A few weeks ago, I wrote about the concept of the Minimum Viable Bookstore and realizing that, really, when push comes to shove, we already have the absolute baseline of we need to launch our business, even if it doesn’t quite look as fancy and extravagant as it did in our dreams. Well, to take things one step further, I would like to show you what I have affectionately termed the Miniature Viable Bookstore, a beautiful creation that my business partner and I were gifted by my talented aunt.

I wish I could express the magnitude of the excitement and gratitude we felt when we were given this gorgeous miniature. It is complete in every detail, including the books, most of which are real miniature books that you can open and flip through, with tiny printed pages and illustrations. My aunt created this miniature with the help of a kit, which she modified and augmented with additional handcrafted details, like the tiny record player, miniature Greek Orthodox icons in the Christianity sections (my business partner and fiancé is an Eastern Orthodox Christian), and the tiny hand-felted bookstore cat sitting curled up in the armchair.

This miniature was given to us at a very discouraging time in our business (perhaps sometime we will tell you about the Flooring Fiasco of 2022), and served as a huge encouragement at a time when we were starting to feel like we had nothing left to give. It was like our dream encapsulated in tiny, portable form; a reminder of the ideal we are striving towards with this business. I think it may well be the best gift I have ever received.