, its between me and Mr. Know-it-All. Who is right? Does he need to be so possessive over the memory in the TiVo? Does he need to make everyone else in the house feel guilty about wanting to record a new show? Do I have to live this way? Help me out people, he needs to be put in his place. Check out the survey question to the left and VOTE!

your custom cabinet girl

i want to be on Oprah so bad................

2011-03-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

So I took all the courage I had in my body, took a deep breath and said to myself; "why would Oprah want me on her show?" And then I called the number......... I called Harpo studios and said; "Can I ask a question? Are you taking ideas for a show?" The girl on the other end of the line was in Chicago but she could have very well been right next to me and stabbed me in the heart because she said; "we are NOT taking submissions for show ideas and NEVER call again." I felt like a little girl again when I thought I was about to get in trouble, and I HATE that feeling. Don't you? Its never good to feel like that. I was redirected to some recording that said I needed to go online and send an email through the Oprah website. I HAVE DONE THAT ALREADY, MANY TIMES, UGHHH.

Today at lunch my dad says, "didn't you tell them who you are?" As in, "I am April I was on the Nate Berkus Show." My dad is so funny cause I really don't think they care and really they would say something like, "April who?" Because really who am I? My intention was to ask if my story could offer hope to others in the same boat as myself struggling in this economy. I am in "Ground Zero" of the recession according to a Newsweek cover story from 2008 and I am still here! I don't know why I want to be on Oprah so bad, but I want to be on Oprah so bad! I need to reinvestigate my priorities....

your custom cabinet girl

dinner is not my favorite time of day

2011-03-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

I know most mom's out there LOVE to cook, well I DO NOT!" I actually HATE IT! I would rather do laundry the old fashion way with a little bucket and a scrubby tray thing, than make dinner. If any of you reading want to take me up on it, I will gladly trade you laundry duty for some cassaroles.

It takes imagination, creativity, and someone with time management skills. I can't ever come up with what food items go together more or less a meal I created on my own. Everything I make was either invented by my mom when I was little, or I saw it on TV. I am what you call a copycat dinner maker. And nothing I make is really creative besides the fact that I live with three of the most picky eaters on the planet. So if you are wondering what a picky eater looks like, here it is........

Are any of you familar with this look? Probably not, because I know no one else can cook as bad as me. I made steak this night and Nathan has the smallest piece on his plate along with 2 little green beans and some white rice. You might notice the half eaten watermelon which is the only thing he actually ate that night. So sad, I was NEVER EVER allowed to not eat my vegtables or allowed to even "think" that I could not eat my vegatables. I don't know how you force someone to eat something, I certainly am very weak at this type of dicipline and I know I have two boys just laughing at me while they sit back and not eat what I gave them for dinner. Did I say I hate dinner?

Now I am going to go and paint something out in the finish shop, at least the cabinets can't say no to me and I don't have to fix them dinner!

your custom cabinet girl

i love sarcasm and Heather Armstrong is my new inspiration

2011-03-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

I received an email on Friday about a blogger named Heather B. Armstrong who was featured in the New York Times for her being "Queen of the Mommy Bloggers." I cannot express or tell you enough how easy it is to read her blog posts and how funny she really is! That is why she is the "Queen." I have been looking at her blog now for over two hours reading all about her and then some.

I saw that she has a "style of the day" section so I figured I might tell her my story and see if she would put my cutting board on there, what the heck right? I have felt dissappointment before, I can feel it again, or maybe not? Please Heather read my Email!

Go read the article about Heather Armstong from last month here; @ NY Times

And then go to her blog and read it here; http://www.dooce.com/

I dare you to try not and spend 2 hours there at a time if you haven't read it before.

your custom cabinet girl

my little free labor boy is now getting paid......

2011-03-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

So Jakob is on Spring break from school and of course since we are shipping out our "over the counter boards" this week I need his help. We have to protect each corner of the cutting boards with cardboard corners. Each corner has to be assembled and my smart little tyke figured out how to do it smoothly of course, after throwing a few across my office. He is just like Mr. Know-it-All gets frustrated at inanimate objects when they don't go together perfectly the first time. Soooo..... much to teach Jakob.

Well, he assembled all of the corner pieces as you can see behind him and I told him this morning I would pay him $2. Jakob says, "no mom, $5. And I said, "no $2" and he says, "no $4." Of course I didn't budge and he says, "$3" and I said, "SOLD, now go do your work." I told my dad what a little negotiator he was and Jakob says; "I learned it on Pawn Stars." I guess he has stuff to teach me.

your custom cabinet girl

God Always Provides........

2011-03-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have been taking this "faith test" it seems every quarter for the last 4 years. I don't think I have passed it yet, hence the test keeps coming up. I am not in control, God is and He always provides for all of my needs. I keep giving him my needs and then taking them back. All of us think we can do everything ourselves, on our own, but it is just not true. I was thinking about all of this last weekend and how I could give my concerns and cares away, and not be so controlling. I am a control freak and I will admit it. Its not an admirable trait so why can't I just give it up? Why? I hope sometime before I die (hopefully many years from now), I will have learned to give it all to God. Until then I will keep taking the test over and over and over and over again.

I was at the E-Women Network Fearless Female Event last night and it was so encouraging and uplifting to me. I told my story to Sandra Yancey the founder of E-Women last night as I sat with her at dinner. Surprising to me she asked if I would tell my story to the whole group. And what did I do I started to cry because I was overwhelmed with the love and acceptance from all these women in the room. I was overcome with gratitude for someone caring about me and my story and wanting me to share it with others. And I was so thankful that I could thank God for always being in control and taking care of me.

I have been a member now at E-Women for 2 years and I still come away from the events with fresh ideas and learn new things. I didn't know I needed a "mastermind" group but I do now and I will be getting one. I also didn't know about "corporate funding" which I will be looking into today. So many things to do I had better get to work!

your custom cabinet girl

new ideas are slow coming for me

2011-03-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

So why are new ideas slow coming for me? I know why because my little tiny brain thinks in this long narrow hallway of ideas and I don't try any doorways. Until last weekend, when I realized I should google "how to submit your product to QVC?" And when I did I got a link on "how to submit my product to QVC." Voila! You would think I would have figured this out a LONG TIME AGO. I am so amazed at how slow I am to figuring out things. Like the time I took the drivers test and they asked me what a blind intersection was. I said; "isn't that for blind people?"

Well I submitted our heart shaped board for a start and it just shows you how each company is run so differently by the way each accepts product submissions. "QVC" will let me know if they are interested in my product or not within six weeks. So I put on my calendar six weeks from now, to check in if I haven't heard anything. But with these ideas "slow coming" I actually grasped the whole world of selling online through TV and decided to submit my product to "HSN" too! Let's hope I have a response of, "We want as many hearts as you can make!" Whoo hoo! That would be so exciting........and possibly exhausting, but that's ok because I have child labor and husband labor all for free! :)

your custom cabinet girl

I LOVE "THE NATE BERKUS SHOW!"

2011-02-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to get an email from one of the producers at The Nate Berkus Show this morning. She told me about a giveaway-a-day the show started yesterday. Everyone can enter and try to win fabulous pieces featured on the show decorated by Nate Berkus.

Win this authentic "Nate Show" door headboard.

‘THE NATE BERKUS SHOW’ ANNOUNCES “NATE’S GIVEAWAY-A-DAY SWEEPSTAKES” FOR CHANCE TO WIN ORIGINAL DÉCOR PIECES CREATED BY POPULAR DESIGNER HIMSELF FOR TV SHOW

Fans Have Chance to Win from February 21-March 5

NEW YORK, February 22, 2011 – The Nate Berkus Show, announces the launch of its first ever “Nate’s Giveaway-A-Day Sweepstakes,” giving fans a chance to win décor created on set by Nate Berkus and his design team. Every weekday from February 21st at 8am ET until March 5th at 8am ET, viewers can watch The Nate Berkus Show (nationally syndicated; check your local listings or visit www.TheNateShow.com/station-finder ) to see which item Nate is giving away that day, then visit www.TheNateShow.com/giveaway to enter for a chance to win an authentic piece of Nate Show décor that has been featured on the daily talk show.

