What a title. I can honestly tell you I never thought I would write that sentence. We opened a gift shop. Full stop. It’s happened. It’s here. People come and shop daily. What is life?
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In 40 days we went from getting the keys to the location to our soft opening. 40 days of sleepless nights, gallons of spackle, and a whirlwind of emotions. But here we are on the other side. We’re no where near “finished,” but we’re at a point where I feel like I can take a deep breath before diving back into things. Like blogging. And videos. And sleep.
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We got the keys to our location in downtown Grand Rapids on November 1st. Look at us…all smiles without a clue in the world what we were doing. I mean we still don’t know, but we’ve learned a ton since this photo (like you can’t paint outside if it’s below fifty degrees. The awkward paint swatch on the outside of the building is testament to that gained knowledge…)
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Looking at this photo I’m amazed at how far the space has come. I remember standing in this space not two months ago thinking, “what the hell did I just do?” I had so much doubt and fear that I had just made a terrible mistake and four year commitment to something I most definitely could not do.
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I’ve tried my best to document the journey. It’s been lacking in the recent weeks as we turned our life up to eleven to get the store open for Small Business Saturday. But there are still a few videos showing you where we started and walking you through the journey.
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Putting the logo on the door really made it real for me. You’d think the hours of painting and rearranging furniture to get the perfect “customer flow” would have done that, but nope. When we put that vinyl on the door it became officially our place.
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There were so many 2 a.m.’s that I thought for sure we wouldn’t be able to open for Small Business Saturday, yet we somehow pulled it off. A sneaky selfie was a must.
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And people showed up. People continue to show up to shop. It’s mind blowing. When I’m able to complete full thoughts I’ll do another post I’m sure, but it’s completely astounding what can happen if you decide to do something and just do it. I’m a gift shop owner now.
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I’m currently planning our calendar of events for 2020 and it’s been amazing to meet local artists and talented crafts-people to talk about workshops. Be sure to follow our Instagram and Facebook so you know what events are coming!
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Thank you so much for your cheerleading and patience during the past months as I completely disappeared in a whirlwind of paint swatches and wholesale orders.
The envy is real when I see all of those planner girls at events carrying around their caddies full of supplies. They’re so organized and chic. Like they’re part of the cool planner crowd and I’m just over here rummaging through a messy stack of stickers. I could never find a caddy or tote system that I loved and didn’t feel dated. But no more! The lovely folks over at Mollie Ollie answered my organizational prayers and sent over the Mimmo Caddy* that has sent my heart a flutter.
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I’m a sucker for felt and this caddy is so high quality I wish you could feel it through the computer screen. It’s cool enough that I don’t feel like an 80-year-old lady carrying it around, but it’s still practical as hell. There are a ton of storage pockets along the sides that securely hold items in place. The side zipper pocket has a ton of loops to hold other supplies as well. This could be used for so many different hobbies and purposes. It was originally designed as a diaper caddy, but the sky’s the limit on its uses. It could be great for knitters, scrapbookers, and other crafty folk. Plus it’s under $30 and would make a perfect addition to your holiday wishlist since it’s sold on Amazon.
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The larger compartment fits all of my planners perfectly and would likely fit any 7×9 inch planners without issue. I have three planners stashed in the pocket, but I’m sure you could fit up to five comfortably.
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You can find me toting this thing around throughout my house. I’ve even brought it with me on the bus to take it to Oh, Hello Paper & Gifts. It’s serious love. The quality is insane and the straps are nice and sturdy. The interior divider pockets can be removed if you’re looking for a larger space to store items, but I personally love being able to divide out my products.
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Click here to purchase the tote and be sure to use code 10HELLOLIV for a 10% discount! I would have never thought to use a diaper caddy to store planner supplies, but this tote has got me thinking about all the other products I could adapt to my planning needs! Do you have a planner caddy? What planner supplies do you always have with you?
How am I even writing about the holidays already?! Anyone else feel like 2019 didn’t even happen or is it just sleep-deprived me? Regardless, I have no control over how fast the year goes by and here we are, talking gift guides. It’s kind of a given that an Erin Condren gift guide is the first one I post. Five years later and the addiction is stronger than ever. Thank you to the team over at EC for supplying the items for this post!
