Check It Out...

This is my weekend to revel in all the downtown Raleigh fun I can. I ate at The Busy Bee last night (one word: yum) and then today I decided to take my three-year-old to Beerfest. Well, not actually Beerfest, just the perimeter. We still got to see the drunk people walking around with their souvenir, non-breakable-plastic, miniature beer flutes, stumbling and laughing. I just didn't actually pay for a ticket ($45) seeing as how Nora isn't much of a beer drinker anyway. As we approached Moore Square and she saw everyone milling about in a drunken stupor she said "we can't go up there, we'll bump into all those people.' I took her advice. We wandered the City Market area and I stopped in to see my old friend Leeann Hynes at her new business venture.

Epona and Oak is a lovely-smelling store with natural body care, teas and lots of handmade crafts. I bought two tee shirts (see one above) and some amazing candles while Nora wandered around, looking ultra cool as she refused to take off her sunglasses and hat. The store is really soothing; the only thing it was missing was a nice big couch where I could lounge and just drink in the smells and sights. I can hardly wait to go back for a massage and a cup of tea.

LeAnn used to work with me at Bedizen Ornaments; first as an 'elf' assembling jewelry and finally as our head buyer. She has top-knotch craft skills and an amazing attention to detail coupled with a bizarre sense of humor. She left Ornamentea to persue her own work and because the store owner (that's me!) was probably driving her nuts. Now she gets to be the store owner AND buyer and drive herself nuts. Have fun!

Tomorrow we are all heading down to Marbles for the Handmade Market. Something tells me Nora will like that a lot better than the Beerfest crowds. I always end up getting lots of great clothes and gifts (for me!) at the Handmade Market: knowing my children and spouse are happily playing at Marbles will make it that much nicer...

P.S. We took the new R line to Moore Square today. I just want to thank the Raleigh City Council and Mayor Meeker for creating this bus line just for me. I swear, it is exactly what I need. Free. Easy. Right by Ornamentea...

getting dressy...

Ahh, the dress quest continues and is fruitful. I found this fabulous polka-dotted dress from Galatea that makes me oh-so-happy. When I put it on, it made me feel both efficient and a little bit naughty. I had to bring it home. I think I may add a snap at the neckline to make it less naughty, but otherwise it fit so perfectly I almost laughed out loud in the dressing room!

There are loads of great dresses at Get Dressed, too, and just across the street from Ornamentea. I have to walk over there and spend some time going through all the racks of vintage goodies and look for items in my size.

Thanks to all the folks who emailed me dress buying tips!

(oh, Galatea now has a consignment section where you can sell gently-used clothing that you previously purchased at Galatea. The problem for me is that I don't have a SINGLE thing I have purchased there that I didn't wear down to the bare threads. I did, however, see a great slip dress on the consignment rack for just $20...)

Staff Development Day 2009

It is that time of year again. Our annual Staff Development Day is this next Tuesday, May 5th. We'll spend the day outside at a secret location, enjoying good food and learning new techniques. Last year we all painted and collaged as a group and then played bocci ball.

The Staff Development Day is one of the few times of the year that we all get together and reconnect. Our stores are open seven days a week, most of the year, and many of our core staff work part time schedules around the demands of family. We close the stores to allow as many staff members as possible to join us for the day and it is totally worth it. We're like a big, extended family and this is the summer family picnic, except without the hairy uncle that wants to talk for hours about the summer when he went to Indiana with your dad when they were teenagers, and without the really, really old great auntie who keeps asking whose baby you are.

I can hardly wait.