Lettres from The Blissful (Home)

New Blog & Website!

2007-09-30T19:23:00.000-04:00

Today's the day! We've moved our blog to a new URL. Please visit us here, and please be sure to bookmark our new blog site for future visits. Our blog is now called Lettres from The Blissful, and as you will see, we've re-styled a few things! The blog you are currently reading will remain active and will serve as our archives.

Also, when you have a moment, please stop by our new website at theblissful.com! As anybody who has created one knows, designing and building a website is a labor of love. I am so pleased to make its debut.

Thanks for reading and we look forward to visiting with you on our new sites!

No Longer Under Wraps

2007-09-24T12:45:00.000-04:00

Waiting for the moment when everything will be unveiled!

I admit it. We've been savoring a secret around here. It's been a little tough to keep under wraps. And today, after many, many months of dreaming, planning, and behind-the-scenes work, today is the time to debut it.

Many of our local customers may have caught the item about our shop in Diana Rossetti's Boldface column in yesterday's Canton Repository (click on the highlighted link above, then scroll all the way down to the bottom to read about us under Omnium-Gatherums).

While the final touches are still being prepped for our Big Reveal ("officially" scheduled for October 1st), I think now's a good time to bring you all into the loop!

As we approach the anniversary of the opening of our brick-and-mortar location here in Jackson Township, we are simplifying the shop's name. As of October 1st, the shop you have known as The Blissful Home will now be called, simply, THE BLISSFUL. Our new tagline, French-Inspired Finds & Furnishings, completes the package. As you know, I frequently refer to the shop in print as The Blissful. Now we are "officially" simplifying for two reasons: 1) to better reflect our Euro sensibility (with the new tagline), and (2) to better reflect the breadth of our offerings. Our scope stretches way beyond the home; not only do we offer accent furniture, art, lighting, mirrors, and home accessories, but we also have an array of apothecary, candles, jewelry, stationery, gourmet products, unique gifts, and ladies' apparel and accessories. THE BLISSFUL reflects our lifestyle approach to appointing your home and yourself.

Over the next few weeks, watch for our chic new storefront signage to be installed, as well as our new sign on the corner of Fulton and Dressler. Our gorgeous new website will go live on October 1st at http://www.theblissful.com/. There's nothing there yet, but please bookmark us for future visits! (For all of you who have asked, we are adding online commerce in January.) In addition, our blog (which you are currently reading) will be re-styled and make its home at a new URL, to be announced in about a week. Check back here for one last post, which will lead you to the new URL. The blog site you are currently reading will remain active and serve as our archives.

Local customers, please watch your mailbox in October for a personal invitation to THE BLISSFUL Unveiling & A French-Inspired Noel. This weekend soirée will feature shopping promotions, gourmet food and drink, and of course all of our wonderful holiday decorations and new finds perfect for gift-giving or for keeping! Please save these dates: Thursday, Nov. 1st, Friday, Nov. 2nd, and Saturday, Nov. 3rd, during regular store hours. Watch for our next post!

We're Going to the Fair!

2007-09-13T17:10:00.000-04:00

I love fairs! Love almost everything about them: from the temperate weather of early autumn in which they're usually held to the people-watching to the fair fries and caramel apples...the ones with nuts. There is something about an outdoor festival that brings people of all ages and types together. The air buzzes with a feeling of community spirit, and whenever I can be, I'm right along for the ride. If there's a carousel around, I'm probably riding that, too.
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On Sunday, September 30th, I'll venture for the very first time to The Country Living Fair, sponsored by the beautiful and always inspiring magazine of the same name (maybe you've heard of it? :)) This year, the Fair will be held in Morrow, Ohio, at The Workshops of David T. Smith from Friday, September 28th through Sunday the 30th. Over a hundred artisans and craftspeople will show and sell their specialty wares while visitors wend their way through booths and stands chock full of the best of what's around. Among them will be our friends and fellow shop owners Kara and Darcy from the "petite department store" in Greenville, Ohio, McMaster & Storm. Perhaps next year The Blissful will be persuaded to set up a booth of our own!
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Making the trip with me will be my new, dear friend Rebecca, a designer with an eye for detail like nobody's business. What a pair we'll be: a designer and a boutique owner together at The Country Living Fair! You can bet we'll be lavishing in all of autumn's splendor and the creative handiwork of all the artists. I'll be taking my camera and will be sure to report back on the blog in full-color detail.
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Stay tuned!

Photo courtesy of CountryLiving.com

Welcome to Autumn

2007-09-06T15:37:00.000-04:00

Our much-loved French Doormats are back, this time in spiced-up colors for fall.

Sorry to all of you hot weather lovers out there, but we are so over summer here at The Blissful! We're fall and winter weather people anyway, and we love how these shorter, slightly crisper autumnal days make us feel like nesting. How about you?

New arrivals are showing up weekly as we make Le Grand Slide into autumn and [gulp] winter goods. Don't worry--we're not rushing things. Come in and see our new soy candle line (in chic, chunky boxes complete with matches!), our Bibliotheque Bangle bracelets, beaded candelabra, and extra large 2008 wall calendars by Cavallini & Co., among lots of other great finds.
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Much, much more is in store, as I've got a storage room, a warehouse, and a living room, dining room, and basement full of boxes. All of the contents will make their way into the store between now and December...there's only so much we can pack in each week!

P.S. If you are in need of a beautiful fall scarf, stay tuned, because we've got a new shipment in that hasn't yet made its way onto the sales floor.

Enjoy the good sleeping weather!

A Plethora of Sid

2007-08-23T17:56:00.000-04:00

Look carefully at the reflection in the mirror...they're baa-aack!

Our much-awaited large shipment of Sid Dickens Memory Blocks has arrrived! The newest collection for Fall/Holiday 2007 will arrive in the shop in October. We can't wait to see the new ones, either!

As our local customers know, we sell right off the wall, but often we will sell out of a particular Block and need to order it for you. In a few weeks, we will issue a "last call" for orders that need to be delivered in time for Christmas, in the likely event that we will sell out of certain styles. Order now to be sure you receive the ones you want to give as Christmas gifts! Your requests can be reserved with a 50% deposit.

Make Way for Autumn

2007-08-20T13:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we traveled down to Columbus for another visit to our regional tradeshow. As I have shared before on this blog, we don't shop this market frequently, nor do we buy deeply from its offerings. The predominant 'look' purveyed in most of the showrooms is not quite us. However, we do consistently buy from a couple of them, so we make our way down two or three times a year to take a peek at what's new.

And are we ever glad we went yesterday! We picked up a new tabletop collection for fall/winter, spied out a second one we may decide to bring in, put in our fall/winter VOTIVO order (yes, we will be carrying Christmas Sage and Joie de Noel in their ready-to-gift holiday packaging, as well as Gingerbread in a holiday-ish chocolate brown box). But our best score of the show was a fabulously well-made, perfectly on-trend, and ridiculously well-priced ladies' accessories line which I am keeping under wraps until it shows up in the store. I have to confess that I didn't think a line like this would ever turn up at the Columbus show...or maybe I underestimated the Columbus show! It's fun to find new things to offer, and nice and convenient when you can see them in person without having to get on a plane.

In addition, for all of you who have complimented the "5" necklace I wear very often, we are now offering two other styles from the same collection, both of them with 5's. Come in and see!

And one last thing: our big fall shipment of Sid Dickens Memory Blocks is due to arrive this week, while smaller shipments will arrive periodically throughout the fall. This is our grand attempt to stay well-stocked through the holidays. Please keep in mind that this is one of our most popular collections, and we tend to go from well-stocked to spotty rather quickly. If you have your heart set on some particular styles, I recommend you reserve them now with a 50% deposit rather than take a chance. The second Retiring list has been released, so stop in to see which Blocks will soon become collectors' items (read: once we are sold out of the Retiring blocks, we will not be getting more, as they will no longer be in production after December 1st).

We've Finally Arrived

2007-08-15T11:54:00.000-04:00

The day before yesterday, I received in the mail for the first time an invitation to the Maison et Objet show in Paris! Now mind you, they got my name from a list of retailers somewhere, undoubtedly because I am registered for some of the domestic tradeshows. But still. The thought of me being included on this list, period, was a little thrill, one that I wanted to share. I am still new enough at this shop owning thing to stand back and say to myself, "Wow. I'm a shop owner." Three years ago, doing anything retail-related was so far out of the realm of anything I ever expected to do with my life that it's funny. I mean, I never meant to do this. And here I am, loving (almost) every minute of it.

The almost part is the one exception I have to make for a couple months back when, moving a heavy box in our storage room, my shoulder accidentally nudged our fire extinguisher off of its wall mount, deploying the thing and sending pungent-tasting (yes, I forgot to close my mouth for the first five seconds or so) white powder flying all over our storage room, our boxes of merchandise, our window treatments, and...all over me. Of course. It was real fun cleaning that up.

And so, thanks to a glossy little leaflet that arrived in my mailbox straight from France, I feel, this week, that I've finally arrived.

'Twas Four Months Before Christmas

2007-08-06T13:12:00.000-04:00

I spent last Wednesday and Thursday evening sprawled out on the family room floor, watching So You Think You Can Dance (go, Sabra!) and zipping open box after box of holiday merchandise with my box cutter. Yep, holiday merchandise! Generally the goodies for "fourth quarter" (in retail lingo, that's October, November, and December) are delivered to the shop in mid-to-late summer. This year, we've been receiving all of our big holiday shipments at our warehouse, then taking them home so I can open and inspect everything, ooh and aah over it, check it against my purchase order, check it off my invoice, price it, empty the boxes of a superfluity of packing peanuts (we hate these static electricity-charged little buggers so much we sometimes call them "hell peanuts"), repack the boxes, seal them up with packing tape, load them back into my car (I see an SUV in my future), and take them back over to the warehouse. Were our warehouse comfy and well-lit, I could do this all over there, but what warehouse do you know that fits that bill?

I hope it's not too much of an abomination to be writing about the Holidays when it's only recently been ninety-plus degrees outside. Before I was a retailer, I would feel disgusted and even slightly offended when I'd walk into the mall in October and see snowflake garlands dangling from the ceiling and oversized red bows adorning every surface. Gimme a break, I'd think. Way to be mercenary. Now, though, I must admit that I eagerly anticipate the holiday season, and not just because sales go way up. Heck, to tell you the truth, I'm ready now! For me, the holidays are the best time of year to be a retailer because we get to participate in helping customers bring comfort and joy to their family and friends. This is the one of my primary motivations for having a shop. I absolutely love to entertain, but with my current lifestyle and the fact that many of my friends live out of town, I'm not able to do it half as much as I'd like. Through appointing my shop with all sorts of delectable finds, I like to think I can extend that same delicious feeling of being a hostess to you.

And let me tell you, do we ever have some pretty and fascinating things for the offering this holiday season. As my mom and I unpacked, we could already tell which items we probably hadn't ordered enough of. My caveat to you will be shop early, because as you know, we are a small, independently owned boutique and not a big box retailer or a franchise, so quantities are always limited. You'll have to wait a while longer for a sneak peak! It is still only August, after all.

I have a notebook in which I record all of my fantasy ideas for future vignettes, display stories, category themes, etc. I have recently begun jotting notes on our Holiday Open House! As soon as I have the date finalized, I will put the word out. Until then, I'll keep all of my glitter glass-adorned and mica snow-filled fantasies stuffed up my sleeves and I'll let you enjoy the rest of your summer!

Paper Freak

2007-08-01T18:28:00.000-04:00

Our Wine Cork Cardholders keep your pretty paper things in place.

With back to school just a few weeks away (sorry, teachers, to break into your summer reverie!), I thought it was high time for a post on paper.
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I'll begin with a confession: I am a paper freak. Have been since childhood. From the age of three into early elementary school, I wrote and illustrated my own stories on the inside front and back covers of my Little Golden Books. My parents didn’t mind. They supplied me with plenty of scratch paper, but my crayons, and later on, pens, gravitated only to what paper was between two perfect bound covers. I guess I knew from an early age that whatever I had to say, whatever characters my mind could generate, whatever witty dialogue I could spin, it was supposed to live inside the two covers of a book. When my mind (and word count) outgrew Little Golden Books, I moved my writing life into spiral bound notebooks. Lots of them. Like, one for every story. Because for some reason, it brought me a great deal of discomfort to scrap an idea, turn the page, and begin anew with a fresh idea. With each new idea, I needed a new notebook. Rest assured, the idea of simply ripping out a page and throwing it away occurred to me. But I didn’t like how the pages would then bear the imprint of the words I’d just rejected as too “dumb,” too “babyish,” too “superficial” (yes, this was me at seven). The imprints of my discarded story still were legible, as if they had been written in invisible ink awaiting a milk decoder formula. I felt that my new ideas deserved an unadulterated landing place that had not been marred by what came before. For each new idea, a new notebook. A spanking clean little tome whose paper smelled of possibilities.

Winsome handmade card by calligraphy artist Helen Lewis of Illuminating Words.

As you might imagine, by the end of high school, what I had were lots of empty notebooks with the first few pages torn out. Back then, I wasn’t a finisher.

Handmade notebooks and sketchbooks from Illuminating Words.

Then came college, where finishing made the difference between completing a workshop course and not. So I had to learn to follow my characters until the end of the stories they wanted to tell...or at least until the end of the page requirement. Usually I was long winded (no kidding???). We usually had to write stories that were ten to twenty pages, though this was more of a suggestion than a rule. Mine generally ran more toward the forty page mark. Single spaced. They wanted to be novellas. For one workshop, I had to submit a five page story, double spaced. Not four, not ten, five. This particular assignment was an exercise in compression, elucidation, extracting only the essence of a moment, an idea, a character. We were to be like poets writing in the short story form. Only the choicest words and details would do.
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I won a prize for that story. Go figure.

Reproduction vintage French "cahiers" (notebooks). Just enough pages for a stirring little epistle.

Triptych of Scrap Journals by Secret Leaves.

Today, as a boutique proprietor, I get to lavish (hi, Becki) in all of the notebooks, journals, and wonderful paper products I can find. Yes, I’ve finally gotten my fill of paper. Here are some wonderful finds at The Blissful to whet your own writerly whistle (Off-rhymes are purely unintentional, I promise.)

Sharon and Ann at Secret Leaves custom-designed these French-inspired Scrap Journals for us. For an inside look at the design and construction process of another type of journal (it's fascinating), go here to read their blog.

Send out all your correspondence and packages with our Tour Eiffel-embellished mailing labels.

Small enough to fit into your handbag or any roomy pocket and fat enough to fill your palm, our little travel notebooks will inspire you to record your dreams and observations when you're abroad...or right in your own backyard.

With a former English teacher at the helm, you can be sure The Blissful is full of interesting titles to help you while away the hours and learn something new.

In lieu of a beach read, take along "Entre Nous" by Debra Ollivier, a cheeky page turner about the qualities of mind, habit, and character that give French women that je ne sais quoi. A must-r ead for Francophiles and aspiring Francophiles alike.

In addition to what you see pictured here, we've got pretty file folders, beloved paperweights, decorative correspondence sets, stationery, labels, cute erasers, and much, much more. Going back to school this year? Sending someone off in just a few weeks? Ease the transition back into the paper-loving way of life with something from the shop. Or buy your favorite teacher a little something to start off her schoolyear on a sweet note.

And don't forget to pre-order your Sid Dickens Memory Blocks in time for holiday gift giving! I have been taking phone orders from people around the country (how cool is that?), so they truly are booking up fast. The artist just released the first half of the 2007 Retiring list, so stop in to see which Blocks will no longer be in production after December 1st. The second Retiring list will be released later this month. Oh, so much suspense! You've got to love a line with such mystique and cache surrounding it.

A bientot!

Sneak Peek at Sid

2007-07-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

In order to help get your wheels turning about which Sid Dickens Memory Blocks you want to reserve in time for holiday delivery, here's a sneak peek at the Fall and Holiday collections! I wasn't able to get to the big show in Atlanta this past week, so these photos come courtesy of the wonderful Sue from Traditions Unlimited, a retail shop in Erie, PA. Click here to view her photos of the new blocks, snapped in the artist's booth.

Once again, Sid has outdone himself!

Oh, and the number five? Only my favorite number. Did you know that the blocks are available in any letter and in digits one through nine? Here's a unique way to personalize a room: spell out Le Bain on your bathroom wall or your child's name above his bed. As a wedding gift, give the happy couple the numerical date of their Big Day. Possibilities, possibilities...

Get Your Sid

2007-07-17T12:52:00.000-04:00

Every shop owner loves it when a new line goes over so well that she actually has to worry about replenishing it as quickly as her customers want it. We are happy to say this is the case with our Sid Dickens Memory Blocks. As many of you have discovered, this is a beautiful, exciting line of handmade, hand-stained decorative plaster tiles. One block makes the perfect gift for the person who has everything. Many blocks comprise a work of art on any wall you want to make especially memorable. You can double click the article above to read the artist's story.

Due to overwhelming response, we are now taking Holiday Orders (yes, I said it: Holiday Orders!) for all Sid Dickens blocks, including the new Fall and Holiday 2007 tiles. These new collections have only recently debuted and have received an awesome response. The artist has been inundated with orders, so to ensure you receive the tiles you want to give (and receive!) this holiday season, reserve your tiles at The Blissful now with a 50% deposit. Ship time on active tiles other than the new collections is approximately 6 weeks, so it would be a good idea to pre-order those, as well. To view the active collection, stop in and see our in-store vignette and our color catalog, or visit the artist's own website here. As of the date of this post, the Fall and Holiday collections are not yet online, so please stop into the shop to view photos.

The Fall and Holiday collections are gorgeous and not to be missed. Some of the blocks are available in a new finish, which uses the purest form of silver there is. That silver is then aged, giving the blocks an Old World finish beloved by Sid Dickens fans the world over.

Please contact us for pricing. We can be reached at the shop at (330) 492-2500 or by e-mail at theblissfulhome@yahoo.com. Pre-holiday ship dates are booking up fast, so place your orders as soon as possible to guarantee delivery in time for gift-giving.

One Luscious Lather

2007-07-05T18:36:00.000-04:00

Part of the fun of shop owning is the thrill of the hunt: searching out compelling goods to offer to my customers at great prices. When I find a product I really love that fits with the aesthetic of my store AND offers us all a fabulous value, I get pretty excited.
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Above, see our latest find: these delectable Australian cocoa butter vegetable soaps. Handmade and enriched with Vitamin E, these sweet, three-ounce babies fit perfectly in the palm of your hand and create a super rich and creamy lather. They're ideal for sensitive skin, not to mention they give a fantastic fragrance in the bath or shower.

This weekend, I'm taking off for a much needed trip to the ocean with some dear friends. I plan to give these soaps as refreshing after-sun gifts. My scents of choice? Ocean and Milkshake. What will yours be?

Happy Fourth

2007-07-04T10:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Fourth of July!

Thank you to all those serving and all those who have served. Because of you, we enjoy our freedom and liberty.

God bless the U.S.A.!

Full-On Summer

2007-06-30T12:46:00.000-04:00

It's full-on summer here at The Blissful. Here's a peek at some of our inspiring favorites.

While there are still a few shopping days left until July Fourth, we're offering our favorite Franco-American-inspired linens and chair pads for your holiday picnic at 20-25% off.

We almost cried tears of joy when we unwrapped our new collection of handbags from a New York-based designer. These have more of a fall persuasion, but it's never too early to start getting ideas. We can't decide which one is our favorite: the Starry Tartan Tote, the Velvet Jamavaar, or the French Gypsy Bag. Best of all: there's more to come!

Our Chandelier Messenger Bag is the perfect laptop bag, school bag, or (why not?) a diaper bag. No one ever said you had to carry one that was all baby bunnies or firetrucks. With plentiful interior pockets and a detachable mini bag, you can be a chic mama (with or without bébé) with this elegantly embroidered Italian fabric. Available in two colorways.

