Five months. It’s been five months since I wrote (first) about Covid 19 and how it’s affecting our lives/business/friends/etc etc. Five months! I still can’t focus. Can you? I still don’t know what i’m doing. Do you? I’m still very much struggling. Aren’t you? Let’s see if I can just get through what’s been going … More Tales from a Shopkeep: the saga continues
My last post was a bit . . . negative. And I knew that going in, but I still hold true to the fact that I needed to let it out. I’m not ashamed of that. But, now it’s time to look for the helpers. And so I am. Here are just a few … More Tales from a Shopkeep: Look for the Helpers (pt iii)
I need to get this out, so I can move on. I need to let this out of my soul, so I can stop dwelling on it and start breathing. I need to share this with you, because I don’t think I’m the only one. And then, then I need to focus on the positive. … More Tales from a Shopkeep: Covid 19 part ii
2020 is something else, isn’t it? I mean, it’s only March and I myself feel like I’ve been through the ringer. In January I watched my dear aunt end her fight with cancer, surrounded by her 5 young children, her husband, a myriad of cousins, my parents, and my grandmother. No more than a week … More Tales from a Shopkeep: Covid 19 part 1
It’s that time of year again, and man, has it been a year! I mean . . . for us, at Gather and BHM, the year is just beginning, but we’ve been hearing it over and over again – WHAT A YEAR! *deep breaths* So here we are, year 11 under our belts. Boy does … More Tales from a Shopkeep : BHM 2019
This past weekend we celebrated our fifth anniversary. It kind’ve snuck up on me, as things often do. But, I had planned ahead (as I also often do). I reached out to friends to see if they would join us for the festivities; Jim from BadKneesTs to screenprint t-shirts on the spot, with a special … More Tales from a Shopkeep: on expectations & anniversaries
For me, April came in like a lamb . . . and went out like a lion. No, wait . . . it came in like a lion and stayed there the whole damn time. Let’s be real. (and yes, I know this is supposed to be in reference to March, but I’m off-course a … More Tales from a Shopkeep: on being present
No one is immune to it. We’re all well-versed. Familiar. Burn out. We live in a culture, a society as it were, of being eternally busy. We do it to ourselves, or at least I do. I’m in charge (for the most part) of my own schedule. And I schedule myself out to the nth … More Tales of a Shopkeep: tales of burn-out
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-4yi3w-acc628 Oh what a feeling! Today I sat down with Crystal and Steve from Lemonwood Soap Company (formerly Blue Bubble Soap) and got to chat with them about their origin story, where they are now, and where they are heading! It was super fun to get to play catch up with these two wonderful humans … More Gather Stories with Steve and Crystal from Lemonwood Soap Co.
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-m4yg7-a903d7 Last week I got to sit down and chat with a maker from one of my favorite places; Oregon! I met Nick Wheeler a couple of years ago while wearing my Conduit Press hat, at a Philly trade show. Nick was there slinging his own bags to the trade, and I knew, even from … More Gather Stories with Nick Wheeler from Wheeler Bag Co
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-skqki-a72cda Gather Stories returns with a sit-down with my friend Martha Latta from Sunday Afternoon Housewife (and Naplab as well as Handmade Promenade and soon to be Stomping Ground) – she’s clearly a woman after my own heart. Martha and I chat about what it’s like to have a handmade business and a toddler (her … More Gather Stories with Martha Latta from Sunday Afternoon Housewife
We’re off to a great start this new year – we’re pretty excited for what 2019 holds for us, are you!? I mean, sure, the weather hasn’t been great . . . as I sit here in the store, with the rain pouring down, threatening to freeze later this afternoon, but still, we’re glad to … More Tales from a Shopkeep: on the new year and Love
It was brought to my attention last week, by a fellow small business owner, that we were lacking a local holiday gift guide this year for various reasons. So, in a pinch, I reached out to local stores from our group, Bloomington Brick & Mortar, and without further ado, I give you our ALL LOCAL … More Holiday Gift Guide 2018
The year was 2009. I was a stay-at-home mom to an adorable, kissable, cuter than cute bouncing baby boy, and Etsy was in its heyday. Far far away, on the IU campus, three young women started something big – the Bloomington Handmade Market. No one can really tell me who or where the idea first … More here’s to 10 (more) years!
