NOTES FROM THE MARKET

Many people ask me what it is like to shop the Atlanta market. Everyone thinks it is days full of fun and excitement. It is fun, but it is a lot of work and a lot of walking! The following is a snapshot of the days we spent at market.

Friday, July 10th

Busy day! We left Barnwell at 4:30am for a very long day at market. As our shuttle bus pulled up at the market, I was amazed at the very large attendance! This is such a change from the January market where there was a low attendance. We waited in a long time to get our market badges then quickly went over to the merchandise mart building to catch an elevator up to our first floor of shopping. We start off visiting some of our favorite designer showrooms to pick up on emerging home decor trends. Vintage inspired looks are everywhere! We begin buying Spring and Easter 2010 which will be shipped December 26th. You are going to love these great designs! We added to our handcrafted made in USA designer jewelry collections (think vintage Coco Chanel). We picked up many catalogs and walked many, many floors searching out the truly unique treasures. As the day winds down we attended several buyer receptions. We made it back to the hotel at 8:45pm and prepared for a busy Saturday.

Saturday, July 11th

We started the day off early with a 9:00am breakfast meeting with one of our new vendors. This was an exciting new showroom and we added 3 great lines you are going to love!! After our meeting we attended a seminar on Avante Garde Christmas decorating. I love to attend these seminars to learn great new design techniques. Unfortunately, the speaker was only given 1 hour notice that she would be giving the seminar and is was apparent by her presentation. I felt bad for her as many of the attendees left during her presentation. How rude!! We stayed for the entire presentation and went down to her showroom to purchase some of the great product that she used. We then went down to the High Design floor. This is a juried group of vendors that show cutting edge designed products. I admit that we rarely buy from this floor, but I enjoy seeing what will be the trends 3 years from now. The people on this floor are as "unique" as the product they are selling! I know we seem like "country bumpkins" when we enter this area! We were lucky to meet many of our designers today. We met Jim Shore, Beatriz Ball, Andrea & Charles Sadek, and Cyndi Bloomshire. These are positive people who are very proud of their product, as they should be. They are gracious and always want to know our concerns and recommendations for their lines. Today we added a total of 7 new lines for the shop. We got back to the hotel around 8:30pm and go through all our invoices and catalogs to prepare for Sunday.

Sunday, July 12th

I didn't have an appointment until 10:00am, so I went to our favorite book vendor and ordered a lot of great children's books. Dot always has the most unique children's books that sell out quickly. She can literally recite any book in her showroom and make the best recommendations for us. We always love seeing her! Most of our reps seem like family to us. Today we had several appointments with our key vendors and added all the new goodies they had to offer. Aromatique always adds 1 new fragrance for the winter season. This year it is peppermint (very refreshing). Those of you who attended our Evening of Design will be glad to know that we have added a wonderful new collection of entertaining items that will make your holiday entertaining a breeze. We added a lot of color to our home decor selections with great urns, prints, and lamps. Most of these will arrive before our fall open house in September! Several celebrities were at the market today. Marie Osmond, Jane Seymour, and Jim Brickman all have new product that they were introducing at the market. We arrived back at our hotel around 6:30pm and went to one of our favorite restaurants in Atlanta (Einstein's).

Monday, July 13th

This is our last day at market, so we have to be very aware of our time. We still have 15 showrooms to go see. One of our favorite reps Caroline showed a new line of linens that we went crazy over. These have great fall colors that are truly unique (you will not see this at any big box chain!). We added a great new line of scarves that are going to be "the fashion accessory" this fall. We had a wonderful rep who, I think, tried everyone on for us! She earned her commission that day! One of our lamp vendors offered us great savings on some of their unique lamps. I couldn't resist ordering these at such great prices. Most of these are so unique that you would only see them in a designer's boutique. And now you will get to see them in Barnwell and put them in your beautiful home! Did we over spend our budget? Yes. But, now is the time to make our homes beautiful and festive for the holidays. We hope to see you soon in our shop and see all the treasures we purchased with you in mind!

