LA.com Goodbye

Now this person/ customer was lovely! Big shout out and thank you! LA.Com is an excellant Los Angeles website that I love to check out!

Bye, Bye Brick Lane
Yes, it's understating the obvious to say that the economy is bad. Even businesses we consider to be shopping staples in certain neighborhoods are feeling the effects, as witnessed today at Brick Lane on Abbot Kinney. We swear we heard Big Ben toll as our disbelieving eyes spotted the We Quit! banner. Brick Lane is going out of business; its doors will remain open until September 28 and everything is for sale, practically down to the brick and mortar. Furniture, display cases, art and fixtures along with clothing and accessories from across the pond. Which brings us to this: Where will we go to find cutsie-mod goods by Orla Kiely, and woolly sweaters by Pringle of Scotland (though, when it comes to the latter, our eyes are generally bigger than our wallets), under one roof? Bloody hell!Items for women are already scarce, but duds for the dudes are still plentiful. Stop in, pick up some threads and pay your last respects. RIP Brick Lane. A day in the life, indeed. Brick Lane, 1132 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice.

Hate Mail

This is a particular favorite of mine - someone who didn't want to post a negative comment on the YoVenice blog and get ripped apart by all the people who wrote back in my defense...so instead I got a personal email attack....

Hey,
Do the Brits in the neighbourhood a favour..Don't open another store..Your clothes line was pretty shyte and SOOO overpriced.

Cheers.

My reply to said jerk was not something I plan to post - nor his name and email which I have - I will be the adult and rise above - but some people suck.

My favorite is the "Cheers" goodbye portion.
NICE!

Cheers luvs
X's
Amanda

There is ALWAYS a critic

First off I want to thank my friends at YoVenice.com - THE blog to check on a daily basis if you are a Venice local - hands down. Keri has always been a huge supporter of all things Abbot Kinney and of my store - so the following write up was her trying to help me out and to alert the neighborhood to our closing and the sale.

THANK YOU KERI!

And bookmark YOVENICE.COM to always be in the know about the happenings in your neighborhood. Be a concerned, knowledgeable and active member of your community!

Yo! Venice Write up

Of course if you read the comments - you will see.....there is ALWAYS a critic. Of course I shouldn't take it personally. I mean really - someone who would rather see a 99cent store in my place not only lacks style, sophistication and class - but obviously cares little about the fate of Abbot Kinney and the business owners who are this person's neighbors. Maybe said critics would be happier with a 99cent store a Ross and a KFC on the street. I personally want the remaining independent business owners to have the chance to survive and thrive!

Thank GOD most other residents whether they were fans of my store or not - do not seem to share the same sentiment. If they did - Venice would be lost.

I am HAPPY I was a small part of what is going to be recorded as a intense time of growth and/or change in this community and am proud of the contributions I made. Some changes are good - some are not...but change is meant to be no matter what. As I am 8 days away from closing the doors on my dream I can accept that.

I guess I just still have issues accepting narrow minded judgemental people who have opinions and comments when they have never once in their lives attempted to achieve something and gone down in flames but could be proud of themselves for trying.

So here is the article and the link so you can see what ruffled my feathers.

Yo! Venice Write up complete with comments

Brick Lane is closing. :(
September 18th, 2008 by Keri · 7 Comments

We are sad that Brick Lane is closing - Amanda has been a great supporter of the Abbot Kinney retail district, active in events (First Fridays!), and a great supporter of Yo! Venice! since we started this blog.
She wanted us to let our readers know about her going-out-of-business sale - which includes furniture and decor items from the store. (The phone booth has been sold already, btw.)
From now until September 28th, we have the opportunity to help a great store owner and ease the frustration of losing yet another small business to the ailing economy - stop in at Brick Lane and buy something!
Brick Lane1132 Abbot Kinney BlvdVenice CA

Cheers Luvs

X's

Amanda

Last First Friday at Brick Lane

Well friends - I am sad to report that tomorrow evening - Friday September 5th is the Last first Friday on Abbot Kinney that Brick Lane will be participating in. We will be open until 10PM with lots of wine and beer and a last shopping chance for you all - with things marked from 25% off (Brand new fall arrivals) up to 90% off. Please come by and say goodbye if you can.

Our last day of business will be Sunday September 28th.

After that the doors will be closed. It has been a difficult and sad time as I start saying my goodbyes - but I am trying to take with me the good memories and focus on the positive things, such as the wonderful relationships I have made with my customers and neighbors these past (almost 4) years.

The past weeks have been challenging to say the least - but I thought I would share....

TOP FIVE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS / COMMENTS I HEAR EVERYDAY:

1. Oh my God - you are going out of Business? Does that mean you are moving or opening the store somewhere else?

No sadly. Generally Going out of Business does not mean re-opening to another location - this is it.

