Don’t forget about the person that loves you the most in this world next week. We’ve got lots of fun and pretty things for her.
happy mother’s day to all those amazing mums out there from the Personify team
We are three weeks into our new space and starting to feel settled and SO HAPPY. I wanted to post some pictures for those of you who are out of town or haven’t had a chance to come in.
Our wall shelves are filled with some of our favorite makers’ work and home goods.
The view from our front doors (the left side).
SO.MANY.PAPER.GOODS.
The other side of the shop (right side).
Our spring clothes … they’re just too good. We get new things in weekly, and sometimes daily. Please let me know if there’s something you see here that you don’t see on our online shop – we ship all over.
I also wanted to give you guys an update on our Lakemont shop. If you’re subscribed to our newsletter you already know this (if you’re not – subscribe here) . BUT after many conversations, thoughts, and prayers we have made the decision to focus our energies to our new Duluth location and not reopen Personify in Lakemont. This was a very difficult decision for us as we’ve invested SO MUCH the past three years in this lovely little town and have met many many wonderful people. It was the best decision for our family and we are excited about the future of Personify.
If you’re a Lakemont customer please please please do not be a stranger. We miss you guys already and want to hear from you! Let me know how we can keep you stocked on all your fave Personify goodies.
Happy days,
Maddie
In case you missed our big news, we are opening a second Personify location in the lovely historic Downtown Duluth this spring! Yay! We can’t believe it’s *actually* (read: finally) happening. We want to thank the many of you that have already shared your excitement. We are working hard to get open ASAP!
Tammy & I (Maddie) wanted to each share on a personal level some of the things we are most excited about and how we landed at our Duluth spot.Read our thoughts below and stay tuned for more updates as we get ready to open soon soon soon.
[From Tammy]
I never dreamed that the Personify Girls would end up in my own back yard! How good is God?
I remember many years ago jogging with Maddie in a stroller through the streets of Downtown Duluth loving my home town and dreaming, thinking and praying of what it could be, never thinking that one day she would be running Personify Shop right next to the old City Hall. What a joy it is for me to participate in supporting my daughter’s dream and watching her exercise her gifts and abilities, just as I have tried to do with many other young people throughout my life.
It’s been a real joy for me to personalize my home and my life, with treasures new and old both with flea finds and fine pieces and it’s our hope to share both ends of the spectrum with you in the near future. How fun it is to create a beautiful life that is uniquely yours?!
My prayer is that we would be a blessing to many and that our family, including our three dogs (come and meet them!) would thrive in Duluth.
[From Maddie]
I am equally surprised, and yet also thrilled, that Downtown Duluth is where the flagship Personify has landed.
We fell head over heels with our building the moment we saw it. After about a year of looking and a few dead ends, we were cautious about getting our hopes up but in our hearts just knew this is where we needed to be.
Mom and I are itching to get started and can’t wait for you to see all the new goods we are bringing in. We are so lucky we get to do this together!
I am the most excited about the everyday joys of having a brick & mortar: meeting new people, sharing the things that we find, helping you pick out that perfect gift, cleaning, tagging, getting in shipments, chatting with the neighbors…just all of it.
I’m also excited about the community we will be a part of. There are so many new businesses coming into Parson’s Alley: Noona, Simply Done Donuts, Good Word Pub (from the Brick Store Pub), and more, along with the amazing current residents like the Chocolatierie, Dreamland BBQ, Pure, the Farmhouse, Crave Pie, Old 4th Ward Pizza, Peace Love and Decorating, Eddie Owen at the Red Clay Theater, Piatto, 2 Smith Art Galleryand more.
My all-time favorite part of the business, though, is the hunt for unique treasures for you and your home. I know you’re going to love our modern + whimsical goods. Thanks for being along for the ride.
Cheers, friends!
I’m very excited to share this Artist Series with you today coming from Portland, Oregon. Quill and Fox is a whimsical card and stationary line created by Yas Imamura that evokes a sense of nostalgia, coming from Yas’ love for quaint illustrations. These designs fit in perfectly in the shop, from their colorful nature to the hand done imprint on the illustrations. When I first saw her work, I knew we had to have it in the shop.
Enjoy our interview with Yas below!
How did you get started with Quill and Fox?
It began when I designed my own wedding invites, and started taking commission work for announcement cards. I started with just a small line of cards that reflect my passion for children’s book art as well as my affinity for nature and gardening.
Imperfect and natural. I’ve been adding more watercolor paints in my work and less gouache to show these even more so, especially with how watercolor glazes over each layer and doesn’t dry flat colored like gouache. I love showing the paint strokes in my process and finished work.
[Editor’s Note: I love this picture of the original drawing of the You’re Out of this World Card. Love the peak into how much work goes into each design.]
Having my own time and being my own boss! I also love the freedom to pursue a creative endeavor.
Not being able to switch off work because it’s always around me.
Branding and presentation is just as crucial as your craft (but definitely work on the latter first), especially in a visually curated environment of social media.
6. My favorite party question: If you could hang out with any three people this Friday night, who would you pick? Andrew, my dog…..and Michelle Obama.
photo by Angie Webb Creative and Styling by Madison Beaulieu
Yes, yes. Summer’s almost over (even thought it’s still sooo hot), but we just got a bunch of new books in and I couldn’t resist the title. They are all too good and I couldn’t pick a favorite if I had to.
Start Where You Are is a visually stunning journal for self-exploration featuring illustrations and lettering from Meera Lee Patel. I’m looking forward to working through this.
