Lettres from THE BLISSFUL

I'm Creating a Brand for Indie Retailers

2011-03-11T16:18:00.003-05:00

Much to my surprise when I checked out Google Analytics, this blog still gets a good amount of traffic even though THE BLISSFUL's been closed for over a year. This tells me that many of you are still enjoying the archives and maybe even checking from time to time for a new post.

I'd be remiss if I didn't let you in on my latest project . . .

Alongside Abby Kerr Ink, my primary business in which I provide brand editing services to creative entrepreneurs, I'm developing a brand to meet the needs of my boutique industry clients and readers.

You can get in on it now with a free subscription to the Indie Retail Whip, my weekly e-newsletter for indie retailers and others connected to the boutique industry. {Please note that there's a double opt-in to this list to filter out spam bots. This means that once you subscribe, you'll be sent a link in a confirmation email that you'll have to click before you start receiving updates.}

You can also find me on Twitter tweeting retail moxie @IndieRetailWhip.

And yes! There's more to come. Watch your Inbox and Twitter for product announcements and other special features a little later. :)

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Remember Me? Remember These?

2011-02-26T14:23:00.005-05:00

Hel-looooooooooooooo!!! Long time no talk over here as I've been busy blogging over at Abby Kerr Ink {the site for my new biz} ever since closing THE BLISSFUL one year ago.

Just doing some early early Spring cleaning and found these:

Decided to list them on eBay at a greatly reduced Buy It Now price.

You can find the John Wind Chunky Initial Bracelets from THE BLISSFUL on eBay here.

These are the very last ones and when they're gone, they're gone.

Hope your initial or that of someone you love is in the bunch. Have fun!

THE BLISSFUL's Last Lettre

2010-06-03T15:59:00.005-04:00

Dear Readers --

This is likely to be the last Lettre here on this blog. The reason for that is...the party has moved!

Please join me at my

brand new site for niche-y entrepreneurs

And thank you, so much, for following along with Lettres from THE BLISSFUL over the past four years. Wow. I'm grateful for your friendship and your readership.

Indie retailers, aspiring retailers, biz-minded artists and designers, and creatively entrepreneurial folks of any ilk, my new site is especially for you.

Love,

Abby

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AbbyKerrInk.com Launching This Thursday

2010-06-01T08:49:00.000-04:00

I've always loved Thursdays. Forever, I think it's been my favorite day of the week.

So it's a nice coincidence that I'll be launching my new site, AbbyKerrInk.com, this Thursday, June 3rd.

Yep,

AbbyKerrInk.com will launch this Thursday, June 3rd!

What the site holds for you:

How to design an entrepreneurial niche that aligns with your natural interests, talents and gifts, and the lifestyle you want to create
How to nichify your offerings so that your right people can't help but be attracted to you and your biz
How to find your right people -- customers and clients, partners and peers
How to connect with your right people online, in print, and in person
How to market your niche-y enterprise in a way that doesn't feel forced and huckster-ish

Plus advice and support for:

Creative entrepreneurs and those who want a self-made career that looks and feels like them
Indie retailers, both brick and mortar and online
Crafters, artists, and designers who want to sell their work to boutiques
Those who value the creative lifestyle

Plus help with:

Copywriting for your niche-y enterprise, including SEO {search engine optimized} web copy that'll help your right people find your site
Naturally niche-y marketing - vision and strategies
Persistently romantic PR - how to's and how to get over yourself
Indie retail start-ups and reinventions

If you've been reading this blog for a while, I thank you for following along with my entrepreneurial journey from high school English teacher to French-y lifestyle store owner to freelance writer/niche-y biz coach/blogger.

Now I look forward to following along with yours!

See you in a few days at my new site!

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Updates! I've Got Updates!

2010-05-24T14:07:00.007-04:00

Photo courtesy of L. Marie, Flickr Creative Commons.

Here's what's going on around Abby Kerr Ink studios:

You know I have three?

Studios, that is.

One is my basement studio. One is my dining room table studio. The other is my bed studio.

All three are great for different reasons.

The first has a secret candy drawer, the comfiest office chair {Sam's Club, baby}, and near total privacy, except for two cats that wander through sometimes.

The second has great lighting, big, airy windows with floaty drapes, and a terrific table-under-chandelier set-up.

The third is the softest and the most filled with birdsong. If I lie back on my bed, I have the sensation of being in a bowery, as both windows are fringed by leafy trees. Sometimes birds even come and perch on my sills. Okay, one time two of them did. And it was pretty cool.

Here's a recap of what I've been doing since closing THE BLISSFUL back in February:

Deprogramming from Totally On-All-The-Time Abby. {Any experience as intense as being frontwoman of a customer service-oriented business at least six days a week for four years has got to find her way back to herself once it ends. I promise you. And the trip? It's been delightful.}

Nourishing my body and spirit in new ways. Flirting with vegetarianism and organics. Thinking of ditching diet soda. Getting more interested in yoga and long, meditative walks and what they can do for me. Not actually doing more yoga or taking more long, meditative walks, but my heart's in the right place.

Writing like nuts. Writing for a handful of cool clients and lots for myself and for my new site, which will launch soon over at AbbyKerrInk.com. Also consulting/coaching.

Luxuriating in Pandora radio. Last three songs that have played since I've been writing this post: "God Made the Automobile" by Iron & Wine, "He Said, She Said" by Joe Purdy, "Rain King {Live}" by Counting Crows. Sooth-y sunny day quietude.

Putting myself through a self-designed grad school program-by-blog. {You can do this, too. Just find a blog that really resonates with you, one who shares lots of good links, and start following. You'll be amazed what you find.} Digging in deep. Slurping content as if through a spork. Discovering new mentors and making friends. Learning to dig Twitter. Really loving Facebook. Sharing as much good stuff as I can with people who are interested in the same stuff I am. And heavens! You are out there.

Freeing myself.

Reframing my relationship with money. That's been a big one.

Getting clear about what I'm good at. Not what I can do well, or can do with the appearance of success. What I'm good at. What I'm good at that I want to do.

Thinking a lot about my right people. Who you are, what you want. What I can do for you. What we can do together.

My new site is not going to be for everyone. For instance, there'll be probably no talk of design or decorating or gift-buying or home furnishings. That's the biz I came out of, but that's not where I am right now. So those of you who enjoyed this blog for the inspirational photos of French-y wonders, I have to let you know that my new site is not geared toward what THE BLISSFUL was about. It'll have its own inspirational wonders, but of a different sort.

If you're a creative person who feels passionately driven to figure out how you can do the thing you want to do, your way, sometime in your life and hopefully as soon as possible, then you're probably going to dig what I'm cooking up.

I'll be blogging about indie entrepreneurship, the creative life, connecting with your right people, naturally niche-y marketing, and lots more. Lots and lots of free content to help you out. And a 10 part e-course {also free} on Creating a Truly Irresistible Niche. One of my favorite topics under the sun, so I designed a course about it to share how fun and powerful nichifying can be. All coming soon.

So, here's an announcement: the site will be launching very, very soon. So soon I'm scared to say when. So I'm doing this much more casually than I usually do when I launch something.

I hope you'll be there. Keep watching this blog.

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear from you. If you feel like you might be my right person--and that'd mean I'd be yours! {goody!}--what exactly are you hoping to see, learn, or be inspired by over at the new site?

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Because of Danielle LaPorte, I Don't Have Time To Write This Post

2010-05-12T10:05:00.004-04:00

Memo to my local readers:

You don't have to be mad at Danielle LaPorte. She's not the reason I closed THE BLISSFUL.

But she did help me create a blueprint for my new business, Abby Kerr Ink.

And she is the reason I don't have a ton of time today to do justice to explaining just how amazing and life-redefining her new Fire Starter Sessions Digital Experience for Entrepreneurs is. I did that over here in my first post about Danielle's new work, Why Every Little Entrepreneur Deserves a Big Fire Starter. Today is the work's worldwide release and what a great day for you to get your own copy.

Quick Testimonial About What A Fire Starter with Danielle Did For Me {& What It Can Do For You}

I've always seen myself as a writer. Know that I am one. Don't need approval or awards or, heck, even publication to prove to myself that I am one.

Despite anything else I've ever done {including running a pretty cool boutique}, writing has still been, for me, The Thing. Transcending all other things I could do.

But I didn't know how to take my natural-born gift, my driving passion, my positive addiction to writing {and sharing and teaching} and turn that into something that would pay the bills. {Clearly, I missed the day in college Creative Writing class when they talked about How Writers Can Earn a Living Working From Home}.

And then I had a personal Fire Starter Session with Danielle LaPorte. This was back in late October of last year. I already knew I wanted to close my shop--the how was the question. And the what next was a concern.

Danielle didn't answer those questions for me. But she helped me explore them in the context of what I really wanted to do. What I believed I was born to do. What felt good to do, and what I couldn't stop doing. What I'd do anyway, in between, around, underneath, over above, and instead of whatever other avocation was taking its place.

End of Testimonial. Let's Talk About You and Your Thing.

If you're ready for your own revelation, the Fire Starter Sessions Digital Experience for Entrepreneurs will be the best $150 you may ever spend.

Don't let the three-digit price tag put you off. You're going to spend a discretionary $150 somewhere anyway over the next couple months {couple weeks? couple days?}. Why not invest it in finding out what you really want to do with your one, incredible life?

Thanks to Danielle, I'm Too Busy Today to Write a Lengthy Post

Today, I'm in the thralls of writing web copy for a client. Beautiful, sparkling, evocative and crystal clear web copy that will connect with my clients' right people and help search engines find their site. I get to do this, full-time, because I figured out that I could close my boutique to do the something else that I knew I was being called to do. Called, as in, on a DNA-level. And this "figuring out" is due in large part to Danielle.

Do you know what you're called to do on a DNA-level? {The Fire Starter Sessions Digital Experience helps you with that.}

And I'm also working on content for AbbyKerrInk.com, my new site that's set to launch very, very soon. It's almost paining me to type that because I want to launch right now! But there's still more goodness to be created before I want to reveal it. I get to launch a new site for a new business because Danielle helped me figure out--in a very short, compressed, powerful, almost poetic space of time--exactly how to shape my skills, talents, and desires into a new business that could be entirely online, if I wanted it to be. So that I could work from home.

What would you like to be doing today that seems sort of impossibly confounding as to how you A} could really do it, and do it your way, and B} could make a good living at it? {The Fire Starter Sessions Digital Experience can help you get really, really clear about what that Thing could look like. And then how to materialize it.}

So today's a busy one. I'm working from home, listening to my perfect Pandora station {Feist, CocoRosie, Tungg} as I write, and burning an intoxicating candle on the table here with me. I'm drinking coffee out of my favorite mug. It's wisp blue and says Chez Germain on it.

And this is exactly what three months ago, I wished I could be doing on a rainy Wednesday morning like this one. And here I am.

Where will you be with your entrepreneurial dream in three months' time? Ready to find out?

Enough From Me. Let's Hear From Danielle Herself.

{This is the provocative promo copy she let me use.}

"How's your cashflow and your mojo?
Does your vision match your reality?
Does your brand match your soul?

THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS is: an e-book meets video transmission of acumen and love. You: are likely sitting on an empire of content, product, services, and prosperity that needs a spark -- or blow torch -- to take you to the next level. You: want to rock your revenue streams and do meaningful things in the world.

Worksheets that help you draw conclusions, quick videos with motivational punch, connections to current thinkers, practical smarts, and frank wisdom -- THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS is packed with inspiration that you will put to use.

Danielle has worked with 462+ entrepreneurs in her 1-on-1 Fire Starter consults (which are $500 and booked six weeks in advance.) For CEOs, coaches, artists, retailers, bestselling authors -- from site design to big dreams -- Danielle’s strategies combine passion with pragmatism to get to fulfillment and cash.

Each chapter is it’s own “Fire Starter Session” that includes: e-book components, video inspiration or interviews, and worksheets.

Some of the sessions are: True Strengths & The Metrics of Ease; Branding: Clarifying the Diamond of You; Products & Services: Making Stuff That Feels Good to Make; Money: More is More, Enough is Plenty; Web Design & SEO: Your Virtual Real-Estate…and dozens of tips and motivating perspectives.

In addition to getting Danielle’s deep and detailed knowledge, THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS brings you contributions from some A-league marketing strategists, pro-bloggers, branding experts, and creativity coaches.

Whether you’re in the early idea phase or a well-established rut, Danielle’s thorough, witty, and experience-based advice will most certainly light a fire under your…aspirations."

Buy It and See.

Here's my affiliate link. {The one with Danielle's face on it, above, is one, too. So is the one in the sidebar of this blog. So click any of 'em. They all work.}

And after you've purchased and devoured the experience, let me know what you think.

Better yet, let me know what you do. And what you stop doing. It's all in there. You know it's your time, right?

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Facebook Page for Abby Kerr Ink

2010-05-02T13:43:00.001-04:00

Have you joined us yet on the new Facebook page for Abby Kerr Ink? If not, come on over!

All you have to do is click on the screen shot above or on the link in the paragraph above it, then click the Like button at the top of the page. {If you don't see the Like button, you've done this before and you're already part of the conversation!} Updates will begin appearing on your Wall.

We're talking about niche-y entpreneurship, the creative lifestyle, finding your right people, marketing for indie businesses, and more. This is where I share great resources that have inspired, fed, and supported my own entrepreneurial journey. Hopefully you'll find something there worth incorporating into the way you dream and do!

Looking to forward to connecting with you on Facebook!

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Abby Kerr Ink Sneak Peek

2010-04-29T18:48:00.001-04:00

This is my new logo for Abby Kerr Ink!

Not too much longer now 'til the site launches, so I wanted to give you a sneak peek at the style, vibe, and color palette.

I also want to give you a feel for what I'll be talking about over on AbbyKerrInk.com. Below is a little preview of the site content. {I borrowed this from my About Me page-to-be.}

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learning how to create and market a niche enterprise

learning how to tell a compelling story about my small business--online, in print, and in person--in a way that drew my right people toward me

learning the ins and outs of social media to woo and activate a tribe

learning how to run a small business and maintain my sanity {that was a tough one}

learning where it was important to spend money as a small enterprise, and where it wasn't

learning how to make business decisions that put me further along the path to my desire lifestyle

learning how to rescue myself early from patterns of work that are non-productive and get back to my natural, most productive flow

If you're working on any {or all} of the above, you might dig this site!

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Thanks for giving me the chance to share this with you. I'm really looking forward to connecting with you online and in other realms!

By the way, if what I shared above interests you, consider "liking" my new Abby Kerr Ink page on Facebook. The conversation continues over there!

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What If 'Entrepreneurship' Feels Too Big For Me?

2010-04-22T15:27:00.001-04:00

I called a friend today and we were talking about why she should definitely start a blog {or create content on an ongoing basis for the web, or what's sometimes called a content-driven website}--or, more actually--why I think she should definitely start a blog {because she's one of the most interesting people I know, because she always has a smart and cool take on things, because she's interested in so many things that people like to hear and think and talk about, because she's a really good teacher, because I want one more way to interact with her as my friend} and she said something to me along these lines:

"I read your post on 10 Signs You Might Be Cut Out For Entrepreneurship. And for some of them, I was like, yeah, that's me. But for some of them, I was like, oh, I don't really think that's me."

