Olives & Grace

A little over a year ago, I met a really wonderful woman named Sofi Madison.  She was a client at the salon and, at the time, was working on a innovative corporate gifting idea that focused on local artisans and handcrafted, thoughtful goods.  I'll be honest, when Sofi was telling me about her vision, I fell a little bit in love.  It's like she was speaking to my soul and I knew she was onto something good.  Well, Sofi just opened a beautiful store on the corner of Tremont and Pembroke in Boston's South End called Olives & Grace.

The next time you need a housewarming present, a thank you gift, or a special treat for yourself, please visit Olives & Grace.  People like Sofi and stores like O&G change communities, impact the lives of the artisans they work with, and are truly wonderful places that deserve truly wonderful customers such as yourself.  So visit.  And then tell me all about it, because I'm dying to hear more details!

p.s. She sells Lemon and Sea Salt Popcorn by Quinn Popcorn, an organic (and super cool) microwave popcorn company based in Massachusetts, and I think that sounds like eating heaven.  For realz.
p.p.s. Visit O&G on Facebook, too.

(photo via Olives & Grace)

Olives and Grace is located at 81 Pembroke Street and is open Tuesday- Sunday from noon- 8 pm. 

A Little Shop

This shop is nestled in a neighborhood street a few blocks from our house.  I passed it on my afternoon walk the other day and was charmed by the green trim and the typeface.  Who would've thought there'd be a glass supply shop right here? I thought to myself as I snapped this photo and continued my stroll.  I wondered about the owner and how the shop got its start.  I wanted to know their story, so I Googled it...

Cyril Knapp, the owner of Glass Supplies was, and I quote from the website, "so dedicated to Glass Supplies that he continued working until the age of 95."  (Swoon!)  The company, which is now run by his son, differentiates themselves by saying, "We are dedicated to providing quality glass products at competitive prices with excellent customer service. After all, the glass we sell is no different to other businesses, it's the service that we endeavour to provide that counts."  They offer "Good Old Fashioned Service" and they make my heart melt.  (Okay, but really the glass isn't exactly the same because they do custom-made stained glass and stuff, too.  Cool!)

Now, there are two things I want to say about this little company, and small/entrepreneurial businesses in general:

1. Good customer service, a dedicated staff, and a smile will do wonders for any small business.  When it comes to building relationships with clients, educating your consumers, and negotiating with suppliers, honesty, helpfulness and a firm handshake still go a long way.  Of course, there are still people in the world who value a good deal more than they value a good experience, which is why small businesses need to be clever about how they're differentiating themselves in their market and how they're communicating with their customers.  There are more people in this world who care about quality than most of us realize, businesses just need to find a unique way to communicate their quality and reach these consumers.  Having a well-defined and welcoming voice is a great way to start...


2.  How wonderful is it that Cyril Knapp worked until he was 95?  If you know anything about me (other than my love for Gwen Stefani), know this: I do not believe in retirement.  Wouldn't you rather fully live your life the whole way through with a healthy combination of work and fun-time than work your ass off and wake up at 65 wondering how you got there?  I think work makes us young, keeps us healthy and allows us to focus on the future rather than counting our ever-dwindling number of elderly friends.  Working gives us purpose and place and I have great respect for people like Cyril Knapp who are dedicated to their work their whole life through.  I hope I'm still contributing to projects and working when I'm 95, too! 

Because Glass Supplies has such a sweet and honest approach to communication, I will definitely use them if I ever need something they offer.  They've won me over and I'm not even a consumer, yet... 

Inspired By: Nora Ephron

I want to talk about Nora Ephron.  The men in my life don't really understand how much her death affected me, and last Thursday was a sad day, indeed. 

I was eleven when You've Got Mail came out and I saw it in theaters with my best friend (hi, Sarah!) and her mother (hi, Trudi!).  I didn't fully understand the nuances of Ephron's comedy at that age, but I walked out of that theater feeling touched, forever changed.  I wanted to grow up and be just like Kathleen Kelly.  I wanted to have a sunny apartment on a tree-lined city street, I wanted to have a shop that was mine that I would fight for, and I wanted to one day fall in love with a man who would challenge me and love me and together we would be happy for as long as we both shall live. 

