Daily Practice to Grow your Social Media Presence

With the onset of Social Media we have been given many challenges as well as many opportunities. The challenge, if you will, is to carve out the time, to take advantage of the given opportunities of growing the visibility of ones business over the air waves.

It can be seen as a quagmire of sorts and thus intimidating and daunting. It was in a presentation I gave at ZAAR Design Center, on April 21st, that I tried to sort this out for those that joined me for our Lunch N Learn, which focused on Growing One’s Online Presence, based on 12 years of having an online based business.

I don’t pretend to know it all, but I do know that I’ve learned a few things along the way, and that I am continually learning, and thus tweaking and adjusting as I continue on.  AND I believe very much in the premise of what Social Media is based on…building relationships with people online as being viable. Letting people know who you are and connecting with people. Giving you and your business a place to show and grow in the cyber world is a great asset to your business. Yes, a Gift!

However, over the years I, like most, have adjusted, and continue to adjust, what I can expect from myself to maintain this presence, and still have time for wearing the many other hats I don as an entrepreneur.

For instance, my blogging. I LOVE to write. I have plenty to write about.  I LOVE to connect with people with this medium, and for a time I attempted to put out at least 2 blogs/week, using that as my main source of drawing people in.  I found that I couldn’t keep up with this and was letting the guilt of not blogging as regularly as you “should” , at least to be “relevant” in the blogging world, get in the way of my joy of sharing/being what it was meant to be. Yes, have curbed this to once/month for each biz.

And then there are the relevant portals where my customer base is hanging out. No, it is not enough anymore just to have your website well ranked. We are to go where our customers are.  I don’t need to quote you the statistics that qualify that it is Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Houzz.

So the question is how do you maximize the output across the airwaves, with the least amount of time? And, as I shared in my presentation, I feel that I’ve come to a place where I’m able to do this, taking a relatively small amount of time to put it out there. And yes, blogging still remains relevant, as does putting out  a newsletter, like my blogging, once/month newsletter for each biz, to your already defined audience….but want to focus here on those daily nudges to show your’e present.

For maximum punch it matters where you house the photos you post, just keep an eye on the stats on your website as sources of traffic and you’ll see what I mean, where you draw them from to further  share.

Pinterest and Houzz are  THE places from which you want to house, no pun intended/ok, maybe just a little bit intended, your photos. The subtle photos are those that show, in my case Chinese Antiques or Product from ZAAR Design Center, your product/service in settings. And then there are the less subtle photos of your product, with descriptions and prices…and links to your website that  is in perfect form to put out there as well. These places, and I’m told Instagram should be included here, although just jumping on that bandwagon now, are where you want your photos to come from.

Where do you want them to go? Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook. All of them.

And when do you want them to go?  Early morning, noon, and early evening…all prime times.

How do you want to get them there when you want them to go, without planning to be at your computer/on your phone, managing this constantly?

Tweet deck and Hoot suite are 2 of the most commonly used dashboards for such. I use Hoot suite and can only comment on that portal, but I think both operate pretty similarly.

On a perfect day I will end it with the following practice in place. Log into Hoot suite   Pull up either  my Pinterest or Houzz account…feel free to follow me on either one and/or the other. Grab a photo, one either shared by a customer or found in the cyber world, and add a comment that pertains to the image.  Use the scheduling function on Hoot suite for it to go out around 7:00 the next morning….on Twitter, Linked in and Facebook.  Then, go back and find a product photo of a piece similar and more directly suggest that I have such available in my collection, and post this around noon time, or early evening.  I do this both for Antiques by Zaar and ZAAR Design Center.

I’ve been doing some variation of  this rather consistently since mid January and have grown my audience for Antiques by Zaar on Facebook from 735 to over 1,000 and have a decent percentage of people “talking” about it. Also do this for ZAAR Design Center, a newer business, and as such a smaller base audience. Mid January I had 35 “likes” on that page, and that has now grown to 282, although with the help of a 10.00/day Facebook targeted ad helping that get a boost.

I am well aware that Social Media is all about engaging and that this approach is simply about growing your presence with a daily practice…and this blog is already long enough without delving further….not to mention I have other thoughts on how to invite people into your circle…yet another missive for that. This is a way to let people know you exist, to entice them into your circle. After that the meat of it happens by taking it a step further and engaging/deepening a relationship.

In closing I would like to also point out that my personal Facebook page is (and fully intend on adding twitter to this/just not as comfortable there ….yet!) where a lot of engagement happens….whereas I see the biz pages more as a place to post regularly…less engagement happening there.  I am my business and the people I hope to do business with I anticipate many to become my friends (just my way!) and thus I have no qualms, tastefully, sharing my personal world with my business world, not unlike how I’ve been doing in my online newsletters since 2004…just ask anyone who’s on my list ,  on my personal Facebook page, where I share my world and my Self.

I welcome you to My World and I welcome any comments/questions or tips you may have to add to this. We all have something to learn from each other and I welcome any tips that may be useful to me and my audience.

Ruth

P.S. For you High Point Market goers, check out my Pinterest Board on ZAAR Friends/Highlights @ Market.

ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com

866 868 9227

http://www.antiquesbyzaar.com

 

13 Years of Building Relationships Online….

…OR,  Validating One’s  Biz in This Upside Down World.

Once upon a time you needed a brick and mortar to validate your online presence. Now brick and mortars need an online presence to be validated. Go figure.

It was 1999, just after our move to the states, after an 8 year stint in Asia, when my husband and I determined to establish our online business, selling, of all things, Chinese Antiques. Business model was to NOT have a brick and mortar, but to set up shop on the world wide web and take it from there.

What did we know going into this? Won’t go into what we didn’t know, which was plenty 

We  knew that…

 we had a source for a product that we had an affinity to…. building on relationships made during our 8 years living/working in Asia

we were breaking new ground….being the first online only sellers of Chinese Antiques.

we felt we could offer competitive pricing/create a niche….because of our business model and running it very lean/doing ALL the work in house…yes, learning ALOT along the way.

combined we had the skills required to make this come to fruition….not to mention the determination.

The website went live August 2000 and it wouldn’t be until Thanksgiving weekend, yes, of that year,but it felt like FOREVER,  that I would make my first online sale.  Will never forget the euphoric feeling of being “found” online AND then to have someone take the plunge and make that online purchase from ME!? With that I was officially in business, and away we went.

As husband continued to work the Search Engine Optimization side of the biz more people found us and had an interest in shopping with us and would call. As such the question would inevitably come up as to how we ever got into this business, and so I would ramble on with “my story“….

….and  this had me rethink the advise given to us by our web designer that the “about us” section on our website was insignificant and that although it needed to be there, that people didn’t tend to read it, therefore just give it lip service.  Didn’t take long for me to determine that it would indeed be  a relevant part of my site and that people would read it, per the conversations I’d been having…and so I edited what I had thrown up there to give the whole enchilada.  You can read that full version here/ shorter version here, as is on the website.  In fact it was where they first started to get to know WHO Antiques by Zaar was….WHO was the driving force, the heart and soul of this particular business….where they first started to gain confidence in us as sellers.

Yes, people want to do business with people, and telling them who we were straight out did us well as a foundation to move on.  We furthered this by starting an online newsletter in 2004. And, as was my way, I would tend to include personal  tidbits in the preamble, click here to visit past newsletters,….  I had plenty of fodder with having lived in several countries,  the start of this of my 2nd biz,  3 kids underfoot/raising golden retrievers, on a farm in Maine…you get the drift/ways to connect with people/letting them into my world...leading to the “meat” of the missive which would be announcing a new container, show dates and the such.

My newsletter remains to be a vital connecting point to my past customers as well as prospective s,  that have given me permission to put their name on my newsletter list…. a list which has grown to be  a  qualified list of over 5,000 strong…. proudly sharing that my “open” and “click through” rates consistently remain above the industry standard.

With the onset of Social Media the venues to connect in the virtual world, in addition to my audience of 5,000,  have grown at such a rate that it is sometimes hard to keep up with. The good news is that there is this plethora of opportunities for businesses of any size to put their word out there and let their customers get to know them prior to making any kind of purchase.  That is “the way” now isn’t it????  What is expected of businesses…to become transparent. The bad news is that you are competing with such a massive body of businesses doing the same.  The good news is, there is only one YOU and it is up to you to make your Unique Voice heard.

Considering my tendency to be upfront and personal in a simple newsletter, it should be no surprise that I felt I’d been granted a true Gift with the introduction of the blog. THE perfect platform to do more of the same, reaching more people. However, I have found the blogging road a bumpy one, as is evidenced by the frequency of my posts. Love hate relationship really.  But as I continue to figure out a blogging rhythm that works for me, I can’t afford not be seen/heard, and over the course of time I  have come to a place where I feel I can stay present in the virtual world in a relevant way, that is indeed manageable.

I am validating my, now 2 businesses,  daily where it counts….  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Houzz, and via my blogs.

I look forward to sharing more on this at my Lunch N Learn Sunday, April 21st, during the High Point Market, at ZAAR Design Center, starting at 12:00.

Welcome to the long winding road of learning and growing, giving and sharing.

Ready, set, go!

Ruth

P.S. For the luncheon, RSVP is appreciated but not required. Just would like to have an idea of how many to prepare food for.    ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com  207 838 2675, or leave a comment on this blog posting.

 

Powered Up/United: Theme of a “Marathon” of a Week.

I have just returned home to Maryland for a few short days before hitting the road again next week. I would be remiss in not capsulizing what was an incredible trip that made most question my sanity when advised what my schedule was…. to be at Unity in NC and 2 days later in FL, prepping for my first 1/2 marathon. Frankly, it was empowering enough in and of itself…the fact that I actually made it work logistically.

But on a deeper level…

As a member of the High Point Design Center, since 2008, I have attended the February Unity in Design event each year.

For a quick primer on what this event is all about, I akin it to a mini Market. Member showrooms are open for the 2 day event which is geared specifically to designers, who are also treated to breakfasts, lunches and networking cocktail parties, for the duration…not to mention a solid roster of educational events relevant to the industry.

 It is one of the 4 times/year that I KNOW I will be in High Point, the other 2 being the High Point Furniture Market and the 4th being the annual WITHIT Leadership Conference.  I  attend to promote both of my businesses, Antiques by Zaar and ZAAR Design Center, the former which serves as anchor for the latter.  And each time I leave High Point after said event, I do so with a warm glow, knowing I did right by my biz to be there.  For not only is it a good opportunity to draw in new customers, it is also a great opportunity for me to connect at a deeper level with those that are working, as am I, to foster a year round business to the trade, in High Point. I am energized by this commitment we share and the way in which we serve to support each other AND the needs of our customers….more on this on ZAAR Design Center blog that will roll out following this missive.

 UNITY 2013 was the perfect time for ZAAR  to launch the introduction of our newest Trade Partner, Sans Souci Sisters. With all the warm fuzzies about it seemed the perfect opportunity  to inaugurate the permanent presence of Christmas @ ZAAR. Yes, Sans Souci Sisters are your GO TO workshop to have one of a kind heritage and memory Santa Claus’s handcrafted to your specifications. Suffice it to say, we are ecstatic to have Kimberley and her heart warming Santa s as a permanent fixture at ZAAR.

Thank you to all that put out so much effort to make this entire event what it was….those that organized it and also those that came to take benefit of what was organized just for them. I truly feel it to be a  win win and why I tout it/support it/participate in it as I do.

So, fueled by all these positive juices I scurried out after the cocktail party/silent auction, that was organized to benefit the Sandbox organization, which by all counts was a smashing success, to make the 6 hour drive back to my new home in MD, just long enough to change suitcases, and catch a bus to NYC, where I would be meeting my daughter for what would be a “power up” of a different nature, in Orlando FL.

Yes, I would be changing up my business attire to a tutu, matching ones made by daughter Avery, and join over 25,000 others , over 22,000 of these being women, in the 5th annual Disney Princess 1/2 marathon, in support of the Leukemia/Lymphoma Foundation. Leave it up to my Disney Darling to add this to my bucket list… no, it wasn’t on it, but as a reasonably regular runner, not an unreasonable thing to ponder as something I would do….although the most I had ever done in the past was a 10 k. The prospect of doing it in a tu tu did take some of the seriousness out of the fact we were to complete 13.1 miles!

The energy of literally thousands of people, at 4:00 am, in the Disney Park, decked out in assorted costumes, yes,with a high preponderance of tu tus….including on several men, was something in and of itself amazing to be part of. So many people, EACH with their own goals, to meet by completing 13.1 miles, one way or the other. I could only vouch for what my goals were for this.

The obvious one was to simply complete it, and to that end I have been reminded that you really can do anything you set your mind to. Not going to lie, after doing a solid 8 miles without stopping, I did let my head start to get to me, and my attitude wasn’t the healthiest. Although I was determined NOT to walk over the finish line, my pace had pretty much deteriorated to what could be considered a fast shuffle.

And this  brings me to what was the greater goal of what participating in this meant to me, and that was to do something big with my daughter, to create a memory for us to share. As such what puts the biggest smile on my face/warms my heart the most, as I recall this, is how my 22 year old, who was able to keep a clip faster than her old mother , remember, I had regressed to a fast shuffle. To her credit, for the best part of the run we were side by side,… during the last 1/4 mile, came back, urged me on, and as we crossed the finish line, reached over to grab my hand and raised our hands in united victory. THAT was the bomb!

On all counts it was  crazy to attempt to make it work logistically to be in NC Tues-Thurs, to meet in NYC to get to FL Sat for a Sunday event. But, each event was of import to me, and I felt merited the effort it would take to participate in both….and, at the other side of all of it, including the 3 hours it took to do 13.1 miles, I couldn’t be happier that I can say I DID IT!

I did what was right for me as a business owner, and then I did what was right for me as a mom.

So, yes, POWERED UP I am, and in the context of a UNITED Spirit…from my HPDC colleagues,  trade partners and customers in High Point, and by all those that determined to complete 13.1, but especially by my very own Disney Princess Avery.

Ruth

P.S. If you have a thirst for more Disney marathon photos, feel free to visit this facebook album.

 

Classic Chinese Carved Screens….

….simple elegance, in house or garden.  Great way to add a touch of Asian ambiance.

