FLIPPING good idea!

Hello again! 

May has arrived and is almost over, which means as each day comes and go, we are moving into the colder time of the year which got me thinking.... Catalogues and Coffee. 

Hang with me here... i tend to have a Grass Hopper Brain. 

Is there anything better then sitting in the sun on a cold winters day flicking through a catalogue and soaking up some real good Vitamin D....  Which now led me to.. 

WHY DOESN'T RHUBARB DO A CATALOGUE... 

As the shopper for Rhubarb i am continuously searching for those unique, outrageous, different, FANTASTIC or just down right AWESOME products.  I surely come across some weird and wonderful things and doing it all from home online, i tend to end up all over the world! 

Which now led me to another thought! 

It's impossible for me to provide you access to all these brilliant items i discover on my "window shopping" experiences, so i have come up with a FLIPPING good idea.. Flipping.. literally.. 

I feel like i almost need a drum roll here................. 

Each MONTH i will pick a supplier and create a catalogue to showcase all the great products they have to offer.  Each MONTH this catalogue will be distributed a number of different ways. 

Rhubarb Boutique Website

Email (Which you can register to receive by emailing me! )

Facebook 

Each month will be a different line of products. We will showcase anything from Costume Jewellery, Designer Jewellery, Home Decor, Gifts, Scarves and everything in between. 

This months catalogue 

- Putting your heart <3 into your home - 

is now OUT and can be viewed. 

Our first catalogue showcases everything you may desire to display in your home. Picture Frames to Towel Racks to Antique Genuine Leather Bags to Glass etc etc. 

It's all there! 

Being the owner, shopper, and the brains behind Rhubarb Boutique i tend to hold a great responsibility not to provide or offer you any products that i don't personally believe in. 

As much as i discover products from all over the globe, i tend to stick with an Australian Supplier. 

This Supplier is 1 of my favourites and i regularly stocked the shop with their products. Christmas, Birthday, or just making your house into a home. Their products are fantastic! 

I find that they are very well priced and brilliant quality! 

Creating this catalogue got me thinking..... 

Rhubarb is a small private owned business in a huge retail world. 

We compete with over sized, under priced and overseas business every day. 

It's not something i personally believe we will ever beat, but i do believe i can offer you all something different. 

Personal service... which made me think... 

We females love sharing, talking, catching up, socialising, however you may look it. We love to be around people. 

Rhubarb Boutique is looking for Catalogue Hosts. 

This means you become the host of the catalogue, distribute to as many or as little number of friends and family. You may choose to host a party, you may choose to send them all an email, or however you may want to do it, its up to YOU. 

Catalogue Hosts are rewarded with a discount depending on how many orders are placed under their name and to total amount of sales made. 

I will personally be available to help if and when required, so this makes it easier for you. 

Once orders are in - the products are shipped directly to your door. This will save $$ on shipping too. 

It's simple. 

You simply inform us you would like to become a host 

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We then forward you the catalogue with host documents

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Your guests pay direct to Rhubarb Boutique with their orders

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You are advised how many sales were made under your name

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A DISCOUNT IS APPLIED TO YOUR ORDER! 

You don't need to live in the district to become a host. Rhubarb is looking for Ladies all over!! 

If you may be interested make sure you make contact! 

No commitment needed! 

Yours in Style
Caitlyn Hewitt
Rhubarb Boutique

Coat Hanger --> Scarves Hanger!

Hi! 

Today i am following on from yesterdays blog, "It's All About The Scarf".  

Before i start, i do have a question for you.... 

 Does your scarf draw look like my scarf draw? 

Photo taken by Caitlyn Hewitt @ Rhubarb Boutique

It absolutely drives me bonkers! 

At the end of every Winter i seem to have multiplied my scarf collection by quite a bit .. (Whoops) ... and at the end of every Winter i wash all of my scarves, neatly fold them and put them all nice and neat in a draw. It looks really tidy for about as long as 27 seconds.

So this Winter i went on a mission to solve my problem.

 A storage solution that didn't have to cost money, take allot of time, and didn't have to change every year when i keep adding more scarves to my collection (being completely honest about my addiction).

