Virtual Design

Julie and I spent a lot of time this past week trying to nail down exactly what our standard gifts will be this holiday season. We've been tossing ideas around for weeks, but the first of our large shipments is due any day, and it's time to get down to the nitty gritty! Anyone who creates their own designs in this business will understand... coordinating product, boxes, baskets, ribbon from catalogs, picking trim and price points, and having everything come together and look fabulous is a daunting task. Julie used the phrase virtual design the other day, which I thought was pretty appropriate. It involves seeing a gift in your mind's eye, then (hopefully) finding everything you need to make it happen. I say "hopefully", because sometimes a key component in your design is either out of stock, discontinued forever , or not really what you expected. Then of course it's back to the "virtual" drawing board.

With our 7th holiday season fast-approaching, keeping our designs fresh and fantastic is a top priority. And with sales up each year, we're always looking for ways to do it better. Besides changing our design and shipping methods this year, we're focused on using our army of holiday "elves" more efficiently. We're fortunate to have some great people who come back for every holiday season, and there are always newbies who sign on for all the "fun".

But is it fun? There are loads of things we love about this crazy time of year. All of the gorgeous holiday ribbon and trims can be truly inspiring, and seeing our clients' faces when they see the gifts we've created for them is The Best. Flashbacks of 20 hour days and sleeping in our little upstairs bunk room, living on fast food and caffeine, chocolate and Excedrin... really not so fun. BUT, we're digging our heels in, gearing up, and getting down to it. Bring it on!!!