My LSS Re-opened. Yeah!! And I visited the other LSS in town.

Yes, Green Tangerines has opened. I'm very excited about that. What made me even more excited was this picture taken at the crop there this weekend. I've not lost a lot of weight but what I have lost is apparent! Always like it when my pictures look better. My left arm and shoulder have that obvious droop from my neck problem. I need to work on posture to make that less apparent.
Scrapbooking this weekend was fun! My friend Ana, poor girl, smashed and bruised her finger in her car door; otherwise, all went well.
I got  a lot done even though I did take time to check out the store and made ample time for eating and chatting. I made sure to change up my activities.
Green Tangerines has opened in the same spot as before. This is good and bad. Good because it is easy to find. Bad because it is more of a drive than I'd like from the house. In some ways, taking Amtrak to Scrapbook Territory in Berkeley seems easier! Maybe it's the glass of wine on the train and not needing to drive that helps the most there!
I digress (my usual style dear blog readers, my apologies). Green Tangerines have kept the displays that have that contemporary luxurious look with the height about 5 feet tall and light wood finish. Aisles are clearly marked and wide enough to move around easily. Designer lines are near the front of the store. Many lines are already in and stocked. Basic Grey, Bo Bunny, My Mind's Eye, Creative Imaginations, etc.
Flowers, bling and specialty papers are up fron also. On the left of the store (as you enter) are seasonal lines in front and behind that the beginnings of a very extensive altered art collection. Behind those are the classrooms, as in the past.
On the right are albums both post bound and ring bound - a wonderful assortment and so colorful - just like a candy store. Kits and magazines as well as their die cut machine are up front too.
Behind that on the right is a section with stamp pads, ribbon and card supplies.
At the rear are the cardstocks by type and color, Thickers of all sorts, and more ribbon.
In the center are tools and more themed lines such as travel, wedding, children, and various activities.
Washrooms, kitchen area and staff/storage mark the back.
Not all product lines are in yet and I'm eagerly awaiting a number of these items; though, the merchandise already in is the hot stuff from the latest CHA.
The advantage of a store re-opening is the ability to start fresh (goes with their motto "Where scrapbooking is made fresh") while knowing their customers well. Having that experience should be a significant factor in their success. We also hope for an improving economy - but do not get me started on politics. Living in a broken state like California one longs for honesty and a reality check; and, national politics - oh boy! We need some real plain speaking and fresh NEW ideas there!
Let me get back to the fun stuff of scrapbooking and Green Tangerines. I know that folk have been unhappy with customer service at GT in the past. This weekend the staff were spead a little thin with the crop going on but everyone seemed cheerful and ready to help.
Nice to have a LSS again.
Now, today I needed to take Joe to school. Beverly's Unique Scrapbook Store is just a few miles south of City College so I thought I'd drop in. It's a similar distance from my home than GT and smaller. I've not had the occasion to visit before. It's very similar to a lot of scrapbook stores I have visited across the country. Quite well stocked. New lines of Basic Grey and an assortment of other new merchandise and a considerable amount of older and familiar products and tools. So, if you cannot find a certain embellishment or older product you might wish to try this store. Some stamp and card supplies but the emphasis is clearly scrapbooking. Aisles are narrow but the store is bright and cheerful and there is a large scrapbooking area in the back with large tables and hard chairs. Not very busy while I was there but it appears there is regular traffic. One can get very personalized help. Classes and discounts for class attendees are available. While it is not as direct a drive as GT for me, I'm glad i visited and discovered what this store in the south part of town has to offer.