Family Vacation and Reflection
As many of you know, last week our little shop was open by appointment only while Tim and I ventured far, far north for our annual family retreat. I wanted to share with you some photos from this trip and take the opportunity to reflect on another year at Alx&Co. before we move into our busy holiday season (and barely have time to think, let alone reflect...)
Each year we are lucky enough to be invited by a good friend of ours up to his family's "camp" on the St. Lawrence River. It's gorgeous and amazing and perfect for us.
First, let me thank you all for your patience during the times we have appointment-only hours. When you have a married couple running the show (and working the shop), it can be extremely difficult to get away since it takes away 2/3 of our showroom staff. Fortunately for us, we have been lucky enough to wholly entrust our manager Ana while we're gone. She keeps the workshop moving so that projects don't get delayed and she helps clients who make appointments while we're gone so that (hopefully) the disruption is minimal. We haven't always had the luxury of having a competent, thoughtful manager who cares about our business almost as much as we do, so we're lucky to have her.
Our friend has many nephews so there are tons of toys just perfect for Nolan (and plenty of playmates).
Secondly, we're grateful for the support our clients have shown us over the many years (and iterations) of our small business. Truly, it is your patronage that allows us to not only run a successful small business during a challenging era for small businesses in general, but to also enjoy vacations like these that allow us to recharge and spend meaningful time as a family. Working with your spouse - as I have written about before - is challenging, so times like these when Tim and I can get away and spend time with our son Nolan and wonderful old man dog Bu... well, it means the world to us.
Our lab is 12 years old and this spot is perfect for him after a long, hot summer in Old Town. He loves swimming and his favorite spot to hang is right on the dock, looking regally out at "his" river. We joke that each day we're here, he regresses in age by 1 year.
While the forward-facing salesperson in me is telling me I should be reporting to you that I am excitedly brainstorming all the amazing things we'll be doing this holiday season... the truth is, I have kept my thoughts about our shop to a minimum while away. I planned in advance to have the rest of the year all set and ready to dive into when we return - it will be an amazing holiday season and we're so excited to share the next few exciting months with you when we return (we have big things in store!) That being said, Tim and I have spent the last week relaxing in the northern sun, swimming in the St. Lawrence river, boating with Nolan, and eating lots and lots of lobster. It has been a wonderful vacation and end-of-summer retreat for us.
Our days consist of this: reading by the water while Nolan occupies himself with the countless diggers, shovels, and buckets available to him. Heaven.
We're looking forward to seeing you all this week as we settle back into the groove of things and gear up for our busiest season of the year. Did you know that the holiday season for us starts in September? Yes - polishing and silver repairs ramp up as people prepare for family feasts, thoughtful custom project requests begin for Christmas, lots of engagements happen in December, and of course- we're adding the loveliest new inventory for you to shop for yourself and your lucky loved ones. Until then (as I'm writing this, I have a few more precious days of vacation left), please know that we are eternally grateful for your support of our business. We love sharing our work with you and look forward to many, many more years of just that.
Hope you all had a wonderful summer, too!