Obsessions are fleeting.

UPDATE:
Drove out to said "dream neighborhood". Utterly disappointed. Maybe I'll always remain a city girl at heart. I have yet to experience a suburban neighborhood that speaks to me like Minneapolis - just wish they grew 'em a little bigger here. Don't worry, I'll find something equally obnoxious to gush about soon.

On the business front, things have been going surprisingly well (is it bad to say that your dream is going surprisingly well?!?). So well  in fact, that I feel like I'm afraid to speak of it. I'll give a big(ger) update here when things are solidified. I'm feeling more superstitious than ususal these days, and I think I'll run with it since it seems to have been working out so far. I will end on this note for today: People continue to amaze me with their continued support of The Bridal Party - don't think I'll forget about you when I've sold my business model and am living on franchisee fees! Muah ha ha ha. Is ending a post on evil laughter bad luck?

Obsession + Accessories.

If you know me well, or really are just a casual acquaintance, you'll discover that I tend to obsess about things. For the last year or so it has been The Bridal Party, but there have been a few things that have been floating around on the perimeter as well. I think I've mentioned my desire to move, but now it's moved well beyond a desire. I don't think it's necessarily for a change in location, mainly just a change in furniture and paint colors. I've zeroed in on this adorable suburban neighborhood, and now I feel like our lives will not be complete unless I live within the charming constraints of Savannah Valley. I spent all day - literally all day - online looking at houses and making a dream shopping cart on PotteryBarn.com. I feel deliriously happy and sick at the same time.

While I was day dreaming about furniture arrangements, I stumbled upon the most charming blog - which according to Pinterest, I am definitely not the first to discover Young House Love (pictures from their blog are all over that thing). They tell you everything from how to make a chandelier out of clothes pins to pointing out the perfect paint brush for trim. It was a great day-waster and I highly recommend taking a look: http://www.younghouselove.com/

I did spend time working today - I blocked out a few solid hours devoted to perusing Etsy for local bridal jewelry designers/accessory designers. I am still amazed at the talent I find on almost a daily basis here in MPLS. Maybe it's the months couped up inside the breed such insane creativity. Excited to hear if anyone I reached out to is interested in a little collab. I plan on using this blog as the vehicle for keeping my clients up to date on what designers I'm featuring and what's in the spotlight each month, so be sure to keep this page bookmarked with TBP gets up and running.

New York, etc.

So many updates...

I'm sitting in my hotel room in downtown LA, and I have to say, I really find this city inspirational. It's everything that you see in the movies: Lights, glitter, fame, fortune - it's all here. I need times like this to really reflect on what's happening in my life and what my ultimate objectives are. Things with The Bridal Party have actually been pretty fantastic lately - everything's been happening extremely fast, which is part of the reason why I haven't posted since August. Here's the scoop:


New York Bridal Market Week:
I was there. It was glorious and utterly overwhelming at the same time. I loved every second of it. The city, the fashion, the people - I'm still in awe that I actually can put a check next to that item on my list. Every objective I had for the show was met, and I managed to have a little fun at the same time. More to come on designers The Bridal Party will be featuring soon - you won't be disappointed!

Inside Pier 92/94 at New York International Bridal Week

Money:

At this point in time I'm more on the side of "the root of all evil" than "can make anything happen". I've been fortunate enough to have been put in touch with some great small business financial advisors, so I'm really hopping that I'll have more clarity on this front soon. My CFO (cough...my husband...cough) has been hitting the pavement hard for TBP these past coulple of months, and I couldn't be more grateful or in love. Mush.

Space:
Knock on wood here people. My dream show room space is still available!!! This is beyond exciting as I have decorated it and redecorated it about a million times in my heads. I would hate for all that hard work to go to waste at this point. I'm going to bring the CFO there in the next couple of weeks so he can tour the facilities. We'll see if his excitement can translate from dollars to decor...

Misc:
I have a website (domain) and an official company email address! So legit! I'll be sure to post with the website goes live.
www.thebridalpartymn.com
info@thebridalpartymn.com

Exciting times at The Bridal Party HQ!

THE BRIDAL PARTY.





It's true! Two City Bridal served its purpose, and now I must move on to bigger and better ideas. I've been thinking for some time that the name (although I still think it's adorable) didn't do my business plan enough justice. I am BEYOND excited for this next phase, and I cannot wait to see all that is to come. Be on the lookout for the new logo and blog design coming soon!

Cheers!
The Bridal Party

What's in a name?

While I'm waiting on some details to pan out, I've been nitpicking over EVERYTHING. Not even "Two City Bridal" is safe. I love the name for the nod to my turf, and I prefer "bridal" over "couture" or "weddings", or really anything else I've kicked around. If you're selling couture, then power to you, but I can't help always thinking back to (warning: RHWOC reference) the infamous "Couture by Alexis" disaster from the Real Housewives of Orange County. I was Googling TCB the other day (there's only one so far), but there is the Twin Cities Bridal organization which is eerily similar. It's an organization though, not a retailer...so am I safe? I want something personal to me, but fun and inviting for everyone. What's in a name?

Slump.

I am in a productivity slump. The financial aspect of this whole process has my head spinning, and I'm struggling to remember why I really want to continue down this road. The other complication is that I am now entertaining a new job prospect...that sounds really, really perfect.

Still planning on heading out to NYC. I think that couture will slap some sense into me.

No explanation needed.

So...I lied.

Remember that whole philosophy I had on taking it slow and testing out the waters in Chicago? It was a big, fat, lie. If Carrie Bradshaw taught me anything it's that New York is where dreams are made reality...or was that Jay Z? Either way, tickets are bought and the hotel room is booked-ish. New York Bridal Market Week 2011 is happening! Now the search begins for some help to point me in the right direction. Haven't had too much response from my industry cohorts, but I'm hoping that in the least this will provide me with a new angle for my Google search.

Weird...that is exactly what I am wearing!