Our Chandelier Sack Bag is the perfect accompaniment to your going-out-to-dinner ensemble. Jeans, heels, great earrings, and this bag. You go.

The Blissful Home en été.

The Sorbonne Loveseat.

Wine-inspired goodies.

I'm afraid these would make us want to nibble every time we walked into our kitchen.

Our exciting new candle line: Claus Porto. In summery scents with vivid packaging. These clean-burning soy candles give up to 70 hours of the finest French fragrance while slowly revealing their own unique Art Deco-inspired etched-glass designs. Our favorite: Lelite (Orange Amber).

When ticking met toile.

Our Open-Air Market Bags are made from vintage grain sacks. Soft leather handles finish the "I'm not just a tourist" look.

The Blissful will be closed on the Fourth of July. Vive la liberté, la France, et l’Amerique!

The Dog Days of Summer

2007-06-22T15:25:00.000-04:00

"Cafe au lait, please...in a dish."

At The Blissful, we are known for our French-inspired finds and furnishings. But did you know we have an interest in matching up French-inspired dogs with great homes? Take a look at some of our favorite pups with personality.

This little toughie wears his France & Hammer Necklace collar proudly. (Our necklace looks great on two-legged people, too.)

Chien a la Sophia Loren on the Cote de Mer, circa 1955.

This little puppy had an unfortunate accident, but he has a great attitude. Wouldn't you like to make his little day?

One Item, Three Ways

2007-06-20T11:35:00.001-04:00

Yesterday when my customer Ingrid and her friend pulled up at the store, I was outside pinning a $20 bill to a rosebush. Stranger things have happened around here, but rarely do anyone other than my mom and I witness them!
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I was staging a photo shoot for my new blog, which I've been devoting so much time to that I fear I've been neglecting this one!
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Never lacking for inspiration (well, okay, sometimes lacking for inspiration...but never for long), here is a fresh new post with some inspiration for YOU.
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Upon a suggestion from a friend, I thought it might be neat to do an occasional post showing you a couple different ways to use some of our favorite finds. I love using objects in unconventional, not-intended-for-this-purpose ways.
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The ideas I'm showing you today aren't all that out of the box, but these little green cast iron pots are too cute not to be included.
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Une: The basic use: pop an overblown flower into the vase for a chic meets rustique effect.

Deux: Use as a pencil or pen holder. Or how about for your makeup brushes?

Trois: Tuck moss around a taper candle for some seat-me-at-a-table-in-a-European-chateau charm. Do one at every place setting and let each guest take hers home at the end of the night. Or try one on a small shelf, tucked into a summer windowsill, or on your bedside table for some candlelit reading.

What do you think?

For the Dads

2007-06-16T15:44:00.000-04:00

'King of Hearts' by Sid Dickens

Happy Father's Day!

Nouveau Merch

2007-06-07T17:19:00.001-04:00

We still believe in fairytales. So does 'Dido' by Sid Dickens. Draped across her plaster decolletage is a necklace from our new collection. Pendants of translucent glass with hand-drawn messages hang from whisper-thin sterling silver chains. Come in and be among the first to see and try on these delicate beauties in person. Doubleclick the photo above to view the necklace up close.

Be transported by our Pink Paris Paperweight.

Also new at The Blissful: a vintage-inspired collection of cosmetic and travel bags by the much-lauded Stephanie Johnson. Based on a 1920s European Metro motif, this fabric is matte treated and specially coated to withstand moisture and lipgloss smears. In five perfect shapes and sizes, complete with essential inner pockets.

Our French Franc Plates make adorable little catch-alls for your pocket change, jewelry, or even an assortment of bon-bons for your next girl talk.

New art has arrived! Come meet 'The Guitarist.' Haven't seen just the right piece for that wall you're looking to adorn? Ask us about our online art catalog.

New creations from Elements/Jill Schwartz. Designs from her Spring '07 collection are on the way!

To New Friends

2007-06-07T13:08:00.000-04:00

We couldn't have guessed who would've sent us these gorgeous, French-fields-in-the-summer flowers in a perfect stone pot. They were delivered today and upon opening the card, my mom and I were so excited and touched to learn that they were sent by the staff of Ms. E's Place, a totally cute jewelry and ladies' accessories shop up the street from us. Being pretty busy these days (and who isn't?), I haven't yet taken the time to go in and introduce myself to the ladies at Ms. E's. Tonight will be the night. Thanks, girls, for making us feel so welcome. From one set of shop girls to another, your kind gesture means so much.

I've Been Tagged!

2007-06-04T19:59:00.000-04:00

Folk artist SweetAnnee has tagged me! "Tagging," for those of you new to the phenomenon (including moi until recently), is when you create a blog post sharing 7 interesting, quirky, or little known facts about yourself, then "tagging"/inviting 3 other bloggers to do the same. I think the idea is for all of us in the blogosphere to get to know each other a little better. I've been tagged before but didn't respond because I was so new to blogging that I felt too timid to ask a blogger I didn't know well to participate with me. I guess a part of us never fully gets over our schoolgirl shyness. In any case, here I go.

Seven Little Known Facts About Me

1. I almost always wear pajamas around the house.

2. My guilty indulgence is reality TV. I am obsessed with watching everyday people in their natural habitats.

3. I have naturally curly hair, but it didn't get that way until I hit puberty. As a little girl, my hair was pin straight. Strange. Wonder what will happen when I have a baby. Back to straight, maybe?

4. Just five years ago, I was in fitness model shape with 13% body fat. I worked very diligently to get into that condition. I would love to attain that level of fitness again. I know I can do it; it's all a matter of committing.

5. My love of homestyling and creating interiors began when I discovered the now-defunct (but rumored to be resurrected soon) Victoria magazine as a pre-teen. At the age of twelve, I would pore over those mags like it was my job. No Teen or Tiger Beat for me, baby.

6. I have two cats. Their names are Skoochie and Schmenckman. Don't ask.

7. In high school, I was an award-winning Speech competitor. My best event was Original Oratory. I wrote my own ten-minute speech about how TV talk shows exploit vulnerable people (see fact #2), then delivered it in three rounds every weekend for a three-month long season.

Have I made myself sound sufficiently kooky?

Okay: Kelly from these flowers, this moon, Jamie from Dahlias, and Kara and Darcy from McMaster and Storm. Tag--you're it!

NEW! A Boutique Industry

2007-06-02T16:15:00.001-04:00

I am very excited to be sharing something new with you today.

Throughout all of my experiences as a shop owner over the past year and a half, I've come to realize that I have an abiding passion for talking to other women about their dreams and interest in starting creative businesses of their own. So often a customer will say to my mom and me, "I would love to do something like what you're doing," or "This has always been my dream, too." Other customers have set a great handbag down on my counter, worn a beautiful necklace into the shop, or sent me a cute birthday card, and when I compliment them on it, they tell me they made it themselves! I love that. I also love freely sharing my experiences with other people. For these reasons and more, I have decided to begin a second blog, one devoted to recounting my journey as a new entrepreneur to anyone who has a similar interest or even just curiosity about how all of this works.

I am not alone in this venture. My new blog is co-written by my friend Kelly, who many of you know as the designer behind these flowers, this moon, a modern vintage jewelry line we carry at The Blissful Home. In our new blog, called A Boutique Industry, Kelly and I will share the details of how we each found our way to entrepreneurship (after being educated for something totally different, after first careers, after starting a family, after being broke, etc.). It is our intention to tell the truth about what it's like to grow a business from the ground up--the day-to-day habits, the unglossy realities, and the amazing confirmations that yes, this is truly IT for me. We hope to offer practical ideas plus support and encouragement to all of you out there who have a creative passion burning inside you. We also want to network with other women entrepreneurs. We look at it as a great dialogue between us and each of you, and all of us together. It'll all be here: boutiqueindustry.blogspot.com. I hope you'll come along for our journey!

Need a Pick-Me-Up?

2007-06-01T11:46:00.000-04:00

The temps are high, so I thought you might need a little lift. You know my real chatty posts? This won't be one of them. Just wanted to share a few images of some great items that are still on sale, such as our French Doormats (above and below), which are 50% OFF.

Fresh Lavender Bouquets are 20% OFF.

Select garden and patio furniture is 20 to 40% OFF, including our Estella Chairs (throw pillows not included).

Our in-demand Fleur de Lis tubs are 20% OFF. If you want these, get thee to The Blissful, because there aren't too many left! In large, medium, and small, these are perfect for planting or for ice and beverages at your next party.

For a limited time, we're offering our wonderful Bella Notte bedding collection at 20% OFF, including custom orders. Our other bedding collections are 40% OFF what we currently have in the shop. Time to transition to lighter weight stuff!

Our Madame Bovary and The Raven candles by Sprig are 50% OFF. Subtle scents and adorable, literary-inspired packaging. A portion of all sales goes to purchasing storybooks for underprivileged children.

Our retro-inspired aprons are 10% OFF. 'Tis the season to whip up a light meal in a flirty, colorful apron, don't you think?

Because so many of you are traveling or gearing up for a nice vacation, we're offering our new line of cosmetic bags (in three convenient sizes) by Simply Sarah at 20% OFF. In Cherry Blossom, Pink Dot, and Fleur-de-Bee. (Fleur-de-BEE!)

Scarves are tres au courant. These look so cute knotted in your hair, worn as a belt, or tied onto your handbag or beachbag. Our collection is 50% OFF.

And that's not all. Come visit us and see what's waiting for you...

Un Merci

2007-05-28T08:43:00.000-04:00

For all those throughout the ages who sacrificed their lives to preserve our freedoms, we say thank you. And to the families of all those who made the ultimate sacrifice, our thoughts and prayers are with you today. Happy Memorial Day.

A Sale of Delightful Proportions

2007-05-24T16:32:00.001-04:00

Bienvenue!

For all of you diehard holiday shoppers out there, our door will be thrown wide open this Monday for Memorial Day from 10 AM to 5 PM. And there's a SALE...oh, is there ever a sale! Beginning today, save 10-50% on hundreds of items throughout the store. We are clearing out some wonderful things to make room for next season's shipments. Sales abound in just about every category in the shop, so you're sure to find that perfect graduation or hostess gift, gift for yourself, or accessory for your next get-together. Here's a peek at some of our sale items, plus a look at some of our new finds. Pallets and boxes are arriving daily, so be sure to check in regularly to get first shot at what's new! Feast your eyes and read on for more details...

We're in love with our new Cafe de la Tour Eiffel tabletop collection. From our mugs and dessert plates to our latte bowls and mini bowls, this stuff is not only quintessentially French-y, but is sturdy and microwave/dishwasher safe--safe in the hands of your kids and safe after a long night of entertaining when all you want to do is load up that Kitchenaid and fall into bed.

These little birds, carved from bone, are actually corkscrews! A really special hostess gift when you particularly want to impress.

Have a picnic with Louis! Meet Louis, our new collection of plastic picnicware. Available in Minuit (Blue), Rouge (fuschia), and Verte (bright green), we've got 12" plates, 9" plates, and 7" bowls. Add easy panache to your next outdoor gathering. Elegant and striking without the high pricetag.

Our Marmiton pottery, in buttery yellow, rounds out our French Farmhouse-inspired table. Classic French Country style.

We love olivewood and this cheeky guidebook to l'Italia, a great gift for someone taking their first trip OR for the seasoned traveller.

We don't think you can ever have too many fun little drinking glasses. These French Coin glasses are great for water or something a little more lively.

It ticks! It tells time! It filters light beautifully through its metal mesh background printed with an urn. It's a clock!

No French-inspired store worth its salt is without a rooster on something. Get your fix with our plush seat cushions. Wouldn't these look so cheery and handsome on your porch or on your kitchen chairs?

Our Moroccan Mini Tumblers just feel like summer to me. In red, green, purple, and (my favorite) blue. Hold one up to the light and you'll catch the fever, too. Now I just need a cabana on the beach, a bonfire, and a starry night. Romance in a glass.

Red, white, and blue are toujours fresh.

These little babies have the sweetest faces. How can one resist?

Shell chic.

One highlight of our sale: crazy savings on bedding. Our bed, done up in a Bella Notte duvet and sheets, with throw pillows by Bella Notte, Pine Cone Hill, and D.L. Rhein, is a dreamlike summery escape. Remember going to bed when it was still light outside as a kid? Now you'll want to when you're bed is this well-dressed. For the duration of our SALE, save 20% on all Bella Notte (include custom orders) and 40% on all of our other bedding lines. Pillows are marked down, too.

Due to popular demand, we've expanded our line of Barkology tees. In soft, layerable cotton and the juiciest colors and most versatile neutrals, you are sure to love the way these fit. Take it from a curvy girl--these tees are immensely flattering! Available in sizes small through extra large. And for all of us CAT lovers out there, Barkology/Me Me Meow has designed a tee just for us! Try it on here.

Our Metal Jonquil Candelabra look right in all seasons.

Studied Bohemien: our vintage and sea-inspired collection of jewelry by These Flowers, This Moon meets our Wilde's Seaside Holiday picnicware collection. They love each other! Go figure.

Awash in a delicate baby pink, our Bistro au Petit Tonneau tableware collection is the stuff of our Parisian fantasies. (And we have lots of them.)

Our wire scrollwork birdcages are a hot sale item. 'Tis the season.

To serve appetizers on, or to hang on the wall as art, or to use as a message board with pushpins...this is the question. So many uses, so much character, such a great price. We can't stop selling these Parisian Breadboards!

A shade off of robin's egg blue, a shade off of turquoise, our Chez Germain collection of dessert plates, latte bowls, and glasses looks fresh, fresh, fresh.

A vintage shopping cart and antique seltzer bottles from South America add layers of character and charm.

Our little red Chez Pastis bistro display. From shiny little Harem glasses to the perfect red-and-white water pitcher to a fabulously fun serving tray, let our fantasy inspire your own!

A note to all of you reading out there: we are still in the process of creating our website (with e-commerce!). It's a long time coming but hopefully it will be worth it! We are taking the process slowly to make sure we truly love what's being developed. We want our online presence to reflect our store as much as possible and give our shoppers an experience similar to the one they would have in the shop. Meanwhile, if you ever see anything in a photo on this blog that looks interesting, please send me a private e-mail at theblissfulhome@yahoo.com or call the shop at 330-492-2500 and we can discuss pricing and shipping. We ship UPS Ground to anywhere in the continental U.S.

Thanks for reading and if you're in our area, we invite you to come in and spend part of your Memorial Day weekend with us at The Blissful!

What Brand Are You?

2007-05-21T10:30:00.000-04:00

I love magazines, don’t you? Yum.

Yesterday, I was hot-diggity-dog pleased to find an interesting article on a topic I love to think about and play with: the art of branding. As a boutique owner, defining a brand identity for one’s store is a critical piece in winning customers and making sales. In my mind, it’s the cornerstone of everything. This article, featured in the May issue of Domino magazine, explores the idea of personal or self-branding--being able to distill the essence of one’s own personal tastes, credo, or philosophy of life and style into two words. (You can double click the photos above to read the article yourself.) The writer describes her experience of a phone consultation with Carrie and Danielle of carrieanddanielle.com, who provide the service of self-branding through asking their customers a series of imaginative questions designed to elicit information about their deepest desires, inspirations, and in fact, identity. I don’t know about you, but this process sounds very cool to me. If only I had a spare $500 sitting around, I might consider contacting Carrie and Danielle myself. In lieu of that, I thought we could try a stab at it here ourselves.

At The Blissful, we carry a line of candles called Capri Blue (for those of you who have been in, they’re the ones in the big fat cobalt blue jars). The best-selling scent, for us, is Boho-Luxe. When I first decided to carry this line, I had pangs of longing over the name of that candle. For me, Boho-Luxe perfectly describes my own personal style. So that's it for me: Boho-Luxe is my two-word style statement! I’m a little bit Bohemian (naturally curly hair worn long and ‘unstyled,’ natural makeup, jeans almost always), but always with a Luxe edge (unusual jewelry, rich beading, patent leather stilettos the color of cola with grenadine—okay, you won’t find me wearing these often, especially not in my shop where I'm on my feet for ten hours a day). Boho-Luxe translates into my home decorating choices, too. Now, while I’m establishing and funneling all my resources into my business, feathering my nest is—shall we say—on hold. But in my previous apartment, my furnishings reflected a Boho-Luxe aesthetic—bone-colored walls, a sofa and oversized chair slipcovered with a merlot-colored tapestry, Indian-inspired throw pillows, a sisal rug, fat candles in sherbet-y colors on grand candelabra. People would tell me it was feminine but not girly, artsy yet ultimately comfortable. Boho-Luxe!

The article explains that your two-word style philosophy should guide you in an 80/20 ratio—the first word should dominate 80% of the time, while the second word provides the unexpected accent or finishing detail. Pump the 20% up a bit too much and you've crossed over into overdone or something totally different. In my case, though, the ratio flip flops depending on my mood or the occasion. Decorating my patio? Boho dominates. Dressing for a wedding? Luxe wins out.

Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment sharing your two-word self-branding statement, and give us an example of what your style ‘looks’ like. Have fun!

On Where To Start

2007-05-18T16:14:00.000-04:00

The other night as I was driving in my car, I had a minor epiphany. It was about 8:15 in the evening, and I was heading home from a personal shopping trip (for those of you who know how I usually feel about shopping, you can then imagine how glad I was to be heading home). I need some Spring clothes and I have very limited time to spend looking for them. That night, I decided to take a deep breath and plunge in. I picked up a couple of tops, a couple of pairs of pants, and one pair of inexpensive shoes. (For the record, when I tried the pants on for my mom the following day, she told me, “Those are not cute. There is nothing cute about them. From the waistband to the hem. Not cute.” [sigh] And back they’ll go.)

So back to the minor epiphany. I was driving and enjoying the fact that it was still light out, enjoying the fact that I was alive and driving my car freely and going anywhere I wanted to in this town…my town. And that’s when it hit me. My town. Where I live. Where I do business. Where (most of) the people I love are. This is my life. I am an…adult(!)…and I live in this town and I’m more or less directly responsible for helping to make this town great. I contribute to the way people experience this town because I am a business owner. I interact with the public. I am no greater or lesser contributor than any other person in this town, but I am one contributor. I make my own contribution. And it’s the contribution only I can make. And you know what? In that moment, I experienced fully a small, quiet moment of complete fulfillment.

Why were these thoughts significant to me? Probably because a mere year and a half ago, I never dreamed I’d return here to live, ever. Much less open a business here, ever. These turns of events occurred to me as good ideas just weeks before I actually went and made them happen. Before my big life change, I had a cute apartment in one of those trendy “lifestyle communities” that tend to attract young professionals who aren’t quite ready to be home owners. I was a teacher with enough years under my belt to mean job security when the levies didn’t pass. I had interesting students and great teaching partners. I had friends and a dating life. I had a supportive family to talk to on the phone. I had a relationship with God. I had a treadmill in my living room, a coffee shop to frequent on Saturday mornings, and a front porch with a bistro table where I once served a boy I liked homemade Pad Thai by candlelight. I had a whole life!

But it wasn’t ultimately fulfilling. I didn’t know why. I talked about it at length with my girlfriends, over dinners and glasses of wine and Caramel Macchiatos. And I quickly discovered I wasn’t alone. Most of us felt at least mildly unfulfilled and creatively untapped, even those of us who worked in the more creative fields. Even those of us who were married with children. The sort of unfulfillment we were talking about had nothing to do with the relationships we had or didn't have. It was something having to do with just us, and with our unique gifts and talents.

I knew my unfulfillment wasn’t a permanent condition. After some months, I even sensed the time was nigh for a shift. There was hope for me. I felt as if I were in the birth canal, waiting to be reborn as something new. I just didn’t know what.

