Toula's Home Gift Garden

A few years back, the December before I opened Toula’s, I was home in bed with the flu, surrounded by balled-up tissues and half-watching TV through a feverish haze. The Ellen DeGeneres show went to a commercial break, and an announcer said: “This segment of the Ellen Show is brought to you by Bluewick Candle Company.” My ears pricked up—I knew I needed a great candle line for the store. I did some quick research online and found Bluewick.

Fast-forward a few years: Toula’s is now one of Bluewick’s best customers in the south. There are several collections from which to chose, each offering amazing scents such as grapefruit current and tangerine vanilla. (My sister finds it interesting that when you burn a variety of Bluewick candles in a room over time, the combined effect is pleasing.) Bluewick also prides itself on using the highest-quality domestic soy, organic cotton wicks, and eco-friendly recycled paperboard printed with soy inks, so not only are you buying a great candle, you are helping support a great company. I discovered that soy wax is a wonderful vehicle for fragrance and doesn’t burn as hot as traditional wax, which allows the scent to persist and provides a longer burn time; Bluewick’s glass tumbler candle will actually burn for 85 hours!

Bluewick has recently branched out into the diffuser product line as well, and I am a true believer in these items too. The long, sculptural sticks imbued with liquid fragrance will often last up to six months and are a great alternative to burning a candle. They give off a consistent but not overly assertive scent that is trouble free.

Please drop by the store if you aren’t familiar with these terrific scented candles and diffusers. They make thoughtful gifts for housewarmings (diffusers), hostesses (large candles), or friends on the go (small travel tin candles). As the days get shorter, everyone appreciates a little boost of light and scent!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on October 7th, 2008 | No Comments »

Do you own anything that just makes you happy when you look at it? There are a few things in life that simply make me happy just as they are, and one of them is my handmade R. Wood latte mug. This particular mug is a deep green-blue on the outside and a nice orange on the inside (for those of you who know R. Wood’s color lingo, these colors are “ocean” and “sunset”).

I discovered R. Wood in a gift store in Athens many years ago. There was a table setting of her pottery, and I was taken by the rich glazes and whimsical shapes. Every piece was clearly handmade, down to the finger imprints on the latte mugs. I subsequently learned that Rebecca Wood was a local potter who had met with national recognition. Her pottery is made of deep red Georgia clay, and instead of being thrown on a traditional potter’s wheel, this pottery is pressed into molds and then meticulously worked by hand into a variety of useful shapes.

I don’t typically buy locally for Toula’s, but over the years I have become friends with Rebecca Wood and her gifted crew, and just love the pottery they produce in their colorful Athens studio. More important, our customers are crazy for R. Wood’s boldly colored platters, bowls, and other serving pieces. We have incorporated many of her designs throughout Toula’s, giving customers ideas about how to use traditional pieces in other ways (like popping a nice “surf”-colored latte saucer under a bar of Mistral soap in a guest bathroom).

I like to think that one reason for R. Wood’s success at Toula’s is the fact that we are passionate about the product. All of us at the store use Rebecca’s pieces at home, so we know they “work” as mood-enhancing mugs or cereal bowls, or special pops of color in a room when set out to hold candles or fruit. There are at least nineteen great colors to chose from, and somehow all combinations look good together. These unique pieces make great wedding, housewarming, or hostess gifts. We welcome special orders and would love to make suggestions; as we get closer to the holidays the studio gets extremely busy, so we encourage customers to get their requests in early. Please stop by Toula’s and let us introduce you to one of our simple passions that is produced right here in Athens.

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on September 8th, 2008 | No Comments »

I am headed to New York City this week, on a buying trip for Toula’s. I will be scouring the market for unique items that work well together and serve as thoughtful gifts. This time of the year I usually fly to California for buying, but I decided it was time to mix it up.

New York is always inspiring—the cool shops, the outrageous store windows, the street fashion. I love ducking into favorite department stores such as Barney’s, Muji, and Takashimaya, and catching a Broadway show. But the best thing is just walking around the city and soaking up the energy of Manhattan.

