Feliz Navidad!

How do they celebrate the Holidays in the Southwest???

Santa and his elves do a line-dance to a disco version of Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad" song on a busy streetcorner, of course!

(The other version is that this is an 'ancient Native snow dance' - but since we left the snow behind in Seattle, we are hoping for nothing but warm sunshine in San Antonio!) Wishing you all a most Happy, Healthy, and Successful Holiday...

Christmas Eve Eve

On the eve of Christmas Eve, we would like to thank all of our customers and neighbors that have come out to shop and share with us this season. In our unofficial poll of shoppers, we have seen people who are willing to shop around for things that mean something to them.

Fair trade is not so foreign a word this year, and hand-crafts are making a comeback. I love seeing people who are wrapping their presents in re-usable bags and giving local art as gifts. I really believe that if we take the time to shop around for things, we will spend more carefully and buy things we really need or love.

Christmas parties this year have taken on more meaning as people seem to really want to connect with friends and prop up each other in these tough times. This Christmas we want to take time to thank those that open their homes to us.

Last minute tips:
Alternative wrapping is the norm now - newspaper, aluminum foil, and paper shopping bags are all great alternatives.
Can't think of a gift for someone close? Burn a CD of your favorite tunes or songs that remind you of them. Music makes a nice gift that reflects your personality and doesn't involve big boxes and waste.

Counting Down...

It's a week before Christmas.... and all through the store, it's time to freshen and rotate your displays galore!

Take the ornaments off of the decorated trees and put them in baskets, bowls, and on platters to make shopping easier. Leave one or two main trees decorated for effect, but focus on making product accessible.

Restyle some displays by simply removing the holiday merchandise & props. The scene shown above has hot red silk fabric swags and glass ornaments in it. As shown below, taking them out makes the look crisp, clean, and ready for the New Year.

Consolidate lines that have sold down - combine them in a cross-merchandised display according to color, use, or style. And always always give your customers inspiring ideas to recreate at home: Only have six or seven of those glass ball ornaments left? Take them off the slatwall and heap them in a glass bowl on a tabletop. Just one handmade Santa left? Group him with a small tree and a heaping helping of stockings - maybe even display some great candles with them as a suggestion of a last-minute Hostess gift.

Start your markdowns on Holiday-specific merchandise. Decor, gift wrap, cards should all be on sale now to help nudge customers to buy. If you have a huge overstock of an item - a certain ornament, or card pack - you may want to consider giving away one free with a minimum purchase: "Receive a Free Gift with any twenty dollar purchase" works wonders to motivate! Just be sure the gift is commensurate with the minimum purchase requirement. And make sure you start promoting any after-Christmas sales now, so your customers can plan on coming in for them.

And one last thing: clear a space and create a display of NEW product near your entrance. Whether it's a classic line, a new design, something for Spring or home organization items (always hot after the New year!), you want to provide brand spanking new merchandise for your customers to buy with their gift certificates & cards. Don't offer them leftovers!

Photo Credits: Faded Elegance & retreat

Columbia Winery Project (or, 'Wine & Margaritas'!)

What have I been up to lately?

I've just completed the design for the Columbia Winery remodel project. It's been a few months in process, and there is always a cheer and a sigh of relief when I reach the end of a project.

When I design for a client, I create visual concepts...which means, all of the ideas and materials and specifications that are included in the design illustrate what the final product will look like. Drawings, floorplans, perspective views, detail close-ups, color swatches, style sheets, et al combine to present my vision.


I based it on the brand image of the winery, as I do all of my clients, and I also call upon my knowledge of how the staff and guests need to be able to use the facility on a day to day basis. Any other designer could draw up a floorplan or cabinet face, but since I've been working with Columbia for five years developing their brand image through visual persentation, and watching the staff activities each day, I have an advantage that Columbia is benefitting from.
There's a saying that goes 'Form Follows Function' - have you heard that one? It means that design for design's sake isn't always successful. You have to start with the purpose, and move on to the appearance. How much room do they need over here? How many ways can we use that space? Lighting has to be on dimmers for the many ways the rooms are used. It's not just picking a fabric for the chairs (which can take heavy use and hide dirt, like the carpets) and paint for the walls (which is an expression of the colors on the wine labels)!
From the design specs, an architect will develop the floorplan according to codes and such, a contractor will build that into reality, and then the painters and woodworkers and furniture makers and electricians and carpet guys will converge to add the details. And when all is said and done, I'll probably be going in to help arrange the furniture and lamps and flower arrangements and merchandise displays. I love that moment when the drawings spring to life and I can stand in the space in 3-D, and the reality is exactly what I've seen in my head for months.

That point of time is a way off, but for now, I'm done - I hand the binder filled with info and stack of catalogs over tomorrow. Then I can focus on getting ready for a trip to see my new grandson and enjoy Christmas holding sweet baby, and sippin' margaritas on the RiverWalk in San Antonio! (Not at the same time!)