I know her pretty well, and the thing is, she is so an entrepreneur. Right now, though, her view of what entrepreneurship is is maybe a bit too broad.

So that got me to thinking about entrepreneurship versus plain being a smart, creative, insightful, talented, savvy, and delightful person. And where the two might meet.

And that got me to thinking about all of the people reading out there who might be saying, "I'm a creative person and I like to do my own thing. But 'entrepreneurship' feels too big for me."

And to that I say, let's discuss...

[by the way, if my friend ever starts a blog, I'll let you know]

Entrepreneurship is a grandiose-sounding idea, but the daily practice of it can be as small and manageable as you make it. {Niche-y, if you will.}

After all, YOU are the creator--the sole creator--of your entrepreneurial life.

I have a friend who's a talented jewelry designer. And she likes the idea of trying to sell her handmade wares in a few boutiques. But she's not sure she likes the idea of scaling the business bigger, or really, of her designs taking off and her business scaling her creative production life out of control. She really wants to just make "one of a kinds and few of a kinds" {I love this phrase!} and sell them outright, one shot only, to whomever wants them with no promise that the design can or will be duplicated.

I say, why not?

One of the lovely things about entrepreneurship is that you, the biz creator, get to write your own rules and decide how you do things. How big your biz gets, or doesn't get. How and where you market yourself, and how and where you don't. Who your right people, your target or ideal customers, are. You get to decide.

It helps, of course, if you know what your right people are wanting.

If you're producing but no one is buying {like, ever}, then maybe you are an artist or a creator, but not an entrepreneur.

So you need to find a way to get close enough to your right people to discern what they're really wanting. How do they want to be reached out to? {And how do they HATE being reached out to?} Where do they hang out online and offline? Who do they admire and consider trustworthy? What's their dream for themselves?

Don't know? Start sleuthing.

Follow them on Twitter. {Hey, are you following me on Twitter @abbykerr?} Friend them on Facebook. Read their blogs and comment on them. Visit the people who comment on their blogs. Watch the TV shows and films they talk about and take a listen to the music they like. Read the books they recommend. Spend some time in their world.

And if your niche is pretty close to your heart, there's a decent chance that their world is your world, too. So this isn't so hard.

Entrepreneurship is about creating something/providing a solution in a way that hasn't been done before. And unless you're a non-profit {three cheers for you!}, it's about making a living, too. Or at least some latte money.

So this entrepreneurship thing? Not so big as you might've been thinking.

I really want to hear what you think about this. I hope I gave you enough to chew on. Let me know where and how I can give you more. :)

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10 Signs You Might Be Cut Out for Entrepreneurship

2010-04-21T13:36:00.005-04:00

I was walking at the park with a new friend last week and we got to talking about our careers and the paths that had gotten us to where we are today, professionally.

And I realized this: there's something in some of us that makes entrepreneurship--creating our own work in the world, being self employed--the most desirable option. For some of us, the only tolerable option.

Photo by Coolm36.

For others of us, the art of being self employed is not even ever a consideration. It's either not on our radar or just not on our list of socially or personally acceptable, viable options. The thought of designing a work life out of one's own talents and prospective clients' perceived needs...well, that just doesn't cross some people's minds.

So I asked myself: what ARE the characteristics of those of us who are likely to choose entrepreneurship?

Here are 10 signs you might be cut out for entrepreneurship:

1. You're an idea person. And not just a dreamy, impractical idea person, but someone who instinctively knows how to give an idea legs. You don't just sit around and say, wouldn't that be cool? You actually get out of your chair and make a plan to see if it's cool.

2. You're an incurable optimist. You believe that things generally work out for the best--even when things work themselves out in a way that others would perceive as a fail. You believe that every deep experience lends itself to learning.

3. You like change. You might even crave it. You'd rather shake things up than wallow or stagnate.

4. You're willing to sacrifice more than the average person would to take a chance on a dream working out. This means you see short and even medium-term sacrifices such as preferred housing, discretionary income, stability in some relationships, and a nice budget for clothing and groceries as all part of the bigger picture. You are willing to forgo some comfort and joy today to get to what you might be able to attain later.

5. You're a self-starter. And a good self-manager. You don't need someone looking over your shoulder--or dangling a paycheck--to get a job done. You don't even really need praise or encouragement. Your satisfaction comes primarily from the process of creation.

6. You bounce back easily. Your setbacks are very short-term and you somehow always find a way to rise again. Or, things always just seem to work out okay for you, even better than okay. Others might say you seem to have good luck, or good karma.

7. You don't dwell on things and people that are out of your control. {Or you get really mad or frustrated and then use it to fuel your next move or decision in a healthy, productive way.}

8. You speak as though the outcome you want already exists. You don't have delusions of grandeur and you're not a liar or a bull*hitter. But you know how to position yourself in the today to apprehend what hasn't happened yet in the time-space continuum most people can see. Whoh. That sounds a little crazy. But you're okay with that, because that's how you think. You don't have to be all loud about it, but it works for you.

9. You're your own toughest critic--and your own best friend. At different times, you need to be both.

10. You have an uncanny sense of when it's time to shift or make a change. You identify what's not working and are intent on finding a solution. Or you know when to quit, as so aptly described in The Dip, a book by one of my marketing heroes, Seth Godin. This trait can sometimes creep your friends and acquaintances out, as you jump from one Big Thing to another Big Thing without so much as a backward glance. But you always seem to know what you're doing.

Entrepreneurs, what characteristics or personality traits did I leave off the list? Leave a comment and tell me about it!

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Why Niche-y Strikes a Chord

2010-04-14T17:27:00.004-04:00

Photo at left: April '08 at my shop, THE BLISSFUL. {If you've been reading this blog for the past couple months, you know that I decided to close the shop in February to pursue my dream of being a working writer who writes from home [and cafes]. It's all happening. And in my new biz, Abby Kerr Ink, I'm working with other small biz owners to help make their niche-y entrepreneurial dreams come true.}

A couple of you commented on wanting a niche-y business over the last couple posts. I loved hearing that! I've been extolling the virtues of nichification--getting really, really clear with yourself and other people about what it is you do well, exactly how you do it, and what you want to be known for--ever since I went even more niche-y with my shop back in 2007. In my new business, I'm taking my love for niche-y enterprise to a whole new level.

Update: My new website is slated to launch at the end of this month! It may not be ready until very early May, but I'm aiming for sooner. I can hardly wait! You know I'll announce it here when the day comes.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a few thoughts about why going niche-y with your business is one of the best things you can do.

Why Niche-y Strikes a Chord With Entrepreneurs

Niche-y lets you hone in on what really interests you and what really matters to your right people {target or ideal customers}

Niche-y allows you to focus on doing just a few things--maybe even just one thing--really, really well.

Niche-y creates rockstars. It's easier to stand out when you're the only one doing exactly what you claim to be doing {and of course, when you're doing it well--which of course, you would be!}

Niche-y makes for great soundbites. It's quicker and snappier to talk about the "most citified country store in Kansas" than it is to talk about "the Kansas shop with a mix of country, contemporary, traditional, transitional, European, urban loft style, and vintage goods, gifts, and home and garden accents."

Niche-y is the stuff of legends. Innovators make history.

Why Niche-y Strikes a Chord With Customers and Clients...including the ones you don't have yet

Niche-y stands out. Your niche is what makes you different from everyone else out there on a similar mission. It's your own unique resonance, like a chord that no one else can play.

Niche-y makes good brain food. Brains like niche-y, because a niche creates a pattern that the brain hasn't seen before. A sales rep once told me she had to open up a new compartment of her brain to contain my store. Whoa! That's because our merchandise mix, the atmosphere we created, and the way we displayed showed her things she hadn't seen before in retail {or at least not quite in the way we did it}. These patterns, then, become easy for the brain to hold on to and at the same time, they create wonderment and a bit of pleasurable confusion. Such cohesiveness of vision! Yet such extraordinariness! What a rarity! An anomaly that makes perfect sense!

Niche-y makes an impact. People will talk about it. And when people are talking, other people are listening. And when people are listening, more people start checking you out. And when more people check you out, more people start buying in. And that's a good thing.

Niche-y is personal. Personal for you--the business creator and niche-honer, but also personal for your customers when they are your right people. Because they'll quickly feel like what you do in the world in a way belongs to them. And that's powerful stuff.

Niche-y is memorable. Unforgettable businesses {the ones who are unforgettable in a good way} know who they are. And so do their customers. And that's when the magic happens.
Niche-y is addictive. People want more of extraordinary experiences.

You gotta love a good niche. I know I do. If you get what I'm talking about, please leave a comment letting me know. What makes nichification so powerful or appealing, from your point of view? {Dissenting points of view are welcome, too!}

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Why Every Little Entrepreneur Deserves a Big Fire Starter

2010-04-12T18:54:00.007-04:00

Danielle LaPorte, who plays with matches. {And feathers.}

Why do I think every little entrepreneur deserves a big Fire Starter?

1. Because in your {temporary} littleness, you are dreaming big, and this alone is worthy of admiration.

2. Because the world--and everyday life--makes it hard to dream big. And this world still needs big dreamers. Probably now more than ever. Some people will actually do it--dream big, that is. Why shouldn't it be you?

3. Because there are lots of voices around you telling you that dreaming as big as you tend to is impractical, too risky, or just pie-in-the-sky.

4. Because you know you have a dream, but you're just not sure what it is. You can see the edges of it, the fringes, outlining everything else you seem to be doing that's deferring your dream. And right now? You're ready to get a lot more clear about what that dream looks like.

For all of these reasons {and more}, I've become an affiliate for Danielle LaPorte's Fire Starter Sessions, a digital experience for entrepreneurs. What is a "digital experience"? It's a digital book with video and audio embedded, and a workbook. A complete multimedia, multisensory experience to engage you in the process of refining by fire the stuff of your entrepreneurial dreams.

You've got to know Danielle LaPorte. Danielle is a writer, a mama, an intuitive strategist for entrepreneurs or those on the verge of breaking out into entrepreneurial activity. She used to run a think tank in Washington, D.C. She's the co-author of Style Statement, the inimitable guide to clarifying who you are and want to be in the world. {I used to sell it at my store.} She's one to watch.

This is the stuff of transformation, of freedom, and of creative fulfillment. And I believe that you, Mr. or Ms. Little Entrepreneur, deserve it. A big Fire Starter Session digital experience, that is.

Are you ready? Click here to learn more about it in Danielle's own words and/or purchase.

Want me to say some more about it? Okay. {If you didn't click above, you'll have the chance to click again further down the page. No worries. We're making this easy.}

So about Danielle and her Fire Starter Sessions: I believe in this work so deeply that I jumped at the chance to be an affiliate for it.

I've never been an affiliate for anything before. To be an affiliate means to believe in someone's product so much that you're willing to be a disciple for it. Being a disciple means that if you click on any of my Danielle LaPorte links on this page and purchase the digital book, I'll get a bit of cashola from the sale. {Affiliate love is a good thing.}

Last Fall, I was lucky enough to be given a one-on-one Fire Starter Session over the phone with Danielle as a gift from some pretty awesome friends. And it. was. life changing. Vision clarifying. Strength and appeal defining. Possibility boosting. Revelation revealing.

And something more than that: it was a confirmation. A confirmation that yes, all of those forgotten threads of things I love to do and have always done {without getting paid} and all the peculiar, particular, lovely-making ways in which I look at my work in the world and all of the questions that people ask me that I'm more than qualified and inspired and enthusiastic to answer...they're all leading somewhere.

So are yours. Your forgotten threads, your particular lovely ways, your burning questions {the ones people ask you and the ones you ask yourself}...they're all leading somewhere. Pointing you toward something you want to do. What is it?

Danielle can help you pull it all together and make some entrepreneurial alchemy. And it's not pie-in-the-sky stuff. It's not wishy-washy woo-woo. It's the real deal. I wouldn't recommend something to my tribe that isn't.

If you haven't already made a connection with Danielle's work and your own entrepreneurial life, then please allow me to make it for you.

You + Danielle LaPorte + the Fire Starter Sessions digital experience for entrepreneurs = what you'll BE be after you stop thinking of yourself as a "little entrepreneur."

I promise it's that good.

So do your sweet entrepreneurial self a favor and click here:

And thanks for reading. Thanks for taking my opinion and my experience into consideration. I think you'll like doing this for yourself.

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Indie Retailers : How Can I Help?

2010-04-09T08:26:00.002-04:00

Here's the deal. I left indie retail.

I left for a variety of reasons and someday I will probably tell the whole story, but the most important two reasons that I want to share today are 1} I believed {still do!} it was part of the Big Plan for me to exit right at that very moment {not everyone believes in the Big Plan, but I do}, and 2} I believed that I could live a better life, a life truer to my core values, a life closer to my ideal, and be more helpful to other passionate entrepreneurs like myself {including indie retailers} outside of retail than inside. So I closed my store. And it felt good. And every day it feels better as I move deeper into the dream that's unfolding around me.

But indie retailers, this post isn't about me. It's about you. You and the important work you do in your unique stores every day. The work you do for your community, putting yourselves and your livelihoods out there on the line every day, willing your vision to be received and embraced by your right people, your ideal customers. The work you do behind the scenes that nobody sees and almost nobody {or very few} gets or appreciates. Retailing is far from fantasy, right? But you're good at making it look that way. And this, in itself, is what's tough about retail. Life behind the curtain. I get that. {Please tell me where I'm wrong.}

So back to my new thing, Abby Kerr Ink, for just a minute. {Then back to you.}

In a few weeks, I'll be launching my new website and packing it full of juicy, free, helpful content that will support and inspire passionate entrepreneurs like you. Like me. I'm making the kind of site I would want to linger on for hours. And I hope you'll want to do just that once you get to visit! And while I'm making this website and all the content that will go into it to fulfill what I want it to be, I'm really making this website and all my content for you. And not just you indie retailers out there reading, but small business entrepreneurs who love and believe in their niche and want to learn more about working it better {their niche, that is}. Cause my approach is pretty niche-y. I believe in specialization. And I really, really dig stuff that's nichified really, really well.

So lately, when I'm not blogging here or talking with clients or working on projects or on Facebook or Twitter, I'm writing my way into my niche on the web, anticipating the day when I'll launch at AbbyKerrInk.com for all to see. And in the last couple of posts, I've been doing some soft market research to figure out what you'd like to read about. What burning questions do you have? What type of content would nurture you right where you're at? How can I help?

{Enough about me.}

Indie retailers, back to you. If you've been following me lately, you've seen that I recently did a post asking aspiring indie retailers what their burning questions are about getting into the biz. And then I asked artists and designers who want to sell to boutiques to weigh in on their who's, what's, when's, where's, why's, and how's of doing just that.

Today, it's your turn. If you're an indie retailer--brick and mortar OR online--I'd love to hear your answer to this question:

What's missing for you from the existing conversation on the web about indie retail/among indie retailers? What do you need? What do you want? What has never been done or written for you that would be so, so ideal?

