Valentine's Cards by Rifle Paper Co.

Happy Valentine’s Day!! I’m so in love with these awesome cards from Rifle Paper Co. They are one of my favorite things in the store!

Time to Pack up the Tree

With 2012 officially behind us, it’s time to pack up what’s left of the holiday season. My mom and I spent days packing up the holiday decorations in the store and throwing together our new display window. As we struggled to spray paint MDF letters reading “THE REALLY BIG SALE” in twenty degree weather, it finally hit me that we survived our first holiday season in our own store. Sure, we’ve had an online store for a bit, but it feels much more real now. This didn’t happen overnight. I spent nearly two years planning, researching, and being told no before I finally got the brick-and-mortar store off the ground. From the moment we signed the lease back in late August, there hasn’t been a second to reflect on the magnitude of what we’ve been doing. I’m immensely proud of the business we are building, but with the last few days to reflect and look forward, the fear has finally started to set in.

This is my first post-holiday season that I haven’t worked for a corporate retailer, so I don’t really know what to expect. All I know is that it’s that weird, in-between time of the year when the sale shoppers come out and customer loyalty goes away for a month or two. Those of you who have worked in corporate retail know what I’m talking about…the “sale shopper.” You know, those people who would never set foot in the store on a normal day, who venture out in the frigid winter months with one thing in mind: steals and deals. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good deal as much as the next person, but the “sale shopper” takes it to a new level. I’ve had customers try to haggle over blazers, barter beds, and my favorite, the ones who intentionally damage items to get a deeper discount. Yes, people actually do this.

I’m not really afraid that anyone would do these things in my store. It’s more a fear that I don’t know what the next year will bring. Working for someone else, I generally knew what to expect every day. I could merchandise a room or count a till in my sleep, but it feels different now. Owning a business is hard. There, I said it. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t help but think about one of the more poignant episodes of Gilmore Girls (one of my favorite shows). When Lorelei is struggling to open the Inn, she vents to Luke about her business woes and asks him how long it took before he started having fun at his Diner. His response: “about a year.” Well, I am having fun, but I totally get what he meant. There’s a feeling of ease that comes when you are having fun…and I’m not there yet. I guess I’ll revisit this topic in 41 weeks when we mark our one year anniversary, but in the meantime, I’ll get back to packing away the ornaments at the store and (maybe) get started on the ones at home.  

Open for Business

Its official…we are open for business! Last Saturday, we opened our doors for the first time, inviting friends and family to be our first shoppers and boy, did they deliver! Thanks to everyone who helped make our first weekend a huge success. The night before, we literally had no product on the shelves and nothing scanned into the POS system. It was a lot of work, but luckily, I have an amazing fiancé. Even though he once proclaimed that this project was “my thing” and didn’t want to be involved, he spent the night scanning in merchandise while I frantically created window displays and placed items on shelves. We have a long way to go, but it turned out pretty cute! Above is a picture of the main room. More to come!

If you don't live in the Spokane area, visit us online. We ship anywhere!!

Dwell Well

With the store opening in just six days, I am in full on panic mode. As it turns out, you can’t just go get a crib mattress anywhere in this city. Unless, of course, you want to sacrifice complete quality and standards (yes, I am a baby gear snob), or wait two weeks and pay for shipping. Since we won’t be selling crib mattresses in the store until next year, I was left with the task of finding a high quality, plush looking crib mattress to display some of the beautiful Dwell Studio bedding we have in store. Of course, I avoided this detail until the last possible minute and now I’m left with my fingers crossed hoping that it will arrive by Friday. Oh well, I guess I’ll just add it to the ever growing list I’ve titled “things I never dreamed I needed to know, but now I do.” In the meantime, please enjoy the first look at Dwell Studio bedding we have in stock now. Pictures of the store coming soon!!

Say Anything...

Alphabet bunting is here in the store!! Yes, it's been a while since I've posted, but I have a good excuse...the store is opening October 20th. We have been working nonstop painting, building, and unwrapping AMAZING products. One of my faves is this fabric bunting from Meri Meri. If you frequent Pinterest and Etsy, then you know that bunting is very much "a thing." For those of us who aren't super crafty, or if you can't find the time to make your own, Meri Meri has created this beautiful fabric bunting. You can customize your own banner! Whether it's "Happy Birthday," "Merry Christmas," or your child's name, these gorgeous fabric banners elevate any space or celebration. Personally, I love to tie them on gifts for an extra special touch! Check out the video below for some quick inspiration. Music - 'Humans' by Rozi Plain - www.roziplain.co.uk

1500th Pin!!!

Well, I’ve officially hit my 1500^th pin. I first saw these photos on an event planning blog last year. I had just decided to name my shop “French Toast” and was absolutely delighted when I happened upon these shots styled by Frilly Milly Events. We are planning a pre-grand opening event for friends and family, and I think these bite-sized portions are pretty perfect!!

(Lauren Blair Photography)

Coming Soon...

It’s official. After a year and half of planning, we are opening the first brick-and-mortar location of French Toast! For those of you in the Spokane area, we will be located at Steam Plant Square, right across from the restaurant. Be sure to visit this October when we open our doors, and for those of you who aren’t near us, check here often. We are getting great new items every day!

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WFT?! Why French Toast?

No, that’s not a typo. And no, it doesn’t stand for some salacious acronym. From time to time, I get asked why I named may shop French Toast. I suppose it’s an odd name for a children’s store. Perhaps some generic name like “Baby Boutique” or “A Child’s enter generic item here,” or even “Once Upon a Time” would sit better with everyone. Why don’t I like names like this? Because they are a dime a dozen! Completely forgettable.

Right around the time I started thinking I could open my own shop, I was introduced to an amazing toy company called Moulin Roty. Based in France, this company makes charming toys and décor for young children. There’s a quality in their products that I can only describe as magical. So magical in fact, that it helped spark the idea of the “French” theme for my own store. I started running through all sorts of French words/phrases on Google translator. Finally, someone asked me what is my favorite thing that is French? The first thing that popped into my head was French Toast!  

While I was madly researching all of my favorite children’s products, and obsessing over the name French Toast (which I kept secret for MONTHS!), I attended a production of Cinderella with one of my closest friends, Emily and her lovely parents. As we were watching the production (which I like to call the Brandy and Whitney Houston version), I couldn’t help but think about the opening lines. The opening dialogue explains that the story of Cinderella has been told throughout time in every kingdom and country in the world. While that may be true, the most popular version we know was written by Charles Perrault. Perrault (who is a French literary icon) practically invented fairy tales. This got me thinking, all of my favorite fairy tales are rooted in French culture. Perrault not only penned Cinderella, but also Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, and Puss in Boots. Thanks to Disney, we all know that Beauty and the Beast originated in France. Some of my favorite contemporary children’s stories are set in France: Madeline, Anatole, Le Petit Prince, Babar. Even Eloise took a break from the Plaza to go to Paris!

So, now that you’ve made it to the end of this verbose blog post, you now know a little more about the French Toast story. For more French inspiration, check out my upcoming series French Toast, where I’ll post some of my favorite things inspired by my favorite stories!