Opening Day

So... Perch Travelling Boutique opened for business on Canada Day 2012!   Who knew that a twenty year old concession stand could turn into a charming boutique? (I did!)  After countless hours building the trailer back together from scratch, it looks awesome.  Honestly, I did not know what I was doing (I’d never rebuilt anything, much less a trailer!) pretty much from the get go.

Crunch Time!

So much fun in here!

The finished product looks nothing like my original idea.   In the beginning, I was going to paint the lettering on the boutique myself, but decided to delegate the task of creating flawless lettering to Jolene at Rayacom Graphics.   I thought I was set on ‘hardwood’ (laminate) flooring for the boutique’s interior, but I was convinced to go with carpet from Mackenzie Flooring.  It looks great!  Everything from the trim around the roof to the fabric on the walls was redone two or three times.  Mistakes were made when I was so tired that I couldn’t see straight.  But, I had set a goal and made a commitment to be ready for business on July 1.   I am extremely happy with the way the boutique (christened Lilith) turned out, and am bursting with pride whenever we take her out for a day at the market, or just down the block.
Speaking of just down the block.... we took Lilith out for a ‘test run’ the day before her first appearance at the Kelowna Downtown Sunday Market.  First problem: my dear husband misjudged the height of the boutique, and instead of driving under a tree, drove through it. That loosened the trim around the roof.  We got back on the road, and then what do I see in the rearview mirror?  The wall paper that I used to create the faux brick walls flapping in the wind!  We crept home at 40 km/h, and started repairing all of Lilith’s damage.  I’m pretty sure we haven’t seen the last of those oh so unexpected structural surprises.
The Big Day finally arrived.  I was up at 6 am putting the final touches on the boutique’s interior, and checking off all my items on numerous ‘to do’ lists. I gathered up my two sons, and with my husband behind the wheel we chugged off to the market.  I couldn’t have asked for better weather- warm, sunny, and just enough of a breeze that the boutique was never too hot.  My oldest son had his arsenal of Dixie cups and lemonade for his mission to raise money for the Warren Peace Bunny Sanctuary.  The lemonade was free, but he didn’t hand over any drinks without asking for a donation for the rabbits first.  Let’s just say that my son is an incredible fund raiser.  And, he brought in more money than I did.  But, I am not at all discouraged. I had time to start a new list of things I can do to add a bit more pizzaz to the boutique, and I met some other sellers at the market that are also great business contacts.  We will be back at it this Friday, and Saturday... and Sunday.  I feel like I should say, “the boutique is finished!” but it’s really not.  I will continue to tweak and refine it , always bringing it closer to my idea of ‘perfect’.

And finally, I have to give a crazy amount of kudos to my husband, who lent the majority of muscle to this endeavor.  What was supposed to be a couple of repairs to the original structure of the concession stand turned into a complete overhaul.  When the dishes began to pile up, and the dust bunnies began to take over the livingroom, he took control and kept the household shipshape.  And will not forget the cooperation of my children.  They were left to their own devices for over two weeks, but  they will not need therapy in twenty years because they felt abandoned by their mother when they were young.  They watched movies, mastered the internet, and had an all around good time just being kids.  “Thank you” to these special people for letting me live the dream of owning my very own unique, charming ...travelling... boutique!

I Love My Shop!