My problem is solved! After googling, i found SO many ways to overcome this issue, but i particularly liked this one. 

1 coat hanger, your scarves and wherever you would like to hang them! 

Photo taken by Caitlyn Hewitt @ Rhubarb Boutique

HOW SIMPLE!!! 

I have used timber coat hangers, but a plastic coat hanger would work just as good! 

I decided to colour co-ordinate the scarves on each hanger. You will find this will be easier to find that scarf you are looking for and will look neater in your wardrobe.

Photo taken by Caitlyn Hewitt @ Rhubarb Boutique

Don't have the room in your wardrobe? What about putting a couple of nails or hook on your wall and turn them into a feature in your room. 

Photo taken by Caitlyn Hewitt @ Rhubarb Boutique

What about picking yourself up a cheap clothes rack from any major store and just displaying them on there? 

Photo taken by Caitlyn Hewitt @ Rhubarb Boutique

Once you start looking for a spot to hang your scarves, you will be surprised at just how many you probably actually have. 

Even better..... YOU NOW HAVE ANOTHER DRAW! 

Who read this and went "WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS ! " ... 

Don't worry i did too! 

Stay tuned for our next blog... 

We show you trick with wire coat hangers and your shoes! 

Be notified when the next blog is up, simply just subscribe by entering your email --->> 

Yours in Style

Caitlyn Hewitt

www.facebook.com/RhubarbBoutique

It's All About The Scarf!

It's All About The Scarf! 

If you are anything like me, you have a slight obsession with scarves and wearing them. Summer, Autumn, Spring but especially Winter! 

Summer, i tend to do loose knots with light weight scarves. Winter i tend to wear more thick cotton scarves wrapped around so they become quite snuggly and warming.

-  Its amazing how warm a scarf can be, it all depends on how you wear it! - 

I have put together a few snap shots on different ways that i tend to wear my scarves. The scarf i used for these pictures can be purchased from Rhubarb Boutique. The scarf is a silk scarf, i chose this type so it was easy to see the knots, twists and turns. 

Please feel free to make contact with us to get the tutorial on "HOW TO" tie these knots. 

When it comes to your scarves, get creative. There is never a right or wrong way on how you should wear them, and this is why i love to have a collection! They dress any "basic" casual outfit up, and often just exactly what the outfit needs to give it that finished look. 

You will notice, that i added some flowers to accessorise a basic knot, or give the braid a tad more flare! If you don't have an oversized flower, perhaps a nice brooch, or use a costume ring to gather it together. 

These are just a few styles, so make sure you try them, and keep searching. you will find loads of ways on the internet by searching in google or pinterest. 

The possibilities are endless! 

Yours in Style, 

Caitlyn Hewitt.

What Makes You Smile....

 STOP and take a step back from that hectic and over crowded schedule we all call life and take a look at what wonderful things surround you in your everyday breaths. 



This week at Rhubarb, we received a fresh order of Inspirational Books. Have you ever stopped to read one, or even just flick through it? There are some that can be quite soul drenching and there are some that are soul satisfying. I have decided to blog on 1 particular book from our collection and that is the "What makes your smile" book. So i ask you, What does make you smile?








Once you start thinking of the all the things that make you smile you will realise its often the smallest things that go un noticed.

This book that measures no more then 14cm Wide and 15cm High shows you that we most often not need the larger things in life. 

As you turn each page, you will read 1 small sentence that strikes 1 small smirk, 1 small memory of that 1 time it made you smile without you realising. 

Rhubarb has run a competition today for all our Ladies, to comment with 1 small thing that makes them smile. Check it out at Rhubarb Boutique Facebook and take the test!

So by now i bet your reading this and thinking of all the small things that just may make you smile. Am i correct?   

If you haven't commented on our Facebook competition, i ask for you to comment on this blog, with 3 simple small things that make you smile on any given day. 

I will leave it with you, i hope that you can take the time to comment with 3 small things. I look forward to hearing your comments. 

This book can be purchased from Rhubarb Boutique for $39.95. 

Thanks for reading, and until next time, 

Yours in Style

Caitlyn McLeod.

How much online shopping is hurting Small Businesses !

How much online shopping is hurting Small Businesses!!! 

