the goose hatched!!!

Well...it quietly happened on Monday morning. Kelly Moreland (pictured above), founder and owner, opened the doors to the brand new location of her very popular children's resale shop, Mama Goose. There had been several weeks when the little Goose was closed as it transitioned over to the greatly expanded new site. The regular customers didn't need a huge grand opening announcement...they'd been hovering around the front doors for days with many "when, oh when will you open?!" So, this initial soft opening had quite a turn out. I stopped in on Tuesday...not as a designer, but as a shopper. My growing nine year old needed new shorts...and with Mama Goose's expansion, comes more stock in older children's clothing...hurray! There was a constant (moving) line at the check out...
I loved watching the expressions on everyone's face when they walked in through the front doors...total amazement... it's an incredible transformation, if I do say so myself! The windows, which had been covered during the entire "make-over", were flooded with sunshine. It's quite a thrill seeing some of my little touches incorporated into every corner. In the following shot of the tween section, note the bunting in the window and the floor cushions. Underneath the window benches, made from recycled crates, are galvanized locker bins filled with chapter books and modern light fixture was a craigslist find. you can click on any picture for a close-up.



I even got immediate great feedback on the baby wall ...from a mother who was so grateful to be able to put her infant in a safe spot adjacent to her, as she shopped. Her baby gave the best compliment of all...she didn't want to stop spinning those wooden shapes or touching the sensory frames!
Kelly is such a visionary, and we worked so well together as we put the new design into effect. She is definitely my favorite brainstorming partner, and I feel a bit wistful as this project comes to a close. Might need to call you, Kelly, when I choose colors for my studio...how can I ever look at paint chips without you, again!? Helping to design the new Mama Goose has bee a turning point in my creative life, and I'm thrilled to have helped someone make their dream a reality! Congratulations, Kelly!