Hopes, Dreams and Vintage Easter Printables

posted in: A Day In The Life, Holiday Decorating | 2

Hi All,

I am sitting on my couch writing to you utterly exhausted. Today’s post is going to be short and sweet. Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and last week I was hit hard by one of those pesky things. A friend of mine owns a little shop just around the corner a bit in the seaside town of Emerald Isle, NC. It’s called The Funky Chicken. She had a falling out with her business partner,  and invited me to share the shop and some of the expenses with her. This opportunity came completely unexpected and threw me for a loop.

If you have been reading my blog for a while you may know that I have already been down this road. In 2006, with the help of my husband I began my business with the opening of a VERY small gift shop in the historic downtown district near my home. My dreams were big and my hopes were high.

Lisa's Craftique Boutique 2006

It proved to be a tricky location and I struggled with it for eight months. I closed the doors and moved into a bigger (and more expensive) place a few months later.

lisa's creative designs cedar point

With a much higher rent and a crumbling economy I continued to struggle. I had some really good days and many many difficult days. I had many pity parties for myself as I watched the bills pile up. In 2009, heartbroken, I threw in the towel and closed the doors on my dream once again. I went back to school to become an interior decorator and hopped around  to a couple of consignment shops, to an antique mall and then to just working from home, focusing on my website and online presence. That is where I was a week ago.

Then the call came. After mulling it over for a while I accepted, with hesitation. Did I really want to do this again? Set myself up for possible  disappointment again? Do I want to make the sacrifices that goes along with it? Yes. I am sure my husband would like to have me fitted for a straight jacket. The truth is, I miss having a retail space. I miss meeting my customers and getting to know them. You just don’t get the same feedback when you hide behind a computer. This opportunity is just too good to pass up. The rent is very reasonable, almost unbelievable. If I stayed away out of fear I would spend the rest of my life wondering if things would have worked out this time. I have been all over the place with this decision. One minute I am happy and so excited and the next, I am haunted by memories of days with no customers or sales and I am freaking out. I am walking into this new venture with my eyes wide and will take it one day at a time.

So, I have been scrambling around for the past few days dragging in my “stuff” and setting up shop.

Here is a picture of what it looked like as of yesterday….

the funky chicken before

As you can see it’s  a bit of a mess. There is a huge St. Patrick’s Day festival this weekend so the pressure is on to get the shop open again in time for the big day. Keep your fingers crossed for me! If you happen to be visiting the area this Saturday stop by and say “Hi.”

With all of this going on, everything at home has come to a screeching halt. I was planning my Spring/Easter Tablescape and was hoping it would be finished so I could share pics with you today. Hopefully I will have it completed by next week. So, with Easter and Spring just around the corner I thought I  would share some of my favorite Vintage Easter Images with you. Feel free to save them, print them and “get your craft groove on”.

Vintage Victorian Easter Bunny Card

vintage victorian easter card

vintage easter chicks card

vintage easter card

Well, that’s all for today blog friends.

See you next week!

~Lisa

 

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2 Responses

  1. Shirley Moody

    I was SO impressed by your new location, Lisa! The Festival brought us (my two granddaughters and husband) into your Funky Chicken store. Hope that all locals and visitors will stop in and support you as our local talent!!

    • Lisa Hogan

      Thanks so much Shirley! We are hoping it will be a busy summer and folks will dance right into the Funky Chicken and do some shopping! Bring in some of your creations. We have plenty of room and will be taking some exceptional work on consignment 🙂

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