retail/fashion design

I work in a small boutique in Carytown. The store just opened in September so it has been interesting to see the start of a business I will be a part of for the rest of my life. The boutique carries all European fashion lines, something that is completely new and exclusive to Richmond. The lines we carry are all designers out of all over Europe, but we get the garments from vendors in New York and LA. We don't get the lines directly from Europe due to export/import issues, but the vendors we work with work directly out of Europe. This is a great experience for me because I one day hope to be selling my own line to independently owned boutiques. I have been able to see how the entire process is executed, from placing orders, communicating with design houses and vendors in both the US and Europe, and developing line sheets. As a design student, I don't get to learn much of the merchandising/business end of the industry through my classes - so this gives me a chance to see it first hand through a small, intimate learning experience.

The worst hair cut

Don't every get your hair cut at the Hair Cuttery in Carytown. It was the worst experience of my life. I went there thinking I was going to get a quick, cheap, and half way decent hair cut. WRONG! I sat around and waited for almost an hour it was just before noon when I arrived and no one was in-front of me all of a sudden two out of the four people working went on lunch. Now is it just me or should they have waited till after the 1 to take lunch, because most people who work get their hair cuts on their lunch break. Once I finally got a chair the woman began brushing my hair like it was a Brillo pad. She was also talking on the phone to her girl friend while cutting my hair. At the end she asked me if the sides looked even to me, i was like no the left side was way off. This girl didn't have a cute how to cut hair, some times i wonder where Hair Cuttery finds these people.

Shopping online

I am so skeptical about shopping online. Especially when it comes to Ebay, it can be so deceiving. For example my friend bought a pair of boots from Ebay, that had claimed they were bran new and when she got them they had a stain on the them that she could get out. That would really piss me off. I was also watching MTV's "Sweet Sixteen" and this chick bought her dress for the party off line and it fit in the waist and top part. But it was made for a seven foot tall person and she was like five-two, but she got a Porsche at the end so it was all good. If i was going to buy something off line like clothes or shoes for example i would defiantly want to know what i was getting fit.

Google presentation

I agree completely with Kendra's post on the google presentation. The presentation was on a very interesting topic and relevant as everyone is beginning to look for jobs after graduation. All of the presentations done this semester were interesting. It was nice that most of them pertained to the class in some way. Also, it was helpful to learn from everyone.

Hourly Pay

I learned a good lesson in organization and keeping track of hours this week. I work at a retail store in carytown and get paid every other week. When given our paychecks, we receive an outline of our hours, days, times, etc. Sometimes when I (and the other girls who work there) go in and out of work it is very easy to forget to clock in and out - especially if you go in in the middle of the day when the store is full. I got my pay stub last week and the hours were all wrong, which of course made my paycheck incorrect as well. We clock into a computer and sometimes people clock in the wrong names, etc - (careless mistakes). Luckily I have written down on my planner each day I have worked and the exact hours. That made it very easy to figure out the correct hours and clear everything up. If I hadn't have kept track the situation would have been much more hectic.

Black Friday

Like a fool my sister and I went shopping on the day after Thanks Giving we almost got hit three times by crazy drivers in the parking lot at Kohl’s department store. We also were almost hit by a car from walking from the parking lot into the store. Once inside we had to wait around to get baskets from finished shoppers. The store was a mad house to say the least. I could not even walk down the pathways they were so many people either, standing in line or browsing the stands with discounted merchandise that I had to make my way around the store by walking in the middle of the different departments. When we went to check out my sister stood in line for us both while I tried on the merchandise that I had found that probably took about 30 minuets. When we got to check out, Kohl’s employees were behind the register and girl scouts bagging merchandise. They were just throwing the merchandise into the bags. After we left Kohl’s we went home to enjoy hot coco by the fire, just joking we went to Best Buy.

gOOGLE

I really enjoyed the presentation that was done on Google. I had seen the special about it on television , but i just find their company to be so interesting. Their employees are taken care of very well, from free lunch to a spa downstairs, they have it made. I think that is the key to a successful business. If you treat your employees good they usually dont have a problem doing their own work or staying overtime, or just giving their all to the company.