Anatomy of a Window

It all starts with the window.  Literally.  Your window is the first opportunity you have to make an impression on passersby.  I'm always amazed at retailers who don't give one thought to their window display or don't even have a window display.  If done well, it should make people stop, look, (hopefully) smile, and then head for the door.

I try to change my window every month.  As for the design, sometimes it's inspired by a color, new products, or the season/holiday.  Often, it's a combination of two or more of the above.  This year we seem to have an abundance of polka dots.....on scarves, bowls, mugs, and socks.....and I knew at some point they would find their way to the window. 

This window had to have an Autumn theme and I decided to play off our branch and make it look as though dots....rather than leaves....were falling.  How can you have a Fall window without pumpkins?  So the natural way to incorporate them was to dot them too. 

A 1" hole punch created all the dots.  The dot garland that hangs from the branch was created using taupe string and a combination of card stock dots and dots made with sticky back paper (Avery full sheet label paper).  The sticky back dots were applied to the pumpkins and smoothed down with a fingernail.  From there, it was just a matter of determining what color scarves and socks would take center stage.

I never want the window to be empty or in a state of flux very long, so all the logistics are worked out before the previous window is dismantled.  Having staged everything upfront, windows usually go up in less than thirty minutes.  This one garnered a "thumbs up" while it was in progress and another compliment about the polka dot pumpkins shortly after it was finished.  So, for the month of October, you may see leaves falling out your window, but we have dots falling inside ours.

And Suddenly It Was Autumn

A couple weeks ago as I was writing up a purchase, the customer mentioned I hadn't written a new blog post since February.  Really?  Never! Could that actually be true?  Sadly it was.  Somewhere between ordering, inventorying, and working seven days a week the summer came and went.  And boy did it ever!  It was a great summer for us in the shop and we thank everyone for their incredible kindness and generosity!

It was lovely to hear so many summer residents and tourists exclaim "You're still here!  Thank you for not leaving!  You made it through the winter!"  Yes, we are.  No, we didn't.  And yes, we did.  It wasn't without a few bumps in the road, but all was forgotten when "hug and hello" season returned.  The sad thing about the summer here in Maine is that it's all too short.  Too quickly we go from "hug and hello" to "hug....get teary...and goodbye."

So here we are.....at the end of a wonderful summer.  We celebrated our first anniversary.  We've modified our business plan from being a year-round business to being one that only operates eight months out of the year.  And we've come up with a pretty exciting plan for handling the winter.  But before winter sets in, we still have what will hopefully be a wonderful Autumn filled with crisp days, stunning displays of magnificently colored foliage, and a few more "hugs and hellos" from last year's leaf peepers.

I can't believe it's taken me this long to post and I promise (in my best Scarlett O'Hara impression), as God is my witness, it won't happen again!  Enjoy the last remnants of summer and get the cider ready for Fall!

NYIGF in the Rearview Mirror

It's hard to believe it's been two weeks since we returned from New York.  At this point, all the orders have been written, re-written, amended, perused, and submitted.  As a buyer, I'm not a "spur-of-the-moment" kind of gal.  I've found whenever I arrive at a booth without a game plan and start ordering willy-nilly I always regret it....and often change the order or cancel it all together.  I would much rather sit with the catalogues and price lists and work through things in my hotel room at night or after I get home.

So how did the show go?  Exciting.  Exhausting.  Bittersweet.  I've always loved trade shows.  Even when I was a designer and went to trade shows representing the companies I was designing for, I loved the energy and promise of a new collection.  Attending the Gift Show and buying for LUCKY HILL is just as exciting.  I always go with a plan, but similarly understand those ideas are fluid.  The conversation Dan and I had the first night at the Russian Vodka Room was quite different than the banter on the way back to Maine.  Things change.  When you start pairing up lines and seeing how they pan out some concepts just don't fit.  In a small shop, you have to make sure every line has a purpose and addresses a specific niche.

When I was a designer, I had a very clear image of my customer.  It wasn't just an age, figure type, or income bracket.  It was the whole package.  A lot of companies and retailers create a "customer" who acts as a constant reminder of who their target market is.  I have my LUCKY HILL customer in my head.  Is she a real customer.  Yes.  This is the first time I don't have a fictitious customer in my head when I go on a buying trip.  Will I ever say who she is?  Not a chance.  Will she buy everything I bring in?  Probably not,  but she is my buying barometer.

So why did I say the show was bittersweet?  I'm so incredibly excited about some of the lines and new product categories we're bringing in it drives me crazy that they won't show up for a few months.  When I had my store in Pennsylvania, I would have started bringing the new products in pronto....Valentine's Day was always right around the corner from the January show and the August show was the lead-in for the Fall and Holiday shopping season.  I have accepted the fact I have a shop in a seasonal community, but it will never sit well with me.  I'm never happier than I am when the shop is a buzz and people are happily finding beautiful products they love and can't live without.  So for now I'll gaze out the window looking at piles of snow and longing for the day when the Fed Ex man will start delivering packages containing treasures from all around of the globe.

