So my business partner and I are adding handmade and reworked jewelry to our shop. Here's a little snippet of what we're working on. Starr is modeling the wood burned discs and hemp bracelets. We're obsessed with them as we are Starr's lip color!

Non-resolution new year goals

While I'm not a big resolution-making type at the new year, I do like to have some simple goals in mind that I'd like to accomplish. I tend to look back and see what I have done in the past year and build upon those things and stretch myself in other ways. Nothing I write down is too big of a challenge. I'm pretty simple.

Last year Jon was gone the whole year to Arkansas. I actually 

really liked living there over the summer on Lake Hamilton. It grew on me quickly but for various reasons we couldn't make it our new home. I enjoyed lake living sooo much. I've always been a water person and wish that I could continue to live near it. We took full advantage of having the beach be our back yard when we lived in Hilton Head, SC. I had forgotten how much I loved the water so one of my goals for this year is to get out a little more. Whether that is finding a lake to do a little fishing or heading out early on a weekend to get to Cape Henlopen, I want to be at the water's edge somewhere. We sold our kayaks when we moved back to PA but there's always Craigslist.

(sooc) In our backyard in Arkansas

Another focus is to do more photos that I want to do. If I see another train track photo I may just die. (No offense to anyone doing those. It is illegal, btw!) I just want to go back to what I was doing 20+ years ago; more natural lifestyle, street photography with the occasional portrait.

One of my favorite sessions. I had to get her to stick out her stomach so you could actually tell she was 9 months :0

Gorgeous HS senior

@Home Again, my little shop within a shop, is going well but I want to stretch myself there. It's easy to make/redo or bring in items that you automatically know your demographic will like but honestly, that can get boring. I want to bring in items that I think people might not have thought about yet. I found a 1960's bar cart in Arkansas that we lugged home. The handles were inset brass and were a regency style. The top folded out to create extra prep room. I stripped the top to its natural finish which was a great contrast to the black base. I immediately loved it but knew it could be a hard sell for this area. So I took the chance and was happy today when I went in to the shoppe and saw that it had sold. I just have to go with what I like and take more chances. It will pay off eventually.

I want to create a haven for my family within our home. This has been on my mind a lot. Since Jon's career change, which has been anything but smooth, I have felt the need to really make our home a place where we can close off the world and enjoy our time together. Time goes by so quickly and soon my two oldest will be gone and I wonder where the time has gone. Life is busy and in an unforgiving economy, it takes two salaries to raise a family of 7. There's just no getting around it for us and we live well within our means, opting for used cars and vintage furniture rather than new and top of the line anything (unless we win the lottery, then I may have something new ;)) I'll be focusing on this aspect more than anything I think.

Reading. Jon always reminds me that I used to be a voracious reader. I'm not sure what happened but I know I just need to schedule time to read. I have a stack of books whose dust jackets are literally collecting dust.

Service. I HAVE to make time for this. Not just to be an example to my kids but because I genuinely like people. I like to know their stories, what makes them tick so to speak and whatever way I can help, I want to. I signed up with an organization who makes scarves and places them in public locations (aka scarf-bombing) in the inner-city for the homeless to take to keep warm. I think it is such a sweet service.

Friends. I must do better at keeping in touch. I have been so lucky to have lived in different places and made friends with some of the best of the best. I have to let them know that. Being home in Washington state over the summer really reminded me that those ties are important to ones well-being.

The other, smaller goals will come over time. I'll be bringing updates periodically on those as well as what I've mentioned. Good luck on yours!

~Laura

@Home Again - A shop in a co-op

So a few months ago my friend Starr and I decided to open a little shop. We looked around for locations, mulled a few over, tossed around budget numbers and ultimately decided on opening a fairly large space inside a co-op rather than our own storefront for now. About 13 years ago I had a space inside a co-op in Utah. After working for an awesome interior designer, I felt that she had given me great inside info about how to start my own home accessories/vintage store and she really encouraged me to branch out. Not long after I began mine, my husband was transferred to Washington DC and I had to close out. Fast forward 13 years and I finally get to try it again!

We didn't go into this haphazardly, we really set goals and a vision of where we want to go with this which I'll address at some point because it may help if you're thinking of opening a shop. The market may seem saturated but there are ways of separating yourself from the crowd.

After frantically sourcing accessories and reworking/redoing furniture, we opened on April 1st and have stayed busy ever since. Its been a lot of work and so much fun, even with kids' chaotic schedules, family life and each of us holding down jobs outside of this venture as well. It truly is a partnership which I enjoy and appreciate so much.

We have a variety of new and vintage accessories and furniture and are constantly sourcing items. I try to really have one of a kinds. It doesn't surprise my husband when he opens the car door and finds another piece of furniture. Its amazing what you can fit inside of a Durango, like a 10 ft kayak. (That wasn't for the shop.) I do have a 1960's Drexel bar table in the back of my car right now, though. I couldn't pass it up after spying it at a thrift shop. A problem for me is that I mainly buy what I like and I want to keep just about everything. I also buy some things that are not my taste but I know someone would like it. Researching trends, antiques and guestimating what will be up and coming really is the fun of it I think.

I need to take some newer pictures but this gives you an idea of where we started. Lots more to come!

Getting ready to paint

Taken as we were setting up in late March. This is just a corner of the space. It's a little crowded now.

Have a great day,

L