I can't believe that I own this darling little store. The previous owners were friends of mine and I always adored their shop but never had any thoughts of the possibility that some day it would be mine. I am blessed to have it!
Linda and Vivian started Linden Alexandra & Company 4 years ago in the La Plaza Shoppes on East Tanque Verde. They brought in some of the most exquisite lines of stationery, cards and invitations available and decorated the store in a way that is "so me"! Chandeliers (so me), classic European looking cabinetry (so me), herringbone brick floors (so me), exposed beam ceilings (so me) and beautiful, tastefully displayed merchandise (my dream)...
Originally Vivian called me to see if I would like to display some of my gift merchandise from my home business, Elan Home & Gift in the store and I was thrilled. I added some of my smaller items to the store and started working with Vivian and Linda one day a week. I fell in love with the store and became more and more interested in the stationery business. Because of some personal circumstances in both Vivian and Linda's life they asked if I would be interested in taking over what they started. I am happy to be the new owner and they are happy that what they started will continue. Both have agreed to remain available to assist me as I need them.
What a joy it is to help people who are celebrating special occasions in their lives! I adore meeting with brides and their darling fiances or their sweet mothers. And what a blessing it is to help someone design an invitation to celebrate 50 years of marriage! Birth announcements and children's birthday party invitations are so much fun. And, since I've always loved to throw parties of my own, I am loving hearing the details of social occasions that people have planned. Again, this business is so me!
My long-time friend, Paula Donley, has joined me as my invitation specialist. Paula will be working specifically in the invitation department to assist our brides with invitation selection, design and wording. Paula has a Master's Degree in English and is one of the most gracious hostesses that I know. The combination of her eloquence along with her knowledge of etiquette makes her perfect for this position. Additionally she is so sweet that I know she will be loved by everyone she works with.
I've always loved paper. Pretty paper. Unique paper. Textured paper. And gift wrap and ribbon! We are looking forward to offering custom wrapping over the holidays and have chosen some beautiful paper to offer. My daughter, Amanda, has joined me on my shopping trips to market to offer her young, fresh perspective and excellent artful eye in selecting gift wrap, some new card & stationery lines, gifts and home decor. We have had so much fun shopping together for A Fine Line. We hope that our customers will love our choices.
I love flowers and have always wanted to learn more about floral arrangement. My dear friend, Elaine Taylor, who has a wedding flower business has joined me in my shop. We moved her floral refrigerator in yesterday and I can't wait for her to fill it up with brightly colored, sweet smelling flowers! Some of you might know Elaine - she used to have that darling antique and vintage store called the Grey House on Fort Lowell. It was one of my favorite places to frequent and I always dreamed of having a small space in her store. Now she is in mine and we are having so much fun working together.
We just finished the expansion of the store. The suite directly in front of me became vacant and I jumped at the opportunity to open the wall between the two suites to add much needed extra space. The store is still sweet and intimate but the extra space has allowed me to create a much bigger area for our invitation business. Now there is plenty of room for brides to bring their fiances, moms, dads, bridal attendants or anyone else that they would like to have with them as they select their invitations. Of course, you don't need to have a whole committee to do invitations. A private consultation with Paula will suffice.
My very supportive family was instrumental in getting this space opened for business. I couldn't have done it without them. My husband, 2 daughters, and son-in-law all helped get it ready. They worked on everything from chiseling up old saltillo tile to painting to unpacking inventory and sticking little price tags on everything. The credit for the beautiful window displays and merchandising goes to my talented daughter, Amanda. Please come by to see what they have done!
Lastly, my two sons have also been involved in the opening of the store. My youngest son, Cameron, has enthusiastically assisted me with unpacking all my treasures as they arrive boxed in tons of bubble wrap, sticky tape and packing peanuts. This is quite a job and I have appreciated his help. And my older, son, Brendan has helped me by long-distance to take care of my technical stuff (getting a website established, accessing my email, and creating this blogsite for me). I am blessed to have all the help of my family.
I'm excited to get the word out about our store. Now that we're set up publicity comes next. I'd love to have all my friends come by and see what we have and tell all of their friends about it. I also have some events coming up that I'll be participating in:
- A Holiday Event in Awatukee Foothills this Sunday.
- Girls Night Out at Ventana Canyon on Thursday, October 29th.
- Sensational Settings to benefit St. Luke's Home at the Jewish Community Center on Sunday, November 1st.
- A big seasonal grand opening event at A Fine Line Stationery and Gifts on November 12-18th. Details to follow.
Thanks for listening to me ramble. I'll get some photos up soon.
We're open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 5pm, and Saturday from 10am to 3pm. We're located at 6835 East Tanque Verde, Suite 180 in the La Plaza Shoppes (the same shopping center as Millie's Pancake House & Sakura and across the street from Trail Dust Town). Come see us soon! And spread the word...
Come by and see me! We're open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 5pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm. A Fine Line Stationery and Gifts is located at 6538 E. Tanque Verde, Suite 180 in the La Plaza Shoppes (behind Sakura and across the street from Trail Dust Town). Spread the word...
No comments:
Post a Comment