Honestly how much online shopping is  hurting my small business! 

Christmas is exactly 14 days away. I would expect business to be booming, however sadly its quite the opposite.  As a Small Business owner, in a small remote rural town i am feeling the major impacts of online shopping and the effects it is having on my own business. 

Don't get me wrong, i don't condone ALL online shopping, Rhubarb does online trade, however we are a small business and the profits go towards our bills in store and to provide new stock, not to mention our income.  I am all for supporting Australian Businesses whether it is online or in store. 

I am as guilty as the next for purchasing online from a major organisation such as Amazon etc, however i could count on 1 hand how many times i have and it was most likely because i couldn't get it elsewhere.  I am the type of person "I want it and i want it yesterday" which makes it hard living in a remote town which is 2.5 hours away from a major city, so again there is another reason to do online shopping.  When did we become so impatient and lazy? 

I posted a status on our Facebook page yesterday about this and had such great response and feedback. A particular lady stated that she is 100% guilty of doing her Christmas shopping online this year but simply because she had a toddler that was near impossible to face it in the shopping centre which she lives 2 hours from and would have to do a round trip in the day. I totally get that and understand why she would go that way, however this is what is starting to kill the small businesses. She didn't state if she purchased from Australian Businesses or major organisation, but she did also state that is was simply and purely because it was easier and less hassle to do so and she did her shopping in Rockhampton throughout the year. 

I am posting this as a message to you all to stop and have a think before you "Click and Save" online and to have a look around you and see what is at your front door or a small business in a neighbouring town. I spent the weekend in Rockhampton and i remember 4 or 5 years ago it was absolute CHAOS to go to Rocky from about November onwards to do the shopping, and every year we would say "i am going to be much more organised next year and do shopping earlier or throughout the year" and every year we would face the major crowds. Sadly this year was no different then any other weekend in Rocky, well  that i noticed. Malls, Shopping Centres and Shops were all sadly quiet. I spoke to a few owners as i was purchasing my Christmas Gifts and we discussed how quiet the trade was and how scary it is. Without them knowing i was also a small business owner they would comment that they are finding people are doing a lot more online trade.

As a business owner, i don't completely blame people for wanting to avoid the Christmas rush and Chaos in the stores, so we as the owners need to think what we can do to get the customers back in our doors and how to make it easier for them. So i ask you if you have any feedback please comment and let us know. ALL feedback is welcome! 

This year at Rhubarb we are offering complimentary glass of Champagne from now until Christmas to our browsers, what more could a girl want! How much more blissful can Christmas Shopping be. 

So please remember to consider our Australian owned Small Business before you purchase from elsewhere. The industry is extremely struggling and its certainly going to be a case of "you won't know what you have until its gone". Remember this throughout the year not only just through the Christmas Period. 

What is your opinion? If you can help spread the word or interested in taking this further to shout it out please contact me! 

Yours in Style, 

Caitlyn McLeod

Small Business owner 

Rhubarb Boutique

Theodore Q 

YOUnique Style

YOUnique Style

Today's post is all about you and your style.

As the manager of this fashion store, i love seeing every human body create their own style in "fashion". We each have a different understanding what is fashionable and whats not. 

As ladies reach a certain age, we tend to be more fragile about their body, what they wear and what is shown. "One persons long is one persons short". I giggle quote often when a customer comes in looking for a certain something and they inform me they don't like anything shorter then here or they have to hide this and that. Its funny what we all become self conscious of. When i say i giggle, i giggle in a way that we all have bits we think that should be hidden from the world and i know for a fact, some of those bits you are hiding, someone would love to have to show!Some Ladies prefer to have knee length dresses, sleeves, or pants. Its what we feel comfortable in that we wear with pride and confidence.

I am guilty of it as well and I'm only 23! When it comes time to order the stock for the NEXT season, i sometimes struggle with the upcoming fashion. 
I am a size 10 sometimes an 8 and this often works against me. In the store that is, i tend to find people don't quite take me serious when I'm giving advise on a size 14-16 and what looks good. I actually admire how clothing looks on a healthy size 14 /16 and i personally prefer some of today's fashion pieces on these ladies.