I will spend the most time at an enormous gift show at the Jacob Javits Center. The New York gift show is one of the best I have found. Thousands of vendors come from all over the world to display their products. For those of you who have experienced a gift show know, the whole thing can be overwhelming. The best part of the hunt is stumbling upon a wonderful gem that I know my customers will love, and will be unique to Toula’s. The summer show is a special treat because it is there that I buy for the upcoming holiday season. It is always a blast gathering holiday merchandise in the dog days of summer. When everyone else is thinking beach or perhaps back-to-school, we are thinking Hanukkah and Christmas! As the product deliveries start to arrive in the fall, it feels like a big surprise. I sometimes forget what I purchased until it lands and we unpack the boxes with great anticipation. Often customers are shopping in the store as we tear into cartons of wonderful gifts and self-indulgences, and they enjoy looking at the new stuff as much as we do. I have often sold things right out of the packing box.

Since opening the store in 2004, I have developed a pretty good sense of how to gather products to meet our customers’ needs four or five months ahead of time. I often look for things with certain people in mind, knowing that they will get a thrill when they come into the store and discover what I’ve found. I guess in a way I am a personal shopper, which has become a lot of fun.

Please stop by the store in the coming months to check out the exciting offerings Toula’s will have this fall and holiday season. I won’t mind if you dig through the boxes with us to discover what great things have arrived!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on August 9th, 2008 | No Comments »

I love fragrance, especially in the summertime when it is so hot here in Athens. There is something very refreshing about enjoying an uplifting, light-scented cologne in the heat of the summer. It lifts spirits and rejuvenates you. It can also be enjoyed by others as long as it doesn’t tend to overpower! For both the wearer and those nearby, a particular scent can call forth all sorts of fond memories and associations.

I have used the same fragrance all my life. I discovered it rather accidentally as a kid on a Saudia jumbo jet traveling somewhere. It was in the restroom of the airplane bathroom (the airline thoughtfully provided a little scent to improve your mood—back when air travel was civilized and fun). I remember thinking about the shape of the bottle, and then spraying the cologne on my arm. The scent was citrus, clean and uplifting. I have been hooked ever since. You know you have a great fragrance when you never tire of it.

We carry a wonderful line here at Toula’s that reminds me of my personal cologne. Beth Terry is the creative force behind several unique and wonderful scents I selected for the store after we first opened. Beth was featured in a New York Times article several years ago about indie fragrances. Customers immediately took to her scents such as Element of Surprise and Mare. They are light but complex, unaggressive yet last through the day. The packaging is simple and streamlined, with the focus falling squarely on the cologne inside.

Element of Surpirse is made up of Italian lemon, lime, white tea, and jasmine. Mare has a more spicy approach with hints of sea salt, ginger lily, and avocado. If you are in the mood for romance, Beth Terry also has a great fragrance called Element of Desire. It is composed of tea, peony, and snowdrops. We also sell Vita, a nice mix of tea, blackcurrent, plum, and lily of the valley.  I believe the true test of a fragrance is when we have repeat customers, and Beth Terry now has a loyal following of women and men here at Toula’s. We are also excited about the launch of a new fragrance this summer. I don’t want to give away the surpise, but we should have it in the store very soon.

I encourage you to stop by Toula’s and check out these scents for yourself. They make for a nice respite on a hot summer day. Enjoy your July!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on July 11th, 2008 | No Comments »

Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I am not a fan of summer and hot weather, especially in the south. With June, however, comes the sweet, fragrant blooms of gardenia in Georgia. I always look forward to this yearly event because of the huge gardenia shrub just outside of my dining-room windows. Every year it becomes almost magically loaded with lovely white blooms seemingly overnight, its branches struggling to not brush the ground due to the sheer volume of flowers. This particular bush reminds me of one my grandmother had in her yard when I was a kid; scents can trigger those kind of childhood memories unlike almost anything else.

The good news is that although the delicate blooms of a gardenia shrub are fleeting (once picked for a vase, they last only a day or so), we here at the store have worked diligently to collect a few products that capture the intoxicating scent.

Mistral, which I have talked about before, makes a luxurious gardenia line of soaps, body lotion, and hand cream. The liquid hand soap is one of my favorites. Seda France has also created a really special gardenia candle that is a favorite among our customers. When burned it allows a sweet yet light aroma to float through your space—really evocative of this early summer flower.

The sad news about gardenias is that come July, the blooms are gone until next year. Luckily we carry these great gardenia-scented items year round! Enjoy your sweet start to summer.