P.S-- New York was FABULOUS!!!!!  

Next Stop.....New York!

It's hard to believe Christmas was less than a month ago.  The numbers have been tallied, inventories taken, and decorations stowed away.  So now what?  New York, baby!  We're heading to the Gift Show to gear up for summer.  Yes....summer.

The past few months of living in a seasonal community have been a definite learning curve.  Most retail shops around the country see a significant drop in business after the holidays as we did at our previous shop, Grandiflora, but being in a remote coastal town in Maine gives the "slow season" a whole new meaning.  I now understand why most businesses in town close from October to May.  While that goes against everything "business" in my head, but I'm starting to see their reasoning.

Over the course of my life, summer has always been my least favorite season.  My order of preference had been winter, fall, spring, summer.  And then we moved to Castine and opened a store.  Now the only season that matters is SUMMER.  Period.  Okay....throw in the shoulder season that starts Memorial Day and ends on Columbus Day and a twinkle at Christmas.  But in the words of Porky Pig....."Th-th-th-that's all, folks!"

While most people probably thought we would most mind the snow and cold this winter, our pining away for summer really has nothing to do with temperature and more to do with missing the hustle and bustle of the summer residents and tourists.  I long to have the door open and see everyone strolling down to Bah's for breakfast, waving and wishing us a "Good Morning" as they pass.  Until then, I'll keep myself happily busy reviewing lines, determining orders, evaluating displays, and knitting.

First step toward summer?  The New York International Gift Fair which starts this Saturday.  It's been eight years since Dan and I attended the show and I can't wait to set foot in Javits again.  I have list in hand of lines I'm pondering, but know we'll be up to our ears in catalogs by the time we pile back in the car on Wednesday morning to make the trek back to Maine.

To say we're not excited about being back in a city would be an understatement of gargantuan proportion.  Some of the things we're most looking forward to?  The Russian Vodka Room, being in the same zip code as a Michael Kors boutique, and pastrami sandwiches (Dan only).  We're also looking forward to staying at Yotel.  Only four blocks to the convention center, it was far more than proximity to Javits that appealed to us.  Hopefully it won't disappoint and I'll be sure to post photos and more details after we arrive.

Scents of the Season

Scents and aromas have the amazing ability to transport one back in time, recapture a favorite event or place, and soothe or stimulate.  The olfactory memory of something yummy baking in the oven, freshly laundered sheets, flowers you carried when you walked down the aisle, or baby powder can bring a smile to your face and warm your heart.  Nothing warms a home more than a beautifully scented candle during the cold winter months.  LUCKY HILL has a wonderful assortment of candles throughout the year, but an especially lovely selection for the holiday season.  

From the pages of Paddywax's Library Collection emerges the ultimate in Christmas literature:  Charles Dickens.  The quote on the candle reads, "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year".  Top notes of tangerine, clove, and juniper herald in the season.  Charles Dickens is available as a boxed candle ($25) or a 2-wick travel tin ($8).

Simpatico by K. Hall brings two holiday fragrances to their hobnail collection.  As with the year-round fragrances, Scotch Pine No. 26 and Reindeer No. 29, have an astounding 100-hour burn time and the option of re-purposing the hobnail glass vessel after the candle has finished surrounding you in scent.

Scotch Pine No. 26 is a warm, woodsy fragrance reminiscent of crisp winter nights.  The true pine scent is known for its clarifying and uplifting properties. ($29)

Reindeer No. 29 combines fall and holiday as red currants and cranberries collide with cedar wood, Frasier fir, and embers.  It's an exhilarating and cozy fragrance contained in a stunning cranberry glass hobnail. ($29)

And not to sound like a broken record.....but I can't help but once again utter that lovely name, Clive.  If you've read the post about 2550˚ candles entitled,  Hand-Poured Personality, you'll recall my desire to spend the winter months with Clive ($28.50).  No, not Clive Owen, but rather the candle that embraces you with fragrant tobacco leaves blended with rich black tea, followed with bright green notes of bergamot and earthy vetiver.  Sigh.  Simply brilliant.....and always the gentleman.  Where's the mistletoe?