Some of these one-of-kind items include a refinished map chest, a sisal rope mirror, a gold-leafed chandelier, a repurposed door headboard, a coffee table, a replica of a royal tabletop with a custom monogram, and more!

For more details on sweepstakes rules, terms and conditions, visit TheNateShow.com/giveaway.

does it matter when you don't realize you made a mistake until 6 months later?

2011-02-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, today I am trying to work out all the kinks in the books for 2010 and what do I find but a mess. I entered in checks to the wrong vendor, forgot to enter in bills I never knew existed, and many more things I don't want to mention because "you know who" (my dad is reading this and I don't want him to think I am "that bad" at my job). I think I have had my mind on so many things at once that I am just too distracted, kids, cutting boards, Mr. Know-it-all, cleaning, cabinets, finishing, scheduling, reading, and other stuff I can't remember. All of this is so overwhelming, and in fact today when I had the realization that mistakes were made over 6 MONTHS AGO really put me over the top.

Thanks for all the comments on my new block with the legs. It is so interesting that a cutting board can bring about so many opinions. A family friend stopped by and took one look at the board and said, "that is ugly, are you selling that?" Mr. Know-it-all LOVES it and wants one. Who knew? Well all the buyers at Williams-Sonoma had different opinions too and we decided to nix the handles, and make the legs ourselves. Here it is.........

Ultimately the people will decide what they like and what will sell. People know what they want right now, not 6 months later.

your custom cabinet girl

trying to find my spot in the cabinet world

2011-02-11T15:38:00.000-08:00

So here I am in the office doing paperwork and I don't mind, but after a few days I get restless and need to work out in the shop. I have been waiting on some items I ordered to make a new decoreative cutting board and they arrived yesterday. This is my new product I am going to submit to Williams-Sonoma. What do you think?

If you can believe it, it took me quite a few weeks to find the right feet to use for this type of design. And then, I picked out these really neat handles and because they mounted from the back we couldn't find a resourceful way to mount them, so that idea was thrown out. I am not sure about these handles but they were the best I could find for the way I needed to mount them. I might still be shopping for handles.

I need input, let me have it!

your custom cabinet girl

i hate rejection, did i say i hate rejection?

2011-01-31T16:14:00.000-08:00

On Friday night I had to get a couple of cabinet quotes done and emailed and one I worked on for about an hour. I drew the plans and figured out the cost carefully only to receive an email back that the price was too high and they didn't like my drawing. I SO SO SO HATE getting rejected. A "no thank you" works so much better than a "your drawing lacks character." What????? That is so wrong to hear when you have been doing this for 10 years. I don't know but I have put too much thought into it for the last two days and I am over it. You know why? Because I got it off my chest. Thanks for letting me blog it to you!

Now I can blog about more important things like, rollerblading.......I love rollerblading. However, I do not love falling on my butt which I do quite a bit because its been so long since I rollerbladed. Both Jakob and Nathan asked for skates for Christmas and of course Mr. Know-it-All had to put his two cents in. "Skating is for girls" and I am thinking they are only 4 and 7 years old they don't know skating is for girls so we compromised, we bought rollerblades. Because according to Mr. Know-it-All, "we will NOT I repeat NOT have boys rollerskating, no way!" Men are just weird.

Today flew by so fast and I feel like I didn't do a thing, but I know I did something......

your custom cabinet girl

realitywanted.com.......... not time for me, yet.........

2011-01-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

I decided to sign up a couple of weeks ago on http://www.realitywanted.com/. I get one email every day letting me know the casting calls that are going on throughout the reality world. Production companies list their casting calls and let you submit your story if you so choose. I haven't seen any pitches related to doing a reality show about a family business and I really haven't been looking. But, last night I got a phone call from a producer in Los Angeles who thought I was a good fit for this new show called, "Battle of the Sexes." I was literally JUMPING UP AND DOWN listening to her voicemail this morning. I couldn't believe it, I thought I might be going down south today to be interviewed. After talking to the producer this morning, she found out that I lived in Lodi, and said, "where is that?" I was thinking, "its almost 10:30A.M. am how am I going to get down to Los Angeles before 5pm today?" She says, "oh no, I am sorry to have wasted your time, we need you here today and you are too far away. My heart sank, such a bummer. But you know, I have felt dissappointment before and I can definately feel it again. And the more you feel it the less time it lasts, I survived.

I am just flattered that she thought I would be a possibility to be on that show. Now I am going to dream some more.

your custom cabinet girl

valentines gift for the cook in your family.......

2011-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

For the cook or food preparer in your family that LOVES hearts we have a beautiful one of a kind cutting board in the shape of a heart. This is made with maple and cherry lumber and glued in Weber's Cabinets signature end grain style. This makes it extremely durable and gentle on knives. You too can have your very own, just stop by our shop in Lodi, California or purchase online at Weber's Cabinets, Inc. your custom cabinet girl

i love happy clients, and my new scanner!

2011-01-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

Now with my new "technology" (aka scanner) I can scan items that are given to me like this thank you note from Darrell and Jorden. I have known Darrell since he was really little and I can't believe he is married already, well actually I cannot believe I am married already. Time just goes by so fast.
We made this cutting board for them for Christmas and they were so nice to send a thank you note with a picture! I love it! I hope they enjoy it for years to come.......

your custom cabinet girl

dreams and awaiting an answer

2011-01-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

I had the craziest dream on Friday night and I woke up all upset and breathing hard like I had been crying. But when I touched my face I didn't feel any tears. Those dreams are so strange. I was dreaming that I had gotten a phone call from a lady who had received pictures of my cutting boards that I had sent over a year ago. I was so excited and emotional in the dream, like I couldn't believe it was real (which it really wasn't), but anyway she was so excited about my cutting boards and this BIG Company she worked for wanted to sell them. I was just in complete shock and amazement and a little bummed when I woke up. So funny, how a bad dream can make you wake up and realize you are so happy it was a dream and then a happy dream makes you wake up dissappointed.

But I don't expect to be dissappointed for long! I shipped a new product to Williams Sonoma on Friday that they loved, so now I am awaiting to hear from them. They wanted a board the depth of a kitchen counter with a lip on the end. This picture of it is what we came up with, the second time. There are always changes. I am hoping I get an order for a lot, I mean A LOT! Here's to hoping. I will be praying in the morning.

your custom cabinet girl

pest or pill?

2011-01-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

I am trying to stay positive for the New Year and "trying" to "feel" excited but January has always been a hard month for me. I always look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas and we all prepare for these waaay in advance. For Christmas we purchase gifts and decorate preparing for 24 hours of bliss, and then its over. And all Christmas day I am thinking; "savor this, its only one day, its almost over." I can't even enjoy it. I know I am a little nuts, but I think Christmas needs to be at least a week long of celebration with all the preparation we do for it. Thanksgiving is not too bad because when its over I still have Christmas to prepare and look forward to.

And how can I be depressed when I have these two goofballs around ALL THE TIME. Children are literally right on you every second asking questions, wanting milk, or just wanting to be with you. I really want to savor that, because when they get older they won't want to be around me as much. And with Mr. Know-it-All thrown into the mix I have all the testosterone, mess, and needy boys I can handle.

My pastor at church today got me thinking about how I can make 2011 more productive for Jesus than 2010. This really got me thinking and convicted about how I really live my life on a daily basis. What is my purpose? I really think when my dad and I pray in the morning before work we need to pray for Jesus to give us our purpose with the cabinet shop. I think that is where I will start.

I will be back at work tomorrow thinking about my purpose and getting my butt in gear. I am trying to get our product into the Williams-Sonoma catalog and I will tell you right now its going to be tough. It has to be a perfect fit for the brand, something new, and I am not sure what else, my name needs to be April Williams, just kidding. I am going to be a "nice pest" is what my dad said. Are there "nice pests" or just "pests?" I don't know, maybe I will just be a pill.

your custom cabinet girl

follow up for the AOL article

2010-12-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

The wonderful and talented Lisa Johnson Mandell a writer for AOL (among many other things), decided to follow up with me at the end of 2010. She said the article she wrote about me in August got a lot of good feedback along with some others she wrote this year, and wanted to see what had happened since then.

