Friday, August 28, 2015

Thank You Channel Two

I am thrilled to announce that this week Vivid Hue Home is featured on Two's Company's blog as the Customer Spotlight!

Courtesy of Two's Company
Two's Company designs and distributes decorative wholesale accessories and giftware exclusively for retailers.  If you haven't heard of Two's Company specifically, it's likely that you have encountered one of their stylish products in a store without even realizing it.

They recently updated their blog, called "Channel Two" with a facelift.


And then, what do you know!?  Vivid Hue Home appears right there on the homepage as the Customer Spotlight!    I'm thrilled and honored to be featured!  












We love Two's Company at Vivid Hue Home!
Thank you for the spotlight.

Cheers,
Heather




Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Epic Estate Sale in CT this Thursday!

Connecticut readers, get ready for the most epic estate sale.

Remember my post about the fanciest tag sale in Connecticut?   Well get ready because Greenhill House is at it again.  This time, with an estate sale.  Krystian is  relocating to Palm Beach and, while I'm selfishly sad to see him go, he is leaving plenty of fabulous finds behind for all of us!

This sale is THURSDAY August 27th, 2015 starting at 8am.  And plan to get there early because there are sure to be crowds.


Greenhill House Estate Sale
1210 Prospect Avenue
West End Hartford, Connecticut
8am Start
Cash, Check + Credit Cards accepted

Sale runs from Thursday thru Sunday!

Krystian was kind enough to give me a sneak peak of the sale items today.  Check out below for a preview into some of the goodies you'll find.  

Krystian has hired a professional event company to orchestrate the entire event.  This is sure to be an "event" you won't want to miss.  I love this Chippendale arm chair.


And this marigold bamboo umbrella stand is to die for!


There is an entire bed of throw pillows--everything from custom to needlepoint to one of a kind to floral...You name it.  All unique in style and would seriously up the glam factor of a sofa or side chair.



There are wonderful pieces of furniture including this studded dresser.

 I was drooling over this bamboo etagere.  Sadly, I left it behind because I don't currently have a place for it.

There are table lamps and fine art (some originally $600 and up now selling for $250).  You can spend some serious time going through the many art books and coffee table books.



The views of the estate are exquisite.  Located on Governor's Row, there are mansions after mansions all finely manicured and kept.





I have always loved Krystian's sense of style.  He dresses impeccably well and his is allowing shoppers access to an entire roomful of his tailored jackets, ties, dress shirts, dress shoes, pants.  It would be a gentleman's dream!   There are remnant fabrics and fur throws and Staffordshire Dogs.

If you live in Connecticut I highly recommend you fit this into your schedule tomorrow.  I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Krystian is now a contributor for House Beautiful magazine.  I am so envious of the fun projects he'll get to work on in the Palm Beach area!  It will be sad not to have him  close by in Connecticut anymore, but this just means a road trip to Palm Beach is in order!

Wishing KvS the best of travels during the next week.
Cheers and martinis!  Until next time.

Heather

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Happy 21st Birthday, Dad!

 If you've been following Vivid Hue Home for awhile, you already know how it's possible that my dad is celebrating his "21st birthday" today.  If you're a new follower, let me explain...



On August 25, 1994, my dad received an organ transplant.   Prior to that date, he had been in the transplant recipient program for close to a year and a half.  Once he showed signs of advanced organ failure, he was moved to a critical wait list.  He received a pager (a sign of the times in 1994) and carried it with him day and night in hopes that he would be contacted about a donor.  Within a week of being put on this list, he received the call.

The donor was a sixteen year old teenager who died in a car accident.  Though we have never known the donor or his/her family, their unselfish decision to donate has allowed my family to experience over two additional decades with my dad.  Twenty one years and counting.  My dad was literally given a second chance at life.

So, happy 21st birthday, Dad!



One aspect of organ transplantation I don't know if many understand, is that organ rejection is a constant threat.  There is constant risk for the immune system attacking the transplanted organ.  The recipient must take daily immunosuppressant medications to help prevent rejection, but often there are severe side effects and health conditions that result from taking these drugs.  It's common for doctors to make frequent adjustments to the combination of drugs.  And sometimes, other organs can become at risk due to the prolonged use of these medications.  It's a courageous journey, but one I'll bet most transplant recipients would say is worth it for the reward of life.

The benefits of organ donation are endless.  Not just for my family but for thousands of others.


In 2014, organ donors made close to 30,000 transplants available.

Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the national organ transplant wait list.

On average, 22 people die each day waiting for a transplant.

One donor, can save 8 lives. 
(Above statistics provided by HRSA).

It's easy to become a donor:

  • Designate your decision on your driver's license
  • Tell your family about your donation decision
  • Tell your physician, faith leader, and friends
  • Include donation in your advance directives, will, and living will       
Source: organdonor.gov

You can also register on the Department of Health and Humans Services website here.

Thank you for allowing me to share this with you.  I don't like to use this blog for public service announcements, but this topic is very close to my family.

Wishing my dad a very special day.

Cheers,
Heather




Friday, August 21, 2015

$10 DIY Fire Engine "Sale"

I've been on a DIY kick lately.  Now that the shop is open, I find myself always in search of items I can use for props, displays and staging.  I'm constantly brainstorming about how I can turn items I see in a craft store into a meaningful "something" for the shop.  Even better if I find it on a bargain.

I'm excited to announce that Vivid Hue Home  (775 Farmington Ave, Farmington Connecticut 06032) will be having our very first sale in the very near future... Stay tuned with details.  So when I saw these large circular letters on sale at Hobby Lobby for $2.50 each, I immediately considered how I could use them.    Of course, they were out of the letters I wanted.  But I shuffled through the stack and found these remnants and the wheels started spinning...


