Grand Opening Success

What an incredible day! I'm at a loss for words, really. Perfection. I couldn't have asked for a better Grand Opening for my lil' business. The kindness, generosity and support from so many people in my life, brought me to tears on more than one occasion today. Today's turnout was amazing and I was surrounded by people that believe in me. How wonderful is that? If it weren't for being absolutely exhausted and spent, I'd dance around a little. 

Here's a few memories from today...

A "sweet bar" was the choice of menu:

 (Yes, those are the red velvet cupcakes I posted about a few blogs ago.)

Needless, to say it was a huge hit!

Fresh flowers were in great supply...

The studio smelled amazing. I don't think I'll ever have to worry about that. Yummy sachet's in the dressers, coconut candles in the candelabra and fresh flowers. 

I think one of the most touching parts of my Grand Opening was the toasts. The kind and thoughtful words from friends, family and customers was so touching. My dear friend, Deanna, kicked it off with a very touching toast.

Toasting my Dainty Button team. 

I had a hard time deciding how to make the Grand Opening even more memorable and unique. So, my desk became my "guest book". Those sawhorses were perfect for what I had in mind. 

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Well, let me just say that I didn't cry. Ha! It was fun. A good friend of mine made sure protocol was followed, which to be honest, is not that fancy. But it was a very memorable moment in the event. Too bad my pictures didn't turn out more clear.

And last, but most certainly not least, the final touches on the studio...

This was my first idea when I started brainstorming my studio. A cute shabby table when guests first walked in with fresh flowers and business cards. 

My desk area. Perfection! I'm missing my incredible clock, my mom picked up for me, but it'll give me something to add this next week. The teacup idea was my mom's, as well.

My calendar

This Paris picture took us 45 minutes to hang. No lie. It's not being moved anywhere! The little picture below it is a cute ruffly material print, we put in the frame.

This would be the shipping/packaging table area. Those three boxes have my muslin hand stamped bags in two (depending on size) and the top has the ties, leaves and business cards. Cute and serves a purpose.

It was also used as merchandise space on the day's grand opening...

This happens to be my most favorite part of the studio. Everything about it. 

Again, space was used on the day of the Grand Opening.

The shabby chic buffet table. Remember the craiglist find?

The candelabra with the coconut candles. I chose blue to bring out the blue bids, as well as the fabric cabinet and china plates on the wall (in above picture).

Yesterday was an incredible day. I don't ever want to forget it. I saved this picture for the end because it holds a special place in my heart. Some of you that follow me, know me personally, some of you don't. And some, also know I'm a Christian. Minister's daughter, in fact. I believe in the power of prayer. My prayer throughout my business has been "This is Your's, Lord. You gave me every talent that I have.". I have always remembered to keep God the center of everything. It's hard to do, alot of times when your life is busy and the overwhelming need to see to each and every detail of a business. But, I've learned that if you "seek ye first", everything will wall into place. I credit every blessing and my fast growing success to the Maker of it all. Jesus. So, it was without question, that I would ask that my place of business be dedicated and blessed. My dad was going to do the honors, but he had a trip that he was unable to get out of. So, I asked the second individual that I strongly admire, respect and look up to. My church's pastor, Scott Benoit. It was a special moment and the sweet peace and presence of our Savior was felt by all.

And, with these parting words, I now must get myself ready for Sunday. Thank you for following along the excitement adventure of my studio makeover. It's been so much fun! I hope you enjoy it all and thank you, thank, thank you for your support of my business. Continue to follow along as great things happen at Dainty Button! To another great year ahead!

Charity @ Dainty Button

~ xoxo

Dainty Button Spring Line 2011

Spring! My most favorite season. What is it about Spring that makes everything seem so pretty? The colors, the beautiful weather. Well, to most. San Francisco can still be weird during Spring. Weird year round, to be honest. There's just something about this season that makes you feel fresh. I love it!

And so does Dainty Button! The Spring Line is here! Let me just say, that I have had the most fun with this collection. I know I say that about all of them, but I really think this one has been the most fun. The colors just pop out, the designs, the material. It's lovely.

