All I can say is TGIF!
Sometimes you just need a break. I'm putting the store on Vacation Mode and taking a moment to catch my breath, it has been a very busy year! Yeay 2009!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Shopping bopping and reworking
Recorded Mary Queen of Shops on BBC last night, wanted to check it out. Super cute.
Anyone thinking of opening a retail space really ought to check out these types of shows. Queen of Shops, Peter Perfect, even that evil pixie Tabitha "hairstylist meanie".
Sometimes we can't see our own forest for the trees.
Today while speaking with an East coast customer on the phone we talked briefly about the ground swell of fresh interest in Industrial pieces. It's funny what the new thing to have is. Recently Jim and I visited a warehouse full of large pieces and some of the things we found ourselves attracted to were simply off the wall. One piece was a 12' rolling steel ladder with a footprint of 7'x 3'. Now, if we owned a house with a secondfloor and no staircase, it would have made perfect sense. However we have a single story with 14' ceilings only in the living room. Owning that ladder would be madness, but we both confessed to having a certain love for the look of it. Another thing we wanted were rolling steel cage racks, 7' x 24" x 7' the only reason for having them would be giant bookcases and Jim has already put built ins in our reading room. Still..
Years ago in Metropolitan Home someone had a pair of round doughnut style wire lobster traps that had been wired up for hanging lamps, LOVED these and have been searching for them ever since.
Today I am waiting on our plotter printer to be fixed so I can start running off my posters in large format, and I'm supposed to be quoting up copper sheeting for a table top but my metal shop is closed today...(?!?!?) ruh roh.
Anyone thinking of opening a retail space really ought to check out these types of shows. Queen of Shops, Peter Perfect, even that evil pixie Tabitha "hairstylist meanie".
Sometimes we can't see our own forest for the trees.
Today while speaking with an East coast customer on the phone we talked briefly about the ground swell of fresh interest in Industrial pieces. It's funny what the new thing to have is. Recently Jim and I visited a warehouse full of large pieces and some of the things we found ourselves attracted to were simply off the wall. One piece was a 12' rolling steel ladder with a footprint of 7'x 3'. Now, if we owned a house with a secondfloor and no staircase, it would have made perfect sense. However we have a single story with 14' ceilings only in the living room. Owning that ladder would be madness, but we both confessed to having a certain love for the look of it. Another thing we wanted were rolling steel cage racks, 7' x 24" x 7' the only reason for having them would be giant bookcases and Jim has already put built ins in our reading room. Still..
Years ago in Metropolitan Home someone had a pair of round doughnut style wire lobster traps that had been wired up for hanging lamps, LOVED these and have been searching for them ever since.
Today I am waiting on our plotter printer to be fixed so I can start running off my posters in large format, and I'm supposed to be quoting up copper sheeting for a table top but my metal shop is closed today...(?!?!?) ruh roh.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Another one bites the dust
A friend of mine who owns a fantastic store in Silver Lake just emailed to let me know he is closing his shop of 10 years. I asked if he wanted to try to ramp up online, it's kept us going and streamlined our overhead at the same time.
No, he's contacted a good auction house to liquidate his stock. He and his partner are leaving for Europe with an eye towards moving 'somewhere over there'. Unique idea.
I have thought about something similar but only to start over with all new merch. It's easier to move in another direction when you've freed yourself from excess responsibilities. If we had the option of an auction house in the state of Texas, I might seriously consider bouncing some stock out that way.
Unfortunately most Texas houses I can think of specialize more in Euro-Indo-Antiques and repro Decor auctions. And I'd rather use someone like LAMA, Wright or Rago. There's always a rental truck and the Brimfield show with the intent of returning empty come heck or high water.
Moving online really has been the best option for us, we have had an online presence for almost a decade so we've been well established. We were really fortunate to receive wonderful business advice early on when the economy was just beginning to show signs of distress. We feel lucky.
This past week we drove down to San Antonio to check out a potential dog at the Animal Defense League. What a gorgeous animal shelter! A huge contrast to TLAC which is a puppy death camp in comparison. Hate to say it, since both our kids came from TLAC, but the ADL in San Antonio kicks TLACs butt. Massive greens areas for playing and interacting, the pens are very large and clean and the dogs can see each other (in house socialization), the entire set up has dogs grouped according to size in different pens and sections of the property. There's grass everywhere not dirt pits. Best part was, every single person we spoke to was genuinely interested in answering out questions, knew a little something about each dog, and really seemed to WANT to be there.
