lisasgiftwrappers.com Blog

I don’t know if it is because school is out and the summer time has hit. But it seems that I have slowed down. Maybe it’s the heat. Or maybe it’s finally hearing the June bugs and knowing that summer is here again.

For those of us that hate snow and winter, summer is a great relief. And we have to remind ourselves to slow down and enjoy it because all too soon, winter will be back.

We also have to take in a sense of laziness. Like sitting on the porch or our back deck in the shade. Reading a book. Or just taking a pause in a crazy afternoon.

When my son was little, he and I would put a small amount of water in his wading pool on the deck- enough for him to splash and enough for me to get my feet entirely covered. He had his boats and other water toys. I got to at least keep one eye on a catalog and one eye on him. No heavy reading. He was “Houdini-boy” and could be gone in a flash.

So when I got one of my favorite catalogs, Maine Cottage, all of my summer memories rushed back to that unhurried time in my life- and that of my now teenage son.

It is a fond journey down memory lane when I read this catalog. Wicker furniture and now rattan. Vintage inspired fabrics. And for a color nut like me, luscious colors like Rhubarb, Porch, Pickle and Mango.

You have got to go to their website. It is definitely eye candy. You can watch the videos about where their artists and designers get their inspirations. They got me inspired to play with color and look at nature for ideas.

So I urge you to grab your camera and get outside- look for those images that impress you in some way.

We’re now posting our photos on Flickr- so stop in and see what we’re doing. And please tell us what you think.

I clearly remember the day I knew I was to run my own business. A form at my first corporate job out of college had the question: “What will you be doing in 20 years?” I wrote - “running my own business”. 
 
It had to be a creative one. I grew up in a house where art, music, books and creativity were celebrated. Father and mother were always pursuing creative experiences from woodworking to making amazing Halloween costumes and creating fabulous silk-screened Christmas cards. 
 
After 15 years in the corporate world and the arrival of my son, I felt my creative juices stir.  I started teaching classes in gift wrapping and bow making- a skill that I inherited from my Mom. I went to moms groups at churches, then community centers, PTA, adult education, and women’s groups. People then asked me to wrap their special occasion gifts. Word spread about my skills and companies and individuals sought me out. After years of building a clientele and doing research I opened a retail location.  Lisa’s Gift Wrappers, in its fourth year, carries 700 ribbon choices, 100+ styles of wrapping paper- from vintage to contemporary and custom. Our talented Wrap Artists create stunning, unique packaging. I am always teaching. Gift Wrap classes are offered at the store. I conduct marketing seminars to industry trade groups about the power of packaging and my Christmas Traditions Unwrapped is a historic look at holiday traditions. I am a doer and it feels great.
 
What are you dreaming about and what are you doing to get there?