You can see the article here @ Most Popular Subjects on AOL

Mr. Know-it-All had to mention that I email her with a request that I am NOT SINGLE. So I thought about it, no just kidding. I did ask her to somehow mention I am happily married if she could. And she wrote a small paragraph about it in the section about me. Suffice to say, Mr. Know-it-All was happy and it put a smile on his face.

your custom cabinet girl

Me and Nate Berkus

2010-12-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

If you ever, I mean EVER get to be on a TV show you MUST keep a camera with you at ALL TIMES. My dad and I learned this from experience when we were on The Nate Show. We didn't take the camera with us when we went out on stage for the segment. And because of the time when the segment was over we had to leave immediately. Our flight was leaving around 6:30 which wouldn't have been a problem except our segment didn't tape till around 4:30 and the producers were afraid we would miss our flight.

I did have time to take this picture with Nate after he interviewed me. And I LOVE that he is holding the Wine Bottle. So cool. I really didn't get to meet him or talk to him until I got on stage and sat in the chair and when he walked out I know my jaw dropped to the floor. I am getting all nervous again just writing about it! And we had maybe 1 minute before everyone was ready to go and he sat down next to me and all I could say was "hi." I am SO MAD AT MYSELF!! All I said was Hi?? so lame.......

All I have to say is Nate is a truly genuine man and he really cares about others and wants to help by using his talent which is decorating. It took me 3 months but I finally got the pictures from the show. I am so thankful for an incredible adventure that was the 24 hours I was in New York.

your custom cabinet girl

fun stuff happens in a cabinet shop!

2010-12-16T16:47:00.000-08:00

Since we have been building all these butcher blocks my dad has really been solving issues making our production process easier. When the order came for the 2000 units a good friend of my dad's, Frank decided he could help. He is a machinest and took one of our molding machines and turned it into a gang rip.

Now don't think I know what I am talking about cause I don't, I just listen to what they tell me. But here is the scoop on how this will make our production faster. Currently we were cutting each piece of lumber in specific sized strips ONE AT A TIME, now when we place the piece of lumber into this machine it will cut the lumber into SIX PIECES of equal sizes. With ONE rip on the lumber we are making SIX pieces instead of ONE. We will have our pieces to glue in a faster amount of time, giving us a quicker turnaround which will really help.

Isn't this a cool picture of the lumber coming out of the machine! I know, I am a little strange but what can I say? Fun stuff happens in a cabinet shop!

your custom cabinet girl

last shipment out!!!

2010-12-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

We shipped out our last 325 wine bottles on Friday night. I have been really relaxing since Friday walking around SLOWLY and taking deep breaths.......ahhhhh normalicy. Is there such a thing in December, I hope so! This is Luis, Pete, Frank, and Jeff in front of the last pallet to leave the buidling for the Williams-Sonoma warehouse. They all worked so hard these last two months getting these units out. They had to make sure they were "camera ready" by spraying off all the sawdust off their clothes for "picture time."

We were a gluing, sanding, packing machine! I still can't believe I actually got them all packed at out on Friday night. We had most of the 325 to pack still and we were sanding till 6:00pm. I had the pickup scheduled from 4-6pm and of course the guy shows up at 4pm. He had to ask his boss if he could wait because we were his last pickup. Miraculously he was able to do another pickup in Stockton and come back to Lodi to pick up our units. He didn't come back till a little after 6:30pm and I was just putting the last amount of shrink wrap around the last pallet. I don't think I have really "yelled" at an employee before but I was getting pretty antsy at the end, "20 minutes left guys" I screamed. "Get it done!!!!!" As I am frantically wrapping the bottles in paper and packing them onto the pallets. It was definately a workout.

It seems like each of our orders went out like this every time if it was 500 units or 300 units we were still working till the last second. If you ask Mr. Know-it-All he would say I need some serious work on my timing. Mark my foreman said "we probably won't make the shipment out by Wednesday, maybe Thursday, but definately Friday." I wanted to strangle him Friday, (j/k) when we were still sanding and cutting out the bottles at 4:00pm!!!! It was a MIRACLE we got these out. My goal is to get better timing with the whole production thing. Maybe Mr. Know-it-All can help with that. Thanks to all my helpers you are the best!

your custom cabinet girl

the unknown is so darn scary

2010-11-29T15:08:00.000-08:00

I have been told many times, "you must be so excited about all these wine bottles you have to make." I nodd a resounding yes but in my mind it has not come to a full realization yet on what has really transpired or what this all really means. I am very thankful for what has happened so far but I am in a misty fog of thoughts and doubts. Now that this is the last shipment out this week to finish off the big order of wine bottles I am begining to contemplate.

This is Mr. Know-it-all, my Mom, and my Aunt Ellen in the background working on one of our shipments last week.

God is teaching me a big lesson this year about trust. Well now that I think about it he has been teaching me all my life, ha, ha..... He wants me to trust in him completely and I know in my heart and head I would be stupid not to, but I just can't seem to get over the control issue. All of us want to be in control and want the assurance of the future but that is just not to be. If I had known 4 years ago when the economy had started to tumble along with all our work that I would be ok, and make it this far, then I wouldn't have tried as hard. In other words if I knew the future outcome because we all want to, it wouldn't have benefited me in the learning process. But today I sooooooo want to know the future. Are the bottles going to sell well? Will Williams-Sonoma buy different products I have to offer? Will we stay busy enough, etc, etc........All these questions. And now I have realized that what I really need to do is obey Jesus and Trust in him and He will lead the way. And that is just what I will do.

Two beautiful gifts from God. They are just angels sometimes and terrors at other times, but they are the perfect gift.

your custom cabinet girl

good gollie miss blondie

2010-11-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

This is such a cute blog about a single mom raising a son and all that it entails. She graciously reviewed our wine bottle and put it on her popular blog. You can see it here at good golly miss blondie

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving......

your custom cabinet girl

"my box is so beautiful mom!"

2010-11-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

This is my hard little worker.......

Who also lives in a box when he is at the shop. It looks like this..

I asked my dad to bring back one of the boxes we had a cabinet shipped in to the shop last Friday. This is it all carved with its own front door and two little windows. Nathan was so excited when Papa made his "Box" that he came running to me in the office; "Mom! Mom! Papa made me a beautiful box!" I have never seen someone so enthusiastic about cardboard before. You would have thought he was going on a trip to Disneyland or something, but no just excited about his box.

When I went to invesitgate later Jakob had put his stamp on it with his handwriting that says; "welcom to my house." So cute. Jakob loves the box too.

So funny......I have to find some way to keep them happy at work with me.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! There is a lot to be thankful for.

your custom cabinet girl

review on serendipity mommy

2010-11-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

Candace the "Serendipity Mommy" asked me if she could review one of my wine bottle cutting boards and of course I said "yes." What a neat blog! If you go here you can read Candy's review and about how to enter the giveaway. I am doing a few giveaways this holiday season so you will have plenty of opportunity to win a wine bottle if you want one! I am just so humbled by all the positive feedback and lovely comments by all the readers and bloggers out there. That is one great Christmas present this year! Thank you to all of you for the kind words of encouragement and compliments.

your "grateful" custom cabinet girl

dodging the bullets

2010-11-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had something go wrong and then another thing go wrong and then another? Keep going and going......... That is what today was like. I have 300 wine bottles I am supposed to ship out on Friday and I don't know if it will be possible. On Saturday at work one of my guys cut his thumb in half and thankfully didn't cut his bone or a tendon. He did however have to get 19 stitches and he is resting for at least 10 days. My foreman is gone for the rest of the week to be with his mom in the hospital while she gets open heart surgery. And the sander broke today, but only for 5 hours, (thankfully). A repair technician drove all the way up to Lodi from Fresno to show us how to push the reset button. Only 500.00 dollars later and I have a sander back in business! Crazy day. I will tell you this though my guys pumped out 150 planks and were gluing machines! They are awesome. We are working on catching up!!! I haven't been home for 1 day in over a week, I feel like I live at the shop. And now I am home writing about work, it just won't end!!!

your custom cabinet girl

a mom's impression

2010-11-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

Another blog where you can try to win your very own wine bottle cutting board! Kat Hodson wrote a review about my wine bottle I sent her and she likes it she really likes it!! I am just so humbled by all these bloggers who are reviewing my cutting boards. They are really something else! Fabulous. If you would like to read Kat's review and see how to enter to win one go here;

wine bottle chopping block review

your custom cabinet girl

mom spotted blog

2010-11-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

A great blog by a mom named Jennifer Leigh called; mom spotted posted a review today about my wine bottle cutting board! This is something you need to check out because I am offering a wine bottle in a giveaway she is doing. There are different requirements in order to put your name in the hat. One of them caused me to get new followers today on my twitter account which was nice because I am really new to this twitter stuff. And all because of Jennifer Leigh at mom spotted !!! I am so excited.

