Knob Adventure.

So I realize that my blog has been severely lacking in the new project department. I've just been too darn busy lately. So busy my fingers are a bit sore, and it feels like my thumb nails might just fall off. You see, among other things, I have been busy making knot knobs for my Etsy shop. 

Since I haven't been posting much lately on projects, I wanted to share an interesting story from my knob-making escapades. A couple Thursdays ago, I got a message from an Etsy buyer saying that she wanted to buy 24 knobs from me and needed them ASAP. I had just finished and shipped a couple orders for a total of 24 knobs just that morning so I didn't have any made up ready to go. I told her I could send them out by Monday and to let me know if that would work.

Here was her next response:

Hi Kristi,

I actually need these to arrive in Nantucket tomorrow. We will pay the up charge of course. Please let me know if this is at all possible.

I knew there was no way I could make 24 knobs in a couple hours and have them sent so I apologized and told her I wouldn't be able to do it.

She then responded,

Could they arrive on Saturday?

To which I replied:

Hey Nancy (not her real name),

So here is the situation. I have enough supplies to finish 21 knobs. :( My order for more supplies should be here by the weekend but that obviously isn't going to help us out right now. At this point I could send you 21 knobs by Saturday. Overnight shipping is crazy expensive. It looks like it would be around $75.00. Let me know what you think.

I'm trying to find stores around here that might sell the products that I need...so there might be a chance of getting all 24 to you.

Thanks!
Kristi

This was the point I thought she'd see the price of shipping and reply, "nevermind".

But instead this is what was said:

Hey Kristi,

21 is perfect. We really need 16 but wanted extra just in case. Lets have this there by Saturday.

Thanks,
Nancy

This is when I started thinking...is this some kind of a prank?? She didn't even question the price for shipping. And who buys extra, "just in case"? Then I had various thoughts go through my head like, maybe it's for an interior designer and price just isn't an issue. But then why would they be buying knobs from little old me?? As the night went on and she hadn't purchased the knobs, which I thought was a bit strange since she had been so quick to respond to my emails, I decided it must be a hoax.

Of course I needed to have the knobs done in case it was legit so I stayed up till after 2:00 a.m. making them. Later that morning I woke up and saw that she had in fact purchased the knobs so I quickly made some finishing touches and got them ready to send. After going to USPS, UPS and FedEx I was told there was no way to get it to Nantucket overnight. The minimum transit time from MN was two days.

Bummer. I came home after running around town and contacted the buyer. Come to find out she does work for a large design firm and those knobs were needed for a large home (or should I say a $17,000,000 estate) that they were working on. She didn't offer those details but I later looked up the address which was on Zillow.com and it is a really beautiful home.

I was even more bummed when she later told me they wanted to cancel the order since the designer would only be there till Sunday.

Fortunately, the story wasn't over there. Nancy contacted me a couple days later and asked to reorder the knobs. :) And since then she has ordered several more knobs for another house on Nantucket.

Also, as of lately my children have been fighting with each other a lot more. I feel like I play referee more during the day and we have to take frequent outings in order to keep them busy and happy.  Outings = no quiet/nap time = little to no project time. But I'm OK with that because I'm really trying to enjoy this stage of our life. My kids are growing too fast.