I am so happy to present our latest Guest Star, the charming Arwa of Gemkitty!  Arwa Jumkawala is a life long lover of sparkly gems and beads, a former pilates instructor, and founder of Gemkitty, a custom jewelry e-boutique.  I had the pleasure of meeting Arwa at a CRAVE Portland event and we immediately started collaborating on ideas for Gem Kitty’s earring launch and a Guest Star appearance on The Proprietress.  She has some amazing (and easy!) ideas on how to re-wear your existing jewelry & for shop owners – new ways to merchandise/sell jewelry.  ENJOY!

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Captivate Through the Creative Art of Jewelry Rewear

As the owner of a jewelry e-boutique, I’m always looking for creative (and cost effective) ways to connect with my customers. One thing that’s really worked for me is engaging customers through the concept of jewelry rewear (figuring out new ways to wear or enhance jewelry you’re already selling).

Ways to puts rewear to work in your boutique:

Here are just a few examples to give you a flavor of how you can use the rewear concept in your own merchandising:

* Show the same piece of jewelry worn in different ways; the customer gets multiple looks for the price of a single item.

* Connect with customers who have purchased jewelry from you in the past and offer them a freebie to update their look (e.g. Remember that necklace you bought before the holidays? I thought you could update it with this cute flower pin. It’s free if you want to stop in and pick it up).

* Invite customers to bring their own jewelry in for a rewear workshop. You can provide free refreshments and crafting materials (such as flowers and ribbons), plus offer them a discount on new pieces of jewelry they might want to mix and match with their current collection.

A few rewear looks to get you started:

Look #1: The Twist
Take one strand, twist the other strand around it and secure clasp-to-clasp for a statement look. Each twist will shorten the length of the resulting necklace a tiny bit, so if the choker look is not your style, use a stretch of pretty ribbon to lengthen.

The twist technique can also help you create a woven bracelet. Simply wrap around the wrist twice and secure. If you need to lengthen, try a safety spin or even paper clip (or two).

Look #2: Tie A Bow On It.
Grab some pretty ribbon and tie on a cute bow, or two, or more:

Look #3: Rosette:
Affix a flower pin (or make your own with craft store rosettes and a safety pin) over a pendant:

Look #4: Roses And Ribbons:
Now that you have the hang of it, combine several of these looks to create a statement piece such as this:

Happy creating!

With my due date fast approaching, I am going  ga-ga over baby stuff again.  i saw some pieces from darling designer, Claesen, and knew i must build my color story around the charming and irresistible polka-dot romper (which is also amazingly soft!).

I envisioned a day at the park for a mama and her baby – looking stylish, comfy and appropriate (with the possible exception of the shoes – which are too cute to pass up).  The primary colors of the story include navy, hot pink, white, with punches of vibrant yellow.  Classic and Fun!

And here are the deets for those who want to shop~

Boden hoodie $68
LA Made T-shirt:  $29 (i have this & love it – gives good cleavage esp. after baby is born)
Joe’s Kickers jeans $183 (have these too – in a different wash – they are my fave jeans)
Style & Co wedges $29
Peacock earrings $24 (my hubby got me a similar pair for Valentines Day in this same yellow  - love em!)
Claesens romper $22 (can you stand how cute this is?  if i have a girl….it will be mine!)
Kalencom Diaper Bag $50
Jayne Danger Toy Octopus $26.50
Hanna Andersson baby hat $10

PS – i’m crazy late with this post!  but you know how life gets:  busy!!

i know, i know.  it’s barely spring and we’re already speaking Fall in the Fashion world!  a little crazy, i know….but i couldn’t resist showcasing the gorgeousness that is Myolee.  everyone loves a great sweater – but Myolee truly takes it to the next level.  the colors!  the details!  the fine fabrics!  and did i mention the details?  they are my favorite aspect of this collection.

it’s a bit retro, kinda whimsical, mostly sophisticated line of beautiful knits from designer Winnie Lee in London.  i always loved to find interesting and truly creative lines that weren’t so easily found in every boutique.  perhaps you will be one of the lucky ones to snatch up this stylish line in your city!

here are some sneak peeks at their Fall/Winter 2010 collection…

loving that the bestselling Issy Sweater will be making another appearance:

the Nadine sweater looks to be perfection with a pair of dark, skinny jeans and mustard patent heels:

oh Valentine!  look are your pretty back!  lacy and very sexy to boot!)

and finally – Siobhan, your backless wonder with lace tie makes quite an exit….