2. But WHY are you going out of business?

To put it simply - The Bush Economy

3.What are you going to do? What's next? Where will you work?

I have NO bloody idea - any suggestions or offers?

4. Is it 75% off the marked price? If not I will come back when you have marked things down more.....

No - this isn't the dollar store - it is price as marked - already 75% off and WELL below wholesale - so feel free to come back but I still won't give it away for free.

(and people wonder why I am going out of business)

And my FAVORITE - heard at LEAST 10 times plus a day for the past 4 weeks.....

5. Well you know what they say....Everything happens for a reason....

Really? Yeah....it's been mentioned once or twice...thanks. Of course I am open to anyone who has "The Reason" for me.

Please excuse the most obvious sarcastic and bitchy tone to the above - as I know that for the MOST part these comments come from a place of concern and love by my wonderful customers (with a few glaring exceptions that I will write about at a future time when it starts to finally become funny for me), I just get really exhausted explaining the situation 50 times a day and by the end of the day get - well sarcastic and bitchy to be honest. Apologies.

So these are the final weeks - please spread the word and come say goodbye. I WILL miss my customers very much...and will keep everyone posted on future endeavors - although don't hold your breath for me to open another store anytime soon unless we have a radical turn around in the economy.

I will say though - my natural sense of restlessness and quest for adventure is slowly creeping it's way back in......it may be time to pack my bags....and then who knows where I may end up?

Cheers Luvs

X's

Amanda

Another Talented Brick Lane Customer - Melissa Morgan

One day about a year ago a lovely family walked into my store on their way to dinner elsewhere on the Kinney. They were that type of family of people who were friendly, outgoing, personable with whom I had an instant connection to so I automatically and correctly ascertained that they must be East Coast people! After a lovely conversation and shopping experience where the whole family walked out each with (or wearing) a beautiful article of clothing from Pringle of Scotland (yes they have impeccable taste as well) I found myself thinking "I hope they come back"

Come back they did - and over the past year plus their beautiful daughter Melissa has continued to come in and shop, with friends, with mom and dad when they visit her here, has attended events and has - as the way with so many lovely people I have been fortunate to meet over the years - become someone I consider a friend.

Melissa is low key and un-assuming for a tall willowy beautiful girl and it did not really surprise me when she admitted she was in the entertainment industry. What did surprise me as my first assumption would have been that she was an actress - but no she told me, she was a singer. Not just a singer, a jazz singer no less! A jazz singer with a beautifully smooth rich voice that brings you back to a time of the past. A time of dark and smoky jazz clubs on Saturday nights where exquisitely dressed women and sharply dressed men clustered around small cloth covered tables sipping Manhattans and smoking cigarettes while watching a jazz diva on a small stage belting out tunes lamenting of love lost, exulting love found and of all things between.

One of Melissa's last shopping trips in here - we got her to try on a very sexy ISSA dress that draped perfectly and was the color of an Iris. Today she sent me the link to see the dress as she used it in a photo shoot. (We hope it makes her album cover but we will see!)

Just another wonderful and amazing experience on this long road for me - getting a chance to meet and befriend talented people and then to be able to celebrate with them their triumphs. Way to go Melissa!

To hear a few of her tracks you can check out her myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com:80/melissamorganjazz

Personally I can't wait to hear more!

Cheers Luvs
X's
Amanda

Amazing Photo Exhibition

My friend Deborah is having her debut photography exhibition at our friend Holly's store SALT on Friday August 15th.

Showcasing her stunning photographs from her trip to MALI.

African inspired music by her talented son DJ Benjamin LaBrave

Come on down and check it out!

Cheers luvs

X's

Amanda

The Healthy Irishman on iFood

Ok so you may think that food has nothing to do with Fashion - but I don't agree.

First of all eating a healthy diet and living a healthy lifestyle is the best thing you can do to accentuate your BEST accessories. Healthy eating / living helps create beautiful skin and hair, bright eyes and generally a happy disposition - and I think a smile is the best accessory we could ever have!! Not to mention eating healthy keeps our bodies looking great for the fashion we want to wear!

This post is about the Healthy IRISHMAN! Irish / English, ok ok not always the best of friends in history, but it is a new age and can't we all just get along? Here in Los Angeles they all do - so Irishman fits the U.K. thing in my book!!

Finally, this blog is for the most part about my life and the Healthy Irishman is a part of my close circle of friends, seeing as he married into it by sweeping my friend Christy of her Texan feet with his accent, tattoos and mad cooking skills. Thanks to him I eat healthier and healthier every day!

So - here is a video for you to enjoy of their blog featured on iFood.tv





If you haven't checked their blog out yet - you should! Great seasonal recipes! You can always find it here under Brilliant Blogs!



Cheers luvs

X's

Amanda