We've finally found Faith

This week we are officially back on the growing-our-boutique wagon with an important milestone. Not only did we pass One Year on the odometer this past Sunday, we also hired our first employee. Announcing... our new Store Manager, Faith, who started today with a bang as she gave each of our displays a tune-up and got to know our vibe. When I left the shop today, she was transforming it into a spooky-cute Halloween zone! Can't wait to see it.

We're so excited to welcome Faith to our team and look forward to having a little help in the kitchen. Come on by to meet her; you'll see her handiwork as soon as you come in.

Me and Kat Von D

So it's Tuesday night which means I've got a date with Kat Von D. She and I have a lot in common. So what if she's a goth-metal-skull-tattoo-covered ghostly-pale white girl and I'm, well, not. Really not. But Kat is the star of LAInk, which chronicles a young passionate tattoo artist opening her own shop in Hollywood. She's so green but she makes decisions with her gut, and it's clear that she loves her work and she loves the crew she's working with.

That's just like me and Mary! (Only we sell clothes and cute things that aren't permanent parts of your body!)

Her shop is also woman-powered by Kim, Hannah, and Pixie (plus Corey, who's a married guy and has three kids, so he's practically a woman). Every artist in the shop is absolutely awesome, as in I never knew tattoos could be actual works of art. Can you tell that I am considering getting one for the first time? I could even get one on the show, if I could be so brave.

And I love how their work is so crazy-personal with the clients. People get tattoos because of some heavy-duty issues: death in the family, near-death car crash, love lost, love found, love my child and/or pet, beat cancer, beat bulimia, new career, ...the list goes on. What a privilege to (permanently) mark these major turning points in peoples' lives!

Our dream for Ruby's Garden is to be a safe place to land in the neighborhood, even if you're at the end of your rope because your colicky baby kept you up all night, even if only for a little while. I'll say it again, getting to know you awesome people has been one of the absolute best reasons to stay in this job. What a privilege indeed.

By the way, we're still waiting for final word on our move. Stay tuned.

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Still waiting...

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and Ruby was angelically working alone on an art project. I was just about to fall asleep on the couch when Ruby decided she needed an envelope for mailing her art to a friend. I foolishly tried to stay in the sleepy zone, and mumbled to her she needed to wait. She proceeded to melt into a puddle wailing, "I HATE WAITING!"

I know how she feels. This summer has been a difficult time of waiting. Since we were robbed on June 14th, Mary and I have decided and undecided all possibilities:

• First: Shut down, this work is too dangerous, we're not making any money anyway, especially if someone keeps breaking in or robbing us every few months. But still....I think I like this work.


• Then: Move the shop, we must be on the wrong street. But...the crime is ridiculous all over the city.


• Then: Move to the burbs. Ick, what are we thinking? We love living in Temescal and this is where our people are.


• Now: Keep the shop open, get onto Telegraph, hope for more money to come in to cover more costs.

So we waited to know how we really feel about this work, and since re-opening I can only think of tasks that have to wait until we know where we'll be located next month. Until we hear from the property owner on whether we'll get the space on Telegraph, I'm in limbo. I'm ready to go big or don't go at all.

But I can't. I have to wait. I have to do more planning, I have to entertain worst-case-scenarios (which I'm finding difficult!) and then raise more money to cover startup and initial operating losses. In my head I know this is good for me like medicine. It would be nice if in some future blog I can say, "Ah, now I see what all the waiting was for." But is that how it really works? I hope so.

Hoping for a New Home

Who would've guessed that I would be a blogger? But a conversation with a fellow entrepreneur Jerry Yoon today convinced me that it isn't that complicated to setup, and I've been looking for a way to keep you up to date on what's new in the shop, as well as with me and my world.

It's been a dramatic summer and my thoughts are all over the map as to what to do about the shop. One thing all this wondering has helped me be more certain of: I love this work! It's the best job I've ever had! The owner of the building I want to move our shop to is back in town today and I'm hoping to hear from him that he wants Ruby's Garden to move in ASAP. If we don't get that space, I'm worried we won't be able to stay in our beloved Temescal. We're also looking for a store manager to give us a hand, so if you're interested, please let us know. Please say a prayer for us, that the right doors will open at the right time.

Here's a pic of just one of our latest arrivals from a new local designer called Jasper Hearts Wren, based in Piedmont. Their Felt Owl design is all hand-cut, fused, and stitched onto a sweatshop-free American Apparel tee. We've also got their Felt Robot on a great red color tee, the screen-printed Dandelion with embroidered stitching, and best of all, the printed fabric headbands which fit little girls and grown-ups alike.

So for now, we'll continue to be open just Thursday Friday and Saturdays, 10am - 6pm, but if you can't make those days, email me for an appointment.

Thursdays are still TEA & SCONES DAY where we've got scones from our friends Bakesale Betty, so please stop in even just to say hi. Your company is always welcome!

--Mae