You can speak your mind in one of three ways:

1. Leave a comment on this post {please tell me if you don't wish for me to publish it}.
2. E-mail me at abby AT abbykerrink DOT com.
3. Tweet me @abbykerr.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me.

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Questions About Selling Handmade Goods To Boutiques? Weigh In!

2010-04-06T17:49:00.006-04:00

Okay, not literally weigh in. I'm not going to whip out The Biggest Loser scale on you indie artists and designers or anything. If I did, I'd have to let you weigh me, too, and uh, that's not happening.

What I am doing, though, is developing future content for my new website, soon to be launched at AbbyKerrInk.com. And I'm doing a little market research. Which is going to blossom into rich, useful content that will help a lot of people who have some of the same goals and dreams I had when I got into the boutique life, and that my vendor friends did when they got into it.

Because as you probably know if you've been reading this blog for a while, until very recently I was Creator and Proprietor of a popular lifestyle boutique called THE BLISSFUL. {Though its official website is no longer live, you can click back through past archives on this blog if you want to get a feel for what type of shop it was--but the quickest and most vivid way to describe it is French-y, comfortable, youthful, and sometimes quirky.} Nearly always, our merchandise mix was comprised in part by handmade {or nearly handmade} work from indie vendors--as in, artists and designers whose companies were small, upstart, and not corporately funded or backed by venture capitalists.

Our relationships with these small and inspiring vendors was very important to us.

And I can tell you that in the indie retail world in general, there is a strong movement toward handmade goods, shopping and buying locally, and avoiding mass-made product that can be found at every big box store in town. Most small boutique owners want to support other small boutique industries. {Good thing we have each other.} Part of my new website is going to be designed especially for the boutique industry and I'm doing a little market research to see where the heart of people's interests lie.

So today's question is for the artists and designers out there, those of you who want to sell your goods to boutiques. Sell wholesale, that is. Or put them there on consignment.

What are your biggest who's, what's, when's, where's, why's, and how's related to selling your goods to boutiques?

Just one or two are fine. Or if you want to send me your top concerns for each, that'd dazzle me, too! Feel free to:

1. Leave your thoughts here in the comments {let me know if they're for my eyes only and you don't wish me to publish--but isn't it more fun to start a dialogue?}.
2. E-mail me at abby AT abbykerrink DOT com.
3. Tweet me @abbykerr.

There's no wrong way to do it and no question is too small or simple. Remember--none of us knew everything {and some of us knew nothing} when we were first starting out. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Oh, and if you're an aspiring shop owner, here is a post with a question aimed especially at you.

Established indie retailers, I'm polling you next! {Scribe's Note: Actually, the post is now live! Click the link in this paragraph to go there.}

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Easter Tidings {& Dream Resurrection}

2010-04-05T11:23:00.005-04:00

Hope you all had a great Easter yesterday. Wanted to share some moments from my family's celebration. And then talk a bit about dream resurrection.

My mom tried out Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcake recipe {from scratch}. Oh so good. Dense, almond and vanilla flavored cake topped with sweet cream cheese frosting and a flurry of coconut. Heavenly.

This is my three year old niece, Lexi:

Yesterday was her first Easter egg hunt and the weather complied. So cool to watch a little kid discovering something fun for the very first time.

This is one of my favorite shots:

She got it!

Easter, for me, is always a time of year for personal reflection, renewal, and yep, resurrection. More than at any other time of year, now is the time I feel like changing things that aren't working, reenergizing what needs it, and recognizing miracles. {I do believe in them.}

The past few months have been a time of terrific reinvention and resurrection for me: from boutique owner to freelance writer, from one-who-pines-for-a-dream to one-who-moves-into-the-dream-as-if-it-already-were.

I know you can do it, too--go from pining and longing to moving into your dream, whatever it may be. There's always a way to begin.

Thanks to you aspiring indie retailers who have e-mailed me your burning questions about getting into the biz. If you haven't yet weighed in, please re-visit the previous post and let me know what concerns, confuses, or enchants you the most about starting and running an indie retail boutique.

If your shop {brick and mortar or online} is already open for business, I want to talk to you, too! There's a new post coming soon with a question designed specifically for you. {Scribe's Note on 4.9.10: The post is up! Click the link in this paragraph to go there.}

But...artists/creators of indie and handmade goods, you're next! Stay tuned. {Scribe's Note on 4.8.10: In fact, the post is now up! Click the link in this paragraph to go to it right now.}

And happy dream resurrecting.

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Aspiring Indie Retailer? Please Opine!

2010-04-01T15:14:00.003-04:00

Dreaming of a life selling lovely things?

Are you an aspiring indie retailer? Dream of having your own shop someday? Quietly researching and planning while you ride out the economy, finish your education, build up enough money in savings, wait for your kids to get into school, hit on the one concept that just feels right?

I'm working on future content for my new website--to be announced as soon as it's live!--and I'd love to hear your take on this question:

What one or two topics related to the start-up/running of an indie retail shop are you burning to learn more about before you jump in?

Please note that burning could mean most curious about, most befuddled by, most confused about, most obsessed with, or most attracted to.

Your input will be greatly valued and taken into consideration as I shape the content for my new site, which is geared toward creatively entrepreneurial types, with maybe a sliiiiiight penchant for indie retail types and others connected to the boutique industry.

Imagining your own boutique's name on this sign? You're exactly the person I want to hear from.

You can contribute your opinion in one of three ways:

1. Leave a comment on this post {please tell me if you don't wish for me to publish it}.
2. E-mail me at abby AT abbykerrink DOT com.
3. Tweet me @abbykerr.

Thanks and I look forward to meeting up with some of you in blogland!

P.S. Established retailers and artists who want to sell wholesale to boutiques, hang on! I have questions coming for you, too. {Scribe's Note on 4.9.10: Both posts are now live! Click on the links in this paragraph to go directly to them right now.}

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10 Things I'm Loving About My Post-Shopkeeping Life

2010-03-29T17:30:00.003-04:00

By Way of Explanation to Those Who Loved My Shop:

I LOVED my shop, too. I love the relationships it brought into my life--among them, several amazing new friends, thousands of really great customers, a handful of powerful career-influencers, and {not the least of these} my boyfriend of over three years. I love the interesting opportunities it has opened up to me. I also love that the person I became through shopkeeping knew when it was the appointed time to let my shop life go, and could go ahead and do that without fear. And I love that my shop paved the way into my new adventure with Abby Kerr Ink, as a freelancer who connects other niche-y enterprises with the people who'll love them most.

Now, that said, maybe a better title for this post is 10 Things I'm Loving About My New Life As a Freelancer Working From Home:

No. 10 Utter flexibility in planning my day

No. 9 80-minute exercise breaks {and having the time to take them}

No. 8 Going back to grad school: that is, the self-made, Abby Kerr Ink School of Deeply Satisfying Intellectual and Creative Adventures. I'm studying effective ways to help other niche-y enterprises rock their one thing the way I love rocking mine, through copywriting, brand ideation, and DIY marketing and PR.

No. 7 Re-discovering Twitter as one tweeting for herself, rather than for her brick-and-mortar

No. 6 Discovering and falling in heavy like with new career inspiration mentors, including Danielle LaPorte, Naomi Dunford, and Sarah Bray.

No. 5 Feeling more anonymous as I move about town, yet more connected because I'm more connected to myself and what really matters to me most

No. 4 Visiting other stores, like Anthropologie and the Marketplace at Gervasi Vineyard {one of my retail consulting clients!} as a rapt shopper, not one critiquing, analyzing, or deconstructing

No. 3 Podcasts--a new brain food group for me. Contemplating the possibilities therein.

No. 2 Lovingly slaving over the content of my new website, soon to be debuted. This keeps me up at night, tapping out my ideas as text messages to an imaginary someone named Muse, which I then save as drafts 'til morning.

And the No. 1 thing I'm loving about my new life as a freelancer:

No. 1 No matter what the outcome, I get to say the thing I've always wanted to be able to say of myself: "I am a writer working from home."

About that last thing: I just decided not to wait any longer to do the thing I've always wanted to do. Thirty-two years of waiting was time enough.

To all the dreamers and aspiring _________s out there, what is it YOU have always wanted to be able to say of yourself?

When will you start?

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Start Ups Are Good, Starting Up Just Right is Better

2010-03-04T18:04:00.001-05:00

Just a couple weeks ago, I announced the birth of my new copywriting agency. {So psyched!} And it's really important to me that I get it right--the whole thing. The vision, the relationships with clients and partners and peers, the services I offer, and oh yes, even the name.

That's why today I'm here to tell you that start ups are good. Anytime anyone takes a chance on a dream, it's a gorgeous, glow-y thing. And starting up just right is even better. After a couple weeks of immersing myself in visions of my new vision, essentially putting myself through grad school again {Abby Kerr's Self-Made Course on Launching a Copywriting/Brand-Refocusing/Creative Entrepreneurial Inspiration Business} I've found what feels better to me. And that happens to be a new name for my work in the world, a name that feels like a better fit than the one I first announced.

So here it goes, the official official name of my new biz...

Abby Kerr Ink

And this one's for keeps.

Abby Kerr Ink {and my not-to-be-announced-quite-yet tagline--oh, I am so a fan of taglines!} allows the business to grow and evolve with me and my clients and clients-to-be. It allows room for all of my writerly interests: not just copywriting, but blogging, web content creation, fiction, creative non-fiction, {dare I admit it?} poetry, articles, teaching and leading workshops and courses on writing and branding and niche-y entrepreneurship, and just about every other type of thing you do when you put pen to paper {or finger to keyboard}. Abby Kerr Ink feels expansive, personal, and very me--and I just like how it rolls off my tongue.

So that's what's new. If you want to contact me about copywriting {and I hope you will!} you can now reach me at abby AT abbykerrink DOT com. {Just replace the DOT and the COM with, well, you know. Trying to get around those spambots who suck the Web for e-mail addresses and then fill your Inbox with all kinds of interesting things.}

By the way, soon enough I'll be writing to you from a brand new fully gorgeous spot on the Web. {I can say that with confidence because Rebecca and Matt at à la mode designs are creating it for me, and you've seen what kind of work they do.} I'll update you here as soon as my new site goes live, so please keep watching. Change is good.

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Announcing My New Agency

2010-02-22T11:44:00.005-05:00

Scribe's Note: While the heart and gist of what I'm sharing here is still 110% true, please note that since I posted this back on February 22nd, 2010, I've decided to do business under a different name than the one I announced here. Please see my next, more recent post for an announcement of Abby Kerr Ink. Abby Kerr Ink is for keeps and there shouldn't be any more announcements of a name changing variety.

Announcing the birth of a new business and the beginning of my newest adventure...

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

The Abby Kerr Copywriting Agency

The Abby Kerr Copywriting Agency {that's me!} specializes in web, digital, and print copy for creatively oriented businesses. I love working with entrepreneurs who are passionate about building their brand and communicating with their customers in innovative ways.

What is copywriting? As one mystified stranger recently asked me, "Is that where you put the little c's next to a word?" No. That's copyrighting. Different thing altogether.

COPYWRITING {noun} - def: the art of words or text designed to inform, influence, or sell, such as for websites, advertising, marketing, press releases, etc.

COPYWRITER {noun} - def: one who practices the art of copywriting

My new biz puts my skills, experiences, and instincts as a creator, brand director, and marketer of a successful business in your court. I hear the story your business or product wants to tell and the voice it wants to speak it in, then I shape that story and that voice into energetic, effectively copywritten pieces for web, digital, or print--copy that will resonate with your customers or clients.

What I Do

My clients hire me to get inside their brands, inside their heads, and most importantly, inside their customers' heads, to write effective copy for a wide variety of needs. Effective copy compels their target market to identify with the brand in the right way, want to know more, and ultimately, buy in to it. And the copy must do this subtly. Authentically. And with clarity, in a way that builds trust and confidence. This is what I do. {This is what I loved doing most for THE BLISSFUL. Read back through this blog's archives you'll get a sense of what I mean.}

I bring to my clients' projects a remarkably high degree of professionalism, natural instinct, and a smart, contemporary point of view on branding, marketing, and sales. As an entrepreneur and a business owner, I understand the challenges of doing business, the value of meaningful relationships with clients, and the urgency of resonating in the right way at the right time with the right people {your target market}. The words you put out into the world are an important part of that resonance. Sound like a tall order? I'm here to help.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Who I Can Help

I'm my own girl, a true freelancer. If you have an existing website or a graphic designer you like working with and all you need is great copy, that works for me. If your business, too, is a one-person show and you need help in the writing department, I could be the interpreter of the brand in your brain to the brand that makes it onto the page. I love to brainstorm with entrepreneurs. I'd love to chat with you about how I could help your business put its best foot forward, copywise.

If you're working on a website {or would like a website} or have other design or print needs, I don't do the design and development part, but I do partner with a phenomenal, award-winning art and design studio that offers that side of the coin. Together, we offer our mutual clients a premier and personal level of service and deliver complete web and graphic design solutions to meet their wide-ranging needs. My partners are as detailed and deliciously prompt as I am, so I'm confident you would enjoy working with them, too.

I can write copy for...

websites {including SEO copy, which means Search Engine Optimized} and digital formats
retailing and products {in-store signage, brand communication pieces}
catalogs and online stores {product descriptions, policies}
advertising and direct marketing {print ads, sales letters, brochures}
company magazines and newsletters {print and digital}
brand, marketing, and internal communications
blog posts
articles and reviews
interviews
press releases
names, taglines, slogans, and descriptions
packaging

Get In Touch

Let's have a conversation about your project. E-mail me at abby AT abbykerrink DOT com. {E-mail address was updated on March 4th, 2010, after my announcement that this venture is now called Abby Kerr Ink.} Give me an idea of what you're looking for and what your timeframe is. I'll e-mail you back within a day or so, probably with a few more questions. This is the work I love to do, and if it feels like a great fit for the both of us, I would be so delighted and honored to work with you on your project.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

P.S.
Soon, I'll be launching my new website and a new blog there. Meanwhile, keep checking Lettres for updates! Thanks for reading.

Valentine to Our Customers

2010-02-11T12:31:00.003-05:00

A valentine to our customers...

Thanks for dreaming the dream of THE BLISSFUL with us for four amazing years. We couldn't have asked for a better experience; even our closing sale was swift and sweet! Without you, your loyalty, your passion for the store, your joy in the discovery of our Finds, your connection with the brand...this store wouldn't have been what it was. Because of you, our dreams were able to come to fruition.

We'll always treasure the beautiful relationships we made with so many of you. You shared stories of your families and friendships with us--some light and funny, some warm and true, some sad and bittersweet. We are touched to have been an important part of your life--your gift-giving, your celebrations, your milestones, your memories. Thanks for being one of THE BLISSFUL.

I, Abby Kerr, hope that you will continue to follow me here on Lettres from THE BLISSFUL. I have some exciting new enterprises in the wings that I look forward to sharing with you--a new brand, new endeavors, and new adventures in entrepreneurship. Inside, I'm bubbling over with excitement, but on the exterior, I'm trying to keep my cool about it until all is ready to unveil. So thank you for reading...and Happy Valentine's Day!

