A compulsion.

This may go against every rule for becoming a serious blogger, but I CANNOT for the life of me stop re-reading my old posts and making edits. Sometimes it's grammar or blatant typos, but other times it's just because I feel like I sounded too lame, or too desperate, or just annoying. I solemnly vow to severely curb this habit starting now. Unless I sound lame, desperate...or worse.

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Netwerk.

Joined Networked Blogs, just testing everything out. Here's a picture to make up for my complete lack of creativity at the moment:

If that doesn't work...

Looking for friends, and finding space.

A couple a big things for me:
1. I FINALLY sent a letter out to my would-be industry mentor/buddy/sounding board. I searched long and hard for my boutique soul-sista, so now I'm patiently waiting for proof that my salmon-colored envelop made its way to NYC.

2. I think I found showroom space! It's gorgeous...and small...but if I've learned anything from the last 5 years, it's how to adapt to small spaces and make them work for you. I've already been collecting inspiration:


Via The Decorologist



Via Kelly Wearstler

Via Johnathon Adler

Via Decorpad


 Apparently whatever I end up doing for decor, it will be monochromatic...

Twenty-seven.

Is how old I will be this month. It's also approaching our second wedding anniversary, and the anniversary of when I was here:

Bliss. Oh, and the marriage has been great too.

Not much movement on the business front as of late, but my prowess as an internet stalker (in the most harmless way possible) may have finally paid off. More to come!

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Designers where art thou.

One of the most challenging things I have encountered (so far) in this whole process, is determining how to best go about approaching designers for the wholesale gowns I need to build my inventory. Since I don't have physical store space (more on this later), I'm wondering how large of a deterrent that may be. Do designers want to review my business plan or do the majority of them not care as long as you can pay up front? Maybe I should just fall to my backup plan of wandering aimlessly around New York and begging for someone to point me in the right direction...no? Another big question I have to get answered is if certain designers will give exclusivity to certain shops in certain states. For example, a big part of my plan lies in the fact that I will need to feature gowns that are not available in any (or many) other bridal boutiques in the state. Since I think I have a bit of a more unique design aesthetic than some of my cohorts, I could potentially work with different designs that haven't been sold into the shops here. If this blog does absolutely nothing for me, it certainly is comforting to have your most pressing questions randomly thrown out into cyber space.

On a more random note, I'm in love. Warning: I say this at least 4 times a day. It can be anything from a new color of nail polish to a glossy shot of James Franco in People. However, this time, it refers to a house. Matt and I putzed along the 2011 Parade of Homes and I found my future in APPLE VALLEY! You may not think that I have much love for the burbs given my chosen corporate moniker - but it's quite the opposite. Matt and I aren't too far out from hopefully starting a family, and I will be honest, nothing would please me more than to be able to chase little ones around a home/yard that could extend beyond a 6 ft. radius. But for now, my mind, body and soul belong to MPLS.

Can't you just smell the Volvos? Sigh. The glowing edge of this photo is making me feel warm and fuzzy all over again...

From the ground up.

Sharing an 800 square ft., albeit charming, home with a husband and a dog is starting to lose it's appeal. Quickly. I am beginning to understand that I am going to need to carve out some space of my own so that I can focus on the task at hand - after all, it's only my dream and impending future happiness, right? No big deal. Unfortunately inside our Longfellow bungalow, there is nothing left for me to carve. This leaves me to join the coffee house work force. Starbucks has to be my favorite coffee, but what about supporting my fellow Minnesotan conglomerate Caribou Coffee? There's the new Peace Coffee down the street, which just would seem wrong to overlook - as well as numerous other local gems. Good thing I am nearing my goal of taking my coffee black, or I might drink my way into debt before I even take out the loan. Thankfully, blogging is best done at home. With the dog and the husband close by.


This is normal.