the small details

i've often revealed our new window displays at night. they seem more impactful with the lights shining down.

we've had the window changed for a day or two. and we liked it mostly. but something was just not right. then last night i had reason to drive down the road without pulling into our lot. that's when i recognized it was too open. our fall fabrics in the window did not pop because you can see straight into the big open room. this morning i had an idea...

what do you think? awesome?? yes, that's awesome. no, not the idea. well maybe that too. but the fabric. it's awesome by sandy gervais for moda. i think it's just the punch we're looking for.

introducing mr. ted e. bear...

i've known mr. ted. e. bear for many years now. he is a very well traveled man. his ventures have spanned the globe. he owns a well styled wardrobe and sports a selection of comprehensive accessories. his greetings are found throughout the region. today he made his way onto a shelf in the house of fabric. he seems quite comfortable amongst the awesome fall collection designed by sandy gervais. can you spot him? a $10.00 gift certificate to the store awaits the first person to identify the location of his recent photo shoot.

move that ...

...display. did you want to yell bus? me too. that's my favorite part of the extreme home makeover show. our time had come to pack it up. i must admit i was a little nervous about this. first, i thought it looked perfect so i wanted to duplicate it exactly once i arrived at landerhaven. and second, i wasn't sure how it was all going to pack up.

i started by taking two close up photos.

one of each side. i then printed them on one piece of paper and slipped it into a page protector.

then i brought in empty copy paper boxes. i put the items i would need first in two of the boxes and marked them 1 and 2. it all fit very nicely into seven boxes. i kept the bolts of fabric in the tub as they were and left the two pieces of grid wall anchored together. the load in for this expo is very quick, so you need to be extra prepared. the pictures proved incredibly helpful so the display went up in an easy thirty minutes.

our location was awesome. we were directly opposite the entry doors with nothing blocking us. we also had the sunshine behind us during the afternoon. i loved how you could see the design of cross-pollination behind our sign during that time. the colors of frolic created such an eye catching display. we had so many comments about that.

once the sun set, the lights around the top of the display were just the perfect touch to make us stand out from the crowd. sarah gets all the credit for spotting those in the store.

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this was a business to business show, so sales were strictly prohibited. if not, i guarantee the quarter yard rolls of moda marbles would be gone. and the funny thing is, i really stewed about cutting and rolling them as so many people today want folded fat quarters. but the rolls just fit so nicely into the teal and orange utensil holders, so i went ahead and did them one night. come august they will be in the store, if you're interested.

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it was great to see so many friends and meet so many new neighbors. to wendy, it was so good to see you. please tell corky i said hello.

perched high above the crowd...

...is owlivia. you can click here to read about her arrival. she represents the final item to cross off the to-do list before the big day. i now know what all the furry is about as designers prepare for quilt market. deadlines, stitching all night...until you run out of the perfect thread...and none of the other 742 in your collection will do...rearranging, rethinking, finding a spelling error on your best marketing piece, locating the extension cord that will muster the electrical powers to be...

...yet somehow seeing owlivia sitting up there where she was placed in my original sketch, makes all the stress and worry disappear. to be replaced by the excitement of showing your friends what you've got. for me, this will be a dream come true. presenting our little shop to the world...well my little world on the eastside of cleveland. i will be among friends and colleagues, many who i've known for several years. yet this will be the first time my name tag reads jellen's house of fabric. it will also be the very first time that sarah will be by my side, not as my daughter, rather as my business partner. that in itself is worth all the time invested.

i truly want to thank sandy gervais for designing frolic. at the perfect time for our first viewing. it matches our materials and branding perfectly and sets the exact tone we wish to express in our shop...fun, fresh, funky and feisty.

if you're in the area, be sure to stop by landerhaven tomorrow may 12 from 3 - 7. owlivia says it is sure to be a hoot of a time:)

we have lights

we are now just days away from our first showing at the chamber of commerce event. so we moved the display upstairs onto the pool table today. it's almost 8 feet long which is the size of our table at the business expo. we plugged the lights in and they work!! the colors and the shape are a perfect match to frolic, the moda fabric we have featured. sarah spotted them the day we went to target to find kate spain's plates and napkins. she has a great eye for that kind of stuff.

it's coming along. if i could just get the quilt done that is suppose to be in that big hole in the middle, we will be in good shape. oh i still need to bind soul mates and sew on the little bluebird eyes too. and then i wanted to make sandy's owlivia. never enough hours in the day.

celebrate...

i received a belated birthday card in the mail today

...from a stampin'up! friend

.

she has no idea

what colors

i have been sewing with

night and day

to prepare samples

for my coming out party in may

yet look how beautifully

they coordinate with frolic

i'm so happy she didn't mail this in january

thank you mary ann