ALL images Copyright 2008/9 DWK, all other use prohibited.

TSM at the WMNF Holiday Bazaar Saturday Dec. 13th

Just a quick note to remind everyone of the WMNF Holiday Bazaar and Record Sale tomorrow in Ybor at the Cuban Club. The weather report is sunny and cool! We will be set up outside with the food vendors and the music. Oh yeah! Live music! Not only do we get to commune with fellow WMNF lovers, we get to to listen some great bands.

According to the radio station's website:
10:00 AM Maggie Council
11:00 AM Juniper
11:40 AM Talk to Mark
12:20 PM Acho Brother
1:00 PM The Human Condition

Come out and support this great radio station, and get your Christmas shopping done in style. Where else can you shop to live music at one of the most beautiful historical buildings in Tampa? If you haven't been in the Cuban Club - do yourself a favor. Get down there. The tile work and those awesome stairway banisters are amazing! There will be tons of great records and books, music equipment, and artists and crafters. We will bring a few pieces of furniture for examples of our stuff, and lots of our fair trade ornaments and gift choices.

Hours are 10 to 5 - See you there!
Charles

It Takes A Village...

I've seen countless retailers create massive village scenes with their Department 56 collectible houses... setups that span a surface the size of a pingpong table or more. And as charming and awe-inspiring as that is, it's not really the best way to inspire customres to buy more. There is a difference in showing the whole collection and in showing how to display it in a home. I don't know too many people who can spare a space or table the size of a pingpong table for the whole season...do you?!

I advocate showing people what to do with their collections. In the case of Department 56, separating it into segments is easy for anyone to do - in a retail display, or in a home.

Every year, my decorating crew and I create the holiday decor in the residence of a Microsoft Executive. The collection of Department 56 buildings is staggering, but it is made charming and inviting by separating it into two parts, and placing it in several places within the formal living room and kitchen. The first part is the old fashioned villages - Dickens, Edwardian, Victorian, etc. You can see a table behind the sofa and two bookshelves beside the fireplace that are filled with the houses set into small vignette scenes.

By using unique props with the villages, it becomes a personal expression. Beautiful wood boxes serve as bases for some of the houses, and the collection of churches sit on old family Bibles. Appropriate! The props also provide variances in levels within the display, making it much more interesting than just a flat row of houses.

Having the pieces that light up the most (conservatories, observatories, etc.) on lower shelves is twofold: the light from them brightens up this dark area, and the triple-shelf arrangement really adds sparkle to the room by bringing interest all the way to the floor.

On top of another bureau, snow-covered boxes lift a few houses up and provide the feeling of perspective. It doesn't take mountains of snow, either - just a little bit covers the boxes and lends a mood.

In the kitchen, we group all of the 'childlike' buildings...

They are shown here near the window. Santa, Rudolph, and loads of candy-themed buildings bring whimsy to the room... appropriate, because candy relates to the kitchen!

I filled some giant vases with red resin beaded garland, topped them with glass platters, and then started stacking the Department 56 houses all over. (This is a bad photo, sorry!) There are also nutcrackers (about ten from her collection of 200!) that have food themes to them, so they are included here.

My client's family can enjoy the collection in several places this way, and it never feels like it's so huge that it's out of control. (Well, except when my crew and I are boxing it all back up and trying to fit it into storage bins!) In a store, you can do the same thing. Show customers how to use these kinds of collectibles in small spaces for those who live in small homes, or with just a few pieces for those who are on a budget. You'll sell more by inspiring long-time collectors to do something new with their village scenes, and new ones to begin!

WHY?

Not an existential question, really, just an observation.

Why is it when we plan and forecast and schedule and deliberate and use deductive reasoning to make decisions, it is almost certain that something will happen by chance or serendipity that is far better than we could have ever imagined???

I had a plan this weekend, yes I did. Lots of work and designing and writing.

Then my son's baby was born two weeks early. Whatever it was that was on my calendar and 'to do' lists was quickly eclipsed by this momentous occasion. Waaaaay better than my plans, believe me!

Back with more design inspiration soon!

