Host a Party…Clean the House

What is it about hosting a party that inspires us to clean and re-arrange? Whether it is at home or at the store, a full plate just gets fuller when you decide to remodel while you are at it! Yet, we all do it. But, I must admit, the after effects are worth the effort. Now, if I could just convince my body of that I’d be in good shape!

And, I’d like to Thank…

Set Design...

While the Oscars are running across the TV, all the thank you’s inspired me to do my own thank you’s for one of the most fun events I’ve ever put together. Thanks to The Columbus Christian Women’s Organization, specifically my dear “Pug” for asking me to let the store be an auction item in their annual luncheon. Thank you to Lori, Tanya, Belinda, Stephanie, Carol, Jeannie, Teresa, Janell & Paulie for wanting to dine at the barn enough to buy us in a heated bidding war. And, most importantly, thank you to one of the greatest teams a store could have to help make the “magic” happen…Debbie, Karlie, Sydney & Cydney….and Bill for being a part of the “dream” even though it’s not his dream.

So, what is all the thanks about? Last night, the Silver Barn broke new ground by hosting a dinner by candlelight, a fashion presentation by good friend and author, Sarah Shah, and a night of shopping. We served a smoked mustard crusted pork tenderloin, corn casserole, fresh asparagus & for dessert, Peach Pecan Amaretto Cream Pie. Thanks also goes to our good friends at The Vintage Shop for helping select a great assortment of wines for the evening. I’ve never felt so wine intelligent before! Thanks also to Abigail Hornik and Westerware for donating the fabulous dinner dishes which will now be passed on the this same charity for them to auction off next year.

What fun. What a nice feeling to do something that benefits so many. What a night!

...to a great dinner

The Birth of a Charm

From Wood to Deer

Ever wonder how a tiny piece of jewelry can be so intricate? That was the neat thing about my recent trip to California to see how Brighton jewelry is created, I got to see how a tiny little reindeer charm was born.

It’s really quite simple; I’m sure Brighton won’t mind my sharing. They love competition. So, create a design, not a computer design, get out your pen and paper. Great. Now, get a block of wood and cut out your design in 3-D. Cool, huh? Okay, now take some super laser technology and miniaturize your design to perfection. Now, your design is ready to come to life. Simple isn’t it? Hmm. I don’t know about you but I’m not a good artist, I’ve already stabbed myself with a knife and florist block, and me and a laser do not sound like a good idea…period.

Hmm. Guess I’ll just tell all my customers HOW this little deer was made and call it a day.

This Valentine has Fur

Lenox's sweet hello

The store is ready for Valentine’s Day. The guys are running in searching for the perfect goodie for their special love. But, on my desk each morning to greet me is my personal Valentine – Lenox. She fetches her baby toy each morning to give me some exercise, she catches and kills all wayward plastic bags sitting around in our office and she has carefully enlarged the screen on my computer to be sure my aging eyes will see everything better – now if I could just figure out how the undo the last “gift” I’d be even happier. She does all this because I am her Valentine. I brought her to the Silver Barn and introduced her to all sorts of friends. I took her on vacation when we were closed for the holidays. I give her hugs and kisses because she does the same. This Valentines my wish is that any little kitten or puppy sitting on the side of the road find a loving home where they can fetch toys, kill plastic bags and help their friends see the computer better. Happy Valentine’s to all my 2 and 4 legged friends. You make my every day special.

How A Product Sells a Retailer

Brighton Class of '11

How do you show a retailer you are behind them all the way? Advertise in big blockbuster magazines? That WILL attract brand recognition. Offer free freight? A nice added benefit, but probably won’t do it completely. Bring the retailer to your facility and SHOW them what makes your product the quality product it is. Now THAT is a novel approach. Trust me, it works. I was recently lucky enough to get to visit one of my newest product assortment’s home turf – Brighton Jewelry @ their Home! I love American-made products, and while Brighton is made all over the world, it is also made right here in the good old USA. The opportunity to talk to Beatriz who makes the handbags, and Amy who deals with the repair log-in calls, brought it all home to me – the little retailer in Columbus, Texas.

So, for three days I was shown the love – and the love that goes into their products. (Oh, I’d say my Coach bag has a lot of love in it too – mostly my hard earned cash I once loved – but there are lots of products that are painstakingly created.) No, what I mean by the Brighton love is how every employee there enjoys working for Brighton. Every employee takes pride in what they create. From Beatriz and her handbags, to Jerry Kohl, owner and creator of Brighton, it was the kind of place we would want to work if we didn’t work for ourselves. When you see the products and what goes in to creating each earring, bracelet, charm, handbag and more, it makes it that much more likely we’d go home and tell all of our customers about this wonderful company creating a wonderful product. Now THAT is how you sell a product! Thanks Brighton

Sound like an advertisement for Brighton? Probably, but The Silver Barn is all about selling a quality product that is unique and brings joy. Just take a look at The Silver Barn Facebook page and see some of the pics from my visit to the California factory. See if you don’t agree – there’s a lot of love in those products.

Spring Cleaning – Retailer Style

Before

Between the Gift Market and a trip to Los Angeles (more on that coming up), then back to market for Apparel, I’ve been out of the store a lot. When I finally landed back at home base I felt the need to start my spring cleaning. Yes, I know it is only February, but with all the great stuff I saw I just wanted to get ready for its arrival.

So, I completely redid the baby area. If one single strand can undo an entire sweater, then I have re-knitted an entire area. By the time I was done it was not only ‘ready for spring’, it was rebuilt, remodeled and renovated.

Now, on to the rest of the store.

After