|
 |
| |
We welcome you to go behind the scenes with us as we share our personal
journey to expand our dream and to share things on a more personal level as they may or may not relate to the business.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
DECEMBER 30 -- Big Sale Our ANNUAL INVENTORY SALE is now in progress. Now is the time to save big
on all remaining winter collection merchandise! Our entire collection (Back in Style Argyle, Perfectly Suited, Berry
Brook Cottage, Poochie and Plaid, Jane of the Jungle, Leopard Spots Pretty Polka Dots, and Caramel Mocha Latte) is all
40% off, plus take advantage of our $7.00 limitless shipping within the USA and $25.00 limitless international shipping.
Big sales mean one thing -- it all has to go! :-) ....g DECEMBER 24 -- Christmas Eve I
love Christmas songs of all genres, but one of my favorite of the newer ones is by Joy Williams called "Here
With Us". I found this video on youtube which combines this song with the nativity story and I thought it
was really beautifully done, so wanted to share the link: For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) May you have a blessed holiday
season. Merry Christmas to you all! ....g
DECEMBER 15 We have undertaken a huge new venture, and I want to tell you a little about how it came about. Besides our clothing line, the thing that always would get a
lot of attention with our brand is our yearly Gooma Girl search, when we would hold open door searches
for mom or dad photographers to email us images of their children for selecting new models for our brand. Since we would
only pick a handful of girls each time, it never failed, that each time the search was over I could count on
the emails to come. Yes, the disappointed moms who would email us to say, "I am sad my child
did not get picked. Could you give me any direction as to how I could get my child involved in the modeling industry?"
I cannot tell you how many of these type emails we receive, but there are many, and all echoing the same thing.
The more and more I would try to point them in the right direction, I started brainstorming ideas with those that
are closest to me about how we could come up with a fun and yet safe way to launch a placement service. After much careful planning, we are happy to tell you about our new Gooma
Girls modeling placement service. You can read more by visiting www.goomagirls.com but the overall premise is to bridge the boutique industry with
parent photographers, to shoot pictures of their kids, in their own setting. Our registered customers will select which
parent/model team they wish to work with by viewing the comp cards on the site but they will need to register their business
in order to work with us. Gooma Girls will act as the filter to keep things professional while at the same time never
disclosing any information about the child other than their measurements as it pertains to the clothing they would be modeling.
No last names are given, no phone numbers, and no contact information. Gooma Girls will receive the clothing
that each parent/model team is to photograph from each registered customer, forward it to the model's post
office box, and once the photos are completed, they are emailed back to us for forwarding onto the customer. The registered
customers specify whether they prefer to compensate each team in the way of free clothing or provide monetary compensation,
whichever they prefer. So, basically, it is a win-win situation. The customers get the shots they need in
a timely fashion and the mom or dad photographers get to spend time with their kids, in a safe and fun environment. The models are organized by size range: Infant Division (12mo,18mo,24mo), Toddler Division (2T,3T,4T), Girls Division (4,5,6,6X,7) and Tween
Division (8,10,12,14,16) There is a registration
fee of $99 per year which includes the design of each model's comp card and any advertising associated with the site.
However, from now thru December 31, we are offering a holiday discount rate of 10% off for those parents
who register their child between now and then. So, between now and December 31, it is $89.10 with the discount, and
at the first of January it will cost $99. The site will
launch on January 15, 2009, so right now we are holding an open call for models of all size ranges as well as open calls for registered
businesses to partner with us, in this fun and creative venture! We
already have many who have registered with us, so we are excited by the response thus far and look forward to the official
launch next month! And, on a sidenote, given the amount of entries we receive, we
simply do not have the time involved to launch future Gooma Girl searches. Therefore, whenever our brand
does need a new model, they will undoubtedly be chosen thru our service. This way, also, we will get to see the professionalism
of each parent's work prior to any future selection, which is also very important to us. ....g HAPPY THANKSGIVING.....just
sharing some holiday funnies 
NOVEMBER 27 -- Thanksgiving I want to wish all of our customers a wonderful holiday with your families. We are
THANKFUL for each and every one of you! You are truly the best! ....g NOVEMBER 1 I was searching online recently, thinking about the precious life
of an unborn child, and I came across this beautiful prayer I wanted to share with you: Prayer for the Unborn Child Almighty
God, our Father,
you who have given us life
and intended us to have it forever,
grant us your blessings.