Let me know what you think!

your custom cabinet girl

dealectible mommies

2010-11-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

So I have another fantastic mom blogger who reviewed my product for a holiday gift guide. Here is the link to the site called Dealectible Mommies The author is Candace who has over 1,000.00 worth of items that she will be giving away to one lucky winner for Christmas. I want to enter cause I could win some great gifts and I could send a wine bottle chopping block to myself! (I still don't have one yet). But Mr. Know-it-All thought I was serious when I said I should enter the contest and gave me the "that is so wrong speech." Doesn't he know me better than that? I am always joking around of course I'm not going to enter myself in the contest ;) never in a million years........

Go read Candace's blog......go now you can click off custom cabinet girl I give you permission.

your custom cabinet (sarcastic) girl

the cupcake bandits

2010-11-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

Awesome blog site and great reading for all of you foodie lovers out there and then some. Christine who writes this blog wrote up a review today about our wine bottle chopping blocks along with information about our heart shaped ones as well. I sent her one for her to review she "Loved It" and I was so pleased to hear that. I will be adding her blog to my must read list of blogs. And if you are in the mood to win a little something, follow her directions at the bottom of her review and you too can have your very own wine bottle chopping block!

Go here to read her great review -) The Cupcake Bandits Review

ready for the next 3 weeks?

2010-11-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to blog about this or that going on in the shop and I just cannot get to sit down. And when I do, I feel sooooo tired....... I am excited now that I am feeling more refreshed and ready to go for the next 3 weeks. Starting this week we have to ship out 300 wine bottles every Friday for the next 3 weeks. I am excited and also scared because I do not know the outcome after this order. I do have a shop full of hardworking guys that I am enjoying getting to know.

This is me in the office putting mineral oil on 10 wine bottles that I forgot to send in the shipment last Thursday. We shipped out 550 wine bottles, well we were supposed to ship out 550. Turns out Thursday night I am sound asleep and I wake up thinking about the pallets we shipped, and started counting. Who does that? Apparently I do, but I kept counting and counting and thinking no you didn't! But I did, I had a total of 480 wine bottles packaged on pallets and I thought "only need 60 more!" Of course my foreman Mark says, "April we have too many extra." And I say, "no no we only need 60 more." He obviously wasn't counting either. When I woke up I realized "NO I NEEDED 70 MORE, NOT 60!" My heart is pounding in my chest that I have made this horrible mistake and how am I gonna fix it. I remembered the guy that picked up the pallets said they would either be driving them to Mississippi or they would go on a train. I could see myself running after the train, "STOP! STOP! I HAVE 10 MORE, JUST 10!" What an idiot I am! And when I have to email the Williams-Sonoma people they just say, "oh no problem, happens all the time!" I hope she wasn't just being nice because hearing that gave me a peace beyond understanding. I am such a ball of emotions as Mr. Know-it-All would say.

your custom cabinet girl

2010 Holiday Gift Guides

2010-10-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

So I am new to the "blogosphere" and the "blog world" and to all this web internet stuff, but I stumbled upon something very significant I think. Drum roll please.............The incredibly popular "Blog Holiday Gift Guides!!" I was reading in my "help out a reporter" emails and I came across a blogger who was looking for items to review for her gift guide, so I decided to submit my wine bottle information to her. By that evening I started receiving all kinds of emails from mommy bloggers throughout the USA and Canada! I thought my wonderful friend and website designer Rachael had submitted more of my information to her blogger friends, and to find out it was all from this "one" mommy blogger TheMomJen. Thank you Jen, you're the best!

Now I have 20 bloggers waiting to get my product and reviewing it! Amazing and scary at the same time, because what if they don't like it? I know, I know, not everyone is going to like it but I just hate rejection doesn't everyone? Besides that, a guy that works for the "Weightwatchers" magazine is doing a review on gifts for Christmas this year and he said he LOVES my chopping block! Yea! I am estatic, but now let's hope it gets INTO the magazine, not a 100% for sure yet. Cross your fingers.........

your custom cabinet girl

the great mystery of the titebond III

2010-10-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

So you may be asking "why is April writing about the glue?" Well let me tell you. This glue has been the end of me, let me tell you. I have bought out each Lowes store in gallons of this glue in the San Joaquin County area. I have gone at night with Jakob and Nathan gallons in toe, with strange looks from strangers. I know they're all wondering what in the world I want all this glue for but nevermind, at this point I don't even care. Just give me the glue!!

I even sent Mr. Know-it-All to the Sacramento Lowes to buy 10 gallons they had on Friday because we were completely out. I feel like a failure because I haven't been able to keep up with the necessities of making these butcher blocks. I ordered 50 gallons of the stuff on Monday which was to arrive on Friday and when I went to pick it up I was told it wasn't being delivered till Monday. Monday!!! I had to have it for Friday! So this resulted in using my husband to go fetch the most glue he could from the closest Lowes I could find.

This has been frustrating yet enlightening for me to notice all the "inventory suppliers" out there in which their job is to provide all their employees with the necessities in order to make their product. I salute you because I suck at at it.

your custom cabinet girl

i haven't been this tired since birthing a baby!

2010-10-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

We did it! And I mean "WE" in all senses of the word. This was a group effort and without all my new coworkers I could not have done it. I am so proud of them! We were down to the last second. I got my stickers late this week which means I couldn't box up the bottles which means I had less time to get everything packed. But we did it! I just had to ask for an additional day to get everything ready.

And don't think I didn't have nightmares last night about it even after it was all done, cause I did. I had a dream that I gave a partial part of the shipment to the wrong guys who were supposed to pick up something else. And then another guy came to pick up the pallets and they weren't even in pallets, the boxes were strewn about everywhere! I woke up panicked and then realized it was already done. Whew! What a week. We all worked day and nights till about 9 or 10 pm and came right back bright and early to sand and box and oil the bottles. I don't think any of us could have tried any harder, but by Thursday I was feeling so tired that it has caused me to work slow and I feel lazy. With all that said, I love a good adventure and this week sure was one!

We have another 550 to ship out in less than two weeks and we are out of glue again! Maybe I will mention this, well what the heck? I LOVE TITEBOND III and that is the only product we use to glue up our butcher blocks because it is the strongest glue and its waterproof! If someone from that company wants to sell me a lot of glue for a competitive price I am all for it. I have bought it all out of all the Lowes stores in the surrounding area. And don't think I don't think it looks funny when I am buying up gallons of glue and that is the only thing in my shopping cart!

I keep being asked, "aren't you so excited?" And, "isn't this just so great?" And my answer has been an astounding "yes" but I have been working so much and running around so much that I really haven't been able to sit down and comprehend it all yet. I am a little disappointed in myself that I haven't fully appreciated all that God has provided for me in the last month. What extraordinary things that have conspired and I am so THANKFUL, but I still cannot comprehend. I think that will take time. I just appreciate all of the support from my family, friends, and followers (who are family and friends), because without you there would be no one to share this "miracle" with. Thank you and I will be blogging more soon.

BTW: I was interviewed for 6 minutes by Maria Bailey from www.momtalkradio.com and it will be on her show Sunday night. If you go to her website you can find out where it will be on the radio in your area and you can listen!

your custom cabinet girl

500 wine bottles to go out wednesday

2010-10-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

If you look at this cute little sleepy boy you can get an idea of how tired I am. I am NOT complaining because working is so much fun, and I am so THANKFUL for the extra work. I was actually enjoying today in the shop sanding the wine bottles and smoothing out their edges. I just saw this picture of Nathan from a couple of years ago and it makes me want to hug him all the more before he gets too big.

