On the Heels of Rejection
Spring is right around the corner and we are getting excited for the upcoming season. You may have thought we were laying dormant during the winter like our lavender plants…but we've been busy. We wanted to post an update to let everyone know what’s coming next and how we made those choices. We have several pieces of news to share with our faithful followers. So here it goes… enjoy!
“Success comes on the heels of rejection” – Barbara Corcoran (Shark Tank). Heard this quote today and thought this was fittingly perfect for a new business. When we started this adventure, our vision was to become active in the local Bridgeport Farmer’s Market. However, we were told they had what they needed, and we could be on a wait list. It was a bit of a bubble bursting moment. With a full steam of momentum, we were stopped in our tracks. We thought that would be a great place for exposure to foot traffic and to market our farm and products. So instead of letting it get us down, we decided we needed to find plan B. We began searching for other avenues to share our farm and treasures. Quickly, the opportunities started falling into our hands. In the past week we participated in a Farmer’s Market in Morgantown and met some fantastic people and reconnected with some familiar faces. We were also approached about sharing our treasures in other shops. So… morale of the story is…take rejection as a window of opportunity.
Plan B – We’re sure you are wondering what is Plan B? Well, it’s the Spring House! By now most of you know that the farm is named after the Stone House built in 1850 on the family farm. Sometime thereafter, they constructed a Spring House nearby for water supply. The bottom of the Spring House has a natural spring with a man-made reservoir to hold the water. Since this is below grade, the temperature of water is generally maintained rather cool. It also became a great location for curing meats. We have decided this building is a perfect spot to open our Stone House Market. The revitalization of this structure is more feasible than the work that needs to be done to update the Stone House. Don’t worry…the Stone House is still on our master plan, but we really wanted to have something for you to visit this harvest season. So, since we will not be at a Farmer’s Market this summer, we will have the market on the farm. We’ll keep everyone updated as we progress on the renovations. Our goal is to open the market by the end of May, as our lavender begins to bloom. During harvest season we plan to o have the market open only on the weekends. Unfortunately, we all still have those “real” jobs we are obligated to during the week. Hahahaha
Vintage Market Days – We have also been selected and invited as a vendor for the Vintage Market Days in Pittsburgh. This is an exciting opportunity for us to share a little piece of Almost Heaven WV to a very large customer base. Vintage Market Days® is an upscale vintage-inspired indoor/outdoor market. It has been featured as one of Country Living magazine’s "7 Flea Markets and Barn Sales Not To Miss”. We can’t wait to participate, do a little shopping ourselves, and share tons of pictures.
New Wedding Line – We have posted a new link to our customized wedding line. We are now customizing our treasures for brides and grooms to share with their guests and bridal party. Be sure to check out the details on our website.
Product Development – You can never stop creating new products and fostering new ideas. We are in the final product development phase for a few new items. We have been testing them and think we just about have the perfect blend. We will be releasing a few new items in the very near future. Stay tuned for some more great stuff.
So, we leave you tonight with some pictures at the Farmers Market last week, the sleeping lavender, product development and our customized wedding products. We shall be posting again soon enough…as the Spring begins to show signs of life.
Relax. Enjoy.
-The Stone House Lavender Crew
