Seattle Gift Show...halfway done!

Here's a peek at a part of the display at the Seattle Gift Show. I'll share more photos and the evolution of the new design plan this coming week - I'm halfway done with my stint at the show because the exhibitor display is done, and now I'm on to prep for my seminar on Monday. Today I wanted to show you a few really neat things! Like, ah, that red flash of color in the photo above....

Swingy trench coat - designed by Samuel Dong, coveted by Diva Deb.
Yes, I've oogled this Audrey Hepburn - style beauty since last February when I discovered it at the Denver Gift Show. I tried it on there in a gorgeous champagne color, loved it, ordered it, and waited.....and waited....nope. Sorry. Not available in that color. I searched everywhere, to no avail. I finally gave up the ghost that I'd ever own it.

Yesterday afternoon, as I sat weary and covered with dirt on the convention center floor, a man's voice said "I brought this for your display". I looked up (probably with a weary look on my dirty face... and hopefully not a dirty look on my weary face!) to see a very nice man holding a lovely mannequin dressed in MY COAT! Well, my coat in red, that is. I asked him about ordering the champagne color and he said "Yeah, sure, I can get that for you." I am in love with this man. (And Mr. Deb is perfectly OK with that!) So tomorrow, I'm ordering my coat, again. Happy girl!

Edited to Add: Uh, yeah well, notsomuch. It wasn't an authentic Samuel Dong Bubble Trench Coat. And even the copycoat doesn't come in that champagne color. sigh. However, miraculously, a lovely woman named Vanessa found my previous blog post (wherein I effused passionately about the coat) and emailed to let me know she sells them. Just not in Champagne. So I have to choose another color. Deep Pink, maybe? White? (Don't hold your breath...)

A few marvelous products were so much fun to see & work into displays - like jewelry made from antique & vintage buttons, from Linda at My Mothers Buttons . She's a doll, and has a true eye for displaying her merchandise. Just look at the vintage slide case she brought me to drape the jewelry on! Perfect.

THIS stuff is just tooooo adorable, especially for a gramma like me. Darling baby towels, blankets, and socks packaged like cakes from Lambs & Ivy. Check them out at lambs & ivy

OK, this one is a long story...
At some point on Friday...not sure when, it's all a blur now....a very funny guy named Ace (yes that's really his name!) came sidling up to our work area and actually started to SCHMOOOOOZE me. Yep, he did. (He's clearly had much success with this maneuver before, I tell ya'. He knew exactly how to schmooze!) What is funny is that he was schmoozing me, the designer of the exhibitor display area, so that I would let him set up his own display. Because, you see, he has a photo of the setup that has to be replicated exactly.

And of course, me being me, the Display Diva that I am, I totally agree with the kind of OCD thinking that creates planograms and photo reference sheets so that displays will be perfect. I get it, believe me! I have my own control issues! And I have no problem with exhibitors who have their own plans and ideas for how their merchandise is to be displayed in these areas. If they want to do it themselves, I am absolutely fine with that. Only, Ace didn't know that. Apparently, Ace had just come off of a massive run-in with some display designers down at the SFIGF who had no intention of letting him have anything at allllllll to do with the way his product was displayed in 'their' showcase. (I cannot tell you how hard I am biting my tongue on this one......)

So anyway, Ace stopped talking and I finally got a word in edgewise to say 'Hey, have at it! You have this space to do whatever you want with your products. Have a blast!' To say his expression was one of shock would be an understatement... he basically sat there, mouth agape, eyes wide, then ran his hand through his hair and shook his head while saying "Madam, you are most certainly a breath of fresh air and the most REASONABLE designer I have ever met!" Thanks, Ace, I appreciate that! Wanna' see what he did?
A nice bit o' display work! And as shown in the background, you can get a gander of these lovely products in the current issue of Romantic Homes. Ace is the business partner of Cathleen, and they own Vintage Home Lifestyle . Sunday, I'll get a chance to go by their booth and see how well he did in setting it up using photo reference sheets... I'll try to get some photos to share. Wonder if I'll have to SCHMOOOOZE him?! ;0)