I bet that many of you out there have found yourselves in a similar position—unfulfilled by your workaday existence (even if that workaday existence is admirable, honorable, enviable, lucrative, and/or on many levels, rewarding!), primed for a change, desirous of a new life (or at least parts of a new life). But maybe you didn’t know what needed to change. Or if you did, you didn’t know how you needed it to change. Or maybe you have felt as if you need everything to change. I know that I have felt that way at times.

So fifteen months ago when I first decided that the change I needed in my life was to leave teaching and start a business, I experienced a tremendous sense of ownership over my own life. Not that I ever felt like a puppet before. Teaching, after all, is akin to running a small business in many ways. (In some teaching models, students are to be considered as the customers of schools.) In leading a classroom, you define a brand identity (How does this classroom run? What are the expectations? What are the rewards of a job well done?), set up procedures and policies, manage paperwork, lead meetings, devise creative solutions, constantly troubleshoot, etc., etc., etc. But given all the freedom and liberty I experienced as a creator and a “proprietor” in my own classroom, I still felt as if that wasn’t enough for me. It wasn’t enough for me to work within the system of a school. I wanted to create the system.

For any of you out there experiencing a similar malaise, I am speaking directly to you. Further, I am speaking to those of you who strongly suspect that the unfulfilled desire in your life is to start your own business. I am not by any means suggesting that most malaises can be solved by starting your own business—heavens, no! If anything, taking such a leap can open the door to malaises you might not want any part of—if you don’t have the spirit, the mindset, and the attitude of an entrepreneur. But if you know that you do or even that you want to…I’m talking to you.

Just the other morning I attended a business growth seminar that was, quite frankly, life changing. I have a totally different view of my business after listening to and engaging with the ideas that were offered to me there. Here’s one thing I know for sure: by my own assessment, I may not yet deserve to wear the term entrepreneur. With mine being such a new business, I think ‘self-employed’ is a more fitting term for me—and I wear that term proudly with a smile. But I know that I have the spirit of an entrepreneur, and that is a role I am claiming for myself and for my future.

So back to that epiphany, the nature of which was this: this life I’m leading, I created it through conscious, deliberate choices, the stimulus for which was unfulfillment and the impetus for which was a desire to live the life I will want to look back on when I’m ninety-five. So here’s the question: when you're ninety-five, what passion of yours could you die happy knowing you fulfilled? Dealing in antiques? Designing clothing? Providing childcare? Creating greeting cards? Instructing Pilates? Catering parties? Helping others achieve their fitness goals? Whatever that “undying passion” is for you—I urge you to allow any current unfulfillment you might feel over not pursuing it become a tidal wave of momentum to go for it! Start with unfulfillment—go ahead, it’s okay. But don’t stay there. Keep dreaming, wishing, hoping, and planning. Those are your keys to unlocking a more fulfilling future.

On Giving Life to Dreams

2007-05-12T11:31:00.000-04:00

Sweet Alexia, my new little niece. She was always our dream--we just didn't know her yet.

This blog is not only about my shop, The Blissful Home--what's new, what's inspiring us, where we're headed--but it's also about my journey as a shop owner. As many of you know, it's been about fifteen months since I left a very fulfilling career as a high school English teacher (a career I worked and prepared very earnestly for, then practiced for four years) and threw myself headlong into the dream of a lifetime: creating my own business. At the age of twenty-seven (when I opened my first shop), I didn't know what I didn't know (as Dr. Phil says), but I did know that something was propelling me forward into creating and defining my own life's work on my own timetable and on my own terms. The seed of my entrepreneurial dream grew into a brick-and-mortar boutique filled with casual and remarkable French and European-inspired furnishings and gifts, located in a place I never dreamed I'd return to: my hometown of Canton, Ohio. And here I am today, here we are, growing our customer base, thriving, and learning so much.

While I delight in and will continue to delight in using this blog as an online presence for my customers, many of whom check in regularly to see photos of new merchandise, read about our trips to Market, learn about upcoming events at The Blissful, and divine the inspiration behind our latest collections, I have a fresh new purpose in mind for this blog as well. If, as we go down the road, I feel the need to branch some of my posts off into a second blog, I will, while maintaining this first, original one.

So here's the new thing blooming inside me: I have a desire to dialogue with other women (and men, for that matter!) who are interested in launching or have already launched their own creative businesses. Whether that be shop owning, web design, jewelry making, freelance writing, or something else entirely, I want to talk about issues related to being an entrepreneur, what I define as creating a life's work for onesself by doing something in a way that has never been done before. I want to gather the insight of other people doing what I do--or who would like to be doing what I do. These particular posts will by no means be an "advice forum" of any sort--my name is Abby, not 'Dear Abby', after all. Rather, I will frame them as reflections of one young woman who is shaping her dream into something pretty exciting, and doing it with the help and support of many, many other people, not the least of whom are my wonderful customers. In fact, I will focus much less (if at all) on the what and the how of starting your own business. I will probably focus more on the why and the who--why do we choose entrepreneurship and who are we when we choose it? Along the way, I will probably ask more questions than I will provide answers. Sometimes just having the conversation with others who are engaged in the process is as valuable as anything else. But here's one thing you should know: I am a very positive person and almost refuse to focus for any considerable length of time on negativity. Yes, stresses and bad days are a part of life, a part of retailing, and certainly a part of owning your own business. I'm no Pollyanna wearing rose-colored glasses, but I am a bouncer. No matter what happens, I bounce back with hope and optimism. So there will be no wallowing around here.

Thank for you reading along. I welcome and invite you to post comments anytime.

Oh, and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, including those of us for whom our creative endeavors are our little babies (at least for the time being). To everyone out there giving life to your dreams today, I say cheers.

Sid Dickens Is Here!

2007-05-07T14:03:00.000-04:00

The long-awaited surprise has finally arrived!

Well, everyone, it’s time for us to announce our “tremendous surprise.” Yes, it’s our big reveal: The Blissful Home is honored to be the new, exclusive retailer in this area for Sid Dickens Memory Blocks. Behold our new Sid Dickens wall, below. I encourage you to double click all of these pictures and view them up close.

If you have never seen the work of Sid Dickens, you must come in and check it out. Sid Dickens is an artist from Vancouver, Canada, who along with a team of up-and-coming young artists, creates handcrafted, handpainted, 6x8 inch decorative tiles, called Memory Blocks. Made of painstakingly-detailed plaster, each tile is hand-finished either to a porcelain-like quality or cracked with the look of weathered stone.

Heavy and substanial, these tiles are surprisingly easy to hang. Each one is pre-drilled in the back for a nail or screw; simply install your nail or screw into the wall and hang. Our grouping of 42 took a relatively short time to hang once some easy measurements were taken and marked off.
There are so many ways to display these blocks. They are stunning in a large grouping on a wall that needs to make a statement, enchanting in a smaller group of 2 or 3 or 5, and just one tile can be a magical addition tucked into a shelf with a small collection of objets. From your entry hall to your living room, dining room, kitchen, powder room, studio, office, or bedroom, Sid Dickens can be a fantastic complement to your existing décor, or can provide the inspiration for a redecoration of grand proportions. Each tile bears the Sid Dickens imprint and comes with a poem or insight on the back side to give the owner a window into the story, impulse, or moment that inspired Sid himself. Each tile is finished on all four sides as well as on the front, so no matter what angle you view it from, it’s a thing of beauty and a true work of art.
We are particularly enchanted by Sid Dickens’ work because of the storytelling aspect that is so part and parcel of his Memory Blocks. In Sid’s own words, “there is magic in the past. People like to feel they are an integral part of the story of humanity, and my tiles have the weight and feel of another era, a time when things were more permanent and long lasting. I think it’s this aspect of the tiles that make people want to reach out. In essence, they want to touch history.”

Romance, mystery from times past, fairy tales, ancient Art and Music documents, mystic and mythic symbols, references from board games and botanical books, and historical motifs from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo periods—these are just some of the influences upon each unique image that comprises the Sid Dickens collection.

Sid Dickens Memory Blocks have received international acclaim and now decorate fine hotels and restaurants worldwide. They have also found a following with celebrities, including Liv Tyler, Hilary Duff, and Vanessa Williams. But this is not a reason to fall in love with Sid Dickens.

Come in and see for yourself and you'll know what I mean.

Mom's Day Sale

2007-05-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

Debbie and Abby (my mom and I).

Mother's Day is this coming Sunday, May 13th. Here's why I love and appreciate my mom: she gave me life. She helps me figure myself out. She's funny and goofy (I had to get it from somewhere!). She doesn't mind being my sous chef when all I need is someone to crack the eggs. She's been supportive of each and every dream I've ever had. She's loving beyond measure to everyone she knows. She works hard. She looks great in pajamas. And sometimes, when I ask nicely, she'll dress my salad with the perfect blend of oil and vinegar that somehow only her hand can achieve.

Through this Saturday, we're taking 10% OFF our jewelry, candles, and body products. (Sale merchandise excluded). Included in the sale are our paperweights, scrapbooks, and photo albums by Elements/Jill Schwartz. Let us help you match up the perfect gift with that special woman in your life who nurtures, encourages, and makes you feel like the whole world is your oyster.

See you soon!

P.S. I went crazy today taking pictures of our tremendous surprise (see the previous blog), and hardly any of them turned out well because the light in here just wasn't right this morning. As soon as the sun hits the wall next to our cash wrap in just the right way, I will be shutter-buggin' up a storm. Another blog to follow...

Take a Good Look at This

2007-05-05T09:34:00.000-04:00

Our collection by These Flowers, This Moon.

And again.

Just in time, our often-asked-about blue vintage screen door sold off the wall from behind our jewelry display. (Deb A. knows a good thing when she sees it.) Just as after a show has run its course in the theater, the set crew must "strike the set" and rebuild something new, a boutique owner is constantly striking her own sets (or parts of sets) when something sells, or to make room for new merchandise, or simply to give customers a new way of looking at current merchandise. When the blue door left, we slid a beautiful, heavy, Provencal-style mirror behind our display of These Flowers, This Moon jewelry, and voila! a new set was born. We are loving the soothing, calm, creamy effect of Kelly's jewelry against our bone china and natural harvested shells. (By the way, Miss These Flowers, This Moon has relaunched her blog. Pretty pictures, lovely observations on style, human nature, and her own journey as a jewelry designer. Check it out!) We love the distressed, butterscotch-y frame of the Provencal-style mirror and the quiet chicness of our new Mirrored Monogrammed Lamp alongside it all. The vintage-style perfume bottles are glittering in the lamplight and the five finger starfish hanging out nearby are loving it all, too. But like all good things, this downright Rachel Ashwell-ian moment is coming to an end. Because...

On Sunday, my mom and I will enter the store long before we'd really like to be out of bed and leave the store long after Desperate Housewives is over (no problem here: I stopped watching when Zack came back to woo Gaby). We are striking the lovely set that you see pictured above--striking everything on the wall around it, too--and Monday morning, we are debuting a tremendous surprise. Don't worry: These Flowers, This Moon is getting fabulous new digs elsewhere in the store--we wouldn't have it any other way--and we are also creating some other new displays. I promise to thoroughly photograph Monday's surprise and blog about it. In the meantime, here's a big hint: www.siddickens.com

Stay tuned!

Adventures in Columbus

2007-05-01T14:18:00.000-04:00

Petit Fours galore

Need I remind you that we have petit fours aplenty this week at The Blissful? You'd better come in and have some so that my mom and I don't eat them all ourselves. Our Paris in the Springtime sale is in full swing and we're moving the merch at a nice clip today. One customer told me she's coming in every day this week to capitalize on the "one per customer per day" thing. 'Atta girl. We also just received a shipment of the most deliciously French tabletop (dessert plates, latte bowls, mini bowls, mugs), so we're lacing together display ideas in our heads as the hours whirl by.

The above photo actually has nothing to do with the subject of this blog, which is an account of our latest trip to Market in...[drum roll, please]...Columbus, Ohio. The Columbus Market Place is a regional tradeshow that contains showrooms representing thousands of lines for retailers to buy. This Market, like most (if not all) such tradeshows, are wholesale only, which means not open to the public. Here, retailers get a preview of what's to come in home decor and gifts. Sometimes this outlook is tremendously fun and inspiring, and sometimes it's...not. We are pretty selective at the Columbus show. There is a lot to see (no comparison with a big show like Atlanta or Chicago, though), but only a fraction of it can work in with what we do at our shop. A lot of what's there is Primitive Americana, which, if you've been in my shop, you know we are anything but. But I feel an inexplicable draw into each and every Primitive showroom. "I just want to look!" I'll tell my mom as I make a beeline for the door. There is something about grubby candles, teastained American flags, and snowman dolls with long carrot noses that gets me every time! What is it? Maybe I'm a country girl at heart. The funny thing is, I would never buy Primitive for my own home or my shop. I just like to look at it. I will say that some of those showrooms have the best displays in Columbus.

But we made our usual rounds. Our mission this past Sunday was to tweak and finalize our Christmas order. Yes, Christmas. Usually your Christmas order goes in sometime in January/February and starts delivering in June. We put in a couple BIG Christmas orders at the start of the year, but it'd been so long since we'd seen the stuff, we needed a second look. So with our order printout in hand (and one of my fancy gel pens), we descended on the Market with the goal of adding to, deleting from, and adjusting quantities of ornaments, door swags, tabletoppers, you name it. We're so glad we went, as it helped to see that we actually wanted 48, not 16, of what I am predicting will be our best-selling ornament of Holiday 2007. You might snicker at these minutiae but I am telling you that it is just these kinds of tweaks, predictions, and adjustments that can put money in your pocket (or leave it sitting in the glitter glass dust) at the end of the season. Our second look also helped us to determine what we had ordered that, at a second glance, is just not us, and thus, needed to be cancelled. We hone our look with every day that goes by and every purchase order that is written.

One resounding truth I came away from this Market with is that there is a lot of cute stuff out there--but that doesn't mean it's right for us. As a retailer (and I wonder if those of you reading out there agree with me), it's tough sometimes not to give into pressure from certain customers who are particularly vocal about what they think would sell or would like to see us sell. Or in which direction they would like to see the store evolve. I know one shop owner who listened to a well-meaning but overly pushy customer of his, invested in a whole collection of something the lady convinced him he needed in his store, and bam--at the end of the season, he was left with the whole collection. He said the line was great but didn't 'feel' right to him even as he was ordering it. Yet he made the investment against his better judgment. He'll never make that mistake again. This is why I try so hard to stay true to my vision. It may not be for everybody, but for those who get it and appreciate it--they really get it. On the other hand, it's essential to listen to customers because, after all, they are the reason we're in business! It's a tricky dance, running a retail boutique.

So what did we find in Columbus? Three hours of scouting yielded up a new (for us) line of handmade holiday ornaments and decorations totally in keeping with the look we love. It's very Eclectic Farmhouse Chic, very funky French farmhouse. We're tentatively planning on an early November holiday open house. I have a beautiful new storybook in my mind filled with all of the great holiday finds we have on order and I can't wait to share it with you this fall. If my exuberance over the holiday season seems a little much for May 1st, it just might be! But I'm telling you as I told my friend Kelly on the phone this morning, I could shop for Christmas decorations all year long. I would be a great 4th quarter buyer for some big department store--nothing but Harvest and Holiday on the brain, all year long, and lots of it!

On a different note, because I never fail to recommend a good thing when I know it, I will tell you that if you are ever in the Short North Arts district of Columbus, do yourself a favor and have lunch or dinner at The Happy Greek. This restaurant on High Street is known as the hands-down best place to get Greek food in Columbus. My mom and I shared the Vegetarian Sample Platter. Whoh. Tasty stuff.

And so this blog ends as it began: with a commentary on food. It's a good thing I work out a lot.

Thought You Might Like to Know...

2007-04-30T11:18:00.000-04:00

We're now open Mondays!

A Smashing Success

2007-04-27T13:04:00.000-04:00

Ruthanne and I.

Last night, The Blissful Home propped its door wide open and welcomed a couple hundred of our sweetest friends in for Paris in the Springtime. What a turnout we had! The event was from 5 to 8 PM and our 1500 square foot sales floor was body-to-body with people for the first two hours. Waaaay past fire code. You know how you reflect after every party and think of what you would do differently? For us, it was the air conditioning! We were expecting rain, so I thought, great, it’ll cool off, we can leave the door open and get a nice breeze. I had forgotten how warm it gets in here almost every afternoon. We had never used our air conditioner before and it took about an hour for us to realize it wasn’t really working. Thank goodness my boyfriend is handy. He figured out how to flip the breaker in our circuit panel and after a while, it didn’t feel quite so much like a steamy evening at a Paris café in here. We only wanted to take the authenticity so far, you know! But the wine, the petit fours, and the Brie were in ample supply, and everyone looked pretty happy.

Thank you to everyone who came and made our very first event so special. It truly was one of the best nights of my life and I will never forget it. The support, congratulations, and well wishes that were poured out upon us mean so much. It's memories like the ones we'll have of last night that will get us through the down days--and we all have them! Last night was just the opposite. For me and my mom and dad, it was a window of glowing grace.

As always, I can never thank the Jackson-Belden Chamber of Commerce enough for their support. They are the reason we feel so at home here in Jackson Township. Ruthanne Wilkof presented me with a gorgeous plaque commemorating our Ribbon Cutting. That will get a special place of honor in the shop.

Please enjoy these photos, all taken by Chet Niewierski of the JBCC.

We could not have pulled last night off without the help of four amazing women: Janice (my boyfriend Matt's mom), Vicki (Matt's aunt, who in fact introduced us to one another way back in my Barn days), Michelle (Matt's gorgeous cousin, who is soon to be married!), and Kelly (jewelry designer from These Flowers, This Moon, and more importantly, my dear friend). And I do mean we could not have done it without them. Last night was the first time I ever thought we needed two cash wrap areas.

Enough said.

Snip, snip. The actual ribbon cutting part felt like a big turning point for me. I will never forget the feeling of those golden scissors slicing through that blue ribbon. See my red Dorothy shoes?

I didn't even know my store could hold that many people.

Congratulations to the winner of our $100 Gift Certificate.

Bottles of Perrier, a Paris Bistro chalkboard, and a blue and white fleur de lis tablecloth set the tone for an evening a Paris au printemps.

Family portrait with Ruthanne.

We tried our best to keep the long lines moving.

Paula Blangger says hello.

I got a little choked up there for a minute during my thank-yous to the crowd.

For more photos from Paris in the Springtime, visit the link to our event on the JBCC website. Merci!

A Serious Matter

2007-04-27T12:57:00.000-04:00

To the person who helped herself to two of our new Elements/Jill Schwartz bracelets last night:

You were observed and actually photographed taking them. I know who you are and I am concerned for you. Please return them to me; just bring them back to the store or mail them to me. If they are not returned, we will have to take matters into our own hands to protect our investment.

Thank you.

Interview with a Jewelry Designer

2007-04-21T12:47:00.000-04:00

Seahorse Bracelet by These Flowers, This Moon.

Wings of Love Earrings.

I recently sat down for some girl talk with fledgling jewelry designer Kelly McGreal from These Flowers, This Moon. As you might know, TF, TM is one of the jewelry lines we carry at The Blissful. Kelly also happens to be my friend. We met about six years ago as grad students in our Masters of Teaching program at Kent State and have been close ever since. I always knew Kelly was a woman of many talents (I’m telling you, she can do just about anything), but until she launched her jewelry line last year, I had no idea the depths of creativity and skill this woman possesses. This isn’t mere flattery because she’s my friend, either. I couldn’t bear to offer my customers anything I didn’t truly believe was a great fit for our store--and TF, TM is definitely us. For those of you interested in starting your own creative business, or simply interested in the behind-the-scenes machinations of a woman entrepreneur, Kelly’s experiences as an artist and new business owner may be of interest to you.

