Earth Day Thoughts

The last five years for me have been so full of changes.  All good things, but most have been challenging.  On a day like Earth Day I feel really good about the type of business we have started.  Almost everyone from our generation has owned a record.  Most people walk in the doors of the store and admit they still have a box of records.  I always ask "Where is it?".  Usually the response is....they are in a closet, in the attic, the basement or garage.  I always encourage them to go home and get them out and look at them.   We were lucky, because our children had a real appreciation for our record collection and they pulled them out and played them.  They also decorate their walls.  Seeing this appreciation made me happy that they were being used again.  We also have people come into the store and say they threw away their record collection after trying to sell them at their garage sales. They are so sad when they tell me, but usually they are the one's that buy a clock of that favorite album that they miss.  So, I have made them happy, which makes me happy.  While we started making a lot of clocks we started to have a lot of covers and insides of records.  I couldn't throw them away.  Now, I make scrapbooks and the latest are these file folders.  If you place an Etsy order or an order through email, I will include a file folder FREE!!!!  And, I plan on making gift tags, postcards, magnets and bookmarks from the scraps cut from the file folders.   So, Happy Earth Day!!!!!

Party Favors for Light of Day

Light of Day is this weekend.  Many travelers started to arrive in town today.  Last year we were open at the store to see the excitement of a shore town swelling with some extra special visitors in the middle of January.  I knew this year I wanted to do something a little special for my customers.  So, what is a birthday party without party favors?   I made some labels to commemorate the year and encourage readers for my blog and likes on my facebook page.  It will be first come...first serve and we will give one per customer with any purchase.  The little bags are made from original bruce records sleeves and include some saltwater taffy from Criterion. Welcome LOD 2013!!!!

Remembering Steve Jobs

I opened my computer today to a little video by Mac in honor of Steve Jobs (love his quotes and foresight in computer technology).  Heard his quote from Wayne Gretsky saying he always looked where the puck was going and not back to where the puck has been.  It got me thinking....uh...oh!!!!
I had Kaylyn take this picture of me.  Hmmmmm my way of thinking lately is.....to get forward I am looking backwards.  I truly want what this country used to have.  I want Main Street America back!  At the same time I hugely appreciate the way Steve Jobs was able to combine the Arts with the technology all to have it available at our finger tips at any given moment.  I guess that is why I love what I am doing at the store so much.  It is the interaction of people with that same struggle.  They walk in the door......oh, now I know what I can do with my records.....or they say...I threw all my records away....or one of my favorites......so this is where my ex-wife took my record collection........we love our past especially when it comes to our relationship with records.  Most people do still have them in boxes and are delighted they have survived all these years.  Yesterday marked the 50th Anniversary of the release of the Beatle's single.....Love Me Do.  I also found a Steve Jobs quote with the Beatles mentioned to leave you with:  . "My model for business is the Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other, and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That's how I see business: Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people." ("60 Minutes," 2003).  True very true.  My team is a family of four, my customers, and my extended family and friends.  I am grateful to be able to live out a dream.....especially with the love and support from all of you.......thank you!

Don't STOP Believin'

Four ways to keep your dreams alive:

1.  Keep Positive.......always believe whatever it is you are dreaming of is possible!

2.  Stay inspired......take a load off yourself....go out and enjoy whatever it is that keeps you happy.....take a walk....listen to music.....take a ride....visit a museum.......enjoy nature......

3.  Keep Motivated.......always move forward and if you slip and fall....get up.... wipe yourself off and keep going!

4.   Find even the simple things out in the world that are affirmations and most of all.....Don't STOP Believin'

Let it Be

 I have been working very hard lately trying to get these binders ready in time for back to school.  This is a view of the display looking out of the store.

This is the display looking into the store.  I love merchandising and building displays.



The store is so small it can be my biggest frustration.......and it can be a blessing.  I imagined making  a banner to go above the product.  Since I am in a resort area.....I did not want it to scream BACK TO SCHOOL.....but, I did want it to say something.  So, this morning I found these  great printables!  I was so excited...I would use my red, white and blue twine.  I made the banners.....and they are.....well.....not what I expected.   So, I have already spent much too much time on this.  Making the product....pricing it.....displaying it....I will just have to Let it Be.   The lessons I have been learning in life lately seem to be sometimes you just have to Let it be.  Glen and I celebrated our 30th Anniversary on Tuesday.  We were able to celebrate in Atlantic City....we closed the store a little early.   We left a sign and rushed back so we could open at a reasonable time on Wednesday.  I came into the store to close at 6 pm.  My first customer said......"I was here yesterday and saw your sign"....."uh-oh" I thought.  She said "Happy Anniversary"  I said Thank you and was very apologetic for not being here and really appreciated that she came back.  She bought a Let it Be bag......when I could hear the music playing in Convention Hall .......Let it Be was playing...I went to look for her, because I thought that was so cool.  I just thought to myself......here it is again another affirmation......everything is alright.  This is a business, but sometimes you just have to put yourselves first.

Our Customers Rock!!!!!

