Family Gras 2011

Saturday, Feb 26th & Sunday, Feb 27th I will be exhibiting at Family Gras in Metairie!  I will have cash & carry Mardi Gras goodies so come out to say hi & get yourself some Lagniappe for the upcoming parades :)

I worked in the Mardi Gras industry for 10 years prior to opening my own business so this is an exciting time for me… I will have lighted goodies as well for your perusal & Mardi Gras-themed cups, lunchboxes, plates, bowls, placemats… fun, fun, fun!

Hope to see you all there!  I will be in booth 51 near Whole Foods on N. Hullen off Veterans.  It’s behind Jared’s & in front of Whole Foods Market.  Laissez les bon temps rouler!!!!   (Oh & it’s my b-day on Sunday…!)

“Thou Shall Not Steal” an excerpt from “The Pink Clutch”

When I decided to check my blogroll this evening, it came after an entire day of not being “hooked up” to the internet.  I have had a computer crash today (which I was able to fix, thank the Lord) and a wireless adapter go out.  In all, my day has really been the pits!  So I finally am “back up” and I click on one of my favorite blogs, “The Pink Clutch.”  I admit, I have been inspired by the preppy’ness of her blog… all the pink & green, the adorable monogrammed stuff… love it all!  I have been tempted to order so much stuff but I have resisted… I have no clue how I found her but since I did, I have loved following her business.  She, too has a special needs boy & IS NOT AFRAID TO SHARE her experiences with the world. 

All of you who know me know of my recent struggles with a former-retail partner of mine.  Some of you may not so I will share.  I have been ripped off, to put it nicely.  All of the hard work that I have put in to this business has been copied from top to bottom.  This person was a semi-friend who owned two boutiques in New Orleans.  She closed her businesses due to the flailing economy but was very enthused to sell my goods when she was in business.  I learned of her starting her own business through the grapevine (imagine that) and since then, I haven’t quite been the same.  There are days when I feel like I want to call the police :)  I feel like someone has taken part of me… it sounds crazy but entirely true!  Literally, when I launch a new product, there they are… launching the EXACT SAME PRODUCT marketed in the EXACT SAME WAY.   It’s just pathetic, really.  I understand that none of what I do is rocket-science nor am I some master inventor of personalization, but really?  Do you not have one original bone in your body??  Come on…

So when I saw this post today, I just had to repost it for all of you to see.  Now I want to be clear when I say that I know I don’t have the “corner on the market” as she so eloquently told me when I confronted her about her new venture, but I do believe that hard work should be respected.  Perhaps this post from The Pink Clutch will shed some light on what I have been going through.  Please do read & share your thoughts!

http://thepinkclutch.blogspot.com/2011/02/thou-shall-not-steal.html