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Register for our Mother’s Day Contest – Winner will be drawn on

 

              Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Noon  * Winner Receives all of the following:             

 

• Scout   Bag – The Grand Plan

 

• Stonewall Kitchen Grapefruit Thyme Hand Soap

 

• Stonewall Kitchen Grapefruit Thyme Counter Spray

 

• Seattle Chocolate Assorted Truffles

 

• Cherry Fruit Tart Filling from Clearbrook Farms

 

 • Tarts from Clearbrook Farms

 

•Room Diffuser from Voluspa

 

• Pair of Yellow Box Flip Flops

 

• Lunch for Two from Dream Baskets

   

[caption id="attachment_1255" align="aligncenter" width="199" caption="New Signage... Designed by Natalie Chang. CBS Vinyl responsible for sign and Vinyl. (Chris & Shari Barter)"][/caption]   It's official we are open!   Thank you for being so patient.  Dream Baskets is officially back open and we are so pleased that Stephanie Milligan shot photos for  us  while we set up the store as well as the day of the Open House.  We decided to share some of those photos with you so you can appreciate the final product.  With the help of everyone from Dream Baskets and Natalie Chang and Emily Ward,  we pulled off the unthinkable.  From the date of the destruction to the opening date,  47 days passed!!!  You can look back at our blog or the old picture of the damage,  but we were determined to make something awesome from something bad!!  And here it is - a store that started as a Dream and was rebuilt with Faith and Hope!   Many of you have visited the store and know what it looks like today, but a few short weeks ago,  it was all just a drawing on a piece of paper and a glittery Grand  Re-Opening Invitation!  - Thanks to Natalie Ellis - Chang.     Since Natalie was my very first employee at age 16,  it was such  a joy to work with her to restore the  vision of Dream Baskets. The three days we spent in Memphis gave us the opportunity to refocus and regain our momentum to build  a bigger and better  Dream Baskets.   I still  have the voicemail saved from the morning  of the storm and it was sweet Natalie telling me "We" can rebuilt the  store!   We did rebuild and we did it bigger and better than ever!    Check out some of the awesome photos takes by Stephanie Milligan! One of our favorite surprises for our customers is the custom painted bathroom designed and hand painted by Julie Hilliard!  She  did a fabulous job! In whatever you do,  you have to have a vision,  you have to have a dream and you have to have ambition!  If you can possess all of those characteristics in whatever you do,  you will reach your goal. [caption id="attachment_1239" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Custom Designed by Natalie Chang Designs"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1234" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Gourmet Foods just for You!"][/caption]   [caption id="attachment_1251" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="New Store - After February 29th Tornado"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1252" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Logo Designed by Natalie Chang / Vinyl by CBS Vinyl (Chris & Shari Barter)"][/caption]  

When I first wrote about my experience with the tornado,  it was more for me to reach a place in my life that I could let all of my emotions, feelings and fears go.  I blogged off and on over the past six weeks and many times it was hard to stay positive,  hard to stay focused on the goal,  and even harder to always be smiling and happy when approached by others,  but we did it!!! We made it!! And We are back - bigger and better than before!  You say you've missed us,  we have all missed you!!!  We appreciate all of the calls, cards, text messages and assistance we received!  This journey would never have been as tolerable if it hadn't been all of you that prayed for us daily,  said something encouraging when you saw us,  or just drove by and gave us a smile!   Those of you who are still dealing with the aftermath of this horrible disaster,  it does get better!   I can honestly tell you that if you look for the silver lining in this big black cloud,  there is something greater God has in store you for you.  While you may not see it now,  you will see it in the future.  I pray that this week we find closure,  we find understanding for our friends in the community that are still rebuilding,  and we find great strength from all of you who have made the journey with us! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!  Dream Baskets is back and yes - We have missed you!!!

