Market Recap: the American Dream is alive and well!

I know for a fact the American Dream is still alive. I saw it with my own eyes in Atlanta, Georgia at Market. I was amazed how many companies and showrooms I visited that the owners were women, husbands and wives, who started with a dream and a vision and one product in their basement or garage – and now, they are successfully selling across the country to business owners like me.

As we visited showroom after showroom I began to collect stories – their stories – not only of why they created their products, but stories of who they are, why they do what they do. Several of the companies have their children involved in the business, through sales or designing – and those children were as young as early teens. And they were impressive!

As Dorian and I marveled at the creativity, the ambition and the charisma of the people we met, I remarked that people who think entrepreneurialism and owning something to share with the world was dead or dying in this country, all you have to do is visit a Gift Market and see these real life success stories in person. She commented – “that includes you” – oh yeah, I almost forgot – now I’m a small business owner. I chucked the safety of a 9-5, well more like a 7-11 job in the corporate world to have something of my own. And I am loving it! And so is my family!

As summer fades into fall and Christmas will be here before we know it, the seasons are changing inside Adela’s too! By the time you read this post we will be starting to display our fall items and Christmas won’t be too far behind. Hopefully you have seen our new shop Fairfield commercial on KTVO – if not, we have it posted on our Facebook page for your enjoyment!

Save the date for these great upcoming events in store and we hope to see you soon.

·         Now while supplies last: 20% off Spring and Summer Florals

·         August 9-13: Pandora Promotion: Free bracelet (up to $65 value) with $100 purchase. Upgrades available.

·         September 15: Porch Sale

·         September 20-22: Kickoff to Fall – Fall Open House with specials and prize drawings

·         Coming Soon: Mariana Necklace of the Month! Try on our displayed necklace each month for a chance to win it.

Another thank you to our wonderful staff here at Adela’s for all their hard work: Grace, Ashley, Audra and Madelyn! They keep the store running and looking awesome for all of you! And I could not have survived market without my mentor and friend Dorian! Thank you for your support and guidance!

Last but certainly not least - thank you to all of you out there reading this and supporting the shop. We love helping you find the newest gift and décor pieces for your homes, your family and your friends. See you soon – at Adela’s, behind the red door, where every gift is wrapped with love!

Forecast: Summer with a 100% chance of parties!

According to this week’s weather forecast and the fact that the swimming pool is opening in a few days tells me that summer is here – finally! Many of us thought it would never get here this year. With summer comes picnics, parties, barbecues, and reunions. During my 20+ years in event planning, I have picked up a few tips for hosting and entertaining that I hope will keep you in the fun zone during your summer gatherings.

Tip #1 –Choose a style and go with it. By style, I mean, are you hosting a potluck? Cocktails and appetizers? Full blown BBQ with all the fixings? Decide how much effort you want to put in and want your guests to put in early on to make sure everyone knows what you need from them. There’s nothing like having a barbeque and 10 guests all show up with Grandma’s famous potato salad….unless you are holding a potato salad contest.

Tip #2 – Let guests know the menu and what you would like them to bring, if anything. I personally like to make all the food so I know I won’t have duplicate dishes (see Grandma’s potato salad reference in tip #1). However, over the years, I’ve grown and am now comfortable asking for help or letting guests know what I need when they ask that famous question….”what can I bring?” Don’t shrug it off and say nothing – let them know if a bottle of wine, bag of chips or bottle of barbeque sauce would make the event even better! Most of us hate showing up empty handed to someone else’s house.

Tip #3 – Relax and enjoy the party! I admit I used to get so wrapped up in cleaning and setting the perfect table that by the time my guests arrived I was tired and a little cranky (you can ask my husband if you don’t believe me, on second thought, don’t ask him). If your party is confined to your backyard, deck or family room, don’t knock yourself out cleaning your entire house top to bottom. Make sure it isn’t a total wreck, but you are hosting a party with friends, not an open house to sell your house.

Tip #4 – Use any party or occasion to bring out your prized serving pieces. How many of us have been saving that set of dishes or platter for a special occasion? Well, right now is a special occasion. Bring out the good stuff for your friends.

Tip #5 – Involve your guests. One of my favorite shows on TV is Breakfast at Tiffani’s – Tiffani being an actress who also has serious cooking and decorating skills. Each episode involves her friends coming to dinner and she has them arrive early so they can help her cook. People enjoy being useful and having a sense of purpose. Most of us want to pitch in and at least stir a sauce, plate a salad or fix a cocktail for another guest. Start the social hour early by inviting a few guests to arrive early and help you prepare.