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on June 10th, 2008 | No Comments »

On April 1, 2002, I found myself on a plane headed to Los Angeles. I had accepted a job on a corporate project for a large retailer I was working for. I was told that the project would last about three months. As it turned out, I would be away from home for almost a year. One unexpected perk of my journey to L.A. was that I ended up living and working in Santa Monica. I had no idea, but this would turn out to be ground zero for celebrity watching.  I must confess my facination with Hollywood began at an early age, when I insisted my parents buy a “map of the stars’ homes” on a family visit to L.A. (as a kid I  was obsessed with finding Farrah Fawcett’s house). So going back to Los Angeles many years later was great fun for me.

Shopping in L.A. is fantastic. Any spare time I had, I was checking out all the cool, independent shops. In the back of my mind, I knew that I would be opening my own store one day, so whenever I discovered a great item, it got filed away in my mental bank of “future store products for Toula’s.”

During one of my outings to Fred Segal (a quirky, high-end specialty shop a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica), I stumbled across an amazing bath and body line. I picked up a grapefruit and red current soap; it smelled like heaven. At that very moment a woman brushed by me, smiling, shopping bags in tow, and I realized that it was Kristen Davis from “Sex In The City” fame. I just about dropped the soap I was holding! In about a ten-minute span, I saw two other major television stars while browsing around. It was surreal.

That soap I was holding when I had my first celebrity moment was made by Mistral. I opened an account with that French company for Toula’s, and we do a fantastic business with them. Toula’s has a loyal Mistral following, and I am always converting people to the extensive bath line that includes well over twenty lovely scents. It is always at the top of our gift-ideas list because it is such a nice indulgence.

To this day, when I pick up a bar of Mistral’s grapefruit and red current soap in our store, I can’t help but think of California and my time there. I was excited to discover such a luxurious treat unexpectedly, one that I am so proud to sell in our store, and also to have caught a celebrity or two in the mix.

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on March 28th, 2008 | No Comments »

March always catches me off guard. One day you wake up and things are turning from dull brown to fresh green, and lovely hints of white and yellow are popping up from the ground. It is always a surprise to see daffodils springing up everywhere in my neighborhood. It amazes me that anything so delicate can grow so fast after such a long winter.

Hable Construction, a fantastic accessory company whose products we carry here at Toula’s, understands the energizing appeal of springtime. Two very creative sisters, Susan and Katharine Hable, design and produce durable canvas handbags and totes that capture the shapes and colors of spring and put them to good use. (The company name is a reference to their family’s traditional line of business.) They use whimsical silhouettes such as cosmos, lily pads, and chrysanthemums on their bags, with bright splashes of color. Our customers who are driven by practicality as well as fashion love these carryalls. But Hable’s designs are popular year round. One day around Christmastime we almost had a crisis on our hands as we were selling out of a certain Hable Construction bag before every customer got hers!

As it happens, Susan Hable has purchased a wonderful old home three doors down from my house here in Athens, and is planning to move south with her family in the near future. It will be exciting to have such a creative soul nearby!

Enjoy your spring and all the shapes and colors it will bring.

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on March 13th, 2008 | No Comments »

Since I opened Toula’s, I’ve come to associate each month with a calendar highlight. February is a rather short, cold month, so it’s especially nice that it includes a warm holiday like Valentine’s Day.

My most memorable Valentine’s Day came a few years ago, when I was living in Tokyo. I was working for a huge American retailer, opening new stores and training Japanese employees. Most of the people I worked with didn’t speak much English, and I spoke very little Japanese. Luckily for me, I was assigned an excellent translator, and we all managed to communicate pretty well.

Expecting nothing much in the way of celebration when I arrived at the flagship store on February 14, I was met with an embarrassing array of red, heart-shaped cards, chocolate, balloons, and presents from many Japanese women I worked with. Turns out, Valentine’s Day is a huge celebration there, and the Japanese love giving gifts. I remember thinking: how am I going to carry all this stuff on the subway ride back to my apartment?

Another surprise: only men receive cards and gifts on February 14; they are supposed to return the favor on March 14, during the “White Day” celebration for women. This was a completely new holiday that the Japanese created as another sort of Valentine’s Day.