P.S. to Retailers and Aspiring Retailers -- Our Cash Wrap Desk {click link to view photo and post with details} is still available! Also for sale: THE BLISSFUL's much sought-after Vendor List--where we've sourced our unique Finds & Furnishings. Contact abby@theblissful.com to inquire.

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Cash Wrap Desk for Sale

2010-02-05T12:47:00.002-05:00

Attention retailers, people who do a lot of gift wrapping or crafting, and those looking for a great bar...

THE BLISSFUL's Cash Wrap Desk is for sale. $450 or Best Offer. Can be picked up end of next week. 8' L x 25.5" D x 40" H. Nine deep shelves behind, as well as two drawers and a secret compartment. Built by hand in Ohio. Solid hard wood. Front is painted zinc, top is natural, shelving behind is unfinished. You can paint and beautify to your heart's content.

Take an important piece of THE BLISSFUL home with you, or to your own store!

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"Store's Closing Bittersweet. . ."

2010-02-05T12:19:00.000-05:00

For any who haven't already seen, here's a recent article in the Massillon Independent about our store closing and my future plans. Thanks to writer Christina Redekopp for doing such a great job in telling our story!

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New Markdowns on Large Items

2010-02-02T09:36:00.004-05:00

Mossy Garden Settee, originally $299, NOW $149.50. Used to sit outside the shop. Updated 2.3.10 -- Settee is now SOLD.
Swedish Blue Candelabra, originally $237, NOW $118.50.

Are you a fan of THE BLISSFUL on Facebook? Click to become a Fan today to view our photo album called Last Week of Business, where we've rounded up photos of several large, statement-making pieces that we've just marked down lower than 50% OFF!

E-mail us at sales@theblissful.com for more info or call the shop at 330.492.2500 to purchase. Customers must arrange their own pick-up/delivery/shipping on large and heavy items. Retailers welcome!

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It's Our Very Last Week

2010-02-01T10:36:00.001-05:00

Here we are! It's our very last week of business at THE BLISSFUL. Stop in and see us and enjoy shopping the best of what's waiting for you at 50% OFF of regular price! Here's just a preview. . .

Armillary Sphere Chandelier that used to hang in our Kitchen department.
Originally $1040, NOW $520.

Melange of pillows in burlap, flax, amethyst, and black and white. Also Bella Notte fabric swatch rings and individual fabric squares.

Props and oddities, garden iron, interesting accent tables aplenty, and a really cool Old World Column {originally $878, NOW $439}.

Vintage Glove Forms, originally $256, NOW $128.
Zinc Painted Vintage Mantel, so iconically THE BLISSFUL, originally $650, NOW $325. {We can't believe this is still here. So many people have looked at it, measured it, photographed it. We can only figure it must be waiting for you. :) }

John Wind's signature Chunky Gold Initial Bracelets. Originally $89, NOW $44.50.

The last of our Sid Dickens collection, now at 50% OFF! Sid enthusiasts know that Sid can never be discounted by the law of Sid's camp unless a store is going out of business. Fans and collectors, now's your chance! Active Tiles originally $76, now $38. Zodiac Tiles originally $84, NOW $42. Retired Tiles originally $106, NOW $53.

And more than we can show here. Hurry in for lower than ever discounts!

Hours This Week: Mon-Sat 10 AM - 5 PM. Our anticipated last day of business is this Saturday, February 6th.

Our Last 8 Days

2010-01-30T13:38:00.007-05:00

Writing this post is a little surreal. Really? Our last 8 days? Really? I'm just now beginning to grasp that this next week will be the culmination of my boutique experience. And the culmination of THE BLISSFUL as a brick and mortar retail store. {If you're just now hearing the news, click here for the full scoop.} Four years. Several big and small trips to Market. Hundreds of boxes of merchandise. Thousands of customers. Many wonderful relationships with vendors, sales reps, other retailers, and industry writers and editors. All beloved memories. {And let's be honest, some stressful and anxious ones. Such is the stuff of small business ownership.} Being THE BLISSFUL's Proprietor has changed me as a person in ways I couldn't have anticipated. Changed me in big ways. I think I haven't even begun to see how big. It may take a while. What is so neat is that out of the store have been birthed so many new dreams and visions for things yet to come.

This past month since our announcement has been about winding down at the shop. There have been many, many hugs, some tears, and lots of well-wishes. Customers have been beyond gracious. No one wants to lose a boutique in their town. Especially when the owner is doing it because she needs a lifestyle change, not because the economy is forcing her to close. I can't explain how embraced my mom and I have felt over the past four years by people who have loved the store, and how overwhelmed I am by the sincerity of people's love for this store and their support for my future endeavors. To say 'thank you' just doesn't seem like enough.

THE BLISSFUL will be open for one more week.
Monday-Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM.
Also this Sunday the 31st from 12 Noon - 4 PM.
Our anticipated last day of business is Saturday, Feb. 6th.

Our Storewide Clearance is still moving briskly at 40% OFF regular price. There are still some amazing pieces left, like our iconic Zinc Painted Vintage Mantel...

Originally $650, NOW $390.

Dauphine Mirror, originally $325, NOW $195. {Disregard tag on mirror in photo--it was mis-tagged.}

Also waiting for you: interesting objets and accents, accent furniture, some larger furniture, baby items, bedding, apothecary, cards, jewelry and handbags, garden items, and an assortment of Sid Dickens tiles. The store changes hourly so I'm not posting too many photos. We've discontinued most shipping as our sell-through has been so quick {thanks, everyone!}, but if there's something you've seen on our blog that you've had your eye on and you live outside our local area, feel free to e-mail us at sales@theblissful.com because we just may be able to ship it.

Hope to see you soon, even if it's just so we can say that we hope our paths cross with yours again.

And behind the scenes, I'm stirring the batter of my next creative enterprises. To answer the question that many have asked me, YES, I will continue to blog here on Lettres from THE BLISSFUL, post-shop life. You betcha. As always, thanks for reading. And thanks for being one of THE BLISSFUL.

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THE BLISSFUL Bids You Adieu

2010-01-06T15:27:00.012-05:00

Typewriter keys. A clue to Abby's life after THE BLISSFUL?

Gather 'round, friends, for a big announcement.

Four years ago, I opened THE BLISSFUL near my hometown of Canton, OH. I never dreamed I'd own a shop, but somehow the vision for it was always within me, and the store soon became the manifestation of that vision: a lush, eclectic, slightly funky venue overflowing with quality, Euro-styled goods. I wanted to create a different sort of place, a lifestyle store unlike any other in the Stark County area. Quickly, we knew we were on to something, my staff and I: you--our customers, fans, and friends--told us we'd created a place where you felt comfortable, inspired, and transported. You came to THE BLISSFUL for finds unlike those anywhere else in our area. You exuberantly shared the store with your friends and quickly made customers of them, too! You even compared THE BLISSFUL to boutiques in more metropolitan cities, such as New York, San Francisco, Savannah, and others abroad. We've felt enormous gratitude, awe, and appreciation for our customers, who allowed us to recreate the store anew for twelve seasons. That's why this announcement may come as a surprise.

As we recently celebrated our Fourth Anniversary in business, I've decided it's time to close THE BLISSFUL's doors. Yes, that's right: THE BLISSFUL will be closing early in 2010. This decision emerged after many months of thought, contemplation, weighing options, and prayer. The reason? Plainly stated, I--Abby--am ready for a lifestyle change. A reinvention. A new story on a fresh page. A shift.

Time for a shift.

The indie retail lifestyle is interesting, intense, sometimes magical, and absolutely all-consuming. And after four action-packed years, I am ready for a different pace. A slowdown. A chance to rediscover the introspective, writerly me who loves to hole herself up in a coffee shop for hours, writing and reading other writers and researching about what I'm writing. The former teacher me who loves to teach and is ready to reembrace that role in some form or another, if not in the classroom, then through some alternative venue.

Longing for creative white space...

I miss the private enterprises of my life before retail. I long to spend more time with friends. I don't want to miss out on precious time with my family, especially my almost-three-year-old niece who seems to mature by leaps and bounds every week. I am sorry to have to close the shop to reclaim all this, but I know it's what I must do. {You know how sometimes you just know what you need to do, even if it's not popular?} I entertained the notion of selling the shop and letting someone else come in and live their retail dream through what I started here--but couldn't come to peace with that idea. Instead, I'm choosing to close the shop rather than sell it because I want to keep and evolve THE BLISSFUL's brand over time--from its original incarnation as a lifestyle retail boutique to whatever beautiful possibilities may lie ahead.

It has been my extreme privilege and thrill to curate this shop in Jackson Township for customers from near and far to enjoy. We've been blessed with terrific, fun, funny, and gracious customers who've shopped with us locally in the store and throughout the U.S. and beyond via our Online Boutique. We've met so many wonderful people through our retail adventures--vendors, sales reps, industry writers and editors, other retailers, and bloggers--and we have them all to thank for allowing us to live this this one of a kind experience.

I owe my biggest thanks to my parents {especially my mom Debbie Kerr, my co-buyer and the store's inimitable stylist}...

My mom Debbie and me at the Atlanta Market, July 2009. Excuse the blurriness--this is a camera phone shot.

{continued} ...my handsome and amazingly patient boyfriend Matt, Matt's generous family, my beloved rockstar Shopgirls present and past, my talented graphic designer and web technician, and all of my dear friends.

Many customers have asked me what I'll be doing next. I plan to continue my beloved work as a retail consultant to other boutique owners around the country, helping them hone their own retail visions and take their store concept to the next level with a focus on brand ideation and buying for the niche. {I love building businesses, especially all of the branding elements. To me, helping people fine tune their dreams is sacred work.} Also, I'll continue my work as a ghost copywriter for other businesses' and individuals' website and print projects, delving into project after project and coming up with just the right words.

Then...there are a couple of fantastically big projects for which I'm currently in the dreaming and planning phases. Mustn't say too much yet...don't want to spook the muse...but I'll share details of those here when the time is right. And oh! I'm going to keep blogging here on Lettres from THE BLISSFUL, under the same moniker but with a whole new point of view and range of topics. I hope you'll keep reading along with me!

Thank you one and all for supporting the shop, for reading this blog, and for helping to make THE BLISSFUL a great place to shop and one of the greatest experiences of my life so far.

So we're holding a Store Closing Sale. Everything must go! Everything in the store is discounted 20% with 60% OFF Christmas. This includes not only terrific grab-it-and-go merchandise--from candles to kitchen items, apothecary to baby items, jewelry to bedding, women's apparel, linens, home décor, and everything in between-- but also lighting, fixtures, furniture, and props and oddities. Come out and get your last fix of THE BLISSFUL while it lasts. Out of towners, bring your trailers, as we are not shipping large or heavy items. For the first time ever, and only because we're closing, we're allowed to discount Sid Dickens Memory Blocks! Out-of-town Sid collectors, please e-mail a list of what you're searching for to sales@theblissful.com and we'll let you know if we still have them in stock. {Please note that we have no tiles that retired prior to December 2007.}

All sales are final. Absolutely no holds, returns, refunds, exchanges, or store credits. This is also the FINAL CALL FOR GIFT CARDS/STORE CREDITS. If you have any outstanding cards or have given any as gifts in the past year or two, now's the time to redeem those for merchandise. Please stop in by the end of January, as our sale will progress quickly and you'll want to shop our best selection.

For large or heavy items, customers must arrange their own pick up/delivery during our Shop Hours of Mon-Sat 10-5. We do not offer delivery service or delivery service coordination. For your delivery person's reference, our shop phone number is 330.492.2500.

For Retailers... My retailer friends know that I'm notoriously mum about my sources. It's the one thing I never, ever share, as every savvy retailer knows that one's Vendor List is like gold. It's the bread and butter of the store and it takes much time, research, travel, sleuthing, and often expensive mistakes to get one's vendor mix right. For the first time ever, I'm selling my Preferred Vendor List for $1750. This is a list of hundreds of vendors with whom I've personally done business or that I've had firsthand experience with their product line and have secreted away in my files as perfect for THE BLISSFUL. The lines on the list that we've carried in the store have a successful sales record at THE BLISSFUL {no duds or disappointments} and have been key elements of our signature look, which we describe as "earthy European with a luxe, quirky edge." If you purchase the list, for an additional $250, I'll consult one-on-one with you about the vendors via phone or e-mail for up to 2 hours. I can share top sellers from specific lines, what customers are saying, and our experiences with how to get the best results from the line. The price for my list is a fraction of a trip to a major Market when travel, lodging, and meals are considered. My line is a tremendous resource and a great boon for: new and aspiring retailers who are trying to save themselves costly mistakes and who have yet to discover sources that fit their concept as well as they'd like and actually sell; seasoned and experienced retailers who want to reinvent or freshen up their mix and who connect with the style of THE BLISSFUL; retailers who don't attend Market yet must keep their shops full, fresh, and changing. I encourage anyone whose curiosity may be piqued to click back through the many, many archived posts on this blog and take a look at what I've found and what I'm now offering to you. If you've always wondered "where we find this stuff"--now you can find out, with vendor contact info to boot! Payment in full will be accepted through PayPal only and must clear before the list is released. All sales are final; no refunds or exchanges once the list has been released. If you're interested in purchasing my Vendor List, please e-mail me at abby@theblissful.com and request a PayPal invoice. The list will be ready to release mid-January.

Let the sales begin! And here's to prodigious shifts, changes of pace, reinvention, and renewal of all sorts.

Photos courtesy of Flickr.

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THE BLISSFULest Sale

2009-12-26T11:54:00.002-05:00

This is it, folks...the one people wait for. It's...

THE BLISSFULEST SALE
Storewide Winter Clearance
20% OFF all regular priced merchandise
50% OFF Christmas & Holiday merchandise
Offer excludes Sid Dickens and already marked down merchandise {greater discount will apply}.

You may notice that we've decided to discontinue selling through our Online Boutique due to quick turnover during our Clearance season. We're still taking inquiries at sales@theblissful.com regarding items featured on our blog. $100 pre-shipping minimum on orders needing shipped out of town, please. We ship reasonable sized items by UPS Ground Monday-Friday.

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Merry Christmas {Joyeux Noël}

2009-12-24T09:54:00.003-05:00

Joy to the World!

Merry Christmas to our friends and customers far and wide. May the joy and peace of the season fill your household and your hearts. Your support of our dreams and ventures at THE BLISSFUL is one of the greatest gifts in our year.

P.S. Shop hours on Christmas Eve: 10 AM - 2 PM.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

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Pick Your Sugarplums Sale

2009-12-14T11:36:00.003-05:00

Ever had a sugarplum? We haven't either, but we sure want to!

Eleven days 'til Christmas. No, really--eleven days 'til Christmas! {We can't believe it, either.} For every special person on your list who's deserving of a treat or a thank you this season, we've got the unique goods you just can't find everywhere, we've got them all in one place, and starting today, we've got them at a discount! It's our Pick Your Sugarplums Sale and it goes like this:

Spend $50.00-$99.99 on one receipt, SAVE 10%.
Spend $100-$199.99, SAVE 15%.
Spend $200.00 or more, SAVE 20%.

