Everyday Joy ❤️

TwoWomen is not the first business Beth and I have started together. 

There was The Open Market (We could have called this one ThreeWomen because our older sister was also involved.)  The Open Market was a collectibles, thrift, arts market held twice a year in the welcoming town of Mason, Michigan.

And then there was Gentle Blooms.  The focus of this quirky, little business was wooden flowers. 

Stretching more than five blocks long and packed with people, I came up with the idea for Gentle Blooms while strolling through a summer street festival on 6th Street in Austin.  As we walked around taking in the sites, I noticed one area in particular teaming with people. 

In the distance, I couldn’t tell what was happening, but I thought it might be the entertainment stage. 

I was wrong.

When I got close enough to make out what was happening, I saw a man with a couple of assistants servicing this impressive mass of people as they picked out and purchased wooden flowers. 

This guy was making a killing.  With white buckets filled to the brim with these fake flowers, the crowd couldn’t get enough. 

Of course, I was familiar with artificial flowers made from silk or other textiles. I was even aware of felted flowers.  But I’d never seen wooden flowers. 

As it turns out, they are indeed made of wood, but they are not stiff and board-like.  Instead, they are pliable and soft and take to dyes well. 

This whole business idea for Beth and me moved quickly. With one call she was in. It didn’t take long for us to find the flower wholesaler, order the flowers, sign up as a vendor for a few local craft/art shows, design our booth, secure a method to accept credit cards, and finally get t-shirts emblazoned front and back with our business name, “Gentle Blooms.”

With flowers in our hair and big smiles on our faces, we had a total blast selling those flowers.  Our experience was just like the guy in Austin – we’d sell out at every show.    

There was only one problem, and it was a big one. 

We couldn’t make any money. 

The selling price was so low (even though we were selling way over margin) that we’d need to literally sell thousands and thousands of stems to make any real money.  It was like selling penny candy in the 60s – you’d need to sell tons of it to clear a quarter.   

Thinking about this business got me thinking about everyday joy.  Being outside, working with Beth, laughing at each other's jokes, and selling a product people appreciated – all joyful stuff. 

Sometimes life can be so simple and joyful. We thought it might be fun to make a list of everyday joyful moments.  We’ll look at Beth’s list and then my list.

Beth

·         day trips

· going to a new thrift store

·         going on a date

·         eating hamburgers and French fries al fresco

·         the smell of festival food

·         sitting by a fountain and listening to the sound of water

·         going to the beach

·         going to outside concerts

·         strolling around farmer's markets and art festivals

·         flowers popping up through snow

Penny

·         the night before a day off

·         the last few pages of a well-written book

·         Saturday mornings

·         sleeping in your bed especially after a long time away

·         a big breakfast after a morning of exercise

·         the morning after a great night out

·         the day the temperature finally breaks the 100-degree mark

·         girlfriends

·         solving a puzzle or problem

·         a reunion with an old friend

·         when a belly-laugh catches you by surprise

·         baking anything

Everyday joy.  I bet you have a few to share.  Let’s see them in the comments.