Shop Spotlight v4: Midwest Pet Paintings

Tell us about your business.

I have been searching for some time to find the appropriate supplement to my career (as a graphic designer) that would appease my need to create. My lifelong love for animals, and talent for painting led me to a pretty obvious choice: Pet paintings! I have started to build up a personal collection of these creations and I am excited to offer them to the public. I create portraits of your favorite pet on canvas with primarily acrylic as the medium. I have done many smaller paintings that work well for people on a budget, and more and more I am able to work on some larger pieces to fit a custom area in the client's home. I truly revere every animal I have ever met, so it has been so fun for me to get to see photos and hear the stories of the pets that have touched other people's lives. The best part is helping to honor those animals who are a real part of people's families.

How did you start your business and when?

I started the business 2010 when my husband was deployed in Afghanistan. One evening after my daughter was asleep I had the urge to create, and I was on facebook and noticed a stunning photo of my friend's boston terrier. I have traditionally been a abstract artist, but I thought I would give painting an animal subject a try. I had so much fun painting the dog that I stayed up and just kept going. I set up a website shortly after that, and to my surprise I started getting orders! The business has taken off in the past 4 months, and I have really enjoyed every minute of it!

Why do you think customers should shop local?

I think that with purchasing custom art, the best part is being able to meet the artist and actually have them personally give you the art. The personal connection of meeting the people I am creating the art for is really inspiring to me. There are some obvious benefits such as stimulating our local economy, which is important, but I find that the benefit of knowing that you can call or stop by if you need anything is pretty neat. I have a mentality as well, that if my client isn't happy, then I am most definitely not happy-- I have found with many of the local stores in Des Moines that they have the same mindset. Local business owners work very hard for their business and are truly passionate about what they do, making it so fun to support them as a consumer.

Does your business provide any special services to customers?

Absolutely, as everything I do is completely custom. I find it is beneficial to be able to have a phone call, series of emails ,or meeting before starting any piece. I will work with my customer to make sure they are getting exactly what they had in mind. I also can paint on any surface, I have an old window that is waiting for me to paint a cat in it!

What do you think sets you apart from other similar businesses?

I think that my niche of pet paintings is something that has definitely been done, so I am striving to offer exemplary customer service and quality at an affordable price. I do a custom quote for every piece, and I want to make sure that what I create is something that not only will be cherished for years, but is also based on a price-point that is reasonable for each individual. The reason I really pushed to get my business going was because I heard from a lot of people, that they would love a painting... but they just cant afford it! I am working hard to change that thought process by working with the customer to find a way to create something they will love and can afford. I truly do love animals and creating this art, and I have found with my past dealings with business owners that is it a lot more fun to work with someone who adores what they do.

What do you think the benefits are for selling online? Have you thought of opening up a brick and mortar shop?

Online is something that is definitely a great way to get started, the cost of putting an item up online is very low, which allows me to keep my prices low. I often miss that personal connect of actually meeting the person that I am creating the art for, but at this point that has been my only negative point. I absolutely have a dream of opening a physical shop, I think that every artist does. I think that a great fit would be to open a small studio that maybe also sells fun pet gifts and supplies. I would adore the ability to interact with customers every day who share the same interests as I do.

Tell me about some of your favorite portraits you’ve done.

Although my pet menagerie features two small fluffy pups I have a soft spot for the bully breeds. Their faces are so soulful and tell a million stories. Any portrait that I get to do of any of those breeds is always fun! My favorites have been gifts that people have ordered for significant others or family members. It is so fun to get that follow up email or call letting me know how much they loved it.

Etsy
Website
Facebook

Event spotlight v1: East Village Holiday Promenade

Tell us about The Holiday Promenade.

This is the 10th anniversary of Holiday Promenade! It started by business owners and residents when the neighborhood was just experiencing a revitalization. It has grown significantly. The highlight of Promenade are the business open houses in the heart of the Historic East Village, but over the last several years, we've coordinated efforts with Brenton Skating Plaza to host the event during their opening night. They have holiday events and Santa that are family friendly, plus skating! The event took on a new dynamic last year when we were approached by Downtown Community Alliance who offered to sponsor a fireworks display during the event. It went great and will be a part of the event this year too.

In the heart of the Villlage, we'll have two horse-drawn carriages, a few groups caroling, plus so many fun events at open houses. Many new businesses race to open before Promenade. This year, we've added a window decorating contest to encourage a festive feel that will kick-off that night and carry on throught the holiday season. We're also giving away 2000 reusable shopping bags at 3 popular stops: Brenton Plaza, LifeServe Blood Center, where they'll have Miss Iowa and Ballet Des Moines performing, and Baby Boomers. The bags will be filled with information, maps, coupons, and samples and people can use them to shop in the HEV throughout the holiday season!

