Every year at this time, we close both of the How to Live stores for about six weeks. People who don’t know me think that I go on vacation during this time period. That’s funny. It’s really one of our busiest times.
This is what we do: We inventory every item, then we mark everything down (yay for sales! and getting rid of the old!) and we put it all in the back room. Then we re-vamp the stores. We re-think how we want the store to look. We re-think how we want it to work. We buy architectural salvage and we do a lot of construction (Well, my husband does that. I just tell him what goes where. I am the mold-cleaner-offer, the sander and the re-painter).
We go to New York and Philadelphia and Atlanta to buy new things. We contact all the people who make things by hand for us and ask them to make us some new things. And, most importantly, we rethink how to live. What our lives are about… And, accordingly, what the stores are about.
Then we start getting our new inventory. Tons and tons of boxes! And then we put the stores together. And we see what we are, what we’ve become. It’s always a bit of a surprise how we’ve changed and grown!
How to Live is a retail store. But it’s also a place where people come to find peace, to get inspired, to re-vamp their own homes and lives. Every year, we give ourselves a fresh start, and we hope to give the people who come to our stores a fresh start too. Every year, How to Live has a little bit different perspective and a different energy. Every year, we are new.
This year, I am excited to say that I wrote a sweet little book called “I love you, Long Beach Island” which will be out in the spring. It is very close to my heart. I am also excited to be designing a candle or two with Aunt Sadie’s. And I’m working on a How to Live mug. I have some happy new card and print designs coming out too.
This year, so far (for us) our philosophy is: “More peace. Less drama.” Maybe that sounds good to you too…
We are re-opening our stores on President’s weekend, so please come and visit us then. Together, let’s re-start our lives and make it a wonderful new year!
