30 September 2007

The Blissful 2.0

Welcome to Lettres from The Blissful. I’m Abby Kerr, the proprietor of The Blissful, a boutique of French-Inspired Finds & Furnishings located in suburban Jackson Township, Canton, Ohio. As you can see, we’ve re-styled our blog as we head into a new era for our business in our brick-and-mortar location. Please bookmark this site for future visits. Our previous blog site will remain active and will serve as our archives.

We’ve re-styled a few other things around here, as well, starting with the name of our shop! As the anniversary of our location in Jackson Township approaches, we’ve simplified the shop’s name to better reflect our Euro sensibility, as well as the breadth of all that we offer. As our local customers know, we offer much more than just home furnishings. We curate an array of interesting accent furniture, art, lighting, bedding, and accessories, but we also have a wide assortment of unique gifts, apothecary, candles, gourmet products, books, music, jewelry, and ladies’ accessories. Henceforth, the shop you have known as The Blissful Home is now called, simply, The Blissful. Our new tagline, French-Inspired Finds & Furnishings, completes the package. Our simplified name, new tagline, and change of “packaging” truly fulfills the vision I have always held in my mind and heart for my shop. We take a lifestyle approach to appointing your home and your self, and we believe we're entering a new era of growth and development. We're thrilled to have you come along with us!

One of the most fun parts of this changeover has been all of the new collateral, i.e. new business cards, new gift cards (the kind that slide through our credit card reader...we feel official now!), and newly embellished bags for you to take your purchases home in. At any given time these days, you will find me with a pocketbookful of our new die-cut business cards. One side is light and the other is dark. I can’t stop flipping them from one side to the other in a game of I love this side more. No, I love this side more. If you’re in our neighborhood, you will see our chic new storefront signage installed soon, as well as a new sign on the corner of Fulton and Dressler.

And best of all…wait for it…we’re now online at theblissful.com! Please stop by and check us out. And be sure to bookmark us for future visits, as we will begin selling a selection of our goods online in January 2008. This comes at the request of our blog readers from across the nation and beyond. I find it amazing how small the internet makes the whole wide world.

Before my long-dreamt-of restyling could be accomplished, I had to meet the graphic designer of my dreams, the person who could bring my vision to life. Her name is Rebecca Snyder and she is the force behind a la mode designs. I am convinced that Rebecca, in partnership with her husband Matthew (a talented web technician), is the only person who could have so perfectly captured the essence of my vision for my business and brought it forth the way that she has. Rebecca and Matthew were able to translate all that I wanted to convey about my funky, French-inspired shop into a stunning new logo and a delicious website that is interesting and fun. I could not have accomplished this transformation without them. I thank them for their unflagging creativity, their many hours of dedicated work, their patience, their integrity, their hospitality, and most of all, their friendship.

Please check back often for frequent updates on what’s new around the shop, stories of our trips to market, decorating inspiration, and behind the scenes tidbits from the world of a boutique owner. We'd love it if you left us a comment to let us know you stopped by. Merci!

7 comments:

Cheryl Ensom said...

I just ADORE the new site, Abby! I was poring over it this morning and it is just positively DELICIOUS!!! No wonder you've been so excited. :) Congratulations!

jade said...

Abby,
The site is simply beautiful! Just as I imagined it would be.

Wonderful job! I can't wait to see more photos of the shop and to be able to shop online!!!

Jennifer

Unknown said...

Abby,
Your new site is so wonderful. It is something that I always wanted to do...upgrade my site. You have inspired me to get it done!! Thanks, Sue

sweetpea said...

Congrats Abby! It's beautiful! All I can say is WOW!

Shelley
Sweet Pea

Anonymous said...

Abby,
The site looks terrific, but mostly, your store is gorgeous! Makes me miss my old store! But i am excited to have Tatine candles a be a part of Blissful!
Best to you,
Margo
Tatine Candles

Anonymous said...

This is so BEAUTIFUL! I love it! Congratulations on this exciting development! I will pour over it often! And shop online? Dreamy!

Thanks for sharing,

Best to you!

Melissa

Abby Kerr Ink said...

Thanks, everyone, for all your warm comments and congratulations. We are so thrilled and are ready to plunge into the next phase of development...e-commerce! Whoo-hoo!