Another Wild Whimsy Adventure - In Connecticut

Well followers, I now have proof that there are Wild Whimsy Women in Connecticut too!  My buddy and I left last Tuesday from Texas and found ourselves at the Chickadee Cottage in Old Saybrook, the home of Kathryn Hepburn, beautiful rocky beaches, jigsaw puzzle views of little boats and the great big sea.  We wandered through towns that were less than five miles apart, found whimsical stores with great ideas they encouraged me to use at the Whimsy Stores.  We met craftsman and writers, ate great food, rode a steam train, a ferry, a river boat, and climbed to the highest of the Seven Sisters hills to see William Gilettes (Actor who played Sherlock Holmes) home.  We also went to Tag Sales (Garage Sales in Texas) and found some stupendous surprises for the store opening in November.  All the people we met made us feel welcome and each one has planted a seed (or ten) of wisdom for the our new store.  One day we had a surreal experience when we introduced ourselves to a couple on the steam train and found they had just moved to Wimberley.  Later, we saw them again at the Goodspeed Theatre.  Carnival was showing and the star was from Austin, Texas.  The world is really small. 

For the next few weeks, we will be very busy making Whimsy bags, restoring French Country Cottage (alias: Shabby Chic) furniture, creating one of a kind jewelry from vintage pieces, putting finishing touches on our vintage chic chandeliers, finishing our unique game tables, writing manuals for classes, and preparing for the opening.  Remember, all advice is welcome. 

The Whimsy Stores

Well it is official!  My husband and I are opening a store in Wimberley.  We will continue to sell handcrafted and unique furniture and gifts, similar to what we offer in our Wimberley Market Days booth (#251).  But begining in October, we will also offer all kinds of classes for the community. 

We have both been teachers and love the classroom so it was an answer to prayer when we thought of teaching crafts, hobbies, tutoring, writing, business, and much more.  We will be building step by step manuals for every class and will offer the manuals on our website for those who cannot attend in person.  We are hoping that there are many "Wild, Whimsy Women" who will make The Whimsy Stores their destination in the years to come.

Last week we took the first steps.  We researched locations and decided on one, we negotiated the lease on the building, we added domain names to our portfolio and registered additional names with the Office of County Records.  We also met with City representatives about signage, occupancy requirements and more.  I have been working on the web site and class schedule while my husband decides on merchant services, insurance needs, and setup the bank account.  We will both be building the new class curriculums. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg,  Before we can open, we will need to implement our marketing plan, construct display and partitions for the store, negotiate with our artist vendors, scedule the intial artist showings and plan the grand opening, 

Remember, my plan to walk to work?  Well I have timed it and I will get a great 30 minute walk with many inclines.  We will be open Wed-Sat so we will still have time to see grandchildren/children, garden, and play. 

So far it sounds great but keep us in your prayers and send any ideas you have.  Wise ideas are always welcome. Long live "Wild Whimsy Women"!!!