Biggest Shopping Weekend of the Year

As the analysts tally their numbers and the big box stores sharpen their pencils, the holiday weekend was kicked off in our neighborhood with a sputter. Luckily I don't have to wonder if this last weekend was the biggest shopping weekend of the year for us. I know without a doubt that there will be better weekends to come. For one thing, we were closed. What? Closed? Didn't I just say this was the biggest shopping weekend of the year? If you weren't one of the many disappointed shoppers that visited us this weekend then let me catch you up. Our building is old. How old, nobody seems to really know that we've talked to. I will concede that old buildings have flaws and can occasionally let you down. That was clear on Friday, when we opened our doors to the flickering lights of an electrical problem. I had to use an extension cord to hook up our computer so that we could make a sale. When customers ask if you paid the light bill, nobody is laughing. Our landlord was incommunicado and the only shining light was our hero the helpful Teco electrician that offered me a flashlight while we diagnosed a nightmare of mixed up wiring. We made it through that in time to salvage the afternoon and have a pretty decent day. We have very patient customers! Then Saturday we arrived at our aging storefront to find a puddle of sorts on the floor... a very smelly puddle. After digging into the wall nearby in search of a source, I came to the realization that the water was coming up from the floor. We had not found a well, but noticed a sloppily patched piece of flooring with pinholes spewing water. My landlord of course did not want to pay weekend rates for a plumber, so I hastily volunteered to pound my way through the floor with a sledgehammer and locate the leak. What I found was some sort of old "soaker" tank according to the plumber that I met on Monday - two days later. I would like to imagine that if Target had a leak, they would have a plumber there about two seconds later, but the little guy is stuck there with a sledgehammer in his hand. Amazingly, no furniture was damaged, as we caught it early and moved everything out of the way. So eventually they fixed it, and now the leak has moved. It is now leaking in the store next door. The plumber will have to come back and dig again! We are still open, but I think we have solved the mystery of why no other businesses could make this spot work. How many mornings do you come in to a smelly puddle on the floor and a landlord that says it is your problem to deal with? Again, thanks for all your patience!

Balance

So. The retail sales forecasts all say less people will be purchasing less goods this Holiday. The news reports that malls are less crowded, and many stores did not sell out of their promotional merchandise on Black Friday for the first time in years. Big Boxes and Mom n' Pops alike are having Going Out of Business Sales and closing the doors. Banks are closing. All kinds of businesses are closing or laying off workers.


And yet, Wall Street has had a few banner days lately. Gas prices are dropping like rain. Ebay and Etsy are reporting an increase in sales. I know several independent shopowners who are seeing marked growth in their sales numbers over last year at this time. Locally, scores of shoppers showed up for late-night and early-morning sales in the cities, and for small-town 'Holiday' weekend events. This dispite a dismal local situation where our largest employers are laying off, or workers are trying to recover from labor strikes.


People are still celebrating Christmas, Hannukah, and other winter holidays. They are still buying gifts and decorations, they are still driving to see family and friends. They still want to create wonderful environments and atmospheres and memories this Holiday season.


SO, at the risk of sounding just a titch peeved, I'm gonna' kick y'all in the BUTTS and say this: For God's Sake, people, put a smile on your face, play some HAPPY Christmas music in your stores, welcome each and every person who walks in your shop with cider and cookies every darn day! Make them happy to be there! Talk to them about their Holiday plans, their Holiday memories, their gift needs - just please oh please oh please, don't regale them with your tales of woe over slow days and how low the register reciepts are!!!


It aint' as bad as the naysayers say it is, folks. So if you get customers coming in your doors, for goodness sake don't ruin the experience for them. They came to browse? Make them feel wonderful and they'll come back to BUY. Never fails. And those regular folks coming in once a week - are you showing them anything NEW? Have you foofed your displays to make them fresh and appealing? Have you made some signs to talk up new or special items?


In short, are you doing everything you can with every moment of your day to convert non-buying bodies in your store to purchasing customers???? If not, stop moanin' already....... it's the independent merchants that are the hot ticket this year. It's all about the unique, the handmade, the artisan, the vintage & antique products. They are looking for your stores and your products - go get them!!!

But Wait, There's MORE!!!

Sooooo, after my last two posts on the subject of blog appearance, I decided to get busy on my own. I Googled 'free blog backgrounds' and holy smokes!!! There are a zillion resources out there, folks. The ones I named are fab, but there are a plethora of providers of creative blog accessories. Just go here to get started:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=free+blog+backgrounds&aq=f&oq=

I found my new stylish damask background at The Cutest Blog on the Block - link is the blue button up there in the left hand corner. Hundreds of great free backgrounds, and custom services, too. Fun!

Paint Me A Picture...

A question came in one of the comments on my last post:

"Dear Deb,

This is not the first time you have read my mind. It seems every time I have a question in my head, I pull up this blog and there is my answer. Well, thanks again...

Also, any tips on how we can get/change/make new banners? I don't even know where to start with that...

Missy

(P.S. I finally started my own blog to go with my website, so I guess I will put these tips to good use soon!)"

Missy, thank you so much for reading my design blog, and I am so thrilled that I am able to offer ideas and resources that are helping you! Now, to answer your question, I know of a GREAT resource for blog backgrounds and banners. It's Shel's Scraps . The images you see here in this post are all Shel's designs, available for use as blog backgrounds.

There are many, many more available. And they are FREE. Yes, that's right - absolutely FREE. Go to her site http://shelsscraps.blogspot.com/ and check it out. All she asks is that you display a button in your sidebar giving her credit for the design. Like this:
It is SO amazing that someone with this kind of talent is giving it away free! She even provides you with a tutorial on her blog, to show you how to embed her deisgns in your blog template. Now how nice is that?!

