Happy One-Year Anniversary!
Well, it’s been one year since we opened our doors to the public. The thing I distinctly remember was Ross pushing to open today and me still painting the two window boxes as the Downtown Partnership crew was walking through the door to see what we had created, camera...
Create Your Own Bookstore Valentine’s Day Event
Last night, we hosted such a fun event at our store, Capital Books, for Valentine's Day. I knew that I wanted to create something different that gave both established couples and those just starting to date something to do besides going out to dinner — or in addition...
It’s like moving twice a month
I realized it's been many, many months since I blogged about our journey of opening, and now running, a bookstore. January will mark the one-year anniversary since we signed the lease. About this time last year, Ross and I were scouting locations to do this little...
8 Weeks In…And We’re Still Alive!
Wow! It really has been quite a while since I last wrote a blog post. I actually feel like I'm crawling out of the hole that sucked me in when we started renovating the store space 6 months ago. Yeah, we realized this evening that it's been half a year since we...
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
It's amazing how many times this one children's book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, can be applied to real life. Starting on one project, which leads to a whole new, unplanned-for, project, happens to all of us. Despite our meticulous planning for renovating the space...
Putting Lipstick on a Pig
We're starting to feel the pressure now that March is nearly halfway over. When we started renovating the space two months ago, April seemed so far away. Now, it's right around the corner. When we're there tearing things apart, many people poke their heads in the open...
Dust…everywhere!
Today, Presidents' Day, there was a marked shift in how renovation felt at the bookstore. The professional construction crew arrived. It was like the Cavalry coming in, and that felt pretty presidential — and LOUD — to me. (Be sure to turn your sound on.)...
Back to Square One
Usually, the phrase "back to square one" means something fell through, but, in our case, it means we're able to move FORWARD. After we signed the store lease about a month ago, we kicked into high gear in demolishing interior (non-load-bearing) walls that we didn't...
Let There Be Light
I haven't blogged in a while because there's not really anything exciting going on down at the store. My step-son, who's doing a lot of the grunt-work with the demolition, got sidelined this week with a bad cold, so nothing happened. Last weekend, we rented a...
“The books will tell you what the store should be.”
My husband, son, and I took a field trip to the Bay Area — specifically Berkeley and Oakland — to visit several bookstores for inspiration. We've been working with a bookshelf manufacturer on what our bookcases will look like. We know one thing already: white. And...