Neither wind, nor sleet, nor snow deterred most of the shoppers at the Minneapolis Gift Mart this last week. I was ready -- hat, gloves, scarf, coat -- anxious to get back to Jansco's showroom and show my Lingonberries line. (Definitely thankful for the hotel and gift mart shuttles so I didn't have to drive in the snow for the 6 days I was there...)

But once inside the Gift Mart, there was no mistaking that spring was coming....

It was a fun show -- so much to see, so little time... Buyers rushing in and out, some I'd met at the August show, meeting others for the first time... New shops to get to know.

Lingonberries is adding homes in 9 new shops in 7 new states. To me, one of the benefits of being a small business is that each shop does feel like a "home." This shop, This town. This state. There's a kind of shared sense of community -- I want to know that store and get to know the people who like it ...

As a designer, you want to hear, "I love it. That's perfect for..."

That's the goal. You want your creations to find a good home, and to be a valued part of it.