Travel bug -- August 2007

I have done a lot of traveling recently with a first visit to Morocco, being a real excitement. What a joy to go to someplace new. Morocco was on my life list for a long time—and it did not disappoint.

The souks, the medinas, the mint tea, the tea glasses, the carpets, the spices, the copper the Jelabahs, the aromas of the cooking Tanjines and tile work and cedar forests and Wooden balconies and beautifully finished colored walls—it was a sensory assault of the most wonderful kind. Today putting my Moroccan kohl on my eyes and touching my silver hand of Fatima—brings the trip back in focus with a smile. Sigh...

I just received a card from a friend in Delhi 'Happy Onam' it said. Well—I replied thanks and quickly googled Onam to find out what it is.

Good news - It looks like another wonderful trip could be in order for next summer. Onam is a festival in India in the southern coastal state of Kerala [local designation 'God's Own Country'] that occurs at the end of August and into early September every year. It coincides with the harvest, and is tied up in Hindu mythology and the annual return of the banished King 'Mahabali' to his home in Kerala. Mahabali's last and only wish was to return to his home of Kerala once a year. His 'subjects' lay out the welcome mat. Caparisoned elephants—mounds of flowers amazing boat races in the backwaters, sweets, south Indian foods, the famous Kerala Kathakali dances, amazing costumes on the performers and new clothes for all with dancing all around and participation by everyone make this festival in the verdant state of Kerala one to put on my life list. Kerala actually calls this period national tourism week because there is just so much going on.

I have seen the backwaters of Kerala and they are beautiful—and I can imagine the beautiful curl prowed boats racing down them with muscled young man at the oars, coconut palms overhead, the tom tom of drums and clang of cymbals creating a frenzied rhythm while on the banks are crowds of cheering dark skinned, and long haired beauties that the state is also famous for. Doesn't it sound like a living painting?

Artists—time to put Onam on the travel list.

"Small Successes" -- April 2007

Restarting something is really a question of small successes—things do not happen overnight—but little successes can build on each other to create bigger successes.

In rebuilding our website I have had the chance to keep producing our hand made dolls. This has been very important to me. I have been worrying about how to keep these dolls going! These dolls are made in Jaipur, Rajasthan India. That is a state known for its crafts and beautiful artwork, embroidery and handwork... Many skilled craftsman live there. These dolls are one of the ways that those crafts remain alive and relevant. The skills of the puppeteers are translated to the skills of the doll makers. The company that makes the dolls is owned by two fine brothers—somehow gentle like the life of the dolls, their attitude and style and place of work resonates a peaceful atmosphere—just a perfect birth spot for Chrissy, Mimi, Holly, Lulu, Molly and Norwood the mouse. The dolls bodies are all cotton—all hand stuffed, the heads, the arms, the legs and the bodies all stuffed by a group of women working together. Even as we strive for consistency—there is individualism to every doll. Each woman will have a slightly different hand, a slightly different pressure in filling the dolls. It is traditional for women to sit on large mats, in a circle and work together, talking and chatting as they make the dolls. The dolls full head of hair—all made of yarn, black, brown, red, blonde, auburn—I try to include all of the hair colors—is threaded through with expertise by these same ladies. We make the hair long—trimming it with scissors so that it is even, but plenty long for a little girl to play with too. Little girls love to create their own hair styles for the dolls, braiding the hair, making pony tails—or chopping it short.

Most of the dolls have little toys or even little babies included with them. They are inside little handbags or backpacks or pockets—all of which are also handmade. There is one doll—the mommy doll—that has three babies in her pockets. I deliberately keep the hair color of those three babies different. There are many children who do not look like their parents—I like them to find themselves in my dolls too—and the babies with the different hair color do that.

A pattern maker for the dolls' clothes create the patterns for the tiny dresses and blouses, jackets and bloomers, shoes, sweaters and hats that the dollies wear. Using the same printed fabrics that I use for my girls dresses—I try and make combinations that will delight a little girl—I watch the children play with the dolls in the shops—first they take off the dresses—then the shoes—they pull the pets out of the backpacks and examine everything. I like them to have lots of things to discover. The Tailoring team stitches up the little outfits, the ladies stuff the little pets, and the little verses, unique to each doll, are written by me, to give a little story to start girls imagining their own stories. The eyes, the lips, are all embroidered by hand. You know it is not easy to get every eye perfect and every mouth sweet! The cheeks are rubbed softly with a little pink rouge—to give a healthy glow to the little dolls. These dollies, so lovingly made, have gone to many places—to many homes, and to many occasions—they have been friends to little girls moving to new towns, they have gone to school, and spent overnights with grandma, they have traveled as far as Japan- where we had an emergency call for a replacement—fast! And they have slept in the beds of little girls all over the world.

Sometimes these little dolls have been able to give a helping hand to others—recently I gave a doll to an adult friend of mine who is a doctor—she brought her to the hospital, to the ward for child burn victims. Whichever child was holding the doll got to tell their story, passing the doll to the next child when finished. The newest patients spoke last, their parents near by, the little dolly helping them express their feelings and tell their story. I was so proud of my little doll [and of my friend too!] The funny thing is many people who buy the dolls are not buying them for somebody else—they are buying them for themselves. They are buying as doll collectors or as simply a confirmation of the child within themselves. I get that too. Sometimes we are just girls. I think you can feel how important the success and the continued availability of these dolls are to me. I have been delighted to see the dolls selling well in my three shops and on the web. In fact some have already sold out. Not to worry we are sewing up more. This year I am designing a doll to raise funds for the Giving World—and that is good for many little girls! There is something more to these dolls than just dolls—they are a good thing. I am glad that you agree.

