Crossing the Blues
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts

My Design Bag

The last few weeks have found me super busy managing several design projects, working on shoots with Turner Studios, and feverishly working to make Room Service Atlanta the success it's meant to be.  Things are busy, par usual, but very exciting.  I was told at the beginning of the year that I needed an assistant and didn't believe it, but I'm starting to believe it now! With so many projects going on, I rely heavily on my trusty LL Bean bag that I use as my design bag, and it has become my life. Here's a look at what lies within:
The bag I take everywhere and use as my design bag is the monogrammed LL Bean bag I received as a gift from one of my best friends last year. My bag is the perfect size and super indestructible.


The most important piece, my composition book.  I'm a list girl.  I love making a list and naturally gravitate towards them. After Erica & Nicole talked about Teux Deux, I tried to use it for awhile, but there's nothing like the satisfaction of picking up a pen crossing an item off your to-do list. My comp book holds all my pertinent client info, dimensions, details, schedules, notes and the like. It's so great to be able to pull it out and see all of their design info neatly recorded, plus the modern comp book designs, college-ruled paper, dirt cheap price and  make it a no-brainer.
I love me some paint, so you should know that I love a paint deck.  I keep 4 paint fan decks on hand because I like to make sure I have the spectrum at my fingertips for my client's choosing.  My go-to paint manufacturers are Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Porter, and Pratt & Lambert (such rich, vibrant shades!). If you have a P&L retailer near you, consider yourself lucky.  The store based in Atlanta is the only one in the Southeast!!!
Using the right pen is like wearing your church clothes--you know you look good, so it makes you walk taller and talk smarter.  Since I keep all my info in my books, I like to make sure that my writing isn't slopped all over the page, and writing with a good pen definitely helps! My view is that they don't have to be expensive, but it should write well, feel good, and have a nice, dark ink.  For me, a good Bic with a nice ballpoint does the trick every time!
Headphones to go with my iPhone4 are essential, because last minute scheduling changes mean I sometimes spend my time waiting for people (clients, lines, etc). Rather than get annoyed, I try to keep my headphones on hand so I can watch downloaded episodes of shows like Law & Order: Trial By Jury & Make It Or Break It while I wait. Totally makes being inconvenienced not so inconveniencing.

There's nothing better than finding the perfect something at a right now price. There's nothing worse than realizing you can't buy said item because you don't know if it will fit because you don't have your measuring tape on hand! My Stanley measuring tape isn't light, but it's 25' and doesn't snap on your fingers when you reel it in. Now what's not to like about that?

Now it's your turn--tell me about the must have item in your design bag. Any essential I'm missing out on?

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Living With What You Love




Hilarious letter.


(this was my handout)

Saturday's panel discussion at the AmericasMart went great! After trying to come up with a design concept for more than a week,  I decided to go with what I feel most passionately about and that's living with what you love. I extended this idea to my pillow design and took a vintage textile (something that you may love but be unsure of how to showcase) and showed how it could be repurposed for everyday use. 


For the front of the pillow I used a vintage raw silk scarf and a solid navy velour on the back--simple, colorful, and very one-of-a-kind (a pillow project like this is perfect for repurposing textiles).  I also found this gorgeous vintage tablecloth and brought it as an example of a piece that could be repurposed as a pillow, wall art, or even a throw.


Isn't this tablecloth amazing?? 

It was great to see the pillows created by all of the other designers. Each one was beautiful and definitely spoke to the style of the designer who created it. Here's a peek at everyone's final project:

From left to right: Kari Fisher, Capella Kincheloe, me, Sherry Hart, & Erika Ward. 

All of our designs were raffled off and all of the winners seemed pretty excited to walk away with their custom pillows. Special thanks to the ladies at the AmericasMart that work so hard to put all of these great events together (hey Tess, Amanda, & Jennifer!!)--I'm so appreciative for the invite!
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Wrap Up: My Scott Antique Market Vendor Experience


I'm back from my loonngg weekend (last weekend) as a vendor at Scott's! I'll tell you upfront that I made ZERO DOLLARS, but my overall experience was still really positive. I'm happy that, by doing this, I was able to check off a goal that's long been on my list, and the experience definitely helped me get clearer about what I want to do.   I won't go as far as to rule it out, but don't count on me doing it again soon either!  Here are a few things I learned during my time as a vendor this past weekend...


