it's starting to feel like home

today was my first full day working in the new space. i wasn't open for business, but wanted to be in the space to get a feel for what worked and what didn't in actuality compared to the "vision" i've had in my head. one lesson learned: the many windows that make me love the space also provide QUITE a bit of light in the morning. blinds will be installed shortly. here are some quick shots of the space in its infancy; the "before" shots if you will. i'm still waiting on some key pieces and finishing touches but for now it's a good start.

counter/checkout area

display board and greeting card corral

it's ok

when you're feeling overwhelmed/overworked/over whatever, remember...

it's what i like to call "organized chaos"

whew, the last few days have been a whirlwind of phone calls, research (who knew there were so many credit card terminals out there?) and order placing. even though the to-do list seems to get longer instead of shorter, i can see the progress being made.

while i did cave and make one of my first spreadsheets ever, my ordering style is still old-school (see below). on the left is said spreadsheet, and on the right are some of the orders coming our way. it's true, they're written on little pieces of paper; once written, they were cut out and then arranged and edited to create a fun mix of goodies. in case you're wondering, yes, i'm slightly type A.

and my trusty tape measure is never far these days in my constant quest for shop furnishings.

happy weekend everyone!

drumroll please...

big news, people. good press has found a home! we will be shacking up with our dear friends at SUSTAIN, inc beginning tuesday, november 9th. so not only will there be a go-to place for your custom printing needs (the holidays are right around the corner) and note cards, wrapping paper and desk necessities, but while there you can also peruse all of the eco-awesomeness that SUSTAIN has to offer.

good press + SUSTAIN are located in the mainstreet market, next to feast, calvino coffee and orzo, to name a few, right on main street. and the best news of all: PARKING. LOTS OF IT.

oh the good news is endless and will be forthcoming in the coming days. in the meantime, i'm a busy bee writing orders, getting credit card machines and outfitting the space to be top notch and fun to be in. stay tuned and thanks for your love, patience and patronage this past year.

summer fever

(this was the best i could find. from the hook)

sorry to be so delinquent on the blogging, i've had a serious case of summer fever the last couple weeks. seem's like the hook was feeling the same way. imagine my delight when i picked up this week's issue, and it turned out to be a guy'd of cville in the summer, aka, what to do in charlottesville over the summer from the male perspective. oh, how i love a good pun. but my favorite part was seeing people i know involved, from friends on the cover and inside to a friend behind the photography of the story, which to me is the fun part of living in a small town.

collections

i happened upon an old vanity fair the other day and read an article about the late, great john hughes. within the article was this picture of a selection of his notebook collection, of which it's thought that he has at least 300, all either full or partially full of notes, sketches and general thoughts on life. i can relate; i have a similar collection. in addition to the notebooks, i looked around and realized that i also collect calendars. at the moment, my tiny little living space boasts four different wall calendars! FOUR! and this doesn't include my trusty planner, which i can't live without. despite my love and affection for the iphone, i just can't commit to the ical. seems too impersonal to me and not nearly as trustworthy as my planner. like hughes' notebooks which we can now look back on as a chronicle of his life, i feel the same way about calendars and planners: they act as storyteller for a certain period of your life. which is something you can't do as easily with the ole ical.

sunny on the inside

it's pretty dreary here in virginia so i've got she & him's volume two on repeat while i work. it's a cheery album that makes me think of sunny california on a day like today.

(image by sam jones via she & him's website)