As I matured and grew older, the movie changed with me.  I became more acutely aware of Kathleen's dilemma and saw that small business owners across America were going through similar hardships as chain stores turned old fields into superstores and put their tiny competitors out of business.  This outraged me and inspired me to shop at locally-owned businesses whenever possible.  Eventually, I ended up working for a small business in Boston and I helped to make it stronger and more competitive in the marketplace.  When I left the company two months ago, we were on the brink of a total brand overhaul that I so badly wanted to be a part of.  Next month they are moving to a luxurious new location and I'm angry that I won't be there to welcome our clients through our shiny new door and into the chic new space.  Yet I'm proud of their success and proud of the role I played in helping them move forward.  It's because of Ephron's sweet interpretation of The Shop Around the Corner that I work to preserve and support the shops (and artists) around our corners that help to define and differentiate our communities and I'm excited to find new businesses to work with here in the UK. 

The day after her passing, I made David watch You've Got Mail with me [again].  This time, what came through was Kathleen Kelly's optimism in light of losing everything.  Despite having lost her mother, her store, and her identity, she bravely moved forward, explored her opportunities and made a new life for herself.  That, my friends, is brave. That is inspiring.

"And then the dreams break into a million tiny pieces. The dream dies. Which leaves you with a choice: you can settle for reality, or you can go off, like a fool, and dream another dream.” –Nora Ephron.

Right now, I too feel as if I've lost my identity. Making new friends, which has always come easily to me, has completely evaded me in this country and I feel claustrophobic in my small town.  I've been wearing spandex leggings and t-shirts for weeks (people, to better help you understand what a monstrous tragedy this is, I only have, like, two t-shirts and one pair of leggings) and right now I'm selfishly enjoying wallowing in my own misery.  Luckily, I married a man who challenges me.  He knows when he needs to let me cry alone, but also knows when he needs to come and sit on the side of the bed and tell me to take control and move forward. 

Much to my dismay, the UK isn't all Colin Firth, ginger biscuits and tea with the Queen.  I'm learning how to be an Evil-Stepmother, how to connect with a country of people who are simultaneously much more reserved and far more crass (in my opinion) that Americans, and how to dream another dream and then make that dream my reality.  One day, if I can do something one tenth as special as what Nora Ephron has done, I will be a very happy woman and right now, it's my turn to be brave.

"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." –Nora Ephron.

 One more thing: I will not be doing a Tuesday with Moi this week because all I did today is wallow in bed, make lists, work, and write in my journal.  Instead, I will be doing a 4th of July with Moi and will post pictures on Thursday.  Xox

Shop Thoughtful

If you know me at all, you know that I love small businesses.  Not just any small business, but authentic, welcoming small businesses that value their customers, provide a good service, and have a unique bond with their community (businesses like Samantha House Jewelry, for instance-- I had to, you guys, I'M A HUSTLER...).  I love artisans, craftsmen, and people who are willing to forgo the security of a 401k + benefits package to make a living doing something that makes them, and other people, happy.  Those are the people I like to support and shop from.  I'm always so inspired when I hear that someone is quitting their 9-5 to start their own boutique/bee farm/brewery/bistro/whatever.  I'm inspired when I'm given the opportunity to work with these people, help them develop their vision and communicate with their consumers.  You guys, I love small businesses.

Similarly, I am heartbroken, so so heartbroken, when a small business that deserves* to stay open is forced to close their doors and a hard-working dreamer is forced to abandon their vision and get a real job**.  I'm heartbroken every time I pass a Walmart or even (brace yourself) a Target*** and I see people buying knock-off products at a fraction of the price and loading their carts with unsustainable goods that a local artisan would have LOVED to have sold to them at a higher quality.****

All this has been a ridiculously long introduction to this wonderful piece by our lady Elizabeth over at E Tells Tales.  Last year, I literally spent an entire weekend doing nothing more than reading Elizabeth's blog.  I was captivated, spellbound.  She's one of the most diligent, hard-working, and witty bloggers on the internet.  She's insightful and sweet, she doesn't take herself too seriously, but she still has strong convictions.  I also like her because her husband is a lot older than her, too. In fact, she and Mike have me and David beat by ten years (!!) and their love story is so beautiful.  Pour yourself a glass of wine and read it someday.  I promise, it'll move you.