Just see here the many ways they’ve been used by my customers.

NOTE:  a large stock these what are rare finds is available in High Point. Check here for a wonderful selection of tall panels and here for a variety of sizes….and for more ideas on how others have used these classic beauties, check my Pinterest board on Chinese Screens here.

 

Antiques by Zaar and High Point Convention & Visitors Bureau

Last week, during the HPDC Designer Wed, we had the pleasure of a visit from Joyce Allen-Crawford. The intention of her visit was two fold. As owner of her own design business she was scouting out pieces for her clients, and as Manager for the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau, she was delivering the token of their appreciation as shown here.

Joyce and I met several years back, through our mutual association in the High Point Design Center and thus she was aware of my antique business and the fact that my warehouse for my collection was located in High Point….actually, quite literally 1 mile down the road from the Convention Center/Visitors Bureau.  She was also aware of my interest in doing whatever I could to support driving business…retail or trade, to boost the commerce happening in High Point.

Thus, it was a shoe in for Joyce when she first set foot in our showroom. She quite simply needed to  decide what would work best in the Center. Per the photos below, you can see that our pieces pull together the setting quite nicely.

Great job Joyce. My Mongolian chest,  black pumpkin stools and love seat have added to the warmth created by Joyce…with further contributions from several other furniture companies based in High Point.

Thrilled to be able to add to the ambiance of the Welcome Center and also to have this venue to promote my business. Yes, we keep a nice stash of post cards available, shown here on the left, to offer contact info, as well as keeping a basket of fortune cookies available…with our business card attached of course.

And similarly, am happy for the opportunity to offer yet another furniture shopping resource to visitors to High Point. All good for everyone eh?

Ruth

FYI, yet another hat Joyce wears, as she serves as rep for the jewelry line Cookie Lee.  Thrilled that she joined several vendors in November at our first annual ZAAR Design Center Christmas Bazaar. We had a great day…first hosting guests from the High Point Design Center and later in the day from WITHIT….evening event punctuated a potluck dinner and presentation from Kimberly Stone ,WITHIT and ZDC member, of Sans Souci Sisters, sharing the story behind the very personal hand made creations in her Santa Claus’s.  Check out photos from that great event here.

 

Moving From 2012 to 2013: The Magic of Goal Setting

I just went through my 2012 blogging calendar to verify what I already knew. I have been, at the best, sporadic in my blogging the entire calendar year…and no, it doesn’t make me happy to bring attention to this, but it is what it is and rather than pretend that I’ve been attentive and just roll along, I’m going to address it head on.

As I said in my October blog, I believe that as a blogger it is so much more than just opening doors for your respective businesses, it is also about honestly sharing about YOU. Frankly, I tend to over share and so it is as much a surprise to me, as it may be to you, that I quieted my Voice so much this past year. And so I’ve been thinking on this and what 2012 was all about for me.

In my New Years Blog for 2012 , “My 3 Words”  I made mention, among other things, of the intention of getting our house sold. It was couched with many other Goals. Little did I know how that ONE would consume my entire year…and for various, not necessarily obvious reasons, get  in the way of , among other things, my blogging/sharing….not necessarily because of the real time it took to do the job but more so the emotional roller coaster I went on as I tried to stay the course of a big decision made….and only now, with the task behind me, am willing to put it out there.

The intention of this missive, aside from expounding on what was my focus  this past year…did we really expect it to sell as quickly as it did?  is to share with you an example of the magic that can happen with some specific goal setting in place, as that is what I felt happened this year. Things did line up well, and many people helped out, read about my “gifts” here, but I do believe that setting a course and the intention did help things along.

As someone shared on my Facebook wall today:

“To will is to select a goal, determine a course of action that will bring one to that goal, and then hold to that action until the goal is reached. The key is action.” Michael Hanson….and might I add belief AND the universe helping to line things up, as I said above???

Goal.  Have house Market ready for Fall 2011.  Check!

started this in the Spring, and good thing we did too…

GOAL .to have it photo ready for Thanksgiving 2011. Check!

ready the day before the Holiday, talk about cutting it close.

GOAL. To have one last Christmas with all the kids. Check!

understand a couple of the kids anticipated at least one more, after 2011, Christmas in their Maine home. I had other plans...sorry.

GOAL. To have the house show ready, not quite the same as photo ready, by the New Year. Check!

...good thing I started defrocking after Christmas ASAP, as we had our first showing Jan 5th!

GOAL .To have it Sold  by Spring/Mid Summer. Check! 

5/26, last day of Spring Market, an offer came in that we accepted. Closing date was pushed to 7/16, per my request….needed ALL that time to empty a house and barn FULL of Stuff!

GOAL. Simply to have IT all done….meaning yard sales, dumpster filling, salvation army pick ups, selling off of a

tractor, packing, purging and more packing and purging.…for said July 16th closing. Check!

…again, working right to the bitter end.

GOAL.  To find a home that had the following: neighbors, no more than 45 minute drive from Amtrak station, a small private yard where I would still feel like I had nature around me, IE  not look onto my neighbors back yard, master room with tub (yes, I love my baths and no, not every master en suite has a tub!), appealing office space, 3-4 bedrooms, so as to accommodate kids when visiting, ample storage space, close proximity to a marina, and enough wall space to hang the art that we’ve gathered over the years.  Check!

….although the yard is a tad smaller than we wanted and we only have 3 bedrooms,  I feel we SCORED!

GOAL. to find a new home with above specs  by end of August. Check!

again, cut this one tight…found our new home on August 31st! Didn’t realize I had hit this goal until the end of the day and made me smile when I realized I had . I had been looking since May and was getting quite discouraged and approached that day (trip # 15 i believe) with a negative nilly attitude of expecting to be again disappointed in what we would be looking at. Go figure, such would not be the case.

GOAL. to be moved in by Oct 1. Check!

had lined up temporary living in MD for 3 months. Was keen to save on that last month’s rent if I could. Closing was 9/29 and movers landed on my doorstep 10/1!

GOAL. to be unpacked and set up enough so that when I came back from October Market I wouldn’t feel I was coming to a disaster. Check!

in the course of a week all boxes, less wall art, was completely unpacked.

GOAL. to have all utilities sorted out and internet connected before hitting the road to Market. Check!

actually kind’ve messed up here, as, although I met that deadline,  I should’ve  had internet sorted out prior to actual move, but not having internet for that first week gave me the focus to unpack without distraction, and that I did.

Yes, it was hard to leave our family home of 13 years, but I do feel that it was the right decision and I do feel that I have landed well, here, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

And yes, my business was back burner ed while this was all going down. BUT, I am so grateful for the above time line, for when you look at it, IT all went along quite quickly. AND I am further grateful for the FEELING that I have, of seeing something through…that once the decision was made, and things were put in motion, that each motion acted as a stepping stone to a conclusion.

So, now. Big deep breath. I have indeed landed, and here I am, starting the new year in my new home. Settled into the home nicely but just getting my toes wet in settling into the community,  and now, READY to make a set of GOALS for my business that will bring the same magic that I experienced this past year….and THAT topic will be addressed in a separate blog posting, to follow shortly, for real!

Happy Goal Setting.

Enjoy the Magic of Seeing them realized.

Ruth

 

Your’e Invited to A Christmas Bazaar (Party) @ ZAAR

Anybody that knows me knows that I LOVE opening my home for a party. Well, as  the heart and soul behind Antiques by Zaar and ZAAR Design Center, I am beyond thrilled to be opening my “business home” for it’s first annual Christmas party.

Yes, it is a bazaar, but it really is a party…a place for you to warmly invite in the Holiday Spirit, to be infused by the creativity of others, to be welcomed into a showroom that exudes excitement, as the collaborative Spirit of the 15 companies that show/sell product there, all culminate in a beautifully staged setting…of course, decorated for the Holiday Season.

I am so excited to welcome you in, and know that if you can’t make it in person that we shall know you are with us in Spirit, and perhaps will join us at another time. Whether you are able to join us or not, please Do read below for details of what is planned….

WHEN?  Oh my, it’s this Wednesday, November 14th…which not so coincidentally is also Designer Wed,  starting at 9:00 and going through to 5:00 pm.

WHERE? In the former Drexel Heritage Factory @ 741 West Ward Ave, High Point, NC. Right on the corner of Ward and Green.

WHO’S INVITED? Anyone that wants to be infused with the Christmas Spirit, and while you’re at it get a jump start on Holiday Shopping…or just come along and join us for Hot Cider and Ginger Snaps, a visit and a good look around.

WHO’S GONNA BE THERE?

THE ARTISTS :

Kimberly Stone of Sans Souci Sisters…. appropriately being introduced @ ZAAR for the first time. Specializing in custom heirloom Santa Claus.

Kathleen Holterman of Holterman and Company…with her vibrant collection of oil paintings.

Dave and Barbara McGinnis of Wood n’ Clay Studio, a husband and wife team with talent to burn…or should I say turn wood and throw pottery.

…and of course all of above will have handiwork to sell, or you can special order.

THE ELVES:

Jeff, Sherry, Julia, Alice and yours truly.

…and lastly what is a Bazaar without asking, WHAT IS THERE TO BUY…in addition to above noted? Yes, there is So Much MORE!

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Aria: Jewelry, Scarves and Dresses

Cookie Lee: More jewelry

Designed to Heal: Monica Hodges with her new line of  home made soaps!

AND THEN THERE IS WHAT IS  THE HEART OF ZAAR….

Product from People that are Passionate about their businesses and are gathered together @ ZAAR to give YOU a Special Shopping Experience.

note: please excuse lack of photos below…computer glitch, but please check out this album on facebook for some wonderful product photos, to lure you in

Lamps Galore:

Flambeau  moved their entire Suites showroom into ZAAR and are JUST newly installed, chandeliers and all!  But we also have lamps from Lorna Dewey and Antiques by Zaar.

Artificial Plants and Trees:

New Growth Design are THE best at what they do, with a made in North Carolina product that can’t be beat. (Had the pleasure of touring their facility this past Sunday!)

Italian Pottery:

Fortunata has the corner on that one.

Other Home Accents:

pottery and wood pieces from Wood n Clay, iron work wall art and nick knacks  from Haiti and porcelain and wood stools from Antiques by Zaar.

More Artwork: 

Kathleen Holterman is joined by another local artist Katy Allgeyer, who is now on an amazing trip of a lifetime with her boyfriend Scott Morgan. She blogs about it regularly here…is worthy to follow this journey.

yet more distinctive  art by the Elizabeth Lucas Company.

….and gripping photography by Bruce Barone of Massachusetts and Sylvia Muller of East Hampton NY.

Sculptures:

Lorna Dewey and Antiques by Zaar present very different but equally appealing product.

Pillows and Throws:

The Oriole Mill, yes another made in North Carolina product, has a line exclusive to ZAAR available to purchase.

And then there is FURNITURE:

From the UK:

Touchwood, Lorna Dewey and Distinctive Chesterfields.

From the US:

Cabeen Originals, and Bellascenda.

…and from China, Antiques by Zaar.

And ALL of this is so beautifully positioned that each persons product accents the other.

Do come and enjoy what we have prepared for you to experience, and no better time than to do so then now.

So very much look forward to welcoming you!

Ruth, for all!

866 868 9227/ZAAR

ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com

 

My Biz/My Life/My Voice/My Blog: Here we go!

Working my way back to sharing my voice by way of my blog, and have been wrestling with which of the many topics swirling around in my head I should put out there first. This posting appears to be necessary back drop for me to move forward,  for there is no lack of material to write about…

Recent High Point Market has provided enough food for thought, on the products, on the people and on the businesses of the people with the product, that I could simply, well, go on  forever.

Similarly October being  Breast Cancer Awareness Month offers me yet more. My affinity to support  Breast Cancer Research, but also cancer in general, personally, and through my business, and the stories behind those people that have been affected by  cancer, that are dear to me, gives me more to talk about.

On Moving….why you move to where you do and how you manage it. Yes, fresh on the brain as just moved from Maine to Maryland after 13 years….but with past experiences moving around the world…Canada, Haiti, Thailand, Taiwan, and finally the States….I do have some experiences to share. Overseas I was considered abit of an “expert” on living as an expat…mostly about attitude eh?

On Entrepreneurship….the role model of my parents, the role model I’d like to be for others, with experience of 2 businesses, growing into a 3rd  business.   The desire to support those that have taken on the not so secure, but oh so satisfying life of working for oneself….taking the risks and accepting the challenges that although unique to each business, are shared challenges faced by all entrepreneurs, embracing the attitude  ”failure is not an option”.

On Building Relationships online…remembering the pioneer I was in being the first online only seller of Chinese Antiques, of doing “warm fuzzy” e blasts long before social media and online relationship building was a “trend”. Of the values of building trust and confidence in you as a person is the only way to promote your product and how Social Media has opened doors for all levels of businesses and is ours for the taking as we move on with Patience, Persistence and Presence!!!!

On the Power of Womankind …and what we mean to each other, lifting each other up, and the value in being open to the women in your world and how doing such can change your world…

On the Value of Collaboration….so  many many fine examples I have before me of companies and people that believe, as I do, that there is enough for everybody to go around. Share the resources! Everybody wins…which brings me to my new entity ZAAR Design Center, which is moving from being an infant stages to greater maturity/value….and the Gift this continues to be.

On the lessons of life learned by being a parent….what our kids can teach us. How parenting changes as our children grow and as we grow to know ourselves better, and as we learn to respond to, rather than react to what life throws us…sharing this with our children as they each evolve into their own persons.

On the challenges of the economy….and what that has meant to the lot of us. Again, how we respond to it. How it can open doors for us…doors that otherwise may not have opened.

On setting Goals, or setting a back drop for said Goals,  and the Power of that…

On being Grateful. For the Gift of Life. For the Gift of Family. For the Gift of Health.  For the Gift of People that Believe in You/Support You/Lift you….yes, for Friends.  For the Gift of 2nd Chances. For the Gift of Faith, Hope and Love.

Yes, I have LOTS and LOTS to write about and the blogs that will follow will touch any number of these themes….ALL of which are relevant to the essence of what is MY Voice.  Yes, I have “stuff” to share and for those fellow bloggers out there…I think you’d agree that blogging is as much an exercise in how to share your personal voice as it is to introduce people to you/your business.