We carry These Flowers, This Moon because we love it, we believe in it, we wear it ourselves, and most importantly, it sells for us. As a boutique owner, I am regularly approached by artisans and craftspeople who are interested in getting their wares into a shop. The longer I do this and the savvier and smarter I become about my business, the better I know whether what is being presented to me fits the first three criteria (for non-accessories, swap “we wear it ourselves” for “we’d buy it for our own homes or for our own personal use”). If we love, believe in, and would personally buy an item, there’s a pretty good chance it’ll sell for us. But not always! So much of learning what sells in any given market is trial and error. Hopefully fewer errors than hits!

So here’s the scene: a Friday evening, tucked into a coffee shop in Hudson, Ohio. Kelly is stunning and understated in a black ballerina wrap sweater, a golden sideswept ponytail, and her own earrings. I am rocking a lightweight cotton jacket that ties in a big, floppy bow at the peplum waist—my new favorite article of clothing. Kelly drinks a simple Americano; I, on the other hand, have added three layers of sweetness to my coffee confection in the form of chocolate syrup, mint syrup, and whip. Yes, I really did.

We settle into our metal table. Kelly giggles. We both suddenly feel like real professionals. It’s right at that moment that a wave of “oh my gosh, our fantasies have now become reality” hits us. “You’ll love this interview,” I tell her. Truth is, the latent high school journalist in me has been awakened and I am all ears, gel pen at the ready to take notes, fine sheen of excited perspiration on my brow. I might love this more than she will. So let’s begin.

The Blissful: Kelly, tell us a little about your background. How did you get into jewelry designing? Where does your story begin?

Kelly: It’s hard to pinpoint a beginning, but I know that I have been collecting jewelry ever since I was a child. I used to view my mother’s jewelry box as somewhat of a mysterious holy grail. I loved sifting through her beaded necklaces, or trying on her costume broaches and rings. As a teenager, I’d troll thrift stores for great costume pieces. I still have much of my collection to this day.

The Blissful: So what about professional experience? Any training?

Kelly: I worked with W Magazine in college as an intern and after college as a freelance assistant. Most of my time was spent with the Accessories Department and I certainly gained a respect for well-made, original pieces.

The Blissful: How would you describe your jewelry to someone who has never seen it?

Kelly: I’d say that it is both vintage and modern and that almost every piece is inspired by nature. I’d tell someone that each piece contains some genuine vintage element: glass beads, metal findings, decades-old chain, etc. Of course, I use newer materials to supplement the pieces, but the soul of each design is pointedly vintage.

The Blissful: I love that idea--the soul of each design. What or who has influenced your design aesthetic? Where do you draw your inspiration?

Kelly: Nature, poetry, fantasy, mythology, literature, still images, movie scenes, experiences…I guess I find inspiration almost everywhere. Inspiration is tangible sometimes: an old photograph, a leaf, a line of poetry on a page, but sometimes it is intangible: a fleeting and evocative emotion that comes with experiencing the scent of a candle, the play of light or shadow on an object, the feel of a warm coffee cup in your hand, or the sun coupled with a breeze on your skin. All of these things that we enjoy are sources of inspiration that I try to translate into my jewelry designs.

The Blissful: From my experience, so much of selling hinges on presentation. Your presentation is interesting in that each piece of jewelry comes attached to a small card on which there is a poem.

Kelly: A haiku, actually.

The Blissful: Right. So what’s the deal with the haiku? How do they relate to your jewelry?

Kelly: The name of my business, These Flowers, This Moon, comes from an ancient line of Japanese poetry. I am very interested in poetry and often the Eastern attention to describing nature and events is so beautifully measured and simple. I chose to use haiku poetry as a way of capturing the essence of whatever inspired each piece. I enjoy creating the poems as much as creating the jewelry and I think that the combination of the poem and the piece exactly captures what I believe in as a design philosophy.

The Blissful: You are a person who thinks deeply about what she’s creating and why, yet the final creation is not cerebral. In other words, you don’t take yourself too seriously.

[At this exact moment, Kelly accidentally sloshes her coffee while drinking and a drop slides down her chin and lands on the table. I snort with laughter. It takes us a few moments to pull it together.]

The Blissful: Ai yi yi. So I’m wondering who your customer is. Some artists say they create with a particular customer in mind. Do you have a fantasy customer, and if so, who is she and what’s she like?

Kelly: Essentially my customer is me. I really just design what I love. I keep one of everything I design (unless it is an absolute one-of-a-kind because of some limited vintage element).

My hope is that the right woman will stumble upon one of my pieces and understand it and make it hers. I think my fantasy customer is someone who values what was beautiful about the past but who walks through the present with a keen eye toward finding beauty right now. I think she sees the poetry in things and moments and has the right balance of intellectualism and playfulness. I think that she’s the kind of woman who would see sunlight highlighting dust as it settles as magic, not as a cleaning opportunity.

The Blissful: Some woman reading this is shuddering in horror right now. And that woman is not you or me.

[laughter]

Kelly: Right.

The Blissful: So I think one thing that interests us about artistic people is the creative process and how that works. Can you tell us a little about your creative process? How do you move from idea to finished piece?

Kelly: Hmmm. Process? Process seems to connote some sort of planning. I rarely plan my pieces. Well, that’s not entirely true. I suppose I have an inspired concept to begin with, but after that it is a haphazard meeting of fortunes to discover the right beads or findings, and marry them to the perfect chain or jumpring, etc.

What I always do, however, is try things 20 different times in 20 different ways with 20 different combinations of things until I say, “Yes! This is it.”

The Blissful: Got it. Now, an insider question. Where do you find your findings? How do you find sources for the parts that make up your jewelry?

Kelly: Because of my contacts from my fashion days, I have had help locating different dealers of jewelry parts and stones. I also use online sources and websites that specialize in carrying vintage parts. Just like in any business, networking and building relationships leads me to discover new sources. Lastly, in the warmer months, you’ll find me at large flea markets in hopes of discovering at least one great strand of vintage beads!

The Blissful: In other words, you are a super sleuth and you do a lot of footwork. I can relate. One of my greatest thrills as a shop owner is researching and finding new sources. I love the process of discovery and tracking down the right vendors. It's sort of like detective work! So changing gears here... Because you worked in the world of high fashion, I know you have your finger on the pulse of all that is trendy.

Kelly: [laughs]

The Blissful: Are you trend-conscious in your design?

Kelly: I would say that I am not trend-conscious, but I do think that my jewelry happens to be reflecting one of the moods in fashion right now: a bend toward the natural. Also, there seems to be a love for anything vintage right now. I definitely think that the theme of nature is timeless, though.

The Blissful: Kelly, as a new business owner myself, I think a lot about what direction I want to take my business over the next five years. Do you have a business plan for These Flowers, This Moon? If so, how did you develop it?

Kelly: Sadly, no. I just started jewelry making as a hobby, but I had started so many other design-based hobbies before (sewing, sketching, photography) that I thought that this might just be my latest creative endeavor. When I realized that it was not just a hobby or flash-in-the-pan, and that I really felt at peace when I was making jewelry, I took the leap of investing more money than I have ever invested into anything into buying materials.

From there I focused on being as prolific as I could with my designs and tried to decide how big or small my business could be. I am somewhat limited (by choice) in terms of growing my business because my vintage materials are limited. I can’t sell to a major chain because I could never produce 100 of any one design. I like it this way though. For now I sell online and at The Blissful Home. My goal is to add a few more exclusive boutiques as sellers, but I won’t focus on that until I have more time to do marketing and production.

The Blissful: Here’s a question that many women will relate to. You have children. How do manage to find the time, mental space, and energy to be creative and productive with little ones at home?

Kelly: It’s hard. Time-wise, it’s difficult to carve out lengths of time for designing and assembling, and I have two small girls who are like little raccoons enamored by shiny objects! The glitter of a bead or a finished bracelet is a draw for curious little hands! It’s hard to keep my materials safe while at the same time fostering their appreciation for creating things. I suppose I just do what all moms do: find ways to keep their children engaged while still managing to accomplish other tasks. Often, my kids are making bracelets out of Playdough while I’m at the counter assembling a more lasting piece. I should give credit where credit is due though: my oldest daughter has given me her 4-year-old input on designs, and she even designed a bird and coin necklace that I call the “At the Fountain” necklace. It’s a favorite of mine!

At the Fountain Necklace, designed by Kelly's daughter.

The Blissful: It's a favorite of mine and my mom’s, too! You may have a budding jewelry designer on your hands. So with a home, a husband, children, and your part-time teaching to concern you, how do you stay creatively fed and watered? Do you ever get designer’s block, and if so, what do you do about it?

Kelly: Not designer’s “block” per se, but I do occasionally take a break from designing. Sometimes I’ll have an explosion of creativity and create 2 or 3 really strong pieces in a day, but then maybe I’ll take a break for a few days, focus on my family and home, and hopefully garner new inspiration from the world around me. Also, I love to read. Sometimes becoming immersed in a book inspires me to think beyond my borders and think of other inspiring times and places. I just finished a book about a character that spent time in Greece; I think much of those images inspired my Sea Collection.

The Blissful: Inspiration is essential. Are there any designers or artists who particularly inspire you or whom you emulate, design-wise or career-path wise?

Kelly: Kaari Meng, the creator of a home and jewelry line called French General, is a silent mentor of mine. She started her business in a similar way and has a book called The French-Inspired Home [sold at The Blissful Home] that offers really great and inspiring tips on creating things and taking a hobby to the next level. I also love the store Anthropologie.

The Blissful: [gasp!] You know this is my favorite shop. The name has never been uttered on this blog before. Of course, they’re not really a shop but a major national retailer.

Kelly: The design aesthetic and business philosophy of this company inspires me to be true to my own vision and trust that the right customer will find my line and understand all it stands for.

The Blissful: There are so many women out there who are talented and have a creative passion burning inside them. They would love to be able to do what you're doing. From one woman to another, can you offer any advice to those who would like to start their own creative businesses?

Kelly: It sounds cliché, but “follow your passion.” Many of us have a variety of interests but do not go the extra step of investing in them. It’s scary to plunk down a bunch of money, especially if you are on a budget, and buy enough materials to make a go of something. Even if you start small, invest in good materials, make sure that you have a comfortable skill level for producing whatever you are making (you should never start a business in which you dread having to do a major part of it. For me, it’s sewing. I can do it, but my patience level for it is very low). Finally, invest in yourself…too many times in life people rain on our parades and treat our dreams as silly flights-of-fancy. Be tenacious with your dream, even if you have to start slowly and build slowly, but DO it.

The Blissful: Kelly, how can people find and buy your jewelry?

Kelly: Well, I’m at The Blissful Home, thank you very much, and online at my website: www.theseflowersthismoon.com.

The Blissful: Shameless plug time! Kelly will be a part of our Paris in the Springtime party this Thursday, April 26th from 5-8 PM at The Blissful Home, 4605 Fulton Drive NW in Canton. She’ll be offering The Blissful customers a chance to try on and purchase one of a kind and few of a kind pieces. Yay!

Kelly: Are we finished?

The Blissful: Oh, girl, we're never finished. Next we're working on a book proposal.

Kelly: You're not kidding, are you?

The Blissful: Maybe not...

I Love Chi-Town

2007-04-18T12:29:00.000-04:00

Three girls on a hootenanny of a trip: from left to right, Lindsay the nanny/yoga enthusiast, me the boutique owner,

Kate the non-profit arts marketer/future MBA student.

This Gothic-looking building is the Chicago Water Tower, one of only two (I think) structures to survive the Great Chicago Fire.

This past weekend I did something I haven't done since summer of 2004: I took a vacation. I went to visit Chicago with my very good girlfriends Lindsay (above, left) and Kate (above, right). It was a blast of a weekend, such a one that for me has been a very long time coming. Sure, I go out of town occasionally on buying trips--I know, I know, rough life--but it's been quite a while since I've had a vacation designed solely for the purpose of fun and relaxation. I'd like to share some of the highlights of our trip with you.

But first, a bit of background. Kate and Lindsay and I, along with two other girls named Laura and Annie, have known each other forever, it seems. We grew up dancing at The School of the Canton Ballet and as young teens, we were invited to join the performing company. By the time we were in middle school, we were already apprenticed to the company, and between classes and lengthy weekend and evening rehearsals, we devoted up to thirty hours a week to the study of classical ballet. This kind of rigorous schedule and disciplined lifestyle grooms a very unique adolescent--often more focused, centered, mature, and sometimes higher-achieving in all areas of their lives. (Not saying we are these things--it just tends to be a byproduct of the dancer's lifestyle.) Also, spending so many hours a week with the same people for years at a time bonds you together in a way that is pretty special. So suffice it to say that the two girls who went to Chicago with me know me pretty well--and vice-versa.

The occasion for our trip was actually to attend a performance of the Chicago Ballet. One of our old friends, Sean (also a Canton Ballet-alum), was dancing his final performance with the ballet company last weekend, as his wife has had an out-of-state job transfer and the two of them are off on a new adventure.

Its rich history aside, Chicago, to me, represents that gleaming urban metropolis of possibility that so many recent college graduates feel drawn to when they're envisioning a new life for themselves. It's big enough to hold more promises than you could count and more people than you could possibly meet. It's a beautiful place to start fresh or start over or raise a family. It's accessible and easy to travel through and around. It's exciting--full of culture and fine dining and shopping--but has the laid back vibe of a Midwestern city --after all, it's still in Illinois! In my experience, it's the kind of place where you feel right at home on your very first visit. In short, I love Chicago.

Ah, so where should I start? I know...the food!!! I am, by all accounts (including my own), a big foodie. I love to cook and I appreciate great food. I have never been known to turn down a good meal (ask my boyfriend). [I flatter myself to think that this is one similarity between myself and Giada deLaurentiis--on her Chefography she says that growing up, her family would be eating breakfast and one of them would say, "What are we having for lunch?" and at lunch they'd be saying, "What are we having for dinner?" But I digress.]

On Friday evening, Kate and her friend Shawn (not the dancer) and I checked out Vintage Wine Bar on Division Street in the Wicker Park area. Vintage has a non-snobby attitude about wine and encourages its diners to ask lots of questions and not to be afraid to make "mistakes" with pairings. Red wine with fish? Right on! Their on-the-small-side menu features a limited number of entrees and desserts and a fuller array of tapas--small plates meant to be shared around the table. Now, being a somewhat stingy sort of soul when it comes to eating, a part of me dislikes the idea of tapas. What?! Small plates? How is that a good idea? I actually like the feeling of being a little too full. But you know what, the right bites in small portions can be oh so satisfying. Kate and Shawn and I shared a trio of crostini topped with different pestos (yum), calamari (the best any of us had ever had), and a flight of cheese. A flight of cheese!--that's just fun to say. And then we got entrees. Mine was a decadent pasta of linguine, asparagus, portobello mushroom slices, and shaved egg whites in a light cream sauce. The waitress told us that the secret to this dish was the truffle oil used in the sauce. So much flavor. The shaved egg whites lent a fluffy consistency to the dish. It was like eating pasta on a cloud.

But you didn't sign on for a food column, did you?

On to the shopping! Oh, we walked the Magnificent Mile, dallied for a few moments in H&M, marveled at the hugeness of the Crate & Barrel, hightailed it past Chanel & Louis Vuitton (sorry, girls--too rich for my blood!), and gaped, horrified, as a silver-painted street performer got aggressive with a camera-toting tourist. I have to be honest and tell you that Michigan Avenue does not hold a lot of allure for me. My interest lay more in the off-the-beaten path districts of the city, where independent retailers and locally owned coffee shops and restaurants rule.

In Wicker Park, one of my favorites was Tatine, an interesting little shop that specializes in their own line of candles. In addition to the candles, there are lamps, journals, petite zipper sacs, and all kinds of rich, handmade salves and body butters. And great music to shop to! It was fun for me to see some of the same merchandise as we have at The Blissful, only displayed completely differently. It helps to get ideas and a fresh eye. Tatine has our metal bottle drying rack, only instead of the conventional use (we hang glasses on ours), they used the spokes as little shelves on which to balance greeting cards. Perfect!

Another discovery was Porte Rouge, a South of France-inspired shopping experience. I enjoyed their wonderful collection of elegant tabletop, candles and body products, loose tea, and upholstered furniture. There was also this to-die-for blue mariage armoire from Normandy, circa 1880s. [sigh] I would've loved to have snatched this up and had it shipped back to my own shop.

My time in Chicago this past weekend really got me thinking about the art of branding, something I'm sure I'll want to explore in a later blog. Each shop we visited made its own particular statement and left its own singular impression on me. I love and appreciate a shop (and a smart and savvy shop owner) that somehow can pull everything together so well--not only the merchandise selection, but the bags, the tissue paper in the bags, the product tags, the signage, the music, the fragrance of the store, even the employees' outfits and the manner in which they greet customers. All of the above and more goes into creating a brand and communicating that brand clearly and powerfully to every customer who comes in the door. I am obsessed with these ideas at the moment. So maybe I didn't, um, take last weekend off after all. But why should I? When you're passionate, you're passionate.

Paris in the Springtime

2007-04-12T12:18:00.000-04:00

You are invited to a celebration of
Paris in the Springtime
at The Blissful Home

A relaxed evening of shopping, drawings and giveaways, a light buffet of gourmet artisan food and festive beverages, all set to the music of the Paris cafes.

Thursday, April 26th, 5-8 PM

4605 Fulton Drive, NW

Canton, Ohio 44718

Corner of Fulton and Dressler Road

Drop in anytime and bring as many friends as you like! No need to RSVP, but those who do will be entered into our drawing for a $100 gift certificate. To RSVP, simply e-mail theblissfulhome@yahoo.com or call us at the shop at (330) 492-2500.

Join us for our Ribbon Cutting at 5 PM, courtesy of Ruthanne Wilkof, President/CEO of the Jackson-Belden Chamber of Commerce, and meet Kelly McGreal, jewelry designer from These Flowers, This Moon.

We're looking forward to our first event. We hope you can be a part of it. See you at "Paris in the Springtime"!

The Girl in the Coffee Shop

2007-04-03T13:52:00.000-04:00

I saw her just this morning. I hadn't noticed her on my way in. There she sat, the girl in the coffee shop, sublimely unaware of the morning scene playing itself out around her--the man in the suit laughing as he tips the pigtailed barista, the espresso steamer hissing its wet song, the fresh baked chocolate croissants wafting their fragrance above us all. It was 9 o'clock AM in Canton, Ohio, and I was on my way out the door, German Chocolate Mocha in hand, making my way across the large parking lot to my own shop. Right before I crossed the threshhold to the coffee shop's patio, I noticed her sitting at a table by the window. She had dark hair and olive skin and appeared to be about twenty-five. She was wearing iPod earbuds and had a slick little iMac open on the table in front of her. Papers in a multitude of colors occupied the rest of the tabletop. I noticed all these details, but what I really took in was the expression on her face: she stared into her laptop with a look approximating enchantment. She was transfixed, spellbound, inspired. What in the world was she focusing on? Hard to say, but it was obvious she was enjoying her work. No, not just enjoying. Relishing. Whatever was so delighting her on that laptop screen and in her pile of papers, I came away inspired, as well. The thing is, the girl in the coffee shop this morning reminded me of me.

Not long ago, in a place and a life I once occupied, I, too, was the girl in the coffee shop. I dislike the sound of the phrase "me time," but that's truly what any time I spent in a coffee shop meant to me. It was almost, dare I say it, like church to me. And I even did it on Sunday mornings. Every Sunday at eight AM, pretty much year-round, I was out of bed and driving to my favorite Columbus coffee shop to meet up with my incorrigible (I say that with the utmost affection) teaching partner, Kim Ray. We team-taught a group of Honors sophomores--I did the Literature, he did the American History. Ours was a remarkably fun partnership and part of that fun was our weekend morning meetings at Cup O'Joe, our favorite haunt. We'd grade papers and tests, plan our calendar for the next unit, talk about the teenagers, and give each other feedback on more personal issues, such as our relationships, our writing, and our dreams and goals.