On top of that, Shel has extremely reasonable pricing for creating customized blog backgrounds and banners for you. Just imagine your business name, logo, colors, and tagline translated into a professional banner and background for your blog! Easy as pie, you've got a brand image.

I know there are more designers out there, Shel is just one that I've recently discovered and I want to give her some promotion. Yes, I've used her free backgrounds (check out retreat and Poppyseeds). No, I'm not getting perks for recommending her. I like to help out other small businesses!

Another one to check out is http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/. (I checked Missy's blog today, and found that she had discovered this one!)

I create my own blog banners using my photo software. I'm not gonna' win any awards for them, but they are fun and I can change them up as I feel like it! I do work hard to make sure that my banners always reflect my brand image, though.

My current banner's 'word' image was generated at http://www.wordle.net/! I created it online, designed a custom color palette to reflect my brand image, then printed it out and scanned it into my computer to save it. Then I manipulated it in my photo program to add my DivaDeb character.

Missy, I hope this info is helpful to you and to lots of other readers!

Image Credits: All images copyright Shel's Scraps http://shelsscraps.blogspot.com/

LoGeDDy BlOg bLoG BLOg

This question arrived via email on Friday:

"Deb, I have a lovely web site with a blog linked to it. However it's starting to become challenging to keep the blog fresh. My intention was to use the blog to lure customers to the shop, not to add more to my plate. Would you please recommend some sites that might help me mix things up, like I am able to do with my merchandising? Thank you!"

Heidi
www.hihohome.com
www.hihohome.blogspot.com

Heidi, my dear, you find yourself in the same situation that so many other retailers and businesses do - trying to maximize your exposure on a dime, at the cost of your time. I think you are smart to utilize free marketing technology like a blog! I responded directly to Heidi in an email, but I thought that this subject matter was something that many of you are dealing with...so I'm sharing those ideas here.

Here are a few tips I can offer:

While it does take some time to manage, you can schedule it into your weekly planner - set it up so that you post regularly, like on Monday and Thursday morning. Then your readers will know when to expect a new post from you, and you can plan ahead with what you'll write about. Also, you can create several posts at once, and then choose the date & time that they will post in the future - this is really handy if you are expecting a schedule crush or vacation.

What should you post about? Try new products that have just come in - maybe show a photo of them peeking out of the shipping box, and announce that "they will hit the sales floor on Wednesday morning, so hurry in!". Post about close-out merchandise sales, or new seasonal product themes you are working on, maybe show a bit of the 'behind the scenes' stuff that makes retail so fun, like a stockpile of merchandise just waiting to go into your next window display.

How to structure posts: One or two great photos and two short paragraphs of text is best. (I am a very wordy gal so I often write long posts...I try to break them up into short paragraphs and sentences so they don't look too intimidating to read!) I also like blogs that offer captions under each photo, because I want to see the image and then read what it's about. But that's a personal preference! If you do use more than a few photos in one post, shrink them to small size. Viewers can click on them to enlarge, and it requires less scrolling to read a post.

Make sure you offer links in your blog - link to blogs you read and enjoy, and that you feel will inspire your customers. It's all about reciprocity, so leave comments on blogs you read, too - say you've added their blog to your blog links. People will visit!

Allow comments on your blog - this is a great way to get feedback on what you are offering, as well as building that customer relationship. You can have them emailed to your regular address, so that you can moderate them if necessary. While I really dislike getting snarky comments from anonymous posters, I've found that they are few and far between. And restricting anonymous comments also restricts users of other blog platforms, so it makes it frustrating for them to leave a comment on your blog. Not a good thing!

Promote your blog in your shop:
*Place signs in the window displays and at the cashwrap saying 'Visit our blog at hihohome' to let everyone know it's there. Even when your shop is closed, this info should be visible in your windows.

*Make small drop-in cards for each bag, and have new biz cards made with the blog address on it. (VistaPrint.com is easy, fast, and inexpensive!)

In all ads you place, even text ads, give the blog address. People are more likely to check out your blog than your website - web sites seem like a sales pitch, blogs are a conversation. That's a good way to remember how to approach it! Once at your blog, they'll see what you are all about - make sure you have a link from your blog to your web site, so they can easily go there.

Create a banner for your blog that reflects your business web page design, brand image, and logo. Your goal is to impart your business image and your own personal style. This is one venue where business HAS to be personal, as well as professional! You can change up the banner seasonally or at a whim - just make sure you always keep your brand image in mind. Same colors, typeface, logo, etc.

There are a few resources I can recommend to help you learn more:

http://www.freshblogtips.com/ Colleen of Fresh Vintage interviews business women about their blogs, offers hints & tips for maximizing your blog's impact & technology, and unearths info about the newest blogging strategies & widgets.