Sale ends Christmas Eve, Thursday the 24th, at 2 PM {store closes early that day}. Not valid on previously purchased merchandise. Offer valid in-store and by phone only, not in our Online Boutique. Customers outside our local area, please e-mail sales inquiries to sales@theblissful.com or call the shop at 330.492.2500. Merci!

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

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Thanksgiving Weekend Sale

2009-11-26T07:24:00.004-05:00

This Friday the 27th {10-5}, Saturday the 28th {10-5}, and Sunday the 29th {11-4}...

Click the ad to enlarge.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Hope to see you this weekend. Offer is valid in-store only.

Please Note: Beginning December 6th, Sunday hours are 12 Noon-4 PM.

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Have You Seen?

2009-11-24T16:03:00.001-05:00

New Holiday items are making their debut {almost} daily on our Online Boutique. Keep checking the Holiday link. {If you're not using the direct link provided here, click the Decorate category in the Online Boutique, then scroll down to Holiday on the sidebar menu.}

Here are a few:

Tiny Bejeweled Crowns.

German Silver Glitter Glass by Wendy Addison.

Crystal & Pearl Bangle by John Wind.

Additionally, almost anything you've seen featured in a blog post may still be available for purchase {it just may not be destined for our Online Boutique}. E-mail us at sales@theblissful.com to inquire, or call the shop at 330.492.2500 during business hours {Mon-Sat 10-5 EST, Sun 12-4 EST}. We ship Monday-Friday via UPS Ground.

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Le Week de "La Turquie"

2009-11-23T15:04:00.004-05:00

The word I remember learning in high school French class for "turkey" is la dinde. But my handy dandy online English-to-French dictionary tells me that an alternative word for "turkey" is la turquie, pronounced very similar to our English word. Ooh, now I like turquie even better than before!

And so it begins, this week of crowded grocery stores, digging up of favorite recipes {and recipes that are favorites-to-be, like anything out of the Betty Crocker Holiday Cookie recipe booklets that you find at grocery store cash registers--have you flipped through one of those lately?}, and wild preparation, all to gather friends and family 'round a table to enjoy a meal which means so much more than just turquie + mashed potatoes + cranberry sauce. {Though we love those, too.}

I love Thanksgiving. I love this day devoted solely to giving thanks for the really important stuff--the tangibles {like a roof over our heads and food in our bellies} and the intangibles {you know what those are}.

Heart in Hand Bottle Opener

We hope you'll include THE BLISSFUL in your Thanksgiving week shopping plans. Pre-T-Day, we've got hostess gifts aplenty, from the small-treats-that-speak-volumes...

Vanilla and Chocolate Sugar {sucre} from France.

to the extravagant mementos, as well as those extra touches for decorating your home or tabletop if you're the hostess with the mostest.

And the weekend after Thanksgiving, we're having a lovely sale to entice those who are trimming their Christmas tree. We're also holding a giveaway for a pretty neat prize unlike anything we've ever offered before. Stay tuned to the blog this week for details, but it all starts this Friday the 27th and continues through Sunday the 29th. Local customers, watch the Repository's full-color Holiday Gift Guide on Thanksgiving Day for details.

THANKSGIVING WEEK HOURS

Monday the 23rd & Tuesday the 24th, 10 AM - 5PM
Wednesday the 25th, 10 AM - 2 PM
Thursday the 26th, Thanksgiving Day, CLOSED
Friday the 27th & Saturday the 28th, 10 AM - 5 PM
Sunday the 29th, 12 Noon - 4PM

Sunday hours begin this weekend and continue up 'til Christmas, 12 Noon to 4 PM. Yay for extended hours.

And thanks to you for supporting THE BLISSFUL.

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Bazaar de Noël in Photos

2009-11-11T16:55:00.002-05:00

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Saintly Glittering Humble Glorious Tarnished Bejeweled

Newly Handmade for a Modern World

Storefront at sunset, Bazaar de Noël.

Bazaar de Noël went off beautifully November 5th-7th. It's taken me half a week to cull through over a thousand photos that were snapped throughout the weekend between me and my two Shopgirl photographers.

One of my absolute favorite shots from the weekend. Pure magic.

Thanks to all the customers who came out for our Holiday 2009 debut event. We were so pleased to see so many of our regulars, as well as lots of new customers who were discovering us for the first time. After four years in business, that still feels great.

The event tagline was Modern Heirlooms for Inspired Holidays. We took our nod from the mood of the culture: quality treasures over fly-by-night trendy junk, value over extravagance for its own sake, recycled/repurposed items in limited quantities over mass produced stuff one can find anywhere.

Front display that greets customers at our entrance. Rummage-y, playful, enigmatic, unstaged.

When we combed the Markets for our Holiday story this past Winter {yes, nearly a year in advance}, we passed over mass market stuff we knew might get picked up by big box stores and were drawn toward that which felt unique, innately boutique-y, and most importantly, worth it.

This saintly fellow became the unofficial mascot of Bazaar de Noël.

Raphael Santos watches over one of our many fantastic Holiday candles.

Spiky Star Ornament in the brightest, glintiest silver glitter finish.

Our Eiffel Tower Snowglobe Ornament captures a bit of wintry Parisian magic. {No, the snow doesn't scatter about when you shake it, but it's so pretty just the same.}

We wanted a store full of heirloom quality finds destined for those customers with taste for the fascinating and an eye for quality.

Our paper Ting-Ting Birds can serve as romantic treetoppers or as adornments for wine bottles.

The bracelet of the season--a super long strand of faceted semiprecious stones in variegated colors. Wrap nine or ten times around the wrist for a casual layered effect.

These are the pieces you will pass on to your daughters and granddaughters.

Our color palette was non-traditional, as well. This year, we almost entirely eschewed traditional red and green and instead created our story with hues that set a nostalgic tone yet play off of modern textures such as nickel, zinc, washed and weathered woods, and of course, mercury glass and glitter glass.

There were sips & nibbles aplenty.

The weekend's signature cookie, a lemon cutout frosted with our favorite Yuletide word. Thanks, Susan, for doing such a delicious job!

Tatine Garden + Forest Infusion Candles in intoxicating Holiday fragrances: Winterberry, Pumpkin, and Pine...

and some fun in the making, courtesy of Wendy Addison.

Our iconic La Fille de Bohème looks lovely in all seasons...

as you will when peering into our Bejewelled Mirror Compacts.

Love the glossy patina on this small Mercury Glass Fluted Tealight Holders. Just about the right size for a pat of butter. If only mercury glass were foodsafe.

A selection of new jewels from Strand by Kelly McGreal. One of a kinds and few of a kinds.

Enchanted Forest Pearl Tree Ornament

My favorite little stocking stuffers: antique-y crystal Snowflake Magnets from Belgium. Like something straight out of a vintage jewelbox.

Sparkle sparkletons. {Otherwise known as sparkly silver birds on stands that have a clear vase wired on to their back into which you can put a flower, a sprig of holly, or even a pen. I spotted these in last year's J. Crew Holiday catalog, yes I did.}

I spy...

our Sid Dickens wall in its sun-dappled glory. Now these make an unforgettable gift. Moveable, affordable art that actually appreciates over time.

Straight up yum. Hard to choose a favorite.

On the left: Music with Moulding {T04}. On the right: Moment {T216}.

Divine Love {T212}, a retired tile.

Belonging {T214}.

I love their otherworldliness.

Angelic Spirit {T213}. Retired.

Amour - Silver {S206}.

Santa Elena and a cupboard full of Bazaar finds.

Black and silver Fleur de Lis Ornaments in two sizes.

Always, always with the mercury glass around here. Add a hobnail texture and we love it all the more.

In an ornament? Yes, please.

The handpainted gnome of the gourmet table.

Cheeky Glittered Owl ornaments.

Fantastically detailed--and diminutive--Bejeweled Crowns.

Sparkling French Medallion Earrings, handset with Austrian crystals.

Etched crystals on ribbons.

Pearl & Crystal Bangles

White lights on white cord, all swirled together in a large Seafarer's Bottle. A simple idea with really high impact.

Just one shot of translucent cobalt blue--in the form of a really cool candlestick.

Snowflake Ornament from our Belgian jewelbox collection.

Baby cupboard with twinkly lights.

Alhambra Candlesticks add sleek drama.

New Bubble Baths by Tokyo Milk in vintage modern apothecary jars. Such shelf candy. Oh, and the formula is wonderful, too. In two fragrances--one sexy, one softly floral.

Silver Vintage-Style Camera Boxes find a temporary home on our Train Shelf with numbered hooks.

Thank you, Kirsten, for this shot. Great bokeh, sister.

What's in our Round It Up Wire Basket? From top to bottom, Wooden Paris Plaque, Green Fleur de Lis Votives, and large Silver Bullion Ball Ornaments.

Santos Wing

"Every great life deserves great moments." One of my favorite greeting cards from this year's Holiday selection.

Layers of goods for entertaining and serving.

Handbags and scarves.

Vintage-wash burnout tees and a perennial favorite canvas around here, "The Guardian."

Green in two hues.

J'adore.

Come rest a while.

These are my most favorite funky little votive holders. Love the tarnish-y, almost dirty look of the smoky inlaid crystals. Mmm.

Ornament exchange, anyone?

Mistletoe soy candles in chunky bubbly mercury glass tumblers, fronted by a glitttery Peace Dove Ornament resting between toes. Of course. Only at THE BLISSFUL.

The Woodland display--where lifelike resin forest Mushrooms commingle with Silvered Wing Tealight Holders and lacy Pearl Beaded Snowflake Ornaments.

Sublimity in a Santos.

The ornament that says it all.

Yay. Just yay.

Love the message. Love the vessel.

The quintessential French-y ornament: sparkly silver glitter glass 3-D Eiffel Tower.

Striped Glitter Glass Bulbs. A bit classic, a bit insouciant.

Collection of found eccentricities.

Throwing a party? This is your table.

Russet, bronze, and purple. Looks like Thanksgiving.

Arctic-looking mercury glass tealight holder. Brr. Warm this baby up with some candleglow.

On the left: Debra Kerr, Shop Stylist/Buyer. On the right: Abby Kerr, Proprietor/Buyer/Scribe.

We thank you for supporting this indie retail business for yet another wonderful year. May your Holiday season be merry and bright.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

2009-11-04T20:23:00.001-05:00

Bazaar de Noël at THE BLISSFUL. . .

Please join us for our Holiday 2009 debut event.

Thursday, November 5th, 4 PM-7 PM
Friday the 6th, 10 AM-7 PM
Saturday the 7th, 10 AM-7 PM

Sips and nibbles while you shop to the Holiday tunes of indie and alternative artists. Yum. Love this time of year. Come see what we've found.

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Bazaar de Noël

2009-10-27T09:30:00.005-04:00

Come one, come all...

Click both sides of the postcard to view close up.

We have found things saintly, glittering, humble, glorious, tarnished, bejeweled, and newly handmade for a modern world.

The shop will be closed for transformation Monday, November 2nd through Thursday, November 5th at 4 PM. No sneak peeks, no early entry. Would you like an e-mail invitation to Bazaar de Noël? Send a blank e-mail with the word 'Subscribe' in the subject line to info@theblissful.com and we'll add you to our list.

And don't forget, ongoing today 'til we close this Saturday at 5 PM, shop our Holiday Warm-Up Sale to save 10% storewide {excludes Sid Dickens, Clearance items, special orders, and purchases of Gift Cards}.

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Chicer Than Paper, Cheaper Than China

2009-10-19T15:27:00.000-04:00

Hosting some Hallowe'en hoopla?

Check out Thomas Paul's iconic Gothic Melamine Plates. They're chicer than paper and cheaper than china. Microwave safe? You bet. All remaining stock is marked down. Check out our Facebook fan page to see how much.

And by popular request, we've brought back our Brasserie Flatware in Black.

Happy party planning!

Fall: Enough Said

2009-10-13T10:29:00.001-04:00

I seriously love Fall. It's my favorite season of the year. It's a bit elusive, enigmatic, and hard to hold onto. I respect it for those reasons. It's the season that makes me come alive and feel like, Yeah, anything is possible! I know a lot of people feel that way about Summer. Not me. In the Summer, I feel lazy, slow-witted, and sluggish. My theory? It has to do with blood type. You're either a warm weather person or you're not.

Chippy, distressed, faded, and burnished.

We hope you saw the Save the Date announcement for our Holiday debut event in this blog post. 'Til then, we're making way for Holiday finds and furnishings with a Holiday Warm-Up Sale that starts today. We're taking 10% OFF everything through Saturday, October 31st {exclusions include Sid Dickens Memory Blocks, clearance items, special orders, and purchases of Gift Cards}. Stop in and get an early start on your Holiday shopping.

Meanwhile, let us regale you with some of our favorite Fall offerings:

New Bird Drawer Pulls. Too cute!

One of our new soy-based candle lines: the Historical Collection by Modern Alchemy. Our fragrances are {from left to right in photo}: Opium Den, Speak Easy, Cake Walk {burning under cloche}, Brothel, and Secret Society.

Our other new candle debut. The Black Collection by Modern Alchemy, in Eros, Temple, Ember, Chamber, and Samovar. Two sizes available. Don't forget one of our Baroque Gentleman Matchboxes.

We think of this as our "scary Sid" wall. Very appropriate for Hallowe'en. We like to throw his incredible Christ tiles in there to represent life after death.

Here at THE BLISSFUL, wrapped and be-glittered Skull Soap is about as scary as we get.

Chunky Mobius Scarves are part fabric, part knit, and perfect for winding casually around your neck.

Our foodsafe Chalkboard Chargers are great for serving anything from cheese to cookies.

Recycled Wine Bottle Candles in one sublime Fall fragrance: French Pear.

We're suckers for texture {especially anything with pom-pom trim}.

Soothing Lavender Candles in glazed terracotta pots by VOTIVO. Gotta have 'em. The perfect bedroom candle.

Modern Alchemy's Black Collection and twine-bound books with the covers ripped off. Deconstructed love.

Vintage Doorknob Winestoppers. Each one is different. A classy and easy hostess gift.

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-10-02T12:29:00.007-04:00

We thought it might be fun to round up a bunch of the questions my staff and I are most frequently asked into one blog post and answer them. {Thanks to all of you who weighed in with your own questions after reading this post.} So here they are, Frequently Asked Questions {FAQs} about THE BLISSFUL {and its Proprietor, its Shopgirls, its music...}...

FAQ: What kind of shop is this? [okay, we get this over the phone a lot, either from people who've heard something about our shop but aren't sure quite what we carry, or from people who were looking up Gift Shops in the Yellow Pages and saw our listing there]
Answer: THE BLISSFUL is a French-inspired lifestyle boutique. We interpret French style in a young, modern, often quirky way. We carry everything from furniture, bedding, home accents, and art, to candles, jewelry, stationery, gifts, and women's apparel.

FAQ: Why the French thing?
Answer: I grew up dancing at The School of the Canton Ballet, and later performed with Canton Ballet's pre-professional training company. From a young age, I was learning bits and pieces of the French language {pas de deux = dance of two, plié = to bend}. Around about age 10, I asked my mom to buy me a French-English dictionary so that I could further explore the language. The first thing I did was memorize the French phonics and pronunication key in the front of the book. Heady stuff for a ten year old, but it was important to me to be able to understand the intention behind each movement, and for that, I wanted to get inside the language. {I guess you could say I've always been a thinker.}

Me as Clara in The Nutcracker, 1992, age 14.

