Creating a retail store is like making a special type of environment. It is one part theater, one part home and one part utility. Or at least ours is. We have all the fancy displays that are held up with cello tape and fishing line but look amazing (that's the theater) and we have all the comforts of nice soap in the bathroom and comfy chairs in the classroom and we know your name (that's the home) and then we have the utility. The slatwall, the pegs, the spinner racks of books and magazines, the full color lighting, the POS system. The utility is very important, as that is where all the stuff is or at least how you get to all of the stuff. We try to minimize it as much as possible. We have made custom displays that don't look like we got them from a department store. We have distressed and wallpapered and trimmed department store displays so they don't look like we got them from a department store. We go for a Shabby Chic/Flea Market look as that is our budget and, frankly, also my taste. We still have slatwall, which I hate aesthetically but love 'cause it holds so much stuff.
Friday, October 20, 2006
creating a space
Creating a retail store is like making a special type of environment. It is one part theater, one part home and one part utility. Or at least ours is. We have all the fancy displays that are held up with cello tape and fishing line but look amazing (that's the theater) and we have all the comforts of nice soap in the bathroom and comfy chairs in the classroom and we know your name (that's the home) and then we have the utility. The slatwall, the pegs, the spinner racks of books and magazines, the full color lighting, the POS system. The utility is very important, as that is where all the stuff is or at least how you get to all of the stuff. We try to minimize it as much as possible. We have made custom displays that don't look like we got them from a department store. We have distressed and wallpapered and trimmed department store displays so they don't look like we got them from a department store. We go for a Shabby Chic/Flea Market look as that is our budget and, frankly, also my taste. We still have slatwall, which I hate aesthetically but love 'cause it holds so much stuff.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
sucessful Thursday
Whew! That was quite a day. I went into work this morning for two hours (yahoo!) while Nora slept and played with dad. I finished some class samples for this next year's classes and will try to get the paperwork finished tonight so I can teach the classes. I haven't been teaching much for the past few years but I really want to get back into it. I enjoy teaching and always have a great time, it is just making the commitment. I will have to drag out the 2007 calendar and decide what weekends I will travel...hmm, planning, not usually a strong suit with me!
After I got back home it was time to pack lunch and pick up Cleo for a picnic at the playground. We strolled over and hung out at Fletcher Park. There were about 4 other mom and kid groups there while we were there which is some kind of record. I don't know why there aren't more children at Fletcher, even though there are just swings and a few sand toys the swings are the wonderful old fashioned kind that even adults can swing on. I even took a turn with Nora. Galen showed up with some paperwork for me to look over and sign and asked if I felt like an executive (being tracked down at the park!) but I didn't. It was nice to see him, though.
Late this afternoon I went back into work and left dad with both girls at a tricky time of day to look over some beads. One of the many bead gypsies who visit us was in town and wanted to show me some of his beads. I always try to see these folks at least once. You never know when one will be worth the trouble. These folks usually have nice beads and I did end up buying some nice glass beads. It is always tricky to know what to buy. I like to pick out odd shapes and have my favorite colors (red!brown!lime green!) but I have to buy other colors and shapes, too. The thing that is hard for me to spend money on is a basic, round, faceted bead. Yeah, I know they are useful and are great sellers and all, but gee, haven't we all seen that before? Instead I want to by an unusual shape and finish that I haven't seen before. That gets us a whole wall of beads but no plain black round bead, which make me feel like a complete dork when I am standing in the store trying to help some nice person who only wants a plain black round bead. That person does not want swirls or monkeys or even sheared face black ovals with a picasso finish. Nope, just plain black. Round. With a hole.
So I was sort of good, and only bought some weird stuff...like monkeys and also some candy stripe butterflies I am not sure if I love or hate. All in all, a good day.
After I got back home it was time to pack lunch and pick up Cleo for a picnic at the playground. We strolled over and hung out at Fletcher Park. There were about 4 other mom and kid groups there while we were there which is some kind of record. I don't know why there aren't more children at Fletcher, even though there are just swings and a few sand toys the swings are the wonderful old fashioned kind that even adults can swing on. I even took a turn with Nora. Galen showed up with some paperwork for me to look over and sign and asked if I felt like an executive (being tracked down at the park!) but I didn't. It was nice to see him, though.