Enlighten our minds to an awareness
and to a renewed conviction
that all human life is sacred
because
it is created
in your image and likeness.
Help us to teach by word
and the example of our lives
that life occupies the first place,
that human life is precious
because it is the gift of God
whose love
is infinite.
Give us the strength to defend human life
against every influence
or action that threatens
or weakens it,
as well as the strength
to make every life more human
in all its aspects.
Give us the grace...
When the sacredness of life
before birth is attacked,
to stand up and proclaim
that no one ever has the authority
to destroy unborn life.
When a child is described as a burden
or is looked upon only as a means
to satisfy an emotional need,
to stand up
and insist that every child
is a unique
and unrepeatable gift of God,
a gift of God
with a right to a loving
and united family.
When the institution of marriage
is abandoned to human selfishness
or reduced to a temporary conditional
arrangement
that can easily be terminated,
to stand up and affirm
the indissolubility of the marriage bond.
When the value of the family is threatened
because of social and economic pressure,
to stand up and reaffirm
that the family is necessary
not only for the private good of every person,
but also for the common good
of every society,
nation and state.
When freedom is used to dominate the weak,
to squander natural
resources and energy,
to deny basic necessities to people,
to stand up and affirm
the demands of justice
and social love.
Almighty Father,
give us courage to proclaim the supreme dignity
of all human life
and to demand
that society itself give its protection.
We ask this in your name,
through the redemptive
act
of your Son and in the Holy Spirit.
Amen. ....g
OCTOBER 31 It has been awhile since I have posted. I have been really frustrated
with this election. As someone who appreciates journalism in all forms, having originally gone to college to pursue
a career in the field, I have to say that I am really disgusted at the overwhelming bias being shown on all the
major networks and several cable networks towards one particular candidate. I can still remember sitting in class
as we were taught to present questions and follow-ups without any bias shown towards whom we were speaking
with. I do not care for politicians, for the most
part. I think most of them say whatever they need to in order to get elected. This is an election year, however,
that is screaming aloud for some true investigative journalists to do their job. On a sidenote, regarding the economy, our industry is taking a severe hit. I
am hearing of stores left and right who have been in business for 15+ years, some 30, who are going out of business.
Sales are down everywhere. So many mom-and-pop owned boutiques are struggling to keep their businesses afloat, which affects
us all. Please keep this industry in your prayers. ....g "The price of
success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the
best of ourselves to the task at hand" -- Vince Lombardi  AUGUST 31 - Our new Spring 09 collection launched at market earlier this month (August 9) but for those unable
to make our market shows, we have made it easier for you to preorder with us. Simply click on the image of Jasmine,
above, to be led to our preorder area. You may preorder items from our new Spring
2009 collection thru October 31, 2008. The collection will ship in early Spring, 2009. Please enter code BGGPREPAY10
to receive a 10% prepayment discount. Please be sure to click the redeem button after entering the code,
otherwise it will return as invalid.
We are excited and encouraged by the response
we have received to this latest collection and thank you to those who took the time to express your thoughts.
I love hearing from you, not just on the things you like, but in the things you do not like as well, so we better
know how to improve upon things. It is always rewarding to have any collection liked, especially after the
months of preparation that go into it. I think January did a beautiful job with the designing of City Sophistication
and Little Miss Sunshine. Last month, we finished designing our Winter 2009 collection and we are excited for you to
see that as well. We thank you so much for your support and please keep the emails coming. ....g
AUGUST 1
Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter
their daughters into our 2T Model Search. After sorting through so many wonderful pictures, we decided to add (4)
new girls to our modeling team beginning with our new Spring 2009 collection which will be debuted on our site later
this month. Here are our newest and littlest members:
Thank you to everyone who took the time to send in photos. We
had a great turnout and wish we could have selected more. For the past couple of years, we have found this to be a fun way
for our customers to get involved with our business doing something they love -- photographing their children.
We appreciate everyone's participation.
...g
JULY 16
We
have new clothing labels -- we decided to go with our trademarked cherry logo. Our new label will be found inside
the clothing of all future collections.