My boys were at work with me because Mr. Know-it-All is in Dallas this weekend. He has to go to the Cowboys game in "Cowboy Territory" in order to get the full effect. I just think its hilarious because I don't understand the obsession. I really don't. But I guess its just like my obsession with books. I could get a good book and lay down and read for hours and be so content while he can watch football and sit on the couch for hours and be content.

Well its "happy sanding" for me and lots more wine bottles to make which makes me happy. Next on my agenda I have to figure out how to get my wine bottle into the hands of Oprah. Wouldn't that be something? I really want to be on her "favorite things" show and take Mr. Know-it-All along because now he thinks he is my agent! He has all the answers!

your custom cabinet girl

today is the day!

2010-10-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well today is the day! I am on the Nate Berkus Show! I am actually very nervous today and have been for a few weeks anticipating the outcome of all of this. Will people like my product? Will they buy it? All the unknowns that are soon to be known.

I was just overwhelmed with thankfulness for Nate Berkus. In the beginning of my segment with him I cried because I had realized what a BIG DEAL it was for him to have me (of all the people in this world), on his show. And to be able to show my product to the people watching the show. So I am just going to put it out there, BUY THEM PEOPLE!

BUY THEM UP! Its a great product that will look beautiful in any home. And you can use it too!

Before I forget, we just launched our new and improved Weber's Cabinets website. So please visit our new website, look around and buy our wine bottle shaped chopping block or heart shaped chopping block.

More to come about what happened on the show!

April Morse, your custom cabinet girl

officially for sale on Williams-Sonoma website!

2010-10-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

If you would have told me that Williams-Sonoma would order more butcher blocks in such a short amount of time since becoming a vendor for them, and put my product on their website within a week I would have told you to "take a hike!" No really, "take a hike!" I cannot believe all that has transpired in the last 2 weeks. I have been able to hire more people to help make the wine bottle blocks in order to fill these new orders. I am so THANKFUL and GRATEFUL!! Jesus is faithful when you obey and I can definitely say that with all sincerity and truth.

Go here to check out the Wine Bottle on the Williams-Sonoma website!

There was a particular night last year I was extremely down and lost in the thoughts of "what to do?" I asked my husband Greg; "do you think we are going to make it? Cause I don't think we are going to make it." He said, "of course you are going to make it, you just keep going. You get up tomorrow, you hold your head up and you just keep working hard." That gave me just the encouragement I needed in order to get by for the next day and then I would need some more for the following day. What a roller coaster and life lesson this has been.

Never give up if you think in your heart and your mind that what you are doing is what you are supposed to be doing. And do not feel bad about being vulnerable, because it just humbles you. I am still learning that I have to humble myself and trust COMPLETELY in God and give him EVERYTHING. He is teaching me to trust only in Him for all my concerns and why shouldn't I? He loves all of us and only wants the best for us. Thank you to all of the wonderful encouragers in my life, it helps me keep on moving and building those butcher blocks!

your custom cabinet girl

i have an air date!

2010-10-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok......for all of you that keep asking me when is the segment for "The Nate Show" going to air here it is! Thursday October 7, 2010. Just click above and you can see the details.

And if you are wondering why I put this picture up of my family............well let me tell you. When you read the description of the show it states that I am a "single mom" and you all know I am not. So I am doing this for my wonderful husband of over 10 years and clarifying so you know that I know that you know.....well you know.

your custom cabinet girl

traveling

2010-09-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

So I figure I can talk about the traveling part of the trip now. I have never traveled so far in such a short amount of time. This trip was literally for the event only. Here dad and I are on our way and we (or at least me), are wired with adrenaline. You couldn't get me to sleep no matter how hard you tried. I was seriously worried about the bags that get under my eyes after no sleep, but that didn't phase my body to just stay extremely nervous and alert until the taping of the show was over.

What a nice lady we sat with on the airplane, Sandy. She took our picture here in the plane and also took the oath with us that "yes" we will assist in the exiting off the plane if such an emergency were to occur.

So when we got off the plane we hopped into a black sedan waiting for us at the airport to take us to the hotel. What traffic there is in New York City! Sheesh, little town girl from Lodi cannot relate. What a comfortable car though, we asked the driver a lot about himself and looked at all the sights we could see.

And what are the chances I will ever be in front of a subway entrance ever again? You never know so we took a picture. That was right after we got to the hotel put our stuff in the room and headed out to find something to eat. I was so tired and actually fell asleep for a few hours that night, but woke up at 3am with the nervous anxiety all over again. I did keep thinking though, I know that Nate Berkus is not nervous right now and HE IS THE SHOW! Why am I so nervous. But you couldn't tell that to my nervous nerves!

What a relief when the taping was all over. I can't wait to tell you all about it!

your custom cabinet girl

so here is the deal............

2010-09-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hey my fellow followers! Here is the deal, I cannot blog about my trip to (the show), or what happened until it airs. I am so sorry about that. It was a quick trip literally 24hours there and back. I am so excited for all of you to see it air and as soon as I know the date it airs I will let you know beforehand. Thanks to all of you for following!

your custom cabinet girl

this is craziness!

2010-09-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this is actually a camera sent to me from "The Nate Berkus Show"? I am so excited I can hardly stand it! My dad gets to fly out to New York with me next week and we are going to be on the show together to talk about our butcher blocks! It's craziness I tell you!@*#$&$*) Crazy!&$*#((

All I know right now is I am going to need A LOT of caffeine to keep me going to make all the butcher blocks I am going to have to make. If you guys have any suggestions on how to keep yourselves awake let me know!

your custom cabinet girl

interviewed today by the "sassy ladies" blog talk radio show!

2010-09-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

Listen to internet radio with TheSassyLadies on Blog Talk Radio

visit to Williams-Sonoma in Union Square San Francisco

2010-09-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

So this is dad and I so proud of the wine bottle on display in the Williams-Sonoma store. This was my FIRST time in a Williams-Sonoma store and I was so impressed. What a beautiful store! There are associates around every corner waiting to help you and give you information on any product. They know their stuff. This is what makes this store stand out above all the others, the quality of their products and the quality of their staff. Unbelievable excellence.

I am so proud to have the ability to make a product that is worthy to be in their store!

This is the entire family, Mom, Dad, Greg, Nathan & Jakob! My boys couldn't wait to touch everything in the store. I kept saying, "keep your hands in your pockets!" Then I remembered when I heard that last, my dad was saying that to me all the time in stores when I was a kid! Funny how things just don't change.

your custom cabinet girl

change of plans

2010-09-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

I am definitely not going to listen to Mr. Know-It-All anymore. He kept saying; "did you blog about it yet?" Like 20 minutes after I found out on Saturday! One day after I blog about the trip and the plans have been changed, they are bumping it up for a week possibly two. So I am not going to New York tomorrow. I am half relieved because I have more time to get ready, and half disappointed because I was looking forward to it being this week. I will not say anymore about it until I have a plane ticket in my hand though.

Thank you all for your support and I will let you know just as soon as I know!

your custom cabinet girl

i'm feeling even better!

2010-09-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ok I have been waiting to write this for almost two weeks but I couldn't until I knew it was official. After the wonderful journalist Lisa Johnson Mandell posted my story on AOL I got a phone call from a producer of "The Nate Berkus Show." She asked me about my story and asked if I would be interested in being on the show. Well am I stupid? I think not! Of course I want to be on the show! But, I didn't have an official notice till yesterday when she called and asked if I would be available on Friday for a taping!

Is this crazy or what? I cannot believe all that has happened lately and I am in complete shock! I am so thankful for God's blessings and his faithfulness to get me through it all. All the nights I went home and told my husband; "I just don't think we are going to make it" and I would break down I don't know how many times. And he just said, "you keep your head up, and you keep going, you're going to make it." Without my husbands support I would have had a harder time going through all of the doubts and trials.

