So, I received some VLove today! I was so pleased with the presentation… felt like I was receiving a gift and yep, made me feel special. It got me to thinking… {uh oh!} my husband and I also own & run Red Rooster Trading Company together. We wrap our products in hand.stamped burlap bags then nestle them in a bed of shredded newspaper {recycled from our local newspaper} and put them in a sealed gift box. To top it off we thank each of our customers using a Bb card and yes, actually writing each one by hand.

This is important to us because we appreciate our customers so much, without them we wouldn’t have a business! My mom told me that when I was little I always wanted to have my own retail shop so that I could say ‘Thank you & have a nice day!’ I may not have a ‘brick & mortar’ {yet, anyway}, but we do have our online shop, I just get to write it instead of say it. You see, dreams really do come true.

Ok, back on track… at Red Rooster we receive comments & reviews and practically every one of them says something about the packaging and hand.written note. They appreciate that there is a real live person handling & packaging their product that cares about the products they receive. And they appreciate being appreciated. So, if you own a business where you ship your products… it only takes a little effort to make a nice presentation, make someone feel special and show some pride in your product {Pride can be a good thing}. And a lot of times those people share their experience with others… word of mouth is one of the best marketing tools ever!

I took a few pics to inspire you… I had the privilege of working with each of these businesses on their identity & branding. I love having the opportunity to work with such a variety of companies. Each of my clients has an idea of how they want the world to see them and the best way to present that. It is my job to take their ideas and make them shine.

First up is how Rebecca Michaels shows her customer appreciation… don’t you feel the love? {I ordered a headband}

Next is a photog client of mine… vagabond def shows her appreciation with her packaging.

And last, but not least… Red Rooster’s packaging.

Thanks for stopping by, maybe you got a little inspiration. Now go and present your company well! If you need any design work or ideas feel free to shoot me an email for pricing.

Happy Small Business Saturday! What a great idea! Read more about it… {http://smallbusinesssaturday.com/}

A few ideas on how to Shop for Small Business Saturday.

1. Gift Certificates – Most local shops & restaurants offer gift certificates which make it easier for that someone special to get exactly what they wished for! I was talking to my aunt the other day and she had the idea of getting a gift certificate for carpet cleaning, I think that is a fabulous idea!! Something that you might put off with your own money but would love to have done.

Check out Violet Love Brands, Inc. – they offer gift certificates that you can redeem online if you can’t find a location near you to buy everything from headbands to loungewear to evening wear and all in rebecca michael’s signature soft fabrics.

2. A Clean House – Why not hire your favorite cleaning crew for your mother, auntie, sister, friend… ! I don’t know about you, but when things are busy, which they usually get even more so during the Holiday season, it is a wonderful feeling to have a clean, fresh house.

3. Photo Shoot – How bout paying for a photoshoot for your favorite family! Everyone loves family pics and if you are like us don’t get them done often enough!

Check out these fine photographers for the NE Missouri area {www.laceimage.com and www.jten21.com} & the Austin, TX area {www.vagabondstyle.com}

4. Handmade – Make something! And even if you aren’t the crafty type, something purchased that is handmade just makes it that much more special.

Check out Red Rooster Trading Company for some hand.built, beautiful & functional gifts. {www.redroostertradingcompany.com} Use coupon code SMALLBIZSAT for 10% off all products!

There’s also A Girl Thing – Teresa and her girls repurpose vintage goods & clothing into fashionable pieces of clothing, jewelry & accessories.

I would love to hear what your gift ideas are and how you will shop Small Business Saturday!!

~Britta

I am not the builder. I love to design, paint things, create my cards, cook, dream etc… but I am not the builder. And sometimes I am not even the designer. I just had to share pics of these pieces that Justin my builder not only designed but built from reclaimed barn wood for our anniversary and my birthday. I know… I am a lucky girl and so thankful to have my very own builder! I am in love with Justin and the furniture he builds!

We both had to work a little for these pieces… I was working away at my computer and he says ‘Let’s go!’ — When Justin says that I never know what to expect… it may be a drive over the farm to scout for deer or go rock hunting {yes, we have to hunt for rocks in Biblegrove — but that is another story in itself}, it may be a spontaneous trip to the city for a date or to find that tool needed for his latest project. On this day ‘Let’s go!’ meant something entirely different. We headed to an amazing old barn… a tall barn that we climbed and climbed to the top. From there we hauled out some old barn wood that had been milled years and years ago… it was stored in the barn. And it was work! But work that was well worth it, as you shall see.