Also, we have a new hangtag, as shown below:
This new hangtag will be affixed to our Spring/Summer 2009 production
clothing. The sweet image is of our model, Kennedy, wearing our Lake Shore Drive LSD003 inverted pleat dress. ....g
JULY 1
We just returned from a long weekend
in Charleston, SC, so I thought I'd share with you some of the pictures that I took from my trip, which are shown
above. It is one of our favorite vacation spots! It is like stepping back into time whenever we visit.
I fall in love with the rich details of this amazing historical city.
The beautifully manicured
gardens.
The overflowing flowers in the window boxes.
The selected hues of each house.
The weathered cobblestone streets.
The city's historical significance.
The way
the carriage horse's hair is styled.
The bold blooms of the crepe myrtles.
The ivy lined
alleys and scrolled iron fences.
The quaint boutique shopping.
Charleston is the preserved
perfectness of a simpler time gone by. It also served as one of the primary filming locations of my favorite movie,
The Notebook.
It is in one word, magnificently = LOVELY.
I highly recommend a visit, if
you haven't ever been. I can refer you to some great bed and breakfasts, also, if you like. Just email me.
....g
JUNE 26
I receive a lot of email. Besides the
usual daily solicitations (when you own your own business, you receive a lot of this), sometimes up-and-coming designers write
and ask questions about how to grow their business or want me to take a look and give my opinion on their line.
Sometimes I receive just questions, in general, and I wanted to share some of those with you:
What is your favorite design ever? It is hard to pick one from amongst
the several hundred we have done over the course of several years. I would have to first organize it by season.
For our spring/summer collections, I am going to go with our (3) groups named after a relative in our family named "Aunt
Emma". Aunt Emmas Orchard (summer 06), Aunt Emmas Roses (summer 08), Meadows at Emmas Grove (summer 09).
It seems like everytime we use that name, "Emma" the lines do very well for us, but I like all of the prints
in those three particular groups probably the best. Very 1940's with charming, retro prints. I also liked
some separates from Roses and Ribbons and Ooodles of Poodles (summer 07) and I also liked the two nautical groups we
did -- Sweetbriar Bay (summer 06) and this year's Lake Shore Drive (summer 08). For fall/winter groups, I really
liked January's (my design assistant) Wild at Heart group (fall 07) and I do like Jane of the Jungle with its colors
of brown/turquoise (fall 08). I set really high goals, so I always want to 'out-do' the previous
season. I don't compete with anyone other than myself.
Are
there any other designers you like? Yes, I am a fan of others work, just like you. I love
the european styles of Jottum and Mim-Pi. They are very fresh and original. I love the vintage inspirations
of Meli Meli and Eden's Bouquet. My favorite designer, however, is in womenswear -- Nanette Lepore. I think
she is a creative genious. I think it is rare if you like a designer's collection 100% of the time, year
after year, as it is always changing, but those particular designers always intrigue me. I always appreciate seeing
other peoples' creative talent.
I am a designer
and am having a hard time finding a rep to show my line at market. I have received nothing but rejection
so far and am starting to feel discouraged. Any advice? This has happened to me, as well.
I have sent collections to reps and they have said "not for me" or they have said "I don't have an opening
for a new line" so just stay encouraged and please know that it really does happen to everyone. If you
cannot find a rep, I would suggest going to the market shows yourself and showing your line. Meanwhile, keep pursuing
other reps with your collection and asking them to take a look and see if they have an opening. A lot of reps have about
20-30 lines at a time and sometimes they might not have an opening for that particular season. What I do know is that
you do not want to arm wrestle someone into taking your line because it means that they probably are not going to work
very hard for you. Keep moving on until you assemble a team you feel good about. Stay encouraged.
What is your best advice for a designer wanting to take her
line national? More than having a great-looking product, you have to be tough mentally to handle it.
It takes a lot of grit and perseverance besides an obvious passion and love for what you do. There is a lot of rejection
in this business. There is rejection from reps. There is rejection from buyers. Don't let it distract
you or get you down. Stay focused on your goals and commit your business to God daily. When the rejection
comes (and it happens to all of us), trust Him to know that those shut doors are shut for a reason, and be thankful
for them. Problems are going to happen along the way. Always be willing to hear constructive
criticism and make improvements and changes wherever necessary. Be committed at striving for improvement.
It is a hard business and unfortunately, from a buyer's perspective, you are as good as your last season. So,
if you had production problems with your factory, word gets around very quickly. Learn from your mistakes.
