Something New, Something Blue, Something Old, Something Borrowed

I was talking to one of my customers today and we had a great chat.  I have been talking to many of you.  Yes, the website is still down and so talk is all we have!

My good customer asked me about the website.  Yes, I am working on it.  I just had a crazy October with super sick kids, sick hubby and sick me.  Then like God said, take that woman!, my shopping cart failed me.  I deliberately took the site down to let the kids get better, get the household back up and running and review good shopping carts.  I love a good challenge in life but testing myself where my service level would have to fall is not challenging, it's just plain stupid.

I am holding off on new orders until all is good with the site.  Knock on wood the family is all better!

So I was telling my customer this morning that this handbag and shoe thing is PURELY a guilty pleasure.  I didn't wake up one day and say, hmm, I'm gonna sell replica handbags and shoes and then call it a lifetime. No, I don't operate like that.  My main intent was always to bring in everyday, not designer, clothes and fashions at affordable prices.  I wanted to have a website for people like me.  Busy moms who love to shop but simply cannot go shopping everyday or rather take two rascal-y boys shopping who want nothing to do but chase each other and possibly embarrass their mother.

I also wanted one stop shopping.  Retail will never go out of style and even me who endorses online shopping to the max loves to go and unwind at a department store and feel and touch their new stuff.  It's a human requirement.  It also gives me personal time to me, me, ME!

Last year, one of my uber successful girlfriends (a super busy criminal lawyer) was getting married.  She was super stressed about her wedding to a very prominent man who was not only a lawyer but came from a very wealthy family.  My friend on the other hand had grown up very poor and had basically made herself what she is today.

Needless to say my friend wanted a simple wedding and her fiance wanted to put the Royal Family to shame.  While she knew she was going to be battled on everything regarding the wedding, including the food, the flowers, the hall, (yes, she has one of those kinds of mother-in-laws!), she thought she'd take ownership of her dress.

She came to me.  You guys don't know this but not only am I "in" with the handbag people, I'm really "in" with the wedding dress people.  And that is why I kinda laugh when people ask me if I know good quality.  Umm, yeah, I'm kinda in the know with quality. Me and quality are tight.

My friend, the lawyer, wanted a dress that would impress everyone at her wedding (who doesn't?) but something that would not cost a fortune.  No, she's not really cheap but she wanted to keep true to her upbringing which was always modest.  Also she's a shrewd business woman and to her a one time wear for a dress is not worth $5,000.00.  That's her.  That's me too.  Sure I want to look and feel good but not at the cost of my kids' education or my next mortgage payment.  I totally understood where she was coming from.

I got my friend to get her measurements taken by a professional seamstress.  Costs about $25.00.  Then I got in touch with my friends overseas, got some pictures.  I showed them to my friend, who was appalled at the vast number of styles and fabrics and colours available to her.  While at any good wedding bridal store you will see about 40 kinds of dresses, she now had access to thousands of dresses.

She actually went very non traditional (her mother in law I'm sure had a heart attack) and went with a very faint pink-ish dress.   She looked like Cinderella at the ball. When she walked down the aisle and people saw her for the first time, there was actually an audible gasp.  Her dress was stunning.  Of course I sat there all smug like thinking, yeah, I got that!

It was her moment and she loved it.  You wanna know what she loved most?  The cost.  She told everyone that asked about her dress that I had gotten it for her and that it had cost about $500.00.  People didn't believe her and thought she had had too much champagne.

This picture is a of her dress (not her).  There is a lot of beading and a lot of detail.  It's made from organza, taffeta, lace and silk. 

There is a point to all this rambling.  When I started up the online business, it was never to solely sell handbags.  That truly is a personal guilty pleasure and I do that more for me than anyone else.  I'm selfish that way.

My intent was always to start up a clothing distribution company that sells both wholesale and retail.  And of course, wedding dresses.  Because like handbags, they too are precious.  The perfect one speaks volumes and the memories from that day, pictures, people, food, the groom, it all adds up and makes for the most wonderful stories when you're old and grey.

Another customer of mine nearly fainted when I told her this.  She said, "what, you're not gonna sell handbags anymore?".  I'm not sure she heard one other word that I had spoken!

Yes, of course I am!  And with that, the Gucci Queen Bag won the race.  By a long shot.  Who'da thunk that Gucci would beat LV?

Anyway, remember this bag?  It's gonna be my peace offering gift to you all for waiting so long for the website to come back up.  When the site is back up, AND IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN, that should be by Monday the latest, this bag will go on sale from its regular price of $256.00 down to a piddly $175.00.  I'd start the sale today but alas I can't.  I don't have a shopping cart!  The sale will start some time next week.  Most likely Monday.

Please read this:  I only have about 25 bags that I can get at that low, low price.  If you want one, write me and I will hold one for you, if need be.  I don't want the same disappointment that some of you had to endure with the Marc Jacobs' bags.  They went fast and some of you were very, very upset that you missed out.  I'm sorry!

Let me know if you want me to hold one of the Gucci Queen bags for you.

Okay, everyone, one more day and it's the weekend!

Happy shopping...anywhere but my site that is!