I look forward to delving deeper into the blogs of my peers as I make my way deeper into the blogging world.

….and on that note I welcome myself back after what was an apparently needed hiatus.
Ruth

 

 

Lisa Ferguson’s Recommended Read: Strengths Finder

Lisa Ferguson of Decor Mentor is a strong advocate of taking Tom Rath’s Strengths Finder test, a test that, through a series of questions, will help you determine your strengths. I love Lisa’s “elevate” philosophy. I love the energy she has and her focus and drive and how she puts herself out there, making opportunities happen, not only for herself, but for all those that she comes in contact with. She walks the walk…and, if you’re going to High Point Market next month, she is everywhere, doing her thing. Just check out the events calendar! So,  her vouching for the value in taking the test was enough for me…and, so I did such, today.

The test/approach is “unique” in that the typical focus is on people’s weaknesses and how we need to overcome said weaknesses. The test is straightforward and simple to take, and only takes about 30 minutes.

My take away?

My top 5 were not any surprises to me, but what going through this process did do was validate that I am doing exactly what I should be doing, and that in and of itself was beneficial, although, not going to lie, I still wanted to have my known weaknesses validated and be given some directives on how to work through those….for that I am getting some top notch advise on my audio version of Steve Willinghams’ Inner Game of Selling…a book/CD I refer to often!

Yes, I can feel good about the “strengths” identified as being Mine. Now to work I go, using these all in the Life I Live and Work I Do, with all the People I Love!

So, as one of my strengths is communicating, any way I can, I am going to end this by sharing  my top 5, according to how I answered the questions.

Connectedness:

“Everything happens for a reason. You are sure of it….you are considerate, caring and accepting…. Sensitive to the invisible hand, you can give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond our humdrum lives….your Faith is Strong.”  NOTE: Connecting/Caring came through as one of my “purpose theme” in exercise directed by Tracy Tyler , founder of Strategies for Success, @ the WITHIT Leadership Conference I attended in August….along with Staying Healthy, Making a Difference, Parenting with Wisdom and Love, and Inner Peace.

Empathy:

“You can sense the emotions of those around you….you can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own….you help people find the right phrases to express their feelings…to themselves as well as others…you help them give voice to their emotional life…witnessing the happiness of others brings you pleasure”….YES!

Woo: (stands for winning others over….if you didn’t know)

“You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you…strangers are energizing…you are drawn to them…you want to learn their names, ask them questions and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport…..you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection….in your world there are no strangers you haven’t met yet—lots of them”. SO TRUE!

Communication:

“You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write…AND HOW!.whether an idea, an event, a product’s features and benefits, a discovery, or a lesson—to survive….you and to divert people’s attention toward you and then capture it, lock it in….this is what draws you toward dramatic words and powerful word combinations…this is why people listen to you…your word pictures pique their interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act!” MY HOPE!

Developer:

“You see the potential in others…each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities…when you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success…you look for ways to challenge them…signs of growth in others are your fuel….they bring you strength and satisfaction….many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.”

If you aren’t sure of where you stand in it all, I suggest you taking this test to clarify. A bit of advise, do buy online, as you can get for half of what the book sells for in book stores, BUT, don’t buy a used copy, as the access code to do the online test is only valid for one user.

Ruth

 

A Touch of Chinese @ the Hampton Designer Show House….

…and in yours?

No surprise that my own home, as written in a recent blog, Chinese Country Antiques in my Maine Country Home, Chinese Antiques are prevalent…due in part to our near decade living in Asia and further encouraged by my love for the genre of furniture I’ve been selling for the last 12 years….and, per the prevalence of Chinese Antiques in Show Houses, shelter magazines, and the portfolios of more than just a handful of designers,  many who I proudly can call my customers, Meg Braff’s work shown on left here. I feel secure in the future of my business…ie, it is not a passing trend. A touch of Chinese works just as well with modern as it does with traditional, or, of course, stands well enough on it’s own.

And below a few examples of that “touch” as seen in the rooms at the Hampton show house.

It was Kat Burki‘s usage of two non matching consoles, purchased from yours truly, that admittedly first drew me to visit the Hampton Designer Showhouse in 2009. So elegantly presented in this powder room, wouldn’t you agree?

That same year Carole Reed used a red lacquer console/desk in the library.

Last year Tilton Fenwick added an accent by way of over sized Chinese porcelain stools.

And this year would be no different with the sitting room as appointed by Old Town Crossing, who used a black lacquer console table and complementary kang coffee table.

I would LOVE to see how you have put a touch of Asian , or more, in YOUR home….and would love to share such. And if inclined to include a quip about what you love about your Chinese infusion, or how you came to love Chinese antiques, please include.

Ruth

P.S. See how some of my Antiques by Zaar customers have  placed thier Asian infusion in their homes, as they have shared and allowed me to post in my Home Gallery.

ALSO, the Hampton Show House is still open until September 2, if you are inclined to take a visit.

 

Getting from There to Here/Moving from Here to There…

…OR Change, Change, Change, OR Ending a Chapter/Starting a Chapter, OR to Uplifting and Being Uplifted, OR We Women Rock….or simply Thank YOU!

Yes, this blog has been mulling about in my head for weeks now….feeling the need to acknowledge not only what has been a very clear change in my life, central to this being the recent sale and move from what was our home in Maine for the past 13 years….to starting a new life in Maryland, address yet to be confirmed, but to also acknowledge the forces that have contributed to getting me from “there to here” and which I count on getting me from “here to there”

Yes, I am very well aware that it is all “up to me” but I cannot deny the “forces’ of which I speak of, which come in the form of  that growing bevy of womankind which have come into my Life, and which I can call my friends.

To my Maine based gals….

I thank you for sending me off so well. For those that attended my pre launch of yard sale party, to those that similarly attended the lovely soiree at Connemara Farm, by Anne, my neighbor and friend… to the  many that I was able to connect with for a farewell lunch or dinner.  I felt so incredibly embraced and loved.

For you, Nancy Morin, YOU were by my side for almost an entire year as we moved from one stage to another in making the move happen….moving forward when I felt stalled, assuring me of your calm presence and assistance right to the day the movers showed up.  You kept me from going over the edge, and I felt there often, and quite simply pressed on. I purged and you packed. You organized my barn into a full fledged Good Will Store for 2 two day yard sales and posted items on Craig’s List so I could do my part and sell sell sell.

To Nancy Strojny, my SCORE mentor and Carol Emerson of Custom House Business Services, I thank you for giving me latitude as I allowed this move to consume me emotionally, BUT did your jobs and brought me back, reminding me of the business that is mine/dependent on me to breathe life into it and spurring me to the next step knowing when this move was behind me that I would return to  nurture and grow this Gift I have in my business.

To my daughter Avery, who upon graduation from college, yup, last one!  and after being away at school for the last 4 years… spent a full 3 months with me. What a delight!

To my team in North Carolina, Jeff Moore and Sherry Mitchell, who, over the summer did a phenomenal job keeping all in a forward moving motion, initiating a complete revamp of the ZAAR Design Center, managing Designer Wednesdays and more. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. check out pix of the fine work here…and plan to come have dessert with us 9/12/12 and see for yourself! I’ll be there.

These forces, these women, all helped get me from There to Here, and I know that they remain with me as I continue to move on.

Further to this I add as a collective, the fine Women I find myself connected to through my membership in Withit.

How great it was to attend the recent WITHIT conference which was themed Pathways to Success: Strategies, Connections & Meaning.  A conference I touted I knew I couldn’t afford to miss, and as I shared on Leslie Carouther’s facebook….

I went to the conference this year, as I have past 2 years, KNOWING what I was needing/expecting…not only from the exceptional speakers I knew would be lined up, but also from the opportunity to meet/get to know better, the wonderful array of professional women that run and attend this conference. I was not to be disappointed in the least. If there was to be a big takeaway it is that simple reminder that it is indeed all up to me and it is indeed possible…to do/be all that I vision for myself. The conference itself is such a great venue for exceptional giving and getting.

Nuts and bolts is that were it not for the exceptional women that I’ve allowed into my life, and I’ve just scratched the surface here, my life would be so “without”. What I love is that there is as much giving as getting that goes on….that as I have been uplifted I know I have uplifted others, that as I have been mentored, that I can also offer mentoring. There is no base line here. It is a kinship of Kindred Souls….each of us reaching, each of us relating, each of us caring and each of sharing.

It is by doing all of this that we can indeed get from there to here, and move from here to there…each finding our way to do what we can to Elevate ourselves,  Be our Best Selves, and Shine Shine Shine.

….and so onward we go, individually, yet collectively, to make a difference for ourselves and to those whose lives we touch and whose lives subsequently touch us.

Yes, thank you for Being a Friend.

Ruth

 

Chinese Country Antiques in My Maine Country Home

13 years ago we moved our family of preteens  from Taichung Taiwan to New Gloucester Maine. Although the children were all Americans, they had only ever visited the U.S., with previous residences being in Ontario Canada and Bangkok Thailand, and were excited for the move State Side, specifically to the bit of God’s Great Earth we had purchased at 301 Peacock Hill Rd in New Gloucester, Maine.

Our 8 years in Asia had been good for the family, and it was a natural  for us to fill our home with items that reminded us of our travels and lives in Asia….and with a smattering from Haiti as well, where hubby and I met/lived for several years pre kids.  Our kids only realized how “different” their home was when friends would come over and oogle over what they simply knew as part of their expatriate heritage.

I’m pleased with the feeling that was evoked with the preponderance of the Asian touch…ok, a little more than just a “touch” of Asian I must admit…in our country home. In part because I feel that it is what having Asian pieces worked into your decor does, and in part because it represented a part of the world that was, and remains relevant to us as a family. For me,decorating with items that evoke memories enhanced by items that just look good is the perfect mix for making a house a home….

Antiques by Zaar, the family business of importing/selling Chinese Antiques, was established in 1999, and has continued to give us opportunity to keep our Asian connection alive….not to mention give me a treasure trove of items to choose from to place in our home.  It’s such a joy to have this venue in place to serve as a continuance of our Asian experience which started in 1991 with our move to Bangkok, when kids were a ripe 4,2 and 1, and to serve as a venue for me to be part of a world of people that, were it not for the business, I wouldn’t ever have known. Not to mention it’s pretty cool to be running an online antique business from a Maine farmhouse. My neighbors got a kick out of that.

Yes, 301 Peacock Hill Rd has not only been our home, where we raised our kids, and bunches of golden retrievers, it has also been the corporate headquarters for Antiques by Zaar. And after 13 years we are moving on , specific address to be determined, but can advise we have honed in on Eastern Shore of Maryland…giving way for another family of 3 pre teens to make their memories here, and to make this home theirs, with their own mix of treasures.

Ruth

P.S. For a peak at how the house looked before we came in to make it “ours” take a glance at the photos in this album….yes, same place but quite a different look.

 

Green Art Deco Desks: A hit in High Point since 2006!

I have been struggling with how to capsulize the many wonderful things that transpired during the recent High Point Market, and have finally come to terms that it will simply have to come out in driblets as one posting simply would not suffice….and would be way too long for a single blog.

I choose to launch this by honing on  the absolute staying power of my little  Art Deco Desks, in particular the lime green version,  for they held as much impact in 2012 as they did back in 2006, when   featured  in this 2006  Home Accents Cover, continuing to make an impression, by the fact that not only was it “Style Spotted” this year, but also chosen as an accent piece in the C.R. Laine Showroom…

….and similarly showcased in Shane’s Collection store at 201 N Main, also in High Point. Yes, they were everywhere!

It is also popular with, ZAAR Design Center member, Designer Kat Burki, who also has a bath, body,fragrance and candle line, as she used a non matching pair so elegantly in her Southampton show house dressing room….which later were showcased in a  2010 Traditional Home article featuring  Kat and her work.

…and Antiques by Zaar customer Babette Glauner, added this pop of green when revamping her bathroom.

Similarly, would it be any surprise that in my own home, one of these fresh treasures can be found in my daughter’s bedroom, show casing her Disney globe collection?

Traci Zeller, who “Style Spotted” the art deco desk, also spoke to an audience of 40 people, on Sunday, @ ZAAR…sharing her insight and expertise on what a Social Media presence can mean for your business. How appropriate that I gifted her one  of my art deco desks, and she chose, what color, but green!

Thank you Traci. And thank you to all who continue to find charm, as there is ALWAYS space (my daughter has one in her 390 square foot studio apt in Toronto!) in the addition of my kang chest/converted to art deco desk…read about said transformation here.

 

A “Pop of Color” is Loved/Presented by…

Traci Zeller

colorful and styling designer, blogger, speaker …and did I mention she is all this as the mother of twin boys, who also passionately works to help other moms of multiples?

next gig:  Style Spotter @ the High Point Furniture Market AND speaking @ ZAAR Design Center Sunday April 22. Join us for our first “lunch and learn” where Traci will address Social Media: Why NOT Engaging is NOT an Option. Drop me a note if you’d like to join us.

C. R. Laine.

proud producers of  hand-cut, hand-sewn, and hand-tailored furniture in North Carolina. …since 1958.

Their News?  They have moved their showroom, from IHFC, to the Hamilton Court Building, Space 201…excited for the fresh visibility and a showroom double the size of thier previous location.

And???? Antiques by Zaar is thrilled be adding to their colorful collection, with Soicher Marin, Currey and Co, and Design Legacy.

Shane’s Collection ….

as is evident by his vibrant window display of his store stocked with colorful mix from Currey and Co, Kate Guy and Antiques by Zaar.

Katy Allgeyer aka Feng Shui Girl

…debuting her “Fortunate Flowers” mixed media series at ZAAR Design Center this market!

Hannah Dee Interiors…

yet another colorful designer who JUST launched this spanky new website.

and Antiques by Zaar

…who is, for the first time, offering customers an opportunity to ORDER their own “pop of color”…as introduced in this recent newsletter.  Place your order by May 5th for July delivery!

Look forward to seeing you for a very colorful Market!!!!