How did you start this event and when?

The event started in 2001. This is the 10th year. I was on the HEV board for two years and ended up taking over the co-chair responsibilities and have just kept on doing that. This is my 3rd year chairing the event.

Why do you think people should attend The Holiday Promenade?

The event really caters to all. For shoppers: Those looking to start their holiday lists (or even start their shopping early!) will find unique items, locally crafted and global goods, items in all price ranges, and some lines they won't find anywhere else in the state or country! People will enjoy visiting their favorite stores for goodies and festive fun, plus this is a great incentive to visit stores new to them and getting to know the owners and employees. They might find new favorites! For families: Fireworks, ice skating, santa, goodies, Ballet, Miss Iowa, gorgeous window displays, horse and carriages..need we say more? We're piling on the holiday spirit...and thick!

How do the local shops get involved in your events and will they be offering any special sales?

This is a favorite of local shops and nearly every one participates. A few have specials and sales. some launch new lines or holiday items, and many offer goodies and events. This is a great time to get a feel for all the East Village has to offer holiday shoppers. It is a busy night for certain and we find that lots of Promenade guests return the next day to make more purchases.

What do you think sets you apart from other Holiday Shopping Events?

We comebine big events with the charm of a small village. The East Village is unique in so many ways and that is in large part due to the great people who choose to invest in the neighborhood by opening businesses and deciding to live there. Businesses don't have a large corporation or mall office telling them how to operate and that adds to the charm. The restaurants are also unique and cater to varied tastes so when you're worn out from shopping, you can pop into one of them for a memorable meal.

What is your favorite East Village Shop or Restaurant?

Don't make me pick a favorite! Most of us support each other, there are great service providers (spas, doctors, attorneys, more!) that we try to use, we eat out in the neighborhood all the time, and I do all of my holiday shopping in the Village because I can find everything I need at every price point. I will say that it is vital that if people only come down for one or two stores they've always visited or restaurants they always frequent, that they get out and pop into others. There are cute little shops and off the beaten path and new businesses opening all the time. There are treasures everywhere.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

The East Village is not only a great place to visit, but an incredible place to own a business. I own East Village Spa. I've been in the Village for 4 1/2 years, 1 1/2 years in private practice and 3 years as owner of a 2000 sf spa. I started my business in my 20's and that isn't unique in the Village. In that time, I've seen many other young business owners succeed and expand their businesses like I've been able to. I'd never be anywhere else. It is also important for people to recognize that the unique qualities of the Village inspire such an incredible passion and pride in business owners, residents, and volunteers who dedicate so much time and talent to serving on the board.

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For more information about this event, please visit the Historic East Village website at http://www.eastvillagedesmoines.com or contact the Cassie Sampson at 515-309-2904 or evdayspa@gmail.com.

Do you have a event coming up that you would like us to spotlight? Please contact us at: shoplocaldesmoines@gmail.com for more information!

Photos from Metromix

Shop Spotlight v3: Leona Ruby

Leona Ruby
Ellen Martinson, owner
328 E 6th Street – East Village
Des Moines, IA 50309
515.244.5841
http://www.leonaruby.com

Tell us about your business.

Leona Ruby is a jewelry boutique located at the corner of East 6th & Walnut Streets in the East Village. We feature jewelry to express your style whether it is a simple pair of sterling silver earrings, or my favorite, giant cocktail rings to make a bold statement. We carry designer jewelry like Charles Albert and Elizabeth & James, as well as custom Jane Basch monogram necklaces, handmade pieces from local designers and designers across the globe, and a variety of vintage pieces.

How did you start your business and when?

The idea for Leona Ruby has been in my head for years. We officially opened the doors on June 1st of this year. It has been an exciting first year and I am eager to watch it grow.

Why do you think customers should shop local?

Shopping local is great for many reasons. By shopping local you are reinvesting in the community and encouraging growth. Just look at the East Village - what an eclectic area filled with so many fun local shops and restaurants. None of that was here when we moved to Des Moines 10 years ago. By shopping local you are helping create these unique areas making Des Moines a fun place to live and visit.

Does your business provide any special services for customers?

I often get requests for specific vintage styles or sets of necklaces for a wedding party - the jewelry hunt is half the fun! I’m also always happy to loan out jewelry for photoshoots or shows. Finishing touches are key and no outfit is complete with out a little extra style.

Why did you choose the location you are currently at?

The East Village is the first place I considered when we decided to open Leona Ruby. When I saw the space with the huge corner windows, I knew it would be perfect.

What do you think sets you apart from other similar businesses?

The jewelry at Leona Ruby is unique to Des Moines. It is always exciting to wear something that not everyone has seen before. It’s good to be different! I try to have unique pieces that you just couldn’t find in Des Moines, but now you can! It’s a little store with a lot of style.