The president of Williams-Sonoma believed in our chopping block and how well it was made and now others are seeing it too! It just validates why I said I would not quit to those who told me to close the doors. My dad kept saying; "I don't see God wanting me to leave cabinet making, he keeps providing us with work to do and just what we need." Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness and for teaching me to trust in you completely, (although I am still in the big time learning stages with that).

Well I fly out Thursday to be in New York, where I have never been, and then to tape the show Friday with Nate Berkus! I am so excited I can hardly stand it and I cannot believe I am actually typing all this. Life is full of surprises!

I will clue you in to all the details as soon as I know!

your custom cabinet girl

i want to get out of bed!

2010-09-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

I felt sick yesterday on my way to work and when I was dropping my son Nathan off at my Mom's my stomach started to twirl and you know the rest. Well I felt better and thought I can go to work no problem, and I was scheduled to be interviewed on this radio show from a really nice enterprneur lady in Oakland, California.

I made it on the phone and just 1 minute before it was going to start I had to cancel the whole thing and run to the bathroom. Only to come out of the bathroom with two potential clients waiting for me to help them. Thank goodness for my dad, I got to go home and get sick some more by myself and be bored out of my mind.

I am just such a busy worker bee and I really hate sitting in bed trying to regain energy. Every time I get sick I realize just how good I had it (for I don't know) the last year of my life of not being sick. As we humans do, we forget and go through our routines of feeling good and not skipping a beat. And every time I am sick I want to say, "remember this" be grateful when you feel good because it is so much better than this.

I just can't say enough how things are starting to change all around me. The shop is getting busier with work and God blesses with every obstacle, and I am still here. I am so thankful for my family and my life and what Jesus has in store. What a blessing to be a witness for him and get his comfort in our times of trials. Thank you all for following. Some exciting news to come!

your custom cabinet girl

thank you for all the blessings and encouragement

2010-08-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

I have another order going out tomorrow for 25 more wine bottle chopping blocks and this time I didn't get to build them. I have been in the paint shop and the office a lot. Finishing cabinets to match is a little tricky, but I will get it soon enough.

What a crazy day Saturday was? I want to say thanks to all my "new" followers and those that have been with me from the beginning you have a special place in my heart. It was a nice day of great encouragement I could not ask for more. All the nice comments on my blog were so much fun to read! And I even got some new ideas offered to me.

Now I am off to the finish shop to primer a cabinet that is to be picked up tomorrow! Everything seems to be up to the very last second.

Oh and I did get some orders this weekend! One is in West Virgina, and another in Massachusetts! And another in Minnesota. What a great thing the internet is!

your custom cabinet girl

front page of aol.com

2010-08-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am on the front page of AOL ! Whoo Hoo!!!!

I don't think I have to write anymore today! But tomorrow I will let you know what happens! Thanks to all my followers and friends for supporting me.

your custom cabinet girl

we're trying to sell to the world!

2010-08-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well we decided to frame a map of the world hang it up in the office and flag all the cities of the Williams-Sonoma stores we are in. It seemed like a lot of stores and so far apart but when you flag it on a map of the world it begins to look small. Nevertheless its still exciting and I am so looking forward to adding more flags to the separate people I sell the blocks to "around the world."

By the way, (and when I tell you this you are not going to believe it cause I hardly can), I will be on aoljobs.com in an article about my story by the end of the week! And.....if AOL decides to do so they will put it on their front page where millions of people will see it! Crazy and I cannot believe I am writing this right now. I am so excited I can hardly concentrate yet put together a sentence. I want to mention the journalist Lisa Johnson Mandell who called me and interviewed me and graciously decided to pitch this story. I am so grateful for the opportunity.

I am trying to get everything together on my the Weber's Cabinets website in order for it to be super easy for any one to order a wine bottle butcher block. If you so choose, go to the following link;

Weber's Cabinets, Inc. and you too can have one of your very own! Later to all my wonderful blogging following peeps!

your custom cabinet girl

one thing at a time......

2010-08-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

Children can give you a wonderful perspective on life. Just realizing how they have no concept of time is actually hilarious when you look back on the time you told them to "hurry it up!" When I ask them to hurry up I think they go slower just to irk me.

I am finding that only one thing can be accomplished at a time and this "multitasking" thing is really a step backwards. The more focused you are on one single project, the faster it gets done. Then you can go to the next and the next. I also am learning I cannot do it all and that makes me frustrated, but human. You can't do it all even when you try your hardest. You just don't have enough time in the day or energy to accomplish what it is that needs to be done. Those people I see that are involved in everything and seem like they "DO" do it all. But of course they don't. You and I know they're taking a nap on Sunday, or crashing on the couch in utter exhaustion eventually.

This picture is where I want to be someday. Enjoying my children and grandchildren and really "playing with them." I think that is why grandparents say being a grandparent is the best thing ever. They have time, and a perspective and knowledge that us young people just don't understand.

So now that I have gone completely off track on perspective I am really thinking about this because I have "so much work to do!" I am going insane! But I do love it, and I have always said "if you don't love what you do, you need to get a new job." Therefore, I am taking one thing at a time.

your custom cabinet girl

P.S. I might be in an article written by a journalist that works for AOL! Crazy! Wish me luck, or better yet pray for me!

are you ready to do some shopping?

2010-07-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

Now I was told by a Williams-Sonoma executive that the wine bottle blocks will be available in these following stores on August 1st. That's tomorrow people! Tomorrow!!!!! So you better get ready to do some shopping!

West Coast Williams-Sonoma Stores

Beverly Hills, Ca

San Diego, Ca (7007 Friars Road Suite583)

Walnut Creek, Ca

Palo Alto, Ca

San Francisco, Ca

Costa Mesa, Ca
Corte Madera, Ca

Newport Coast, Ca

Bellvue, Wa

Albequerque, NM

Littleton, Co

Mid West

Austin, TX

Houston, TX

Dallas, TX

Oakbrook, IL

Edina, Minnisota

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

East Coast

King of Prussia, PA

Annapolis, Maryland

Short Hills, NJ

New York, NY (Columbus Circle)

New York, NY (59th and Lexington)

Boston, MA

And........if you happen to be in CANADA......

Calgary, Alberta Canada

We are not just National, but International. Lets make this big, buy em up people! Thank you so much for your support!

your custom cabinet girl

i'm a little concerned......

2010-07-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

This week I did a lot of sanding in the shop and boy does my right arm hurt. My muscles are sore to the touch. I know this probably means I am creating more muscle but I really am concerned because I don't want to look like a body builder. I mean really, I am more of an indoor girl. The other concern is, will my left arm look different than my right? Significantly? I have no idea, but that is scary to me. I love working out in the shop but I am really looking forward to a day of dressing up. Having to wear slightly holey or painted clothing every day is getting old really quick. Now I am thinking I need a balance. A certain amount of days in the shop, and then the other in the office.

By the way, (Monica I know you're reading this), I will post all the stores the wine bottles will be in tomorrow. I was going to do it tonight but I left my list in my office. Oops.......scatterbrain is what you should call me lately. I have to confirm tomorrow that the blocks will be out on the floor of the stores starting August 1st.

your custom cabinet girl

good day sacramento tomorrow!

2010-07-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that we will be on Good Day Sacramento (channel 13), tomorrow morning at the 7am and 8am hours. Jackie Tranchida is coming by to see how we make our wine bottle blocks and what the process is. I am very nervous and I hope it brings a lot of business.

If you would like to purchase a wine bottle or a heart please visit Weber's Cabinets, Inc. and click on the "products" link and you too can have one!

Our wine bottle chopping blocks will be available in the Williams-Sonoma stores around August 1st throughout the United States and Canada. I am supposed to confirm that date in a week or so. I have another shipment of 20 to go out next week, and I will update you on that soon enough!

i got in the paper!

2010-07-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here is the article; Lodi Company Capitalizes on the Power of Blogging
So my wonderful cousin Jamie Baker emailed me last week and said she wanted to contact the Lodi News Sentinel to do a article on my wine bottle blocks. I thought that was so nice of her so I said, "sure." And sure enough a writer calls me from the paper Tuesday morning and shows up with a photographer a couple of hours later. He was so nice and genuinely excited about my story. Too bad I didn't dress better yesterday. I was working in the finish shop and looking kinda "scrappy" but thank goodness I put on some make-up that day.