All of these sites/blogs provide tips for enhancing & maximizing your blog's appearance & impact:

http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/06/25-tips-for-marketing-your-blog/

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/

http://womensblog.score.org/

I wish you much success, Heidi!

Changing our Christmas

While I haven't heard Elvis croon "I'll hahahave a bluuuue Christmas..." yet this season, I know that the clock is ticking. I watched the big box stores swap their layouts almost as soon as the last trick-or-treater had stepped off the porch. I'm just hoping that more of them will be singing the praises of a "green" Christmas this year.

What, you ask, would that actually mean?

Well here's my wish list:
1. Don't Buy at All (i.e. Make)
2. Buy Green
3. Buy Fair Trade

First off, let's get the first complaint about green retail out of the way - You can't buy your way out of our environmental situation! This is true, I agree, but, BUT, understand that we as a nation of consumers have been cruising along with little concern for what our purchases actually mean for way too long. People of course can just not buy anything, non-consumption is a very green thing to do. Not an easy thing, but definitely if you take a year off from Christmas you are doing a positive thing for your carbon footprint. Instead of buying something, you can also make your gifts. Give photos you've taken, or if you are crafty, paint some pottery or create something from re-used materials. If you aren't so crafty or strapped for time - donate in your loved one's name at OXFAM or at one of our many needy charities like Metropolitan Ministries.

However, If you are going to buy, then buy green. I encourage us all to consider how powerful a decision we wield this time a year. We get to buy, make, invent, paint, whatever we want for those close to us as an expression of our care for them and as a reflection of our values only once a year. So before we all just take the year off, let's consider that. If I buy my little brother a shirt, he might wear it. If I buy him an organic shirt, he might change how he thinks about organics and buy one for himself. This is how grassroots change works - one little step at a time.

Besides just buying green, there also many wonderful fair trade options for gifts. If I buy my mom a necklace from the mall she will certainly like it (or pretend to for my benefit), but what if I buy one from a fair trade artisan? Then she can know that whether she wears the necklace or not, the money for it went to help those that really need it and they were paid fairly for it!

Ask those that have you on their list to give something handmade this year or to donate a gift in your name to your favorite charity. The holidays are a great chance to show those we love that we can make a difference. Instead of crowding the tree with gadgets that will eventually crowd the landfill, let's push a little wave of hope out into the universe when we gather this year.

Joyful Holiday Displays

I was in downtown Snohomish yesterday morning, completing the new setup in our antique space at Faded Elegance. (See more on our retreat design blog). Mr Deb met me for lunch, and we stolled down the sidewalks to the Snohomish Bakery.

On the way, we passed Joyworks, where I saw the darling sweater snowman in the window, shown above. Jana's done yet another great window display... so I had to go in and ask her if she'd mind if I took a photo and shared it with you here. She said of course I could, so I took the shot! I also took a few more of all of her great windows - Joyworks is known for both the huge assorment of products they carry AND their fabulous windows. Take a peek!




Jana, thanks for the OK! You've done a marvelous job this year.
Visit the Joyworks blog here to see some of their wonderful interior displays, too!

Playing House

MaryBeth sent me a link to her blog so she could share photos of a FABulous display prop that she and her family created. It's a little playhouse, used as a backdrop for a booth at a recent show MaryBeth's daughter Megan was in.

As you can see from the photo above, it does a great job of catching the eye in the midst of visual chaos. The white interior is a perfect backdrop for the colorful yet small items displayed in the booth. And I just adore the playful pink stripes!

The Playhouse is simple but effective, so do go and visit MaryBeth's blog to see photos of the process. I also love that this is made from styro - it's light, easy to transport, goes together in a snap, and stores flat. Thats what perfect display props do - do the job and get outta' the way when it's done!

This reminds me of the setup that Rosanna did for the gift show a few years ago - check out this post for photos.

Megan (aka Princess Lasertron!) has built a business creating & selling funderful artsy things like felt corsages and button flower bouquets. Check out her blog! This past weekend, she was a vendor at the Silver Bella event in Omaha. Silver Bella is the brainchild of designer extraordinaire Teresa McFayden, and you can see from the first photo that there were many beautiful products to see in the marketplace.

Having props and display fixtures that transport easily and set up fast is a huge bonus for those who sell at shows. Flat-pack props mean you can fit in more bins of product, as well....after all, selling is the goal.

Green Gifts

Are you thinking about your Christmas list yet? If so, think about giving green, sustainable and/or fair trade this year. There is a new study about the ice caps melting at an alarming rate, and in these economic conditions we need to think a little more before we buy. Please see the comment below from the scientists at NOAA:

The Arctic ice cap is melting faster than scientists had expected and will shrink 40 percent by 2050 in most regions, with grim consequences for polar bears, walruses and other marine animals, according to government researchers.

There is something that you and I can do--give the gifts that give back. Green gifts are out there and green no longer means expensive. We have quite a few green gifts that are not only affordable, but attractive and stylish.


