The Diva Divulges

Shutterbug Diva sold at the Freret Street Art Market this weekend. It was quite an exciting experience, being the very first time we’ve ventured out of cyberspace and into the tangible world. Needless to say, it is quite different from marketing in my fuzzy slippers, parked comfortably at my iMac, operating at my leisure. To the contrary, we were up and scrambling by 9:00 a.m., packing up the car, driving to the market, unloading the car, setting up the tent and arranging the inventory, all in order to be ready when the market opened at noon. Yes, it was as much work as that sounds like, but what a rewarding experience! To be out there in the middle of the hustle and bustle, to actually interact with the customers as they perused and to be able to gauge their response as they saw and touched the merchandise, was quite awesome. I loved it when they asked questions about where certain photographs were taken. Mr. Bingle garnered much attention, as native New Orleanians caught a glimpse of his image and tried to restrain themselves from bursting into “Jingle, Jangle, Jingle …” And if you’re from New Orleans, you know the rest. I am tickled to tell you that not everyone was successful in their restraint. Only one thing tickled me even more than that, and that was the fact that our best seller of the day was the Coffee & Beignets photo notecard. Why should I be so thrilled that people are so interested in my photograph of Coffee & Beignets? Well, it stems from the fact that several weeks ago I was just aghast when I found a blog entry from someone named Cheeseinthecrust, who absolutely tore up Shutterbug Diva’s Deal of the Day with nasty commentary on a day when Coffee & Beignets was featured! (See comment #3)

” …. hello people a NOTE CARD! It has a picture of a cup of coffee and 3 Beignets (square donuts without a hole covered with powdered sugar) on it…oooh how enticing!”

Yes, indeed! Have you ever seen so much contempt for a beignet in your life? A beignet … that beloved New Orleans icon, being chastised for being a donut without a hole! I loved my friend Susan’s take on the the whole incident:

“‘[C]heeseinthecrust’ says processed cheese-mass market pizza-national chain restaurant lovin’ and not appreciating the finer things in life, unlike you! His profile had only been viewed 19 times (I didn’t see a counter on his page). Does not say influencer to me.”

I believe she was correct. Obviously, Cheeseinthecrust was not successful in influencing the many, many wonderful people that visited Shutterbug Diva at the market this weekend, several of whom liked the Coffee & Beignets photo notecard so much that they purchased it! Thanks to those folks, and to all who visited and shopped local! Its the people like them that make New Orleans the unique and wonderful place that it is … and that’s why I stay here!

…. to miss New Orleans? Oh yes, we found out again last week exactly what it means. New Orleans was under a mandatory evacuation for Hurricane Gustav.

After many days of fretting and much angst, a slight Katrina flash-back meltdown and finally coming to grips with the fact that, yes, New Orleans really was smack dab in the middle of the cone of “terror”, we packed all that was important and headed to Atlanta. So what was important, you ask? Well, the obvious things like a few days of clothes and the insurance papers. I also grabbed the irreplaceable things, like the kids baby photos. We had the dog and her kennel and a supply of Dramamine to keep her quiet for the 14 hour ride. And, of course, I grabbed the Shutterbug Diva inventory, because one never knows when orders may have to be filled …. and sure enough, the beauty of the Internet shone through, and the business continued to function even though we were no where to be found!

Anyhow, we are all back home and safe now, keeping one eye on life as usual, and another watchful eye on Hurricane Ike out there brewing in the Gulf … and being really thankful that all went well for New Orleans, this time, and being reminded of how much we love her and how incredibly much we miss her when we are away! Be sure to check out our New Orleans collection, and check out the New Orleans specials on the Deal of the Day!

There are certainly more pleasant topics that I could write about, as no one likes to deal with the issue of death, but dying is a natural part of living. It has occurred to me recently that it is the very fact that we can die at any moment that makes the act of living so much sweeter - a sort of mid-life epiphany on my part (however, I have this sinking feeling I’m not the first to have figured this out.) Nonetheless, armed with that enlightened perspective, I have resolved to live consciously and fully, squeezing as much absolute joy out of every moment as possible, because there are no guarantees that this is going to last forever. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure of much, but I am sure that none of us do last forever. When a loved one dies, finding the right words to comfort the ones left behind can be so difficult that some of us would rather avoid it. But a loving touch and/or a caring note can speak volumes, even when we can’t.