Ruth

 

Adding to the Coastal Allure With Chinese Antiques

“Chinese antiques are integral in many of my projects, whether residential or hospitality interiors. They add confidence, strength and color to both  traditional and contemporary interiors. For me, their age and their lines hold the intrigue of stories untold of places far and away from our shores.”

 Jan Lamont/Coastal Architects.

antiques by zaar customer since June 2008.

With offices in Nanaimo British Columbia and Kittery Point Maine, the name “Coastal Architects” is most appropriate for this husband and wife team of architect and interior designer, who “commute” between the two coasts and have ongoing projects in both.

Am thrilled that back in 2oo8, when working on a hotel project, that they let their fingers do the walking and found the Antiques by Zaar website, and within a rather tight time frame we shipped off a loveseat and pair of chests to Maine from our North Carolina warehouse.

The beautiful Stage Neck Inn in York Harbor Maine, one of their many east coast clients, recently had a redo of thier lobby lounge, and per Jan’s above statement, are you suprised that a smattering of Chinese antiques found their way into the comforting  area that overlooks the ocean?  I had occasion to swing by there a couple of weeks ago on a return trip from High Point NC to my home in Maine, and grabbed a few photos, to share with you here…

NOTE: A lovely fireplace is also situated in this room but didn’t photograph so as not to be intrusive the couple that were enjoying their newspapers by the roaring fire.

 

Tilton Fenwick: These gals are Everywhere….

…and I know them, love them and want to give a shout out!

KNOW I am only scratching the surface, and I KNOW that I am one of MANY that are shouting out to Suysel and Anne and their fine work, but add to the noise I will….

So thrilled for the continued exposure and success of their 2010 established “boutique” NY based interior design business…momentum which just seems to keep on going…

V and M , Vintage and Modern, included them in an eblast that came through  my email today,where they were featured and shared some of their “likes” ….

On twitter last week I read about the gals heading to the gala event at the NY Lillian August store, launching New York City Cottages and Gardens,  where they created the window display, shown below, which will be up for this coming month. See bunches of pix here, at the Tilton Fenwick blog.

….don’t  miss the” touch of Asian” added to the mix in the attention getting window display, by way of a ceramic garden stool….something they also used in the Southampton Showhouse this past summer.

Traditional Home loves them enough that they were included in their 2011 list of top 20 designers to watch, AND, now Elle Decor has them on their watch list, as Sarah Firshein,  Curbed editor,  nominated them as Blogger’s Choice for Interior Design!

…yes, that is just a teeny bit of what these gals are up to.

LOVE all that you are doing. LOVE the energy, passion, style and sense that you exude.

Yes, a fan, and thrilled to have you as a customer and friend of myself and Antiques by Zaar.

Ruth

Read previous post on Tilton Fenwick here.

 

Nancy Strojny/SCORE Maine “Champion of Change” …

….and MY SCORE Mentor. How lucky am I eh? 

I KNEW, from our very first meeting, summer 2010, that I had been simply Gifted by way of Nancy coming into my world, blogged about it/SCORE here….How wonderful that she has joined such an auspicious group of similarly committed mentors in being acknowledged, as they all were, just yesterday, at the White House.

With a 20 plus year career at Proctor and Gamble, and now running her own consulting firm, she no doubt has experience, which brings with it wisdom which she so readily shares.

But even more so she brings a warm directness, yes Nancy is gifted at giving one the most polite “kick in the pants” than anyone I’ve ever known…. a willingness to take YOU on as the whole package, offers a perspective that is impossible from the vantage point of working in the trenches, gives guidance and advice, but with the knowledge that ultimately the decision to act upon any of it is up to you. She gives permission, something we need to be doing for ourselves btw, to make a decision, and then to do the unthinkable, change your mind as things unfold and change for you/your business.  She isn’t afraid to be straight and because you know she cares you are grateful for the honesty…and the push.

She shows pride in your accomplishments and understanding when you need to take time to “clear the path”…but always always always bringing you ever so gently back to you and your dream and making you believe in your possibilities and doing whatever she can to help you reach the goals you set.

There is no doubt of her committment to the process and to you as the person and the business you represent and as such she is right there with you…as your mentor, as your cheerleader, as your guide, as your champion, as you butt kicker, and as your friend.

In her intro yesterday she said she wanted to give back what she was given by the “extraordinary group of men” that mentored her at Proctor and Gamble, and thus her deep involvement in SCORE, which is such a good place from which she can do just that. I am but one voice saying that she has so done that. Yesterday, she was nationally acknowledged that she, in a very big way, is doing  just that for many others ….

And so now EVERYBODY knows what a great mentor I have!

…yeah me. Yes, we shall “rock on!”

Ruth

previous posting, I Scored with SCORE,

 

Thank you to MY Beautiful Women….

….as it is Beautiful Women Month and I thought I’d like to acknowledge such by way of sharing a rendition of a letter I originally sent to a long list of my “angels”, back in 2008.

HERE I serve to acknowledge, that which has grown exponentially for me, since that first writing in 08, the great value that I’ve been Gifted by MY Beautiful Women, and for which I am truly grateful. You all ROCK!

Some of you I call my family….my mother and mother in law, sisters, daughters, nieces,aunts and cousins.
Some of you are old friends from lives gone by… school chums from Kitchener and Winnipeg and from my years living overseas in Haiti, Thailand and Taiwan…and also from the 4 years in Ontario with my young and growing family.
Some of you are my “Maine” friends, where you’ve contributed to making it my home for the past 12 years.
Some of you are customers that have become more than that as we both took the chance and got personal.
Some of you are business owners, like myself, that I have met as a result of being out there doing my business.
Some of you are fellow members of the Androscoggin chorale, which I’ve been privileged to sing with for 7 years now.

Some of you I came to know through the business of raising and selling our golden retrievers.

Some of you I grew to know and love as friends of my sister Linda, as we jointly embraced her through her illness.

Some of you I’ve met through my membership with WITHIT and High Point Design Center.

Some of you I have been blessed to have as partners/support in my business at ZAAR.

Some of you are people that have simply come across my path and we have “connected”….be it by way of a blog, twitter, and/or facebook.

ALL of you are women of substance.
ALL of you have touched my life in a way that you cannot know.
ALL of you have shared with me a part of you that I now call my own.

All of you have a Story.

All of you are Beautiful.
And ALL of you have given of yourself to me, and I now would like to give back, by, letting you know.

My life has been enriched by the force that comes from sharing with other women…..  And,what I know for sure is that the presence of each and every woman that has come into  my life has contributed towards my life moving forward.

And so, just this moment to say thank you.

Thank you for being there.
Thank you for being who you are.
Thank you for the ear.
Thank you for your caring.
Thank you for your understanding.

Thank you for your encouragement and support..
Thank you for your gift of friendship.

Thank you for your sharing.

Thank you for your example.

Thank you for opening my world to this wonderful “sisterhood” and becoming part of my Circle of Angels. I am so blessed.

Ruth

 

Chinese Antique Sideboards Perfectly Positioned…

…. in an entry or  hallway,  a living room, dining room or bedroom. Yes, a Chinese Sideboard could just be that which serves you well….   Just check out below how some of my Antiques by Zaar customers have so beautifully worked them into their decorating schemas. …going to have to call this my “touch of Asia” series eh…first window screens and now sideboards.…

Enjoy!

R    

…and if you think a Chinese Sideboard might be what will work for you/your client, be sure to check out the entire selection available at Antiques by Zaar by clicking here.

Look forward to hearing from you….

Ruth

 

More “Words” for 2012…

Last week I shared, in this blog,  my “Life” words. And here I just want to share with you one more missive on “words” for my year, and then it’s full steam ahead….

The concept of capsulizing  in a handful of words what I resolve to prioritize for my New Year is something I’ve done for the past 3 years now…a practice I find more useful than resolutions, per sea . For instance, in 2011 I honed in on Focus, Presence and Growth,  and which I wrote about in this blog….2010 was  Structure and Discipline, although in retrospect the 3 words that would best describe the “essence” of that year would be determination, ownership and accountability…the year before that was Responsibility (at ALL levels)…you get the drift.

These words are not to be simply replaced with new words, but more so relevant words are grabbed onto to couch the essence of the priority for the year…each years words serving to build up from one year to the other….with continuity of  ”Spirited Vision” being the constant that serves well to make Life more a continuum than a series of ends and beginnings….at least that’s the way I like to look at it.

Before moving onto 2012 I feel the need to ponder just some of the landmarks for me this past year…things that I could grab onto and say, “hey, I did that and it mattered in my world. yeah me!”

This can be as simple, but certainly relevant, particularly after I got over the issues of adjusting to each change , as the fact that in 2011 I  upgraded all computers, data base systems and accounting/credit card processing software.  Or the unanticipated but opportunistic, move of my High Point NC warehouse this past August, to a location that really hits it on the mark, and where I am happy to call HOME to my inventory and also the evolving ZAAR Design Center…which, by the way, now has grown to have 8 partners showing with Antiques by Zaar!  Or that my participation in the blogging world was acknowledged by my peers at WITHIT, who asked me to moderate a round table on blogging at their annual conference last August. Or, on a personal level, that a decision was made, and acted on,  to sell the family home, after 12 years, in Maine, AND to that end had it listed just prior to Thanksgiving.  I know there is so much more,  but these are some of the building blocks laid last year that serve as foundation for this next year.

And so, with this backdrop I share with you here  my 3 benchmark words for 2012.

HONOR

…my Self, my Family, my Friends, my Business, my Vision, my Talents, the Gift of Life I’ve been Given, the Opportunities that come my way….the renewed Commitments I’ve made to ALL of the above manifested by Being True to All and Living a Life that is one of diligent steadfastness…and fun!

BELIEVE

….or “trust”  in My Self, in the goodness of those around me that are there to Love and Support me, in the Value of  My Commitment and the Gift given from Hard Work…BELIEVING that my efforts will be Honored and that it is simply for me to do the work and BELIEVE that I will be compensated accordingly… And that it is Mine for the Making And Taking.

ACHIEVABLE

Who and what is stopping me? Can be painfully honest here and say it is ME. Yes, the economy has participated in offering challenges to me and my business/life…but, nuts and bolts is that it comes down to ME, what I do, what I HONOR, what I BELIEVE, what I FOCUS on, how I make my PRESENCE known and what I do to foster my GROWTH….see, last years words all here ….and, as simple as it sounds, Believing that “It Is Achievable” gives me no out, as, that it is!

...more words, as gifted to me by my daughter.

A tall order here….this blueprint to help me plot and plan and move into 2012… with  the effervescence of all these wonderful encouraging and inspiring sentiments couching my every move.

2012. Bring it on!

Ruth

P.S. …and if you have words you’d like to share that serve you well for this coming year…I’m all ears.

 

My “Life” Words: Launching into the Blogosphere for 2012

I LOVE starting a fresh journal and 2012 marks the  6th year for keeping a daily journal… a practise which has become so much a part of me that my day just isn’t quite complete until I fill a page with my thoughts on the day that has just passed.

In addition to this daily journal, which is “tidy” in that it is in a bound book, and has a confined space to scribe my notes for the day, I also have journals that hold more in depth entries, that I tend to write when flying somewhere, and I have scads of “notes” scattered throughout the pages of assorted notebooks/daily minders and simply on scraps of paper that I happen upon.

The below comments on “LIFE” are just such a scribbled note to myself, and with my handwriting, this is one serious scribble,  that I came upon stuffed in the back end of   my new daily minder for 2012. It “appeared”  to me as I was about to shut down for the night, hoping for inspiration for this blog to come after a rest…and so, I am just kind of sort of feeling that it was these words that are what I am meant to share with you in my Launch Blog for 2012.

Life… is the one word I wrote, with the below listed out.

to give, grow, learn and love

to use stumbling blocks as stepping stones

to offer comfort and solace

to be caring and understanding

to give it my best shot

to Laugh from my Heart

to show Spirit

to know that there is Power in One Good Soul

to respect People and Life itself

to Smile from the inside out

SHINE

to be Blessed and be a Blessing.

….and so, with sharing these words here I can toss that  messy sheaf of paper, dated 9/24/10, finish up my cupo tea, lightly laced with amaretto, have a soothing tub, and make my daily journal entry, calling it not only a day, but a Good Day!

Ruth

 

 

 

For the Love of Chinese Porcelain Garden Stools

You can hardly flip through the pages of any of your favorite shelter magazines, or as shown here, accenting the C.R. Laine showcase  Interhall showroom at Fall 2011  Market…see additional pix here…without seeing someone using either a vintage style, or modern version of, the Chinese Garden Stool, as they work themselves so well into any styled setting… it almost seems to be a “must have” to complete at least one room in one’s home.

….eons ago we had a great source for a steady supply of vintage style garden stools, which was great as we sold ALOT of them,  but last couple of years we’ve been unable to locate a reliable source for this ever popular item….until now.

Yes, happy to advise that I have recently secured a new supplier, and thus can once again offer these hot items. ….not only the vintage style but also fresh, modern colors….as shown here in classic cool white, in the Design on a Dime Tilton Fenwick showroom of a blogger’s office…which yes, also happens to sport an antiques by zaar etager….read about abyzaar/tilton fenwick here.

If you have photos to share of how you’ve placed one of these lovelies, would be thrilled to share it…or, if you have need of something similar for you, or, to you designers,  your client’s homes, do let me know if I can help. Small selection can be seen here, on my website…more to come soon!

What a wonderful way to bring a touch of Asia to your home!

Ruth

P.S. Can be seen @ the ZAAR Design Center in High Point. Open the 2nd Wednesday of each month 9:00-5:00, or otherwise by appointment….or, of course, 24/7 online!

 

Fall 2011 High Point Market: An exhibitor’s perspective….

“It’s ALL good!”

Yes, that is how I would, succinctly, capsulize this most recent “6 days that mattered” which  to those in the home industry know  such is referring to the Fall 2011 High Point Furniture Market.

For 8 years I have participated as an exhibitor in the High Point Market, and there is no doubt that I, like all, have seen, and likewise experienced, a lot of changes over the years. And although there is a general contention that “traffic” is down, I feel safe to say that the general contention also is that the people that are coming to High Point, are a purposeful buyer and that the tone out and about is upbeat and positive.