The building is starting to come together,  so I decided to head to Memphis to spend a few days with Natalie Ellis-Chang.   For those of you who don't know,  Natalie was my very first employee at Dream Baskets.  She was sixteen years old and filled with so much talent and enthusiasm.   While Natalie may think she learned alot from me,  it was I who learned alot from her.  As I watched her grow up and be involved in school activities,  I realized,  she is different,  she has a talent that many others never have the opportunity to see.  Natalie is filled with positive energy that is fueled by her faith and her upbringing.  When Natalie left Dream Baskets to attend college at Taylor Unviversity,  I was so excited for her,  but so sad to watch a young woman who had started as an employee and was now one of my best friends leave what she had helped create at Dream Baskets.   I always enjoyed her phone calls that would include a fun project she was working on,  or an organization she was involved in and working to further their cause.  When Natalie landed her dream internship job with the Mary Englebreit company,  that was the start of her explosion into the corporate world.  Since that time,  Natalie was courted to join the company of Julia D. Azar in Memphis and assist her in marketing and branding her product.  She later joined the Lifeguard Press company and is their brains behind the Trade Shows.  Her design and creativity make a showroom stand out from the rest.  Natalie along with her team have won best of floor several times at the Americas Mart in Atlanta with their bold display of Lilly Pullitzer, Jonathan Adler and Dylans Candy Bar products.   And in case you didn't know,  in her spare time,  Natalie is the designer behind the name - her super chic little studio located in Memphis is a design studio that is bursting with creativity and one of a kind designs.   I have worked with her on several occassions and every result was a Happy Bride!  So when the tornado hit Harrisburg,  Natalie was quick to call and leave me a message that says "We" can build it back - bigger and better than ever! So after three weeks of construction,  it was off to Memphis to work with Natalie to design from the ground up a new Bigger and Better Dream Baskets.  The details of the week are Hush...Hush...until April 16th,  but I promise you that if you make it in for the Grand Re-Opening you won't be disappointed!! My sister and I wouldn't have enjoyed the rebuilding of the image of the store had it not been for Ms. Natalie.

Seventeen days have passed since the tornado hit Harrisburg and what a drastic change it has made in the life of everyone associated with Dream Baskets.  With the  help of general contractor Mike Reed,  we have been moving along and rebuilding at a fast pace.  What many of you don't understand is that the entire store was ruined.  We salvaged about 1/3 of our inventory that was stored as backstock and in cabinets or closets.  The rest of our inventory is  gone.  Merchandise on the selling floor was filled with glass, insulation, dirt, debris or  blown outside.  The entire store had to be emptied,  drywall ripped down,  lights removed, and all fixtures thrown  out.  So right now it is a shell with insulation and drywall. Everything we had worked so hard to build was gone in a blink of an eye.  I can only imagine what people who lost  their home must feel like.  The insurance company hauled  off all of our inventory on Thursday of last week.  What an awful feeling to watch everything you have worked so hard to build  just thrown  in a trailer and hauled away.  All of the hours of work researching the products to purchase,  the hours of making displays, wrapping gifts, building a customer base,  it just didn't seem to matter when they pulled  out of the parking lot.   It was at that moment that I realized that I needed to dwell of the future, not the past and move forward full steam ahead.  So that is what I have tried to do.  Stay positive and stay focused  - there is no looking back!!! Next week,  the  drywall finishers will be in Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to tape and mud the drywall.  Once they leave,  we will begin cleaning and then the painting begins.  We hope you are all as excited about the new colors, fixtures and merchandise as we are.   We've got lots of surprises up our sleeve : ) Monday,  I will be traveling to Memphis to spend a few days with  Ms. Natalie Ellis Chang who is going to help redesign the inside of the store.   We are anxious to unveil the new look on April 16, 2012.  Please mark your calendars for the Grand Re-Opening Party!!!      