Kim would inevitably leave before noon, and this is when I'd settle in comfortably for a couple more hours. I'd almost always have my laptop with me, at least one fat notebook (college ruled only--it's one of my "things"), and a great gel pen--black or blue. Once he'd left, I'd purchase a second coffee and maybe a bagel with cream cheese or a slice of cheesecake. Then I'd wait for inspiration. And you know what? It always came. One of my fiction writing professors from college, Stephanie Grant, told our class something like, If you invite her, the muse will come. I'm sure I've botched it--the way Stephanie said it was much more eloquent and spot-on. But you get the idea. The point is, I made myself available to be inspired, and it never failed: inspiration was there at the ready. Some days, I'd play around with a story, or jot notes on a poem-in-the-making, or sometimes I'd just journal. If I was still in teacher mode, I'd write out ideas for a future project, something the teenagers would engage with on a personal level while still hitting the Benchmarks. Those Sunday mornings-into-lazy-afternoons were the space in the week where I was creatively fed and watered.

These days, as a boutique owner still cutting her teeth, it is very difficult to find space to be inspired. And in my business, if inspiration is in short order, you're in trouble. Fortunately, I work with my mom, and if I'm not particularly inspired one day, she is, and vice-versa. I absolutely love this new life I've shaped for myself, but I do miss the weekend time to chill out, sip a sugary caffeinated beverage, and stare into my laptop.

But there are books. Oh, are there books! Books I can (and do) read when I'm brushing my teeth and blowdrying my hair. Yes, this is a little obsessive. At least I don't read at stoplights anymore, like I did during Senior English when I was engrossed in Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Horrible, I know. Right now, I am reading a novel by the poet Marisa de Los Santos. It's called Love Walked In, and it's one of those books you want to race through because it's so good, but then you don't want it to be over because it's so good.

Here's a passage that speaks to me because it connects to how I feel about choosing things to offer you at my shop. All you need to know is that Clare is a ten-year old girl whose father is dating Cornelia, the book's main character, and Cornelia has been described by Clare as having "great plates and pajamas" [sigh]:

After the bath, Clare put on the pajamas Cornelia had left for her--pajamas so pretty they seemed to be something else. Everything in Clare's apartment is like this, Clare had thought as she looked in the mirror at herself. Peculiar and pretty and so obviously chosen. Cornelia had stood in a store, letting the white, gliding fabric cool her hands. "I won't take those, but I'll take these," she'd said. "Elegant," Clare said to her reflection. "I am elegant." She noticed the mirror's carved edges, the flower-shaped buttons on the pajamas, the way the pajamas themselves caught the light.

I hope that Clare's perspective on Cornelia and the special things that create her world is a perspective that comes through to you when you're shopping at The Blissful Home. Clare's way is the way I want to see my world, everyday, where every thing I invite into my home and into my shop is imbued with a dear, particular uniqueness. I want every thing in here to "catch the light." Especially you! When you shop here, I want you to feel as inspired as I do when I'm running through the halls of the tradeshows or when my imagination is wandering through a Paris Flea Market.

So for all of us out there who need fed and watered, let's try and take some time today, just for a while, to be the girl in the coffee shop.

'An Imagined Life'

2007-04-03T10:07:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, The Blissful Home had the great fortune of being written up in the county's premier newspaper, The Canton Repository. We made Page A2! Writer Diana Rossetti did a nice job of capturing the "feel" of the shop in a limited number of words:

'AN IMAGINED LIFE' Abby Kerr taught high-school English in Columbus for four years, but the 29-year-old Plain Township native always knew she wanted her own business. She has it now in The Blissful Home, an intriguing nooks-and-crannies home furnishings and gift boutique at 4605 Fulton Dr. NW in Jackson Township. Kerr describes her shop as "casual, slightly funky, French-inspired style." Wandering through the clever displays created by her mother, Debbie Kerr, one feels the eclectic ambience of a Parisian flea market. Kerr, a GlenOak High School graduate who earned a bachelor's degree at Ohio State University and a master's at Kent State University, is a shining example of a young professional counteracting the "brain drain" against which this area has taken an active stand. She uploads her own photos of the shop and participates in the burgeoning blogging trend at theblissfulhome.blogspot.com. Her entrepreneurial spirit, she said, comes from watching her father, Mark Kerr, run his own business, Kerr Brothers Roofing, for 20 years. "I grew up seeing how a small business ran, the challenges and rewards," she explained. Her first venture was as one of the seven shops that reopened early last year in the former Yankee Barn, now the Village Barn, in Hartville. When her business outgrew the space, she began looking for a place in Jackson Township. Today, the building that once housed the Bureau of Motor Vehicles office has been transformed into what Kerr calls "a fantasy I had about the way I envisioned an imagined life." The Blissful Home is closed Sundays and Mondays.

Whee! It's a Sale!

2007-03-21T15:44:00.000-04:00

Beginning today and running through the end of March, The Blissful Home is having what is, quite frankly, the best sale we've ever had. For ten days only, we are offering never-been-on-sale before merchandise at prices from 10 to 50% OFF! This is the place to be if you're in the mood to treat yourself. Come in and let us show you some of our favorite things...which just might become yours!

The Girl Can't Help It

2007-03-15T17:19:00.000-04:00

The light was so pretty in here this afternoon that I took the opportunity to photograph a few more of our Spring tableaux. I just can't resist good light. And so...

(above) She's called 'Recital' and she's by special order only. Sorry, folks, we only have one of her at the moment and I just can't bear to give up my window display. When I pull up to the shop in the morning and get out of my car, I feel inspired just looking at her. Something in her eyes is so winning--vulnerable and searching, yet determined.

(above) These handpainted Moroccan glasses from France are meant for drinking tea. The boho chic hipster in us really grooves on an idea like that, but if you're not feeling that fancy, each glass takes a tealight perfectly. Its tiny flame will light up the sweet handpainted flowers with a warm glow.

(above) One or two of our mossy green lions could stand sentinel at your gate. What a romantic idea. Your very own sentinel!

(above) These lucky cast iron birdies peck at our new chocolate covered sunflower seeds by The Cocoa Room. By the way, it's been a few strong women and far between who have made it out of here without sampling some. I meant what I said in the last blog about a box of these and my day off.

(above) Farmhouse meets chic.

(above) A starfish looks so refreshing to the eye right now, doesn't it? Not only for summertime, marine-inspired accents add a touch of relief for the sun-starved psyche any time of year.

(above) We get more questions about our bendy candles than almost anything else. Every day, people want to know "what we do" to get them that way, or if they can buy them that way. The truth is, hot air rises and does the job for us, as most of our candelabra tend to be up near the ceiling. We like the funky effect and leave them that way. They make our customers smile.

(above) I always seem to find a way to spy on this Art Nouveau lady through my lens. She's just such an interesting subject, don't you think?

(above) A grouping of night owls is watched over by a femme fatale.

(above) Our Raja Market Scale is full-on flea market chic...except it's brand new. In bold cobalt blue, this would be a formidable (pronounced the French way) accent in your kitchen, bathroom, or craft room.
(above) There's something so charming about unpolished silver. You'd never ever have to polish our silverplated coffee spoons.

(above) I am a huge sucker for a retro-style tea towel. I mean, I once decorated my entire kitchen around a really amazing one I found at my favorite shop. [sigh] If you can relate, you might like our pink Swirly Bird towels, or maybe our Rooster Blue or Yellow ones. With crocheted or pom-pom trim, how can a vintage-loving gal resist?

Thanks for indulging my sunlight-inspired photo promenade.

We've Got the Goods

2007-03-13T13:02:00.000-04:00

From across two seas we have gathered a fresh array of furnishings and gifts to inspire and enthrall you. Here's just a peek... (below) Greeting you at our front door is La Fille de Boheme, or for you non-French speakers, Daughter of Bohemia. We love her proud and impeccable attitude. Behind her is a too-cool-for-school retro map of Par-ee.
(above) A bird's eye view over the middle of the store.

(above) I have a 'thing' for anything with numbers on it. When we first opened the shop in this location, I purchased a necklace that has an antique Argentinian casino chip, mother of pearl or abalone (who can keep track of these things?), with the letter '5' engraved on each side dangling from a whisper thin sterling silver chain. Five is a symbolic number for me in more ways than one. What's your number? If it happens to be one through six, take it home or to work on one of our hip numbered mugs.

(below) Lavender trees (pretend lavender, of course--no dropping buds) grace our handsome Buffet Paul, along with decorative bluebird plates, mercury glass candlesticks, and a funky ceramic bluejay.

(above) Take a peek at our colorful new Harem Glasses and serving trays by Tracy Porter.
(above) We love the classic French styling of these nested kitchen canisters, which are also available in blue. Our handstitched quilted placemats come in either red or blue, as well. I enjoy the fact that France shares her national colors--red, white, and blue--with us.
(above) A restyled entryway for Spring.

(above) What a find! We love these antique seltzer bottles, which pair nicely with our Fleur de Lys goblets and tall tumblers. This glassware has been on our bestseller list since our Barn days. This season, we're offering the glasses in Clear, Light Blue, Light Green, and Strawberry. If you love tabletop as much as we do, then you've got to come in and see our Richelieu Water Goblets and Wine Glasses. Richelieu sets the industry standard in French glassware. Our sturdy goblets and glasses can be found in bistros and cafes throughout la France. [wink]
(above) Oh yes, we have bird's nests. And handcarved wooden folk birds. And sweet little eggs, which we can't seem to keep in stock. More are on the way, I promise!
(above) Our Cottage Style Single Candlesticks and Multi-Paneled Glass Cloches are a different take on decorating for the garden. I have to confess: I haven't spent much time with my hands in the soil. I would like to, but never having owned a home yet, I haven't had the inclination to put down roots (pun intended--I AM a former English teacher!). (above) So chic: our mercury glass lamp bases paired with our burnout velvet or beaded and embroidered lampshades. (above) Okay, okay, I saved the sweetest for last. Here's our new collection of goodies by The Cocoa Room. Each package contains an assortment of chocolate covered sunflower seeds, nuts, fruits, etc. Crunchy and sweet and oh so addictive, these are tempting to the eye and to the palette--trust me, you can't stop at just one pinchful! In fact, on my next day off I may just merrily eat my way through an entire box! Add these to an Easter basket or take along with you for a great snack at the movies.

Of course that's not all, folks. Stop in soon to see these and the rest of our new Spring finds, which we tend to add to on an almost daily basis!

New Evening Hours

2007-03-09T14:22:00.000-05:00

Back by popular demand...our evening hours! Yes, as the daylight lingers a little longer these days(courtesy of our upcoming rolling of the clocks forward on Saturday night), we are adjusting our hours. After all, it just isn't fair that working women have to squeeze in all their shopping on Saturdays, is it?

So here are our NEW HOURS, as of this coming Monday, March 12th:

TUE 10-5
WED 10-7
THUR 10-7
FRI 10-6
SAT 10-5
SUN & MON closed

A True "Home"coming

2007-03-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

Finally, finally, we're home. After months of anticipation and navigating the rough waters of the river Snafu, we've got permanent signage! It's a very special sign. The only thing is, it doesn't light up adequately at night. It's lit from within with tiny LED lights that are dotted throughout each painstakingly formed letter. At night, the sign exudes a very subtle cherry red glow. Subtle, as in, you really have to look twice. Our 'The' lights up quite nicely, though. As my mom put it, "It looks like our store is called 'The'." Well, we can't have that, can we? I have a call in to my advertising agency, who has a call in to the sign company. We shall get a fix for this. By hook or by crook. Still, with our name hung in cherry red above our door, I finally feel legit.

Almost Famous?

2007-02-28T15:53:00.000-05:00

Before you go thinking that the scent of our fresh lavender has gone to my head, let me assure you that the title of this blog is meant to be taken with a wink and a smile. But don't be fooled: it's almost embarassing to admit how excited we were this morning around here. We opened our mailbox, whipped the new issue of the Jackson-Belden Communicator out of it, slit the sticker holding those pages together, flipped to Page 2, and voila!
--there we were! Our first press! The Blissful Home had the opportunity to be the Member Focus for the March 2007 issue. We feel so thankful to be a part of the Jackson Township community. You can click the article to enlarge it.

Lookie Here

2007-02-26T13:53:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to give you a peek at a new addition to our Jewelry collection. What you see, above, is one of our new chunky initial bracelets. The designer says that his collection represents a collage of his great passions for travel, antiquing, fashion, fine art, and craft. Sounds like a guy after our own hearts, right ladies?

The chain and charm are a bronze-y, antiqued gold color and the charm is lightly etched with an initial. This is one piece both my mom and I adore and would wear. It's rare when that happens! These are heavy, well-fashioned bracelets and the tone of the metal complements a wide range of skin tones.

By the way, have you noticed that gold is back? It was all white gold, platinum, or sterling silver for a while there, wasn't it? For me, gold looks very refreshing and now. Understandably, it will take some people a while to adjust their eyes. (For an interesting commentary on the psychology behind this topic, visit the blog of this fledgling jewelry designer: http://theseflowersthismoon.blogspot.com/.) I have to remember that some people will only be wearing silver for the next five years. On that note, we are replenishing our collection of La Vie Parisienne bracelets and necklaces, in which many styles are available in antiqued gold or antiqued silver. Me? I switch between. The embellishments (beads, stones, etc.) are more important to me than the chain or the settings. But my switching-between does beg the question: when the engagement is imminent (way down the road, people!), do I go white gold or gold gold? Thoughts?

In addition to the chunky initial bracelets, we are also carrying some of this designer's pins (Not the pin-wearing type? Try one on your winter scarf!) and some bronze-y gold cuffs set in with enamel detailing. Very special and very feminine. They're so...well, you'll just have to see them.

On Faith and Fearlessness, Part II

2007-02-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

Where's the whip???

What follows here is Part 2 of a blog about taking risks, banking on your dreams, and creating a little entrepreneurial niche in the world just for yourself. Again (how many times can I stress this?), I am not an expert on how to start or run your own business. I'm a newbie to this whole retail thing in every sense of the word. But here I am doing it, living it, and loving it. I'm writing this one-on-one to YOU, because I know from a year of talking to customers how many of you harbor secret dreams of starting your own shop or turning your creative talent into a moneymaking venture (or at least not a moneylosing venture!). Just as I was questioning whether or not my thoughts on this subject were relevant or should be shared in the blog, two new customers, a mother and daughter, walked into my shop and told me they were sent in by a mutual friend because the two women have a dream of starting their own shop. Our mutual friend thought it would be inspirational and beneficial for them to see what my mom and I are doing. How cool is that? I took their visit as confirmation that I should keep on going with this blog.

So what follows here is not exactly advice or tips. My thoughts are just that--my thoughts--and I caution you that they may be far from practical. I guess I believe that wallowing in the safe harbor of practicality can lead to a staid, pedantic, predictable, humdrum, workaday life. And who wants one of those? At the end of the day, don't you want that little thrill of knowing that you contributed something extraordinary, however small, to even one person's experience of the world, if only for a moment? I do.

So I'm pretending that you and I are sitting in a really great coffee shop somewhere talking this whole thing over. And in front of us are two mugs of hot chocolate. With marshmallows. And whip. Lots of whip.

At the end of the last blog, I started to go point-by-point, laying out some Philosophical basics of business owning. Point #1 was something like, research your dream and others who are doing what you'd like to do. Get inspiration everywhere you can find it. Learn all you can through reading about, researching, asking questions of and witnessing others in action. True enough. But let's get away from points. Remember, we're drinking cocoa here. :)

In no particular order, here are some of my thoughts about being an entrepreneur:

You need to know your dream intimately. By this I mean whatever you dream of doing, be it opening a knitting boutique, becoming a freelance floral designer, or starting your own web design firm, your dream must grow flesh and teeth under your watchful imagination. Before you do anything in the practical realm, such as apply for a loan or look for a storefront, you need to be able to envision all the ins and outs of your dream in living color, and you doing it! It has to feel real to you before it even exists. If it's a shop you dream of owning, can you picture your well-appointed walkway, your window displays, the sign above your door? Can you see yourself sweeping the walk outside, making change behind the cash wrap, greeting customers on the sales floor? (By the way, what are you wearing in this daydream?) Can you picture yourself unpacking twenty boxes of new merchandise in your storage room, vacuuming up the nightmare of packing peanuts that fill those boxes, and creating displays out of nothing but tables, shelving, thin air, and your imagination? If so, you may be well on your way to making your dream a reality. Before you can make it happen, I think you have to experience what it will feel like before you can actually do it. This is how to become intimate with your dream. You need to visualize it, eat it, breathe it, sleep it. In fact, it just may keep you up at night (right, coughMomcough?).

You need to believe that there is a market out there for your idea/ creation/concept. This is so important. After all, I assume that one reason you might like to try having your own business is to make money, right? Or at least if this is not a primary concern, you hope it might be an end result. In order to do this, other people have to warm to your idea/creation/concept, so much so that they will plunk down their hard earned money to pay for your product or service. Wow. Sounds intimidating, right?

From a personal perspective, one of the most difficult things about being a shop owner is figuring out what will sell that still fits the look and aesthetic of your shop. In my opinion, you should rarely compromise the identity of your business just to make a buck. Could I sell a hundred fridge magnets a month? Probably, and my chances of doing so increase dramatically if I diversify and bring in every style of cute magnet I can find. People like to hang things on their fridge, it's true. However, you might have noticed we aren't a fridge magnet kind of shop. :) (No offense to those individuals or shops with their own prodigious collections.) We do, however, offer one line of magnets that are artfully done, fit the personality of our shop, and make everybody smile. This is not a concession on our part. This is the one kind of magnet I've found that makes sense at The Blissful Home. In fact, I think my customers would find it strange if I did bring in a counter spinner chock full of campy fridge magnets. They would know it's just not us. When my mom and I go to Market, finding stuff that's right for our shop can feel like a needle in a haystack. But when we find IT, we know it. That's how selective and thoughtful you have to be about defining and shaping the identity of your business.

From a shopping standpoint, I totally dig shops that have a cleverly and fairly narrowly defined niche. There is an awesome shop in Columbus called Collier West (www.collierwest.com) whose style I would describe as "chic, upscale, world-traveling urban cowboy." Clearly, theirs is a niche market. But even if your home does not fit the aesthetic of "chic, upscale, traveling urban cowboy," you would enjoy wandering through the two levels of this Short North shop. The style is so clearly, unapologetically defined. Collier West--the shop--knows who it is and doesn't--can't--pretend to be anything but.

So the larger point here is that in defining the brand or identity that is your handiwork, your shop, or your service, you need to be realistic about what people would be likely to buy or solicit from you, but you also need to know who you are, what your brand embodies or stands for, and more importantly, what ISN'T you. As an example, if you are a freelance journalist with a conservative Christian point of view, would you be likely to take on an assignment that is pro-Wicca in the schools? Some might argue that you should in order to stretch your own perspective, but I believe that in order to be at peace with yourself and the business you are creating, you need to be true to yourself and your vision, however narrow that might appear to others. After all, each one of us has her own unique gifts, and no one else can make the contribution that you can, quite as well as you can. Hold on to that.

