Bloggiversary Giveaway WINNER!

Okay, post number two:(And, yes, I know that I said I would keep post number one short & sweet, and then commenced to ramble on. Sorry.)

Photo above shows me in San Francisco, reading my blog and your great ideas!

Your generous and kind comments are below, each followed by my responses:

Bacchus said...
I'm flattered that I was mentioned in your anniversary blog! Congratulations on one year! Hope there are many more to come.I'll be at SFIGF on Saturday. Hope to see you there. If you get a chance I recommend dinner at Catch or Andalu! While I love reading about merchandising in retail, I really do miss it, what about how to apply merchandising to the home as well. I also like hearing about resources, etc for merchandising.

Bacchus, I didn’t see you at the show. And I’m bummed. I was at a few parks in San Francisco over the past few days (Yerba Buena Gardens and one atop Nob Hill), and each time I saw daddies with their darling little boy babies, I thought of you - and wondered if it WAS you!

Okay, well, I can tell you that I do indeed plan to share more on using merchandising tips for home use! (You read my mind!) And since you are SO on the same wavelength as I am right now, YOU WIN!!!!! Yep, I’ll send you the book – so email me at debi@thedecodiva.com and give me your address, and I’ll get it off in the mail to you so you can drool over the pages! (That should take care of your ‘merchandising deficiency’ for awhile!)

Got that, everyone?
The WINNER is BACCHUS from San Francisco!

OK, more comments....

Saucy said...
I suppose, Deb, the only thing I can really say about wanting that book oh so desperately, is this:Living in Central Canada, we have no Pottery Barn. You can only imagine how this drives me wild. I just love traveling with my dh, and I always check to see if there is a PB where we are visiting, and then I map my way there so we can't miss it. He nicknamed me "Barney" for a bit! That said, I pack a tiny camera in my handbag and whip it out at every opportunity to take shots when I am IN THE STORE (yes, how utterly horrible of me, I know!) and I completely justify it by making purchases and going home to re-interpret the vingettes I've seen. However, I've been ushered out of an Anthropologie or two in my day due to this behaviour. Since I've engaged in such criminal acts, could you still reward me?

Woman, you crack me up! What a pitiful plea for sympathy. You Canuks will stop at nothing to get the most most value out of the American buck…. Okay, I’ll send you a book. A Pottery Barn Book. Just not THIS book. Stand by…..

(Saucy is a friend. A devious friend, at that. And be assured that I will demand some sort of blog-swap that will reward me for my generous sharing of my own Pottery Barn library just to make her happy and stop her from ruining her hubby's trips with PB detours.....)

Denise L. said...
Congratulations on your one year anniversary! I only recently discovered your blog and started reading it. Guess I have some back tracking to do to catch up.How about some shower ideas for weddings? I didn't see anything while I gave the categories a quick lookover.

Denise, thanks so much for visiting my blog! While I do occasionally share photos of my décor for private events, I am really really really trying NOT to go that route with my business! I love doing corporate events, especially in the wine industry. But private events are just not where my heart is. So, you won’t see very many ideas relating to wedding showers here. I can, however, suggest that you check out the blogs & web sites of famed wedding designers Colin Cowie, Preston Bailey, Rebecca Cole, and David Tutera. They all contain beautiful designs, amazing photos, and LOTS of inspiration which I am certain you will love! (sorry, I don't have time to find links - but if you google their names, you'll find them!)


Cheryl said...
Deb, I like visiting your blog because you give a different view of retail that a lot of us don't realize and that is great for me because I am in the process of deciding about whether to take the leap to become a business owner and all of these 'tricks' and display ideas are an awesome help as well as being inspiring!Also, Pottery Barn? YES!...But Storage? I NEED this.Congrats on your blogiversary!

Cheryl, You are not alone…we ALL need storage help! (Especially those of us who are ….ahem….’obsessive collectors of stuff’!) Many questions arise in the minds of those contemplating starting a business of any kind, and many facets of each industry are not easily seen by outsiders. I am happy to provide 'inside info' on merchandising & display to help! May I also suggest that if you are looking for info on having your own business, and support from other women who have followed this same path, you check out a few online resources that exist for women entrepreneurs. My favorite is, of course, Women Take Wing!, of which I am a founding partner. Tho we are a new presence on the web, we are experienced and have big things in store! You’ll find a wealth of information & links on our web site at www.womentakewing.com .

Others that you can check out are:

www.ladieswholaunch.com
www.makeminepink.com
www.theblissguild.com
I wish you much success as you move forward with this decision, Cheryl. And I hope that I can be of help to you!

Lidy said...
Your blog is a treasure trove! Even though I don't have a brick and mortar store, it is just as important to "merchandise" my web pages and catagories.I will enjoy reading your posts...there is a lot to catch up on!thanks so much for sharing all your tips and tricks and knowledge. Lidy

Lidy, thank you for the compliment! I do always hope that my blog is a source of inspiration to readers. And a big standing Ovation to you, for realizing that through whatever medium you use – a brick & mortar shop or a web store, an ad, a blog, a show booth - visual presentation of your product and your business is of paramount importance to your success! As you said, merchandising your web pages and categories is vital operating procedure. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a well-designed web presentation is worth a whole lotta’ money for your business!!!

I thank each and every one of you for taking time to read my blog and leave me these wonderful comments. Blogs aren't much fun without comments, ya know?! And if you have more ideas of things you'd like to read about here, let me know!!