Then to make it even more exciting or embarrassing (you take your pick), I wake up and go get the paper and its front and center! Crazy! Didn't expect that either. I am so thankful for all the support and encouragement I have had through all of this, it has truly been a remarkable time in my life for all these things to be happening. And I owe all my success to Jesus himself my Father in heaven. He is my perfect Savior who loves me through it all. I hope you see that he too loves you!

until i get more time to write and not run around like a crazy girl!

your custom cabinet girl

packing up first order for Williams-Sonoma

2010-07-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Oh I am so excited and I know that I sound loony tunes but I cannot believe it! I didn't find out until 9:30 am yesterday if the pickup for the first order was going to be today or not!

Here is my son Jake the "slave labor" who worked so hard yesterday packing and mainly oiling the butcher blocks with mineral oil. My dad called him, the "personal gulf oil spill." He oiled up my dad's work bench pretty good. He will be paid accordingly.

As for me a lot of wrapping and making packing stickers and packing slips and "this way up" signs.

I will get more pictures up soon, there is something wrong with my camera downloading all the pictures I took yesterday.

I am so thankful for all of my friends and their encouragement, this has truly been the hardest "physical" work I have ever done in my life, and it was a really fun and satisfying process.

When the delivery truck comes to pick up the two pallets today and take the 120 butcher block bottles to Williams-Sonoma I am going to want to take a picture of the whole thing and tell him my story. Mr. knowitall says he's going to think I am a weirdo, but do I care? No.

your custom cabinet girl

according to; mr. knowitall.....blah....blah....blah.....

2010-06-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

As you have probably noticed I am extremely sarcastic especially when it comes to that person I have to sleep with every night. Every time I have a post he likes to read it, (and I think only because he wants to make sure I don't say anything bad about him). Ha ha......

When I posted two weeks ago about having street credit in the shop with my new experience, he says, "you cannot crown yourself with street credit, it must be given to you." Are you kidding me? Is he serious? This thought is coming from a man who takes home all the plastic cups he can find at the baseball or football stadium when the game is over.

Better go, now he is trying to convince the boys that they would rather watch the baseball game than cartoons! Poor kids. I will update you on Monday with my progress on the butcher blocks. Almost done with my first order!

your custom cabinet girl

i'm building butcher blocks!

2010-06-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

My wonderful son Jakob took some pictures of me this morning gluing up the blocks. I have to wear an apron because the glue is so sticky that any remnant of it left on your clothing will not come off. It also keeps sawdust and dirt from getting on my clothing too.

I am so thankful for this weather, its been 80 degrees the last two days and its wonderful out in the shop with the breeze. Not normal Lodi weather in June.

This is the second phase of constructing the wine bottle blocks. I have to glue 25 strips of glued up lumber from the first phase in order to yield two wine bottles. Last night I glued up 5 total boards which will make 10 bottles. And this morning I glued up 6 more which makes 12 more. I am feeling the push however, because these need to be done and sent out before July 1st!

But don't tell me I cannot do something because I am ready to prove you wrong!

your custom cabinet girl

getting street cred

2010-06-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...... the inevitable street credit. Yes! I finally have it and have been practicing now consistently for a week. I have used the clamps, titebond III glue, scraper, spray gun, air gun, hand sander, and the "Big Ass Sander." You see that puppy right behind me, yes that is it and it is a monster. Its also a little temperamental at times too. But I can handle that big Cadillac.

Today's duties were to scrape all the glued up lumber boards and get them ready to put through the belt sander. Then I made up two more new sets of glued up boards like the ones you see below. Those will be ready to scrape tomorrow.

We can make two wine bottles with each board. I have to get 120 wine bottles done and shipped to Williams-Sonoma by July 1st! I am so excited, and getting um done!

big changes

2010-06-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

Big changes are going on here at Weber's Cabinets. Here are my biggest supporters, three of my favorite guys. They are so understanding and loving to me and I just appreciate their kisses and hugs, even when they don't want to kiss and hug all the time like me.

Last Friday we had to make the decision to lay the rest of our crew off, and my dad and I are in the shop together building and finishing cabinets. Well, he is building, and I am sanding and trying to finish. Our projects ahead will keep us both super busy, but we just weren't busy enough to keep everyone else. This is sad to me because my employees are like family. They are there with you almost every day, seeing your good attitudes, and sometimes grumpy times. Not that I have those! And employees become friends, sometimes life long friends. I hope that they know how grateful I am to have had them share their lives with me.

Anyway, I am seeing this as an opportunity to get myself out into the shop. The circumstances aren't how I wanted to be working in the shop, but "God's ways are not our ways." I wanted to work in the shop so bad, and now I have the chance. I am going to take it and run! I am just scared I don't have the talent it takes to "build" cabinets, but we'll just have to see!

your custom cabinet girl

gluing them up and sending them out!

2010-05-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would show you a piece of the process that goes into making the butcher blocks. We have cut out pieces of lumber and glued them together and here in the picture they are in clamps to hold the glue till it dries.

Now because of this strange weather here in California the glue is not drying fast so these have to sit over night. These are actually squares in the almost exact size to cut out the heart shaped blocks. Our blocks we glue up for the wine bottles are much bigger in order to cut out 4 bottles at a time. Interesting no?

Have a fantabulous weekend everyone!

your custom cabinet girl

official first order!

2010-05-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's my official orders! Yea! I have a lot of blocks to make. (Notice the inspirational drawings behind me)? Courtesy of my 6 year old.

There has been a change though. I am not shipping the wine bottle blocks directly to the Williams-Sonoma stores, so I am not sure which are the top stores and who all will be carrying them just yet.

But don't you worry, I will find out and let you know. And as soon as I know, you have to buy them up!

love you all,

your custom cabinet girl

working in the shop!

2010-05-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I didn't know how to channel all this nervous energy I had. So I came in to work this morning asking to do some sanding in the shop for an hour. We have a lot of heart blocks to cut and sand and I wanted to be useful and not sitting by myself at my desk nervously wringing my hands.

I know, I have to sand while standing on a stool. But I am just too short for the work bench in order to get some muscle into my sanding work.

My dad secretly took this picture of me and sent it to my lovely husband who said; "did she take the short bus to work today?" He is so not on my good side. Hopefully my next post will be about the order from Williams-Sonoma! Any day!

your custom cabinet girl

nervous energy

2010-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

You know that feeling of being nervous, scared, and excited? If you ever went to the prom you'll know what I am talking about because that is the closest way I can describe it. I need calm and this picture brings me there.

Look at them so nicely scraping off the paint from our brick fireplace. So peacefully working together. The calmness of father and son working together to get a project done. Helping each other like a team. That is so nice.

Look at Tiger resting by Nathan's foot because "Nathan is busy!"

I can only say that I am so nervous because I know that the order from Williams-Sonoma is coming in today or tomorrow. And I am DYING to know how many? Where will they go? Will I ship them out right? Are they going to be made in time? Etc. Etc.......

I am so excited though, and it's thrilling, full of new possibilities and yet I have this nervous energy that I cannot get rid of. It's like being in high school all over again. And trust me, I don't want to go back to high school.

until later,
your custom cabinet girl

heart blocks are for sale!

2010-05-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

They're officially for sale! And my friend and blogger Rachael Bender is selling my heart shaped blocks in her store. Just go to blue suit mom-the open sky project and check it out!

You too can have one!

talk to you soon,

your custom cabinet girl

the open sky project

2010-05-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

So today has been interesting............ Because of a friend; Rachael Bender who happens to be a popular blogger, was asked to be on a network called; "The Open Sky Project" I get to sell my heart shaped blocks! The Open Sky Project is a place where famous bloggers and personalities recommend products they love, and she loves my chopping blocks!

My wine bottle is now an exclusive with "Williams-Sonoma" so I will be selling the heart shaped block on the "Open Sky" website. I signed and filled out all the paperwork last Friday, and it is ready to go for sale today! I also said I would have 50 hearts in stock which I have to build by Friday. AHHHHH!!!

