Tips & Inspo

I was delighted to find that my birth month flower came in one of my favorite colors. The aster flower meaning is mostly associated with charm, wisdom and named after the star goddess Astrea. Asters are native to Eurasia and North America. Their name comes from the Greek word for star because of the petal's shape. They are a composite flower - growing in clusters at the top of a stem. Historically, they were used as medicinal herbs for treating headaches, colds, hangovers, and epilepsy as well as decongestants for the lungs. Myths + Stories The ancient Greeks used to [...]

I have a recreational interest in word meanings and grow particularly excited when the etymology is on-the-nose. Learning about the Gladiolus flower meaning gave me that thrill. The flowers grow from a spike-shaped stem. The word "gladiolus" is related to latin and greek words that mean "sword" — think "gladiator". I've read that they were used in ancient celebrations for warriors as spike-shapes in the floral displays. Through this association, the flower has become associated with honor and remembrance. It's a memorial flower with meaning related to strength of character, faithfulness, sincerity, and integrity. The History of the Gladiolus In [...]

This summer, my husband traveled with the Army Reserve — like he has most summers. (For those who say AT is only supposed to be 2 weeks, I can't recall such a summer since he joined.) When he told me the schedule, I marked it on our shared Outlook calendar and began planning. Most of my son's and I's life is already arranged around my husband's time away. I have childcare in place while I work and a play area set up beside my desk for emergency edits. I have family members with keys in case my five-year-old accidentally locks [...]

This post is for anyone who needs help with their store. Whether you're selling online, through events, or in a brick-and-mortar location, our Lynchburg Marketing Agency can help. What is The Shop Shop? In short, The Shop Shop is a Lynchburg Marketing Agency for makers, estores, and retailers. I'm Danielle Verderame, and this is my agency. The Shop Shop turns things up a notch for me. This agency focuses my 15-year marketing career and 5-year freelance business (Verderame, LLC) into a boutique agency. And it’s all focused on retail. I’ve brought together a small team that specializes in marketing services [...]

I'm constantly editing my playlists with new, old songs — especially ones from artists that I may have overlooked. Like most people, I'm aware of Sixpence None the Richer's hit songs. But, I've never listened to any of their albums before. Starting at the beginning, I was surprised to find a consistent, pleasant sound for over a decade. The Fatherless and the Widow (1994) This album has a pure 90s vibe like it could be the soundtrack for any grainy TV show where a manic pixie dream girl plunges headfirst into a dreamy, hopeful adventure. I was actually surprised at [...]