It feels like a Vermont summer today and the best part is the Middlebury Farmers Market is open with many people milling about. I stopped over to buy some food and drink before I opened. Well, bought my iced coffee and water at Noonies, a favorite sandwich shop of mine (and don’t forget Otter Creek Bakery and Sama’s! Noonies is closer for me to run to from here). I’m working on the back door entrance to take advantage of the Marbleworks and Farmers Market shoppers. I moved a floor mat from upstairs to the back door, hung up a flag (the stars and stripes), and brought a planter from home which I filled with flowers. It’s starting to show some potential. I know it needs signage which I will be working on once I have it set in my mind how and where it should go. I want to incorporate the new logo on the front and back signage but I will have to wait for awhile. Everything in stages so I can financially handle it. Also have to repair the screen in the back door (this week) and put in the screen door upstairs. Though I do appreciate the flies and bees that make their way in on those slow days! I’m watching a fly work his way downstairs as I’m typing.
I painted the book cart that is used outside. It looks kind of blah - no personality - but it’s done! I’ve been adding mainly book-of-the-months and selling them $1 each. It seems to work pretty well. I give the option of customers paying upstairs. The same with paperbacks also upstairs at 25 cents. It’s nice to take advantage of the wide patio for displays. I’m on the search for a patio set to add. Rusty repaired and I repainted the benches and brought them back for weary shoppers. Found an old friend patiently waiting for his wife on a run upstairs to check the weather awhile ago. Great to see him! And the benches being used!
Just got in a lot of cookbooks and new age books. I’m starting to go through them and getting them on the shelves. Good thing I rearranged both sections! We pulled the oversized paperbacks to reshelve them in the fiction section which are currently waiting to be reshelved and are on the table at the bottom of the stairs. I also have started in the foreign language section - primed and painted one wall with three more to go then the ‘new’ books have to be added. But of course, the area needs to be reorganized desperately! Today marks the day of new arrivals to Middlebury College’s language school. I had hoped to have everything ready before this but that didn’t happen.
Well, must get busy!
martha said,
June 15, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
Thanks for taking time out to respond, especially after reading your new entry. I love your “funky junky” ideas and plan to incorporate as much whimsical in my store possible. I haven’t yet laid out my plans on how I will shelve my books, but I will make sure to have “funky junky” as much as possible and when people ask I will simply tell them my friend from Otter Books in Vermont gave me the idea! Have a good week I hope you sell! sell! sell!