Chair Sale and eBay Charity Auctions

Two very quick updates because I am pressed for time. Need to pick up the kid from camp in 20 minutes!

We are running 15% off all chairs, stools & rockers through June 30th. -->View Chairs on Sale

We've listed some charity auctions on eBay benefiting The Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund. The fund was founded to help support surviving U.S. Military children who have lost a parent in the Afghanistan or Iraq wars by providing them with College Grants and/or Financial Assistance. Our College Grant Program has been expanded to include both U.S. Military children and spouses who have either lost a loved one as a result of the Afghanistan or Iraq wars or have a disabled parent or spouse who was injured during a deployment to either war. -->View Charity Auctions

How Shaka Studios Makes Your New Dining Table Look Old, Part 1

Watch as Shane beats up a new table top:

HOT!

Shane just sent this photo to me via his Blackberry:I'm sure that right now those poor men would rather be anywhere but in that blistering heat making furniture. Kudos to them for sweating it out!

Updates to Website

I've been busy as a beaver updating the more than 300 products on our website. Just taking a short break to let y'all know what categories are complete as of June 11th.

• Beds
• Benches
• Dry Sinks
• Chests & Trunks

Also added a Home Makeover category that I will add more to later.

Listed a number of items at bargain pricing for Etsy's 2nd Annual Yart Sale. Any item in our Etsy store that is not on sale, will have free shipping. This sale ends Sunday, June 14, 2009.

Did I mention our home flooded? It wasn't a huge flood but enough to require new floors and a new bathroom. Woo hoo! Good things can come from not so good. The flooring company should be here in 30 minutes. I have to make my monthly post on the Design Style Guide blog today, so I better git'er done.

Good Work Ain't Cheap - the 3/50 project

I saw this sign on etsy today and I just had to blog about it!First off, the philosophy speaks for itself.

I've already made clear our position on the importance of buying American-made products to bolster our economy. I've also outlined the true cost of Chinese imports.

You get what you pay for; When you buy imported wood products, you pay for oceanic freight costs and illegally logged lumber. When you buy local, you allow your neighbor to keep their employees and pay their mortgage. Yes! Buying local really does mean more local jobs and fewer forclosures! It's a no brainer!

The single most important thing you can do today to help get the USA back on track is to participate in the 3/50 project. Pick three local businesses and commit to spend just $50 each month at these stores. That's a little over $16 per store.

We've listed, by state, the independently owned retail stores that currently carry Shaka Studios products on our website. Visit the store nearest you and tell them we sent you!

Guest Book

You may have noticed that our website was broken over the weekend. I am very happy (and relieved) that it is back online and IMPROVED! It's been upgraded to the newest version of the shopping cart and has some nifty new features that I really like..

• The breadcrumb that allows you to backtrack from product to category now works and includes the name of the product.
• The guest book, which I disabled in 2005, now includes a spam filter. It in now live, once again!
• Categories now have labels.

I think these new features will make it easier to navigate our site. I'd love to hear your feedback, so please contact us if you have any suggestions.

We listed some beds that we have in stock on eBay at a discount with free shipping. These are beds that we made in either the incorrect size or with the incorrect frame. Nothing else wrong with them. They are in perfectly primitive condition!

Google Map

I've always been frustrated with Google maps because it did not show our location correctly. Well, I just discovered this nifty tool that left you use the satellite image to find your location. I just scrolled along Hwy 75 until I saw our building and here it is:
View Larger Map

Yes, all your pretty furniture is handmade in this little white building in New Waverly, Texas!