Back to School with Jonathan Adler

With everything going on in these past few months summer time for me has been filled with excitement! Parties, events, opening a new store, Fed Ex, UPS...

And if you're reading Party Paper and Wrap with Cordially Invited you know a thing or two… maybe three, about partying! LOL

Unfortunately, we’ll have to cut back on some of that partying since summer’s winding down.

And when partying slows down, we all know what that means… Time to go Back to School! Blah!

But I think I’ve found a clever way to keep the excitement of summer going, even while learning your ABC’s or listening to a three hour lecture. Jonathan Adler! I know. I know. Everyone can’t take the incredibly talented interior designer to school with them everyday - but they can certainly take his energy and style!

For those not familiar with this design genius / artist, Jonathan Adler is renowned for his interior design work where he somehow combines classic, modern, and funky all into one - producing an aesthetically pleasing, positive, and cheerful space. In addition to everything one could imagine to be in a home Jonathan Adler also offers stationery products!

And yes, as the newest and hippest stationery and gift boutique to open in Los Angeles, Cordially Invited carries Jonathan Adler stationery. The colorful and exciting pencils,pens, and journals are guaranteed to provide a boost of energy to anyone that needs a quick summer pick me up.

My Precious Jewels

Seriously!! We’ve got that too! Unless you’ve already come to visit us at Cordially Invited you probably didn’t know that we have a beautiful selection of jewelry that will become PRECIOUS to whomever takes possession.



Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings – any piece you choose is guaranteed to become that special jewel that lights up someone’s night…or life. You’ll be amazed by the stunning collection of jewelry for low prices. Even though the prices are low these jewels will be valued for a lifetime!

Our small yet impressive and varied collection of jewelry can be worn to any occasion or given as a gift. Casual event? Jeans, a nice shirt, and a black beaded necklace with a jolly Buddha suspended from the beads will do. Formal event? That favorite black dress, paired with a golden necklace that’s set off by a cluster of jewels is perfect! Dress em’ up or dress em’ down, either way these jewelz will definitely BLING you in to the spotlight.



Buy some jewelry for yourself or make a friend feel special - after perusing the aisles, visit the register and you cannot miss nor can you resist our beautiful selection of blinged-out jewels!

P.S. One of my personal favorites is the precious pink stone wrapped in gold to form an amazing ring. Come check it out!

Sizzlin Summer Deal

Finally! The weather’s caught up with the season! It’s summa summa summer time and Cordially Invited has smokin’ hot eco-friendly summer bags for only $5.95! This all-natural, eco-friendly bag is made from jute and cotton.



Jute? ? Yea, that’s the same thing I thought when I first saw the word. Well now I know that jute is great for the environment because:
1) It’s recyclable and biodegradable
2) It makes the land it grows in more fertile
3) It keeps streets, oceans, and sewage drains free of synthetic plastic bags

So, the more you get the cleaner our beaches are for summers to come! Not only is it good for the environment but it also looks and feels great too! : )

Going to the grocery store? Farmers market? Gym? Cordially Invited? Beach? Wherever you may be headed for the summer stop by Cordially Invited to pick up your green, pink, blue, or tan Eco- Chic tote from Two’s Company and go eco – in style!

Catching Up

Let me first tip my hat to the fellow bloggers that find the time to run businesses, be mommies and wives, cook homemade meals, manage websites and still post on thier blog EVERYDAY!!!

I truly aspire to be a daily blogger...



So in order to get my act together I thought it would be best to add a format to the blog and of course go and buy a new charger for my camera so I can start to upload pictures - cause really, what's a blog without pictures??

I'm thinking we'll do:

- Hello Monday

- Tips for Tuesday

- What's New Wednesday - (my readers can get a sneak peak of new items in the store)

- Top Seller Thursday

I'll leave Friday as a toss up for whatever may be on my mind as we head into the weekend.

Okay, stay tuned for What' s New Wednesday starting tomorrow


Yvette

A Day of Firsts!!!

Yesterday was officially our first day open for business and it was a great day. Lots of friends, family and neighbors from the community stopped in to say hi, take a look and make a purchase.

