If You Give a Mom a Holiday ... She will Host SANTA'S WORKSHOP

Well on our first day of Santa's Workshop we had 2 families.  One family are friends of mine, but I love having people I know in the shop ... they know me and know what I do so well, it is great for the support!

Little down again today, I know it is the holidays, but while another local birthday planning spot closed it's doors only having been open just a bit longer than us ... another one is expanding to a 2nd location.  OK, so where are all the people that need parties?  I'm telling you I feel for kids whose birthdays are in December ... what a rip off for them!  Got news that the package we offered at a local Trivia night didn't even raise $1.  But a couple other area business didn't either.  It seemed if we didn't offer some hard and fast retail (or liquor) no one considered us.  I learned a lesson for this, next time I will take more than 1/2 off and make the certificate plain and simple.  I do need some kind of set up to draw people though.  Maybe I need a miniature depicting a kid's party setting.  I know where I can get the miniatures, but then will I be sent business?  Just joking I will use her.  I think I will walk down there now to check her out!

It also seems people really like the idea but again, no bookings.  I just wonder if I am exerting my efforts in this wisely OR should I focus more on my PT job.  A wise friend, who also has a business here said that maybe I have this part time job (as well as Allan's short term temp job) to tide us over until we get business up and running.  So I am not giving up yet.  But I had hoped for at least 1 party ... 

Anybody want a 1 time discounted party ... to help out.  This does not have to be a birthday, but could also be a Christmas party for your child.

We are also going to bump up the advertising.  Our store sign is too small and we need a bigger banner for outside as well as the other window we are using to advertise in the mall.  More money invested in hopes it pays off.

So that is where we stand now.  I am sorry I have nothing new to report and that I am a bit down about it.  But maybe I will look back on this when business is soaring and remember how it used to be.  If I could only bake in this place, I'd be making some dough (literally and figuratively).

The Jolly Man's Helper,
Janet

If You Give a Mom a Grand Opening ...

...she would have hoped to have had some bookings ...

Well, we talked to a few people - even gave out 12 of 48 cupcakes (anyone need 23 cupcakes ... like tomorrow?) ... even entertained a few kids while parents looked at info ... but alas, no bookings.

I got sick yesterday so Allan had to run the show alone.  He did great ... even talked to a few people.  But we were late opening the shop due to my getting sick and I guess we missed a lot of people.  Oh, well ... you win some you lose some.

I did get a little depressed today.  I see shops that just have opened (and one who hasn't even opened) getting business and I wonder ... did I chose the wrong thing to sell.  People seem interested, but no one is booking anything.  Either we just missed their birthdays or the ones they have are in the spring.  Doesn't anyone have a birthday to celebrate here before Christmas?

I am going to go in this week and start making pinatas ... maybe show people I am creative ... as if the design of my shop wasn't proof enough!

I sure hope that things start to pick up or I might have to say bye bye to this expensive endeavor ... Sure hope I didn't waste $13 grand on this ... and all that renovation we did ... If I wasn't meant to do this ... I sure wish God had closed some doors before we went into this debt.

Sorry if this is not the blog post you were hoping for ... just keeping it real.  At least my day job seems to be picking up ... I got a taste of it today and will get more of a taste on Wed and again on Thurs.  So I guess I can rely on that ... for a while.

Just Janet

If You Give a Mom some Ribbon ... She'll Make FANCY THAT Headbands

I saw an idea on a website and thought ... I can do that ... even personalize them for the little girl that wants it.  So I went to Michaels and bought a whole lot of ribbon and then stopped off at Walgreens for the headbands.  Then proceeded to come home and make about 7 headbands and 3 ponytail holders that are seasonal in design.  I have posted pictures here on the home page, but if you are interested in seeing more of them, check out my FB page under the FANCY THAT Headbands Album (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2063128&id=1123486099&saved).  I even got my youngest to model for me ... they really are cuter in person, but V did an excellent job showing how some of them look in a little girl's hair.

I you like what you see and are interested in any I have made, let me know.  If you want different ones made or even sets of them, I can do that also.

Right now the headbands are $5 and the ponytail holders are $3.  They make great gifts or even just a little extra to dress up that little outfit for the holiday.

Having Fun and Making Memories,

Janet

If You Give a Mom a Season ... She will make an Event of it!

Normally in our household we have not been known to celebrate Halloween.  Being it is a celebration of the dead and most decor is quite ghastly in nature, it really puts a damper on fun and celebration.  It also usually gives the flowergals nightmares just looking around the neighborhood at the tombstones, bodies hanging from trees and arms reaching from "beneath the ground".  However, this year I am part of a bigger picture with a location in a mall, so therefore, I succumbed to the pressure and If You Give a Kid a Party celebrated with trick or treating and a FALLoween Festivity.  


All this came about because Crestwood Court ARTSPACE, with the lead from Bread and Honey, decided to celebrate a few days before with a Zombie Mall Walk.  That came about from a news report by Fox 2 stating that Crestwood Court was now a "zombie mall".  Therefore the organizers thought a couple times about the comments and decided to "show them".  Quite a bit of media coverage came from the event and also brought out the droves of small trick or treaters from 4:00 to a bit after 6:30 and then the zombies made their descent on the mall around 6:00 until midnight.  Both events brought in around 100 people each.  Reports of past Trick or Treating events seemed to only bring in less then 30 people, so both Bread and Honey and If You Give a Kid a Party, who took up organizing the T or T event, were very pleased with the turn outs.


Most of us felt the size of crowds we experienced were due to the fact we offered another safe event for people to attend that was NOT ON HALLOWEEN.  So we will see how next year's event will be attended.


Channel 2 decided they wanted to investigate the Zombie event, so zombies descended upon the Fox 2 news station a few days before.  The word got out and the zombies heard the call.  One reason the event was so well attended.  The Crestwood/Kirkwood times also covered the event with a story in the paper as well as pictures.


Show Me St. Louis showed up early the day of the event and pictures were taken as well as interviews.  Most shops were open and from that it helped get the mall another shot at an interview in the near future.  Crestwood is not as dead as was first reported.  The Show Me St. Louis segment is to show within the next few weeks.  We will see if Allan (my husband) will be as much of a draw to the interviewer as he was on Fox 2 with Tim Ezell.


So far our first event, we had a nice turn out.  Not as many people paid to do Falloween Crafts, but there is always next time.  I got to talk to a few people regarding the business, and several have birthdays before the end of the year.  So here is to praying some business starts popping in for a chance to help us make a memory (and some money).


This week we are getting ready for the Artstravaganza that will be happening at Crestwood Court ARTSPACE this weekend ... we are teaming up to have our Grand Opening the same time.   Seems like a good idea since the mall will be a buzz with people looking for interesting things to buy.

So until next week, I think I will go play like a kid and plan more crafting ideas for the event.  If you want to come check us out ... come Friday from 5-7, Saturday 11-7 or Sunday 1-4 ... enjoy some cake, punch and a fall craft or two.  It's gonna be another great memory made!


Janet