Grow in knowledge. Persevere thru all difficulties. Not just in this business, but in life, in general.
Have a question for me? You are welcome to email me at gretchen@babygassygooma.com and please allow some time for me to respond. I am a busy girl.
.....g
JUNE 6
I have been in a reflective melancholy state-of-mind
lately, with the tragedy in the Chapman family and then having to spend 4-1/2 hours in the emergency room on the evening of
June 4th, with my brother's health. It made me think of the value of life --- how it is so fleeting. It is
but a vapor. It brought to mind the lyrics of a song by Casting Crowns, called "Who Am I", which say:
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel
my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because
of who You're
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've
told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours
Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with
love and watch me rise again
Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And
calm the storm in me
It just makes me think of the gift of life we have all been
given. God has blessed us all with unique abilities and talents. It makes me grateful that I had the courage to
step out in faith and try to do something with the creative dream He birthed inside of me several years ago. I keep
thinking what my life would have been like if I had never tried.
A day that made me wake up to this realization
that I needed to start pursuing a life with passion was on September 11, 2001, with the World Trade Center tragedy.
I was working as a medical transcriptionist full-time and designing on the side. They are two worlds apart. I was
typing all day about ophthalmology related problems and all I kept thinking about were designs. I would pause the
tape to stop and sketch a design. My passion was starting to take over.
That unfortunate tragedy
of September 11 made me wake up to the importance of not letting anymore time go by without spreading my wings and stepping
out into the realm of faith, to see how far this little dream that God had birthed inside me could take me. It was within
two weeks of that tragedy that I quit my job and I haven't looked back with any regrets.
There
have been (and continue to be) plenty of obstacles. A lot of mistakes have been (and will continue to be) made.
It has been (and continues to be) a journey, but there is something so exciting about experiencing life with passion and in
knowing you have a purpose. The purpose I have will continue to be spent invested in the lives of children.
My heart is aimed towards helping the unpriviledged and the ones suffering with low self-esteem. I have walked
in those shoes as a child and have struggled through most of my young adult life with low self-esteem, so the compassion is
real. There are kids, young adults, even grown adults who are are being held back in life by believing they
have no value, no self-worth, no talent, nothing worth pursuing, and that is a real tragedy. If you are limping thru
life, start praying for God to use your life as only He knows how. If God has birthed a dream inside your heart, trust
Him to guide you along your journey. A lot of times fear holds people
back. The fear of the unknown, not knowing what
to expect. The fear of failure, not knowing if you will make it or not. The fear of what people will think,
not knowing if you will be accepted. Passion pushes thru fear. Passion does not die. It is a fire
burning within to do something. Even with the level of success we have already experienced, I still have moments of
insecurity when I feel designs are not good enough, but the confidence I do know comes from these promises in
the Bible:
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun
a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6).
"I can do ALL things through Christ,
who strengthens me." (Phil 4:13)
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you.
Plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
We have
a God who wants to do exceedingly great things in our lives if we only choose to let Him. This coming from a girl who
has had about 30 documented jobs in her life before she started praying to God to use her with whatever talents or abilities
He had given her, to do whatever with. This coming from a girl who was never schooled in fashion and who does
not even sew. This coming from a girl who was told in her youth that she was a 'loser' and would never amount
to anything. I would encourage anyone to not let another day go by in believing the lies that might be holding
you back.
.....g
"The thief comes only to steal and kill
and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10)
MAY 30
I was so saddened to
hear about this tragedy. The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian
singer Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother.
The girl, Maria Sue, was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven
by her teenage brother, who did not see her while backing out of their driveway. Several family members witnessed the
accident, which happened just south of Nashville. The girl died later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
I cannot imagine witnessing that, as a parent, to see your child struck like that. Wanting to place blame
but knowing you cannot, and having to accept the loss for what it is, just a terrible and awful tragedy. What I
keep thinking most about though, is the teenage son. I cannot imagine what he must be feeling. I
pray his name is never released, so he is not labeled as the 'one' who did this, as I'm sure his private
grief is enough. You gotta know how much he loved his little sister. Only God's grace can
carry them thru this difficult season of their lives. Please keep them in your prayers.
