ONE LONG YEAR

Just one short week from today, we'll be celebrating our first year on Dupont Street.  Here's the invitation we sent out.  I'm ashamed to admit our record-keeping hasn't been brilliant so we're not  entirely sure who received an invitation and who didn't.  But frankly, whether there are 10 people in here or 30, it feels like a crowd.  Luckily, the revelry will continue all afternoon on June 1st, and I guess people will be popping in and out at whim.  If it's nice weather outside,  maybe we'll set up a few chairs out front so people can get a breath of fresh air.

Ivor, the VP of Atelier Ivaan, is jetting into town on Thursday evening to help organize things and attend the event. Too bad he'll have to leave on Saturday night, but I'm extremely glad he can make it.  If you come, you'll recognize him:  he's the tall, good-looking one who appears to know what he's doing.

Ivaan, my beloved, let me tell you this: owning and operating a retail store is not for the faint of heart.  It has toughened me up in many ways, but I have had lots of sage advice and inspiration along the way.  I think my favourite lesson came even before I opened our doors to the public for the first time.  I had just taken delivery of my POS terminal, on which credit and debit card purchases are processed.  I'm not afraid of technology whatsoever; I just don't like it.  I was fretting to my friend Tatiana, the owner of Pimlico Design Gallery, from whom I bought this building, about my inability to operate a POS terminal.  She listened patiently for a while, and finally said, "Eya, even STUPID people can use those things."

That put things in perspective!  I laughed my head off, and in fact although my first customer had to help me process his transaction, after that I was an expert.  Ivaan, I know you thought I was a genius before, but you'd be even more proud of me now.  And you would love this place.  So don't forget to make an appearance on June 1st.  Because there will be food.