One of my favorite things we have is Aster and Sage--a company that is making personal accessories made from recycled plastic bottles--really! They make purses, pillows, small ipod/camera bags and much more!


New ornaments are always appropriate for the host/hostess of the local holiday party. Make sure that they are green and/or fair trade. These ornaments are beautiful hand-
made items sold through Ten Thousand Villages. From carved birds to newspaper angels (repurposed newsprint) you can find your perfect new bauble for the tree!
There are many new green items on the market that you can feel good about giving this year. Also stop by Tampa Street Market to see more green gift ideas and shop local!

Shopping Local

Charles and I have lived in OSH for almost 4 years! We have lived in many different places through the years, including overseas, and some of those places were more beautiful, more pedestrian friendly, and I could go on, but no other place has afforded us the friendships we have made in Seminole Heights! The people in OSH are nice, welcoming and down right friendly. It is almost like stepping back in time, a kinder gentler place, where warm baked pies are delivered to your door. Although no pies have found their way to my door, many cupcakes and bottles of wine have crossed the threshold!
OK--enough of the mushy stuff!
Getting to the point, I live in Seminole Heights and I own a business here. I love the neighborhood and do everything I can to support it. I try and shop in the neighborhood. Buying local is a green ideal that I love supporting. I like the idea of knowing the owner and being recognized when I come in . On the other side of the counter, I like seeing my neighbors and friends walk into my shop. It is a CHEERS kind of place where everyone should know your name. I know Karen and Keith at Karen's Place, Adrian and Emily at Seminole Heights Antiques, All the girls at Nickos Diner, Elizabeth at Bungalow Bistro and Forever Beautiful, Scooter at Cappy's and all the wait and cook staff, Chris at Sign Art Group, Eric from Eric Krause Designs, Sherry and Robert at Sherry's Yesterdaze, Anthony at Vivant House...and I could go on!!
Unfortunately, Steff @ Tampa Antiquarian Books is leaving SH--we will miss her! Also Mike from Merino's has closed his doors and Barbara from Silver Linings is saying goodbye and closing her doors. I will miss going to all of these places and the drive home will look a little different with vacant buildings as scenery. The better our businesses do, the better our market. Keeping local businesses afloat keeps your local market from depreciating even more.
I would love to see all of you more, but I am asking everyone to think about the businesses in the neighborhood next time you go out. Lets keep our local economy healthy and green!

O Christmas Tree

In the midst of moving my home and business last week, I installed the holiday merchandise displays at Columbia Winery. We did things a BIT differently this year...

For the past five years that I have been handling the visual merchandising for Columbia, installing the wonderland of Christmas merchandise, props, and decorations has been a massive undertaking. It has taken my crew of five fab chicks three full days to install merchandise displays & holiday decor in the facility. Due to many changes over the past year, there was no decor to install and a very limited amount of product to display. In four hours, three of us had it done! If there was ever a good time for this to be the case, this year was it. I have a lot on my plate right now.

Even with lots of changes, the focus in the shop remains on the wine. Holiday gifts and entertaining/decorating items are kept to a minimum. Making an impact with the displays is still possible, using effective placement within the space to maximize lighting and accessibility, plus use of a few unique props. Rather than go with anything remotely 'normal' or 'Christmassy', I chose to go with a contemporary holiday style that fits the brand image and customer demographic of this business.

On the left side of the shop, the more elegant items are displayed. The round table holds an ivory, sage, and gold theme. The longer table behind it holds a crystal, silver, and dark brown theme. Farther back in the space, there are displays of copper & glass items, and green ceramic & wood products. These are everyday items, but the colors work well when seen with the holiday merchandise up front. These combinations don't fight with each other visually, so a customers' eye travels all through the space and sees everything.

You see some stylized trees in each setup - I created those for each of the themes of product ordered. They fit well with the facility decor, don't overwhelm the products, and add a bit of sparkle and holiday cheer.

The gold trees sit on several clear vases that are filled with ornaments and topped with a gold charger. It's an easy way to get variances in height to add interest.

Here the trees are placed on top of large baskets and a fixture, to lift the white color up. It was important to add the white to this theme to express a holiday mood.

On the right side of the shop, the displays feature products that are a bit more whimsical and definitely more colorful. The sightline allows you to see them all from the entry doors, so the color story is carried through the whole space.

Not seen in this photo are two other displays, holding everyday merchandise & food products. They also include various shades of red, green, and yellow, adding to the whole look of the shop this season. Not to mention that it isn't necessary - or even preferred - to add holiday merchandise or props to EVERY display in the shop. Some neutrality is needed, and the color connection provides continuity.

Another pair of trees in red & white candystriped tinsel set off this display of snowmen and candy cane products.

This tree is a bit rustic, a bit industrial, with several tiers of greenery. It's a great way to display ornaments, even tho these basic balls are more for decor than for sale.

So, have you figured out the trees yet?