....g
MAY 28
I hope all of you had
a relaxing Memorial Day weekend. We were traveling, in Atlanta, for several days. It was so nice just
to relax, unwind, clear our heads. I could get used to that full-time. :-) We went to the zoo and saw
panda bears (awwwwwwww, so cute), went to an Atlanta Braves game (wearing my Chicago Cubs shirt), and went to the most
amazing restaurant, the Sundial, which is a rotating restaurant at the top of the downtown's highest building, at
the Westin. Talk about ambiance! If you ever visit Atlanta, I highly recommend it (www.sundialrestaurant.com). We went around 9:00pm, when it was dark and all you see is the city lit up. Amazing stuff!
....g
MAY 16
I hope all of you had a lovely Mother's
Day last weekend. Thank you to those of you who took the time to email me about your kind words concerning the
tribute to my mother. She thanks you, as well.
We are thankfully starting to sell out in many sizes
of our spring/summer 08 collection but we do still have a lot of merchandise left. So see what is available, simply
click on the image above to be taken to our online store.
In July, we will start discounting and
liquidating the collection, when it becomes end-of-season merchandise. If you would like to be placed on our
mailing list for resale opportunities at the end of each season, just contact us, and we'll be happy to answer any
questions you might have.
Have a fabulous weekend!
....g
MAY 8
My husband and I are involved in the
work of Compassion International and I wanted to take a moment to tell you about this ministry.
I remember going on missions trips in my teens to the Bahamas and Jamaica
and witnessing poverty firsthand. I knew I would be involved somehow, someway, in helping make a difference.
Being a natural skeptic, I have always been leary of organizations
that claim to be helping children in poverty but we have found this one to be genuine to the core. Not only
do you get to personally select the children you wish to help but you are able to communicate directly with them thru their
tutors and mail them letters, gifts, notes of encouragement and can arrange to visit them as well. It is an amazing
blessing to be able to help these beautiful children and I would love to introduce you to them by taking a moment
to visit their website at www.compassion.com
We are currently sponsoring girls in Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Phillipines,
Tanzania, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
It warms our hearts
to be able to be a part of something that is changing kids lives for the better. It is a blessing to be able
to help and I personally want to encourage anyone interested in doing the same to check out Compassion.
....g
MAY 5
We were honored to
be chosen for the debut cover of Southern Child magazine. A six-page editoral along with our
story is featured inside as well.
Hilary of Evy & Grace Photography (www.evyandgrace.com) captured the beautiful shot of her daughter, Evy, wearing our Aunt Emmas Roses outfit on the cover.
Hilary and Evy were part of our modeling team for four seasons and she is highly recommended by us if you need portraits taken
of your children. They are based in Florida.
Amy and Melise, I wish you wonderful success with your
new magazine. May God bless you as you continue to honor Him with your talents. Thanks so much for letting us
be a part of your exciting debut!
.....g
APRIL 28
The beauty of
spring --- dogwoods, cherry blossoms, lilacs, peonies. Lovely! I love the fresh aroma of colorful blooms mixed
with the bright blue sky and the sound of small birds sweetly chirping. Just makes you smile.
It
has been busy back-to-back with our spring/summer 08 distribution which began in late February thru mid March, designing
the spring/summer 2009 collection (we design a year ahead), and wrapping up our fall/winter 2008 selling season at market.
Now comes relaxation, enjoyment of spring, traveling, and time to refresh.
I need to start thinking of ideas
for fall/winter 2009 which will be designed in the next couple months. After that, comes our fall distribution.
The cyclical life of designing. Fabric selection. Ideas. Sketches. Samples. Photos. Selling.
Production. Distribution. Relaxation. Repeat.
We are already starting to sell out in several
sizes of our spring/summer 2008 collection. We still have a lot of clothing available but sizing is becoming limited.
To see what is available, click on the "shop online" tab, to your left.
And, a big "thank you"
to everyone who ordered from our fall/winter 2008 collection. We appreciate your wonderful support. You are the
best!
.....g
JANUARY 30
Well, our fall/winter
2008 collection has officially launched and it is being sold at market shows across the country now thru April 15, 2008.
If you are a store owner interested in seeing the collection in person, please refer to our Upcoming Shows tab, to catch a
market show near you.
I am usually my own worst critic, as I tend to scrutinize things and see where the designs
could have been improved in various ways so you will never hear me say that I 100% assuredly love any collection, ever, but
I do think I like this collection a bit better than fall/winter 2007.