  • Markets like these aren't for the faint of heart. Scott's has a lot of permanent vendors and these are people who pretty much work the antique market "circuit" as a living. For them, it's not about making a killing (so to speak) over one weekend as much as it is about meeting a monthly goal. Translation? Don't set up a booth and expect to go home with empty hands and fat pockets 4 days later--that probably ain't gonna happen! For me, I think the process is a bit too tedious & time-consuming to do as a side hustle. Believe me when I say that setting up and breaking down your booth is no fun. I had grand ideas about doing this elaborate setup, but once I saw all that it took to get those beautiful display booths together, that plan was quickly scrapped.   
  • The vendors are all really nice and extremely helpful. I had no clue how things ran out there, but my neighbors all went out of their way to fill me in on all the details only a regular would know, like Friday's start late so there's no sense in showing up early (as I did at 9am!). I definitely would've been lost without them!
  • Here's a tip on Selling 101--don't hold anything, EVER. Often times you only have 1 time to make a sale, so make it when you can.  I, unfortunately, had to learn this the hard way.
When I initially announced that I would be at Scott's,  I wrote that this venture was fail proof and yet risky, and here's what I originally meant:  it was risky, because there was upfront money (and ego) involved, but it was also fail proof because being in business for yourself means taking chances like this in an effort to grow.  All things being equal, I really feel like I came out on top. I learned that vending is hard work--setting up a booth, sitting there for 8 hours a day and then having to pack everything back up is no joke--probably not for me. Will I try my hand at Scott's again? I'm not counting it out...but it won't be next month! Special thanks to Sherry Hart, Claire Watkins, Niki McNeil, Sara Street Cook, Carla Schwartz, Tara, my girl Jenn who all came out to see me during my stint--your support was greatly appreciated!
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I'm Doing It!

via Antique Trader
I want all of you local peeps to come out to meet me at Scott Antique Market next week, because it's now official--I'll have my very own little booth in the South building!!!  And while this new venture of mine is exhilarating and frightening and fail proof and risky (I'll explain these contradictions later), I've been getting a lot of emails lately about design services and requests for special vintage items, so I figured the time was finally right. I'm excited to fly my own flag.

You can find me here!!

The official dates for the shindig are February 11-13, and you'll see my pretty little mug there everyday. So please come out and join me--you don't want me sitting there by myself all day now, do you??
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The Power of Intuition

www.mediabistro.com

I'm up late Monday night, thinking about the Power of Intuition and crafty ways to write this post that I want to share.  I wanted to tout Laurie Ann Goldman's accomplishments as the former Head of Worldwide Licensing for Coca-Cola, and all that she's done in only 8 years as CEO of SPANX (read more about that here), but as these hours are ticking on, I'm coming up with a blank.  So let me start by telling you what I do know.  I believe that when you're where you're supposed to be, the road will rise to meet you, and I believe that to be true for career, life and relationships.  I debated for a bit as to whether I was going to attend this event, because I had so much school work to do (as always), but decided at the last minute to go.  When I got to the event and realized that it was going to be about The Power of Intuition instead of Shaping and Expanding a Brand, I'll admit I was a bit disappointed.  Still, I stayed planted in my front row seat, ready to transcribe her words of wisdom.  In the end, I'm glad I stayed because I think I got more insight from this topic than I would've if she had actually discussed branding.  Understanding and harnessing this thing called intuition isn't just about business, but about life itself.  


