Call me crazy. Old fashioned. Silly. Or maybe nuts. I may be a little of all those things because I just need an old fashioned brick and mortar scrapbook and crafts store in my life. It’s why I drive 3 hours for a scrapbook store.
When I decide to visit them, I make a day of it. I get up early, arrive not long after they open, and I spend a looooong time wandering around in the store. I study every shelf, notice every product and get choosy about what I add to my stash. I feel happy just entering the store, and can’t wait to see what’s going to make me all fuzzy inside. Plus, the name of the store kind of tells you what it’s all about: WhimSoDoodle in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Sure, I shop online sometimes, but I am loyal to the local scrapbook store owner. I think it’s important to shop local so I often wait for a while to get supplies so I can stock up! Afterall, it’s a luxury to find a quality store that carries a wide range of product lines, particularly paper. I’m sorry Michael’s and Jo-Ann’s but your paper selection stinks and a lack of brands to choose from is disappointing.
Sometimes I pay a little more for this or that, but I’m okay with it. I like supporting a fellow business owner who is contributing to a community. I enjoy having a chance to see a wide range of products and see smiling faces for tips and ideas. This store is beautiful and has so much to enjoy.
I value the classes WhimSoDoodle offers so I can expand my own skills and try new projects. I value meeting professionals in the industry like Amy Tangerine, Ali Edwards, Donna Downey, Dina Wakely and others. This is me with Amy last year.
A good ole fashioned scrapbook store has a lot of value to me.
I value spending time for myself as I travel across the state, cranking the music for my mind to wander and lingering in a waterfront café for lunch.
I value meeting people in the store, or sharing my own expertise if someone is just getting started. Once I helped a man who was thoughtful enough to be shopping for his scrapbooking wife and I was his personal shopper!
I value the projects I make with the stash I get, knowing they are going to be pages in our family albums, mini books for friends, and new ideas for this blog. Making paper crafts that capture stories and document the times of our lives is an important calling for me.
I value the store owner who works hard to keep her store full of everything I can’t find anywhere else. It’s about paper, embellishments, paints, journals, planner supplies, beautiful fabrics and other things I love to ooh and ahh over. I appreciate how much heart and soul they put into this store.
I value being inspired by the example projects I see, because “creating” satisfies my soul.
So while I’d love to have a store in the neighborhood to visit often, I am okay with my periodic trips to downtown St. Petersburg: to see the girls at WhimSoDoodle, find the things I love, try new items I can’t live without, and most of all, discover more ways that I can make today creative.
*photo credit: WhimSoDoodle.
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