Post-Unique LA….& more…

Annnnnnd we’re back!

Let’s just say that was one heck of a show experience, which required a much needed week of rest and recuperation! Witness day 1 of pre-show vendor mayhem as we waited for our shot at an elevator ride up to the 13th Floor of the California Market Center in downtown LA.  Just 350 of us trying to make it up there….no big deal…..

unique la, vendors, elevators, rdlm, rue marguerite

 

We began our set-up Friday morning and I will say this again and again:  do NOT underestimate the value of a dolly!  After several trips up and down the elevators to the parking garage and back, we hit up a local Home Depot for a very reasonably priced and strong Rubbermaid flat dolly to help us in our endeavor.  Smartest decision we made that day! Well, that and our choice of a delicious sushi dinner with a glass of wine afterwards…  And now, here’s a photo run-down of the Rue de la Marguerite booth!

Our booth, 118, before we dazzled it.

Our booth, 118, before we dazzled it.

 

Yes, that's me...pondering the options.

Yes, that’s me…pondering the options.

 

uniquela, unique la, upcycled, vintage, handmade jewelry, rdlm, booth display

Our wood pallet necklace display, plus 2 fabulous antique chapel iron window adornments!  The pallet looked great atop our suitcases…

 

uniquela, unique la, booth display, rdlm, handmade jewelry, garment dress form

Good ol’ Betty the garment dress form came with us this time. She rocked it alongside a white garden screen, round table and other assorted accoutrements..  (and yes, that’s Mama C on the right!  Was lovely spending Mum’s Day with her!)

After day 1 of the show, we opted to switch things around a bit in the booth to see how traffic would move differently within the booth.  The round and 6’x2′ tables were reversed, with a bountiful spread of Dove chocolates atop the round table in the middle.  We found this made customers feel even more welcome and interested in taking a longer peek at our display and jewelry, allowing them easier accessibility to each display vignette.  A valuable experiment indeed, plus a little chocolate can go a long way! 🙂

We also had the pleasure of some fantastic booth neighbors, including one awesome clothing designer Serena Abel of SAbel who became a new fan and customer!  Check out her beautiful hand-painted silks and fabrics, absolutely gorgeous!

uniquela, unique la, handmade jewelry, rdlm, vintage, watch band necklace

Best booth neighbor, sporting her new “gold watch band necklace’.

 

And here’s a very happy mum, celebrating her Mum’s Day in RDLM style!

uniquela, unique la, booth display, happy, customer, one pence, mother's day

Happiness = the “Geometric One Pence necklace“.

 

Overall, it was a great learning experience and we met a plethora of AWESOME people, from vendors to show organizers to customers.  Definitely looking forward to our next one with State of Unique, likely the awesome Holiday Show 2013 in December! (paws crossed for that one!)

An Afternoon of Silver Tea Trays…

In preparation for our upcoming LA jaunt, we’ve been scouring local thrift and antique shops for goodies we can use for our booth display.  These silver plated trays were a spectacular find this afternoon, despite requiring some hours’ worth of polishing with silver cleaning pads!  The results?  A much improved shine….

polishing silver tea traywith some very dirty hands…

polishing silver tea trayBack to the polish grind in the AM and we’ll have the finished products ready for their reveal later this week!

 

 

 

The month of March approaches…

And we have LOTS to announce! 

A lil' sneak preview of what's in store this spring...

A lil’ sneak preview of what’s in store this spring…

BUT, we have a local art festival this weekend to kick-start this awesome (birthday!) month, SO details will surely follow after we’ve packed up the last of our canopy and booth Sunday afternoon.  So please, hold tight for plenty of amazing new items from our Spring Collection 2013 PLUS more scoop on our summer plans!

miaow till Mon 3/4!