FIRST: A beautiful coffee table made from reclaimed barn wood. Justin surprised me for our anniversary with this piece… he wondered what I would change about it. NOTHING!

SECOND: This rustic console/buffet/whatever you want it to be – amazing!! This one he surprised me with for my birthday, which is only a few days away from our anniversary.

THIRD: A Garden arbor that goes perfectly with our fence — as you can see I am trying to get climbing roses to take off up and around it. Can hardly wait to see how it looks next year! Another birthday surprise… I had gone to town and came back to him, Branton & gpa & gma all helping to get this done before I got back.

June was a good month for me. Justin & Branton sure know how to make a girl feel loved and they went above and beyond with these amazing works of art. And did I mention it is work! Barn wood is usually really hard and not easy to work with… but that is part of what makes these pieces that much more special. This isn’t really a DIY, it’s more of a Justin did it… but you never know, you may just be able to find your own pieces by Justin someday… Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed your time here and maybe got a little inspiration!

PS Did you see the really cool Red Rooster Felted silhouette pillow on my couch? Well, if you fell in love with it you are in luck! You can find these pillows at viAnnelli on etsy {http://www.etsy.com/shop/viAnneli}. Rumor has it she will even do custom silhouettes… all I said was, could you do a Red Rooster and she came up with the perfect, felted Red Rooster silhouette… can’t beat that!

OH MY GOODNESS! LOOK what I got in the mail today… Already have my pendant around my neck. You know you want your own vagabond photography belt & pendant with your kiddos, favorite pet, rig, location… with that vagabond style we all have come to know and love! And the way she packages her goods is just the icing on the cake!

vagabond currently resides in Austin, Texas… but is known to make trips to various parts of the world, more often to CA, WA & MO. Now is your chance to contact her to book your next shoot… just in time for Christmas! Can you imagine your vagabond pics as Christmas cards too… oh dear, you better hurry. photography@vagabondstyle.com or 949.335.2285

I believe in ‘curb appeal’! Especially when it comes to your business. When you have a storefront it is important to show on the outside that you care about your customer and what you are offering them. A hand.painted business sign is one way {and not as expensive as you may think} to show that and draw your customers inside for more! The hand.painted part is not the only beautiful part of these signs… they also have logos & a color palette that make them stand out and allow the sign artist to shine! I have had the pleasure of working with Mike Meyer on a few different signs… he has been hand.painting signs for a long time and it definitely shows. Not only are these signs beautiful, but since Mike has the experience he knows how to make them so that they last for years to come. Check out the signs he hand.painted below using custom logos by Bb design… now don’t you just want to stop in and see what’s going on behind these doors. If you are in NE Missouri Area… you may have seen these signs… I am hoping to get a few more up in the area. Aren’t they beautiful! What a fabulous and cost effective way to show a little pride in our community & businesses.

First up is the Scotland County Pharmacy… I had the privilege of building their logo a while back and was so excited when they decided to get a sign made using their new logo. Mike is pictured with his wife, Aileen, in the first picture… it was so much fun to meet this couple. They love life & really enjoy what they do together!

Next up is Memphis Area Pregnancy Care Center. With the combination of the new sign & the vinyl decal in the window, this really makes their curb ‘appeal’ just that much more and makes people take notice. Mike graciously hung up the sign for us as we are not the experts in sign hanging.

And last but definitely not least… The Willows Lakehouse. I have been working with The Willows for several years on different projects, starting of course with their logo… if you have not discovered the Willows, you must check out their site and plan a visit. Especially if you are in NE Missouri area… this is the perfect getaway that is not too far away! {www.thewillowslakehouse.com} Mike took the Bb sign design & hand.painted it to make a sign that I would even love to decorate my home with!

OK, just one more… Red Rooster Trading Company… Mike took the logo I built for Red Rooster and knocked this one way way outta the park. I actually do have this one hanging in my living room cause we loved it so much! Mike sent me some behind the scenes pics of the Red Rooster sign which I will blog about soon! He really takes care in his work & it shows, what a gift!

Thanks for stopping by! And if you are interested in pricing for a hand.painted sign by Mike Meyer & Britta burrus design. give me a shout… call or email and I will be glad to discuss your needs/wants for your business. 509-429-1989 or design@brittaburrus.com

PS… I think a personal sign would also be wonderful… so if you are interested in one for your living room, kitchen, hanging outside somewhere {barn, garage, house} or bathroom… whatever your ideas, I know we can come up with something beautiful!