Behind the Counter- July
Welcome to Behind the Counter. This month our brick & mortar shop is turning NINE YEARS OLD! To celebrate the occasion, BTC will be all about T&B this month. Enjoy!
We are a small and mighty operation at T&B. There are three regulars behind the scenes- me (Diana), Emily LoPresto and Ellie Behm. When I say that I have the best team in the biz, I truly mean it. I am so lucky to work with the most talented, inspiring, kind and thoughtful women. Learn a bit more about the wonderful Emily and Ellie below!
Emily started working at T&B in September of 2020 and I truly don’t know where T&B would be without her! She helped me get through a pandemic and also kept the shop running while I was out on maternity leave. It would be impossible to list all of the things that Emily does for the shop in one newsletter, but I will try to list a few. Emily keeps the shop organized and running smoothly. She totally revamped our shop website, including our ecommerce shop, and is constantly tweaking it to make it better. She is super handy and a master at hanging art and wallpaper. She has a magic touch with our jewelry case and you will often find her rearranging the jewels. She is a problem solver at heart, inspiring me to keep growing and the shop thriving. Emily is always there with a pep talk and words of encouragement when you need it. We also laugh a lot together, which is a bonus. Outside of T&B, Emily is a talented ceramicist and sells her pottery as E.Lo Ceramic Art. She is busy this summer traveling to Art Fairs all over the Midwest. You can find her at the Ann Arbor Art Fair next week. Emily loves her mini Dachshund, Sally, and has recently become passionate about rock climbing. T&B is where it is today thanks to Emily and I am forever grateful.
Ellie started working at T&B in September of 2023 and she has quickly taken the reins on many of the creative projects at the shop, especially the shop window displays. She has made giant papier mache foods, a giant bow and giant paper flowers to date. Ellie takes on any wild idea that I come up with with excitement and curiosity. I am in awe of Ellie’s skill, passion and ability to try something new. She has really upped our creative game at T&B and I am so thankful for it. She is currently working on a few other exciting design projects for T&B at the moment that I can’t wait for you to see. Outside of T&B, Ellie has recently graduated from the University of Michigan School of Art & Design with a focus in 3D art. She also just started a Masters Program at the University of Michigan Ross Business School. When she isn’t busy with school she enjoys making things, recently crocheting and even trying her hand at making stained glass. She is Baggu obsessed and recently had her Color Analysis done, which has inspired all of us to consider getting it done as well. I am so very lucky to have Ellie on my team.
I first started Thistle & Bess in 2012 selling vintage and antique jewelry online. I have had a passion for collecting objects that tell a story from a young age, even winning a second grade writing contest about wanting to be an archaeologist when I grew up. While teaching elementary school in the NYC Public School System, I discovered a love for antique jewelry, specifically from the Victorian Era. Something about those quirky Victorians and the deep symbolism and stories behind their jewelry fascinated me. I decided to take that passion for collecting antique pieces and turn it into an online jewelry business. As my jewelry business grew, in 2015 I decided to take a giant leap and move back home to Ann Arbor, Michigan to follow my dream and open a storefront. Nine years later, I am still here!
I asked customers to submit some questions for me to answer this month in celebration of NINE YEARS on 4th Ave.
What is the hardest part about running a shop?
While there is some flexibility in owning your own business, I would say that the hardest part about running a shop, for me, is the fact that there really is no “break” or downtime. You have to constantly think and plan ahead, coming up with new and exciting things to try and stay fresh. I often find it hard to stay in the moment and appreciate how far we have come because I constantly feel the need to juggle and move on to the next thing. While that pace can be hard, the constant growth and change is also exciting. There really never is a dull moment and the longer that I have been in business, the more I am able to embrace the process and not stress out about stepping away for a bit to reset.
What is one of your favorite items that you carried in the first year of business? What item has been a surprise best seller?
I had fun looking back at our first year to answer this one! A couple favorite goods come to mind- I loved the metallic ceramic art tiles made by the Canadian designer Xenia Taler. They came in lots of quirky designs and could be hung on the wall or used as a coaster or paperweight. I was super bummed when they stopped making them. I also loved the hand painted IPhone cases by Kimmy Makes Things. She painted a bunch of characters from Wes Anderson films on them. We eventually stopped carrying them because cell phone technology and shapes changed too quickly!
An item that has become a surprise best seller are Baggu bags. They were one of the first brands that I ordered for the shop. I originally carried a few canvas bags and their reusable shopping bags. I never could have imagined the cult status that they have achieved in the past few years. Customers are nuts for Baggu. New print drops sell out so fast and we get some serious collectors looking for certain patterns and styles, which is so wild.
Does Pippa still come to the shop?
My dog, a scruffy Brussels Griffon named Pippa, sadly doesn’t come to the shop anymore. The shop life started to get a bit stressful for her and she would spend most of her days barking. Luckily my husband has been working from home since the pandemic, so she gets to stay home with him and relax. Emily’s dog Sally the Dachshund comes to the shop on Thursdays if you need a shop dog fix!
What inspired your bookshelf wallpaper?
This is actually one of the most asked questions at T&B! At least once a day we get asked if the book wall behind the counter is a mural or wallpaper. It is indeed wallpaper- specifically it is the Bibliotheque pattern by Brunschwig & Fils. I first discovered it at one of my favorite places to grab a drink when I lived in NYC, Tipsy Parson. I loved the atmosphere of that restaurant, which has sadly since closed, and I knew that if I opened a shop that I would use the same wallpaper in my space. It is the perfect backdrop for our shop and has become a recognizable part of our brand. I still love it nine years later.
Where do you get inspiration for shop windows?
Designing shop windows is one of my favorite parts about owning a shop. We have so much fun with it. We get inspiration from many different places- films, art, pop culture, history, fashion, and of course shop products. We start designing our holiday window in June. Many times our holiday window theme inspires the products that I order for the season as well. Our holiday window this year will be very luxurious and fitting for our little jewel box of a shop. I’m so excited and can’t wait for you to see it!
Here are nine things that bring me joy for nine years in business at T&B:
-Connection with my community. I love getting to get to know all of you and helping you celebrate milestones in your lives.
-Collaboration with the insanely talented artists and other business owners that we have met on this wild ride.
-Finding new and exciting specialty goods for the shop. Shopping for new products is always really fun.
-Delivery days! I love unpacking products and displaying them in interesting ways.
- Jewelry designing. I am so proud of our T&B fine jewelry line and look forward to designing some new pieces in the future. It has been a really interesting learning experience for me.
- Shop window displays- I absolutely adore coming up with new window designs and seeing them come to life. I also love watching people experience them when they walk by outside.
- Curating a truly unique experience and creating an atmosphere that feels welcoming and joyful.
-Working with the best team members who have become like family to me.
-The fact that I am still here living out my dream in a world where it is harder and harder for small businesses to survive. Thank you, thank you!