Cameras are not allowed in the market, but I snuck one in to give you an idea of what it looks like inside the market. There are 4 buildings with 10 to 20 floors of showroom and temporary vendor space in each building. Showrooms (don't call them shops) are beautifully decorated and give such great inspiration on design ideas.

Visit us at our website, http://www.evelynsjewelry.com/ or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ and search Evelyn's Jewelry & Gift Shop.

IT'S MARKET TIME!

It's hard to believe it is time for us to head back to the summer Atlanta market. This is the largest market in the country with over a 7 million square feet of vendor space, and growing! We will be at market from Friday, July 10Th until Tuesday, July 14Th. Even with 4 full days (8:00am-8:00pm) we still do not see all the market has to offer. We always make appointments with our key vendors. But, we also make sure we have ample time to search out new vendors with the latest high design trends to bring back to the shop. There are several exciting seminars we will attend to learn the best way to merchandise and operate our shop. We also meet many talented professionals and share success stories and "war" stories. We are planning many exciting special events for the shop this fall and we will be searching for the perfect treasures to showcase at these events. Most people think we will be buying Christmas, but in actuality we will be buying Spring and Summer 2010. Our Christmas 2009 was purchased in January and has already arrived at our shop. We have sorted and marked our Christmas treasures and will showcase them at our open house in November. I know you are going to love the unique gifts, jewelry and decorations we have for this Christmas! Check back with us next week and see my daily snapshots from the market. We will be closed Friday, July 10Th through Tuesday, July, 14Th. We will reopen Wednesday, July 15Th for all your gift giving needs!! We hope to see you next week! In the meantime, check out our website at http://www.evelynsjewelry.com/ and become a fan of ours at http://www.facebook.com/ and search evelyn's jewelry & gift shop.

Buy Smart, Buy American Made

Have you noticed recently that most products being sold are made in China and other foreign countries? What has happened to made in USA? Our town of Barnwell has recently felt the effects of industries moving their factories to other countries. This greatly hampers not only our local economy, but the economy of our country. Let's send a message to these companies by finding alternative products that are made in USA. But, this is not an easy task. I recently read an article about a man who went to one of the "big box" stores to find a shirt that was made in USA. He asked the assistance of a sales person and they were unable to find any type of shirt that was made in USA. He stated that if everyone asks for made in USA products in every store we shop, we will send a message to the company buyers to add more made in USA products. I have taken up the challenge to do this at Evelyn's. I have marked all the products that are made in USA with a special sign in the shop. These signs will make it easy for you to find these great products. We are going to market soon and finding made in USA products will be our major focus. Let's put the pride back in owning made in USA products. Visit us at our website, http://www.evelynsjewelry.com/ to see a sampling of our made in USA treasures. Lets all make a positive difference to our economy. Remember to buy smart, buy made in USA!

GRADUATING TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES

It seems like yesterday that today's graduates were learning to ride their tricycles and their biggest decision was what flavor Popsicle they loved best. When I graduated, computers were a mysterious huge machine that no one had in their homes. We hand wrote everything in cursive writing and typed on the "newest" electronic typewriters. Things have changed! But the one thing that will never change is our pride in all our graduates as they begin their new adventures in adult life. We want to hold them close to us and are excited to cheer them in their new adventures. You will never see a more proud face than that of a parent as their child walks up to receive their diploma.

We have many special ways to congratulate the graduates you love. Our personalized collections are always the most popular gifts at graduation. We always offer complimentary engraving on any of our unique treasures. Our monogrammed collections include monogrammed: jewelry, bags, towels, jewelry boxes, license plates, bath wraps, pens, pocket knives, key rings, money clips,and so much more. Our newest travel bags and accessories, CindaB, are on every graduate's registry. Check out this new collection (this is being featured on the new bachelorette starting 5/18) that has so many pieces you will love! Come by the shop soon and let us help you choose the perfect gifts for all you special graduates!

We always offer complimentary monogramming and gift wrapping!