There were lots of FIRSTS:
Our First customers who were visiting from out of town
Our First customer who lives in the Wilshire Vista Neighborhood
Our First customer who purchased with an Amex
Our First customer to use a Visa
Our First customer to use a Mastercard
Our First custmer who wrote a check (Thanks LKP - Friends 4ever)
Our First customer who made a purcase totaling more than $100 ( Thanks MOM)
Our First customer who owns a business on PICO
Our First Customer of the day
Our First Customer to be the last customer of the day (Thanks Godsis)
Our First Customer to make an over the phone order from out of town ( Thanks Ty - your calendars will be here in October)

It was also my FIRST day working retail since ummm 1991-2 (lets just say cute shoes aren't for 9 hours of standing and i will alwasy keep a pair of Crocs in my office)

Day 1 is over but you can also be a FIRTS - The First to visit us on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, The First to come in on the weekend...You get the picture!!!

Cordially Invited
5571 Pico Blvd
( 2blocks e of Fairfax at the corner of Curson)

Be one of the many FIRSTs to experience Cordially Invited

8-9-10

And we are open for business!! Today is the official "soft" opening of Cordially Invited. Stay tuned for the Grand Opening Party in September

Store Hours
Monday - Friday 10am - 8pm
Saturday 10am - 7pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

5571 Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90019
( 2 blocks east of Pico)

Okay i have to go out and greet our customers and sell sell sell!!!

I'll write a first day recap tonight

Tis the night before....

and I AM NERVOUS!! I dont know why but i am soo nervous about tomorrow's opening. Will people come? Will i make a sale? Will they like it? You didnt buy enough product? You bought too much of this? When will the rest of my boxes of product arrive? If they come this week - will people come back?(These are ALL the questions running through my head)

Its worse than starting a new high school in a new city in the middle of your senior year w acne and braces!!!

Along with all the questions, there's the ever growing to do list...

And to top it all off - WHAT WILL I WEAR!!! ARGHHHHHH :)

This is just a soft opening a few tweets, emails, FB post and text to friends to get the word out-but i am still nervous.

So please if you are in the area - please drop in and say HI!! Ease my nerves!! and if you see something you like - BUY IT ( BIG SMILE) and if don't....let me know and i'll do my best to meet your needs!!

Okay, I'll end here, because now I am rambling and need to get some rest.

I have to be at the flower mart first thing in the am - flowers make everything pretty!!

Goodnight

XOXO
Yvette

Post in Pictures

Here are a few of the pictures I promised from Sunday's photo shoot:

VERA WANG - BOXED STATIONERY SET








TOWER OF ROSSLER PAPER(12 COLORS TO CHOSE FROM)
























Victoria Duque and Marrin Costello Jewelry - FAB!!

Anna Griffin Invites (Simply Adorable)


















Just a bit to wet your appetite - Do you want more???

They Like It - They Like It

Cha Ching!! That would be the sound of the cash register this past weekend... That's right, we're not open but we have had some customers.

We have great neighbors on Pico and its becoming quite a walking community. Neighbors walking to Bloom Cafe and Chic or just out for an evening stroll. They pass the store everyday and i make an attempt to wave at each person that passes by.

Well this weekend i opened the doors and invited some of the neighbors in for a sneak peak - and guess what!! They Like It They Like It.

They liked what they saw in the store so much they wanted to make purchases and what's an opening date when you have people ready to spend money. I did what any reasonable business person would do and rang them up!!!

Needless to say we had a great "sneak peak" weekend. Thanks to all the Wishire Vista residents that dropped in this weekend to take a look. We appreciate you!!

Who's next - wanna see what the hoopla is all about - come on over to Cordially Invited - 5571 W. Pico Blvd.

Flashing Lights!!! Photo Shoot Time

We're almost there and this is what we were working on this past weekend.


We had a photo shoot at the store on Sunday. My fabulously talented friend, S., came by with her very professional and fancy camera, much better than my bberry and point and shoot pics, got in her creative space and took some great photos of some of the product we have in the store.

Akiyaa, my business partner and very creative invitation designer,was on hand with her computer ready to take Shauna's photos and drop them into a flyer we will circulate in the surrounding neighborhoods.

I'll dedicate another post to S.'s photos

500+ things to do on the to do list and 1 more week till we open...

I've missed a few days of posting but i promise you we have been busy busy getting the store together. As we get closer to our "soft" opening date it seems like the Things To Do list is ever growing and 5571 W Pico Blvd has become my home away from home.

I know i keep promising pictures but this week for sure we will have loads of pictures. We are having a fun photo shoot today in the store of all the Fab products!!

Also, later this week I have to remember to tell you guys about the event I had to produce in EIGHT hours last Saturday. It was one hectic day but Akiyaa and I pulled off an even that looked as if we had been planning it for months

Chat with you soon

Yvette