Anyway, Mike owns a grocery store in a small southern town and Elizabeth is an ex-English teacher (an English teacher on hiatus?) with an infant son named Everette.  Even though she's insanely busy with raising a human, blogging, and finding time to bathe regularly, she still manages to run a successful Etsy shop selling her super cute hand-sewn goods.  When I read her piece on billing for what you're worth and supporting small business, I felt excited, sad, angry, inspired, weepy and strong all at the same time.  Check it out, you guys, and then shop local, shop small.  You'll be amazed at how rewarding it is to buy something from someone other than a board teenager at a Target check-out counter. For realz.

So that's my message for today.  Please be thoughtful about where you spend your money- whether it be American dollars, British Monopoly money, or real Monopoly money.  Support local coffee shops, boutiques, farmers, designers, etc.  I know it's difficult (I didn't realize how difficult is is to know who to trust and where to go until moving here- in Boston I took my connections for granted) but at the end of the day it's worth it.  Worth it because you had a good experience, you put money back into your community, and you literally just helped a small business owner make their rent.  AND THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS AWESOME.

One last thing: You've Got Mail has always been one of my favorite movies.   Because I love books, because I've always wanted to open my own shop, because she had to close her shop but she still found a beautiful new beginning, because Meg Ryan was still cute then.  I love the story, I love the Pride and Prejudice undertones, I love Nora Ephron, etc.  But what I love most is that You've Got Mail is a small business story.  Yes, it ends sadly for the store, but if it doesn't teach you to value the businesses that make your community special, I don't know what will. 

xxx now & forever.  

*Okay, obviously a business that doesn't have customers shouldn't deserve to stay open because they've quintessentially failed their customers.  But, like, some small businesses are so cool and special and when those businesses fail, it's devastating to the customers, to the community who took them for granted,  and to the owners who remortgaged their homes, invested their nest egg, and still lost everything.  Additionally, many small businesses do offer a unique perspective, quality goods, and a welcoming atmosphere, and when those businesses are put out by a big-box retailer or an aggressive chain with huge advertising power and an even bigger parking lot, it is devastating and to me it feels unfair. 

**By the way, people, creative/artistic/craft/design jobs are still "real jobs" and I'm simply using this annoying term to illustrate the way people will tell you to get "a real job" when you're trying to  do something unique and independent and how totally fucking annoying it is.

***I'm from Minnesota, of course I love Target.  I was raised on Target!  And they do a lot of cool stuff with artists, designers, and small businesses that I totally love, but then they do a $2 deal on really crap Archer Farms coffee and I see every local roaster in the area tighten their belts.  And then they open a Starbucks in their entryway and  kick the cute Java Hut lady out of the parking lot (this really happened, and Java Hut was SOO GOOD!),  And then they sell fresh produce and all the local farmers market moves a few miles north and that just doesn't sit so well with me.  But I still love Target's Christmas commercials with the Crazy Christmas Lady!

****I have a friend in Phoenix who has a local carpenter build a lot of her furniture based on pieces she finds in catalogs- especially the bedroom furniture for her two sons.  The carpenter does really beautiful work, is able to customize the pieces for her family and home, and adds extra-special details, like built-in soft-close storage drawers, which make her extra happy.  AND, his pieces aren't just constructed better, they also cost less than the Pottery Barn pieces that [kinda-sorta] inspired them. There's also a man in her neighborhood who started a business planting and maintaining vegetable patches for people- how great is that?! I want him in my neighborhood!  If I had a yard, that is...

Cards & Bars

It's been a long day of sorting through things, wondering why I still have them, throwing most of them away, and packing what little remains into boxes.  It's amazing how much stuff we accumulate in our lives, and how much of it is left unused and unloved.  It's also amazing how much totally useless stuff we hold onto- buttons, ripped hosiery, dried-up pens and cocktail napkins full of notes that long ago lost their meaning.  I'm doing my best to put aside my nostalgia and throw as much stuff as possible away, and so far I think I'm doing a mighty fine job. 

Moving forward, I'm dedicated to the idea of buying from artisans.  Whether it be a table or a t-shirt, I want to focus on buying goods that are made with love by someone who is passionate about their craft.  I also want to focus on buying local, which is something I try to always do already.  I like supporting local boutiques, restaurants, vendors at farmers markets, and artisans.  I'm passionate about helping unique small businesses succeed, and part of that is by using my purchasing power to make sure they do just that- succeed.  

After a long day of packing, my back is aching (I'm pathetic) and I'd like to settle into a comfortable pub for a couple rounds of drinks and cards.  In fact, I think that's exactly what I'm going to do.  Cheers!