Our guest poster Alison Golden drops in again this month with a lovely narrative about her shopping experience with Style Essentials. You will feel like you are right there with her as she visits the boutique. (And I had to chuckle throughout the story as it is exactly what she does when she is here!)
I am hopeless at displaying things. At various garage sales and the like where I have tried to show things off to their best advantage, the only thing I am able to do is put the smallest at the front, large at the back. I keep trying to make it look better but all I’m doing is shuffling it around, clueless. It’s just not a skill I have.
Lisa, on the other hand, does have that skill. She has cabinets with glasses and other items she drapes necklaces, bracelets and earrings from. She has elegant jewelry stands, baskets and cloths. She puts boxes underneath to provide height. I would never think of those things.
Pearls, crystals and silks
As I come upon the sight, all lit up in the sun and sparkling, I am usually overwhelmed. I am not someone who shops much and hardly ever make a purchase at first blush. I need to peruse, sort out the this from the that, make up my shortlist, try them all on. Then usually I have to take a break, have a cookie, look at the photos on her wall, sit down have a cup of tea. After that I can return. Walking round and round mulling and thinking, keeping my distance from any other chit chat so that I can focus on my purchases. Eventually (and this can take well over an hour) I will settle on my choices, usually justifying to myself a little more than my anticipated budget but happy nonetheless. I pay my dues and off I go with my swag in their little lacey swag bags, happy that I made good sure-thing purchases.
So what does this tell me? That I am the antithesis of the impulse shopper, that I am careful, moderate, budget conscious. I need no time pressure, no people pressure. That I am quick to overwhelm, preferring a quiet, calm atmosphere when making decisions that I make alone. No referring to anyone or asking what they think. Hmmm…
Rarely are we left alone to make purchases how we want. We are often in a noisy mall, in a store overcrowded we can hardly discern gems from gardening tools. We have music blaring and sales assistants asking if we need assistance. There are studies into the psychology of shopping and presumably, these methods work for the majority.
But at major diamond and jewelry houses, serious purchasers are taken into back rooms where the decor is beige upon beige, the walls bare, the rooms silent. All this serves to heighten the impact of the diamonds, allow the potential client to peruse and discern, considering nothing but the bright, shiny objects in front of them. There, some serious money is laid on the table and only then does the mood lighten. Conscious buying leads to few regrets.
Buying is serious business. At least for me it is. Careful thought, within my budget, a good decision that stays a good decision long after I arrive home.
When selecting her products, Lisa is careful to stay true to her values that are similar to mine and I love the fact that she has done the work for me. Her jewelry is designed in a supportive, entrepreneurial environment benefiting the designers, and the customers; her makeup is fresh, healthy and again supports women entrepreneurship. She donates 20% of her profits to a cause she selects annually.
All this makes my purchases an complete win-win. Beautiful jewelry that have people in Wholefoods Market commenting, purchased at affordable prices in a supportive, nurturing environment, manufactured by women who are improving sustainably their lives and those of their families. Sounds like a consciousness statement, but it’s true.
I am a writer, mom and wife, originally from the UK, now living in California with my twin sons and husband. I spend my time blogging, writing for others and researching. My interests are nutrition, biomed, giftedness and organizing everything in sight; there is no time for hobbies in my life 
I hope you enjoy my ideas and opinions and perhaps, sometimes, learn something new or thoughtful. Please enjoy yourself and have a great day!