Now, we are switching
gears and will be designing the spring/summer 2009 collection throughout the month of February. Our timeframe window
for the spring/summer 2008 distribution should begin in late February, as well.
Creatively speaking
-- when designing a spring/summer collection, I tend to draw with a softer, more charming/feminine/sweet design
hand and the fall/winter collections are usually on the more funky side, where my love for animal prints and faux
fur is usually evident.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new collection!
Stay happy and blessed.
.....g
|
JANUARY 17Welcome to our new website! We hope you find it organized and easy
to use. We are still learning how to construct things. :-) We have added a lot of new features and have tried to make this site
more informative for our customers. We are currently updating our testimonial page, as well, so if you would
like to email us your child's photograph along with a brief testimonial, we will be happy to feature them on that page.
As a creature of habit and someone who does not like change, I was not really thrilled when we received
an email from safeshopper (our old website host) saying that they were going out of business because we had a short
amount of time to figure out what we wanted to do for a new site and learn the task of building it ourselves. Add
that on top of a busy work load. :-)
Speaking of work load -- we have been busy getting our fall/winter
2008 collection launched at market. I hope you like the collection! January designed 2 groups (Perfectly Suited
and Leopard Spots Pretty Polka Dots) and I designed the others. I think she did a fabulous job, as always.
The group names are:
Poochie and Plaid
Jane of the Jungle
Caramel Mocha Latte
Back in Style
Argyle
Berry Brook Cottage
Perfectly Suited
Leopard Spots, Pretty Polka Dots
How fun it is to see
all of our new models wearing the new collection on our new website!
I guess 2008 is ushering in a new beginning for us, in many exciting different ways.
Anyway, take time to
look around. I hope you enjoy the new website and the new collection. If you have a moment and think of it,
drop us a line and let us know what you think.
We love to hear from our customers!
.....g
|
|
NOVEMBER 10
Our beautiful fall color is starting
to come to an end here in Asheville, NC. These are some of the images I was able to capture when we were at peak
a couple weeks ago. Not the most vibrant fall we have ever had but still magnificent! Our Gooma Girl 2007 Search has ended and we were happy to find several new girls
to represent our brand. We always have some disappointed moms afterwards and I try to let them know that I am just one of
so many brands. I encourage them to go to the James Girone website and browse the many different brands websites to possibly contact them
and see if they are in search of a new model for their brand. I would also say, please make sure that this is something
your child enjoys and has fun doing and not just something you want your child to do. There is a big difference. Thank you to everyone who participated!
....g "An opinion is just that -- an
opinion -- and if I would have taken to heart every single one I ever received, I would not be in business today"
OCTOBER 23 Peak season has finally
arrived. My favorite time of year! The cool nights, the crisp air, the vibrant colors, and the smell
of wet leaves and wood burning fireplaces. Time to just breathe, relax, and savor the beauty.
Love
it all!
....g
OCTOBER 21 We recently had the
fun honor to be chosen as the #1 boutique brand for Fall by E-Boutique Magazine Online.
My interview with
them appeared in their latest issue, which is copied and pasted here:
E-Boutique Online Readers' Choice - Fall
Favorite Announcement
Interview: Gretchen from Baby Gassy Gooma
-------------------------------------------------
E-Boutique Online Readers Have Chosen Baby Gassy Gooma to receive The Award of EBO's Fall Pick
There are many companies with exciting lines and fabulous colors and fabrics it gets difficult to choose just one
for our semi-annual pick so I thought I would let our readers have the opportunity to express their opinions. We received
nominations for several manufacturers and from there narrowed it down to Baby Gassy Gooma.
Some of the comments
given about Baby Gassy Gooma were, "I love how every season Gretchen, the designer, comes up with new looks that are
fresh! She also keeps little girl's looking like little girls." "Gorgeous!" "The
most adorable outfits and very unique style I have found." "Love the romantic colors and feel of the
clothing....gives a real girlie-girl look!"
By the way, be sure to visit Gooma Girl Search 2007 to see the
details of Baby Gassy Gooma's Model search. They are looking for a few new faces to show off their incredible clothing.
If you have a daughter in sizes 12 months to 7 and are really good with those special photo shots, be sure to
check out the search details. Good luck to all who enter.
I am honored that Gretchen took the time out of her busy
schedule to answer some questions for me. Thank you, Gretchen, for giving such detail in your answers. We look forward to
seeing more of the great designs you are known for having.