Then I started taking French language classes in high school and continued on into college. When I decided to open a shop and began the hunt for merchandise to fill my first store, I noticed that I gravitated toward items that had that French influence. Thus the style of the shop emerged by coincidence, not by intention.

FAQ: So you speak French fluently.
Answer: Non. I'm no longer even conversational! To the disappointment of native French speakers who visit the store {and some French teachers}, I have lost a great deal of the language and probably won't get it back without some concentrated study! Plus, I'm rather shy about speaking it aloud. Like many French students, I can read it much better than I can speak it.

FAQ: So how often do you go to France?
Answer: You mean outside of my dreams? Never! I have never been to France. That is the single biggest irony of the store. For me, I truly take the word "inspired" in our tagline {French-Inspired Finds & Furnishings} seriously. We are not striving to give people an authentic French experience. We reinterpret the spirit of French style, but we don't aim to stock every product one might find in a real French boutique. And lots and lots of our merchandise has no French predilection whatsoever. I often tell people, "The shop reflects an imagined French life." Oftentimes, fantasies are better than the real thing anyway!

The shop is such a personal creation for me, that to me, this connection makes total sense. One of the most astonishing--and highly complimentary--things that happens is when very well-traveled people, or Francophiles who've traveled there extensively, come into the shop and say, "You've done it. This is it. This is just like being there, except better in some ways." To that, my staff and I say wow.

FAQ: So what about this staff? Are you hiring? How can I get a job here?
Answer: Currently, we have three amazing Shopgirls, plus a tight troupe of friends who float in and out as needed. I've always got my eye out for new talent, though if you ask us directly, most likely we'll tell you that we have our staff in place for the foreseeable future. This is always true! I love every member of our staff and don't want to imagine this place without a single one of them!

So "for the foreseeable future," we are always all hired up. Every single person on my staff--except for my mom, Debbie--I knew for at least a year before hiring. I like to hire customers who are passionate about the store. I have approached every single hire I've ever made, not the other way around.

FAQ: What did you do in your previous life, before opening THE BLISSFUL?
Answer: Before all this, I taught high school English. I've written about that time long ago, here and here. A big hi!!! to any of my former students who are reading this.

Toni Morrison--one of my literary heroines--on the cover of Beloved, my favorite of her books.

FAQ: What's your favorite season at the store?
Answer: Hands down, the Holidays. We debut our Holiday story each year with an event held the first full weekend in November. So SAVE THE DATE!!! This year it's Thursday, November 5th from 4 PM-8 PM, Friday, November 6th from 10 AM-7 PM, and Saturday, November 7th from 10 AM-7 PM. Please plan to bring friends as this is truly the event of the year.

Behold...the first {and only!} sneak peak of our Holiday '09 story until the invitations go out later this month!

I love this season because the store just feels electric for two whole months. It smells great--of true woodsy pine, peppermint, gingersnaps, and currant, I get to rock the Christmas tunes, and most customers are happy to be shopping. We like to think of our store as our customers' little getaway from the Holiday blitz. We're just far enough away from the mall that people can avoid a bit of that crazy Christmas traffic.

FAQ: If tomorrow you woke up and weren't a shop owner, what would you be?
Answer: A writer who works mostly from home {and from cafés} and sometimes teaches a writing workshop or a college course, sometimes consults, sometimes takes on a special assignment here and there, like helping an aspiring store owner develop her brand identity.

FAQ: What's your favorite part of being a shop owner?
Answer: Having my life's work be a complete reflection of my vision.

FAQ: What's your least favorite part?
Answer: The pressure. The thinking and planning six to nine months ahead of time. The neverending carousel ride that it is. But I wouldn't be doing it if all that didn't bring me a great measure of satisfaction.

FAQ: In your opinion, what are the top three qualities one must possess to be a successful boutique owner?
Answer: The key word here is "successful." For that, I believe you must be money savvy and willing to watch and work with the numbers ALL. THE. TIME. {As unromantic as that sounds.} You must have a strong vision for your store that you differentiate from everyone else's out there. You must be someone who can switch between big picture thinking and small picture thinking, every day, all day long.

FAQ: What am I listening to?/Who's singing?/What music are you playing?
Answer: Believe it or not, this is quite possibly the most frequently asked question of all from shoppers in my store! I have an appreciation for good music, though it's something I enjoy the most in private settings--in my car, at small gatherings of friends, while working alone in the darkened store on a Sunday morning. I like music that feels like mine. I'm not really a concert goer or one who'd head out to a bar to hear someone play. I do a lot of research into artists and albums and invest my own money into custom masterminding a mix for the store that just fits and creates the right vibe. It's sort of like being a DJ at a club. Somedays I feel like the store is a free jukebox for shoppers, so I can sometimes get a little cagey about sharing this info unless it's a CD we happen to sell. After all, the music is part of our "proprietary mix" at the store. It's the very voice of the store.

FAQ: How did you discover Sid Dickens? His work is so unique and perfect for the store.
Answer: Ah, Sid. Sid was one line, believe it or not, that I resisted carrying for several months. A wonderful sales rep that we work with {who also worked with Sid} suggested the line for my store. I held off because it was such an investment and the kind of collection I thought you'd really have to put time into educating customers about and I wasn't sure it would pay off. My rep finally convinced me, though, and it's been one of the best decisions we've ever made. I am so fortunate that our territory was open {the Sid camp is very particular about where this line is placed, and no two accounts can be too close together in proximity}.

I see Sid's work as a very important part of THE BLISSFUL's mix. From day one, we've never looked back.

FAQ: What's your favorite thing you've ever carried at the store?
Answer: Whoa! What a question. Just like a mother can't choose a favorite child, I could never choose just one item. No way! Each item we select for the mix is chosen for certain reasons and I find every little thing awesome in its own way. I can usually spot, though, in any season, what's going to be the hot seller.

FAQ: Are you married? do you have kids?
Answer: Not married yet. My guy and I have been together for three years...

Matt and I engaging in one of our favorite Summertime hobbies--boating. He prefers to stay off the blog, so this is us "incognito."

He also owns his own business, but in an industry totally unrelated to mine. I love this guy. We'll definitely get hitched one of these days. No kids. Always dreamed of having a huge brood, so we'll see...

FAQ: How do you find inspiration for your fantastic window displays?
Answer: Our window displays are born out of the need for a solution. Our windows appear dark from the street, and cars whiz past us at 35-45 miles an hour. Whatever's in our windows needs to show up, create an impresion, and make some sense from a distance and at a decent speed. We keep it simple, graphic, abstract and artful, and cheap.

FAQ: Did you ever have an inkling that your online store and your blog would be such a huge part of your business?
Answer: Never. I didn't know what a blog was when I opened my store. I love to write, it's my number one passion in life, and what better outlet for this passion in my current enterprise than a blog? And I never had any notion of selling online. It just came together pretty naturally at the right time. Always, always, one of my goals is to grow our Online Boutique. With the addition of two new Shopgirls this season, customers will start to see much more product flow onto the Online Boutique.

FAQ: What are some of THE BLISSFUL's highlights so far?
Answer: First of all, our first-ever store event! The theme was Paris in the Springtime and it was also a Ribbon Cutting hosted by our local Chamber of Commerce. It was so exhilarating.

Afterward, Matt took me out for dinner and I couldn't stop shaking. I told him, "This has been one of the best days of my life." Then, rebranding and launching our new logo and website in late 2007. It was one of the most fun and creatively satisfying projects I ever worked on and truly ushered this business into a whole new era. Also, the story Romantic Homes did on us back in August 2008.

That was incredibly exciting, to see photos of our shop in an internationally distributed magazine!

FAQ: Other than reading Blogging for Bliss, what other advice would you give someone who wants to start a blog and build it into a brand?
Answer: Just dive in. Find your voice {it's probably the one you think and talk in}. Be yourself. The people who dig what you dig will find you. Comment on blogs that resonate with you. Those are your people. Don't worry about launching with a fancy, custom-designed template. Over time, you can learn the skills and techniques to customize your blog, or you will find your way to a graphic designer who can help you with that. As your blogging life evolves, embrace change and accept that you may head off in an entirely different direction than you thought you would. This is a good thing--blogging is a process and there are different seasons to it, just like life offline.

FAQ: Where do you get all your stuff? Do you travel to find it?

Answer: It comes to us from all over the world--from France, other European countries, South America, Canada, Asia and the East, Australia, and much of it is made here in the U.S.A, too. We travel several times a year to domestic Markets to search for the right items for our mix. Plus, I'm constantly on the search for new artists and vendors that are a good fit for our mix. Our vendors--they travel the world to design, source, and manufacture this stuff for us and for you. Lucky them.

FAQ: I'm an artist and I wonder if you might want to carry my handmade jewelry/handbags/journals/artwork, etc. How do I become one of your vendors?
Answer: We start out evaluating new work for the store by e-mail and with photos. If after visiting my store or website, you believe that what you make could be a fit for my store's mix, please e-mail me at info@theblissful.com. Send me a few lines about what you do and how you do it, along with 2-3 awesome, close up photos of your work. Also send a wholesale linesheet or catalog if you have one. Please e-mail rather than call. Please do NOT stop into the store and bring your items with you. That is awkward for both you and for me.

FAQ: I have a design project at home I'd love to have you help with. Do you offer design consultation or expertise?
Answer: We're happy to chat with you in-store about styling your home with our finds as you're considering a purchase, but due to the fact that we have a relatively small staff and much to do at the store, we do not currently offer in-home design help. Maybe someday. For now, we try to keep our life simple and our focus in the store.

FAQ: What is your biggest hope or dream for your store?
Answer: The best outcome for me would be that the store continues to touch people on an emotional and psychological level. That to me, is really powerful. Only in my wildest dreams did I begin to imagine that a store could do that. Another dream I have for the store, which is always unfolding before me, is that it would teach me more about myself and my place in this world. It may sound like navel gazing to some, but I see myself as a writer first, then an entrepreneur, then a retailer. I honestly never dreamed I'd have a store, and that fact still cracks me up sometimes! Having this store has birthed so many new goals and dreams for me. Let's hope they all play out!

Some photos courtesy of Flickr.

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Sid's "Enchantment"

2009-09-17T13:03:00.003-04:00

Now presenting in-store:

Sid Dickens' Fall '09 Collection:

"Enchantment"

Refining cherished icons and ancient fragments, Sid Dickens resurrects the wonder of long-forgotten ages, imbuing their stories with new life. The Renaissance, Age of Enlightenment, Romantics, bridged for us to modern day and made timeless by the imprint of his signature aesthetic. . .Rich palettes, underscored with subtle textures, hint at captivating stories.

Top Row, from L to R: T221 - Once a Paragon, T223 - Cecelia, T227 - Still Life, T225 - Nocturne, T226 - Purity, T224 - The Cloak

Middle Row, both ends: T231 - Sentinel "Limited Edition"

Bottom Row, from L to R: T224 - The Cloak, T230 - Rascal, T225 - Nocturne, T229 - Nexus, T228 - Divine Mercy, T222 - Once a Paragon

Please call the store at 330.492.2500 during shop hours {Mon-Sat 10 AM - 5 PM EST} or e-mail us anytime at sales@theblissful.com to inquire about price and availability. We'd be happy to complete a sale with you over the phone using your credit card or invoice you by PayPal. Shipping for one tile is $8.50 by UPS Ground within the Continental US, $12.50 for two tiles, $16.50 for three, and so on in four dollar increments per tile.

My personal favorite this season: Cecilia {T223}...

Fall Reflections

2009-09-16T12:29:00.020-04:00

I just returned from my last personal getaway of the year to idyllic Lake Norris, Tennessee. Having delighted in the glory of boating and waterskiing {well, watching two of the men in our party waterski} on that flat, glittering lake with those lush green forests surrounding us, I am convinced that this is the perfect time of year to take a Fall retreat to a lake. My body and soul imbibed that fresh mountain air like a thirsty traveler.

I returned home to find this hanging in the store windows:

A multitude of mirrors of many shapes, sizes, and styles hanging aloft in every window, all curiously askew.

And inside the shop, oh inside...

Our Fall palette this year is a melange of honeyed neutrals, punctuated by crisp black and white...

Hand-printed Mavelot Graphic Pillows, Daily Candy, Urns with Moss and Hollow French Tapers, and Cerulean Blue Vintage Seltzer Bottle.

Curious santos heads mingle with our matte textured fragranced pillars.

Doily-printed melamine plates and burlap placemats.

When your other home is a French chateau {at least in your dreams}, these Lion Hooks for the wall are the way to go.

Deep saturated yellows...

Magpies, the fading fabrick-y glory of yellow roses, and Kelly Wearstler's inspiring book.

Les objets d'interessants. {Objects of interest.}

And a full spectrum of this season's freshest hue {purple, don't you know?}, from bold plums...

Alphabet Tote, in Pewter {shown here} and Chocolate.

Corner view.

Beauty to behold.

to quiet amethysts...

Memo to Sid Dickens fans: the new Fall '09 collection, "Enchantment," will soon be in store. Watch the blog for its debut.

We've brought back our Bella Notte bedding by popular request. Come in to speak with us about a custom order for you. Bedding, pillows, baby linens, and more.

To vivid lilacs...

Metallic makeup pouches of different sizes, shapes, and hues.

And new debuts all throughout the store, including, for the first time ever, items for baby...

Organic cotton onesies and caps feel good against sweet, unsullied newborn skin.

The softest of the soft handstitched friends.

And as always, new jewels galore...

With a party dress, or, like we do around here, with jeans and a crisp shirt.

One of a kind language necklaces.

Now these are power cuffs.

Just an interesting angle.

My favorite new look in jewelry: Beaded Wrap Bracelets. Wrap one four or five times around the wrist for a boho, layered, easy look. Choose Clear or Hematite for just a touch of glimmer. Blue Mist is also lovely.

You'll never seen one of these again. A vintage locket necklace reading Carnet de Bal, which translates to "Dance Hall Notebook."

And inside...

A heart-shaped ledger for inscribing the names of one's dance partners' in--soft and spotted with age, but still intact!

Plus necessities and props for entertaining and welcoming friends...

A vintage scale balances a fat, generous pillar candle, while down below, blackened Cast Iron Bird Bottle Openers roost, and aloft, our Wine Bottle Candelabra perches atop any empty wine bottle. Teetolater? Try an empty vinegar, French lemonade, or Pellegrino bottle. Candelabra available in Taper Style {shown here} and Votive Style {comes with four glass votive holders}.

French sucre {sugar} in three flavors: chocolat, vanille, and {my favorite} lavande. Sprinkle on sugar cookies, fresh fruit, pancakes, or crème brulée. Spoon into plain yogurt, coffee, or tea. Cool gift for a true gourmand.

Handcrafted metal heart on wood and metal stand. Says "Happily Ever After" in French.

Closed for Fall Story Change

2009-09-08T08:42:00.001-04:00

Paris, France Cuff Bracelets.

