Thanks to all who read, commented, shared ideas about my Retail Reckoning email. Your interest and care are so appreciated!

I’m realizing that the first weeks of spring are my favorite of the season. Plants appearing, trees budding, their lime green color a tentative harbinger of things to come. It all feels so young and beautiful, it almost hurts. It’s kind of like being a parent–wanting to bottle those fleeting times of sweet delight with toddlers and preschoolers, knowing that it will keep changing as our children grow into themselves.

New things are happening at Heartfelt too. We have new window lettering, to help passersby figure out what/who we are, and to allow a clearer view of all we have to offer. We are adding  monthly Adult Makers Classes, on the last Thursday evening of each month. And we will be moving toys to the north wall of the main store, to give them more space and visibility. A little further down the road, we will add a shopping cart to our website, to allow customers to purchase gift cards and our proprietary line of craft kits. No, we won’t be putting the whole store online, just concentrating on products unique to Heartfelt, at least for now.

Here’s a funny story: Before the new window lettering went up, the old letters were removed and the window glass thoroughly cleaned. During this process, two different customers popped in, afraid we were closing. One said “I don’t know what kind of store you are but please don’t close!” I assured them we were not. But it was interesting to note that even someone who had never come in thought to comment (but not to patronize my business).  I think folks are a bit traumatized by the closings of Bibelot and Creative Kidstuff.

May can be the busiest month for parents with school-aged children. Come on by for a little respite when time allows–we are always happy to see you!

Lisa Signature New