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 will be a day that I will never forget.     As I sat in my home listening to the storm hit Harrisburg,  I had no idea of the impact it would have on my life and the life of my friends and Dream Baskets family.  My  phone  received a text message at 5:07 a.m. from my friend Bridget Douglas that said, "How is your store?" I was waiting for the storm to pass,  but as soon as I got that text,  I had a funny feeling that things weren't good.  I met my Dad  on the road as he was checking his barn,   and  I said  calmly,   I will check Hathaway's One Stop and the greenhouses and give you a call when I got to the store.  It  was when  I passed the One Stop and called my cousin Lynn to tell him all was well at the gas station that I realized that the tornado had hit Harrisburg.   When he answered and I heard  all kinds of voices and people yelling , I knew something wasn't right.  As I  said  - Hey!   The canopy is still in place at the One Stop, he  quickly responded , "Great but my house has been hit by a tornado."   Shock and panic instantly hit me, but as I drove,  I noticed that M & S Implement was still standing,  so I thought maybe it missed me.   As  I turned the corner and ran over a ton of wooden 2 X 4's, it hit me that a  stream of ambulances  and lights were everywhere I looked.   It  was then  that I realized something horrible had hit the town of Harrisburg.  I turned  in front of Wok & Roll and was abruptly stopped by a mountain of wood and debris.  I jumped out of my car and headed for the store.  I couldn't believe  my eyes.  The church next to my building was a pile of rubble.  The Golden Circle was a pile of bricks, the USDA office was missing a huge section of their roof,   and Jerry's Home Improvement was gone.   There was a truck in my  driveway turned upside down and all I could think of was,  Oh my goodness I normally am at work! What happened next was something that has calmed my spirit and given me hope.  My dad  cut through the Forest Service parking lot and  pulled up and as I passed the mailbox in a quick pace,  and with his outstretched arms,  he hugged me and said, "It will be okay,  we can fix it, no one was hurt."  It was at that moment that I realized,  yes,  no one is hurt and everything else can be fixed.  As we walked to the front door and literally walked through the door,  I was then  able to see  all of the destruction.  The entire north wall which at its peak is 32 feet was laying flat on the ground and the front windows and door  had blown  out.  Glass was everywhere,  merchandise was  everywhere,  and my whole world felt like it had been turned upside down.  It was at that point with the sirens, and  helicopters and all of the noise outside that I realized,  two of my employees lived over  in the direction of FS and one lived by the hospital. I began frantically calling and texting and  nothing was going thru.  I got a text from Mary Reed and asked if we were okay,  but we couldn't send any message from the area.  I was so relieved to see Mike Reed pull up at daybreak.  I had already left Steve Williams from Williams Insurance a message and told him I needed him asap.  The problem for everyone was that at this point law enforcement had shut down the road. I couldn't get through to my sister and my brother kept calling and sending text messages,  but the messages were unable to be sent back.   My sister had to walk in, my cousin  Robert Hathaway walked in,  my in laws had to walk in, and Mary Reed walked in.  With no power and my head spinning,  I noticed the Barnes Lumber truck pulled up with a load of OSB Board.  The  Barnes Lumber employees were so kind  to allow us to load their truck and deliver the food and Mary Reed to FUMC  in Harrisburg to feed people on Wednesday. By this time,  it is only 9 am. and  my store if filled with people,  I don't even know how  it happened,  but Robert Hathaway walked up,  Katina Eubanks and Keegan  showed up,  my in laws, my dad, my sister, her husband and my nephew,  two gentleman from Vienna that my Dad does business with, Blake and Harold Wilson, Clifford Debose,  Jo Nipper, Christine Bolin and her husband, Benna Daughtery, and Jim Davidson were helping us salvage what we could.  By 11:30 a.m. we had salvaged what we could and Steve Williams and the crew from Williams Insurance had arrived.  It was such a relief to have Nathan Ashby call  the adjuster and give us the opportunity to speak with him.  He gave me a wonderful sense of calm when he said I will be there tomorrow at 8 a.m.  His took the time to explain to me what I needed to do and  protect what we could.  Once  the volunteers left,   it was time to clean up.  Bulldog Systems delivered a huge yard dumpster within 30 minutes of my call.   I can not thank Jeremy and Krysti Bennet enough for bringing us food to eat on that day.  We were starving and just their warm hugs and kind words lifted our spirits.  We were refueled and ready to  fill the dumpster with all of the debris lying around.   The nails, insulation, metal and debris where unbelievable.   As we continued to bust up the  the 32 foot wall that had fallen,  I looked  up and the entire Bozarth Family showed up to help us, as well as Pete Smith  and  Mark Wilson.  No one will ever know how appreciative my sister and I are of  everyone who sent messages, phone calls, facebook posts, and left voicemail messages.  By   6 p.m. on Wednesday,  we were exhausted, emotional and sad.  We learned of the loss of so many wonderful people in Harrisburg and our heart was broken for their families. Thursday morning I woke and headed to the store to find roofers, and a crew from Mike Reed Construction already working.   I felt so blessed to know that all of them were so dedicated to getting the store in the dry.   The adjuster showed up at 8 a.m. as he said he would and we took a quick tour of the place.  He met with Mike and then took the time to explain the policy to me and time to explain how the process would work.  My sister and I  felt a sense of relief when he and Mike said we would be looking at six weeks of downtime. We need a goal,  we need something to work towards,  and now we have it.   Day two was filled with hammering, sawing and several trips to Barnes  Lumber.  Everyone has been  so helpful during this process.  On my last trip to Barnes Lumber,  I ordered the roofing and things began to sink in..... we are making progress!!!  Luke O'Neal stopped by to visit with my sister and I to  discuss lighting and  paint colors! Day 3 began with a rush to get everything we could get done before the rain came.  Everyone hustled and did everything they could do before 1  pm.  The wind began to blow so hard that workers couldn't stay on the roof or ladders and the tornado warnings were in effect.   We survived Day 3 without any further damage. Our sweet neighbor Ms. Katina Eubanks has set up an office for us upstairs at her office and we can't thank her enough for her hospitality. Day 4 - I woke up bright and early Saturday morning to meet the roofers who planned to get as much done as possible.  My sister and I spent the day working with Miss Tina and Miss Jan packing up fixtures, and getting all  merchandise out of the store.  I dropped the drapery off at Foxes  Cleaners to see if they can get the fiberglass and glass shards out of the fabric.    Ms. Barbra Luce-Turner popped in and assisted us this afternoon.  We were so excited to see Laura Miller and her friend from school stop by and see us today.   Can't wait to work with Mrs.  Natalie Chang on the merchandising of the new store!!!  At 4 p.m.,  it was off to the FUMC to help serve  meals. I  haven't had the time to dedicate to the  church this week,  so I wanted to take the time and show my support to the community.  I was so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from members of our community.  Car after car,  trailer after trailer,  people kept bringing personal products, water, cleaning supplies, blankets, clothes and baby items.  I couldn't believe what I saw.  The organization, the fulfillment of food orders,  the cooperation from people,  just amazed  me.   When I walked outside to help someone unload his truck,  I was shocked when he said he had driven seven hours to get here.  He was from the Wisconsin, Illinois border.  I was amazed,  just utterly amazed at  a man  who had driven seven hours with a truck full of food, water, and supplies to a community he knew nothing about.  He plans to stay here two or three days and help in the community.   While I was at the church,  I learned that another man had driven from Chicago after his daughter read about the disaster on the internet and he wanted to help.  He drove all the way down to Southern Illinois and walked in the kitchen at the church and ask - "What do you need?"  He told members of the team working in the kitchen that he had $1000 to spend and he wanted to help.  He spent $1000 of his own money to help people in Southern Illinois.  Again,  a man with no ties to our community.  That my friend is compassion for others. While I continue to blog about the journey of Dream Baskets,  I will continue to keep you posted on what's new, what's happening, and more specifically the Grand Re-Opening information!!!

