The store face lift: designed by Tara Bass

This store reorganization is brought to you courtesy the slave labor of my mom (Lorena) and my sister (Tara).

So here's the thing, my sister Tara has been shopping for gifts for me in stores like mine for years. So if anyone knows how a store like mine should be laid out, it's her. And she told me so when she saw it for the first time this past week-end. She said "Sister, what the hell are you doing with your store?!" No she didn't. Tara doesn't talk like that at all. She really didn't want to interfere. (Though she really did, because it's fun and because she had good things to suggest.)

First things first: when someone walks into your store, they should immediately be stunned with a highlight of what's in your store. So that's what we arranged with the "baker's rack" here.

Does anyone recognize the brilliant, gorgeous, and inimitable work of Future Girl? Dudes, it's the bird purse, here in my own store!! I got my order from her almost a couple of weeks ago and was so excited and meant to tell all of you, but then other things like deep depressions over politics kind of got in the way. Her bags are better in person than they are on her blog. The quality is amazing and I'm very lucky she was willing to do a wholesale order for me which is not going to make her a millionaire any time soon. Hopefully lots of people will buy her purses from my shop and her name will spread everywhere and she can sell them directly and quit her day job. Every day I'm in my shop I am cheered by these works of art of hers.

Second part of the store plan: group like things together into sections so they make a bigger impact than they do spread out everywhere.

Here we have the "gift" section with the glass wear and the journals and other interesting miscellaneous items. I have to say that this cabinet looks way better now. I mean, I want to buy stuff too! If you don't want to buy stuff from your own store, then you're doing something wrong.

Product corner: All the products are being grouped together. By products, I mean the soaps, lotions, salts, detergents, basically everything to make you and your house clean and smell good.

This is in the stationery section. The card rack is to the left, and in the desk are note pads, fold-n-send stationery, and various little gift tags and post cards. Don't you want to send a letter to someone now?

This is a shot of the middle of the store. Looking towards my darling little studio full of wondrous crafty treats. Uh huh, you heard me, I said those words. I did. If you saw the studio tour, then you know I am telling the truth.*

My mother grouped all the Terramoto together to make a bigger impact. Plus, it's now in the kitchen section. With the dish towels and linens. Doesn't that make perfect sense? Aren't you wondering how come I hadn't already figured out all this stuff? It takes a visionary to see it, in my opinion. I have my head stuck in catalogs finding all the merchandise I would want to buy if I was in my store, and I think I've done pretty well.

But then I take my head out of the paper wasteland to see the reality of all this great stuff and it's hard for me to know how to arrange it strategically. I'm still bleary eyed. As you have surely observed from my window dressing skills, my real forte lies in the designing of products, not the arrangement of environments. You would also observe this if I showed you more pictures of my house. Want to see it? No you don't.

The linens have been displayed on this handy rack. My mom did it. Oh my god, don't you feel like you just have to have one of those pot holders?! (See, the power of display is amazing.) Seriously, this looks so good now.

And here we have the oil cloth corner. Oil cloth is amazing. No, this isn't the real stuff. If I carried the real stuff in my store no one would be able to buy it without first selling off their first child. I want to carry it, but can't. The bibs make great baby shower gifts. We do really well with the oil cloth because it's so darn handy- just wipe it down! How brilliant is that? I'm thinking of carrying some yardage too.

I told my sister that if she moved here I would hire her to do this for me full time without any pay besides really good meals. I cannot understand how come she still flew off to Los Angeles the next day. Who wouldn't want to work for home made macaroni and cheese? I had such a good time with my mom and sister and now when I look at my store it makes me think of them because now their wonderful style prints are all over the place. I love you guys!!

I also want to say that I have the most amazing friends. You know how NONE of the Easter baskets had sold? Well now all of the little ones have been sold because my friends are so supportive! I don't know if I can mention the good friend who bought one for her daughter because if for some freakish reason her daughter read this, the surprise would be ruined. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE THOUGH! (I will have to write something gorgeous about her after Easter, or as soon as she tells me it's OK).

My other friend here in McMinnville bought three of them, one for each of her girls. Lisa and her husband Lawrence have a welding business here in town and are much in the same boat as Philip and I, what with the lack of steady income because of being in the early stages of building our respective empires. So the point is, even though they have to be very careful of what they buy, she decided to treat her girls to my baskets. Thank you Lisa!

You all may have guessed how sad I would have been if NONE of them had sold.

Lots of my friends have been supporting our business and I hope all of you know how much I appreciate that!

In other news: we have met with a great design and advertising company called Riveting Design run by a woman named Angeleen. Do you notice anything about her name? You should always hire someone when they are accompanied by a string of odd coincidences. She lives on Williamson drive (or street, or avenue, or something.) Lots of people may not be aware that that is my last name! Also: I have bought a vintage overalls pattern from the forties on the strength that Rosie the Riveter looked so hot in them. If you go to Angeleen's front page, you will see why this is an interesting detail.

But, aside from all of that, she and her associate designer Alisa have a ton of great ideas for marketing our store. So I'm excited to have some help in this department.

Last note for the morning: for those of you rooting for our store to become successful, I just thought I should offer up something more positive than all of my worst fears. So I can report that our store is actually improving in sales each month we're open! Yay! I'm sorry to say that I won't stop stressing until we start to pay our bills and the funds we're living on stop getting sucked into an invisible vortex, but the fact is, our business is building. Word of mouth is really beginning to take hold and I'm extremely thankful for that. There you go, something bright and cheery to reflect on.