Oh, and one more thing about finding a market: your market will find you. My mom and I learn and relearn this every day as new customers find us through word of mouth. Women tell us, "My sister-in-law said, I found a new little shop that is so YOU; you have to go! So here I am!" One of my favorite customers (hi, Melissa!) even called me once to say that while she was having lunch with her husband at Panera that day, she overheard a table of women talking about our shop! That was incredibly encouraging (not to mention flattering), because it showed me that if people enjoy an experience, they will want to share it with others. Yes, advertising is important and can't be overlooked (and believe me, we've got to do a lot more of it), but trust that if you create something of quality or offer quality services to people, those who get you and what you're all about will find you.

And finally, somehow, someway, you've got to overcome fear. I have to recuse myself from this point because somehow, someway, I began The Blissful Home without fear. This was the biggest gift of all. All I can say is, it is my belief that opening this shop was the next step for me. I believe it was something I was meant to do, part of God's plan for my life. That certainly doesn't mean it wouldn't and won't be without struggle, though! Everyday there are concerns, sure, about money, our merchandise mix, having enough customers, how much to buy for Christmas, etc., etc., etc. These concerns are common to just about every shop owner and I'm sure every business owner of any kind can relate. But glowing quietly and steadily behind all of that is the assurance I have, 100%, that I am in the right place doing the right thing at the right time.

So how do you overcome fear--fear of failure, of going broke, of your idea being rejected? I guess it comes down to faith. How can I say this without sounding totally pat and cliched? Think about all the things you take for granted in your life, ways in which you operate in faith without even realizing it. You have faith that the sun will come up (or, you know because science tells you it will; science is a kind of faith). You have faith that you will draw your next breath. You have faith that when you open your mouth to speak, your voice will come out. These are things you don't have to overly analyze in order for them to work. This is what I would suggest to any person wanting to start her own business: have faith in the seed that has been planted in you. The creativity burning inside your heart, your mind, and your fingers is a gift. Treat it as such. Nurture it, tend to it, let it have its practice, give it time to grow. Don't cast your pearls before swine. Protect your dream until it's time to let it shine. Take practical (yes, I said it!) and intuitive steps toward growing your vision into a reality. Above all, have faith that the time will come, your time will come, when you are sharing your talents with other people, your friends, your community, and even the world.

In the meantime, dream wildly.

On Faith and Fearlessness, Part I

2007-02-21T10:26:00.000-05:00

At least once a week a customer asks me a variation of this question: "Where did you get the inspiration/ idea/know-how to start the shop?" My answer is usually a variation of, "My mom and I wanted to pool our talents and work on something together./No, I've never been to France; this is just my French fantasy./I just wanted to bring together a collection of everything I love./I wanted to be self-employed in some creative way and this [gesturing widely] was it!" All of the above are true and none of the above is the full story. Today, I want to give a more detailed picture of how The Blissful Home came to be and the reason I want to share my story is because I hope that it will inspire your own dreams, goals, and aspirations, especially if you are considering taking a risk, starting something new, becoming self-employed, trying to market your own creative talents or handicrafts, etc. I am by no means an expert on the topic of starting your own business (typing those words even makes me laugh a little!), but I am one woman who did it and is doing it. If you dream of a similar enterprise, I hope that you will find a little kernel of inspiration in here to hold on to as you bring your own fantasies to life!

I guess I'll break this up into three parts, The Backstory, The Particulars, and The Philosophical Stuff.

First, The Backstory. Unlike many women, I never dreamed of owning a shop. It feels almost wrong to admit that, since I have one and am living out a dream that so many other people have held their whole lives. But no, this was not my lifelong dream. It has most certainly become my dream for the rest of my life, though. I picture myself doing this in twenty years. I picture myself doing this with a Baby Bjorn strapped to my chest. I picture myself doing this, silver-haired at 70, when I have grandkids. This shop is part of what will be my life's work, my contribution to this planet. But no, in the beginning, to enter the exciting, uncertain, colorful world of retail was never my dream, goal, or intention.

But I did want to be self-employed. In college at Ohio State, I studied English and focused in Creative Writing because I thought reading and writing for four years sounded like fun. It was. I graduated and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I took temp jobs in offices that weren't very fulfilling but helped me make my car payment. Then, one day, while watching Fashion Emergency on E! (remember that show?), I watched an eighth grade teacher being made over before she accepted a national teaching award and I said glumly, "I wish I could be a teacher." Then, in the next breath, I said, "I can be a teacher!" And so I began to research graduate programs in teaching and landed at a very, very good one: Kent State's Master of Arts in Teaching program. One year of research, workshops, and an amazing student teaching experience at Coventry High School with the uber-talented Mark Jamison later, and I was a teacher! I moved back to Columbus, wanting a bigger-city experience, and I started my teaching career at a brand new high school in a large, ever-expanding district southwest of the city. I taught there for three years and learned so much about teenagers, how people learn, and most of all, myself. Like most teachers do, I had some high highs and some low lows. Then I took on the teaching assignment of a lifetime. I was lucky enough to be selected to join the staff of the Christopher Program, a humanities magnet program that drew juniors and seniors from 19 different districts. The students had to interview and be chosen to join the program, so they were highly motivated, excited about learning, and often deeply political or spiritual or artistic or intellectually gifted. I had two wonderful colleagues, Steve and Andrea, who enriched my experience on this earth. Beyond that, the students gave me the most priceless gift of all: the courage and practice of looking inside myself to see what was really there. And what I saw surprised me! Although I deeply loved my students and considered myself and was considered by others to be a passionate and effective teacher, I really did not want to be a teacher anymore. Always, in the back of my mind, I had known that teaching would be a short-term career for me. I knew that eventually, I would have my own business of some kind. And one day, after a cumulative of days of feeling not quite right about something and also feeling that something new had been planted in me, I sensed within myself that my time as a teacher was drawing to an end. But I still had no idea what the next move would be.

And then one day, the next idea showed up. (For a more detailed description of that day, including the egg rolls, see our very first blog.) Some friends of our family were taking over management of what once was a very hot retail space. They were inviting new vendors in to help them make the space a brand new thing. In the space of about an hour, my mom and I had decided that we should do what we had never thought of doing before: go into the home decor business for ourselves. Neither of us had a serious retail background. She loved home decorating but had only practiced on her own homes over the years. I, too, shared her passion but had a totally different style: more eclectic, less studied, more whimsical. I loved to manage and write policies and deal with people and come up with stories. Together, I knew we could do this. More than that, I knew that together, we should do this. We would do this. And the huge 'should' I felt was not the kind of should you feel when you feel guilty or obligated or coerced. This was a soul-resounding should, the kind of should I imagine you feel when your feet are in the stirrups and you're in the middle of a contraction and you say to yourself, "Self, you should push this baby out right now!" Sorry to be so graphic, but I'm trying to convey the soul-deep, urgent, natural agreement of everything inside and outside of me that came together to show me that this was the next step. It was that strong and that complete. Yes, I should own a boutique. So should you wait to feel that soul-resounding should before you start pursuing your new dream with gusto? I wish I could tell you for certain, but I don't know. All I know is, that for me, the timing was right and I was right for the timing. Things came together fairly naturally and very quickly. But that doesn't mean it will happen that way for you. Things might fall into place for you and your venture after years of dreaming, planning, and scheming. You'd probably be better off that way, actually! Real experts suggest you should plan for up to a year, certainly not less than six months, before launching your own business--especially a shop, which requires a sizeable financial investment up front before you even know if people like your idea!

Now, for The Particulars. We quickly threw our first shop together. It wasn't any more romantic than it sounds, either. Our initial set-up was accompanied by a month of migraines for me and followed on a month of my mom nursing a sick relative who needed 'round the clock care. She was sleep deprived and I was headache sick. But we knew it was what we should be doing, so we kept trudging ahead. We bought products we liked but we didn't have a clear vision for what the shop would look like when it was all put together. What was our retail concept? What was our design philosophy? What was our merchandise mix? Well, in those days it was whatever we thought it should be and wanted it to be, without regard to what would even sell. I didn't know enough back then to know what I didn't know (as Dr. Phil says). Nevertheless, we opened up and did a nice business for seven months. I have to tell you, though, that even in our very first week of business, I sensed that our little shop in that location was only a temporary gamble. We had grown feathers and jumped out of the nest. Now we were to start looking for a place to roost. A place to grow our dream, our vision, and our customer base. I started looking for new digs immediately.

I am not one to rest when I know I'm not in the right place. I get restless and direct all my attention to seeking the future. When we first found this location in Jackson Township, I knew it was supposed to be for us. On a busy corner where two major thoroughfares intersect, the space I had my eye on hadn't managed to retain a business for more than several months in a long time. I firmly believed it was because the space was meant for us. But mind you, it was no beaut when we first laid eyes on it. It was too small, smelly, the carpet was ripped and stained, and the walls and ceilings were terrible. But I knew that knocking out the wall between this space and the space next to it would give us just the right amount of square footage. I knew we could tuck a small office in the back and that we could work with a slightly undersized storage room in order to maximize our sales floor. I liked the natural light that came in through the windows. It felt right, even though my friend's ex-boyfriend told me the space was a "feng shui nightmare" and I needed to "reclaim" a certain corner of the sidewalk in order for the energies to flow properly. Well, reclaim that corner I did, but not the way he suggested. :) My mom was by no means immediately convinced that we had found our location; she's a a processor, a muller, a weigher. I'm not. Could you have guessed? So we continued to look at other properties, including an absolute fantasy of a mint green Victorian house with a wraparound front porch. I toyed with the notion of buying this house, restoring it, living on the second floor, and making the first floor into our shop with a coffee shop off the porch. But a more thorough inspection of the house, plus its out of the way location, made me think better of it. And then it hit me: I knew how disappointed I'd be if we were to lose the Fulton space. It was supposed to be ours. And the rest of the story, you can catch up on by reading my past blogs. Or, you can experience it in person at 4605 Fulton Drive!

So here we are at The Philosophical Stuff, which is what you're reading for anyway if you're a person considering starting your own business, et al. I don't feel quite comfortable being in the position of giving advice, although surprisingly, I'm occasionally sought out for it by others who see what my mom and I are doing and are wondering how they could do the same thing. I say 'surprisingly' because we haven't been at this very long and have a LOT to learn. In fact, I wonder if some of you out there who have been in business for yourself for longer than I have are reading this, clucking your tongue, and saying, "What was she thinking? She should have done X and Y before she did Z." And you know what? I'm sure you're right!

Which brings me to point #1 (oh, so now I'm doing points??): There is no one 'right' way to approach going into business for yourself. There is no one-size-fits-all business model or one right way to write a business plan (yeah, still don't have one of those...getting to it, though!). There aren't certain steps you have to take in order to start this whole process. But there are steps you probably should take before you just plunge in and start investing in materials or buying product. What are those steps? I wish I would have known! I'm not kidding. All I know is, it pays to do research. The best research is research that makes sense for the kind of business you're interested in, whether that be visiting shops you like, seeking out the proprietors and asking them a few questions (you may want to send an e-mail or make a phone call first; shop owners are usually pulled in thirty different directions at once when the shop is open!), studying the websites of artists who do work similar to your own, reading magazine articles about other women who are living your dream and being successful at it. From the moment I knew we would start a shop, I made learning as much about having a boutique as I could my second job. I'd come home from my day of teaching and surf the internet until midnight or one AM every night, reading up on the marketing strategies of My Favorite Shop, studying the websites of other small shops to see their merchandise mix, reviewing back issues of magazines for stories about small shops. I bought books that broke boutique owning and running down into practical tips and gave advice from women who were doing it. I quickly became an "expert"--well, as expert as you can get without ever actually doing it--on my new field. Lacking actual hands-on experience, I at least wanted to sound like I knew what I was talking about.

So I guess the gist of Point #1 is to read about and seek out other successful entrepreneurs and start getting a feel for what it takes in terms of time, production, marketing, money, and other resources. After all, we don't dream in a vacuum, do we? We are all inspired by someone else or something else. Be thirsty for inspiration and hungry to learn from other people. Don't hesitate to ask questions--lots of questions! Studying what someone else does well and trying to figure out why other people respond to it doesn't mean you'll end up imitating them. If you're going to successfully market your own ideas, you have to know from a marketable idea!

In the next blog, I'll delve into more of the philosophical stuff. And not the stuff you could get out of the tip books. I'll try to aim more for the heart and soul of this whole entrepreneurial thing. Stay tuned!

And oh, for those of you who read the previous blog, you can sigh in relief along with me that our ceilings were promptly and expertly repaired by Tommy and Al from our A+ property management agency. Thank you to everyone who made us a top priority in the midst of rampant ice and water damage!

And oh, lest I forget, here's what's new in the shop: April Cornell luxe honeycomb tea towels and hemstitch napkins in fresh spring colors; French tea towels in soothing, muted shades (very Giada DeLaurentiis-esque); a new collection of French perfumes and bubble baths (all at really great price points!); colorful door mats; velveteen rabbits for Easter, and a limited number of one-of-a-kind Spring floral arrangements in interesting vessels. Still waiting for beaucoup merch from our trip to market. Why does it have to take so long? Come in and have a look!

A Wintry WAAAAH!

2007-02-15T12:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was one of those days. You know, one of those days. We decided to open even though the roads were still mildly hellish. My brother came in to assemble a heavy industrial shelf I desperately needed for my storage room. At about noon, he was working on that, my mom was assisting him, and I was gaily checking in a delivery of French perfumes and bubble baths that had just arrived when I looked up at the ceiling over our Apothecary area and said, "Oh my God!" "What?" cried my mom. "Look our our ceiling!" I moaned. Near to twenty ceiling tiles, as you can see, were brown with water stains and slightly bulging. Something nasty had happened over night, and the ceiling tiles were evidence of the havoc that had been wreaked. My dad came to inspect. Upon popping one tile out, we were treated to a brisk, steady drip of cold water. Nice. Happy freakin' Valentine's Day.

Remember that blog I wrote the other day extolling the joys of snowfall--nay, of blizzards? Would you mind if I ever so delicately ate my words???

But don't worry. We're open, we're smiling, and those tiles (and the roof above them) will be replaced and repaired as soon as they can be. Which hopefully is VERY soon. Because I still really love winter, and I'd like to hold onto that feeling.

So come and see us. Just don't look up. :)

The Blissful Home Online

2007-02-13T11:14:00.000-05:00

Guess WHAT? I have some exciting news that I've been itching to share with all of you, and now is finally the time. After some months of thinking and planning, I've decided to create a website for The Blissful Home! And if all goes smoothly, we will be up and running online in just about a month, honey. I am designing this website with my customers in mind, really thinking about what you might like to see when you visit www.theblissfulhome.com (bookmark that URL for future visits). We will put up lots of photos, perhaps some homestyling tips and techniques, a guestbook you can sign. And the icing on this soon-to-be-baked cake? Online shopping! We will offer a selection of our goods for sale online and get this: we'll be able to ship them anywhere you'd like! How exciting is that??

This website will be my own personal project for the next few weeks. This will be a new adventure for me, having no website design experience to speak of. Fortunately, I'm a fairly quick study when it comes to software, and I have a site creation program that promises to hold my hand every step of the way. Still, I won't publish the site until it at least half resembles what I'm envisioning in my head. (Which probably would cost me $2,500 in design fees.)

And now, I'm inviting your feedback into this new project. You, as a shopper, probably have some fantastic ideas that I haven't thought of. What would YOU like to see on The Blissful Home website? What ideas could you suggest? What online features would enhance your experience of our shop? Please feel free to post a response to this blog. I will carefully and gratefully consider all of your input. As always, thanks for reading and we look forward to seeing you soon.

A Wintry Whoo-Hoo!

2007-02-13T10:45:00.000-05:00

I am a roofer's daughter. This means that by nature or by nurture, I am mildly obsessed with weather patterns. I sometimes even watch the Weather Channel. For fun. In college, my roommates would walk into the room, stop short, and say, "Why are you watching the Weather Channel?" Why not? I'd think. Didn't anyone but me wonder what it was going to do outside?

I have previously mentioned on this blog about how much I love snow. And boy, are we getting some snow today, so much so that I wonder if we will be able to stay open until 5 o'clock. It might be a good idea to call first (330-492-2500) if you are planning to stop by today or tomorrow. If I don't answer or call you back within ten minutes, chances are we have closed early due to inclement weather.

So drive safely out there if drive you must. Watch out for the other guy. Cook up something good for dinner. At my house, it's going to be Parmesan-Dijon Chicken with Bruschetta. Yum.

Wintry days like this one are made for nesting. Enjoy yours.

You Get Us! You Really Get Us!

2007-02-07T16:11:00.000-05:00

My boyfriend and I recently became groupies of the ABC show “The Office.” We were a little late—two and a half seasons late, actually—to join the legions of Americans who are officially in love with this show. In fact, although we didn’t know each other two years ago when the show debuted, we each had vowed NOT to become watchers. Why? He, being a business owner himself, simply didn’t have the time to become addicted to another TV show. I, on the other hand, staunchly refused to follow the crowd. All of America is wild about it? I couldn’t have cared less. This is how it often goes with me. For instance, back in the day when I was an intellectually precocious college undergrad majoring in English (focus in Creative Writing), I would walk right past the Hot New Chick Lit table in the front of the store, bypassing even the table featuring the New York Times Bestsellers, and head straight to the Classics section. Ah, what I was missing! These days, I won’t miss a new Jennifer Weiner novel, and am proud of it!

But I digress. The point here is that while "The Office" may not be the most sophisticated show on TV, it sure is entertaining, and it’s one of those things about which people say, you either get it, or you don’t. And unlike in my younger days, I don’t think I’m too good to really, really like something that everybody gets.

Now on to shop talk. I’ll admit it: my mom and I love it when you “get” our shop. Have you ever noticed how small boutiques each have their own identity, the imprint of the owner indelibly on every display, in each object? It’s not like shopping at Target (nothing against our beloved Tar-jhay, though). Big box department stores definitely have a brand of their own—from the logo to the in-store signage to the employees’ uniforms, you see it in every detail. But the idea of a store having a soul—a living, breathing, colorful, identifiable SOUL—outside of its employees, this is something that just can’t be found at your big box retailer. In any case, The Blissful Home definitely has a soul, carefully and lovingly shaped and nurtured and tended to by my mom and I, and nothing makes us happier than when we know you “get” it.

Here are a few things about our shop that we’re so happy you “get”:

1) You get that just because St. Valentine’s Day is impending, that doesn’t mean every wall of the place will be festooned with pink and red hearts and Cupids. You get that there’s a less commercial-ly way to do seasonal decorating, and that’s what we’re about most of the time. Not that you won’t see a few bunnies in our shop at Easter time, but it won’t look like an Easter egg dye factory exploded in here, either.

2) You get that ‘imperfect’ doesn’t always mean ‘flawed.’ Especially when it’s meant to look that way. We have a great vendor from whom we buy a lot of antiques and reproductions, and their credo is something like “if you are a fussy, persnickety person who irons your sheets and dusts the top of your refrigerator, then our finds are probably not for you.” Here, here! Granted, there are some items that need to be in A+ condition to function well for you, but a salvaged, distressed side chair? I don’t know about you, but we live to cherish every chipped edge and cracking rung.

3) You get that not every object you invite into your life has to have a practical use. Can’t something just be in your world to look pretty and bring a smile to people’s faces? I think so. Sure, we have your kitchen linens, your cookbooks, your candles, and your lotions, but we also have an irresistible rustic deer’s head with chippy paint and lots of personality. We have retro lady’s head vases that look fabulous with three big, mismatched fresh flowers in them. And we have paper parasols. Parasols!

So this is a thank you to all of you out there—and you know who you are—who get us. We hope we get you, too. We try to be a shop where you can find things you won’t see anywhere else, used in ways you might not have imagined, that inspire you to live a life that makes a whole lot of whimsical sense to you.