The crowd wasn't as big this  morning as we headed down the tunnel to the Mart.  We made our way over to Building 3 and up to the 4th floor.  After greeting all of our neighbors,  we started our day.  Lots of customers stopping by to visit and drop of their orders at the Sissy Made It booth.  We've enjoyed being next to the designer from EnV Bags.  She has such a crisp and colorful line of reusuable totes!  If you have time,  check our her website at www.envbags.com  Her bags have also been featured in Self Magazine. I took the time to venture over to the Natural Life Booth to place an order for the trendy teenage items!  We also found some awesome new sandals and straps from Lindsay Phillips.  It may be cold outside,  but we are planing for flip flop weather!  I looked at a new card line for the store as well.   The Mud Pie products are fabulous!  The Baby line and all of the fun entertaining items are going to look awesome in the store. It was nice to visit with the Sissy Made It customers from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida today.    With the new product introductions for Sissy Made It,  it has been a fun and exciting Trade Show.  Thanks to everyone who followed the blog while I was away in Atlanta.  Can't wait for you to see all of the new products we've found for the store. Bags are packed and ready to load the truck early in the morning to ensure we get a  "Princess" parking spot in the garage for easy loading!  - Last Blog from Atlanta ......

Things are a little slower on Sunday in Atlanta, but as usual,  we were up and on our way to the Mart.  We had several items to look for before the crowd arrived.  Once our booth was straightened,  I headed over to see Starr at the Starr Luna booth.  She has the best designer T's.  We can't wait to receive seven of her new styles!  I can't decide which one is my favorite.  The Starr Luna shirts will be arriving next week.  My Dad headed over to Building 2 to see what floors 6-14 were all about.  Happy to report he arrived back with lots of brochures and new product ideas.  It is always good to see what someone else likes!!! We had so many customers bustling around today.  So nice to see our friends from the Lily Pad, La Te Da, Ivy Traditions, and so many more. Received news today that our friend Ms. Natalie Chang and the company she works for won "Best of Floor".  I am so happy she received the award.  There is no else who was more deserving of the honor. Our friends from Houndstooth and Polka Dots came by to say Hi!  The ladies from Show Off Art are so super sweet.  They are gearing up for the Dallas Market that start Wednesday.  I can't imagine doing two shows in one month,  but my friends are relentless and push on through.  Can't wait to see the new design for the Harrisburg Bulldogs that Houndstooth and Polka Dots are creating for us. I have met the most interesting man in the booth behind me.  He is a self made business man who started with nothing and now owns five distributions centers and has over 300 employees who work for him.  Such an interesting conversation and what a story to look back on when I have a down day.  His father sent him to the United States to get an education and he is now a multi millionaire.  Just shows that hard work does pay off!!! At dinner this evening we met Pam Zonsius designer of the Brelli.  She is in the High Design Section of the Mart.   What an interesting conversation we had with her and her daughter.  Check out their website www.thebrelli.com Until tomorrow - Signing off from Atlanta

