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A Smashing Success

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

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

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

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

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

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'

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.