Please bear with us as we're closed for just one more day--today, Tuesday, September 8th--to accomplish Phase I of our Fall story. Beautiful things are on the make.

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Closed on Labor Day

2009-09-05T10:05:00.000-04:00

The shop will be closed this Monday, September 7th, in celebration of Labor Day. Enjoy this weekend's every moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-08-28T13:07:00.008-04:00

Q: You know what these are, right?

A: That's right. Hydrangeas! Gorgeous, soft spring green hydrangeas, past their prime, an awfully nice gift just destined for another ingenious display idea by Debbie. An awfully nice customer gave them to us today after cutting them off her prodigious bushes. Wow! We have four whole bundles of the many-flowered branches currently drying out in the store. I have two of them wedged upside down into the rungs of our ladder:

And the other two are leaning up against a table in my office:

I can't wait to show these to Debbie when she returns to the shop today.

Speaking of questions and answers, I'm crafting a FAQs post to share our responses to the most common and/or interesting questions about the shop that we hear from customers and fans. Is there a question about THE BLISSFUL you've been always been itching to ask? Maybe something about our goods, our staff, our window displays, our trips to Market, or the boutique life in general? Now's your chance! Simply post your questions here as a comment. Please note that we won't be publishing the comments {unless they're not question-specific}, so don't worry if you don't see yours appear; we'll simply read with interest and pull the best into our upcoming FAQ post. Thanks in advance and the FAQ desk is now OPEN!

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In Loving Memory

2009-08-25T13:29:00.001-04:00

In loving memory of John Michael Ofer, who was a wonderful person with a shining spirit, and a great friend of the store. We are thankful for his life and for his friendship, and we will miss him.

On A Beach Somewhere

2009-08-14T14:41:00.004-04:00

This evening, I will be taking off for a beach somewhere for a week of much-needed R&R. I only do this once a year and it's difficult to tear myself away from the store, but my friends and family insist I need this. They would know.

The brick-and-mortar store and Online Boutique will remain open for business while I'm away. A special note for our online customers: all online orders placed between today {Friday, August 14th} and Wednesday, August 19th at 2 PM EST will ship the afternoon of Wednesday, August 19th. Online orders placed after 2 PM on Wednesday, August 19th will ship the afternoon of Monday, August 24th. We regret that we cannot accommodate expedited shipping requests this week or requests for items pictured on our blog but not featured in our Online Boutique. We'll resume all shipping operations as usual on Monday the 24th. Thanks for your understanding.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

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Book Giveaway Winners

2009-08-14T11:44:00.002-04:00

The results are in. . .

Random Number Generator courtesy of Tara Frey.

Congrats to the two winners of our Blogging for Bliss Book Giveaway Contest...

Comment No. 24, Yaya! and...

Comment No. 15, Alisa Logue! FYI, my own comments on the entry post were taken out of the running.

Alisa, I will e-mail you today and get your mailing address.

Yaya, I can't find contact info for you on your profile. Please e-mail me at info@theblissful.com ASAP with your mailing address.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer our one-question questionnaire and enter the giveaway. I appreciate the fact that you read my blog and am delighted when you participate in it.

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Book Giveaway Deadline Tonight

2009-08-13T16:23:00.001-04:00

Tonight's the night! Get your entry in by 10 PM EST this evening on this post {not this post, the link that's bolded and enlarged} and remember that this deadline is an extension of the original one, so that's why the date you see in the original entry post has already passed. Make sure to read the post and answer the one-question questionnaire to cast your entry ballot. To compensate for the extended deadline, we're choosing TWO winners. Hope you will participate and if you're not already, maybe you'll soon be Blogging for Bliss, too!

Chicago Mart

2009-08-10T08:17:00.002-04:00

I'm at Market in Chicago this week. Just a quick trip, as it's a small, niche-y show. Apparel, fashion accessories, handbags, jewelry. I came to see what the vendors are doing for Fall/Holiday '09 and Resort '10. {Still can't get used to saying '10. The last time people could say that of the current year, photography still happened under a little black sheet attached to the end of the camera. I think.}

Every time I drive to Chicago, I wonder why I don't do it more often. Just a six and a half hour trip from my hometown, it goes by quickly...

Dashboard confessions.

and doesn't get hairy until you get right into the city.

Don't worry. The lane of traffic I was sitting in was at a complete standstill when I took this photo.

Some of you will remember my love affair with Chicago. Since by popular demand we seem to be always adding more apparel, personal accessories, and jewelry, now I have another reason to come here:

Stylemax is a small-ish but truly on-trend order-writing circuit for the trade, all on one floor of this gigantesque building:

The Merchandise Mart was the world's biggest office building before the Pentagon was built. Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Certain floors of the Merchandise Mart itself are open to the public and feature design-forward showrooms {gaspworthy kitchens, etc.}.

View of the Mart in daylight. That's it on the left with the million windows. Photo courtesy of Flickr.

A little closer up. Photo courtesy of Flickr.

I shopped the show for four hours yesterday, then came back my hotel and ordered room service:

Beautiful Caprese Salad. I've been craving Buffalo Mozzarella {I like to say it "Boof-alo," like Giada does} for weeks and was so glad to see this on the menu.

But back to the show. An apparel show is decidedly different from a home and gift show. I was relieved to at one point step into a booth where I didn't feel underdressed in my burnout tee shirt {slubs and striations and all}, vintage wash jeans, and flip flops. And I told the similarly tee shirted reps so! I have to remember that I dress to reflect my store's aesthetic {casual with special, bohemian, luxe touches} and my own style, and that does not mean black slacks, a ruffly blouse, and kitten heels! Apparel buyers just have a different vibe to them than gift show buyers. At one point today, I actually overheard a woman say, "That is SO yum-yum." I also found it interesting how buyers {other retailers} would sit down in chairs in the middle of the booth space and the reps would pull looks for them and hang them up on racks, like a mini fashion show in the middle of the Mart. Then the buyers, with legs crossed and pen touching their chin, would go down the line and say, "Uh-huh. No. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. NO, NO, NO." One rep also surprised me by saying, "Let me know if you want me to throw anything on." Oh. Some of them will model, too.

I also learned a new industry word and it applies to how I buy apparel for THE BLISSFUL: "item-y." I heard it five times before I asked one rep about it. "Item-y." Refers to garments that do not need to be sold or merchandised as a collection. Think un-matchy stores like Anthropologie who show various designers together instead of stores that sell collections that must be shown together to make sense. {Putting your own outfit together vs. buying a total look off the rack.} Item-y means each piece can stand alone as its own little statement and is great for stores like mine who don't sell apparel collections. {In my store, you're likely to find knitted capes or PJs mixed in with candles, Moroccan wine glasses, and little notebooks.} I like the word so much I'm going to start using it. Item-y.

I feel a little guilty that I'm not out there enjoying the city today {in 95 degree heat}. Chicago has so much to offer in the way of boutique shopping, food, and entertainment, not to mention taking in the amazing architecture everywhere. Some of my retail mentors-from-afar are located here. But I don't think I'll be making it into their stores this week. There's too much to see at this show and my time here is brief.

View from my hotel room window.

Right now, I'm going to make a cup of coffee and read through my notes from yesterday, crossing out anything that doesn't wow me in retrospect. Today the order writing begins.

Oh, one quick thing: our Blogging for Bliss Book Giveaway entry deadline is approaching. You still have until 10 PM on Thursday the 13th to enter. Click here to enter.

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Book Giveaway Deadline Extension

2009-08-05T15:57:00.002-04:00

Hey, guess what? We're extending the deadline of our Blogging for Bliss Book Giveaway another week. What? You haven't entered yet? Click here to do so now. This is a wonderful guide for the new and aspiring blogger as well as for the intermediate blogger who wants to learn a few new tricks {this blogger included}. The new entry deadline is 10 PM EST on Thursday, August 13th. Why the extra week? Truthfully, it's because I'm a bit behind schedule on sending out my latest customer e-mail and I'd like my local customers to be able to get in on this. By the way, if you'd like to join our e-mail list, simply send a blank message to info@theblissful.com with the word Subscribe in the subject line.

In compensation for the heightened competition {more time=more entries}, we're going to give away not one but TWO copies of the book. No duplicate entries, please. The winners will be chosen by random number generator and will be notified by e-mail. Bonne chance!

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

I Blog for Bliss

2009-08-04T11:07:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Kari from Artsy Mama for inviting me to participate in today's Blogging for Bliss Book Release Party. Click here to be transported to Kari's blog, where down the righthand sidebar you'll find a list of other bloggers who are "partying" on their blogs today. This is all in celebration not only of Tara's new book, but of the blogging way of life.

Kari said, "Write a post about what blogging for bliss means to you." Tall order. Blogging has changed my life--and changed me--in so many ways that I wasn't sure where to begin. So I decided to do a Top 5 list: my top 5 favorite blog posts here on Lettres from THE BLISSFUL since its inception back on 20 December 2006. This was NOT easy, let me tell you. As I clicked back through two and a half years of photo-filled posts, I grew pretty nostalgic. The shop has come a long way since our beginnings--and so have my photography skills! I started jotting down the post titles and dates of my favorite posts and quickly had a list of 16! There were so many posts with glorious, sun-dappled photos and fetching commentary, but ultimately the posts that resonated most deeply with me were the ones that were a little quieter and a lot more personal.

So here they are, beginning with...

No. 5 "Bonjour! (and How We Came To Be)"...20 December 2006
This is the first blog post I ever wrote. All I can say is WOW! Little did I know where my new blogging life would lead me. Notice that this post is even on a different URL {our original blog digs}. It looks so funny to me to see my posts couched in this old Blogger template.

No. 4 "On Faith and Fearlessness, Parts I and II"...21 and 24 February 2007
I was surprised to rediscover these posts I'd written on entrepreneurship and going for your dream. While the heart of these posts would probably be much the same were I to write them now, I definitely would have a whole lot more wisdom to impart in the practical and financial sense! Also notice on Part I our old store sign. We were The Blissful Home back then.

No. 3 "I Love Chi-Town"...18 April 2007
It's not so much the writing or the photos in this post that I love but what it represents to me. This chronicles a trip I took to Chicago with my girlfriends Lindsay and Kate.

Linds and I at a great Mexican restaurant in Chicago. April 2007.

We met up with our friend Laura there, who had just given birth to her second child. On this trip, I stumbled into a great little shop in Wicker Park with the most amazing blue walls called Tatine. While the shop's doors are now closed, the owner has an amazing candle line which we stock at THE BLISSFUL. {Anthropologie likes it, too.} Two and a half years later, that candlemaker {Margo Breznik} is a dear friend of mine and one of the people who inspires me to keep pursuing my entrepreneurial dreams every day. What a great trip it was.

No. 2 "Café Love"...18 February 2008
It's the first two paragraphs of this post that get me: the longing for my life pre-boutique ownership {it's okay to do that every once in a while, right?}. As an English teacher with a satchel full of essays to grade and an aspiring poet and fiction writer, I lived out many solitary hours each week in cafés throughout the Columbus, Ohio area. I still get wistful for those days.

Photo above courtesy of Flickr.

And finally, my very favorite post of all. . .

No. 1 "Shopkeeping in the Vernacular"...21 October 2007
For me, this post marries my twin loves: my shop and my writing. The "vernacular" is the local language that real people commonly speak. In other words, it's not necessarily the "King's English." In this post, I compared THE BLISSFUL's retail point of view to the "language of the people." There's never been anything hoity-toity or exclusive about us and there never will be.

Thanks for taking this little jaunt with me. To all the bloggers out there, may this next year bring you great new discoveries about your life and about yourself from post to post. And to all the new and aspiring bloggers out there, do it from your heart as only YOU can do.

There are still TWO DAYS LEFT to enter our Blogging for Bliss Book Giveaway. Simply visit this post and answer the one-question questionnaire. Post your answer there {not here on this post} as a comment and you'll automatically be entered. Good luck to all!

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Our Literary Debut

2009-08-01T09:03:00.002-04:00

Ready for the exciting announcement I mentioned yesterday? Okay. Here goes.

See this book cover?

This week is its official debut in bookstores nationwide. It's the story of one popular blogger, Tara Frey of typing out loud, along with snapshot stories of various artsy, crafts-y, and boutique-y bloggers from throughout the blogosphere. The book is chock full of ideas, how-to's, and strategies to get new bloggers started, as well as some very good ideas for intermediate bloggers who want to take their blogs to the next level. We find it quite helpful and inspiring.

And guess what else???

We're in the book!!!!!

The fair Tara contacted us several months ago requesting an interview and permission to use screen shots of our blog for inclusion in the book. We were thrilled but decided to keep this little secret under wraps. Until now! Get your copy of Blogging for Bliss here or here. And very soon, we'll be carrying the book in the store. Watch the blog, as well as our Facebook fan page and our Twitter, because as soon as we slit the box open on these babies, we'll let you know!

So many of our local customers who read Lettres come in asking questions about how I got started blogging and how they can start their own blog. Well, Tara's got everything you need to know to get started, plus interviews with inspiring bloggers and lots and lots of photographic eye candy, all between two covers. In my opinion, it's even a great beach read for those who just can't wait to move into the blogosphere.

Now for the fun parts:

No. 1 We're participating in a blog party hosted by Kari Ramstrom of Artsy Mama on Tuesday, August 4th. Please meet us here on Lettres from THE BLISSFUL on Tuesday the 4th as we celebrate blogging for bliss--both the lifestyle and the book! Also, Kari has kindly provided a list of other participating "blissful bloggers" {Tara's nickname for us} in the sidebar of her blog so that you can check out other parties throughout the blogosphere on Tuesday.

No. 2 We're hosting a Blogging for Bliss Book Giveaway right here on Lettres and it begins NOW! One lucky winner will be chosen by random number generator to receive a complimentary, brand spankin' new copy of le book. How to enter our giveaway? I'll get to that part in a minute.

First, please humor me as I make a few private {now public} confessions:

First of all, while we are featured in the book, I surely don't consider myself or my blog to be the epitome of blogging glory. No way. I'm just a busy shop owner trying to find the time to get the oil in my car changed, much less blog in a way that touches people's lives. But writing is my first love and blogging here is always on my mind. I am thankful for every single person who stops by to read or check out our latest photos from the shop, and especially for those who take a moment to leave a comment letting me know you were here.

I have to confess: since my business has grown, I've hidden more and more behind the facade of it, to the point where I feel that my personality has almost been obscured on this blog. And yes, I guess I have to admit that it was intentional. The more photos of the store I could show and narrate, the less about me I had to show. I never wanted this blog to be about "Abby and her little shop." I wanted it to be about THE BLISSFUL--this store that has always felt bigger than me. I wanted the blog to be about my customers' experience of the store, like a peek through the shop windows, independent from me, its Proprietor. I felt that I had to take myself almost entirely out of the equation in order for people's experience of the store via the blog to be pure and natural. As humans, we judge everything we behold even without meaning to. I knew that people might be judging the store, but I didn't want them to be able to judge me. But in trying so hard to get out of readers' way, I feel that I've lost my way a bit. I miss the joy and freedom with which I used to blog here, on our old archives, before we rebranded and moved into these chocolate polka dotted blog digs back in 2007.