Atlanta was quiet this morning as the city woke up to another day of brisk weather.  We headed over to the mart a bit early to check out some of the vendors we needed to place some orders with.  It was nice to see that Howard from Whitney Howard designs was in his booth early.  Howard is such a nice guy and his products are made in the U.S.A.  The new necklaces, bracelets and charms should be in the store before the end of the month.   Next,  we were happy to find the Beehive Designs booth and placed our order for Closet Skinnies.  Most of the Dream Baskets customers know them as Flip Flop Hangers,  but they have been renamed to Closet Skinnies.  They told us they are ready for immediate shipping,  so next week they should be in the store. It was quickly 9 a.m. and the Market opened.  Today,  it was very exciting to meet some awesome new customers for Sissy Made It.  Ms. Debbie from Chocolate Ooh La La's has such an interesting business.  We really enjoyed discussing working together with Chocolate Ooh La La's,  so we will keep you posted on the progress.  Next,  we met several other customers who will be bringing in our line of Sissy Made It Tags, Notepads, Magnets and inspirational plaques.  Initially Yours by MEG and Bonnie Blue Boutique just to name a few.   It was an energizing afternoon talking to so many fantastic customers.    At the close of market, we headed over to building 2 to place our order with Lifeguard Press!  Ms. Natalie Chang assisted us with selecting some awesome new products for our store.  Can't wait for our new Lily Pulitzer items to be delivered.  What an nice display all of the beautiful pink colors of Lily will make. Dad and I then worked our way down to the 1st floor and back to the Marriott.  We enjoyed dinner at High Velocity and there were some load New Orleans and San Fransisco Fans enjoying the game.  After a nice dinner,  it is back to the laptop to blog, type in orders, and update facebook.   Until tomorrow - signing off from Atlanta.  

Alarm clock went off bright and early and then it was off to the Mart.  One thing about attending Market in Atlanta,  there is not alot of downtime.  This is definitely my kind of lifestyle since I don't like to be still for a minute.  So down the elevator and thru the tunnel to the Mart.  Mass craziness is the only way to describe the main floor at the mart.  Keep up with the flow or get run over....and oh don't forget to grab your coffee, because there is no stopping and cutting through the traffic to get in the Starbucks line.  Once we maneuvered the escalators and headed to our booth,  the hustle and bustle of customers began.    I always find it very interesting to meet current customers and hear about their business and hear about their families.  Lots and lots of contacts today and lots of new customers!  Very excited to begin selling our products in some new markets. Took a small break and went to visit my dear friend Starr Luna and her mother Marianne.  They are such amazing people and have become such great friends.  The ladies from Show Offs Art had a fabulous day and we enjoyed talking to them and placing an order with them for Dream Baskets.  My Dad took some time and headed over to the Lawn and Garden floors to see what he could find and then ventured down to the main floor which is cash and carry merchandise.   Can't explain the look on his face when he came back two hours later.  I knew it was mass chaos downstairs,  but thought he would enjoy the experience.  He just shook his head and said those people are crazy!  You can't stir them with a stick! LOL!  It was priceless. The afternoon was busy with a visit from Sissy & Bob  Blanchard.  So nice to see Ms. Sissy and show her the new items we have added to the line.  Later,  we visited with Elisse from Flights of Fancy,  Stacy from Giftmart- Alpha Delta Pi, and Cindy from the Chi Omega Organization.    Lot's of new customers stopped by too!!!  Very exciting afternoon and we are looking forward to a busy day tomorrow.  After helping our friends from Show offs Arts reinforce their wall with our handy dandy fishing string,  we packed up and called it a day. As we were walking out I bumped into my friend Ms. Stewart from the Buttercup in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Can't wait for her to stop by the Sissy Made It  booth and visit with us this weekend. As we exited with the masses, we leave with happy memories of the first day and high hopes for tomorrow and the remaining days of the show!!!  Until Saturday night .......