For $10 and some $.097 cent crafts paint, I turned these letters into the following:
The u/n became an "s":

(Full disclosure, the "s" was a bit of a stretch and my least favorite of the letter transformations, but it will work for my purpose).
The "O" became an "a"

The 'L" remained untouched. 


And the "r" turned into an "e"

Give me an "S", gimme an "A", gimme an "L" and and "E" and what does that spell?  For $10, it spells:


All of the Vivid Hue Homies that are local to Connecticut, keep your eye out for an announcement in September.  We will be putting some killer items on sale to represent the end of summer, beginning of fall and to celebrate our first few months of opening.  

I told you I've been from one DIY project to another lately.  We have a local Facebook tagsale group where people can post items they no longer want in their households and the group gets first dibs on grabbing them up.  Recently,  Deb Bibbons of Cobblestones Vintage  posted an adorable bench on the group.


This bench has been in Deb's family for over 25 years.  They used it as extra seating during family gatherings but now it was mostly just taking up space.  I loved it and jumped at the chance to buy it!  
In person, this bench was more of a burnt red brick color.  Beautiful, but the color made it a bit more country for my needs.  I decided a DIY project was in order.  



I decided to spray paint the bench.  I loved the red and thought about keeping it red but turning it into more of a cherry apple red with bright hues.  But then, a dark navy lacquer would be killer.  And if I wanted to use it in the store in the shop, I could choose a hot pink so it would go with the decor.  Hmmmm...

In the end, I decided to stay with the red theme, just amp it up a bit more.  Say hello to fire engine red...

The difference is very subtle.  In fact, in photos, it's barely visible.  But the new red pops a bit more.  I'm going to use it on the front porch of the shop lined with throw pillows.  

I love a good find that I get excited about.


Next week, be on the look out for another exciting venture that Vivid Hue Home will be working on.
In the meantime, check instagram for daily updates.

Also, if you blinked too quickly, then you might have missed my post from yesterday where I give an update on the shop in it's first four months.  Here I go for months at a time with no posts and then hit ya with multiple showings in a week.  I promise to blog here more frequently.

Cheers,
Heather


Wednesday, August 19, 2015

First Four Months...


                                                                                        info about SHOP hours click here

 Hi ya'll!

Life has been busy with the shop.  So much so that I haven't had a chance to post as frequently as I'd wish.

My favorite aspect of owning a shop is getting to meet so many people in the community.   I always ask people if they live in Farmington and how they heard of Vivid Hue Home.  Many say they were just driving by, noticed our porch, and stopped in to check us out.




Many customers are also followers of this blog (thank you!) and also keep tabs of Vivid Hue on instagram.    One of my first customers was a wonderful woman who entered the shop and made a bee line directly towards me.  The first words out of her mouth were..."I want to know what you consider to be the arm pit of Texas.  I'm from Texas and I'll bet it's the same town!"  (A reference in my About Me section on the blog about where I was born).  She went on to ask where all I've lived because she knows I was a military brat.  I am continually surprised (and thrilled) that people out there are actually reading Vivid Hue Home!  Many of you have followed the blog through the shop's preparation for it's opening.  So, thank you!!!!  It's always a thrill to meet you in person!

Another exciting aspect of the shop, is purchasing products!  I am constantly on the hunt for unique items that aren't being sourced in other local shops in Connecticut.  (which is a challenge as we all use many of the same vendors).  This has become a serious mission for me because I think the key to a successful stand-alone business is to be unique and offer something that no one else is providing.
Photo Courtesy of Henri Paige

 That's where I find that my relationships from my blogging life have come in handy.  I have made so many connections through blogging and have followed so many talented and artistic people.  Before, I used to post about their talents and showcase them on the blog.  Now, I'm able to contact them and ask if I can carry their work in my shop (For example,  Cotton & Quill's fabulous textiles).

Photo Courtesy of Cotton & Quill Instagram

I still get excited when I see new shipment arrive on the doorstep.  It's fun to keep the shop fresh and always changing.  Sometimes, a new product arrives and I end up completely restaging the floor just to incorporate the new inventory.  It's fun.


I spend an incredible amount of time working on the actual staging and display of the merchandise.  For me, a first impression makes all of the difference in the world.  A shop can have the coolest products, but if they aren't displayed in a visually pleasing fashion, they won't have the same impact.  


I am continually rearranging these shelves  Sometimes I love how they look.  Other times, they look too cluttered and I end up completely rearranging them.   I have tried to keep the inventory revolving.  We have some "staple" items but then there are other products that I won't reorder.  I want to keep the offerings fresh, new and always changing.


I find the book keeping part of the business not as much fun.  I know how important it is for running a business, but it takes a ton of work and organization.  For every exciting order I send to a vendor, I create a Purchase Order in my accounting system.  Each and every item must get a unique SKU which I create based upon the vendor's SKU and my own categorization system (For example, all bath products start with "BA-").  Once that order arrives, I confirm that everything was received then  create a bill for the purchase order and (of course) pay that bill.  I use a separate point of sale system from my financial system so I then have to input all of the inventory into the POS as well.  It can become cumbersome, but I have two loyal employees that have been with me from day 1 and they now know how to do much of this...a huge help!

Can  you believe I'm already buying for the holidays!  Yikes!  But there will be some cool stuff!

Photo courtesy of Thimblepress

I am going to start posting more so please check back often.  Also, you can always find current posts on Vivid Hue Home Instagram.  (updated daily).

Until then,

Enjoy these final days of summer and stay cool.

Cheers,

Heather