 

Holiday Small Works Show

Dice Head morning  6 x 6  oil on panel

Dan Graziano's 2012 Holiday Small Works show now hangs in the gallery area of LUCKY HILL.   He is pleased and I am....as always .... incredibly proud of him.  The new show is comprised of 21 paintings that focus on Castine and its environs.  As this is a small works show, all the pieces range in size from 6" x 6" to 6" x 8".  

off neck  5 x 7  oil on panel

Many customers and friends comment on how "productive" Dan is where his art is concerned.  I am quick to point out he is infinitely dedicated, incredibly disciplined, and takes his art and the creative process very seriously.  He is in his studio every morning by 9:00, if not earlier, and works until at least 5:00.  Often those hours extend to weekends as well.  As a working artist, he believes in working as opposed to waiting for the "stroke of genius" or bout of artistic inspiration. 

long shadows  5 x 7  oil on panel

I read Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers when it was first published.  Dan read it a couple of years ago and we were fascinated by the 10,000-hour rule.  Last year Dan participated in the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational and while at the reception, fellow artist and friend, Daniel Aldana, mentioned the 10,000-hour rule.  It elicited a lengthy and lively conversation.  I know there are a lot of people who say Gladwell comes up with a concept or theory and then finds data to support it.  Be that as it may, most people who are regarded as "geniuses" in their field will be the first to chalk their success up to hard work as opposed to innate gifts.  What was the old quote by Einstein?  Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration?  But back to Gladwell and the 10,000-hour rule.  In a nutshell, after analyzing studies that focus on excellence and expertise, researchers have come to the conclusion that 10,000 hours is the amount of time one needs to invest in a field to achieve a level of excellence.  You can do the math, but based on a 40-hour work week that equates to just under five years.  If you ratchet your workload up to a 48-hour work week you can accomplish it in four years.  When I ask Dan how he's doing, he tells me he's chipping away at his 10,000.  Kudos to him.

twin peaks  6 x 6   oil on panel

Small works are unique creatures.  Think about it.  A painting in a 6" x 6" sqaure.  Measure it out on a piece of paper.  How much can you convey in that amount of space?  There is something to the concept of not only what you do paint, but more importantly what you don't paint.  Dan and I often refer to this as "the economy of the stroke".  A thin line or a tiny dab of paint can convey far more when handled effectively than a multitude of strokes.  This collection of tiny jewels highlights Dan's fascination with light and shadow and the drama and graphic abstraction they create when overlaid on architecture, objects, and the landscape. 

Images of all of the paintings in the show as well as others can be seen at www.dangrazianofineart.com or click here

The Adams School  5 x 7  oil on panel

water's edge  6 x 6  oil on panel

take-out  6 x 6  oil on panel

house at the junction  6 x 8  oil on panel

early one morning  5 x 7  oil on panel

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

LUCKY HILL is twinkling with little white lights and garland adorns the banister and armoire.  While I'd like to say the little elves came in one night and did all the work, unless the elves were named Dan and Kristin that wasn't the case.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE decorating for Christmas.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas.  I love the holiday so much Dan and I had a December wedding.

The interior was decorated just prior to Thanksgiving.  I've always been a stickler about not decorating for Christmas too early....it's always so disturbing to hear Christmas carols playing in shops before the kiddies have even been around for Halloween.  We have a rule in our shop....no carols until at least the day after Thanksgiving.

For the last few days, I've been wiring greens into garlands, swags, and onto the wreath frame for the front door.  This year they will be adorned with pomegranates, apples, petite pine cones, pods, dried hydrangea blossoms, berries, and cranberries.  Two small Christmas trees with white lights now grace the antique urns that flank the front door.

Last night after everything was in place outside, I helped our dear friend Michele carry packages out to her car.  As we stood chatting and laughing, it started to snow.  Truly....life doesn't get more perfect than that!!!

Here's a glimpse at what's in store for the holiday at LUCKY HILL

Maileg mice are nestled in their matchboxes for a long winter's nap while the juniper, clove, and clementine aroma of Paddywax's Charles Dickens candle wafts through the shop.

It wouldn't be Christmas at LUCKY HILL without a GurglePot or two....who would have thought they would be hanging on the tree?  GurglePot has created ornaments in Bright Red, Cobalt, and Kiwi to keep you smiling.

Maileg pixies frolic on the top of one of the garden half rounds......

and mice and a pig on the other

Sydney Hale Co. candles celebrate the season amid foraged berries and remind us that the holiday is about giving back as they donate 10% of their profits to animal shelters.

I grew up with advent calendars, but nothing as magnificent as this one from Maileg.

A rainbow of GurglePots are flanked by Oh, Little Rabbit organic cotton flour sack Christmas tea towels.  I especially love the one of the vintage Woodie with the Christmas tree on top.

The armoire is filled with bamboo nighties and PJs from Yala in silhouettes and colors perfect for Christmas Eve.   

Gift baskets laden with Big Paw olive oil and Mary Judge Designs dipping dishes are ready for holiday giving.

Our first holiday window with boxwood outside and glass icicles suspended from the famous white birch branch.

And finally.....my little elf who puts up with a lot of holiday decorating nonsense from me.  Doesn't his look say it all?