Little Boxes is officially in the books for 2013 and we can't help but feel the way you do as a kid when December 26th rolls around. All that build up, speculation, expectations, and then, 'poof!' it's over. What's that saying about "don't be sad that it's over, be glad that it happened?" Yeah, that. Friday and Saturday were cray-zee. Not only were shops bustling and mimosas flowing, but we were overjoyed with the response on Social Media. This made me particularly happy, as it allowed us to view the event through the eyes of those participating. Seeing people collecting stamps, watching app raffle entries pour in, and reading comments from people saying they hit 22 Little Boxes in one day (ya can't make that stuff up!)- many visiting shops for the first time - was energizing in a way that I can't eloquently explain right now. Just know that we saw each comment, like, post, share, emoji, etc. and it means that you were felt led to engage with the Little Boxes shopping experience; aka what it's alllll about, people. To recap further, I'm going to use our Instagram Roundup format, as the pictures say so much more than my words can. Especially the pictures that are composed of several tiny pictures - I mean, those are worth AT LEAST 6,000 words. (shout out to my Pic Frame app!) 
1. Blog: The Little Boxes blog was the place to find info about participating shops, raffle prize donors, as well as Guest Posts by Portland peeps who were kind enough to write Gift Guides and Recommended Routes to share with readers. We hope this will continue to be a resource for people seeking a guide to Portland shopping all year. 2. Community Support: We felt the Little Boxes love like whoa this year. Commissioner Nick Fish, Portland's First Lady Nancy Hales, and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici are some of the notable locals who voiced support for Little Boxes. This photos shows "Commish Fish" at our shop handing Betsy & Will a proclamation officially kicking off Little Boxes & Small Business Saturday week. 3. Sweet, Sweet National Press: With such buzz around Little Boxes, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the country took note. And this year, they did in a few big ways- Bloomberg Business Week, and a mention on The New York Times Small Business Blog were certainly "crowd around the computer and squeal" moments. 4. On Repeat: Yeah, our 2013 Promo Vid is going to be on heavy rotation throughout the holidays and beyond. It's just... it makes me feel things, goshdarnit!!!! Thanks again to our friends at The Backwuds for putting this piece of magic together and to all who appear in the video.
Even though the two-day event is over, Little Box shops aren't going anywhere. The rich experiences offered at these stores are available all year round and we hope you'll continue to support them. Thank you all for participating and sharing your photos with us. #littleboxespdx for life! Onward, also Upward, Anna ***Song of the Moment: "The Load Out" by Jackson Browne***
1. Blog: The Little Boxes blog was the place to find info about participating shops, raffle prize donors, as well as Guest Posts by Portland peeps who were kind enough to write Gift Guides and Recommended Routes to share with readers. We hope this will continue to be a resource for people seeking a guide to Portland shopping all year. 2. Community Support: We felt the Little Boxes love like whoa this year. Commissioner Nick Fish, Portland's First Lady Nancy Hales, and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici are some of the notable locals who voiced support for Little Boxes. This photos shows "Commish Fish" at our shop handing Betsy & Will a proclamation officially kicking off Little Boxes & Small Business Saturday week. 3. Sweet, Sweet National Press: With such buzz around Little Boxes, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the country took note. And this year, they did in a few big ways- Bloomberg Business Week, and a mention on The New York Times Small Business Blog were certainly "crowd around the computer and squeal" moments. 4. On Repeat: Yeah, our 2013 Promo Vid is going to be on heavy rotation throughout the holidays and beyond. It's just... it makes me feel things, goshdarnit!!!! Thanks again to our friends at The Backwuds for putting this piece of magic together and to all who appear in the video.
Even though the two-day event is over, Little Box shops aren't going anywhere. The rich experiences offered at these stores are available all year round and we hope you'll continue to support them. Thank you all for participating and sharing your photos with us. #littleboxespdx for life! Onward, also Upward, Anna ***Song of the Moment: "The Load Out" by Jackson Browne***