Black-eyed Susan Treasure Chest!

Okay, right off the bat...here are our disclaimers on our photo shoot...

• an amateur photographer
• a pretend model
• pretend odel states her age to be 51; not 19...and requests that all signs of aging be overlooked
  
• photos taken at 8:00 pm---alarm went off at 6:10 am ---it's been a long day!
  
• our feet are painfully tired
• we're a bit slaphappy
• room service interrupts our photo shoot---we stop to eat
  
• after eating steak sandwich, sweet potato fries, and 2 oatmeal cookies model resists the urge to slip into stretchy pants

We spent most of the day purchasing floral stems, fabulous botanical leaves, fig trees, lemon topiarys, spring blossoms, perfect peppers, willows and all manner of new succulents. Oh, the succulents!

Mid afternoon, we headed over to the Cash and Carry from the day before to pick up our treasures! Our load was so heavy after that, it was nearly impossible to climb the many sets of steps required for the rest of the day. Ugh. Thankfully, there are strong young men employed by the market, to assist overloaded shoppers with their overloaded bags and gladly carry them up and down the stairs! We were so happy to take advantage of their offer for help.

S0, this is just a tease of the haul:





Pearl and rhinestone twinkle-y beauty!



Same thing...another angle. Wear with jeans or dressy occasions!

Aforementioned room service...steak sandwich with blue cheese and arugula with sweet potato fries...yum!



Black gaggle with pearls and rhinestones. Wow!



We're coming back with more "whisper bracelets". These are sold as sets of five in silver, gold, black, or pearl. Wear "as many as you can afford" (as per Charlotte Jane Hunter Petersen...my darling ever stylish to the end mother).


Another set of bracelets to be worn together...some of them are rivals of a famous designer name
selling for $900.00 per bracelet!! Shhhhh.....it's a secret!



Check out this magnetic closure rhinestone bracelet we couldn't resist. One could be yours!
Cost of ring - 20 years of marriage!


Another pave rhinestone necklace -we bought gold and silver. Versatile and glamorous.



Last temptress...a beautiful stretchy rhinestone band. Every jewelry box needs one.

We're coming home with the haul! I'll be planning and posting a time for a great jewelry sale to show off the new offerings, so watch for the dates to be announced!

A little more time for re-working the list for tomorrow...then an earlier bed-call for tonight.

Set-ups, day 2: You Better Watch Out

• Set phone for louder alarm tone so as not to oversleep (AGAIN) tomorrow
• Conduct quickie staff meeting before heading off for set-up one of two for the day
• Set up and decorate 8' tree
• Hang another dozen or so kugels at varying lengths from curtain rods
• Organize army of Santas and assign to regiments throughout the house
• Break for favorite lunch of Yardley Tomato Pie
• Hurry to second set-up site--running later than planned; rejoice in forgotten treasure found in Denise's purse
• Remove tags from four bags of newly-purchased ornaments for tree-makeover; decorate tree
• Apply hand lotion to scratched skin after primping poky tinsel mantle garland
• Home for quick gourmet dinner of black bean burrito and Coke Zero; promise to return to store and stay only until 9:30 p.m. to revamp front window
• Yeah, right
• Express horror upon seeing state of store after the day's surprise furniture delivery
• Express delight at tidy state of stock room
  
• Stop to admire new merchandise--unpacked, priced, and merchandised in our absence
• Direct procrastinated photo shoot for gift guide magazine insert; bribe Sneelock to stay a little longer to assist in furniture placement
• Sigh as, at 10:30 p.m., window revamp has yet to begin
  

The night shift...one year later

Take a look at these photos posted just one year ago...I called my work "the night shift". How it seems like yesterday. Night after night of sorting, editing and narrowing down my resource library to fit into a much smaller space.

Stacks and stacks of books to eliminate for lack of space

Bins to return or put into a small upstairs studio/overflow

Night after night of sorting, reviewing and making the tough decisions...

Organizing my fabric books by vendor and season...whew!

Yes, I do remember saying something like, "well, what is the worst thing that could happen? We would have to expand again! ". And that is exactly what happened within the last year. While I have been happy to be on site in the retail store (with my smaller office taking up the back room), we have just outgrown the space!


