I love walking into a bookstore. It's like all my friends are sitting on shelves, waving their pages at me.
Tahereh Mafi
When you look through our shop window, you will see a beautiful book display that showcases some of our bookish treasures. Your kids will want to come inside! You open the shop door and there will be a hint of old and new in the air. The shop feels warm, welcoming…. and magical!
Well, my children's bookshop neither feels nor looks like this (yet). But this is the idea in my head that somewhat guides me.
This week was incredibly slow but also incredibly busy at the same time. I've learned a lot, for example,that it is very difficult to find an electrician…. and that some things you simply can't sort out yourself.So, to anyone who would like to open a bookshop: Plan everything, every little step, and get the workmen organised and scheduled in (if that's possible). To be honest, I tried to do that unsuccessfully, so it might be just one of those things. Luckily the wiring is done now. We will have light in the shop, and most importantly, there will be a chandelier!
I must admit, I spent some time this week staring at the sea in order to try and calm my nerves. Luckily I only need to walk for 2 minutes to reach the shore. Unfortunately, the waves also seemed to whisper "Christmas, Christmas, Christmas…". Everything needs to get done in time before Christmas. Yet, what I've noticed is that tiny little problems can occur all the time… little things that have to be fixed and suddenly take an awfully long time. But somehow these little problems that need to be fixed also make this to a great adventure.
So what happened this week? My husband removed a gigantic piece of wood covering a small window in the bathroom. I have no idea why there is a window between the sink area and the toilet area, but there is. My bookshop already feels a little like the wardrobe that leads to Narnia. What else will we discover in the next few days? Then we unearthed really old wallpaper (yes, wallpaper yet again) and then I tried, very clumsily, to fix up the bathroom window frame myself. I think, once it is done properly, it will be a lovely little feature.
Luckily I've got more support from next week. My parents are coming from Germany to help me out! My dad is rather good at fixing things and fitting flooring and so on and my mum will be able to help me with her expert decorative abilities. I'm so delighted and excited! My bookshop has become a family project.
Sometimes, when you try to organise everything yourself and when you do a lot of the work yourself, it gets a bit lonely. So it will be nice to have my parents around. Another incredible bonus is that there is a chance that the bookshop will look completely different by the end of next week. (Yes dad, the pressure is on! I'm only joking… I think.)
A beautiful Terrazzo floor was hiding under the old laminate flooring in the bookshop. All week my husband and I tried to find somebody who could restore it but unfortunately our efforts weren't fruitful. It is upsetting, it could have been absolutely beautiful but I have a limited time frame to get the shop ready and so, the original floor will have to be covered up again.
Today we also put up a banner that announces the arrival of Wee Bookworms in Warrenpoint. It is not huge but big enough, so I'm sure you won't miss it.
And now, finally, let's talk about books! What are your children's and your own favourite kids books that have to be on sale in the shop? I would love to hear from you! I can't promise that I will be able to stock all of your suggestions, but I will give it my very best.
Thank you for reading my blog! Hopefully we will get a lot done in the bookshop next week. Time is running out!
