Easter cards, birthday cards, anniversary cards and Alexandria greeting cards all have photography, art and design done here at Yellow Dot Shop. I am hand printing sheets of wrapping paper for various holidays. My purses are sewn with my own printed fabric.
Indoor Store?
My hope is to find an affordable indoor retail space, now that Covid is hopefully coming to an end. I am thrilled to display my cards, books and items in an outdoor tent, but it is challenging. An indoor space will allow me to hang framed prints and art, and have all my books out at once. Unfortunately our region's robust economy has led property owners to be overly zealous in the rent they want to charge for a modest store space! This, in places where only a few years ago they would have been happy to have any tenants at all. For a small business to afford rents in my neighborhood, you need to have the sales of a VERY well established business. Our store fronts sit empty for years while serious businesses struggle to find affordable space. A business which operates most days of the week should be able to have a store front in this city. If it takes a shared space to get started, or a small one, this should be do-able! Working on it.
Will I Stay or Will I Go Now?
Yellow Dot Shop has been at Old Town Alexandria's Market on Saturday mornings during February and March. I was a guest vendor there, so March 27th was my last day to display. Now I am on the list in case of any openings. Meanwhile, Four Mile Run Market has started its Spring and Summer Concert Series! We had such a fun event last Sunday with singer-songwriter Janna Audey on the stage with her electric guitar. People had coffee from our coffee vendor and sat in the sun at tables by the stage. Children twirled, dogs snoozed, and it was really nice. You will find Yellow Dot Shop at Four Mile Run Market on Sunday mornings.
Four Mile Run Market
9am - 1pm
4109 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22305
I am excited to be in Del Ray Artisans' Spring Market in May!
Saturday, May 8th, 2021
10am - 4pm
2704 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22301
Scottish Migration Story
When I am not working on the Shop, I have been squeezing in time to fill out the story-in-the-works, "Why They Left: A Scottish Migration." This project is about a man who migrated from Scotland to Alexandria, Virginia in the early 1800's. I have been adding the parts that were researched but kept out so far, like William witnessing the first bridge built over the Potomac River. Or the place where William's father crossed the Potomac on a ferry boat before the Revolutionary War. Or what William and Alexandria's troops did as British Wars ships retreated down the Potomac. The writing is coming along well. I still have William's sister's story to add, about another migration from Kilmarnock, Scotland which ended up in a different place. I am excited to be seeing the end in sight!
Ellen Hamilton