This collection of Mary Oliver poems is a poignant and hopeful picture of the ways we connect to the people around us. I love Mary Oliver and I love this collection of poetry. I wrote this personal blog post about it, if any of you care to read it. These poems will lift your soul.
Check out our complete selections of books here. I spend a lot of time sourcing the best books for the shop and I think you’ll really enjoy them. My first love was books and I’ll never get over that exhilarating feeling of opening a book and diving into a completely different world. I hope some of these give you that feeling too. Xoxo.
I’m excited to share this Artist Series with you all! I saw Yu Square socks not long ago online and I knew they belonged in Personify Shop with their bright colors and bold patterns.
Yu Square is a knitwear, textile design studio started and run by Ringo Yu. The first year she started the company, she knitted all the clothing garments herself, gradually adding scarves and beanies to her collection. After careful consideration, she started working with local manufacturers to produce knitwear pieces and socks. She currently works full time as a textile designer and a machine knitter at her studio in Taipei, Taiwan.
It’s been a joy working with Ringo and I loved reading her answers to our interview questions below. After reading, head on over to our New Arrivals section to see our collection of Yu Square socks!
1. How did you get started with what you do?
I’ve loved to draw and make stuff since I was little, so it was a natural path for me to study textile design. There I can combine my passion of both drawing and making. After graduating from CSM I started to work in the high fashion industry, but the fast-paced intensive lifestyle left me stressed out and uninspired, surrounded by bling sequins and luxury fabrics. In order to find my passion again, I began to design and knit some garments in my free time and tried to sell them online. With more and more orders from people I realized that this is what I should do! Eventually I quit my job and working full time for YU Square.
Vibrant and cheerful. I can’t live without colours and I want to design things that make people happy and smile while wearing them, or even just looking at them. Life can be awful and we need colours to rescue our souls.
The greatest thing about my job is that I enjoy it more than anything else. No kidding, I love knitting THAT MUCH. Besides it’s nice that I have full control of my time, for example during low season I can arrange a short vacation time without approval from a boss…
The muscle of my right arm gets bigger and stronger due to constantly knitting. Errr Nrrrrrr!
Grab every chance to learn new things. Be brave to accomplish your goals, though some of them may not work out in the end. Trying and learning it doesn’t work is better than not trying and regretting not doing it, at least now you know where it can be improved.
Those amazing bottle openers! I love drinking with friends on Friday nights and these openers would definitely add some fun to it.
Nigel Peake, Nicola Rowlands and Kelly Puissegur! They are my most favourite illustrators by the way.
Our new clothes arrived last week and were very popular in store this weekend. They have a freestyle, weekend relaxation feel. I actually tried them all on and want one of each! To add to the fun, we are offering free shipping on ALL clothes through Thursday (4/14/16): use code SHOPCLOTHES to get free shipping anywhere in the continental United States.
See all the new styles below:
2. Delicate Woven Blouse with Lace // $42
3. Blush Darling Slouch Dress // $42
4. Elsie Sleeveless Lace Top // $28
5. Embroidered Lightweight Babydoll Top // $34
6. Navy Slubby Plaid Boyfriend Top // $36
My top happy picks for this spring at the shop
1. I think this mermaid bottle opener lady is the perfect bar accessory.
2. Boost you lunchtime routine with the popsicle pop quiz lunch box.
3. This tote does anything but blend in.
4. I’m probably going to take one of these herschel supply x hudson’s bay little america backpacks home with me. I love them so much.
5. Love the minimalist take on the classic squash blossom design in wooden beads.
6. This confetti handmade catch all ceramic dish is my favorite
7. These felt birdhouses are fully functional and adorable. Invite your bird friends over this spring.
8. Say thank you with this colorful card.
9. Spruce up your outdoor space with these gorgeous ceramic lanterns. Nothing beats soft candlelight on your porch.
I’m starting a new blog series called Creative Friends! Now I can show you what my awesome creative friends are doing.
First up is Holly Von Lanken. She’s a wedding, portrait, and lifestyle photographer based out of Atlanta. She’s a good friend and amazing photographer. We had her come shoot the shop last fall and the pictures were insanely beautiful. Check out her interview below.
headshot by Kaitie Bryant
1. How did you get started with what you do?
I got my first DSLR camera right after I graduated college in 2011. Mostly, I just took pictures for fun. Eventually, one of my friends got engaged and suggested that I take their engagement photos. I absolutely loved taking photos for other people because I saw how much joy it brought them. I slowly started honing my craft and learning from others and toying with the idea of photography as a business. I learned a lot from fellow creatives and took the opportunities that came.
2. How would you describe your aesthetic?
My style is very clean, organic and natural. I want to photograph life the way it is, while also being beautiful and timeless with a nod to the days of film.
3.What’s your favorite thing about being a photographer?
My favorite thing about being a photographer is really getting to know people. When you’re with someone and their entire crazy family on their wedding day, you get to know them really well. I like getting to share those moments with them and hopefully be a calming and joyful presence.
4. What’s your least favorite?
taxes. yuck.
5. Business advice?
Make your business legit from the get go. If you’re going to advertise yourself and you intend to make a profit, you need a business license. You will look and feel more confident to potential clients, plus there’s some added liability protection.
6.What’s your favorite thing at Personify Shop?
Oh man. So hard to choose! I love all the Pendleton products and those P.F. Candles smell so good.
7. My favorite party question: If you could hang out with any three people this Friday night, who would you pick?
Monica, Chandler, Ross, Joey, Rachel, and Phoebe (Ok that was 6… but you can’t split them up!)
8. How do you know the ladies at Personify Shop?
I went to UGA with Maddie where we were both involved in Campus Outreach.
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