*Total lie. But, whatever makes me sleep better, right?

My apologies for being lame

Missy of Glitter and Grunge sent me a really lovely package for our pot holder swap. I forgot that when doing a swap it is always de rigueur to send more than the swap called for. Generosity is the hallmark of swapping. Shit. I'M SO SORRY MISSY. (Because I only sent the swap item.)

I'm not ashamed of the pot holder I made for her. Except I kind of am. Because look at this fancy pocket she made. (And she says it's her first pot holder!)

How cute is this one?! Now I just have to figure out how to post it on the flicker swap page that Happy Zombie set up. I'm terrified of trying new things like that. Which is truly ridiculous because I'm fine once I get it. See all my links? I don't even have to look at my notes anymore because I have the code memorized and can link to things absolutely any time I want to. I could link all day long if I felt like it.

These are the Keens I bought. They might actually be more comfortable than the Birkenstocks. Which is good because they only cost ten rubies instead of an entire treasure chest. However, they still look like Hippie shoes. Lucky for me that I don't have time to spend looking at my feet.

Philip and I have had a meeting about all the things we need to get done. We've prioritized the forty five point list. We also came up with a super brilliant plan for some kits and patterns that I'm not going to discuss right now. Because what if someone was reading this and realized that we are on the verge of something really profitable and stole our ideas? Aside from the fact that we are still an unfortunately well kept secret, you know we're going to have an empire someday. Just like Mary Jane's Farm. Did any of you realize what an empire that is? I confess that it has been slightly disappointing to realize that her farm and all it's components are beginning to smell a little Martha Stewartish. But if I ask myself honestly whether I'd rather be wondering if I'll still be in business in six months, or raking in the dough on about five zillion products and services, what do you think I'd choose?

I can't afford to sit here and say I don't care if we make money or not. I would love to be doing all this for no other noble purpose than to make cool shit. But the truth is, if I didn't have to make money, I would be farming for myself. I would be homesteading. I would be doing all this cool stuff for myself. I am making table cloths to sell, cocktail napkins, and key chains. How much have I made for our own home in the past year? Nothing. Seriously. I don't have time. My house looks like total generic crap. I've painted just one room so far. The rest of the house is antiseptic white.

I'm very excited about what we have to offer and the plans we've been making. I really am. This is so much better than working at JoAnne's fabrics. What we need is a marketing tool that will actually work for us. Do you all think I ignored you the last time I asked for ideas? Ha! If you thought that, you couldn't be more wrong.

Here's what we've been up to and what we're working on:

• Contacted Mary Jane's Farm to see about being featured in her magazine. Which I have a feeling is going to go absolutely no where. However, I did get to talk to their book keeper who was really enjoyable to talk to and she passed along my information to Mary Jane herself. Plus, last night I wrote the first draft of an article I will submit to them.
  

• Last night I sent off a submission to Bust Magazine which I am assured will be looked at and if they like it they'll get back to me at some indefinable point. If they don't, I will probably never know for sure until my chin hairs have doubled in length. The point is: I did it. I worked on a piece that I thought would actually be interesting to them. However, I've never been published and the chance that I will catch their eye is pretty slim. I'm not a hopeful fool. I'm just determined to try every angle.

• I am ordering supplies for an Easter Bonnet decorating class. We are (today) deciding what information will be on the poster for it which will go in our window and I believe we will distribute some copies in other places. Philip will be designing it. I will also be decorating sample hats for the window. I will be doing this today.

• We will be working on an article to submit to Ready Made as well as finding out what it costs to advertise in their publication. I'm pretty sure we can't afford it. But we'll find out for sure.

• I am also researching who the current costumer is for Desperate Housewives. My friend Lucille from Forest Whimsy suggested I send one of my aprons to the set and see if they might use it in their show. You won't believe how hard it is to find out who is the costumer RIGHT NOW. There have been several. A show I would really love one of my aprons to appear on is Gilmore Girls. I would love to make one for Melissa McCarthy who plays the character Sookie St. James. But even though she plays a chef, she doesn't wear cute aprons. Besides, I'd have to adjust the size and no knowing her actual size could lead to insult, if it lead to anything at all. Who else could I send one to? Oprah? You think she's take an interest in a tiny company struggling to get noticed? She already champions my competition.

• I sent off a letter of inquiry to Whole Foods with pictures and swatches.
  

• I will check out the price of advertising in Craft Magazine. Maybe submit an article to them as well.

You see how busy I've been listening to all my well wishers? When I ask for suggestions, I may not follow all of them, but I do them all the credit of a good think. I have pursued the ones that seemed most practical and appropriate.

I also contacted SCORE and it keeps coming to an apparent halt and then someone will call and pick up the thread. I've asked for help with marketing. By the time I get help I will have already figured out what works or I will be liquidating.

I received word back from the sewing contractors I'm interested in using. They are willing to take the next step. I have to put together a formidable package of information, patterns, and contracts to get to the next step. It will be a long time and some money later before I find out if we can afford their services. I'm going to be putting in a lot of late nights again. SOON.

So if you don't hear from me on your blogs in the next couple of weeks as often as I usually do, don't feel abandoned. I'll be back. I'll still be writing everyday here. Because if I don't, well, you know...MY HEAD WILL IMPLODE.