I found out the news just before I came in to the shop this morning and when I got to work I was dying to tell my dad. I asked where Uncle Barry was, and my dad says, "oh I sent him home because we haven't gotten the order from "Williams-Sonoma" yet and he doesn't have anything else to do. (My Uncle Barry and Mark H. another employee are currently building the blocks in the shop). I had to call Barry up and ask him to please come back to work and start building those hearts!

What can I say, I have been saying this for the last two years, if your "problem" is needing to hire help, and your "problem" is running out of room that is a good thing! Thank you Lord Jesus for your faithfulness to me! And thank you to all my followers for reading my blog and promising to buy the blocks when they get in the store.

your custom cabinet girl

life is backwards theory

2010-05-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

If you really think about it life is backwards and I will tell you why. You always work hard in a low position at a company and the higher you get the least amount of "work" or "busy work" you have to do. You get paid less in the low position and you work harder to get to the higher position. At the higher position you get paid more and have less work, more responsibility but less "busy work."

When you are famous and "rolling in the dough" you can pretty much buy anything you want but everything is given to you for free. Contradictory but true. And that is what I have been contemplating lately. But my theory wouldn't agree with my dad because he is the highest position at Weber's Cabinets and probably does the most work, and gets paid the least. So you can just throw my theory in the garbage.

Anyway, from all of my readers suggestions, I have been told to send Oprah Winfrey a wine bottle. And if you think about my theory you know she can afford one (she could buy as many as she wants), but she is getting one for free. So funny how life works! Well I shipped one UPS ground to her yesterday and she won't get it till Friday, and I should get a confirmation email when it arrives. Inside the package I put this long letter you see in the picture, inside with it. I wanted to tell her my story and hope that she likes the wine bottle as much as the President at "Williams-Sonoma" does. I also put a sticky note on the top that said, "Please give to Oprah, Thanks." Lets hope she gets it!

If she gets it maybe she will like it? Well, only time will tell.

until next time,
your custom cabinet girl

this is'nt supposed to be hard is it?

2010-05-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

I consider myself as pretty well educated but today I feel stupid. Not just on one thing either on a multitude of things. I got the vendor paperwork and my own personal vendor number from "Williams-Sonoma" which is so exciting, but the paperwork that goes with it is lengthy and hard to understand. I will figure it out though. I have only spent 15 minutes on it and have had to take a break to write this, only because it seems like lately I have ADD. I get bored easily, and when I cannot understand what I am reading it really makes me unable to comprehend.

On that thought, I really am going to dig my heels in today and get this right. I am just so excited to start getting the orders, and how many we will get ,and I want my shipments to be perfect. I have to send the product out a certain way with certain paperwork and I do NOT want to make a mistake! I hate making mistakes, especially on something you have to follow directions for. I guess that's the perfectionism of my brain telling me "you better understand this or else!"

I am thankful that these orders will be coming in soon, and am just thankful for my family and friends. I am grateful for this opportunity and the strength from Jesus to get it done. I will triumph!
I am thankful that "Williams-Sonoma" has seen something in our product that I have seen for a very long time.

until next time,
your custom cabinet girl

more selling

2010-04-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

So I got a "Frontgate" catalog in the mail today at work and I thought, hummm.....should I try to sell my wine bottle chopping block to them too? Well of course I tried, and this is how you know every company is different. In one of the tiny word paragraphs' on the website is the actual email to the president of the company. BAM! I shot him over an email with a picture of the product. Maybe he will read it, only time will tell.

until later,

your custom cabinet girl

we're in!!!!!!

2010-04-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Oh yes! I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I am in! I got the official email from my "Williams-Sonoma" rep who said "you are in!" I just have to fill out the rest of the vendor paperwork as soon as I get it and then I will be getting orders! Hallelujah, Praise the Lord! It is all because of Jesus, that I have this work and I am so thankful to him for it!

When I get back into reality I will let you know the latest.

Until then,
your custom cabinet girl

P.S. Have a wonderful weekend!

i must be telepathic

2010-04-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

I must be telepathic, because while I was writing my blog just 15 minutes ago the vendor paperwork was being emailed to me! You might think I have some special magic. It's called Jesus, he is my special magic and he is always there for me every step of the way! Yes, I am so excited, and I did not take my dad's advice and sit down and look at the paper like I was official or anything. Are you kidding, this is CRAZY!!!!! I am all hyped up, but that's just me.

Now I must get home and take my little Jakob to church to get his "major award" for saying all his memory verses and going through his entire book for the year! He is so excited about that! Until more paperwork comes I will speak to you soon!

your custom cabinet girl

two more days..........

2010-04-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

While I am so anxious about the end result and becoming a vendor for "Williams-Sonoma." I have to tell you that I am trying to act so non-shallant about the whole thing. I know I am irritating someone in corporate because of all my questions, and urgency! Well hopefully they see it as a hard working ethic and not a; "oh my gosh, what is wrong with this girl?" Hopefully they think I'm great! Just kidding, all jokes aside, this is the first time I have ever dealt with something like this, and brought in a job like this, and I am just realizing this right now as I am typing. That is a lot of "this." Everything is dreamland for me right now. I hope to have a picture of myself with the vendor paperwork ready to fill out within 24 hours. I am expecting them any time now, and I am supposed to fill them out and send them back right away in order to be signed up as an official "Williams-Sonoma" vendor! Can't wait!!!! AHHHHHHH!

your custom cabinet girl

heart shaped butcher block

2010-04-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is another shape we built as a sample and I submitted it to Williams Sonoma, but it's too "cutesy." That's alright because I have another idea up my sleeve that is going to make those big executives really impressed!

On another note, I decided to try my luck with "Neiman Marcus" and they said they would look at my wine bottle on the website and if they like it get back in touch with me. I am wondering when I should follow up with this girl. Is Monday too soon?

your custom cabinet girl

mantle

2010-04-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

So here's my dad in the finish shop in front of the mantle he had just built. It wouldn't be right for me to stand in front of the mantle cause I didn't build it. If only..........

Anyway, this mantle is actually just about to be finished by Chris in the paint shop and go out to the job for install by Monday. What a beautiful job, and what a BIG job! I am so excited to see the end result. I will show you with pictures! Until then I will just blog about other stuff going on.

your custom cabinet girl

countdown has begun

2010-04-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

I am eagerly anticipating this decision as I sit here writing this......... I found out this morning that the panel from Williams-Sonoma that approves products won't be able to look at mine until the 23rd. So I get two more weeks to sweat it out! Ahhhhh........Oh well, that's ok, that's life right. I am just so honored to be considered and scared out of my mind at the thought.

I always loved that movie from 1988 called "Big Business" with Bette Midler. It was my favorite movie for the longest time, and I have seen it at least 20 times. She was so in control and funny, the big business lady that she was. And I kept telling my parents I wanted to be a big business woman, and here I am today sitting in a tiny office trying to make that come true. After all these years I really just wanted to stay in good old Lodi and be with my family, work with kids, and sing. And now, I am self employed and trying to make it in "big" business. So funny how life works and what God brings to the table.

packed and ready to go!

2010-04-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Well its been a hectic week to say the least. I haven't even tried to continue with my kitchen renovation which I want to get done before the 4th of July. I think I can do it though. I think I can.....I think I can....

So you are now looking at the new product I packed up and shipped to Williams-Sonoma today! Isn't it beautiful. We had to change out the cork in the top with cherry lumber, and to find what I needed was a nightmare! I am using a cherry dowel that is 1 1/4" in diameter and we wanted a 1 1/2" diameter. I can't find it! I don't think it exists! If it does, it costs way too much money, and I cannot, repeat CANNOT add to the cost of this thing. So if it gets shipped to them by Thursday morning they will product review it on Friday and let me know if I am a Williams-Sonoma vendor!

So I got my little tag together with the care instructions and tied it onto the neck of the bottle with the special thread I bought. All I can feel now is anxiety until I get the news! Yea or Nay!

Oh, and I emailed the president of Williams-Sonoma to tell him thank you for giving me a chance and I told him how honored I was that he loved my wine bottle. I basically laid my heart out and let him know that dreams do come true! He replied, "dreams do come true if you work hard enough, and your board is well done and a great idea for entertaining." Thank you very much, I will keep you all posted.

your custom cabinet girl