It’s been too long since my last blog post. I’m going to blame that mostly on non-sock related stuff… taking a quick vacation to Montana for some camping and to see one of my favorite bands at a music festival they put on in the mountains outside Bozeman: Storyhill Fest (I highly suggest going if you ever get the chance).
As some added bonuses I also got to see my brother-in-law (other son of THE Socklady) who lives in Bozeman and I got to see Brian & Molly – the friends who are biking across the country. Their route took them right through the area and their timing was perfect to come to the festival and hang out with us for a few days.
Our booth at SFIGF summer 2008
I’ve also been super busy getting ready for tradeshow season. Twice a year we hit the road and visit select tradeshows with the socks. These are the kind of shows where store owners come to shop – where they find all sorts of fun stuff (like our socks!) to sell in their stores. I love doing these shows – I’ve met lots of wonderful artists and it’s great to see what other creative products people have come up with. My first show of the summer season was in San Francisco at SFIGF. Usually my husband Randy joins me, but he’s too busy with his regular job, so I took a couple girl friends (Jenn & Andy) with me to the big show.
The three of us had a blast. Since there were three of us we also arranged to work a booth for some friends – Arra & Anne at Sea Stones so they could go visit wine country and show off their wine bottle stoppers (which are so cool!) to some winery gift shops. Randy & I also have some of their coast hooks in our master bathroom and several sets of coast hooks line the entryway of Solmate Socks HQ for everyone to hang their jackets on. The show was a huge success and I always enjoy touching base in person with the stores that carry our socks – we’re really lucky that we work with such wonderful shops and boutiques.
With the SFIGF tradeshow over I get to go home for a day and then I’m off to the Rosen show in Philadelphia.
Hi Randy,
Hope all is wonderful in your world.
OK, a sock testimonial….
On Dec. 19, 2008, my husband had a heart attack. We were snowed in, out here in Columbia City, Oregon. Thus I was not at work this day… Then Bam! Not knowing John was having a heart attack, but knowing something was very very wrong, I put him in our “chained up” Explorer and took of at a ripping speed of 30 mph to urgent care in St. Helens, Or. We do not have a hospital out here.
Long story short… bam from urgent care to Good Sam via a code red ambulance ride straight into surgery. John came through wonderfully with two stints placed in his heart. This was a Friday. That Monday one more stint was placed in his heart.
Now this all happened during the big bad snowstorm in the Portland Metro area.
Since I rode with my husband to the hospital via the ambulance I was now snow bound at the hospital with John for 5 days. Hwy 30 was a no go for the 5 days; so to go home just to change clothes and return to the hospital was not a possibility, and I would not ask anyone to go out into the weather to bring me anything.
However I was wearing your socks!!!!!!!!!!
My feet were never cold or uncomfortable walking up and down NW 23rd Ave in Portland, Oregon in two feet of snow.
Walking outside was my only way of getting fresh air while dealing with all that was happening….And never ever were my feet sore, or uncomfortable in socks that I had worn for 5 days…..in fact many a night I walked the halls of the hospital with out shoes, because I had my wonderful socks. The socks became my little bit of “everything is going to be ok” as I would look down at my feet and say
“We are going to make it through this “.
Thank you Randy for introducing me to your mother’s talent.
Glenda Mitchell