I'm not really interested in the TLAC debate, but visiting ADL in San An made it glaringly obvious that there is something very wrong with our shelter.
Sadly the dog we went to see was not the dog for us, and it looks like we're going to give up the rescue route and are speaking with a breeder. Not the most popular choice, but it is what it is.
No, he's contacted a good auction house to liquidate his stock. He and his partner are leaving for Europe with an eye towards moving 'somewhere over there'. Unique idea.
I have thought about something similar but only to start over with all new merch. It's easier to move in another direction when you've freed yourself from excess responsibilities. If we had the option of an auction house in the state of Texas, I might seriously consider bouncing some stock out that way.
Unfortunately most Texas houses I can think of specialize more in Euro-Indo-Antiques and repro Decor auctions. And I'd rather use someone like LAMA, Wright or Rago. There's always a rental truck and the Brimfield show with the intent of returning empty come heck or high water.
Moving online really has been the best option for us, we have had an online presence for almost a decade so we've been well established. We were really fortunate to receive wonderful business advice early on when the economy was just beginning to show signs of distress. We feel lucky.
This past week we drove down to San Antonio to check out a potential dog at the Animal Defense League. What a gorgeous animal shelter! A huge contrast to TLAC which is a puppy death camp in comparison. Hate to say it, since both our kids came from TLAC, but the ADL in San Antonio kicks TLACs butt. Massive greens areas for playing and interacting, the pens are very large and clean and the dogs can see each other (in house socialization), the entire set up has dogs grouped according to size in different pens and sections of the property. There's grass everywhere not dirt pits. Best part was, every single person we spoke to was genuinely interested in answering out questions, knew a little something about each dog, and really seemed to WANT to be there.
I'm not really interested in the TLAC debate, but visiting ADL in San An made it glaringly obvious that there is something very wrong with our shelter.
Sadly the dog we went to see was not the dog for us, and it looks like we're going to give up the rescue route and are speaking with a breeder. Not the most popular choice, but it is what it is.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
cool today - hot tamale
Weather has gone deeply erratic. Saw Whip It last night, it was super cute, I like Drew Barrymore.
I just wish they had filmed that here. I heard that the Austin scenes were shot over a few days just to get those landmarks "hi - How are you?" and of course SoCo.
Though the real bouts are actually held far from downtown and our vintage shops are way better curated than the shop they filmed in that was supposed to represent Atomic City. Still, despite the critics who panned it, I thought it was sweet. J and I were both kind of impressed that the film had no cussing, very very subtle drinking, no drugs and the tattoos didn't play a major part.
It could have been totally different if it had been directed by a guy, so I personally appreciated that it celebrated all the good parts of the sport.
Embarrassed myself by shouting out "OMG it's Chloe!" in the opening scenes. She was working for me when she first tried out for and joined the Holy Rollers, and while her full immersion in RD culture while she was my employee made me nuts... as a person I think her continued involvement in TXRD is terrific.
I had read that she was a body double but didn't realize she had any "face time" in the movie.
Yeay Chloe!
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NYT has a great article on buying a historic home in Venice Italy. Because, THAT'S so affordable.
We love watching international house hunters and the voice over says "Dick and Jane Hossenpheffer are leaving behind their small 6k sqft home in New Hampshire for a new life in the South of France.. with a budget of just 4 million dollars we hope they can find something!"
Because nothing gives people hope when the economy is hanging out in file 13, to know that with just 4 mil. we could all just scoot off to the south of France.
Personally I'd like it if these shows would point out that a lot of countries will not allow you to purchase property without citizenship, or a bank account with x amount opened in the country for x amount of time, that some countries require a separate purchase bonus that makes the NY Key Money scam look like daily allowance for a child. I like numbers and facts.
It's a lot easier to buy in your own country.
I just wish they had filmed that here. I heard that the Austin scenes were shot over a few days just to get those landmarks "hi - How are you?" and of course SoCo.