Hope to see you soon!

EVELYN'S EVENING OF DESIGN

On Thursday, April 30, we hosted our first EVENING OF DESIGN benefiting the Animal Advocates of Barnwell. Our sold out audience learned how to create breathtaking table settings and centerpieces to complete their next party. Each guest enjoyed our delicious appetizers as they learned great tips on hosting the perfect party. We are so thankful for such a successful event that raised $600.00 for the Animal Advocates. Guests left our fabulous event with wonderful gifts from Evelyn's and tasty pet treats from the Animal Advocates. We are planning our next Evening of Design event for September. Be sure you are on our e-mail newsletter list to learn about the exact date before anyone else. Limited tickets will be available for our September event "Decorating for the Holidays". To sign up for our e-mail newsletter visit our website http://www.evelynsjewelry.com/.

As requested, the following is one of our requested appetizer recipes:

TORTELLINI SALAD SKEWERS

1 (9oz.) package refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 (8oz.) package frozen sugar snap peas

68 (4in.) wooden skewers

1 pt. grapes tomatoes, cut in half

1 bottle champagne vinaigrette

(1) Cook tortellini according to package directions. Rinse under cold running water.

(2)Place sugar snap peas in a small bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes. Rinse under cold running water.

(3) Thread each skewer with 1 sugar snap pea, 1 tortellini, and 1 tomato half. Place skewers in a 13x9 inch backing dish. Pour vinaigrette over skewers, turning to coat. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Transfer to serving platter and discard vinaigrette.

BE JEWELED THIS VALENTINE'S DAY

Can you believe it is almost Valentine's Day? Where has the time gone? We have been busy finding you the perfect and most unique gifts to give and receive this Valentine's Day. Our handmade sterling silver jewelry by artisans in Philadelphia is one of our most unique offerings this Valentine's. We have many heart designs in necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. And if you are not a "heart" person, you will love our collection of designs in coin pearls, aventurine, and more!

If you are searching for a Valentine's gift to give a special friend or teacher we have the following perfect gifts: luxurious European soaps, Aromatique lotions and fragrance diffusers, Patience Brewster Valentine's guest towels, Willow Tree angels, and delicious gourmet treats!

So come by the shop soon and let us help you choose the perfect gift for your Valentine! Remember, we have all the wonderful Hallmark Valentine's Day cards you love!!

Visit our collections on our website: http://www.evelynsjewelry.com/

WHAT'S HOT & WHAT'S NOT

We just got back from a busy market in Atlanta and have found many great treasures you will have to have! And at each market we find out what is hot for the new year and what is out. The following is our list of what will be in for 2009:

What's In:

Monograms, Inspirational Gifts, Scarves, Aprons, Traditional Prints, Spectacular Serving Pieces like Arthur Court Designs, Unique Lamps with Interesting Shades, Vintage Looks in Distressed Wood and Iron, Mercury Glass, Recycled Glass, Owls, Penguins, Fragrance Diffusers, Rustic Glamour, Mixing Styles and Periods, All Shades of Green, Black/White/Silver, Copper, Nature Themes, Luxury Soaps and Lotions, Made in USA.

What's Out:

Flip Flops, Vera Bradley Bags, Jar Candles, Printed T-Shirts, Fake Looking Flowers, Giraffe and Zebra Print Bags, Muddy Earth Tones, Victorian Themes, Boring Lamps, Cheaply Made Accessories, Cheap Imports, Primitive Themes, Matchy-Matchy , Imports.

This will be a year to pamper yourself with affordable luxuries. We have a wonderful collection of soaps, lotions, fragrance diffusers, delectable gourmet treats, and soothing Cd's to help you relax in luxury. We also are going back to what we know we do best. We are increasing our offerings of unique home decor at prices you will not believe. Our new collection of lamps, prints, linens, and decorative accessories will help you redesign your living space in high style. So, come by the shop often and see all the new treasures we have just for you!! Visit our website http://www.evelynsjewelry.com/ to see the beginning of our new collections.