I will be debuting and introducing this line at my grand opening tomorrow. My original idea was not to introduce it to the general public until February 1st, then I decided to make it exclusive to non-California residents on Saturday evening for a limited time, due to so many out of state clientele not being able to make the big day. But, as I've gone around idea after idea on how only non-California residents can purchase this, I come to a dead end. If I went this route, I could possibly create a monster. Etsy is a little tricky, at times. So, it looks like, EVERYBODY will be able to enjoy the Spring Line 2011!

This is a Pre-Sale! I will only have this collection listed on etsy from 7 PM to 9 PM (PST) Saturday evening, January 29th. The Spring Line will not be available again until February 1st. 

Perks of purchasing during the Pre-Sale versus 3 days later on February 1st:

1. You will receive it sooner.

2. There are a couple designs that will not be available on February 1st. They are limited editions.

3. Free shipping for orders over $50

You don't want to miss it! 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DaintyButton

Saturday, January 29th, 7-9 PM (PST)

Charity @ Dainty Button

~ xoxo

11th Hour

Why is it that you make a million "to do" lists, you start preparing weeks in advance, try and stay on top of things and the last 48-24 hours prior to an event or occasion, everything seems to go crazy? Welcome to my week. I mean, really. I've had every hour strategically orchestrated in preparing for Dainty Button's Grand Opening. I, somehow forgot to put in that hour when it all goes up in smoke. 

I have learned a very hard lesson this past year of beginning my own business that time really is important. My parent's always taught me "When you pray, ask God to help you be a wise steward of your money and your time.". Well, as a kid, you really don't care much about that. As a teenager, nah. As an adult, ha! You finally understand. Especially when you're running a business of your own. My week began great. By Monday afternoon, things were going smoothly, until...

My assistant's brother ended up in the ER, deathly sick and out of all of her 5 children, everyone of them needed her this week. Who am I to try and stand up against a mom and 5 children, right? So, Tuesday all hell broke loose. The panic attacks began, the stress started becoming overwhelming and I became a basket case. See, "worry" runs in my mom's family. Not this, "cautious, careful" thinking but worrying about EVERYTHING. And, unfortunately for me, I inherited this little trait. It's awful.

So, back to the "wise steward of your time and money" thing. I have learned that life is well, life. It's not always going to make sense, it's not always going to go perfectly. It's life. And there is really only so much you can control. And when you feel like it's spinning out of control, take it to the Lord. So, that's exactly what I did. I took this crazy week to Him. See, this past year, I have almost ended up in the hospital because of working myself to the point of physical exhaustion, not to mention mental. I have a very bad habit of taking on more than I can handle. Sure, it all seems like a great idea at the time, but really. We are only made to do so much. I have gone above, beyond and too far in some areas, this past year, as I've begun my lil' business. So, at the beginning of the year, I decided this year was going to be different. A year of "order". In my personal life and especially in my business. Sure, last year was a great and successful year, but organization is much needed, as well as simplifying things. So, Monday night after my very stressful day, I called in the troops. My mom. I nicely asked if she could come help me with some organization. I had already "gone through" everything but what I had in mind, was complete organization that would simplify my busy day to day schedule. Tuesday was an entire different ballgame. Not only did my mom come in to whip everything into shape, my brother, friend and sister came in and helped put shelves together, take loads of trash to the dumpster and load my car up with "goodbyes". My mom on the other hand...

I never intended on going with bins for my studio. I had "shabby chic" ideas about organizing things. The wall that these bins go on had nothing. It was a very boring, blah wall and the chance of it becoming something was very slim. My mom had the idea of the bins and to be honest, I was a little unsure about it at first. But, my mom is usually pretty good on suggesting ideas, so I went with it. I have to say, I'm not disappointed.

Looks pretty awesome, I have to say. This, my dear followers, is where all the creativity happens. Excuse the table mess. We were still sorting in bins when this was taken. Each bin has a label. This is perfect when processing orders, working on pieces. It's right in front of you. Even better? These bins are canvas and can be washed. In just a couple days time, this has made my life SO much easier. It's amazing what storage bins can do. 