How long have you been in business? Baby Gassy Gooma
became a wholesaler in 2005, which is when we started displaying our product nationally at market and started using reps to
market our brand around the country. In 2007, we hired international reps to start marketing our brand around the world. Prior
to 2005, we were a custom made-for-you clothing business and had individual customers who ordered from us.
What
influenced you to design your own children's apparel and start a business? It started with a simple prayer of wanting
to make myself useful to God. I was stuck at a dead-end-job where my salary was maxed out and I knew there had to be something
more fulfilling in life. Not knowing what that would be, I started asking Him to give me purpose and to use my life to do
whatever He would with it. I simply desired one thing -- a life to be used for His glory, with whatever talent He had given
me. A few years later, He birthed this creative dream inside of me to start designing clothing. Odd idea, since I was never
formally trained in fashion. I am someone who used to go to a fabric store and upon seeing a fabric that would catch my eye,
would start envisioning finished styles before I even left the store. It just came naturally to me. I was always the artsy
girl with a sense of style, who worked as a makeup artist and as a retail manager in the clothing business, but that's
about it. I was never formally trained in fashion. I am a quick learner and had to be when I stepped inside an industry which
I knew nothing about. I had a lot of passion to get my dreams off the ground but that's about it. I had to reach out and
ask a lot of people for help including our Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Technology Development Center. I wasn't
afraid if I ever came across something I didn't know how to do. I was always calling people and asking them for help or
researching on the Internet for sourcing information.
Did you encounter any stumbling blocks as you got started
or even today? Absolutely! We had problems finding a good factory who could produce our detail-oriented kind
of clothing. Many local factories were experienced at t-shirts and jogging pants and when they took a look at our clothing
with all the ruffles and detailing, they would tell me "we don't have the equipment necessary to do this kind of
work." That was one of the first major hurdles we had to overcome. We are now using our fourth factory and it is overseas.
They are prepared to handle our growth for many years to come. In this business, there are a lot of things that happen beyond
your control as well and that is hard for a self-admitted control freak to experience. Like, when your factory tells you they
have to re-print a fabric resulting in a 30-day delay or when they are running behind on production so much so that it might
extend beyond your customers order cancellation date (the date by which they are to receive the goods in their store or else
they have the right to refuse their order).
How have you handled those stumbling blocks? With any production setbacks
we have experienced, we found the easiest way to combat that was to get on an earlier design schedule. Instead of submitting
our sample sketches and specs to our factory 90 days before market, we now submit them 180 days before market. Whereas, if
a problem does come up, we have a timeline cushion built in place with more time to work with so that our season isn't
really affected anymore. That is one of the biggest changes we made and things are now going well. Our most relied upon method
of getting thru stumbling blocks has been prayer, however. Our constant prayer for our business is for God to guide us and
open doors for us, to give us wisdom where we are lacking, and to guide us thru this industry where we have no experience.
He gets all the credit.
What kinds of mistakes have you made and how have you overcome them? Some of the biggest
mistakes we have made are ones that have cost us financially. With one of our first collections that we ever launched at market,
our New York rep received a $42,000 order from one store and she called to cancel the entire order two days before we were
ready to ship because she said her business did not take off as she anticipated it would. Here our factor had approved this
store as having good credit, however, we never thought to collect a deposit on the order. Due to that situation, we now have
a policy in place for any order over $5,000 where we now require a 50% deposit.
Another mistake we have made is
being far too trusting with stores who had asked us to ship merchandise to them COD. Last season, alone, resulted in $18,000
worth of COD checks with insufficient funds. As a result, we will no longer ship any merchandise via COD. One of the stores
even filed bankruptcy recently to get out of paying us on their $6,000 order. If there is one thing that takes away from my
enjoyment in this business, it is when calculating people set out to steal from you. You find yourself having to spend the
time to create new policies just to safeguard your business from them! And, believe me, it makes you really value and appreciate
all the honest and ethical business owners who do pay on time all the more after having experienced a few bad apples. :-)
We want to be able to design a beautiful product, ship it on time, have customers enjoy it, and hope they pay their bills
on time. It's a really simple goal.