Late this afternoon I went back into work and left dad with both girls at a tricky time of day to look over some beads. One of the many bead gypsies who visit us was in town and wanted to show me some of his beads. I always try to see these folks at least once. You never know when one will be worth the trouble. These folks usually have nice beads and I did end up buying some nice glass beads. It is always tricky to know what to buy. I like to pick out odd shapes and have my favorite colors (red!brown!lime green!) but I have to buy other colors and shapes, too. The thing that is hard for me to spend money on is a basic, round, faceted bead. Yeah, I know they are useful and are great sellers and all, but gee, haven't we all seen that before? Instead I want to by an unusual shape and finish that I haven't seen before. That gets us a whole wall of beads but no plain black round bead, which make me feel like a complete dork when I am standing in the store trying to help some nice person who only wants a plain black round bead. That person does not want swirls or monkeys or even sheared face black ovals with a picasso finish. Nope, just plain black. Round. With a hole.
So I was sort of good, and only bought some weird stuff...like monkeys and also some candy stripe butterflies I am not sure if I love or hate. All in all, a good day.
smells good
Ok, today I was out and about and I stopped in to Luxe and bought myself some perfume. Mmm...it was a major spurge and is sooo nice. I generally smell like nothing which is good because the alternative is spit up. Now I smell like, um, pink flowers? Gee, I don't exactly know what this one is supposed to smell like but damn, it's good. In an attempt to feel a bit less 'it's all about me' I went into the children's store next door and spent a few moments looking at boots - which Cleo does need.
The whole reason I was at the shopping center to begin with was that I WASHED MY PHONE! Yes, the pink razor is no more! For once in my life I had a cute, trendy little electronic gizmo and then I went and put it in the spin cycle. For your information, Verizon will replace your phone (even if you don't have insurance) for just $50 if it stops working but not if there is water damage and yes, they can immediately tell it's water damaged. If it is water damaged then you have to pay full retail. So now I will be getting some old cast off phone from one of Galen's buddies (thank you!) It will not be pink and won't take pictures, I am sure. And it won't make me feel cool when I whip it out at the playground while wearing my spit-up covered, out of fashion clothes.
At least I will smell good.
The whole reason I was at the shopping center to begin with was that I WASHED MY PHONE! Yes, the pink razor is no more! For once in my life I had a cute, trendy little electronic gizmo and then I went and put it in the spin cycle. For your information, Verizon will replace your phone (even if you don't have insurance) for just $50 if it stops working but not if there is water damage and yes, they can immediately tell it's water damaged. If it is water damaged then you have to pay full retail. So now I will be getting some old cast off phone from one of Galen's buddies (thank you!) It will not be pink and won't take pictures, I am sure. And it won't make me feel cool when I whip it out at the playground while wearing my spit-up covered, out of fashion clothes.
At least I will smell good.
Monday, October 16, 2006
the spa visit
Whenever my life is especially trying I like to reward myself with an imaginary trip to an exclusive spa. Someday, when the girls are 10 and 13 and we have an extra $5000 dollars to spend I WILL go to that exclusive spa in Arizona or Alaska or Alsace. Until then I just adjust my hypothetical itenerary to accommodate the stress in my life. After a full day of negotiating advertising contracts, talking with a disgruntled customer, doing laundry, nursing my baby and discussing the differences between ponies, horses and unicorns over and over with my daughter I will tell my husband that the spa trip just got upgraded. An afternoon of cranky baby is good for an extra hot rock massage. A few days of especially gut-wrenching staff interactions can yield a first class airline ticket to the spa. Tonight I told my husband that I wanted to make sure that the spa trip included yoga at dawn, a walking meditation labyrinth and a staff that would not speak unless spoken to first. You know, they'd just show up with my fresh squeezed carrot juice and put it on the table and leave. No conversation.
Busy week...
I am looking ahead to my week and thinking, gee, I need a snow day. Since this is October in North Carolina, I don't think I will get one, but darn I sure do need it. We were supposed to have a visiting instructor in this weekend (Susan Lenart Kazmer) but she is sick and we had to delay the class to January. Somehow the week is still busy. I need to get the new tool vendors all sorted out. I need to finish the class samples I wanted to have done TWO WEEKS ago. I need to get the order for those tiny ceramic beads from Peru finished and send it to Peru. On top of this all I have a big bag of ribbons that I wanted to sew on some of my daughters' clothes, an altered book I am determined to have finished this month, I just started a felted doll project and would like to make a few of them so that could be a class as well, oh, and my grandmother probably thinks I fell off the face of the earth as she hasn't had a letter from me in ages. Hmm, maybe I should get to work?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)