I’d love to hear your go-to party hosting and planning tips. Feel free to leave them in the comments below! Oh, and did I mention Adela’s has all your favorite serving pieces, barware and décor you need for your next fiesta?

Happy summer and happy entertaining!

Spring gift giving season is upon us. Mother’s Day is fast approaching, followed quickly by graduation and Father’s Day. I always enjoy a homemade gift from my son for Mother’s Day to remind me how creative and thoughtful he is even though he seems to be aging beyond his years at a rapid pace – much faster than I would prefer!

Each person defines their perfect gift in their own way – for some it’s flowers, stationary, collectibles, photos, jewelry, food, wine, etc. I’m secretly hoping to have my car detailed professionally as my Mother’s Day gift. Hint- hint - dear husband!

In these first few weeks at the store, I’ve met so many new customers and friends and heard their gifting stories – from a woman whose group of friends gave another friend a Pandora bracelet with charms representing all of them for her to wear during her chemo treatments – to another woman who purchased two Pandora crown rings to wear with her father’s wedding band as a tribute and remembrance of him.

Many who come into the story have an idea of what they want to convey with a gift and our job is to help focus that feeling toward a particular item. We strive to carry items for every person in your life no matter the occasion or sentiment.

Of course we have many gifts for all the moms and mom-figures in your life. We also have a selection of gifts for the graduates whether they are starting college or starting their first job and entering their first apartment or home. New to the store are mens’ gifts – from man cans (candles) to Iowa and ISU aprons, bags, bath products, frames and more.

Your gift to us is to stop by, take a look, say hello and be inspired. Even if you are just shopping for yourself!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the people moms, pet moms, mom influencers and caretakers out there – I wish you a wonderful day to celebrate you and your families. I’ll be celebrating at the baseball field with a walking taco – at least I don’t have to cook it!

Adela's - Who is this Giftgirl?

Welcome Friends! This idea to start a blog was actually an idea Dorian suggested when we were brainstorming about the store transition. Being someone who enjoys writing and wants to promote this new venture, I thought it would be a perfect task to add to my list! The mission of this blog will be to share products, ideas and tips related to Adela's, but this initial post is more about me and this new business journey I am on.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Kara McWhirter Waugh and I purchased Adela's earlier this month. I grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Iowa State University and Drake University. My husband, Barry Waugh, grew up in Libertyville and graduated from Simpson College and University of Iowa. From this information you can learn two things - we are naturally at odds during football season and we love education! We have an 8-year old who is going on 18 most days - Kerrick - who is a third grader and involved in multiple sports and activities. He made his onstage debut last summer in the Evelyn Gamrath Summer Theater Program and enjoys baseball, soccer and basketball. After living in Des Moines for almost 18 years, we moved back to Fairfield in 2011. 

The #1 and #2 questions I have been asked are: why buy the store? and have you always wanted to own your own business? Funny you should ask - entering college I wanted to be the next Diane Sawyer or the first female President of the United States. I have spent most of my professional career working in government and later fundraising and event planning for higher education institutions and financial services companies. Late last year, I reached a point in my life and career where I felt stuck and knew I needed to make a change. I was traveling a lot and found myself unfulfilled and missing out on my own life. Not a natural risk taker, this is totally outside my comfort zone, but something I knew I could do. I have felt from the beginning of this adventure that I could continue to make the store successful while also bringing new things and new customers to it.

The idea was initially Barry's - he encouraged me to talk to Dorian when we learned the store was for sale - husbands be careful what you suggest to your wives! After a couple conversations with Dorian, we moved forward with financing and setting up all the business details. The entire process moved very quickly and I jumped in with both feet......and arms....and definitely my heart! 

The most amazing thing about this endeavor is how seamless it has been. Dorian has been a great mentor and has made this dream of mine so much easier and attainable. She has provided advice while encouraging me to make the store my own and forge my own path. I couldn't have asked for a better scenario. Most of the staff has stayed with the store, which has been invaluable to me. They know the customers and have make my learning curve easier to digest! 

Well, enough about me. I hope you will stop by the store to say hello and shop. There are a lot of new spring items and more new items arriving each week. And yes, we will continue to carry Pandora and Mariana jewelry. Please save the dates - May 4 and 5 - for our Grand RE-Opening. 

Until next time - shop well my friends! 

Kara aka Giftgirl