Despite my initial embarrassment and panic, I was taken aback by the outpouring of thoughtfulness and consideration of my female colleagues, many of them taking time to painstakingly hand write notes in English so that I would understand their friendly sentiments. It was a wonderful holiday for me despite being so far from home and my loved ones.

I encourage everyone (both men and women!) to stop by Toula’s before this Valentine’s Day. I like to think that we offer some fun and sophisticated alternatives to the usual flowers and chocolate, from modest tokens of love and friendship such as cards, candles, and fine soaps to more significant statements in jewelry, perfume, and leather goods. Everyone enjoys a thoughtful gift to brighten their day and show them that they are loved and appreciated—and sometimes the fact that it’s unexpected makes it even more special. . .

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on February 4th, 2008 | No Comments »

Happy New Year! Like many, I tend to feel a bit deflated after the excitement of the holidays has passed, but this year I seem to be bouncing back nicely and am really looking forward to 2008. The holiday season brought many new faces into the store as word continues to spread about our diverse offerings, great staff, fun atmosphere, and thoughtful approach to providing service. I know our customers love buying gifts in our store during the holidays, and 2007 was no exception.

I did, however, have a sobering moment one evening during the height of holiday shopping. I was in the store by myself after hours, restocking near the front windows, when I spotted a couple of ladies walking by. They paused, looking in the windows and chatting. The store lights were dimmed, and I don’t think they even noticed me as I inadvertently eavesdropped on their conversation.

One lady said that she had never been in Toula’s. The other exclaimed, “Oh, you have to go in, but the store is filled with nothing you really need.” I heard this and it gave me pause. Well, first it irritated me, and then it made me think. . . do we sell things that people don’t really need?

The answer to this question clearly depends on who you ask. If you adopt a Spartan attitude, then sure, you don’t require anything but the bare essentials. I know some people who never buy anything except items that are purely functional, but to me this seems like a rather colorless lifestyle.

After I overheard the lady characterize Toula’s as she did, I began to ponder the concept of “need.” The store is filled with fantastic things from all over the world—none strictly necessary to survival, but they certainly make life much more pleasant. Obviously, no one has to have a beautiful soy candle, but it will add both romantic light and luxurious scent to your space. You can get perfectly clean with basic soap from the grocery store, but a lovely French triple-milled bar will more reliably lift your spirits as well.

After further thought, I came to the conclusion that Toula’s is filled with all kinds of small indulgences that may not be required to get along in the world, but they can help us be a lot more comfortable and relaxed—and I think that’s worth something.

Hope to see you in 2008,

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on January 14th, 2008 | No Comments »

I cannot believe it is holiday time once again. Wasn’t it just Halloween a minute ago? I remember when I was a kid, my elders would always caution me about wishing my life away. They would tell me that when I got older, “time would fly by.” Now I know what they were talking about. But I can’t complain—I love this time of year, even if it is fleeting.

In December we get to see our wonderful customers in groups, and as Athens is a small town, they often know one another, so they enjoy a nice visit in the store. It is also the only month when the entire staff is working at the same time. Each year we gather one night after the store has closed to decorate for the season. We usually serve a little champagne to enhance the deck-the-halls  experience. This year we decided to hang branches from the high ceiling and dangle ornaments from them, for a novel and festive effect.

We don’t have a live tree in the store this year, so Aunt Sadie’s Tree In A Can candle comes in handy. This candle is amazing:  it smells just like a fresh-cut Douglas fir. It is one of our best-selling seasonal candles, and we sell out each year well before Christmas (I already sold out once and started taking orders for our next shipment, which arrived today, thankfully). I love the evocative scent, which reminds me of being a kid and watching my dad raise the Christmas tree in the living room each year.

I remember one year when my family was living in Saudi Arabia during the holiday season. I wondered how Christmas was going to unfold in the middle of the desert. To my great joy, my father found a live Christmas tree that had been flown in from who-knows-where. We were so excited to have a real tree that it didn’t even matter that the needles fell off of the sad thing long before Christmas morning. I do remember that smell, though:  our Christmas tree that had logged more sky miles that Santa still had that deep evergreen scent.

Enjoy the smells—and sounds and tastes—of the holidays!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on December 7th, 2007 | No Comments »