  

Each and everyone of you mean the world to us.  Everyday we get to open the doors and get to hear the NICEST things. 

 We love to hear how you were here once before and you couldn't wait to come back. 

We love to hear how you came from far away and you came back

 We love to hear how you have never been to Asbury Park and how much you love it here.  You even say you love it so much you want to move here.  You say it is not just the place or the destination.....it is the people.

One of my favorite moments this summer was when the person he was with said he looked like Elton John.  He had no idea what she meant.  Luckily we had the right picture so he could see what she was talking about.

 You come in to the store hoping to see your favorite group or Artists.....sometimes we can make you very happy!!!!

 Our favorite thing you say that we can not get enough of is..." This is so Cool".
You come from as far away as Japan and say you saw our store on facebook and wanted to come to our store.

 Whether you come from far away........

or down the Parkway..........Thank You from the bottom of our hearts.  Every kind and encouraging word means so much to us!!!

"Goals that are not written down are just wishes. " ~ Unknown

I have written about the importance of branding and location ,so far, when you start a business.  My prizes for the giveaway in my last post will be helpful in another lesson learned when starting a business......goal setting.  I set goals daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.  This helps me focus.  Just by keeping a blog, I can see what I have accomplished visually.  If I did not write it down........at this age, and maybe any age,  I wouldn't remember.  It is a validation.  It is recorded.  It is a reference.  It is one of the most important things I do.  I had a lot of goals for this year.  Last year we had a new location for our business, two kids in their junior year of college, and moved.   This year we wanted to focus on our finances and business.  We got through income tax time.....phew and then set our business up as a Limited Liability Company.  This came with some amount of paper work and many loose ends.  I think I can safely say that goal has been completed.  Glen and I try to do everything ourselves which can be a curse or a blessing depending.   Paper work and banking can be  challenging, but I think if you do the accounting yourselves you have more control.
My weight loss goal and house cleaning goals have been put on hold for summer also.  We are more then half way through the summer.  So, those first two days off I have the store closed in September my to do list will be full.  This August is a milestone for us.  The twins turn twenty-one.  Glen and I will have been married thirty years.  It's time to celebrate and let our blessings soak in.  So, no parties at the house.  No running around cleaning to make sure everything is perfect......we will have to put up with the piles of paperwork and dust for a month before I have the energy to get it all done.
So, what I am going to leave you with today is........Did you watch the show the Monkees when you were younger........at the time would you have done anything to meet them?  Would you feel like the odds were with you to have Mickey Dolenz look up at you and say......."Well......HI!!!!!" as he signed an album for you.   Did you wish really hard when you were young?  I did........I wished on stars.....I wished at every wishing well or fountain.......I wished when I picked up a penny heads up on the street....I wished on my knees at church.......I wished when I looked out at the ocean.......I wished when I watched the fireworks at Disney......I wish when I look up at fireworks on the beach.....I wish when I see a beautiful sunset.   When I was about seventeen I gave up on my wishes.....I started thinking differently......I started thinking realistically......I was growing up....I was lowering my expectations.  I was changing how I anticipated things and most of all I was hardening, so I would never be hurt by not  living up to what was expected from me.
I am on a journey of self discovery.  I am so glad I get to write it down.  I am so glad I blog about it, so I share it with others.  So, my advice to you is to make those wishes come true........write it down!!!!!!

Can't Stop the Music

YMCA........In the Navy.........Macho Man........Can you Say 1980????  We had a special order for Felipe Rose of the Village People.  We made him a Donna Summer clock and when he picked it up.......he was in full costume for the Village People.  The Village People still tour and they have a very current website. Please check it out and friend Village People on Facebook.  Felipe, when he is not touring, is seen and heard(he makes a special call......) in Asbury Park quite often.  We were fortunate enough to meet him last summer and spend some time with him last night.  He is very full of energy and sometimes I would flash back to the 80's and wonder if I would ever imagine this happening. Nope.....can't say that I could ever imagined this.  He is a lot of fun and he brought a lot of joy to our family by spending time with us.  He also autographed a cool concert poster from the late 70's for us.  So, go ahead sing it..............Y....M......C.....AAAAA.....you know you want to......it IS the 2nd most singable song........ever!!!!!

Baboozle was a SUCCESS!

Bamboozle was a success.......the town....the transportation systems.........the boardwalk.......Live Nation.....the town residents......the hotels......the businesses.......the media......the concert goers......all I have heard so far is so far so good.  90,000 estimated concert goers came to the beach of Asbury Park c and enjoyed 100 bands play at 7 different stages this weekend.   All I saw was a sea of smiling and happy faces.   We had the best weekend ever as far as business.  I loved it because our whole family was together each day of the weekend.  We started every day with a big meal on the boardwalk and then just enjoyed watching all the people converge in front of Convention Hall.  Then the everlasting beat of music started and didn't end for us until midnight every night.  Now, it is all back to normal and it is quiet.......not for long.....Memorial Day weekend is here already.  We won't see as many people as this, but it will be another busy weekend.