Save the Date

Hello lovelies. It’s been a while since my last post, so if you’re still reading…THANKS! Way back in January, I promised myself that I would get better at this blogging thing. Or at least more consistent. But, alas, life gets in the way. In my case, it’s wedding planning. Remember back in August when I casually mentioned getting engaged? Of course, it’s all very exciting in the beginning, but we immediately decided to wait until February 2015 to enjoy a very long engagement. With grad school, home renovations, and running a store, waiting seemed like a necessity. That all changed a few months ago thanks to my mom. Out of the blue, she asked why we were waiting so long. I reiterated all of the “busy” excuses, but it was too late. She had already planted the seed. I ruminated about it for several weeks and after a fateful weekend in Seattle, we found a perfect venue and the date was set! We are getting married in just 232 short days on February 1, 2014 (our 7 year anniversary)!

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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.  

It's Election Day

Happy Election Day!! Or, for half of the country, it will be a not so happy election day. Well, whichever political side you fall on, why not celebrate voting with these adorable cupcakes! These delightful confections are created by the ladies over at Georgetown Cupcake. Don't forget to vote!

Julia's Picks: It's a J. Crew Birthday

So, last week I bid adieu to my early 20’s and now I’m staring down the barrel, looking towards the 30 end of this decade. The days of pulling all-nighters in college and surviving on junk food are long gone and have been replaced with a desperate need for eight hours of sleep a night and cravings for healthy meals. Not that I’m complaining. So far, 25 if treating me pretty great! I’m opening a storefront, having a blast renovating my house, and oh yeah, I got engaged! More on that later.

Thanks to my awesome soon to be Mother-in-Law who understands my J. Crew obsession, I picked up some great pieces this week to celebrate my birthday and kick start my Fall wardrobe.

Schoolboy Blazer in Festival Blue $198 If I could afford it, I would have a Schoolboy Blazer in every color offered. Wool flannel is super lightweight and always gets that perfect sleeve-roll that looks casual, but perfectly polished. This new shade of blue will punch up my current selection of J. Crew blazers (I’ve always opted for neutrals).

Colorblock Stripe Tippi Sweater $95 I’ll be honest, I’ve accumulated more J. Crew sweaters than I can count. I just have a weakness for them.

Downtown Field Jacket $148 Every year I tell myself I should get a great lightweight jacket. The Fall weather in Seattle usually calls for a raincoat or hoodie, so I never felt the need to buy just a jacket (no matter how cute). Now that I’m living in Spokane, the weather is much drier and somewhat more reliable. And, of course, a jacket is much more sophisticated than a hoodie.

Excursion Quilted Herringbone Vest $138 Ok, this is probably my favorite of my J. Crew shopping trip. Unlike other puffers, this one is thin and lightweight! I don’t feel like a marshmallow puff when I put it on, and the print is super chic. I’m so excited for the temps to drop, so I can wear this with my J. Crew Pixie pants, riding boots, and a chunky gold necklace.

Julia's Picks: Tattered Tapestry Journal by Grain Design

Months and months ago, I came across this charming journal at Anthropologie.  The second I saw it, I imagined taking it along on a great European vacation. I placed it in my online shopping cart, unable to stomach the steep price tag. Earlier this week, I discovered it was ON SALE, so I hastily placed my order without hesitation. It just arrived and it’s even better than it looks online!

Despite many attempts, I’ve never been patient enough to sit down and journal. I’m definitely more of a list maker than writer. I love the idea of filling the pages with inspiring snapshots, ticket stubs, restaurant receipts, etc. Someday I hope to fill shelves with travel journals like this, but until then, I’ll be daydreaming of roaming around Venice with this one!

Note: Since Anthropologie put this item on sale, it quickly sold out. I must have snatched up one of the last ones!

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No More Katniss Braid…

It’s been over a week since I sat down in the chair and told Matt, my hair stylist, to cut it all off. Now, when I say “all” I’m being slightly dramatic. It’s not like I got a pixie cut or anything, but for those of us who have had a long wall of hair to hide behind, losing 12 inches seems unfathomable. I made the decision months ago that I needed a change. I’ve had essentially the same long hair since elementary school. Aside from an ill-fated attempt at bangs a couple of years ago, I’ve never wanted to change it. My long, flowing tresses have always been one of the few physical attributes I actually take pride in. A coworker once commented that I had “Disney princess” hair…a thought that still makes me smile. With all the changes in my life over the last year, it only seemed natural to do something drastic.

Here’s how the process went:

Step 1: Tell everyone that I was going to donate it. There’s no going back once you’ve made people think you’re so selfless…

Step 2: Freak out about the details. I went online to read about the donation process: 10 inch minimum??? Send it in yourself??? Does that mean I have to carry my hair around in my purse while I look for a mailbox? Ok, I’m having second thoughts now.

Step 3: Have someone else drive me to the salon. I can’t be trusted to make it there on my own.

Step 3 1/2: Start to have a panic attack in the car. Being on the verge of tears over something that grows back might seem silly to some people, but nevertheless, that’s how I was feeling.

Step 4: Cut it off! After assuring me that I wouldn’t have to tote my hair around all day in my purse, Matt made the first cut. Instead of crying, I actually felt ok seeing the copious amounts of hair falling to the floor.

Step 5: Embrace the change. It’s taking some getting used to, but letting go of my safety blanket of hair has felt good…and so did donating it.  

Even though I feel a little bit braver, I must lament the fact that I can’t braid my hair anymore! I guess that means I can’t be Katniss for Halloween this year…  

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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!  

Hello!

Welcome to my (very long overdue) first blog post! I’ve been talking about writing a blog for years now. Why now, you ask?? I guess I finally have something to say.

A little bit about me:

For most of my life, I wanted to go to law school. I went to college with a very specific “life plan.” Well, we all know how that always works out. It never crossed my mind that I would find something more interesting.  I worked two jobs throughout college, and while I studied a lot of American History and Political Science, I really fell in love with fashion, interior design, and business. A couple of years after college, I was recruited to a small, family operated Seattle area toy and baby boutique. After years of designing kids' rooms, nurseries, and dressing parents and their offspring, I finally got the chance to see how to run the business side firsthand. During the late Fall of 2010, I began conceptualizing French Toast (my own children's boutique). After many long conversations, I finally convinced my other (sometimes better) half to pack up our lives in Seattle and move back to our hometown in order to follow the dream of owning my own business. Last Fall, we bought a house to renovate, I started my business online while I search for the perfect retail space, and we both started grad school!

So, what’s my blog about?

In short, things I'm passionate about: my business, party planning, fashion, interior design, and anything for kids!! I hope you'll keep reading, find a little inspiration, and keep in touch!