What's a girl to do?

Installment #22 here of "Who, ME, a shop owner? Sheeyeah, right..."

If you're a new reader, kindly allow me to bring you up to speed.
This blog was created to document and share
the birth of a dream, namely, my dream of owning my own shop.
It surely won't be a full-blown affair from the get-go...rather,
I'm looking at renting a space in an antique mall to start out,
and I'm down to the final two contenders.
At this point, I'd like to defer to all of YOU who have actual experience at this sort of thing, because I'm a bit stymied right now.

Contender #1: 10 x 10 space in a large, multi-vendor, two-story shop. Rent is $89 month, must sign a three month lease, and 10% commission to the owner. I would not be required to work at all. I'd pretty much have complete autonomy to do what I want with my space, which is a big draw for me. I want to be able to express myself creatively and artistically within my booth, and this space will allow me to do just that. It gets a pretty good amount of foot traffic, too.

Contender #2: No clearly defined space, per se. I would bring my things in, be allowed to set them up, but they mentioned that they like to move things around to keep things fresh. No rent whatsoever, but owner gets 20% of sales. You are required to work one weekend a month, as you will rotate this out with the other vendors. Right now, there are three other vendors. Six month lease. Not as much traffic. The owners are the nicest people I think I've ever met, but I'm really not digging the fact that I wouldn't have a spot that's just mine. Yeah, I'm an only child, how'd ya guess?  ;-)

Me in all my spoiled rotten only child glory...

I'm also on a waiting list at a couple of other spots,
and there are a few other malls that have expressed interest in having me,
so I'm not limited to the two I've shared with you here.

At this point, it almost feels like a no brainer~go with Contender #1.

But am I missing something here???
Is there something just glaringly obvious, a red flag,
a Whoa Nelly, a Danger Will Robinson thang I'm just not seeing in either of these choices???

Can ya help a sista out here?


This post was edited to remove
any photos not taken by myself, Anne Lorys.

The friend I've never met....

When I visit a blog, I have no set rules on what I hope to find there....
a little eye candy is nice, usually in the form of something vintage or whimsical or just slightly off-kilter.
Even more so, I truly appreciate someone who can turn a phrase well,
who can draw remarkably vivid word pictures with such clarity
that I feel as though I've known them for  ages.

     Elizabeth Maxson of Elizabeth House

   is just such a person.

I remember well the first time I came across her blog. 

I was hooked instantly, this gal had it all! 

Impeccable style, unerring grace, the uncanny ability to transform the ordinary

into something transcendant.

Yep, she had all of those attributes in spades.

But that wasn't what kept me glued to my monitor reading her posts 

for the better part of an afternoon. 

It was her willingness to get real, to risk vulnerability, to share her hopes, her dreams, her fears.

All the rest, the striking visuals and the lyrical prose, was just icing.

I will likely never meet Elizabeth Maxson in person, but ultimately, that matters little. 

To borrow and tweak her customary sig line, 

she has sent so much of herself to all of her readers,  from her house to ours.

That's the sort of blogger I want to be, too.

So, in the spirit of "getting real", I have to admit that I've been 

wrestling with a lot of fears and insecurities 

regarding the direction I hope to take with this blog. 

Nothing specific or insurmountable, just a mish-mash of irrational neuroses 

forming an interior perfect storm. 

I have absolutely no intention of letting these pestering doubts derail me, 

but it's been a bit of a struggle of late to keep the faith. 

I'll share more on this as the days progress, 

but suffice it to say that today and tonight have been a low point.

No pretty pictures in this entry, save for the one of lovely Elizabeth. 

Just a little peek into my noggin with the hope that the cobwebs and tumbleweeds 

in there haven't scared you off!

Blah, blah, blah, wrap it up, Annie.  ;-)

Goodnight, sweet friends.

~ Anne

Fiona & Twig is born!

Greetings All!

Welcome to the misadventures of a budding shop owner.
My fully formed blog space will be awhile in coming, but just a little info....

Fiona and Twig were two pretty special calico cats in my life.
This blog as well as my shop are dedicated to them,
although you'd be hard pressed to find
any cutesy cat knick knacks among my wares.
Dont get me wrong, I adore my felines,
but my tastes run more to vintage, industrial, retro,
architectural salvage, French ephemera, etc.
I am a Respiratory Therapist by trade, a frustrated,
wannabe writer/vintage shop owner/erstwhile superhero by night.

Welcome to my humble corner of the web.

Pax....

Anne

This post was edited to remove
any photos not taken by myself, Anne Lorys.