Another lesson that I learned this week. Sacrifice. As a business owner and Dainty Button, obviously being my income, I jump at the chance for vending at events. Now, I don't go to just anything. Another lesson learned last year but that an entirely different blog. When I scheduled this week out, I had Ladies Landmark yesterday (Thursday), Grand Opening tomorrow and the east coast next week. Throw in out of town company, prepping for this weekend, working on the Spring Line and filling orders. Again, I go back to the fact that I take on too much. The surprising thing about this entire thing is I was actually ready for Ladies Landmark. I say this because when I commit to an event, trunk show, etc., I'm literally putting together pieces as we're walking out the door. This time, I was ready. Since Monday. Ha! 

The truth is, I was wrestling around with the idea of Ladies Landmark. I wanted to go, but I knew of everything that had to be done here, as well as company flying in on the same day. I decided a choice had to be made. I finally realized I couldn't do it all. I put my health first and decided that this weekend was my priority. That's what I've been praying for. To simplify and be a "wise steward of my time". This is a challenge. But I'm making progress and as I make progress, I see things go smoother, I have more time to just sit and breathe and I finally realize that there is a life outside of work. My cousin once posted something on FB that her husband had said that's so true and has stuck with me. Multi-tasking. Yes, it's great but when you commit to so much, you start spreading yourself very thin and the job is not completed at it's best ability, because you're doing so many different things, versus limiting yourself to what you know you can do and excelling at those. Which is better? 

So, the rest of the studio? It's getting there. When I say, "getting there", it's the last minute touches that seem to take forever. It's simple things. Like, hanging things on the wall, changing furniture knob fixtures, making sure everything is put together. I have to say, that I have the most amazing friends. They've really stepped in and helped me this week. I even had my out of town, guy friend, putting together leaves and ties for my packaging, last night. God blessed me tremendously when He chose my friends. So, today is the last day to get it all done. There's never enough time in the day and today could possibly be a good example of that. The list is endless. So, in your free time, whisper a quick prayer for me and I can't wait to let everybody see the final touch. Thanks for sharing all of this with me. It's been so much fun and exciting.

If you're in the area, I'd love for you to come by tomorrow and help celebrate my big day with me. If you're unable to attend, keep an eye out on details about tomorrow's Spring Line Pre-Sale on etsy. This is a limited 2 hour event. I will be blogging details later in the day. Happy Friday to you!

Charity @ Dainty Button

~xoxo

Home Stretch

Where do I actually begin with this post? Wow! The last week has been a whirlwind of events, productivity and success! Surprisingly, I'm sitting here typing this entry, not too tired. Considering my last 48 hours, I'm surprised I'm not passed out in a corner, with a paintbrush in my hand. All I've done is paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand. Did I mention paint and sand? I also have moved furniture around a million times and made countless trips to Home Depot. 4 trips, alone, yesterday. Let's just say, the Home Depot team knows me very well and I can now navigate my way around the place like a pro. The most incredible part about this whole process is, I'm actually on schedule with my projected timeline. This amazes me, considering that when I hoped to walk out the door last night, lights off, staring at a completed studio, minus the last minute touches, furniture knob changes, wall hangings, etc., this week, I was instead, staring at two very ugly tables, furniture that just didn't fit and dealing with a mom that came in with more constructive criticism that a person really cares to hear. There's really, only so much a person can take on that particular subject. Sad to say, she was right about it all.

I have to give alot of credit to a dear friend, Joya, for helping me complete the studio the past two days. One assistant is overloaded with school this week and the other had a family situation. So, my lovely friend stepped in and helped me knock it out. She broke my vintage lamp, though. Ha! She's still apologizing about it. Apparently, I didn't care that much for it, because I haven't even given it much thought. We began Friday morning, sanding furniture. Let me just say this. I don't ever want to see sandpaper again. Ever. My hands are in major need of therapy. It seriously tears your skin up. That stuff should be illegal. Anyways, back to the subject at hand. My assistant gave me a cabinet that was perfect for distressing and turning into a beautiful piece of shabby chic. I was going to paint it white, with a distressed shabby chic look. But, I changed my mind Thursday night and decided I needed a vintage blue piece of furniture. So, Friday we traipsed to Home Depot, bought the perfect shade of blue and painted the cabinet blue. Bad idea. When I began sanding it, the light oak didn't look good with the blue. So, I was back to square one. I decided to try something. I painted a square of it white, let it dry, painted over it blue, let that dry and then sanded. Genius!

Notice, I'm using an electric sander, by now. Thanks to a dear man in my church. God bless his heart! The cabinet couldn't have turned out better, in my opinion.