My take? Well, anyone that is at Market is still in business, and as such we have great cause to celebrate. We have sustained our businesses through an economic upheaval, which probably shouldn’t be put in past tense quite yet, that has taken a huge toll on the home furnishings industry and all associated with it. The casualty list is one that is not to be ignored and any of us could just as easily be on said list….BUT, we’re not.

Everyone at Market is actively in business, each  doing our part to keep it all going…and TOGETHER we continue to contribute to the well being of our economic climate by refusing to participate in the recession….this downturn which has served as a great equalizer, among many other things. But fact of the matter is that our businesses mattered, and all of us have done the things we needed to do sustain and grow… tighten the belts, skim on some of the “extras”, be creative/resourceful,collaborate, work more for less,etc etc …. to fuel ourselves on. So, bravo for us!

And in keeping with the celebratory feeling I have whilst amongst all at  Market, I would like to add how appreciative I am of MY ever evolving community in High Point….one in which a sense of collaboration is prevalent… to the point of humbling me as I take personal benefit from doors that continue to open ….relationships that continue to be fostered/introduced and enrich my life and ultimately my business. I aspire simply to honor the support and collaborations that continue to become part of ZAAR’s presence in High Point.

Yes, Market Fall 2011 was all I had hoped for….

A nice contingent of customers found their way to our new, easy to locate,  warehouse/showroom, also known as ZAAR Design Center, on the corner of West and Green. see photos here.

As a trade partner of C.R. Laine I was beyond thrilled to hang my hat in their Interhall showroom for a good part of the week…giving me a platform to be in front of a steady ebb and flow of people , many of which I knew and which was great to re acquaint with, and many which I was able to make an initial introduction, that were drawn into their show stopper showroom. See pix here.

As a member of WITHIT I reveled in the opportunity to further entrench myself in this organization, by attending the events they sponsored, namely their educational breakfast which featured Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, founder of Apartment Therapy, and the Competitive Intelligence/Trends Forecast event.

As a friend of many fellow exhibitors, I enjoyed supporting their events and “wins”…speaking in particular here of Red Egg‘s win as Showroom of the Year award…see additional  photos here.

And after all is said and done I know that between now and the next Market I have continued opportunities to promote, not only my business, but those that have joined me at ZAAR Design Center, as we remain open for High Point Design Centers Designer Wednesdays, and plan on active participation in the annual Unity in Design Event, held in Feb.

So, yes…it is all good.

Thank you to all that participated at every level to make Market a relevant experience to all. And onward!

…and should you like to add a perspective to what your thoughts were on Fall 2011 Market, I’d love to hear them. Designers, Marketers, Buyers, Exhibitors…please bend my ear!

Ruth

 

Thanks to YOU, and YOU, and YOU, and YOU…

….for being so much a part of my sense of well being on the occasion of my 51st birthday.

I apologize for doing this in a blog, and warn that this is decidedly”gushy”,  but it seemed the ONLY way to adequately address the too numerous to count well wishes I received over the weekend….yes, on facebook!

Some of you I know quite well,…some from “other lifetimes”  and we keep abreast via face book….

Some of you I know “somewhat”/have met in person…and am getting  to know better…and we do much of that … via face book.

And many of you I know simply by the postings I see on my wall, and have yet to meet you  in “real” but in the interim, we get acquainted… yes, on face book.

Nuts and bolts is that on a daily basis I enjoy visiting/engaging on my wall, where the  prevalent tone is…positive, uplifting, supportive, affirming, inviting, and deliciously supported with many outstanding photos.

This is the “norm” and I’m always delighted by what I take in…yes, on facebook. BUT, to have that all directed straight away to me…well, was a tad overwhelming. You did it…I was rendered speechless.

…adding to what I also received from my dear family…which actually rendered me tearful (in a good way)…. I simply embraced being embraced all the day long. Yup, it was MY day!

The sun shone brightly on Sunday. I didn’t do anything “exceptional”  less drink it all in…ending the day with a delightful visit  by a handful of dear girl friends that joined with me in the eating of my beautiful, and delicious, cake…thanks to cake artist Zach, son of mine.

ALL of this, ALL of YOU, just warmed my soul….on what was the occasion of my 51st birthday…I did say that already didn’t I? You got it ???

Thanks bunches.

Hope ya’ll are having a great week. I sure am.

With great fondness and appreciation….

Ruth

 

Antiques by Zaar with C.R. Laine…

….for the 2011 Fall Market in IHFC, Interhall IH 404!

So excited about the invitation by C.R. Laine for Antiques by Zaar to serve as one of their “trade partners” . Look forward to seeing/feeling the merging of beautiful product lines, the synergy of impassioned sales people presenting their respective lines, the embracing of past customers/friends  and the thrill of making new connections.

Sharing some photos….

BEFORE the “magic” is done, this is some of what is being worked with… and yes, you can count on seeing how it all comes together to present next week…for “the next 6 days that matter“.

 

Chinese Antique Armoires in the Bathroom? Mais Oui!

No, not something you would normally consider….but yes, it does work….as shown below by, not one, but two of my customers.

Maria  Hasenecz , of Wyndmoor, PA, and Antiques by Zaar customer since 2007 , was determined to get her armoire of choice into her bathroom, which, you must agree, looks gorgeous! What you don’t know from the photos is that the desired location for the new home of her most recent acquisition, was on the 2nd floor of her home, which has, as part of it’s charm, a set of steps too narrow to accomodate getting this piece to its desired location.

Of course, on the day of delivery, who would have a crane booked towork at her home to address other upgrades she was working on? That would be Maria. And thus the Chinese armoire was lifted by crane and plopped into into just where Maria wanted it, by way of the window. Love the story….see previous blog, here, showcasing Maria’s decorating gift, with her original AbyZaar purchase, a lacquered coffee table.

Tilton Fenwick, of New  York NY also positioned a Chinese Armoire, a “kitchen” cabinet to be exact, in the 1890′s farmhouse that Suysel, Antiques by Zaar customer since 2004, bought for her family as a weekend retreat from NYC. The entire home , which the design team gutted and rebuilt and decorated, was featured on Houzz, and worth a visit.

                            

bathroom design by new york interior designer TILTON FENWICK

So pleased that our Chinese Kitchen cabinet served so well in the main bathroom of Suysel’s country home AND that so many on Houzz appreciated the application and made comment on how well it worked/looked/felt.

Click here, to read previous blog written on Tilton Fenwick ,Antiques by Zaar and Metropolitan Home….also enjoy the work of Tilton Fenwick as showcased on the Home page of my website.

…and should you want to consider using a Chinese Armoire for similar application/or otherwise, be sure to check out what we have available, by clicking here….

Would LOVE to see/share photos of how you have positioned your Chinese Armoire!

Ruth

 

Shane’s Collection Showcases Chinese Antiques….

….from none other than Antiques by Zaar!

So thrilled for the collaboration with Shane Phillips, in his retail store so aptly named “Shane’s Collection”, which is just that…. a great collection of  furniture and accessories  as selected and displayed so eloquently by Shane himself. Truly, the man is passionate about what he does and you can feel it from the way he creates his window displays, which simply draw you in….such as the black and white themed vignette he did for his grand opening earlier this summer…and which I just have to share here.

Conveniently located on the corner of Main and Kivett in High Point, NC,  he is open 6 days a week, servicing both retail and designer customers.

Yes,  he would specifically would like the Designer community to know that he is there to welcome you each and every Designer Wednesday, and will also be open throughout the duration of Market, welcoming your business.

NOTE: Antiques by Zaar Showroom at 1500 West Green Drive will unfortunately NOT be open for Designer Appreciation Day, Wed Sept 14th….

Please visit our retail venue @ the corner of Main and Kivett, at Shane’s Collection…..where you will be sure to find  something to suit your tasteful palette and your pocket book….and enjoy meeting Shane while you’re at it. He’s not only a talented designer with a discerning eye, he is just a really nice guy!

The store truly is a must see, and I hope these couple of photos serve as a teaser to have you stop by, for I promise you, you will be delighted.

For more information on Shane’s Collection, contact the man himself at 336 991 0867.

Ruth

 

Feeling “WITHIT”…and you can too.

Although I carry with me every day many wonderful  ”takeaways” after attending each WITHIT conference, see blog posting from last year,  I would be remiss in  ”moving forward” without an acknowledgement by way of a blog posting from last week’s conference….besides, this is kind of expected from me by now eh..sharing said takeaways.

So, between hurricane Irene, and thus a power outage, and heading to Ireland, with husband to mark our landmark 25th anniversary, I am going to shoot out a few words, joining my many fellow WITHIT members who are similarly posting on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The “takeaways” are numerous….

A reconnection with friends.

New connections….and GREAT to see so many students with us!

New opportunities for my business. You can anticipate reading about this in future blogs/newsletters

New opportunities to help others with their business. Thank you for the honor of leading your blogging roundtable.

A renewed appreciation for how and why WITHIT came into being in the first place. Thank you Jena Hall for sharing…

A true sense of this vision being just as strong today. Thank you to the leaders who remain so committed to the vision…

Opportunity to applaud,see, hear and be touched by iconic women in our industry/role models each in their own right.

WOW awards…..

An awareness of the “new world” we are in and what that means for how we approach our business. Keynote Elm Street Economics.

A better understanding of all that I can do with my iphone, in addition to grabbing emails, texting and oh yeah, using as a phone. Pre conference workshop.

BUT, it is the pervasive Spirit that I am enveloped with me that anchors me/serves as my “core” …

For all of above is couched in a Spirit of…

Empowerment

Support

Encouragement

Professionalism

Acknowledgment

Understanding

Celebration

Acceptance

For the women of WITHIT share more than the commonality of being associated with the Home Furnishings Business, they are…

Professional….yet cuddly…I so know there are photos out of the snuggle bunnies on sofas at the bar.

Personable

Real

Dynamic

Colorful….in personality and in how they dress….many loving a “splash” of color…so fun!

Connected…in all the right ways

Have a Voice and are not afraid to use it….whether in written, spoken word or in song.

Are willing and eager to share, listen, support, uplift, encourage, mentor and be mentored.

Knowingly a little “gushy” here but I simply can’t emphasize enough the value of being part of a community of supportive and like minded women. So, if you are part of the Home Furnishings Industry, do yourself a favor and join WITHIT. If you’re not, go out and find yourself a community…and don’t let geography deter you, many online groups offer same...but do it.

I am able to nurture and grow my business, because I have taken the time to nurture and grow myself….and with that I am “powered on” and you can too!

Soooo, get Withit and feel yourself grow and glow!

Ruth

P.S. Am well aware of lack of photos in this missive and there are numerous reasons I am going against what I preached at my blogging roundtable re importance of having images help grab your reader. But I simply felt that this message needed be posted now…not a week from now, when I’d have a chance to get photos for this….gives me reason to “repurpose” and send with photos at a later date

 

Succeed, Inspire, Create….

….were the words emblazed on three different pillows that were part of our “gift pack” upon registration at the 2011 WITHIT Leadership Conference, which was just held in Raleigh-Durham earlier this week.

I chose “succeed” as it is that candle I hold before me as I work to nurture and grow my business...but “inspire” was a close 2nd, I have to say.

Which word do you like in front of you as you go about your business/life?

And if you were at the conference, which pillow did you choose and why?

Ruth

Thank you to wright showroom solutions for providing what was a  visually delightful welcome as well as a great take away.

P.S. Yes, another posting forthcoming on what was another great conference….just a warm up here.

 

Facebook: Adding “Friends” and “Likes”/Where should you be engaging?

….quality or quantity?

Who doesn’t like a large fan base and following, on facebook, THE place to be for your business…and don’t get me wrong, I LOVE this portal to meet and get to know people.

BUT is it more important to have a large following or to have a qualified following? And should you be promoting yourself/business/growing your following on your personal page or solely on your business page?

Don’t know about you but I have a steady flow of “friend requests” come in on my personal profile… people which I don’t know, less what they put out in there for me to see, before I accept them as “friends” … and which I go through  individually before adding to my following.

For any of you thinking of asking me to “friend” you, please know this…

1. Having a healthy number of mutual friends is not enough reason for me to bring you into the fold.

2. If you want to be part of my flock I would like to know a little more about you than just your name….ie, don’t block your information so that I can only see who you are AFTER I friend you.

3. I would like it that English is the language you are posting on facebook. No offense, just that I don’t speak, nor can read anything but English.

4. A provocative profile photo doesn’t entice me to add you….

I’m not saying that some people have slipped through the cracks on me, but I am trying to keep my audience/friend list one that relates to who I am and what I do, and above helps.

I am so thrilled that so many people have indeed entered my world by way of my personal page on face book, and look forward to growing my community here….one that is satisfying to you and to me…and I think the above guidelines help to keep all in check.

Now for fans/likes….

I often see…”like me and I’ll like you” as people seek to grow their fan base on their business page on facebook.

Although I have on occasion suggested” liking” antiques by zaar to those in my personal following, IF I think relevant to who they are….ie, if you’re in the furniture or design business….BUT I much prefer people “liking” antiques by zaar because they want to support me and keep tabs on what’s up with my biz here, as that is what I use this page for.

And know I will happily “like” your business for same reasons…ie, I like you/what you’re doing, or what your sharing on facebook,which incites me to check out more of what you’re all about, and subsequently want to support you….not just to have you “like’ me in return…although the gesture is appreciated.

Soooo, IF you are interested in me and/or my business, I welcome your support in what I do by “liking” antiques by zaar, where I post my blogs and updates on my biz….and let me know of your business, which I will happily support by “liking” as well.

And if you think we share further mutual interests, I am happy to receive your friend request as well and will happily accept/welcome you to my world.

Would be curious to know what you think about how and where is the  best place to grow your facebook audience.

Should you leave business to the business fan pages and have your personal profile for just that, personal “stuff”?

If so, how do you move people over from your personal page to your business page? Do they want to go there or do they prefer interacting with you on your personal page?

Does it really matter who you have where as long as you are engaging?

Would love to know what ya’ll think of this, but in the meanwhile I shall enjoy sharing with those that have joined me on my biz page and/or on my personal page….yes, all on Facebook.