What do you think the benefits are for having a brick and mortar shop opposed to just selling online?

Having an actual storefront is a huge benefit with jewelry. Customers want to try on pieces and see them in person. Plus, I enjoy interacting with people, that is why the retail world works so well for me. Getting to know people, building a relationship and of course finding that perfect ring or necklace to fit their style!

Tell me about some of your favorite designs.

Well maybe not designers… but my style icons are Yoko Ono, Edie Sedgwick and Cruella Deville.

Shop Spotlight v2: Dornink

Tell us about your business.

We design and create custom bridal, evening, and cocktail dresses. We also carry a variety of accessories for bridal and everyday.

How did you start your business and when?

We opened our store in the East Village in May of 2008. However the business has been in exisitence since I was a little girl. My mom, Faythe Dornink, started the business in her home almost 30 years ago. I grew up in the business. I went to school at FIT in NY and then moved home to build and expand the business with Faythe. We currently own the store together.

Why do you think customers should shop local? 

We can provide custom design and fitting that is not offered at any large scale store. We love our customers and go out of our way to make sure they look amazing and are satisfied.

Does your business provide any special services for customers? 

We alter just about any women’s wear.

Why did you choose the location you are currently at? 

When scouting locations for our store, we loved the East Village. We love the old buildings and uniqueness of the area. It just seemed like a perfect fit.

What do you think sets you apart from other similar businesses?

There are few places in the mid-west that offer custom design. We are proud to have over 30 years of experience in this area.

What do you think the benefits are for having a brick and mortar shop opposed to just selling online?

For anyone who is a hands on person, its great to be able to see and feel the fabric. Plus it would be impossible to fit someone with out a store front. We are also working to expand our online presence and have developed a website that allows customers all over the world custom design their perfect dress. Our goal is offer the same service to the nation that we offer to our local customers.

Tell me about some of your favorite designs.

As a designer, I usually love anything new that I’ve designed and tend to get sick of the old stuff. But then someone will come in and try on an old style and I will be reminded of why I loved that one when it was first designed.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Come check out our store for not only dresses but for lots of amazing accessories. Follow us on facebook for all the latest posts of jewelry and sales.

Shop Spotlight v1: Dorthea's Closet

Tell us about your business.

Dorothea's Closet Vintage is a vintage clothing boutique and website in Des Moines, Iowa. On the website you'll find an extensive collection of high end vintage clothing and accessories for women, curated to offer the best of pieces ranging from the 1800s to the 1980s. For the modern fashion-minded, there are designer items from the likes of Halston, Oscar de La Renta, Thierry Mugler, Lagerfeld, Yves St Laurent, Pucci and Lanvin as well as one of a kind pieces to mix and match with a contemporary wardrobe. A serious vintage collector will find dresses by Ceil Chapman, Claire McCardell, Patou, Germaine, Givenchy and Helen Bond Carruther along side unique pieces from the 1800s to the 1930s. The website is arranged by decade, with separate pages devoted to jewelry, bags, hats, lingerie, shoes, coats, gowns and a section to view and research the archives.

Dorothea's regularly works with stylists and has been seen in fashion magazines (including Vogue, Vogue Japan, Steven Meisel, Grace Coddington, Interview Magazine, V Magazine, Romantic Homes) , wardrobers for film and television (Grey Gardens, seen on Jessica Lange...Peacock, seen on Susan Sarandon...the Playboy Club), local publications (DSM, ISU's Trend Magazine, DSM Woman, Core Magazine) and has celebrity clients including Dita Von Teese, Tracy Ullman, Sherilynn Fenn, Rose McGowan, Amy Smart and Mia Sara.

The local boutique is a little more street in it's approach to fashion. The dresses, coats, scarves, hats, bags, shoes, lingerie and jewelry range in date from the 1940s to 1980s, with an emphasis on moderate to lower price pieces for every day wear. There is a rack of menswear as well as a small selection of children's vintage. The shop highlights more introductory pieces for the new vintage afficianado, easily worn with a modern ensemble in an affordable range. Most pieces on the website are not found in the shop due to their age, price or rarity but can be arranged to view.


How did you start your business and when?

I started Dorothea's in 2003, as a new Mom with some financial hardships. I began just selling off some of my personal collection on eBay part time while working a full time day job. I kept at it, hunting more vintage, cleaning and mending, researching dates and designers, taking photos and learning how to tweak presentation to sell online. After divorcing in 2004, I ramped up my approach and began working harder at finding vintage...networking locally with estate dealers, running ads, devoting more hours to the search. By April of 2006 the online business was doing well enough for me to quit my full time job and be able to stay home with my daughter, Ava. I began building my website off-line while still selling on eBay, and by August of '06 was able to debut the website and quit eBay altogether.

