Sometimes I think I overlook the greatest asset of my store. 

I’m so busy unpacking new merchandise, double checking inventory, being sure everything has a price tag, stocking the shelves, rearranging the shelves…. 

So much to do, so little time and the store itself is not the greatest asset, it’s our customers. 

The stores there for the customers. Without the customers there would be no store. I think sometimes we tend to forget just how important our customers are to us. It’s not that we intentionally neglect them but we may not see them as importantly as they truly are. 

In the back room at my store posted for everyone to see is a little sign. It’s a reminder to my employees to always respect and take care of our customers. It happened to catch my eye this afternoon and I thought it might be nice to share. 

1.  The customer is always The most important person in our store. He/she is not dependent on you… You are dependent on him/her. 

2.  A customer is not someone to argue with. Nobody ever won an argument with a customer.

3. A customer is not an interruption to your work, but the purpose of it. You’re not doing a favor by serving them; they are doing you a favor by letting you serve them. 

4.  The customer is not an outsider to your business; they are your business. 

5.  A customer is a person who brings you his/her wants. It is your job to fill them profitably… for them and yourself. 

6. A customer is your ONLY reason for being in business. Without them we would have to close the doors.  

7.  Don’t let a customer walk through your door without giving them a smile and saying hello. Never let them leave without saying thank you whether they buy something or not. 

I never want to forget the value of my customers. They are the most important asset in my store. 

Tami Loves her customers ❤️❤️❤️❤️

If you know me at all, or have ever been to Tami Loves, you know how much I love vintage items. Let me rephrase that. I love old stuff. To me, something old has a story to tell…and I love figuring out what that story is, and how I can re-purpose it into our modern times.

Have you ever heard the saying, “everything old is new again?” Well, that certainly rings true with me! 
There isn’t a button, bottle, doorknob, frame, or corbel that I can’t appreciate, and turn into something useful, and beautiful. It can literally be anything!! I love to steampunk old novelty items into the coolest belt buckles you’ve ever seen! I have a huge selection on hand, or I can custom-design one. I also have antique optometry lens’ that have been artistically transformed into beautiful necklaces. There isn’t anything I can’t do with the baubles of yesteryear. And you can do it, too! I’ll show you how!
I like to take something as simple as a button, and see where I can use it, creating a kind of art that truly comes from the heart. These little things mean something to me. I find their story fascinating, as I imagine the era when they were new, how they were made, and their purpose decades ago.
Look around your home, attic, basement, garage, shed, etc. Some old things we take for granted. We see them each day and they eventually become invisible. We pass them and no longer notice their unique qualities. But they’re on hand, waiting for their turn to become useful again. How cool it is to turn your great-grandma’s front-door handle into a piece of art your family can enjoy, preserving it’s beauty, and keeping a family treasure on display.
If you have something old, and need some help transforming it, take one of my classes. It’s fun!

February 1st we are creating beautiful old bottles in a class starting at 5:30. The location is 265 Sunrise Center in Zanesville Ohio. $45.00 each. Please bring any old treasures you’d like to add to your project. 

Go to www.tamiloves.com to save your seat!!!

Tami Loves…when everything old is new again!

I came across this lovely photo and message, and wanted to share it with you.
Sometimes, we get caught up in our age, and feel like we coulda, shoulda, woulda…done or said, this or that, but that little number holds us back.

Honestly, my body may tell the world something different, but in my head, I’m forever 22. Yes, that’s still a number, but to me it represents an age where I thought anything and everything was possible. And because I’m still 22 in my head, I STILL believe that!

I hear people say, “Oh if I could be 30 again, and know what I know now.” Or “I wish I’d done that back when I turned 50.”

It’s as if the opportunity to do something special, or to change one’s way of thinking has passed, and now can’t be achieved. 

That is so NOT TRUE!

Everyday, no matter our age, is an opportunity to live life fully! If you’re about numbers, then everyday, we can be shining examples of what’s it’s like to be _____. Fill in that blank with your age. There is no appropriate number to which you can stop being smarter, better, healthier, sexier, wiser, adventurous, happier, etc.

If you want to go back to college at 50, do it!! If you want to write a novel at 70, do it! Feel like adding some vibrant color to your hair? Go for it! We as a society, get hung up on age-appropriateness behavior. Now I’m not talking about children. Children need to follow age-appropriate guidelines from their parents. I’m talking about adults who feel that because they’ve reached a certain age, they can’t go back and do or try something they put off for one reason or another.

Life is about the journey. If your journey includes sky-diving at 60, or scuba-diving at 30, and that makes you happy, then by all means, do it. Throw away that number that you feel identifies you. It’s a number, not an expiration date.

Enjoy this day, and try something new and different tomorrow, and everyday after that!! Live in the moment!
Tami Loves…not being defined by a number so we can live and enjoy this great life!

How weird is it that I can’t stand my clothes to be out of order in my closet?   I like them color coordinated. Sometimes it’s hard enough to figure what you want to wear that day.  Having my colors coordinated helps me out a lot.  Of course almost everything I wear is black, not for any reason other then it’s easy. Black always seems to match black. When I’m wearing khaki and I’m looking for something to go with it it’s always off just a shade and that bugs me.  I am a matchey matchey girl. This drives my daughters crazy by the way!!  I think it’s just an age thing.  These young girls mix colors and patterns and it looks absolutely adorable but when I do it it’s just not quite right and I’m paranoid about it all day long – who needs that aggravation all day.  So kudos to you girls who can just hang your clothes up in your closet anywhere you feel like hanging them. For me it’s everything in its place!!