I don't get to head down to the label showings and trade fairs as often as i would like or need to, so i find myself always ordering out of a catalogue or any form of images sent to me from my supplier.
 Its so very hard to pic and choose what to purchase from these images for a number of reasons.

Whats it feel like? 
How does it really sit if your not posing? 
Looks great on a size 8 6ft model but what about a 5ft size 14?

Most of my customers are sizes 10-16, so i often struggle with this and trying to figure out what is going to sell and compliment all body shapes! I sometimes get it wrong, and don't order enough or too much!

I often comment that if i was to too a designing degree in fashion, i would design a plus size range and in the mid $$ range.  I am constantly on the look out for a great plus size range that isn't too mature or too expensive. 

As you probably read in my last post My Mr Rhubarb Right, that i am a Bride to Be, and this means we must locate a Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom outfit. Again this has started to become a challenge, everything is either too old, far too expensive or overseas. Now i am a very big believe in you buy cheap you buy twice, so when i say far too expensive I'm talking $800 - $1000. Again we each have a different opinion on what "look" the MOB or MOG is. 

Rhubarb Boutique likes to stock a mid range market in store, and this is simply my personal choice. From owning Rhubarb i see so many customers walk away because they can't justify spending the money (and that is fine, as we are all in a financial position we don't really like to be in) but ladies if there is 1 piece of advice i can give you when you are shopping for your outfit, stay true to you and spend a little bit more for the quality. You will find it washes so much better and last so much longer. If you can't afford to purchase today's fashion pieces, purchase neutral items and splurge on accessories every now and then. 

Accessories are a great additive to an outfit. You don't have to spend a lot of money on them, but not only that, when we accessorise that's when we tend to put our own YOUnique style to the outfit. 

All images can be found on Rhubarb Boutique Facebook page where you can purchase the items.

Yours in YOUnique Style.

Caitlyn McLeod

My Mr Rhubarb Right!

My Mr Rhubarb Right...

I would like to introduce you to my much better half, Finley Hewitt. 

Finley is also Rhubarb's better half, although i am really selfish and don't like sharing! Finley and i brought Rhubarb together 2 years ago, i never actually thought i would have any chance of this "cowboy" rough rider going into business with me, in a female retail industry. Surprisingly Finley was/is actually the person that pushed/s me and helped me through to times when business goes a little bit pear shaped! 

He is the perfect business partner! I'm not being soppy by any means, I'm really serious, because he is much like a silent partner, but he always seems to appear when i need him and is sitting silently in the background when i don't need him .  Fin has a great financial and business mind. Unlike myself, that has the "i want to do, i don't care how but i want it and want to do it now" mind. Which isn't always good. 

Finley and i live together on his parent's property which he helps manage, don't even get me started on the "cattle, crops, fencing" discussions that go on every "get together" we have. Finley's Mum Tracey Hewitt, and i often start our own little "she woman cattle discussion haters club!" We love our farm boy's to bits, but they L.I.V.E. and B.R.E.A.T.H.E it! 

Finley and his 2 other brothers will be the 3rd generation Hewitt's on "Charvel" when and if it comes time to pass it on. When i say "when" i mean if the mining doesn't take over before hand. 

I am often told by Mr Right, that he doesn't care where he is, as long he has his cows he will be happy.. hmmmmm i don't know about you but WHAT ABOUT ME!! :-) He then very quickly adds "oh and you too of course.."  I'm not sure if it's ever quick enough to save himself!  

Finley and i celebrated our engagement earlier this year. We were engaged 12 months yesterday, (18.9.2012)  that is. Time has flown,let me tell you! 

I class myself as very lucky, blessed and i cherish what Finley and i share. I always remember someone telling me, when you find love you will know, its different. It sure is different. 

To have someone that has the capability to pick you up, carry you, support you, lean on and most of all accepts and loves you is pretty amazing. Rhubarb is very lucky to have this man in her life, and not many of us small business owners have someone like Fin in our business. I can tell you know, if it wasn't for my Handsome prince, I'm not sure Rhubarb would have survived the floods and been here today! 

Each day is a battle in 1 way or another, but it's all worth it to see what joy Rhubarb brings to the ladies of the Rural!