Ruth

 

My Day Ends Well/Start Wells when…

It ends well when…

…I can look back at my “to do” list and see that it is “mostly” complete. And yes, I include what I plan on doing for personal as well as business side..gotta try and fit it ALL in! 

….I have “touched” each of my children, and my mother, somewhere in the course of my day, either by phone, email or text.

….I feel I have interacted effectively with those that surround me virtually.

….I have put in a good day in support of my self/my vision/my business. 

….and I have exercised. Been back burnered this summer with a sprained ligament that isn’t healing quickly

I like to end it well by….

…..munching on a bowl of those colorful fruity cheerios as my nighttime snack.

….Preparing a “reasonable”  To Do list for the next day.

….Making my nightly one page journal entry.

…having a languid tub

…having my coffee prepared, so that I just have to press “on” upon rising.

….have the kitchen tidied, so as to not wake up to the mess…ok, have to admit not done as consistently as I’d like BUT yes, I do like it when I do do it.

….having a blog or newsletter prepared and scheduled to hit the airwaves as I’m having my coffee at 7:30 the next morning.

… remembering to be Grateful for the many people and opportunities that I have and continue to be Blessed with.

And by ending my days with these activities/thoughts, it simply helps me start that whole cycle over again, starting “well” the next whole new day.

Happy Monday and to Many Happy Endings and Beginnings to you all!

Ruth

 

Your Blog: Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose….

….did I say repurpose?

It truly is great to know that your blog has a shelf life much more than just the original posting… one of my big “take a ways” after listening to a presentation given by Melissa Galt, of  Melissa Galt Inc, at High Point Furniture Market, and happy to give her credit here.

There are many many portals out there to do just that, and I would  like to remind you of the basics, as well as reinforce one which isn’t considered part of “social media” , that being the online newsletter…

As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve been putting out an online newsletter since 2004…one in which the “meat”, or my business updates,  were couched in personal antidotes…. See some past issues here…thus making my newsletter not just a venue to give company updates, but also give people a chance to get to know who is behind this business and at same time staying close to those who have done business with me. 

When I started dipping my toes into the blogging world, and as stated in my very first blog, I intended to reverse that and couch the “personal” side of my business with the meat of my business, that of selling Chinese antiques online.

And what I’d like to propose here is that the merging of these  two mediums, your newsletter and your blog, is a great way to maximize your output/reach.

OR, if you’re having a hard time engaging as a blogger, and aren’t touching your customer base, prospects and past, by way of an online newsletter, I would encourage you to start with that first…if a choice is to be made….for the following reasons:

1. Knowing your audience knows you, or is at least is familiar with your company, is a much easier writing experience, ie less intimidating, than trying to draw a new audience in.

My logo is very recognizable and is front stage on my newsletter and blog header…and, btw, is my name in Chinese.

2. You can use this online newsletter as a way to warm up to the discipline of blogging, as output for a newsletter is good monthly, whereas to make any impact with blogging you need to put out at absolute minimum once a week.

3.  It simply is good form to touch regularly those who know you, simply to remind them that you’re  there, ….for when they need what you have again…and to give those who haven’t decided to shop with you yet, a place to get to know you. These people need to hear from you and the online newsletter is unobtrusive and inexpensive.

…AND also is a place to show that there is a PERSON behind the business. My face is pretty familiar by now as well

And, with this online newsletter in place you have a wonderful place to imbed your blogs, sharing with a defined audience/your mailing list, what you are writing to a non defined audience….especially since you can now easily SHARE your newsletters of choice  on Facebook, Linked in and Twitter. LOVE it how these are all so connected for us!

Yes, I consider your newsletter as a primo place to re purpose your blogs. And I’ve taken to this and love merging these two forms….

1. As part of the text…giving a lead in to what is fleshed out in the blog, thus reducing, but at the same time increasing, my information put out in the newsletter…example here in my Thanksgiving missive.  I like to have at least 3 blogs worked into my newsletters like this.

2. By listing  of all blogs posted in 2 month span. This gives my mailing list an introduction to my blogging …example here… particularly as there’s a pretty good chance they wouldn’t otherwise find/read my blog…so nice unobtrusive way to invite them in as readers, follow my output.

3. And/or by pulling  together several blogs that represent a particular topic, to bring attention to…such as blogs which have as part of their content, applications of Chinese Antique Furniture…example here. Matter of doing a sort for them.

I have given precedence  to this specific venue to repurpose as I feel it is not commonly considered and not as obvious as what I am simply going to list below…

Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn…

1. When you set up your blog you can have it that your blog will automatically post on Twitter and Facebook. IE, you post your blog and off it goes…

2. By adding  a SHARE button on footer of each posting, others can readily post your blog to their audiences. Also, this is the way I share on my LinkedIn groups.

3. AND, lastly, I often embed past blog postings into current ones….as I did at the beginning of this post.

If you’re already doing an online newsletter, good on you for having  in place this platform to further repurpose your blog. If I’ve incited you to think about  doing an online newsletter, as a preface to doing a blog, great…

I use Constant Contact and love it. Some friends swear by Mail Chimp as well, although I’m not familiar with it.

I so KNOW of the value not of only putting out an online newsletter, but the value of being REAL within that form, that I simply want to encourage others to consider the same, and let this venue of staying  in touch with your customers/prospects work for you, and further to have this platform serve your blogging efforts as well.

Do let me know how you’re doing either in producing a newsletter and/or a blog.

Ruth

HINT: When  you gather your names/email addresses of your customers, I advise putting them in excel format, as by doing so it is really easy to add them into constant contact mailing list, share your list with others, or use in other formats…. IE, repurpose said list once compiled

 

KMH Design: Adding A Classic Chinese Console into a Modern schema

Classic, clean, modern, natural and….

A touch of Asian.

How can you not fall in love with how Kathleen, of KMH Design, has merged it all so effortlessly in this San Marco Home?

The Chinese console, positioned “just so” opposite the fire place, serves well as anchor for a pair of gorgeous framed photographs, and accented with natural artifacts and supported by a more traditional styled upholstered chair.

Thank you Kathleen, for sharing your beautiful work showcasing  how well a touch of Asian works in your “non Asian” decorating schema.

Photo credit to: Thomas Hager

Design credit to: KMH Design

Chinese console credit to: proudly,  Antiques by Zaar

P.S. Pulled this below example from an issue of Elle Decor, from a home in the Hamptons, which takes it even one step further when it comes to mixing traditional and modern, wouldn’t you agree?

Yes, that single piece of antique simply makes the otherwise generally  modern look “pop”.

If you have an example of how you’ve mixed an Asian piece (or two) with a modern, feel free to share. I will post…and give credit.

Ruth

 

A Visit to the 2011 Southampton Showhouse…

…was a must, after viewing the list of contributing designers, noting that there was  a hearty handful that I can call my customers/friends.

Summer of 2009 was the first time I visited the Southampton Showhouse, …  said visit incited by the fact that Designer Kat Burki was using  Antiques by Zaar pieces in the dressing room she designed, and which I simply had to go and see for myself….and from which I garnered the photo you see me use so often in my profiles, blogs and newsletters….and also  which we had additional coverage in Traditional Home….

My 2011 visit was one to see how those that I knew and respected as designers had contributed to the presentation for this annual fundraiser…, and, as is my way, seek out any Asian infusion that might be present …..

I wasn’t to be disappointed for as I walked into one of the guest bedrooms, as done by Tobi Fairley, who serves as my blogging inspiration, and also shares a love I have for bold colors, went full out  …which, in the curtains drew on a Far East theme, and which was repeated in the headboard, chair fabric and accent pillows.

Tilton Fenwick, Antiques by Zaar customer, such featured in this blog posting,  used an over sized Chinese  garden stool as part of their setting.

And Old Town Crossing created an outdoor space that offered a place that embodied a warm and inviting aura, using combo of glass, wrought iron, warm colored upholstered pieces, accented with delightful arrangements of cacti.

Meg Braff, who generally loves to throw in a touch of Asian in her schemas, check out my blog showcasing such,  managed a coral colored bathroom, as well as the butler’s pantry.

And, Lilian August took on the living room with grand style.

So glad I was able to work this in on my most recent trip to NYC, and happy to share with you here.

Ruth

P.S. If you want a more comprehensive viewing of the showhouse, and the many rooms I didn’t include here,  there are numerous wonderful blogs documenting such.

A couple listed here..

Doodle Home Blog   KD Hamptons Blog

 

“My Brain Doesn’t Work that Way.” Really?

It’s Sunday and it’s raining. No, not a day for outdoor work of any kind.

Yesterday was THE day to do such, and the plan was to grab some sun while I brush hogged my back field, which, less the dodging of rocks, which it appears we “grow” in Maine, is quite relaxing. But there were issues with my tractor, and my plans were thwarted.

As is my habit when I have ‘issues” with my tractor, I call on my dear neighbor, who although doesn’t own a tractor,  is “mechanically inclined”, and does know how to approach the problem and seek a solution. Fact of the matter is that I’m not really interested in learning the mechanics of my tractor. I just want it to work and if it doesn’t work smoothly I am happy to call on outside help to help me get it back up and running. I let someone else be the expert.

For  9 years my husband and I worked the Antiques by Zaar  business together. My expertise was sales, writing, and relationship building with my customers. I was the face of the business.  He was the back end of the business,  the “expert”  I called on to crunch our numbers, manage the website,  do the buying and tend to all the “techy”  stuff. I didn’t need to know how to do these things….he did it.

However, 2 years ago my husband returned to the corporate world and I was left to run  this business, and it appeared that although I’m not a techy or numbers person that either I became one or ????

Yes, I used to write my missives, newsletters, blogs etc, and he would format them. I now do both. I now am able to, easily, move, and edit photos to the various portals I choose to post them. I now do the website updates. I now manage my finances. I now do the buying for the business. I wear ALL the hats.

Antiques by Zaar needed me to care enough for it to continue, and  thus I needed to get beyond the mental blocks of “my brain doesn’t work that way” kind of attitude. I was the one to do it, …and frankly there was never a question that I wanted to do it, the question was whether I thought I could.

My point in this whole “online diary’ missive is that if you give your brain permission to entertain the possibility of learning something you thought you couldn’t learn, that it will honor you and work that way. I know, as I am living proof of this…and, in my pre New Years blog, where I acknowledged what I was grateful for in 2010,  I included thanks to my brain for such.  I still wouldn’t call myself tech savvy or a financial wizard but I KNOW I can learn what I need to….and so can you.

Yes, I still have so very  much to learn and fine tune, but with the knowledge that if I want to do it bad enough I can, I am powered on….. Yes, Let your Brain work for you…and don’t forget to say thanks.

Ruth

P.S. So, stalled with tractor yesterday, BUT did, at long last, and all by myself ,ie, didn’t call on my very tech savvy son,  added links to my email signature to further let all who do email correspondence with me  know  all that I have going on  online.. Have mimmicked here below. Not bad for a non techy person eh?

….and now back to doing what I need to do, and now know how to do, on Photo Shop for the support photos of my new inventory.

Ruth

Ruth Olbrych/Antiques by Zaar

Toll Free: 866 868 9227/ZAAR

Cell:  207 838 2675

 

Blogging: Make it Your Good Habit/Find Your Voice

Although, I’ve been journaling on and off ever since a teenager, it was only 5 years ago that I took to committing to writing daily. Admittedly it took some time for me to fall into the rhythm of scribing a daily page of notes, but now, well into my 5th year, my day isn’t quite complete until I’ve written my one page journal entry. Yes, it has become my “good habit”.

In so many ways blogging is like journaling, and in fact, one of the definitions I found for a blog, was indeed that it was an “online journal”.

So,  if you approach blogging with the attitude that this habit will serve you well, rather than being ridden with guilt for when you don’t/can’t seem to embrace it….then it will start to flow. I’m pretty sure that I speak for many wanna be bloggers when I say that making it this good habit, like any good habit, doesn’t happen overnight. The important thing is to START…and don’t worry if you have false starts, or fall off, or get derailed, just start, and keep starting and continue starting, until you find your voice and your rhythm. It WILL come.  Put your footprint out there, and keep on keeping on, and your audience will find you.

As part of trying to figure out how you can best contribute to the blogging world, and thus how your output can contribute to drawing people to you/your business, read other blogs… take note of what you like/don’t like about them….the frequency of their posts, the timing that those posts show up in your email box, the photos they use to support their verbiage, or vice versa, their general style, where you see their posts, the template/platform they use and how easy it is to share, follow, comment. And what you think about their content and how it relates, or not, to their line of business.

It is easy to think that there are so many blogs out there, who would read yours and why. But in order to even give people a chance to decide to read/not to read, you have to put something out there, so they can make that decision. You don’t give anybody anything to read, it’s easy, you won’t have any readers. Put something out there and let them decide.

Some things that are working for me to continue keeping this as my “good habit” and might serve you as well.

1. Weekly make a list of blogs I know I want to write: On my bulletin board I have a list of 10 topics, more than I can put out in a single week,  I know I want to write about sooner rather than later. I choose from this pool.

2. Stick to a frequency that will work for you. BUT, if you’re going to blog, you really can’t do any less than one posting/week. There are many different attitudes  about frequency of blog postings and I know many that post daily, which, if this is all I did, I would happily blog along. But I, like many of you, am running a lean ship and wear many hats. I feel that if I touch my world 3 times/week by way of a blog that I’m in really great shape.

NOTE: If you only want to touch your audience monthly, a newsletter is the way to go for that. Nothing wrong with that.

3. Find the time of day that works for you to scribe your inspiration. Over time I’ve come to realize that attempting to write a blog in the morning is but a joke for me, as that is the time I need for readiness for my day, engage in the social media world (twitter/facebook) and answer all sales inquires., do general business upkeep.   I’m best to carve out time in the afternoon, or even better, in my evenings. Just a better time for all to flow.

4. Schedule Your Blog: Although I like to write late into the night, I prefer to schedule my post, easy easy to do, to go out around 7:30 in the morning. I have it set up that it automatically posts to my facebook page, and if I go into Hoote Suite, I can, in one fell swoop, post it to twitter, my facebook biz page and linked in. And, as I have a SHARE button at end of each posting I can then also easily post on relevant group walls on LinkedIn. Really, nothing like drinking your morning coffee and knowing that you are already touching people before you’ve laid hands on your keyboard.

