Wow, that is what it feels like lately!  Don’t get me wrong, it is a good feeling.

The first week of business at A Girly Girl Boutique was slow.  A few customers a day, curious and looking mostly, not really buying.  Until last Thursday, that is.  All of a sudden I opened the doors and had good traffic for most of the day.  Sales picked up a little and it seemed my days flew by because it was busier.  Then we held another photo shoot on Saturday, so with the increased traffic, it was very busy.

Talk about Project Runway, I don’t think I have seen so many wardrobe changes in such a short time.  Gabrielle modelled and so did a new girl, Mary.  Gabrielle is an old pro but Mary wasn’t use to everything.  She did a very good job and I think she enjoyed the shoot. Mary got the benefit of extensions and my makeup application while Gabrielle did her own hair and makeup.  We finally finished about two hours after the store closed so it was a long day!!

The good news, The Saginaw News published a great article about the store in Sunday’s paper and when I opened the doors this morning, customers were pretty much pouring in.  It was cool and the article and pictures were great!  Today was the best day yet as far as floor traffic and sales go!  It was very busy and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Kudo’s to the Saginaw News.  You’re the best Tamarra!!

We held our first photo shoot at A Girly Girl Boutique on Satuday.  Actually the photo shoot was at Defoe Photography studio which is located inside A Girly Girl Boutique so that works out well!

Two new models were put through the ropes starting at about 11am, the first one being Sara.  I applied Sara’s makeup for the shoot and we put some Hair a la Carte on her and she looked fabulous.  Then Christina showed up and the shoot was very successful.  Once they understood the basics of posing and took a few shots, they seemed to enjoy themselves.  The two of them worked well together and we got good pictures of the clothes to add to the website.  I think they both had fun at their first crack at modelling and they walked away with a new pair of Swarovski crystal earrings for all of their hard work!  Make sure you check them out at the website.

The next shoot will be coming up on Saturday and we are always looking for new models.  The pay is nil but the opportunity to build your portfolio is priceless and I am looking to build a roster of models who would be available for events down the road.  I will be putting my coaching and teaching to use again and the right, enthusiastic young ladies will get a great opportunity to learn runway and photo techniques.  I plan on producing runway shows for charity benefits and you always need trained models for those events!  Who knows, I may be inspiring the new America’s Next Top Model.

Wow, Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 came upon me fast.  I must say right out of the gate that I could not have done it without the help of my wonderful husband, David, my in-laws and my kids, Gabrielle, Karyn and Channing.  Everyone helped a lot to get ready for the opening day.

Tuesday evening, I was a little disappointed when we finally called it quits and left for the night.  We were all exhausted, but mostly I was pretty frustrated because I could only display a few racks of clothes due to the fact that my orders didn’t arrive on time.  I won’t name names!

Wednesday morning, we opened A Girly Girl Boutique at 10:00am and it was one of the most exciting things I have done in a while.  For the few people who came in before noon, I apologized and explained why the store looked somewhat bare and directed them to the jewelry cases which looked fabulous thanks to the girls.  At least something was stocked!!  Then at about 1pm, the delivery company brought MANY packages of clothing that we all scrambled to get unpacked, checked in and hung up.  It certainly made it really look like a great little boutique.

The response was great and everyone who has come in so far really likes the inventory and the store as a whole.  I have received very positive feedback so I am excited to see what is coming down the pipe.  Stay tuned because next time I will tell you about the first modelling shoot we had at the store.  Yes we had a photo shoot already!!

Work on the store is progressing at lightning speed now!  The opening date is November 7, 2007 and the excitement is mounting.  Everyone I talk to is excited to see all the merchandise and people have already been interested in making purchases.  Having had a window display up for the past two months has helped create interest.

The marketing we are using is cute.  An election theme seemed appropriate being that time of year.  The signs say “Elect A Girly Girl.” (be sure to go to the website and see it!)  The radio ad sounds like someone is interviewing a candidate “A Girly Girl.”  It is already creating a buzz and that is the point, isn’t it?!There is also an ad on WIOG, the “Pick your Purse giveaway” which will run for a month.  It just so happened to tie in with a fine retail clothing store like A Girly Girl!!

The dressing room walls are up and drywalled.  They need a coat of primer and paint but they will also have an element I will tell you about later!  By the way, it is established that I am a good carpenter!  The carpet is being laid and the display cabinets arrived.  Clothes (B B Dakota, Lu Lu Via, Silver Jeans) are ready to display on racks and purses and jewelry (Marianna and Dannon) are itching to get out of the boxes for your viewing (and purchasing) pleasure!  Stay tuned!