Though the real bouts are actually held far from downtown and our vintage shops are way better curated than the shop they filmed in that was supposed to represent Atomic City. Still, despite the critics who panned it, I thought it was sweet. J and I were both kind of impressed that the film had no cussing, very very subtle drinking, no drugs and the tattoos didn't play a major part.
It could have been totally different if it had been directed by a guy, so I personally appreciated that it celebrated all the good parts of the sport.
Embarrassed myself by shouting out "OMG it's Chloe!" in the opening scenes. She was working for me when she first tried out for and joined the Holy Rollers, and while her full immersion in RD culture while she was my employee made me nuts... as a person I think her continued involvement in TXRD is terrific.
I had read that she was a body double but didn't realize she had any "face time" in the movie.
Yeay Chloe!
-----
NYT has a great article on buying a historic home in Venice Italy. Because, THAT'S so affordable.
We love watching international house hunters and the voice over says "Dick and Jane Hossenpheffer are leaving behind their small 6k sqft home in New Hampshire for a new life in the South of France.. with a budget of just 4 million dollars we hope they can find something!"
Because nothing gives people hope when the economy is hanging out in file 13, to know that with just 4 mil. we could all just scoot off to the south of France.
Personally I'd like it if these shows would point out that a lot of countries will not allow you to purchase property without citizenship, or a bank account with x amount opened in the country for x amount of time, that some countries require a separate purchase bonus that makes the NY Key Money scam look like daily allowance for a child. I like numbers and facts.
It's a lot easier to buy in your own country.
Friday, October 2, 2009
All this could be yours for just 700k!
Because everyone needs 60,000+ sqft all to themselves... Allegheny Dist in Pittsburgh.. Yes, that's all three buildings.
It IS in Pittsburgh, but we can't buy this kind of gorgeousness in Austin. Not for under a mil and most have been mowed under to make way for ultra high-rises anyways. Buy this and create your own district. Though this is already in/at the edge of, a budding historic loft/warehouse dist.
You know there's something about this that speaks to you... admit it.
Deep down you know that if you see one more faux 50s mid century inspired cookie cutter-wanna be vintage building/sofa/vase/thingie, a little piece of you is going to die a small death. Mid Century was great and fresh and unique for about 15 years, but it's been done to death and co-opted by everyone and their mothers... for me, it's simply lost it's unique soul. It has officially sold out.
I want real and true and authentic.
A really stellar example of early mid mod will of course still stand out, but the shiny shiny over polished, sparkly, disco duckification of Mid Mod has really ruined it for me.
Currently I'm cleaving to the items that evoke meaningful work and production of useful things. Which is an American past, not present. towards the beginning of the end we were really drowning in objects of no substance or value. Pleather and high gloss candy colors just seems wrong and out-of-touch somehow.
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On another slightly un-related note... I was reading an article in the Times about American Apparel having to fire a third of their workforce because that portion could not prove legal status in the US. And I was reading how American Apparel felt targeted etc etc... And I'm sorry that these people lost their jobs, but at the same time, American Apparel has this whole "rah rah Made in America" promotional machine. So how about hiring out of work Legal Immigrants to make your stupid t-shirts? It's not a race thing, I'm sure that any company in America can find enough people of a particular ethnic group who are here legally who also need jobs. So hire them already. Part of American Apparel's promotional spin is that they pay fair (not under the table or sweatshop) wages, so again I don't see why they can't hire legal immigrants.
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Heard that the last of Scarboroghs Dept store is closing. Good for them! I wonder what it must be like to be born into a family business with (possibly) no hope of getting to do something else. Ever. Perhaps something you'd rather be doing.. A economic slowdown might be a great excuse to walk alway from something that just doesn't speak to you anymore.
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The weather is wonderfully cool today.
Bit-o-telephone-hilarity:
Our shop answering machine includes a wealth of info and also requests "... for additional information, leave a message and we will contact you shortly"..
For the last two days, one lady has called and as soon as the answering machine picks up, she presses one to bypass the recorded greeting, says "Hello? Hello?" and then hangs up. WTH?
In a weird way it makes me laugh. I don't always answer the machine since we do get our fair share of recordings and "do you have health insurance?" knock knock calls.
Newsflash: If you do not leave a message at any business, no one will call you back. We get 5 to 10 legitimate calls daily, I do not have the time or interest to look over the call log to figure out who did and did not leave a message.
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