5. It doesn’t have to be perfect….BUT, do ensure your spelling is correct AND that all your links work.

I LOVE this blogging platform that is made available for me and my business, and you should love it to. If you have an inkling to blog, then do it…make it your good habit and find your voice, and share it.  You won’t be disappointed.

Look forward to reading your blogs and knowing which blogs you like to follow and why.

It’s 9:30 Friday night…hope you enjoy this Saturday morning with your coffee

Ruth

 

Designer Tobi Fairley Loving Pink & Green combo….one I love as well

This morning I received what was Tobi’s 2nd  blog posting on her love for the color combo of pink and green….a combo she plans on featuring all month in her blog.  Anyways, I simply  couldn’t resist adding my own, and my daughter’s, delight in this combo that reminds me of watermelon. Yes, her bedroom was painted in this fresh combination….and yes, a little Chinese Antiques by Zaar green art deco desk, works it’s way in ever so well

   …and this color  combo also  works so very well in this little wall plaque I bought for my daughter’s dorm room…wouldn’t you say? Plus the words are just what a mother wants to remind her daughter of daily…

Ruth

P.S. Have been following Tobi’s blog ever since I met her back in February 2009….and if you don’t follow her, you might want to consider such, as there is lots to learn by doing so. She has certainly created a niche in the Designer blogging world.

 

Your Blog: What do you want to say to who? Your Title Matters…

I JUST posted my most recent newsletter, to my mailing list of just over 5,000. This “mailing list” is comprised of people that fall into two main catagories, although split into many more in my list, of either a past customer or prospective that I’ve met somewhere in my travels….my point being that the people on said list are already familiar with my company, and thus are more inclined to open up my missive no matter the title…and although the text in the subject line of my email does  matter, it matters even more that they simply know the missive is coming from ruth/antiquesbyzaar.

When blogging, you do not have that defined audience, but you are trying to reach that which you would consider your “target audience”, and thus the title of your blog should be such that they are drawn to read what you’ve writing about.

So, what is it you want to write about and who do you want to read it?

For myself, THIS is what I want to write about….

1. My business was nurtured on the direct to the consumer business and I never want to lose sight of what this has, and continues to mean to my business. To boot, these precious customers have provided me with testimonials of photos and words, which they intended for me to share.  How do I impart these “testimonials‘ in a way that will honor the person that chose to share them with me in the first place?

2. Over the years my To The Trade business has grown as the Interior Design Trade has moved to online stores to source for their clients…How can I honor these Designers that have put their confidence in my business and my product, that they readily present their clients photos of pieces they won’t see until install?

3. I have had the gift of publicity over the years that continues to validate who I am to all that may consider doing business with me. It would be silly of me not to find a way to put this out to those that don’t know who ruth/antiquesbyzaar is yet, and why they should feel comfortable doing business with me.

4. Chinese Antique Furniture/Antiques by Zaar:  I LOVE selling Chinese Antiques. I LOVE that I have had this opportunity to capitalize on the 8 years I lived in Asia as an expat wife/mother of 3. I LOVE that I am able sell such a unique item online. I LOVE that my pieces bring joy into the lives and homes of my customers. I LOVE that I’ve been able to contribute to my family by way of the business of selling Chinese Antiques. I LOVE the people I meet as I go about the selling of Chinese Antiques.  How can I share this LOVE for a genre of furniture that gives so much and the business that encompasses that?

5. ” Social Media”. It was made for the likes of me, and in fact I bought into this concept back in 2004  by way of my newsletter….no, not your traditional bullet point newsletter, but one that had the facts couched in personal antidotes. Just when I thought I was too personal, someone would drop a line/call and tell me what it meant to them that I took the time to share my world with them by way of my newsletter…they felt they “knew me”…. I want to share with my world that relationship building isn’t just the current trend, it is THE WAY, and can most definitely be done online, to do business, as that is exactly what took me from  my very first sale back in November 2000, to the next, and the next and the next, with what was the first online only store for Chinese antiques. ie. if I can start and grow a business selling Chinese Antiques online, you can sell what you want to sell as well. How do I share this with others to encourage them forth?

6. And lastly…I like to share resources/promote other peoples product, businesses/organizations. How can I help spread the good word of the good works being done by others???

So, apparantly I have ALOT to say, and you guessed it, the BLOG is the vehicle used to put it all out there.

How do I get people to read it?

Chinese Antiques is what I sell.

Thus, it is imperative, that I use terms that relate to Chinese Antiques, as a way to draw people in…not to say you won’t see posts with otherwise, BUT, as the common thread, that which I hope to lure people in to be interested in me/my product, is by way of words that relate to this genre. AND, WITHIN the body of the blog I can include testimonials/photos from my customers, to support what is put forth in the title as the topic. OR I can promote my Designer Customers by putting their company name in the title and aligning them with the usage of Chinese Antiques.  I can mix in the publicity garnered where it fits as well. You get the gist, and check out past blogs to see if I am succeeding

And Building Online Relationships ….

…is something I know a thing or two about and am eager to encourage others to just go out and “do it”. To boot I am, like many others, on a huge learning curve with technology and all that comes with just trying to keep up. I can relate and again, if I can do it so can you and I want to help.

BUT, now this missive is beyond too long…you get the point. Know what you want to say. Know who you want to say it to. Think about how you can do that by using a title that will draw them in to read what you want to share….and then post it on all your social media portals….

Enjoy and look forward to your posts.

Ruth

 

Chinese Antiques: Shopping Online/Viewing High Point, NC/a customer testimonial

The business model for Antiques by Zaar was built around the notion that people were drawn to do their shopping  online…yes, even for Chinese Antique Furniture. That was in 2000 and happy to say we called it right.  For the  past 11 years we have continued on in this vein, using our website to serve as our only storefront, building  relationships/our business, creating a niche market for our competitively  priced line of quality Chinese Antiques.  Thank you to ALL of you that have taken the plunge and shopped with us online!!!!

Ruth & Jeff after a day of sorting out the warehouse in readiness for Market.

However, even when we had our warehouse in Maine, we always welcomed the customer that desired to come and see for themselves, what was represented online. And the same remains true with our warehouse now located in High Point NC. Yes, with the assistance of my sales associate Jeff Moore, who is based in Greensboro, we are able to entertain appointments for those that still like to “touch and feel” before they purchase.

Babette Glauner of Pinehurst NC, was just one of those that fell in this category. She writes…

“I  found Antiques by Zaar on the internet while searching for Chinese antiques.  Former expat experience, Golden Retriever puppies and obviously family-oriented people...looks like she read our story…. all drew me to the website as well as the wonderful assortment of furniture and Asian accents.  When my husband gave the go-ahead to look for a few new pieces to furnish our retirement home I remembered Ruth in High Point, 1 1/2 hours away.

The piece Babette spotted online was indeed perfect for her, as shown here in her home.

The antiquesbyzaar website is well-organized and depicts the offerings very well, but as long as I was close by, I contacted Ruth to see if I could see my possible choices in person.  She was warm from the start, very accommodating and arranged a time to meet at the warehouse, now the Design Center.  What a treasure trove it is!  It was hard not to want to toss out everything I had and start anew right there!  But sense prevailed and in no time Ruth and I were chatting like old friends and I had selected the piece I had come for plus another whose possibilities jumped out at me once I saw it.  Jeff Moore, Ruth’s cohort, also was very helpful, never pressuring but guiding me to all of the variations of whatever I expressed an interest in.  It’s easy to see that both women really know and enjoy their merchandise.”

Thank you Babette, for this wonderful testimonial. It was a delight to meet you as well, and enjoy staying in touch with you by way of email/newsletters, and the such.

For those that may be interested in visiting our warehouse, please just let me know and we’ll make the arrangements.

ANNOUNCEMENT: We are moving next month, even closer to the heart of High Point…for those of you familiar with High Point, it is in the old Drexel Heritage Factory, which is at 741 West Ward. So very excited!

P.S. I also wrote a blog on Babette’s decorating mantra Eclectic= Interesting: Chinese, American and French Antiques….

 

Maxwell House of Design: Mixing it up…Traditional, Modern, French, & a Touch of Asian

In the words of the Designer Jane Ann, heart and soul of Maxwell House of Design…

This great room features a mix of antiques, traditional pieces and some modern touches while evoking the sense of the client’s French background. An Asian antique chest was the perfect height for a sofa table for this rather low sofa.

Thank you Antiques by Zaar!

They say ” a picture is worth a thousand words”….

Thank YOU Jane Ann for sharing these photos of your beautifully appointed room, and for your acknowledgment to Antiques by Zaar for that little touch from Asia that you knew would serve well in this room. So glad we had what you were seeking.

Find Maxwell House of Design, on facebook, twitter and also read her blog.  Enjoy her energy,warmth and obvious sense of style.

Ruth

P.S. BTW, the initial connection between Jane Ann and myself was made via Facebook…after which she ventured to visit us at the High Point Furniture Market, rather quickly picking out the above piece which her client readily approved as perfect.

WONDERFUL to have you come into my life Jane Ann and look forward to staying in touch online, until we “meet again” in real

 

Why Blog? A Platform to Share What your’e Passionate about, with Passion

Last week, on Twitter,  I came across a link to a blog by Liz Strauss, yes, which I re-tweeted as I felt it valuable to share, that so succinctly put out there, how important it is to know WHY you blog.

I really only became aware of the blogging world and my need to participate back in late 2008, and although I sensed that blogging was made for me, I liked to write and I had no problem being “real”  but I first had to work through just a few things….

…which was surprising to me, as, since 2004,  I  had been putting out a monthly newsletter to a list that has grown to over 5,000, and which I was very comfortable with my informal and personable presentation, clear on who my audience was,(this a big difference that set me “off”) and KNEW  it to be a successful tool to keep my business in front of my customers…. NOTE: If you can’t see yourself blogging, at very minimum touch your mailing list by way of an online newsletter…you won’t regret it….good way to “dip your toes in”…

But this blog thing….  Sure, I have plenty to write about, see below,  but, but, but….

Of course I was going to blog  for my business, which IS ME, but what format would my presentation take and more so  how would I get people to read it???? More on that in a later post on blog titles. VERY IMPORTANT!

Share more of my personal “stuff” which I do enjoy doing,?, promote how great I am by way of posting customer testimonials?, give credence to the level of clientele I have by showcasing the talented designers that shop with me?, publicize the publicity I have garnered and continue to garner for my business? , use the wonderful treasure trove of photos I have from my customers to show off how they have positioned their Chinese Antiques purchased from yours truly? promote the organizations with which I have affiliation with? share my love for my online business? YES to ALL of the above….and more.

…PASSION for what you intend to blog about is mandatory to attract an audience, and a few other things like relevance etc, but  Passion is that which fuels the engine…and I am so very passionate about all I’ve listed, and want to share with my growing online world.

As I’ve placed in the header of my upcoming roundtable on Blogging, at the WITHIT Leadership Conference in August, blogging is a Gift, to you and your business….

….But the premise on being able to successfully promote your business via said blog, is that you are passionate about it…as that passion will attract people to you and to your business.

And the premise that you would like to share your business/your passion with the world, so it can continue to be such by increased exposure, which draws increased revenue…and adds to the bottom line so you can continue to fuel this passion, simply precludes that you have this GIFT, in this FREE platform of reaching an untapped audience by way of putting out a blog, which is YOURS for the taking.

Are you passionate about your business?

Are you blogging about it? If not, why not?

How can I help you to “dip your toes in?”

Ruth

P.S. And if you simply have a passion that isn’t your business, blogging again is the perfect venue to do just that….

 

Eclectic = Interesting: Chinese, American & French Antiques…

….in Pinehurst North Carolina… that place where Babette Glauner  found herself setting up the couples “retirement” home following a 5 year stint as expatriates in Japan….and in need of “one more piece”, that being black sideboard shown here,  for her dining room.

Yes, she found the perfect sideboard, with us at Antiques by Zaar, and more…

She expounds so well on why she thinks this works perfectly  in her schema and her general decorating philosophy. ..please read on.

The simple lines of the black buffet across the great room don’t jump out and say “Chinese” but I think it seems to blend with the Japanese screen hung above it and the French armoire not too far away.  The tilt-top table and cherry and walnut side tables in the room are definitely earlier American pieces, but somehow the mix seems to work.

I am using a Tibetan painted cabinet as a large-screen television console, and many of my visitors don’t know anything about its origin but they love it.  The blended colors and pattern really draw the eye down from that big black screen that I had been a little reluctant to have in the room.

                             

      I thought that might conclude my Asian furniture shopping, but some remodeling left a gap in a powder room, a space that needed something special.  For the 2nd time, I made the trek to High Point, to visit my new friends at Antiques by Zaar,  and a 10″ deep, three drawer desk in acid green seemed like it would be perfect, and it was. 

I like to think that my home is a reflection of our interests and experiences, and in that way the Asian pieces fit in very well, but I don’t think you have to have lived or traveled to Asia to appreciate Chinese antiques.

Eclectic to me equates interesting….. I read once that every room needs some black and also that no matter the nationality, if your wood furniture pieces are of a similar hue, they will work together – that’s my decorating credo and I am sticking to it!

THANK YOU Babette, for sharing a philosophy that I tend to agree to myself, AND for the accompanying photos.

Ruth

P.S. Babette also provided a lovely testimonial for Antiques by Zaar which I look forward to including in a separate post…

 

Blogging (Round Table): How Can I Help/Dip your toes in?!

As I mentioned in a recent post, I’m honored to have been asked to moderate a round table on Blogging, as part of the WITHIT Conference which is themed “Wisdom, Work and Wealth”….and which I KNOW will be an event that I will come away from highly infused/invigorated.

I hope to do my part to infuse others by way of leading a discussion regarding the value in blogging, as moderator of said round table.

I  feel very passionately about the value in blogging  and what it can mean for your business.  My experience running an online business, since 2000, /building relationships via email/phone and fostering through an online newsletter, started in 2004,  where I couched the “meat” of the business in warm fuzzy tidbits garnered from living on a farm in Maine, with 3 teenagers and breeding golden retrievers, and yes, I sold puppies to abyzaar customers because of this,  drawing on past lives as an expatriate in Asia/volunteer in Haiti….you get the gist….has shown me time and again that people do care when you take the time to be “real”….