"Can a Day be better?" -- January 2007
Sometimes there is a day that just cannot be any better.

I had a day like that last Friday.

I had flown from Burlington to Philadelphia on Thursday to appear on QVC on Friday morning. After that appearance I was going into downtown Philly to visit my store at Liberty Place. Well, there were a few last minute glitches at QVC. I just said to myself, "I will do the very best I can to deliver a good show and that's what I'll do."

Well, the show was great, I had a great host, my energy was fine and I think I did the very best I could. When I left the parking lot I knew the day was about to take off because just outside the corporate offices, in a snowy field, I spotted a huge Red Tail hawk on the ground. After a more than generous view of him, I left for Philly.

I think you have heard me say many times that I love my customers; that I would enjoy having a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with just about any of them. Their energy is so strong and infectious. Still there is something about my customers in Philadelphia that is just extraordinary. They are amazing women and wonderful story tellers. Every time I have been in Philadelphia I have returned just brimming over with their stories.

So it goes like this:
Customer Number One: a dark haired petite professional woman tells me how she is buying her new little daughter—adopted from China—our April Cornell dresses. "I had it wrong at first," she says, "I was buying those dresses too short, now I am buying them right to her ankles and she looks so darling." This darling daughter is 21 months old and her big brother is a grown up 20 years old. The mother and dad have a whole new lease on life and little daughter does too. We talk about projects that I have been involved with in Chinese orphanages and she tells me she is going to get involved in that too.

Just around the same time, another customer comes in and tells me to come by for a hand massage—just like that—stop in for a hand massage. At the same time the fellow from Godiva Chocolates has brewed up a big urn of coffee for all of us.

The next woman is shopping with two little girls in hand—they are exchanging jackets that Daddy bought them, for a larger size. Mom is wearing a coordinating one too. Well you guessed it—two more angel girls, two corduroy pinafores, with embroidered necklines, an embroidered trail of pink flowers, they found the right size jackets too, we were friends by the time she left, and I just can't say how pleased I am that she loves the dresses and the saturated dark pink color and the heavy wale corduroy with a thin satin belt is just right for her girls. I just cannot tell her how happy it makes me.

Then there's the woman buying the long knitted coat in a beautifully heavy mélange gorgeous embroidered sweater—just so beautiful—it looked great on her, with big coconut buttons and we talk about whether to wear the belt or not. I just cannot tell her how pleased I am that that beautiful sweater suits her.

And then there is a stylish woman who spots the gorgeous cushions made from old embroidered patches and overdyed a deep chocolate color. I just love that work—all the meanings behind every patch. I just am so pleased that she loves it too.

And a lovely woman who buys a beautiful cotton nighty to wear on a Southern holiday for her 17th anniversary. Can I possibly tell her how good that makes me feel—that my nighty is going on her anniversary holiday with her?

And the woman who tells me I live in her closet—and I feel I do—I live a little bit of her life with her, in her closet, at her job, at her occasions—how privileged is that?

And the two ladies who are both buying hand knit carriage blankets for baby showers—one is about thirty and very pregnant and the other is about 60 and attending a baby shower—and those blankets will wrap new babies, brand new babies, in them. How lucky to be there for that.

And the lovely young woman who tells me she just buys things she loves—and she is buying a beautiful olive brocade bedcover, and I tell her I am the same and have a similar one that is teal and I put it on my table.

And the wonderful woman who buys a complete outfit for her niece in England. A velvet skirt and a little cotton knit camisole and a quilted jacket. "I want to be the favorite aunt," she says. And I know what she means. How honored am I that I get to participate in that feeling.

And an older woman who has possibly had a slight stroke who tells me I just must keep the store open because she needs me and she has trained all of her family to shop at April Cornell. And I say I will, that is why I am open—for her.

And the wonderful therapist or Psychoanalys—I am not too sure—who tells me about the store from her town that carried April Cornell clothes that Heather ran—and how after September 11th when her two nephews died, Heather had everyone into the store, and again one year later on the anniversary. And how she is a sleep therapist and a story about everyone wearing my nighties—all the better to sleep in (and something about swimming in a pool too)! And she was giving a presentation in Philadelphia and she bought a fabulous tweedy artist's smock to give it in. And she told me "have courage and you are a touchstone for us and we need you." She tells me to watch the movie "The Secret" and then learn about the "Law of Attraction."I am so touched by her advice and interested in her stories. Wish me luck she says—for my talk—and I wish her luck.

And the woman—thirty something—who bought light velvet wrap top to go over a spaghetti strap dress to go out with her husband for a nice dinner on Saturday night. I just love that that worked for her.

And the woman who was buying a dress for her niece (nieces seem to be very popular!). We talked about what we loved together.

And the woman who bought two hand printed pillowcases, made all far away in India—printed block by block, with a skilled hand, I thought how lucky she is to have those.

And the woman who was so happy to find the French paisley tablecloth in brown—she already had the napkins, and she was just so-o pleased about it. I was so pleased too—that print that my team and I worked on, that colorway, that design, that cotton, that special piece—she loved it too. So how can a day get better than that?

Well, it got just a little better. My last customer before I left was Michael. He was going to a ball and we put aside a beautiful velvet skirt for him. And then my manger Ann bought me chocolate truffles from Godiva!

So, you know I JUST ADORE PHILADELPHIA. And all of my customers and staff there.

Thanks everyone, you make me feel like a million bucks.