I was thrilled when she started shelving the bolts. 

Perfect! This setup no longer exists. We switched everything to the pink wall, which will be posted later in the week.

So, this darling little cabinet, unfortunately is not big enough to store all of my fabric. I have a cabinet at home I was using when I worked from home, but sadly, it's just not shabby chic. I didn't want to go buy another cabinet and search craigslist 506 times a day anymore, so I had to use my creativity. I guess I'm kinda good at that. Ha! When I purchased my shabby chic round table, it came with two chairs and a leaf. The table, with the leaf seats 8. With only two chairs. Haha! This cracks me up for some reason. Obviously, I wasn't going to use the leaf on the table (defeats the purpose), but it was this huge piece of shabby chic wood and I hated to see it just stored. Too big for a shelf, so I used it for a storage shelf, for the rest of my bolted fabric...

A painted, distressed sawhorse, fixed the problem and voila! 

I called my mom last night, as we were finishing up and wanted her to come by and take a look at everything, before we headed for dinner. Before I proceed with this little story, let me tell you followers, a little bit about my mom. She's very open minded, blunt, to the point and isn't afraid to tell you "you look ridiculous", if need be. This has saved me alot of embarrassment in life. She is the sweetest, most kind hearted individual I know, which makes her extraordinary, with her feisty little attitude. She's a jewel. That being said, she was not afraid to tell me what she thought, even if I hadn't asked her. She walked in the room and the first words out of her mouth were, "Those tables are disgusting. Why did you actually think they were shabby chic?", proceeded with alot of other "opinions" on what she thought. I was so upset. I had been working my butt off for the last week, especially the last two days and the only compliment she had given was the upholstered chairs were beautiful and she loved my desk. What nerve! The sad part about this whole thing. She was so right. The tables were horrible...

Yep, horrible. See, there is a very good excuse with these tables. The green I picked out was the worst choice. The first coat looked like this...

I'm cringing as I look at this. Yuck! I'm a big fan of green. One of my favorite colors, in fact, but this green will make you sick to your stomach. This was all a big mistake. Very big mistake. I tried to fix it (above picture) but it just wasn't happening. The "fix", honestly wouldn't have been bad in a different setting, but my mom was absolutely right. It clashed with everything else and was completely wrong. So, my dear friend and I (we even got a couple of the guys from church to come help), along with my mom, headed back to the studio this evening and fixed the problem...

There were two of these! It's amazing how much better I feel about these tables. 

And the end of my blog for tonight brings me to my most favorite piece in the entire studio. It's very hard to say favorite, because I love everything in there. I can truthfully say that, now that the ugly green monster tables are fixed. Remember the door? Well, one of my best friends, along with a couple of you followers, suggested a "desk". I loved the idea, but was a little baffled as to what kind of legs I would need to go with. My brother-in-law is great with this sort of thing, so I asked his opinion. We discussed some options and came up with this idea...

Sawhorses. I found these at Home Depot. We painted them that nasty green color, then went over them with white paint. It was super easy because the wood is raw and already distressed. Unfortunately, they were still a little short for a desk, so I had 2x8 cut down as a platform for the sawhorses. I say "I", because this was my idea and I happened to go to Home Depot and have this all done. Measured, cut, everything. I'm very proud about this little adventure. This was the outcome...

My desk

My brother-in-law was shocked when he saw this. I think he's very surprised, I made it, myself. I am too, to be  honest with you. It's so sturdy. This thing isn't going anywhere! And last, but not least, my lovely re-upholstered chairs that I did, myself, as well.

Re-upholstery may not seem that big of a deal to some, but for me, it was. I had no clue what I was doing, until I actually started doing it. 

I can happily say we're in the home stretch of this Grand Opening prep. I have never been as happy as I am, right now. To see this all come together, is amazing. I'm excited to post more later in the week, as the final touches are done, walls are complete and my search for the perfect vintage mirror for that pretty green dresser is complete. And until then, I have a few orders to get out tomorrow, a Spring Line to finish and Ladies Day Landmark to prepare for. 

Hope everybody's Monday is great and be sure and check in for the Grand Opening Giveaway Week beginning tomorrow morning!

