Inside: Or too many friends. (Positively Green card, avail. at Hello Bluebird $2.95)

I may have mentioned at least a few times that one of the most rewarding parts of owning this shop is getting to meet so many “kindred spirits,” and providing a connection point where their diverse styles and personalities can come together in a united vision.  This is what lies at the heart of the indie handmade movement, in my opinion–this idea that business can follow a new model, that it isn’t just about dollars and cents.  Yes, the rent must be paid, but, at the end of the day, what I really hope to achieve is creating a “hub” where artists and dreamers can interact, share their gifts, and be met, understood, and enjoyed by the public.  It’s really all about community.

Good food, good friends, and good finds. Just part of your average day at Hello Bluebird!

This past Sunday, Hello Bluebird was the host location for what was dubbed by HB artist, Stephanie Corfee, on Facebook as “Face-to-Face Craftaganza.”.  It started out as a very small meetup idea, dreamt up by a handful of crafty gals on twitter.  I must confess, when I saw the online chatter about a handmade meetup in West Reading, I was eager to get involved, and offered to host the get-together at Hello Bluebird.  An impressive 20 ladies gathered, potluck style, to eat pastries, sip mimosas and coffee, exchange names and ideas, and generally reach out to bring some of the networking and relationship building out of the internet and into the light of an overcast Sunday morning.  The sun was certainly shining in Hello Bluebird!

Worlds collided–old friends met new friends, “cyber” friends met each other face-to-face, and “real-life’ friends met the online community.  In the end, we commemorated the event the best way we know how: with a crafty swap!  I was the proud recipient of a pouch of goodies made by one of Hello Bluebird’s bestselling jewelry artists, Tami Hornidge of Pink Andie, as well as a headband made by Melissa K., a local seller at the shop.

Lucky me! Now I just have to keep Eden from stealing these! Ring, pouch, and hair pin by Pink Andie. Headband by Melissa K.

I do want to thank the ladies of twitter for allowing me to host this event at the shop–I hope it is the first of many, and would love to get my customers in on the fun sometime soon, too!  I also want to publically thank my amazing landlord, Joseph Cacchione of Joseph Roberts Clotheir for letting us use his beautiful space (upstairs at HB), and Erica Steffy of Double Dutch for helping me to clean up and for the being the best BFF a girl could ask for.  Make new friends–but keep the old for when the guests have all gone home!

(credit where it’s due: Tara of Scoutie Girl, a local blogger, posted some of the photos I have included, as well as Stephanie Corfee, who posted hers on Facebook.  MY camera sat lonely on a windowsill while I fussed over making sure people were comfortable, knew where to put their coats, and–to my surprise and delight–picked out some “souvenirs” from the shop!)