WooT WOoT!! What a blast we all had preparing and celebrating our Homecoming 2010. Every year Washburn has a celebration called Brownstone Days, and every five years it’s a mass homecoming for all alumni. This year proved to be a big hit, from the activities on the main drag, the parade, the parties and live music to the Sunday fun at West End Park. Our gang here at the gallery celebrated in true Karlyn’s Gallery style, you betcha! We were busy mid-week painting our signs for our parade float, making them spectacular. I think we all learned that glitter is a mess in a bottle, but sure looks purty on the signs!

Preparing to create our parade float signs

The paint and glitter extravaganza.

We were super busy in the gallery on Friday, lots and lots of people coming into town and everyone wanted a Karlyn Homecoming print and a Leslie Homecoming Mug. By the time work was over on Friday we were rearing to go. Skyler set up his lemonade stand and made some good money, too! Thanks to the help of Aaron, they made enough to go spend at the vendor’s across the street.

Skyler and Aaron

Saturday morning we got started early with the final touches to our parade float. We used Brad’s sail boat and decorated it up with balloons and streamers. Once we had everything we needed, we headed off to the parade.

Making the signs for the boat on parade day.

Whitney, Sandy and Lydia.

Kristen getting the streamers attached to the boat.

Lydia, Kristen and Beth on our way to the parade line-up.

Whitney and Aaron.

Our Gallery Gang, in this case we're "Karlyn's Krew." Whitney, Brad, Kristen, Beth and Aaron, Becky, Lydia and Karlyn.

The rest of the weekend was so much fun I had to put away my camera. Our team “Rockstars” took 3rd place at the water barrel fights on Sunday, thanks to Brad, Lydia, Andrew (Lydia’s brother), Me, Ron and Tyler (ringers). It’s almost sad that we only get to do this every five years…but then again, Washburn sure knows how to do it right!

For all of you out there who are interested in the staff here at Karlyn’s Gallery, we have news! Lydia is leaving for college! Her new replacement is Whitney, and boy are we happy to have her on board. For those of you who might remember, Whitney worked here during 2006-2008. Now that she’s got her degrees from Northland College, we begged her to come back. Bon Voyage, Lydia! Welcome Back, Whitney!

We are akin to Christmas elves, running around at all hours fulfilling your orders. The new book, Watercolor Without Boundaries has been printed and delivered to our gallery store where Lydia is stuffing, labeling, weighing and preparing your orders to ship. I have been busy wrapping up the DVD and getting all these goodies onto the website. It is pure pandamonium around here, and we’re showing our true colors helping each other pull through. Whether it’s stepping in and answering phone calls or hauling the many boxes of books to Garage Mahal, the staff at Karlyn’s Gallery never miss a beat. That is, if we have a healthy supply of beer to see us through! So don’t fret, you eager beavers, your orders are being processed, packaged, labeled and weighed…and before long, you will be fingering your own copy of Karlyn’s latest and greatest, complete with her signature of authenticity!

The boxes are delivered and quickly triffled through.

The hallways are strewn with padded envelopes full of books.

Hey folks, we were at it again. Although we might look scary, or scared, everything was under control. Post Halloween pumpkins have presented our wily gang with an opportunity to shoot guns. Bradley brought out his bang sticks and we had ourselves a party!

Brad and the rifle, shooting at our cars.

This look is priceless. After having pulled the trigger a few times with Irmiter's help, Lydia is now ready to try without training wheels.

Kristen and Becky, not at all concerned that Lydia has a pistol.

BANG! We gave her the fake gun. Silly management!

Bradley looks menacing while Lydia clings to Kristen for support. At this point, I am very glad it's only a customer service seminar.

After our Public Relations Manager coached us. Brad just isn't getting it.

Becky and the tactical shot gun. A happy couple...maybe a little TOO happy.

Brad's shotgun, the Bruiser. Those pumpkins never stood a chance.

The pumpkin carnage. I love how the flaming spray paint cans blew up when we shot them, causing purple paint to splatter all over the crime scene.

It was a very busy summer here at the Gallery! We are celebrating the season of change now, bringing in the outdoors because, baby it’s cold outside. An exciting team bonding experience we had a couple weeks ago, shooting guns. We loaded up on ammo and took to the woods. Rifles, shot guns, and a pistol. It is now my favorite way to manage post-halloween jack-o-lanterns! We set up the pumpkins and old spray paint cans all over the yard, doused them in gasoline and lit them on fire. It is more enjoyable to shoot a pumpkin and watch the fire explode! It was Lydia’s first time shooting a gun and she did marvelously…after some expert instruction from our expert, Irmiter. I got myself a shoulder bruise from Brad’s old shot gun, quite the kick! I like showing the bruise off though, my “shot gun bruise”. We all celebrated afterwards with some good brew around the table. This is how good teams become great, shootin’ pumpkins with guns! Pictures to follow once Kristin develops her film, old skool!

We dressed a May Pole at the gallery yesterday, dancing ’round and braiding ribbon. It was pretty funny watching the faces of people driving by, we must have looked like a bunch of crazy artists.

Lydia Kristin and Brad dancing

Brad, Kristin, Lydia and Becky drinkin a beer and admiring their May Pole.

This is the latest work gag, brought to us by Brad.

Man, this check list is fun!! Click on the image to get a closer look.

We love to get together outside of working for the greatest business in Washburn, WI. How we spend our time together spans wine makng, beer drinking, conversation on all topcs, movie watching, feasting and our Tuesday night “Art Night”. Art Night brings us together in a creative spirit as we bring to the tables projects such as knitting, metal working, island building and many other crazy projects mingled in. It’s our excuse to have some “Points” and relax amongst friends. Here are the drawings we made of each other for our warm up on Tuesday February 3rd, 2009. If you’re in town, stop in the gallery and release some creative energies with us!

Congrats Lydia! She’s February’s Employee of the Month. She earned the award by being irreplaceable, totally awesome at her job, customer savvy and above all, she’s a grade A multi-tasker. Thanks for being one of the gallery gang, Lyd! You Rock, Rockstar!