Cheap tinsel garland wrapped around..... (wait for it)....Tomato cages. Less than half an hour to make each one. About fifteen minutes to make the tiered green one, cause two of those tiers are wreaths. Oh yeah, I was alllllll about decorating the DIVADeb way: Fast. Cheap. Easy.TM

And I'm back to moving......

Our New Space

Exposed brick wall, high ceilings, concrete floors--this place really fits us.
As you can see in the picture, we still carry steel top tables and wood and steel benches, but we also added new lines of eco-friendly and sustainable gifts and home decor. We have pillows and personal accessories made from recycled water bottles, stainless steel cold beverage bottles, garden art made from steel and repurposed items, elephant dung paper products, eco-greeting cards and holiday cards and graphic bags that fit in your pocket for ease of use! Our telephone wire baskets are going like crazy and are all fair trade!
We have had a lot of our customers come back and it is really great to see everyone. We love having the business back in Seminole Heights and we look forward to growing our business here!

Second Question

My friend Adrienne read my Facebook page and saw my comment that I am packing to move. So, she asked 'Where are you moving to - and WHY?!'

WHY? Because we are crazy people! I mean, doesn't everyone just up and move in the midst of the busiest month of one partner's year and immediately preceding the busiest month of the other partner's year? Isn't that normal?! I guess not, but then Mr. Deb and I have not often been accused of resembling anything close to normal!

The 'where' is the cool part. We found our dream house in July. Well, actually, the house isn't so much of a dream. It's OK, as houses go, and will be serviceable until we remodel it into the open, spacious feel we envision. But the rest....oh wow. It's a farm, with 6 acres of flat sunny land near the beach on an island that is located only 30 minutes North of where we now live. With barns and outbuildings and shops and possibilities for us to grow our business to a size we have previously only dreamed of.

And that's the biggest point of all.... we imagined this for 30 years.
When we talk about what we want our business to be, our life to be, our retirement to look like, this is it. It's what we've always wanted, and even the parts we didn't know we wanted are included! Through a series of miracles and serendipitous events, we are moving in less than four months from the day we found it. I want to say that I firmly believe that imagining, dreaming, envisioning, and having faith that things can happen is paramount to success.

I know, I know, everyone says it's hard work and blood, sweat, and tears that make things happen. That it's balance sheets and credit lines and bank accounts that build businesses. That education and experience are paramount to success. And to a certain extent, they are right....but without imagining the possibilities first, how do you know what that 'success' will look like? Without blueprints, how do you know what the house you build will look like before it exists?

It's been said that a business plan is a roadmap to success. Truly, a business plan is a concept - a dream, if you will - of what you want your business to look like. You are imagining the structure, the form, the details, the outcome, and putting them into the 'tangible form' of words, to precede the 'tangible form' of what they become. You are creating your own path, blueprint, map, to follow so that things come out looking like you want them to: Designing a business, so to speak. And design begins with imagining something that doesn't exist yet.

We've been creating those 'blueprints' for years. Along the way, we doubted that we'd find what we really wanted....until we chose to stop doubting and start believing that it could become reality. Less than one month after we made that decision, we turned a corner (literally!) and found this place. Life changed completely. And our business plan ramped up into high gear. By next weekend, we'll be living in our new place and off on our new journey....amazed, thankful, grateful, and blessed. (And totally ready for the 'hard work' part!)

My turn for a question:
What are YOU imagining for your business, your life, your future????
"Thoughts become things....choose the good ones." TM www.TUT.com

First Question!

There's a line a film I heard recently that set off a train of thought in my overloaded brain. It goes something like this:

"Yeah, I know all about the American Dream.
That's where you take something you love to do and twist it and wrangle it into something that will make you famous or make you money, and it ends up sucking all of the life out of you...and pretty soon, you don't want to do it anymore. Some dream."

Harry Connick, Jr.'s character delivers that line in the film 'Hope Floats', when Sandra Bullock's character says to him, "You could do so much more...". I know, it's a chick flick, but regardless of where it originated, that's a hard-hitting line for anyone in business. (Kind of like the new ad slogan that says "In small business, there are no small decisions". Too true.)

So let me ask you this: Are you living a version of your dream, or waiting for a dream to appear, or has what was once a dream been choked out by fighting to survive? And where do we all go from where we are?

The Diva has days, my friends, where she questions the sanity of having a business at all. It would be so darned easy to get a job creating fab displays for a retailer like Anthro, or Macys, or Nordies. Go in, punch the clock, do the work for eight hours, punch out, go home, have wine, relax. Know exactly how much $$$$ was coming in the paycheck each week. I'm not talking a creative director's position, oh no, I'm talking an hourly schleppin' haulin' hard workin' crew member position. Yes, I do consider it sometimes.

I always decide against it, though. Why?
Well, to answer that is to answer a question I received from Deena in Utah, who wants to know what my passion is and do I live it?

