Is there anything better than the first few weeks of fall? The crisp in the air, the transition into cozier clothes and the excitement of Halloween and eventually Thanksgiving dancing all around. It's the best time of year! Hands down. I am certain I have yelled about this before but it's worth saying again.

The busy season on the island is officially over and we've switched over to a weekend only schedule. Although this summer has been a bit hectic with the Montclair shop closing, it's still been so nice to escape to work at this little piece of heaven. Now that the quiet season has begun, I am planning on taking the time to truly focus on how the shop can be even better because April will be here before we know it.

Aside from keeping the store's online platform stocked all year long, I'm planning on making trips for a variety of different trade shows to track down new vendors and check in with the already established ones we already know & love. Also? I want to take a good look at our current space and come up with a few redesigns to truly maximize every inch of the shop to ensure that our customers get the best experience possible. In addition to all of that exciting stuff, we're also working hard on an in-store product line focusing on all natural home items - so stay tuned because this will be ready just in time for the holidays.

Not to be too cheesy but it is true that when one door closes (or you close it yourself.) so many other doors open. I can't repeat that enough to myself these days and I'm always astounded at the power of personal choice. Since the difficult decision was made to not continue with the second location, so many things just immediately started falling into place and new possibilities started to sprout. So, go with your gut people. Or better..don't be afraid to admit you've made a mistake. Just correct it and be open to what's next because it just might be so much better for you. In fact, it usually always is.

Another exciting update? We're moving back to Red Bank! My fiance and I were born and raised in the Red Bank area and even met at high school there. But after almsot 10 years of living elsewhere, we couldn't ignore that we wanted to set down roots there. Giving Montclair a shot for a year was a nice experience but we are such Monmouth County people. So we are heading back to where we belong! In fact, we're moving next Saturday. Another bonus to that is that I will be even closer to Beach Haven. Thank gawd.  And for those asking if there will be an ALU in Red Bank, the current answer is: "NO!!" but the real answer is "Never say never. AKA Maybe 10 years from now" :)