Headline: French Look Into Allowing Naps at Work

2007-02-01T11:16:00.000-05:00

No kidding! This was the headline on my Yahoo homepage this morning. Do they have the right idea or what? If you like this idea, I have a bed for you. :)

Thinking of redoing your bedroom? We offer a fantastic line of luxury bedding called Bella Notte. We'd love to write a custom order for you in your dream color palette. With so many colors, textures, and prints to choose from, there are many, many looks you can achieve, starting with our swatches. Did I mention this is the softest stuff in the world?

P.S. It's all machine washable!

New Hours of Enjoyment, More Goodies

2007-01-31T10:06:00.000-05:00

Bonjour, all! We have decided to change over to our Winter Hours. Until further notice through our e-mail list and this blog, we will be open Monday through Saturday from 10-5. We will let you know when we change back--or even extend!--our hours closer to Spring. As a new shop, we are still feeling our way through this and figuring out what makes sense, practically and financially.

Here's a visual preview of some of the nouveau merch we've been getting in:

TOP: A bounty of fresh lavender awaits you, wrapped in kraft paper and tied snugly with twine for safe keeping. The store smells glorious right now.

MIDDLE: Our monogrammed lavender-filled sachets have arrived. These make a wonderful Valentine's, birthday, or anytime gift for your friend, sister, mother, daughter, boss, coworker, or yourself! Slip one of these into a drawer or hang over a hook or doorknob and allow the gentle scent of lavender to waft over you every time you pass by.

BOTTOM: Mistral of Provence, our favorite bath and body care line, has debuted a line of Eau de Parfum! We cooed over the vintage-inspired glass atomizer bottles. Each bottle holds 1.7 ounces of perfume. We currently are offering Grapefruit and Lychee Rose. Verbena and Wild Blackberry will be here sometime in February.

Hope to see you soon!

Some Thoughts on Love

2007-01-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

With St. Valentine's Day a mere fifteen days away, I've been meaning to write a bit about the idea of LOVE. By 'love,' I guess I mean passion for life or joie de vivre, not to be confused with romantic love or passion, which the upcoming holiday sentimentalizes. I am one of those lucky people who has always been passionate about something--usually many things at once! About one year ago, I decided to uproot my life in Columbus, leave my pretty fulfilling teaching career, and pursue a new dream (currently located at 4605 Fulton). :) Lately it's occurred to me just how blessed I am to have had TWO careers in one lifetime and to really, really love both of them.

On Sunday, two of my former students from the Humanities magnet program where I used to teach came to visit me. That's the three of us in the photo above (I'm the one in the middle). These high school Seniors gave up several hours out of their weekend to drive up here. I gave them a personal tour of the shop, which was so much fun, and then we went to lunch. These two, and the rest of the bunch who I dearly miss and can't wait to visit in the near future, are bright, talented, self-motivated, creative, loving individuals who will change the world. I am a changed person for knowing them. The program in Columbus where we all met, and which they currently attend, is all about examining your personal perspective on the world, challenging your own biases and mindsets and prejudices, and growing into a fuller person. I have to say that were it not for these very students, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to identify a latent desire of mine to become self-employed in some ultra creative venture. Were it not for them, The Blissful Home might never have been born.

So this is a short treatise on LOVE. Here are some lovely things I've noticed lately: the way my sister-in-law's eight months pregnant belly strains against her shirt, and the way my little brother looks at his pregnant wife; the way it feels to slip into jeans that are fresh out of the dryer and yet not too tight (!) due to a couple good treks on the treadmill; the way the snow heaped up on my car in the morning looks like shavings that have collected in layers; the phrase "summer house" overheard in a customer's conversation; the light in my very first and oldest best friend's eyes when she entered my shop for the first time; the way my boyfriend describes his perfect summer evenings of boating on the lake...and my anticipation of being along for them in just a few short months; the laughter of the Fabulous Five ringing through my shop on Friday evenings.

Valentine's Day is not just for lovers. Love can appear to us in many shapes and forms. This February 14th, I encourage you to take a moment to savor the small sweetnesses in your own life. These are the moments to notice and to live for.

Snow Daze

2007-01-20T15:54:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a slow day at the shop to really get things moving. Debbie and I spent a good part of yesterday rearranging, tweaking, and zhuzhing displays, as well as putting out some new merch that just arrived. Between the icy rain, the snow so fluffy I would've sworn it was imported straight from a Hollywood studio, and the whipping winds, it seems no one much feels like getting out and shopping right now. I can't say I blame you. As Ohioans, we're obviously used to unpredictably wonky weather patterns, but it still seems we never get used to going from 65 degrees in January one week, then below 20 the next. On days like yesterday (and from the looks of it, the rest of this week), Debbie says she just feels like staying home and cooking. But I, oddly enough (me? odd? no!), get invigorated by inclement weather. I love the feeling of braving the elements, going against the grain, standing up to rain, sleet, hail, blizzards, what have you, to accomplish my mission. Especially now that my boyfriend taught me how to ease the car into neutral if I start to slide. (How did I make it through the past twelve years of driving without learning that?)

But yesterday, tucked into the shop with the snow falling swiftly and gently outside our big windows like a postcard, Debbie and I got some stuff done. I'll be upfront with you and say that we are interested in moving some merchandise PDQ to make space for all of the new stuff we ordered in Atlanta, which will be arriving between this week and mid-March. And so, to that effect, here's what's on sale: select jewelry by La Vie Parisienne, David Aubrey, and These Flowers, This Moon is 20% off; all of our gorgeous quilted velvet bedding is 30% off; our oh-so-pretty (and sturdy!) Fleur-de-Lys water glasses in pink and clear are 50% off; three of our tabletop collections (including dessert plates, teacups and saucers, teapots, mugs, wineglasses, and serving trays) are 50% off; our French tea towels are 50% off; our popular Paddywax Apothecary candles are 50% off; our Brickhouse soaps and Fizzies are 50% off. Have I missed anything? It's quite possible, so stop in and check us out!

In addition, we have a full-fledged St. Valentine's display up. We've got some unique stuff that you won't want to miss. Lastly, new fragrances in our VOTIVO candle line have arrived: in our Boxed Aromatic collection, we now offer Mandarine, Sea Island Grapefruit, Deep Clover, and--burning today--Lavender Chamomile Pear. These are in addition to the other eight scents you have seen in here before. We are still awaiting their three new-for-2007 scents. Come in and smell! We have added Sumatra Lemongrass to our VOTIVO glass votive collection and replenished our best selling Tuscan Olive--the ultimate kitchen scent, in my opinion. And on our front display, we are featuring VOTIVO's St. Germain-en-Laye Lavender in French pots, little earth-toned glazed terracotta vessels bearing up the most organic lavender smell you could want.

More updates on new merch as it trickles in!

Back From Market

2007-01-16T14:06:00.000-05:00

After a three and a half hour flight delay on Monday afternoon, Debbie and I have returned from our weekend trip to Market in Atlanta. The good news is--we're still standing!

For those of you who might be curious about the behind-the-scenes machinations of the retail world, I'll gladly share the ins and outs of our two and a half day whirlwind January Market experience with you.

First of all, I want to say a big thank you to my beautiful and talented friend Kelly, who held down the fort for us on Saturday. Kelly happens to be the designer behind one of our favorite lines of jewelry: These Flowers, This Moon. I have mentioned her jewelry in a previous blog, but I want to take a moment for another shameless plug. Remember how I said I would never offer an item in my shop that I didn't believe in? Case in point: These Flowers, This Moon is jewelry I have added to my own small personal repertoire. I enjoy accessories but I really don't have very many pieces I truly love. I think it's better to have fewer things you actually can't wait to find an excuse to wear than to have a plethora of pieces you don't even know you own. Anyhow, when Kelly launched her line and I was able to see the craftsmanship and the artistry she brings to each hand-crafted piece, her designs quickly became some of my favorites. Each piece is 80% vintage, which means that almost every bead, every charm, and every precious stone she uses are actual antique and vintage findings culled from far and wide. For instance, some of the beads on the Petite Ornament earrings from her Winter Collection are mercury glass collected from Christmas tree garlands from the late 1800s. (The ear wires and all parts touching your skin are, of course, new.) We just received most of her new Sea Collection, inspired by marine hues and nautical stories (more pieces to come soon). I am (once again) in love. My favorite pieces are the X Marks the Spot earrings (ABOVE, top) and the At the Helm earrings (ABOVE, bottom). Kelly also sells online at www.theseflowersthismoon.com for those of you who would like a closer look or who would like to share her collection with friends from out of town.

Before I go any further, allow me to be the first to admit that I am a relatively inexperienced retailer. I've only been doing this for a little over a year. I have a lot to learn and am thirsty for it. I learn something about how I can improve my business on a daily basis. Mostly, you teach me. Debbie and I learn how to make our shop better from watching you shop it. We notice what you look at and what you don't; what you buy passes through our hands at the cash wrap. We're also conscious of what items rarely or never pass through our hands. We love having conversations with you, mostly to get to know you, but also because you teach us things about our shop that only you, someone with an objective point of view, could notice. We hear what words you use to describe our shop, and that tells us if we're translating our vision effectively through our merchandise and our displays. I say all of the above to let you know that what follows is by no means an expert insider's guide to What It's Really Like to Be a Boutique Owner. It's more like, What It's Really Like to Be the Owner of a Fledgling Boutique Attending Her Second Major Market With a Delicious Vision But Never Enough Cash. Still with me? Here we go.

One of the biggest learning curves my mom and I had as new retailers just one year ago was answering the question, how do stores get their product? Where does it all come from, and how do we locate the type of stuff that's right for our shop? The answer is manifold, but it involves a little sleuthing, a lot of searching, and knowing how to find the right source. Debbie and I do all of our own buying. I look forward to the day when I can hire some good part-time help for the shop, but to tell the truth, it would be a hard thing for me to share the buying with anyone else. I am so married to my vision of what and who we are ("we" being The Blissful) that it would be difficult for me to entertain input from anyone else. I'm thinking that the way I feel about my shop is probably similar to how most of you would feel if friends or acquaintances proffered input on how you should raise your children.

In any case, most retailers, from big box department stores to small, independently owned boutiques like ours, travel to one or a few Markets each year in several major cities across the U.S. The truly blessed may even get to some international shows! So far, our favorite is the Atlanta Mart, though I may also get to Chicago this summer and aspire to go to the New York one, too. These "Markets" can be as small as one large, industrial-size facility, take up an entire city block, or comprise multiple locations across a large metropolitan area, where you have to take transportation to get from one building to another. The Atlanta Mart has three interconnected buildings of nothing but permanent showrooms, from the grand and elaborate, to small temporary booths, which range in quality from the sublime to the, ahem, ridiculous. There are thousands of exhibitors (manufacturers, importers, vendors, artisans, craftspeople) showing their wares at Market, and thousands upon thousands of buyers (shop owners and staff) descend on the Marts twice a year to sell, sell, sell, and buy, buy, buy. The first show you attend is inevitably an overwhelming experience. There's just so much product, so many people, so many vendors vying for attention. Sometimes finding even one item that speaks to you on an entire floor--let alone in a single showroom--can feel like a needle in a haystack. After one Market, though, you've got your sea legs and you're learning how to swim.

Day One. We checked into our hotel on Saturday morning after an uneventful flight out of Akron-Canton. I knew the shop was in great hands with Kelly, so I could breathe easily and keep my cell phone in my shoulder bag rather than have it attached to my palm at all times. Debbie and I went in with a plan. Our strategy was to first hit our "big boys," as I think of them, those vendors we already order from and whose product you seem to really respond to. We began in Building 1, the Merchandise Mart, planning to hit about a dozen of our big boys, see their new stuff, jot down item numbers, and perhaps return later in the weekend to actually place the orders. The Merchandise Mart is where you will find your "High Design," things like fine linens, tabletop, and general home decor, as well as all my favorite temporary booths, many of whose wares are some of our bestselling lines. One thing we've found about our Market experience is that it's hard for us to get started actually placing the orders. Knowing that you're about to part with a cool thousand here, several thousand over there, with the tap of the sales rep's pointer on her handheld computer, isn't always the merriest of feelings. But eventually you have to bite the bullet and place that first order.

So here's a sampling of what we found in Building 1: a new line of jewelry, featuring some gorgeous and moderately-priced brushed gold initial charm bracelets; printed glass art; mismatched sets of antique coffee spoons and butter knives, and a line of French perfume and bubble bath I've had my eye on for about six months. The man and woman working this booth couldn't have been nicer and I thoroughly enjoyed their thick French accents. Along with ordering the perfume, we also were fortunate enough to acquire a collection of 92 antique French postcards, circa 1900. Most of these are in like-new condition, some are written on and some aren't, and we are offering them at $3.99 each.

Our best finds of the day were off our beaten path. I generally don't like to leave my beaten path (ask my mom), but sometimes you just have a hunch. We stumbled upon a showroom neither of us had heard of before and were drawn in by their beautiful display of hobnail glassware in Spring-y colors. Once inside, we discovered a whole range of gorgeous and homey finds (a hard-to-pull-off combination, kind of like cute AND cool), many of which will be appearing soon at The Blissful Home. From the abovementioned short and tall hobnail tumblers in clear, light blue, light green, and strawberry, to a very authentic-looking Bistrot de Paris menu blackboard and some great wine label kitchen towels, I think you'll love what we found. In an adjoining showroom, we found THE tiniest, cutest, crystal-ly, sparkly chandelier I have ever laid eyes on. We're bringing that to The Blissful, too.

To give you an idea of the scope of this Market, I should mention that it took us our entire first day, from 9:30ish in the morning 'til 8 PM when the Mart closed, to make it almost the whole way through Building 1. And we didn't look at half of what was there. (I am all about glancing in the windows as we walk past and discerning in about 2.2 seconds if it's a place I want to bother spending time in. Yes, I know there can be diamonds hidden in the rough, but my philosophy is if they can't grab me with their front displays and the general oeuvre of the place, what else should motivate me to give them my business?) By the end of the first day, we were pooped and dying to get off our feet. We enjoyed a great dinner at the buffet in our hotel restaurant (that Create Your Own Pasta special did me well) and went to bed at a reasonable hour.

Day Two, Sunday, we rose early and hit the Mart before most of the showrooms were even open. We managed to sneak into one in Building 1 who opened early and found some great monogrammed lavender sachets, handmade in France. This is something I've been wanting for the shop but couldn't find in a style that wasn't too generic or too cutesy. These would make the perfect Valentine's or Mother's Day gift. They should be here soon. After finishing up in Building One, we made our way to Building 2, the Gift Mart.

The Gift Mart has a different feel altogether than the Merchandise Mart. Gayer (and I'm not talking orientation here), more frenetic, livelier. I think it's because there's a higher proportion of female buyers in this building than in others (and the Market as a whole is dominated by women anyway, as you might have guessed) buying for their boutiques and gift shops, who probably have mostly female customers. These women get really excited about filling up their credit cards! This would be a good time to mention the preponderance of great Southern accents you hear throughout the halls and in every showroom. While Atlanta is an international Market, it seems that the "locals" are out in full effect for every show. While Debbie and I wear our best jeans and prettiest sweaters and most comfortable shoes when we shop, some of these Southern ladies are dressed to the nines--silk suits and coiffed hairdos, sparkly jewels and heels to boot! I don't know how they do it when the typical Mart shopper seems to be on her feet an average of 10 hours a day, but I have to hand it to them. They do look beautiful!

In Building 2, among other things, we found some neat door mats in pretty colors and a new line of antiqued flatware that takes on a nice patina in the dishwasher. These will be available for you soon.

Now, for my best story of the show. We stumbled into a showroom I'll call X, another off-the-beaten-path venue for us. We were hooked at a glance by window displays of their spare but comfortable and decidedly androgynous, "vintage modern" offerings. I fell in love in under sixty seconds. I began writing an order with a nice rep named Joe. I became interested in some drawer pulls that really attracted me. As Joe wrote them up for me, he mentioned that they were a Show Special because "a major national retailer used to carry them, but discontinued carrying them, so now our price can be reduced." I hesitated but a moment before asking him with strong conviction: "That wouldn't happen to be My Favorite Shop, would it?" "Yes, it would be Your Favorite Shop," Joe said. "We ARE your favorite shop. We're a group of designers who left there to start our own company." Did I say I was in love before? This vendor has entered my Top 5 favorites for The Blissful Home now. The aesthetic is right on for us, balancing out our tending-toward-rather-feminine look with lots of wire, pressed tin, galvanized metal, and canvas. LOVE these people. One thing we snatched up from them were a set of canvas shopping baskets--really cool ones--that you can carry around the shop and fill with all your little goodies. You usually put your stuff on our counter so you can free up your hands while you shop, which you're totally welcome to do, but very soon you'll be able to tote your stuff along with you. How fun is that? When I shop, I often like to gaze adoringly at my intended purchases before they're actually rung up for me. :)

On Monday, Day Three and our final day, we hit some of our "big boys" one final time to verify that yes, we would be purchasing certain things, and no, not others, and we finally made our way to Building 3, the Apparel Mart. Here you find your cash and carry jewelry, your women's clothing, and other small accessories. I have to confess that Building 3 is my least favorite building. The Apparel Mart is about 16 circular floors stacked up one on top of the other like the Tower of Pisa or a gaudy wedding cake, connected by escalators and a glass elevator in the center of it all. The energy in this always crowded, often (dare I say it) terribly tacky and chintzy-looking Mart exemplifies everything I hate about shopping. I wanted to leave from the moment I stepped in, but we were women on a mission and so I had to drag myself through. Unfortunately, we didn't find what we were looking for, which were some small personal items, such as handbags, wallets, cell phone cases, etc., that would be our apparel answer to our Eclectic Farmhouse Chic style of decor. Don't worry--I'm not giving up. The search continues, but maybe nevermore in Building 3.

We jumped on the MARTA (Atlanta's public transporation system) and headed back to the airport on Monday before lunch. Satisfied with our ordering and starting to visualize a tweaked floorplan to accomodate some of our bigger pieces and new displays, we were ready to jump on that plane, get in the door by 4:30 PM, and enjoy a nice, quiet evening at home. No could do. You know that really bad weather system that moved across the country over the weekend? Yeah. Our flight was delayed by three and a half hours. Not so bad when I overhead one woman telling someone that she had been in the airport since 4:30 AM--and it was past 5 o'clock in the evening. But the good news is we're back safe and sound, we did some minor tweaking of a few orders today, and we are open and smiling and ready to receive some new merchandise!

By the by, all of the items I described above will be available over the next several weeks. If you're on my mailing list (meaning you have received a post mailing from me before or you have signed up in the shop since we opened in December), watch your mailbox next week. If you would like to join my mailing list, send an e-mail to theblissfulhome@yahoo.com and pass on your name and complete address. If you'd like to join my e-mail list (an even more efficient method), send an e-mail to theblissfulhome@yahoo.com and type LIST in the subject heading. I'll gladly add you on.

The shop is looking lighter and Springier every day, so stop in and see us. New finds are arriving daily!

Why We Love Our Stuff, Part II

2007-01-10T16:04:00.000-05:00

I happen to just about LOVE everything in our shop. If I don't believe in it, we don't offer it to you. If my mom and I don't both love it, we're not convinced you'll love it. When you purchase something from our shop, I guess I feel the way a giver feels on Christmas morning, watching her recipient open her lovingly selected gift. Sounds corny, I know, but it's true. I'm that crazy about our merch.

But there's crazy, and then there's CRAZY. There are a few things we've found that I've really got to have for myself at some point. Allow me to indulge myself and give you a mini tour of some of my favorite things.

ABOVE, LEFT. Feast your eyes upon our Old Garden Shelf, which currently holds our mercury glass collection. Mercury glass may be a bit trendy right now, but thankfully it's also timeless. From urns to apothecary jars to candlesticks to tealight holders and petite ornaments (not just for the Christmas tree, folks), we've got it several ways. You may have noticed that we're never too fancy OR too low-country around here. We like to mix the rustic and the comfortable with the fabulously chic and elegant. It's unexpectedly special.