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-g2yvh-94c2be Episode 5 w/ J.D. Grove of Teehaus Bath & Body and Conspire Contemporary Craft : In this episode of Gather Stories I had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with JD Grove about her life and the adventures that have brought her thus far in this world. JD is the maker behind Teehaus … More Episode 5 w/ J.D. Grove of Teehaus Bath & Body and Conspire Contemporary Craft
So, many of you know I’ve been recording our own podcasts for a few weeks (months?) now, but where did that idea come from? Why did I start doing a podcast? The inspiration came from quite a few places, one of the powerful ones being the Scratch Entrepreneur podcast put on by my insurance agents, and … More Tales from a Shopkeep: Shine & Scratch Entrepreneur
A few weeks ago (ok, maybe a month- time travels WAY too fast these days!) I was reminded about Craft-A-Way Camp thanks to FB and its incessant need to stalk my interests and friend groups. As per usual, FB wins and I applied to join the adventurers that run craft-a-way in the middle of the … More Tales from a Shopkeep: Craft-a-Way Camp
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-5vd3m-93ad9f Gather Stories: Carrie Burnett of Beri Bee Designs – In this episode of Gather Stories I sit down with my friend and Gather maker Carrie Burnett of Beri Bee Designs to chat about all things kiddo and fabric and what makes Beri Bee Designs, Beri Bee. I met Carrie a few years ago in our former … More Episode 4 w/ Carrie Burnett from Beri Bee Designs
Last fall, four of us sat around a table and discussed the future of the spring BHM show. Gather had moved out of Fountain Square Mall, which meant, it didn’t make logical sense to host the spring show in that location any longer. To be honest, FSM was never the BEST place for a spring … More Tales from a Shopkeep : BHM Wrap-Up
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-5qrh5-921ee1 Gather Stories: Bethany Lumsdaine of Itchy Co, Shut up and Listen, The Bills, & More – In this episode of Gather Stories I sit down with local artist Bethany Lumsdaine to have a conversation about her art and where it comes from and where it’s going. Bethany is an amazing human whom I had the … More Episode 3 w/ Bethany Lumsdaine of Itchy Co, Shut up and Listen, The Bills, & More
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-hm7j8-91ec4e Gather Stories: Chelsea Jones of Tactile Melodies – In this episode of Gather Stories I get to sit down with my friend Chelsea and chat about the beginnings of her arts business and how Tactile Melodies came to be. We laugh a lot. Maybe too much, but we sure did have fun. Chelsea and I … More Episode 2 w/ Chelsea Jones of Tactile Melodies
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-qjkfp-91ca56 Gather Stories: A brief introduction to where Gather Stories is coming from, and the woman behind the interviews. Hi! My name is Talia Halliday and I own Gather, a brick and mortar store in downtown Bloomington that carries modern handmade goods from over 300 makers and artists from … everywhere. Gather Stories will be a … More Episode 0 Intro to Gather Stories (& Talia)
Well, I’ve gone and done it – we recorded our first podcast last week and today we’re ready to share it with the world. In this first episode I sit down for a chat with Nicole Buckenwolf, one of the founding member of Bloomington Handmade Market. We chat about the beginnings of … More Gather Stories: Episode 1
Today the fam and I ventured into the wild (ok, downtown Bloomington) to visit the City’s Bicentennial Street Fair held on Kirkwood Ave between Walnut and Indiana, which, for those of you that aren’t familiar with organizing festivals (and wrangling cats) is a SUPER HUGE endeavor. It really is no small feat to close down … More Tales from a Shopkeep: Bloomington’s Bicentennial
There’s this thing in the retail world – they call it a reset. I think. I mean, who am I kidding? I just make this shit up as I go! But, it sounds good nonetheless;) Every few months we make the store look new again. It’s important for us to change things out for a … More Tales from a Shopkeep: New Year Reset
Oh boy, this season has hit us like a mack truck, and there’s really no looking back! Where to start, where to start?! Let’s begin . . . at the beginning. Our NINTH annual Bloomington Handmade Market was just a few weeks ago, Nov 11, at the Monroe Convention Center. I can’t say enough positive … More Tales from a Shopkeep: BHM recap
I’m craving berries. It’s just an essential part of the summer. Drinks, breakfast, salads, desserts. Everything. Obviously I’m turning to Pinterest to figure out new ways to use one of my favorite natural treats! Check us out on Pinterest for more ideas!
Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. Backyard parties, fireworks, all things American. Even in our current political climate we can celebrate our spirit and drive as a people to create a better tomorrow. Steps are taken every day. Celebrate. Enjoy being with family and friends in a place we feel free to speak up. … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
I’ve wanted to document the transformation of our space for some time – but I made it pretty clear in my last blog that this all happened pretty quickly. Not to mention, I completely checked out for awhile and, just, I just wasn’t on my game. So, I didn’t really get proper ‘before’ photos. But, … More Tales from a Shopkeep : the transformation
I move in a week. Although I’m excited, I’m losing my big tub. It’s my last weekend to relax luxuriously. I’ll be making time to relax in a luxurious bath, light some candles, drink tea, and watch Netflix. Ah the perfect evening… Of course I turned to Pinterest to get a few ideas. item item … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
I always hate blog posts that begin with . . . “well, I haven’t written in awhile,” but, that’s just my truth right now. And it’s important to note because, well, I haven’t written in awhile because DAMN, life happened!! These past, oh, six months or so, have been an absolute whirlwind! We had an … More Tales from a Shopkeep : long time coming
After 30 years in the same house, my parents are moving. Boxes and boxes of childhood mementos, tax papers, holiday decorations, clothes from several different decades, and my beanie baby collection. And that’s just the attic. Looking at all of it, the job seems a bit harrowing. “One box at a time” has become the … More Love Living Local: Donate Your Stuff
I’ve been hearing a lot about a bullet journal lately. As a planning notebook/calendar/app junkie, I’m intrigued by the idea of creating my own planner that also functions as a meal planner, to-do list, idea collector, and goal tracker. I turned to Pinterest to learn more and explore the bullet journal. Here are a … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
The world is a constantly changing place. Every day more girls are educated. More women accept powerful positions. Women are changing the world. Empowered women empower women. Here’s a few results from Pinterest. Be inspired… Keep it up… Show the world… Always learn more… To always remind you…
School’s out! Now what? It’s been a conversation I’ve heard a lot lately. I don’t have kids, but I hear tons of exchanges from my friends, “What’s Johnnie doing this summer?” “Has Susie ever gone to xyz camp?” “We are planning to __________.” Luckily Bloomington has tons of activities for kids. Art Activities Does your child love … More Love Living Local-Summer with Kids
Did anyone see that video on Facebook of the woman who houses hundreds of plants inside her apartment (in New York I think)? She literally transformed her apartment into the woods. It made me revisit adding a few green roommates to my own place. So what did I do? Turn to Pinterest. I want to … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
The Gather family has moved to the east side of the square and nearly doubled our space. And whole new class of graduates will start a new journey. It’s times like these that we look forward to our new journey, but we reflect on where the journey has lead us so far. A friend came … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-Up
I’m feeling a little nostalgic. Graduation weekend tends to do that even if I’m not graduating. A whole new group of kids (to me anyway) are starting a new journey. Our own Gather owner, Talia, is taking a big leap with Gather and moving to a new (HUGE) space on the square. Acknowledging the new … More Love Living Local: Reminiscing in Bloomington
Mother’s Day is almost here. It’s a time to celebrate those special women in our lives who have shaped us. And what says, “I love you” better than taking the time to create something special for her. As always I turned to Pinterest to get some ideas! Say what you need to say… This is … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
Coffee. Mmmm. Really what needs to be said? It’s my wake up call. A friend and I recently discussed different reasons for grabbing that cup of coffee. I might sit at Hopscotch or the Pourhouse to read or study. I may meet a friend to catch-up. Or maybe I will meet a professional acquaintance. The … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
This week was long. I’ve been looking forward to my lazy Sunday all week. It’s the one day of the week I set aside for rest and relaxation. I do a little work if I feel like it. Binge watch Netflix if I feel like it. Spend time outside if I feel like it. Whatever … More Love Living Local: Lazy Day in Bloomington
With yesterday being Earth Day and today being Global Youth Service Day, it’s made me think about how I can be giving back to our planet. How can I enjoy nature? Getting outside helps me clear my head. It’s also been a great place for me to conjure my next artistic endeavor (or at least … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
We opened our April Gallery “The Power of Protest: a Feminist Response” last week. It features artwork from and inspired by the Women’s March. It’s really made me think. Actually over the next three days, I’ll be using this inspiration for self-reflection and growth. As always I searched Pinterest with a few key words, “feminist” … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
Bloomington is rich in diversity, art, culture, and oppportunity. On any given day, I might speak to someone from faraway country, interact with a different culture, see beautiful works of art, or eat delicious world-class food. But my favorite thing about Bloomington is this community’s rich giving culture. Bloomington is home to hundreds of nonprofits, services organizations, community organizations, … More Love Living Local
Springtime brings bunnies and egg hunts. If you’re celebrating Easter, here’s a few ideas. So many cute ideas! Follow us on Pinterest for more! Egg Coloring The cutest sweet treat Ideas for eggs Easter DIY Easter Basket Ideas
Quirky: different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion It’s a word I’ve been hearing a lot lately. Maybe its just me. Today’s list is inspired by this fascinating word and its essence. I found a few things that define the word quirky to me.
April showers bring May flowers. It’s that time of year. Time to let the fresh air in and clear out the old. I love the promise of spring. All the new growth encourages me to create my own opportunities for growth. April boasts some pretty awesome events. For all the adventurers, The Banff Mountain Film … More Love Living Local: Spring is Here
I’m slightly obsessed with self-care right now. Maybe it’s the feelings of renewal that accompanies springtime. Taking the time to relax, reflect, and renew is absolutely essential. I’ve focused on that very idea for this week’s Pinterest Picks. And if you missed it, I just wrote “Self-Care in Bloomington” in last week’s Love Living Local … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
Being neighbors with The Green Nursery, we have a lot of little visitors. Bloomington might have the cutest babies on the planet. It inspired my post this week. I just keep thinking about the cute nursery possibilities. (I have no children so I still live in the fantasy world that nurseries could actually look like … More Pinterest Picks-Weekly Round-up
After starting a new job, getting ready to move, and keeping up with everyday life, I am a little worn down. It’s time for a little self-care. Pinterest is my best friend right now. I’m creating my own routine to take care of myself. I don’t have to look too far. Thankfully Bloomington offers a … More Love Living Local
Gather 