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This year they’ve released a ton of new products that would make the perfect gift for the planner addict in your life, or to add to your personal wishlist. Up first is their new, smaller planner tote. I wasn’t a huge fan of their original size but I’m all about this new option. This tote still fits a regular 7×9 planner in it and has a variety of different internal pockets to store things. Plus they come in a few different color options (this one here is a canvas black). There are a ton of new straps to choose from as well.
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The new desk trays are probably my favorite from the bunch. They’re beyond gorgeous, heavy duty, and are headed straight to my store as decor as soon as I’m finished with this post. My wallet isn’t super jazzed about all these new home goods EC is releasing…
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Another surprising new launch the team at EC executed very well are the new brush pens. I’m by no means a hand lettering expert, but I’ve used my fair share of pens in the past. These are high quality, easy to use, and dry very quickly (you can literally see them drying). I hope this means more people will take a stab at hand lettering in the future!
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Erin Condren is usually where I go when I’m in need of stocking stuffers or smaller gifts for my girl friends and nieces. I already have a few more sets of these gold page markers in my shopping basket. I love adding a few smaller gifts on top of a main item to round out the gift.
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After five years EC is still going strong with some amazing new releases. And although I’m not mentally prepared for the holiday season, at least EC has my back when I find myself scrambling to order gifts for friends and family.
Before the Oh, Hello Co. store consumed my life, I eagerly filled free time with baking. A delicious hobby that didn’t clutter the house (except with cookies, but that’s a welcome clutter) and felt like a cheap (did I say delicious?) form of therapy. I’m eager to get back to it for sure. But this post isn’t for me to gripe about missing baking, but to share how I’ve turned my cookbooks into scrapbooks. I love the idea of my recipe books becoming mementos to pass down in our family.
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When I picked up baking as a hobby back in college, I would always write in my books any notes or changes I wanted to make to a recipe. Very half-blood prince of me I know. Just little tweaks here or there or our review of the recipe. Plus I’ve always had this habit of writing the date of when I first made the recipe. A scrapbook wasn’t a big leap.
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After I create one of the recipes in my favorite cookbook I’ll take a photo and print it out on some sticker paper. I like seeing how my creation compares to the photo in the book and it encourages me to keep trying new recipes. My ultimate goal is to complete every single recipe in one of my cookbooks. It’s lofty, but someone has to eat all of these delicious creations…
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Such a simple, easy way to make a cookbook that much more meaningful.
Now if I had to pick a team, I’m definitely team cat. But after two months of watching Cadence, Alex’s parents’ dog, it’s hard not to have a soft spot for pups. It’s been a few weeks now that she’s returned home after their move to Virginia, but she’s definitely left a lasting impression on me and taught me a few things I didn’t expect…
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1. Dogs truly know how to be happy. Like all the time. Cadence couldn’t wait to go for a car ride, got excited at every turn, and wanted her head out of the window any chance she got. Happiness just spilled out of her and it’s impossible not to get swept up in it.
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2. Definitely get a dog before having kids. I know people say it, but I never knew how true it could be. A dog teaches you a lot more responsibility than cats do.
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3. Dogs keep you healthier. I went on so many walks, got myself out of the house, and enjoyed the fresh air so much more thanks to Cadence. Even if we were just hanging out in the backyard, she pushed me to get some air every once in a while.
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4. You become weirdly obsessed with their bathroom habits and overall routine. I can’t tell you how often I found myself saying, “Oh she definitely has to poo.” Like my lord. And you know what, I felt proud knowing that information. She became my girl for two months and I learned her every like and dislike.
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5. Older dogs are something special. Cadence is nearly a decade old and I loved having an older pup around. She’s so smart, well trained, and listens. Definitely a must. Sure puppies are cute, but there’s just something about a loyal dog who is more than happy to take a nap with you in the middle of the afternoon.
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I miss this girl. I’m sure she’s having a blast in Virginia exploring her new home, but I wouldn’t mind if she came back to stay again…
