Hello, friend! While Mr. Wonderful and I are on vacation, Jill and Alexis are holding down the shop. As you see, Jill has her hands full, with this custom paint project! A deconstructed hutch, in 412 pieces! Even away, my brain never stops thinking about the shop. In fact, it sort of goes into overdrive, giving me a chance to plan ahead. ❤️❤️❤️ If you’ve got love on your mind…and shouldn’t we all!…we just got a new stash of our beautiful rusty signs back in. These pictures aren’t exactly staged, but you’ll get the idea! There are lots more, but…
Greetings!, Can you believe it’s the end of 2017? Crazy! I hope your holidays have been everything you wanted them to be! Mr. Wonderful and I were orphans this Christmas, so everything was pretty low-key. We missed the kids, but the low-key part was pretty nice! Having been up at Tahoe for a week, I’ve had a chance to do some long term planning, which is always helpful. I opened the shop, five years ago, with no prior retail experience, flying by the seat of my pants. Over time, I’ve learned that isn’t such a great approach! Let’s see where…
Hi there sweets!, In the new year, I vow to plan better! Vow may be too strong of a word. Should I say try? Probably! I know you’re up to your ears in to-do’s on your list, but if you are going to be cruising by the shop Saturday or Sunday, between 11 and 3, All things Christmas, (minus the vintage sleds and vendor inventory, in our new space) are HALF off. This includes Christmas cards, preserved 10″ boxwood wreaths, hand made stockings, ornaments on the tree and anything else, around the shop. Furniture, remains at 25% Off, as well!…
Mr. Wonderful and I ran away from home, Monday morning and headed for the hills. In my never-ending attempt to maintain balance in our lives, it was time for a get away. (Sunrise photo, compliments of Bob, who is the early riser, in the group!) We’ll be heading back this evening, to miss the snow that’s forecast for later tonight. Amazingly, I found time to put up the tree! A bit sparse on the decorations, but I’m going with it! Don’t judge! It’s just the two of us, this Christmas. Keeping it minimalist! This has been a favorite spot, over…
It’s true! Santa’s coming this Saturday, around 1 p.m.! You never know, with Santa. Head winds, tail winds, or some extra good girl, (like me), may hold him up, but he’s pretty dependable! We’ve stocked up on candy canes and have the perfect spot for him, to sit and hope you’ll be able to stop by! (We’ve never had a visit before and I hope I survive! I have visions of barking dogs and children running through the shop, eating their candy canes. This may be a Xanax kind of day! But I love Santa and seeing the kids eyes get…
Hello, Darlin’! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure did, but I have to tell you, it nearly wore me out! It had been some time since we hosted a family dinner and I had forgotten how much work goes into shopping, prep and clean up, for 17 +/-. No wonder they sell those “dinners in a box”, already to go…even though it does sound kind of marginal. Well, don’t put away your pot holders just yet! Christmas is just around the corner! Kandy, one of our wonderful customers, loves to decorate cookies for every holiday and celebration…
Hello, sweet pea!, I’m sitting at the San Diego airport, on the last leg of my return flight, from Chicago, to Sacramento. I had gone way too long, since visiting my wonderful 92 year old Aunt Jewell and I’m so glad I made the trip! I hope I inherited Aunt Jewell’s great genes! She still golfs, drives, plays bridge and cleans her own home! We have three workshops, this weekend and there’s still space in all of them. I hope you’ll join us! Plus, now through Christmas, we’ll be open Sunday’s 11-4. Saturday, Monica joins us for a free, informative…
I type this last minute note to you, as I taste test one of my chocolate chip-oatmeal-coconut cookies, just baked for tomorrow night’s Christmas Tree Lighting Party. It’s the responsible thing to do! All of us are making a batch of our favorite cookies to share with you. I got everything at the market, for the Hot Chocolate Bar, after dinner tonight. True to form, I forgot the whipped cream! That can wait until tomorrow! While the insurance czars say I can’t serve alcohol at shop events any longer, I won’t think less of you, if you BYO peppermint schnapps, for your brew!…
Greetings!, I hope your week is off to a stellar start! We’ll be busy getting the shop ready for this weekend’s Holiday Open House, starting Friday evening, at 5:30! We’ve been teaching classes at the shop now, for the last five years and love inspiring all of you! Most of our classes have focused on transforming furniture pieces. Now, I’d like to expand our class calendar, to include craft and home decor projects, as well! I’ve known for a long time, that Jill and I can’t do it all! I’m creating a part time position, for a Creative Director. The…
Hello, sweet chick-a-dee! It’s been way too long, since we had one of our very fun Paint & Sip nights at the shop! Now it’s time to put on our party pants and get painting! Susanne Kish is our new artist/instructor and I think you’ll love her! Here’s our next masterpiece, to be completed Friday, November 17th, at 6 p.m.! Randy, the rooster, would look lovely in your kitchen, or under the tree, for a friend! Susanne lightly traces the image on each canvas, to help you get started. Then, she’ll walk you through all of the steps, to complete your…