So I say all of the above to share this: that I'm taking back the blog. I'm returning to the kinds of personal posts that make me happy. I'm ready to open up again and share more of the heart of what makes this store what it is. And I hope you'll keep reading and enjoying all that is to come. It's always a scary prospect to reveal more of yourself, but I can honestly say that Tara's book is inspiring me to do just that, along with so many of the amazing bloggers that I enjoy reading every day.

In an effort to better connect with all of you reading, I'd like to tie a simple, one-question questionnaire into our Blogging for Bliss Book Giveaway. By responding to this questionnaire in the form of a Comment, you are automatically entering the giveaway to win a copy of Tara's first book. I say 'first' because I'm pretty sure this authoress has more books in her future! {Please be sure that your Blogger ID allows me to trace your e-mail address so that I can notify you if you're the winner.} Entry deadline is Thursday, August 6th at 10 PM EST.

To enter our giveaway, please leave a comment with your responses to this question:

Which of the following types of posts would MOST interest you here on Lettres from THE BLISSFUL? {Please rank your top 6 or fewer.}

a} posts showing new products in the store and in the Online Boutique
b} posts showing photo coverage of in-store events {Trunk Shows, Holiday Open House, etc.} and seasonal debuts
c} posts discussing behind the scenes goings-on of the shop and what it's really like to own a boutique
d} posts offering advice/tips/encouragement for aspiring shop owners
e} posts offering advice/tips/encouragement to artists desiring to sell their work to boutiques
f} posts offering design ideas/advice
g} "Dear Abby" style posts answering readers' questions on a variety of topics
h} interviews with other bloggers/shop owners/designers/friends of the store/other specialists
i} posts delving into personal stuff and non-shop related observations on life, design, inspiration, etc.

I'm looking forward to reading your comments. Once again, the entry deadline is Thursday, August 6th at 10 PM and the winner will be chosen by random number generator. We'll contact her/him by e-mail shortly thereafter and announce it here on the blog.

Meanwhile, see you here on Tuesday the 4th for a blog party!

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Check Back Tomorrow...

2009-07-31T12:30:00.002-04:00

While tomorrow's announcement and giveaway details have nothing to do with the above bracelets, we wanted to show these new babies off anyway.

Check back tomorrow for an exciting announcement, as well as entry details for a giveaway we're hosting here on Lettres!

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Market Notebook: Seen & Heard in Atlanta

2009-07-13T21:30:00.004-04:00

Here it is, the very last night of our stay in Atlanta for the July Gift & Home show and this is my first post! The last six days have slipped by very quickly. When you're faced with the prospect of buying a whole season or two's worth of inventory for a lifestyle boutique, you have a lot of mileage to cover in a pretty short span of time. Product at this show is brought in from vendors representing all parts of the U.S., as well as from Canada, South America, Europe, Australia, throughout the East, and from just about everywhere else around the globe. The show is comprised of three buildings in the heart of downtown Atlanta, each building 18-20 floors tall, housing one dozen to a couple hundred vendors on each floor displaying their wares in lavish permanent showrooms and in small, tricked out temporary booths. It's over seven million square feet of potential inventory to peruse. As you can imagine, taking care of business at this show involves a lot of planning ahead, a lot of walking, a comfy pair of shoes, and a sturdy bag whose handles won't dig into your shoulder too badly as you add new catalogs to it hour upon hour. Everything you can imagine for home and gift is here...and a lot that you wouldn't want to imagine! As one new retailer friend said to me over dinner this past weekend, "When my customers ask me about Market, I tell them, imagine the ugliest store you've ever been in. They shop here, too." Just like any shopping trip to the mall or to a department store or a boutique, the tradeshows are full of the good and the bad and it's up to each store owner to comb through and pull together a look that works for his or her store and appeals to the customer in mind. All of us are searching for next season's story.

And Fall's story is a good one.

Because there is a strict No Photography policy at these shows, my Market posts are never feathered out with showroom photos. Here, though, is the view from our hotel room:

View from our hotel room.

I know, I know--it's not nearly the same as being inside the showrooms with me. But maybe I can paint you a picture with words. Across seven million square feet of showroom space, here's what we're noticing:

Eco-friendly goods are looking less crunchy and are now practically status quo. Designers across the board are taking a more ecologically responsible stance.
Natural meets modern. One of the dominant looks in decor and jewelry is what I'd describe as earthy glamour--natural fibers, textures, and {in jewelry} beads mixed with a bit of metal, shine, or swish.
The color purple was everywhere--from muted amethyst to moody plum to full-on fuschia.
Jewel tones in general--in addition to purple, an off-shade of jade and a soft sapphire are making their return.
Grey is the new brown {which was the new black}--from French grey to soft charcoal to pewter to nearly black.
Botanicals are still big in both textiles, wall art, and home accents.
Less is more. Bucking the "more for less" mentality of discount big-box stores offering designer knock-offs and last season's overstock for less dough, showrooms were paring down and focusing on pieces that really matter and will stand the test of time.
Words, words, and more words--on art, handbags, home accents, tabletop, upholstery, and just about everywhere else.
The industrial look is warming up--literally. Previously conceived of as cold, ultra modern, and best befitting a loft in the city, we're loving the new furniture that mixes metals and sleek lines with natural, hand-hewn woods. Think traditional styling with contemporary fabrications. Soon to be seen at THE BLISSFUL.
Pattern is in--ikat, Indian sari prints, etc.

It was so good to get together with a few retailer friends at Market. We laughed, shared, swapped ideas, and compared notes on the show. We talked about the customers who love our stores and keep us in business--what they buy, what they want, what they need. And how we can give them the best of all that.

Looking forward to sharing with you all that we discovered at this show for the year ahead. One last great sleep tonight in my Marriott Marshmallow Dream Whip-py bed, then it's off to the airport tomorrow morning.

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Summer Notes

2009-07-09T20:34:00.000-04:00

As I write from our hotel room at the Atlanta Gift & Home show, wanted to share just a few more Summer notes from back at the shop.

First, select Garden Items are 70% OFF. This includes select cast iron pots and urns, French Herb Potting Kits, colorfully patterned gardening tools, and more.

And, back by popular demand, our Chunky Initial Bracelets by John Wind/Maximal Art. No one could ever get enough of these. We know why: classic styling, a gently antiqued gold-plated finish, and an appealingly chunky textured double link chain {the kind you can clip other charms on to}. Silver lovers, take heart. The designer has finally done these in a silver finish, too, and they're on their way!

And new in-store for summer:

Vintage Grain Sack rugs and runners. We also like them as art for the wall, as shown here.

My July Market Notebook is yet to come this week. . .

Pause to Refresh

2009-07-07T17:01:00.003-04:00

Thought I'd refresh your view today of the shop in mid-Summer splendor. No explanation necessary.

We're off to Market in Atlanta tomorrow. This is the world's largest home and gift marketplace that sells to the trade: over seven million square feet of permanent and temporary showroom space offering up endless gifts, home accents, and just about everything else a lifestyle boutique like mine could want. We'll be meeting with our French vendors there, our U.S.-based artists for handmade goods, and we know that we'll discover many surprises for the seasons ahead. Stay tuned in the coming week or two for my Market Notebook. Remember this past January's? If not or you're in the mood for some Summer reality reading, click here for Part One, here for Part Two, and here for Part Three.

I'll be blogging from my hotel room in Atlanta very soon, so stay tuned!

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Holiday Weekend Hours

2009-06-30T11:39:00.003-04:00

Vintage Independence Cherubs by local artist Susan Fogle.

In honor of Independence Day, please see our shop hours for this weekend:

Friday, July 3rd, 10 AM - 2 PM
Saturday, July 4th, CLOSED

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Visions from Indie Girl

2009-06-29T15:51:00.004-04:00

Hope you enjoy these photographic moments from Saturday's über-successful Indie Girl Trunk Show. And I LOVE being able to call this event über-successful because this time, THE BLISSFUL can't take all the credit for it. We were beyond thrilled at the crowd our five indie artists drew--hundreds of our regular customers and many, many new faces thronged the store to get first dibs on the artists' debuts. We were surprised at how overwhelmingly enthusiastic were customers' responses to this event because we've never done anything quite like this before to feature local artists. By popular demand, we'll definitely be adding more of these types of events to our yearly roster!

Artist Angie Lamielle of The Canton Box Company pauses for reflection.

Careful preparations were made.

Our little Trunk Show mascot, artist Kathleen Houston's baby peacock, "Mr. Indie."

Showing off the goods.

Artists provided individual attention to customers.

A plethora of imaginative works.

Such a fan, she signed up for more details.

Indie Girl Preview

2009-06-26T17:59:00.000-04:00

Some snaps I snuck in just for you. . .a preview of tomorrow's Indie Girl debuts:

Strand by Kelly McGreal

The Canton Box Company

love, zoey designs

Melissa Jackson

Kathleen Houston

See you tomorrow from 10 AM - 5 PM!

Momentous Saturday

2009-06-25T11:55:00.008-04:00

This Saturday, June 27th, from 10 AM-5PM is the first-ever-of-its-kind Trunk Show event at THE BLISSFUL featuring five local artists {four women plus one husband-and-wife duo}. We call it Indie Girl and we're pretty excited about it. Did you have a chance to check out our recent Q&A's with each artist? If not, click on each artist's name to be transported directly to the interview and put a face and a story with the name: Zoey Bond of love, zoey designs; Kathleen Houston; Angie and Tyson Lamielle of The Canton Box Company; Melissa Jackson; and Kelly McGreal of Strand by Kelly McGreal.

But what's an "indie" anyway? For a moment, I'll let Wikipedia do the talking: "The indie design movement is made up of independent designers, artists and craftspeople who design and make a wide array of products without being part of large, industrialized businesses. They are supported by a growing number of indie shoppers who are seeking niche and often handmade products as opposed to those mass-produced by corporations. . .The indie design movement can be seen as being an aspect of the general indie movement and DIY culture."

From the very beginnings of THE BLISSFUL, we have carried a wide selection of indie work that is handmade throughout the U.S. and beyond. Our point of view as a shop is to scout out and bring home that which is not otherwise found in our area. In an economy struggling in part because of the failure of large corporations to keep their promises to their customers and clients, we believe more than ever in shopping locally and indie as often as possible and supporting the types of small, independently owned businesses on which our nation's economy was first built.

On Saturday, we honor the local indie talent that has caught our eye. We are thrilled and honored to present these intrepid artists and their imaginative works to you and we hope you enjoy.

See you Saturday at Indie Girl! Please note that the shop will be closed tomorrow, Friday the 26th, for set up. We'll reopen at 10 AM on Saturday for the show!

P.S. If I were you, I'd shop early for the best selection!

Indie Girl Q&A: Zoey Bond

2009-06-24T11:47:00.000-04:00

We wrap up our introduction of our Indie Girl Trunk Show artists with a familiar face for many of our local customers. It's Zoey Bond, who up until recently was one of THE BLISSFUL's own stellar shopgirls.

Q: What would you like to tell customers about your line, love, zoey? What plans do you have for the line down the road {i.e. expanding into other items beyond jewelry}?
A: love, zoey is the manifestation of years of thoughts, notes, journal entries, and day-dreaming about what I wanted to be when I "grew up." An amazing friend recently inspired me to try my hand at the world of jewelry design and was the perfect fit as the first step in building my long-awaited design business. I have always been inspired by all facets of design and plans are in the works over the next few seasons to broaden the love, zoey line to include some hand sewn apparel and home decor treasures. I truly thrive when I am creating.

Q: What are some words or phrases you'd use to describe the feel/mood of the pieces you're creating right now?
A: Fresh, clean, and original with bold pops of color! I aim for a combination of fun frivolity and timeless elegance. I don't want my pieces to be taken too seriously, but I do want them to be special enough that they become the wearer's "go-to" statement pieces.

Q: What or who inspires you as a designer, or, give us a peek into your creative process.
A: As you know, my husband and I recently moved [to the Cleveland area]. Our new home is situated in the most inspiring farm-like setting. Here I am surrounded by nature. We literally live within a bird sanctuary area! I see each piece I create in a very organic way. Pulling from our new farm life, every item in this season's line is representative of Summer's bounty. The chain pieces are chosen to represent plant stalks and tree trunks, and the jewels and other findings are reminiscent of the leaves, fruit, and flowers of the plant. Vegetation is so perfectly adorned, shouldn't we be as well?

Q: Word is you're doing something special for customers during the Trunk Show.
A: Right! To celebrate all that is wonderful about THE BLISSFUL and its customers--[oh, stop]--I'm having a giveaway at the Indie Girl Trunk Show. Shoppers can enter a drawing to win the pair of love, zoey earrings of their choice.

Q: Where can fans find more of your work?
A: My Etsy shop will be opening very soon, but for now my blog is the best way to see sneak peaks and insights into the latest creations in the love, zoey line. Fans can also sign up for our e-mail updates at our booth at the Indie Girl Trunk Show or by e-mailing us at lovezoeydesigns@gmail.com. They can also follow us on Twitter here.

Save the date, invite a friend, and we'll see you at Indie Girl!

Indie Girl Q&A: Melissa Jackson

2009-06-22T09:53:00.003-04:00

We're just six days away from Indie Girl now! Hope you've all marked your calendars and are planning to attend this first-ever-of-its-kind event at THE BLISSFUL this Saturday the 27th from 10 AM - 5 PM.

Today we introduce the fourth of five artists we're proud to showcase this coming weekend, mixed media artist Melissa Jackson.

Q: What would you like to tell customers about your work? What can they expect to see?
A: I will have tons of brand new purses [re-adorned vintage handbags] that no one has ever seen before, lots of new takes on old favorites {like my beaded chandelier crystal earrings}, and possibly even some collage on canvas.

Q: What are some words or phrases that you'd use to describe the style, mood, or feel of your work?
A: Urban Industrial meets Antique Glam.

Q: What or who inspires you as a designer?
A: I am always surfing the net and cruising art mags to get inspired. I love the Impressionists but I also love so many newer artists like Anna Corba, Anna Griffin, Sandra Magsamen, Sarah Lugg, Kaari Meng. I could go on and on about all the awesome women artists and entrepreneurs out there who inspire me.

Q: What goals do you have for yourself as an artist, either short term or long term?
A: My only goal is to keep creating and finding new things to create. If I make money, great, if not, I will do it anyway! I would love to take some art courses at a college.

Q: What's the best part of being an indie artist?
A: I have always been somewhat unconventional, an oddball, so I like being able to be independent and just do my own thing, bringing forth my own interpretations of the world around me.

Q: Where can fans find more of your work?
A: Besides at THE BLISSFUL [who carries Melissa's popular Bibliothèque Bangles], my work is sold at Home Sweet Home [7385 Middlebranch Rd. NE in North Canton] and I may soon have my Etsy site back up and running in the Fall. You can contact me at onebead1@yahoo.com to learn about any possible future events.

Keep watching the blog this week, as we have yet to introduce one artist in our lineup.

Please note that the shop will be CLOSED this Friday the 26th for Indie Girl set-up. See you Saturday at 10 AM! Or feel free to stop in earlier and this week, as Garden Items are now 50% OFF in-store.