(Unfortunately this blurry image does her no justice, but let me tell you, her outfit was very fab.)
Laurie Ann made some great points throughout her dialogue, and shared some interesting reflections about her childhood experiences and how they shaped her career path (and her old way of thinking).  The points that stood out the most to me were:


1.  The Power of Intuition is your greatest asset and lives thru any/everything that you do, but it needs structure & support to reach its potential.  Don't obsess over facts & ignore that voice deep inside of you.  If you really believe something is right/wrong, it probably is. 
2.  True creativity is the courage to let go of what you know and is at the heart of every business through the acts of innovative thinking and researching new solutions.
3.  It's okay to set the destination, but you don't have to have a tight grip on the journey--sometimes the windy road is the only one that will get you there.
4.  Don't look for perfection in making a decision, because it rarely exists.
5.  Continue to ask questions, most importantly to yourself (and/or your business)--Did I get results?  Am I growing and changing?  Always remember that if it can be measured, it can improve.  
6.  Know when it's time to let go and move on to the next thing (big idea, new opportunity, etc)--don't get so attached to the "golden apple" that you can't see beyond it.  

Are all of these concepts new to me? Not necessarily, but again, I think that when you're in alignment with where you're supposed to be, you can hear an idea that means something different than what it used to, or a word that nudges you and encourages you to examine your situation in a different light.  As I'm making the preparations to officially start my design business, I relish the opportunity to learn from those who know the road because they've walked it before.  If you haven't read her bio by now, you should take a look--she's the real deal and she's a mom of 3!

Laurie Ann Goldman & Sara Blakely via Flickr

In parting, here's great video I recently found through Success magazine (which I highly recommend!), where Sara Blakely talks about success, failure, and intuition.  Enjoy!

Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, on Failure


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WHIRLWIND!

Last week was truly a whirlwind, hence the lack of posts.  In addition to my normal super busy school schedule, I spent the majority of the week running from one business/interior design event to the next, and I must say, I had an absolute BLAST.  Needless to say, they've left me super excited and energized about the future!  I was only able to attend 2 SCADStyle events (more on that here), but they were both amazing.  Monday I headed over to SCAD to see Laurie Ann Goldman, who is CEO of Spanx.  


Her reflection and the dialogue that followed was open, insightful, and very honest, which I always appreciate.  I thought I was coming to the event for one thing, but ended up leaving with something completely different that spoke to me even more.   I love it when that happens.


Thursday night I saw Thom Filicia, who, as you know, is my FAVORITE. Let me tell you,  he is just as handsome, charming, and personable as he appears on TV, if not more so!  His presentation was outstanding, and of course, I have a few pages of notes.  I could go on and on about Thom, but I'll stop now and just say that if you have an opportunity to hear him in an educational setting (and you're interested in interior design), don't pass it up.  


Also, last week marked the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center's annual industry event,  Design ADAC 2010, and I was able to attend all of the keynote sessions from Wednesday thru Friday.  The speakers were all awesome, and I had an opportunity to learn from some of the best in the design world including:


John Saladino


Alessandra Branca


Robin Wilson


& Windsor Smith.

Each session was informative (I took pages of notes!), and during one I even participated in a role-play which I ate up, because somewhere, in some past life, I'm quite sure I used to be an actress or a singer.  I toured some of the showrooms & attended a few panels/classes ( I saw only a very small fraction of the more than 550,000 square feet ADAC covers),  made new contacts, and met new friends, but the true value was what took place for me on the inside.  One of the days I came home and was so excited about my day that I wrote a little blurb about what I was feeling.  I'm going to post it on my board for encouragement during those times when the days and nights are long (like these last few weeks of school), because I always want to remember and connect with that energy from last week.


So since I'm still somewhat decompressing, what I've decided to do is take the week (plus or minus a few days) and share some of my notes from each event, along with my observations and thoughts.   I know you'll find something that speaks to you in your life and/or business, so stop by tomorrow to see what Laurie Ann Goldman said about "The Power of Intuition".

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**I had the pleasure to meet Marianne Strong from Haven and Home and she is just as nice in person as you would imagine her to be from her blog!  She sat down right in front of me during one of the panels, and even though I thought she looked familiar, I didn't think it was really her.  Thankfully she stopped me in the parking lot and we had a chance to chat.  I love meeting other bloggers!**

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