So, after 12 years in downtown Yardley and 4 prior years in Lower Makefield, I am once again looking at "the night shift". I will be spending my after hours packing, sorting, organizing and overseeing the preparations for the new location.

My list looks something like this: (random thoughts not prioritized yet!)



1. Plan moving sale

2. Call vendors with open purchase orders to change ship-to address

3. Finalize paint colors for new location

4. Hire painter (Sneelock and I may be part of the team...)

5. Design sale banners and coming soon temp signs

6. Change the windows in the Yardley storefront one last time (tear-y eyed)

7. Quick trip to Naples, Fl for new design project

8. Initiate all immediate work to be done for our bedroom design/Princeton Designer House

9. Continue work on the current 10 design projects in progress...oh, dear!

10. Begin packing design library for move

11. Move shelving from basement stockroom and reassemble in new stockroom

12. Move all seasonal inventory as soon as possible

13. Schedule needed trip to High Point Market for design research

14. Release purchase orders for new merchandise/new location

15. Phone lines installed new location

16. Computer lines installed new location

17. Update Web design to reflect new location and contact numbers

18. Merchandise Yardley store for moving sale

19. Organize email blitz and assign for moving info/dates/sales/grand opening

20. Contract electrician for additional lighting new store

21. Move fixtures and furniture/office furniture and files to new location

22. Do my magic in the new location (merchandising and creating the new look).

23. Plan Grand Opening

24. Schedule 3 hours sleep each night

25. Attend Princeton Jr. League Designer House Opening Gala

26. Have Princeton room completed by 04/15 EEK!

27. Plan daily early morning workout

28. Dinner for Sneelock at least twice a week

29. Schedule at least 4 Dr. appointments (annual checkups)

30. Assemble favorite 12 ft work table in new design studio!!! (Look back to see how sad I was when I had to put it into storage one year ago).

31. Clone Sneelock





And with that, I think I have to stop my list. One day at a time, one hour at a time...one night at a time. Yes, I think "the night shift" is inevitable. But this will be the last time. As my father would say, "I might believe you, but there are thousands who wouldn't". Really, the last time. The rewards will be great. Almost 4 times the space! Close to home. Historic building. Great parking. So you see, it really is too good to pass up. (I hope I remember that at 2:00a.m.)

New Location:

5222 York Road

Holicong, Pa 18928

267-767-3134 (for now)

For once, I'm looking forward to the end of Spring. Hope to see you there.

Stay tuned for progress reports and more photos. Wish me luck...and a few prayers wouldn't hurt either.

Still here!

Good grief! My last week has been a crazy one to say the least. After a quick long weekend to Charlotte to celebrate the first birthday of my granddaughter Fiona (and her father, Timm), an overnight trip to Charleston for a day of work at my favorite project of all times (!), a long 13 hour drive back home, a 12 hour day of work getting ready for the blowout sale at Black-eyed Susan, followed by three more 12 hour days of selling, recovering, selling, recovering, selling and finally re-merchandising the entire store.....well, I'd say that's been one crazy long week.



(How would you like to be the "guest of honor" helping me, enter stage right: Linda)? Other than freshly pressed 600 count sheets, there wasn't a whole lot of perks in this trip! But, thanks to my stylish and hard working friend and Chief Financial Officer, we survived and the store is now fully engulfed in the spirit of Fall.

• 
  
  Long trip.


• 
  
  BIG sale.


• 
  
  New windows.


• 
  
  New merchandise.


• 
  
  Tired crew.


• 
  
  Come see the magic.

• 
  
  Blogging catchup is next....

Taking another peek.......

Me practicing my self portrait abilities......obviously needing some practice!

After the main trees are set up (we have three main theme trees this year, quite a downsize from last year's 6), we begin designing mantles, windows and doorways, mirrors are draped with garlands and wreaths and chandeliers become little pieces or art festooned with boughs and berries. Here's a peek at some of the work in progress......

We always show several components to each color story....this is the mantle designed with the graphite and persimmon color theme! Wow!

Susan peeking through the branches of fabulous silver tinsel tree. After it was set in place in the icy room, we packed it full with icy snowflakes. It's pretty darn cute! You'll have to come in to see this one.

Check in tomorrow for several funny photos of frustration and exhaustion as the days rolled on into nights.......