I received an e-mail from RealSimple.com within the last week and it captured my attention because I am personally remiss in writing a sympathy note to one of my aunts whose husband passed away while I was away on business. The question was:

“Q. How late is too late to send a sympathy card?”

“A. It’s never too late. Writing a sympathy card within a week after hearing of a death is always ideal. But if you miss that time frame or find out about a death months later, there’s no actual deadline, so go ahead and send a note, says Cindy Post Senning, director of the Emily Post Institute. As with so many other things in life, late is definitely better than never.”

Still not sure what to say? Visit “Writing Resources” on the front page of www.shutterbugdiva.com for a link to a great article on How to Write the Perfect Note, also featured on RealSimple.com. I’ve included the highlights with regard to sympathy notes below:

Five Strategies for Condolence Notes

• Don’t be afraid to send a sympathy note. People shy away from writing because they don’t want to remind the grieving of their loss or they don’t know what to say. But holding back sends the wrong message.
• If you’re at a loss, be honest. Write “I don’t know what to say, but I want you to know I’m thinking of you.”
• Use the deceased’s name. This helps both you and the recipient feel connected to him or her.
• Never tell people to look on the bright side. “He’s better off” is more hurtful than helpful.
• Avoid using the words died and dead. A better phrase is “your loss,” because that’s what the recipient is struggling with.

We spend so much time on our computers these days, electronically tap, tap, tapping away, then hitting send, expecting an instant answer to our query, an immediate response to our e-mail. My 22 year old son and I allegedly live in the same house, yet we communicate via short text messages …. “Where r u?” I text him each night before I go to sleep, and I fully expect an immediate response from him, as though I’ve given him his cell phone to be worn as some sort of electronic leash.

I woke up one day and found myself in the the business of selling notecards, via the Internet, no less, which gives me pause some days to check my own sanity. I mean, given the pace at which we live, and the way we exchange ideas, is letter writing a dying art? I want to believe that it still exists, but I have been accused of being a Pollyanna. I can’t help but think about how absolutely delighted I am when I open my mailbox at the end of a long workday and find, tucked in between the drudgery of bills and advertisements, a brightly colored, handwritten envelope, addressed to me, personally, by someone I know and love! Its usually a birthday card, sometimes an invitation or an announcement … I love getting personal notes of good news … we’ve had a new baby … we’ve moved to a new home, etc. I wish I got more of them … our dog learned a new trick … we tried a new wine and loved it and we’d like to tell you about it … we traveled to a fabulous new place and would like to tell you about it … all are acceptable fodder for a handwritten note in my world!

I want to believe that at some point, the constant pace at which we keep living will get to folks who will put their foot down and say, “enough”. My hope is that those folks will find little ways to slow down and revisit some of the old ways in an effort to enjoy the journey … a handwritten note, of course, being one of them!

For those of you so inclined, I found a great article on letter writing that I’ve posted in a new section on the website called “Writing Resources“.  Check it out when you get a chance!

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope your V-Day was wonderful whether you spent it with a sweetie, or with your best girlfriends! My sweetie took me to Irene’s Cuisine for Valentine’s Day … WOW! Irene’s had been on my “must do” list for the longest time. It seems that the ONLY problem with Irene’s is that they generally do not take reservations and the wait can be quite a challenge. Do it … its worth the wait! The atmosphere is absolutely charming - from the tiny little “mousehole” of a door you enter through, to the three eclectic, cozy, romantic dining rooms once you get inside. The food was absolutely delightful! The whole experience gets five out of five hearts from the Diva this Valentine’s Day!

Still have the Valentine and Mardi Gras notecards posted.

Working on Easter and Mother’s Day ….. anything special you would like to see?

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I rode in the Krewe of Morpheus

Mardi Gras Day at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

Wow! Things have been pretty crazy in New Orleans this year. As soon as Christmas was over, BAM! (as chef Emeril would say) we were hit with Mardi Gras (oh, and my birthday was sandwiched in there, too, which included a FABULOUS dinner at La Petite Grocery!) No rest for the weary and those whose duty it is to have a great time. So needless to say, the Valentine notecards went up a little late. The great news is that New Orleans has just been buzzing with visitors!

So check out the Mardi Gras notecards,

as well as the Valentine notecards

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