In November of that same year I saw an open shop front as I was headed to the shop next door to it to look for a new/vintage sofa. I looked into the space and started wondering how it would look full of my vintage (that by now was filling racks in my apartment in nearly every room as well as the hallway). I made a few calls and took the gamble, self-financed, opening in January of 2007. Until early this year I was running both the website and the boutique by myself but have been lucky enough to have 2 fantastic, fashionable girls come to work for me as the online business grows and takes more of my time.

Why do you think customers should shop local?

Shopping local, with small businesses, keeps your money in your own community. It supports entrepreneurs, enables families to spend more time together, encourages creativity, builds friendships and networks. Better yet, when you shop vintage locally you're not only supporting your community economically but minimizing your own carbon footprint by buying recycled goods! Plus you look cool doing it.

Does your business provide any special services for customers? (i.e. borrowing for events? Alterations? Rentals?)

I opted not to do rentals or loaning, due to the nature of vintage textiles and the paperwork involved in keeping track of items. I will occassionally loan out to a fashion publication for the exchange of exposure. At this time we do not offer alterations, but can make suggestions!

Why did you choose the location you are currently at?

It was there, open, reasonably priced and once I got inside and saw the traffic I was sold! The windows are a major feature, drawing in customers on a regular basis who drive by headed downtown or home from work. The Western Gateway area of downtown is really growing, with the addition of the new librarary, the Pappajohn Sculpture Garden, businesses like Finder's Creepers, the gardens at Meredith and new condos. It's an interesting time to be involved there.

What do you think sets you apart from other vintage boutiques?

My collection is all hand picked by me. While you will find things spanning decades in fashion, there is an overall cohesion to the collection....one "eye", so to speak. Vintage is fashion in my boutique, not meant to amuse or to costume but to be appreciated for the individual aesthetic...for the importance of the design, for what it meant in the time it was created....and for what each piece meant to the person who held onto it and all the memories it represented. My shop girls are brilliant at both wearing and helping people select vintage. We take vintage as fashion very seriously and are always thrilled to share it with others!

What do you think the benefits are for having a brick and mortar shop opposed to just selling online?

Certainly it's given me a chance to meet and get to know people who love vintage face to face, and introduce those new to it to the idea. It's easier, of course, for people to buy clothing they can handle and try on. It's also enabled me to buy large estates and have a place to share the pieces that weren't quite right for my clientele online. I have a background in visual merchandising, which is something I love, so it's been fantastic to get to do that again as well!

Tell me about some of your favorite vintage finds.

That would have to be Jean's estate. I had literally just quit my full time job and plunged headlong into doing vintage 24/7. I had a call from a contact I'd left my card with....a dealer sorting a Beaverdale brick that had belonged to a woman named Jean. I arrived and at seeing the small size of the home was not encouraged....but upon entering realized that this was the home of a hoarder. Not a dirty/garbage hoarder, but someone who just couldn't let go of things. I was led to a bedroom (and informed that a few days prior, the room had been so full the door wouldn't open and had to be emptied by reaching in and pulling things out til the door would offer enough room to get in).....and shown a closet that was truly a time capsule. At the very back were dresses from the 1800s, at the closest end the most recent were 1950s. Gorgeous deco silks, feminine 30s gowns, smart 40s gabardines with cherry embellishments, summery 50s cotton sundresses. Not only did I acquire all of those dresses, but hats, shoes, handbags, jewelry, coats, lingerie and menswear but boxes and boxes of photographs and letters and newspaper clippings. I ended up with photos of her in clothing I had and a cache of letters she'd received from her mother, father, brother and friends from the 1920s to the 1950s....stories of wartime America, of ration stamps and blackouts on Miamia Beach, discussions about fashion with her mother, sweet letters from her father calling her "Lambie", letters of concern when she had back surgery in Minnesota. Within the letters was a copy of a newspaper article about her 1928 wedding, and her invitation. Had I not come across that, I'd have not realized that I had her wedding dress! A 1920s cocoa brown silk velvet with lace accents, brown shoes with deco detail, a sweet cloche....all of which I've saved with all the letters and cards. Reading all of them, and getting to know her via her family's words as well as by her tastes in clothing and styles was a tremendous gift. I like to think of her as an adoptive grandmother, as she never had children or anyone to care for her memory and of my happening upon her wardrobe at the time that I did as a sort of turning point in my career, with Jean's blessing from beyond.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I think that sums it up!

Shop Dorothea's online at http://www.dorotheasclosetvintage.com
Find more vintage from Dorothea's in our shops on etsy
Be the first to see new items by joining us on facebook

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If you are a local business in Des Moines and would like to be featured as a spotlight on our blog, please e-mail us at shoplocaldesmoines@gmail.com for more info!