Of your outfits so far, which is your most favorite and why? It would be
impossible to pick one favorite outfit of all-time because there have been so many different styles, I wouldn't know how
to begin. I do have favorite groups per season, for instance:
Spring/Summer 06 -- my favorite groups were Aunt
Emmas Orchard in the blue colorway and Springtime in Savannah.
Fall/Winter 06 -- it was Paris in Winter and Boho in the
Snow.
Spring/Summer 07 -- Ooodles of Poodles and Roses and Ribbons.
Fall/Winter 07 -- Check Mate and Wild At Heart.
Spring/Summer 08 -- A three-way tie between Lake Shore Drive, Aunt Emmas Roses and Roses of Nantucket.
Fall/Winter
08 -- (our new collection that will launch in the next couple months), all I can say is "Jane Of The Jungle." :-)
For me, it is usually the fabric I fall in love with and also how close the physical samples turn out compared to
how I originally envisioned them via sketch.
(p.s.....thank you, Debbie, we appreciate the award!)
....g
SEPTEMBER 29 Our 2007 Gooma Girl
Search has officially begun. We launched it last night. We are looking for several new models for
our line. The search will run from September 28 thru October 30. It feels like one of those "build it and they will come" moments from "Field of Dreams."
I don't know where they come from or how they find out about us, but they always come in droves. Lots and
lots of entrants. The search has grown so big in just a couple of short years, it always amazes me. Just mom and dad photographers
emailing us pictures of their children. However, now, we are starting to see professional photographers enter
some pictures of their customers kids, which is fine too. We never require the photographers to be professionally
licensed (only that they be able to take a great quality shot) but that is the trend I am starting to see with the search.
It is always fun to try to assemble the team of models for the next season's collection. I love a
collaborative look, with all different ethnicities represented. It looks more normal to me, especially having
grown up in Chicago, where I grew up seeing beauty in every race.
Hard to pinpoint why I am drawn to certain winners
but it is usually a happiness in the eyes and if their personality is conveyed. Gotta have personality!
I appreciate the photographic talent of so many. Some of those who enter have their own photography websites
and I am just amazed at their beautiful talent that they share with us.
I am honored that so many enter and I'm
looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.
.....g
SEPTEMBER 18 Whew ----- finally
thru with our fall/winter distribution! All orders have shipped, so, if for some reason you have not received
your order please check with us to make sure it is not on hold awaiting payment info. It is shipping a little later
than planned which, sometimes these things happen, but we were happy to ship complete to everyone and to ship our first fall/winter
collection. ....g
JULY 16 Here
is a picture of our new skinny capri, cut smaller thru the waist and hips, and is fashioned after a 1950's bicycle pant.
The fit is nice, I think you will be pleased. Available in 2 basic wear-with-all colors: black
and white
Our model, Peyton, is seen wearing it here with one of the tops from our new "Yellow Rose of Texas"
group.
....g
JULY 10 What have we been
up to? Well, we are getting the spring/summer 2008 collection ready to show at market which means getting the
collection modeled, ads made, catalogs prepared, shipping the line to our reps. This is the fun side of the business,
which I love. Seeing the designs that were originally in my head, now in physical form and on the models.
The image shown above, of Kennedy, is from our new nautical group, "Lake Shore Drive." The collection
will be debuting on our site next month.
From a creative standpoint, when I designed it, I was kind
of running on fumes. We had been designing back to back seasons to get ahead of schedule and the whole collection
was designed in just a month. I hope you like it!
Speaking of designs, we are also wrapping
up our fall/winter 2008 collection (yes, we plan a good year ahead!) and I was happy to have January back helping me with
this season, after sitting out last season with her new baby. We hope you like it! ....g
JUNE 16 This
afternoon, my husband and I attended the public funeral today for Ruth Bell Graham -- wife of Reverend Billy Graham.
The 2,000-seat Anderson Auditorium in Montreat, NC was filled to capacity. A reporter happened to interview both my husband
and I and we were surprised to see our comments posted on the newspaper's website tonight. Billy Graham's
ministry has had a profound impact on my life, beginning with my mother learning of her hope in Christ at one of Billy's
crusades, in 1974. Without my mother's influence and absolute reliance on her faith, I don't know where
I would be today.
In later years, Ruth Graham was also a patient at a doctor's office I used to work at and
she was one of the kindest women who radiated God's love to all of those around her. Additionally, my husband's
mother worked as a hairstylist and styled Ruth's hair on a couple of occas | | |