Retailers:  contact Myolee now to place your orders!  order deadline is March 31.  Minimum is 10 peices – which means you can sample a few styles.  w/s prices range from $42 – $112 USD.  which i think is pretty amazing for the fashion-forward quality of the collection (none of the above photos are more than $60!)

Shoppers:  you can buy Myolee right now at the lovely online boutique, Stars and Infinite Darkness.  Special bonus – there’s a pretty awesome sale going on right now!

i can’t even remember where i first heard of Supportland- but i just got an email that announced they are launching here in Portland in April!  woo hoo.

What is Supportland?  well – it’s a reward card that works across a multitude of local businesses.  it’s all high-tech and i-phone ready.  you can earn points when you shop/eat at participating businesses – and then you can redeem them at any participating business as well!  it’s like a multi-functioning license to splurge.

(do you get the name now?  SupPORTLAND? SUPPORTland?  clever).

If you live here and own a business and want to know more – they are offering several presentations about how it works and how you can get involved on the ground level:
1.  March 8th, 6:30pm at Zoomtopia (810 SE Belmont)
2.  March 9th, 7:00pm at Laughing Plant (4110 SE Woodstock Blvd)
3.  March 10th, 9:30pm at Zoomtopia (810 SE Belmont)
(if you can’t make an event – contact the Supportland folks)

anyhoo – i wanted to let local portland businesses and shoppers know about this wonderful idea and hopefully those of you in other cities will brainstorm how to make it work in your town.

if you are not familiar with CRAVE - check them out.  a wonderful company with presence in a variety of cities, they promote and support local entrepreneuresses with books, blogs, events and more.

i had the amazing opportunity of speaking at the first Portland Crave Business Chat this past Sunday and it was a great little refresher on ideas for making your boutique the Ultimate Place to Shop.

The merchandise – naturally it has to be fabulous, priced right (whatever that means to your clientele) and distinct.  However, what can really set your business apart from the crowd is your customer service.

My first point was to be the Hostess of Your Shop.  these ideas are admittedly simple – but the practice often goes un-preached:
 - greet every client who walks in the door as an invited guest
 - engage that client with a non-threatening conversation opener (compliments are always great)
 - aim to get a read on the client and their comfort level with your assistance (do they seem to want to browse without bother or could they use more interaction from you)
 - provide some small comfort items for tag-along shoppers:  “man chair” is essential, a toy box for littles makes it easier for moms to shop
 - give the dressing rooms the lux treatment – make sure clients have what they need to be comfortable & make buying decisions (mirrors, heels, small chair/stool/table to put their personal items), adequate hooks, etc.

The 2nd point we discussed was Customer Loyalty.  the notion is simple:  reward people for shopping at your store and they’ll come back again and again:
 - frequent buyer programs (make it easy to earn the reward)
 - VIP shopping experiences – after hours, special discounts, sneak previews all go a long way in making your clients feel special.

Lastly, we spoke about Communication Tools (Cecilia Doan - a social media maven provided her expertise).
 - remember to use the appropriate “voice” for your brand (with Facebook, Twitter, Email, Blogs, etc)
 - create meaningful promotions – maybe try something other than a standard x% sale.  we talked about how some of the limited time/limited edition shopping sites are doing amazing.  why not try your own limited sale (for example:  50% off this particular necklace  – Tuesday from 12:00 – 2:00 only.  first come, first serve).  a great way to move an item, no doubt!

the discussion was rich and rewarding – and i personally loved the chance to interact with business owners (and it made me miss ooma a little too)!  a special shout out to Tez, the owner of Parallel Boutique for hosting the event.

If CRAVE is in your town – talk to the ladies in charge and get involved!  it’s a wonderful way to make connections and promote your business.

and speaking of speakers – if anyone has a topic they’d like to Guest Blog about on The Proprietress – please contact me!