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‘Tis Happy Hearts Day Soon…a.k.a. the Day All Males Dread…

But lest you worry your sweet handsome heads, my dear opposite sex, this Valentine’s Day shouldn’t cause your boxers to get too twisted.  Instead, check out the awesome 25% off sale on all things Valentine’s RDLM!  From custom hand-stamped pieces, to delightfully unique Sterling spoon rings with sweet sayings, we have you covered this year.  So just click here, and relax. It’s in the bag. 🙂

Sterling Spoon ringBillet Doux necklace"Coup de Foudre" bracelet ("Love at First Sight")

xoxo & miaow,

vdaycatimage

2013, oooooooooh la la!

It’s started off with a FAB.com-ulous bang! 

Do forgive our long-ish delay in posting, but we’ve been superbly busy fulfilling orders from our most recent Fab.com sale this month – in fact, we sold out roughly 50% of all offerings!!!  That said, we’re now back to our scheduled postings and will be showcasing weekly items and special offers so be sure to follow us!  And remember, sharing is caring….so feel free to spread the Rue de la Marguerite blog love with others!

miaow for now,

ValentinesCat

Oliver’s Gift Guide ~ Holiday 2012

oliver rue de la marguerite picks

It’s the holidays, and Oliver has been ‘meowing at the bit’ to proffer his very own gift guide for this holiday season.  So, we’re proud to unveil his picks for 2012 and hope they inspire, motivate and overall please everyone on your list this year.  And please remember to shop well, as 10% of our holiday sales will be donated to the ASPCA’s Hurricane Sandy efforts as they continue to help those furry ones in need.

  1. 2 > 1 “…    Oliver may be a cat, but he’s a very smart cat and knows that his happiness, in part, is dependent on keeping Molly, the sole female in the house and deliverer of cat chow, pleased.  Fellas, the same goes for the special ladies in your life.  So treat her to something uniquely spectacular this year, like a lovely Vintage Watch Key Necklace & Earrings Set, because two is always better than one.
  2. Make it personal “…    Ollie often feels that everything in life should revolve around him.  And only him.  But over time, he’s learned to accept that there are other felines in the house and thus, must share Molly’s attention with others.  Yet the cat has a point when it comes to gifting, that point being that personalized items are often far more meaningful and make the giftee’s day that much more special.  So pick up a few money clips for the hunks in your life this holiday season, personalizing them by choosing the country of choice for the male in mind.  They’ll dig ’em, Oliver promises!
  3. Be not confused, a card works just as well “…    Sometimes it’s hard to know what to get for that one relative, in-law, co-worker or friend.  Oliver has that same indecision when it comes to figuring out which napping perch in which to take his afternoon siesta.  So he understands the frustration of shopping for such people, so he recommends a delectable gift card for those ‘hard to buy for’ souls.  Just contact Oliver’s human, Molly, and you can quickly knock this off your holiday list!
Oliver. He likes to pose.

Oliver. He likes to pose.

Be sure to check out all the Holiday 2012 Collection items and please, shop well, so we can donate even more to ASPCA’s Hurricane Sandy efforts!  May your holidays be warm, merry and full of furry love.

miaow,

santa cat rdlm

Rockin’ show at La Encantada!

We felt super cool this past weekend at the Fine Art Festival at La Encantada in Tucson, as we were met with our first set of repeat customers from a year ago to date, PLUS a slew of brand new fans and compliments that have us still blushing with appreciation.  We’re also pumped about our new online store, renovated with vast improvements from design to navigation to product catalog.  Stay tuned for our Holiday Sales beginning NEXT WEEK! 

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Miaow!

‘Tis tricks, treats & typewriters galore on All Hallows Eve

Luckily for us, we didn’t have to play any tricks at the antique mall today, or dress up for that matter, scoring some seriously awesome treats just by taking the time to peruse a bit.  Three (3!) typewriters of different make and year, all in the same stretch of booths, came back to la maison and we plan on having our own costume/dis-assembly party ce soir!

New holiday designs are en route – stay tuned!

miaow,

Rue de la Marguerite cat with watch necklace