So many exciting things going on with the shop these days. I am still trying to get used to my new weekly routine. Between school and preschool, I have three days a week where the girls are otherwise engaged and you'll find me treasure hunting and working… which sounds like a lot, but it's basically nine work days in between weekends. Our booths have to be ready on the Tuesday before our open Friday Weekends, so it really is quite a mad rush to get things done!
It is Crazy Busy Fun Stuff.
Our September first weekend event was a huge success. People were out in droves. The weather was perfect. Our store was stocked full. And shoppers were buying!
Highlights?
TONS of first timers -- not just to our store, but to the whole district. Fabulous!
LOTS of great reviews and comments about our shop.
REALLY happy customers. We keep hearing that everyone who leaves our shop, does so in a great mood. That ours is the most friendly. Isn't that fantastic? I think our enthusiasm and cheer is infectious. It's not fake. We really are having a ball!
This week I am getting ready for the Fleeting Flea event in Overland Park this upcoming weekend. It's a one-time flea market event held in a neighborhood clubhouse (near 90th and Nall). I don't know anything about it other than it has a history of being super busy. I'm sharing a booth with my store owner, Kelly Davis, and two other talented Brocante Bliss vendors: Natalie Hunter, of Sawdust and Stilettos, and Megan Hull of Megan Made This. I was totally flattered when they asked if I'd do this with them!
I'm still trying to find a good balance between handmade, repurposed, refinished and found. Between stocking my display with lots of stuff and balancing that with my personal affinity for 'paired down'. The thing is, an empty booth won't sell much. I'm enjoying developing this new skill. It's a challenge for me to work on that last 1% of the booth. To me it's like jewelry. Anyone who knows me knows this: I have lots of jewelry, but I rarely wear it. I default to some nice safe pieces and rarely experiment. I'm not very showy. Well, I have lots of gorgeous 'smalls' for my booth. Displaying them is something I'm working on. And I'm getting better. One shopper picked up an entire table display and bought the whole thing last time. She placed the tray, glass pumpkin and acorn wreath on the counter and said, "display is everything."
Lesson learned!
Now if I can only get my act together. You know those 'good problems' to have? That's where I am. My upholstered stuff sold so quickly last weekend that my inventory has dwindled. (Local KC peeps - if you are about to toss something away and you think I might be able to do something with it, please let me know. My upholstery tools are gathering dust!)
Today is a Monday. That means I'm at gymnastics with the littlest. We'll have some quality girl time today and I might sneak in a little work if I can get her to nap. Tomorrow I have to run down to the store and pull things to re-tag for the Fleeting Flea and then we have Wednesday and Thursday to set up that booth.
In between that, all the girls are taking dance classes and gymnastics and vocal lessons. There are birthday parties and football games and an upcoming trip to Orlando. Our days are full and I feel blessed. (Exhausted, too. But truly blessed.)
xo