…and now “blogging” has become a trend and serves as a  venue to those that care to “put themselves out there”, to do just that.  I invite all those that are interested, to dip your toes in, and see what it can do for you, or those that are already doing so, what you would like to share with the rest of us….have been dying to use this photo which I took to use  just for this very quip

As part of prep for this round table I’d like to simply ask what particular topics you may like addressed.

Shoot me questions/comments,  either by email, at ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com , or leave a comment/question on this blog, bloggers love that, and good for you too!, or leave a comment on facebook, linkedin, or twitter….wherever you may see this post.

...with Tobi, after her WITHIT sponsored breakfast/presentation on Social Media @ High Point Furniture Market.

Similarly, if you have some favorite blogs you follow…shoot me a note with a link and let me know what it is that you like particularly about said blog. Will compile a list to pass out at the conference ….and would start with blogs by Tobi Fairley, and Jane Pollak…both women inspired me to “dip my toes in” and I enjoy following their blogs….and constantly learn from them.

A Round table is meant to be a platform for discussion, and I’d like to see what we can do about starting the discussion leading up to the actual event.

So, join me, and yes, even if you aren’t able to attend the conference and would like to participate in this, please join in…..all bloggers, wanna be’s especially…drop on by.

Looking forward to a learning and growing experience for all of us…and meeting some new friends along the way.

Ruth

 

Hannah Dee Interiors: Loves Loves Loves a Pop of Color…

….and in particular it seems a light and airy blue that she can’t seem to tear herself away from and, might I add, is so refreshingly warm and lively all at the same time…kind of what  Hannah Dee is herself…and thus I sense her natural  draw to this hue.

….so pleased that I had JUST the piece she needed, JUST the very specific size she needed, in JUST what seems to be her fave color….thank you Maria of Liveable Landscapes  for putting us together!

Not only will you agree it looks stunning in her very cool living room, as shown below….

….but it is hot hot hot in the vignette she created as participant in the The Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival, which was held in April…click here to see more photos of her vignette, from concept to reality,….no wonder she attracted alot of attention!

As Hannah said when she posted me some pix… “I exhibited recently in a local festival, The Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival. I used your beautiful blue console table as the centerpiece of the booth I created. It looked so great and really made the space. I love it in my living room as well!”
…and she carries a pop of this color into her garden as well, accented on her door and in side chairs. You don’t want to miss taking a “stroll through Hannah’s garden“….

…and if you want Hannah to work her colorful magic in your home or garden, you may want to give her a call. Website forthcoming, but in the meanwhile  you can see what she’s all about on Facebook…

….and, by the by…. if you’re looking for a pop of color by way of a refurbished piece of Chinese furniture, do check out the section on my site that I just created, “A Pop of Color!“…as yes, I do have a piece or two  in “Hannah’s blue”.

 

WITHIT 2011 Conference: Save the Date August 23-25.

     Wisdom, Work, Wealth: Winning  Insights to Reshape Your World

This is the platform for the 2011 WITHIT conference, and I just paid my registration fee for this not to be missed event, August 23-25 in Raleigh NC….I can’t wait!

...making friends along the way.

I urge any woman that has any affiliation to the home furnishings industry, that wants to be enveloped by a bevy of like minded professional women, AND be infused by a shared fervor for one’s work AND life….to sign up and join what I PROMISE will be an extraordinary opportunity….ie, you won’t be disappointed.

How can I be so sure? Last year I attended my first conference last which I gushed about in this blog…..and if you want to SEE what fun we had, you can check out the handful of photos I posted on facebook.

Keynote Judy George inspired us all....

Well organized, great venue, inspiring key note speakers, opportunities galore to network, beautifully laid gala awards dinner, interactive round tables, and, and and….

Have I convinced you yet?

…and one more thing.

Am honored to have been asked to moderate one of the 15 round table discussions, mine being on the topic of Blogging. Am excitedly preparing for this and would LOVE input from any would be attendees/would be contenders to visit my round table, as to what specifically you may like me to touch on. Will be shooting out further blogs on this between now and then, but would love input/feedback.

…just to make it easy, click here, for online registration/check out what’s up for this year’s not to be missed event. Hope to see you in Raleigh in August!

Rut

 

Total Design Source/Old Saybrooke CT: July 4th Blow Out Sale…

…in honor of the store’s 3 year anniversary.

180 Main St, Old Saybrooke, CT.

 Be sure to check out all the offerings at Total Design Source (TDS)…so much more than a retail outlet that has an incredible array of carefully selected/deliciously presented lines…some of which you can see listed here. 

TDS also supports local artisans, and this weekend you can purchase select Judy Perry art at discounted prices….

…and, Chantal Lawrence, the heart and soul of Total Design Source, has been doing business under that name for more than a decade…the 3 year anniversary is for the opening of the retail branch of her business on Main St in Old Saybrooke, is also a talented interior and architechtual designer….check her impressive  portfolio on her website, she truly can be your “Total Design Source”.

Click here to have a little pictorial visit to the store…hope it entices you in, should you be in the Old Saybrooke area…NOTE: My friend and I do share a love for Asian antiques and artifacts…surprised?

NOTE: This weekend only….. Somerset Bay floor models on sale, at 50% off….lamps discounted 25%, as well as metal wall sculptures… 

P.S. Had the absolute delight of attending the grand opening party for TDS, summer of 2009..a few photos here to share.

 

Peace & Tranquility/Beauty & Simplicity: Asian infusion in a Long Island Home

….and, the story of a  happy Antiques by Zaar customer/friend .

Katherine Kovins found Antiques by Zaar online in 2006, as she and her husband, Thom Janusz, were working  on furnishing their new Long Island home.  Wanting a Chinese sideboard, to serve as a bureau in their bedroom, was the initial impetus to shop my site.

...looking great in the, main floor, dining room.

She honed in on a beautiful, rich wood toned sideboard which she knew to be perfect in all ways for her boudoir, less the fact that this beauty, gloriously long at 100″, would not manage its way up the stairwell…no way, no how.  Katherine found a solution to her problem…. she would make a place for this piece on the main floor of her new home, in her dining room, and buy a 2nd sideboard to serve her purposes in her 2nd floor bedroom….which worked beautifully, per photos shown here.

...and Katherine looking perfect beside the sideboard that did make it up the stairs to their boudoir.

Katherine continued shopping for accent pieces from Antiques by Zaar, such as the mirror shown here,  to complement the many other Asian pieces of furniture and artifacts that she and her husband had already gathered over the years.

This past February I so very much enjoyed the tour of their home, see some pix here….I simply didn’t take enough photos..think I was in such a state of “awe”   graced as it was, with a delightful infusion of Asian furniture and artifacts throughout…beautifully placed to maximize vantage points. It truly was akin to walking through a museum, and I, the lucky gal that was given a personalized tour by the impassioned purveyors of fine treasure after fine treasure.

In Katherine’s words…”You can say that my husband and I have always loved the Asian decor as it lends peace and tranquillity to the home. We love the beauty and simplicity of Asian art and antiques.”

Thom, a renowned sculptor, showcases Asian sculptures, admist his own creative works...each complementing the other.

Couldn't resist having my pic taken in the elevator, which yes, is accented with Asian themed wallpaper.

Following this delightful visit of their home, which they have obviously poured themselves into, we continued our chat fest at the lovely Mill Pond House in Centerport, NY….where I learned more about the colorful and acclaimed backgrounds of my customers come friends….and left feeling fully infused with a heavy dose of ” peace and tranquility”, wending my way back to Great Neck, smiling from the inside out.

Thank you, Katherine and Thom, for coming into my world, by way of sharing a warmth and love for Asian antiques/artifacts. Thank you for sharing your home and your selves…and treating me to a sumptuous lunch, on that glorious February afternoon.  Thank you for giving me something so great to share with my world.

Ruth

 

Supporting Haiti: 4th annual FIDA Golf Tournament

The earthquake of January 2010 brought to our living rooms, in the rawest of terms, the plight of a poverty stricken nation that was now dealing with a natural disaster of the greatest magnitude…and at the time it incited me to share with my world my own history with Haiti, which I wrote in the form of a letter to Haiti,  which began at the impressionable age of 12, and in some form or nother continues on to this day.

Jack Wall, FIDA founder, flanked by family members that participated in the 2010 event...

Yes, my parents enlightened and awakened, in each of their children, a sense of outreach, that went beyond what they already experienced as the off spring of parents that opened up the family home to serve as a group home for countless teens that needed refuge and a place to feel safe and loved. You can read in greater detail, in this past blog post, my history.

My contribution to this year’s golf tournament was nominal…donating a Chinese ” art deco desk” for the auction and offering my time to help, wherever needed, as the event unfolded…which by the way, was expertly executed by my niece Alexis.

Close to 120 people paid to golf that day and just as many stayed on for what was

Founder Jack Wall/Granddaughter Alexis

a sumptuous buffet, including amazing dessert, so proud of myself for not going back for 2nds!, and participated in a silent auction with over 60 items, and a live auction. The event raised more than 30,000 for the work of FIDA in Haiti, which in and of itself is phenomenal.

This is the 2nd year that I’ve been able to attend/participate in this fundraiser and, as before, I left feeling humbled and touched by the growing numbers of people that are drawn to support the continued development work of FIDA in Haiti…and like so many that attended that day, wanting to contribute in some form or another.

And as humble as this may be, I offer this missive as my personal testament to what I know to be a committed vision to “help the Haitians help themselves”….to work WITH them, to empower them, to UPLIFT them, and to do this in the context of their very real HOPE and FAITH that God will not abandon them as they contribute to improving their own lot in this life they have been given.

FIDA continues to gain international recognition for the model of development they insist on, drawing in and partnering with other organizations that want to make an impact that really and truly counts for a people that have been “helped” beyond measure, and to do so in a way in which they can maintain their dignity.

Grateful for this recent opportunity, to share with the many supporters of FIDA, a day that was fun yet purposeful.

Ruth

P.S. If you are interested in learning more about the work of FIDA in Haiti, do visit their website, and drop them a line…they’d love to hear from you and would many suggestions on how you could help…

 

Recommended Reads: The Power of Small and…

Per most recent blog posting I have just returned from a 10 day trip that took me to Toronto and back, via New York, setting up my daughter and visiting family.

Unlike the majority of my road trips I had company for the most part, in the form of my daughter, and therefore talk time filled the air…BUT, on return trip I was left to my typical devices, phone, books on CD and tape recorder,  and thus have a couple of recent “reads” to recommend.

The Power of Small/Why Little Things Make All the Difference, is co authored by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, an obvious power house team that are the heart and soul behind the Kaplan Thaler Group, a highly successful ad agency out of New York City. The 4 CD set gives gentle reminders of the value in tending to detail/being kind/going the extra mile/making people smile…

Just love what is behind these women and all that they do and are.

 click image to directly to Amazon to purchase…

       

The Inner Game of Selling/Mastering the Hidden Forces that Determine your Success,  by Ron Willingham, is not new to me, as I purchased the hardcover a few years back, from which I made several notes, highlighted heavily,  and found it very impactful upon that very first reading…enough to want to revisit by way of listening to it, as I did, last week.

           ”Selling is 85% emotional and 15% logical.”

He  delves into the why of selling as opposed to technique and strategy….and what gets in the way of successful selling and how to grow into the successful salespersons we all have the ability to be…should that be our chosen vocation. Truly honors the profession of selling and what we can gain personally by engaging in such with integrity and honor.

  click image to directly to Amazon to purchase…

Ron Willingham is founder and CEO of Integrity Systems, Inc., an international training and development company with more than 1.5 million graduates in 80 nations. He is the author of Integrity Service and Integrity Selling for the 21st Century. 

Love having the words of these authors ring in my mind as I seek to be the best I can be, at my job and in my life…. and thus the recommendation to those that may be interested in same.

Ruth

P.S. You have any books to point in my direction, would appreciate it…

 

 

Launching Arianna (the 1st “A” of ZAAR)

One of the things that I most love about having my own business, is the latitude I have to take the time I need/want for my family. It is truly a gift.  But not going to lie,  can’t say I  was overly excited about the anticipated week long break in my work rhythm I would need, to go and help set up my middle child in Toronto.

Maybe it’s because I was feeling this way as we loaded my KIA and made the 11 hour drive to Toronto, that I am so effusive now, about what was an incredibly busy/productive/fun week …”launching Arianna”….ie, I was right where I was meant to be, doing what I wanted/needed to do, to help set my daughter up in this next phase of her young adult life.

Back in April when I picked Ari up, following her final set of exams, as an undergraduate of the University of Western Ontario, there was anticipation of this return to Ontario to attend her June 16th graduation, with interim time being spent at our home in Maine, with an “interesting” and ambitious list of what was anticipated to take place during that time. Many items on said list never materialized, but the one which she thought unlikely, actually did….she not only landed a job, but she landed one that suits her just perfectly!

No, it didn’t happen “straight away” but when things started to fall into place, they just kept on doing just that….2 weeks from first phone interview, first of 5, 2 online tests, followed by in person interview in New York…to an action packed week prior to grad…finding an apartment…sweet location/cozy space, and not an easy feat we started to realize quickly,  furnishing said apartment, yeah for IKEA and Home Sense, setting up/assembling, ok, I assisted, Ari directed/did the hard stuff, furniture….and all the “stuff” you don’t think of as you move your residence to a new city/country.

So glad to have been there with her…and although a tad proud, the sense that she is right where she should be, right now, as a freshly minted college, for those Canadians reading this, yes, correct terminology would be university, grad, supercedes my personal pride and, well, just gives me a glow that I can’t get rid of.

So, onward Arianna….onward. Thanks for letting me a vital part of your “launch”….

Your mother…

Now back to work I go!

… Arianna being my middle child, and as the subject line says, the first “A” of Zaar (flanked by Zachary, of http://www.zcakelab.com and Avery, McGill student. Your guess as to who R refers to ).

Facebook album of our week here…which also included volunteering at the FIDA fundraising golf tournament, and having father’s day brunch with my parents and sister…just to explain some of the photos, which don’t have captions.