Stylish Blogger Award: Many Thanks to Our Friends at Blue Cardinal! Plus a Kane County Update

Hey! Many thanks to our friends and customers, Jenn and Alison, of the Blue Cardinal, for our Stylish Blogger Award. A pat on the back is always appreciated! With the award comes the List of Seven Things, plus getting to pass the award along. I always get a kick out of doing both!

Since we've already told you seven things about ourselves and about the business, I thought I'd change it up a bit and tell you Seven Things we've learned in the 10 years since we started rhubarb reign:

1. In our vintage community, we all depend on each other; the changes and choices we make affect not just our business, but the folks we interact with as suppliers, customers, friends and colleagues.

2. Nothing lasts; as soon as you figure things out, something changes.

3. Being self-employed is not easy. You must be perseverant, as well as persistent.

4. Retail is as dependent on the weather as farming.

5. You need a support network.

6. Being successful requires risk, planning, time and hard work. But success is a relative term; you have to decide what it means to you.

7. Everyone has a mixed bag of resources to draw on -- time, talent, cash --but not in equal amounts. It is a waste of time and karma to envy someone else's stash to the extent you don't use your own.

Whew! For a while I was stuck on six, now I can think of seven more. But I'll save those for next time. So tell me what you think: what has life taught you in the last 10 years? I'd really love to hear. And to pass on the torch, let me call your attention to the newest blogs on our roll: Room 363, Scout Chicago and villa barnes. Visit them when you get a chance!

Kane County

"Sultry" is a great word when applied to the cute dealer in the next booth. But not so much when applied to the weather at a show. It was so warm at Kane on Saturday that the floors were literally sweating. I'm not kidding! And if the floors are sweating, just imagine the people. When customers are too hot, they really just don't feel like shopping. Who can blame them? I wanted to go home, too. We were joking that we should fill the mail cart we had for sale with water and charge people for a swim. Oh, ya, then it stormed. Sunday was a better, but still kinda sticky by afternoon. And just to think, last weekend at Allegan we were wearing winter coats.

Needless to say, we appreciate EVERYONE who came out to support the show, especially given the weather. We didn't make our sales goal, but we do have $$ to put in the bank. And we got to put some of our Seven Things into practice! So tomorrow we start work on Grayslake, hoping for 70 degrees and no rain. Check back later in the week for an update. xo