TO THE LEFT. We've paired a great bottle of white wine by Red Bicyclette (sorry, we don't sell the spirits!) with our 23F wine glasses. In the old days, you could get a glass of wine on the Rue du Bac for only 23 francs. Those days are long gone, but the wine is still there, and so are our cafe wine glasses. I would rather use these petite glasses--which fit so snugly in your hand--than balance a top-heavy wine glass, all the while trying to look correct and hold it only by its stem. [sigh] Something so nice as wine shouldn't be complicated.

ABOVE, TOP. J'adore these candles. This is a new collection for us that just arrived the other day. We're carrying both the Arboretum (seen here) and the Filigree styles. I'm over the moon about the fragrances (Wild Phlox Essence, in pink; White Tea & Thyme, in the cappuccino color; and Sweet Pea & Vanilla, in green. The Filigree collection has other fragrances, equally enchanting.). The printed glasses are adorably hip and get this: once the candle has run out, you can scrub out the glass with really hot water, run it through the dishwasher, and--voila!--you've got a drinking glass!

ABOVE, BOTTOM. You know how no parent wants to admit they have a favorite child? It's hard for me to choose an ultimate favorite item, but I have to put my money on this Petite Fleur Candlestick. Colorful and shyly retro, I would expect to see this kind of thing at a really great White Elephant sale. But here ours is, flanking our body care collection by Mistral.

BELOW. Apparently deer heads are the new chickens and roosters. So say our industry insider magazines. We hate the word 'trendy' and aren't overly concerned with such things, but in any case, we find this particular Indian Stag delightful. Looks great with our French Garden Wreath (metal flowers, people!) 'round his neck. Not so scary for the kids, either.

BELOW, LEFT. Bella Notte Linens really are the softest things you will ever touch. I swear. Come in and touch them. My favorites from their line currently in our shop are these Satin Velvet Throws. A luxury gift to be sure, these come in almost every color of the rainbow. We've chosen light, bright hues for impending Spring, but we can order yours in whatever color you'd like, from Forest to Chocolate to Champagne and many, many more.

BELOW, RIGHT: We sold out of these glittery little Tour Eiffels in about two minutes when we first opened. Planning ahead, we tried to order sixty more to get us through the Spring. They sent us ten. Hurry!!!!!!!

TO THE LEFT: Who doesn't need our Bluebird Salt & Pepper shakers? Had I a kitchen at the moment, these would SO be in there. (More about my temporarily vagabond-ish lifestyle in a later blog. Maybe.) They are tiny and ceramic and smooth, and they are the perfect color of robin's egg blue. Except they are bluebirds. In any case, they should be mine. But they can be yours.

By the way, at this point we are not equipped to do online selling, but if you ever see something on this blog that you think would make the perfect gift for your hard-to-buy-for friend or sister or daughter (or for yourself!), don't hesitate to give us a call. We'll happily put one back for you or you can purchase over the phone and we'd be glad to ship.

Thanks for indulging me.

Why We Love Our Stuff, Part I

2007-01-08T17:54:00.001-05:00

I have a confession to make. I've never been a big shopper. I kid you not.

As a young girl, I dreaded shopping trips to the mall, which weren't even all that frequent (my mom, for her part, has never been a big shopper either). I hated the act of trying on clothes, disliked the endless trolling through aisles of big box department stores, could give a flip about a sale. I will say this: a couple times a year, the shopping urge did strike me, and on those days I could put in a good six hours or so and drop a sizeable wad, if a sizeable wad were within my means. As I grew older, my shopping trips became less frequent, but often more costly (a girl needs a few things to wear, after all, and a few things with which to feather her nest, and if she only gets the urge to procure these things on two or three occasions a year, well, you get it).

And then, one summer day in Cincinnati (of all places), I discovered MY FAVORITE SHOP. My favorite shop is actually a national chain, but They are very particular about where They place Their stores. In fact, the nearest one to me is almost fifty miles away (the better for my pocketbook, to be sure). That summer day several years ago in Cinci, bopping around town with my friends Laura and Lindsay, we walked into what instantaneously became My Favorite Shop, and in that moment my take on why we buy--more specifically, why I buy--was changed forever. Here was a store that got me at a very visceral level. Visually, aurally, emotionally, intellectually, I was moved. Even the fragrance of the store spoke to me in a powerful way. The merchandise ranged from the pedantic (mugs and journals and underwear) to the remarkable (a $10,000 winepress table; a jar of pastel pillow mints [circa 1900] "discovered at a London flea market"). I found not only lots and lots of STUFF that called my name, but I found many stories to go along with it, and hence, a reason to invite that stuff into my life. That day, I became a shop junkie.

Years later, again cruising My Favorite Shop with my friends Mel and Brooke, I tried to justify my intentions to purchase a rather pricey, snowfall-white knitted hoodie with satin trim. "I couldn't see myself spending that much on a sweater," practical Brooke opined. Mel, who is smart and careful and thrifty, agreed. I, the hopeless romantic, had this to offer up: "If I look at the sweater and I can see myself making memories in it, I know it's supposed to be mine." Brooke and Mel laughed--laughed! But they had a valid point: we were all relatively new teachers, and everyone knows teachers aren't raking in the bucks. But we were doing alright. I paid my bills every month, socked a bit away in savings, and you know what? In a matter of two minutes, the snowfall-white knitted hoodie had already painted itself into my fantasy life. I could picture myself taking a walk in that sweater on a winter evening, preparing dinner for a friend, snuggling on the couch. As I told my friends, I needed that sweater to make memories in. And make memories I did.

So this is a treatise on why we love our stuff. But first, one caveat: this is not, not, NOT a paean to materialism, overindulgence, or spending beyond one's means. In fact, I don't actually enjoy spending money. But I love me my stuff. And, well, unless you are in a position to barter or are a skilled craftswoman using found materials, in our society we have to spend money to get our stuff. And a second caveat: this is not about a love for shopping. Like I said, I really don't enjoy the process of shopping, save for my not-frequent-enough excursions to My Favorite Shop. But again, I love me my (let's all say it together) STUFF.

And here's why: our stuff can inspire us. You can roll over in the morning and look at your tri-color running sneaks lined up by your closet door, and the idea of sacrificing some sleep for some time on the treadmill doesn't seem so bad. Our stuff can comfort us. Your favorite mug, filled to the brim with cocoa and a dollop of whipped cream, feels just right in your hand when you're worn out and need a little affair with your couch. Our stuff can speak volumes when we sometimes can't. A potted plant or a candle with a glorious scent, offered to someone who is hurting, can provide a moment of solace. Our stuff can seem to give us energy. I always feel a little more awake--because I look a little more awake!--when I'm wearing my Dandelion blush. Our stuff can make a statement about us before we've said a word. As a former English teacher, I am not embarassed to say that my second favorite part of speech is the adjective (words that describe nouns). For me, a piece of jewelry is like an adjective for the self. I tend to wear what one of my sales reps describes as "statement jewelry." Yes, I want you to notice it and have a thought about it. Good, bad, or indifferent, my earrings or ring or bracelet are my statement for the day. Our stuff can marry us to our memories in a way that's almost indelible. My mom handwashed my baby dresser for me with a lovely, peach-y, candlelight color, and it made a beautiful statement in my first grown-up living room, topped with a candleabra. I consider this dresser my first heirloom piece and I'm going to keep it forever. Our stuff can put other people at ease. I felt so at home in my boyfriend's parents house the first night I felt comfortable enough to grab a chenille throw, wrap it around me, and doze off--in front of his dad!

So don't be ashamed if you love your stuff. It doesn't necessarily mean you're materialistic or superficial. It may just mean that, like us, you attach memories, sensations, experiences, ideas, and moments to the tangible objects that people your world. Like characters from a novel, your stuff can speak to you, and hey, we think you should embrace it!

In my next blog, I want to take you on a mini tour of the shop and show you some of the STUFF we've found for you that I especially love. Photos to come, too.

We've Got a Story To Tell

2007-01-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

Everyone should have the chance to meet my beautiful mom. This is Debbie and she is the creative spark behind our displays. We work in tandem, she and I. I handle most of the administrative business (paperwork, ordering, phone calls, etc.). She masterminds just about everything you see. She works well in 3D (actually touching the merchandise), while I feel safer in 2D (all those years of ballet and I am still a little, for lack of a better word, klutzy). We both enjoy chatting up our customers. We both do the buying, but I am the storyteller.

I'm still getting used to retail seasons and how forward-thinking you (meaning me, as a shop owner, and others in this business) have to be about seasonal planning and buying. For instance, we are just packing in Holiday 2006, and what do you know, when Debbie and I descend on Atlanta in ten days for market, a good fraction of our buying may be for Holiday '07. Whew! At first this concept of thinking a year in advance of a season seemed ludicrous to me, even a little bit wrong. As an often recalcitrant shopper myself, I used to balk when I'd walk into a store in August and see snowflake decorations (kind of like swimsuits in January--yikes!). But now that the shoe is on the other foot, I've taken a different perspective. Yesterday as Debbie and I flipped through a catalog I'd marked up with my own Christmas wishlist (stuff for the shop), it occurred to me why planning for next holiday season already has me excited:

The writer in me sees our retail year as similar to a good novel. I've always wanted to write a novel, and I believe that I will someday. In here, we are telling a story through the shop and all of its contents. Sometimes I think it's not what's in the shop but how it's displayed that inspires you to make one of our finds part of your world. Who wants to rifle through shelves jampacked with unrelated stuff (okay, ME, a lot of the time, which is why TJMaxx can be so much fun), when you can immerse yourself in a fantasy? For me, the richest part of retailing is the opportunity to dream up stories and tell them through our merchandise mix and our displays.

Now, I have to let you all know, I can't take much credit for the visual part of our store. My mom is our stylist and our displays are her aegis--and what a gift she has (and I don't mind saying so). She always said she should've been an interior decorator--now she's getting her fix! But before we can approach the creation of a new display or even buy for the next season, I have to have a backstory. Each piece we choose has to have a reason for being invited into the shop, into a particular vignette, and ultimately into your home.

Sorry if this is getting a little cerebral! But back to the idea of a shop being like a good novel: when we first started planning for our Fulton Drive shop and we knew we'd be opening in the winter, I started to conceptualize what story we'd be telling. After some brainstorming and a lot of visualization, I landed on "Contessa's Winter Holiday." Debbie and I talked about this vision a lot at first. Who is this Contessa? Where is she taking her holiday? Who comes to visit her? How does she live? What does she eat? What does she enjoy? (And, often more importantly, what wouldn't she live with?) Throughout last Spring and Summer as we did our buying, we kept this story in mind. Now we're not so kooky or hopped up on our own fiction as to actually talk about the Contessa on a daily basis...but we know her story lives and breathes through our displays. And that was our inspiration behind Holiday '06.

For Spring, the story I am feeling right now is Secret Garden-meets-the-world-from-the-film- Great Expectations, the version starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke. I can't really explain this. You'll just have to come in between now and late February (when we'll be full-blown Spring) and see what I mean.

As I think about The Blissful Home in 2007, I think about our four seasons and how they will play off of one another in the novel that is this year. I already have pictures floating around in my head of what our shop might look like in March, in June, in September, and yes, in December. I wonder what motifs will emerge, what characters will arise unspoken from our mix of old and new, and how Eclectic Farmhouse Chic will continue to evolve.

My hope for 2007 is that we can inspire YOU to make your own home reflect more of you in each small thing you invite into your mix.

P.S. The Valentine's candy bars are in!

Bonne Annee (Happy New Year)

2007-01-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

Well, it's January 2nd and 50-something degrees in northeastern Ohio. We haven't had so much as a decent snowfall yet. I know that this is a fairly unpopular opinion around these parts, but our lack of winter weather is disappointing for someone like me. No, I'm not a skier, nor do I engage in any other winter sports--I just love snow! I love everything about it--the color, the weight, the texture of it against your exposed skin, even the smell of it. I love winter boots and wool coats and fantasies of horse-drawn carriage rides with the snow whirling up alongside you. I don't really even mind the shoveling and the car window-scraping. I know this will be hard for some people to understand, but I'll take temperatures of ten-below over 100 degree weather any day! I don't know--somewhere in the bloodline I must be hard-wired for cold weather. Maybe it's the Irish/Scottish blood in me.

Here's one for you: I was out in the parking lot in front of the shop this morning. Looking out into traffic, I saw a woman driving a minivan and wearing (God love her) a SANTA HAT! Sigh. For some people, I guess too much Noel just isn't enough.

In any case, our premiere holiday season in Jackson Township flew by and it was so much fun. The best thing about being open again was seeing so many customers from our first shop who came back to see us, and of course meeting so many new customers, many of whom we're already on a first name basis with (yes, I know I shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition, former English teacher that I am--no scolding!). You who are reading this blog, I want to thank you for helping to make our opening such a treat, a wonderful learning experience (already have so many ideas for next Christmas), and most of all, for giving us a warm welcome to this community. We feel incredibly blessed to be here, right here, on this very corner, and to have our doors open to you.

One reason for my starting this blog is so that wherever you are, you can stay updated on happenings at The Blissful Home. I'll try to post new photos as often as I can, too. One event I will be sure to post about is a sale--I haven't been in this business long, but long enough to know that everybody loves a sale.

So...while you're trying to pull your house back together following the holiday hoopla, I wanted to mention that all of our holiday merchandise is 70% off. This includes our retro Christmas houses, bottle brush trees, mercury glass ornaments, Cartes Postales, wreaths (yes, there are still some Multi Ball Encrusted ones left) and all of our holiday florals. In addition, there is some great winter-themed merchandise available at 50% off...and WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD A GOOD SNOW YET! In addition, we have taken 20% off of our entire collection of La Vie Parisienne jewelry (antiqued gold and silver crafted from actual antique French jewelry molds) and David Aubrey (beaded, a bit funky, fresh colors), as well as 20% off of selected pieces from the Winter collection by These Flowers, This Moon. We just love this designer. She's new on the scene and handcrafts beautiful, delicate jewelry that is 90% vintage. Check out her website: http://www.theseflowersthismoon.com.

And for those of you who just can't look at another Christmas bulb, rest assured--we have already spun Spring a bit throughout each display. Stop in and see our homage to (slightly) warmer weather. There are a few new displays to behold and other displays have gotten a gentle zhuzh. It may not even be winter out there yet, but we're nodding hello to Spring in here.

Finally, we have a little Valentine's out, too. Those candy bars you loved and bought so many of over Christmas (you know, the ones wrapped with vintage images and adorned with German glitter glass and a ribbon) are here, this time bedecked with lovely little Valentine's images and sentiments. There are only a few left, if you can believe that, but we have more on the way. If you missed out on these candy bars over the holidays, you'll want to stop in and snatch these up. Almost everybody loves chocolate, so it's the perfect gift, and these are so uniquely cute AND cool (not the easiest combination to pull off, when you think about it), that your recipient is going to be unexpectedly delighted. At least I would be! Also arriving soon: vintage-style Valentines. Hallmark is great and all, but why not personalize your greeting and give something that has more of a one-of-a-kind feel to it?

Happy New Year, all. Hope to see all of your faces looking bright and rosy soon...maybe with a snow glow???

Bonjour! (and How We Came To Be)

2006-12-20T15:49:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the very first blog for The Blissful Home, my funky little French farmhouse shop in Jackson Township, Canton, Ohio. I'm Abby and I'm the proprietor.

First, the essentials: We're located at 4605 Fulton Drive, NW, Canton, Ohio, 44718. For those of you who are local, this is on the corner of Fulton and Dressler Road. We can be reached at the shop at (330) 492-2500 or by e-mail at theblissfulhome@yahoo.com. We're currently running Holiday Hours, which are Monday-Friday from 10-7 and Saturday and Sunday from 10-5. Yes, that's seven days a week through December 23rd. Then we revert to our regular Hours of Enjoyment, which are Monday-Friday from 10-6 and Saturday from 10-5.

Now, the story: This shop is the manifestation of my dream of a whimsical, vintage-inspired French farmhouse. I'm almost embarassed to admit this, but no, I've never been to France--I just have a rich fantasy life! A rich enough one to carry me out of a rather fulfilling career teaching high school English in Columbus, move me back to my hometown (a place, wonderful though it is, where I once vowed I'd never live again), and propel me into the adventure of my life: creating a specialty home and gift boutique--a lifestyle store, if you will--called The Blissful Home.

Here's how it all started: last year on Christmas Eve, my mom (Debbie) and I were eating lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant. At that point, I'd been feeling strange stirrings pulling me back to Canton for about a month. I had no idea where they came from, but I suddenly and without a doubt knew deep within that I was meant to leave teaching, return to Canton, and become self-employed in some creative way. Over wonton soup and egg rolls, we conceived of a shop that reflected my whimsical tastes--a place where I myself would want to shop (I'm not a natural born shopper, ironically). Our original inspiration descended on us both so suddenly that it felt like a gift. We would open a shop together, merging my imaginative, storytelling, administrative, and managerial talents (I once managed 150 teenagers a day after all!) with my mom's talents for visual design and creativity. This was something we were both excited about, and something that felt larger than the two of us, motivated by something bigger than just little old us.

And so we began: the day after Christmas, we began planning for The Blissful Home. In February 2006, we opened our first little shop--in a barn! It was the perfect place for us to get rooted, learn the business (neither of us had any significant retail background at all), and hone our 'look.' And here's what that look quickly evolved into: whimsical, not traditional; French-inspired, not French-to-the-core; eclectic, not devoted to one point of view; vintage-y, not dusty; farmhouse, not country; fresh, not seen before, and always a little bit chic--never fussy or formal. One night on a cold and snowy cardrive home from our shop, I first spoke aloud the way I envisioned our unique style: "It's Eclectic Farmhouse Chic!" This became our tagline. We sold everything from Provencal-style pottery to apothecary candles to vintage bracelet kits, and people were responding.

For seven months, we worked hard to make our shop the best little shop it could be. We were constantly encouraged by our wonderful customers, who gave us valuable feedback that helped us become even more "us." They validated what we were thinking and envisioning. And so, after a short time, we knew it was time for us to take a leap. It was time to find a new home for The Blissful Home. The reasons for our cry of "onwards and upwards!" were many, but here is one: we needed to expand and we knew that Jackson Township was the place for us to do it. A community very close to where we both live, mom and I knew that a location closer to home (with a shorter drive) would be most beneficial as we grew, expanded, and worked longer hours.

We were blessed to find the perfect location, a building that was once the home of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles! After two months of construction, including knocking down walls and building new ones, gutting bathrooms and updating them, installing everything from a new ceiling to new floors, then painting and repainting THE ENTIRE SPACE no fewer than five times (!!!), we were ready to move in. Four weeks of long days and longer nights later, and we opened our doors. Our first day of business in our new, expanded location was December 1st, 2006.

So what a year 2006 has been. I left one career (after a Bachelor's AND a Master's degree, no less), moved back to my hometown, opened and closed one shop, and reopened my shop in a dream location. I have a lot to be thankful for...

Including you. If you are reading this blog, it is probably because you have shopped at my store, visited my store, or know someone who has. Thank you for all of your encouragement and support as we continue to learn, grow, travel to find the most unique and wonderful things we can for your homes, and get to know you. I LOVE meeting new people and having personal conversations with my customers, who often become fast friends. So please, when you come in, introduce yourself. It means a lot.

FYI, we have select holiday merchandise at 20% off. The day after Christmas, ALL holiday merchandise goes to 50% off the original price. This includes all of our ornaments, our retro Christmas houses, holiday Atelier (cartes postales, etc.), winter florals, bejewelled stockings, the most whimsical 12 Days of Christmas dessert plates you could ever imagine, and more.

We can't wait for you to visit us again. And Happy Holidays!