My passion isn't just designing and creating gorgeous displays of products, or welcoming environments, or stunning event decor. If it was, I'd probably have done the 'fallback' thing by now. But my true passion, beside and beneath all of the decorative stuff, is helping small businesses. I want to share and give what I can to equip and encourage you to succeed, even in an economic climate that is questionable at times like this.

My mission statement reads 'I achieve success by supporting and educating independent merchants and small businesses, and contributing to their success.' I want to see you reach your goals, attain your version of your dream (American or otherwise), and grow a successful business. So the blogs and the videos and the articles and the seminars and the trade show displays I do all boil down to me wanting to contribute to the community of small independent mom n' pop businesses that are the heartbeat of our American economy. To share what I learn, to teach what I know, to consult and help at reasonable cost because it's all connected. You succeed, I succeed, WE succeed.

So yes, I DO live my passion. And the coolest thing about it is that it's growing, changing, embracing new ideals and heading in new directions. Most of what I am already doing is a part of the future, along with so much more. I am excited and can't wait to get my feet on the ground and start running with it all. I've given myself permission to dream again, to take that thing I love to do and do it - without twisting it or wrangling it into something that doesn't resemble my dream at all anymore.

I've untied my own knots, so to speak!
Thanks, Deena...I appreciated your email.

&

Ok, I'm ready. It's time to Hit Me With Your Best Shot! (Lyric Credit: Pat Benatar).

Got any topics you'd like to hear more about?

How about inspiring photos or resources you've been looking for?

Or perhaps comments about what I've been sharing about lately? (It's OK, I can take it....just don't do it anonymously, please!)

I know there must be some questions that have been burning in your brain about business, retail, decorating, marketing, branding, speaking, writing, video hosting... You can ask me almost anything. Really. Oh, what the heck, let's go all out: Personal, too.

No, I don't mean I'll give advice a la' Dear Abby (though 'Dear Diva' does have a nice ring to it...)because quite frankly I am soooooo not qualified to do that! I mean I'll answer any reasonable question about me, Mr. Deb, et al - except anything obviously inappropriate or involving the exact location of the new Diva central headquarters, my bank account number, my car license plates...you get the drift. (double wink).

Actually, go ahead and address those to Dear Diva - I kind of like the sound of that!

Post them in comments here on the blog or email me at Debi@thedecodiva.com.

((Speaking of which, here's the answer to one burning question I know someone will inevitably ask: No, I still haven't redesigned my web site. Yes, I know how hideous it is. I hate it. I ignore it. I don't even tell people about it, I just direct them here to my design blog instead. Dear former client/Microsoft guy tried but...well, I just think guys don't get what I want from a web site. I've got to find a savvy, sassy, saucy chick here locally to work with me to do it right. That's on my goal sheet for ought nine! Really, it is!))

I'll be answering your queries in the next few posts, so go ahead and Hit Me Baby, One More Time! (lyric credit: Britney Spears)OK OK no more song title punchlines...

Eddie-isms

Eddie really delivered some zingers onTop Design last night.
Let's revisit a few of his 'best' moments, shall we?

"I've flown on Martha Stewart's JET! How many people can say that they've flown on Martha Stewart's JET?" sigh. (thinking: 'I AM the best.')

"I don't know where it comes from. Just a gift from God, I guess!!!"
(thinking: 'And I spell God M-A-R-T-H-A'.)

"I don't need someone to tell me it's good. It's my JOB to know when it's good. And it's always good. I work for the BEST, for God's sake."
(NOT thinking: 'Wearing this shirt on camera will bring on a slew of laundry lessons from Martha, and possibly a visit from Tim Gunn....')

"Preston is a whooooooole lotta' talk..but not much to back it up."
(thinking: "Oh crap. I'm screwed.")

(thinking: 'PHONED IT IN???PHONED IT IN???? Are you KIDDING me? I work for Martha Stewart!!!!')

"Well, of course everyone is entitled to (my...I mean...)their...opinion. But I know plenty of people who would LOVE that room." (thinking: 'like Martha....and I am SO going to get a raise for mentioning her so much.')

And finally, "A gay's gotta' do what a gay's gotta' do." (thinking: 'Preston is better than me. But he can't be better than me, because I AM the best and I work for the BEST. So I have to do everything I can to sabotage him so I'll win and not be the laughing stock of MSLO when I go back to work....').

Poor Eddie. He just can't help being such a horse's arse, so I just think of him as the south end of Mr. Ed. (Yes, THAT Mr. Ed.) I had the thought that he'll be mighty embarassed when he doesn't win and goes back to work - but then I quickly realized that Eddie's super-sized ego will never accept that. He'll go back to MSLO as bombastic and precocious as ever, maligning the taste of the judges and announcing his superior intellect forever. And no one will notice a thing, because they all know that this is just Eddie. EquusRumpus Bombasticus.

Image Credits: All photos from Bravo TV's Top Design