Charity @ Dainty Button

~xoxo

Grand Opening Giveaway Week

Next week will hold alot of excitement, last minute "to do's", a little stress (ok, maybe alot) and GIVEAWAYS!

We're celebrating at Dainty Button! A first year of amazing success and more to come. So, let me give you the details on next week's festivities.

I will be introducing a giveaway each day, beginning Monday at 10 AM (PST) through Friday. This will be an easy giveaway and the cool thing about it (at least for me), is it's the same thing everyday. Each day, I will post a link Dainty Button's "Grand Opening" blog post. This post was published last week, I believe. All I want you to do is share it. That's it. 

The Rules...

1. You must share with at least 10 people each time the blog link is posted to facebook.

2. Come back and comment on the link that's posted that day that you shared. It can be worded any way you like. Only one comment per post, per day is allowed. 
4. Only one win per person.

3. Have fun!

Everyday at 7 PM (PST), I announce the lucky winner of the day. So, what's the giveaways? Here's what the daily giveaways are...

Monday, January 24th

Wicked Headband

Tuesday, January 25th

Lovey Pendant/Hair Clip Combo


Wednesday, January 26th 

Black Tie Affair Shoe Clips

Thursday, January 27th

Mod Molly Wrap


Friday, January 28th

Gypsy Rose




I can't wait to enjoy next week's giveaways and fun with you! Spread the word on this fun giveaway and good luck!


Charity @ Dainty Button


~ xoxo

Dream a Little

Accomplishment and productivity. Two things I am really experiencing this week. I am a procrastinator, by nature. I have the best intentions, but get easily sidetracked. So, when I planned on shutting my etsy shop down this week, hiding away in the studio, decorating, painting, catching up on orders, etc., I knew that maybe half of that would get done. I was wrong. So wrong. I don't know what person I have become this week, but I really like her! And I must thank my wonderful team, as well.

So much has been accomplished this week. I'm so, so excited about the grand opening. When I set out, brainstorming and thinking of how I wanted the Dainty Button Studio to look, I had a "mental picture". As it's coming together, it's so much more than my "mental picture". I've been buying decorations and furniture for over the past month and creating my ideas, blogging about them, posting them, blah, blah. This week, as I've picked up furniture and had it delivered, seen families in my church lending a helping hand, see my friends and family's support and sharing the excitement with me, I realize it's now more than just ideas and brainstorming. It's actually REAL. Working in a public job setting and for others, you appreciate your work environment, to a certain degree. You might complain about the choice of plants, the paint color, the music that plays on the radio, etc. The fun part about creating your own work environment is it's exactly how you want it. As everything is coming together wonderfully, I get a little emotional thinking that this is something that I've worked very hard at. It shows accomplishment and success. Something to be proud of. 

I can't believe that in a week's time, I'll be celebrating my lil' business' grand opening. I can't help but feel a little proud of myself. As my friends and others share success as they start marriages and families of their own, this is my success. I'm not at all knocking marriage or children. There's a special time and place for everybody, in that regard. For me, that time isn't here yet. And it's taken me awhile to come to terms with that. Starting this business this past year has brought me to peace with so many things in life and that God has a special plan for everybody. In His time. So, in the meantime, I'm living out my life and success, because it's His time and plan for my present (Lord knows, I won't have this kind of time when I have a family of my own) and I'm so happy to be able to share it with you. Enjoy the progress! More is coming...

Charity @ Dainty Button

~xoxo

Not completed just yet. But gives you a little idea. Loving the green against that pretty pink. All of the knobs will be replaced with faux crystal one's. My mom was upset that I took my dress form to my studio. She has become quite attached to it in her living room. Hmmm, maybe something to think about for her birthday or Mothers Day?

I sorted through my fabrics and separated them by prints and solids. 

Headbands. An endless supply of them...

That beautiful shabby white buffet table cabinet has been put to good use. Knits, wools and felts.

All of the large quantity fabric has been bolted. The cabinets where they'll be shelved are not complete yet, but they're all ready when they're finished. Thanks to some of my favorite fabric stores for giving me their recycled bolts.

It's still a work in progress and definitely not done yet. My desk, among other things still has to be complete but it sure looks better than the "before". I'm really excited to share my shipping and cutting tables and the accident that became one of the best features of the studio, along with the cabinets that are being painted tomorrow.

To be continued...