Green Light!!!

Oh happy dance day! I got a call this afternoon from one of the banks I met with last week saying, "Are you sitting down? We got this worked out and the loan is a go." Yes! Yes! A bank said yes to our loan application. Big exhale now and time to roll up my sleeves. I'm ready! We should close on the loan in the next few weeks and then time to flip the switches for logo design, website development, lease negotiation, inventory orders, working with a business consultant and the huge to do list to be done in time for a September opening. I'm so excited! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Mr. Banker man for calling with such good news on a Friday afternoon making my smile extra big for the weekend.

The other exciting news is a springboard from the sad news about so many Borders stores closing. I love Borders! I've spent many, many hours in the stores and yes, have bought many, many books from them. We have books in every room of our house. Online shopping is such a convenience to be sure and I've certainly clicked my share of "add to cart" and "submit order" buttons. I've tried, as I've learned more, to support local businesses. If I can't find what I want at a local store than I still support a brick and mortar store. Research from the 3/50 Project says that when you shop at a local store, $68 of your $100 purchase stays in your community. When you shop at a national chain, $43 stays in your community and when you shop online $0 comes back to your community. Borders sadly is, in part, a casualty of the online trend in shopping.

Wait...exciting news is what I said....oh yeah...right...I love, love, loved Borders! I lived in Ann Arbor, MI, their world headquarters for several years and enjoyed their corporate building, knew many people who worked there. Very sad to see it struggling right now...but.... exciting news for My Toy Garden is that I have bought almost all of the fixture I need from the Borders a mile from my house that is closing on Sunday. I spent about 20% of what I planned to spend on fixtures and am sooo excited!!! They will look fabulous in the space and I love, love, love that a piece of Borders will live on in My Toy Garden bringing joy to many others for a long time to come. Goodbye Borders....hello My Toy Garden!

***Shameless, plea for help....If you love to take things apart, please come join Tim and I on this Sunday at Borders to disassemble the pieces and get them ready to move. We'd love the extra help! Thank you!